When we visited Laos, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was so (relatively) poor due to its status as a landlocked country. So I put together the following graphs comparing PPP Adjusted GDP per Capita (IMF or CIA number if IMF not available) for all countries that are not islands (my hypothesis is that… Continue reading Geography is Destiny
Tag: History
Kowloon Walled City (Park)
It’s not on most tourists agenda, but I would highly recommend that if you go to Hong Kong you check out Kowloon Walled City Park. It’s not the park that’s so interesting, rather it’s what used to be there. First, some history. In 1841, the Brits took over Hong Kong Island. Understandably, the Chinese were… Continue reading Kowloon Walled City (Park)
Treasures from the Tokyo National Museum
One of the stereotypes of the Japanese has been that they don’t so much as ‘create’ things as take an original idea from somewhere else and then continuously improve on it until it is perfected. Exhibits A, B & C: the car industry (American and German), consumer electronics (American) and ramen noodles (originally Chinese). Perhaps… Continue reading Treasures from the Tokyo National Museum
Finally, A Great 21st Century Hip Hop Song
I love hip hop. Actually, let me qualify that – I like hip hop that tells a story, preferably with a heavy slice of social commentary. The best hip hop songs let us into a world that we otherwise would never see or provide some social commentary that let us see society in a different… Continue reading Finally, A Great 21st Century Hip Hop Song
The Depression & Path Dependence
There’s a concept in both the social and hard sciences called path dependence. To oversimplify, it basically says that everything that happens influences everything that subsequently happens – and provides positive feedback to what you are going to do. It always has an influence, even if only infinitely small. It was with this in mind… Continue reading The Depression & Path Dependence