tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77040990545249583302024-03-05T07:45:54.929-08:00Underground EconomicsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-87713943366687443802008-12-25T21:02:00.001-08:002008-12-25T21:04:12.037-08:00Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas<br /><br />and while you are here a Christmas fun fact:<br /><br />The reindeer is named Donder not Donner<br /><br />Pass it aroundUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-67958643008762612492008-12-03T20:16:00.000-08:002008-12-03T20:24:44.785-08:00I'm still here<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQurPzTpJtUGviZQU3IGMSQxzuUoK9CsNFvXgM_8BjlLFMCpdhgB9HsrRneY4Q_p_4rotFVIlWwZnaP7ZArrmdF_D2C15M2n9JeNJn_cTFyxhHfDSU9MKHVAMrBjgIFBqDfZFVJV0QxAI/s1600-h/weakness.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQurPzTpJtUGviZQU3IGMSQxzuUoK9CsNFvXgM_8BjlLFMCpdhgB9HsrRneY4Q_p_4rotFVIlWwZnaP7ZArrmdF_D2C15M2n9JeNJn_cTFyxhHfDSU9MKHVAMrBjgIFBqDfZFVJV0QxAI/s200/weakness.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275786099944999186" border="0" /></a><br />My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. I've been occupied trying to find employment recently. I thought that I should at least blog a couple times before we have another election.<br /><br />I'm not surprised by the planes for a liberal alliance. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen earlier. The last election must have acted as a wake up call.<br /><br />My guess is that the liberals see the down economy and Harper's resistance to a stimulus plan as their opportunity to get into power. It may bee good news in the short term for the Canadian left, but in the long run it is a bad sign. This move is most defiantly a huge sign of weakness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-36486592701082624752008-11-03T11:44:00.000-08:002008-11-03T11:57:37.114-08:00Things that are amazing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVoOzY2QrLnCvNrEYdhau4MrO37Y2Qbp3N-DyL4PlDGMuYF7IyZX7IJPm3mbVpL2dRCmrkhosKW49rp8h4vNGuqo1SAD5Q3Vi4TMbtEyTG7X6WPb5uH25-OmOoMfTDvGxOLgj2f6zNybo/s1600-h/2945954176_118868f8f9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVoOzY2QrLnCvNrEYdhau4MrO37Y2Qbp3N-DyL4PlDGMuYF7IyZX7IJPm3mbVpL2dRCmrkhosKW49rp8h4vNGuqo1SAD5Q3Vi4TMbtEyTG7X6WPb5uH25-OmOoMfTDvGxOLgj2f6zNybo/s200/2945954176_118868f8f9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264522751932152322" border="0" /></a><br />From <a href="http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/big-empty.html">FiveThirtyEight.com</a><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /></span><span id="fullpost"><blockquote>These ground campaigns do not bear any relationship to one another. One side has something in the neighborhood of five million volunteers all assigned to very clear and specific pieces of the operation, and the other seems to have something like a thousand volunteers scattered throughout the country. Jon Tester's 2006 Senate race in Montana had more volunteers -- by a mile -- than John McCain's 2006 presidential campaign.</blockquote><br /></span><br />--This left me wondering how on earth the election McCain could even be winning any states...at all. Five million VOTERS would be enough to get elected in most countries. Mark Twain once wrote that fiction is bound to the realm of possibility. Reality is not. This election defiantly applies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-85159936706685736792008-10-21T12:44:00.000-07:002008-10-21T12:52:59.188-07:00Seinfeld election<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/blog/jerry_seinfeld1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/blog/jerry_seinfeld1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />There are two reasons why I haven't made a post about the election until now.<br /><br />1. I've been away from home and haven't had too much time for blogging.<br /><br />2. This has very much been a Seinfeld election, A.K.A. an election about nothing. I can't think of anything to write about. I really have a hard time thinking of a, non-obvious way that the country is different now.<br /><br />I think the biggest political consequence of this election is the coming shack-up in the Liberal party. They are in need of a Maverick. So is the GOP, but that is for another post.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-39440098256962737892008-10-12T23:00:00.000-07:002008-10-12T23:01:49.095-07:00Reason why I love democracy #6,947<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g7TgDanmWkg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g7TgDanmWkg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-45280669977372983692008-10-10T14:50:00.000-07:002008-10-10T14:56:48.367-07:00...A little optimism..