Swamp Musings

Wednesday I posted links to Fred Reed and later on that night decided to go re-visit his links. Now I'm somewhat of Mark Twain's attitude that there are lies, damn lies, and statistics most of the time. Too many are like polls which are too easily manipulated to show whatever the critter or organization wants them to show. Measuring techniques, the analysis method, or in the case of polls, the questions asked and from what folk, can deliver just about anything wanted. The truth is in the actual results if one is forecasting or the actual situation if reducing data. His linky titled "Race, Sex, Things Incorrect" includes

La Griffe du Leon has fascinating statistical analyses of things you aren't supposed to analyze, such as measured intelligence in relation to sex and race. La Griffe du Leon is a pseudonym, probably because he is an academic in fear of being lynched. This presupposes that a mob of professors can tie a knot. Griffe is unmistakeably a first-rate statistician. He also writes graceful English, and so can't be a statistician, first-rate or otherwise. Maybe he's a pair of fraternal twins. Anyway, well worth reading.

I read his reduction titled The Effect of Urban Flight
on IQ Distribution and wondered if he lives in Baltimore. I've no comments other than when I was much younger, I spent a lot of time in places that I wouldn't even consider returning for love or money. Zero-goal societies tend to be pretty damn miserable.