Interesting Links for 22-12-2011

[andrewducker]

• The Silliest Things said to a group of SF editors, writers and academics
  (tags: funny scifi epicfail )
• Building new London homes is cheaper than providing temporary housing
  (tags: building housing london )
• All publicly-funded research data should be made freely accessible says UK government
  (tags: GOVERNMENT uk research data free )
• No payouts for damage during the summer "riots". Because they weren't riots. Apparently.
  (tags: riots police uk law )
• Dog+Ducks=CUTE
  (tags: dogs ducks cute photo )
• The biology behind severe PMS
  (tags: pms menstruation hormones emotion women biology )
• Judge says extradition from US quicker than from UK
  (tags: extradition uk usa law )
• A fantastic teacher shows her class that they don't have to conform to gender roles
  (tags: Education gender bullying children lgbt discrimination )
• Stupid Things the British Believe About Americans (and vice versa)
  (tags: usa uk beliefs culture )
• Microsoft Bringing HTML5 and JavaScript to Office 15
  (tags: office microsoft javascript html5 html )
• What really caused the eurozone crisis?
  (tags: euro europe finance )
• Want to know if you're depressed? Look at a picture of your mother.
  While lying in an MRI scanner, of course.
  (tags: psychology mother parents depression )

Comments

[andrewducker]

Lack of cash. You'll note that the article recommends that central government builds the properties?

Personally, I think that the suggestion of "sell off old housing stock so long as the cash is used to build more housing" has potential, as it would at least increase the size of the housing available.

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

Central government should be able to borrow money for projects that will break even or better in the long term. (and avoid doing it for other things). This is well known, or at least it used to be.

For quite a long time, there was incentive for the UK government(s) to not encourage house-building in London - increasing the number of houses available would have stopped or slowed the rise in prices, and this rise made people feel wealthier (and gave them an asset to borrow against) and thus made them feel that their government was doing a good job, since they never had it so good. The only problem with this plan is that it was unsustainable.

[camies.livejournal.com]

the only problem with this plan is that it was stupid and unsustainable. What else is there, that most people need to buy, where prices going up is generally thought to be a Good Thing? I do not understand this. Yes, they would get more money if they sold, but they'll probably need to buy another one.

[andrewducker]

Oh, I agree that one of central government's main tasks should be to see what would improve the country in the long run that the private sector isn't taking care of, and make it happen. I'd love to see more of that.