Sunday, September 24, 2017

What I have read this week | September 24, 2017

The Catholic church becomes an impact investor
The Catholic church becomes an impact investor
“YOU cannot serve both God and money,” admonishes the Bible. But the church has always tried. In the Middle Ages monasteries were what would now be termed…
September 18, 2017 at 10:35PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xdYpeO September 18, 2017 at 10:35PM

Note:
Vatican is adopting impact investing (intended to make money and do good at the same time) as a promising but complimentary strategy to expand its philanthropy efforts. The impact investing fund has $1bn under its control at the moment. It differentiate from the church's old way of 'sequential' financing strategy, where the church first acquires wealth then gives it away, to a 'parallel' one. The effort of impact investing, despite inspired by the pope, causes some anxiety. However, impact investing is no substitute for charity in its current form, and viewed as promising but complimentary strategy.
How Unconscious Sexism Could Help Explain Trump’s Win
How Unconscious Sexism Could Help Explain Trump’s Win
September 18, 2017 at 10:48PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2jj218O September 18, 2017 at 10:48PM

Note:
Trump voters shows higher implicit bias towards professional women. It is not conclusive, however, to say that it is driving their voting behavior. 
Interesting takeaways:
  • Women have more implicit gender bias than men do on average as a group.
  • More politically conservative women are, more biased they are towards women. Men on both sides shows similar level of bias. However, politically neutral males are less biased then both liberals and conservatives. 
  • Gender bias increases with age, with significant increases during teenage years.
  •  HCD’s test , for testing implicit bias. although it won't tell your individual results. 
The Netflix Prize: How a $1 Million Contest Changed Binge-Watching Forever
The Netflix Prize: How a $1 Million Contest Changed Binge-Watching Forever
September 19, 2017 at 07:20AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2t3OcPT September 19, 2017 at 07:20AM

Note:
Netflix set up a one-million dollar prize for a better recommendation algorithm or recommender back at 2006, when it was still a mail-DVD rental company. To win the million dollar, the team or individual has to improve the bench mark recommender performance by 10%. The competition fosters a community of developers/coders on the subject, with invaluable dataset  of over 100 million ratings of 17,770 movies from 480,189 customers. This amount of date has never been available to public before. The competition advanced the field of recommender system significantly. It turns out that a cocktail of different solutions is the best way to improve recommendation results. The prize was won on September 18, 2009 by a team by tie-breaker. The winning team submitted the final product 20 minutes earlier, even though scored the same as the second place team.   
Other companies have since then followed suite, opening its own data trove with a prize money in exchange for better algorithm. Companies like Yahoo! and Zillow have released massive amount of data, while the Heritage Health Prize offered a $3 million reward for the engineer who could predict how long people will be hospitalized for.
Netflix started another competition called Netflix Prize 2, with over 100 million data points including demographics and other background information of users. The competition never took off due to privacy invasion laws suits against the company. 
I'm interested in studying Zillow's public data! 
Trump’s Popularity Has Dipped Most In Red States
Trump’s Popularity Has Dipped Most In Red States
There are no national elections for president in the United States. Democrats relearned that lesson the hard way in 2016, when President Trump won the Electoral…
September 19, 2017 at 04:48PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2ftom3J September 19, 2017 at 04:49PM

Note:
Title says it all, Trump's popularity has dipped most in red states. Nothing conclusive yet, but worth noticing. 
The Only Problem in American Politics Is the Republican Party
The Only Problem in American Politics Is the Republican Party
Supporter of the policies of a sitting American president. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images Political scientist Lee Drutman argues in a Vox essay that…
September 19, 2017 at 05:12PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2gWpBvO September 19, 2017 at 05:12PM

Note:
Cherry picking anything in favor of their own view, creating and exacerbating party's own sphere of media/talk host resembling socially engineered democracy, smearing opponents with no facts but mainly conspiracy theories, and solely responsible for creating this doom-loop partisanship. The Republican party and associates are the main problem of American politics. Main stream media NY Times etc., which has a tendency to attack the left, even when the facts are not as sound. While Fox News and Rush Limbaugh (or other conservative radio show host) have always selective using favorable anecdotes, or even pure conspiracy theories. 

