How did the legacy admissions scheme last this long?

by philg

Nominally “private” colleges and universities get so much money from taxpayers that they are essentially part of the government. Taxpayers fund tuition grants that go straight into the colleges’ pockets. Taxpayers subsidize student loans that boost revenue by letting students pay more. Taxpayers fund research grants from which universities extract “overhead”.

The Equal Protection Clause:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

College admission isn’t exactly a “law”, but various cases have been decided in which this clause was applied to government programs generally, e.g., forcing states to allow same-sex marriage (and, eventually, throuples?). It wouldn’t be okay for the FAA to say “Your mom held a pilot certificate so therefore we’re going to let you have a pilot certificate at 35 hours instead of the usual minimum of 40.” Nor could the FAA say “We’re cutting you slack on the practical test because you paid $1 million in federal income tax last year.” Why is it okay for government-funded schools, such as Yale and Stanford, to say “We’re going to lower the bar for you because your parents attended and/or donated”?

Is the answer simply that no high-scoring-but-rejected-by-Yale applicant ever sued and obtained discovery showing that (1) second-rate legacy kids got admitted instead, and (2) Yale is firmly entrenched underneath a shower of government money?

Related:

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Would Supreme Court Justices retire younger if they couldn’t live like billionaires while in the job?

by philg

I always wondered why Supreme Court Justices didn’t quit their $400,000ish/year (total compensation) jobs and become law firm partners making $5 million/year arguing cases. Why live like civil servants when they could easily be living the multimillionaire lifestyle? And why not retire prior to becoming 98% dead? Recently we’ve learned the answer: they’re living like billionaires just as long as they keep sitting on the Court. Examples: “I shot myself a deer,” Elena Kagan said of a recent big game hunting trip with the conservative justice [Scalia] in Wyoming.” (Atlantic) and “Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court” (ProPublica).

If ethics rules were changed so that Supreme Court Justices couldn’t spend weekends and vacations on Gulfstream G700s, I wonder if they’d retire at a more typical age and/or leave government at 60-65 to earn some big $$ in the private sector before hanging up their pens.

Here’s one of our heroes on a July 2008 trip to a $1,000/day fishing lodge in Alaska:

(i.e., right before the world was about to melt down for the peasants)

From the ProPublica article:

“If you were good friends, what were you doing ruling on his case?” said Charles Geyh, an Indiana University law professor and leading expert on recusals. “And if you weren’t good friends, what were you doing accepting this?” referring to the flight on the private jet.

If nothing else, I guess we can be sure that our legal system will remain friendly to the interests of billionaires!

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Salt Lake City Public Library Kids’ Section

by philg

For British Readers: Happy Traitorous Rebellion Day. For Americans: Happy Great Patriotic Revolution Day.

One of the freedoms for which we ostensibly rebelled and that would not have been available had we stayed part of the British Empire is enshrined in our First Amendment. We are informed by the New York Times that, apparently contrary to the Constitution, books have been banned in Utah and that residents of the state no longer have “freedom to read”. “Book Bans Rising Rapidly in the U.S., Free Speech Groups Find” (April 2023):

Seven states, including Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Utah, passed laws last year that impose limits on material in libraries, according to analysis done by EveryLibrary, a political action committee for libraries. This year, the group is tracking 113 bills across the country that it says would negatively impact libraries or curtail people’s freedom to read.

Florida was already covered here (see Palm Beach County Library Kids’ Section). Below are some photos from a June 15, 2023 visit to the public library in Salt Lake City, Utah (designed by Moshe Safdie). The atrium is inspiring, but the roof deck sadly closed for repairs in November 2022. A librarian explained that the repairs won’t begin until August 2023 and “it’s a government project so who knows how long it will take.”

The first thing that a family sees on entering the kids’ section, which is downstairs, is a “picture book” cabinet with a “Celebrate Pride Month” sign on top.

