Category Archives: Uncategorized
I think I want a Wii
Well after being away for the whole summer and autumn did you expect a witty title? Apologies for the absence, but I have a job that isn’t complementary to blogging. Anyway… Tim Harford points out that there is a shortage of Wii consoles … Continue reading
The Myth of the Rational Voter – part II
A while back I posted in response to Bryan Caplan’s essay (and now book) on voter irrationality. He views human misconceptions, about economics in particular, (he quotes how people are wrong in orders of magnitude about the extent of foreign … Continue reading
Myths and misunderstood economics
What is the greatest misunderstanding about economics and business in general? For me, it’s the commonly perpetuated view that “for-profit” and “for the public” are necessarily divergent and opposite viewpoints. Or it put it another way, that self-interest can’t lead … Continue reading
Chavez “bribes” Ken, and the poor ride buses.
London, or rather Ken Livingstone, has struck its own deal with Hugo Chavez for cheap oil. The fuel will be priced below cost and in return for ferrying around poor people in London, Venezuela will get “assistance” with global warming … Continue reading
Who chooses for the chooser?
The Economist blog weighs in with this: behavioural economics can point to many interesting irregularities in behaviour, but it cannot dictate political beliefs such as the level of government intrusion into the economy. If we put the government in charge … Continue reading
Ending free banking not a blessing for all
The BBC reports of moves towards ending free banking in the UK, and charging customers for current accounts. Graham Beale, the incoming CEO of Nationwide says, In a way, I do believe fee-based banking is a fairer proposition We might … Continue reading
Why Oliver James really hates capitalism, or “My theory of depression, for it is mine and mine only, by O James (Mr)”
Monty Python had a celebrated sketch in which a self-proclaimed dinosaur expert, Ann Elk, propounded her theory of Brontasuaruses When repeatedly asked by the interviewer for the details of her theory, she finally answers All brontosauruses are thin at one … Continue reading
Another failed merger
DaimlerChrysler may demerge. Back in the days when I did this kind of research, we often found that 60-70% of mergers destroyed value for the acquiring shareholders. The most typical problems were a failure to manage massive integration issues and, … Continue reading
How does an essay evolve?
Lyn lays bare her thought processes as she writes a psychology essay. Her motivation being to demonstrate to students that even model answers don’t just spring forth from mental gloop