The global economy: Another year of living dangerously

Turmoil in the Middle East and disaster in Japan arouse economic angst. Central banks must not make it worse

Mar 24th 2011 | from the print edition

Read the full article @:

http://www.economist.com/node/18440781

America's Property Market: On a losing streak

The effects of America's worst property crash go very wide

Mar 24th 2011 | LAS VEGAS | from the print edition

Read full article @:

http://www.economist.com/node/18440791

Jobs figures: A gentle tailwind

Employment is moving, ever so slowly, in Barack Obama’s direction

Apr 7th 2011 | WASHINGTON, DC | from the print edition

Read full article @:

http://www.economist.com/node/18529797

Currencies: Carry On

Rich countries’ central banks are on divergent paths. So are their currencies.

Apr 14th 2011 | from the print edition

Read full article @:

http://www.economist.com/node/18561045

Babel or Babble?

Languages all have their roots in the same part of the world. But they are not as similar to each other as was once though.

Read full article @:
http://www.economist.com/node/18557572

Democracy in America: The 1% solution

Democracy in America

Inequality

The 1% solution

Read more at:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/04/inequality

Japan Earthquake Repercussions

Japan and the global supply chain

Broken links

The disruption to manufacturers worldwide from Japan’s disasters will force a rethink of how they manage production

Mar 31st 2011 | TOKYO | from the print edition

Read full article @:
http://www.economist.com/node/18486015

Now even your chair is going to scold you for being too lazy!

Image Source "Angry Chair" Photo. Conspiretheatre.com. October 8th, 2010. http://www.conspiretheatre.wordpress.com

Yes, folks. As if, parents, friends, co-workers etc. were not reprimanding you enough, now even you chair has new found authority! It can tell you when you are not seated right, or need to get up and move that lazy derriere of yours and get some much needed excercise. "Move it, shake it! NOW!"

I swear, I'm not making this up. A German company has manufactured an "intelli" chair (they might as well have called it "Yo Mama") that serves just that purpose. A chair that calls you out on being lazy, what next...a TV that tells you to stop being a bum and go get a job!

Read the full article @ http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6954PI20101006

The Simpsons take on Microfinance

Image Source: Bryan Johnson. "Simpsons Indian Style." Photo. Spiralpocus.com. July 13th, 2009. October 4th, 2010. http://www.spiralpocus.com/?p=2524

It was quite a surprise to see Microfinance being the topic of the new episode "Loan-a-Lisa" on The Simpsons. Lisa inherits a $50 from her ailing grandfather, and makes the decision to loan the money to a microfinance organization.

An introduction to the concept of Microfinance is made by a talking goat in a rural part of India, who explains how her owner (a peasant) is not eligible for a loan through a traditional bank, and needs a microlender instead.

Apart from the amusement of watching an intelligent and articulate talking goat (in a British/Indian cocktail accent), the creators of the show even include a brief cameo with a cartoon version of Muhammad Yunus (the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of the Grameen Bank) whose nose you have to succesfully click on to make a donation! Well, it is a cartoon show after all.

Of course the show took a domestic turn, when Lisa decides to finance Nelson her classmate from Springfield. Overall, I found the show amusing. However, beyond a brief introduction the show did not really focus much microfinance it's implications for poverty and development in countries.

I felt the idea was to briefly introduce a new concept for American viewers and then deal with some issues close to home such as dropping out of school, brand name recognition, and customer policies of stores in the US. I make that sound intellectual, but in reality, it's really not all that cerebral...it's really just meant to be entertaining.