Assorted Links Monday

For the first time ever, no new homes sold were under $200K, down from 56% in 2002.

Could 2022 be a better, healthier year? Ten reasons to be cautiously optimistic: Facing yet another year of illness and death, how could any of us be optimistic about 2022? Why should anyone be optimistic? Why should anyone believe things will ever get better? And yet, there is reason for hope — 10 reasons, in fact.

How Oklahoma became a marijuana boom state: Weed entrepreneurs have poured into Oklahoma from across the United States, propelled by low start-up costs and relaxed rules.

Why most gas stations don’t make money from selling gas: With gas prices climbing up, you may think station owners are getting greedy. But the economics behind the pump tell a different story.

Dave Barry’s 2021 year in review: Vaccines, variants and supply chain woes: A look back at the past 12 months.

A different kind of recovery:  A look at 2021 and the impact of the pandemic on the economy.

Underestimate the US economy at your own risk: People have been betting against the U.S. economy for decades. They’ve never been rewarded for it. Progress is in our DNA. Good luck betting against it.

Barry Ritholtz thinks the coronavirus pandemic brought the future forward 10 years: 2021 looks more like 2031 if we hadn’t had a pandemic… impacting everything from medicine to the way we buy cars.

The return to the office: pushed back.

From coffee and crude oil to lithium, commodities had a stellar 2021: Here are the top 10 best-performers of the year.