Interesting Links for 11-11-2014

[andrewducker]

• David Cameron warns of more cuts - (many, many more, adds IFS)
  (tags: austerity UK )
• Amazon takes 22.5% of UK entertainment market
  (tags: Amazon UK business )
• 10 Misconceptions About Trans People
  (tags: lgbt misconceptions )
• The past was a confusing, terrifying place
  (tags: history technology )
• Jurassic Park: The New Nightmare
  (tags: funny movies

Comments

[cmcmck]

Well, I think I know something about those misconceptions :o

[lil_shepherd]

Saying 'all' of any group is just plain wrong, wrong, wrong!

It is particularly wrong for a group that is otherwise the subject of prejudice!

[cmcmck]

Just so!

We seem to get more of it than some as a group.

Saints preserve us from 'what everyone knows'.........

[drplokta]

Of course, most games are not released on Friday in the UK or on Tuesday in the US. In terms of the number of games (rather than unit sales volumes or financial sales volumes), the games industry is now the iOS and Android app stores plus some trivial outliers, and the app stores release continually -- it's only some of the trivial outliers that release on fixed days of the week.

[andrewducker]

It would seem to size an industry by the number of non-selling items :->

But yes, by number of different games put up for sale, the app stores undoubtedly win. I wonder what the actual volumes are like (for both unit sales and financials)

[bohemiancoast]

The app stores do not release continually. Games are nearly all released to the iTunes Store on Thursday, in practice midnight Wednesday in whatever jurisdiction -- so serious iPhone gamers often have New Zealand app store accounts.

[gonzo21]

I wonder what has done more to affect the deficit, the governments austerity measures, or simply the vast sums of money the Bank of England have been printing for the last 6 years.

[skington]

Eh? Surely by definition printing money doesn't affect the deficit at all (apart from indirectly, by stimulating the economy, and therefore boosting tax revenues).

AIUI, the two main reasons for the current deficit are (1) having borrowed shedloads of money to buy the failing banks, and (2) tax revenues having plummeted, and welfare costs having risen, as a standard result of the country going into recession.

Thoughts on the Deficit & Debt

[danieldwilliam]

We should totally borrow as much money as we possibly can and spend it on a splurge of capital infrastructure, education and research and development and tanks.

In the short term it will keep our people happy. In the medium term it might provide a Keynesian stimulus that restarts the economy and drives wages growth. In the longer run the investment in productive assets, skills and technology might mean our economy continues to prosper.

If it doesn't work, we'll go bust. Well we look pretty damn bust now but I'd rather go bust in 30 years owing a lot of money to Chinese billionaires whose tanks aren't as good as ours than live like a bankrupt for 30 years now.

Re: Thoughts on the Deficit & Debt

[andrewducker]

I don't think I'd have cut - but borrowing more in 2009 might have sent the kind of signal that made our debt get a lot more expensive.

At this point, I think that borrowing incredibly cheaply in order to get things moving, and spending that money on a house-building extravaganza would be good for everyone.