When Karl Rove Makes Sense, Something Big is On…

SPIEGEL Interview with Karl Rove ‘Obama Has Turned Out to Be an Utter Disaster’ 10/19/2010 SPIEGEL: In the approaching midterm elections, the Republican Party is putting forward several unusually radical candidates, some of whom are not even “qualified to be a dog catcher,” as one Republican said. What has happened with your party? Rove: That’s …

NIGHTWATCH Extract: China Using Rare Earth Elements (REE) to Test Economic & Technical Pressure Options

China and Rare Earth Elements: China’s new Five-Year Program will fail to bring any rapid change in export quotas for rare earth elements (REE), Chinese Ambassador to the World Trade Organization Sun Zhenyu said, Reuters reported. He also said China’s REE reserves were depleting quickly and that Beijing must conserve them. According to Sun, China’s …

Journal: Consumer Group Calls for Hearings on Google Relations with NSA and CIA, Google’s Global Street-Level Survey of Wi-Fi Packet Interceptability

Group Calls for Hearings Into Google’s Ties to CIA and NSA Prisonplanet.com July 20, 2010 More information has emerged about Google’s relationship with the government and spook agencies (see PR Newswire below). The revelations should come as no surprise. FULL STORY ONLINE Consumer Watchdog, formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is a nonprofit, …

Review: IDENTITY ECONOMICS–How our Identities Shape Our Work, Wages, and Well-Being

Concise, Relevant, Documents New Knowledge, Respects Work of Others July 6, 2010 George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton This book is a solid five, and one of those instances when brevity adds value. While I was concerned to see no discussion of “true cost” economics and the book is overly fawning on Goldman Sachs (written before …