- “To make this easier to navigate, I’ve grouped the publications by one measure of influence, academic citations per year since publication. The categories are not indications of the quality of the research, just its academic influence to date. Within categories, I’ve ordered studies chronologically.”
..
..
A useful set of links: 100 of Michael Kremer’s most popular papers.
..
.. - “Moreover, the key target of economic policy, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), doesn’t provide much help. So with a view to ‘remastering’ macroeconomics, in a new ING report, produced with the help of John Calverley, Carlo Cocuzzo and I investigate how GDP could be remixed. We pay particular attention to the impact of the rapid digitalisation of the economy that has been gathering momentum over the past 25 years. Pursuing the music analogy, our focus is on a digital remix of GDP.”
..
..
I’m not a big fan of the concept of GDP in the first place, but that being said, this article helps us understand how the digital economy might perhaps be underrated in national income.
..
.. - “Nigeria, like other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is facing a demographic boom. By 2050, its working-age population will have increased 125 percent. At current GDP growth rates, the local labor market will be unable to absorb all the new entrants. One way for Nigeria to reduce this pressure, and make the most of remittance and skills transfers, is to promote new legal labor migration pathways with countries of destination across the globe.”
..
..
A useful overview of the Nigerian labor market and how it might be made more effective Applies in part to India as well, I’d argue.
..
.. - “Trouble is, the rescue is entirely fictional. The only reason it’s even being attempted is to delay — as long as possible — the collapse of this large shadow lender. Such an event, as S&P Global said in a rare show of plainspeak by a credit appraiser, could be powerful enough to deliver a “solvency shock” to India’s troubled banks. Neither the lenders, nor the Indian government, wants to contemplate this grim prospect. Hence, the make-believe restructuring.”
..
..
Andy Mukherjee explains the mess that is Dewan Housing. Not only is this not going to end well, I’d argue that there are a lot many more skeletons about to tumble out of the closet.
..
.. - “The march of technology means oil’s days are numbered. And for the good of the planet, that transition has to happen as fast as possible. But it doesn’t mean the people who gave their lives to getting energy out of the ground should have to suffer.”
..
..
Noah Smith on the second order effects of the slowdown in demand for oil.
Month: October 2019
RoW: Links for 30th October, 2019
- Who, exactly, are the Rohingyas? A short explainer from Wikipedia.
..
.. - “With repatriation stalled, Bangladesh is now exploring relocation. The country has thus far been patient and welcoming, but its willingness to host such a large refugee population is wearing thin. Dhaka now plans to relocate about 100,000 Rohingya to a remote island at the mouth of the Meghna river in the Bay of Bengal. Known as Bhasan Char, or “Floating Island” in Bengali, the islet is made up of accumulated silt and is hard to reach—aid workers worry that anyone moved there would be vulnerable to floods, cyclones, and traffickers.”
..
..
A problem that the world would rather not acknowledge.
..
.. - “Myanmar, which United Nations officials say should be tried on genocide charges over the orchestrated killings that began on Aug. 25, 2017, is keen to prove it is not a human rights pariah.Bangladesh, struggling with overpopulation and poverty, wants to reassure its citizens that scarce funds are not being diverted to refugees.
But the charade at Nga Khu Ya, with its corroded buildings devoid of any Rohingya presence, proves the lie in the repatriation commitment. The place is so quiet that a dog snoozes at the main entrance, undisturbed.
Even the repatriation center’s watchtowers are empty of soldiers. There is no one to watch.”
..
..
They, the Rohingyas, are to be sent back to Myanmar. Except not.
..
.. - “One day in the 1980s, my maternal grandfather was sitting in a park in suburban London. An elderly British man came up to him and wagged a finger in his face. “Why are you here?” the man demanded. “Why are you in my country??”“Because we are the creditors,” responded my grandfather, who was born in India, worked all his life in colonial Kenya, and was now retired in London. “You took all our wealth, our diamonds. Now we have come to collect.” We are here, my grandfather was saying, because you were there.”
..
..
Suketu Mehta in fine form on this topic.
..
.. - “I want you to think of free movement across borders as not just a matter of humanitarianism, not just a matter of good policy, but as an issue of civil rights, in the same tradition as those of Milk, and King, and Stanton, and indeed others yet to come.”
..
..
A short blog post on a longer essay, which argues about instituting immigration as a civil right.
Tech: Links for 29th October, 2019
- Aadisht writes on his blog about a podcast he listened to recently, about journaling. Worth reading, and maybe listen to the podcast too? I haven’t.
..
.. - I used this service for a long time, and did daily journaling fairly regularly for a period of about three, maybe four years. But OhLife wasn’t financially viable, and since then, I just haven’t been able to get into the habit again. It was a very simple service – every night, at 8.30, they’d send you an email, asking you to log your entry, and over time, they’d show you what you’d written a week, month or year ago. Haven’t found anything as good, or as simple, since.
