According to About.com Geography: World population as of May 11, 2011 is 6,852,472,823.
What percent of the world population are you selling? Do you think we will hit 7 billion by 2012 or sooner?
Related post(s) on worldly population issues.
Friday, September 30, 2011
6,775,235,700
According to About.com Geography: World population as of May 11, 2011 is 6,852,472,823.
What percent of the world population are you selling? Do you think we will hit 7 billion by 2012 or sooner?
Related post(s) on worldly population issues.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Congratulations Chancellor Merkel
Today, Germany's parliament approved expanded authority for bailing out Eurozone countries in crisis (see here). It represents (a) a tremendous political victory for Chancellor Merkel, who proved that real leadership sometimes requires action against the weight of public opinion, (b) a vital and substantial step toward ameliorating the sovereign debt crisis that has threatened the very existence of the European Union, and (c) an indirect boost to President Obama's reelection prospects, given the effects of European market instability on the US economy.
Another Self-Inflicted Wound At Obama's EPA
EPA's own Inspector General (IG) has published a report criticizing the process by which EPA made its endangerment finding for greenhouse gases (GHGs), which is a prerequisite for regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act. The gist of the IG's complaint was that EPA's process for reviewing the climate science was procedurally flawed, even though EPA relied primarily on scientific findings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Some of the IG's complaints appear minor, even trivial, such as the fact that one person on the 12-member peer-review board of scientists was an EPA employee. But that hardly excuses the procedural shortcuts. When it comes to a hot-button political issue like regulating GHGs to mitigate climate change, failing to dot the i's and cross the t's is like handing a loaded gun to Senator James Inhofe, the Republican presidential candidates (excluding John Huntsman), and other climate-change ignoramuses, who will gladly use it to take pot shots at the agency.
EPA officials and environmental groups have been quick to defend the endangerment finding on the merits, and no doubt that they are on solid ground (although the Clean Air Act remains a relatively poor vehicle for regulating GHGs). But that is beside the point. The agency has, by its procedural negligence, invited a political fight it did not need and might not win.
Some of the IG's complaints appear minor, even trivial, such as the fact that one person on the 12-member peer-review board of scientists was an EPA employee. But that hardly excuses the procedural shortcuts. When it comes to a hot-button political issue like regulating GHGs to mitigate climate change, failing to dot the i's and cross the t's is like handing a loaded gun to Senator James Inhofe, the Republican presidential candidates (excluding John Huntsman), and other climate-change ignoramuses, who will gladly use it to take pot shots at the agency.
EPA officials and environmental groups have been quick to defend the endangerment finding on the merits, and no doubt that they are on solid ground (although the Clean Air Act remains a relatively poor vehicle for regulating GHGs). But that is beside the point. The agency has, by its procedural negligence, invited a political fight it did not need and might not win.
No. 2 Most Difficult Market to Enter in the World?
The United States ranks third globally for growth opportunities behind China and India, but second behind China for perceived barriers to entry.Read the entire report here.
Results run counter to the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings which shows the United States No. 4. Once you break into the market, one could say it's easy to do business in USA?
Photo courtesy: USA at Night (NASA)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Anti Defamation League - We Are a Nation of Immigrants
Video of Deborah Lauter, ADL Civil Rights Director, speaking about the dangers of ethnic profiling and the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
ADL reaches out to kids.
More:
Code Words of Hate
It Depends on Which Economist You Ask...
Bloomberg conducted a survey of economists from Sept. 2 to Sept. 7 to obtain their projections of economic growth, job growth, and unemployment for the next two years. See here. The table below summarizes the results.
The economic forecast obviously is not favorable for the country as a whole, unemployed workers, or President Obama's reelection prospects. But what I find most interesting about the survey is the wide spread of economic growth projections, ranging from zero to 2 percent. Expectations for job growth are similarly varied; some economists expect no net job growth, while others expect more than 2 million new jobs to be created in 2012. At least there seems to be some correlation between job-growth expectations and economic-growth projections. However, what are we to make of the wide variation in economists' projections of both? Does this survey tell us more about the unsatisfactory state of our macroeconomic models than it does about the state of the macroeconomy?
