rdan Seeking Alpha’s Matthew Goldstein notes that the OCC is continuing the last decade of regulatory non-action. The OCC, in its quarterly derivatives report, routinely notes that the Big Four “have the resources needed to be able to operate this business in a safe and sound manner.” In other words, the biggest banks are best […]

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt How malpractice drives health care costs. This is a bullet point narrative, representing a long time line, but illustrates what happens to drive health care costs: Emergency physicians use x-rays to diagnose closed-head injuries and miss brain bleeds. The hospital and physicians are threatened or sued for malpractice. Word circulates […]

by cactus I spent last week on a floating buffet. I had never been on a cruise before, and I was pleasantly surprised. The service was amazing, though I’m not sure having someone make the beds twice a day isn’t overkill. The food, in general, was quite good. Even the buffet had great fare, though […]

rdan Several other conferences are happening elsewhere in the world, but with less fanfare than in Pittsburgh, both in media coverage and police activity. We do forget the ‘smaller’ issues of distibution of goods, so here is a reminder. How to target the poor? How can governments and aid agencies target the poorest? Some use […]

rdan Chris Blattman has an interesting note reminding us of how US elections were done and offers a little consolation about elections in Afghanistan.

Noni Mausa has agreed to become the latest ‘Bear’ who will contribute on a regular basis to Angry Bear. Her wit and gracious style as a professional writer (and poet) are familiar to regulars, but she has been captured for now as a contributor. An addition of spice to the mix. Welcome to another really […]

rdan Trade policy and actual trade are related but different matters. This post from last year caught my eye, partly due to the discussion on tires from China. While any blog post has to be simplified due to the nature of a short post and comment format, such discussion at times seems amazingly simplified beyond […]