Category: Technology

I Charged Too Little to Mow the Lawn

After the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, my friend and I decided to start a landscaping business. Neither of us had gone to landscaping school nor did we have a particular affinity for lawn-mowers. (At least, not yet.) But hey, we thought, we live in Florida, grass grows like crazy most of the year, and, like haircuts, lawn mowing is pretty recession-proof. More importantly, we would be “business owners” instead of restaurant waiters. Continue reading “I Charged Too Little to Mow the Lawn” →

The Truth Behind Facebook Arguments

I confess: I’m addicted to the battlefield that is the Facebook comments section. Maybe I need to go see a psychiatrist, but the moment I discover a comment thread where two wildly different ideas clash, my interest is immediately piqued. I even enjoy a healthy dose of schadenfreude whenever a conversation devolves into personal attacks. Continue reading “The Truth Behind Facebook Arguments” →

Selena Gomez Makes $550,000 for Each Sponsored Instagram Post

If you mosey on over to Selena’s Instagram page, you’ll see that she is sporting a ton of Puma gear. According to E! News, she signed a two year deal worth over $30 million. Kim Kardashian is another all-star advertiser earning $500,000 per post. Cristiano Ronaldo carries a whopping 104 million followers and also cashes in at around $400,000 per sponsored post.

Continue reading “Selena Gomez Makes $550,000 for Each Sponsored Instagram Post” →

Do Financial Regulations Decrease Financial Literacy?

Ask the average person about her smartphone, and the odds are better than even that she’ll be able to recite the make, model, and salient features such as battery life and camera quality. She may even be in a position to rank the phone relative to other handsets and to make a recommendation as to whether it offers good value for money. Continue reading “Do Financial Regulations Decrease Financial Literacy?” →

Why Big data Won’t Save Central Planners from the Knowledge Problem

Among statisticians, economists, and business executives, “Big Data” is all the rage. Large and detailed data sets that, until recently, couldn’t even be stored on a computer are now managed and analyzed using innovative statistical techniques. Hopes are high that these advances will improve scientists’ ability to predict human behavior. Some enthusiasts even speculate that Big Data will render markets obsolete, enabling central planning of the economy. Big Data is more than a buzzword, but its potential is often wildly overstated. Continue reading “Why Big data Won’t Save Central Planners from the Knowledge Problem” →