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4NGVdqIo6IZ6RZ2dePhG4rFz7bLppSQEVvV1zyN_paR92B-6THtek3uUE4vB8oaRkRb7jPR1RIXzLa6rFSgI_EdpCRigqH9V5s-7XB8TLmZmMtjM_BvluJI5UNG8t3dKJM_iMXk7RG7_/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4NGVdqIo6IZ6RZ2dePhG4rFz7bLppSQEVvV1zyN_paR92B-6THtek3uUE4vB8oaRkRb7jPR1RIXzLa6rFSgI_EdpCRigqH9V5s-7XB8TLmZmMtjM_BvluJI5UNG8t3dKJM_iMXk7RG7_/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255647532135993234" border="0" /></a><br />So far I've been silent on the current financial crises. Mainly because I don't have a stunning knowledge of financial markets (though I think I know more than most the talking heads you see on TV news).<br /><br />Anyway, watching the market go down and down there is only one fact that I find comforting, Stein's Law. Stein's Law is that if something cannot go on forever it must stop. Just as the market in the late nineties couldn't keep going up and up, the current market cannot keep going down forever. Today the Price to Earnings ratio of the DOW reached it's <a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/how-cheap-are-stocks/?hp">lowest level in 23 years</a>. Something will eventually give.<br /><br />Hang in there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-28934643528822817002008-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:002008-09-28T21:50:35.339-07:00NDP Directs Canadians to the Web...Well indirectly. Jack Layton has endorsed a policy of mandating that all Canadians networks carry Canadian content only. If this were made in to law, I do not think that Canadians could honestly claim to have a right to free speech.<br /><br />This also speaks to the creeping xenophobia in Canadian culture. Many Canadians like to criticize (rightly) the fact that the Bush administration has sacrificed civil liberties in order for some supposed greater good. I've got news for you, it's happening here too. Let's not fall for that trap.<br /><br />I suggest we call this plan what is really is:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7Kznmrc3o4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7Kznmrc3o4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />credit to <a href="http://stackelbergfollower.blogspot.com/2008/09/canadian-election.html">Stackelberg Follower</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-3839921512079405462008-09-19T15:30:00.000-07:002008-09-19T15:39:07.035-07:00Greenwashing and the Economics of Eco-Friendly ProductsToday I'm proud to introduce this blogs first guest post from Kelly Kilpatrick:
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.4 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } A:link { color: #0000ff } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Over the last few years, the public’s environmental consciousness has grown by leaps and bounds in response to several different factors. With the rising price of oil and an increasing amount of evidence in the case for global warming, people are seeking out alternatives to traditional products in order to minimize their personal impact on the environment, while improving their health and the health of others around them in the process.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For quite some time, organic and eco-friendly products have been on the market, but now, more than ever, companies are moving toward “greenifying” their business models. This can help or hurt the company, depending on their motive for making these changes.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Greenwashing is a term used by consumers who believe they are being misled by companies who advertise themselves as green for the wrong reasons. For example, some companies are simply making changes to their public image and using green rhetoric to win over consumers. With information available at the click of a mouse, consumers find out quickly whether or not said company is green for the revenue it generates, or for loftier, more socially-conscious reasons.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In an article entitled <a href="http://www.enn.com/green_building/article/26388"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u>“The Six Sins of Greenwashing,”</u></span></a> a study found that of over 1,500 products surveyed, 99% of them were guilty of greenwashing. This is a disturbing trend in marketing, where large companies are trying to capitalize of the green market, all the while doing nothing to really help with their part of the problem.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With the demand for organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly products constantly increasing, companies that truly do care are struggling to maintain their hold on the market. Consumers that want to support companies that are environmentally conscious are going to need to do their homework.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Unfortunately for consumers and the environment alike, big business is beginning to threaten a niche market whose intentions were good. For more information on greenwashing and the top offenders, click <a href="http://www.greenwashing.net/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u>here</u></span>.</a></p>
