Mammon category archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Mary McNaughton-Cassill recounts two experiences she had recently when health insurance “AI” bots turned down her claims because, well, they thought they were smarter than her doctors.
Here’s a tiny bit:
It is a distressing read, but methinks a worthwhile one. Go decide for yourself.
Afterthought:
Automating greed does not make it less greedy.
Birds of a Feather 0
Gene Collier, writing at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, sees parallels between two rather dissimilar figures: Donald Trump and Wayne LaPierre, long-time head of the National Rifle Makers Association.
A snippet:
Follow the link for his reasoning.
Medicare Disadvantage 0
When I qualified for Medicare (yeah, I’m old), I made sure to get traditional Medicare, because even back then [mumble] years ago, I knew that “Medicare Advantage” was little more than a con and a scam designed to let insurance companies suckle at the public teat.
And, speaking of insurance companies . . . .
Double Standards and the Double Dealer 0
Isaac Bailey disagrees with Donald Trump’s and the Trumpettes’ claims that he is a victim of a double standard. Rather, argues Bailey, Trump has benefited from double standards throughout his life.
A snippet (emphasis added):
She’s right. Despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing throughout his adult life, only now is Trump being charged or convicted of things such as fraud and being civilly held liable for rape.
Follow the link for context.
“An Assault on Workers” 0
Sam and and labor lawyer Seth Goldstein discuss efforts by plutocrats and billionaires to destroy the NLRB, gut workers’ rights, and return employees to being serfs who labor for their lords.
It’s longish listen, but a worthwhile one.
Medicare Disadvantage 0
Thom and Matthew Cunningham-Cook contemplate the con. (Warning: Some occasional minor audio glitches.)
The Pusher Men 0
Afterthought:
Based on my experience from a lifetime of fighting against being a fat little kid (I was scrawny little kid till I had my tonsils out in second grade, then I became a fat little kid who wore “Sears husky”–remember Sears?), if you want to lose weight, lift weights and ride a bicycle.
It works, it’s fun, and it’s cheap.
Are You Being Served? 0
A local television newsperson describes how he and several of his colleagues were targeted by telephone scammers claiming to be process servers, but who were actually identity thieves.
The story goes on to say that, according to the Better Business Bureau, this scam is one of the hot new things.
Mean Tweets Xecrable Xcretions
0
He had the courage of his evictions.
(I first heard the most appropriate term “Xcretions” on the Start Me Up podcast, one of the five or six podcasts that I listen to regularly.)
The Galt and the Lamers 0
Thom looks at what would happen if Glibertarians got their way.
It’s All about the Benjamins 0
Thom points out that Libertarianism arose from an attempt by real estate firms to stop rent control and that it just doesn’t work in real life.
Aside:
In line with what Thom said. a previous Republican governor of my state leased local transit tunnels to a third party, and it has not worked out well.
He sacrificed the public good for private profit.
As far as I can tell, today’s Republican Party no longer believes in the concept of the public good.
What it believes in is private greed.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
The New York Times reports on a internet user who used “AI” to compose a false and misleading obituary just to get clicks (and advertising revenue), spreading lies and drowning truth along the way.
Just go read it. The “intelligence” may be “artificial,” but the stupid is real.
Once We Had the “Know Nothings.”
Now We Have the “Do Nothings.”
0
Farron discusses Republicans’ refusal to deal with issues.
The Crypto Con 0
Emma and the crew react to a crypto con artist’s claim that God made him do it. Listen to him closely: he’s clearly describing a Ponzi scheme. (Warning: mild language.)
