The Professor's Lecture Notes

I am moving! (Virtually!)

2006-10-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I have moved physically, but now I am moving virtually. I have now moved to a Wordpress blog, hosted on my own domain. You can find me now, at:

http://theprofessornotes.com

But that's not the BIGGEST news. I have decided to move into the world of podcasting as well. A few of you know that I have been exploring podcasting in other arenas starting with a podcast with my son (http://SCToday.net/FatherSon/wordpress) but now I have decided to move many of my thoughts from the impersonal typed page to the impersonal audio file.

Please, make the move with me and let me know what you think, not only of the move and the podcast, but also share your thoughts and your ideas. If you think I am wrong, go ahead and challenge. It's what the free exchange of ideas is all about!

Oh, and if you wish to subscribe to the podcast directly in iTunes, I will have a link there as well. For now, you can search for "Father Son Chats" in itunes to subscribe to that one, and you can search for "the professors notes" to subscribe to this one!

The Prof

NEEMO - NASA uses dives as Analogy for Space

2006-07-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, one of my research areas of interest is “Space Logistics” and “Interplanetary Supply Chain Management.” We presented three papers a conference in April, and one of them (lead-author by Mke M) looked at Submarines as an analogy to long duration space missions.

NASA has another on-going missionNEEMO. This mission titled “NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations” is “testing concepts for future space exploration at an underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida. “ It’s a very interesting concept. Of course, NASAWatch, the blog dedicated to holding NASA to task, is concerned that NASA is ignoring this mission that they themselves have funded.

NASAWatch does point to a link for the underwater webcams. They are interesting to watch, and the descriptions of the various camera views are even somewhat humorous.

If anyone is interested in Space Logistics, shoot me a note.

Syllabi and the "Inevitable"

2006-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Over at one of my frequent reads, the Community College Dean, he asked for advice on how to deal with students that leave their groups hanging high and dry on presentation day. My response was a simple "What's wrong with just simply giving the absent student a "ZERO" for the presentation?"

After reading many of the other comments, I find that the readership over there is quite a creative bunch! I enjoyed much of what they wrote, but the discussion reminded me of something else I have noticed of late. Syllabus Creep.

It seems as professors and instructors face the wide range of situations students present, we have added more and more to our syllabi. No, not content about the course--that would be reasonable. We are adding more and more about expectations of behavior, how not to cheat, when to attend class, what you will have to do if you don't attend class, and the like. Lately, I have gone for the more minimalist approach: DON'T CHEAT, OR YOU WILL BE CAUGHT.

I had read a syllabus where there was not only a list of items to bring for an exam, but an extremely long list of what not to bring. No hats. No music players. No scarves. If one could write on it, one couldn't bring it.

I have gone a slightly different route: I now allow the students to bring any personal music device that they wish. iPod, CD Player, Radio (with headset.) Whatever helps get them through the exam. Why? I know many people focus better with some "controlled distraction" rather than the random noises of other test-takers, and the opportunity to listen to something familiar may help overcome test anxiety.

I know what you're thinking. "What if they cheat? What if they dictate notes into the MP3 player? What if they include text?" Hmmm... interesting. I almost hope they do. Why? Because they had to actually read/review the material to put it into their device. Learning occurs, if only through repetition.

"Ahhh," you may ask "but what if one person does it, and then gives it to the others?" Another interesting question. The way I see it, you need to be fairly familiar with the material to be able to move quickly and accurately to the material covered in the question. Students never quite realize just how difficult an open book exam can be if you don't already know the material well enough to quickly/efficiently move through the chapters to find the answers. Those that have understood the material best are those that are best able to find the relevant information.

My goal in my classes are to encourage students to learn the material. I think this helps get there.

Lamont and Lieberman

2006-07-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

I found this blog entry on the Connecticut campaign to be quite interesting. Go read Eric's take, at A Liberal Dose.

The Prof

Gay Marriage?

2006-07-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have stayed away from this discussion, mainly because my views are quite practical, and would most likely alienate people from all sides of the debate. Given the latest story from the Boston Herald outlining the Boston Globe's directive for gay couples to either marry or lose benefits, it's perhaps as a good a time as any to come out with my opinion... (thanks to the Flesh Presser for the tip on this one!)

While I believe that, if there is such a thing as absolute moral values, and those are based on scripture, then it is clear that homosexual activity is morally wrong. I also believe, however, that in these cases it would be wrong to actually legislate against them (and somewhat problematic--I know I don't want to be involved on the stake out in these cases!)

I have come, over time, to nominally support the notion of gay marriage. I have been for too long a victim of the "marriage penalty" when it comes to tax structures. While I have seen two incomes, stacked one on the other, resulting in higher and higher taxation, I have seen homosexual couples enjoy the freedom to claim two sets of income. Now admittedly I have been able to have benefits for my spouse, and my children, that have often been denied to homosexual couples. But once those couples started to receive the benefits of the union, without the taxation of the union, my view began to shift.

It seems to me that the Boston Globe is taking the correct approach on this issue. Benefits, and taxation, should apply only to married couples. In this case, if you are married, then you can receive benefits--and you must pay taxes.

As a fiscal conservative I believe this is the most prudent action--let's welcome all married couples into the "marriage penalty" world that is the federal tax structure. Perhaps the deficit will be decreased.

So there you have it. I approve of Gay (and Lesbian) Marriage, simply because it hasn't been fair to heterosexuals to not allow it.

A Plagiarist behind every Right-leaning Tree?

2006-07-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I had to. After so many blogs where I talk about integrity in one's writing, how could I not address the accusation that Ann Coulter is a plagiarist. I found it interesting when I first heard about it, and intriguing when I read the posting at the Language Log (you all DO still go there, right?)

What most intrigues me though is the sense that the Left felt it somehow necessary to go after Coulter. Apparently the self induced blindness of the Bashists is not limited to the Administration. Bashists must nuw blame conservatives for such things as plagiarism. And, as is so often the case when the Bashists write before thinking, they are brought low by the facts.

There is a good analysis of the articles in question at RedState (tip of hat to Language Log). I have to agree--when the content in question turns out to be quotes, one can't help but think the Bashists have either no sense of reason left, of they simply hope that the vast majority of people will never actually go check their claims.

The Lieutenant--Courageous, or...

2006-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's happened. The US Army has preferred charges against "The Lieutenant." The Lt (according to the Seattle Times) enlisted in June of 2003, to go to Officer Candidate School, receiving his commission following completion of that school. His enlistment, and subsequent commissioning, were all contemporary with the start of the war with Iraq in March of 2003. Despite having a family history of war protesters and resisters, the Lt says that he believed Iraq had WMDs and thus he supported the war.

Now, he believes that the President lied to us, and thus he should not be required to participate in what the Lt believes is an illegal war. That's all well and good, except he apparently didn't pay attention during any of his schooling. Let's lay out a few things.

1. Lying involves knowing the truth at the time of the statement, but saying something else (lie of commission, as opposed to omission). The charges against Bush made by the "Bashists" tend to be that the President took us to war to stop Hussein's development of WMD's and there were none, therefore he lied. Let's ignore, for the moment, that Bush enumerated many reasons for toppling Saddam, and focus on this one aspect. How do we determine, given that the intelligence agencies of every major world power at the time concluded Iraq had WMDs, that Bush somehow knew Saddam didn't and acted anyway? That is what is required to support the charge of "lying."

2. Determination of "illegality" is not the Lt's call. Officers take an oath at commissioning. In that oath officers swear to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" which of course can lead a few to think that they then are the final arbiter of determining what is, or is not, Constitutional. Of course, as I have recently written elsewhere, if we allow everyone to determine what is or is not legal/constitutional, then ultimately we have anarchy. Last time I checked, the US was still operating in Iraq under UN resolutions. The Hague (The International Court) has not issued and rulings condemning the resolutions, or the actions of the coalition. The US Congress has not passed any law ordering the removal of US Troops. The Supreme Court, the final arbiter in the only branch of Government with the authority to determine what is and is not constitutional, has not delivered any verdict that would lead one to conclude the US involvement in Iraq is unconstitutional. The authority of the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court are constitutionally granted authorities. It is not the Lt's place to usurp the authority of the US Supreme Court, Congress, and the President.

3. Military service is a commitment of life. That same oath also has the officer state "that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion." It would appear from much of the stories written about the Lt and his decision to enlist, and then receive a commission, that he had reservations about the US military. The fact that, of all the reasons given for US involvement in Iraq, he was able to convince himself he could support the action based on only one of the reasons given at the time, could lead one to question whether he actually had some significant "mental reservation(s)" at the time of commissioning. In fact, quoting from the article in the Seattle Times the Lt made it clear he had reservations apparently at the time of commissioning:

"I had my doubts," he said. "But I felt like the president is our leader, and he won't betray our trust, and he would know what he was talking about, and let's give him the benefit of the doubt."

And apparently, he also made it clear that there existed conditions upon which he would or would not engage in combat.

In January, Watada told his commanders that he believed that the war was unlawful, and therefore, so were his deployment orders. He did not, however, consider himself a conscientious objector, since he was willing to fight in wars that were justified, legal and in defense of the nation.

These do not appear to me to be statements from a man who, at the time of commissioning, accepted his office "without mental reservation."

4. Actions have consequences. I can understand, and even admire, someone who stands up for what they believe and are willing to pay the cost. Dietrich Bonhoeffer understood the repercussions of his actions. Our founding fathers understood the possible repercussions of their actions. "Give me liberty, or give me death" was not a jingoistic attempt at PR by Patrick Henry, it was a recognition of the demise that awaited him upon failure. A courageous man accepts the consequences.

5. Military Officers are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Manual for Courts Martial. The Lt, and his lawyer, seem to think that his remarks about the President are a First Amendment issue, and that the Lt was exercising his right to free speech, when he spoke out against the Commander in Chief. In fact, the lawyer is quoted as saying "'What's going to happen is there's going to be a major First Amendment litigation, which I think they're really crazy to invite,' Seitz said." Alas, this shows that the counsel sought by the Lt is unfamiliar with the military justice system. There are protections established for the military, but the nature of military service requires a different way of understanding and acting with regards to the US Constitution. In fact according to Findlaw.com the Supreme Court has recognized that "while constitutional guarantees apply, 'the different character of the military community and of the military mission requires a different application of those protections.'1455." Perhaps the Lt should hire a military lawyer?

The US Army has done the right thing. They have refused to let one Lieutenant interpret national and international law, and told him that he cannot sit as judge and jury over the actions of this government. To do that would overstep his bounds as an officer in the US Military.

Inconvenient? Perhaps. Truth? Perhaps not...

2006-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have sat on this one for a while. Another left-leaning blog that I frequent, "Pressing the Flesh", has had several postings singing the praises of Al Gore's latest theatrical success. One of the implicit arguments seeming to be that as the movie rakes in the dollars, the revenues are seen as votes of support for Gore, and his agenda. Of course, this has two effects. First, it ignores the fact that movie goers typically like a horror flick, and second that by arguing that box office sales equates to support, it keeps people like me away.

All this aside, we could have lengthy discussions about global warming and the impact of mankind on such an event. The debate is stifled though, by statements from media sources such as Earth and Sky radio show, where they state "The result is a warming climate -which no reputable scientist disputes anymore." By making such a statement. (In all fairness, they backed off of on their website by saying "You're right. We should not have said "no reputable scientist disagrees." That is an incorrect statement and too strong a statement. We apologize. We should have said that the vast majority of climate scientists believe that global warming is real and caused by humans." )

Here's the problem, however. There are vast numbers of scientists, most with bachelor's and Master's degrees, and some with PhDs, that have come out supporting the notion that science has shown that mankind has caused global warming. But then there are those senior scientists, the chaired, full professors at major universities, that are essentially pulling on the reins. They aren't saying that there isn't climate change, and they aren't saying that it might be a warming trend. They are saying that to make a causal conclusion (and thus infer we can "stop" the change) is imprudent.

For instance, Richard S. Lindzen is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT. I think we can all agree that MIT is a reputable science and engineering university, and that being a full professor in Atmospheric Science qualifies one to speak on the topic of climate change. In fact, being a Chaired Professor shows that the university believes him to have demonstrated expert knowledge in the area.

This being said, consider the opinion piece he has written for the Wall Street Journal. In this piece he tackles the assertion from Al Gore that "the debate in the scientific community is over." Professor Lindzen points out that the debate is far from over. He lists the various bits of data that are mis-represented, mis-understood, or ignored by the "non-scientists" as they seek to achieve policy. What is most striking about this opinion article is that the Professor strikes a tone of balance, and reason. Perhaps this is the tone that should be brought back into the discussion?

Let's reward scientists for good science, and not seek out those whose findings are the most scary, shocking, or sensational.

The Professor.

Tax relief again...

2006-07-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Loyal readers will recall back in 2004 I critiqued the Congressional Bashists for their mis-reading of the CBO report concerning the distribution of the tax cuts. It is nice to see that another blog (far better equipped as actual economists) have tackled this one, as well.

A "time line" or an "Event line"?

2006-07-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today seemed like as good a day as any to write about something that has been slowly gnawing, nay, chewing at me, for a while. It seems appropriate today, on the 5th of July, the day following another successful return to flight for the Shuttle program.

Many (whom I now call "bashists"--those whose rage against President Bush is so great they see no good in his actions, bashing all that he says or does; a response to calling supporters "apologists" but I digress...) Many have called for a timeline for the removal of US forces from Iraq. Most of Congress have seen the error in such an action, although the Bush detractors have taken it upon themselves to continually argue that there "is no plan." The notion that there is no plan is humorous, since not only has there been a plan, the general outline of the plan has been around since our war against Saddam began. I am sure you, kind reader, recall that the President talked about rebuilding Iraq, re-establishing a government with free and open elections, and ensuring that the new government would be strong enough to survive. That has been the plan all along.

That leads me to this conclusion: We should stop debating the red herring of "time lines" and start discussing "event lines." It seems clear to me that we will withdraw our troops upon satisfactory completion of certain events. We can develop estimates of when those events will occur, and those estimates may be rooted in optimism, pessimism or realism, but they remain estimates. It seems to me that in many areas of life we live on "event lines" rather than time-lines.

College. One graduates from college upon successfully completing the requirements for the degree.
High School. Again, when the requirements are completed (although some seem to argue that holding kids to standards is somehow demeaning.)
Marriage. When one finds a mate (although the sitcom "Friends" had their gang with "Back ups" in case they reach the timeline before the event-line.)

Even more time-critical events have an "event line" associated with them. Most noteable is the Shuttle launch. Yes, the shuttle has a "countdown" and they have the "launch windows" but those timelines are event constrained. There exists a long sequence of events that must occur before a Space Shuttle (Space Transportation System) can be launched. When those events are not reached, but can be overcome quickly, NASA puts a "Hold" on the countdown. If it seems to NASA that they cannot satisfy the event requirement, they then "scrub" the mission and reschedule the launch. The satisfactory completion of the mission is more important than meeting an arbitrary timeline. Of course, when meeting a timeline becomes more important than meeting the "event line" we see catastrophic results.

So let's learn our lessons from the hard-earned lessons from NASA. We cannot simply set a "date certain" for the withdrawal of troops in something as complex as the situation in Iraq. Pick on this administration all you want (Rage on, you Bashists) but it is prudent to trust your military leaders on the ground. It is wise to see that a sequence of events has occurred. It is foolishiness to say pick a date, and point to that as success.

F4 vs Concrete--guess which wins?

2006-06-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have finally found the video I had been seeking for so long. As the narrative with this video points out, so many of the conspiracy theorists about 9-11-01 point out that there was very little aircraft wreckage after the airliner hit the Pentagon. Well, those of us that have, for years, seen these types of videos expected as much.

Aircraft tend to disintegrate when they come in contact with highly reinforced concrete.

Watch... and learn.

Corrections to the Record

2006-06-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is now time for me to make a (albeit minor) correction to the record. I had (as so clearly pointed out by the NAP from ALiberalDose) not only abused, but misused the word hyperbole.

The kind professors at the Language Log carefully point out that hyperbole is used to extend in exaggeration. Now, thankfully, they weren't actually talking about this blog in their post, but far be it from me to not ackowledge the error of my ways. Clearly my use of the word was not an extension of the point.

I want to thank the kind professors at the Language Log for continuously enlightening and brightening my blog-reading day.

I want to continue to encourage all four of you, dear readers, to visit regularly the Language Log.

More son's photos

2006-06-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here are two photos (well, one, really) taken by my son. As you can see, the original is in color, and only three simple effects were applied using Picasa from Google. Converted to B/W, increased the contrast (using the shadows and highlights effect) and the adjusting the focal point.