============================================================
Table of Forecasts
============================================================
GDP GDP Jobs (thous) UR Change
2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013
============================================================
Median 0.6 0.2 275 13 -0.2 -0.1
Count 34 30 28 28 28 26
------------------------------------------------------------
Action Eco 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0
AIG 0.7 0.1 250 100 -0.5 -0.2
Aletti 0.4 0.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Anderson Eco 0.5 0.5 500 500 -0.5 n/a
BBVA 1.3 0.9 900 900 -0.8 -0.7
BNP Paribas 0.5 -0.3 500 -300 n/a n/a
Clearview Eco 0.8 0.8 750 750 -0.5 -0.5
DB 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Econoclast 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Euler Hermes 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Fact & Opinion 0.5 0.5 500 1,000 -0.1 -0.3
Faifield n/a n/a 300 200 -0.2 -0.3
Fannie Mae 0.7 0.0 500 0 0.0 0.0
Goldberg Inv n/a n/a 150 100 n/a n/a
Goldman Sachs 1.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Guerrilla 1.5 -1.0 200 0 -0.2 n/a
H. Johnson 0.2 0.3 25 45 0.2 0.2
JP Morgan 0.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
MacroEco 1.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
MacroFin 1.5 1.5 1,000 1,000 -1.0 -1.0
Manulife 1.5 0.5 2,000 700 -1.0 -0.3
Mizuho 0.2 0.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Moodys 2.0 1.0 1,000 0 -1.0 -0.4
NFIB 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Niagara 1.0 0.1 125 0 0.0 0.0
Nord 0.4 0.5 n/a n/a -0.2 -0.4
Parsanec 0.5 0.5 1,100 700 -1.0 -0.5
Pierpont 0.3 0.0 50 0 -0.2 0.0
Raymond James 0.3 0.2 350 25 -0.5 -0.1
SPSU 0.9 0.1 110 0 0.0 0.0
SocGen 1.7 0.8 1 1 -0.4 -0.2
State Street 1.2 -1.0 340 -370 -0.2 0.3
Standard Charter 1.0 0.5 600 300 0.0 0.0
Unicredit 2.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
W Hummer 0.2 0.2 150 200 -0.1 -0.1
J Forest 1.0 1.0 n/a n/a -1.0 -0.5
============================================================The economic forecast obviously is not favorable for the country as a whole, unemployed workers, or President Obama's reelection prospects. But what I find most interesting about the survey is the wide spread of economic growth projections, ranging from zero to 2 percent. Expectations for job growth are similarly varied; some economists expect no net job growth, while others expect more than 2 million new jobs to be created in 2012. At least there seems to be some correlation between job-growth expectations and economic-growth projections. However, what are we to make of the wide variation in economists' projections of both? Does this survey tell us more about the unsatisfactory state of our macroeconomic models than it does about the state of the macroeconomy?
Just Say "Yes" to Free Trade
Republican leaders in Congress have been ready from day one to advance free trade by approving three pending trade agreements, with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. President Obama also favors the agreements, as do enough congressional Democrats to ensure their passage.
While the agreements probably will not put a visible dent in the U.S. unemployment rate, they will create better-paying jobs and more prosperity for American households.Read the entire commentary here.
Related post:
Mad About Trade and By Golly, I am Going To Do Something About It!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Tale of Cheescakes Exported Nearly On Open Account
Making Tough Decisions in the Global Marketplace
by Laurel Delaney
Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog
Monday, September 26, 2011
Cinco de Mayo
by Glenn Robinson
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo is the day in which Mexico won an important battle in which France sent cavalry and 6,000 troops to attack a Mexican brigade of 4,000 soldiers. This was not the decisive victory for Mexico, but an important one in the overall goal of expelling the French from Mexico. The year was 1862 in the city and state of Puebla.