The books featured include Different Kinds of Fruit (a sixth grader learns that her father is trans), Donovan’s Big Day (“Donovan’s two moms are getting married”), They She He Me: Free to Be! (a book about gender identity that Amazon customers are using with 4-year-olds), and A Kids Book About Gender (“it’s meant to help kids and grownups understand gender and create an open and safe environment for kids to question, experiment, and discover their authentic selves.”).

A child of perhaps 3 wears a mask and is joined by a librarian (far left of second image):

How about the Teen section? It is impossible to enter without first paying obeisance to Rainbow Flagism:

Once inside, the teen is invited to join 2SLGBTQQIA+ clubs and download 2SLGBTQQIA+ apps.

On the same floor (featured in the center), but not within the teen lounge per se:

Teens are reminded on this floor that adults are raging hypocrites (admitting that they stole the land from the Native Americans, but refusing to give it back or at least pay rent):

(If you were Elizabeth Warren or some other Native American would you rather have white invaders “learn and respect” or have the white devils pay you in gold?)

What about for adults? On the ground floor, just as you enter the library:

Upstairs, but not on the teen floor:

Whether adult, teen, or child, if you were to use a computer to search the catalog you’d have to first pay obeisance to Rainbow Flagism. The home screen through which you are required to pass:

(See also Rainbow-first Retail (examples from Bozeman, Montana))

The public web site has the Pride message, but as one of a set of messages that scroll:

Readers: In terms of freedom to read would we have been better off staying under the British umbrella and/or waiting for a peaceful separation as the Canadians did? Who currently has more freedom to read, Canadians or Americans?

(Speaking of Canadians and Utah, Senior Management covered our kids in so much zinc oxide during this recent trip that they looked like Justin Trudeau‘s cousins from a parallel universe.)

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Meet in Holland or Ireland?

by philg

Folks: I’m heading over to mostly-peaceful Europe this week. I’ll be at the Delft University of Technology in Holland for a few days and then going to Ireland (Dublin, Sligo, and Belfast) for some aviation projects. If anyone would like to get together over there, please email philg@mit.edu.

“The ferry in the Netherlands hosting refugees and migrants” (BBC, April 2023) shows one place where I’m not planning to stay:

The Irish voted to end birthrate citizenship by an overwhelming margin in 2004. Nonetheless, the haters aren’t satisfied. “‘There is no room’: anti-immigration protesters march in Dublin” (The Guardian, Jan 2023):

Pickets and blockades of roads are often held outside refugee centres in working-class neighbourhoods but on Saturday activists marched in the heart of the capital.

“It’s not about racism. There is no room for them,” said Gavin Pepper, 37, as he and about 350 others denounced the increasing number of asylum seekers. “Why should migrants skip Irish people on the housing list? I won’t accept it.”

An acute housing and homelessness crisis has collided with the state’s struggle to accommodate Ukrainians and asylum seekers, fuelling accusations that foreigners receive preferential treatment.

Protesters also say centres with “unvetted” young male refugees make them feel unsafe. “I have five girls and two boys and the girls are afraid to go out at night,” said one man, who declined to give his name.

I won’t be staying in a work-class neighborhood, so I may not meet the migrants.

In France, meanwhile, things are entirely peaceful not merely mostly peaceful, according to the New York Times… “Unrest in France Eases Nearly a Week After Fatal Police Shooting”.

In the alternate universe inhabited by the Deplorables at Fox, however, what the New York Times calls “protests” are “riots”… “French riots: New report details thousands of arrests, hundreds of attacks on police since violence broke out”:

A new report from France’s Ministry of Interior quantifies the damage done after nearly a week of protests in response to the police killing of a teen of North African heritage.

The report, obtained by the French newspaper Le Parisien, recorded 5,662 vehicle fires and more than 1,000 damaged buildings.

Since rioting first broke out on Tuesday, police have made 3,354 arrests – 1,282 of which were in the Paris metro area alone, according to the report.

