Yes, it’s time again for an original-content free collection of pointers to things that amuse, interest, or frighten me. I believe I have to mention the opening of Knol, Google’s attempt to take on Wikipedia with “authoritative articles” that have specific owners, rather than the anonymous wisdom of crowds. I admit, I have no idea how this is going to… Read more →
Tag: economics
On Shortages, Mostly Food
I read a lot of news. I read magazines. I follow news blogs. I make a very concerted effort to keep up with what’s going on in the world, and to get the information from several perspectives. And yet somehow I’ve found myself thinking, quite frequently, over the last month that this whole “food shortage” thing somehow “snuck up” on… Read more →
A late thought for May Day
During the heyday of what was billed as the Reagan Revolution, sometimes as the New American Dawn, or the “unfettered free market,” I could discover no common cause among the several degrees of of rightist separation (conservative, neoconservative, libertarian, reactionary, and evangelical) other than the moral lesson invariably found in their one and only cautionary tale: money ennobles rich people,… Read more →
Just as plausible as any other theory I’ve seen
I like the latest “why the recording industry is in the tank” theory from Esquire this week–it’s not the same old piracy or consumer selectivity or even “end of format shifting” arguments, but instead a simpler economic argument. I have no idea whether or not it’s any more true than any other, but it seems just as plausible. Here’s the… Read more →
Amazon.ca, British Books, What The Hell?
Ever since Amazon.ca opened, I’ve been in a kind of book-buyer’s bliss. The Canadian variant of Amazon has a broader selection than native Chapters, and typically has lower prices–all good stuff. Even better, though, Amazon.ca put me in a position to leverage my special status as a Canadian lover of books: we can get both American and British editions from… Read more →
