Oct 22

NJ Type Stuff

Posted on October 22, 2021 by quoderat

I’ve seen quite a few money laundering fronts like this. One was even in a building where I worked — a hair salon that was open sporadic hours and never had any customers.

Also, when I had to be in NJ for a work engagement one time, I walked into a restaurant near my hotel and saw a bunch of sketchy-looking but well-dressed dudes hanging around. I noticed there were no other customers, nodded at the sketchy guys and walked right on out. Obvious front. I believe they were Russian, though, not Italian.

I didn’t feel in danger, and I am sure someone would’ve made me some kind of food. But it wouldn’t have been worth a damn most likely. So I went elsewhere.

Oct 21

Set On

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

I wish there were some setting for email that was, “If you’re sending me anything about any online or virtual conference, don’t fucking bother.”

Oct 21

Downrising

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

A 30-Year Campaign to Control Drug Prices Faces Yet Another Failure.

Dems are useless. Trump won’t even need a coup to win in 2024. He’ll do it fair and square. Pretty much set in stone, I’d say. Trump doesn’t deserve to win, but the fucking worthless Dems sure do deserve to lose.

Oct 21

High Traffic

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

Given the frequency with which you guys all encounter traffickers at your cafes and salons and the rarity with which they actually successfully land child sales I am forced to conclude that this is another flippin MLM. https://t.co/Ebd1PYjbIZ

— Laura Robinson (@LauraRbnsn) October 20, 2021

This is a really strange and interesting phenomenon, how many white mostly upper-middle-class women that most traffickers would not want to be anywhere near believe they are “almost trafficked” 3-4 times a week.

This is a progressive version of conspiracy theorizing, I believe. It makes one feel important and desirable. (“I’m so lovely and wonderful traffickers try to take me all the time.”) It’s also quite pitiful and sad and is another bit of data that makes me wonder how we’ve managed to go so wrong as a society.

Oct 21

DS10

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

What's amazing is that pre-2015 or so, "the deep state" was a pretty uncontroversial, run-of-the-mill poli sci concept. What turned it into an off-limits "conspiracy theory" was Bannon's use of it as a bogeyman. That's it.

The press gave Bannon this power over language. https://t.co/6PTbTcr0Fb

— jonstokes.com (@jonst0kes) October 8, 2021

True. The term “Deep State” became verboten when Bannon and Trump started using it. Prior to that it was a very common and accepted term and thought structure oft-discussed by the very people who later labeled it a conspirary theory.

Of course there is a deep state. In any long-lived nation there always is, without exception.

Oct 21

Not the Best Airline

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

Quants are weird, man. They are the only people in the world who will deny their own lived experiences (if they crawl out of their cave at all) in favor of the “data.”

“I’m not starving, some government report says there is plenty of food!” I think these types are the source of a lot of the anti-human sentiment.

Oct 21

Shelve the BS

Posted on October 21, 2021 by quoderat

Since we have been hearing news outlets endlessly touting the empty shelves and supply chain crisis, I thought I would look at the data.

— Dean Baker (@DeanBaker13) October 16, 2021

What the hell happened to Dean Baker? I guess everyone is wrong sometimes, but all he has to do is go to a fucking store to see that he is full of bullshit.

I’ve been to grocery stores lately where entire shelves are empty. Just not a thing on them. Other stores have similar shortages. Why do these “data” types never believe any real-world evidence and only what their usually-bogus quantifications tell them?

This is a persistent problem with academics, even ones that I like. But just because I like you doesn’t mean I won’t call BS when you’re spouting it. That’s why I am such a popular guy.

Oct 21