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Comment Re:Wow... (Score 1) 60

First Street very likely doesn't have some magic model that can predict the future better than anyone else.

When you get a mortgage you have to pay for a flood survey. Even my house 700' above the village where the bank is.

Your flood risk is absolutely predicted by the flood history of your location. The bank writing the mortgage has the skin in the game which is why they make the buyer pay for the flood survey.

It sounds like First Street might be liable for damages based on pseudoscience if these Realtors bring a case. It would be interesting to see them present solid evidence that they prospectively beat the existing flood models and survive a cross-examination.

If they've published a peer-reviewed paper then I missed it.

Comment Re:If you want to do business (Score 3, Funny) 40

Cheaper to just pay the bribes.

In America it's known as K-street. Or "donating" to an Inauguration Gala. Or hosting a high court judge in a European palace for a couple of weeks. Or giving decision makers absurd private sector salaries when they 'retire'. Or giving the Governor's wife a $200K no-show job. Pick your branch, there's a way.

In India the system is less formal.

Comment Re: One silly law causes problems (Score 1) 63

I've seen videos of these waymo lots and it is far and away the most idiotic system designed by people who are probably rather intelligent.

The problem is insisting that a charging depot for autonomous cars should look and behave as a traditional car park. It should be a fully enclosed garage, to keep out the rifraff, with a palletized racking system. When there is vacancy, the car would be signaled to drive onto the pallet, and the robot in the garage slots it into an available spot, silently. When the charge is complete, the car is put back out to the road and oriented such that it doesn't need to back out.

It could be built underground, above ground or adjacent to a traditional car garage. The neighborhood would be insulated from equipment noise, car noise, and it would occupy a fraction of the real estate.

Comment Re:Well, of course. (Score 2) 87

I grew up in a poor family that qualified for free school lunches as a result. I put myself through college because my parents couldn't afford *any* of my tuition or room and board. I started with nothing, and worked my way to the upper-middle class. Nobody, no government, gave it to me, I got myself there.

Government didn't give you those free school lunches? Also, if you were that poor, you would have qualified for college tuition assistance - if you didn't take it, that's on you. I'm sure. if you think about things a little more, you'll find many "liberal" programs helped you along the way to "getting there yourself" -- many programs that Democrats want to fund and Republicans don't.

I also don't think your characterization that liberals believe people are stuck as haves or have-nots, or that conservatives believe all things are fluid and self-determined is accurate. For example, plenty of red-states receive assistance ultimately provided by blue states. Republicans want to cut funding for many assistance programs supported by Democrats. Conservatives often do this under the guise of eliminating "fraud, waste and abuse" though they usually can't document much of that.

You will never find conservative influencers yammering about the "ruling class" just as you'll never find liberal influencers complaining about "woke." Prove me wrong!

Elon Musk . He's been all over the place on both sides, voting both Democrat and Republican, was woke, but not anymore, definitely part of the ruing class. Granted, one could argue it's part of a progression, but still a dichotomy to some extent. Also, in the same vein to some extent over time, Trump.

We do agree that, in the long run anyway, employers that just want dumb employees aren't doing themselves any favors.

Anyway, best wishes...

Comment Re:Well, of course. (Score 1) 87

The phrase "ruling class" ...

I get your points, but I simply used it for lack of something better coming to mind quickly about people who are literally in charge of - aka ruling - things -- like the rich, politicians and politically connected. I'll note that those in the "ruling class" and those who are "woke" aren't mutually exclusive, as your imply; it's not a Left vs. Right; Trump(ist) vs. Others thing. It's more of a Haves vs. Have-Nots thing with the former always wanting more and them not caring if the latter have less. Though I'd remind the former that usually only works for so long - ask the French aristocracy about how that went.

Some (many? most?) employers want some employees to be critical, independent thinkers with the rest/bulk just doing and believing what they're told and staying put. That's good for the employers, but not necessarily for the employees. Pretty sure this isn't a surprise. More AI and dumber workers will help with that.

Comment Dimming the Sun (Score 1) 51

spraying millions of tons of dust into the atmosphere

Actually, my first thought from the title was "dimmer switch", which made me think of this Steven Wright joke.

In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything.
Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check.
Yesterday, I got a call from a woman in Madagascar. She said, "Cut it out."

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