Tag Archives: reconsidering

What, if anything, is it like to be a repairman?

Posted on February 20, 2010 by mutecypher

With minor apologies to Thomas Nagel. Here’s what got me hooked on repairing computers. Harry Tuttle is the demigod for repairmen (or repairwomen).

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Not Exactly James Burke’s “Connections”

Posted on February 20, 2010 by mutecypher

When I listen to Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live,” The Day I Tried To Live – Soun… there ‘s a line that makes me think of the end of Life of Brian. Can you find it? Seize the … Continue reading →

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What The Duke Said

Posted on December 18, 2009 by mutecypher

I’m not a big fan of High Noon. I think John Wayne’s comment nails it for me. (from an interview with Roger Ebert) “What a piece of you-know-what that was,” he told me. “I think it was popular because of … Continue reading →

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We Are An Especially Tricky People

Posted on December 10, 2009 by mutecypher

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. – Uncle Ralph I am large. I contain multitudes. – Uncle Walt Much madness is divinest sense to the discerning eye. – Aunt … Continue reading →

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BS^4

Posted on October 20, 2009 by mutecypher

There’s an old saying among scientists that “you have bullsh**, bullsh** squared, then cosmology.” Now we know what bullsh** to the fourth power is: Theories about why the Large Hadron Collider is having some startup issues. Both of the authors … Continue reading →

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Online versus Face-to-Face learning – the actual report

Posted on September 2, 2009 by mutecypher

The SRI study mentioned in my earlier post set out to answer the following questions: 1. How does the effectiveness of online learning compare with that of face-to-face instruction? 2. Does supplementing face-to-face instruction with online instruction enhance learning? 3. … Continue reading →

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None of us….

Posted on August 20, 2009 by mutecypher

is as smart as all of us. I looked up that saying and found it attributed to Satchel Paige. I also found it listed (more often) as a Japanese proverb. I think the Japanese origin is correct, though that doesn’t … Continue reading →

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I can take the Feedback

Posted on August 16, 2009 by mutecypher

So I see that my traffic is way down since I posted the item about Healthcare. I didn’t plan on making this a political blog, and now I can see that was a good plan. So back to math, science, … Continue reading →

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Healthcare Response from My Congresswomen

Posted on August 14, 2009 by mutecypher

I sent an email to my Congresswoman, the Honorable Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), expressing my concern about the Healthcare legislation, it’s speed, size, and unknowability. She was understanding of my concerns and sent me a couple of pdfs to explain the … Continue reading →

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Oscar Wilde and “An Artist of the Floating World”

Posted on July 18, 2009 by mutecypher

I was looking for something to read while waiting for a couple of books I had ordered to show up from the library. I decided to re-read Kazuo Ishiguru’s “An Artist of the Floating World.” It had been a long … Continue reading →

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