Author: smartistone

From NPR, The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. AI ,’big tech’, the US economy (in terms of GDP), and the stock market are booming during what is the longest government shutdown ever. Google stock keeps making new highs. Open AI valued at $1 trillion is a given; the question is when.… Continue reading AI and The Government Shutdown

Richard Hanania keeps trying to turn the Groypers into ‘a thing’, writing: Groyperization is the natural endpoint of what the entire Trump era has been about. And there’s no guarantee that it will burn itself out. The combination of Low Human Capital, the decline of gatekeeping, and news as entertainment model is a powerful one.… Continue reading Groyperization on the Decline

A short tribute to Scott Adams On Monday, I will ask President Trump, via X, to help save my life. He offered to help me if I needed it. I need it. As many of you know, I have metastasized prostate cancer. My healthcare provider, Kaiser of Northern California, has approved my application to receive… Continue reading Leave where we last left off

I saw this going viral, Why the Media Is Pro-Trump (yes, you read that right). Richard outdoes himself with this door-stopper of a rant. He’s not even trying to hide his loathing for Trump anymore. The article got 300 ‘likes’, and his brand has grown greatly over the past year as a ‘anti-woke Trump critic’.… Continue reading Hanania’s rewriting of history

It’s been almost 3 years since so-called ‘generative AI’ broke into the public conscious. Commercial products that harness this technology such as Chat GPT, Grok, Gemini, Cursor and Claude have seen widespread adoption. There is no denying at this point that these tools are mainstream. What is much more debatable are the economic implications of… Continue reading The Monetization Trap: When Profits Come at the Expense of Productivity

From Astral Codex Ten “Tech PACs Are Closing In On The Almonds:” In 2019, Scott Alexander posed an interesting question, “Why do wealthy donors and other special interest groups spend relatively little on affecting election outcomes, when there is so much more potentially at stake?” In my 2019 post Too Much Dark Money In Almonds,… Continue reading Almonds and Bitcoin: Way Too Soon to Declare Victory for Crypto Donors

Few areas has more misconceptions or myths than pertaining to fitness or exercise. For example, it’s commonly assumed that sumo wrestlers are exceptionally strong and muscular. To the contrary, they only appear that way because their mass generates momentum when performing throwing or pushing moves. Another area of confusion or controversy is bulking. Bulking is… Continue reading Bulking, Metabolism, and Selection Effects

With Reddit set to report third quarter earnings on October 30th, here are some suggestions to improve the site. One, doing something about the excessive use of automated filters. On many popular subs, it’s close to impossible to prevent your posts from being filtered. What is the point of having moderators when the actual job… Continue reading Suggestion to Fix Reddit

A common argument is that flaunting or bragging about one’s intelligence signifies insecurities about being seen as unintelligent. This notion is not just limited to the blank-slate Left, but I have seen it among some on Right as well. The typical argument is along the lines of, “If you’re truly smart, it will be self… Continue reading Against IQ Modesty

1. Great article by Sebastian Jensen, “The illusory difference between sincerity and irony.” When people are being sincere, they do what reflects their thoughts and emotional state. Getting mad when the sports team loses. Claiming to enjoy foods that you enjoy. This opens people up to being vulnerable, being attacked for things that are linked… Continue reading The daily view 10/21/2025: Irony, AI bubble, AI-book flop, Autism, and Covid