Favorites January 3rd 2023

San Diego Sculptors Guild, June 2022

John Paul Koning @jp_koning

We tend to think of crypto as a rich person's gambling game. But as this chart illustrates, people in developing nations like Nigeria & Turkey are flocking to gamble on crypto, too. (chart via bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…)

Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 @Noahpinion

Hey Mr. Nigerian prince, I'll be happy to send all my money to your account, but first you have to buy into my crypto exchange's shitcoin 🥳

I guess that's an exit strategy for US crypto investors that could work, but quite unsavory

Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma

This is so cool: heat generated by sound

From the article: "It works with a high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) speaker powered by electricity that creates an acoustic wave in a closed-pressure vessel filled with helium at a pressure of 30 bars." What?

Andrew Prokop @awprokop

So weird to see a new House Dem leadership team after the last one was in place for... 20 years

Hakeem Jeffries of New York as Minority Leader, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts as No. 2 and Pete Aguilar of California as No. 3. Oh, and the Republicans are such a mess that the Jeffries got more votes than any of the Republicans. (But no, they're not gonna switch to plurality wins)

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Unironically, John Kasich would be a good choice for this https://t.co/QwDulLPPmu

John Kasich @JohnKasich

A block of House Republicans should get together with Democrats to pick a speaker to run a coalition government, which will moderate the House and marginalize the extremists.

This seems like a more likely outcome than Democrats winning via rules change. It's probably the best outcome. As for bad outcomes, Jim Jordan is getting some votes, if he gets the speakership, he'll be the second midwestern Republican former wrestling coach with alleged direct ties to the sexual abuse of minors to be elected Speaker of the House.