If you take your own moral beliefs seriously, the way to respond to a challenge to them is to make sure you understand the challenge and then to try to refute the arguments for it. If you can’t answer the challenge except by mocking the challenger, how can you retain your confidence in your own beliefs?

-Jeff McMahan: “Predators: A Response.” The Stone, NYT, 28 September 2010.

American Consumers Are Not Deleveraging, They’re Going On Yet Another Binge

Apparently the belief that Americans were tightening their belts and and paying off their debts was entirely misguided. Instead, people who were lucky enough to default on their mortgages are using the money they would’ve spent on their home to purchase 3d televisions and new shoes and toys for the kids. The reduction in consumer debt that’s been widely reported as being due to belt-tightening is actually due largely to lenders <em>writing off</em> bad debts.  This is wildly disturbing, but not particularly surprising, since we humans tend toward greed, envy, and short-sightedness. I had hoped that this now two year old economic meltdown would have shocked more people into giving up their consumerist ways and moving toward a more sensible and less extravagant existence. Alas. Of course, this all means … Read More »

When it comes to female violinists and concert attire anyway. (And, by the way, I really miss the access I enjoyed at University. Alas.)

Goldacre, Ben. “Keeping up appearances.” guardian.co.uk, 3 September 2010.

referencing the paper “‘Posh music should equal posh dress’: an investigation into the concert dress and physical appearance of female soloists” by Noola K. Griffiths, published in Psychology of Music, April 2010 38: 159-177, June 26, 2009. DOI: 10.1177/0305735608100372

Well, considering that I rely on them for a rather large portion of my job, I hope so…

…but I doubt it. After all, most people fudge a bit on their taxes, and all corporations are really just agglomerations of people, so it seems likely that corporations would lie on their tax forms as well. But it’s always nice to have some validation. 

Waldman, Steve Randy. “Do financial statements tell the truth?” Interfluidity, 8 September 2010.