Posts filed under ‘Ephemera’
Hummer on the End-Period Problem
| Peter Klein |
I don’t drive a Hummer, but Hummers provide me what environmental economists call existence value. The fact that Hummers exist — or, more precisely, that their existence drives certain people crazy — gives me pleasure. And their advertisements are terrific: well-crafted, entertaining, and funny, in a we-don’t-take-ourselves-too-seriously kind of way.
The latest television ad for the H2 provides a perfect illustration of the “end-period problem” in repeated games. I don’t know how to link to the clip directly, but you can find it on Hummer’s site by clicking “Hummer World,” “TV Commercials,” and “Astronomer.”
Well, what would you do if a giant asteroid were headed our way?
Prophetic Company Names
| Peter Klein |
This morning I caught an NPR story on a recent US outbreak of E. coli linked to contaminated spinach. The FBI is now investigating two California spinach-processing plants for possible criminal violations. Of course, even if no legal sanctions are imposed, the firm that packed the contaminated spinach will likely go out of business, the victim of reputation effects. The firm’s customers, including Dole and Cosco, are almost certain to change vendors. In short, this episode is a good illustration of the Darwinian struggle for survival under market competition.
The firm’s name? Natural Selection Foods.
HRM in Heaven and Hell
| Nicolai Foss |
This is definitely ephemera, but I thought it was funny:
One day while walking down the street a highly successful HR Director was tragically hit by a bus and she died. Her soul arrived in heaven where she was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself.
“Welcome to Heaven,” said St. Peter. “Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we’ve never once had a Human Resources Director make it this far and we’re not really sure what to do with you.” (more…)
Live Broadcasting the Nobel
| Nicolai Foss |
I am not quite sure, but it does seem that the Nobel Foundation is engaging in a new practice when they live broadcast this year’s Nobel Prize announcements (at this link). So be ready for the Econ Nobel announcement on Monday October 9, 1.00 p.m CET.
Call for Papers — DRUID 2007
| Nicolai Foss |
It is hard to believe, but DRUID — the Danish Research Unit of Industrial Dynamics — is now entering its 11th year. As one of the original founder-members of the DRUID, it is just great to observe the continuous improvements that have characterized the DRUID conference series from the rather humble (i.e., amateurish in the true sense of the word) beginnings in 1995. In fact, after last year’s very successful conference, I heard the Director of DRUID, Peter Maskell, worry — rather tongue-in-cheek — that perhaps DRUID is becoming “too Americanized.”
DRUID has never projected a distinct research program, but it has been able to become one of the leading platforms for research in innovation, industrial dynamics, etc. in the World. Its main activity is simply running two yearly conferences, one in January organized for PhD students and younger faculty, and one in June, much larger in scale and usually with good presenters indeed (e.g., Sid Winter, Steven Klepper, Anita McGahan, Alfonso Gambardella, Richard Nelson etc. etc.). In addition, DRUID maintains a very nicely organized website with lots of downloadable papers.
The full Call for Papers for the 2007 conference (not yet available on the DRUID website) is here:
Scruton on Chomsky
| Nicolai Foss |
From yesterday’s WSJ.com, Roger Scruton taking on Noam Chomsky:
Prof. Chomsky is an intelligent man. Not everything he says by way of criticizing his country is wrong. However, he is not valued for his truths but for his rage, which stokes the rage of his admirers. He feeds the self-righteousness of America’s enemies, who feed the self-righteousness of Prof. Chomsky. And in the ensuing blaze everything is sacrificed, including the constructive criticism that America so much needs, and that America–unlike its enemies, Prof. Chomsky included–is prepared to listen to.
Enjoy!
Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard New Professor at Copenhagen University
| Nicolai Foss |
I suspect that quite a number of the readers of this blog will know Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard, or at least know his work. Peter is a Danish political scientist, who has spent a number of years in the US (mainly at Columbia), he is the European editor of Public Choice, a co-editor of Advances in Austrian Economics, and the author of numerous fine rational choice papers in political science and economic history. He is also an acknowledged expert on heraldry. In addition, Peter has been a libertarian/classical liberal activitist for many years, being one of the founders of the Danish Center for Political Studies. He is a columnist for one of the major Danish newspapers. In other words, Peter is possessed of a truly incredible energy.
Yesterday, Peter formally assumed a full professorship of political science at Copenhagen University, one of the most prestiguous chairs in Danish social science. (more…)
The Envelope Paradox
| Lasse Lien |
Here’s something to annoy you over the weekend. If you already know the envelope paradox, don’t read on. If you do not, and you are a bit of a nerd, I guarantee you’ll be facinated. The following version of the paradox is cynically stolen from Amos Storkey’s homepage.
You are taking part in a game show. The host introduces you to two envelopes. He explains carefully that you will get to choose one of the envelopes, and keep the money that it contains. He makes sure you understand that each envelope contains a cheque for a different sum of money, and that in fact, one contains twice as much as the other. The only problem is that you don’t know which is which.
New Online Journal — COPE
| Nicolai Foss |
As we all know, acronyms are of the essence, and COPE — Critique of Political Economy — has cleverly chosen one that is very close to HOPE, History of Political Economy, and ROPE, Review of Political Economy. So, all you prospective authors, let it be known that “when there is no HOPE there is the ROPE unless you can COPE.” (more…)
O&M Blocked
| Nicolai Foss |
I have just been informed by an avid O&M reader of Chinese nationality that upon his return to China a few days ago he found that O&M has been blocked by the Chinese authorities. Marginal Revolution, on the other hand, has not been blocked. Peter and I have long been wondering about the differences in the size of the readership of O&M and MR. We now have the explanation.
