August 2024 Links
The Trump photo, universal basic income, nudity on the decline, and more. 8 links.
About the iconic photo that will be in the history books. With some good counsel.
About the only thing missing is a bald eagle flying in the background, or a cloud in the shape of a bust of George Washington. There is a weird and uncanny providence unfolding in all of this. The whole thing is beyond epic. Trump is clearly a man with basic animal courage.
A study on universal basic income showed no long-term benefits. This should surprise no one. How did most people spend their COVID bucks?
People also spent more on alcohol and painkillers. Overall there was no effect on physical health (measured via survey, blood tests, health records). No impact on exercise or sleep. There were major benefits to food insecurity, but only in the 1st year. By year 2, participants were as food-insecure as before the transfers.
How to wreck an epic fantasy. And why George R.R. Martin will probably never finish his series. Though I enjoyed Sanderson’s attempt at completing A Wheel of Time.
That detailed outline we’d been told about was, instead, 2-3 legal pads of freeform notes. No organization.
That is where GOT is. The author has written himself into a corner, and has no idea how to end it. All he knows is that he doesn’t know what to do, and that his most likely idea was widely panned in the TV show. He’ll never finish.