August 9th, 2011 → 6:52 am
“He that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.” – Othello
Standard & Poor’s downgraded U.S. debt from AAA to AA+. At least they admitted that the call was motivated primarily by political calculations, not economic ones. Still, I think they are just trying to make up for giving such loose ratings before the crash. Basically, I think they are a rather poor rating agency and I wouldn’t put much stock in their opinion.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money
August 6th, 2011 → 7:09 am
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” – Hamlet
I’m afraid the time has come for me to disagree with Shakespeare. The notion that a person, or even a government, should never borrow or lend is financially ludicrous. Smoothing consumption patterns over time (through borrowing and lending) is much more optimal than living paycheck to paycheck, with unpredictable booms and busts always chasing your heels. The same is true for governments; they should spend more in recessions to prop up living standards, and less in good times to cool the economy and save up for future recessionary spending. The balanced budget amendment Republicans in Congress are proposing is just bad economics, plain and simple.
(Note that if you read the rest of Shakespeare’s quote, it begins to have more validity. The full quote is: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.” This human component of personal relationships and productive incentives holds more truth than the simplified borrowing/lending quote you usually hear bandied about.)
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Politics/Politicians
August 5th, 2011 → 7:13 am
“To know the cause why music was ordain’d! Was it not to refresh the mind of man after his studies or his usual pain?” – The Taming of the Shrew
Recently I was given an H2O audio for my iPod shuffle. It lets you listen to music underwater while you swim. I notice the reviews of the product are hit or miss – some people give it a 5 star, some a 1 star, few a moderate rating in-between – but my H2O audio is great. Listening to music (or, sometimes, podcasts) somehow makes swimming laps lighter, faster, and easier. What is the magic of music that makes this happen?
Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life
August 3rd, 2011 → 6:50 am
“O curse of marriage!” – Othello
It’s not as bad as all that, but my husband and I did have one of our rare, big fights last night. Sigh. Sometimes the one you love most is also the one who aggravates you the most. Why is that???
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life