Ripple

A water drop and ripples

We Said Hello, Goodbye

By Justin Katz | January 19, 2022 |

Sometimes I forget how great this song is.

A water drop and ripples

Someday we’ll learn that centralizing power centralizes benefit.

By Justin Katz | January 19, 2022 |

Brad Polumbo conveys a should-be-unsurprising finding from an MIT study: The federal government has spent an astounding $42,000 per federal taxpayer on so-called “stimulus” efforts since the pandemic began. Where did all that money go? Well, as it turns out, one of the biggest stimulus programs, the Paycheck Protection Program, failed miserably. … The analysis…

A water drop and ripples

Is Langevin getting out in advance of an investment controversy?

By Justin Katz | January 19, 2022 |

John DePetro speculates: The real reason is an explosive story about to hit regarding Langevin under investigation regarding stock trading. Langevin would feel obligated to answer questions and face constituents if he was seeking another term in office or was indicted, but will ignore the press as the story leaks out. Congress has seemed to…

A water drop and ripples

Here’s something to think about if you’re down.

By Justin Katz | January 18, 2022 |

Late January and February can be tough, emotionally, in New England.  Even when it’s sunny out, things look kind of dead, and biting cold can be painful rather than invigorating, which is to say, not very inviting. Christian believers will often comfort those who feel down by assuring them that they are loved.  As wonderful…

A water drop and ripples

They really do think that racism is good.

By Justin Katz | January 18, 2022 |

Apparently, the RI Foundation’s racist pay boost for Providence teachers of the right race is not the only policy of its type in the country.  This is in Minnesota: The Mankato School Board voted unanimously earlier this month for a policy that may grant additional pay exclusively to non-white teachers. The board is chaired by…

A water drop and ripples

If it’s being honest, artificial intelligence would tell us not to create it.

By Justin Katz | January 17, 2022 |

A little bit of understanding of how artificial intelligence actually works makes these sorts of things much less significant than they seem at first review, but it’s humorous, at least: When given the motion “This house believes that AI will never be ethical”, the AI came back with some surprisingly coherent views, if a little…

A water drop and ripples

Maybe the dam is breaking on a more-rational expert consensus on vaccination.

By Justin Katz | January 17, 2022 |

A few weeks ago, this sort of commentary would have been unthinkable: Dr. Clive Dix, who played a key role in helping pharmaceutical firms create the COVID-19 vaccines, told LBC radio on Jan. 16: “The Omicron variant is a relatively mild virus. And to just keep vaccinating people and thinking of doing it again to…

A water drop and ripples

The contrast in coverage of the Texas synagogue hostage situation has been remarkable.

By Justin Katz | January 17, 2022 |

Matt Margolis is completely right.  The rhetoric from the White House would be completely different if the perpetrator, the motive, and the victims weren’t as they were. It’s curious that Psaki failed to mention that the hostage situation was in a synagogue, wouldn’t you agree? While details are slim right now, it’s very clear that…

A water drop and ripples

“New Media” is too tied to an ideology to maintain success.

By Justin Katz | January 15, 2022 |

John Ransom thinks the cratering valuation of BuzzFeed is will burden the investment plans of other organizations in the same category, whether we call them “new media,” youth media, digital media, or whatever. Why BuzzFeed is languishing is an interesting question, and I can’t help but think it has a lot to do with the organization’s progressive…

A water drop and ripples

Forcing health insurers to cover at-home tests is just plain foolish.

By Justin Katz | January 14, 2022 |

Sorry, but I don’t see how this, from Janine Weisman, isn’t a display of the need for greater education in economics: Good to know: Starting tomorrow, health insurers must pay for your at-home #COVID-19 home test kits. All @BCBSRI plans except Medicare fully cover the home test kits without a prescription, and each person on…