Enjoy!

For those that wondered...

2006-06-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently my appearance, and information about me, has become an issue. Here's my picture, and I have now added information to my Profile. Enjoy!

What links should I add?

2006-06-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have added a couple interesting blogs to the links section, as well as started a new section for links to informational sites.

I am wondering, dear class, what you think I should add as links? Any favorite blogs you think I should point to? Should I, out of shear magnanimity, add our dear, eloquent friend the "new American Patriot" to the list? (Remember him? He is the owner of A Liberal Dose that, if I remember correctly, wants to kick me in my nuts...)

Just leave your comments here with your suggestions, and your votes!

The Professor

More Attacks on Bad Surveys

2006-06-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I can't stay away from this topic. Any wonder why though? We not only have sites like "A Liberal Dose" mis-citing accurate statistics¹ we also have, as The Numbers Guy points out, bad surveys and polls being conducted.

Again, many of you will remember my discussions (here and elsewhere) on the importance of carefully developed question development as well as care in interpreting and drawing conclusions, without over-reaching. While I have recently criticized the interpretation of published results, The Numbers Guy in his article points out that the American Association for Public Opinion Research is tackling the problem of poor surveys making it into the media--and the media unquestioningly accepting the results.

Two relevant quotes:

Faulty survey data takes many forms. Sometimes the questions are loaded, as with a survey about online gambling I wrote about in April. Other surveys have very low response rates, like a poll about the value of mothers' work; or pollsters don't disclose all of their questions nor results, raising fears they've cherry-picked those responses that reflect best on the polls' sponsors. Also, many polls you may read about have been conducted online, usually among a panel of volunteers lured by online ads -- considered a less-representative sample by most pollsters than respondents who are found by random-digit telephone dialing.

and:

Polls with pitfalls shouldn't be discarded automatically. But often they are accepted automatically by the press and rendered indistinguishable from polls conducted by more standard means.

So there you have it. More criticisms of bad polling, bad data, and blind acceptance. And from a reputable source, to boot!

The Prof

1. And most recently in a fit of "hyper-'bowl'-e" misrepresenting students' putting marijuana in muffins as "spiking a punch bowl," two very different things, to be sure!

Survey and Media Distortions

2006-05-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again class. Those of you that know me personally (well, at least know me in person academically) will know I am a stickler for survey research being done correctly, and that correctly done surveys should be interpreted in the narrow way in which they are constructed. Those of you that have been reading my blog for a while may remember that I have a few times taken to task other sites, studies, or blogs, that have mis-represented information gathered from surveys (try here and here), or for that matter have just run roughshod over facts (here, and here) reaching conclusions simply from the long extension of their arm rather than the close reliance of reality (yeah-long way of saying they had to stretch to get there!)

Imagine my joy when I saw that one of my favorites blogs, the Language Log, decided to tackle another mis-reported survey. Of course, this one is particularly juicy since the log-ers are chastising the press for getting it wrong in reporting about how stupid the American people are. Perhaps the best point made is after listing the question asking people essentially to name the freedoms of the first amendment. In critiquing the analysis they write: "If you're hip to the rhetoric of survey spin, you'll guess at this point that the survey asked people to enumerate first-amendment rights by free recall."

Yup, they could stop there, but they don't! They then go on to mention how challenging that sort of question is. Asking someone to list off something very specific without any hints is quite difficult. Remember essay questions in school? The dreaded "What are 3 of the freedoms identified in the First Amendment, and explain the circumstances that caused their specific addition to the Bill of Rights?" (Actually, when you think about it, this particular essay question is replete with hints!)

Cheers for the Language Log!

Now, for what for me was truly ironic. Many of you remember the gracious treatment I received from the (apparent) owner of the A Liberal Dose blog (go back if you wish and read his witty comments, if your foul language detector is appropriately in place!) Well, not only is the author of that blog a great distorter of facts (or perhaps, just a tremendous prevaricator) he is a great distorter of images. To see what I am writing about, just go see the posting for Memorial Day weekend. As they say, context is everything. In this instance, we are provided a caption, and a picture of the President smiling. Of course, we are to quickly conclude the President may well have expressed deep remorse but by his smile, he must not have "meant it." Hmmmm... Was the picture taken at the same time as the statement? (or even within seconds, or a minute?) Was the picture taken before the speech began? Who was the President looking at while smiling? (In the interest of fairness, this is the same sort of gross mis-representation that Rush Limbaugh did with the video of President Clinton laughing when leaving following the funeral of his former Secretary of Transportation. Of course, in THAT case the clip showed Clinton crying, laughing and then crying again, in the span of 10 seconds...)

As you can see, the picture doesn't actually convey anything other than a man who can, at times, be quite "warm" most likely to a person in the crowd. It is mis-representations like this that lead one to conclude that "A Liberal Dose" is a person with an agenda, and perhaps not much else.

But that's alright.

To steal from an old "Greyhound Busline" commercial "Just relax, and leave the thinking to us!"

The Prof

Gospel Music

2006-05-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just have to put a weblink out there, like this one:

Gospel Music Podcast

Charles and Matt Brady have a website, and a podcast. Interesting...

Cool, and/or Fun Tech

2006-05-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here are two interesting tech items, and an interesting tech story thrown in for fun.

First, the "Star Trek Communicator" that we all have known and loved is making it's "debut." I suppose this is a niche' market, and only (or perhaps, mostly) those daring a brave souls who seek out new life at Trek Conventions will purchase them.

Second--and far more important in my mind is my recommendation for a piece of software I have come to love. Have you seen those panoramic photos, stitched together from several separate photos, and wished you had the skill, the patience, and the photoshop to do that? Or tried the pan-stitch software that came with your new camera, only to be disappointed with the quality, or the linearity, or other limitations? Search no more! Start creating your own Panaoramic photographs using Autostitch. This software is apparently the product of an academic effort, designed to find better ways of automating the stitching process. I have used it quite often, and as many would guess, most often for photographs up at the lake.

What to do with these photographs? Certainly, if you have the right Epson or HP wide-format printers you can print them at home, but I recommend checking out your local Copier Store such as Kinko's, or check out the many online companies such as Shutterfly, Adoramapix, or even WalMart. Or for those of you that haven't yet discovered the joys of Picasa by Google, download it, and see not only how easy it is to order your panoramic print online from any number of places, but see how simple and easy they have made editing any photograph.

Finally, the funny story: Many of us have iPods, and not everyone can keep up with ther perverbial Jones' but that apparently doesn't deter apple from pushing for iPod Envy. As this story at the "Crazy Apple Rumors Site" tells it, Apple at first thought about paying college students to look down their noses at fellow students with obsolete (read, "soooo last generation") iPods. My favorite lines?

“That is categorically false,” a visibly angry Schiller said. “We never paid anyone to do that.

“We were going to, but then we realized we didn’t have to. They were already doing it for free.”

So there ya have it, my tips, pointers, and story for the day.

Enjoy!-

Voters like to be monitored...

2006-05-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Those that follow my comments here, and on other blogs, know that I at times wage a battle of logic against the illogic of the left. In fact, I find it amusing that I am so often called names, when I employ their tactics against themselves (for reference to this, go read some of the comment battles at The Lobby .)

One of the on-going battles from the left is the sense that Americans are outraged at the government's apparent monitoring of our lives. The self-absorbed left somehow believes that the US government is actually so interested in the mundane aspects of our daily lives that they listen to us, and track information about us, and our "normal" conversations. The left seems to think that most Americans would rise up against such government monitoring, even though the monitoring is done in the interest of national security, and thus, the safety of our populace.

Well, I for one wouldn't want to extrapolate too far, or draw too many generalizable conclusions about these views from just one election, but I do find the situation in Philadelphia interesting. Today, Tuesday, 16 May 2006, Pennsylvania (my once and future home) held their primary elections. While there were many outcomes that may take the headlines, including the ouster of several incumbents, the silent yet critical news story may be about the referendum. Yes, THE referendum. The Associated Press ran a story (found at mcall.com) that said:

As police warn of a rising tide of gun violence, voters this week will get a chance to weigh in on whether Philadelphia should become the next big city to add public surveillance cameras to its crime-fighting arsenal.

A referendum on the ballot in Tuesday's primary will ask voters whether they think the city's charter should be amended to allow officials to use video surveillance to ''fight crime and violence'' in a way that ''protects civil liberties and legitimate privacy interests.''

As of this moment, reports are that the city, a city (like so many other cities around the nation) dominated by the left and the Democrats, has voted overwhelmingly to allow video surveillance.

The outcome, as listed at Phlly.com, at this time, is:

Referendum - Video Surveillance - Ballot Issue

Philadelphia, 1543 of 1681 Precincts Reporting - 91.79%

Name	Votes	Pct
Yes	62,518	79.12
No	16,498	20.88

Note, this is with nearly 92% of the votes counted. Assuming every remaining vote goes against the ballot, those rougly 8,000 votes wouldn't be enough to stop it.

Yes, Philiadelphia has voted to allow their government to monitor their activities, and record them, to provide a sense of security. They are sacrificing security over privacy and personal rights.

Actually, I would be more opposed to this, than even the NSA listening. Partly because of my libertarian leanings, but also because a local law enforcement officer is more likely to have personal connections with the individuals monitored, and thus the potential is far greater for personal malfeasance.

Yup. The left likes to whine and complain about the Republicans and the Right. They like to scream about individual rights, but put their own lives at risk and they give up those rights faster than Kennedy grabs a whisky bottle.

Language Log: Is Mark Steyn guilty of plagiarism?

2006-05-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Language Log: Is Mark Steyn guilty of plagiarism?

Those who know me, know my record with plagiarists. I post this link to the Language Log, in an attempt to warn all, students and others, about the problems of plagiarism, and most importantly, about the broader impact it has, beyond the classroom.

The Pro

MANPADS Protection--is it time?

2006-05-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

Many of you, dear students, won't know what MANPADS is, and that is quite understandable. It is defined as a "Man-portable Air Defense System." That obviously includes such systems as Stinger missiles. Interestingly, we as a nation are now more concerned about them as an attack rather than a defense, system. Misnomer aside, this article "ATA Position: Counter MANPADS Deployment" outlines the case from the position of the Air Transport Association.

"Among the terrorist threats we are confronting, the risk of a MANPADS attack on a commercial airliner is an extremely serious concern. So too, however, are threats from other types of weapons and tactics that might be utilized by those intent on harming our nation by attacking our aviation system. Therefore, it is critically important in confronting all of these threats that we be guided by the best intelligence and law enforcement information available. With this information, we can apply a systematic risk management program to determine how to best marshal available resources."

The article outlines the case for MANPADS protection, but also lists a series of questions that must be addressed before any real action can be taken to protect civil travel from such threats. The questions are listed at the end of the article, and I encourage all of you to go read them. They are thoughtful and I believe useful in helping to frame a realistic debate on the benefits, approaches, and effectiveness of MANPADS defense.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the threats to our commercial air system. How much do you think we should spend on systems like these? Are you willing to pay more for your airline ticket for this level of safety? And what is your answer to the liability question?

Enjoy!

ThinkFree Office Online (beta)

2006-05-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

Apple Matters | Review: ThinkFree Office Online (beta)

I do believe we may have found a major contender in the online office application category.

Do any of you want to try this, and report back?

The Prof

The "Worth" of a vote

2006-05-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

The blog, Pressing the Flesh has commented on the opinion poll showing that "35% of those responding believe that their vote for American Idol counts as much or MORE than their vote for a U.S. Presidential election. " According to this blogger, this explains "what's wrong with the American voting public" and "why you have such incompetent representatives in the White House and Congress."

I would disagree. This explains that only 1/3 of the American population has some (small) grasp on the concept of percentage contribution to the total. It would seem to me that fewer people would actually vote on American idol than would in a national election, so, if you evaluate your individual voice (vote) as simply one vote in a vast, "virtually" infinite, sea of votes cast, then perhaps one would be left with the sense that their vote is "worth less" (much less) than the votes cast in a much smaller voting population.

Of course, it is the aggregration of the votes that matters, and every vote is required to get to that aggregate figure, but in "most" presidential elections, the marginal benefit of a single vote is miniscule.

For instance, if you are having a local run-off for school board, and you happen to live in a nice, small town, your one vote out of the 30 cast can be significant. It's 1/30th of all the votes cast, and one can see how important that one vote can be. On the othe hand, in 2004, there were over <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2004/popular_vote.html">122 million votes cast </a> which would make one think that their individual vote is worth considerably less than it was in the election for the school board.

In point of fact, the school board candidates probably spend far more time, and would be willing to listen to that one voter for far longer, than any single voter's ability to talk with any Presidential Candidate.

This is, actually, one of the great paradoxes of voting. The individual vote is essentially worthless, however, as part of the aggregate, contributes to the mass of votes required to achieve a victory.

I welcome your thoughts on this. Do you feel your vote doesn't count? How does one overcome the sense that my vote, counting for only 1/122,000,000 of the total, carries meaning and weight?

Diversify? Divest? Let's call the whole thing off

2006-04-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, McDonald's has decided to divest Chipotle. I at one point had been quite critical of McD's purchase of what has become one of my all-time favorite restaurants. That is, until the (then) Marketing Director for the McDonald's New York Metro region told me that the only reason I had even been able to eat at one was because of the infusion of their capital and thus rapid expansion of the chain. This is echoed in the news story:

"Since we made our initial investment in 1998, Chipotle has grown from 16 restaurants in the Denver area to a strong and popular restaurant concept with more than 500 locations throughout the U.S.," McDonald's Chief Executive Jim Skinner said in a statement.

"However, attracting more customers to McDonald's remains our greatest opportunity for long-term profitable growth," he said.

I, for one, am pleased to see McDonald's has come out of their slump, and that they are focusing on their core business. This does, of course, bring us back to a fairly common business theme, that we talk about often in class. Firms "diversify" and then they divest... diversify.. divest... Some even step outside the realm of what would seem to make sense. Some diversifications make sense. GMAC not only helped finance cars, but has become quite a strong entity in financing in general--and has helped float GM in these tough times.

Others make far less sense. For instance, remember Phillip Morris buying Nabisco, and Planters Peanuts? So a tobacco company sells food? That was a mistake that if I remember correctly was identified, and divested... *smile*

I look forward to hearing/reading your examples of firms that have gone through the diversify/divest cycle.

The left doesn't believe itself!

2006-04-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

^{*cross posted from my posting at my home away from home: http://thelobbyists.blogspot.com/*}

In perusing many of the blogs on the left, I have detected a recurring, although not ubiquitous, theme. Specifically, a lack of faith in the system, and an overarching belief that elections have been stolen wholesale. In fact, they are arguing that, with the voting machines being electronic, and with various other things done, that people no longer have a voice, and that democracy is dead. They believe Corporate America has stolen the government.

Interestingly though, they must not really believe it, because the left is looking forward to the next elections. Apparently they don't even believe their own rhetoric. For some reason, they hold two contradictory views. The first view is that elections are not fair, and the outcomes are "pre-determined." The other view? That we can change things by getting out the vote, and voting for change.

Hmmm... are they simply stupid? While that would be a satisfying conclusion, I am not convinced of that. For a long time now I have held the view that accusations and charges are more reflective of the attitudes and behaviors of the people making them than the subject of the accusations. People see the world through their own lenses, and do not easily see alternative explanations. Or to put it another way "Bush must have lied--how else could you explain what is happening?!"

So here is MY theory (admittedly filtered through my lense--I understand I too am captive to my own paradigm). Keep the news story out there that Democracy is threatened. Let people know that our nation has been "stolen" as have elections. Convince people that they have to take action NOW to take back our government--and you can do that by getting out and voting for liberals. So, create fear, carefully drawing lines connecting unrelated information in a compelling story that implies connections, and get people to react to it.

Yup, that's my theory, and I am sticking to it. Liberals are trying to "steal" elections the old fashioned way. Lying and scaring the electorate. Popularizing crazy conspiracy theories. Making people feel fear, rage, and hopelessness. And then, getting people to vote for them based on irrational fear.

I could be wrong. But it makes for a good story, and seems as plausible as any other.

Language Log: Who is the decider?

2006-04-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

Language Log: Who is the decider?

I must say, I find this "episode" of the Language Log uniquely satisfying. Partially because I too have fallen prey to the odd grammatical error, now and again. But mostly because it serves as a humbling reminder that we all fail, and thus, as we point out each other's failings, we all contribute.

but perhaps I read too much into this.

The last sentence though, remains priceless. Sure, pick on the word "decider." Anyone want to guess what the other "obvious" error is?

