Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Perhaps Another Speech
As I've observed many times, it's absurd that it takes a stock market crash to draw attention to a crap economy that is, indeed, crap, but that's where we are...
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Another exciting day at the dog track. We should all agree that the growth is too damn low.
Inflation Might Lower The Damn (Real) Rent
I don't have a precise economic model in the back of head driving this assertion, but inflation could reduce the number of people who were underwater in nominal terms (which matters when borrowing constraints are binding), putting more supply on the market, and landlords who can easily set their rents above their debt servicing costs might be less likely to raise rents, particularly for long term 'good tenants' who they have an incentive to keep around.
In any case, inflation would certainly good for the large numbers of people who have fixed-rate debt.
In any case, inflation would certainly good for the large numbers of people who have fixed-rate debt.
Too Big To Fail
Too often lost in this discussion is that even if institutions (corporations) are reasonably considered to be "too big to fail," it doesn't mean that their shareholders are too important to be wiped out, and it certainly doesn't mean that management is too important to get their pink slips.
Maybe you save the company. Maybe you even save the shareholders. You certainly don't save the assholes that drove their companies and the economy into the ground.
Maybe you save the company. Maybe you even save the shareholders. You certainly don't save the assholes that drove their companies and the economy into the ground.
Saved By Bundling
I'd guess the cable tv decline would have started earlier and been much sharper if not for the fact that in many places cable is the only decent broadband option and the unbundled price of internet is really high.
Stupid Or Lying
I think gross misunderstandings of the 1st law of thermodynamics are about as common as people intoning 'correlation does not imply causation' as if it was the most profound statement ever made, and one that PhD level researchers are unaware of.
Often the stupid or lying question is resolved with the simple answer: they just don't care.
Often the stupid or lying question is resolved with the simple answer: they just don't care.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
""Human Rights""
What strange people they are.
Dissertations could be written about The Derb, though not ones you'd want to read.
Dissertations could be written about The Derb, though not ones you'd want to read.
Parents Just Aren't Understood
One of the themes percolating through the UK press about the riots in London and elsewhere is a general condemnation of the parents of the "kids" (they don't all look that young to me) who are involved. "WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?"
I mean, I have no idea where they are, but wishing random parents were "better" is like wishing the sky was a more appealing shade of pink. If poor parenting is the issue for whatever reason (including, of course, the difficulties of good parenting under poverty conditions), the appropriate response is...what? Yell at the parents? Lament that they're bad? Kids aren't responsible for their parents, and there aren't obvious policy mechanisms for ensuring good parenting. Though there are some obvious ones for making it easier to be a good parent.
I mean, I have no idea where they are, but wishing random parents were "better" is like wishing the sky was a more appealing shade of pink. If poor parenting is the issue for whatever reason (including, of course, the difficulties of good parenting under poverty conditions), the appropriate response is...what? Yell at the parents? Lament that they're bad? Kids aren't responsible for their parents, and there aren't obvious policy mechanisms for ensuring good parenting. Though there are some obvious ones for making it easier to be a good parent.
We Are Ruled By The Worst People In The World
I get that they just don't agree with me on policy, but what crazy person thinks running around the state touting "patent reform" and "trade agreements" is going to get you re-elected?
It's not the case that my only goal in life is not to root for team D, but obviously I am, to a degree, on Team D, and it hurts me to see them kick the ball into their own goal over and over again. Even when they're just horrible on the policy, too.
It's not the case that my only goal in life is not to root for team D, but obviously I am, to a degree, on Team D, and it hurts me to see them kick the ball into their own goal over and over again. Even when they're just horrible on the policy, too.
I Appreciate The Effort
But like the rest of us, the NYT is pissing in the wind.
1) Pretend to cut future deficits
2) ??
3) Jobs!!
But having spent far too long haggling over the margins of the Republican agenda to reduce the deficit with only spending cuts, the president needs to move to a very different set of priorities. He should start making the case that it is foolish to focus the nation’s attention solely on debt, where the Republicans want it, and instead shift every available resource toward jobs.
If he becomes passionate about the government’s ability to think creatively about a turnaround, he might just inspire a few Americans — some of them lawmakers — to join with him. If he stays locked into the arid agenda of the Republicans, the economy will remain as dormant as his speech on Monday, which is just where his rivals hope it will be in November 2012.
1) Pretend to cut future deficits
2) ??
3) Jobs!!
It's Not A Hurricane
The people who run the world want to see all crises - including the financial crises - as external events, acts of nature beyond their control. Or maybe the fault of those nasty Yurpeans, in the case of our Galtian Overlords. But they run the damn world and they should take some responsibility, or just go Galt already and let someone else run the world for a change.
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