I looked on here the other day and was quite surprised by the traffic this site still gets. So I'm using it to shamelessly promote my other blog.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Is Europe Ready to Give Up the Eurozone?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/15/europe-economists-letters-national-autonomy
In case any one out there is still reading this blog, this is a really interesting article I found on the Guardian during some down time at work. Basically, it discusses how the Eurozone is coming to an end and how that probably won't be a bad thing. I think that the Eurozone was a really good concept, but the dependence on banks that this institution has made necessary is really not boding well for the longevity of the European Union, especially as a strong economic force. What do y'all think?
In case any one out there is still reading this blog, this is a really interesting article I found on the Guardian during some down time at work. Basically, it discusses how the Eurozone is coming to an end and how that probably won't be a bad thing. I think that the Eurozone was a really good concept, but the dependence on banks that this institution has made necessary is really not boding well for the longevity of the European Union, especially as a strong economic force. What do y'all think?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Just an update.
Our project is long over (we passed, in case you were wondering!) but the issues that we were discussing still remain the same, if they are not getting worse. Here's an article found on Huffington Post that really tells Americans why we should give a shit about economies around the world tanking.
Click Me!
Even though this is a really American-centric view, what you have to consider- whether you like America or not- is that this nation has one of the biggest economies in the world. We have a lot of weight to throw around, but we also have waaaaayyyy more to lose.
Click Me!
Even though this is a really American-centric view, what you have to consider- whether you like America or not- is that this nation has one of the biggest economies in the world. We have a lot of weight to throw around, but we also have waaaaayyyy more to lose.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Greece: Close to Default. Again...
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/06/markets/greece/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2
just keeping you updated on the Greece situation!
just keeping you updated on the Greece situation!
More from the Greek Archives.
this might be the video that doesn't work down there.... =]
anyway, we got back to america safe and sound. someone will probably blog about that. or they won't. maybe!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Biology and Ethics of a Hangover.
Let's be serious. We're in Ireland. Drinking is going to happen. While we aren't arduously researching for our project, we've been known to have a pint or two down at the local pub. Anyway, these very, very, very occasional shenanigans have led us to wonder about the hangover the next day (you don't really have a choice but to consider it when that one sliver of light peaking through solid wooden shutters makes the room too bright for you to comfortably open your eyes...). This blog seeks to explain what exactly a hangover is and the ethics of drinking activities.
A hangover is the experiencing of fatigue, headache, sensitivity to light and sound, muscle aches, thirst and sometimes nausea. It also tinkers with your emotions- previous experience has taught me that one can easily get into a depressed funk if you drink too much. Also, your brain is noticeably slower. Someone I know had a rough time counting backwards after a long night of drinking. Scientifically, they aren't absolutely sure about two parts of drinking. The first is why you get the hangover- the most common and likely reason is dehydration. And it's not just a morning-after type of thing. Your hangover actually starts a few hours after you stop consuming alcohol, when your Blood Alcohol Content levels start to go back down. The symptoms (a.k.a. your absolutely horrible hangover) peak when your BAC goes back to zero. This has lead some researchers to believe that a hangover is a form of alcohol withdrawal. This supports the "hair of the dog" hangover treatment- consuming more alcohol to alleviate your symptoms. However, the credibility of this theory is reduced when people who rarely drink get a hangover the next morning.
The second part of drinking that scientists don't understand is what the hell compels people to keep drinking. Unless you plan on spending the rest of your life absolutely schwaaaasted (and in that, probably die an early death [though admittedly, you'd probably quite enjoy it]), you're going to have to be hungover at some stage. This being said, one might think that the hangover would be enough to deter a person from drinking ever again. Through our research, I can safely tell you that this is not the case. Even Pavlov's dogs figured out that they shouldn't do something if it hurts you (Humans: 1, Behavioral Conditioning: 0).
This leads me into the ethics of drinking and the hangover that proceeds. The Prohibition in America during the 1920's was initiated on the principle that drinking was morally and ethically wrong. Religion mostly tells us that drinking (or doing anything fun, really) to excess is a sin. Should it be acceptable in modern society to pop open a couple cans and consume some alcoholic beverage? It doesn't really enhance or motivate any sort of societal goals. In the current recession though, is it nice to have a rather cheap distraction from all the woes of the world? The hangover though could take away from those benefits- if depression is a side effect of drinking, it's possible that it would be practical to monitor alcoholic consumption more closely during times of economic and social strife.
From an economic stand point, it's really all down to the abilities of the nation. I think that of most nationalities the Irish, and to some degree the Greeks, have the best ability to drink the night away then wake up in the morning. While this is a really more of a generalization, I feel that it's rather true; it might not even necessarily be that they can handle their drink better, but perhaps more responsibly. I've tried numerous times to try and get my Irish friends to go out on a night when we have something to do in the morning. Most of the time, they stand stalwart against my attempts to sway them into debauchery. This ability to self regulate could actually enable the economy to be stimulated by the production and sales of alcohol, and especially from the taxes garnered there of. Muk has a blog in the works about how the Irish Pub has been effected by the recession. Check out her post for more information!