..
.. - Tim Ferriss explains his morning routine when it comes to journaling, and explains its importance.
..
.. - Zapier lists out ten journaling apps (I don’t have a clear favorite…)…
..
.. - As does Lifehacker.
India: Links for 28th October, 2019
- “On the night of Laksmi Pujan, rituals across much of India are dedicated to Lakshmi to welcome her into their cleaned homes and bring prosperity and happiness for the coming year. While the cleaning, or painting, of the home is in part for goddess Lakshmi, it also signifies the ritual “reenactment of the cleansing, purifying action of the monsoon rains” that would have concluded in most of the Indian subcontinent. Vaishnava families recite Hindu legends of the victory of good over evil and the return of hope after despair during the Diwali nights, where the main characters may include Rama, Krishna, Vamana or one of the avatars of Vishnu, the divine husband of Lakshmi.”
..
..
Always a good place to begin, Wikipedia. Even for Diwali!
..
.. - “Galungan is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma. It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return. The date is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese calendar. It is related to Diwali, celebrated by Hindus in other parts of the world, which also celebrates the victory of dharma over adharma. Diwali, however, is held at the end of the year.”
..
..
Meanwhile, as they say, in Indonesia…
..
.. - “The whole thing was designed in such a fashion that when Hanuman’s tail was lit—in remembrance of an episode in the Ramayan—he “begins to fly in the air, setting fire to various houses in this Lanka of fireworks”. So intrigued was the Peshwa by this report that a similar contrivance was engineered even in Pune, setting the ball rolling for modern Diwalis with fireworks and displays.”
..
..
The perenially interesting Manu Pillai never disappoints.
..
.. - “In Telugu, teepi gavvalu literally translates to ‘sweet shells’. It is made rolling a dough made from flour and jaggery into pretty shell shaped curls that are then deep fried and dipped in sweet sugar syrup. It a popular festive snack in Andhra Pradesh.”
..
..
Practically every Indian, no matter which part of they country they hail from, will squeal in playful outrage upon reading this – for every state has its own version.
..
.. - “If we go further North to Himachal Pradesh, we could expect to get wada and bedami puris made on festive occasions for Diwali says Sherry Mehta Malhotra who cooks Pahari food for pop up events. This is served with lentils and a bread called siddhu. Siddhus are made with wheat flour and yeast and take a while to make and are always served with ghee. Depending on the stuffing, these ball shaped breads, could be savoury or sweet. The thing about Pahari cuisine, Sherry says, is that it uses a lot pulses and flours as a base as fresh vegetables are hard to get. Dishes such as siddhu and the badami pedas are had through the year as well, but taste extra special during festivals.”
..
..
And from a while ago, but still worth reading – food from across the country that is special during Diwali. If you have corrections, suggestions, additions, please – please! let me know.
Happy Diwali, all!
Video for 27th October, 2019
Anoop is a friend. But that disclaimer apart, this video deserves to be widely seen!
Tweets for 26th October, 2019
Is it just me or does everyone have a clock in their house that is half an hour fast? 😄 pic.twitter.com/g77gWxKYuW
— Ganesh Chakravarthi (@craynonymous) October 24, 2019
So here's is a slightly nerdy Diwali book gifting/buying list. If you are that kind that is…
— शिक्षित बेरोज़गार (@kaul_vivek) October 24, 2019
Across my years at Dropbox and Fleetsmith, I’ve screened >1000 resumes, conducted >100 phone screens, and lead >50 onsites for PMs. Both companies have best-in-class product talent 😉
Here’s what top candidates do 👇
— Ishita Arora (@iarora_) October 18, 2019
Ever wonder why humans are the only animals that need braces? 🦷 Turns out this is a relatively recent problem for us. (1/5)
— Dorsa Amir (@DorsaAmir) October 17, 2019
What is one book that is a quick and easy read, but contains a tremendous amount of wisdom?
A few examples:
– The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant
– Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
– Manual for Living by Epictetus
– A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo TolstoyWhat else?
— James Clear (@JamesClear) October 18, 2019
Etc: Links for 25th October, 2019
- Images from the BBC that shows the extent to which Iceland’s glaciers have melted.
..
.. - An article by a long time observer of cricket in South Africa – and all of what ails it.
..
.. - Speaking of sports: geographically challenged football supporters.
..
.. - If you are seeing more ads on twitter, this may well be why.
..
.. - A useful set (well, to me, at any rate) of tips for making the rabbithole that is YouTube more enjoyable.
EC101: Links for 24th October, 2019
Five articles about spends during the festive season in India this year:
- “Whether government stimulus packages announced so far will have an impact on festive consumption is a big question. An even bigger question is whether consumers, who are coping with flat-lining incomes and a poor job market, will respond to the incentives offered by companies. If this Diwali fails to sparkle in terms of consumption demand growth, outlook for the next few quarters will get much gloomier.”
