EconTech

Well, technically, the DNS record has been forcibly expunged at one registrar. If you read any Internet news, you haven’t missed this. The fact that this is possible is pretty absurd. The judge in the case should have realized the serious 1st Amendment implications of the case, especially considering the purpose of the site in [...]

Comments by Martin Wolf:
 
Nationalising Northern Rock was the right move

Nationalising Northern Rock was the right decision. It should have happened months ago. As soon as it became evident that the stricken bank could only survive with generous public sector guarantees, any so-called “private sector solution” was a mirage. This has finally become evident to the [...]

From the Monkey Cage:

Ok, not the best recipe name ever. But it is delicious:

1-2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
several splashes balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp good, dark, spicy mustard (not French’s)
cayenne
ginger
paprika
cumin
thyme
oregano
basil
pepper
salt

Whisk ingredients together throughly (you are trying to basically emulsify them). Sorry for the lack of measurements, I typically eyeball those. Thoroughly cover defrosted chicken. If you have time, it [...]

I’m going to have to disagree with Language Log on this one.
The difference between the diamond traders and application of Shari’a are likely to be significant. For those under the age of 18, who decides whether their ‘consent’ to Shari’a law is consensual; something unlikely to be of issue among the diamond traders. By [...]

Cowen misses the point, later pointed out by others, that consumption measures miss out on lifetime consumption possibilities (also known as wealth). I could forgive him for missing my post, but Thoma brought out others on this. Besides, I would’ve expected Cowen to have ‘just gotten’ this without anyone needing to point it out to [...]

Not exactly breaking news here. And delving into the economic numbers isn’t exactly necessary to indict Putin. But more data is always useful, so here goes. There is more, and if you have an FT subscription it is worth reading, but I don’t want FT getting mad at me for reproducing in full:
Why Putin’s rule [...]

I haven’t watched the 6th episode yet; so, I haven’t read.
What Do Real Thugs Think of The Wire? Part Six

I had been waiting for the self-described “Thugs” to analyze the workings of City Hall and the fictional Baltimore Sun more consistently. This week, I got what I wished for, but not in the way I [...]

I’ve never been seriously opposed to smoking bans. Even when I smoked, I preferred to go outside than to deal with the second-hand smoke in my immediate surroundings. I do think that the ‘bans’ should be allowed to be gotten around through a smoking license or similar for e.g. smoke shops, hookah bars, and similar. [...]

I have previously said that privacy is more than just about keeping secrets. Here is a real life account of a major figure who has had problems maintaining his on-line privacy. No, I do not expect the government to be any better at maintaining secure systems than the private sector (though creating clear liabilities for [...]

Yes, the venerable reduce is being removed from when Python 3 hits. I don’t think I could be considered a hardcore Pythoner, so I will refrain from comment on whether that is a good or bad idea. However, I have read enough complaints about this stuff that I thought I would whip a few functions [...]

I won’t lie, even as a fan of Krugman, all that he has been writing on health care has been a bit grating. It is not so much that I disagree (though I do find mandates a muddier issue than he does) as I have come to expect more variation from him, even if it [...]

Argentina’s inflation numbers are looking cooked, if not burnt. Hopefully the real figures aren’t too bad.
 
IMF asks Argentina to clarify inflation figures
By Jude Webber in Buenos Aires
Published: February 11 2008 21:31 | Last updated: February 11 2008 21:31
The International Monetary Fund has asked Argentina’s statistical institute, Indec, to clarify inflation data and methodology that has [...]

Apparently, if you include real numbers and pretty graphs, your posts will get re-referenced by the bigger blogs. I’m glad he reposted the thoughts though. They are important points about why the analysis of inequality is important and the kinds of information that need to be tracked. Although, to be fair, I didn’t mention wealth [...]

That is how the question is posed, but I want to analyze the data from a slightly different angle. What are the marginal benefits of the new machine over the old one? I suspect not particularly great. What happens to the old machine? I have no idea, but the answer to this question is of [...]