The unimportant news thread

[Todd]

Headline of the day: Airport Locked Down After Anti-Aircraft Ammunition Discovered

[Todd]

From the BBC: Chinese garlic is a national security risk, says US senator

You can't make this shit up.

[Karl Henning]

In the Stock Market, Don't Buy and Sell. Just Hold.

    I would put it differently such that one should Always Be Buying.



I'd be happier knowing a way of beating the market regularly, of course. I'd rather be a stellar performer, not an average one.

But, as it turns out, striving to be average is probably a wise choice. Just match the market returns; don't try to beat the market by buying and selling at moments that seem like great opportunities. You're likely to hurt yourself.

    That's right. Don't beat the market, own it.

Invest, rather than gamble.

[Karl Henning]

Interesting!  I'll have to check out the article.

PD

Call me when they've identified the Black Dog ....

[Karl Henning]

I'd be willing to spend a lot more that $31 per day if I could work in an office.

It can help with work/life balance.

[Karl Henning]

If only the "genius" Musk would concentrate on product rather than wanking on "X...."

Tesla drivers run Autopilot where it's not intended — with deadly consequences

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

A futbol/soccer referee was punched to the ground by a club president.


https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67688071

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

ChatGPT did not increase cheating in high schools, Stanford researchers find.


https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/13/tech/chatgpt-did-not-increase-cheating-in-high-schools/index.html?utm_source=business_ribbon

[DavidW]

ChatGPT did not increase cheating in high schools, Stanford researchers find.


https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/13/tech/chatgpt-did-not-increase-cheating-in-high-schools/index.html?utm_source=business_ribbon

English department here saw a spike last spring and then settled down.  It hasn't really been an issue this fall.  AI was the theme for professional development this semester.  It can be surprisingly transformative when used right.

[Todd]

The Growing Risk of Global Disorder

As anyone who reads Mr El-Erian's regular posts and articles will know, this is fairly dire coming from him. 

[Todd]

Misleading but fun story from AFP via Barron's: Inflation Forces Turkey's Central Bank Chief To Move In With Parents

[Todd]

El-Sissi wins Egypt's presidential election with 89.6% of the vote and secures third term in office

Whew, that was close!

(If one reads the URL, one sees that AP groups this news story with the Gaza War, in yet another example of how awful the corporate press has become.)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Three gun-wielding thieves in Colorado allegedly robbed a cheque-cashing business, but, before they could escape, a fourth person stole their getaway car, police said.

Commerce City police arrested two of three suspects on Saturday, describing the series of events as "an unexpected and ironic twist".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67752007

PD

[Todd]

Hyperloop, Elon Musk's Pipe Dream, Bites the Dust

Spot the flaw in this headline and article.  I suppose it's one better than one promoted LinkedIn story, which explicitly stated Musk owned Hyperloop One.

[JBS]

El-Sissi wins Egypt's presidential election with 89.6% of the vote and secures third term in office

Whew, that was close!

(If one reads the URL, one sees that AP groups this news story with the Gaza War, in yet another example of how awful the corporate press has become.)

Egypt has a border with Gaza that it won't open for refugees from the war, its Muslim Brotherhood has ties with Hamas (part of the reason it won't open the border for them, over and above the question of whether Israel would let them back in).

So the AP is being sensible.

[Todd]

Egypt has a border with Gaza that it won't open for refugees from the war, its Muslim Brotherhood has ties with Hamas (part of the reason it won't open the border for them, over and above the question of whether Israel would let them back in).

So the AP is being sensible.

People can and do rationalize anything.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Japan to send Patriot missiles to US which may aid Ukraine.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67798740

[Todd]

Japan to send Patriot missiles to US which may aid Ukraine.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67798740

This doesn't even rate as too little, too late for Ukraine.  It is, however, a convenient pretext for Japan to adopt a more militaristic industrial and foreign policy to continue to build up to take on China - with the US, of course.  This may also mean that it is a good time to add MHVYF to the daily/weekly watchlist.

[JBS]

This doesn't even rate as too little, too late for Ukraine.  It is, however, a convenient pretext for Japan to adopt a more militaristic industrial and foreign policy to continue to build up to take on China - with the US, of course.  This may also mean that it is a good time to add MHVYF to the daily/weekly watchlist.

MHVYF? What is that?

[AnotherSpin]

This doesn't even rate as too little, too late for Ukraine.  It is, however, a convenient pretext for Japan to adopt a more militaristic industrial and foreign policy to continue to build up to take on China - with the US, of course.  This may also mean that it is a good time to add MHVYF to the daily/weekly watchlist.

What's too late? At the end of the second year of the war, Ukraine stands undefeated. Russia has not achieved any of the goals stated in February 2022, so it is losing this war every day. Also keep in mind that Russia has almost always been much more successful in Europe. In recent history, the horde has only been adequately repulsed by the Finns in 1939 or the Poles in 1921. After WW2 the Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, Romanians, etc. managed to resist for a few days or at most months.