Briggs

The Second & Third Most Depressing Graphs: The Encroachment Of Government

Update This stays top for today because we're still waiting for some regulars to chime in and because I'm busy. Here is federal government spending as a fraction of the…

Culture Statistics

The Most Depressing Graph: Per Capita Federal Spending Rises Alarmingly: Update

There is no more saddening picture of the progress of government than this one (the second & third most depressing graphs are here): This is the amount of money the…

Fun Statistics

Best Movie Oscar Prediction Via Statistical Modeling: Update, The Model Wins

Update I humbly accept your congratulations. Argo will win Oscar for Best Picture, according to our non-patented, statistically significant almost-mathematical computer model. The key reasons for its victory will be:…

Fun Statistics

Science Proves Farting On Airplanes, Exposing Buttocks To Sun Healthy

According to the latest in medical science, I sat next or near to an exceptionally healthy individual on my last flight. My keen olfactory senses alerted me that a fellow…

Fun

Global warming causes prostitution!

Update Moved up to allow comments. Originally posted November 2009. The Beaujolais nouveau (just got in my case for this year) shot out my nose when I saw this, the…

Book review Philosophy

Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism

Note: I do not own the book discussed below. I refuse to pay for it (it's $95!). If any well-off reader has a copy he would like to donate, then…

Culture

David Daley, Salon Executive Editor, Is A Racist

David Daley is a racist. A racist judges people based on their race. Racism is loathsome. It is vile. Daley, the exceedingly white executive editor of Salon magazine, judges people…

Philosophy Statistics

The Philosophy of Data

Writes David Brooks (from whom I filched the title): [T]he rising philosophy of the day...is data-ism. We now have the ability to gather huge amounts of data. This ability seems…

hudbwu on Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady AcademicJune 20, 2026
We they're certainly re-inventing. Promises kept, I guess. Also, I can't escape thinking this is what the mice and rats…
hudbwu on The Ultimate IQ Test: Guessing the Author’s Mind and Escaping the Infinity of AnswersJune 20, 2026
ObvIOusLy, the correct formula for the triangles at the start is (upper_left + upper_right) * upper_left , which gives us…
Andras Kuthi on Truly Random Numbers Found?June 19, 2026
Contemplate that Epstein won the New Mexico lottery...so much for randomly generated numbers.
Rich on Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady AcademicJune 18, 2026
Perhaps she and her friends would accept being paid according to the indigenous mathematics of crows who can, apparently, count…
Cary D Cotterman on Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady AcademicJune 17, 2026
Lunatics like this Kather are well-paid and get great benefits for putting out hooey like that. People pay a lot…