Like Harvard and Democrats on the Supreme Court, the French are blaming Asians:

“Asian tourists, in particular, who are very concerned about security, may not hesitate to postpone or cancel their trip,” he warned. Didier Arino, managing director of the Protourisme firm said: “Tourists who know us well, like the Belgians or the British, who also have problems themselves in their suburbs, will be able to make sense of things”.

Maybe this summer it makes more sense to do Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT.

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What if our National Parks charged Navajo prices?

by philg

Our National Parks get less than 10 percent of their budget from entrance fees. In other words, people who don’t go to the parks are subsidizing people who do go to the parks. A 2015 report found that visitors paid $186 million in fees directly and $85 million via concessions (food and hotels) while the Park Service spent $3.1 billion.

Part of the reason for this is that prices are low. Not quite as low as in 1938, when the parks were free:

But an annual pass that enables 8 people in a minivan to spend 3-4 weeks in the parks is $80. I had already purchased a pass for the Vegas/Pahrump trip (Death Valley, Sheri’s Ranch to try to meet up with Hunter Biden, Corvette School, etc.) so it cost us $0 in fees to spend 3 weeks in the National Parks in June. Even if we had paid $80 that would have been less than the cost of housekeeping tips ($5 is the new $3).

Let’s assume a family of 4. What do the Navajo charge for them to look at something interesting? We took a one-hour tour of Antelope Canyon and it worked out to $100 per person. Here’s a photo from that excursion:

Let’s assume that a typical family won’t be able to pay $400 per hour every hour, but $100 per person per day is the “Navajo rate” for what could reasonably be charged. The National Park Service budget is up to $3.6 billion in Bidies. For the agency to be fully funded by visitors, therefore, they’d have to host 36 million person-days. Is that practical? State-sponsored NPR says that 312 million people visited in 2022. It is unclear if they’re counting how many days each person spent in the park and, of course, visitation would fall if Navajo pricing were established rather than give-away pricing, but it seems clear that the Park Service could easily fund itself from entrance fees.

For reference, the Chileans charge foreigners $35 per adult to visit their signature national park for one day. Even at Chilean prices it would seem that the NPS could easily be self-funded.

What about families where nobody has worked for 4 generations? How are they going to enjoy the Grand Canyon? As with museums, anyone with a SNAP/EBT card could be admitted for free.

What’s wrong with the current system? Nothing, if you’re a member of the elite! Since the NPS isn’t charging anything for park entry, the people who own hotels and restaurants in the parks (i.e., the cronies) can charge higher prices. It ends up costing about $1000/day to visit the parks in any degree of comfort, so the visitors themselves tend to be elite.

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National Parkflation

by philg

Gift shops at National Parks sell books, stickers, posters, and quilts featuring all of the parks for those who wish to try to hit them all (my favorite is a scratch-off). If you’re old and remember when the “National Park” designation was reserved for truly spectacular places you will greatly underestimate the challenge. There are now 63 National Parks. How is that possible? 63 places in the U.S. that deserve to be mentioned as peers to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon?!?

It turns out that there has been a substantial amount of Parkflation.

Eero Saarinen’s 1965 Gateway Arch in St. Louis was redesignated from Jefferson National Expansion Memorial to Gateway Arch National Park in 2018 (Wikipedia).

Black Canyon of the Gunnison was a National Monument starting in 1933. Without any upgrades to the sights, which Coloradans say are worth a half-day visit, it became a National Park in 1999.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a set of hills cut through with highways just south of Cleveland. Half of Connecticut and all of New Hampshire qualifies as a National Park if this place does. From Wikipedia:

Cuyahoga Valley was originally designated as a National Recreation Area in 1974, then redesignated as a national park 26 years later in 2000, and remains the only national park that originated as a national recreation area.

We checked off the park on the way to Oshkosh 2021. It’s a pleasant place for an afternoon walk if you don’t mind being able to hear road noise.