Winner takes all politics needs changing! No matter which side is winning, the government should always be hearing from the broadest audience possible. The current way of American politics creates too many strongholds at every level, from township,state to national level. The minority voice within non-competitive areas are always ignored or squashed, with their interest sacrificed. Less gerrymandering, more population-proportional representation should be the priority of our politics. 
Psychologists studied 5,000 genius kids for 45 years — here are their 6 key takeaways
Psychologists studied 5,000 genius kids for 45 years — here are their 6 key takeaways
…
September 19, 2017 at 05:20PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xn5NrM September 19, 2017 at 05:20PM

Note:
  • genius normally does very well in life, on par with their early IQ
  • exceptional kids don't get much attention, lots of resources are dedicated to bring kids from low to medium performance
  • skipping a grade works (so what...)
  • standardized tests are somewhat predictive
  • high IQ kids normally ends up in academia/doctor/research (or maybe this is biased, since IQ tests are created by academics, it could be implicitly biased towards traits valued highly in academia.)
  • being smart is not all, spatial cognitive/visualization ability is critical, as well as memorization
Good luck, sweet AL Wild Card team, in the wildest October ever
Good luck, sweet AL Wild Card team, in the wildest October ever
This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's October 2 MLB Playoffs Issue. Subscribe today! To exactly one of the Angels, Mariners, Orioles, Rangers, Rays, Royals…
September 21, 2017 at 04:17PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2vY5K1T September 21, 2017 at 04:18PM

Note:
summary of crazy competitive journey for potential second wild card team in AL.. It shows how good the good teams are overall in baseball. 
How Reddit Is Talking About The Trump Presidency
How Reddit Is Talking About The Trump Presidency
Every new presidency brings its own language to America, a set of names, acronyms and slang that work their way into the zeitgeist. The Bush era had 9/11 , WMDs…
September 23, 2017 at 12:06AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xXRNWw September 23, 2017 at 12:06AM

Note:
an interactive tool for tracking popular words on reddit, during Trump's presidency.
Aaron Hernandez had advanced stages of CTE
Aaron Hernandez had advanced stages of CTE
September 23, 2017 at 12:10AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xVUkkc September 23, 2017 at 12:10AM

Note:
Former New England Patriot's star Aaron Hernandez's autopsy shows severe stage 4 CTE (a type of brain damage). At stage 4 out of 5, Hernandez might be the most severe case of CTE at age 27 or younger. CTE can cause violent mood swings, severe depression and other cognitive disorders. 
A new trove of data on top of previous autopsies of former NFL players, which found 110 out 111 of them suffered different level of brain damage. 
Bonds in the Government Pension Fund Global
Bonds in the Government Pension Fund Global
1 September 2017 Letter to the Ministry of Finance, 1 September 2017 The Ministry of Finance issues guidelines for the Government Pension Fund Global in the…
September 23, 2017 at 12:11AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xIRN9l September 23, 2017 at 12:11AM

Note:
  • Norwegian sovereign fund's submission to the finance ministry arguing for its change of bond investment strategy, which eliminates corporate bond investment, and focus only on government bonds only. 
  • also can be found on their website is their investment portfolio, which is 65% benchmark stocks (FTSE and Bloomberg, so large cap index of Europe and US), 33% bonds, and 2% undisclosed real estate investment. Following this, I changed my 403 investment strategy to mimic their portfolio.   
Norway’s sovereign-wealth fund passes the $1trn mark
Norway’s sovereign-wealth fund passes the $1trn mark
A year earlier than expected, Norway’s sovereign-wealth fund, the world’s largest, surpassed $1trn in assets on September 19th. It had gained over $100bn in the…
September 23, 2017 at 12:16AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2wCPlV4 September 23, 2017 at 12:16AM

Note:
recent stock market rally helps the fund to reach its 1trn mark goal more than 1 year ahead of time. Also prompts me to read more about their investment strategy.
The GOP’s Catch-22 On Obamacare
The GOP’s Catch-22 On Obamacare
September 23, 2017 at 12:22AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xyQ7Sv September 23, 2017 at 12:22AM

