The big six-oh

Yes, it’s true, and can’t be denied. I’m now officially old enough to know better. But don’t worry: I refuse to act my age.

I am told that Matt Yglesias turns thirty today. Well, I never trusted him in the first place. But if this means I’m now supposed to be twice as wise as Matt, I don’t think I can do it. Sorry.

Update My colleague Andy Sabl asks in comments why I’m in my office rather than out doing something fun. As I was driving to work today, I figured out that if I could do anything I wanted for my birthday, I’d choose to … teach. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but having chosen a job of which I can sincerely say that makes up for most of them.

Author: Mark Kleiman

Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out. Books: Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken) When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993) Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989) UCLA Homepage Curriculum Vitae Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com

20 thoughts on “The big six-oh”

  1. I’ll fondly think of you as Bilbo to Matt’s Frodo, and thank you both for your blogging presents to me. Happy Birthday!

  2. Happy Birthday! I only expect that you are 1/59th wiser today than you were yesterday.

  3. Happy Birthday, Mark. Now tell me why you’re in your office fifty feet away from me instead of out having fun. 😉

  4. 60 is the new 40, or so they say. And that would make, self-servingly enough, 40 the new 20. Happy birthday from Mexico!

  5. Fortunately, an age that was once thought of as sort of oldish is now recognized as the prime of young adulthood. Enjoy.

  6. Happy Birthday. You know, sometimes you post stuff on here that really rubs me the wrong way but that Virgin Airlines rant a few days ago was priceless.

  7. Happy birthday !

    What a wonderful coincidence. Extrapolating I predict that someone very smart will be born today.

    Isn’t it odd that even kids like Yglesias who just turned thirty recognise “don’t trust anyone over thirty.” Sad to say that might be the most remembered statement which was said or written that year.

    I’m afraid that the list of most remembered statements or questions year by year would be very discouraging, since they are slogans without substance. Makes me ask “where’s the beaf” and hope that the internet will enable the “silent majority” to aim for immortality via the art of saying outrageous things. I think this is a good thing, although it depends on what the definition of “is” is. I change my mind, but I voted for it before I voted against it.

    I think Al Gore claiming he invented the internet is on the list even though he never said that.

  8. Happy Birthday! Thanks for carving out a place of sanity (most of the time) on the intertoobz.

    60 is the new 40. Don’t forget that. Which means I am still in my 30s. Oh, joy!

  9. Happy 60! And you are not at all supposed to be twice as wise as Matt. That is what was expected of you every day until now! In 15 more years, you will be allowed to get away with letting him reach 60% of your wisdom.

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