One of the most striking and slightly queasying things about the Cruz-Tucker interview was how many times they both felt it necessary to pause awkwardly and profess how much they both "love Trump". One definite difference between the Iraq buildup and now is you didn't have journalists and politicians feeling they had to emotionally nursemaid the President so he wouldn't get triggered and start a war.
15 years ago, Michael Arrington wrote about "the orchestrated indignities of air travel", and it's only gotten worse since then.
"What happens when buying anything at all requires the same level of attentiveness, care, and planning with regard to prices that most of us bring to flying commercial, buying concert tickets, or speculating on securities?": One thing that happens is that I and probably many other people buy less and less. (I already almost never buy airline or concert tickets, and I never buy securities.) Another thing is that opportunities grow for sellers who credibly promise not to do that shit.
"In aggregate the 'Iraq invasion debate' was much, much stupider.": Was it? I'm honestly not sure about that. Of course, that might have something to do with my refusing to pay any attention to the "Iraq invasion debate" past a very early point, because the stupidity became very evident very quickly. Anyhow, as usual, Canadian satire site The Beaverton nails it:
"'So do whatever you gotta do,' Trump added. 'Tell yourself that "Iran has WMDs" or that we're going in to get their oil or whatever nonsense worked on you last time,' Trump added, 'because I sure as hell don't care enough about you to bother coming up with any new lies.'"
Alas, Stanley Kubrick is no longer with us, so someone else will have to give this era the masterpiece of pitch-black satire it deserves, and I'm not sure who that someone will be.
Everything old is new again. Since I am very firmly in the 45-50 set, that ridiculous meme reminded me of the much subtler wisdom of Clerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA.
I don't flipping need to read someone's book about how the runup to the Iraq felt, sounded and looked. I was then and there, and to me at least it was crystal clear what was happening.
Back when I was working, I flew a lot, and had my own little strategies to ensure cheap tickets and a decent experience. But especially starting after 9/11, the type of strategy needed started to change from quarter to quarter and even month to month, so that what I ended up with was something like a system for coming up with the appropriate strategy.
As to the pricing discussion, it sounds like every merchant is trying to recreate the new car dealer experience for every transaction, however minor. It's just a whole bushelful of no fun.
I recall one reaction to it. When GM started the Saturn brand they announced each Saturn would sell for a fixed price for each different model and option package. No negotiations. That was kind of nice for my first vehicle purchase, but I found out later, when I bought new cars in the regular way, that GM's no negotiations policy meant that each buyer was paying the top price for each vehicle.
> Unfortunately, what feels quite bad--orthogonally to how stupid it is--is it’s not clear how much any of that matters, at the end of the day. All we can do now is refresh Trump’s Truth Social feed.
I just want to know how this differs from journalists getting invited for updates? Is it the speed of technology that makes it kinda ironic by gamifing it to some degree?
One of the most striking and slightly queasying things about the Cruz-Tucker interview was how many times they both felt it necessary to pause awkwardly and profess how much they both "love Trump". One definite difference between the Iraq buildup and now is you didn't have journalists and politicians feeling they had to emotionally nursemaid the President so he wouldn't get triggered and start a war.
Hotel booking is another example of dynamic pricing strategies.
First and foremost, I see myself as a poster
LONG LIVE SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM
15 years ago, Michael Arrington wrote about "the orchestrated indignities of air travel", and it's only gotten worse since then.
"What happens when buying anything at all requires the same level of attentiveness, care, and planning with regard to prices that most of us bring to flying commercial, buying concert tickets, or speculating on securities?": One thing that happens is that I and probably many other people buy less and less. (I already almost never buy airline or concert tickets, and I never buy securities.) Another thing is that opportunities grow for sellers who credibly promise not to do that shit.
"In aggregate the 'Iraq invasion debate' was much, much stupider.": Was it? I'm honestly not sure about that. Of course, that might have something to do with my refusing to pay any attention to the "Iraq invasion debate" past a very early point, because the stupidity became very evident very quickly. Anyhow, as usual, Canadian satire site The Beaverton nails it:
"'So do whatever you gotta do,' Trump added. 'Tell yourself that "Iran has WMDs" or that we're going in to get their oil or whatever nonsense worked on you last time,' Trump added, 'because I sure as hell don't care enough about you to bother coming up with any new lies.'"
(https://www.thebeaverton.com/2025/06/trump-urges-americans-to-just-remember-whatever-bullshit-let-them-support-iraq-war/)
How can I stop worrying and learn to love the algorithms?
Alas, Stanley Kubrick is no longer with us, so someone else will have to give this era the masterpiece of pitch-black satire it deserves, and I'm not sure who that someone will be.
Deliver us, Max.
The “dynamic pricing” scam is full on weaponization of the concepts outlined in Akerloff and Shiller’s “Phishing for Phools.”
Everything old is new again. Since I am very firmly in the 45-50 set, that ridiculous meme reminded me of the much subtler wisdom of Clerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA.
I don't flipping need to read someone's book about how the runup to the Iraq felt, sounded and looked. I was then and there, and to me at least it was crystal clear what was happening.
Back when I was working, I flew a lot, and had my own little strategies to ensure cheap tickets and a decent experience. But especially starting after 9/11, the type of strategy needed started to change from quarter to quarter and even month to month, so that what I ended up with was something like a system for coming up with the appropriate strategy.
As to the pricing discussion, it sounds like every merchant is trying to recreate the new car dealer experience for every transaction, however minor. It's just a whole bushelful of no fun.
I recall one reaction to it. When GM started the Saturn brand they announced each Saturn would sell for a fixed price for each different model and option package. No negotiations. That was kind of nice for my first vehicle purchase, but I found out later, when I bought new cars in the regular way, that GM's no negotiations policy meant that each buyer was paying the top price for each vehicle.
> Unfortunately, what feels quite bad--orthogonally to how stupid it is--is it’s not clear how much any of that matters, at the end of the day. All we can do now is refresh Trump’s Truth Social feed.
I just want to know how this differs from journalists getting invited for updates? Is it the speed of technology that makes it kinda ironic by gamifing it to some degree?