by Erik Curren | Economy
Why I’m sad about leaving Bank of America
October 17, 2011 By
I know I shouldn’t be at all emotional, but honestly, I find myself a bit verklempt about moving my bank accounts out of Bank of America. Yes, it’s a hassle, but it needs to be done, as the Move Your Money Project makes amply clear. Since they’re a national bank, the biggest part of every [...]
Hip hop parody pits Ron Paul against “Zeitgeist” to save the economy
October 10, 2011 By
As the Great Recession brings out protesters from Lower Manhattan to Greece and India, alternatives to today’s greed-based economy are again in the air. Two of the most popular ideas, each with an über-popular cult following online, play at far poles of the spectrum of Plan B schemes to free the peoples of the world from [...]
Closing factories is nothing to be proud of
October 4, 2011 By
Seth Godin is the one business guru I follow. Since I run several websites, I find his insights on working as a wired freelancer in the Internet economy useful. And unlike most of his peers, Godin doesn’t just talk about how to make money and get more customers. He also shows an environmental conscience. For [...]
Economics: dismal, but not a science
September 23, 2011 By
When Thomas Carlyle coined the term “dismal science” in 1849, he was contrasting the downer theories of Thomas Malthus with the life-enhancing craft of writing poetry and songs. Carlyle seemed to prefer sweet tunes over sour warnings about overpopulation and starvation. Today, people who worry about the effect of climate change and peak oil on [...]
An economy beyond jobs: the new normal
September 7, 2011 By
In his speech on jobs this Thursday night, President Obama will surely try to win back the six out of ten Americans who think he’s handled the economy badly. And he’ll probably offer some ideas to pump capital into the economy and create jobs, naturally watered down to offer as little offense as possible to [...]
Reading the runes of my post-money future
August 30, 2011 By
Friday night, while strolling downtown after dinner, my wife and I came upon a young man seated on a Mexican blanket on the sidewalk offering instant readings into the future. I would’ve kept walking, as it was hot and sticky and I wanted to stroll off a full belly. But Lindsay, a fan of astrology [...]
Rich guys, not peak oil, are bankrupting America
June 17, 2011 By
Sometimes I hear a kind of fatalism from people who care about peak oil that dovetails with the push by deficit hawks and Tea Partiers to cut government budgets. This is how the argument goes: Since government programs are paid by taxes, and those depend on economic growth, which in turn requires cheap energy, when [...]
Rapture deferred: Now, where’s John Galt when we need him?
May 23, 2011 By
No surprise, Ye of Little Faith, grumpy radio prophet Harold Camping’s rapture didn’t work out as scheduled this weekend. But maybe there’s another hope for all of us garden-variety sinners to rid ourselves of people who are self-righteous, nutty or just dangerously ambitious. Who is John Galt? In honor of the terrible movie version that [...]
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