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.

Climate Change? Yeah, So What?

So . . . regular readers of this blog already know that I'm not a card-carrying member of the anthropogenic global warming booster club (supporting the idea, not boosting my emissions - though I did have chili for lunch!  Hey-ho!).  I think that there is a lot of missing information and that while it is possible that the phenomenon is documentable (maybe, not sure), the future effects are far from known.  Today I'm going to write about what I believe to be the central problem with the whole global warming discussion: its one-sided nature.  Sure, the blowhards of Fox News can blather all they want, but in the public discourse there is really only one perspective that is allowed to be represented.

Memory Present, Mind Absent

So . . . one of the more memorable books I read over the summer is "Moonwalking With Einstein," by Joshua Foer.  The book chronicles his travels through the world of competitive memory, from a reporter covering the National Memory Championships to his competition, the following year, in that same event.  And his accomplishment is quite impressive - I know that I balk at attempting it, and I believe I have a pretty good memory to begin with (one message from the book is that if you know the technique, anyone can do it; I'm not saying I disbelieve that, but the amount of work involved seems daunting).  But in the end, is his memory any better?  Depends on how you define memory.

May the Force Kick George Lucas's Butt

So . . . today marks the release of the first Star Wars Blu-Ray sets, and like any good film nerd, I have already picked up my copy.  Now, before you groan and complain, allow me to make a few contradictory points.  I do rationalize my purchase in this post, but also bellyache about the same changes to the movies that you hate too.  I don't think there are many people, especially of my generation, that are fans of what Lucas has done to change the original movies.  But isn't that his prerogative?  Which gets to a bigger question: who owns art?  The artist, or the audience?

The Greatest Blog Post About the Greatest Movie Ever Sold

So . . . today is the first day of my marketing communications and advertising class.  In preparation for this (or maybe in honour of this?) I watched a movie on the topic over the weekend.  It was a documentary by Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame), the conceit of which was that it would be the first documentary about advertising and product placement to be fully financed by advertising and product placement.  Hence the title: Pom Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.  And it was good enough that I will be showing it to my class later this semester.

Sensational Science

So . . . as a consumer researcher, I tend to notice items in the news that relate to behaviour and psychology.  The newspapers seem to love to print articles about scientific research results, and even I have had the pleasure of getting my name in the paper (I won't be so crass as to post a link; simply Google "Eric Dolansky Deal or No Deal" or "Eric Dolansky magical thinking" to find the numerous articles about me and my fabulous work.  Eh, I should have just posted links, so here they are.  Yes, I am that shallow).  But lately I have found more and more problems with this.  Sure, it's great to expose the public to research, but a lot of the time the newspapers just, well, miss the point.  Here are a couple of examples.

The Metaphysics of Student Life, Part 2

So . . . today I'm continuing with my annual Thornton Melon memorial "Back to School" blog week.  By the way, I'm pretty sure that this is the only movie ever to have all of the following people appear: Adrienne Barbeau, Robert Downey Jr., Danny Elfman, Kevin's older brother Wayne from the Wonder Years, Sam Kinison, the bad guy from Karate Kid, and Kurt Vonnegut(!).  Anyway, back to what I was discussing: the start of the new school year.  Yesterday I asked the question "why are we here" with the "we" being students.  I'm going to address the same question today but with a different emphasis; instead of "why are we here," I'm asking "why are we here."  Besides, apparently, to split hairs.

The Metaphysics of Student Life, Part One

So . . . today is the first day of classes at my university.  Though I'm not back in the classroom until next week, I thought I would finish the week with a couple of posts about university, teaching, and higher learning (not the movie - there's not much to say beyond the fact that Busta Rhymes was da bomb).  Today I'm going to discuss that fundamental question of student existence - where's the bar with cheap beer and hot townies?  No, not that one, this one: why am I here?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

So . . . I'm back!  After two months of near-silence, my irrepressable urge to expound on all available topics has returned.  Hope you've missed me (hell, I hope you even noticed I wasn't blogging!).  Last year I took a break in the summer because of the birth of my daughter (babies keep you busy).  This summer I didn't have as good an excuse other than the catch-all "I'm busy."  And given that I have a previous blog post on how being "busy" really doesn't mean quite that, but rather that you've reprioritized other things, I guess I don't have a good excuse.  But now I'm back, I've got a long list of topics to discuss, and I'm happy to be sharing my brain dumps with you.

