FICRY

Just as record numbers of aimless liberal arts majors are getting duped into applying to expensive journalism schools (a year at Columbia will put you back a cool 60k, which is about 60k more than the average j-school graduate’s salary these days), the world of journalism is crumbling. This is not news to anyone, [...]

Can the recession save children’s lives? According to economist Michael Greenstone, a decrease in global production due to the current crisis has spared the lives of “…between 257 and 451 British, between 1.104 and 1,933 American, and probably between 58,088 and 101,655 Chinese babies” through the reduction of global emissions (Economist June 2009 issue).  He [...]

Tens of thousands of civilian contractors have aided U.S. war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Civilian contractors perform such indispensable tasks as “delivering fuel to frontline troops, guarding U.S. diplomats and translating for soldiers during dangerous raids.” In the process, many of these contractors have suffered devastating and physical and psychological injuries. However, ProPublica reports [...]

Economic ‘Green Shoots’ in the spring kept moviegoers at the Box office for that old timey recession solution, escapism. But now that Oscar season is in full swing, and the FICRY reality has set-in, movie patrons may be opting for cheaper entertainment, like sitting around their computers.
During the summer season, the bread and butter for [...]

Writing for the Washington Post Foreign Service, Blaine Harden reports that for Kim Jong Il’s birthday, North Korean insurance managers delivered “$20 million in cash into two heavy-duty bags and sent them, via Beijing.” The cash was given to Korean insurance managers by their international counterparts. The money is reimbursements for fraudulent claims.
This incident highlights [...]