Just finished reading John Lanchester’s “Whoops!”

Its a look back at the credit crunch: why it happened who was to blame etc. But written in a way that even I could understand LOL.

It’s expensive though £10.

Just thought I’d add to the dull threads today 😆

If you want another which is free to download, the New Economic Foundation’s “Where Did All The Money Go?” is here:

http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/where-did-our-money-go

It is an ambitious undertaking. His canvas is broad. He attempts both an economic and a sociopsychological analysis of the roots of the crisis. He gives us detailed explanations of the ­financial instruments involved and how they worked, moving on to the failures of central bankers and regulators, with a series of verdicts on the guilty men. It is written in what is ­intended to be an accessible, and at times flippant style. Will Self describes it as “devastatingly funny”. Self’s sense of humour is clearly not mine. Whoops! is funny in a Jeremy Clarkson sort of way. In other words it is larded with leaden similes and blokeish “wit”. So, for example, a complex but entirely accurate description of the construction of collateralised debt obligations is interrupted by such ­observations as “the initial lender was free to quote Bart Simpson: ‘sayonara, sucker’.”

Definitely sounds like a very thorough treatise in economics. 🙄

Not exactly about the credit crunch.But for something particularly interesting and very very prosaic read Naomi Klein’s ‘The Shock Doctrine’

Its about how Right wing governments, paired with multinational corporations, see economic catastrophe as a ‘window of opportunity’ to re-shape society to fit their agenda. Slashing public spending being number one. Then lower tax for the rich, more corporate involvment in government, further deregulation, privavtisation etc

Does this sound familiar?

Its a great book, brilliantly researched and written and very very relevant at the moment

Have you read it Stoner? Because it doesn’t sound very thorough to me.

very very relevant at the moment

Indeed. Very interesting, as is anything written by Klein. She’s excellent.

Darcy – If you liked that, then you’d probably enjoy this:

Different subject matter but good. The abuse of language by politicians. Phrases like ‘Big Society’ and ‘War on Terror’ being used to disguise the aims and objectives of ideology and policy. Very interesting stuff

*shakes head*

emsz – what’s happened to you?

You entered our singletrackworld like a little ray of sunshine. You stood up and told the boys what was what, you made us laugh and cry in equal measure. You were fun and carefree, regaled us with stories of romance and young lust, you’ve explained that if I beckon a lady over with my finger I may achieve fulfillment in my relationships…

Now you want to talk about the credit crunch, you evil, evil, troll. I am deeply unhappy. 🙁

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL
‘Crap from start to finish’

Which makes it worth reading indeed. 😀

Exactly! High praise indeed 😀

Stoner it’s not trying to be. But it seems well researched. It has explanations about TBTF and CDS and so on that bring those subjects down of my sort of level. I can’t help it if a tosser like Will Self likes it!

Andrew Ross Sorkin’s Too Big to Fail is a good retelling of the hour by hour Wall Street crisis around Lehman and others.

I liked The Great Unravelling by Paul Krugman too, but some of the details are a bit off the mark as he wrote it in 2003 before the crunch actually happened.

Yeti
I get called an attention whore for expressing an opinion about being gay. I’ve seen pretty stalkerish threads started about people wanting photos of me. I thought I better tone it down. Ok?

I’d tell you about the phone call I got from my g/f this morning but I’d probably be banned

I’d tell you about the phone call I got from my g/f this morning but I’d probably be banned

Just whisper it? Shh, nobody’s listening…

BTW, anyone calling you an attention whore is just jealous that you’re getting the attention.

Attention Whore? This is the internet. I thought’s that what it was for. Well… that and stalking. And the two go hand in hand. Its a win/win

Anyway…. In the Oxford English Dictionary, it lists:

Attention Whore: See ‘Hora’

Sod off binners, I’m trying to be the funny one on this thread. Go on jog on.

lets be honest no one wants pictures of that though do they
Emsz just be yourself – some folk will like you some wont just like life.

Fair enough

*totters off to look for TJ*

😉

Is credit as crunchy as a carrot?

Nah, it’s more like armadillos.

For Yeti

[writes pretty shocking account of the detailed attention my gf has planned for the weekend which includes but is not limited to oils, warm baths, nuttela, and squirty cream]

Ok? You little pervert 🙂

good work emsz! I used to get similar msg’s off an ex. God bless camera and video mobile phones for helping with long distance relationships!

You are now back in my good books. I will ensure that you’re back on the guest list for Philofconsequence’s parties.

… and I’ve taken notes for make benefits of future relationship success of mrs yetis

[writes pretty shocking account of the detailed attention my gf has planned for the weekend which includes but is not limited to oils, warm baths, nuttela, and squirty cream]

This thread is worthless without pictures

Very Borat 😀

Nuttela. I swear it’s the way forward. I’m pretty certain half the things weve done with it are illegal.

Enough, the weekends ages away!

This thread is worthless without pictures

BBSB – You do know this thread is about the credit crunch? If you’re after a pic of a depressed banker, use your imagination… then look in a mirror.

“You do know this thread is about the credit crunch?”
but just how crunchy is this credit stuff?
On this cold crisp morning would credit crunch like snow if I walked on it?

‘enjoy the gritty crunch, it tastes just like chicken’

Nassim Taleb’s ‘The Black Swan’ is perhaps more insightful, covering the fact that forecasters can’t forecast

covering the fact that forecasters can’t forecast

Shhh, I work in financial forecasting!

Shhh, I work in financial forecasting guestimating!

Shhh, I’m pretty good at guessing stuff, and wrapping it up in sophisitmicated jargon!