Schools--Education or Business? Is this a dichotomy?

2006-04-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Community College Dean: Moral Dilemma: "No, brother bones, schools provide the opportunity to learn and experts to help students to do so. They are not businesses. "

The above quote comes out of a very lengthy thread on the Community College Dean's blog. There are many tangents that have come out of that thread, and this is the first one I have chosen to discuss.

This is not the first time I have heard the argument that "education is not a business." I would have to agree. Educators have a responsibility to provide an education, to convey material to learners in an environment, and with pedagogical approaches, that enhance the opportunity for the learners to actually grasp and internalize the material. I would then also argue that McDonalds (or, Lone Star Steak House, or any other restaurant), Barnes and Noble (and other perveyors of books), Bloomingdales... none of these are businesses either. They exist to meet a requirement, or satisfy a want, for people that have a need or want. In tfact, they too actually want people to "grasp" and (in the case of restaurants literally, and bookstores not so... ) internalize the materials.

In all these cases the contact person--the educator, the bookstore clerk, the customer specialist, or the counter-kid at McDonalds, needs to focus not on the business aspect of the firm, but on the customer's satisfaction. The "best" businesses do that--focus on the customer, understanding that the rest will follow.

Specifically, and this is the most critical point, if people see value in what they receive they will pay for it as they are able. If they don't--they won't!

Education, and other not-for-profit endeavours are a bit different, in that schools and public broadcasting, and often hospitals, are able to get people in general to see the benefit, and pay for services they themselves might not directly receive, but they do it because the see, and wish to encourage, the product to continue to be provided. (I wish it were possible to go to Barnes and Noble and have someone offer to subsidize my book purchases, but alas, that doesn't happen.)

So what wordplay am I conducting here? Well, business is, according to lawyerintl.com is "A continuous and regular activity that has income or profit as its primary purpose." Hmmm... so perhaps, either I am just creating a smoke-screen to obfuscate the point about education, or education has as its primary purpose making money. Or perhaps their is another option--the 'legal' definition of a business doesn't actually fit what we in business actually do.

Businesses most often are in the business of generating revenue. Without revenue no operation can continue. Be it public radio and televion, or the local university, or the local McDonalds, all need revenue to survive. But by the same token all businesses understand that they exist to satisfy some perceived want or need, and that they can only survive through providing that.

Here's the bottom line: yes, educators, you are not "business people." Your charter is to serve your institution by delivering the best educational experience possible to the students in your care, and doing all you can to ensure they grasp the material and are hopefully changed by it. That is just like a counter-kid at McDonalds has as their mission to keep the customer "lovin' it." It's the role of the administration, and the management, to ensure the revenue keeps coming in, and that the books either remain "balanced" (not for profits) or stay positive to satisfy the stakeholders.

So if it appears that a conflict exists, then I suggest you ask these simple questions:

1. Does the actions of the administration take the school/college/university away from it's mission of education?

(critical point here: do not ask yourself if it takes away specific areas of education, such as medieval studies, but rather if it has changed the mission--say to providing conferences and hotel space, without an educational element.)

2. Does the administration make clear the long-term strategic direction for this change?
(perhaps outlining either a) the fiscal need that perhaps ensures survival, such as at Tulane, or b) reaches an as yet untapped clientele with the educational mission, as the discussion at the Dean's blog has as its base.)

These are only two questions. Perhaps you have more.

I welcome a lengthy discussion here, as well.

The Professor

» Can you hear me now? Big Brother is listening | Threat Chaos | ZDNet.com

2006-04-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

» Can you hear me now? Big Brother is listening | Threat Chaos | ZDNet.com

Okay, so now we are told that virtually everything that travels over the US communication network gets shunted to the NSA. Now, I am a bit concerned about this, as I am sure most Americans are, and I want to get your opinions about this. How do you feel about the NSA sorting through billions and billions of emails and texts a day? Do you feel it is a blatant violation of your rights, or do you believe that they can't be doing too much with the data, or they would have to hire every person in the nation to evaluate it?

I can hear now the cries that this is another example of the Bush Administration's blatant disregard for personal freedoms. Hey, it *might* be true, but there have been concerns about the NSA's listening techniques long before this Bush Administration. Does no one remember the book "Puzzle Palace?"

Anyway--let me (and the other readers) know what you think about this topic!

"You say Tomato, I say Potato, Let's call the whole meal off!"

2006-04-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

Language Log: Heated words about "sauna"

Wow... Frazz, one of my all-time favorite comicstrips (I am not such as avid junky as my brother and father) makes the big-time in the Language Log! Okay, so I enjoy the language log for their defense of freedom of speech AND their defense of speech...

But this one, well, it "da bomb."

So, how do YOU pronounce Sauna?

A Liberal Dose

2006-04-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

A Liberal Dose: "
Among the troops, a flood of desertions (thanks in no small part to the efforts of GI Rights Online) is indicative of the growing unpopularity of the occupation -- fully 72% of American troops in Iraq support ending it this year."

Here we go. "flood of desertions" this blogger claims. This particular blog reminds me of some of the worst writings I have seen in class. Students will do anything to get a point across in their papers, and will cite things that don't actually argue what the student portrays it to be arguing. Unfortunately, I have actually seen articles submitted by academics for peer reviewed journals, where the authors misrepresent the argument put forward in a cited work.

This is a classic point in case. According to this blog, one would think that we are losing soldiers, sailors, airman and marines at a phenomenal rate--perhaps even greater than ever before. Wow! I was surprised enough to go check his source. Much to my surprise I saw in the graphic the heading "Desertions drop." Hhmmmmm flood? The article goes on to point out that desertions have continued to drop since 9/11/01, and in fact "Desertions in 2005 represent 0.24% of the 1.4 million U.S. forces."

Two points strike me here. First, the numbers are not only lower than they were in 2001, but they are also lower than they were in 2000--while that "other guy" was still in the White House! Second, most desertions happen stateside, are early in an enlistment, and more often than not are based on personal issues (failure to adapt to the military lifestyle, personal issues back home) than they are a protesting of a war the nation was engaged in at the time of the enlistment!

In the same blog entry, further down, the blogger makes the rather simple mistake of referring to election fraud in the 2004 election, when the article again and again states it was the 2002 election. Why is this a big deal, and not just a simple error? Because we are all told by the left how corrupt the '04 election was, but not the '02 one.

So here we are. This blogger has become so blinded by his political ideology that either he can no longer read things carefully, or he chooses to distort the sources.

I had actually commented on his blog, providing a correction, but it seems that, while he shows that comments are allowed, but moderated, he actually doesn't put comments up for view. Hmmmm... I must admit, because of the errors on this one page, and how easy it is for someone to quickly check the facts by actually reading the sources cited, I found myself wondering if this blogger is actually a conservative make a veiled attempt at making liberals look stupid. Hey, it's either that, or...

So students, learn a valuable lesson. Before you cite something, read it. Make sure that the document you cite actually buttresses the argument you are using it to make, or at least that you represent their argument accurately.

The Prof

2006-04-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Taken on Friday when my son and I went on a photo excursion.

Taken in color. Desaturated, added real film grain.

made a tad smaller.

Amazon.com: Why ERP? A Primer on SAP Implementation: Books: F. Robert Jacobs,David Clay Whybark,F. Robert Jacobs,D. Clay Whybark

2006-04-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com: Why ERP? A Primer on SAP Implementation: Books: F. Robert Jacobs,David Clay Whybark:
"Why ERP? Because I didn't have a choice as to read it or not. I'd rather take a bath in gasoline and light myself on fire than read this thing again." (Reviewer's comment)

Last posting, I put a story up about SAP releasing V 5 of their SCM software. I commented there on the need for software to support supply chain collaboration, among other things. It was pointed out to me by a colleague that the book, "Why ERP" presents an implementation of an SAP ERP system that failed. I have yet to read the book, but it is now high on my reading list (and I encourage those of you interested in these things to do as well.)

Hey, I make it easy for you--I am linking this posting to the Amazon site for this book. But not to get you to buy it, because if that was my goal I would have figured out a way to get a kickback. I wanted to actually link to the comments reviewing the book, like the one quoted above. It appears that this book is fairly common required reading, and that students don't like it. Don't believe me? Go read the comments!

This was doubly interesting to me, since it combined the ERP discussion with a discussion on evaluations by students. Over at the blog "Confessions of a Community College Dean" the Dean is trying to figure out ways to evaluate his faculty. This is often stymied by the fact that students' evaluations are, well, sometimes less than constructive. Note, I say sometimes.

In these reviews of the book you will find there to be constructive critiques. These critiques say things like:

"Do not read this book if you are an expert on SAP or very familiar with ERP systems. This is little more than a text book put in the form of one large example." (Hmmm one CASE example can be quite rich in individual exmplars used for discussion and study. But still, good critique.)

CAUTION: This book (actually a novel) is good only for those who do not know anything about ERP. Finish this quickly and move on to more detailed stuff like MISSION CRITICAL by Thomas Davenport. (again, the usefulness is challenged, but at least the commentator provides an alternative.)

and, Perhaps the best review:

This actually is a good read. It kept my interest for a full 2 hours, which is what is took to read it. The case study is real and on the mark. It illustrates that even if SAP is being widely adopted in your industry (in this case furniture), it may not be the right solution for you. In this instance, SAP (or the SAP implementation approach) was wrong because the company, whose business model was "make to order", tried to cut time and costs by directly implementing a configuration which worked well for a company that has a very limited (few part numbers with minimal change) product line.

The author also did a realistic job in presenting the politics of the situation. The company president wanted an easy integration under a tight deadline. The IT geek wasn't interested in the business model and wanted a showcase quick installation. The marketing guy wasn't interested in the details and wanted to showcase the installation. The book's hero is a healthy skeptic, who is trying to understand ERP, its benefits, and how it fit his company's business.

Based the book's title, I thought I was picking up another SAP marketing book. But it is not that at all. It's objective and deals with business issues. No ABAP, idocs, and organization elements here.

My recommendations for anyone writing a review or a critique, including critiquing a course or an instructor? They are quite simple really:

1. Provide positive feedback if at all possible. What did you like, and why? The why is important because it helps to know how to develop future information in a way that worked well previously. Criticism need not be negative, or even pointing out weaknesses. Sometimes people need to be told the good things.

2. Be critical, with a positive attitude. Say things like "While I appreciate XXX, it didn't work well, because..." Again, the because, or the why, is critical to helping the professor or author provide a fix for things later.

3. Understand the purpose of what you are critiquing. If you are critiquing a course, and the course is on advanced astrophysics, don't criticize the lack of creative writing assignments. Alternatively, if you are in an MBA program, regardless of the quantitative rigour of the individual course, you should have an expectation that students will be expected to communicate clearly--after all, you are there to be better managers.

So, remember: criticism should be given with the intent of improvement, and while it may have been cathartic for the reviewer to write: "I wouldn't even make paper airplanes with this book - because they would suck too. When millions of books were burned in WWII, why did they miss this one?" they certainly provided nothing to the discussion.

The Prof

Postscript: (In fact, the paper airplane comment was followed by a recommendation to read "The Goal" by Goldratt. An excellent book, but with a completely different message/intent. This reviewer apparently missed point number three.)

SAP spruces up its supply chain software | CNET News.com

2006-04-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

SAP spruces up its supply chain software | CNET News.com:

"With the package's new tools, the company said, retailers can strike a better balance between increased customer service levels and lowered merchandise inventory, SAP said. They can replenish products with long lead times and at the same time handle seasonal products and introduce new products with short product-lifecycles using historical information on similar products to forecast demand."

This is, perhaps, the state of the art in true Supply Chain Management software. I would recommend anyone interested in SCM that they start looking at this sort of software for managing their chain. I find perhaps the most interesting line in here is the one about managing long lead times, and seasonal products.

I am curious myself to get my hands on this. I fervently believe that for a software package to truly support SCM, they need to incorporate not only a good information system for the sharing of information, but it also needs to in some way provide a way to encourage shared decision making.

The infusion of collaboration in the supply chain will of course be THE way firms are able to be fully empowered and can reach nirvana, satisfying customers and have very low inventories.

Perhaps SAP is willing to let this professor of SCM play with the software a bit...

Interesting things about Blogspot and iRows

2006-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a couple interesting things, of late.

Many of you know I have a "sitemeter" on my blog, which lets me see how many people visit, and it also lets me see generally from where (city, and service provider), and what pages were visited and how the visitor found me.

Well, as of late, I have been "visited" several times a day from a site in Hong Kong. I appreciate that I am well liked, and have an international audience, except, I think this is something perhaps a bit less kosher. I believe it is a robot. This visitor keeps going to the same page--the page that references the online spreadsheet "iRows." It is as if they are seeking that particular item, perhaps to post a comment to visit some other site that might convince a wayward user to post their information online.

Anyone have any ideas what someone in Hong Kong would want with your spreadsheet data?

A second tidbit comes from my brother. If you mis-spell "blogspot" in the address for ANY blog hosted here, you will find it takes you to a rather... "interesting" religious site. Try it... put in your favorite blogaddress (what? it's not THIS one?) but instead of typing blogspot, swap the s and p, so it is "name.blogpsot.com"

Interesting. As he mentioned to me, it's no big deal for blogs like mine--you will just wonder what happened. For those blogs, however, that have a religious nature to begin with, one might begin to wonder what happened--to the blog host!

Have a great day, and keep those cards and letters coming!

iPodSoft - Making the best, better

2006-04-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

iPodSoft - Making the best, better

I know... where's my cutting political wit, an dsharp insights? Well, hey, I am here to serve... and EVERYONE has an iPod now, right?

Here is a website with some rather neat tools for the iPod. Not only can you save your music back to a computer, you can alsoset up RSS newsfeeds, and when you sync your iPod to your computer, get your newstories "to go." Quite handy, IF you don't already have a PDA doing that for you.

Now, to just get a utility that makes the screen bigger...

GetThereFast.org- Welcome to BetterCampus!

2006-04-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

GetThereFast.org- Welcome to BetterCampus!

I have talked, since 1996, about the parallels between transportation networks, and information (Computer) networks. Both networks move items of value (cargo, or data) from point to point, and even use much of the same language. I have even posited that computer networks (read: Internet) is actually a sixth mode of transportation--a concept I am now beginning to see in print.

Part of any good logistics system is an efficient transportation network. An efficient network not only moves "things" (beit cargo, or people) at the lowest cost and in a timely manner, but does so to ensure the effectiveness of the delivery (arrives on-time, and in proper condition, and so forth.)

This website takes efficient and effective transportation the next step, ensuring that, literally, the "last mile" is covered. This system, though, is designed to ensure that the people get to where they are going--taking them from their cars to their offices, offices to meetings, and the like, quickly, efficiently, and, if you ask me, in HIGH style!

What for me is important to note is that they are using the language of the internet in describing this personal transportation network. It's a "packet switched" carrier. It "connects a single campus bus stop to 30,000 desks."

Perhaps we are seeing the convergence of IT and TT (Info tech and Trans Tech) in this new and innovative proposal!

At first I thought this was a well-thought-out joke (a "packet switched people network?"), or perhaps class project, but after visiting the website, I am thinking perhaps this is a serious proposal. Either way, it is quite cool!

The Prof

P.S. -- Be sure to check out the marketing video as well!

LiveScience.com - The Mysterious Origin and Supply of Oil

2006-04-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

At my University, the faculty have had a recent "impromptu" debate concerning the need for "intellectual diversity" in the academy. While I normally would immediately jump onto this band wagon, I am recalcitrant. Let me explain why. I believe that diversity of ideas is perhaps the most important diversity we should seek. Now, our various cultures, ethnic groups, and such will strongly influence our ideas and our views, but it is the interaction of competing ideas that leads to growth. So why am I reluctant? Well, in this debate, it is boiled down to the simply Cartesian either/or argument, pitting political conservatism against political liberalism. I think, first, that most debates in the academy are not political. Well, at least, not debates or discussions relevant to our disciplines. Take this artticle for instance. Here we have the commonly accepted view of the creation of "crude oil" that posits that oil is truly a "fossil fuel" created from great pressures and ancient organic materials. Along comes another theory that puts forward the notion that it is not created in this fashion at all--that it comes from deep within the Earth.

An excerpt:

LiveScience.com - The Mysterious Origin and Supply of Oil: "The idea that petroleum is formed from dead organic matter is known as the 'biogenic theory' of petroleum formation and was first proposed by a Russian scientist almost 250 years ago.

In the 1950's, however, a few Russian scientists began questioning this traditional view and proposed instead that petroleum could form naturally deep inside the Earth.

