Economists: An Anthropological View
Fixing the Economists Article of the Week
by Philip Pilkington
'Life Among The Econ' is a satirical paper written by the economist Axel Leijonhufvud and published in 1973. In the paper Leijonhufvud refers directly the great work of cultural anthropology The Savage Mind by the French Structuralist anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss. Before moving on to the paper it is probably best to understand something about Levi-Strauss' work as I think that the content of the paper would otherwise be lost on many economics-oriented readers.
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Have A Dirty Phone? Clean It Off -- With Light
Studies say 1 in 6 smartphones would test positive for traces of fecal matter. But people are so attached to their phones these days, and traditional cleaning products just ruin these expensive pieces of tech.
A Word from This Newsletter's Sponsor for 11 January 2015
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What We Read Today 11 January 2015
Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary "reading list" which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for "reading list" items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.
Break Up Citigroup (Simon Johnson, Project Syndicate) Citigroup led a successful effort to get key elements of Dodd-Frank overturned by attachments to the latest budget bill. Johnson says they may have won a battle but it could lead to losing a war and become the fulcrum for action to break up big banks. He says it is not just the very vocal Elizabeth Warren that is thinking this way but a number of other senators in both parties could be brought into the fray.
French Views of Muslims Are Overwhelmingly Positive
from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy
According to a poll conducted by Pew Research well before Wednesday's suspected Islamic terror attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, French views of Muslim minorities are overwhelmingly positive.
The Real Winners and Losers from the Falling Oil Price
by Richard Heaney, The Conversation
While this year's relative stability in crude oil prices appears to have lulled us into a false sense of security, the dramatic fall over the last few weeks reminds us just how volatile these prices can be.
Documentary of the Week: 2015 Sustainability Panel Discussion
Econintersect: The Doomstead Diner sponsored a panel discussion on New Year's Day 2015 covering how economic events of the day relate to sustainability of the global political and social structures. As might be expected there was much attention devoted to the current "crash" in the oil markets as well as to the current "credit bubble" and "asset bubble". In addition to Doomstead Diner'principals' Reverse Engineer, Surly1 (both have contributed to GEI) and Monsta, the panelists are:
- Albert Bates (Ecovillage Training Center at The Farm)
- Steve Ludlum (Economic Undertow) Steve Ludlum has contributed to GEI.
- Gail Tverberg (Our Finite World) Gail Tverberg has contributed to GEI.
- Tom Lewis (The Daily Impact)
Video of panel discussion after the Read more >> jump.
Photo from "The Crash of 2015: Day 9" at The Daily Impact.
The Week Ahead: Of Market Bondage
by Jeff Miller, A Dash of Insight
Last week's wild trading defied any simple explanation. That always sets the table for pundit pontification!
We are still a week away from earnings season. Bond, stock and commodity prices are moving in different directions. I expect this divergence to be a focus of attention, with many asking: Is the Bond Market Sending a Message about the Economy?
Click to see larger, more complete image at imbd.com.
Why is the Price of Crude Oil so Damn Low?
by Michael Haltman
The price of crude oil is currently one of the big news stories that both financial market AND geopolitical analysts are paying close attention to!
Where is the bottom in the price of crude oil, when will it arrive, what message is the sharp and steep decline telling us and what if any impact will it have on the stability of some of the major countries who depend on high prices to make their societies tick without a risk of revolution (i.e. Russia and Saudi Arabia)?
Earnings and Economic Reports: Week Starting 12 January 2015
Written by Merlin Rothfeld, Online Trading Academy
Econintersect: Here is a day-by-day rundown of the global economic calendar events for the coming week and the important earnings announcements each day, as well.
Video presentation follows the Read more >> jump.
Merlin Rothfeld
Trefis: Highlights Week Ending 09 January 2015
Written by Trefis
Below is a summary of the activity at Trefis during the past week that Trefis thought Econintersectreaders would find interesting.
Trefis is a financial community structured around trends, forecasts and insights related to some of the most popular stocks in the US. It provides the unique feature of allowing the user to model future valuation based upon projected changes in components of each business. It also provides communication capabilities among members, including consensus of member analysis compared to Trefis staff analysis and blogging opportunities for members.
Click on graphic for larger image and go to
Trefis interactive page.
Click "Read more..." to see our clickable table of contents with the most covered companies (more than 1 article) of the week identified.
Infographic of the Day: Let Us talk about Depression
What is Depression exactly?
Vying for Market Share, Companies Heavily Promote 'Me Too' Drugs
Sprcial Report from ProPublica
by Charles Ornstein and Ryann Grochowski Jones, ProPublica
This story was co-published with the New York Times' The Upshot.
For more than five decades, the blood thinner Coumadin was the only option for millions of patients at risk for life-threatening blood clots. But now, a furious battle is underway among the makers of three newer competitors for the prescription pads of doctors across the country.
Scandinavian Public Transport: Scandalously Expensive
from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy
If you're planning on visiting Oslo for a sightseeing trip, it might be wise to start saving in order to use the city's costly public transportation system.
Why Cash and Copyright are Bad News for Creativity
by Dan Hunter, The Conversation
Today we kick off our series devoted to creativity - examining what it is, what we know about it, and why it's so important.
Disparate Impact of Lower Oil Prices
Macro Strategy Report for January 2015
by Jim Welsh with David Martin and Jim O'Donnell , Forward Markets
Whenever a commodity as important as oil moves by more than 40% in a short period of time, there are likely to be repercussions no one can foretell with any certainty. What we can say with certainty is there will be surprises in 2015 and some of them won't be good.
The Economic Impact of Lower Oil Prices on Leading Exporting Countries
by Elliott Morss, Morss Global Finance
Introduction
We think of oil exporting countries as financially sound with significant international reserves. And this is certainly valid for most of the Middle East sheikhdoms. But there are other exporters where the oil price drop will have a major impact. Below, the economic impact of lower oil prices on the leading exporters is examined.
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