The UNESCO World Heritage folks are more discriminating. Only 12 natural sites, all National Parks, make the cut:

  1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1995)
  2. Everglades National Park (1979)
  3. Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
  4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1983)
  5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (1987)
  6. Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (1979, 1992, 1994)
  7. Mammoth Cave National Park (1981)
  8. Olympic National Park (1981)
  9. Redwood National and State Parks (1980)
  10. Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (1995)
  11. Yellowstone National Park (1978)
  12. Yosemite National Park (1984)

(One’s in Florida!)

Readers: What are your predictions for the next few U.S. National Parks? Here are mine:

The southern edge of Vermilion Cliffs, as viewed when driving from Grand Canyon North Rim to Page, Arizona:

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Navy Joan starts her art collection

by philg

The New York Times finally acknowledges a story that has been widely reported elsewhere… “Hunter Biden Settles Child-Support Case”:

According to court documents, Mr. Biden, 53, agreed to pay a monthly sum, which was not disclosed, to Ms. Roberts, as well as turn over several of his paintings, the net proceeds of which would go to his daughter. … works have been listed for $500,000 each.

Hunter Biden had been paying $20,000 a month in child support for several years, for a total of $750,000, according to his attorneys. He had argued that he was not financially able to support the original child-support order. The new amount is lower than had been originally ordered, according to a person familiar with the case.

Ms. Roberts and Mr. Biden met in Washington. In mid-2018, Ms. Roberts was working as his personal assistant, according to a person familiar with the case.

The last part implies that the plaintiff was working for the defendant and they had sex as part of an office romance. The Daily Mail tells it differently:

his baby mama Lunden Roberts ‘was a stripper named Dallas he met in a club in Washington

Navy Joan not only is denied the opportunity to visit Grandpa Joe in the White House, but the elites at the New York Times don’t mention her by name. She is merely “the child”.

The latest Daily Mail story shows us Hunter Biden’s art, which the New York Times does not:

Note that the Daily Mail uses the child’s name and also includes a photo of the purported beneficiary of the cash:

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Branch Covidians in the National Park Service

by philg

3.5 years after coronapanic began, the National Park Service web site:

Tours of Glen Canyon Dam
Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, the dam is closed to the public.

In case the above is memory-holed:

At Yellowstone, the National Park Service encourages visitors to wear a mask and social distance when outside in a 20-knot breeze:

What are other Americans up to? Just 10 minutes from the National Park Service HQ in Washington, D.C., there is a 24/7 bathhouse:

(The 2SLGBTQQIA+ club reopened in the summer of 2021. A 12-year-old needed to show his/her/zir/their vaccine papers to go to a public place in D.C., such as a restaurant, but the Covidcrats didn’t see any infectious disease potential in a venue where a customer might have sex with 25 different partners in one night.)

Perhaps we’re just looking at #AbundanceOfCaution and slavish devotion to CDC guidance? Here’s the CDC’s main page for COVID-19 prevention (the filename is actually “prevention”):

Handwashing is featured above even the sacred Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The National Parks have become mass gatherings and are more crowded, certainly, than our day-to-day lifestyle in the city of Jupiter, Florida (see this post, and the photos link, regarding Zion). Florida city, county, and state governments are all about building and maintaining clean public restrooms, despite being notorious for rejecting CDC guidance on lockdowns, school closures, mask orders, and forced COVID-19 vaccination. We might expect the Branch Covidians at the National Park Service to have overtaken Florida government officials in providing handwashing facilities to the general public. Yet, in fact, I found the opposite was true during a summer 2023 visit to various parks. Restrooms with running water inside the parks were closed and/or being shut down (sometimes primitive outhouses with no sinks were substituted), thus making it impossible for the humans gathering in these parks to wash their hands per CDC guidance. Said humans are encouraged and/or forced (depending on the park) to ride packed buses, so the “they’re gathering only outdoors” response does not apply.

