Author Archives: Harry Katz

Canadian election

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Harry Katz

I watched some of the coverage on CBC and, wow, nothing much has changed in Canada.  A Liberal elected in Vancouver Quadra, NDPers elected in Nickel Belt and Trinity-Spadina, Tories sweep (almost) Alberta Peter Mansbridge brought out of cryostasis to … Continue reading →

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Giant Pool of Money – The Sequel

Posted on October 7, 2008 by Harry Katz

This weekend, Ira Glass, host of NPR’s This American Life, ran another report from Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson, a sequel to their earlier report The Giant Pool of Money.  This one, Another Frightening Show About the Economy, explores the … Continue reading →

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Thomas Friedman: Rescue the Rescue

Posted on October 3, 2008 by Harry Katz

Good column yesterday by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times on the bailout plan.  He does a good job explaining the interconnectedness of Main Street and Wall street.  I particularly liked this: "We’re all connected. As others have pointed out, … Continue reading →

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Credit Crisis Explained

Posted on September 23, 2008 by Harry Katz

I used to think I had a pretty fair grasp of economics and finance.  The subprime lending crisis which has now mushroomed into a full-scale credit meltdown has disabused me of any such notion.  It’s also shown pretty conclusively that no … Continue reading →

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Richard Wright, Pink Floyd founding member, dies at 65

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Harry Katz

Richard Wright, keyboardist and founding member of Pink Floyd died today at his home in England after a brief battle with cancer.   The LA Times published an obituary here.  I think the band said it best themselves in Time from … Continue reading →

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Let astrology help you find the perfect dog

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Harry Katz

This article purports to help you select a pet dog based upon your Zodiac sign.   It’s unbelievably stupid.  I mean, nowhere in the article do they even mention the dog’s Zodiac sign and how that might influence compatibility with its … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Post-American World

Posted on September 12, 2008 by Harry Katz

The Post-American WorldBy Fareed ZakariaW. W. Norton & Co., New York, 2008 Despite its apocalyptic-sounding title, Fareed Zakaria’s latest book, The Post-American World, is actually quite optimistic. Zakaria is editor of Newsweek International, and former managing editor of Foreign Affairs. … Continue reading →

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What Makes People Vote Republican?

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Harry Katz

An intresting essay over at The Edge by Jonathan Haidt about the moral considerations that differentiate Democrats from Republicans.  This is a long essay but well worth the read.  Here are a few exerpts that make some of Haidt’s key … Continue reading →

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Ambient awareness

Posted on September 9, 2008 by Harry Katz

Very interesting artilcle on the effects of social networking by Clive Thompson in the Sept. 7, 2008 Sunday New York Times Magazine.  The article describes how services like Twitter and Facebook facilitate "ambient awareness" about a large group of people … Continue reading →

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Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Harry Katz

A brilliantly crafted and superbly delivered oration delivered in Denver tonight.  Transcript here.

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