Free Republic

So they are about to build a toll road around OKC. They've been debating it for at least 20 years, changed routes a million times, built half of it and here's the justification I've been given.

Truckers gas up in Dallas drive all the way through Oklahoma to KC and don't spend a dime. But, they must drive through OKC to get there and that slows them down and at times, tons of traffic. This new turnpike will bypass OKC, have a mostly 80 MPH speed limit and supposedly take about a 1/2 hour off their driving time. The theory is, the truckers will choose to take the turnpike because it's safer and faster, therefore actually spend some money in Oklahoma to help pay for the roads they degrade.

I hope this isn't freeqssplaing, but the very most important thing to know about statistics IMO, is the concept of randomness. If the data collected is not from a randomized sampling then the results MUST be categorized.

So for instance if I do a study on let's say "people who like dogs". I call 1000 random numbers and 700 people respond and of those 700 people 350 say they like dogs. So I publish a study that says "Recent darbymcgill poll determines 50% of people like dogs".

Number 1, without checking I'm sure a random sample size of 700 is way more than enough to have a 95% confidence level in the accuracy of the results being within +/- 5 standard deviations. (I got some brain fog going on and I'm too lazy to look it up, so don't quote me).

That sounds all well and good but to be totally honest I'd need to make some qualifications in my published results. For instance, I only polled people who might have a phone and those numbers I chose, might have only been called using a USA telephone number format, plus I might have randomly chosen invalid phone numbers altogether and some of those who answered chose not to respond. (there's probably others, but hopefully I made my point).

My study might have published something like "1000 random numbers dialed, 700 Americans, who have phones and chose to take the survey responded, half of them like dogs"

I loved statistics way back when and I've proved many corporate studies invalid because of the "pick and chose" method of selecting samples. But I had a professor that once told me, "there's liars, there's damn liars, and then, there's statisticians".

A few days after the infamous May 3rd F5+ tornado that went through Moore, Ok, I was passing by one of the neighborhoods that was completely, I mean completely gone. The only thing visible save a few bare tree trunks was an intact, cinder block pump house. Even the grass was gone.

Watch Clarkson's Farms on Netflix. As well as being very entertaining IMO, it highlights why farmers in the UK are selling out...

spoiler Insane, expensive government regulations.

Many new homes are built with them in the garage, held in place by all the concrete.

But... high water tables are also a negative for in ground shelters. Over the years I've seen several that have popped out of the ground. I was actually in one when it began to float. We got out before it was completely out of the ground. 10 seconds later, it flipped over in the hole full of water...

Now we have a safe room.

This might be the most amazing, eye opening podcast I’ve ever heard... Hands down..

Tucker Carlson drops outstanding new interview with LA Times owner (and medical genius).

great movie... RIP GH...

They need too haul in George II and put on the squeeze. He knows, George I was there.

100% agree. Tell them what they told us in 2020.. "You and nobody else have standing, now go kick rocks."

Laura L sw/att/ed in 3,2,....

Seriously Forbes...

How does the ending of The Sum of All Fears connect to Donald Trump's RNC appearance?

During Fox News' reporting on RNC, a reporter pointed out how "Nessun Dorma" was found in The Sum of All Fear, a movie about "getting rid of terrorists and deep state actors." The network pointed out the "interesting theory" that he may have been looking to "send a message to deep state actors."

Found this noodling around after I read the article.

Innovation funded by AT&T and it stakeholders..

There are a lot of things they don't tell you about.

The main thing is, when you retire, all you do is spend money.

Secondly those of us with a 401K, were sold on "put it in before taxes, that way when you take it out, you'll be at a lower tax rate".

What they don't tell you is you'll need to withdraw 30% more than you need so you can pay the taxes and those withdrawals put you over "the limit" so you now have to pay taxes on your SS AND your medicare is MUCH higher.

Ahhhh... If I only knew then, what I know now...

And to think people claim it's a conspiracy theory that the govt wants us stuck in the middle class..

Don't know why...

I know everyone is different, age, earnings history, savings, pensions etc. But if you just use raw numbers from this year, max SS payout for 62 = $2,831, 70 is $5,108, it takes about 9 years to catch up.

Back several years ago when I first considered retirement, it actually calculated to be 14 years to catch up.

Don't say that around Happy Gilmore... ;)

Do we really know it was she that changed it???

Looks very AI generated to me...

Watch his mouth, especially his tongue towards the end... color me skeptical.

The circle of life.... brought to you by Pfizer