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- HOW BANKS PREPARED FOR A U.S. DEFAULT. (2)
- GREECE’S ADVANTAGE IN THE CHICKEN GAME. (2)
- Nick: That makes sense. It reminds me of the stories Pater Familias would tell me about how in Boston the person with...
- Dick Weisfelder: Greece seems to me to be playing a game that Karl Deutsch called “underdog.” While one...
- FOOTBALL PLAYERS DELIBERATELY CAUSING CONCUSSIONS? (3)
- Nick: It was my understanding that boxing gloves were to protect the puncher’s hands and not the...
- Dick Weisfelder: Remember the Roman arenas? Bare knuckled boxing? Such injuries were taken as natural and accepted in...
- Mary Jane Schaefer: This isn’t about football. Or even sportsmanship. Well, it is about sportsmanship. But what...
- A 25 % CHANCE OF A EURO DEFAULT? (1)
- Nick: The fact that this has gone on for so long is pretty perplexing. The Economist is referring back to articles it...
- DECIDING WHAT KIND OF PATIENT YOU ARE. (1)
- Dick Weisfelder: One can be very open to new technology, but also risk averse. The recent debates about how to...
- THE EUROZONE—A CHICKEN GAME WHERE EVERY MEMBER CAN BLOW IT UP? (1)
- Mary Jane Schaefer: This is not a matter of chicken. These are all turkeys.
- PLAYING WITH MATCHES NEAR A GASOLINE TANK. (1)
- Mary Jane Schaefer: Why would the French care? As long as they take down Britain?
- NORWAY’S CHRISTMAS BUTTER SHORTAGE. (1)
- Mary Jane Schaefer: Christmas with a butter cookie shortage–in Scandinavia. This isn’t even Scrooge. This...
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Monthly Archives: January 2008
AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF INVESTING IN A PITCHER’S EARNINGS.
AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF INVESTING IN A PITCHER’S EARNINGS. I posted here about the opportunity to invest in a percentage of pitcher Randy Newsom’s major league earnings. Now three journalists at Slate have made the investment. This article has a … Continue reading
WHY BANK EMPLOYEES SHOULD TAKE THEIR VACATIONS.
WHY BANK EMPLOYEES SHOULD TAKE THEIR VACATIONS. Many years ago, an economist laughed when he told me that the Boston Federal Reserve Bank acted as if it were a real bank with money inside. They had the same security guards … Continue reading
Posted in Economics
2 Comments
THE ROGUE TRADER’S JOB DESCRIPTION.
THE ROGUE TRADER’S JOB DESCRIPTION. About ten days ago, it was announced that a “rogue trader” at Societe General had taken stock trading positions that had cost that bank almost seven billion dollars. The bank made it known that while … Continue reading
Posted in Economics
2 Comments
DEAD DONKEYS.
DEAD DONKEYS. Adam Gopnik reported here that “during the war between Siena & Florence in the middle of the 13th century, the Florentines attempted to start a plague in Siena by catapulting dead donkeys over the city walls….”
Posted in History
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FLAMING PIGS.
FLAMING PIGS. Nick now has a blog reporting on his experiences studying at University College in London this semester. He reports here that he has learned that “in the First Punic War the Romans lit pigs on fire and sent … Continue reading
Posted in History
2 Comments
WORDS LONG AGO RAN FREE….
WORDS LONG AGO RAN FREE…. Here is the story of how words and humans first came together.
Posted in History
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WIDE SARGASSO SEA.
WIDE SARGASSO SEA. Annalisa, I recommend WIDE SARGASSO SEA, which was one of the books that your mother and I read aloud to each other. As with all of the books by Jean Rhys, be careful not to read about … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
3 Comments
JEAN RHYS.
JEAN RHYS. I was pleased to see that Art Garfunkel placed three books by Jean Rhys on his list of 135 favorite books. She is in distinguished company. (Tolstoy is the only writer with more than two if you count … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
1 Comment
ON NOT READING KING LEAR.
ON NOT READING KING LEAR. Christopher Morley wrote a book years ago in which the hero had never read KING LEAR. His theory was that he would be dying, and would say to himself, “Wait, you can’t die yet, you … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater
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WHY GARFUNKEL IS RIGHT TO READ THE CLASSICS.
WHY GARFUNKEL IS RIGHT TO READ THE CLASSICS. When I retired, I thought, “Now, I have the time to read all the books I want.” I soon realized that I can’t even keep up with the new books I want … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
3 Comments