» Posted by Martin Weil on February 07, 2010

The Lords of Finance is an extremely well-written narrative of the financial urgencies that drove the western world from WWI to the Great Depression and ultimately WWII. This fascinating and gripping tale tells the personal and professional stories of four men - Ben Strong, Montagu Norman, Hjalmer Schacht, Emile Moreau - who headed the central banks of the four great powers through the great financial crisis of the 20th century. The parallels to our present situation are inescapable. Economics students, history buffs and biography fans should find much worthwhile.

» Posted by Martin Weil on February 04, 2010

Demand question time is a bi-partisan grassroots effort to encourage this and future Presidents to engage in the sort of civilized public dialogue with members of the opposite party that occurred last week. Follow the link and you can add your name to the petition. It is overdue time to restore an informed democracy and drive out the demagogues, panderers, lobbyists and political hatchet men from the temple.

» Posted by Martin Weil on January 21, 2010

So writes Reuter's columnist Felix Salmon this AM. And while I have at least one colleague who is skeptical that this is anything more than window dressing, I say it is a long overdue and important step in the right direction.

Simon Johnson, outspoken critic of the mega-bank bailout, concurs "Paul Volcker prevails."

» Posted by Martin Weil on January 16, 2010

Say you order a Venti Caramel Brulee Creme with nonfat milk? That's 480 calories, 70 of which are fat. Or how about a Venti Double Chocolaty Chip Frappucino Blended Creme with whipped creme? Friend, you just inhaled a whopping 670 calories, 200 of which were pure fat....

Some of these things are like pouring rendered tallow directly down your throat. I'm actually not kidding: If you ate a half stick of butter you still wouldn't come close to the calorie count of a Venti Pumpkin Spice Frappucino Blended Creme.

So writes Clive Thompson on his blog.

» Posted by Martin Weil on January 14, 2010

So says Jon Stewart as reported here