Naimisha Forest
Two Epidemics in Three Chinas
Emperor Renzong, Xi Jinping’s ‘Party-State,’ and democratic Taiwan
As the coronavirus pandemic that began in China makes its way among us, with a modest cough and a friendly handshake, it brings to my bookish mind another epidemic in that 
country, the one that sets in motion the classic Chinese novel “The Outlaws of the Marsh.” That was in the reign of Emperor Renzong (AD 1022-1063), the . . .
Twitter Suggests...
No political bias here, you think?
The other day I at last forced back my terror and signed up for Twitter. I reckon if I stay quiet, lie low, and wag my tail submissively I won't be "doxxed," humiliated, have my life destroyed; get hunted down, disemboweled and eaten on the hot, asphalt pavement by a pack of mad dog SJWs.
To help me on my way, Twitter kindly offered . . .
The strange birth and death of "Fake News"
Do you wonder why you'd never heard about 'fake news' till late in the 2016 election campaign, when, suddenly, apparently overnight, the American big media pack took up the danger that 'fake news' poses for American democracy?
How did that happen? Here is a Ted Talk by investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson on the carefully . . .
Personal explorations in price discrimination - 'that's how they getcha!'
The other day I had a post on the growing ability of online businesses to charge customers different prices according to their ability to pay – perfect price discrimination in economists’ jargon. Which led naturally to the question: am I being screwed, and, if so, how badly?
Here are the results of a small . . .
“Plutocratic Insurgency Note No. 7 – Profit Optimization Beyond ‘the Invisible Hand’”
There is an enjoyably agitated article in the online ‘Small Wars Journal,’ with the title “Plutocratic Insurgency Note No. 7: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Pricing Software - Profit Optimization Beyond ‘the Invisible Hand.’” The subject is the growing ability of corporations to squeeze more profit out . . .
“19 Things We Learned from the 2016 Election” – I am scared
Statistician Andrew Gelman and political scientist Julia Azari have an interesting discussion paper on “19 Things We Learned from the 2016 Election”. The 19 things are grouped under Nominations and Campaigning, Polling and the News Media, How Voters Make Decisions, and The US Political Environment. Here are a few that . . .
Silicon Valley bosses prostrate before China's closed internet plans
The invaluable, acidic "China Uncensored" comments on the surprise, first-time attendance by big-time Silicon valley bosses - Apple, Google, Facebook - at China's sardonically named 4th World Internet Conference: Developing Digital Economy for Openness and Shared Benefits, which promotes China's highly censored, government-run internet as a . . .
Posted in: chinafree speechinternetsilicon valley
Cover image credit: http://Pinterest