The French were in Mexico!? Why don't Mexican's speak French? The French were only in Mexico between 1861 - 1867. In that short time however, the French did have an influence on pan dulce (sweet bread) and managed to nicely ornate the Chapultepec Castle. My wife and I visited the Chapultepec Castle in 2002 and took these photos. We were also lucky enough to visit the city of Puebla in 2006 and took these photos.
===
Glenn is a European-American married to a Mexican-American. They have two children. Glenn is interested in progressive immigration reform, and desegregation within schools and communities. He is a life long learner with interests in sociology, anthropology, psychology, history and politics.
Connect to Glenn at CommunityVillage.us
Replace the "White" ethnic label in the U.S.
Why are European-American's called 'White'?
Many ethnic labels have changed through the course of U.S. history. The next one that needs to change is "White".
Modern politically correct terms for every ethnic group have a tie to the regional heritage of that group -- except for White.
Vague and disrespectful labels of the past have changed to respectful modern descriptions:
Oriental changed to Asian-American
Negro changed to African-American
Native Savage changed to Native-American
European-American changed to White.
Using color labels verbally is acceptable. It's conversational and prevents guessing wrong about nation of origin. Writing should be more precise. Color labels should not be the first choice. When official paperwork is involved, especially government forms, what would this color label imply? The term "White" in the U.S. was originally used as a way to group all Europeans (regardless of color) together as a team because it was the "whites" against the people of color. The early days of the U.S. was not primarily about fitting into your group of national origin, it was an actual 'race' war (for what was understood at the time), due to the sudden collision of different phenotypes brought together by the new larger and faster sailing ships of the day. Everyone had to make sense of each other, and phenotypes of a feather flocked together.
Using the word European-American makes European-American's sound like foreigners. (Which they are - but European-Americans don't want to have a foreign sounding label. Another issue is that using the word "White" is perpetuating a false brand of purity, goodness, and cleanness.
I don't expect my European-American brothers and sisters to stop using the label of "White" for themselves, nor the government to stop using the term "White". I think they like the positive branding.
However, all my non-European-American brothers and sisters should be happy to label European-Americans what they really are: European-Americans.
===
Glenn is a European-American married to a Mexican-American. They have two children. Glenn is interested in progressive immigration reform, and desegregation within schools and communities. He is a life long learner with interests in sociology, anthropology, psychology, history and politics.
Connect to Glenn at CommunityVillage.us
TOP LAST.FM
2. [=] Adele - Someone Like You
3. [=] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
4. [=] Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
5. [+2] Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
6. [+11] Nirvana - Come As You Are
7. [-1] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
8. [-3] Adele - Turning Tables
9. [=] Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
10. [+61] Nirvana - Lithium
TOP LATINO
2) [=] LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
3) [=] Shakira - Rabiosa
4) [=] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night
5) [+1] Maná - Amor Clandestino
6) [+4] Gloria Trevi - Vestida De Azucar
7) [=] Don Omar - Taboo
8) [-3] Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
9) [=] Reik - Peligro
10) [+18] Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
3) [=] Shakira - Rabiosa
4) [=] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night
5) [+1] Maná - Amor Clandestino
6) [+4] Gloria Trevi - Vestida De Azucar
7) [=] Don Omar - Taboo
8) [-3] Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
9) [=] Reik - Peligro
10) [+18] Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
TOP ITUNES WORLDWIDE
1. MAROON 5 FEAT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA - MOVES LIKE JAGGER
2) [NEW] Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - We Found Love
3) [=] Adele - Someone Like You
4) [=] Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
5) [+3] David Guetta feat. Sia - Titanium
6) [-1] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
7) [-1] Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me
8) [-6] Coldplay - Paradise
9) [=] Adele - Rolling In The Deep
10) [NEW] Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts
Congrats to Cav
The road course for the World Championship, held in Copenhagen this past weekend, was tailor-made for the sprinters, and Mark Cavendish is the dominant sprinter of the current era, which made him the prohibitive favorite to win the gold medal. And he did not disappoint. His Great Britain teammates kept up a vicious pace that was designed to deter attacks from the likes of Cancellara and Gilbert. And Cav out-sprinted Matt Goss and Andrei Greipel for the win. The only "surprise" among the top finishers was fabulous Fabian Cancellara, a non-sprinter, who nearly pipped Greipel at the line for the bronze. But in this race only the top place on the podium matters. The winner will be conspicuous in the peloton throughout the next year wearing the World Champion's jersey in all (non-TT) road races.