<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in; font-weight: bold;">This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of the <a href="http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u></u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><a target="_blank">best online degrees</a></u></span>. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-46667059838844392522008-09-03T20:47:00.000-07:002008-09-03T20:56:51.726-07:00Pre-election spending<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yZXhf_AskXAw1Wnb3CgNQGq1Y2-lTBLevL8e8YWD5-ZDwYphLnsow5A757bf9z2gm7Lbh354NoVaLZaUoDfg3ZUbAnobI0YO8a3_GhWq7xpRwI-3LwEMKDbrfy3P5xVsMfudUSkm9k_n/s1600-h/harperwindsor0903.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yZXhf_AskXAw1Wnb3CgNQGq1Y2-lTBLevL8e8YWD5-ZDwYphLnsow5A757bf9z2gm7Lbh354NoVaLZaUoDfg3ZUbAnobI0YO8a3_GhWq7xpRwI-3LwEMKDbrfy3P5xVsMfudUSkm9k_n/s200/harperwindsor0903.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242009643716658914" border="0" /></a><br />Political incentives change around election time, as this article from <a href="http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b24bfcc3-3429-4658-a25a-37a372b96004">Canada.com</a> highlights<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>WINDSOR, Ont. - The federal Conservatives rushed out billions of dollars in new spending announcements Wednesday while the Liberals made their own billion-dollar announcement, a sign that an election campaign is underway in all but name.</p><p>In Windsor, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Ottawa would send Ford Motor Co. an $80-million cheque as a repayable loan to help the Detroit-based company reopen a mothballed engine plant here. In Quebec, Infrastructure Minister Lawrence Cannon announced that Ottawa and Quebec had signed a deal that will spring $4 billion of federal funding for roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure projects.</p><p>Other ministers rolled out millions in spending announcements across the country, from a $30,000 grant for an organ festival in Montreal to a $2.8-million program to help street youth in Vancouver get a job.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>As you approach the election, politicians usually try to pay off individual ridings. Not broad programs that effect the entire country. I think we all know who those Ford employees are going to be voting for (enough to swing the riding?). We also know what Ford's lobbyists have been up to.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-42452843080277725812008-08-23T10:42:00.001-07:002008-08-23T10:47:48.234-07:00What to do?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdiFEzOJKgwvh8yicjUaTb9G_olf3M7-LkP65Cs3K4I12wyjq5e-yi3GUe38LYAgMC_ELkZ26kdaXBzdxzdk-OAANfoEmM0-WG0kZLNdU8taCYV1TRttJ4MnwIIk-PA9wQi1anWYnwDkT/s1600-h/books1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdiFEzOJKgwvh8yicjUaTb9G_olf3M7-LkP65Cs3K4I12wyjq5e-yi3GUe38LYAgMC_ELkZ26kdaXBzdxzdk-OAANfoEmM0-WG0kZLNdU8taCYV1TRttJ4MnwIIk-PA9wQi1anWYnwDkT/s200/books1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237771090333184978" border="0" /></a><br />Having graduated last week, I find myself, for the first time in four years, in Victoria with absolutely nothing to read. I'm heading to the library this afternoon.<br /><br />Living on a boat the storage cost keeping books is pretty high, hence the library. Victoria has a bunch of great used books stores though. Defiantly worth checking out if you are in town.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-60268870988906677962008-08-19T18:15:00.000-07:002008-08-19T18:25:48.254-07:00A bit Shameless<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQIVAb6fFB2Gcj7YiU2pK1yPK6Dv0tL4FZcXapyNhP9Y00XPWuEek8OokTsPuIvLrNobduIOj0PMcRd9y05_mkdqctPwLrSi-hOJzGyvkCXcGCpgiANSawwVAhA-voe1eHFNC3qfi7YAw/s1600-h/graduate.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQIVAb6fFB2Gcj7YiU2pK1yPK6Dv0tL4FZcXapyNhP9Y00XPWuEek8OokTsPuIvLrNobduIOj0PMcRd9y05_mkdqctPwLrSi-hOJzGyvkCXcGCpgiANSawwVAhA-voe1eHFNC3qfi7YAw/s200/graduate.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236404600306561426" border="0" /></a><br />TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY IN MY UNDERGRADUATE CAREER (please excuse my yelling).<br /><br />Anyway, now that I am working on finding a job, I turn to you. Maybe you work for a company that hires economic majors and know of job openings.