Is it better, environmentally speaking, to buy a physical CD for £6 and have it mailed to me, or to buy a digital copy for £7? [more inside]
posted by mstillwell on Nov 30, 2009 - 14 answers

As a former scientist, help me gain some faith in economics. What were the great successes of economics as a tool for making better decisions in the last 100 years? [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Jun 23, 2009 - 20 answers

Why is all this money going to industry and commerce, not the citizenry? [more inside]
posted by turgid dahlia on Mar 19, 2009 - 19 answers

I read the Wikipedia article on Dubai itself, but am still confused as to exactly how businesses such as a hotel located in the country can afford to do things like put on a larger fireworks show than the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

A friend of mine with Republican/Libertarian leanings told me they do not charge any form of taxes and that is why business has boomed there, but I am a bit dubious about this answer.

I know they use a lot of borderline slave labor to build, but there has to be more than that too.
posted by idyllhands on Nov 24, 2008 - 25 answers

I've been meaning to switch from a large national (US) bank to a small local one for about a month now. Is it a good time or a bad time? [more inside]
posted by danb on Sep 26, 2008 - 11 answers

Surviving the Economic Crisis: What practical things can the "Average Joe" do to prepare for an economic meltdown? [more inside]
posted by boots77 on Sep 21, 2008 - 22 answers

Is it possible to rationally settle on an economic theary? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on May 31, 2008 - 54 answers

Bill Hicks said, in one of his acts, and I quote "It's gonna fuck up the economy... the economy thats fake anyway!" Is the economy fake? [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 on Feb 2, 2008 - 27 answers

(Possibly Advanced) Economics Filter: How does new value created by industry and economy become money? [more inside]
posted by SlyBevel on Dec 28, 2007 - 32 answers

If cities (or the pressure on city services) grow faster than the wealth held by individuals grows, how does the bottom not fall out given that municipal growth is largely funded by taxes? [more inside]
posted by regicide is good for you on Oct 22, 2007 - 34 answers

Should I be worried about an impending collapse of the US dollar? [more inside]
posted by doctorcurly on Sep 20, 2007 - 20 answers

Economist filter: How exactly does the fed set interest rates? [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Jun 29, 2007 - 9 answers

Looking for old economic articles... [more inside]
posted by eas98 on Jan 9, 2007 - 7 answers

Is homeopathy good for society? How should it be regulated? Are there any good studies to this effect? [more inside]
posted by Arcaz Ino on Nov 21, 2006 - 24 answers

A very good friend of mine had her cellular telephone stolen the other day, and by the time she noticed this and reported the theft to T-Mobile, the thief had made many hundreds of dollars worth of calls to a foreign nation. After many calls back and forth, T-Mobile says they are doing her a great favor by waiving 25% of the costs but she is responsible for the rest. Is this right? Why would they treat a supposedly valued customer of several years this way? The T-Mobile reps tell her there is no appeal process or ombudsman; does anyone know if this is really true?
posted by luriete on Jun 26, 2005 - 23 answers

I am looking for a resource, preferably online, that will give me historical real estate sales data for a particular city. Ideally I would like to see the average sales price by month from the year 1974 until the present. Any ideas?
posted by tirebouchon on Dec 18, 2004 - 5 answers

Can anyone point me to a nonpartisan economic study of tax cuts, the theory behind their effects on the economy, and the history of the economic effects of pre-21st century tax cuts?
posted by blakewest on Mar 26, 2004 - 1 answer