Monthly Archives: May 2010

Yeah, thanks, Naomi

Posted on May 31, 2010 by DW

I read No Logo years ago and remember being swayed by its arguments. This is an article about Foxconn, which is clearly intended as an ‘exposé’ of a sweatshop in China. Would I choose to work in such a factory? … Continue reading →

Posted in economics

Military Metaphors in Politics/Political Economy

Posted on May 31, 2010 by DW

My view on political discourse is that serious engagement is fundamentally Quixotic and pointless. Unfortunately, it often cannot be escaped, because three things I really do care about (economics, comedy and my personal finances) often require a moderate understanding of … Continue reading →

Posted in economics

Looking for Reliable Data

Posted on May 30, 2010 by DW

Mandel on offshore R&D spending. He makes the point that in fact that there is, in fact, a dearth of reliable data on things that matter and an embarrassment of data on things that don’t* (see: the Twitter firehose). I … Continue reading →

Posted in data, economics

The Loop Current Eddies

Posted on May 28, 2010 by DW

Animation of how they worked last year. Remember that hot water pumps up hurricanes. The loop eddy drops a pile of hot water into the middle of the gulf. And this year’s eddy just broke off

Posted in insurance, science

Why Insurance Exists

Posted on May 28, 2010 by DW

Brooks has a good one today (just read the bold stuff): Over the past decades, we’ve come to depend on an ever-expanding array of intricate high-tech systems. These hardware and software systems are the guts of financial markets, energy exploration, … Continue reading →

Posted in economics, insurance