Pricing

An interesting New Yorker article on pricing in our Internet era.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/07/06/090706crbo_books_gladwell?currentPage=all
It opens the discussion for the economy of new ecosystem service credits….credits represent environmental ’stuff’…and our society has a scarcity of the environmental ’stuff’ we need to restore Earth’s atmosphere. What is the best model to reap the greatest ’social willingness’ to participate in credit markets?

What the Recovery Looks Like

A graphic of how the stimulus is being spent.
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/03/this_is_what_a_recovery_act_looks_like.php

Tennessee, Economic Development and Clean Energy

An interesting approach to economic development for green industry in Tennessee.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ixKbL9_bhtol-3qKKtiV6E05H5ggD96LEUCG1

The Global Economy

The Spectacular, Sudden Crash of the Global Economy
By Joshua Holland
The worldwide economic meltdown has sent the wheels spinning off the project of building a single, business-friendly global economy.
Worldwide, industrial production has ground to a halt. Goods are stacking up, but nobody’s buying; the Washington Post reports that “the world is suddenly awash in almost everything: [...]

Recession? No, It’s a D-process, and It Will Be Long

Ray Dalio, Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates
By SANDRA WARD  | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR
AN INTERVIEW WITH RAY DALIO: This pro sees a long and painful depression.
NOBODY WAS BETTER PREPARED FOR THE GLOBAL market crash than clients of Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates and subscribers to its Daily Observations. Dalio, the chief investment officer and all-around guiding [...]

The Tax Rebate Was a Flop

An interesting perspective in the Wall Street Journal about the Bush tax rebate and the potential for the stimulus plan.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121798022246515105.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Below is a link to the stimulus bill….647 pages. Last week I was becoming a “Republican” about stimulus money…thinking broad tax reductions are better than trying to get huge spending in place. Then I read the Act. First, I’m impressed…with the breadth and complexity of it. If nothing else, it is an amazing concentration of [...]

Ponzi Schemes Compared

I received a comment from the fellow who transcribed and first published the 2005 letter to the SEC about Bernie Madoof …and decided (at 4am in the morning…) to review his blog site.
Came across this interesting graphic which compares two Ponzi scheme liabilities…Madoff’s and the Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Ponzi scheme. Wait a minute!…Social Security, [...]

And you thought differential equations were difficult…

Here is a link to the letter that Harry Markopolous sent to the SEC in 2005 about Bernie Madoff. Not only does it give you insight into the nature of the world in which Bernie Madoff was living…..it also gives you insight into the quality of thought…and the underlying ethic…of financial markets in the last [...]

Economic Stimulants Produce Bridges to Nowhere

This article states “Strategic investment in infrastructure produces a foundation for long-term growth.” I agree. I am also concerned the stimulus planning that appears to be going on in Washington is not being driven by any plan to create sustainable national assets.
For the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-mcnamee/obama-needs-to-think-bigg_b_156126.html
In the 1980s, farmers were going broke…and the banks that financed farmers [...]