..
..
The ET explains the importance of the Diwali season sales for India’s economy. A useful set of charts.
..
.. - “Sawai Makwana, 41, who runs a hair salon and a cafe in Jaipur, is a worried man. This will be my worst Diwali in nearly 30 years, he says. A third-generation hair stylist, Makwana says his business took its first hit in 2016, as a result of demonetisation. Matters have grown progressively worse since he has been forced to close down a section of his salon and sack 14 of his 16 employees. Male customers, who would spend an average of Rs 2,500, have either stopped coming or now just ask for a basic haircut that costs Rs 300, he laments.”
..
..
Always (always!) be wary of biased sampling and poorly researched articles – but here’s an article from India Today about the same topic.
..
.. - TechCrunch on how Amazon and Flipkart are dealing with the crisis.
..
.. - On the growth in Tier 2, 3 and 4 towns and how they impact these sales.
..
.. - And circling back to the ET, early reports seem to indicate that things weren’t quite as bad as was being feared.
RoW: Links for 23rd October, 2019
Five books that I have read about our neighboring countries that helped me understand them a little bit better. If you ‘re looking for books to read during the holidays, this list might help:
- From a while ago, and set many decades ago, but I loved reading The Glass Palace. Anything by Amitav Ghosh is worth your time, I’d say, but this helped me learn more about Myanmar.
..
.. - Samanth Subramanian is a magnificent writer, and that is not hyperbole. In this book, This Divided Island, he brings us a raw, disturbing and depressing account of Sril Lanka today, and how it is divided, perhaps beyond repair, on grounds of ethnic and religious conflict. He doesn’t pull his punches, but more: he doesn’t take sides. If you are looking to understand Sri Lanka today, this is the book to read.
..
.. - How did Bangladesh come to be Bangladesh? What was Pakistan’s role in it? What was India’s? What was – and this might come as a surprise to some – the USA’s? The Blood Telegram answers these questions, and more besides, in a always interesting read about the war of 1971.
..
.. - And two recommendations about Pakistan. The first is a book by Stephen Cohen: The Idea of Pakistan. Is Pakistan an army with a country or the other way around? Why? Will this change in the future. What is (or what used to be) the political calculus of the United States of America when it came to Pakistan? This book answers these questions, and then some.
..
.. - And finally, Pakistan: A Hard Country, by Anatol Leivin. A Ukraininan journalist who has spent some time in the country, and is equally horrified and fascinated by it. Somewhat sympathetic in its treatment, it still helped me understand the country a little bit better – without, of course and unfortunately, ever having been there.
Tech: Links for 22nd October, 2019
Five articles on the evolution of mapping technologies:
- The evolution of GLONASS:
..
..
“GLONASS is a global satellite navigation system, providing real time position and velocity determination for military and civilian users. The satellites are located in middle circular orbit at 19,100 kilometres (11,900 mi) altitude with a 64.8 degree inclination and a period of 11 hours and 15 minutes. GLONASS’s orbit makes it especially suited for usage in high latitudes (north or south), where getting a GPS signal can be problematic. The constellation operates in three orbital planes, with eight evenly spaced satellites on each. A fully operational constellation with global coverage consists of 24 satellites, while 18 satellites are necessary for covering the territory of Russia. To get a position fix the receiver must be in the range of at least four satellites.”
..
.. - … and the other term that people are rather more familiar with, GPS:
..
..
“The GPS project was started by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1973, with the first prototype spacecraft launched in 1978 and the full constellation of 24 satellites operational in 1993. Originally limited to use by the United States military, civilian use was allowed from the 1980s. Advances in technology and new demands on the existing system have now led to efforts to modernize the GPS and implement the next generation of GPS Block IIIA satellites and Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX).”
..
.. - Heard of Waze?
..
..
“Waze (formerly FreeMap Israel) is a GPS navigation software app owned by Google. It works on smartphones and tablet computers that have GPS support. It provides turn-by-turn navigation information and user-submitted travel times and route details, while downloading location-dependent information over a mobile telephone network. Waze describes its app as a community-driven GPS navigation app, which is free to download and use.The Israeli company Waze Mobile developed the Waze software. Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine founded the company. Two Israeli venture capital firms, Magma and Vertex, and an early-stage American venture capital firm, Bluerun Ventures, provided funding. Google acquired Waze Mobile in June 2013.The app generates revenue from hyperlocal advertising to an estimated 130 million monthly users.”
..
.. - And here’s a podcast that ties all of this together – entirely worth your time. It is by Walter Isaacson, called Trailblazers, and all of the episodes are worth listening to. But this one in particular was well worth it: Navigation.
..
.. - And it was only a matter of time (also reading this helped me go down this particular rabbit hole): Augmented Reality and Google Maps.