Milton and Me

That's me on the left, as explained in this email I received this morning:

Professor Mankiw,

I'm a economics student at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. I'm a huge fan of yours. I'm starting the graduate school application process and I enjoy your blog posts for students interested in pursuing Ph.D.s in economics. Heeding your advice,I've enrolled in more advanced mathematics courses than any senior in college would ever want to stomach.

This is going to sound a little weird, but I assure you I'm not totally crazy. I was adding a new fish to my fish tank and I was trying to come up with the perfect name for him. His tankmate is already named Milton Friedman, and because I have a soft spot for free market economists I thought the best name for my new little friend would be Mankiw. I've attached a photo of your marine namesake. He's the yellow angelfish, and Milton Friedman is the blue and orange gourami. I hope you enjoy that your name will be immortalized... or, well, for as long as angelfish live.

Sincerely,
[name withheld]

What a great way to start a day!