Author Archives: admin
Unintended Consequences of Charities for African Relief
1450 words I once had an application from an overseas aid fund cross my desk. A group of neighborhood people wanted to gather food, clothing, glasses, money and send it to a rural village in Senegal. It had come … Continue reading
Pay with Cash When you Can
A 600 word article in the Guardian relates to the current financial trend for technological innovations to make it easier to pay electronically. It also links to psychological research that shows we have a tendency to spend more carefully … Continue reading
The Push Towards Part Time Employment
U.S. companies are increasingly forcing employees on to part time arrangements. In an almost 2,000 word article on tomdispatch.com, Barbara Garson gives a heart rending case study while noting that: In June 2013, 4 years since the official end … Continue reading
Parental Preparations to Secure a Place in a Prestigious College
Competition for places in highly regarded universities is increasingly ferocious. In this 1940 word essay in the New York Post, former college admissions counselor Lacy Crawford explains the admissions process from the applicant’s point of view but raises some issues … Continue reading
How Government Subsidies Push Up the Cost of Education.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Richard Vedder outlined what he sees as the reason for the parabolic increases in the cost of higher education. The article runs to 4,300 words. I have set out what I see … Continue reading
Work as Punishment
A 3,650 word article in the New Statesman reflects on our rather unhealthy obsession with work at the expense of recreation. I wrote some notes on a few of the facts which struck me as being relevant to my cause: … Continue reading
No Charity for Old Men
1130 words I once spoke to a lady who wanted to establish a charity to care for abandoned elephants in Australia. She had two problems. First, all the elephants in Australia belong to zoos and circuses. Second, there are already … Continue reading
001 Quote for Today
“If speculation keeps you awake at night, sell down to the sleeping point.” Dickson G Watts. This is probably the most famous quote from Mr Watts’ Speculation as a Fine Art. It’s a classic quote because there is so … Continue reading
Shaking up the Wine Establishment
A 4,500 word article on Fred Franzia, the US winemaker responsible for inventing the ‘two buck Chuck”. It outlines the history of his business life and his adverse relationship with high end wine makers. “Two buck Chuck” is the term … Continue reading
How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers
I’ve been reading about how the owners of NFL teams lobby local governments to fund their stadiums at little or no cost to themselves. It’s no surprise to me, as I’ve plenty of experience of the non-profit sector. But if … Continue reading