Implied Dissent

Monday, September 29, 2014

The Problem? Or the Solution?

I’m not calling him a saint by any means, and he could learn some lessons in how to express ideas better, but where others see a problem, I see the solution. Well, most of the solution. Change doesn’t generally happen because people in power are super nice, it happens because it gives someone an advantage. Branch Rickey hired Jackie Robinson partly because he was less racist than others, but largely because he was looking for a way to get ahead. After a while it became obvious to everyone that their racist “thinking” was hurting them, and baseball as a whole changed.

When companies hire programmers in India for less than they’d make here, but more than they’d make otherwise, is that immoral? I’m sure Thornley saw people (women) at other companies he wanted to hire, figured out what he had to offer to bring them over, and offered that. In a sexist industry that means they’ll still make less than they should, but more than they would have. I wish we could snap our fingers and make prejudice disappear, but it doesn’t happen like that.

Tabarrok is good on this also.

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Tuesday, September 02, 2014

NFL Predictions 2014

Here are my predictions for NFL wins, team-by-team, plus the playoffs. The important parts should be fairly straight forward, but explanationof columns: Team, Wins-Losses, Las Vegas Hilton Over/Under, moneyline for betting the Over, moneyline for betting the Under, and what I calculated those moneylines imply for what "Vegas" thinks a team's chances of going over are.

NFC EAST Over/Under Over Under Implied Likelihood of Going Over
Philadelphia 11-5 9 +115 -135 45%
Dallas 7-9 8 -110 -110 50%
NY Giants 7-9 7.5 -135 +115 55%
Washington 6-10 7.5 +125 -145 43%
NFC NORTH
Chicago 10-6 8 -140 +120 56%
Green Bay 9-7 10 -145 +125 57%
Detroit 7-9 8 -150 +130 58%
Minnesota 6-10 6 +105 -125 47%
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans 10-6 9.5 -150 +130 58%
Carolina 9-7 8 -130 +110 54%
Tampa Bay 8-8 7 -120 Even 52%
Atlanta 8-8 8 -130 +110 54%
NFC WEST
Seattle 11-5 11 -120 Even 52%
San Francisco 10-6 10.5 -120 Even 52%
Arizona 8-8 7.5 -120 Even 52%
St. Louis 6-10 7.5 -110 -110 50%
AFC EAST
New England 11-5 10.5 -135 +115 55%
NY Jets 8-8 7 -125 +105 53%
Miami 6-10 8 +110 -130 46%
Buffalo 5-11 6.5 -130 +110 54%
AFC NORTH
Cincinnati 9-7 9 -135 +115 55%
Baltimore 8-8 8.5 -120 Even 52%
Pittsburgh 6-10 8.5 -120 Even 52%
Cleveland 6-10 6.5 -150 +130 58%
AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis 10-6 9.5 -150 +130 58%
Houston 8-8 7.5 -145 +125 57%
Tennessee 7-9 7 -130 +110 54%
Jacksonville 5-11 4.5 -150 +130 58%
AFC WEST
Denver 11-5 11 -140 +120 56%
San Diego 10-6 8 -120 Even 52%
Kansas City 9-7 8 -120 Even 52%
Oakland 4-12 5 +130 -150 42%

NFC division winners: #1 seed Philadelphia, #2 Seattle, #3 Chicago, #4 New Orleans. Wild cards San Francisco, Green Bay.

AFC division winners: #1 seed New England, #2 Denver, #3 Indianapolis, #4 Cincinnati. Wild cards San Diego, Kansas City.

AFC Championship Game: New England over Denver.
NFC Championship Game: Philadelphia over Seattle. (Yep, both #1s over both #2s)

Super Bowl: New England over Philadelphia. (Yes, I'm a homer, but Revis Island and Gronk seem like they'll be enough to do it)

Favorite Overs: Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego.
Favorite Unders: St Louis, Pittsburgh, Miami, Buffalo. I'd add Washington, but that's a stay-away team.

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