New links this week

1. What does deforestation look like? Google maps has an amazing view of what it means for the Amazon rainforest.
2. I routinely follow Greg Mankiw's blog to see what an intelligent, but very differing opinion from my own, sounds like. Brad DeLong points out though how Mankiw's own stance on the recent stimulus package is less intellectual and more ideological. This is disappointing, but let it not be said that Mankiw's current position, while the opposite of his own while working for Bush, is still correct: "there is no way to measure how many jobs are saved" from a stimulus bill.
3. Last night I was debating with a friend whether it is better to live next to a Starbucks or a McDonalds. I was surprised to find this morning that the exact same question was asked to Americans recently. While the majority said McDonalds, the demographic breakdown is interesting. I stand by my initial response, which is based in part on my working at a McDonalds for a summer: while Starbucks is pricy, the food and smell are much better.