My Imminent (and Hopefully Eminent) Return

So . . . what a summer!  In my line of work I'm supposed to be a little less snowed-under in the summer.  Don't know what happened.  I do know that I'm finishing the summer with four projects almost completed.  The cost, of course, is that I have barely posted since the weather got nice.  Well, that's all about to change . . . I expect.

My return is impending.  New posts should be going up right after labour day.  I have lots of new ideas and topics, having missed out on some of the summer's biggest news stories (what credit downgrade?).  I will be back to fulminating on our foibles and flowing freely about falsehoods and fallacies.  Sorry for the long delay but you should soon be back to an overload of my ramblings.

Besides, without this outlet, I fear my head will explode.  Assuming it doesn't, look for me in a couple of weeks!

Don't Worry, You're Not Rid of Me Yet

So . . . turns out I'm on a bit of an impromptu hiatus this month.  I've been quite busy with my non-blogging life, and haven't been giving y'all the attention I usually do.  Fear not - my pithy comments and wise proclamations will soon return to these virtual pages.  I have plenty of splendid ideas for posts that I am currently hoarding, and will mete them out to you soon enough.  Maybe once August rolls around.  In the meantime, what are you doing inside reading off a screen?  Get out and enjoy the summer!

Full of Fun Facts For the Fourth

So . . . last year I did a special Canada Day edition of the blog, in which I gave interesting and lesser-known facts about each of Canada's twenty-odd Prime Ministers.  I thought, seeing as how a significant portion of my readership (at least five people) are from south of the border, that this year I would do the same for the US Presidents.  Problem is that there are twice as many, so I will only be giving a factoid or two about each.  Enjoy!

Feelin' Fruity

So . . . the sun is shining (for now), the humidity is up, and everyone's complaining that it's too hot - must be summer!  Without a doubt, summer is my favourite time of year (yeah, I know, real unique on that).  Even though I hate mowing the lawn, I don't hate it as much as shovelling snow.  Spring is just a warm-up for the real deal, and fall is okay if you like to surround yourself reminders of our own mortality.  Nope, summer kicks the butt of all of those other seasons, if only for one reason - fresh produce.

What Not To Wear

So . . . today I'm thinking about choice.  Why?  Because not enough choice is seen as a problem, and so is too much choice.  For the former, think of debates about school uniforms.  For the latter, visit your grocery store's cheese aisle (or aisles - I find that most groceries have both a "fancy cheese" and a "commoner cheese" section), or just watch this.  But as difficult as managing food shopping can be with its plethora of choices, we would be very upset if our selection was limited.

Everybody's Right (but Everybody's Wrong)

So . . . one of my favorite articles I have ever read was from an edition of Esquire from a few years back (still floating around on the ether here).  What I like about the article is that it expresses the notion that two opinions can be on opposite sides of an issue and both be right.  It rejects the idea that being in opposition means being wrong (or right, depending on where you're sitting).  This is a tremendously important idea, even if Chuck Klosterman, who wrote the piece, uses a rather flippant tone throughout.  So it's not "you're either with us or against us," but rather "we have the same goals but different ways of getting there."

We Are All Hooligans and Anarchists

So . . . I know I'm a little late to the Vancouver-riot party (or pile-on?), but I thought I'd weigh in on what happened, who was blamed, and how the media and politicians got it wrong.  There has been lots of digital ink spilled about the causes of the riots and who to blame, but in my usual way, I'll choose the unpopular target: us.

