Content Preview: rss
824 days ago
次级债危机大概是这些日子最热的新闻之一了, 充斥报章,电视,网络经济头条. 转一篇通俗有趣的. " A basic principle of high uncertainty is to be careful. This principle also applies to analyses of the situation, even if decisiveness in the face of turmoil is at a premium. Better wait than make things worse. Here a few observations to sort through the emerging debate. As financial anxiety keeps mounting worldwide, comments flourish and joyfully contradict each other. Central banks are bailing out dangerous gamblers, says one. They are skillfully preventing a 1929-style crash, says another one. Things are being gradually normalized, some assert. This is just the beginning of a vicious circle of unforeseen meltdown, just wait, warn others. One thing all agree about is that uncertainty, which market participants with short memories – many of whom were teenagers or unborn the last big time around – thought was a thing of the past, has made a striking comeback. Uncertainty did not just hit markets all over the ...
827 days ago
读一经济学人的BLOG, 此君常有智慧之语, 而且语言犀利, 行事颇为洒脱, 一直比较仰慕. 这一则不过是暗讽国内一赫赫有名另一位经济学人. 文人相轻古来有之, 没什么希奇, 只不过这几个尴尬的单词.觉得有趣. "如果口臭,男同胞怎么对得起女友,夫人,小孩,老师,学生,同事......? 如果口臭,男同胞怎么对得起女友,夫人,老师,学生,同事......? 怎么能接吻和做爱(KISS AND MAKE LOVE)? 怎么搞卡啦OK? ***的虫牙(gingivitis)和嘴臭(morning breath)使我想起中国的一个重大公害:口臭(morning breath)!" "1983年10月,我到哈佛后第一次出丑是去洗牙齿. 她问我:多久没有洗牙了? 我回答:我们中国大学里没有这种设备和洗牙齿的医生. 她问我:有没有gingivitis? 我回答:你用的是什么英文词汇?gingivitis? 我不知道这一词汇. 她问我:那morning breath怎么办? 我回答:早晨的气味和空气好! 她问我:Morning breath smells good? My goodness.(我的上帝啊, 口臭的气味还好闻?!)" 记得以前去特洛伊的大学路上的LOW,理发的美国大叔竭力向我推销他的洗发水说是有效控制个什么东西, 我当时不SURE他指的是什么, 音大概记得. 就是这个DANDRUFF. 难道他也玩暗讽? 被推荐:每天刷五次牙(折腾), 每年洗两次牙(疼),坚持用LISTERIN洗刷口腔(涩的不行).
831 days ago
接着前面, 因为刚刚从新浪网看到一条消息说"中国国务院新闻办公室17日发表《中国的食品质量安全状况》白皮书。 "白皮书说，中国政府一直把加强食品质量安全摆在重要的位置。", 也不知道是出于国际压力, 还是自己要求进步. 不过呢, 读起来是又好气又好笑.说是： “经过努力，中国食品质量总体水平稳步提高，食品安全状况不断改善，食品生产经营秩序显著好转。近年来，中国食品总体合格率稳步提升。2006年全国食品国家监督抽查合格率达到77.9%。2007年上半年，食品专项国家监督抽查合格率达到了85.1%。" 这个怎么听都像是表扬的话, 有改进当然要表扬, 不过呢, 还是高兴不起来,77.9%, 就是说我每花4-5块钱, 有一块买的都是不干净的东西. 而且还不知道这个合格率里面有多少猫腻. 后面的更可气, "中国进出口食品质量保持高水平。多年来，中国出口食品合格率一直保持在99%以上。中国进口食品的质量总体平稳，没有发生过因进口食品质量安全引起的严重质量安全事故。" 国际舆论这些天很批的出口食品, 药品, 玩具安全问题不提倒也算了, 怎么给别人的东西到比进自己肚子里的东西更讲究卫生呢 (77.9 VS. 99%)? 经济层面上似乎可以解释, 道德层面上百思不得其解:人不应该是自私的吗? 怎么中国人这么无私?
831 days ago
Quote from Mankiw's Blog, captures all essense of the so called US-China trade relation in my op.: Noting the babysitter is Sally: If politicians were in charge of Family Harford trade policy they would bully Sally to raise her hourly rates, so that trade would take place on a “fairer” basis. The politicians in charge of Sally’s trade policy would refuse. Boggled already? You should be. But this matches perfectly the state of US-China trade relations: China keeps selling cheap stuff to the US, the US isn’t selling so much to China (but plenty to other parts of the world). The Americans are demanding that the Chinese charge more, and the Chinese are refusing." Ridiculous summer farce...but understandable, for one thing, there must be something to be farced about and this time it is the tained chinese goods ; for another, it is politics.
