Sunday, December 14, 2025

Returning to the Office Will be Hard

New evidence from a survey of 2,500 employees in the UK shows a preference in favour of home working 2-3 days a week.

Private Inequity: NYT Examines How the Private Equity Industry Avoids Taxes

Comprehensive NYT story examines how the private equity industry games the tax system, while the hapless IRS stands on the sidelines.

2:00PM Water Cooler 6/14/2021

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Links 6/14/2021

Shale Oil Fraud Case Reveals Executives Ignore Their Own Engineers and Mislead Investors

Emerging shale oil fraud cases: employees warn management that they’re misleading investors but rather than changing course the employees were ignored or fired.

Sharks: The Ultimate Keystone Species?

Sharks, in a zeitgeist of top predator-worship and science triumphalism.

Book Review: America’s Long Struggle to Tame Its Greatest Rivers

Rivers are live entities. Alter its flow, and a river will respond — though it might take humans time to notice.

Starbucks Launches Reusable Cup Program

Starbucks rolls out a reusable cups initiative in some markets and restarts programs suspended during the pandemic- much more is needed.

Links 6/13/2021

What Bagehot Means for 21st Century Central Bankers

Is Victorian writer Walter Bagehot, whose adage “lending freely against good collateral at a penalty rate” has been gospel for central bankers, still relevant in a post-Great Financial Crisis world?

Musical Interlude: “Know Your Rights” by The Clash

An incandescent concert in Harvard Square, and lyrics for today.

Links 6/12/2021

There Is No Labor Shortage, Only Labor Exploitation

Conservatives and corporate employers are weaving an insidious web of myths, lies and exaggerations to justify maintaining low-wage jobs.

2:00PM Water Cooler 6/11/2021

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Space Trip: Bon Voyage Jeff!

A story in yesterday’s WSJ says space tourists fly at their own risk. But do they?