SCORE's Outstanding Woman-Owned Business Winner
School House run by Rachel Weeks!
Instead of searching the world for her goods, they are Made in America (as illustrated).
Learn more about all the SCORE winners by reading Steve Strauss's Ask the Expert column over at USA Today.
Congrats to all the winners!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
TOP AUSTRALIA
2) [=] Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
3) [+1] Cobra Starship feat. Sabi - You Make Me Feel
4) [-1] Jason DeRulo - It Girl
5)[+2] David Guetta feat. Sia - Titanium
6)[=] Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
7)[+5] Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
8) [-3] Jessie J - Domino
9)[+12] Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts
10)[=] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
10)[=] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
TOP UK
2) [=] Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
3) [-2] One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
4) [NEW] Jason DeRulo - It Girl
5) [NEW] James Morrison - I Won't Let You Go
6) [-3] Pixie Lott - All About Tonight
7) [+7] Ed Sheeran - The A Team
8) [-4] Olly Murs - Heart Skips A Beat
9) [+30] Damien Rice - Cannonball
10) [-1] Will Young - Jealousy
Common Pool Resources (CPRs) v. Common Property Regimes (CPRs)
In the social science literature, the abbreviation CPR stands for two related, but distinct, phrases that are too often conflated: common-pool resources and common-property regimes. Yesterday, at a conference at NYU Law School on "Convening Cultural Commons" (about which I previously posted here), a small and short debate arose between two scholars I greatly admire, Lin Ostrom and Carol Rose, about the two types of CPRs. Carol, if I understood her correctly, suggested that the distinction is insignificant because common-pool resources inevitably are defined as such within an institutional context. Lin responded that resource attributes such as relative subtractability and excludability, are not institutionally determined and play a crucial role in determining whether or not a resource is a commons.
Because the exchange was brief and, basically, an aside to other issues being addressed at the time, I hesitate to make too much of it. But I must say I find Carol's position baffling. An institutional structure - whether common-property, individual private-property, or some other management system - obviously affects rates of extraction/resource-depletion. But it does not affect subtractability which depends exclusively on ecological circumstances.* Ecological circumstances can/should affect the applicable institutions, for reasons explained by Hardin (1968), Demsetz (1967) and many others. But institutions don't alter the fundamental ecological conditions. Put differently, a subtractable resource remains subtractable whether the current rate of demand, under prevailing institutional structures, is either zero or very high. (This is why Ostrom's social-ecological systems framework quite rightly pays as much attention to ecological conditions as to institutions.)
*Institutions can affect excludability, if only indirectly, by affecting incentives to innovate technologies that, themselves, can enhance excludability, at least with respect to some resources. Thus, the invention of barbed wire in the mid-19th century enhanced excludability of lands in the western US, where lack of timber had previously made enclosure too expensive (Anderson and Hill 1975).
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The 'Innocent Prisoner's Dilemma'
"Expected to show remorse, the wrongfully convicted in America's prisons face a moral dilemma."
