Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Clippings
From Thomas Friedman's Op-ed:
"Winston Churchill famously observed that, “You can always trust the Americans. In the end, they will do the right thing, after they have eliminated all the other possibilities.” Is that still true for our generation? We’re going to find out. The time for bluffing ourselves is over. Are we going to do what it takes to fix our country, or are we going to be remembered as the generation that received more poker chips from their parents than any other and then had to turn around and toss a single chip to their kids and tell them to put it on “Lucky 21” — and hope for the best."
Want to see the countryside? Go to Paris!
[Farmers Bring the Country to Paris]
North Korea, if you ruin my stay in the ROK, I will take it personally.
[The Economist]
"Winston Churchill famously observed that, “You can always trust the Americans. In the end, they will do the right thing, after they have eliminated all the other possibilities.” Is that still true for our generation? We’re going to find out. The time for bluffing ourselves is over. Are we going to do what it takes to fix our country, or are we going to be remembered as the generation that received more poker chips from their parents than any other and then had to turn around and toss a single chip to their kids and tell them to put it on “Lucky 21” — and hope for the best."
Want to see the countryside? Go to Paris!
[Farmers Bring the Country to Paris]
North Korea, if you ruin my stay in the ROK, I will take it personally.
[The Economist]
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Economix
Making the Simple Complicated (Climate change economics)
Sigh. Story of my life...
Koreans WORK! (Not that this is a surprise...)
Sigh. Story of my life...
Koreans WORK! (Not that this is a surprise...)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Ben Bernanke Quotes
Ben Bernanke in the NYTimes
[And yes, Ben Bernanke is also married to a Wellesley alum. =P]
Ben Bernanke quotes:
“The world has a great deal more to offer than money.” [Damn straight]
“Because I appreciate the role of chance and contingency in human events, I try to be appropriately realistic about my own capabilities. I know there is much that I don’t know.” [I'm screwed]
"Keep a ‘gratitude journal,’ in which you routinely list experiences and circumstances for which you are grateful.” [Great idea!]
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Readings
Krugman - This reminds me of Alan Blinder's "Hard Head, Soft Hearts"
San Francisco in Shanghai
Esther is badass
San Francisco in Shanghai
Esther is badass
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Increased temperatures --> increased migration
Looks like Senator Graham has had enough. He is frustrated that climate change is taking a backseat to immigration...
I feel ya, Graham.
Colbert's take on immigration reform in Arizona.
Recently added to my Google Reader: Green Blog!
Watch the 18 minute video chronicling the life of the plastic bag!
Weekend was fun. Hung out with the babycakes. Played hide and seek for the first time in like 15 years.
I feel ya, Graham.
Colbert's take on immigration reform in Arizona.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| The Word - No Problemo | ||||
| ||||
Recently added to my Google Reader: Green Blog!
Watch the 18 minute video chronicling the life of the plastic bag!
Weekend was fun. Hung out with the babycakes. Played hide and seek for the first time in like 15 years.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Esther goes to Seoul/SF!
Dear friends,
As of April 19th, I will be working in Seoul and San Francisco with California Environmental Associates, ClimateWorks, McKinsey and the Korean government to help start an international economic think-tank, Seoul's Global Green Growth Institute. (3GI)
3GI's mission is to provide low carbon economic development plans for developing countries. I am excited to witness first-hand the birth of an international economic think tank and to study the intricate details of the public-private partnership model which I expect will become increasingly prevalent. I don't want to give away all the juicy details (partly because I don't know them myself, and also b/c some of it may be confidential) so you'll just have to wait until 3GI is officially launched! Keep an eye out for it!
In the meantime, you can check this out - Stern Review Summary. Another interesting read is Alan Blinder's "Hard Heads, Soft Hearts" which we read for Prof. Johnson's Econ&Politics class. Chapter 5 is called "Cleaning Up the Environment: Sometimes Cheaper is Better."
I'll be moving to Seoul on April 15th and staying at the Somerset Palace. (I'm not gonna lie, I'm really excited to live in a hotel) I'll be working in SF the weeks of May 3 and May 10.
I am really sad to leave my friends at Georgetown Law, but my professor and co-workers have been wonderfully supportive of my decision. I am blessed to have always been surrounded by people who genuinely care about my intellectual and professional growth.
I don't know if I'll have much time to blog, but I will try to post exciting stories about life in Seoul and work if it's not confidential. I hope I don't have too many epic fail stories...like that time one of the diplomats at the Embassy caught me singing Taylor Swift in the kitchen. (fail!)
I'm so excited about working on 3GI that I woke up yesterday and just started giggling in my bed. I can't remember being this excited about anything ever! (except maybe that scene in Lord of the Rings II where Smeagol is arguing with himself/Golem and finally gets rid of Golem, do you guys remember that? When he's like "go away and never come back!" And then he jumps around and shouts, "Smeagol is free!!!!" That scene made me so happy that I almost cried b/c I actually think Smeagol is really cute with his big bald head.)
