I-MAG STS

Written some years ago, the IMAGSTS CHIRU software was named for an obscure Tibetan antelope

(Pantholops hodgsonii) that was associated with fraudulent photojournalism by Liu Weiqing in 2007.

We have no updates on the status of Liu Weiqing. There is considerable dispute about whether the

antelopes are prospering or if the populations have merely stabilized. The primary problem is the chiru

grows a very soft, light and warm underfur called shahtoosh (Persian = king of wools). This motivates

poachers. Of considerable biological interest is that the chiru is the only mammal known to retain

fetal hemoglobin. In the case of the chiru this provides a metabolic advantage needed to survive at the

altitudes the antelopes often live at. The 2004 movie Kekexili: Mountain Patrol is recommended.

The CHIRU software asserted that election results could be predicted on the basis of economic measures.

That implied if the reported results varied significantly there might be irregularities in the voting -

or even in the reported econometric figures. Normally, we preferred to use CHIRU on the bright side -

to estimate the likelihood of Theresa May being replaced as Prime Minister or of Jacinda Ardern being

re-elected as Prime Minister of New Zealand in a landslide. On what might be called the dark side CHIRU

was used somewhat reluctantly to confirms concerns about massive voting irregularities in the Bolivian 2019

election, among others. There we expected either a replacement election or a run-off - we did not expect

the multiple resignations that followed.

In any case, a combination of flattery and extortion served to get COVID-19 cases and deaths added as

factors. As has been dwelt upon at some length elsewhere, the COVID data does not have a reputation for

accuracy. Neither does econometric data, notably unemployment and poverty, from the United States.

Predictions posted 10/26 on the Silver Wolf Wushu blog:

For President - Electoral votes: Joseph Biden: 343; Donald Trump: 195

For the House of Representatives: 250 Democrats; 185 Republicans

For the US Senate: 47 Democrats; 2 Independents and 46 Republicans with 5 races (Montana, North Carolina,

2 in Georgia and Iowa) being too close to call. CHIRU estimates it is very unlikely that Republicans win all five, so it

is likely control of the Senate passes to the Democrats, although by a slim margin.

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Predicted Electoral College votes by US State   click here