How to achieve parity in the NBA?

The salary cap is designed in part to create league parity, but now that many of the best players have acquired sufficient wealth that additional dollars hardly matter, the stars are clumping together in quests for the ring.  Assuming the league desires parity, what rules will help?  Might players be forced to accept the highest paying contract regardless of location?  For example, a player submits a desire for X years and team offer $Y in a standardized contract.  The highest bidding team gets the player.  The best players who are beyond financial worries will resist because the loose autonomy as will the role players willing to sacrifice income for a ring.  The team without winning legacies (to the extent legacies attract players) will be in favor.  Thoughts?

Sorry--Google drops Google Wave - Computerworld

Google drops Google Wave - Computerworld

I was on the waiting list, tried to use it for a couple of days, and said forget it as did most other people.

Suggestion: Integrate Wave into gmail as a new form of conversation allowing one to keep running conversations with gmail contacts. Allow listing of Wave among gmail conversations with easy filtering, thereby eliminating the need for having another window open and learning message management interface. I am surprise Google did not do this when they have been so good at creating near zero learning curve prior to benefit applications such as their calendar, docs, and voice programs (though voice could be better integrated into gmail). My guess is "integrating" the the Wave technology into other services will do exactly what I suggest.  Fr

Update:
I followed up with a question about Buzz — Google’s other recently launched social tool. “The Buzz team is doing very well,” Schmidt said. But he noted that “we tend to lump Buzz into the Gmail success.” When I asked if Google considered attaching Wave with Gmail as well to bolster it, Schmidt replied that “there were a number of such ideas, yes.”  From TechCruch

Bad Government: Ethics Committee does not even recommend Rangel say, "Sorry"

Obama: It's the end for Rangel - NYPOST.com
"'The recommendation that we have is a reprimand,' Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) told reporters. A reprimand would have to be approved by the full House ethics committee and then the House itself. The light admonishment falls short of censure or expulsion from Congress and doesn't even require an apology."


Hilarious! Such disciplinarians. I suggest the IRS treat him like a standard tax cheating citizen with audits, fines, and potentially jail time. I am not a huge fan of the IRS, but when the victim is the former head tax man in a sense, I'll make an exception.

Marginal Revolution Comment: Why does anyone support private macroeconomic forecasts?

Marginal Revolution: Why does anyone support private macroeconomic forecasts?


My financial services industry experience indicates that macroeconomic/stock market forecasts are to (1) create a sense of thought leadership and seriousness and (2) calm the sales people and clients by saying "Everything will be OK. We know what is happening and have it all under control."


I agree that there is no reason for firms to believe that their economist is better than any cheaper alternative, that growth will match last quarter, or a very simple model such as growth will revert half way to the mean of the previous 5 years.

Bad Government: Shooting fish in a barrel edition--Iran

Iran Denies Attack on President | News | English

Is there a poll querying what percent of Iranians, Americans, French, Japanese, believe the Iranian government?

Grenade or fire cracker?

That's a tough one. NOT!

Misleading title: EC chooses iPhone, HTC over BlackBerry | Wireless - CNET News

EC chooses iPhone, HTC over BlackBerry | Wireless - CNET News

How about a better title?  "Blackberry Security Upsets Governments that Can't Snoop Data."

That'll sell some phones!  My decision of whether to go Android or Blackberry just took a shock, but will it be enough.  I use gmail, google voice, and google calendar; Android is thus tough to beat.

Thirty US billionaires pledge to give away half their fortunes to charity

Thirty US billionaires pledge to give away half their fortunes to charity | Technology | guardian.co.uk

Could be good, so long as it doesn't reduce the capital available for startups. I have no idea whether this will have any impact. My guess is no impact.

I think one of the most efficient forms of charity might be for owners of private companies to charge below profit maximizing prices on products, especially to the people who cannot afford more. For example, if Michael Dell tool Dell private and then provided laptops at marginal cost to kids in developing countries.

The concept of entrepreneurs expanding the objective of private companies (no fiduciary duty to shareholders) beyond profit maximization to doing great things intrigues me. I am not arguing for any form of government intervention that would kill the psychic pleasure of entrepreneurs such as me. If I had enough money where the marginal value of wealth was primarily status, then a more fulfilling status game might be how much good one can do. Another example is Mars sourcing ingredients from less convenient and possibly more expensive locals. Yes, I understand the concept of comparative advantage, but development of new sources might be a public good that is under-supplied. Again, just an idea.