Monthly Archives: May 2010
Top Kill Two Step
From Business Week on May 24th: BP Plc’s efforts to plug a leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well by pumping heavy drilling fluids into it have a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of success, said Chief Executive Officer Tony … Continue reading
Filed under politics
Drawing Stars
As I grudgingly flip through my notes in my Borges literature class preparing to write my final paper, I laugh to myself about the ridiculous amount of stars, shapes, and sketches that litter the edges of my paper. I’ve always … Continue reading
Filed under General
Upsides Of Recessions
From Psychology Today: In 2005, a team of British scientists published a paper in Human Nature wherein they analyzed the sexiness of women’s clothing as depicted in the magazine UK Vogue covering the period 1916 through 1999. They found that … Continue reading
Filed under General
Unsettling (UPDATED)
UPDATE (10:27 EST): New reports coming out that Elizabeth Birnbaum, head of MMS, has been fired. Incompetence or politics? UPDATE (10:10 EST): Very promising news! Looks like the top kill worked. We should know by the end of the day … Continue reading
Punta Alta
I just took my last trip in Argentina. It feels weird to write that after spending what feels like years here. I’ve been to Córdoba, Mendoza, Iguazu, Bariloche, San Juan, El Chalten, El Calafate, Punta Alta, and Bahía Blanca. And, … Continue reading
Procrastination
Cal Newport sees something positive about procrastination: …deep procrastination, though scary, represents something important and perhaps even exciting. It marks that key transition where the momentum of “this is what you need to do” — the momentum that carried you … Continue reading
Filed under school
The Best of NYU Local: Spring 2010
The Washington Square News, NYU’s student newspaper, just sent out an email with a list of their best stories from the semester. Their list got me thinking about my favorite pieces from NYU Local this semester. So here’s a list … Continue reading
Urban Life
I’ve now been living in a big city for three years – 2 years in New York and 1 in Buenos Aires. Every time I arrive after being somewhere else (in Albuquerque, on vacation, etc.), I’m filled with a sense … Continue reading
Filed under General
The Value Of College, Ctd.
I’m taking a behavioral economics class this fall called, simply, “Psychology and Economics.” I’m fascinated by this branch of econ, as pure rationality models have been shown to be very weak in explaining some behavior. Unfortunately, this is an underrepresented … Continue reading
Filed under school
Soda Tax
David Leonhardt comes out strong for a penny-per-ounce ($1.44 on a 12-pack) soda tax and concludes: Someday, we will probably look back on our gallon-a-week soda habit the way we now look back on allowing children to ride without seat … Continue reading
Filed under food