<br /><br />Maybe you don't work for a company that hires economics majors but know of job openings anyway.<br /><br />Maybe you like my blog so much you want to put a trust fund in my name.<br /><br />Ok, the last one is reaching, but if you want to hire me, or know of anyone that would I will be very appreciative if you drop me a line.<br /><br />ThanksUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-68970193784731606132008-08-18T19:23:00.000-07:002008-08-18T19:52:45.741-07:00Trade-offs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQm1MhdutADNjf99iC65ZcsoxWE8jsJpl6B4XvSX0h4H3DWAXToCG5O6o8fTgJdl1xDIoarnIowH33WiMJQGCq_hoP41xlahwHJbMPrPqGSCdENPb2vDvectHop7tD009WD7B9xQ4IZjZ/s1600-h/microwave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQm1MhdutADNjf99iC65ZcsoxWE8jsJpl6B4XvSX0h4H3DWAXToCG5O6o8fTgJdl1xDIoarnIowH33WiMJQGCq_hoP41xlahwHJbMPrPqGSCdENPb2vDvectHop7tD009WD7B9xQ4IZjZ/s200/microwave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236055292790542802" border="0" /></a><br />A few days ago me and a couple of friends were discussing the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One of my friends pointed out that even if Truman's motives were simply to keep Japan out of the hands of Stalin, it may not have been a bad deal for Japan.<br /><br />I agreed with this because the odds of your life being worsened by one of the two bombs was pretty low, while the probably that your life would be worsened by a Soviet Occupation would be near certain. It's true that no outcome is worse than instant death, but I still feel it's a bet that most people would be willing to take.<br /><br />A majority of the people that I was talking with agreed with me. The dissenters argued that taking a such a large number of lives in a blink of an eye was morally wrong, no matter the circumstance. I think that most the people at my University would also take this position. I also believe that most economists would agree with my position. We all face trade-offs every day, why should this be immoral just because it's on such a larger scale?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-67500927445195174752008-08-17T19:18:00.000-07:002008-08-17T19:48:00.753-07:00What makes wrestlers angry?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l9Tmu2E-dZie0q8gA1JiFMIdZgg_YZoBmX5IT3sXd-f8EMicPuvKn1jVBv4rySCfOUAPCoCcyQZ2brl8zqO06Gkh-K4xllpYufyn3cBj-92gUlkb-8qpvnj8ixyV_q1y-a7XnEZh7PjX/s1600-h/1079d68f-a6d2-471a-bc1f-cc88b32bae6e_mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l9Tmu2E-dZie0q8gA1JiFMIdZgg_YZoBmX5IT3sXd-f8EMicPuvKn1jVBv4rySCfOUAPCoCcyQZ2brl8zqO06Gkh-K4xllpYufyn3cBj-92gUlkb-8qpvnj8ixyV_q1y-a7XnEZh7PjX/s200/1079d68f-a6d2-471a-bc1f-cc88b32bae6e_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235683293919327826" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, I realize the irony on writing a post about the Olympics right after I wrote a post about how I don't like watching them, but I'm going to do it anyway.<br /><br />You probably heard about the <a href="http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Beijing2008/2008/08/17/6480451-sun.html">angry Swedish wrestler</a> that through down his bronze metal after the ceremony in protest because he felt cheated by a call in the semi-final match.<br /><br />One of my friends pointed out that you would expect that kind of behaviour from a country that is known for having a temper. Not a polite northern country like Sweden.<br /><br />Later today I stumbled upon a quote from Nassim Taleb's excellent book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Impact-Highly-Improbable/dp/1400063515"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Swan</span></a> (read it!)<br /><br /><blockquote>People tend to fool themselves with their self-narrative of "national identity" which, in a breakthrough paper in Science by sixty-five authors, was shown to be a total fiction. Empirically, sex, social class and profession seem to be better predictors of someones behaviour than nationality. (A male from Sweden resembles a male from Togo more than a female from Sweden; a philosopher from Peru resembles a philosopher from Scotland more than a janitor from Peru; and so on).</blockquote><br />The point is people often judge based on nationality when there is no reason to. Ara Abrahamian is Swedish, but he is also a wrestler and a man. At the Olympic level none the less. I'm sure he has a pretty competitive personality. This makes his behaviour seem a bit less surprising.<br /><br />On a personal note, being a former wrestler myself, I can tell you that the only time I ever got in an argument with an official was over the exact same penalty that Mr. Abrahamian fell victim too (intentionally going out of bounds). It was extremely frustrating, even in a match of very little consequence. I feel for the guy. Newspaper editorial boards shouldn't be so quick to judge people in situations that haven't experienced themselves.