Monthly Archives: June 2009

Two standard deviations from the mean

Instead of our students learning about the technique of calculus, I think it would be far more significant if all of them knew what “two standard deviations from the mean” means, and I mean it. Arthur Benjamin

Posted in math

Arthur Benjamin’s Formula For Changing Math Education

I am speechlessly in agreement with this. I’ve ranted about math education before. There’s something just so effective about his three-minute stated solution to the problem. I dig it. I never use calculus, but statistics? Easily on a weekly basis.

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Posted in geek life, math

Stormwalking

Dugg via -Gareth- – RIP MJ.

Posted in geek life

Customer Service Win: Liberty Mutual

A little over a month ago, I was gifted with a light-duty trailer. It’s about 15 years old and I’ll use it to haul crap to the local recycling/refuse center, transport craigslist purchases, annoy the cats, etc. The only catch

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Posted in geek life

Failing Slowly

Not sure which is funnier: the comic, or the ridiculous banter on the dilbert.com website about how “software can’t be 100% bug free” and “it’s impossible to fix every bug”. Oh shut up people! It’s a comic strip! [/Monday]

Posted in Uncategorized

I Don’t Care How Good You Are At Programming

I don’t care how good you are at programming, finding bugs, whatever. If you’re rude, or if you speak poorly to people who don’t understand your… quirks… you will wind up being shunted to the side. No one wants to

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Posted in geek habits, management, quotes

Two Drums and A Cymbal

Hat tip to @brainopera.

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Posted in geek life

Clearing the Baffles (III)

It’s been a while since I had baffles to clear, but nonetheless: Software For A New Laptop (categories: geek life, how-to, software notes, windows) Choosing Between Good and Good (categories: management) Finding Notebook Zen (categories: geek life, geek habits) 1

Posted in blogging, productivity

Book-A-Month – June 2009

I set my expectations a bit high for this book, for some reason. The jacket text leads off with a flu epidemic example, and so I thought that there would be a decent amount of text devoted to pandemics (e.g plague, influenza, etc.). Instead, a fleeting reference to the flu gave way to a syphilis outbreak in Baltimore. Not quite as interesting, but mis-set expectations will do that to you. It’s one of the examples from the last rule, however, that made me think the most and therefore kept me from being completely negative in my assessment of the book.

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Posted in books, geek life

Conservation Win

Conservation Win « FAIL Blog.

Posted in geek life