Perhaps Only Once We Land
Last updated: 11/7/2026 | Originally published: 11/7/2026
This will be a short missive because I am once again sitting in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at SFO waiting for boarding. This time I’m en route to New Orleans, possibly the last must-see American city1 Apologies to all the cities I haven’t been to that didn’t make the list. I’m sure Atlanta is lovely, but is it must-see? I haven’t been to yet. So! Quite excited.
One new thing I’m trying on this trip, which I probably picked up from Tyler Cowen back when I still read Marginal Revolution2 Complicated feelings on that one, for sure. He has such a distinct viewpoint that it’s fascinating to read, even if I don’t agree with 90% of what he says — but, at some point, I simply got too annoyed with his very let’s say speculative attitude. , is reading a history of the city before I arrive. I ended up landing on New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City, a recent book by Charles D. Chamberlain, which is exactly what it says on the tin. I’m learning a lot of basic facts — the ongoing legacy of French Catholicism and the (relatively lax, compared to Anglo-America) Code Noir slavery codes, an explanation for the (in)famous above-ground cemeteries, an overview of its explosive population growth3 Apparently New Orleans was the third largest city in the United States by the time of the Civil War, and by far the dominant financial and cultural capital of the South. That makes sense, of course — but for some reason I never thought of New Orleans as that important. in the early American era — but I’m not sure there’s been anything truly head-turning. Perhaps only once we land!
One sad note: Professor Perry Mehrling, who ran a fantastic lecture series on money and banking that I have a great affection for, apparently passed away a few weeks ago following an accidental fall.
Another sad note: now that British Columbia has done away with daylight savings time, California is no longer on the same time. Quite a hassle to coordinate with Vancouverites now! Though, given the Democratic Congress, perhaps it won’t be too long before we follow…