What I've Been Reading: More Money Than Brains

So . . . it so happens that I've been reading a couple of books that may be of interest to my small but loyal readership.  One of them, More Money Than Brains by Laura Penny, is the subject of today's post, and the other may wait another week or two as I haven't finished reading it yet.  I'm not really in the practice of doing book reviews, so the critical component of the critique will be brief and I'll discuss the aspects of the book that relate to my usual topics.

Internet Regulation: A Can-Con Game

So . . . the supremely-evilly-named Konrad von Finckenstein, the head of the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), has weighed in on the notion of regulating Netflix, AppleTV, and Google TV.  These services are called "over the top," and not because of their wacky content but rather because they don't fall neatly into the purview of the commission.  Armed with his movie-villain name, Von Finckenstein has decided it is a good idea to begin a discussion of regulating internet content in Canada.  Sure it works so well in totalitarian states, but it also to makes sure our home-grown film industry continues to work.

The Anti-Clutch

So . . . the NBA finals are over, the Superfriends/Heatles/Irrationally-Exuberant-Premature-Celebrating-Miami-Heat have been vanquished by the long-suffering Mavericks, and all is right with the world.  And even though I know it probably interests me far more than it interests you, I can't help myself - here's an NBA finals post.  Not only is about basketball, but I plan to work in one of my usual themes: clutchiness.  Because if Dirk Nowitzki is the new god of clutch (despite a sub-par performance in the deciding game), the NBA now has a devil to his angel, the new Anticlutch, LeBron James.

Irradiate Those NIMBYs

So . . . in the town where I live there is a tempest in a teacup raging.  It seems that the evil cell phone companies want to erect a wireless tower in a generally residential area, and the inhabitants of that area are up in arms about it.  Sure, they want wireless service, but not in their backyard.  But this post is not about NIMBYism in general or the hypocrisy involved (wanting the benefit without bearing the cost) but instead about ignorance, and its positive and negative effects.

Weiner in the Cloud

So . . . there's been a lot of weiner talk this week.  I was torn about what aspect of the Weiner story I should focus on: I could go with the "why can't male politicians keep it in their pants" angle, or I could go with the "what the hell is wrong with people that they think they can tweet their weiner and not suffer repercussions" angle.  I opted for the latter, and it wasn't just because of the phrase "tweet their weiner," which sounds like a cool party trick but is actually causing a lot of problems. 

Explanation Infill

So . . . four games into the NBA finals and so far I have been able to resist writing a post about them.  Well, until now.  This one isn't about being clutch (or not), or the role of randomness in outcomes (Canucks' two wins, anyone?), but instead is about explanation infill.  Which is a term I'm pretty sure I just made up, even if I didn't make up the concept itself (I just Googled "explanation infill" and only got five hits, each with some sort of diacritical mark between the two words, so I'll claim that I coined the term).   Let's infill some explanations, shall we?

This Post Will Be Ready Soon, I Swear, and It'll Be Great!

So . . . sometimes I feel like I live in a fog of perpetual disappointment.   Okay, that came out a little more depressing than I meant it.  What I mean to say is that we are frequently disappointed because things are not done up to our standard, on time, under budget, and so on.  And a big part of the problem is not that we have expectations that are too high, but rather that our expecations are inflated by others.  That's right, it's not your fault, it's theirs.  Because they don't follow the common advice to underpromise and overdeliver.

Happy Birthday: P.U.

So . . . once again that reminder of my mortality has come around.  That's right, today is my birthday, and I get to celebrate the accomplishment of remaining alive for another year with cake, presents (I got a Kindle!) and festivities.  Of course, no celebration would be complete without something to sully it, the way the bitter has to go with the sweet and the Oates has to come with the Hall (I figure my birthday is as good a time as any to date myself).  And the dark mark on my birthday is, as it always is, the Happy Birthday song.

