money
Cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch
If there are a large number of freighters idled by the recession, they could be put to good use cleaning up the big Pacific Garbage patch. I see two freighters trolling with a big net between them, picking up a current of garbage, and then maybe using it as fuel, rather than storing it (incinerating... »
Net-effective rents in NYC
A recessionary feature of life in NYC: landlords are not lowering their rents, but instead giving the first and last months free. So a crappy studio will still have a listed rental price of $1895; but with two months free, the net-effective rent is: $1 579. Why not just charge $1579 for... »
YOU have to pay for a free press
Information wants to be free, but YOU have to pay for a free press. We always hear the first clause these days, touted as some kind of rationalization for free, ad-sponsored journalism online. I have not heard the second clause in a long time. Yet, if consumers want an independent, brave, hard-hitting, press, they are... »
First Time Home Buyer Credit Should not be Extended
There’s a lot of whining out there from the real estate industry about extending the First Time Home Buyer Credit past its upcoming December 1, 2009 deadline. Let them whine, and let it expire. The program is a boon and lifeline to the industry, not to the homebuyer. It amounts to a price inflating... »
Ikea Struggles with Russian Graft
An astounding case of corruption encountered by Ikea trying to operate in Russia, recounted here by the New York Times. And I thought I had trouble with Russian spammers. What is it about Russians? Why do they insist on not being trustworthy? »
New Salary Guide, Salary Comparison Tool
I just finished coding up a salary guide tool. The salary data is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of course the data is searchable on the BLS site, but I thought I could give it a more user-friendly interface, using AJAX and jQuery. Give it a visit, give it a search, and let me... »
My lesson from “The Shock Doctrine”: The most dangerous idea is that taken to the hilt
“The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism“, by Naomi Klein, is a wellspring of sad and horrifying revelations. It is a terrifying account of how Milton Friedman’s economic theories have been murderously put into practice throughout the world for the last 40 years. This interview on You Tube is a nice digest of the... »
