Blogcritics Author: Jeremy Gin

Google's Search Engine Optimization Start Guide and Why It's Bad for Innovation

Jeremy Gin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:58:06 EST

Only by kicking Google out of its comfortable position atop the search market will the Internet realize its innovative potential.
Google has always been coy when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). And understandably so. Google must balance its need for Web sites to be formatted such that they can be properly crawled and indexed with its need to keep people from manipulating the search process. The result is muddled. Other than basic documentation on its Webmaster...

How Obama Can Help the Environment, Stimulate the Economy and Rebuild our Infrastructure: Roundabouts

Jeremy Gin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:15:56 EST

Replacing traffic lights with roundabouts could greatly benefit the US economy, the environment, and our roadways.
It's 10:45 on a Tuesday morning, and I'm late for a meeting in Palo Alto, California. To make matters worse, I just miss a traffic light and am sitting at the corner of Page Mill Road and Foothill Expressway, just off of the 280. My thoughts? OMFG, I can't believe I'm wasting my time sitting at this traffic light! I wait for what...

The Financial Markets Bailout Is Not Enough

Jeremy Gin — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:54:58 EDT

The bailout will not be enough to get the economy back on its feet. More needs to be done for homeowners.
The financial markets bailout package passed by Congress and signed by President Bush was intended to unfreeze the credit markets by re-instilling confidence in the American financial system and improving the balance sheets of US financial institutions. But in its current form it will not do enough to help the economy recover and get banks lending...

The Role of the American Consumer in the Financial Crisis

Jeremy Gin — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:11:12 EDT

One of the primary culprits in the financial crisis has heretofore largely escaped criticism - the American Consumer.
As we stand now, in the midst of the worst financial crisis in recent American history, there is plenty of blame to go around. For the most part, blame has been rightly directed towards Wall Street for its greed and recklessness, and at Washington for its incompetent regulation and inability to fix the problem. However, one of the primary culprits...

Our Only Hope For Better Policy Is A More Informed Electorate

Jeremy Gin — Wed, 1 Oct 2008 06:56:01 EDT

... we should be using this information to hold our leaders to account.
Robert Rubin, the Vice Chairman of Citigroup, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, and the former Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, made what I believe to be a vitally important point the other week on the PBS interview show Charlie Rose (24:10 minutes).His point was, in essence: "To improve policy in America we need a more informed...

Financial Markets Turmoil Is Just The Beginning

Jeremy Gin — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:08:54 EDT

Let's not put lipstick on this pig.
The break-up of Lehman Brothers, the fire sale of Merrill-Lynch, and the woes of AIG are, sadly, not fundamentally symptoms of corporate malfeasance, or the sad lot of an unlucky few, but, rather, signs of a worsening storm. The storm has several fronts:1. Inflation - rising commodity prices slowly spreading to wages and consumer goods will...

The Real U.S. Deficit

Jeremy Gin — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 19:30:01 EDT

What it means for the economy, politicians, and our children.
The Washington Post recently reported the total liability of the United States government has reached $54 trillion. This figure includes the federal deficit, as well as the unfunded portions of Medicare and Social Security. $54 trillion is a large number in both absolute and relative terms -- US GDP in 2008 will come in around $14 trillion. To...

The Mortgage Interest Income Tax Deduction is Bad for America

Jeremy Gin — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 04:04:08 EDT

Don't let the politicians fool you.
At first blush, the mortgage interest income tax deduction seems like a great thing. You get to deduct your mortgage interest from your income. This saves you money and encourages homeownership nationwide (believed to produce positive externalities such as crime reduction, community, etc.).But beneath the surface, the mortgage tax deduction...