This is a guest contribution by Damien Hoffman, editor of the very popular Wall St Cheat Sheet blog.

This may sound like common sense to investors and traders, but most people - including policy makers - do not readily accept the flawed nature of economic models.

Thank goodness we have professor David Colander testifying to Congress in order to enlighten an otherwise dim room. Colander’s work at Middlebury College focuses on the incentives and work-product of economists. His work has become increasingly more important as economists have heavily influenced policy making in recent years.

In addition to exposing a few absurd underlying economic presuppositions such as “individuals behave with rational self-interest,” Colander is helping shift incentives for professional economists away from publishing toward engaging in more useful studies.

This is a guest contribution by Damien Hoffman, editor of the very popular Wall St Cheat Sheet blog.

This may sound like common sense to investors and traders, but most people - including policy makers - do not readily accept the flawed nature of economic models.

Thank goodness we have professor David Colander testifying to Congress in order to enlighten an otherwise dim room. Colander’s work at Middlebury College focuses on the incentives and work-product of economists. His work has become increasingly more important as economists have heavily influenced policy making in recent years.

In addition to exposing a few absurd underlying economic presuppositions such as “individuals behave with rational self-interest,” Colander is helping shift incentives for professional economists away from publishing toward engaging in more useful studies.

Sector 10, Inc. (SECT.OB) has a vision of redefining how private citizens handle emergencies. Rather than rely solely on centralized personnel during emergency situations, Sector 10 focuses on developing pre-deployed onsite tools to increase the survivability rate of individuals in times of crisis. Under the guidance of Pericles DeAvila, Sector 10 should be in a position to save countless lives.

What drives the founder of Sector 10 to take a pro-active approach to safety? In 1980, DeAvila was in the Azores when an earthquake struck the region. Not only did DeAvila lose a close friend during the natural disaster, he also experienced the devastation that spread through the area afterward. He realized first-hand how easily local safety personnel can be overwhelmed during an emergency.

DeAvila’s experience in the Azores prompted his vision of providing safety tools into the hands of citizens, corporations, and communities