Category Archives: Impractical Optimization

I Started a Sports and Gambling Substack

Posted on August 25, 2020 by TheZvi

The substack is here. The latest post is here and contains predictions for tomorrow’s baseball games. I also posted predictions for yesterday’s games here, and here you can find my offensive team ratings. Pitcher ratings will be posted soon. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Impractical Optimization, Sports | Leave a comment

Fresh Bread

Posted on July 21, 2020 by TheZvi

Learning to bake bread was a top quarantine activity for many. For too long, I neglected to post the method my wife and I have been using for years. It’s time to fix that. This recipe is quick and easy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Good Advice, Impractical Optimization, Reference | 10 Comments

Potential Ways to Fight Mazes

Posted on January 28, 2020 by TheZvi

The previous post listed some of the causes of higher than normal maze present in today’s society.  This post asks what might be done about it, both as an individual and via group coordination. I believe it is better to … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Immoral Mazes Sequence, Impractical Optimization, Long Post Is Long, Moral Mazes, Politics, Uncategorized | 14 Comments

United We Blame

Posted on April 16, 2017 by TheZvi

Blame Index Funds: Overbooking and Cross Selling (first story) Blame The Law: The Deeper Scandal of That Brutal United Video Blame The Culture of Law Enforcement in Aviation:The Real Reason a Man Was Dragged Off That United Flight and How To Stop … Continue reading →

Posted in Impractical Optimization | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Escalator Action

Posted on April 12, 2017 by TheZvi

Epistemic Status: Slow ride. Take it easy. You Memba Elevator Action? I memba. A recent study (link is to NY Times) came out saying that we should not walk on escalators, because not walking is faster. From the article: The train … Continue reading →

Posted in Impractical Optimization | Tagged , | 4 Comments

The Thing and the Symbolic Representation of The Thing

Posted on June 30, 2015 by TheZvi

Let’s assume there is a thing that all would agree is, in context, a Good Thing(tm) that someone in your situation would want. Do you want the thing, or do you want the symbolic representation of the thing?* This sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Death by Metrics, Impractical Optimization, Personal Experience, Rationality | Tagged , , , | 38 Comments

What If It Rains?

Posted on May 29, 2015 by TheZvi

Follow Up To: Full Service Gas stations in New Jersey do not have awnings to protect customers from the rain. Let us presume for the moment that due to some combination of inertia, regulations and initial costs, it is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Death by Metrics, Economics, Impractical Optimization | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

NFL is a perfect example of complexity creep

Posted on May 22, 2015 by TheZvi

The NFL has voted to adopt a new rule that extra point attempts are snapped from the fifteen yard line, whereas two point conversions will continue to be run from the two yard line, but with the additional rule that … Continue reading →

Posted in Impractical Optimization, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

In a world… of venture capital

Posted on May 15, 2015 by TheZvi

On Twitter, Robin Hanson asked a question yesterday I have given a lot of thought to, which is why the bigger venture capital firms dominate the market and make oversize profits while the other firms taken together make almost no … Continue reading →

Posted in Death by Metrics, Impractical Optimization, Personal Experience | Tagged , , , , | 37 Comments