College as a path of least resistance: why degrees continue to thrive

I saw this tweet going viral. Elon Musk has a low opinion of higher ed, particularly elite colleges: The value of an “elite” college education is not what it used to be — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2024 Unless he means it’s more valuable, the fact that parents are spending so much money on… Continue reading College as a path of least resistance: why degrees continue to thrive

College grads and IQ, now and then: claimed 15-point difference is too high

College grads of decades ago were almost a full standard deviation smarter compared to today’s grads: A few decades ago, the mean IQ of a college grad was about 115. Now it's somewhere between 100 and 102. — i/o (@eyeslasho) February 4, 2024 Based on what? He gives no evidence to substantiate his claim. For… Continue reading College grads and IQ, now and then: claimed 15-point difference is too high

Normies and the GOP

Taylor Swift Democrats: Conservatives are losing the “don’t be weirdos” contest, by Richard Hanania. We can understand Taylor Swift Democrats as men and women comfortable with their birth sex, eager to play the roles traditionally assigned to it, not racist but not feeling particularly guilty about the sins of their country, and who will naturally… Continue reading Normies and the GOP

The Daily View, 1/28/2024: YIMBY-ism, Fast Food, Twitter, etc.

By Noah Smith: In particular, rent has now come down. A report by Realtor.com finds that median rents have fallen for 8 straight months now, caused in part by a boom in new apartment construction. (Yes, it turns out that YIMBYs are right and increasing supply makes housing more affordable.) This is some of the… Continue reading The Daily View, 1/28/2024: YIMBY-ism, Fast Food, Twitter, etc.

The Wegovy Class Divide – Why It’s Not What You Think

The past few years has seen a revolution in highly effective weight loss treatments, namely Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, which originally were used to treat diabetes but have been rebranded and repurposed to treat obesity under such brand names as Wegovy and Zepbound. They are often referred to as “GLP-1 drugs” for their mechanism of action… Continue reading The Wegovy Class Divide – Why It’s Not What You Think

Market update for 2024: a huge start for the year, Bitcoin crashes, and optimism about Trump

2024 is off to a stronger start than even 2023. Everything is going exactly as predicted. It’s one thing to get the general direction right or one or two things, but not everything. Below, META and SVIX, the two I singled out at the start of the year as superstar performers, are up about 8%… Continue reading Market update for 2024: a huge start for the year, Bitcoin crashes, and optimism about Trump

The daily view 1/22/2024: Vivek, IQ, Scolds, and Inactivity and Obesity

This post went slightly viral: In America, a conscientious person with IQ of 92 can become a CDL driver, go to work for Walmart, make 100k+, buy one of the nicer houses in their hometown, and take an annual cruise. https://t.co/ERCmu3uUEw — VB Knives (@Empty_America) January 19, 2024 I think he and the parent tweet… Continue reading The daily view 1/22/2024: Vivek, IQ, Scolds, and Inactivity and Obesity

Blame Recurring Services for Americans Feeling Poorer

Huge reason Americans don't feel wealthy is that a large percent of national wealth is devoted to extreme automobiles. Which are now taken for granted and give no feeling of personal success. An 60-80K SUV or crewcab is just normal now. https://t.co/pCI7Z7R9jy — VB Knives (@Empty_America) January 20, 2024 It’s not the trucks. If Americans… Continue reading Blame Recurring Services for Americans Feeling Poorer