Archive for 2009

The Real-Life Tragedy of Myerson and Satterthwaite’s Impossibility Theorem: A Tale of High Drama, Intrigue, and Duplicity

Sunday, May 24th, 2009
The Real-Life Tragedy of Myerson and Satterthwaite’s Impossibility Theorem: A Tale of High Drama, Intrigue, and Duplicity

When rent prices plummeted throughout New York City, we were a little galled to see a small increase in rent on... »

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Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments »

Finding the Market Bottom

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
Finding the Market Bottom

Given the tumultuous state of the global economy, a lot of people are naturally wondering whether the worst is over. A quick scan of recent headlines shows that plenty are weighing in on the question. Morgan Stanley is boldly claiming, "Bear Market Is Not Over: Selling Today." James Paulsen, chief investment strategist... »

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Anonymous Sources at The New York Times

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Anonymous Sources at The New York Times

Last week the Public Editor of The New York Times, Clark Hoyt, criticized the paper's common practice of using anonymous sources, often in flagrant violation of its own policy. Drawing on several recent examples, Hoyt demonstrates that casually granting anonymity facilitates personal attacks without repercussion, provides cover for those who make... »

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The Perfect Bracket

Sunday, March 29th, 2009
The Perfect Bracket

Last week I wrote about a "wisdom of crowds" strategy for picking my March Madness basketball bracket. Down to the Final Four, I'm doing pretty well: tied for 2nd in my office pool, and in the 94th percentile of all 2 million brackets submitted on Yahoo! Sports. But doing well still means... »

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Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

The Oracle of Brackets

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
The Oracle of Brackets

It's March and you know what that means: Time for a little madness at the big dance! OK, so I don't know anything about basketball, but a minor point like that isn't going to stop me from entering a bracket in the office pool. Just so we're all on the same page, the NCAA College... »

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Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »