Random Lurker

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@tracewoodgrains Isn't the real advantage of having an all-Democrat runoff ticket in as many races as possible to depress Republican turnout in November for things like the gubernatorial race, ballot props, etc.?

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

I have been joking that Trump missed his true calling in life as a big city mayor! Beautification projects that appeal to actual people, real-talk on the scourge of addicts and criminals, bullying negotiation tactics that actually work against equally thuggish public sector unions — he’s your man. I’m actually pretty optimistic about the ballroom. Seeing the dystopian Obama library/prison complex open this month makes one realize what a bullet was dodged that he wasn’t the one to oversee that project.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

Is there a reason why the government does not (or cannot?) simply bar so-called visa dependent firms from further applications? Wouldn’t the simplest reform simply be that the % of a firm’s total headcount that is on employment visas (H1, L1, J, F, etc) cannot exceed a fixed ceiling? While it doesn’t solve everything, a company that cannot have more than ~15% of its employees on visas at a given time is fundamentally unable to employ the most damaging body shop strategies or discriminatory hiring practices.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

And orphanages for non-natives as well, to get a sense of the range of residential experiences at that time across all socioeconomic groups. People forget that practices like corporal punishment were standard in all types of schools for much of this period. My mom got the strap in Quebec schools in the 60s. My dad attended St. George's (pretty elite boys boarding school in Vancouver) in the early 70s and they still caned boys at that time! This was only phased out a few years later. And, frankly, corporal punishment was very standard in homes too, both native and non-native, for disobedience. The loss and sometimes denigration of native languages and culture that often occurred in Native Residential Schools is the one harm that is fairly special to those schools and needs to be acknowledged. But with much of the rest - deaths from infections/accidents, corporal punishment, sexual abuse incidents, bad food - it is very unclear to me how different this was from the experience of non-natives from low income backgrounds at the same time (the fairest comparison group).

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@razibkhan @bryan_caplan @_jokeocracy Columbus is in his grave somewhere yelling, “See! It wasn’t my fault. They all look the same!”

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

For Bass’s percentage to hold exactly steady that way would suggest that late mail in ballots are very representative of early ones. Yet this chart shows massive movement towards one other left-wing candidate as the ballots come in, which, to be true, would imply that late mail in ballots look very different from early ones and are much more Democrat shifted. It is implausible that Bass is not gaining share at all at the same time.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@ryanburge Interestingly the correlations within each region appear to be weaker or even non-existent. I suspect racial demographics are a stronger predictor than religion.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

The fact that 100% disability does not mean quadriplegic who is incapable of working another day in his life is the scandal. The design of the system is scandalous, and Platner is just Exhibit A of the absurdity. The generous benefits attached to 100% disability are sold to the public knowing that they will wrongly believe that term to have its rational English meaning — that the person now has 0% ability to function.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

What on earth would the FBI do? Build a Time Machine? A woman alleges that back in the 80s (she is not completely sure which year, but probably 1982) in possibly summer (not sure of that either but she thinks she was wearing a swimsuit) at an unknown location in the state of Maryland (but definitely a house of some kind) she was assaulted in a bedroom by Kavanaugh and his friend. She names one individual as a witness to this gathering, an old friend who makes a statement in writing that she has no recollection of anything like this. Who is the FBI going to talk to?

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

For you personally that may be. High income earner are net contributors. But collectively each past generation, including your own, has contributed less than the benefits scheduled to be paid out to them. The first generation of Social Security recipients made out like bandits. The baby boom generation has a sweet deal, even if not an extreme as their parents. But as the chart above shows, things are coming to a head fast. Even worse is that the SS admin’s long term deficit estimates are based on US fertility rates dramatically climbing back to replacement in the near future — a prediction no one can still believe. The actual shortfall is shaping up to be much greater.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@avidseries The worst part for me has been the recent trend to wish people “Happy Pride” at random in June. I’ve had obviously straight people wish me, another straight person going about their regular business, “Happy Pride”, like some sort of involuntary incantation.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