Here’s an example closed restroom in Yellowstone:

Near the popular Steamboat Geyser:

How about in Canyonlands National Park? Maybe it is unreasonable to ask the Feds to give customers a potentially life-saving running-water bathroom on a plateau that is so high above the water? (Some of the guys running cattle on the adjacent federal land seem to be pumping water, though.) The Feds are charging only $30 per vehicle, after all, so maybe outhouses are all that we can expect. On the same plateau, the Utah state government folks who run Dead Horse Point State Park charge a $20 fee and truck water up so that visitors can enjoy civilized bathroom experiences:

Only very loosely related… the federal government imposes just one rule for what it calls the “Fishing Bridge”: no fishing. Yellowstone National Park:

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ChatGPT applies to college under the new race-based system

by philg

The old race-based college admissions system has been axed by the Supreme Court. Fortunately, however, the majority has explained how colleges can run a new race-based system: “At the same time, nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life” (state-sponsored NPR).

I asked ChatGPT to “Write a college application essay that describes how race affected the applicant’s life”. The result is below.

Title: The Kaleidoscope of My Identity: Growing Through Diversity

When we look through the prisms of a kaleidoscope, we see a myriad of colors coalesce to form shifting patterns that somehow manage to be distinct yet harmoniously integrated. I’ve always thought of my racial background and identity in the same way, a fascinating kaleidoscope of my existence. I am of mixed racial heritage; my mother is African-American and my father is Korean. My life has been an amalgamation of experiences, both enlightening and challenging, which have shaped me into the person I am today. This essay attempts to articulate the pivotal role that race has played in my life, weaving together the strands of my diverse heritage.

Growing up as a biracial individual in a predominantly white community, I was like a patchwork quilt sewn together with pieces of different colors and patterns. At times, the vividness of my patchwork stood out, a stark contrast against a uniform backdrop. I was always the one with the “different” lunch at school – a soulful blend of kimchi and collard greens, a representation of the intersectionality of my racial heritage.

These experiences taught me about the beauty of my unique identity, but they also exposed me to the harsh realities of prejudice and stereotypes. I was often at the crossroads of preconceived notions about my races – too “Asian” to fit into the “Black” group and too “Black” to be “Asian.” The overlapping stereotypes created a paradox that was challenging to navigate. It was a roller-coaster journey, filled with moments of pride, confusion, self-doubt, and self-discovery.

However, this journey shaped my perspective about the world. I learned to challenge stereotypes, not just for myself but also for others who faced similar obstacles. It instilled in me an insatiable curiosity to understand the complexity of human experiences and the importance of fostering a society that values diversity.

In middle school, I channeled this curiosity into action. I co-founded a multicultural club to create a safe space where everyone, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, could share their experiences and learn about each other’s cultures. We hosted cultural fairs, diversity workshops, and initiated dialogues around race and identity, fostering a sense of acceptance and inclusivity within our school community.

This was an empowering experience as it allowed me to use my racial identity as a tool to bring about change, cultivating an environment where every student’s ‘kaleidoscope’ could be celebrated. The ability to turn a challenge into an opportunity for growth and empowerment is a lesson I’ve carried with me throughout my life.

High school brought a new dimension to my understanding of race as I delved into historical and sociopolitical contexts. I learned how race and systemic racism have shaped societies. I realized the privilege of education and the responsibility that came with it. This realization led me to volunteer at a local community center where I tutored children from underprivileged backgrounds, reinforcing my commitment to contribute to a more equitable society.

In college, I aspire to further this commitment. I plan to major in sociology to deepen my understanding of racial dynamics and use this knowledge to enact systemic change. I want to continue to celebrate diversity, challenge stereotypes, and create spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and accepted.

Through the lens of my kaleidoscope, I see my unique racial background not as a hurdle but as an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference. It has taught me resilience, empathy, and the ability to appreciate the beauty in our differences. It has molded me into a compassionate leader, a keen learner, and an advocate for change.

The story of my racial journey is not just about me, but about how I hope to use my experiences to create a world where every kaleidoscope is celebrated. As I apply to college, I bring with me not only the colors of my own racial identity but also a commitment to understand, value, and advocate for the diverse ‘colors’ of others.

Let’s try a slightly different prompt:

Write a college application essay that describes how race affected the applicant’s life. The applicant is white and his hobbies are yachting, golf, and court tennis. His parents bought him a Lucid Air on his 16th birthday.

