In honor of my weekend, here’s Larry Miller on the Five Stages of Drinking. This is one of my all-time favorite comedy bits, and it’s defintiely in the “funny ’cause it’s true” category. Details will, of course, need to remain scarce to protect the political careers of those involved, but it was a great weekend.… Continue reading Six, If You Live in a Trailer Park
Month: April 2008
Bad Toasters and Software
Seth Godin offers a parable about toasters and web sites: We recently acquired what might be the worst toaster in the history of the world. It’s pretty fancy and shiny and microprocessor controlled. And it makes toast. But here’s what I have to do to use it: [list of 10 steps] He goes on to… Continue reading Bad Toasters and Software
Framing Stem Cells
With the “Vox Day” business winding down (one way or another), it’s time to unwind with something less contentious and controversial: Framing! No– seriously. Most of the really loud opponents have publically washed their hands of the whole topic, so I expect this will be relatively non-controversial. What could possibly go wrong? Anyway, Janet is… Continue reading Framing Stem Cells
links for 2008-04-11
A thought — Words Words Words — The Dream Cafe Weblog “If President Bush has sunk lower than others, it is only because he is being stood on by giants.” (tags: US politics silly) Mythbusters’ Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage | The A.V. Club Zombie Feynman says it’s science, and that’s good enough for me.… Continue reading links for 2008-04-11
Non-Dorky Poll: Drinking Songs
I’m feeling pretty harried this week, because I’m teaching using a new curriculum, which requires all-new lecture slides and notes and homework assignments. I’m also going away this weekend, to Williamstown for the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of my college rugby club. As a result, I’ve been losing more mental processor… Continue reading Non-Dorky Poll: Drinking Songs
John Scalzi Should Be Ashamed of Himself
I’m not sure whether he’s making some kind of obscure point, or just trolling, but John Scalzi gave a recent installment of his “Big Idea” series over to the witterings of “Vox Day,” talking about his book The Irrational Atheist. Curse you, Scalzi, for getting me to even look at that. And it’s not just… Continue reading John Scalzi Should Be Ashamed of Himself
Humorless Scold Smackdown
Inside Higher Ed notes in passing that several NCAA Presidents are complaining about alcohol advertising during the NCAA Tournament. The source for this is a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest: According to CSPI’s analysis of broadcasts of the semifinal and championship basketball games, the NCAA is exceeding the limits on… Continue reading Humorless Scold Smackdown
links for 2008-04-10
Satisfying application of physics Another great idea for an intro mechanics lab. (tags: physics academia education experiment science) Michigan laser beam believed to set record for intensity Includes a great lab-porn picture of the laser in action. (tags: science physics optics news experiment) ‘U.S. News’ Adds Surveys That Could Alter Methodology :: Inside Higher Ed… Continue reading links for 2008-04-10
Dorky Poll: Calculators
Over at Cosmic Variance, Julianne waxes rhapsodic about her calculator, a HP-15C. This is such an obvious Dorky Poll topic that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier: What sort of calculator do you use? My students, particularly the future engineers, are always shocked by my answer:
Neil Lewis of the New York Times
The much-promised peer-reviewed research post is going to slip by another day, becuase I had forgotten about a talk by Neil Lewis last night on campus. Lewis is an alumnus of Union, and a writer for the Times best known for writing about the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he was speaking as… Continue reading Neil Lewis of the New York Times