Happy Easter Weekend!
<3
ESJ
P.S. - Special thanks to Nams who recommended me for the position!
Can't wait to see you in SF!!!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Happy World Water Day!
A message from friends at Replyforall here!
Target 7c of the Millenium Development Goals reads:
"Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation."
Let's focus on the "safe drinking water" bit.
Some statistics:
Only about 2.5% of the Earth's water is fresh water (for ~6 billion people)
An average American uses 150 gallons of water each day, while a person in the developing world struggles to find 5 gallons.
Over one billion people still use unsafe water sources.
The highest numbers of people without access to clean water are in Asia.
Unsafe water kills more people than all forms of violence combined, including war.
[factoids from WHO, unicef - read more to see why water's so important]
My friend, Nami, who has guestblogged before, wrote a great blog post for 1Sky a few summers ago. I remember it well not only because it was a great post, but because some a-hole left a nasty comment (to which I posted a nasty response in return).
Anyway, one effect of climate change is that it will make people thirstier. As if to slap us all in the face, another effect of climate change is that fresh water supplies will decrease as sea levels rise. Fresh water will more likely fall as rain rather than snow making it harder to collect (spring snowmelt won't be a reliable source if there's not enough snow). Fresh water levels will also decrease as evapotranspiration losses increase.
So, how can we avoid disaster?!
Obviously, we all need to conserve. 100 ways to conserve here.
Becker and Posner had a blogpost about economic responses here.
And of course, a blog that I've mentioned in the past: Aguanomics!
Anyway, that's all for tonight kids. I am amazed by those who can blog so often. I don't have the discipline. I'm always getting caught up in real life...
Target 7c of the Millenium Development Goals reads:
"Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation."
Let's focus on the "safe drinking water" bit.
Some statistics:
Only about 2.5% of the Earth's water is fresh water (for ~6 billion people)
An average American uses 150 gallons of water each day, while a person in the developing world struggles to find 5 gallons.
Over one billion people still use unsafe water sources.
The highest numbers of people without access to clean water are in Asia.
Unsafe water kills more people than all forms of violence combined, including war.
[factoids from WHO, unicef - read more to see why water's so important]
My friend, Nami, who has guestblogged before, wrote a great blog post for 1Sky a few summers ago. I remember it well not only because it was a great post, but because some a-hole left a nasty comment (to which I posted a nasty response in return).
Anyway, one effect of climate change is that it will make people thirstier. As if to slap us all in the face, another effect of climate change is that fresh water supplies will decrease as sea levels rise. Fresh water will more likely fall as rain rather than snow making it harder to collect (spring snowmelt won't be a reliable source if there's not enough snow). Fresh water levels will also decrease as evapotranspiration losses increase.
So, how can we avoid disaster?!
Obviously, we all need to conserve. 100 ways to conserve here.
Becker and Posner had a blogpost about economic responses here.
And of course, a blog that I've mentioned in the past: Aguanomics!
Anyway, that's all for tonight kids. I am amazed by those who can blog so often. I don't have the discipline. I'm always getting caught up in real life...
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Piece of Land's Only a Piece of Land...
I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day. (I know, this is like a week late) I somehow remembered Pi Day (3.14) but forgot about St. Patrick's Day this year...must be because I'm no longer in Boston.
I was listening to this song on David Ford's new album and it seemed appropriate. It's about Stephen Carroll, the Irish policeman who was murdered by dissident republicans. "A piece of land's only a piece of land" is from an interview of his wife...so sad.
I was listening to this song on David Ford's new album and it seemed appropriate. It's about Stephen Carroll, the Irish policeman who was murdered by dissident republicans. "A piece of land's only a piece of land" is from an interview of his wife...so sad.
Stephen
by: David Ford
Stephen, the flag's at half-mast at the station
There's a cloud hanging over this town
The wind blows apologies; the sun looks ashamed
As it hides out behind Portadown
And out there are children still raised on old anger
Who believe there's reason to fight
A piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight
Stephen, the uniformed visitors came,
Unexpectedly, late yesterday
I opened the door to a man and a woman
And I knew what they's come here to say
Oh, I've never seen any darkness so deep
As the moment when I clicked off the light
And a piece of land's only a piece of land
But you will not come home tonight
Stephen, the news has been filled with your picture
It seems the whole world knows your name
And would you believe there was Martin McGuinness
Out condemning these bastards to blame?
Oh, I've never seen so much orange and green
Come together on a thin strip of white
Still, a piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight
Yes, a piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight...
Stephen, the flag's at half-mast at the station
There's a cloud hanging over this town
The wind blows apologies; the sun looks ashamed
As it hides out behind Portadown
And out there are children still raised on old anger
Who believe there's reason to fight
A piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight
Stephen, the uniformed visitors came,
Unexpectedly, late yesterday
I opened the door to a man and a woman
And I knew what they's come here to say
Oh, I've never seen any darkness so deep
As the moment when I clicked off the light
And a piece of land's only a piece of land
But you will not come home tonight
Stephen, the news has been filled with your picture
It seems the whole world knows your name
And would you believe there was Martin McGuinness
Out condemning these bastards to blame?