Telling Tells and Other Tales

So . . . as usual, I'm in the midst of sending out some of my research for review.  Regardless of acceptance or rejection (hah! any academic knows that's the only difference that counts), reviews range from useful, usually from journals, to the useless ones that I sometimes get from conferences.  Though I'm happy that you liked my paper, putting simply "Interesting, well-executed work" doesn't give me much to go on.  But reviews are just the context for what I'm writing about today, which is a bias in our perspective and attention.

Why I Love What I Don't Know

So . . . it's been a year since I started this blog, and about 150 posts later I thought I'd return to the core of the blog.  There is so much more that we don't know than we do, yet we insist on certainty in many cases.  Most of what I write here is based on my opinion rather than any hard fact or known perspective.  I don't know if I'm right about whether effort matters in sports, or if people generally misperceive pricing information, or what the ending of Lost meant (as I said, I started the blog a year ago this week). And in my opinion, the world would be a much better place if we all would admit that there is a lot we don't know.

Unproductive Foreigners

So . . . one thing that seems to consistently catch my attention is when they report the number of hours, and the commensurate amount of productivity, that is lost when people turn their attention away from work.  For example, the royal wedding last month apparently cost the U.K. 1, 5, 10 or 50 billion dollars in lost productivity, because people were not working.  Whichever estimate you believe, that's a lot of money.  Seems like a huge waste for a meaningless ceremony.

Righting Writing

So . . . one topic of conversation that frequently comes up amongst university faculty members (and pretty much any educator) is the poor writing skills that students seem to have.  Everyone bemoans the fact that the kids can't write correctly, interestingly, or coherently.  Now I do not hold myself up as a paragon of literary quality; I'm sure you could find more than one fault with each of my blog posts.  But I do put some effort into communicating my ideas clearly (if not quite as concisely as some of you might want) and am familiar with the accepted conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  Which is more than can be said about many students.

Drinking the Apple-Flavoured Kool-Aid

So . . . we have been having problems with our desktop computer at home.  Usual types of complaints - it's slow, it freezes up, wireless stuff doesn't work well, it totally erased my blueprints for that talking hippo robot that's going to be the hot toy this December.  As a result, we're looking for a new computer and are thinking of getting a Mac.  Not just because I want to be more like the laid-back hip guy in the commercials (of course, doing so would mean that I have to stop using the term "hip"), but because people seem to like them and once they switch to Apple they never look back.

Is Gay OK in the NBA?

So . . . it was recently announced that Rick Welts, President and CEO of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, is gay.  For most of the world, big deal/who cares/so what.  For the world of sports, big news.  Despite the probability that there have been dozens if not hundreds of gay athletes in the history of professional sports, it remains one of the last bastions (along with the military) where you'd better keep your sexual orientation to yourself if that orientation is not hetero.  I'm going to mostly avoid the typical pontificating on the topic (i.e. let people live their own lives because it doesn't affect you), though I may stray into that, and try to keep to the topic of how this announcement is being dealt with.

Poppin' the Clutch

So . . . the NBA playoffs are in full swing, with round two set to wrap up soon, and I haven't written word one about them yet.  I'm sure that most of my loyal readers are remarking to themselves "gee, I didn't really notice" or "thank god, I hate that sports stuff."  Sorry, but there is a much-discussed issue in sports that gets a lot of airtime and, in my opinion, not much thought.  This is the notion of the clutch player.

Past Perfect, Present Tense, Future Irregular

So . . . I was at a one-day regional conference on Friday and one of the presenters opened with a Chinese proverb: If you want to know your past, examine your present situation; if you want to know your future, examine your present actions.  The quote made sense for the research, which had to do with how people of different cultures use contextual information to make decisions.  But it also really stuck with me, and not in a good way, kind of like the way you feel like you have fillings after eating caramel corn.  I think its because this proverb is yet another example of how we believe that our past, present, and future are of our own making.

On My "Outcomes" Radar This Morning

So . . . spring has sprung, it seems, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and we're all ready to emerge from hibernation.  And like the changing of the seasons, I'm ready to come back around to some topics that initially drove the creation of this blog (less so its evolution, and I'll leave it up to you as to whether it is intelligently designed).  One, the Zamboni issue, sounds like it has to do with the hockey playoffs but actually is a medical issue.  The other, about Dale Crover, comes from a morning interview with the drummer from an relatively obscure grunge band.