This so-called 'abiogenic' petroleum might seep upward through cracks formed by asteroid impacts to form underground pools, according to one hypothesis. Some geologists have suggested probing ancient impact craters in the search for oil."

So here we have competing ideas--a diversity in ideas that now can be put forward, challenged, and tested. Which is the conservative one, and which the liberal? Well, while one might actually be able to be labeled conservative (the older theory having the upper hand) neither theory is inherently "political."

So let's encourage diversity, let's embrace diversity. But let's do it as appropriate for our disciplines. Let's follow accepted, rigorous methodologies, and let's all work to expand our minds, and contribute to the body of knowledge, rather than close doors, close minds, and protect our limited views of the world.

The Prof

Man Gets $218 Trillion Phone Bill - Yahoo! News

2006-04-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Man Gets $218 Trillion Phone Bill - Yahoo! News

Wow. THIS is an interesting story, and is actually a good lesson in so many areas. Certainly, we can learn much about "common sense" from a company that doesn't think that a bill of that magnitude is somehow incorrect and out of line. Or perhaps we can learn how automated systems, left to their own devices, without a conscience, can ruin peoples lives.

Yes, we can learn all these things, but let's look instead at the economics of this. The man is charged 218 TRILLION dollars for his phone bill. For perspective, the national debt, according the the US National Debt Clock, is only 8 Trillion. Additionally, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP = consumption + investment + government spending + (exports − imports)) is $1.57 trillion quarterly (and, with the current Bush Administration, growing quite nicely--see the BEA report.) In this case, the phone company in question is in Malaysia, not the US, so you can imagine the impact such a phonebill must have. Just look at the equstion for GDP. Add that level of consumption to the GDP for a single quarter, and you have quite a blip!

Okay, so then let's look at this. This one example clearly highlights why there is no connection between cost and price. I cannot imagine the Telco will be able to argue that, if the phone was accidently left on or not, they have incurred a substantial cost. They may have some trivial marginal costs associated with providing the calls, but given that the infrastructure (fixed costs) are already in place, one cannot believe that the TELCO would have incurred such great costs. Instead, we now have laid bare the gap, understandable in economic terms, between what it costs the company to provide the service, and what they are able to charge as a price because, at our traditional rates of use, it is a price we are willing to pay.

So there you have it. One man racks up a phone bill 145 times the US Gross Domestic Product, and will perhaps go to jail if he can't pay.

So yes, the old Science Fiction story seems to be correct. The phone company will own everything and everyone.

HOMEWORK: anyone want to compute the "Earth Domestic Product" and determine if he could even come close to paying off his debt.

Bigs bunny: monster rabbit devours English veggie plots - Yahoo! News

2006-04-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Bigs bunny: monster rabbit devours English veggie plots - Yahoo! News

Okay, so they have a monster rabbit terrorizing England. No, it doesn't have big nasty teeth, at least none that will chew up knights and spit them out. Perhaps they will have to use the "holy Handgrenade" with the requisite reading of the rules.

SERIOUS POINT: I love the photograph. It is a photo of a giant rabbit. Makes one think at first glance that perhaps THIS is the rabbit--until one reads the caption: "German rabbit breeder Karl Szmolinsky presents his giant male breeding rabbit 'Robert' in Eberswalde, eastern..." Hmmm...

Alright, already, I realize many of you are saying "yes, you SHOULD read the caption." But do you not also think that, since so often we skim stories quickly to get a sense of the news, that news sources have a responsibility to reduce the possibility for misleading the public?

The Prof

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news

2006-04-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news: "
The Space Monopoly Game Plan: Get big fast and Buy the Spaceports Sharing half a billion in investments on Space (sort off) Tourism - Virgin Galactic has only collected $13 million in cash from tourists, while Eric Anderson just signed up his first customer. Yet the race is on for a piece of the $1 billion pie, a space tourism revenue estimate resting largely on polls showing that up to 40 percent of us would go into space if it were possible, and the fact that there are more than 20 million millionaires in the world. In this Space version of a Monopoly game - rockets are good props to buy while Spaceports seems the most sought after (and expensive) real estate to own. "

I guess this is it. Get your spot while you can--Space calls!

So, class, a few questions:

1. What would it take to get you to sign up to go to space?

2. Many have argued that government funds would be better spent on purely earthbound endeavours (ignoring, often times, that the only place to actually spend dollars is "on Earth"). How do you feel about private enterprise funding these businesses designed for "vacations" to space?

I look forward to your answers. I have enjoyed all the others!

The Prof

An online Word Processor

2006-04-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

www.ajaxwrite.com

First, I wrote about the online Spreadsheet... and now the word processor... Thanks for those of you that commented the first time.

Now, my big question: What other applications would you want to see go "online?" A powerpoint-like app? ("create and show your presentations wherever you have internet!")

Let me know what YOU would want to see? (and please, tell me what app, and whether you would store the files for it online, and if you can, what features you think it MUST have to be worthwhile)

macteens Magazine - Photography for Beginners, Part One

2006-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

macteens Magazine - Photography for Beginners, Part One

This is a good treatment as an introduction for photography--even if you aren't a teen. And they even push mac stuff. (Or is Dvorak right, and Apple will really be making machines, and ONLY selling Windows in a few years?)

Floating Ice May Explain How Jesus Walked on Water, Researchers Say

2006-04-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Floating Ice May Explain How Jesus Walked on Water, Researchers Say

This is perhaps one of the more interesting explanations of a miracle. for years many of us have joked while walking across a frozen lake that we were walking on water.

Let's, for a second, assume that is correct. There are still a couple questions: How was he able to walk "to" the boat? Was it an ice "path?" Did the wind blow him there? Didn't the fishermen see this strange thing called ice?

And of course, how was Peter able to walk for a little while, and then not? Did he not notice the ice?

The prof

Half Staff Flags

2006-04-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

For those that haven't noticed, the flags, at least around government buildings, have been flying at half-staff (half-mast for you Navy types) in memory on SecDef Casper Weinberger on the event of his death.

Many of you remember his as SecDef, and his significant increases in defense spending under President Reagan, but most will not remember the job that earned him the nickname "Cap the Knife."

The floor is now open for guesses/answers.

The Prof(f)

Online web spreadsheets - iRows

2006-03-31T05:15:00.000-08:00

Online web spreadsheets - iRows

Those of you that actually know me, know that I spend a good bit of time encouraging students to learn Excel. It's a tool that is almost guaranteed to be on your computer whereever you work, and let's you do some very powerful things.

For instance, in the Logistics and Supply Chain area (my specialty) you can use Excel to compute inventory levels and reorder points, transportation costs, break even points, and the like. With Solver, you can optimize transportation network flows, evaluate more complex inventory models, and assess various production level alternatives. I also like that VBA is embedded, allowing all sorts of neat and cool tricks (we can talk about those some other time!)

That being said--you are tied either to your computer's hard drive, or to a thumbdrive for data storage, and you will have to have access to the office suite on every computer you intend to use. That can get quite expensive, if you have several computers at home, for instance.

Now along comes this site. iRows.com provides you the opportunity to develop spreadsheets online, and store the data online as well. Is it as robust and feature rich as Excel? Apparently not, but hey, that's for us to request from them later!

The creators of iRows have laid their philosophy out:

QUOTE:
* Software should not be installed. Everything should be web based. Well, maybe not 3D games, but most desktop software can and should become web based.

* Cool and intuitive software. Software should be easy to use, without a need for a manual. User interfaces should be cool, the cooler the better.
ENDQUOTE

So my questions for you, dear class, are these:

1. Should software migrate to a web-based delivery system?
2. If so, what software would you like to see made available in this way?
3. Would you want to store your data on their server?

I look forward to hearing from you all! (yup...both of you! LOL)

">Man Is Charged $4,300 for Four Burgers - Yahoo! News

2006-03-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

Man Is Charged $4,300 for Four Burgers - Yahoo! News

This story is interesting on many levels. Of course, there is the obvious "Boy meets King, King shafts Boy" angle to the story. Or perhaps "Fast Food forces Diet" as an alternative headline.

What intrigues me is that an average person (the BK Cashier) made such a significant mistake. This cashier isn't some government employee somewhere, she isn't working for NASA, or DoD. Nope, and every day person made a mistake that could happen to any of us, at any time--and it had a near-catastrophic effect for the Beane family. Mistakes aren't limited to the government, and while we should all work to improve the "quality of service" we need to recognize that mistakes will happen (no matter how good an organization you are)--it's what we all do after those mistakes that tends to separate the high quality organizations from the poor ones.

What is most difficult is that the provision of a "service" is not as simple as delivering a product. One cannot establish "The" process that will deliver a high quality good. We cannot sample the product to ensure the process is "in specification" since each delivery of the service is unique. Oh--and we expect everyone, from the High School kid at the fast food counter, to the introverted engineer, to be an expert at providing quality service.

So my challenge today is two-fold: First, insist (politely) on high quality service. And second: when you don't receive it, work with the people who are there, not against them--and constructively let them know how they could improve.

The Prof(f)

PS: Does anyone else think that, perhaps, BK should have provided something above and beyond the meal for free?

Americans at "tipping point" about energy-poll - Yahoo! News

2006-03-30T04:48:00.000-08:00

Americans at "tipping point" about energy-poll - Yahoo! News

The phrase "tipping point" has been around for a while, but was certainly made more popular with the release of the book by the same name. I wonder if this author was intending a reference to the book.

I am intrigued that this issue of dependence on foreign oil has reached this point. What does this mean? The article points out that the "political complexion of that issue is about to change considerably..." If the complexion changes significantly (relating to dependence), are we now going to see a shift in opinions? which ideas will shift? Here's a few that could prove interesting:

1. More interest in hybrid vehicles. This doesn't actually shift our dependence, but it does lessen the amount consumed. Perhaps the "american mind" will see this as the same thing.

2. Exploring alternative energy sources, such as wind. This seemed to be gaining traction, and then the animal right's groups got involved. Yup--being green was a good idea, until the windmills started taking out the birds!

3. Allow for more drilling in Alaska. Perhaps the easiest solution--and it doesn't have to result in the destruction of the desolate wilderness. This is one of those issues that is so easily couched in the faulty "either/or" logic--"either" we protect the wilderness and don't drill, "or" we destroy nature. Technology and social conscience have come a long way since the early days of drilling. I have faith that "win-win" solutions truly are achievable.

4. Elect new leaders. This of course won't actually DO anything--and we will complain about these folks soon enough, but it makes "most Americans" feel good about themselves.

So--We have reached a tipping point. The question is, which direction we will tip. Thoughts, anyone?

60GB iPod "at risk" -- new video model coming? - Engadget

2006-03-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

60GB iPod "at risk" -- new video model coming? - Engadget

For those that like rumors, and are tired of political rumors, here's a good one. Anyone else think that the virtual scroll wheel is "cool?"

Now, to just convince the family that I "need" one of these as a gift!

The Prof(f)

NASA - NASA's FY 2007 Budget and Planning Documents

2006-03-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

NASA - NASA's FY 2007 Budget and Planning Documents

(Cross posted from "the Lobby") Okay, since we seem to have a strong interest in budgets, and federal tax dollars, I thought I would provide a link to the NASA Budget request for 2007. If you download the "full" budget request document, a 5.1 mb pdf file, that the total budget request is 16,792.3 million, or 16.9 Billion dollars. Now, we might be concerned about how effectively they use their dollars, the total request is barely more than half of the money apparently lost to rebuild Iraq. Hmmmm... Perhaps, if NASA was a tad bit more enterprising, they would offer to help find the money, and seek a 10% finder's fee. What could NASA do with another 3 Billion?

I also would recommend that the interested reader go through the budget, as well as the various performance and accountability reports. Admittedly NASA, like and good agency, is in "salesman" mode, but they have done great things with their dollars, and are planning greater things further down the road.

I, for one, am excited about the CEV, and the "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" effort.

Oh, and while I mentioned it in a comment, I wanted to be sure to put the plug in here as well for the Planetary Society and their podcast. Always interesting, and if you make it to the last 5 minutes of each podcast, quite educational AND entertaining!

The Prof(f)

Flash » Epic 2015

2006-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

Flash » Epic 2015

Care to know what the future holds, for news agencies, google, Amazon, and Microsoft? This is an interesting look into the future of media convergence, done in documentary style. Of note is that it must have been created in 2004 since the timelines (predictions) begin diverging in 2005.

I particularly like the fact that this actually has Google Ads running at the bottom--real ads, I believe!

Language Log: Freedom of speech: more famous than Bart Simpson

2006-03-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

Language Log: Freedom of speech: more famous than Bart Simpson

I believe I have mentioned here my affinity for stories about surveys, and how we report and interpret them. remember my blogging about the Lt Col who incorrectly talked about speeding, or even my referring you, dear class, to the book Freakanomics? Or perhaps, you remember my discussing The Numbers Guy at the Wall Street Journal?

Well, this story is, as my brother points out, right up my alley.

This "language log" tackles the all important nature of spin, asking essentially how one can spin a story to get the most effect. While I appreciate everything the author puts forward, what the two greatest contributions, in my mind, are the a) point the author makes about how people, including other reporters, will easily mis-understand what is meant and then report it incorrectly, and b) how positive stories are passed for negative ones.

It's a good read. Go check it out!

The Prof (or, if you are from London-- The Proff. Don't ask ME why--ask her! LOL)

Sharing Steve :: New Stuff

2006-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

Sharing Steve :: New Stuff

I had pointed to Steve Martin's blog once before, in reference to banjos. You see, as many of you know, I recently retired from the Air Force (Where I served in academia) and am now in a civilian institution as a professor. As a retirement gift, my parents fulfilled a long-time dream of mine--to have a banjo (I am now working on the other part of that long term dream--learning to play it!) By the way, just think how many parents actually get to see their son's retirement, let alone give em a gift...

Anyway, I digress. Steve Martin is quite an accomplished banjo player, although I remember reading that he points out all things, especially banjo playing, require one to stay in practice, and he had gotten rusty. I was pleased, though, to learn that he still has an affiinity for the banjo.

This brings me to his latest entry concerning his new movie, the Pink Panther. He worked to not copy Peter Sellers. I find that to be quite an interesting challenge, since so much of my life I find myself quoting Sellers.

How many of you remember Peter Sellers as the Pink Panther? Yes.... I thought so.... most of you in the class. Now--how many of you can name the role he played in Dr Strangelove? Oh, okay... yes... he was Dr Strangelove... Yes, yes, he was also the President (and for you trivia buffs--what was the President's name, AND what does the name "mean?") He also played the british Wing Commander that helped break the code.

While not imitating Peter Sellers I believe Steve Martin has more in common with Sellers than not. Both are highly skilled, not only as actors, but as artists, and citizens. In fact, Martin perhaps transcends all, with his work as serious and comedic author as well.

One final note: I was watching an interview with either Mel Brookes, or Reiner, who recently wrote a book. The interviewer asked if he was trying to copy Martin, and the response? "I wrote a novel in (the 50s sometime) back when Martin was still just playing the Banjo."

That hurt. "JUST"???

Steve--from one Steve to another, if you read this, Thank you.

WILLisms.com: Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 271 -- Happiness.

2006-02-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

WILLisms.com: Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 271 -- Happiness.

Okay, so I had to blog on this. Apparently Republicans are just happier people! As are church-goers, and suburbanites.

I am not sure if I am happy or not right now, since I should be writing a research proposal for funding, but I certainly thought this was worth sharing!

Book Review - Code Name Ginger

2006-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a comment hre on the blog, I am a huge fan of Steve Jobs and the Apple Industrial Design. in fact, it seems all my favorite books about corporations have one thing in common--Steve Jobs. That being said, they are often quite good books in their own right.

I have decided to start reviewing some of my "favorite" books. More often than not, they will be about Corporate America--and about the way it works (or doesn't.) It turns out I am as intrigued as the next person at how firms develop new products, how leadership shapes a company to develop the products that it does, and the like. I am also quite interested in how ideas are shared, and how "we" as humans arrive at conclusions. All that being said--these are the general themes you will find in the books I read and review.

The first book out of the gate is "Code Name Ginger" by Steve Kemper. (Released now in paperback, it is re-titled "REINVENTING THE WHEEL: A Story of Genius, Innovation, and Grand Ambition")

You may remember a few years back when the Segway transportation device was introduced. It's the two wheeled personal transportation device that "senses" how you want to move, and just goes, maintaining balance for you--on only two wheels. I have had the opportunity to ride on one of these, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even setting up a slalom course in the middle of a conference's exhibition hall to have timed races.

