Sharing most interesting links I’ve found during the last week during research into a wide variety of topics including Geo-Politics, Technology, Finance/Economics, Information Age & Future of Things:
Geo-Politics
- Chilling article: Letters of Last Resort for UK Trident Nuclear Subs Post Apocalypse
- Salon.com: What collapsing USA empire looks like (closing public transport, fewer police, less streetlights)
- The Chaser Boys election song “Every Single Candidate is F*cked” sums the Australian people’s judgement of the election well.
The Chasers – How to vote sketch (Every candidate is f*cked!)
Clarke & Dawe say you’ve won the govt you deserve- The last Australian hung federal parliament was in the 1940’s
- It felt strange being a Greens election day helper on the weekend. In 2007 I was a Greens candidate in the NSW State & Federal elections
Technology
- Understanding optimal household temperature helps you save on electricity bills
- A friend showed me his classic 1962 Nikon F SLR film camera. I doubt modern digital cameras will last that long
Finance/Economics
- Nicholas Gruen’s Lateral Economics says the Labor stimulus measures worked – Tax from more jobs lowers debt by $16 billion (PDF) “Counting the effects of both the cash transfers and the infrastructure spending to the financial year just ending, tax revenue increased by $16.2 billion from additional employment. These economic benefits are in addition to any social benefits including improved physical and psychological health from lower unemployment. Dr Gruen said.”
- Housing Bubble – Australian investors are “Ponzi borrowers” in a property market that’s 40% overvalued according to Morgan Stanley
- Economics Blogger “Stubborn Mule” points out problems with the Liberal National Coalition’s Proposed “Infrastructure Bonds”
- Would it kill you to own fewer shares? (and keep higher cash reserves)
- Harvard Historian Niall Ferguson says US empire is on the edge of chaos and possible rapid downfall due to huge debts
Information Age
- Digital copycats: digitization of personal book collections catching on across Japan
- Journalists need to add value, not merely acting as stenographers – add perspective (which might – horrors! – mean having an opinion)
- The printed book’s path to oblivion
- Who Owns Your E-Book of ‘War and Peace’? Probably Not You – Fascinating legal background
Future of Things
- Plug in cars: electric cars & the future of transport What part will electric cars play in Australia’s transport future? (great debate and discussion)
- Are you ready for a world without antibiotics? (due to rapid spread of multi-drug-resistant bacteria)
- CSIRO Long Term Megatrends-Our Future World An analysis of global trends, shocks and scenarios (PDF)
- Ken Henry talk Shape of Things to Come long run forces affecting Australian economy (PDF Oct ’09)
Please share the most interesting links you’ve read last week in the comments area. Thanks 🙂
Nice one, i liked your post