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-62284167400933461732008-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:002008-08-15T18:08:17.144-07:00Olympics and nationalism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUcyVIiPzDNLsSiQBr4i7MTJPbF1BNaeul8IF03-kaRLSe98kmFwWvxmswFVVBqX-b0xKvH3StMq6_F5ebkC5D-_Zrh23aWv46mvIgRZPs90_miw3V4fyWeI_YI9zs2mvHHIZWXxj6c40/s1600-h/canadianpride1qv7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUcyVIiPzDNLsSiQBr4i7MTJPbF1BNaeul8IF03-kaRLSe98kmFwWvxmswFVVBqX-b0xKvH3StMq6_F5ebkC5D-_Zrh23aWv46mvIgRZPs90_miw3V4fyWeI_YI9zs2mvHHIZWXxj6c40/s200/canadianpride1qv7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234915822694759954" border="0" /></a><br />Again I apologize for the lack of blogging. One of the down sides to living on a boat in using a wi-fi subscription service whose owners have little incentive for good customer service.<br /><br />I've gotten a couple comments on a previous post questioning my dislike for the Olympics. Flatly put, I find the Olympics a bit creepy. I find something very Orwellian in the fact that I am expected to look up to and celebrate certain athletes just because they happen to be born in the same country as me.<br /><br />I know you can say the same thing about professional the NHL, but I find this less extreme. You are still allowed to be a fan a hockey team that is from a different city than yours (though it is not encouraged). You are also allowed to not be a hockey fan. Where as with the Olympics "I don't like fencing" doesn't seem to be an adequate excuse for not watching.<br /><br />Lastly, people have the ridiculous idea that your nations performance in the Olympics is somehow a measure of how good your country is doing. This is not a standard that we have in hockey, and I am grateful.<br /><br />On this note, Paul Krugman has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/opinion/15krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin">an excellent column</a> today about the threat the nationalism poses to globalisation. It is important to remember that the Olympics only serves to make this worse despite whatever people say about it being a "celebration of world peace"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-32511086258174650052008-07-31T15:49:00.000-07:002008-12-10T16:57:55.272-08:00Once upon a time...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV0CtP46zZwc-jjfdt5JB1ykBrcMFZrbtLmIBPTTRyBke2ARoL8NeNoG-XZ0Q7TpQoJ4NRU-aCXPf1iQPTtNkn-nkpSrmzSeu4rH55daP1pF0YXBDSjiMGyxYOYfaZlu7gGZ70dtkJsuN/s1600-h/wto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV0CtP46zZwc-jjfdt5JB1ykBrcMFZrbtLmIBPTTRyBke2ARoL8NeNoG-XZ0Q7TpQoJ4NRU-aCXPf1iQPTtNkn-nkpSrmzSeu4rH55daP1pF0YXBDSjiMGyxYOYfaZlu7gGZ70dtkJsuN/s200/wto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229316263286246850" border="0" /></a><br />You probably heard by now about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/business/worldbusiness/30trade.html?hp">collapse</a> of trade negotiations at the last WTO meeting.<br /><br />Some of you probably remember the time when nations could actually come together and solve problems. When international summits were more than just a big photo op.<br /><br />I don't. I'm not old enough (22).<br /><br />I've read about it in history books though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-11752215239764143312008-07-30T14:43:00.001-07:002008-12-10T16:57:55.402-08:00Textbook Monopolies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0Bg8JWTRJbgGfgOhyt3DzCrs9nH5bfr5GYY8XF4BH7TSAIajj5Or7gnOIKnabx6tPp4zpkR_Veqe4uo_hHpN1teivDbj5XBsDnHPQ64QHveqraHuhWcVABU_9A49y50KMZDJPYqAm0nn/s1600-h/books.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0Bg8JWTRJbgGfgOhyt3DzCrs9nH5bfr5GYY8XF4BH7TSAIajj5Or7gnOIKnabx6tPp4zpkR_Veqe4uo_hHpN1teivDbj5XBsDnHPQ64QHveqraHuhWcVABU_9A49y50KMZDJPYqAm0nn/s200/books.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228929321283245346" border="0" /></a><br /> I apologize for the complete lack of blogging lately. Who would have thought it's easier to blog when it's zero degrees in and the sun goes down at four then when it's 25 and the sun goes down at nine.<br /><br />Anyway, the latest issue of our campus newspaper, <a href="http://martlet.ca/">the Martlet</a>, informs me that the new copyright act will make it so, "bookstores aren't allowed to purchase from cheaper places like the United States or the United Kingdom."<br /><br />I find this interesting. Fist of all, it has nothing to do with copyrights. Second, it takes money from students and universities and places it in the hands of Canadian book publishers.