Whiplash, even though it’s about music and arguably a cautionary tale
Readit Newsjgbond commented on Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries? · Posted by u/hashim
There’s a whole chapter in the popular mathematics book “How to Not Be Wrong” by Jordan Ellenberg that covers successful lottery strategies and the math behind them. As I recall from the book, the basic strategy was very simple and had a few groups of practitioners. Optimizing for increased incremental returns was far more sophisticated, though. There were also the operational challenges of buying and tracking so many tickets.
jgbond commented on Hackers take over prominent Twitter accounts in simultaneous attack coindesk.com/hackers-take... · Posted by u/megadeth
Given how huge this hack is, and how little the BTC reward is going to be, I'm tempting to think this is either:
- a test of a new hacking system
- a demonstration to a big client
- a first shot to threat some entity
- a diversion while they get the real loot
And that the BTC messages are just a way to justify it so it looks like a simple scam.
Such a hack is worth way, WAY more than the few BTC it could bring.
I’m guessing DMs were the real loot. The public display with the BTC diversion validates any DMs that were stolen. Otherwise blackmail targets could deny them.
jgbond commented on Americans are retiring to Vietnam latimes.com/world-nation/... · Posted by u/diaphanous
"They bought the four-bedroom, 3½-bathroom unit, measuring about 1,840 square feet along with a separate veranda, for about $250,000 in 2011."
I'm sure it's a very nice place, but that sum is nothing to sneeze at. I wonder how much it costs now, and what is monthly expense is.
Good thing is, American government has sensible reciprocal arrangement with many countries that offer national pension system that you don't necessarily have to wait until you hit full retirement age to live abroad and collect social security checks from there.
The apartment complex they’re talking about in the article is (educated guess, used to live there) one of the nicest and most expensive in the country. It’s overlooking the Saigon River and has luxuries and amenities that you wouldn’t have except at super luxury buildings the US.
You can live a pampered lifestyle that would not be even remotely within reach in the US on the same budget.
jgbond commented on Building China: Rise of the Superblock radiichina.com/building-c... · Posted by u/andrewhbrook
I read an article years ago about how urban design in China post-Tiananmen has deliberately incorporated features that prevent mass protests. Narrow, labyrinthine alleys are hard to clear out and control. With sprawling, eight-lane highways, it's relatively easy.
jgbond commented on Tracking China's Muslim Gulag reuters.com/investigates/... · Posted by u/petethomas
They can't force Tibet as much as they want to.
They are taking a slower approach there. They were granted "autonomy" in the past.
Xinjiang is an autonomous region, too. Tibet has been thoroughly “Hanified,” though you’re right that it hasn’t been as dramatic as in Xinjiang. The same is true for other ethnic minorities, too. Traditional costumes are kept to pay lip service to plurality, and there are some parks that feel more like Epcot Center exhibits. It’s not all due to government intervention, but China’s ethnic minorities are disappearing.
jgbond commented on Palm Oil Was Supposed to Help Save the Planet nytimes.com/2018/11/20/ma... · Posted by u/inostia
The article doesn’t touch on it much, but the palm oil industry basically runs on slave labor, too.
jgbond commented on The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble economist.com/open-future... · Posted by u/okket
I'd argue that a government is supposed to fear its citizens. It's just not supposed to censor them and take away their rights to quell that fear: rather, it should hold itself accountable and not do things that would cause resentment.
Or perhaps it could be a cooperative relationship where neither side has to fear?
jgbond commented on Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats journals.plos.org/plosone... · Posted by u/abpavel
Having worked in a meat processing plant, I can assure you that no humans would want to eat anything that goes into "rendering" for use in pet food.
I'm not talking about offal, tripe, small goods, etc., all of which have markets for human consumption. Some of those items are high margin, too.
There are markets somewhere in the world for just about every last bit of an animal. The only stuff that goes into pet food is stuff that has been contaminated or that has no higher margin use in other applications. Basically, pets get the waste.
Fun fact -- The highest margin product in a beef house is fetal calf blood. It typically goes for about $400/liter and can sometimes spike up to $1000/liter.