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Posts Tagged ‘Wal Mart’

What Do the iPhone and Jonathan Franzen Have in Common?

Or, put another way:

What does WalMart have in common with Oprah Winfrey?

The writer Jonathan Franzen is best known for his 2001 novel The Corrections. He carries a very strong reputation among the high-end literary set, and is as opinionated about said set (in the affirmative) as he is scornful of low-end culture.



Who Killed Jdimytai Damour?

Like many others, I’ve had a difficult time during this Thanksgiving weekend to get my mind around the tragic trampling of Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour. Did people keep shopping? Did the Valley Stream store make any sales before the police closed it down? Who put up the sign outside the store saying “Blitz Line Starts Here”? The president of a . . .



Are Wal-Mart’s Products Normal?

Emek Basker is an incredibly creative (and under-appreciated) industrial organization economist. She is also surely the leading Wal-Mart-ologist, and has been studying big box stores for several years. Her most recent piece provides a very nice teaching example highlighting the importance of the income elasticity of demand; she also managed the perfectly accurate but cheeky turn of phrase that we . . .



Shattering the Conventional Wisdom on Growing Inequality

Inequality is growing in the United States. The data say so. Knowledgeable experts like Ben Bernanke say so. Ask just about any economist and they will agree. (They may or may not think growing inequality is a problem, but they will acknowledge that there has been a sharp increase in inequality.) Photo: Jim, Wal-Mart Supercenter in Suwanee, Georgia. According to . . .



What Do Brazil and Washington State Have in Common?

The answer isn’t that surprising in retrospect, but I’d never thought about it until I visited Seattle the other day and saw some statistics assembled by the Washington Policy Center. Here are some hints: 1. It has something to do with a post I wrote about Brazil not long ago. 2. It has something to do with water. 3. It . . .



The FREAK-est Links

Study results show rock stars die younger. (Earlier) BMA urges “ultimate fighting” ban, UFC officials object. Wal-Mart musical opens in New York to poor reviews. Fantasy football not your thing? Try new fantasy investing.