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Category Archives: social science
Uncommon insight
The Saddest Lede on the Internet Today. Says Ric Locke on his new blog. And what was the lede? “Americans believe that the normal state of things is not-violence.” Do you suppose that’s true? That that’s why we … Continue reading
Posted in Blogs, Domestic Politics, Economics, Libertarianism, social science, Synova's Page
5 Comments
Twitter as a Story Telling Medium
Twitter is the social media website that allows users to share updates on their life with others who choose to follow their updates. It’s proved useful for friends to quickly keep in touch, politicians to keep constituents updated on their … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Chris' Page, social science, Technology
Tagged dark tower, ka, katet, randall flagg, roland deschain, stephen king, the stand
2 Comments
Eichmann Endures
Jerry Burger at Santa Clara University, has succeeded in partially replicating Stanley Milgram’s famous social obedience experiment, whereby test subjects torture strangers with electrical shocks when told to do so. Depressingly, mankind appears to remain as obedient to evil as … Continue reading
A New Age of Female Masturbation
Lesbian feminist Lily Tomlin once joked that the only reason cretinous men walked upright was to free their hands for masturbation. Fair enough, but the posture of the lady might soon lack for any better purpose. According to a new … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, social science
Tagged Britain, British women, cheeseburgers, Constitution, Feminism, gender, lesbian feminist, Lily Tomlin, masturbation, Media, poll, self-restraint, sex, sexualized, social conservative, study, survey, women
2 Comments
Playmates during crisis
Does the object of our desire tend to change during tough times? Yes, according to this paper on men’s preferences when it comes to Playboy’s models: Consistent with Environmental Security Hypothesis predictions, when social and economic conditions were difficult, older, … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Lance's Page, social science
Tagged 2008, beauty, body mass, breasts, bust-to-waist ratio, conditional economics, credit crisis, Economics, Environmental Security Hypothesis, facial features, gender, index values, Jayde Nicole, Playboy, playmates, pornography, reproduction, sex, social dynamics, Tyler Cowen, women
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Tibet Simmers
Tibet seems to be ill at ease with the Chinese again. With good reason—the last five decades can be called nothing short of cultural rape. Some of this was partially sparked by an ill-timed outburst from Björk, of all people, … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Race, social science
3 Comments
Assasination and Democracy
The Bayesian Heresy tipped me to a profile of economist Ben Olken, who has published a couple of papers on the effect of political leaders on economic and political development: Olken wonders whether economic development and the path to democratization … Continue reading
“You grew up in freedom, and you can spit on freedom, because you don’t know what it is not to have it.”
For your viewing pleasure, watch Ayaan Hirsi Ali effortlessly dismantle the typical leftist tropes thrown at her in an interview with Avi Lewis (Naomi Klein’s husband). The quote serving as the title comes across as venomously pointed when read, but … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page, Philosophy, social science
Tagged America, Avi Lewis, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, democracy, Domestic Politics, freedom, islam, Netherlands, On The Map, Somalia
4 Comments
Sociology of Love
Yes, from the bird’s eye view, there is a “love market” and you are just a love widget. But let’s take the symbolic interactionist perspective. Relationships are highly customizable. Once you bond with a person, you can make the relationship … Continue reading
People are People
Are you a liberal who foams at the mouth about the immorality of big business? Are you a conservative who rails about giving ten cents to government employees who will waste it or steal it? Turns out you are all … Continue reading
Posted in Peg's Page, social science, Society
Tagged ethics, Ethics Resource Center, government employees
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African wages, high and sticky?
Hat tip: Tyler. Chris Blattman has a conjecture, possibly high wages in Africa are holding back growth: One thing that has always struck me in the African countries I have worked is that the real wages (i.e. wages adjusted for … Continue reading
Posted in Blogs, Developmental economics, Economics, Lance's Page, social science
Tagged Africa, blog, China, Chris Blattman, government, India, NGO's, wages
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Labour regulations in China and India: Economic Freedom in Relief
This is a stunning statistic: …the annual expansion in China’s trade has been larger than India’s total annual trade during last several years. Tyler Cowen hones in on this point, amongst a bounty of good points: The most important factor … Continue reading
Nigerian Virgins Wanted
(photo: enric/baldiri) Nigerian magazine editor Madam Adunni Adediran, is appalled by the decline of traditional moral conduct in her country. In particular she’s concerned about rampant promiscuity and abortions among young women. To combat the trends she’s helped organize a … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page, social science, Society
Tagged Adunni Adediran, Africa, AIDS, college, cure, HIV, Lagos, Nigeria, promiscuity, prostitution, rituals, scholarships, sex, sex slavery, sexuality, virginity
2 Comments
“Apparently, in France, demand curves do not slope downwards”
Megan McArdle comments on a piece in The Economist regarding the appalling state of economics education in France and Germany: When the 35 hour work week was proposed, I was talking to someone in the French consulate who did economics … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Education, Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, social science
Tagged Economics, Education, France, Germany
4 Comments
The paradox of choice
An interesting TED talk on how to many choices are making us miserable. I’ve been seeing more and more people referring to these talks. Everyone I’ve sat through has been interesting in some way.
