💭 Thoughts - TJ Palanca

%% [[💭 Thoughts]] is generated from [[Thoughts Index]] %% Thoughts are evolving opinions, hence may or may not be fully accurate. I write these to checkpoint and track how a particular idea has evolved over time. --- | Date | Thoughts | | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2023 Feb 25 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Newborn Parenting.md\|On Newborn Parenting]] We recently added a beautiful baby girl to our family, and it's been a wild ride. | | 2022 Nov 08 | [[Writing/Thoughts/How the 2008 Financial Crisis Still Affects Us.md\|How the 2008 Financial Crisis Still Affects Us]] Stitching together the threads of the 2008 financial crisis, and how it still affects us today. | | 2021 Dec 01 | [[Writing/Thoughts/Decision Reversibility.md\|Decision Reversibility]] You can always make fast decisions if decisions are reversible. Don't get caught up in analysis paralysis when you could have committed and reverted in the same amount of time. | | 2021 Sept 18 | [[Writing/Thoughts/The Map is not the Territory.md\|The Map is not the Territory]] The map is not the territory; seek ground truth whenever possible to accelerate learning. | | 2020 Aug 06 | [[Writing/Thoughts/Dealing with model uncertainty in data products.md\|Dealing with model uncertainty in data products]] Uncertainty can stall the development of data products, particularly in areas where there are domain experts that don't necessarily understand the end goal. | | 2016 May 22 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Scientific Studies, P-Hacking, and Media Irresponsibility.md\|On Scientific Studies, P-Hacking, and Media Irresponsibility]] John Oliver lays down the problems with public perceptions of scientific studies shaped by the media. | | 2013 Dec 01 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On the Best Webcomics for your Inner Nerd.md\|On the Best Webcomics for your Inner Nerd]] If you're looking for a place to get laughs, there are various free webcomics that can cater to your inner egghead (don't kid yourself - everyone has one), so here are six webcomics that can start you off, and how to subscribe to them. | | 2013 Nov 03 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Giving Cash to the Poor.md\|On Giving Cash to the Poor]] New research suggests that unconditional cash transfers to the poor may not be as misguided as usually perceived. | | 2013 Oct 28 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On the News - No Double Standard Here.md\|On the News - No Double Standard Here]] NO DOUBLE STANDARD - The World Economic Forum published its Global Gender Gap Report 2013, which assesses the level of gender equality in different countries. The Philippines is ranked 5th highest in terms of gender equality, an improvement from past years, and the highest in Asia. Of the four aspects, the country performed well in terms of educational attainment and health, but was performed poorly in terms of economic and political participation. | | 2013 Oct 12 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Crappy Opinion Polls and Belt Tightening.md\|On Crappy Opinion Polls and Belt Tightening]] Opinion polls can be useful for surveying public sentiment, but their usefulness ends at that. A recent Nielsen survey attempting to determine changes in spending habits when food prices rise, achieved only one thing - it measured where Filipinos said they would spend, not where they actually did. | | 2013 Oct 09 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On W.H. Taft Residences.md\|On W.H. Taft Residences]] A building along Taft Avenue, W.H. Taft Residences, is still under construction after nearly 7 years, serving as a prime example of why diversified conglomerates should be wary of putting their foot in the real estate and construction industry, where stretched operating cycles require special attention. | | 2013 Sept 10 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Buying from Abroad through Philpost Express Mail Service (EMS).md\|On Buying from Abroad through Philpost Express Mail Service (EMS)]] Ordering online from the Philippines is a difficult journey through inaccurate web trackers, inactive phone numbers, uncoordinated post offices, and high tax levies. However, if you really want the product and can't get it locally, then a little grit, persistence, and information should let you wrench your package out of the system faster than usual. | | 2013 Sept 08 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On the Great Gatsby Curve and Electric Fences in South Africa.md\|On the Great Gatsby Curve and Electric Fences in South Africa]] The Great Gatsby tells the story of a man who claws his way from rags to riches, but finds that wealth alone cannot provide him the privileges of those born in the upper class. On the economic side of things, a new and hotly debated idea, dubbed the Great Gatsby curve, encapsulates this anecdote in data. It illustrates the possibility that income inequality might lead to lower social mobility in a country. | | 2013 Aug 04 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Annoying Elevator Companions.md\|On Annoying Elevator Companions]] Elevator rides, despite being tediously mind-numbing moments spent avoiding awkward eye contact, are a necessary evil of city life, but sometimes, there are just some elevator companions that are bent on making your elevator rides even more of an annoyance than they already are. | | 2013 Jun 20 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Annoying Drivers.md\|On Annoying Drivers]] I hate slogging through Manila traffic. It's a horrible waste of time to spend an hour on an otherwise ten minute trip. What's worse - there are drivers who think that being a good driver means that you gain five seconds at the expense of multiple minutes for everyone else. | | 2012 Oct 13 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Economics Education.md\|On Economics Education]] Here’s what four years of economics education has done to my political leanings. | | 2012 May 22 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Ngrams Part 2 - The Philippine Economy.md\|On Ngrams Part 2 - The Philippine Economy]] This installment reveals that growth is now more important than development, the Phillips curve’s tradeoffs do not necessarily apply to this measure, that fiscal policy is largely affected by current economic conditions, and much more. | | 2012 May 14 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Ngrams - Philippine History Quantified in Books.md\|On Ngrams - Philippine History Quantified in Books]] I’ve been messing around with the Google Ngram Viewer which was highlighted in a previous video post. | | 2012 May 08 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Prize-Linked Savings.md\|On Prize-Linked Savings]] It’s basically a no-lose lottery; you get the chance to hit a big payday, but you still get to keep your money if you don’t. | | 2012 May 02 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On that Moment of Choice.md\|On that Moment of Choice]] No matter how rationally we try to act, that one moment of choice is still a purely emotional exercise. | | 2012 Apr 20 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Graphs - Finals Week.md\|On Graphs - Finals Week]] This finals week was definitely the most gruelling of my college life. | | 2012 Apr 20 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Interest Rates and Mortality.md\|On Interest Rates and Mortality]] A limited time on this earth makes time precious. | | 2012 Apr 20 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Stochasticity.md\|On Stochasticity]] Sometimes the noise is more important than the signal. | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Quotes from F.A. Hayek.md\|On Quotes from F.A. Hayek]] The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they know about what they can imagine they can design. | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On Trial, Error and the God Complex.md\|On Trial, Error and the God Complex]] It seems so obvious when you listen to him, but it’s when you look around and see everyone trying to fix the world’s problems with their own preconceived master plans that you see how few people grasp the beautiful heuristic process of variation and selection. | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On the Concorde.md\|On the Concorde]] The Concorde. It’s a beauty; it’s just about the most beautiful man-made thing in the world. What a shame that it guzzled gas, made so much noise, and was eventually put out of service. | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Thoughts/On the Opinion Entitlement Fallacy.md\|On the Opinion Entitlement Fallacy]] The process of argument has, for me, always been a journey towards the discovery of truth. However, seldom does this process go well. People usually end up with more questions than answers and the matter is almost never resolved. One of the reasons is because of certain fallacies that just won’t die. |