Is anyone still listening to Herman Cain? Realy? Read on Macduff.

Flat tax proposals are the rage, usually around presidential elections. Herman Cain's 9-9-9 doesn't make a whit of sense.
Here's a useful analysis of flat taxes from Robert Frank of Cornell University.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/business/flat-tax-doesnt-solve-inequality-problem.html?src=me&ref=business

And another thing about denial

Since I have already titled a couple of posts "Crisis, what crisis"? it may be time to try some new language. But the theme is the same: why won't some people learn from the recent financial crisis? And by people I mean financial institutions and the legislators who do its bidding. Latest lesson unlearned: MF Global. Gretchen Morgenson writes an insightful column.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/business/in-mf-global-sad-proof-of-europes-fallout.html?ref=business

Greece: Denial as an official policy

It would be tempting to view Greece's ongoing problems with some derision given its inability to act fiscally responsible or Europe's wrongheaded finance ministers and central banker. Denial is not an effective strategy. However the U.S. has been doing a rather good job of driving our own economy into a ditch. One whole side of the aisle would be better off staying home.

A very good synopsis of the Greek tragedy can be found in today's NY Times. Well worth reading the whole piece.  
 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/business/global/europes-two-years-of-denials-trapped-greece.html?_r=1&ref=business

And there off!

Friday Groupon finally launched its problematic IPO to a strong market reception. Priced at $20/share and closing at $26.11 at the end of the first day. A good day for Groupon.
Studies show that the money to be made in IPOs tends to be during the first day, often the first few hours of trading. Let's just keep an eye on this company. Seems to me that if a substantial company like Google ever decides to get into the coupon business (and it did make a bid for Groupon in the past) Groupon is toast.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/a-good-day-for-groupon-and-internet-start-ups/
from DealBook

A shout out

Justin
Tried the cornflake-chocolate chip-marshmallow cookie. Superb.

As they say in Serbia, HVALA LEPO

Now for something interesting, but altogether different: Who wrote Shakespeare's plays?

Although the question sounds like one of my running classroom sayings, "What time does our 1:30 class start?", the issue of authorship of Shakespeare's plays comes into question by some. In a blistering critique of non-Shakespeare authorship is the piece by James Shapiro (below) who puts the question on the rubbish heap along with conspiracy theorists, DaVinci Codes, and other forms of truthieness.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/opinion/hollywood-dishonors-the-bard.html#

from the NY Times

An excellent cautionary story about being overconfident, especially about financial decisions.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman writes persuasively about people's tendency to believe what they want to believe rather than what evidence may indicate. Although a psychologist, Hahneman has contributed greatly to the field of financial decision making.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/magazine/dont-blink-the-hazards-of-confidence.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=magazine
from the NY Times