When economist Tyler Cowen finishes his day job at George Mason University and dinner time rolls around, he sinks his teeth into his hobby: blogging about -- and eating -- ethnic food in and around Washington, D.C.

John Williams is an economic extremist. He thinks a collapse of the U.S. dollar and hyperinflation are just around the corner and that gold is therefore the best bet around. He thinks the government manipulates the economic data to…