The Limit of What I Don't Know

So . . . I think I'm going to stop blogging.  I don't know, the romance has gone out of it for me - it's become more like work than I had hoped.  I started this blog about a year-and-a-half ago for a variety of reasons: to vent my opinions, to organize some of my research thoughts, to test out new ideas, and to take over the web.  Some of these have come to pass, others haven't.  If you are a regular reader (the chosen few), you know that my output has become more sporadic over the last little while (and in the summer, my output was nearly non-existent).  The thing is, I didn't miss it.  I used to look forward to writing my musings, and now my thought processes are more along the lines of "oh yeah, I have to do that today too."

Maybe I'll miss it again.  I hope I will.  And I have lots of ideas for topics, some of which are half-written and saved as drafts that I never got around to finishing.  So I may return.  But for now, I don't think I want to do this anymore.  Yes, I've been busier than usual and that may be contributing to it.  And yes, the lack of response is disheartening, no doubt about that.  But I felt that I went into this with my eyes wide open, that I would probably not draw very many readers and at the time I was okay with that.

To use an image from the book The Age of Persuasion, I feel like I'm in a baseball stadium, shouting at the top of my lungs while everyone else is shouting too.  A few people might pick up some of what I'm trying to say, but most don't care.  That's fine; I don't have to be heard by everyone. 

I hope that what I've written over the past while has entertained/enlightened/thought-provoked/enraged/amused/interested/time-wasted successfully.  This may not be my last posting, but it will almost certainly be my last posting for some time.  Thanks for paying attention and for your comments, and hopefully I'll get the urge to rant at you again.

Later!
Eric

Bloggin' The News

So . . . it's been a while since I've done a news-rundown blog entry.  Contrary to what you might think, I don't use this as a topic for my blog when I've got nothing else to write about.  It happens when a bunch of news stories all catch my attention on the same day for being, well, a bit silly.  And when I only have one or two snarky comments to make about each story, there really isn't much need to devote a whole post to it.  Here's today's collection.

Don’t Call Me Fatty

So . . . apparently I’m obese, at least according to some reliable sources (I’m talking to you, Wii Fit).  While I would be the first   to admit that I could stand to lose a few pounds, I really don’t think of myself as obese.  And I should know – probably look at myself in the mirror far more than anyone else looks at me.  This was over the summer, and as my tuxedo-rental guru predicted, I have lost a little weight since then.  But being fair, I don’t think the label applies.  So is the problem with me or the way we categorize body fat?

Centipedes, Yams, and Artistic Merit

So . . . last week in my blog post I made a passing reference to a film that is due to come out.  Even the title might upset the squeamish, and I don't want to turn off any of my three loyal blog readers (yes, I'm kidding, there are at least five), so if you're interested in reading about the movie click here.  This got me thinking about the movie and why someone would endeavour to create it.  Some (including British censors) would say that it shouldn't even be allowed to exist, as it has no societal merit (it likely won't be a big moneymaker, and its artistic value is dubious).  I'm more of the belief that, hey, if someone wants to make a movie about . . . . this, let them.

Don't Call Me, I Won't Call You

So . . . I don't know what's going on, whether I am on some list of very generous/gullible/surveyable people or if I have just been unlucky, but I have been receiving record numbers of telemarketing calls.  I mean multiple times a day.  Charities, businesses, polling companies, my family, you name it, the calls just keep pouring in.  And I want it to stop (well, except for my family - you can still call once in a while, but please stay within the limits I've assigned you!).  It's annoying, it's unnecessary, and it's driving me up the wall.  I've tried being rude to them and that hasn't stopped the incessant ringing.  Why won't they leave me alone?

A Reason Is Not an Excuse

So . . . there has been a bit of a meaningless storm over some comments that Tony Bennett made on the Howard Stern show last week.    Personally I don't think he said anything too controversial, if you actually think about the content of his words.  I'm not "blame America" type, nor am I a conspiracy theorist when it comes to 9/11 - mass murder was committed that day and those responsible should pay (some have).  But I do think this illustrates a good example of how polarizing an issue can remove some of the opportunity to learn.

Statistical Intuition

So . . . the movie Moneyball opens today in theatres everyone, and I am rather excited to see it.  I read the book some time ago and it really struck a chord with me (you'll understand why later in the post), I like baseball movies (more than I like baseball these days) and I think it could be this year's Social Network.  Yesterday I read a column about the movie and its core message of the use of statistical information to improve decisions.  This column was co-written by Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team and one of the more stats-friendly executives in the NBA. I think that this column really hits the nail on the head and I'd like to elaborate on it here.