“Look, I hope everybody’s realized by now, these masks make a difference,” said President Joe Biden in response to the lifting of mask mandates in Texas and Mississippi. “[T]he last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that [as vaccines roll out], everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters.” Biden’s statement abandons “the science” in at least two ways.
Tag: science
That Old Minimum-Wage Magic
You don’t have to actually think that legislating and raising the minimum wage will help low-skilled workers earn more money. That’s not the point. The point is to display your correct political religion.
The Wisdom of Knowing When to Keep Quiet
These days it feels like it’s hard for most people to have pleasant social interactions with others who “believe” differently.
Politicians Responsible for Much Loss
It’s so nice of New Mexico’s political overlords to allow businesses to re-open a bit — until they change their minds again. We should gather in the frozen fields and sing hymns to their glory. Wearing two or three masks each, obviously. If you don’t praise the bully when he beats you slightly less, you’re ungrateful.
The Cult of Covid
In spite of the craziness, the Branch Covidians have gone mainstream– pushing their religion from the media and government buildings– and it’s bizarre.
Teachers Unions Continue To Block School Reopenings Across America
Research has found that “reopening decisions have more to do with influence from teachers’ unions than safety concerns.”
Orthogonality
One of my favorite words is orthogonality — perhaps because it is found only rarely. I owe my ownership of the word to my mentor from Kentucky State University, Dr. Terry Magel, formerly head of the Computer Science program.
Up To You To Make 2021 Better
If 2020 wasn’t the best year, look in the mirror to see who’s responsible for making 2021 better.
Spreading Enlightenment Ideas Beyond Borders
An interview with Faisal Saeed Al Mutar.
Social Desirability Bias vs. Tourism
Economically speaking, there’s a straightforward win-win case for these Mexican resorts: Not only do they make the tourists happier; they make the Mexicans happier by providing them with better opportunities than they have elsewhere in the Mexican economy. If you reconsider this verdict through the distorted lens of Social Desirability Bias, though, a radically different picture appears before your eyes. Once you forget economics, you could easily describe the resort experience in the following sordid way.