Author: Brendan Barry

  • Optimisation Prime

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    Brendan Barry
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    The name of the economic game is efficiency. And that means optimising things. Happy Friday.   Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.

  • Hillary Clinton’s E-mail Problem

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    Brendan Barry
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    Today Donald Trump should take the stage at the Republican National Convention as he accepts the party’s nomination to run for president. I suspect he will mention Crooked Hillary and quite possibly her e-mails. Thankfully, we have this Washington Post piece from earlier this month that examines the severity of her lapses in security. Credit…

  • Covering Terrorism

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    Brendan Barry
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    Last week we witnessed the lorry attack in Nice, France. This week we have the axeman attack on a German train. Does anybody note, however, the recent terror attacks in Dhaka, Bangladesh? Probably not, according to this insightful piece from FiveThirtyEight. They took a look at journalism’s coverage of terror attacks and whether there are…

  • In Putin’s Russia Steroids Dope You

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    Brendan Barry
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    I mean really, given the rampant and pervasive nature of the Russian state-aided doping programme, how could I not use the Russian reversal? Yesterday WADA, the international anti-doping agency, released its findings on Russian doping at the Olympics. And, suffice it to say, the report is rather damning. The BBC published this graphic in an…

  • Septa’s Silverliner Service Shutdown

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    Brendan Barry
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    Two weeks ago Philadelphia regional rail commuters, a large group to which I belonged for a number of years, experienced a week from hell. On 2 July a yard inspector for Septa, the Philadelphia region’s transit agency, discovered a Silverliner V railcar tilting. For those not familiar with Septa, the Silverliner Vs have been in…

  • Crashes

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    Brendan Barry
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    I only wish there was something about train wrecks in here. But that might require another axis. Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.

  • Theresa May’s Cabinet

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    Brendan Barry
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    Who said British politics are boring? With David Cameron out and Theresa May in as Prime Minister, it is time to reshuffle the cabinet. And the Guardian is reusing the style they had for the Jeremy Corbyn shadow cabinet mass resignation. Except in this case, the colours reflect the Tory’s position on Brexit. Credit for…

  • Moderate Voters

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    Brendan Barry
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    In US presidential politics, the common sense truth is that candidates run to the wings of the parties to get primary voters. They say ridiculous, inane things, but with the hope to walk them back later. Why? Because while they commonly run to the outsides edges during primary season, candidates recognise that in the election…

  • What Has Happened After Police Shootings

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    Brendan Barry
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    Yesterday, I left the office late and encountered a protest in front of my building organised by the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest focused on recent shooting deaths of black men by police officers in Minneapolis and Baton Rouge, but the protests clearly tapped into deeper issues regarding race, inequality, and armed police among…

  • Expensive Wines

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    Brendan Barry
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    Another Monday, another week, another post. But this week we will try to get by without any more Brexit coverage. So what better way to cure a hangover than with more booze? So let’s start with some fancy wine. I meant to post this piece a little while back, but yeah that unmentionable thing occurred.…