Economics: A Fairy Tale?

The most striking similarity between Enid Blyton's fairy tales and the Classical Economists' theories is that there is no role of money in the system!!!

You Know You are an Economist When

• You continually include "optimize", "budget (set)" and "limit tends to" in your vocab without even realizing it
• You trying figuring out if you have smooth, convex preferences
• You wonder if and how much to save, keeping in mind "The Paradox of Thrift"
• You make Economics jokes (you reach heights when you can incorporate "neighbourhoods" and "open balls" in the jokes- if you don't understand this, don't bother, you are safe!)
• People around you understand your jokes or give a puzzled frown
• You assume and predict
• You claim to understand most phenomena in the world with an "epsilon" error term
• Epsilon is sufficiently small to suit your model but big enough to create a major disturbance
• Data doesn't suit your fancy models
• "In the Long Run we are all dead!" is knowledge to you!

P.S. This list is not exhaustive, suggestions and additions are welcome

Pinged from my blog.

End of an Era?

A chat transcript from my Gmail chat history:

we cared abt "silly" politics

strange ideas

surreal street dramas

presi 2 us wasnt a college, it was an experience, an idea that we all cherish

how i wish i could go back, NOW!!!

memories..

17:53 hrs IST, Tuesday, the 20th of October, 2009
There’s a political parade snaking its way forward on the lane in front of my house, the leaders shouting their voices raw with (the usual) “jobaab chaai, jobaab daao”s. I am standing on my balcony, looking at the throng of bodies, most of them in various stages of disinterestedness. Some, in fact, are casually laughing and chatting amongst themselves, as if they’re out on a leisurely evening walk. I am looking at them alright, and yet I am not.. The vision that forms in front of my eyes is of a sweltering July mid-afternoon, that time of the year when uncountable droplets of sweat form on the forehead and roll down to the chin faster than a handkerchief can be whipped out. I remember that procession very well, that group of students of all shapes and sizes, all streams and ages, all backgrounds and upbringings.. I remember the parched throats, the ringing slogans, the raging fires in the hearts of the hundred strong army of youth at 86/1, College Street.. I remember the awe that passers-by regarded us with, the look of surprise on the taxi-drivers’ faces at the sheer volume of our incensed voices, our frenzied clapping of hands, out stamping feet.. And as the train of people vanish round the bend, and as memories fade, one slogan lingers on.. “ Loraai loraai loraai chaai, / loraai korey baachte chaai ! / Ei loraai lorbe k ? / Tumi, aami, aabar k… “

Presi Days- Looking Back

After a year of anxiety, 2 months of touring the country, a day of heartbreak and 20 days of sheer depression, here i am, scribbling something perhaps rather immaterial on a blog page where i thought i might be ashamed to write on again...

It's been about 3 months since i left home, 2 months since i left calcutta for the place i really really wanted to be in. Presidentians dream big... i dunno if it's talent or just luck that most of them end up to be pretty well settled.

A month before coming to IGIDR, Ritika and me were at HCU- awesome campus, perhaps good teachers but i hated it there. Dunno why exactly- there were too many reasons. But it was mostly i guess the fact that the people around lacked the antel way if dressing that we are used to. Well, don't get me wrong- i just mean to say, irrespective of the pathetic sense of fashion we Kolkatans have (ya now i can say that coz am in mumbai n in a slightly higher fashion plane), there was a charm in the way Presi people carried themselves and that wasn't present in even 1 person out of a batch of about 80 there. There were people conversing non-stop in Malayli n Tamil and yes, no telugu. The food sucked big time... In short, you find nothing good when you are in a sad set of mind.

Then on one of those lazy yet tired worn out yet karenge ya marenge afternoons, IGIDR happened. Perhaps you all know this is where i wanted to come to coz i thought the academic pressure would be the least here and the corporate jobs really good!!

It's been 2 months, am where i wanted to be, involved in the Placement Committee, perhaps doing what i would wanna do a year back. But still there's a void. When i talk about Marx, people don't argue with me. When a Prof cracks and intelligent joke, Ritika and i are the only people who laugh and get stared at. The innocent jokes which seemed hilarious when Dipu narrated them now seem to be a pain. Some sarcastic comments that i used to expect people would understand are either not taken no note of or are taken in a straight way. Mind you, i'm in one of the country's best academic institutes... still wondering what academics really counts for.

