Sunday, January 18, 2026

Will War-Torn, Power-Starved Ukraine Be World’s First Cashless Economy? (Serious Question)

Zelensky is apparently “very determined” to move towards a cashless economy as swiftly as possible. And he has the full support of Australia’s richest man. 

Why Don’t Americans Take More Vacations? Blame It on Independence Day

How corporate interests created Americanization Day, later Independence Day, to counter the rising labor movement.

Twitter’s Lost Weekend (“Something Went Wrong”)

A lively weekend on the Twitter!

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/3/2023

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Open Thread ~

The Candidacy and Claims of RFK Jr.

Economist Rajiv Sethi has a look at RFK, Jr.’s election prospects and thinks mainstream experts are underestimating him.

Links 7/3/2023

How Scammers Use Psychology to Create Some of the Most Convincing Internet Cons

Keeping up with the latest Internet scams, and how they work.

Are the Californian Wildfires Really “Natural” Disasters?

California wildfires and real estate interests

Links 7/2/2023

Climate Risk Stress Tests Underestimate Potential Financial Sector Losses

Given the complexity of the link between climate shocks and financial sector outcomes, the authors argue that current methods have several key limitations that may lead to significant underestimation of potential financial sector losses.

Links 7/1/2023

Are Rocks The Future Of Solar Power Collection?

Why rocks like granite may have potential as thermal storage media.

The Invisible Effect Medical Notes Have on Care

Doctors sometimes describe their patients negatively. How does that affect their care down the line?

2:00PM Water Cooler 6/30/2023

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

The New York Times Thinks Worker Suffering Is a Fair Price for Lower Inflation

Per the Times, inflation must be tackled, and the only way to do so is through lowering incomes and potentially jacking up unemployment.