On Palin

Comments open.

Interesting Value added argument

I am not really a bratz man myself (I prefer G.I. Joe), but I saw this interesting case on the CNN site today. what I am curious about is what if Bryant had been named Banu, and lived in India instead of in the U.S.? Where is the value being added? How do you separate the original creation from what others have added? I think this is extremely difficult question to answer because building a name brand in a market as finicky as Children's toys doesn't necessarily depend on a long term marketing plan. Instead luck just plays a big factor.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/26/news/companies/mattel_bratz.ap/index.htm?cnn

Now That's Rich
By Paul Krugman
New York Times Op-Ed Columnist
Published: August 22, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/opinion/22krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

I found this article in the New York Times web edition this morning and thought you all might like to discuss. I think he raises a very important question: As both presidential candidates debate tax policies on different income levels, how do they (and we) really define and think about who is "middle class" versus "rich?" Does everyone really neatly fit into these categories?

Dr. Doom
By STEPHEN MIHM
Published: August 17, 2008
Two years ago, Nouriel Roubini predicted the current economic crisis. Now he sees things becoming far worse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/magazine/17pessimist-t.html?ex=1376625600&en=71e7149347d8fdf2&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Dealing with the downturn
Make love—and war
Aug 7th 2008 SAN FRANCISCOFrom The Economist print edition
Tough times are producing some surprising business bedfellows

COMPETITORS often find it hard to be civil to one another in public. But few rivalries have been as nasty as that between two New York newspapers, the New York Post and the Daily News. The “Daily Snooze”, as the Post dubs its rival, takes great pleasure in rubbishing its arch-enemy, and vice versa. Scurrilous gossip about the Post’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, is avidly reported by the Daily News; its proprietor, Mortimer Zuckerman, has been the target of less than flattering coverage in the Post. And the two titles like to bicker over which has the bigger circulation.

continued: http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11885356

Watch my big boss (the Director General of IFPRI) take on Food Prices in the Economist.

It's interactive, and for those of you who are interested in development, you can watch heavy-hitters debate while simultaneously reading the ridiculously uninformed comments of the Economist audience at large, who are allowed to vote and participate. A pretty entertaining (and sometimes educational) debate.

I found an interesting article about China today in this morning's NY Times.

I'm interested to see if they can carry off the S. Korea/Japan model in the way that they aspire, or if it fails. Judging from China's previous success at random industrial shifts, I'm betting we're going to see higher prices on manufactured goods, and lower prices on these intro technologies. Should be interesting to watch how the public reacts - if they even notice, that is.

From a development perspective, I'm glad China's focusing on something other than being a manufacturing hub. This will serve as another example of how government support can help develop a market where one would not naturally exist. Hopefully they'll be able to convert their manufacturing labor supply to technology-educated manufacturers a.s.a.p with as little growing pains as possible.