Note:
Repeal of Obamacare is unpopular nation-wide. Repeal of it could mean alienating swing voters, most likely cost them in the mid-term election in 2018. But not repeal risk alienating their base, since this has been the campaign promise for the past 7 years. With both chambers in congress and presidency in control, this will be a heavy blow to Republican party's reputation, and raise severe doubts about their ability to govern. 
Kris Kobach Can Prove U.S. Elections Are Messy, But That’s Not The Same Thing As Fraudulent
Kris Kobach Can Prove U.S. Elections Are Messy, But That’s Not The Same Thing As Fraudulent
President Trump’s voter fraud commission has the stated goal of ensuring the integrity of the vote as “ the foundation of our democracy .” But, like the buried…
September 23, 2017 at 08:13AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2xs5RGb September 23, 2017 at 08:13AM

Note:
Trump's voter fraud commission trying very hard to use indirect evidence to prove voter fraud, but actually just shows American voting administering is messy instead of fraudulent. 
Evidence provided by Trump's commission:
  • people showing up in multiple states' registries - counter: states don't do a good job purging voter registration, which is very hard to do due to the mobility of the population, and hardly practical without massive voter depression
  • thousands of people using out of state license to vote in New Hampshire - counter: college students are allowed to do so, and the practices are found to be highly concentrated in college towns.   
Flying Solo
Flying Solo
Illustration by Katie Kosma This story was funded by Longreads Members Join and help support great storytelling Jen Doll | Longreads | July 2017 | 24 minutes…
September 23, 2017 at 09:51AM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2vr0KTS September 23, 2017 at 09:51AM

Note:
A mental journey after a breakup with a Christian boyfriend, which was doomed almost from the start with trivial and invisible signs to the insiders. 
Life will move on, and conversation has to continue. But changing people, even those seem intimate to us at the moment, is always a gigantic challenge.
Will Miami’s Skyscrapers Withstand Irma?
Will Miami’s Skyscrapers Withstand Irma?
As Irma continues to drive its way through the Atlantic Ocean, bringing with it 150+ mph winds, a lot of comparisons are being drawn to Hurricane Andrew, which…
September 23, 2017 at 02:20PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2weZEd8 September 23, 2017 at 02:20PM
Note:
Current building codes might not be adequate to handle category 4 or 5 Hurricanes, since the assumptions at higher floors are they won't be affected by projectiles. Also the impact resistance glasses at lower levels might not survive the higher winds either. The cranes in downtown could also be a concern since they are only required to withstand category 4 hurricane. 
Baseball’s ‘Hot Hand’ Is Real
Baseball’s ‘Hot Hand’ Is Real
Illustration by Kelsey Dake W e’ve all seen a pitcher when he’s zeroed in: His mechanics are clean, his curveball is dropping off the table and he’s painting…
September 23, 2017 at 03:16PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2vq8441 September 23, 2017 at 03:16PM

Note:
Fast ball speed as a proxy is a good predictor of a pitcher's status (hot or cold). Fast ball speed deviation from his average does a fairly decent job of predicting hot/cold hand.  
How a football transfer works
How a football transfer works
In football, July and August are known as the “silly season”—and looking at Neymar’s world-record €222m ($261m) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain…
September 23, 2017 at 04:39PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2vFmxJM September 23, 2017 at 04:39PM
Note:
Surprisingly 'whats app' is the go-to tool for arranging transfers... 
Álvaro Morata may need to channel his inner Costa to be Chelsea success | Jonathan Wilson
Álvaro Morata may need to channel his inner Costa to be Chelsea success | Jonathan Wilson
Álvaro Morata never had to cope with the pressure of being a No1 striker while at Real Madrid.Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images O f the players…
September 23, 2017 at 04:43PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2wdSaYn September 23, 2017 at 04:43PM

Note:
Alvaro Morata should be more Diego Costa like (more hustle and dirty?) to help Chelsea succeed. He has the talent and mental readiness to achieve this though. 
How taxes can align the interests of individuals and society
How taxes can align the interests of individuals and society
This week “The Economist explains” is given over to economics. Today’s is the fourth in a series of six explainers on seminal ideas. MARKETS are supposed to…
September 23, 2017 at 04:48PM
via Instapaper http://ift.tt/2hi1PdV September 23, 2017 at 04:48PM
If new archived item, then add to weekly digest sent to wangrz0405@gmail.com on Saturday at 8PM

Note:
Arthur Pigou's economic idea of using taxes to encourage/discourage certain behaviors (tax on social bad like pollution or sugar drinks, also called externalities) is applied to real world. It is to calculate exact values/price to be paid in real world, and obviously creating losers which creates resistance. 


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