Why Does My Blog Have To Be So Darn Popular?

So . . . I have noticed a strange thing going on with my blog over the past couple of weeks.  My hit count has been going through the roof.  My previous daily maximum has been almost doubled (on a regular basis!) and now serves as my daily minimum.  I exceeded my high for number of hits in a month by about 25% in April simply due to the traffic in the last week of the month.  And I wish it was because I was actually, really, developing a following, but I can't convince myself that this is the case.

Osama, Obama, and Chance

So . . . the bogeyman has been killed.  The name that made a generation uneasy and made us feel unsafe for the past decade was wiped out by a Navy SEAL's bullet (once he managed to get a bullet into the female human shield first).  What Bush, that beacon of "security" could not accomplish, the supposedly soft and supposedly foreign Obama managed to do.  But how much credit can be taken by the principal players involved?  It has been seen as a universal good that Bin Laden been leaden, and that remains the same no matter what the analysis (despite what Jesse Ventura and other conspiracy theorists say).  I just question the laurels that are being given out.

Oh, What an Election Night

So . . . throw the rulebook out the window, Canadian politics is forever changed (well, forever for now).  The silly party got squeezed between the love for the sensible party and the very silly party, and was reduced to a handful of seats.  The separatists found that their support had separated from them.  The Green party finally won a seat, so now Elizabeth May gets to be irrelevant inside the House of Commons instead of being irrelevant outside of it.  But the big story, of course, is Jack Layton moving into Stornaway as the leader the loyal opposition.  Congratulations and condolences are due to Jack and his New Democratics.

Campaign Report Cards

So . . . the results are minutes away from coming in (and will be in by the time you read this) but I thought I'd take this last opportunity to comment on the campaign and how it was run.  I feel both happy and sad that my prediction that this would be a boring election was wrong (made here; my prediction about Bieber still stands).  It certainly signalled a change in the political landscape here in Canada.  Smilin' Jack had the biggest impact, of course, but all four leaders made their presence felt.

Some Stuff That You May Not Have Heard Of

So . . . today I'm doing something a little different, just listing off some of the lesser-known (I think) things that may be of interest or entertainment.  No particular theme, rant, or complaint today, just some stuff to make your Friday a little fresher.  Enjoy!

Stones, Specks, Conjured Rolex

So . . . a spiritual leader and guru died this past week.  Sathya Sai Baba was revered by millions around the world and believed to be holy and capable of miracles (one such miracle, it seems was his amassing of $8.9 billion, with a b, in net worth).  These miracles supposedly include conjuring items out of thin air, both in person and in photographic form (i.e. if you put a picture of Sai Baba on your mantle, you might find treasure there in the morning), such as rings, Rolex watches, and a holy kind of ash that he pulls from his 'fro.  By now you may be thinking that this is something of a joke, or if you haven't heard of him before (as I hadn't as recently as a couple of years ago), something I made up.  But before you dismiss Sai Baba as ridiculous, you might want to cast a more critical eye on yourself.

Sufferin' Suffrage!

So . . . we're in the home stretch of the election campaign here in the Great White North (you should take off to here, and apparently it's a beauty way to go) with decision day a week away.  Just enough time for the NDP to lose their again-too-early bump in the polls and for all those voters to run back to the Liberals.  Today I'm going to give you a bit of a grab bag of election topics that I have on my mind: suffrage, branding, and goals. 

Let My Legumes Go

So . . . it's Passover time for us Jews, that most difficult of holidays for picky eaters.  I don't like matzah (unleavened bread - and pretty much all non-Jews seem to like it, probably because they don't have to eat it) and I don't like my food options restricted either, which makes for a bad combination.  In fact, I think I prefer the 25-hour fast of Yom Kippur to the eight-day bloating of Gas-over.  Making things even more difficult is the tradition of not eating kitniyot, which is sort of a catch-all term for any food that is small and dried (think beans, rice, lentils, barley, corn etc.).  This year, I'm lifting the kitniyot ban in my house.