This book is about the creation of that vehicle. It chronicles the evolution, from idea, through many phases of development, and through product introduction. What makes this book so interesting is the way the author pulls the curtain back, and reveals the way the key players think. In many instances, he puts in words what many people sense--for instance, engineers and managers and marketing folks don't get along. He also brings out, however, how failing to recognize the value that each bring to an endeavour will be harmful, and perhaps even catastrophic.

Dean Kamen, the genius behind the Segway, did not want to listen to industrial design folks. He didn't want to listen to manufacturing experts, and he certainly wanted nothing to do with "marketing" folks. Kamer documents a genius who was so secretive he wouldn't let his marketing folks do a marketing analysis, who didn't trust the manufacturing experts to take the design and translate it into a produceable product, and didn't like the design engineers who spent time transforming the product from an industrial idea into a sleek, and safe, product.

At risk of sounding like a "Reading Rainbow" book review, I don't want to reveal the exciting conclusion. This book has a few interesting twists, and turns, and features a cast of the most recognizable names in finance and technology. Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs were two of the first to buy into the product, and invest. They saw the vision, and the hope for this product. Unfortunately, when the rich elite see the value in a $10,000 toy, and feed the ego of the creator, it's hard to listen to the voices of the marketing folks who told Dean Kamen it was over priced, and not that practical.

I have done a terrible dis-service to this book in my brief telling of the story, but I am sure of one thing--if you pick up this book, you will not be able to put it down. It is an exciting read, and certainly a weekend well spent.

Enjoy!

GMA STATEMENT ON ACRYLAMIDE AND CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 65

2006-02-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

GMA STATEMENT ON ACRYLAMIDE AND CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 65

This would be funny, were it not a real story. Hmmm... chemicals, naturally occuring in the process of cooking foods, to be banned by California.

My favorite quote?
"Acrylamide is present in food as a natural byproduct of the cooking process. Because it occurs when natural constituents of foods are cooked or heated, it has been present in the food supply and safely consumed since human beings discovered that cooked food tastes good and is often safer than the raw form. "

Makes one wonder if there might really BE a hidden agenda. Note that the chemical occurs, not just in meats (so it's not a Vegan thing...) but in all foods.

Sometimes I wish people would remember that life really is terminal. If you know you will die sometime, why must "they" make it so miserable here while we live?

Exit Polls "got it wrong" (Again!)

2006-02-21T03:54:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com - The Numbers Guy

I commend this article to you, and actually, the series that this author is doing. He lays out just how wrong the exit polls were, and possible explanations as to why.

Perhaps, for me, the most interesting reason for the innaccuracy in the polling is that Hamas voters intentionally refused to answer polling questions, to protect the sanctity of the elections. Not just worried that Fatah would get concerned, and come out to vote in greater numbers--worried that Fatah would burn ballot boxes. That intrigues me, since so many are convinced that exit polls are right, and actually, apparently believe "more right" than actual counts of votes (remember 2000, and 2004?) I am still amazed at that. Imagine, if you have coins in a jar, and I guess how many (even if I apply some methodology for estimating--counting the number visible... times how many one could fit in the diameter, or some such) and you count out, one by one, how many--which count would you hold as more accurate?

Now, the academic in me finds something else interesting in this article. Dr Said, one of the pollsters, critiques his decision to change his methodology, when it appeared that he was getting the "wrong answer." Alas, researchers often fall prey to expecting an answer, and questioning their results when they don't get that answer. In this case, Dr Said even questions whether his subconscious got in the way.

Imagine if US pollsters actually admitted that their results could, perhaps, have been biased by their own subconscious desires to see on candidate elected over another. Hmmmm....

» OS X users celebrate first wild worm | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

2006-02-20T04:40:00.000-08:00

» OS X users celebrate first wild worm | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Okay, so this is a bit warped. Interestingly, I had just listed to an episode of TWIT ("This week in tech" by Leo Laporte) where someone in the gang of about 5 commented that the security in OS-X was quite weak, but that thankfully no one ever wants to attack it. Perhaps the worm-writer was a member of the TWIT Army feeling sorry for Mac users? While that seems far-fetched, the author perhaps understood that, as this article points out, they would be "gleeful" when it was "born free."

Perverse pleasures may be pleasurable, but they remain... perverse...

Bias in Academia? Say it ain't so, Joe!

2006-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

I have had the pleasure of late to read a blog written by a Dean at a community college on the east coast. He has requested his readers to provide inputs on what the ideal, or "utopian" community college would be like. I found much of the discussion interesting, often for what it did not include (expectations of performance of faculty, for instance--but I have a comment there about that...).

I also found a discussion about bias in academia to be interesting as well. It seems that academics do not believe that there is a liberal bias in academia. Now, one could comment about fish not perceiving water, pigs and mud, etc (the implication being, you do not notice that which surrounds you as being somehow "different.") I, though, was struck by the similarity between the liberal argument, and the conservatives they argue about.

So, without any further ado, here is my comment and the others, regarding stereotyping by liberals.

Kimmitt:

Do you not notice the stereotyping and bias you yourself introduce? By writing "the conservative movement as a whole has a very strong "know-nothing" component which is inimical to the very concept of education." you judge a whole group based on a pre-conception (and I doubt you can show research to support your view--besides anecdote.) Given this, you dismiss as "the exception" the few conservatives who point out they are in favor of critical thinking.

This really does sound as offensive to me as "well, you may be a smart woman, but most women..." or perhaps some other stereotype.

It is perhaps in our desire to descriminate, and stereotype, based on differences, that conservatives and liberals, pin-heads and enlightened, find their true common ground.

This is why my preference for "diversity" in education is not race or gender, or even age based--it's *idea* based. I want to encourage a diverse idea base, so that ideas can be freely exchanged, and debate encouraged, without stereotyping and dismissing from any group.

Just a thought.

Fires Reported at 4 More Ala. Churches - Yahoo! News

2006-02-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

Fires Reported at 4 More Ala. Churches - Yahoo! News

This story obviously has sinister overtones. What evil, anti-Christian conspiracy lurks in Alabama? It must be some concerted effort to drive out the Christians from the Bible-belt, and is symptomatic of a deeper running repudiation of the evils of Christianity.

Yeahhhhhh, Right. Or, perhaps, it is one sick puppy.

My bet is on option two.

The Prof.

PS: I found it somewhat interesting that at the end of the article they mention "The nine churches that burned included both predominantly black and predominantly white congregations." if it was only predominantely black churches, that would of course have been the headline. Remember this story, the next time you read about how many "black churches" are being burned, and how it is symptomatic of the racism that still burns hot in the south, and recall that, when you look at the numbers (in this case, and actually in the FBI reports) the numbers of "white" and "black" churches burned usually run about equal... (DISCLAIMER: I haven't done the analysis to evaluate what that works out to on a "per capita" basis... feel free to do that work, and report back!)

This won't be here for long...

2006-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

I felt the desire to actually tackle a "truth or Opinion" exercise. It seems that Leticia seems to think she is always CLEARLY identifying her opinions as such, and her facts are always soundly supported, while your dear professor constantly asserts opinion as fact... So let's start some textual analysis of our own, shall we? Straight from what has been the posting with perhaps one of the longest comment streams...

Leticia Writes:

Gay Policy Biting The Pentagon on The Butt

I suppose the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy works to an extent, but once someone is outed and the military releases them it certainly calls into question ["certainly" a dogmatic statement, if not one asserting FACT] the rational for the policy, especially when we are at war. We are going through military left and right, either due to death, incapacitation or exhaustion. ["going through the military left and right" seems to assert this as fact. Just how many soldiers does it take to be going through them? Hmmm? Reads like fact--but is of course, OPINION] Recruitment is down and will probably stay low. [Assertion of FACT, but actually again opinion, or at least poorly researched. As Brother_Bones posted on the comments, most services are not having problems recruiting.] Safe to say that policy on gays in the military starts to sound a bit stupid all of a sudden, don't it? [Sounding stupid--clearly opinion... right? No matter how "safe" she thinks it is to say]

Also, I never quite understood what the difference was between horny homosexuals chasing after each other, and horny heterosexuals chasing after the opposite sex in the military. The military is aware we are now co-ed? One of the best Iraq stories I heard was from a friend in the Army who in between casing empty homes in the area he was designated to cover, found time for some one-on-one with another female soldier right behind a huge cement wall in the Iraqi heat. Of course, the military will probably look at that and think it's fabulous. [Anecdote--so perhaps factual, but certainly not sufficient data to form a valid opinion] (Maybe "fabulous" is the wrong word.) But the point is, if they are concerned about inappropriate behavior , does it really matter which two sexes are involved?

So what we have here, despite the protestations, and constant obfuscations from the perveyors of smoke, is a blog full of opinions asserted as fact, anecdotes put forward as arcetype, and *I didn't write it!* (now THAT is Fabulous!)

Alito ain't all that bad--if you are a leftist, eh?

2006-02-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, now I remember reading in (and commenting on) another blog (perhaps you remember me mentioning it here, The Lobby?) that by confirming Alito "We might as well have put the Religious Right and the head of every corporation up on that court."

Well, it appears that, at least in his first step, he got off on the left foot. I suppose he won't ALWAYS be a lap dog for the conservatives. But then again, I don't remember a justice whoever did everything that was expected of them, fufilling some sort of litmus test, except, perhaps, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. But then again, it isn't a litmus test if it is from the left, now is it?

Later, class.

US Airman shot--in LA!

2006-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

After reading the story about a sheriff shooting a USAF airman I can't help but wonder if the anti-military, anti-government rhetoric of the radical, radio left, has had a deliterious effect on how the US Military is received-at home. Perhaps the Randi Rhodes Show, Morning Sedition, and the rest of that ilk, have succeeded not at getting us out of Iraq, but at getting the US citizens to start shooting at our military, when they are at home, and on leave.

Oh, yes, I understand that there was a 100 mph chase. But the airman was a passenger in the car--not the driver. And I believe there is no excuse for shooting anyone, especially not a military member, when they are following the directions they are given.

Randi Rhodes, and the rest of the radical radio left should be ashamed of themselves.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, these are my opinions. But of course, they are as valid as asserting that George Bush is guilty of negligent homicide by not stopping the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Right?

Panel: Teflon Chemical a Likely Carcinogen

2006-01-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

This story, "Panel: Teflon Chemical a Likely Carcinogen," is another of those interesting scientific findings that will get lots of "air play" and then die down. It is research that will most likely scare many, who will fail to read the full story, and never go read the actual report. What is the likelihood that anyone will actually contract cancer from teflon, or any other 'non-stick' surface? I suspect (NOTE: Opinion through observation) that since the incidence of cancer hasn't increased since the introduction of teflon, and the projected life-spans have increased, we have seen little practical impact.

This reminds me of the studies that came out in the mid-1980s, where a "link" was found between aluminum in the brain, and Alzheimer's. At the time, the "fear mongers" then started encouraging the disuse of Aluminum Pans (oddly enough, in favor or cast iron, and teflon) and discouraged drinking sodas out of a can. (forget that sodas themselves are evil, evil things.) At the time, I pointed out, to those around me, young pup that I was, that the evidence was only that there existed a link--high levels of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Note a few things here:
- They had only looked at autopsies of Alzheimer patients, so couldn't draw a solid comparison
- They (The researchers) found high levels of alumnimum

I surmised that it could be one of two (or many) things. The two most obvious is that a) Aluminum causes/contributes to Alzheimer's, or b) whatever the cause of Alzheimer's, it may, as a result, *also* result in the brain retaining significant levels of aluminum. (Of course, there was the next option--that the levels were high, but no higher than in anyone else... )

I believe later studies have shown that there is no causal link. I leave that research to you, dear reader. But if you find anything, be sure to come back here and tell us--certainly a motivated reader makes the best researcher! (In fact, that's one of the things I like most about the blog at "the Lobby"--Let is quite motivated!)

Keep on thinking!

The Prof

WSJ.com - Science Journal

2006-01-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com - Science Journal

Many of you may remember my writing about Science and assumptions This article does a good job of talking about the assumptions that Science makes--and often must make. As the article points out "'What science is is settled methodologically,' says Prof. Forrest. 'It's not that science rules out the supernatural as a precondition. But scientists want to apprehend the world, and there is no procedure for studying the supernatural. God is not a controlled variable.'"

Yup--they can't have as assumption that God did it. But as the article points out, science gets in trouble when it argues that one must choose between God and Scientific truth. As this article points out, nothing could be further from the truth.

Oh--and if the link has disappeared, let me know.

Apple Offers College Lectures Via Podcasts - Yahoo! News

2006-01-30T06:35:00.000-08:00

Apple Offers College Lectures Via Podcasts - Yahoo! News

This is very interesting--Apple supporting the podcasting of lectures. Forget for a brief moment that removing the students from the classroom removes the interactivity between the prof and the class, and between each other, that often leads to serendipitous learning. Additionally, ignore for the moment that this might result in the prof actually talking to a COMPLETELY empty room (and how motivated a speaker can you be with that?).

Ignoring all that, this might be a very neat idea. Several years ago, MIT started the open university project (or whatever they called it) making the materials for their classes available online. Their logic? The course materials are not the reason MIT is so good. MIT is an outstanding university because of the interactions, and the faculty. This goes that next step, and brings the faculty--at least in a one way transmission--to the viewer/listener. (MIT, to its credit, will still have an edge, since so much of their educational experience is hands-on learning.) Perhaps this is another way of extending the distance education approach, that started with mail-order classes, has recently moved to the web-based courses, and now, is supported by your little iPod.

I am curious about this, though. Do you, dear class, believe that students today are, as the story says, "digital natives"? Are they so wired in, that this is not only a good way to reach them, but perhaps, the ONLY way to reach them?

What do you think the net effect on the education of these students will be? Will they be better educated, since they can learn where and when they want, or perhaps lose out because of the lack of interaction?

Let me know!

The Prof

(Oh, and visit The Lobby--for all my wranglings with that site, I do believe it is a fun site to read, and honestly, worth anyone's time!)

It's funny...

2006-01-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

I was trying to decide what to post about today. Alito? Done... Kennedy's blustering about how long he was willing to fight to subpeona the Library of Congress to release Alito's records about Princeton (they voluntarily offered them--once asked...)

But then, I realized, I have some unfinished business. I had engaged in a brief discussion about gays in the military at the Lobby. It's not really a fight--certainly not one about dogma, or philosopy. Honestly, I think the main author, Let, just is perhaps not as familiar with the military as one needs to be to make some statements.

But I have engaged. Please, dear readers, especially those with a military background--go read the discussion and, if you feel like contributing, do so.

I am sure the hosts at the Lobby welcome thoughtful people from all backgrounds, and would never do anything to discourage participation. And, while, as the lead author points out, opinions are like... (I am assuming she included her's in that rather broad generalization) I know she welcomes factual discussions.

The Prof

It's been a while...

2006-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

IT's amazing how work often seems to get in the way of fun--including the fun of blogging. Of course, it doesn't seem to slow down some blogs.

Now, while I haven't been able to keep up with Randi Rhodes--even though I have succombed, and added her podcast to my subscriptions--I still try to make time to go through the blog from the left--the lobby.

I do like their new look. I think it's quite stylish. I do think though that the post about Alito, and then the post about New Orleans, go a bit beyond the pale. It's alright to disagree with the decisions, but the vitriol--well, it's a bit much.

For instance, Let (the main blogger) writes "Alito is a walking constitutional amendment and we all know it. We might as well have put the Religious Right and the head of every corporation up on that court." Interesting, except David Broder, in his commentary last week, esentially argued that the problem with Alito is not his willingness to rewrite the constitution, but his rather literalist reading of it. In fact, it is the "left" justices that have most often been cited as "writing" law rather than interpretting it. Remember the "right to privacy"? Which amendment is that one? Hmmm?

And let's tackle the New Orleans blog entry. "Anyone remember Dubya saying this? '"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.' Prior to Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, Homeland Security reportedly knew what was to come, despite claims to the contrary and now there are documents to prove it." (check out the link to the MSNBC site--go to "the lobby" to get the link--and read this blog. Seriously, it is worth it!) I have to agree that the President's statement that no one anticipated it was perhaps hyperbole. But I suspect it was more likely a combination of a failure to brief the President by his staff, and an overwhelming sense of so many that it would never really happen.

I have family from New Orleans, so I as much as anyone know the feelings leading up to the hurricane. My family, being conservative, always expects the worst. However, I have been told that often the sense of the population has been one of complacency. It's not hard to believe that, if the general population didn't think it could really happen, that perhaps that view was shared by the local leadership in Louisiana. Just perhaps...

