Saturday, June 24, 2000
Anyhow, I think I should learn to do a handstand, and furthermore, walk on my hands. I think being able to do so would be a fine addition to my repetoire of weird things I can do (such as my deformed knee, the bendy fingers, the fact that I can put my legs behind my head, etc. etc...) Although this is a bit more difficult because it is not a mere matter of having overly flexible joints, but instead a test of dexterity and strength. So anyway, we'll see how long I'm determined to do this.
Another thing I need to do is work for InASphere, which is a division of Traxit, which also owns Schoolbrain. I think I'm supposed to be writing an article for the TechSphere section of InASphere about Blogger and how wonderful it is or something like that. Perhaps I should be getting to work... or not. Either way I'm not getting paid. Oh, actually, nevermind that. I should be working because I have a share of this company, so if they do well, I do well. Anyhow, it's been brought to my attention that I should probably follow my friend Geddes around and learn how to run/manage/whatever he does to the webserver that he's apparently trying to get working. I need to develop some skills of which I can apply to some form of a Job.
Finally, in other news, for the few people that care... it's now official that Sarah K. and A. Tyo are an "item." (And is it any coincidence that they're both jewish?) I figure since it's the easiest way for me to broadcast such information, I'll just blog it. Oh well. Just another testament to something that I'm not quite sure of yet.
Finally, I don't think the word exists, but what would "morocide" mean? If you have any ideas, feel free to email me. Thus far, I've come to the possible conclusion that it means killing stupid people, for moro as in moron means stupid person, and the suffix of -cide tends to mean killing of the prefix in that particular word, as in homocide. Well, enough streaming of my conciousness for now, I'm off to purchase some furniture and other things for renovating the downstairs room.
Thursday, June 22, 2000
Tuesday, June 20, 2000
Imagine the season's final high school cross-country meet, run by the state Office of Racing. Officials pledge to demonstrate how each runner is doing, and which runners, teams, and coaches are the best. Judges crowd the finish line with cameras, computers, stethoscopes, and various diagnostic tools. As runners cross the line, not only their times, but also their pulses, breathing rates, perspiration levels, muscle oxidation, and a host of variables are checked and computed. This is the new world of racing, officials say. We will know how everyone is doing , who is the best, and why.Now suppose, despite all this measuring, that the race has no official starting line. Some runners run 10 miles, others five, and still others two. Some coaches and parents complain that the race is not fair, but the Office of Racing is not deterred. This is an absolute measure, officials say, not a relative one. When runners cross the finish line is what matters, not where they started. Sure, runners who start farther back have farther to go, but hey, that's life. After all, this race is only one tool o fmay for assessing running ability. Yes, it will determine the future access to athletics for many runners. And yes, average team results may eventually influence the coaches' jobs. And, of course, teams may be reconstituted if this yea's team performs worse than last year's. But despite these important-sounding consequences, this race is just one indicator of athletic performance. Now, everyone stop whining and try harder.
The idea of a race with no starting line is absurd, of course. In racing we understand that the distance traveled is critically important in determining the outcome. In fact, the key factor is is each runner's speed, or rate of progress. To know this, we need to know when and where each runner started. Only then, we understand, can we compare them fairly.
It is also true, in racing, that while we track team scores, we know that they are an aggregate of individual performance. If we compare last year's team to this year's, we recognize that the different outcomes -- whether better or worse -- are significantly affected by having different members on the team. We understand that different runners naturally get different results, even with the same coach. Do we think that effort, practice and coaching quality make a difference? Of course. Do we think these factors make up for having different runners and different starting lines? Of course not. The race described above may may provide information on runners' physical conditions, but it does not tell which runner is the fastest or has the greatest endurance because it doesn't measure how far they have run. For the same reason, it doesn't show which team is best or which coach is most effective.
He is a senior associate and the coordinator of national school reform for the Community Traning and Assistance Center in Boston. He also serves as a member of the Needham, Mass., board of education.
Well... I just thought this was quite an interesting read. He later states that it's not a perfect analogy, and then mentions how it applies to the MCAS.
Monday, June 19, 2000
You know what's weird? My sister has... wait, let me count... 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6 friends over and they're all watching MTV to see, I think it's road rules, I'm not sure, but I simply don't understand how that can be entertaining. For example, I just heard some person detailing their "experience" w/ a phallic "toy" of some sort, and I just don't get how watching these people who are sacrificing their privacy can be entertaining. Some sort of voyeuristic thrill for the viewer, and some sort of exhibitionist game for the "actor," if they can be called that.
It's nuts. The fact that my emails look so different from those that people who are supposed to be better educated and such than me.