At times i miss the presi politics, not coz i wanna make a political career but coz i wanna know more n the whole learning seems so incomplete without Ritam da's cool way of explaining, Rakesh da's hyperactive self or Sayantan da's passion in whatever he said with Dipu cracking a suicidal joke in the middle of no where.

Presi happens just once... Presi is fun, Presi is home... it's where we belong- perhaps people call me a pseudointellectual snob here but for once am being true... very very true. It's in our blood, we can't do away with it... once a Presidentian, always a Presidentian

Ab apni man pasand caller tunes bilkul muft...!!!

Morning 4.12 am: Dhol baje! Dhol baaje.. Range barse...  Call kijiye 5123444 pe aur apke man pasand gana set kijiye free mein! Call charges Rs 6 prati minute!!

An exasperated me calling the customer care:

Me: Hi! Could you tell me how to stop spam calls. I get calls asking me to subscribe for callertunes all through the day...

Customer Care Rep (CCR): Shoo ma'am you dont want caller tune calls?

Me: Exactly

CCR: Toh note kijiye "START DND" and send to 1909... Will take 45 days to get activated. 45 days baad aapko koi calls nai ayenge!

Me (bemused at "koi calls nai" but supressing) : 45 days!!!! You know that's 1.5 months!!! :O

CCR: Yes maam

Me: No other way?

CCR: Yes maam

Me: Yes?! You mean no.. ok. If I set a caller tune would you stop disturbing?

CCR: No Maam!!

This college speaks!!!

Why Recessions are not the Best Times to Marry

1. You dunno when your partner is kicked out of the job and the poverty line seems attainable.
   
2. You dunno the real income of your partner till better times- adjusting the inflation figures to recession situations are not a good idea!!
3. Bullion markets are on a high- so you can never satisfy your in-laws with gold. ;) (Besides, why lose out on something like more gold when the prices are low?)
4. If you get married during a recession and have kids during a boom, by the time they are 4-5 years, we'll reach another recession- could reduce the generation gap...
   

The other day someone sent a sms "The recession has struck so bad that women are now marrying for love." Here's earnestly hoping that you girls (n yaa boys too), know what to do with it!!

After just having given one ,Im fresh with memories of spending 1.5 hrs pencil shading on a thick white sheet printed with pink circles and instructions.

Pros
1.Professors don't have to go through bad handwriting and shocking answers.They can Of course choose to put in funny options for a bit of humor in their humongous lives.
2.Students can play games like "eenie meenie minee moe".Its both relieveing and accurate at 5% level of singnificance.Ok make it 25% for the unlucky folks out there .
3.
a)This is one format that gives a better scope to cheat.But one has to be really really careful with the sequence.
b) Easier to cheat since your "helper" just needs to point out the correct option.You can make good use of fingers and even indulge in some stretching exercises while doing this.
4.If you finish shading the whole thing early.You can always make the shading darker.Dark black holes on a white pink printed sheet.Reminds me of those being abused in the name of love.

Cons
1.Professors dont get to read funny answers.Students are not allowed to be "creative"
eg.Q)How does amoeba catch its prey?
ans)In the wee hours of daylight when the sun has just come out.Little Amoeba steps out of its den.Like a skilled hunter it cautiously follows its prey.It suddenly grabs its prey from behind and with one sharp stroke the prey is killed by the swift amoeba.The end.
2.People with good handwritings don't get a better score.Some people are Ofcourse happy with this(read.............. umm ok dont read).
3.People with Luckier stars get undue advantage.

now ,here, with u.....

Child playful in the winter chill,
Awaiting your warmth to hearts fill.
A steaming cup of lemon tea ,
A paper strip of fries,
Some innocent frolicking,
A couple of lies.
Not everything one wants does life denies.
Running across pathways,
With the carpet green below,
Holding hands against the breeze...hair flying, shoelaces untied.
Snatched a pocket full of memories before life can go.