The Lobby(ists) go on to write "Not only that, but anyone tracking the story has probably read that the Dept of Homeland Security went through an exercise where a mock Hurricane Pam created all types of catastrophic damage. The results of the exercise were eerily similar to the reality Katrina left in Louisiana, Missourri, and Mississippi and this was way back in 2004." Interesting. Should we spend billions of dollars after the DHS or DOD have a "doomsday scenario" exercise? I believe they have also done these for earthquakes, terror attacks, and various other natural and man-made catastrophes. What if the decision had been made to spend the money on the levies but we had actually lost San Francisco to another earthquake--would they have applauded our willingness to be prepared--or continued to attack, this time criticizing the inability to "get it right?"

So what is my point? What is the "golden thread of knowledge" to all this? Let's be critical of the right things. Let's get the stories "right" before we attack from the left.

2006-01-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

The brief morning Sun...

Okay, I haven't revealed much personal, but I figured it was about time I showed a picture from the lake house. I woke to a gorgeous sunrise (some would say it was "fabulous") and grabbed the camera. It's a good thing I did. It didn't last long.

I also have a RAW version, which of course has far more detail.

enjoy.

Engaging in the Debate

2005-12-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Okay. So, as part of my enjoyment of the holiday season, I hope to bring good cheer to other bloggers--most often by providing a sparring partner, when able.

I, however, realize that may leave my faithful reader out of the opportunity for such pleasure since such sparring occurs on other's blogs. Towards that end I would like to provide this link:
LET's Blog--the Lobby.

Now, I am only providing the link to the most recent exchanges, in the hopes that you, my favorite reader, will find it interesting, and perhaps even get a laugh. Most likely, at my expense, but that too is alright.

Feel free to join in the discussion on that blog, or even here!

See you after break!

WSJ.com - A Company's Threat: Quit Smoking or Leave

2005-12-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com - A Company's Threat: Quit Smoking or Leave

Get this story while you can!

Yes, here we go--while many are worried that the Bush Administration is slowly (or perhaps, quickly) eroding our civil liberties, the various liberal "health advocates" are working hard to eliminate civil liberties where it matters most--at work, and at home! In fact, this story was so bizarre I had to check the date to make sure I wasn't reading a left-over from April 1st!

According to this story in the Wall Street Journal, from Dec 20th, 2005, "Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is taking its campaign to stamp out smoking among its workers to an unusual length: It's threatening to fire smokers beginning next fall." Yes, you read it right--if you smoke, you will be fired. Of course, many places have a "no smoking" policy, this policy goes further. If you smoke, you will lose your job. Not just if you smoke at work--but if you smoke at all. So, if you smoke at home... in your car... on vacation... it doesn't matter.

Later in the article, we find "Next October, the Marysville, Ohio, company said it will begin randomly testing about 20% of its work force nationwide where it is legal to do so. (Ohio is among the states that don't have specific smoker-protection laws.) The company says it hasn't worked out the details of how to test employees. Workers found to be still smoking or using other tobacco products habitually could be fired, Scotts says, as long as they work in states where such termination is legal." This is, of course, similar to the various drug testing policies in place both for government and civilian sector employees. What makes this step unique is the reason.

While drug testing is often defended as protection of the workers, and those around them, because "drugs" tend to alter behavior, this goes a step further. The companies are now attempting to force a change in your behavior specifically to lower the long term costs of their health care programs. Yes, that's right. They will force you to be heathy.

So how far does this go? We have already heard from the fringes when it comes to second hand smoke--and that argument has now become mainstream. We have seen the (2nd rate--unscientific to boot!) movie "Super Size Me" become mandatory viewing in secondary education. There have even been those on the fringe that wish to tax fatty foods, since ultimately they can have a negative impact on health.

So let's see how far this can go. The article continues:
"The tobacco initiative is part of a broad wellness program that includes a $5 million fitness gym and health clinic opened last month near the company's headquarters. Employees on the company's medical plan will have free access in the clinic to a physician, nurse practitioners, diet and fitness experts and a pharmacy with generic drugs."

This sounds harmless enough. In fact, it shows that the company is willing to help those who have an interest in staying healthy. Nothing wrong here--and this should be applauded as forward thinking. But wait! There's MORE!

"In return, every year employees will face a strict requirement: Take a health assessment through a program affiliated with medical-information Web site WebMD Health Corp. -- or pay $40 extra a month in health-care costs. The health assessment starts with a form to be filled out online. Then, a "health coach" contacts the employee and arranges a treatment regimen for any health issues. The employee must follow through with the recommendations or pay higher premiums, though the exact amount hasn't been worked out yet."

So, there is a second edge to this sword. If you refuse to take an active interest in your health, they will charge you more for insurance. All in all, that seems fair--if you won't take care of yourself, you should at least pay the consequences, as the costs.

Unfortunately, as noted, the whole premise of this story is that this company, and others, are actually going that next step. If you don't fit their definition of healthy, then you cannot work for them any more. Whether it impairs your ability to work, or not.

As one woman said in the article: "'The consensus is like, is this the end or is it going to lead to something else?' she says. 'Are they going to watch what we eat?'"

NYT: NSA eavesdropping wider than W.House admitted - Yahoo! News

2005-12-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

NYT: NSA eavesdropping wider than W.House admitted - Yahoo! News

Perhaps it is time for me to blog on the NSA. My favorite lunatic, Randi Rhodes, has already contributed many ways, via broad conspiracy theories, for the government to abuse the average citizen with this information. She has said the government will use this to keep you from getting a job ("yup--they didn't hire me. Musta been that darned wiretapping!") to refusing a loan ("I am sure it couldn't be the debt, and lack of income--the government is meddling in my finances again!")

This story provides some interesting tidbits. For instance, while the title talks about eavesdropping, the story states that the major action they are taking is identifying calling/information patterns. This is often done without actually listening/reading anything. "Government and industry officials with knowledge of the program told the newspaper the NSA sought to analyze communications patterns to gather clues from details like who is calling whom, how long a phone call lasts and what time of day it is made, as well as the origins and destinations of phone calls and e-mail messages."

Let's be honest--we have known the NSA is a large eavesdropping organization ever since the book Puzzle Palace was published. That book ignited several firestorms when it was first published, as well, from people concerned about individual privacy, to those concerned about a government exercising total tyranny. Perhaps the NSA has already been used for all these, we shall never know.

Many years ago, the debate around the NSA actually included a discussion about whether the NSA would provide the action agencies (CIA, DIA, FBI) with any information they gathered, since to do so would reveal the capability of their sources. I believe we should be happy that they have at least been willing to use the information.

The question I have concerning the use of the NSA without warrant is this: If the intelligence gathered is used to identify, and stop, terrorist actions, and doesn't go beyond that, what is wrong with that? I realize the information could be "mis-used" but that is true of any government agency that collects any information. How much information do you think the Social Security Administration already has on you? Thankfully, the history of the NSA has been one of not using or sharing information, even when useful.

I do not necessarily like anyone eavesdropping on my conversations. Those who know me have heard me argue for more, not less, protection of privacy. In this case, however, the NSA's commitment to secrecy makes me feel more comfortable that they are actually watching the bad guys--and most likely couldn't care less about the rest of us!

So, students--worry that your professor may catch you plagiarizing, but don't worry that the NSA will try to stop you from getting that dream job. What is most likely going to get in the way there is yourself.

Evolution named 2005's top scientific breakthrough - Yahoo! News

2005-12-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

Evolution named 2005's top scientific breakthrough - Yahoo! News

Students, it's time for me to tackle research methods, and underlying assumptions. Specifically, the hubris shown by scientists when they fail to check their assumptions.

As the story linked above notes, there has been much research into "origins" in the past few years, resulting in "the journal Science on Thursday proclaimed evolution the breakthrough of 2005." The article also points out that "Ironically, also this year, some segments of American society fought to dilute the teaching of even the basic facts of evolution." In fact, the next paragraph states that "The journal's editor in chief, Don Kennedy, acknowledged this was a reference to the rise of the theory of intelligent design, which holds that some aspects of nature are so complex that they must be the work of an unnamed creator rather than the result of random natural selection, as Darwin argued."

So, let's talk about this for a moment. All research carries into it assumptions. One assumption that scientists tell you they cannot carry into their research is the existence of a diety--or an "intelligent designer." That makes sense, since to allow for that assumption would provide a convenient way out of any apparently unsolvable conundrum. However, this also excludes the possibility of finding what may be the actual answer. If one evaluates data, and must assume that a common creator does not exist, then one would most likely reach a conclusion of a common ancestor--evolution. On the other hand, when one looks at results, such as that noted in the article "including a study that showed a mere 4 percent difference between human and chimpanzee DNA" one who assumes a diety could argue that we have a common creator. In both cases, the assumption is that commonality relies on having some source in common, but that source cannot be a diety when viewed from the scientific perspective.

My only point is this--be honest. Scientists cannot prove God through any of their work because they have, a priori, assumed God away to allow for their work.

It is quite simply, like telling someone to walk into a room with no windows, but having light, and telling them they must assume away the existence of electricity. They will create many interesting, and perhaps plausible, explanations. They will just never be right.

Scientific history is actually replete with similiar examples--examples where scientists created very elaborate theories to explain the world as they understood it, but "modern science" has since proved wrong. Remember "ether?"

I would recommend reading "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn, if you want a "philosophy of science" perspective on the way scientific paradigms have shifted--and more interestingly how scientists throughout history have been dogmatic, and wrong.

Enjoy the holiday break, students!

Q & A

2005-12-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

Q & A

Okay, time for me to rant about Randi... LOL. I recommend you go watch this video show from CSPAN where Randi is interviewed on Q&A. within the first10 minutes of the show, they play a clip where she had "fought" with Janet Parshall. Randi thinks it is "big thing" that President Bush suspended the "Davis-Bacon Act of 1931." In fact, Randi brings this up as an example of Bush "lying." Now, I am not sure of the connection between the suspension of the Act, and lying, but I am sure of one thing--this was not without precedent. As the quote below from the "CRS Report for Congress" regarding the suspension points out, the Act has been suspended several times. Admittedly, most suspensions were by Republicans, but only the suspension by Roosevelt was identified as "administrative convenience."

The act has been suspended explicitly on four separate occasions. (a) In 1934,
President Franklin Roosevelt suspended the act in what appears to have been for
administrative convenience associated with New Deal legislation. It was restored to
full strength in less than 30 days with few people, seemingly, aware of the
suspension. (b) In 1971, President Richard Nixon suspended the act as part of a
campaign intended to quell inflationary pressures that affected the construction
industry. In just over four weeks, the act was reinstated, the President moving on to
different approaches to the problem. (c) In 1992, in the wake of Hurricanes Andrew
and Iniki, President George H. W. Bush suspended the act in order to render
reconstruction and clean-up in Florida and the Gulf Coast and in Hawaii more
efficient. The impact of the suspension is unclear for the act was suspended on
October 14, 1992, just days prior to the 1992 election. President William Clinton
restored the Act on March 6, 1993. And, (d) on September 8, 2005, President George
W. Bush suspended the act in order to render more efficient reconstruction and cleanup
of Florida and the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The act may also
have been suspended during World War II as part of the generalized emergency.

Sharing Steve :: New Stuff

2005-12-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Steve Sponsors Corcoran Gallery show on Banjo

Okay, so now I know I am a leech... I am blogging a blog. But not just any blog. I am blogging Steve Martin's Blog. And about banjos!!

Yes, Banjos, my latest hobby--and Steve's passion.

Go read the article.

See you at the Gallery!!

Cheney visits Iraq and hails 'tremendous elections' - Yahoo! News

2005-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cheney visits Iraq and hails 'tremendous elections' - Yahoo! News

Amazing news, don't you think?

Dick Cheney, the oft maligned Vice President, has once again gone to Iraq, showing support not only for the troops, but for democracy. What could be wrong with that? Hmmm....

Let me be the first to predict that the indefatigable Randi Rhodes will attack Dick Cheney. In fact, I suspect, but cannot prove, that in the Monday show she will rant and rail against the Veep, with much hot air, little substance, and broad conspiratorially minded accusations. Oh wait, that's cheating on my part--that's what she does on all her shows.

You don't believe me? Go listen yourself...The Randi Rhodes Show.

Okay, let me toss a little ad hominem her way. I find her show entertaining, because she is so soooo... crazy. I find a small problem with her show, however. She used to have on her Bio at her site that she had been "voted" the most outstanding woman in the US Air Force in 1979. There are a few interesting tidbits here. That info is no longer listed. Perhaps because the Air Force doesn't actually have such an award, I am told. I am not accusing her of lying, just mis-representation. I suspect she received that award not from the Air Force, but from another agency or perhaps a magazine, such as Good Housekeeping. You can still find this information on some places, if you google "Randi Rhodes" and "Outstanding Air Force." One such link can be found here.

You know, I will continue this later. In the mean time, I actually want to recommend her show to you. If you are an educated individual, you will find it to be several hours of hilarity. If you are not, or choose to believe anything, you might find it... ummmm... enlightening? Either way, it will amaze you.

The professor.

The Randi Rhodes Show...

2005-12-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

This is perhaps the first of many "corrections" to her errors. I find the show humorous, in that she is so wrong, so often, but depressing, since she rarely will listen to a contradicting, or correcting, view.

It's often not "as simple" as what makes up litium. Sometimes she supports the fiction that the military is doing nothing to provide support for families of reservists and guard members who are deployed. THAT is insidious, because most people think that she "must" know, since she served as an (enlisted) member of the US Air Force during the "dark" Carter years.

Go figure.

Do your homework. Check her out. http://therandirhodesshow.com

Phoneswarm 2005.

2005-11-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

Phoneswarm 2005

Time to do something "extra curricular." Okay, this one is a bit "odd" but I kinda like it. This site posts the phone numbers as pay phones, and encourages people to call. The owner of the site even has posted "ways to make it more hep" if you wish. (click on the link above!)

Visit the site--it's worth the read, if nothing else!

Democrats sweep Virginia, New Jersey races - Yahoo! News

2005-11-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051109/pl_nm/election_usa_dc

Spin... Spin... Spin...

Man, am I getting dizzy.

Bush is handed a defeat? Let me see if I have this right. In New Jersey, a state known for going for the Democrat candidate (and violating the rules if necessary to see that they do--refer back to my blog entry re: when are rules no longer important...) the state once again voted for a democrat, replacing the democrat governor with a *gasp* democrat governor. And that is a defeat for Bush?

Moving to Virginia, a Democrat governor cannot run for re-election to a consecutive term, so his Lt Governor runs--and wins! Shocking, I say. Hmmm... something tells me, if you are a Democrat, replacing a Democrat, and essentially an "incumbent," that the race should be won "easily." It was, instead, a "close race."

I have no doubt that in the national elections of 2006 the Republicans will lose some seats in the House, and perhaps even a Senate seat or two. They might even lose a governorship (say... in California, where it seems less of an election shaping up, and more of a "best actor" award between Beatty and Swarzenegger). That is an expected outcome in an off year for a sitting President. Clinton lost seats for his party in both 1994 and 1998. That's not really news.

Here would be "the shocking headline" if it were to happen (although I doubt the media would print it!) "BUSH SHOWS TAIL--GAINS SEATS CEMENTING CONTROL" (yes, I mean coattails)

2 Minute Photoshop Tricks

2005-10-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

2 Minute Photoshop Tricks

Today is my day to post an update that isn't very controversial, opinionated, or the like.

If you have Photoshop, the link above will take you to a blog (and its related podcast) that has a series of photoshop tips that are, quite simply, COOL.

Check it out!

The Prof

Occasional pieces in AR -- Introduction

2005-10-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Occasional pieces in AR -- Introduction

I was sent a link to this page by one of my students currently conducting research. I have many on-going discussions about qualitative vs quantitative research, and my student thought this discussion was something in which I might have an interest. Obviously--I do!

First, let me say, I find it interesting that we even have a struggle between "quant" and "qual" or between "hard sciences" and the "soft sciences." It certainly strikes me as arrogance that one group of academics feel they can claim to be "true researchers" and thus limit the contributions of others through a claim of "lack of rigour." I have for years argued that different disciplines have different types of rigor. The rigor a chemist requires is different from that of an electrical engineer. The rigor required to conduct solid research in History is different from that of Hebrew Literature. In the words of Rodney King "Can't we all just get along?"

Now, moving on to the website referenced: This posits another interested direction for research--that of activist. Creswell, in his text on "Research Design" refers to for different "Knowledge Claims" that we have for research, and argues that we fit in one of 4 categories. One of those categories includes "Activist." Of course, this makes the hair on the back of many necks stand straight up. How can one be "objective" if one has as one's goal effecting change?

