Pence, Harris, and the night we’ll never get back
Hello, dear readers of Pyramid. My post summarizing/reacting to/snarking about the first presidential debate was not originally written for this site — as you might have guessed from that introductory sentence that assumes you know where I stand and what I’ve written in the past. Since you may well be thinking “who the fuck is this fuck?”, I thought it might be nice to introduce … Continue reading Pence, Harris, and the night we’ll never get back
Rich man faces consequences
Explaining John McAfee to someone who doesn’t know anything about John McAfee is going to be very difficult because at a certain point you’ll be describing John McAfee and his John McAfee exploits and the person will accuse you of making this all up. This is not a story to tell children at night to scare them into doing the right thing. This is real. … Continue reading Rich man faces consequences
The American left needs to stop looking for easy answers
Donald Trump is in the hospital with COVID-19. His condition is good, but he remains at risk and doctors have, so far, been reluctant to give a time or date he might be discharged. He’s hoping it’s today, Monday October 5. Since his admission to Walter Reed, there have been no shortage of tweets, memes, and digital tomfoolery around his diagnosis. These are either harmless … Continue reading The American left needs to stop looking for easy answers
What’s with Americans who think Trump is doing a good job but don’t like Trump?
President Trump’s job approval rating hasn’t been particularly consistent since he took office except in one respect: he has never crossed 50%, never had a majority of Americans who approved of his presidency – in full. Voters have consistently voiced that the economic performance of the country is good, and it’s this that causes some voters to say that they think Trump is doing a … Continue reading What’s with Americans who think Trump is doing a good job but don’t like Trump?
Corralling the Facts on Herd Immunity
Aneri Pattani September 29, 2020 For a term that’s at least 100 years old, “herd immunity” has gained new life in 2020. It starred in many headlines last month, when reports surfaced that a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and adviser to the president, Dr. Scott Atlas, recommended it as a strategy to combat COVID-19. The Washington Post reported that Atlas, a … Continue reading Corralling the Facts on Herd Immunity
The first debate could have gone worse. Possibly. Somehow.
By Paul Wiele for Pyramid Welcome to my self-inflicted purgatory: the first 2020 general election debate! First off: as you know, I am not much of a Biden fan and absolutely despise Trump, so I will be replacing my primary “worst point by someone I like” and “best point by someone I dislike” with: Worst Expression of a Good Point: Trump is actually right that his … Continue reading The first debate could have gone worse. Possibly. Somehow.
Today in History: the Beginning of the 2008 Recession
Whether you want to call September 29, 2008, the “beginning” of the recession probably depends on the kind of economist you are (or aren’t). By today, both Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual had filed for bankruptcy, and Bear Stearns was long gone, having been sold through a government-arranged deal to JP Morgan Chase in March. It was clear that there was a financial crisis going … Continue reading Today in History: the Beginning of the 2008 Recession
At least Nixon had a dog
On September 23, 1952, Richard Nixon – the junior U.S. senator from California and the Republican nominee for vice president – made a speech to address allegations that he had, illegally or at least unethically, profited from his campaigns. Nixon, who earned a healthy salary of around $125,000 in 2020 dollars, lived “in style far beyond his salary,” according to the New York Post, and … Continue reading At least Nixon had a dog
Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
Laura UngarSeptember 25, 2020 Matthew Fentress was just 25 when he passed out while stuffing cannolis as a cook for a senior living community six years ago. Doctors diagnosed him with viral cardiomyopathy, heart disease that developed after a bout of the flu. Three years later, the Kentucky man’s condition had worsened, and doctors placed him in a medically induced coma and inserted a pacemaker … Continue reading Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
The safest election is one with no voters
Elections in the Soviet Union were and are often decried as undemocratic. The way the Soviet election system worked was simple: you were handed a ballot with one candidate, nominated by the local branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. If you wished to vote for that candidate, you simply handed the ballot back to the poll worker. If you wanted to vote … Continue reading The safest election is one with no voters