So Four Old White Guys Walk Into a Debate . . .

So . . . we had our debates last week, and as usual not much exciting came out of them.  I had already committed to making my Monday posts about the election campaign before I knew the debates were scheduled for Tuesday, and now I feel pretty silly writing about a current event that hasn't been current for almost a week. Oh well.  I can still snipe at the leaders (except the poor, excluded, irrelevant Elizabeth May) and give some general commentary.  This is more a post about what the debates showed us about the election than about anything specific that happened in them.

Periodic Haircuts

So . . . I got a (rather severe) haircut last week, and of course that got me thinking about Dimitri Mendeleev.  You know, the guy who came up with the periodic table of elements.  No, not because my hair is comprised of carbon and trace elements of the various minerals in my system (come back, zinc!), but because of his odd grooming habits.

Students: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em

So . . . as a university professor I have a first-hand view (or is it first-eye view?  My hand can't see!) of how students manage their post-secondary education.  And when a commentary comes along, like in the Globe and Mail this weekend, about the so-called universal right to higher education, or when a political leader proposes a plan to increase university enrolment as part of his platform, I take notice.  Because unlike many, I don't necessarily think that increasing the number of university students is necessarily a good thing.  And I don't think that post-secondary education is for everyone.

First Past the Post Post

So . . . the Canadian electoral campaign is still raging (an overstatement I know, but the 12-year-old in me gets a kick out of "raging election") with the debates scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday.  The French-language debate was supposed to be Thursday, but because more people care about the Bruins-Habs playoff game scheduled for that night, they moved the debate.  Today is part three of my election "coverage" (so quotated because I haven't really be covering the election so much as commenting on marginal issues) and the topic of the day is our electoral system. 

The Paradox of Outcomes: A Real-Life Case!

So . . . if you've been reading this blog for a little while you are undoubtedly familiar with my constant (obsessive?) interest in outcomes and chance.  Almost a year ago now I wrote this post, which used as an example the idea of entering a lottery and making the best decision (the decision that makes the most sense prior to a deciding event like a lottery drawing) and the right decision (the decision that ultimately proves most beneficial after the event).  Well, two weeks ago there was a lottery drawing that is (almost) right in line with my reasoning, and it proves to be a very difficult test case for me to defend.  But I'll try anyway.

Fear of a Black School

So . . . the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) decided to quit while they were ahead and scrap plans for an "Afro-centric" high school.  The idea was the brainchild of a group within the board who had successfully started an Afro-centric elementrary school two years ago.  They wanted to build on that success (210 students with a 55 student waiting list) with the obvious next step, a high school.  This is a particularly misguided idea, for several reasons.  The story can be followed here; I'm mostly going to add commentary.

Looking for Extra-Chunky Spaghetti Sauce in Canadian Politics

So . . . it's week two of the Canadian federal campaign, and the two major parties have started promising billions of dollars that we will never, ever see.  I'm sure the minor parties have also been promising a lot, but come on, let's be honest - they will never be in power so their promises are even less meaningful than those of the Liberals and Conservatives.  And though I, like most Canadians, already know who I will be voting for; like most Canadians, I will be voting for the same party as last time (if you know me personally you can probably guess which party).  But Canadian politics has a party problem (not like that of Miley Cyrus - I don't think that Harper or Ignatieff have tried salvia), and that's what I'm discussing today.

No Foolin' Around - Help the Capital Protesters

So . . . one headline got me incensed today, more than any other.  It's about the ongoing protests in the Middle East, and I just feel like I've had enough of this.  But I really think it's starting to go too far.  The headline: "Rival Protests Fill Yemen's Capital."  I know what you're thinking: why this headline?  Why is this one the one that pushed him over the edge?  Well, you may disagree, but I believe that it's beyond the pale for protesters to have to fit into the the triangular wedge between the two upright lines of that letter.

