Author Archives: mkevane

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About mkevane

Economist at Santa Clara University and Director of Friends of African Village Libraries.

Two excellent discussions of Greece for economists…

John Cochrane discusses an oped by Charles Calomiris and Willem Buiter and colleagues at Citi have a sketch of a proposal for breaking the cycle.  Time commitment problem, seems to still be there.

Posted in Teaching macroeconomics | Comments Off on Two excellent discussions of Greece for economists…

The drachma option for Greece, very simple

Since I am teaching intermediate macroeconomics, yesterday we reviewed what the drachma option was for Greece, very simple version.  Journalism and blogosphere seem bifurcated between (1) audience that looks at pictures of crowds in Greece with caption “something wrong” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching macroeconomics | Comments Off on The drachma option for Greece, very simple

Airport workers try to explain their incompetence to president of Benin…

Posted in Development thinking | Comments Off on Airport workers try to explain their incompetence to president of Benin…

Artisinal gold mining in Burkina Faso: Nice short report from Fanny Noaro

Posted in Economy | Comments Off on Artisinal gold mining in Burkina Faso: Nice short report from Fanny Noaro

leFaso.net expresses the current opaque tensions well in Burkina Faso

Yacouba Isaac ZIDA Premier miinistre Le chef du gouvernement de la Transition a de nouveau maille à partir avec ses frères d’armes du Régiment de Sécurité Présidentielle. Pour la troisième fois depuis sa prise de fonction, le Premier ministre Zida … Continue reading →

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Pure snark: He is a doctor who uses a Rotary phone, and wants to put you in a hyperbaric chamber to treat your concussion?

Posted in United States | Comments Off on Pure snark: He is a doctor who uses a Rotary phone, and wants to put you in a hyperbaric chamber to treat your concussion?

Wait, Kafando asked Diendéré to head the commission on the Régiment de sécurité présidentielle?

Faut-il dissoudre le RSP ou pas ? Une question qui passionne beaucoup d’acteurs de la scène socio-politique depuis l’insurrection populaire. On ne compte plus le nombre de sorties d’organisations de la société civile réclamant à cor et à cri sa … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Wait, Kafando asked Diendéré to head the commission on the Régiment de sécurité présidentielle?

Why are Supreme Court justices unable to do basic anthropology?

“The court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the states and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Comments Off on Why are Supreme Court justices unable to do basic anthropology?

I liked “Please Look After Mom”… but now Shin Kyung-sook admits plagiarism

I read “Please Look After Mom” and had intended to blog a few words about it.  For me it was hard to know how the novel would read in Korean, but the English translation made it come across as quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Book and film reviews | Comments Off on I liked “Please Look After Mom”… but now Shin Kyung-sook admits plagiarism

Short video summary of my research on reading in Burkina Faso

Posted in Economy | Comments Off on Short video summary of my research on reading in Burkina Faso

South African Court Said to Block Sudan Leader’s Departure

Is it finally happening? A South African court issued an interim order on Sunday to prevent President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan, the only head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges, from leaving South Africa. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sudan | Comments Off on South African Court Said to Block Sudan Leader’s Departure

More inflammatory language in Burkina Faso: poor communication or code messages?

En prenant la parole, le vice-président de la Fédération de la région du Centre, Yamba Malick Sawadogo, a salué ses camarades pour cette initiative, car si les élections sont transparentes, la victoire sera éclatante, et il n’est pas question de … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on More inflammatory language in Burkina Faso: poor communication or code messages?

Gosh, just like San Francisco!

“You have groups which are as genetically distinct as Europeans and East Asians. And they’re living side by side for thousands of years.” via DNA Deciphers Roots of Modern Europeans – NYTimes.com.

Posted in Development thinking | Comments Off on Gosh, just like San Francisco!

Ablassé Ouédraogo sets off a firestorm in Burkina Faso

In an interview with Jeune Afrique he says two of the “assets” he has that will make him a winner in the Presidential elections in October 2015 are… he is Muslim and he is Mossi.  And the #lwili sphere now … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Ablassé Ouédraogo sets off a firestorm in Burkina Faso

Fuckmemories: Michael Cunningham reading Harold Brodkey

Recently on Twitter: In fairness to Jonathan Franzen, has there ever really been a good sex scene? — Michael Schaub (@michaelschaub) May 13, 2015 Michael Cunningham reads “Dumbness Is Everything” by Harold Brodkey suggests the answer may be yes, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Book and film reviews | Comments Off on Fuckmemories: Michael Cunningham reading Harold Brodkey

Best song and video about being a guttersnipe… Bhi Bhiman

Posted in Music | Comments Off on Best song and video about being a guttersnipe… Bhi Bhiman

Elechi Amadi Sunset in Biafra

He is such a good writer, his omissions can be forgiven, maybe?  I loved reading the book. It is short, sentences are well-crafted, anecdotes from his experiences told with gusto.  He experienced awful stuff.  But the omissions… I loved this … Continue reading →

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Stromae – Papaoutai

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Soundtrack for reading about gender inequality in education

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Soundtrack for reading about gender inequality in education

Great Ted Chiang story, “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling”

One of my favorite authors.  And now he proves he could be writing for Harpers… a science fiction story in the style of an extended essay.  And you learn more about how to think about the technology of writing than … Continue reading →

Posted in Book and film reviews | Comments Off on Great Ted Chiang story, “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling”