From Pine View Farm

Mammon category archive

This New Gilded Age 0

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Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

I commend to your attention Harry Shearer’s interview with Gary Marcus on this week’s episode of Le Show about AI and Silicon Valley’s reckless over-hyping of its capabilities.

The interview starts at about the 28 minute mark and lasts a little less than half an hour.

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The Privatization Scam 0

And it is indeed a scam.

You can voucher on it.

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Twits Own Twitter X Offenders 0

While we’re on the subject . . . .

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The Common Good The Me-Me-Me Generation 0

Goat:  Which of the two candidates are you gonna vote for?  Rat:  That guy on the right.  His policies benefit me most.  Goat:  Yes, but isn't there any philanthropy in you?  I mean, don't you ever think about the greater good:  Rat:  Yes.  What's greater for me is good.  Goat:  Suddenly I'm in favor of voter suppression.  Rat:  Sounds like I've been a philanthropist for years.

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The Sure Thing 0

New Jersey gambling regulators have levied a $33,000 fine on sports betting company bet365 for taking wagers on events in which the outcome was already known, and on games that were not approved for betting.

Read the full story for the details.

Aside:

The reason you are seeing so many commercials urging you to install gambling apps on your “device” is simple.

In the long run, you lose.

Gambling* is a mug’s game, and they’re hoping you volunteer to be the mug.

_____________________

*I’ll make exceptions for friendly wagers between friends (he said redundantly) and for playing the ponies. If you know what you are doing, you can do okay playing the ponies. My late ex-father-in-law certainly did very nicely at the OTB. Indeed, thanks to his tutelage on how to read the racing forms, I once hit an exacta at Delaware Park.

Come to think of it, that’s the last time I went to the horse races.

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Russian Impulses 0

(Warning: Short commercial at the end.)

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Robert Reich hears a rhyme.

Or you can read the transcript.
______________

*Mark Twain.

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A Self Made-Up Man 0

Mrs. Betty Bowers explodes the myth that Donald Trump is a successful businessperson.

Rather, she makes it clear that what he is successful at is giving others the business.

(The Youtube page lists sources for the facts cited in this report.)

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The Land Grabber and the Whistleblower 0

And both of them are Florida Men.

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Tip for Tat 0

Methinks my old Philly DL friend Noz may have sniffed out the subterfuge.

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The Crypto Con 0

Emma talks with Andrew Chow, technology correspondent at Time Magazine, about the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX and crypto in general.

This is well-worth a listen, as it busts a lot of crypto myths.

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Restrained of Trade 0

Two men at a bar.  Man One:  I had it all, then, poof! my telemarketing business was gone.  Man Two: Oh, my.  Man One:  Now I'll be on disability for the rest of my life.  Man TwoP  Gee, that's rough.  So what put you disability?  A car wreck?  Man One:  No.  Worse.  Much worse.  I grew a conscience.  Man Two, looking towards barkeep:  Check, please.

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The Privatization Scam 0

And it is a scam.

You can voucher on it.

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A Trumpled Crypto Con 0

What can I say?

Grifters gotta grift.

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What You Watch Is Watching You 0

From Ars Technica, via Bruce Schneier:

Over the past few years, TV makers have seen rising financial success from TV operating systems that can show viewers ads and analyze their responses. Rather than selling as many TVs as possible, brands like LG, Samsung, Roku, and Vizio are increasingly, if not primarily, seeking recurring revenue from already-sold TVs via ad sales and tracking.

Scary details at the link.

Aside:

And people fret about government surveillance . . . .

Methinks corporate surveillance is much more dangerous.

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This New Gilded Age 0

At Above the Law, Joe Patrice notes that, in real estate price-fixing management company RealPage’s own words, the price-fix was in.

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The Crypto Con 0

I guess a life-long con artist just can’t resist the temptation, even if he be a bit late to the game.

No doubt, though, he will find plenty of pigeons in his flock.

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Loan Sharks 0

I notice that, when student loans are discussed, it is seldom noted that the price of college has skyrocketed while middle-class income has stagnated over the past 40 years of this new gilded age.

Mother Goose:  Is your son going to college?  Friend:  No.  He convinced us to give him the money college would cost, and then he retired.

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Gauging the Gouge in This New Gilded Age 0

Sam and the crew reveal the market farces used to rationalize greedflation.

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