<br /><br />Possible reasons: The book publishers have better lobbyists than do students (or the students are lobbying the wrong people).<br /><br />Students don't know who to blame for high book prices, but they would know exactly who to blame for higher tuition fees. Making higher textbook prices a smart political move.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-58634169794458899452008-07-10T21:20:00.001-07:002008-12-10T16:57:55.742-08:00Who's stabilizing who?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXBAnpVkhycrQcWMDFl49OksqyMQM6nRYbvrPQLEB7bR4rk_8O4gtjw1UX2vGSdA1zsWDheJnysugsQR40WQBkpd7QiX-2TTdzLNiTHIm6qVBQEa64B6YFSW1R_rGkuOnT0QTTBCn3YkR/s1600-h/11rangel02_600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXBAnpVkhycrQcWMDFl49OksqyMQM6nRYbvrPQLEB7bR4rk_8O4gtjw1UX2vGSdA1zsWDheJnysugsQR40WQBkpd7QiX-2TTdzLNiTHIm6qVBQEa64B6YFSW1R_rGkuOnT0QTTBCn3YkR/s200/11rangel02_600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221608003315244626" border="0" /></a><br />A professor once told me the only economists that support rent stabilized apartments are the ones who live in them.<br /><br />But what about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/nyregion/11rangel.html?hp">politicians?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-77413728284333410222008-07-04T15:56:00.000-07:002008-07-04T16:07:58.298-07:00Great idea, Wrong targetSome of you may have heard about <a href="http://www.ruinediphone.com/index.php">ruinediphone.com.</a> It's a newly formed protest group trying to get Rogers to lower the price of the IPhone in Canada. They claim that cell phone prices are higher in Canada than in the U.S. and other countries.<br /><br /> They're right. However, they're wrong to blame this all on the cell phone companies. Companies everywhere charge as much as the market can bear. Rodgers is no different. <br /><br />The difference is that Canada doesn't allow any foreign competition into the market. Therefore lowering competition. So how about sending all those signatures to Ottowa instead of Rogers? <br /><br />After all, they're supposed to be on our side right? <br /><br /><br />Here is the video form <a href="http://www.ruinediphone.com/index.php">ruinediphone</a><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/12w2DQxEwfU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/12w2DQxEwfU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-46814383561937073232008-06-24T22:26:00.000-07:002008-06-24T22:58:47.139-07:00Are larger governments more corrupt?It occurred to me that if you hold all else equal, it seems that the amount of corruption in a government increases with size. The provincial governments seems less corrupt than Ottawa. Ottawa seems less corrupt than Washington...ect. There are two reasons that I can think of to explain this. <br /><br />First being that the larger government having more money is able to pay off more special interests using its size as cover. In other words, the large government is too big for the average Joe to watch, and they take advantage of that. <br /><br />The other reason would be that big governments aren't actually more corrupt than their smaller counterparts. Their big size just draws a lot of media attention. Much of this media attention will highlight corruption. Therefore, we think that big governments are relatively more corrupt, but really they just draw relatively more media coverage. <br /><br />I am aware that these theories are mutually exclusive. I am not aware of which (either?) one is true. I'll reserve that one for people smarter than me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-78207319412121281292008-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:002008-12-10T16:57:55.858-08:00Destitue Lottery Winners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfLSC9D10w5XtGlCpXFtKeKHIA20H6TcXtFohgTWGEKdnWVm434SBN7YQVfRibIhI5s28-4hg0LrNAeH9Q84dqK4DK4N2vx028eiDoP-KyjT2C9hv4E8Lefbxv8vZsif0pOy8De4aasFs/s1600-h/1464_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfLSC9D10w5XtGlCpXFtKeKHIA20H6TcXtFohgTWGEKdnWVm434SBN7YQVfRibIhI5s28-4hg0LrNAeH9Q84dqK4DK4N2vx028eiDoP-KyjT2C9hv4E8Lefbxv8vZsif0pOy8De4aasFs/s200/1464_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215241490988528146" border="0" /></a><br />Canadians seem to really like the fact that lottery or other cash winnings are except from taxation. This is not true in most other countries including the United States. I have a hard time figuring out why this is so popular. After all, lottery winners are not destitute, and they didn't do anything to deserve the winnings (you can say lottery winners deserve their cash for taking risk, but this certainly isn't true for people on "deal or no deal"). You would think that society would want to soak these people in taxes the same way they do folks who inherit a lot of money.