I would be very interested in seeing an analysis of how illness and death rates at the residential schools by decade compared to orphanages, boarding schools, etc., for non-native children in Canada or Britain. I have seen comparisons to the general Canadian population, but not to other children who were living in dorms or to the strata of the general population who were low income.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@cremieuxrecueil Are these doctorates self-identified attainment in some datasets? Someone with a low IQ may not be entirely reliable, to say nothing of basic data entry errors.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

@avidseries *whose property had all been seized by the Soviets, told me, “I cannot take it anymore. How is an army looting rich people’s stuff worthy of a movie?”

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

While I think Ron Unz has gone a bit far off the mark in his Holocaust claims, his analysis of how the Holocaust was very little discussed in print, press or film in the first 15-20 years after the war, then suddenly become a central theme of WWII in the 70s, is thought-provoking. I would not have guessed that none of the very lengthy memoirs of the Allied leaders written after the war even mention it, for example. I don’t think he made any connection with the new prominence of Israel and its conflicts with the interest in the subject, but there may be something to that.

There was definitely a period where the number Holocaust related films and TV because almost comical. I recall when the Woman in Gold came out (the tail end of the surge), my grandmother, while property had all been seized

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

I will also an avid reader in high school and had top marks in English class - a class which I hated. The reason was exactly what you describe here. We spent our time glacially moving through novels hunting for examples of literary devices. “What is an example of foreshadowing in this chapter?” “Can you find the onomatopoeia?” It really sucks the life out of a book and far more time was devoted to the effort than seemed necessary to understand those terms.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

Honestly, I think the 65+ group would be even more strongly against it if they all understood what the debate was even about. It is very clear talking to older people that many really don’t understand what transgender means, have no idea what “medical treatment” constitutes transitioning and have the admittedly confusing terminology completely backwards (eg, think a “transwoman” is a woman who dresses like a man) It’s one of those issues where the more you learn the more you oppose it.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

A little discussed implication of the very long green card lines for visa holders from India, China, etc., is that it has completely put the brakes on chain migration from major countries. This has has kept the average quality of these immigrants high and avoided some of the diaspora problems seen elsewhere. The contrast between the US and Canada in this regard, especially Indian immigration, is instructive. Despite the "points system" Canadian immigration drifted to increasing family-based entry as points based immigrants rapidly become citizens (you can apply 3 years after arriving) then sponsor extended family. The points system is effective at cutting out the really low value immigration candidates that Europe is plagued with, but doesn't seem to be very good at distinguishing talent. H1-Bs are on average higher quality immigrants than Canadian points based entries even with all the issues of body shops bringing in run-of-the-mill IT workers. Tech companies in the US have at least some idea which universities abroad mean something and how to evaluate their transcripts. The Canadian government just says, "bachelor degree from somewhere U: Check!" If the US ever moved to a points system, I would expect it to be equally unnuanced and would probably lower the quality of employment based immigration.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

True, but the state of CA already funds an entire system of schools for students who aren’t prepared for university studies: community colleges. So now the entire UC system is to replicate all of the remedial courses (down to middle school) of community colleges at higher expense (passed on to these students as extra years at higher tuition)! Plus the remedial students are taking up places of students with greater aptitude who have been driven out-of-state. Maybe they should admit these unprepared students then quietly send them down to the local community college to shape up (like a sports league sending their draftees down to the farm team). They get called up when they can get 1300 on the SAT.

[Random Lurker @myisonly]

I also wonder if long term retention may be better when this type of fact memorization is imparted at a younger age. Sort of how a second language is learned more easily as a kid. Personally, I have bizarrely good recall of facts learned in elementary school, even trivia that I have had no occasion to revisit for decades (eg, names of a bunch dinosaurs, which rocks are igneous). Conversely, I completely forgot that I taken entire courses at university until I recently was looking at an old transcript).