Author: David Wright

Arnold, you crazy guy

My theory of the ruling class is that it comes from the lower right quadrant. That is, people who are highly educated but lacking in useful skills. If you will, the suits are in the lower-right quadrant and the geeks are in the upper-right quadrant…

If it were not for the protection provided by credentialism and government employment, my guess is that many of those in the lower-right quadrant would have incomes no higher than those of people who are not college educated.

Reminds me a bit of what the difference is between people who make things and people who sell things. I think that’s an Eric Barkerism…

Eric Barker’s Recommendations

But I’m a sucker for physics.

Physics has (d)evolved into a bizarre series of metaphors and perhaps only make sense if you have postgrad training in mathematics and can access the equations. Absolutely incomprehensible to me.

It’s a 600+megabyte monster, but it’s one of my favourite books and I always thought it would work really well as an audiobook.

it’s free, too.

Fascinating

If the population density of the United States was equal to that of Brooklyn, the entire US population would fit into New Hampshire.

here

h/t tyler cowen

It’s Barker again

key quote:

All of this should rattle cell industry executives, because let’s face it: the Internet tends to make things free. Cell carriers go through life hoping nobody notices the cellephant in the room: that once everybody starts making free calls over the Internet, it’s Game Over for the dollars-for-minutes model.

Line2, however, brings us one big step closer to that very future. It’s going to be a wild ride.

http://www.theawl.com/2010/03/oh-god-its-the-rise-of-the-photoshop-machines

Simon Johnson has something to say.

He only addresses mortgages as a source of risk, but his basic point is that Canadian Banks are TBTF. Interesting line of inquiry, though.