Category Archives: Economics

ANOTHER CHICKEN GAME—GREXIT.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Philip

ANOTHER CHICKEN GAME—GREXIT. I have posted a number of times about negotiations which have been compared to chicken games—Greece and the European Union, the federal deficit ceiling, Cyprus and the European Union. Here is a post about Cyprus from March … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History, Politics | 1 Comment

BANKERS AND DOCTORS—RISKY PROFESSIONS.

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Philip

BANKERS AND DOCTORS—RISKY PROFESSIONS. I posted here about Meyer Burstein’s observation when I was in college that doctors and bankers tend to dress conservatively to distract attention from the fact that their professions dealt with large risks on a regular … Continue reading →

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WHY WOULD THE POOR CHOOSE TO ACCEPT A NEGATIVE INTEREST RATE ON THEIR MONEY?

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Philip

WHY WOULD THE POOR CHOOSE TO ACCEPT A NEGATIVE INTEREST RATE ON THEIR MONEY? This Economist article (November 15, 2014) points out that: “In Ghana and other West African countries people deposit savings with Susu collectors, who take small deposits … Continue reading →

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WHY WOULD THE RICH CHOOSE TO ACCEPT A NEGATIVE RETURN ON THEIR MONEY?

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Philip

WHY WOULD THE RICH CHOOSE TO ACCEPT A NEGATIVE RETURN ON THEIR MONEY? This article in the Buttonwood section of the Economist (January 24) points out that “government bonds of various maturities in as many as ten countries are selling … Continue reading →

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TIMES NEW ROMAN IN THE COMPUTER AGE.

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Philip

TIMES NEW ROMAN IN THE COMPUTER AGE. I posted here five years ago about the belief of David Ogilvy, the advertising legend, that ads should use typefaces that are used in newspaper and magazine text because that is what consumers … Continue reading →

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WHEN TIMES NEW ROMAN WAS NEW.

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Philip

WHEN TIMES NEW ROMAN WAS NEW. Until I read this article by Meredith Mann on the New York Public Library blog, I had thought that the Times New Roman typeface was associated with the New York Times. Instead, it is … Continue reading →

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GUARDING THE “GLOBAL STRATEGIC RESERVE FACILITY” FOR MAPLE SYRUP.

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Philip

GUARDING THE “GLOBAL STRATEGIC RESERVE FACILITY” FOR MAPLE SYRUP. I posted here about the theft of 15,000 barrels of maple syrup in 2012. This article by Sian Griffiths in the Guardian (December 22) tells about the new security arrangements for … Continue reading →

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MY FAVORITE MARIO CUOMO SPEECH.

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Philip

MY FAVORITE MARIO CUOMO SPEECH. Governor Mario Cuomo has died, and there have a number of memorial articles which praise his great speeches. His speech which made the greatest impression on me has—understandably—not been mentioned. Understandably, because of its subject … Continue reading →

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WOULD ROCK PAPER SCISSORS BE MORE RANDOM IF “ROCK” WERE CALLED “A”, AND PAPER AND SCISSORS WERE CALLED “B” AND “C”?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Philip

WOULD ROCK PAPER SCISSORS BE MORE RANDOM IF “ROCK” WERE CALLED “A”, AND PAPER AND SCISSORS WERE CALLED “B” AND “C”? Do the names we attach to the moves in rock paper scissors make a difference. I wonder. The percentage … Continue reading →

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SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR PLAYING ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.