What We Read Today 28 December 2013

Econintersect: Click Read more >> below graphic to see today’s list.

The top of today’s reading list has a good succinct summary of the NSA flap …….. and the tenth article is about an fossil find that moves the existence of human hand structure back to 500,000 years ago.  The bonus (11th article) is Steve Keen’s clear demonstration that austerity is not what Australia needs.

• What are the limits to our government lying to us citizens? (Rodger Malcolm Mitchell, Monetary Sovereignty) Rodger Malcolm Mitchell contributes to Global Economic Intersetcion. Good succinct summary of the NSA flap.
  

• Counterexamples to an Old Earth (Conservapedia) There are 43 counterexamples. Three primary arguments: (1) there is no direct evidence of life more than about 5,000 years old that does not depend on untestable radiometric dating; (2) there are many rapidly changing natural conditions which are not compatible with with an age for the plant beyond 5,000 to 10,000 years; and (3) many astronomy observables cannot be explained in the context of an ancient universe without making up things not observed, like dark matter.

• Solar Cells Could Help Windows Generate Power (Neil Savage, Chemical & Engineering News, 19 December 2013) ) Hat tip to Joel Rabel, Newsana.

• Gold was by far one of the worst trades of 2013 (Matt Phillips, Quartz) Is the top contrarian trade for 2014 long gold and short Japan?

• Right-Wing Group Seeks Help Rewriting the Bible Because It’s Not Conservative Enough (Richard Schiffman, Alternet) Hat tip to Roger Erickson. See also Conservative Bible Project.

• With Health Law Cemented, G.O.P. Debates Next Move (Jonathan Weisman, The New York Times) Senator Ron Johnson (R, WI):

“It’s no longer just a piece of paper that you can repeal and it goes away. There’s something there. We have to recognize that reality. We have to deal with the people that are currently covered under Obamacare.”

• Alternative Energy: A ‘Warning’ for Your Current Exuberance! (Steven Bauer, Advisor Perspectives dshort.com) Alternative energy devotees have been like lambs to the slaughter, 2013 bull market notwithstanding.

Click on chart for much larger image at Advisor Perspectives dshort.com.

• The economics of Christmas, a holiday satire (John Carney, CNBC) Hat tip to Stephanie Kelton.

• Renewable energy, once a dream, lights up some of India’s slums (Coco Liu, E&E Publishing) Renewables, especially solar, are electrifying India’s slums. In the U.S. growing use of solar power by businesses and home owners is threatening to electrical utilities. See Hawaii solar boom so successful, it’s been halted (Anne C. Mulkern, E&E Publishing) and Compromise in Arizona Defers a Solar Power Fight (Diane Cardwell, The New York Times). Wasn’t just a few years ago that many were saying solar couldn’t compete without subsidies? Now traditional power needs “subsidies”.

• Fossil turns back the human hands of time for tool use 500,000 years (Charles Q. Choi, LiveScience, NBC News)

BONUS

• Why Australia must avoid austerity (Steve Keen, Business Spectator) Steve Keen has contributed to Global Economic Intersection. Government debt is not the problem.