Archive for the ‘Economy’ category
Boomer and bust
So, we’re in the midst of the worst financial crisis of our life times. It’s shaking the foundations of the world we know. And we’re also in the first 100 days of an administration that works from a perspective we can understand. And we’re entering the astrological age of Aquarius. The boomers have dominated our […]
This I believe (pessimist edition)
I believe that this is just the beginning. I believe that the economy will get worse and worse, as housing prices keep falling and unemployment keeps rising and corporations keep failing. I believe that, at some point, not only will it be difficult to find a job, it will be impossible—in fact, eventually the very […]
Rachel’s holiday mix: Best of ’08 edition
This year-end mix is titled “Stimulus Package.” Got no money? Got no job? Dancing is still free! 1. Va-Va-Va -Findo Gask 2. Happy Rabbit -Breakbot 3. Never No Dollars -Black Devil Disco Club 4. Repetition Kills You (ft. Damon Albarn) -The Black Ghosts 5. Dancing Choose -TV On The Radio 6. Strange Overtones -David Byrne […]
Crack House Diary Entry: College Application
This is only a Crackhouse Diary entry in the sense that Susan and I would have never known the author of the following college admission essay had Susan not chosen to teach in a South Central high school. The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, approached Susan for help with her application process. Susan brought […]
The price of change
I was listening to a recent This American Life podcast at the gym the other day that included a bunch of interviews by Studs Terkel with people who’d lived through the Great Depression. A few things stood out: several people interviewed displayed a great empathy that had come from their own experiences with tremendous poverty, […]
And……scene.
You never really see it coming. You have a feeling, but you brush it aside – you’re too comfortable in the current circumstances. Those closed-door meetings, the feeling that your colleague is trying to tell you something as you stay after work and watch the debates together. But you chalk it up to other things […]
This is still not good
The TED spread over the past month: The TED spread is basically, as Wikipedia says, “an indicator of perceived credit risk in the general economy.” On Friday, after the House passed the $700 billion bailout, the measure saw a record close of 3.86. (Higher means more perceived credit risk. This high, any economist will tell […]
Thursday cartoon: You want competition? We got your competition right here.
Via Yglesias, who suggests the exciting contest will usher in a new era of socialist bank nationalizations. We should be so lucky.
Wheeeee!
You know, I had a great idea for a post today, then got home and saw that Brad DeLong had already done it. Brad Delong is much smarter than I am, and he’s a world-class economist to boot. I can’t outdo Brad DeLong. So I’ll steal his pictures, instead, and add one or two others: […]