The need to effect change forms an explicit assumption of one's research. Perhaps the greatest difference here is that the assumption is explicit, and often embedded in the "problem statement." For instance, consider this problem statement/research question: "Heroin use remains a significant killer on the streets of major cities. This research seeks to identify the many ways people die from heroin use and propose policies that would reduce the number of deaths of our fellow citizens."

Not very objective--or is it? Certainly it is "activist" in it's role. Embedded in this statement is an assumption (hopefuly supported in a lit review) that heroin is a killer. Also embedded is that the "solution" must involve government intervention, since it seeks "policies" to effect change.

My question for you all, dear students, is this: Can one be objective, and be an activist researcher (or an "action researcher?")

Please, feel free to share your comments and ideas on this.

The Professors

Fossil Fuels Set to Become Relics, Says Research Group - Yahoo! News

2005-10-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Fossil Fuels Set to Become Relics, Says Research Group - Yahoo! News

Well, an interesting story, and one that certainly has captured my imagination.

While I have not been one normally to plead the "green" case, I have also been quite interested in ways to capture the power of nature to provide the resources that enable me to enjoy the "finer things technology offers."

I have a lake house in the East Coast of the US, and have always thought it would be nice to shed dependence on heating oil and electricity providers.

Here is my vision. Since I have a well, and fairly steady wind, I am wanting a combination of wind and fuel cell technology. I would like the windmill to provide the basic electric power for the house, and also to provide the electricity to tear the hydrogen atoms off the oxygen atom in the water from my well. Of course, I would want to store the hydrogen as a reserve for electricity generation when the wind dies down, and perhaps even for heat.

My challenge? None of this come cheaply yet.

So homework for the class: if any of you have plans for such a set up, or know of people that would be willing to set me up as a test case (trust me--I will advertise heavily how well it works!) let me know. I am always willing to be a guinea pig!

the Prof

Kerry, Edwards see chance for change after Katrina - Yahoo! News

2005-09-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

"In separate speeches,
John Kerry and
John Edwards said the administration's inadequate response to the hurricane revealed a failure of competence and values, while the public outpouring of support for storm victims showed Americans wanted more from their government."

Interesting. Is it any wonder that a Democrat's response to the failure of a bureaucracy, and the determination of the human spirit, would be to say we want "more government?"

I believe if any lesson should be learned from the "perceived" inability of the bureaucracy to respond, it's that bureaucracies are not designed for rapid response to unplanned crises. After a number of years, FEMA has become quite adept at responding to "traditional" hurricanes. Note there isn't much complaining about their response around Mobile, and Gulfport. They have much practice responding here. It's the Hurricane with FLOODING that has them stymied.

Of course, as I have mentioned here previously, much of the slowness to respond has it's heart in the challenges of logistics rather than the willingness of the heart. Since then, the slow response of FEMA (as documented personally by my brother, and others) can be attributed to the slow, methodical, paper-pushing nature of bureaucracy. It's the nature of an accountable government to work to ensure that they remain accountable. In fact, if you check your history books, you will note it's more often than not the Democrats that have pushed for this sort of accountability. Whenever one requires a "full accounting" of the expenditure of government funds, we not only slow the process down, but increase to overall costs along with the overhead.

So what is Kerry's response? That somehow, because the American People are able, and willing, to stand up, and stand in the gap, that we desire "more government?" Hmmm... I think he didn't get it in the election, and I remain convinced he doesn't get it now.

We don't want more government. It is no longer "of the people, by the people" and it seems less and less that it is "for the people." This is not because the individual people in the government aren't wanting to do more, or are callous. They are hamstrung by the bureaucracy of government.

Freeing people to care for people is the best way to deal with most situations, especially in crises.

I am proud to be an American, who helps Americans.

Use of the Word 'Refugee' Stirs Debate - Yahoo! News

2005-09-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Use of the Word 'Refugee' Stirs Debate - Yahoo! News

I commend this story to all. It is quite interesting to read that we cannot call US Citizens "refugees" because, as the article states, it "somehow implies that the displaced storm victims, many of whom are black, are second-class citizens — or not even Americans."

Why do i find this interesting? Mostly, because it is the so-called compassionate left that are incensed. Okay, I find it more than ineresting. I chuckle at the hypocrisy of the left. The left is the first to clamour about the "refugee crisis" and the need to help the refugees, but don't want us to call our fellow citizens refugees. In fact, jackson (the reverend, not the erstwhile king of pop) calls it "racist to call American citizens refugees."

It seems to me that, at a time when the left accuses President Bush of having an elitist, almost imperialist, view of the rest of the world, the left apparently admits that they view the rest of the world as second class citizens, and perhaps even judges them as a racist would.

Yup. The left is elitist. Wait--that's not a shock to most of us on the right, that have known for years the left's main goal is to maintain the dependence of the lower classes on their handouts.

Laters....

the importance of Logistics

2005-09-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have argued, here and elsewhere, that the challenge that faces this great nation is far more complex than the armchair presidents would lead us to believe. The question "why wasn't anything done sooner" inevitably comes back to the fundamental laws, and requirements, of the physics of movement and storage (Logistics, in other words.) You can only move as far as your ability to support the folks that are working, and can only move forward what the transportation networks can support.

Apparently, the Louisiana Director for Homeland Security went so far as to say the Feds SHOULD have been "force feeding" the people of LA within an hour of the hurricane subsiding. All this says, to me, is that the Colonel served in a capacity other than logistics--and never appreciated what it took to enable him to do his job.

It is challenging, and often means we cannot do as much as we want, as quickly as we would like. And then, human nature kicks in, and we begin to lay blame. Why? Because we cannot accept that some things are beyond man's ability to control.

I put forward this little poem, The Logistician's Lament, as a pithy description of the challenges that face logisticians. In this case, I suggest the Colonel in charge of Louisiana Homeland Security is one of the generals.

The Logistician

Logisticians are a sad and embittered race of men who are very much in demand in war, and who sink resentfully into obscurity in peace. They deal only in facts, but must work for men who merchant in theories. They emerge during war because war is very much a fact. They disappear in peace because peace is mostly theory. The people who merchant in theories, and who employ logisticians in war and ignore them in peace, are generals.

Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war and in peace, generals try to forget logisticians.

Romping along beside generals are strategists and tacticians. Logisticians despise strategists and tacticians. Strategists and tacticians do not know about logisticians until they grow to become generals--which they usually do.

Sometimes a logistician becomes a general. If he does, he must associate with generals whom he hates; he has a retinue of strategists and tacticians whom he despises; and, on his back, is a logistician whom he fears. This is why logisticians who become generals always have ulcers and cannot eat their ambrosia.

Author Unknown

Unfamiliar Tasks For an Organization Used to Disaster - Yahoo! News

2005-09-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Unfamiliar Tasks For an Organization Used to Disaster - Yahoo! News

Yesterday, I wrote about the way technology has been used by individuals to create a virtual community of "The Diaspora." Of course, many will recognize this as a decentralized, or distributed, network. There exists no central clearinghouse for information, except for those pockets of friends that have the ability to develop lists, and then farm them back out to friends and family.

The Washington Post's story identifies another need--connecting those who are not connected, because they were unable to flee. For many reasons (all of which will be debated and discussed over the months to come) large numbers of people were unable to evacuate the city of New Orleans. They are effectively cut off from communications, even when located in what was called at the time, the refuge "of last resort." The challenge? Who should be tasked to pull together these groups, collect the information about the survivors, and those that did not, and get the word out? Historically, that has been the role of the American Red Cross--a role fulfilled through the use of paper, pens, and pencils, and lots of sweat equity. Now they are tasked with finding highly technical means of doing this very thing.

The question that is being worked through is actually one tackled by many a business course. "How does one define oneself?" If the Red Cross views themselves as a provider of relief and comfort, but not technological services, then is their organization prepared to handle such a request? Should the Red Cross be in this business, or should they partner with another organization that perhaps would be better suited for these sorts of technical challenges?

And most importantly, should there be only one organization/firm/business to tackle and coordinate the technical challenges?

These are heady times for technology. This isn't about the "internet bubble" of the late 1990s. It isn't about technology stocks making people wealthy. We now see technology being used to ameliorate the wounds of our brothers and sisters. Technology with heart.

The Professor

An addendum:

I have rarely spoken here about my research, but now is perhaps a time for me to speak. I have supervised several research efforts looking at the way we provide support to humanitarian relief operations. While much of it has focused on general command and control type issues, perhaps the most interesting one was a paper that tried to develop a centralized checklist for the NGOs to use to coordinate logistics/supply chain support. Imagine, 30 or 40 different organizations, each trying to get their materials and their people into the ravaged areas, hindered by few/no roads, limited airport access (ramp space is precious--especially if you also have to host a "tent city") and each optimimizing their loads for their cargo, not for the overall cargo required to go in to a disaster area. Quite a challenge.

The problem? These organizations either cannot, or will not, work together. And none can or will take direction from the US Government. Wow--imagine trying to corral these cats...

Internet is bulletin board for Katrina victims - Yahoo! News

2005-09-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Internet is bulletin board for Katrina victims - Yahoo! News

The horrific stories continue to emanate from Louisiana (mostly new Orleans). Death. Destruction. Murder. Rape. Drownings and dying from dehydration. And on top of all this, we read that rescue efforts have been hampered by the failure of the "high tech" communications networks upon which we have become so reliant. Cell towers are down (either physically down, or inoperable without power.) Land lines have failed. The washington post story even talks about how "Victims of Hurricane Katrina struggled to communicate with each other and the rest of the world yesterday."

This is where I find the most interesting success story of the early 21st century. What many have noted is the largest movement of refugees in the United States since the Civil War has demonstrated the strength of the human condition, and the desire to maintain the strong bonds that have turned housing communities into caring neighborhoods. It is these strong bonds, reinforced by the connectivity of this new age, that has me convinced that communities will rebuild, perhaps more quickly than historically. But it also has me convinced that people will be drawn to return to the communities they physically left, because they never actually "left" the community.

As a few of you know (most don't, since I struggle to maintain anonymity on here) my brother and his family live in The New Orleans area. He has sought refuge at my house, here in the Mid West. They arrived here on Thursday, after having toughed it out for a few days a little in-land, and then checking on their house. They are well, and they have survived relatively unscathed. But this blog isn't about them. It's about their connectivity.

Throughout the journey, we remained in frequent contact with me through cell phone service, and text messages. It turns out that, while cell phone service is not active in the disaster areas, those that have left the area (and are thus "roaming") are able to make outgoing calls. Alas, they cannot receive calls. Enter "innovative technologies." Text messaging, once the exclusive domain of teenagers and college students bored in the classrooms, has become the lifeline tying the various members of this new-age Diaspora together. In our case, I would text my brother, and he would call me, closing the loop on the telecommunication connection. For those scattered, they make, and maintain, contact via text messages, since they can each call out but not receive calls.

Satellite radio also played a significant role. As one travels the highways, disconnected from the world around them, localized reports of trauma are just that--local, and limited in perspective. Some may report devastation, while others may report minimal impact. One is left without the 30,000 foot perspective. Or, in this case, the Low Earth Orbit perspective. Having XM Satellite radio enabled my brother to gain that bigger perspective, listening to the weather channel, Fox News, MSNBC and CNN, and other commentaries, each bringing their unique perspectives. The family remained connected, even without the gruesome video that the rest of us saw.

Once they arrived, enter technology of the LAST century. Arriving at 3 in the morning, the first objective, obviously, was to settle in. The second--reconnect with "the scattered remnant" through phones, and high speed internet service. In this house, we had 4 notebook computers and one desktop running wireless connections (windows, AND Mac OS X with the arrival of my brother). In addition, we have three other computers running wired connections, and the occasional high speed 802.11 connection for the PDA.

What did all this technology do? Within hours, my brother, and his wife, had compiled unofficial lists of friends, and their families, who had evacuated. They knew where people landed, and often the condition of the homes and offices they left behind. Additionally, colleagues of my brother found me, apparently through a google search, and inquired as to his safety. From that point, conversations turned to how best to help those left behind, and coordinate actions, from around the country. Each pocket has become ambassadors for those that remain, carrying the stories, updated in near-real-time, to those that have taken them in.

The world has seen the power of humanity for evil, in the news. But the human spirit deserves credit here, as well. Being connected helps people continue to care, and ensures that the human face remains on the tragedy, and the need to help.

"La Palma Tsunami" Will Hit America, Bush Is Doing Nothing!

2005-09-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

"La Palma Tsunami" Will Hit America, Bush Is Doing Nothing!

Did you ever find yourself wondering whether something is, or is not, satire?

I find it difficult to believe that someone thinks Bush should be doing something about the Canary Islands' potential to devastate the East Coast. But then again, *I* still find it difficult to believe that people are blaming the Feds for the response (in New Orleans--they seem to be doing alright elsewhere) to the Hurricane and flooding. Perhaps, when people are given enough warning that a potential exists for a devastating event, the people themselves should be held responsible for not planning appropriately. If you lived in New Orleans, you have heard for years about the potential for a Hurricane filling the bowl. If you live in California, you know about the San Andreas Fault. You have made decisions to remain--and those decisions have consequences.

Apparently, Americans continue to prefer to blame others, for individually made bad decisions.

Take a day off from class...

The Washington Monthly

2005-09-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Wow... I was all set to learn something useful about FEMA and their response to the crisis in New Orleans, and elsewhere.

Then I read the opening line for January 2001 that includes "a crony from Texas."

Yup, THIS is going to be one VERY objective piece. Not.

Seriously--people are critical of FEMA, and argue that it has not responded quickly enough to the crisis in New Orleans. (by the way, I have not heard this criticism about their response to the HARDEST hit areas around Biloxi.)

My question for everyone critical of FEMA is simply: When was the last time those critical have had to plan and execute a contingency operation of this scale? An operation where most airfields are unsuitable for use, most roadways remain blocked or are "gone" as is the case with many bridges, and people trying to conduct relief operations are having shots fired at them?

Now, imagine trying to plan a major contingency before a crisis like this, and trying to figure out exactly what roads will, and will not, be available? Imagine not knowing which buildings will be available for occupancy, and which will not. Then imagine surrounding the city that everyone seems to fixate upon with two other states (minimum) in the same dire need, and imagine the gall that would be required to drive past all the needs of those people to satisfy the needs of those in "the Big Easy."

This is an operation on a grand scale, and for those that haven't done it, perhaps it looks "easy." It is not--but I encourage them to try.

After seeing the comments from many (most noteably on http://tulanestudentinfo.blogspot.com/, in their criticism of FEMA) I am surprised anyone would want to be part of FEMA. Then again, I know many that are, and I solidly stand behind them, and their brilliant, and hurculean efforts.

The Prof.

BTS - National Transportation Statistics 2004

2005-06-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

BTS - National Transportation Statistics 2004

I am sure many of you have asked yourselves "how can I get my hands on the actual data, rather than rely on the new reporters to give me their (often incorrect) interpretation?"

This link is one of the answers. On this link, you not only have the National Transportation Statistics (NTS) 2004 report, but more conveniently, you have it with excel and csv (comma delimited) text files. The significance of this is simple: you can conduct your own data mining, reviewing and slicing the data, or conducting statistical analyses as you see fit.

Hint: when you have a homework assignment, or a project, that requires you to analyse some data--perhaps in a statistics class, and you need to do a forecast, or conduct regression, here is a ready source of useful, and informational, data.

Happy hunting, and if you find something interesting, please, come back here, and share it with the rest of the class!

The Prof

Speeders' 5-10 mph 'free pass' costs lives, report says - Yahoo! News

2005-06-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

Speeders' 5-10 mph 'free pass' costs lives, report says - Yahoo! News

Have you ever read a news story that just seemed, well, odd? This, to me, is one of those stories.

Perhaps I have been tainted by a book I recently read and enjoyed, titled "Freakonomics." In that book, an economist slices data in ways that challenge the "conventional" views of the world, and shows how an understanding of data can help one make more sense of the world around us.

One of my favorite vignettes in the book is the discussion about airline vs automobile fatalities. Yes, we all "know" that it is safer to fly than to ride in a car. That's conventional wisdom. The authors point out, however, that if you evaluate the data differently, by assessing time spent "in the seat" then it turns out to be a dead heat (no pun intended.) the number of fatalities per hour spent travelling in that mode is statistically even. Go figure.

So that leads me to this story. Here we have all the makings of bad journalism--reporting misleading facts, quoting of inflammatory language, and the obligatory "counter view" at the end of the article.