Title: The Voyage of Privilege: Navigating my Journey of Awareness and Understanding

I have spent much of my life on boats and golf courses, partaking in activities that, historically, are associated with the privileged echelons of society. Yachting, golf, court tennis, they have not only been my hobbies but also metaphors for my life, with its fairways and harbors marked by my racial identity. Born into a white, affluent family, I am keenly aware that my journey has been significantly shaped by the privileges my race and socioeconomic status have afforded me. This realization, though initially uncomfortable, has served as a catalyst for self-awareness, empathy, and meaningful action.

I remember the day of my 16th birthday vividly. A shiny new Lucid Air, wrapped like a gleaming symbol of privilege, awaited me in our driveway. It was a gesture of love from my parents, but it also served as a stark reminder of the privileged life I lead. It struck me then that my reality was not a universal one, and I found myself contemplating the profound disparities that continue to exist in society.

My school was predominantly white, much like my neighborhood. However, my hobbies exposed me to a more diverse demographic. I began to notice the glaring underrepresentation of people of color in my golf club and on the tennis court. I started to question the systemic barriers that might be preventing their participation. Moreover, the realization that these activities were often seen as ‘white sports’ made me question how my race influenced my access and acceptance in these spaces.

These observations led me to confront my white privilege and the systemic racial advantages I’ve benefited from. However, acknowledging privilege was just the beginning. It was essential to understand how I could leverage it to address racial disparities. I recognized that my privileged position offered me the resources, voice, and opportunity to effect change.

I started by spearheading diversity initiatives in my school, using my role as the student council president. I lobbied for more inclusive curriculum and hiring practices, ensuring the representation of more diverse voices. We organized workshops and discussions on white privilege and systemic racism to foster a culture of understanding and empathy among students.

Outside school, I focused on my hobbies. I worked with the local yacht club and golf course to initiate scholarship programs for young individuals from marginalized communities. We offered training and mentorship programs, intending to diversify participation and break down the systemic barriers prevalent in these sports.

Moreover, I took up a part-time job and saved a portion of my earnings to contribute to educational scholarships for underprivileged students. I believe that access to quality education is a significant step towards addressing racial and social disparities, and I hope to continue supporting this cause in college and beyond.

My understanding of my racial identity and privilege has significantly shaped my worldview and aspirations. I aim to major in Sociology and Public Policy in college to deepen my understanding of systemic racism and explore ways to contribute to a more equitable society. I hope to combine this knowledge with my love for sports, working towards creating equal opportunities in sports administration in the future.

As I prepare to embark on my college journey, I bring with me not just my white identity, but also an understanding of the privileges it entails. I carry a commitment to use these privileges as tools for change, and a desire to learn and grow in an environment that values diversity and inclusion. The winds of change are upon us, and I am eager to set sail, to navigate uncharted waters, and to use my privilege to effect meaningful change.

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Say goodbye to Pride month with a Bud Light Clamato?

by philg

Here’s a suggestion for showing your passion for all things 2SLGBTQQIA+: drink a few Bud Light Clamatos. From Bryce Canyon earlier this month…

Separately, have Bud Light sales recovered yet? At least in Florida, folks didn’t seem to be holding the company’s excursion into transgender advocacy against the brand. More than half of the customers at the New York, New York Tiki Bar in Titusville, FL (perfect spot for watching SpaceX launches) were drinking the elixir and the bartender reported no slowdown in sales. Photo from May 21, 2023:

Note that Bud Light has been a transgender brand since at least 1987. Spuds Mackenzie was assigned female at birth, but identified as a male party animal.

(As it happens, I have been boycotting Bud Light for more than three decades. If I ever do start drinking beer, I don’t think it will be one mixed with clamato.)

Don’t drink alcohol? Perhaps you’d prefer to spend 5 cents on a frosty Coca-Cola ($15 adjusted for Bidenflation?). Recent photos from the Coke store in Orlando, Florida:

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