TOP ASIA
2) [=] Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
3) [=] Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
4) [+2] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
5) [+2] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
6) [-2] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
7) [-2] Simple Plan feat. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag
8) [+1] Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
9) [-1] Pitbull - Give Me Everything
10) [+1] Snow Patrol - Called Out In The Dark
3) [=] Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
4) [+2] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
5) [+2] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
6) [-2] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
7) [-2] Simple Plan feat. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag
8) [+1] Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
9) [-1] Pitbull - Give Me Everything
10) [+1] Snow Patrol - Called Out In The Dark
TOP ESPAÑA
2)[=] Pitbull - Give Me Everything
3)[-2] Don Omar - Danza Kuduro
4)[+2] La Oreja De Van Gogh - La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas
5)[-1] Carlos Jean - Gimme The Base
6)[+3] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
7)[+1] Jennifer Lopez - I'm Into You
8)[-1] Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
9)[NEW] Pitbull - Rain Over Me
10)[NEW] Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger
3)[-2] Don Omar - Danza Kuduro
4)[+2] La Oreja De Van Gogh - La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas
5)[-1] Carlos Jean - Gimme The Base
6)[+3] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
7)[+1] Jennifer Lopez - I'm Into You
8)[-1] Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
9)[NEW] Pitbull - Rain Over Me
10)[NEW] Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger
TOP SOUTH AFRICA
2) [+2] Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
3) [-1] Chris Brown feat. Justin Bieber - Next To You
4) [+1] Rihanna - California King Bed
5) [-2] OneRepublic - Good Life
6) [+2] Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat
7) [=] Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
8) [-2] Gavin DeGraw - Not Over You
9) [+9] Lady Gaga - You And I
10) [+10] Lloyd - My Air
1964: The Tallest Residential Buildings and the Tallest Reinforced Concrete Structures in the World
 |
| Marina City Towers, ©Laurel Delaney 2011 |
The complex consists of two high rise corncob-shaped 65-story towers (including five-story elevator and physical plant penthouse), at 587-foot (179 m) tall. It also includes a saddle-shaped auditorium building, and a mid-rise hotel building, all contained on a raised platform adjacent to the river. Beneath the raised platform at river level is a small marina for pleasure craft, giving the structures their name.Learn more here.
Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Marina City Twin Towers, Chicago, Illinois, United States"
Friday, September 23, 2011
TOP USA
2) [=] Adele - Someone Like You
3) [=] Foster The People - Pumped Up kicks
4) [=] LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
5) [+1] Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts
6) [-1] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
7) [+4] Cobra Starship feat. Sabi - You Make Me Feel
8) [+2] Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
9) [-2] Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
4) [=] LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
5) [+1] Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts
6) [-1] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
7) [+4] Cobra Starship feat. Sabi - You Make Me Feel
8) [+2] Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
9) [-2] Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
10) [-2] Lady Gaga - You And I
Wonderful Essay on Marie Sklodowska Curie
At Smithsonian.com, here, on the 100th anniversary of her second Nobel Prize.
If You Are a Band, Here's What You Need to Do to Go Global
Going Global is about getting bands to recognize what they need to do to be successful overseas. What are your recommendations for New Zealand bands if they were going to the UK to get their music on radio or to get noticed more generally?Read more: Jen Long (BBC1) - Interviews at Undertherader
Radio play is something where the sound needs to be right for the UK audience and obviously I don’t know everything that’s going down here but I feel like there is New Zealand stuff over in the UK that is appropriate and that perhaps some New Zealand bands wouldn’t travel as well. If a band’s going to go all the way to the UK don’t just go for a week. They should go, have a ...
Photos from Going Global Music Summit 2011 (pictured above)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
What Would Montaigne Say About Blogging?
In his essay on Vanity, Montaigne has the following to say about "foolish and impertinent scribblers," including himself, which might well apply to bloggers (present company included) today:
there should be some restraint of law against foolish and impertinent scribblers ...; which, if there were, both I and a hundred others would be banished from the reach of our people. I do not speak this in jest: scribbling seems to be a symptom of a disordered and licentious age. When did we write so much as since our troubles? When Romans so much, as upon the point of ruin? .... The corruption of the age is made up by the particular contribution of every individual man; some contribute treachery, others injustice, irreligion, tyranny, avarice, cruelty, according to their power; the weaker sort contribute folly, vanity, and idleness; of these I am one.
Chicago Enviro Groups Want Controls on Coal Fired Plants
 |
| Fisk & Crawford Plants |
The environmentalists are demanding an ordinance directed at the Fisk and Crawford plants, located near the Latino neighborhoods of Little Village and Pilsen, respectively. Both plants are owned by Midwest Generation. The coalition notes that Fisk, built in 1903, and Crawford, which dates from 1924, "are subject to more lenient federal pollution limits because of their age."
