Larry Smith's Macroeconomics: Global Dynamics

Okay, why didn't I post yesterday? One, the internet was down at my place (yeah, yeah, it happens here too, only that there's no poor Wateen customer service dude to practice swearing on!!!). Two, I was REALLY tired...

As the title suggests, had my first Macroecon class of the term! We started off with this:

"... I get agitated when I can't find your index card to record your grade!..."

For those who don't know, Larry Smith is probably one of the best lecturers UW can offer... Initially, I believed that since I was new here, I felt that way, but NOOOO! Engineers in their FOURTH year come to this FIRST year economics class! The class has a capacity of 370, and last I checked, the enrollment total was 372! (this is not a typo) That's not including all the "non-paying customers" that are there, present in the class...

Mr Smith's lecture style is a lot different from what is usual... He delivers the lecture while walking about the whole theater, going up and down the stairs... he doesn't just deliver a lecture, he expresses it! His methods are unconventional, rather than have students pore over books and economic theory, his course deals with the application of economics in the real world. One cannot help but be inspired...

We started off with some stock market figures... have to say, the Canadian economy has left everyone behind in the dust... In Larry's words, this "boring", "dopey", "half-frozen half the year" country avoided the economic storm by sleeping through it... In the US, the recent economic downfall was termed, "The Great Recession"; in Canada, just "recession", not great...

Course Notes...

It was interesting to know how the US was a major culprit behind the The Great Financial Fiasco Part II... Apparently, housing mortgages played a important role in bringing down the banking sector...

All very interesting... with more to come throughout the term...

I have to say, Larry Smith is a hard man to photograph... Nevertheless, I have included some shots below...

... making an observation...

... all excited...

... one of Larry Smith's typical expressions...

That's it for today...

(I seriously need topics to write on... suggestions are welcomed...)