Apologies for my apparent intermittent posting.

With invited house guests in France, it is incumbent on me to be a participative host and I can only slip away during afternoon ‘siesta’ times (when not afflicted with a need to rest my eyes too!).

We return to Edinburgh on Saturday and will (nearly) be in the normal routine, except that Wednesday-Thursday, I am in Manchester at the UK History of Economic Thought annual conference, but I hope to avoid the usual internet connection problems.

Also, it is fairly quiet on the Google Alerts from with a Congressman Adam Smith (D) dominating the flow of alerts, rather than the Adam Smith born in Kirkcaldy in 1723.

Connected!

Yes, I know there should be no trouble re-connecting to the Internet when abroad but this is the first time I have been able to do this from rural France where I rely on Orange (formerly France Telecom-Wanadoo) for the Internet service.

I bought into the new Orange service a couple of years ago and connecting via their Livebox system has always been a lottery. But late last night when I turned to the connect routine via an updated Livebox it went straight through first time.

Hence, later today (Thursday) after various chores, including purchasing a new printer from about 20 miles away, and domestic shopping trips, re-introductory neighbourly visits (most important in rural France - thank God I no longer drink) I shall post again.

Interrupted Internet Connection

Once again I am journeying to France to resume my family holiday and I expect to be out of contact until Thursday or Friday (I do hope no longer).

Apologies.

I have a schedule of work:

a) I am completing my response to Daniel Kline on the invisible hand (due in August for September publication in Econ Journal Watch (see the May issue for the original exchange over my “Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand: from metaphor to myth”, and Dan’s reply).

b) I am preparing my paper, “The Hidden Adam Smith in his Alleged Theology” (new title), which I presented at the 10th Summer Institute for the Preservation of the History of Economic Thought, University of Richmond, Virginia, and at the 36th annual meeting of the History of Economics Society, University of Colorado, Denver, both in June 2009, for submission to an academic journal for the editorial consideration process.

I also have a social schedule: a neighbour’s daughter's wedding party; harvesting (hopefully) vegetables from our garden planted in April-May; various lunch and dinner parties (including at our favourite restaurants in St Emilion; Ruch and Pujols); meeting new neighbours who moved in while we were away; and shopping in local markets; plus some visitors arriving from a week or so.