Newmark's Door

"The Hurricane Helene Hall of Shame"

When you tell me that FEMA and the federal government are not helping the victims of Helene I'm not surprised: I don't expect much from federal government disaster relief. (One could reasonably question why the federal--as opposed to state and local governments--should be involved in disaster relief at all.)

But when there are many reports that federal "assistance" is actively blocking relief efforts and further hurting the victims that sets a record-breaking new low. Here's one report. Here's a report that this is a problem that has some history. Here's a speculation about why (other usual government incompetence). And another speculation.

"Sex worker with economics degree reveals why she predicts another US recession"

No need for Ivy League PhDs anymore, this young woman has a key insight:

OnlyFans model Amelia Lynne, who calls herself the 'bimbo in business,' told DailyMail.com that she believes the US is headed for another recession because of how much the sex work industry has slowed down.

 

"Here’s How Bad China’s Economy Really Is. Can It Be Fixed?"

One reason macroeconomic forecasting is so difficult these days: what China does affects a lot and what China does is darn difficult to predict.

"How to Make Social Security Reform a Winning Campaign Issue"

As the author notes this was a good idea at one time. But that time may well have passed: it's still a cut in real benefits and if you don't think that will raise an unholy stink you've got another guess coming.

"Is Washington Distorting the Numbers?"

Like the author I hope these are "innocent errors". 

Here may be one reason for the problem: "Response Rates Declining".

"After Millions of Dollars Spent and Hundreds of New Lane Miles Built, Bike Ridership Is Down Across America"

"Despite spending millions of dollars on hundreds of miles of bikeways, American cities are seeing a big drop in the number of people who pedal their way to work."

"How Jennie the golden retriever is taking Westminster by storm"

A nice story.

". . . if football is art then that is the Monet shot! Get rid of your wee Mona Lisa and put that in the Louvre!"

I watch some British soccer and I'm impressed with how much the British announcers add to the games. But heaven it must have been to hear Scottish announcers calling games for the Scottish national team.

Another bit.

A full ten-minute dose.

"OMG!! She absolutely nailed it!"

Grade-schooler belts out one of Re-Re's signature songs.

"The 9 Rules Of Star Trek, And NOT The Prime Directive"

Argument for the things that made Star Trek work.

"Can't You See"

The Marshall Tucker Band.

"5 Best Drummers Of All Time, According To Music Experts"

"The memory of John Bonham, fueled by fact and fantasy, has since grown to become legend. But the reality is, Bonham was every bit as good as they say. He was the man with the golden groove, the sensational chops, and that great, big sound."

"Baby I'm a Star"

Prince.

"The rudest city in the US might not be where you think it is . . ."

I expect the Big Apple will demand a recount.

"Indiana’s Worthwhile Academic Experiment"

Good on the Hoosiers. But not that this is simply correcting a previous mistake.

"adults always know better"

The look on the granddaughter's face is one for the scrapbook.

"The top 4 states where the most young and rich Americans are moving to"

North Carolina is on the list. (As always I say y'all come, but pay for your roads and schools.)

Two on heart disease

"Why Insulin Resistance Is The Biggest Silent Risk Factor For Heart Disease."

"Why Measuring ApoB Is The Key To Preventing Heart Disease".

"Ophthalmologists reveal what you need to know before cataract surgery"

I hope we don't need this information, but we might: "By age 80 over half of all Americans have cataracts."

"Cosmology Is at a Tipping Point"

"For the past few years, a series of controversies have rocked the well-established field of cosmology. In a nutshell, the predictions of the standard model of the universe appear to be at odds with some recent observations."

"Helene and other storms dumped a whopping 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South"

"If it was concentrated just on the state of North Carolina that much water would be 3.5 feet deep (more than 1 meter). It's enough to fill more than 60 million Olympic-size swimming pools."

"Class-action lawsuit or consumer scam? $62M Google payout the latest outrage"

Hard to believe or par for the course in 2024: you decide.

When Google paid $62 million to settle that lawsuit, the class action lawyers gave themselves $18 million — and then gave $43 million to their favorite nonprofits.

"life in pixels Sept. 25, 2024 Drowning in Slop: A thriving underground economy is clogging the internet with AI garbage — and it’s only going to get worse."

The crisis du jour.

Generative AI as a technology exists in this lineage. That it can create adequate texts and images is an astonishing leap forward in machine learning, but the texts and images are still only adequate, “good enough” and cheap enough for people to thumb past on their phones. Slop is the most appropriate word for what it produces because, as disgusting and unappetizing as it may seem, we still eat it. It’s what’s right there in the trough.

"This is interesting."

Noted economist Jason Furman notes "Public Opinion on Corporate Profits": what people think is a "reasonable" profit as a percentage of sales, what people estimate corporate profits are, and what they actually are.

"Congress Let Thieves Steal HOW MUCH in COVID Relief?"

I don't know--is half a trillion a lot?

Related: "New Report Details Lessons from Massive Pandemic Unemployment Fraud" and "'Mind-boggling': Billions gone and little to show for it years after rampant COVID fraud".

"Why did it take four years to debunk the black baby study?"

You might remember reading about a study which concluded black newborns attended by a white physician suffer a “mortality penalty” and are twice as likely to die. It was covered by, among others, the Washington Post, USA Today, and Science News. It was cited by Supreme Court Justice Jackson in the 2023 affirmative action case. 

Adding one variable to the analysis seems to overturn the conclusion.