The environmentalists cite a 2001 Harvard University study which found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford could be responsible for 42 premature deaths, 66 heart attacks and at least 2,800 asthma crises annually.
Chicago's proposed Clean Power Ordinance has not been resolved despite months of discussions within the 50-member City Council. The measure recently was returned to the Council's agenda on the initiative of Aldermen Daniel Solis and Joe Moore, but no date has been set for a vote on it.
Kim Wasserman-Nieto, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, demanded the mayor's intervention to "put this problem behind us once and for all."
The ordinance under study would obligate the plants to stop burning coal to generate electricity and to switch over to natural gas or stop operating.
It establishes that if an installation has a quarterly emissions average that exceeds the federal and state limits, it will be fined up to $10,000 and will have to suspend its operations until pollution controls are installed to ensure it complies with the standards. (Fox New Latino, 9/20/2011)
Fairness v. Efficiency? Maybe Not.
An article in the new issue of the International Monetary Fund's publication Finance and Development raises interesting and important questions about the conventional wisdom (since Okun) that efforts to reduce inequality necessarily reduce the efficiency of production (e.g., by reducing incentives to engage in productive activity). Andrew G. Berg and Jonathan D. Ostry report on a couple of their own empirical studies finding that over a longer run, economic growth is not reduced by efforts to increase equality; to the contrary, they find that such may even constitute a precondition for long-run economic growth (e.g., by reducing social tensions associated with inequality that can interfere with productive activity).
My own intuition is that there is probably a possibly unknowable and probably shifting level of equality/inequality at which long-run economic growth would be maximized/optimized. Either too little or too much equality would likely lead to a reduction in production, raising the probably unanswerable question, how can we get it just right?
My own intuition is that there is probably a possibly unknowable and probably shifting level of equality/inequality at which long-run economic growth would be maximized/optimized. Either too little or too much equality would likely lead to a reduction in production, raising the probably unanswerable question, how can we get it just right?
"Convening Cultural Commons"
I'm on my way this morning to NYC for a conference at NYU Law School on "Convening the Cultural Commons." The conference is focused on applications of commons governance tools and techniques in non-natural resource settings, such as informational, social, and cultural goods, ranging the pooling of scientific research to the provision of health care. For more information, see here. As someone who has dealt a good deal with common-pool natural resources, I find these extensions to the social goods quite interesting and expect to learn a lot at the conference.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
First Photos of War...
The first photos of war were of the Mexican-American war.
I found this under the Photography > "History of Photography" tab on the National Geographic website.
Does Obama's Reelection Depend on His Ability to Raise Taxes?
Reading Michael Tomasky's column on GOP claims of "class warfare" in the The Daily Beast this morning, I was struck with by his claim that "this tax fight will be the great test of the Obama presidency." I think Tomasky might be right about this, although I cannot imagine any circumstances under which House Republicans would allow Obama to win the fight. Even more interesting to me, though, is the implication that Obama's chances for electoral success next fall may hinge on his ability to win a fight to raise taxes. That strikes me as deeply counterintuitive, but we are in strange political times.
One Way to Expand a Small Business Is To Export
"According to small businesses, the only way a business can expand is to export," said trade consultant Al Elgendy at a recent San Bernardino Economic Development Agency workshop for entrepreneurs looking to expand globally, as quoted by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. "It reduces the dependency on the domestic economy. When there's a downturn in the economy, the only way to expand is to go global."Read more here.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Global Study On How Family Businesses Manage Companies During Uncertain Times
One of the biggest challenges for family businesses is recruiting top talent and integrating them into structures that have evolved over the years and that are often perceived as being short on transparency. When asked why they would not work for a family business, 40 percent of the executives surveyed name a lack of career prospects.Read more here.
Illustration credit here.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fat Tails and Climate Change
The new issue of the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy arrived today. It's chocked full of interesting and useful articles, prominently including a symposium on "Fat Tails and the Economics of Climate Change," with contributions from Marty Weitzman, William Nordhaus, and Robert Pindyck. The title refers to the "fat tails" of probability density functions of climate sensitivity models, in which low-probability, high-magnitude temperature changes reside. Because the probabilities are not trivially low, and the magnitude of harm, should they occur, would be potentially catastrophic, Marty has been advocating that society purchase "climate insurance" to protect against high-harm scenarios. In this piece, Marty ably defends his important insight that the uncertainties lingering in the fat tails should be driving current climate policy.