<br /><br />My best guess would be that people are attracted by the fact that their are merit based pre-requisites to winning large amounts of money. Most people know that they probably aren't going to go out and make a huge fortune. They also know that they aren't going to inherit a huge amount of money. Winning the lottery however, could be accomplished by a very lucky monkey with proper training, and that's what we like about it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-57741621435048048682008-06-16T20:14:00.001-07:002008-12-10T16:57:56.182-08:00Why modern music is no good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LEsfc25ZB-WGDIrgoS3HJOyfnbQw0thiv8jxdyk4Fqy9qMbdoE5VVKwPPPM5K-aXNwBeE3GSD08yVEq_SIjdWOn3cADRnCeOEMmqfhH4-5EQxuX6hg6Ga9f21NqVU_NvjE2XdErEcNjO/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LEsfc25ZB-WGDIrgoS3HJOyfnbQw0thiv8jxdyk4Fqy9qMbdoE5VVKwPPPM5K-aXNwBeE3GSD08yVEq_SIjdWOn3cADRnCeOEMmqfhH4-5EQxuX6hg6Ga9f21NqVU_NvjE2XdErEcNjO/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212688150408192418" border="0" /></a><br /> A common complaint that you hear on University Campuses is that music isn't as good as it was in the days of Dylan and the Beatles. Most people blame record companies. I have a different explanation.<br /><br />First, the only mass market for music that still exists is the market for young teenage girls. This explains the popularity of acts like Hanna Montana and High School Musical. University students still listen to good music, but they can't agree anymore. In the summer of love everybody was listening to Dylan and the Doors. Now one person is listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNumMmweYBU">Kimya Dawson</a> while another person is listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLZHamTXys0">Two Hours Traffic</a>. Blame Myspace and Bittorent.<br /><br />Second, music in the sixties wasn't as good as people think it was. Look at a billboard top ten list. Most of the songs aren't very good. These songs don't get play on classic rock stations. Oldies stations get the advantage of picking their songs from a four decade filter of history.<br /><br />So stop being so pessimistic about music. Besides, having an ipod means that you don't have to listen to the radio anyway.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-72566791798134458972008-06-11T22:39:00.000-07:002008-06-11T22:46:12.006-07:00The most valuable arctic resourceOk, so you've all probably heard by now that the CBC decided to drop the hockey night in Canada theme song, but you probably didn't see this very funny bit by Steven Colbert on the matter.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TD-W5EIX0BM&hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TD-W5EIX0BM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyway, the <a href="http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2008/06/11/hockey-we-have-a-new-player-in-the-hockey-theme-song-drama.aspx">national post reported</a> that the audience snickered when the announcer said the hockey night in Canada theme was considered Canada's second national anthem. They didn't. You can listen for yourself. I know this has nothing to do with politics or economics. I just thought I would call them on it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-13177398711089932282008-06-05T14:02:00.000-07:002008-12-10T16:57:56.369-08:00100% Canadian Coffee?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeZFf39U0YkLAuvCkip8vN8ZMCq1PL-yxZp-2exgyRuoYLBiOcpyZpSS_rJQP8Fvaa85yZAS3XI3BBHDFkjDuMLAlrMAK5Bktlk6dTRQ_IILUoyF4tis9Lall0yxti0OsIfcwZqvveCxX/s1600-h/225_fr-italy_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeZFf39U0YkLAuvCkip8vN8ZMCq1PL-yxZp-2exgyRuoYLBiOcpyZpSS_rJQP8Fvaa85yZAS3XI3BBHDFkjDuMLAlrMAK5Bktlk6dTRQ_IILUoyF4tis9Lall0yxti0OsIfcwZqvveCxX/s200/225_fr-italy_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208507269620827970" border="0" /></a><br /> The coffee that I bought today proudly claims that it is 100% Canadian . Well, actually it has "proudly *picture of a maple leaf* 100%" printed on the top of the can. Does printing a maple leaf instead of actually saying "Canadian" give them legal cover? If not, wear exactly in Canada can you farm coffee?<br /><br />It's also worth mentioning that the coffee flavour is "Dark French Italian." This is marketing to hippies run amok!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-30935787597552747362008-06-02T21:06:00.000-07:002008-12-10T16:57:56.477-08:00Technology and Censorship<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAsplYdRXNvrpp4mFtfmYkjFgu9-kQKaqm1cjt81O7mZRibm_iRl_AAdEDDstZVAS7p2sLhUaCJJLQR9gg0aRPrc8RYUi-RzZSFmR2sRtidC5p_YWCfFXL4pllRfrRw5m_lycsvQGH8v5/s1600-h/censorship.