Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

The biggest news of the day may turn out to be that Elon Musk has made it official and is trying to buy Twitter.

Elon Musk has made a “best and final” offer to buy Twitter Inc., saying the company has extraordinary potential and he is the person to unlock it.

The world’s richest person will offer $54.20 per share in cash, representing a 54% premium over the Jan. 28 closing price and a value of about $43 billion. The social media company’s shares soared 18% in pre-market trading.

Musk, 50, announced the offer in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, after turning down a potential board seat at the company. The billionaire, who also controls Tesla Inc., first disclosed a stake of about 9% on April 4. Tesla shares fell about 1.5% in pre-market trading on the news.

That could represent a significant change to Twitter for the considerably better.

[Hannibal]

Democracy dies in a comical lack of self-awareness.

Jeff Bezos's newspaper prints an OpEd about how bad it's going to be when billionaires control our speech platforms.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/04/08/musk-twitter-equity-discrimination-speech/

Musk’s appointment to Twitter’s board shows that we need regulation of social-media platforms to prevent rich people from controlling our channels of communication

[Mike]

What the actual fuck??

[iam416]

Yeah, I saw that. It was fanstastic.

I mean, I thought the WaPo showed their ass when The Chairman blacked out media at the border and they said nothing. Democracy may die in darkness, but, apparently, Democrats thrive in darkness.

A completely inconsequential story, but one that is utterly hilarious (IMO) is the disastrous failing of CNN+. People all over the political spectrum are taking their shots at this particularly juicy punching bag, and it's all so richly deserved.

[Hannibal]

They do realize that these debts don't just vanish into thin air, right? The Colleges aren't exactly going to give all of that money back, either.

But hey, If you really want to piss off the members of the electorate who actually play by the rules, abide by contracts and pay their debts, you can't think of a better way to do that than stiffing them with the bill for the student loan fiasco.

If student debt cancellation leads to a massive college tuition bubble collapse, the axing of "diversity" departments, and thousands of overpaid adminstrators losing their jobs or having their pay reset to 1980 levels then student debt cancellation is something that I can get on board with.

[iam416]

It should be fairly clear that Ds and especially Progs are fine with privately-owned platforms as long as they control the discussion. In fact, Progs very much want to be th gatekeepers of all that we are allowed to discuss, and if they disagree with you then it's the dreaded "disinformation."

Democrats also champion AAs and the need for "equity" provided that it's not DJT or other Rs appointing or hiring AAs or women or, I reckon, any non-white male. AAs and women and so forth are heroic members of the oppressed unless they vote R -- at which point they're traitorous Uncle Toms or the like.

So, yeah, it's all well and good that billionaires control speech platforms if they push the D line, but the minute someone gets out of line...

[Mike]

If student debt cancellation leads to a massive college tuition bubble collapse, the axing of "diversity" departments, and thousands of overpaid administrators losing their jobs or having their pay reset to 1980 levels then student debt cancellation is something that I can get on board with.

The DEI overlords will be the last to go. They'd rid themselves of the great vestiges of racism like engineering programs and men's sports before they cut the sacred cow.

[iam416]

If student debt cancellation leads to a massive college tuition bubble collapse, the axing of "diversity" departments, and thousands of overpaid adminstrators losing their jobs or having their pay reset to 1980 levels then student debt cancellation is something that I can get on board with.

Yeah, but where's the money gonna come from. As Tom said, the Universities ain't gonna just repay it. The Federal Govt has already paid them. In full. To, again, quote/paraphrase Clay Davis, "They'll take any fool's money if they just givin' it away."

No, this is a total loss being borne by the taxpayers -- blue collar workers paying for white collar workers.

[Hannibal]

The Brooklyn Subway shooting is a great reminder that the biggest problem facing America is White Supremacy and that the FBI's time spent investigating anti-mask parents, garage door pulls, and fabricating fake governor kidnapping plots is time very well spent.

[AlabamAlum]

FAFSA loan forgiveness is a huge mistake. It tells someone that they can borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars on a non-practical degree and, hey, we’ll let you off the hook for your stupidity.

I mean if you want a degree in queer studies or whatever, then absolutely borrow whatever you need to make your dream happen. But, you know, caveat emptor. And I don’t buy for a second that someone who gets a degree like that has any misconceptions on the job market in that field. You know that the only thing you’re gonna do with a BA in gender studies is work for Starbucks or cross your fingers and try to change degree paths in grad school.

Earlier, re: abortion. I think early abortion should remain legal, but I don’t even like it to go the full first trimester (12 weeks or so). 8 weeks seems sufficient time to decide to terminate.

Finally, small wager on Rangers-Braga. Go Teddy Bears. Remember Stirling Bridge!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Someone should do one of those Hitler in the bunker thingies but it's Putin being told that the Black Sea Fleet's flagship has been sunk

[AlabamAlum]

Someone should do one of those Hitler in the bunker thingies but it's Putin being told that the Black Sea Fleet's flagship has been sunk

No.

[iam416]

Backing Rangers? You Protestant motherfucker. Well done!

Re Tuition, I'm firmly in the camp Tuition should be tailored to the degree. To do that I'd make it so that your tution olbigations are paid off as a percentage of your income over a fixed period of time. Randomly -- say 5% over 20 years.

First, this at least tries to value the degree. An engineering degree is worth more than a sociology degree yet Universities charge the same for either. I would much rather see Universities use almost a "menu" approach. The repayment based on earned salary is a way to try to value the degree. Doctors will repay way more than sociology majors.

Second, I don't think it would incentivize people to not work or to work cheap if you strike the right balance. First, you need to make the percent small enough that it doesn't discourage work and second you need to make the time period long enough that it'd be really hard not to work for that period.

Anyway, the way Universities price degrees right now is preposterously inefficient. It bears no real relation to the value of the degree only to the amount of money they can squeeze out of kids either through their 529 or Federal aid.

As a side note, we had to do FAFSA shit this year. The tuition that they say we're capable of paying is hilariously high. I mean, I guess if we sold our house and moved into a studio next to the Casino we might be able to afford that amount, but otherwise...lol

[Hannibal]

Yeah, but where's the money gonna come from. As Tom said, the Universities ain't gonna just repay it. The Federal Govt has already paid them. In full. To, again, quote/paraphrase Clay Davis, "They'll take any fool's money if they just givin' it away."

No, this is a total loss being borne by the taxpayers -- blue collar workers paying for white collar workers.

I'm kind of assuming that anything remotely feasible in the political arena comes with college cost reform as part of a massive compormise. Of course, in today's society, maybe assuming basic sanity isn't a good idea.

[AlabamAlum]

I think a university should charge whatever they want for a degree. Just like I think Elon Musk should charge whatever he wants for a Tesla. To me, it should be market driven. But honestly, most of the gueer/gender/womens/African American studies (etc, etc) degrees should only exist as a minor - not a major.

Pair a women's studies minor with an English major and at least you can teach HS English once you return to sanity.

And I love the midweek soccer games from overseas that start at 2pm. No love for the Rangers, though. My family like the Celtic, though.