Today, someone asked me, “Is it really true that guy you see on the Internet with all of the question marks on him, that it’s possible to get a government grant for anything?” In a word, no. People come to me all of the time with ideas that not even your own mother would fund….
Today, I’d like to add #4 to 6 to my list of things I have learned in my 55 years. (You can find the first three here.) These are: You were hired to DO shit. No, you are NOT smarter than God. LISTEN!! #4 You were hired to DO shit Newly-minted PhDs are only marginally…
“Ebrary? Oh, yeah, I think the university where I teach has that, but I wasn’t interested so I never looked into it.” So said a young professor today when I mentioned ebrary. I actually had looked into it years ago when I worked at a different university. It was all right but I could only…
I forgot how old I was for a while. Someone asked me how old The Rocket Scientist is and I said 57, then I had to think how that could be when he is three years older than me. So, yes, I will be 55 this year. I guess turning 54 happened when I was…
“I’m XX years old and I’ve never used (insert any statistical technique here). Why do I need to know this?” I’ve heard some version of the above on every topic from linear regression to structural equation models, and at every age from teenagers to executives in their sixties. I’ve even made comments like that myself….
As anyone who reads this blog often knows, a. I like Chardonnay b. You need to get a life c. The purpose is for me to write down stuff I want to remember later. Serendipitously, this often turns out to be stuff other people would like to know as well. If you teach statistics ……
I’m working on the latest two proposals for federal funding for our computer games while sitting by the fire in a ski resort in Vermont, which is funny because I have never skied in my life and don’t intend to start now. I’m meeting with two people who we would like to have begin working…
“Arthur: If I asked you where the hell we were, would I regret it? Ford: We’re safe. Arthur: Oh good. Ford: We’re in a small galley cabin in one of the spaceships of the Vogon Constructor Fleet. Arthur: Ah, this is obviously some strange use of the word safe that I wasn’t previously aware of.”…
These days, I cannot turn around without seeing a billboard, poster or article with my third daughter’s name on it. She was the first woman signed by the UFC, and will be the first woman to headline a pay per view event in mixed martial arts. Interestingly, earlier this year, I wrote a post with…
I’ve always been a bit skeptical of online education. I think I’m a good instructor. I know my subject extremely well, put a lot of time into preparing lectures, class activities and assignments. Having done some online classes, I have found it harder to gauge if students are confused or bored. Those hand-raises on goto…