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAsplYdRXNvrpp4mFtfmYkjFgu9-kQKaqm1cjt81O7mZRibm_iRl_AAdEDDstZVAS7p2sLhUaCJJLQR9gg0aRPrc8RYUi-RzZSFmR2sRtidC5p_YWCfFXL4pllRfrRw5m_lycsvQGH8v5/s200/censorship.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207503763397019442" border="0" /></a><br /> The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/world/europe/03russia.html?hp">NY Times has an article</a> about the Kremlin's policy where critics of the government are not allowed on television. People reading this will naturally think that these policies can only go so far because of the wealth of information the internet provides (aahemm).<br /><br />I am a bit more cynical. Most people still get their information through television, and bloggers seem to feed off the mainstream media, and vis versa. Without critics on one side the feedback loop could break down.<br /><br />Thus far Putin has done a very good job at controlling the press, time will tell if this trend continues.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704099054524958330.post-49085120545784583092008-05-16T12:32:00.000-07:002008-12-10T16:57:56.604-08:00Anti-Farm Subsidy coalition?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipamAslwzs2HIjL4_h4QL7C4mU42m9mdfZMm1jCYdsrqI7pnmiUANVj3zADIAbg0rqfApOMUAfsmlHX59X4ogVDEaOyw13jk8SYPHck2nyDIUcBZQBnRpG_bkjyZqBL0xsSw1OvRo-3vhyphenhyphen/s1600-h/FarmBillCaution.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipamAslwzs2HIjL4_h4QL7C4mU42m9mdfZMm1jCYdsrqI7pnmiUANVj3zADIAbg0rqfApOMUAfsmlHX59X4ogVDEaOyw13jk8SYPHck2nyDIUcBZQBnRpG_bkjyZqBL0xsSw1OvRo-3vhyphenhyphen/s200/FarmBillCaution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201093357107959394" border="0" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/opinion/16fri3.html">NY Times editorial</a> board gave harsh criticism of farm subsidies this morning:<br /><br /><p></p><blockquote><p>Congress has approved a $307 billion farm bill that rewards rich farmers who do not need the help while doing virtually nothing to help the world’s hungry, who need all the help they can get. </p> <a name="secondParagraph"></a> <p>President Bush should keep his promise to veto it and demand better legislation. </p><p>The bill is an inglorious piece of work tailored to the needs of big agriculture and championed by not only the usual bipartisan farm state legislators but also the Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Every five years we get a new farm bill, and each time we are reminded that even reformers like Ms. Pelosi cannot resist the blandishments and power of the farmers. </p><p>The bill includes the usual favors like the tax break for racehorse breeders pushed by Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader. But the greater and more embarrassing defect is that the bill perpetuates the old subsidies for agriculture at a time when the prices that farmers are getting for big row crops like corn, soybeans and wheat have never been better. Net farm income is up 50 percent. </p><p>The legislation preserves an indefensible program of direct payments amounting to about $5 billion a year that flow in good times and bad. It raises support levels for wheat and soybeans, while adding several new crops to the list in a way that will make it easier for farmers to raid the federal Treasury even when prices go up.</p><p>The bill has some virtues. It increases spending for food stamps. It encourages farmers to preserve land that would otherwise be lost to suburban development and provides modest help to organic farmers. It trims (but not nearly enough) the unnecessary tax subsidy for corn ethanol. It provides $400 million to reduce polluted runoff into Chesapeake Bay.</p><p>But none of that justifies the legislation’s enormous defects. Indeed, even the increases in conservation spending are not nearly as generous as advertised. President Bush asked for $4 billion more than Congress provided. He also complained, rightly, that House and Senate conferees had killed a program to conserve rare prairie grasslands while narrowing two programs that paid farmers to protect wetlands and wildlife habitat.</p><p> With few Republicans rushing to the President’s side, the House and Senate both produced what amounted to veto-proof majorities, assuming they hold up. Mr. Bush should veto the bill anyway. Bad legislation is bad legislation.</p></blockquote><p> </p><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom>--It's good to see criticism coming from the traditionally left wing NY Times. Most efforts (if you can call them that) to reduce farm subsidies have historically come from the GOP. Hopefully the food crises will help build a coalition big enough to make a difference, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3