Let's tackle the facts. In the article you will find this:

"We should have experienced a significant decline in speeding-related fatalities, given the tremendous gains in safety-belt use coupled with the increasingly safe design of vehicles," said Lt. Col. Jim Champagne of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and chairman of the GSHA.

That statement follows a paragraph where we are informed that "The number of speeding-related deaths is not declining" and "Speeding is a major factor in about one-third of the 42,000 traffic deaths a year in the USA."

Hmmm... The "numbers" are not declining? Sounds like we have a problem on our hands, right? As the article points out, vehicles are far safer than ever before, and yet the "numbers" are not declining.

But wait just one minute! The article then points out that "The nation's traffic fatality rate last year was a record low of 1.46 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration." Now we begin to see that in fact, fatalities have declined, and we are just spending more and more time on the road. It's not that speeding is more deadly. It's that we are spending more and more time on the road.

But wait, there's more! The author can't just let the record stand corrected. The author uses the word "But." Yup, after telling the reader that the actual rate is lower the author points out "But the number of people killed in accidents each year has remained fairly constant as the number of vehicles and miles driven increased."

So now we see that perhaps Lt Col Champagne was speaking in hyperbole when he argued against speeding. What's worse, he called the accidents "carnage" on the highways. Inflammatory language, to be sure. Especially since, according to Dictionary.com, carnage is "Massive slaughter, as in war; a massacre."

Bottom line? Read carefully--and look for all the details. Ask questions about the data presented. In this case, the article at least presented the death rate, and not just raw data. Imagine if the author had chosen to leave just that one bit of data out.

So the question I have is: Which do readers notice more, and why?

Class dismissed.

Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion

2005-06-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion

okay, so first, I haven't been here in quite a while... and now that I am blogging again, it's about a Star wars spoof. Not only that, about an issue that, honestly, I have strong and somewhat opposing opinions.

That said--you HAVE to go see this... "Cuke Skywalker" fights against his father 'Darth Tater" (no relation to "Tater salad" --Ron White...) Of course, Darth Tater is now "more chemical than vegetable..."

Seriously--don't take this seriously. But enjoy the skills demonstrated.

And then, please, let me know YOUR opinions about chemicals and genetic modifications on the farm.

The Prof!

Adulthood

2005-01-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

I recently have had several opportunities to talk about, and think about, what it means to be "an adult."

Here is my opinion:

It's not a magic age ("I am 18, and an adult" usually followed by "why won't you let me..."). It's not a magic formula or convergence of events in a life (mortgage, marriage, move, or any such thing.) Turning 18 just means you alone are legally responsible for your mistakes, and I have seen plenty of childish husbands, wives, and so forth.

It is the point where one takes on responsibility for "things" great and small in their life, and takes responsibility for one's own actions. When one gets to the point where one can do that, one has begun the lifelong journey to and through adulthood. And guess what--we will slip, and revert, and blame others, and shy away from rather, than step up to, our responsibilities. That too is part of the journey. It is how we recognize our failings, and whether we step forward and accept responsbility, that helps us determine whether we are still climbing the path to maturity, or slipping down the slope of childishness.

Did I mention yet, God? Spiritual maturity actually, to some extent, is the reverse. As one grows in Christ one finds (as I had to over a recent weekend--Thanks to all that prayed, and please continue!) that while we need to accept responsibility for our actions, we must recognize that we can do nothing, and Christ can do all things. It is the recognition of the role of Servant to our Lord, the subjugating of self so that Christ can live through us, that shapes and provides definition to spiritual maturity.

So where do we stand? Do we blame others for not recognizing us or allowing us to serve, rather than stepping up and stepping in? Or do we acknowledge that God has called us to serve, and we are to serve in whatever capacity He has made for us, and serve joyfully. "To whom much is given, much is expected."

P.S. I realize that I have to some degree stepped outside the bounds of this BLOG's construct. If this were a state school, I suppose I would find myself in trouble for talking about God at all. Oh, well.

Choosing Their Flock--Can College religious groups limit their membership?

2005-01-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Chronicle: 1/28/2005: Choosing Their Flock

This article, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, poses an interesting question--should religious organizations on college campuses be able to restrict their membership to only those who adhere to that faith? I say this is an interesting question, because as a question it is targeted only at religious groups. I would venture to say that only religious groups have people beating down their doors to join, that share in no way a common set of values for that organization. For instance, when was the last time you heard of someone who hated chess seeking to join the chess club? How about a Republican (and for the sake of argument, a compassionate conservative) seeking to join the College Democats? Generally speaking, those organizations are able to self-select, because only like-minded people join them.

That now sets up the interesting predicament that was faced at "The Ohio State University." According to the article in the Chronicle (dated 28 January 05) "In the fall of 2003, two law students at Ohio State University's main campus complained to the administration that the campus chapter of the Christian Legal Society, a student group, was violating the institution's nondiscrimination rules... Yet the two students said the society would not let them join because one of them was not an evangelical Christian and the other was gay. The group said it would not accept students who did not share its religious views, or those who engaged in "homosexual conduct," which, it held, is condemned in the Bible."

Interestingly, these two students never actually say whether they attempted to join the organization, or they simply inquired as to requirements for membership. So, at the face, we have a charge of discrimination but there is no evidence of any actual harm being done.

Now, let's deal with a few things. First, we have a group that has people trying to join it, that actually do not believe in the organization's view. They are taking Marx's statement to the extreme. Remember, Groucho had sad that he wouldn't want to belong to any organization that would have him as a member. Apparently, these folks prefer to belong to organizations that would NOT want them as a member. That, in and of itself, strikes me as "odd."

Of course, the purpose to "join" the organization most likely was simply to force their hand--to show that this organization wasn't playing fair.

I suggest that every Religious organization (Certainly every Christian one) should encourage all to join. But I would also encourage them to continue to hold to, and preach, their ideals. If as a tenent of your faith you believe that sin is to be fleed, and that righteousness is to be pursued, then preach that, teach that, and don't hesitate to call sexual immorality on college campuses, well, WRONG. If that makes the membership uncomfortable, because of their lifestyle, then so be it--they didn't HAVE to join.

Hopefully it will have the alternate effect of convicting, and converting, and allowing God to work in their lives.

Let em in--it just might change a life!

Yahoo! News - 'Survivor' Winner Arraigned on Tax Evasion

2005-01-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News - 'Survivor' Winner Arraigned on Tax Evasion

Okay, read this story over. But in case they take it off--let me excerpt:

"he failed to declare the $1 million he earned for beating out all other contestants on the hit reality TV show in 2000. "

"Hatch, a corporate trainer and consultant, is also charged with failing to declare the $10,000 prize he earned for appearing on the series' final episode and more than $300,000 he earned the following year from radio appearances. "

Now here is my question: What made him think they wouldn't notice? If I remember correctly, he won the money on NATIONAL TV, and most likely had international coverage. Did he think that IRS employees don't watch TV at home? Did he think that someone winning over a million bucks wouldn't be flagged?

I cannot wait to hear what he has to say in his defense, however, that may not happen since he has agreed in a non-binding agreement to plead guilty.

Too bad--it would be more interesting than many of the murder trials we have seen lately.

Soy Seeds as Technology?

2005-01-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

.: Corvallis Gazette-Times :. News

Perhaps it is time for me to return to my roots. I have spent many an hour reminiscing about my days in what was then known as "The Future Farmers of America" (now, officially known only as "The FFA"). At the time, I remember being proud to be part of a family-centric tradition. Family farmers, passing down land, and practices, from generation to generation, and instilling in each generation a love for the land and for what it can produce.

Of course, I also remember the discussions about how "corporate farming" was taking over, and driving the family farmer to extinction. If left to their own devices, the agri-business folks would control the world. I, of course, scoffed.

My how times have changed. We still have family farmers, and agribusiness has contributed greatly to their success, and their ability to produce significantly more than ever before--feeding hundreds of people per farmer, where before the average farmer would feed 25, to 75, people.

But now we face a new challenge--seed as technology.

Monsanto's claim that saving some seed, and replanting it, is the moral equivalent of bootleg copying music, would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. Let me explain.

Stealing software, music, or movies generally requires one person making a copy, and then giving or selling it to another. Generally speaking, we have allowed (through the courts) for people to make copies for their own enjoyment and use. It's why we have MP3 players in the first place, and why Apple is able to sell music through iTunes. People want to be able to listen to their music. But also, we understand that these items are truly technology. They are collections of machinery combined to provide a capability that didn't exist before. essentially they are "things" that did not exist.

It seems to me that this is somehow fundamentally different. Soy Beans have always existed. Scientists have adjusted the DNA perhaps, and somehow twisted it to kep it from responding to "round up" herbicide, but it's still "Soy beans." Soy beans are natural, but somehow if you start with something natural, and you perform experiments on it, you gain "rights" to it that weren't there before.

Perhaps God should consider suing Mansanto. After all--he own's the original rights, don't you think?

When is intent greater than content?

2005-01-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News - Judge Rejects School Board Evolution Stand

Welcome back to class. I realize we have taken a rather long break for the semester, but it's time one again to put our thinking caps on, and start analyzing the news.

So what has me jumping back into the fray? Perhaps it is the obvious lunacy of the US Court system. As the article cited above notes, the court has declared that a sticker must be removed from textbooks, as it in some way violates the (and I quote) "Ban on the separation of church and state." Let's forget, just for a moment, that the way the article is written makes it appear that the separation is banned. Let's even forget for the moment that there is no actual ban in the constitution. (If you don't believe me--go find the "separation" clause--it's not there.) Let's look at the sticker.

The sticker, according to the article, reads: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

So let me see--where are the issues that favor religion? What words here even HINT at the notion that one should/must believe in God (especially God in a particular way) such that one would see it as an encrouchment on the separation of church and state?

Wait--it's not there! The words as written actually encourage being open-minded, and having a critical mind. Typically those are things that we encourage in people, especially in education. We want you to be open to new ideas. We want to challenge--to question the status quo. How many times have you heard how scientific revolutions came about through paradigm shifts, driven by someone challenging the accepted concepts? In fact, isn't that exactly what Darwin himself did?

I suspect there is something deeper, something more sinister here. Apparently the judge believes that motivation should be considered when determining if religion has played too great a role, and if your beliefs, motivated through some means of faith, drive your actions, then it cannot be allowed.

Seriously, consider this. The words just remind us that we are to remain scientific--we are to remain critical. The fact that a school board did this based on their religious convictions is enough to declare it an infringement, or breach if you will, of the barrier.

Let me leave you with this question: If Jimmy Carter's humanitarian actions while President were grounded in his understanding of the calling he received from Christ--to care for the needy, clothe the naked, and feed the hungry--if that was driven by his religious convictions, should they have been stopped?

Are we to only allow actions motivated purely from self-thought?

Brooke's Story: He Just Doesn't Get It

2004-10-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

Brooke's Story: He Just Doesn't Get It

Well, I am back. And I am disappointed. No, it's not the usual disappointment on a Sunday afternoon, where my college team has let me down yet again. This is more serious.

The link above shows a touching testimonial about a woman who's brother died while serving his (and her!) Country. At the time he died, he was looking for weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that they point out Bush was "confident" existed. Now let me point out, they are weapons that Kerry, and Clinton(s), and Kennedy, and many others also thought existed. But while I am saddened to hear of the specific loss, I am more disappointed in something else.

They missed the point.

Perhaps in an effort to make her brother more "human" to the web browser, and perhaps to make it so that people would want to contribute to their cause, they show her brother with a young iraqi child--wearing her brother's helmet. Her brother "got it" better than she did, and perhaps better than most others do.

The war, while certainly an effort to stop the development and spread of WMDs, was bigger than that. It was about freeing an oppressed people. It was about showing people in the region that their is more to life than "existing" and that one doesn't have to "take" the abuse heaped on them in the name of religion by zealots who distort any religion for their own power. It was about freedom, and yes, democracy.

A college freshman was telling me just the other day about a story she heard, where hundreds of camcorders were given to Iraqi's with just one direction--go record whatever you wish. No direction for political agenda, or taping military actions, or anything else. And what did they find? People happy with Americans, and a young child who adores the American soldier, and how well they treat him. What did this young child want to be when he grows up? An American. AN AMERICAN.

Her brother saw the opportunity to change a young child's life, and he made that difference. Let's rejoice in freedom for women, and children, everywhere. Let's not just write them off, otherwise we prove to the world the very thing the left says we shouldn't--we would be selfish, self-absorbed Americans, unwilling to do anything for others if it means we are less comfortable.

The US Military understands that mission, and is prepared to meet it. America, shouldn't you as well?

46 Minutes

2004-09-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

Yup. 46 minutes. That's how long it took for John Kerry to get to bring up his VietNam service.

Anyone have that in the pool?

In all seriousness--I was surprised that, after hearing a video segment on Fox News where they played excerpts of all the debates that Kerry had been in (all the way back to his initial Senate debates) his wording hasn't really changed. "I know what it means to... (fill in the blank) because I was there..."

And so it goes.

The Professor's Lecture Notes

I am moving! (Virtually!)

NEEMO - NASA uses dives as Analogy for Space

Syllabi and the "Inevitable"

Lamont and Lieberman

Gay Marriage?

A Plagiarist behind every Right-leaning Tree?

The Lieutenant--Courageous, or...

Inconvenient? Perhaps. Truth? Perhaps not...

Tax relief again...

A "time line" or an "Event line"?

F4 vs Concrete--guess which wins?

Corrections to the Record

More son's photos

For those that wondered...

What links should I add?

More Attacks on Bad Surveys

Survey and Media Distortions

Gospel Music

Cool, and/or Fun Tech

Voters like to be monitored...

Language Log: Is Mark Steyn guilty of plagiarism?

MANPADS Protection--is it time?

ThinkFree Office Online (beta)

The "Worth" of a vote

Diversify? Divest? Let's call the whole thing off

The left doesn't believe itself!

Language Log: Who is the decider?

Schools--Education or Business? Is this a dichotomy?

» Can you hear me now? Big Brother is listening | Threat Chaos | ZDNet.com

"You say Tomato, I say Potato, Let's call the whole meal off!"

A Liberal Dose

Amazon.com: Why ERP? A Primer on SAP Implementation: Books: F. Robert Jacobs,David Clay Whybark,F. Robert Jacobs,D. Clay Whybark

SAP spruces up its supply chain software | CNET News.com

Interesting things about Blogspot and iRows

iPodSoft - Making the best, better

GetThereFast.org- Welcome to BetterCampus!

LiveScience.com - The Mysterious Origin and Supply of Oil

Man Gets $218 Trillion Phone Bill - Yahoo! News

Bigs bunny: monster rabbit devours English veggie plots - Yahoo! News

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news

An online Word Processor

macteens Magazine - Photography for Beginners, Part One

Floating Ice May Explain How Jesus Walked on Water, Researchers Say

Half Staff Flags

Online web spreadsheets - iRows

">Man Is Charged $4,300 for Four Burgers - Yahoo! News

Americans at "tipping point" about energy-poll - Yahoo! News

60GB iPod "at risk" -- new video model coming? - Engadget

NASA - NASA's FY 2007 Budget and Planning Documents

Flash » Epic 2015

Language Log: Freedom of speech: more famous than Bart Simpson

Sharing Steve :: New Stuff

WILLisms.com: Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 271 -- Happiness.

Book Review - Code Name Ginger

GMA STATEMENT ON ACRYLAMIDE AND CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 65

Exit Polls "got it wrong" (Again!)

» OS X users celebrate first wild worm | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Bias in Academia? Say it ain't so, Joe!

More Questions Raised About Delay in Reporting Cheney Misfire

Fires Reported at 4 More Ala. Churches - Yahoo! News

This won't be here for long...

Alito ain't all that bad--if you are a leftist, eh?

US Airman shot--in LA!

Panel: Teflon Chemical a Likely Carcinogen

WSJ.com - Science Journal

Apple Offers College Lectures Via Podcasts - Yahoo! News

It's funny...

It's been a while...

Engaging in the Debate

WSJ.com - A Company's Threat: Quit Smoking or Leave

NYT: NSA eavesdropping wider than W.House admitted - Yahoo! News

Evolution named 2005's top scientific breakthrough - Yahoo! News

Q & A

Sharing Steve :: New Stuff

Cheney visits Iraq and hails 'tremendous elections' - Yahoo! News

The Randi Rhodes Show...

Phoneswarm 2005.

Democrats sweep Virginia, New Jersey races - Yahoo! News

2 Minute Photoshop Tricks