Blog 1.1

So . . . I thought it was time for a bit of a design upgrade to the blog.  Hope you like it!  If you do (or if you don't), feel free to sound off in the comments.  Blog 2.0 will be coming a little later when I have the time to categorize all my previous entries and really take advantage of the full basic capabilities of the site (my latent Luddism often surfaces).  Back to full regular posts tomorrow.

Que Sera Sera

So . . . when I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what I would be - will I be pretty, will I be rich, etc, etc.  Anyway, Mom told me that whatever will be, will be (I prefer the Sly and the Family Stone version to Doris Day's).  This simple and wise piece of advice has since been distorted into a supporting argument for determinism.  In other words, a higher power than yourself has decided what's gonna happen to you, and you're just along for the ride.  This, of course, is bunk; no one has grand plans for you (except you, maybe).  Today I'm attempting a better explanation.

Election 2011: Opening Salvo

So . . . it's election time in Canada.  Well, not yet, but it will be in about five weeks.  I like elections, for a number of reasons.  First of all, I really enjoy to see everyone's lawns decorated with colourful signs.  And nothing thrills me like wall-to-wall coverage of minutia by the media.  But most of all it allows us to observe some really bad decision-making in action, as the parties attempt to poke and jostle each other into gaffes while committing no shortage of their own.  I figure I'll weigh in on the election somewhat weekly (and, depending on your opinion of the blog, somewhat weakly) until election day.  Today: my unassailable predictions of what we can expect from this democratic cycle.

Save the World in 60 Minutes

So . . . in case you didn't know, our annual chance to save the world for the future by shutting off lights for an hour is approaching.  This Saturday marks the return of "Earth Hour" where we all are supposed make a statement by using less electricity for sixty minutes.  What this states I'm not exactly sure, and if you ever need an example of window dressing over (what many people believe to be) a serious problem, here it is.  Yet this meaningless gesture seems to hold a lot of value of many people, so I thought I'd explore the topic.

Blue Box Blues

So . . . I recently moved into a new office (same job, better digs).  Unlike my previous space, this one has a recycle bin.  To say I was excited about this would be a vast overstatement, but still, I figured it's there so I might as well put my recyclables in it.  In my old office there was only a garbage bin, so I rarely recycled.  After all, that would have entailed walking my papers and plastics down the hall to the communal blue box, and that involves more effort than I was willing to expend.  Yes, I know, I'm ruining the planet for my grandchildren.

Not Only Am I Fat, Apparently I'm Stupid Too

So . . . obesity is an epidemic in today's world, it leads to diseases and death, blah blah blah, whatever.  Anyone who reads the news, or even just the headlines, is aware that people are generally fatter than they were before (even a more recent before, not just fatter than hunter-gatherers), and this is not good for society (less cake for me).  Like most social ills, however, solutions to the problem are in short supply.  Lots of suggestions have been made, from mandating that schoolchildren be physically active for two hours a day (back in my day, we wanted to be active - it was called recess) to removing fattening beverages from vending machines in city-owned buildings, to free liposuction for all (ok, I made that last one up.  Sadly.). 

Gotta Get Down on Friday

So . . . I have been fascinated all week with the latest internet sensation, Rebecca Black's "music" video Friday (fifteen million hits and counting - and that's double the count two days ago!).  I feel like I have so much to say about something that is so lacking in substance, I don't know where to begin.  The video plays like either a bad parody (because it's not over the top enough) or a really, really bad attempt at a good music video.  Being neither a rock music critic or that well versed in music videos (I don't watch many), I feel uniquely qualified to offer a full review of it.

We Are The Centre of All Existence, Aren't We?