More on Global Warming
| Peter Klein |
If you enjoyed our previous discussions of Greenland, and global warming more generally, check out these items from Der Spiegel. Here is one on Greenland agriculture (along with a great slide show). This one explains how global warming reduces the costs of oil production. (Via Arts & Letters Daily.)
Tacky Editors
| Nicolai Foss |
Here is one more entry in another O&M feuilleton, namely our “Jerehmiads” on publication in management and related fields (e.g., here and here.) (The term was introduced by Omar at orgtheory.net, who despite being a brand-new assistant professor is also a specialist in the publication game; see his comments here.)
I recently had a paper rejected for one of the top-4 management journals. It is the third time I have been rejected from this particular journal. However, every time something a little weird has happened: 3-4 days after the rejection, the editor has approached me, asking whether I would like to review a paper. I can understand the rationale: Now that I have enjoyed the service of this journal, I need to pay back. But, isn’t it just a little bit tacky? Or am I too wimpy? (or too much like Jeremiah?). Anybody who has had similar experiences?
Youtube.com
| Nicolai Foss |
I became aware of youtube.com through Russ Coff who very effectively used a youtube video in one his presentations at the recent Academy of Management Meetings.
Youtube.com is a bonanza. I quickly found numerous videos with my favorite jazzers, e.g., Django Reinhardt, Tal Farlow, and others, but for you more serious folks, there are great videos of our favorite political economists. For example, here is the great Arnold Schwarzenegger introducing Uncle Milton’s Free to Choose series. And here is Milton himself. Here is one on Ludwig von Mises (produced by the Mises Institute). Of course, there is a clip of Ayn Rand praising the “new intellectual,” and condemning “the dark ages,” “superstitions”, etc. (unfortunately she doesn’t mention that “A is A”), all in less than a minute. Great stuff!!
Sometimes I Wish I Were a Professor of “Critical Studies”
| Peter Klein |
Then I could write sentences like this:
Gang of Four locate their Marxist theory in the Althusserian notion of expressing resistance through the contradictions inherent in the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA) of the corporate-controlled rock music industry, and the way in which Gang of Four express their theory of Marxist thought is by inducing in the listener an alternative consciousness achieved through contradictions and disorientations that serve to mirror the very sense of disorientation and contradiction that capitalistic consciousness creates.
The reference is to the pop group group Gang of Four, not this Gang of Four (or, for that matter, this one). I suppose the analysis is deep, in a critical studies kind of way. (Crooked Timber has all the gory details.)
Swimming with the Stingrays
| Peter Klein |
Daniel Larison takes National Review’s Cliff May to task using Steve Irwin’s unfortunate death to score political points. “Poor Steve Irwin. He not only died in a horrible accident, but something far worse has happened to him: his death has become a kind of cautionary tale for neoconservative foreign policy. Leave the poor man alone, for goodness’ sake!”
It made me wonder: How long before someone makes Irwin’s death into a cheesy management metaphor? You know what I’m talking about. The competition is like a giant stingray, seemingly docile and minding its own businesses, but ready to lash out with its barbed tail when threatened. Or: Technology entrepreneurs, like the late Steve Irwin, think they have things under control, while danger lurks right under their feet. Spare us, please!
Economic Literacy in Fiction
| Peter Klein |
I blogged previously about the silly and boring political economy of the Star Trek universe (quoting Tim Cavanaugh’s brilliant line about Captain Kirk as “an interstellar Gen. Tommy Franks”). For those nerdy, libertarian sci-fi fans out there I offer now this analysis of the economic organization of Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
Speaking of high culture, what about that community in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village? It’s a small town in the wilderness, completely cut off from the social division of labor, and yet the inhabitants have decent (19th-century) technology — buildings, tools, clothing, etc. (If you’ve seen the film, you know that the inhabitants actually have more advanced technological knowledge than they pretend to have, but still….) There is specialization within the village, and a little private property, but no evidence of money, prices, or exchange. How do they survive? Don’t these villagers know that trade is better than autarky? How do they solve the calculation problem? I can willingly suspend my disbelief only so far.
Thank You, Dick!
| Nicolai Foss |
Many thanks to Dick Langlois for guest blogging at O&M. Dick has contributed some excellent blog posts which are among the most viewed ones on the site. We hope Dick will continue to visit O&M in the future and post comments. Thanks, Dick, for allowing us to benefit from your fertile mind.
Transgressing the Boundaries
| Peter Klein |
Our colleagues at orgtheory.net have been reporting on the recent meeting of the American Sociological Association. I’ve enjoyed following the discussion and learning more about what our sociologically inclined brethren say about organizations. But only today did I learn that the theme of this year’s ASA meeting was “Great Divides: Transgressing Boundaries.” Where, I thought, have I heard that expression before? Then I remembered: the title of Alan Sokal’s famous hoax paper was “Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity.”
I guess sociologists have a sense of humor after all.
Ken Lay Chair Still Available
| Peter Klein |
The University of Missouri is once again trying to fill the Kenneth L. Lay Chair in Economics. Drop me a line if you’re interested. But you’d better move fast.
Organizations and Markets 
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