Oh, I've never seen so much orange and green
Come together on a thin strip of white
Still, a piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight
Yes, a piece of land's only a piece of land
And you will not come home tonight...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Identity. Crisis.
John Oliver (from the Daily Show) interviews b-school students about the MBA Ethics Oath. SO funny!
Feb. 25th's FT had an article by George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton about Identity Economics. Akerlof and Kranton argue that people are not simply motivated by huge bonuses. Rather, they are motivated when their personal goals are aligned with those of the organization for which they work. In identity economics, performance pay demonstrates bad faith (employers don't believe that employees will do a good job unless there are obscene monetary incentives...)
Our current financial system gives employees an incentive to manipulate the system rather than to live up to their responsibilities.
Another concern is regulatory capture. The Warwick Commission has proposed host country rules as opposed to home country rules to preclude regulatory capture (b/c host country rules tend to enhance the link between a financial system and national welfare objectives. But what about arbitrage?) Host country rules can also better empower national regulators. Len Seabrooke and Eleni Tsingou (on Warwick Commission) suggested that we empower the Financial Stability Board as the key coordinator to allow countries to share information on products. They think that the FSB is a better choice than the IMF or World Bank which lack legitimacy as institutions trusted by developing countries.
Simon Johnson is more pessimistic. He says, "hoping that we can constrain banks through some form of international governmental cooperation is a complete illusion. The IMF and the WTO have no mandate on this issue. The Financial Stability Board is a paper tiger – really just a talking shop between regulators (and the same goes for the Bank for International Settlements more generally)."
The Institute of International Finance says that all of these uncertainties about regulatory reform are slowing economic recovery. Boo.
Currently reading: The Wages of Failure (working paper by Lucian A. Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, and Holger Spamann)
Feb. 25th's FT had an article by George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton about Identity Economics. Akerlof and Kranton argue that people are not simply motivated by huge bonuses. Rather, they are motivated when their personal goals are aligned with those of the organization for which they work. In identity economics, performance pay demonstrates bad faith (employers don't believe that employees will do a good job unless there are obscene monetary incentives...)
Our current financial system gives employees an incentive to manipulate the system rather than to live up to their responsibilities.
Another concern is regulatory capture. The Warwick Commission has proposed host country rules as opposed to home country rules to preclude regulatory capture (b/c host country rules tend to enhance the link between a financial system and national welfare objectives. But what about arbitrage?) Host country rules can also better empower national regulators. Len Seabrooke and Eleni Tsingou (on Warwick Commission) suggested that we empower the Financial Stability Board as the key coordinator to allow countries to share information on products. They think that the FSB is a better choice than the IMF or World Bank which lack legitimacy as institutions trusted by developing countries.
Simon Johnson is more pessimistic. He says, "hoping that we can constrain banks through some form of international governmental cooperation is a complete illusion. The IMF and the WTO have no mandate on this issue. The Financial Stability Board is a paper tiger – really just a talking shop between regulators (and the same goes for the Bank for International Settlements more generally)."
The Institute of International Finance says that all of these uncertainties about regulatory reform are slowing economic recovery. Boo.
Currently reading: The Wages of Failure (working paper by Lucian A. Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, and Holger Spamann)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Paul Krugman Loves Politics...and Costumes!
Paul Krugman's profile in the New Yorker!
Also, since Evelyne pointed out the part about how Paul Krugman loves costumes...
my Halloween costume two years ago was capital flight!
Also, since Evelyne pointed out the part about how Paul Krugman loves costumes...
my Halloween costume two years ago was capital flight!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Mamma Mia!
I don't care what's going on in Greece. Someone take me. We can do Greece a favor by spending lots of money while we're there...it will be completely selfless!
My mom is in Turkiye right now. I'm so jealz.
Simon Johnson talks about why Greece might go to the IMF for help and why things are not as simple as when Greece had its own currency. He also talks about how politics may (as always) get in the way of things...
In another piece, Johnson talks about Goldman's role. Felix Salmon thinks that Goldman is just a scapegoat.
Martin Feldstein suggests a holiday from the eurozone for Greece - Greece could devalue the drachma to reduce imports and boost exports (reducing trade deficit and maybe increasing GDP and employment)
My mom is in Turkiye right now. I'm so jealz.
Simon Johnson talks about why Greece might go to the IMF for help and why things are not as simple as when Greece had its own currency. He also talks about how politics may (as always) get in the way of things...
In another piece, Johnson talks about Goldman's role. Felix Salmon thinks that Goldman is just a scapegoat.
Martin Feldstein suggests a holiday from the eurozone for Greece - Greece could devalue the drachma to reduce imports and boost exports (reducing trade deficit and maybe increasing GDP and employment)
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