While still somewhat conservative in his approach to the incorporation of low-probability, high-magnitude catastrophes into integrated assessment models of climate change, Professor Nordhaus seems to have come around (relative to earlier writings) to recognizing the significance of lingering and potentially dangerous uncertainties in our economic models. Pindyck, likewise, stresses the importance of extreme climate changes to climate policy design, while also pointing to the consequences of taking into account budget constraints and the potential for catastrophic social harms from sources other than climate change.
In addition to those three fine articles, the volume includes an interesting piece on long-run trends in energy prices, a cross-country comparison of water markets (with Gary Libecap among the co-authors), and a well done primer for economists and policy analysts on greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act.
While still somewhat conservative in his approach to the incorporation of low-probability, high-magnitude catastrophes into integrated assessment models of climate change, Professor Nordhaus seems to have come around (relative to earlier writings) to recognizing the significance of lingering and potentially dangerous uncertainties in our economic models. Pindyck, likewise, stresses the importance of extreme climate changes to climate policy design, while also pointing to the consequences of taking into account budget constraints and the potential for catastrophic social harms from sources other than climate change.
In addition to those three fine articles, the volume includes an interesting piece on long-run trends in energy prices, a cross-country comparison of water markets (with Gary Libecap among the co-authors), and a well done primer for economists and policy analysts on greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act.
TOP LAST.FM
2. [=] Adele - Someone Like You
3. [+1] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
4. [-1] Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
5. [+1] Adele - Turning Tables
6. [+1] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
7. [+5] Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
8. [=] Adele - Rumour Has It
9. [+4] Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
10. [-5] Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
TOP LATINO
2) [=] LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
3) [=] Shakira - Rabiosa
4) [=] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night
5) [+1] Maná - Amor Clandestino
6) [+4] Gloria Trevi - Vestida De Azucar
7) [=] Don Omar - Taboo
8) [-3] Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
9) [=] Reik - Peligro
10) [+18] Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
3) [=] Shakira - Rabiosa
4) [=] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night
5) [+1] Maná - Amor Clandestino
6) [+4] Gloria Trevi - Vestida De Azucar
7) [=] Don Omar - Taboo
8) [-3] Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
9) [=] Reik - Peligro
10) [+18] Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
6th Annual State of EJ in America Conference
ANNOUNCING THE 6TH ANNUAL STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA CONFERENCE
EJ Conference, Inc. announces the 6th Annual State of Environmental Justice in America Conference will convene April 3-5, 2012 at the DoubleTree Crystal City.
Since 2007, EJ Conference, Inc. has presented a premier environmental justice conference in Washington, DC, each spring.
The 2012 Conference will follow the same pattern as the previous conferences, and will endeavor to feature activities, including:
Meet the Agencies, Small Town/Rural Community Business Forum
Minority Alternative and Renewable Energy Forum and new activities aimed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and
Other Minority Serving Institutions.
The Conference Call for Papers and Presentations will be released by the end of September.
EJ Conference, Inc. announces the 6th Annual State of Environmental Justice in America Conference will convene April 3-5, 2012 at the DoubleTree Crystal City.
Since 2007, EJ Conference, Inc. has presented a premier environmental justice conference in Washington, DC, each spring.
The 2012 Conference will follow the same pattern as the previous conferences, and will endeavor to feature activities, including:
Meet the Agencies, Small Town/Rural Community Business Forum
Minority Alternative and Renewable Energy Forum and new activities aimed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and
Other Minority Serving Institutions.
The Conference Call for Papers and Presentations will be released by the end of September.
Intern with GREENPEACE for Spring Semester 2012
As a Greenpeace intern you can:
· Promote solutions to the global warming crisis
· Stop the destruction of the world's last ancient forests
· Empower consumers and shareholders to hold corporate polluters accountable
· And yes - save the whales!
