Captain’s Log, Stardate 010109 USS BabyPod Space Commander SteelyKid reporting “Our mission to explore the dining room is progressing well. It is almost time for Baby Blogging, and–“ “Commander, sensors have detected a ship!” “On screen!” “What the heck is that?
Hey Hey 2009
2008 was a rotten year for a lot of people, I know, but I’ll always have a soft spot for it, because it marked the beginning of the SteelyKid Era. There was plenty that sucked about 2008, but not nearly enough to outweigh that. (There will be Baby Blogging later today, but the Empress of… Continue reading Hey Hey 2009
links for 2009-01-01
slacktivist: Clean shoes "Getting down on his knees and taking unclean things in his hands was more than just a pattern with Jesus — it was something like an obsession. This goes beyond a mere motif or refrain in the Gospels. Jesus looked at the purity codes and the holiness codes and the long lists… Continue reading links for 2009-01-01
A Well Deserved Hono(u)r
Terry Pratchett knighted: Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series of novels that have sold more than 55 million copies worldwide, said he was “stunned, in a good way” after receiving a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List. The 60-year-old writer, below, whose first book was published in 1971, told The Independent last… Continue reading A Well Deserved Hono(u)r
The Year in Cities
This is going around again (I think Kottke is Patient Zero), so here’s a list of places where I spent at least one night in 2008 (other than Niskayuna, where we live): Albany, NY (I spent four nights in a smoking room– I get to count it on the list) Boston, MA Lewisburg, PA State… Continue reading The Year in Cities
It’s a Great Job, If You Can Get It
Over at Unqualified Offerings, Thoreau calls out unnamed ScienceBloggers for cognitive dissonance: I think scientific training is of great intellectual and practical benefit to students with the interest and ability to pursue it. I would like to see more people choose to study science (whether at the undergraduate level or beyond). However, I am amused… Continue reading It’s a Great Job, If You Can Get It
Why Do I Bother?
I generally enjoy Gregg Easterbrook’s football writing– he gets a little repetitive, and the shtick is starting to overwhelm any insight, but he makes some good points, and is usually entertaining. For example, I really enjoyed his take on the Dallas Cowboys at the end of this week’s column (schadenfreude is a powerful thing). Easterbrook’s… Continue reading Why Do I Bother?
links for 2008-12-31
Auto Destruct "[F]or all of Detroit’s mistakes, it is also a victim of something it did right: ensuring a middle-class lifestyle for bluecollar workers. When the carmakers, pushed by unions, agreed to provide workers with a steady level of purchasing power, comprehensive health benefits lasting into retirement, and various forms of workplace rights, they were… Continue reading links for 2008-12-31
Sports, Test Scores, and the Difference Between Science and Journalism
Inside Higher Ed has an article on athletics and admissions based on an investigative report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The report compares the SAT scores of football and basketball players to those of other students, but what it really highlights is the difference between science and journalism. The basis of the report is pretty simple:… Continue reading Sports, Test Scores, and the Difference Between Science and Journalism
What Makes a Dissertation?
ScienceWoman has a post about plans and publications that opens with a comment about what makes a dissertation that struck me as odd: Three papers, an introductory chapter and some broad conclusions. Those are the ingredients of a Ph.D. dissertation in it’s simplest form. […]My first PhD paper was published in 2006, shortly after I… Continue reading What Makes a Dissertation?