A hangover is the experiencing of fatigue, headache, sensitivity to light and sound, muscle aches, thirst and sometimes nausea. It also tinkers with your emotions- previous experience has taught me that one can easily get into a depressed funk if you drink too much. Also, your brain is noticeably slower. Someone I know had a rough time counting backwards after a long night of drinking. Scientifically, they aren't absolutely sure about two parts of drinking. The first is why you get the hangover- the most common and likely reason is dehydration. And it's not just a morning-after type of thing. Your hangover actually starts a few hours after you stop consuming alcohol, when your Blood Alcohol Content levels start to go back down. The symptoms (a.k.a. your absolutely horrible hangover) peak when your BAC goes back to zero. This has lead some researchers to believe that a hangover is a form of alcohol withdrawal. This supports the "hair of the dog" hangover treatment- consuming more alcohol to alleviate your symptoms. However, the credibility of this theory is reduced when people who rarely drink get a hangover the next morning.
The second part of drinking that scientists don't understand is what the hell compels people to keep drinking. Unless you plan on spending the rest of your life absolutely schwaaaasted (and in that, probably die an early death [though admittedly, you'd probably quite enjoy it]), you're going to have to be hungover at some stage. This being said, one might think that the hangover would be enough to deter a person from drinking ever again. Through our research, I can safely tell you that this is not the case. Even Pavlov's dogs figured out that they shouldn't do something if it hurts you (Humans: 1, Behavioral Conditioning: 0).
This leads me into the ethics of drinking and the hangover that proceeds. The Prohibition in America during the 1920's was initiated on the principle that drinking was morally and ethically wrong. Religion mostly tells us that drinking (or doing anything fun, really) to excess is a sin. Should it be acceptable in modern society to pop open a couple cans and consume some alcoholic beverage? It doesn't really enhance or motivate any sort of societal goals. In the current recession though, is it nice to have a rather cheap distraction from all the woes of the world? The hangover though could take away from those benefits- if depression is a side effect of drinking, it's possible that it would be practical to monitor alcoholic consumption more closely during times of economic and social strife.
From an economic stand point, it's really all down to the abilities of the nation. I think that of most nationalities the Irish, and to some degree the Greeks, have the best ability to drink the night away then wake up in the morning. While this is a really more of a generalization, I feel that it's rather true; it might not even necessarily be that they can handle their drink better, but perhaps more responsibly. I've tried numerous times to try and get my Irish friends to go out on a night when we have something to do in the morning. Most of the time, they stand stalwart against my attempts to sway them into debauchery. This ability to self regulate could actually enable the economy to be stimulated by the production and sales of alcohol, and especially from the taxes garnered there of. Muk has a blog in the works about how the Irish Pub has been effected by the recession. Check out her post for more information!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Different Place, Same Story: College Graduates and the Recession
To be honest, I don't know what I want to do when I grow up. While I have a considerable amount of time before my maturity level will allow me to take on any serious form of responsibility, life after you get your bachelor's degree isn't going to wait. Personally, I'm going to opt for more school- I'm (probably) applying to various programs located in Europe and North America. A lot of other people I've talked to about it are going to (try to) get jobs with their 4 year degree. Some people, however, have resigned themselves to working shit jobs until something else comes along. Further still, there are a few people I'm familiar with who have dropped out of school all together and gotten jobs as soon as possible. I know that this whole "just out of college freak-out" is a time old notion, but is it worse for our generation than some of the generations past because of the current recession?
Opportunity Cost is used in economics to determine which option will be the most profitable. In this instance, we need to look at the opportunity cost of college education. Using myself as an example: I've decided that it will be more profitable for me in the long run to stay in college, even after considering the money I spend on this education and the amount of money I'm not making while committing my time to university. Really, education is an investment. And I came to this conclusion of furthering my education after working shit jobs every summer (Flying J Truck Stop, anyone?). There are some people though that are saying this isn't necessarily the best option anymore. When we were in London, I discussed with my former House Dad the unemployment rates. He talked about how there were college graduates who were never able to get a job right out of college and now, ten years later, they're having trouble getting a job because they have no work experience and an older version of their degree.
It appears that the recession isn't aiding any kind of life decisions all over the world. Because of labels that my generations has acquired, like the "Stupidest" generation, it's possible that we might have a harder time pulling out of this one. It's not all our fault though- we didn't raise ourselves and it's not like we were given the easiest situation to deal with anyway. Having watched and talked to people my age from all over the world, I think it's safe to say that change in government and markets will be coming soon. In fact, it's necessary that it does.
Opportunity Cost is used in economics to determine which option will be the most profitable. In this instance, we need to look at the opportunity cost of college education. Using myself as an example: I've decided that it will be more profitable for me in the long run to stay in college, even after considering the money I spend on this education and the amount of money I'm not making while committing my time to university. Really, education is an investment. And I came to this conclusion of furthering my education after working shit jobs every summer (Flying J Truck Stop, anyone?). There are some people though that are saying this isn't necessarily the best option anymore. When we were in London, I discussed with my former House Dad the unemployment rates. He talked about how there were college graduates who were never able to get a job right out of college and now, ten years later, they're having trouble getting a job because they have no work experience and an older version of their degree.
It appears that the recession isn't aiding any kind of life decisions all over the world. Because of labels that my generations has acquired, like the "Stupidest" generation, it's possible that we might have a harder time pulling out of this one. It's not all our fault though- we didn't raise ourselves and it's not like we were given the easiest situation to deal with anyway. Having watched and talked to people my age from all over the world, I think it's safe to say that change in government and markets will be coming soon. In fact, it's necessary that it does.
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