Posted in Keith's Page, social science, Society
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Milton Friedman vs. Naomi Klein
Happy New Year! To start off the year right, let’s have a look at a mock-up of a debate between Naomi Klein, reporter-activist extraordinaire, and Milton Friedman, king of economic liberty (via Instapundit). This video was put together by Devil’s … Continue reading
News Brief, Cake Parade Edition
Cross-posted to The Conjecturer. Defense & The War What, they’re accused of only murdered 14 people? Let’s see if the White Rabbit can break his weeks-long silence to defend them this time. Well, at least they’ve finally joined the war. … Continue reading
Oh, To Be a Fat Cat
The New York Times has a nice piece on the latest health research on the impact of weight on health. Of course, like most nutrition and weight related research we should approach it with some caution as John Tierney has … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Health Care, Lance's Page, social science, Society
1 Comment
You are slower than the other guy
Have you ever noticed that it often seems as of you are moving slower than the cars in the next lane? Feel as if you would be better off changing lanes? Here is why you feel that way, you are … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, social science
1 Comment
News Brief, Looks Just Like the Sun Edition
Seen first on The Conjecturer Defense & The War Mountain Runner has an excellent post up on how Congress is shirking its duties to rein in the private military corporations the administration will not. But since when has duty or … Continue reading
Housing and the Red State-Blue State Divide
Virginia Postrel makes a point I will be exploring in more detail over the next few months in her latest essay at The Atlantic, the reasons behind the vast disparities in housing prices in our country. More interestingly she … Continue reading
News Brief, Tales of Taboo Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. Defense & The War Finally, after years of occupying their country, we’ve liberated Iraq from the burden of living in fear for collaborating with us. P.W. Singer (again) on the devil’s bargain of PMCs. I like … Continue reading
Cities of Men
I have not touched on the subject of the often hostile turn our culture has taken towards men, especially when it comes to their relationships with children. It is not that I don’t agree that that is a concern, in … Continue reading
Iraq – A Tale of Two Wars
I’m at a loss for explaining these vastly different views. Is it mere political partisanship? Or is it something more fundamental, like having hope and optimism, or dare I say it, faith? How are these views biasing the coverage in … Continue reading
Katrina’s Wake – A Tale of Two Cities – Part II
Thanks Michael for putting that up for me. This site (along with many of my other favorite blogs,) was on the banned list here at work for a while, and we don’t have the internet hooked up at home, having … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Domestic Politics, Keith's Page, social science
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Capitalist Genes (Updated)
Is it possible that a proclivity for capitalism is genetic, and therefore hereditary? At first blush the idea seems preposterous. How can an idea be hereditary? And how can capitalism, which rewards innovation, risk-taking, and creativity, no matter who you … Continue reading
News Brief, Pizazz We’re Gonna Give It To You* Edition
Would much rather be back at The Original Conjecturer. Defense How to make an EFP. The difficulty of sea mines. These two takes on the SCO exercises (covered in sometimes much greater depth here, at Registan.net, and Bonnie Boyd’s Central … Continue reading
Asking The Wrong Question
“Is government the answer?” That’s probably not a question unfamiliar to most readers of ASHC, and it’s not the “wrong question” referred to in the title. In fact, I routinely present my arguments with that question as the implied premise. … Continue reading
I am so enlightened
See, I am too with the new progressive era! You Are 90% Feminist You are a total feminist. This doesn’t mean you’re a man hater (in fact, you may be a man). You just think that men and women should … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Domestic Politics, Lance's Page, social science
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News Brief, Everything Is Everything Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. Defense A look at the operations in Baquba, with entire blocks of booby-trapped houses wired to explode for the troops. These kinds of delays are just what happen in warfare. But it speaks to how the … Continue reading
News Brief, I’m A Wheel Edition
Defense Did you know we have to confirm Czars? The Russians would be a bit taken back. Anyway, Bush’s new redundant War Czar says Iraq is a big mess, so clearly the way to fix it is to distort the … Continue reading
