Street Fighting Mathematics

Sanjoy Mahajan has written a book on practical mathematics. It sounds good and, even better, it's available for free download under a Creative Commons Edition, see Street Fighting Mathematics here.

Here's the first example

1.1 Economics: The power of multinational corporations

Critics of globalization often make the following comparison [25] to prove the excessive power of multinational corporations: In Nigeria, a relatively economically strong country, the GDP [gross domestic product] is $99 billion. The net worth of Exxon is $119 billion. “When multinationals have a net worth higher than the GDP of the country in which they operate, what kind of power relationship are we talking about?” asks Laura Morosini.
Before continuing, explore the following question:

What is the most egregious fault in the comparison between Exxon and Nigeria? The field is competitive, but one fault stands out. It becomes evident after unpacking the meaning of GDP. A GDP of $99 billion is shorthand for a monetary flow of $99 billion per year. A year, which is the time for the earth to travel around the sun, is an astronomical phenomenon that A dimensionally valid comparison would compare like with like: either Nigeria’s GDP with Exxon’s revenues, or Exxon’s net worth with Nigeria’s net worth. Because net worths of countries are not often tabulated, whereas corporate revenues are widely available, try comparing Exxon’s annual revenues with Nigeria’s GDP. By 2006, Exxon had become Exxon Mobil with annual revenues of roughly $350 billion—almost twice Nigeria’s 2006 GDP of $200 billion. This valid comparison is stronger than the flawed one, so retaining the flawed comparison was not even expedient!

That compared quantities must have identical dimensions is a necessary condition for making valid comparisons, but it is not sufficient.

Make sure to mind your dimensions and units.

Go and read it. Recommended.

Family Matters

In an idle moment I did something I haven't done for a long time, I read Socialist Worker. There's an interesting piece, in that brief, digestible, Readers Digest style the SW has, on hedge funds.

In the Indian state of Goa mines are being dug with haste and a lack of attention to health and safety for the workers and the villagers. Water is diverted and silt floods houses. The company that owns the mines, Sesa Goa

gets much of its funding from Hermitage Capital, based in Mayfair.

Bill Browder, the head of Hermitage, says he fears that governments in the West will deal with the huge bank bailout debts by printing money, instead of taking on the working class and forcing through cuts.

B[r]owder and his friends are worried this would devalue any financial investments wealthy investors own. So Hermitage is turning to betting on “hard assets” like commodities and land to make money.

Hermitage’s “Global Fund”, which manages £650 million for the rich, is pushing its money into gold and mining companies.

In the 1990s the company made money investing in the newly opened up markets of Russia. Hermitage’s London officers have a modest exterior. But it is rumoured that the interior is modelled on the St Petersburg palace in Russia that it shares a name with.

A bit of internet searching reveals that this caricature of a cigar chomping capitalist is the grandson of a former head of the CPUSA, Earl Russell Browder.

Here's a video of Earl Russell Browder

Talk on Development and Statistics

A worthy and not dull talk on development and statistics by Hans Rosling.



For more interesting, informative and sometimes world changing talks look at TED.

Management

It's a truth universally acknowledged that there is no underestimating the intelligence of management.



Video of BP management in action.

Okay. It's a skit.

International Brigade memorial at Nottingham County Hall - redux

Last year I wrote about the Tory vandalism to the International Brigade Memorial at Nottinghamshire County Hall.

On Saturday 17th July there is a rededication ceremony.

The re-dedication is an opportunity to remember those who went to Spain to fight fascism and also to counter the blatant attempts to bury the memorial's still radical political content.

The event will be held at County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Saturday July 17, from 10.30am - 12 noon. There will be speakers from the Trades Council, International Brigades Memorial Trust, Labour Party, LibDems and the Spanish Embassy have been invited.

Entertainment will be provided by Nottingham Clarion Choir.

[Starting the next week] the city council will be hosting a display organised by the International Brigades Memorial Trust which is touring the country.

The exhibition called "Antifascista!" is about British and Irish volunteers in the civil war and will be on display in the Council House, Market Square from 12 noon Tuesday July 20 - Saturday 31 July.

As one of the plaques says:
==============================================
In honour of the volunteers who left Nottinghamshire to fight in the International Brigade Spain 1936 - 1939.

They fought alongside the Spanish people to stop Fascism and save Liberty and Peace for all

They went because their open eyes could see no other way.

NO PASARAN
============================================

Pics of Life in North Korea

Here's some pictures, taken from the border, of life in North Korea.

Here's an informative couple of films on life in North Korea by the journalist Sue Lloyd-Roberts shown on BBC Newsnight on 1st and 2nd June 2010.

Eyeless In Gaza

There is justified anger at the Israeli attack on boats in international waters. That anger is much discussed elsewhere.

I have just discovered that Henning Mankell, the author of the Wallander books, is sitting in an Israeli gaol.

It's always good to see an author beliving in the power of the word and the deed.