A Greenpeace Internship is a great way to learn first-hand how an international environmental campaigning organization works. You’ll gain issue expertise, build valuable career skills and make connections. In addition to job training, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in trainings such as corporate campaigning, non-violent direct action, media relations and grassroots outreach. You’ll get to meet awesome people and work alongside experienced staff in a casual, high-energy environment.
Apply now for a Greenpeace internship
Available Internships:
Global Warming, Toxics, Campaigns, Grassroots Organizing, Student Organizing, Activist Recruitment, Actions, Strategy, Media, Photography, Video, Online Organizing, IT Support, Human Resources, Membership, and more! Visit our website for a full list and details on the specific tasks and requirements for each internship.
Locations:
Positions are available in Washington, DC, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, LA, New York City, Philadelphia, and Tampa. Not all internships are available in all locations. Visit our website to see details on where each internship is offered.
Program Details:
Our fall internships start January 30th and end May 4th. Part time and full time positions available. We are flexible with your schedule and can help you receive class credit. All internships are unpaid. Unfortunately Greenpeace cannot provide travel or housing.
Requirements:
Applicants must be over 18, but do not have to be current students. We’re looking for people with excellent verbal and written communications skills, strong online research skills, the ability to work well independently, commitment to non-violence as a means of affecting change and enthusiasm for protecting the environment.
Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way Greenpeace selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and effectiveness of our campaigns. Greenpeace strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, and other under-represented communities.
Apply now for a Greenpeace internship
Let the Good Times Roll; Let the Small Businesses Go Global
Just the facts:
Facilitating small-business exports of goods and services is a top priority for the Small Business Administration and Export-Import Bank of the United States, which are following Obama administration goals to double exports by 2014.Read more here.
The U.S. exported a total of $178 billion in goods and services in July -- an all-time high, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis as cited by the Export-Import Bank.
In the Jobs Act signed into law in September 2010, President Barack Obama allowed for the SBA to increase its ability to provide export-related financing by raising SBA 7(a) loan limits to $5 million from $2 million on export-related loans.
The law made the SBA Export Express loan permanent, with a 90% guarantee for loans up to $350,000 and 75% for loans between $350,000 and $500,000, according to the SBA. It also provides three-year state grants of up to $90 million to help small-businesses owners grow the exporting side of their businesses.
In early August, the Export-Import Bank said it had hit a record $24.5 billion for export-related loan authorizations. The bank's financing supports more than $31.5 billion of export sales and 213,000 U.S. jobs, including 2,548 small-business export jobs.
Illustration credit here.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
TOP ITUNES WORLDWIDE
1. MAROON 5 FEAT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA - MOVES LIKE JAGGER
2) [=] Coldplay - Paradise
3) [+1] Adele - Someone Like You
4) [+1] Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
5) [+2] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
6) [-3] Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me
7) [NEW] Tony Bennett feat. Amy Winehouse - Body & Soul
8) [RE] David Guetta feat. Sia - Titanium
9) [+1] Adele - Rolling In The Deep
10) [-4] Don Omar - Danza Kuduro
TOP AUSTRALIA
2) [=] Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
3) [=] Jason DeRulo - It Girl
4) [+2] Cobra Starship feat. Sabi - You Make Me Feel
5)[+7] Jessie J - Domino
6)[+1] Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
7)[-2] David Guetta feat. Sia - Titanium
8) [-4] Adele - Someone Like You
9)[=] Adele - Rolling In The Deep
10)[=] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
10)[=] David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You
TOP ASIA
2) [-1] Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
3) [=] Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
4) [-2] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
5) [=] Simple Plan feat. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag
6) [+3] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
7) [+1] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
8) [-2] Pitbull - Give Me Everything
9) [+1] Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
10) [-3] Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory
3) [=] Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
4) [-2] Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)
5) [=] Simple Plan feat. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag
6) [+3] Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters
7) [+1] Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
8) [-2] Pitbull - Give Me Everything
9) [+1] Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
10) [-3] Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory
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