News Brief, Eany Meany Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. Defense Is al-Hurra, the Arabic-language Voice of America satellite channel, nothing more than an al-Jazeera clone? Hardly. One of the reasons Voice of America is as respected as it is was its willingness to broadcast news … Continue reading
News Briefs, Ghost in You Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. I am not posting the rest of the week, as I will be traveling. Defense I really like thinking the best of our guys in uniform. But the demon spawn of our rightwing radio hosts seem … Continue reading
News Brief, My Sundown Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer Defense Are we losing the info war? I think we are, and attacks on al-Hurra for not being propagandistic enough when the channel already faces criticism for exactly that certainly don’t help. We could maybe start … Continue reading
News Brief, Brave New World Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. The Pentagon Ellen Tauscher wants to create a commission to assess the strategic posture of the U.S. This is a good thing, as I’m not really sure why we need thousands of warheads—the Pentagon’s scare mongering … Continue reading
The real problem with “Special Interests” is that they really are not all the special
Bryan Caplan makes an argument which in addition to his explicit points, also goes to part of my rationale for opposing most campaign finance reforms and many other “good government” initiatives. They don’t attack the real problem. The Hat tip … Continue reading
News Brief, Weekend Blurby Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. The Pentagon It’s funny, these kinds of scare stories about personnel shortages at the country’s spy agencies used to frustrate me. I tried for a long time to get into the CIA, but twice was I … Continue reading
Is Income Inequality such a bad thing?
Gary Becker and Kevin Murphy: Income inequality in China substantially widÂened, particularly between households in the city and the countryside, after China began its rapid rate of economic development around 1980. The averÂage urban resident now makes 3.2 times as … Continue reading
News Brief Is Beyond Thunderdome Today
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. The Pentagon Remember that time the DoD freaked out over secret Canadian radio tracking coins? Turns out some contractors were spooked by the image of a flower, and their concerns were sent without review or criticism … Continue reading
News Brief, Ship The Majestic Suffix Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. The Pentagon Unintended consequences: up-armored Humvees can trap soldiers inside during attacks. Already the cost of the war has ballooned far beyond the original $50 billion price tag President Bush suggested in 2002. Where does it … Continue reading
News Brief, I Would Have Posted This Yesterday But Was At The Hospital Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. The Pentagon Tony Snow declared the milblogging scandal overreported, but then admitted he didn’t know what he was talking about. See for yourself if such a major change in OPSEC rules was over-done. Lockheed Martin builds … Continue reading
News Brief, Planet Unicorn Heyyy Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer, where you’ll find an explanation for the edition name. I’m sorry. The Pentagon I think Lance should have highlighted Blackfive’s major point about the stupid restrictions on war blogs: the Pentagon has already lost the information … Continue reading
Racist Referees?
I haven’t read the paper, just the article, the executive summary, the discussion on the radio, at Matthew Yglesias’ and at Marginal Revolution. So maybe these points have been covered in the full paper in a satisfactory manner. I also … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Media, Race, social science, Sports
6 Comments
News Brief, Ordinary World Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. The Pentagon The Post today slams Bush for his “rush to failure” in deploying missile defense to Europe—rightfully so, as the system is far from useable, and needlessly expensive and provocative. Here’s the best part, though: … Continue reading
News Brief, I’ve Seen It All Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. The Pentagon I’ve reread Lt. Col. Yingling’s essay on the failures of the generalship several times at this point. This morning, while I was pondering the flag announcements, which are the lists of people being submitted … Continue reading
News Brief, Pitseleh Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. The Pentagon When START stops, what happens to Prompt Global Strike? Let’s think of this question in the context of Volodiya scrapping arms control accords with Europe. Rumors that the 15-month extension was a bad joke, … Continue reading
News Brief, Do The Whirlwind Edition
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer. The Pentagon DARPA wants American snipers to have fool proof sniper scopes that are accurate out to 2000 meters. It also wants to expand its Boomerang sniper-detection system from simple location (which is itself a big … Continue reading