Category Archives: Business

Four Ways

…that Congress caused the financial crisis. And they seem determined to continue (completely leaving Fannie and Freddie out of the new legislation).

[Update a while later]

Some thoughts on popping bubbles and the demonization of short sellers by clueless politicians.

[Update mid afternoon]

Don’t know what happened to the second link above — it was working when I put it up.

Meanwhile, Matt Welch points out that we are out of money. Or more precisely, we are out of other peoples’ money, which is, as Lady Thatcher famously pointed out the point at which socialism quits working.

Where Is My Critique?

You know, the essay I wrote at The New Atlantis last summer has been up for many months now, and I have never seen anyone critique it, with the exception of an idiotic attempt by Mark Whittington. I’ve received nothing but praise for the most part (which is why I wish more people would read it). The editor has also told me that he received no letters to the editor objecting to it. Is anyone aware of a serious, informed critical review? If there are none, I suspect that one of the reasons why is that I circulated drafts of it among a lot of smart people in the process of writing it.

The reason I ask is because I’m in the process of working up a book proposal, and I want to hone it, if there are any serious and useful issues with it, because a lot of the book will be based on it. And of course, people will be reviewing drafts of the book as well.

[Saturday morning update]

I’m not looking for suggestions for improvement (I have no plans to rewrite it or republish anywhere else). I’m looking for things that people think I actually got wrong.

The Pressure Is On

…at SpaceX. Alan Boyle talks to Elon Musk.

I think I’m going to be on Which Way LA this afternoon with Elon, talking about the moribund manned space industry in southern California. SpaceX is the only player standing.

[Update early afternoon]

I’ll definitely be on the air, in a little over half an hour. KCRW streams, so you can listen on the Intertubes, if you’re not near an FM radio in southern California.

[Bumped]