So . . . the tragedy in Japan has unfortunately highlighted a side of human nature that I find truly repugnant.  No, it's not the charitable giving and general concern for the victims, nor is it the fact that most people had never heard of Sendai prior to the incident (which is troubling in a different way, one that I'm not covering here).  No, the problem is that our news outlets seem to think that the most important piece of information for them to cover is the number of dead or missing people from our own country, rather than being concerned with the thousands of dead Japanese, and the tens of thousands who are going without food, water, or shelter.

The Sixteenth Technical

So . . . thank goodness Amare Stoudemire was allowed to play for my beloved Knicks last night, so that he could be party to the embarrassing they received at the hands of the woeful Indiana Pacers.  You see, he was supposed to sit out that game, having received his sixteenth technical foul of the season, and there is an automatic one-game suspension triggered when a player receives their sixteenth.  Thankfully, that tech was rescinded by the league, because it wasn't really a technical foul (received during the Knicks' drubbing at the hands of the not-so-woeful Dallas Mavericks).  But would the foul have been reviewed or rescinded if it were the fifteenth?  This matters more than you might think.

No Harm, No Foul

So . . . as it tends to happen, my plans have been foiled.  I had intended to make all of this week's posts about chance, and then as chance would have it a news story occurred that was impossible for me to ignore (I'll get back to luck and chance soon enough).  I'm talking about a story that is on the front page of The Globe and Mail's main section, sports section, and business section.  A hockey player got hit in the head.

I Guess Things Happen That Way

So . . . I'm continuing with this week's theme of the role of luck and chance in our lives.  Today's post is how chance affects major events and outcomes (and is a little longer than usual), and I'm not sure at this point that I have a specific answer to give on the topic (hey, the blog is called "What I Don't Know," so you should probably expect a lack of specific answers!).  The event that I'm using as an example is the spate of riots, protests, and revolutions sweeping the Middle East and Northern Africa, but the concepts apply to any world event.

Are You Feelin' Lucky?

So . . . I had an interesting discussion with a friend over the weekend about the role that luck plays in success.  I took the position that luck is instrumental and indispensable in any success, whereas he was of the opinion that talent/skill/ability mattered far more.  As the discussion went on, I found myself in a familiar position, that of having to explain that the fact that luck is necessary to success doesn't mean that talent isn't.  Allow me to explain with the example of Warren Buffett and Nicholas Nassim Taleb.

A Few More Thoughts on Charlie Sheen

So . . . the Sheen circus continues, and will continue until we all stop paying attention or he dies.  That's pretty much it.  I never thought I would write two posts within a week about Sheen, but that just shows how unpredictable life can be.  I have a few unconnected thoughts that I would like to share, and then I'll probably shut up about Charlie and his troubles, a stance that will be clearer when you get to the end of the post.

The Quebec Government Should Get Some Tuition in Fees

So . . . McGill and it's MBA program is in the news again, once again for it's "high" fees.  The fact of the matter is that McGill's MBA fees are just about the general market price for an MBA - the only difference is that fees at that price level are relatively new to Quebec, where tuition hikes are as rare as Charlie Sheen at an AA meeting (losers and sissies, according to the Gospel of Charlie).  The question here isn't whether the Quebec government has the right to claw back 28 grand of the $29,500 that McGill charges (as they threaten to do).  The question here is why the Quebec government is so willfully ignoring reality in doing so.

Monkey See, Monkey Do?

So . . . there has long been a commonly-held belief that I totally, entirely disagree with (surprised?).  I remember decades-ago conversations about whether violence in movies and TV begat violence in real-life, and finding it difficult to believe that normal, well-adjusted human beings could, simply by dint of their observing something, be persuaded to engage in that behaviour (you're going to have excuse my overly-formal writing today; I'm concurrently preparing submissions to two different academic conferences, and this is my tone for the day).  But today it's not TV or film that is the evil that is hypnotizing us into engaging in malevolent behaviour, but YouTube. 

Charlie's Causing a Sheen

So . . . for some reason, Charlie Sheen has been on my mind today.  I'm not a big ma-Sheen fan (I like Major League, and he's been okay in some other movies, but I detest Two and a Half Men) nor do I devote a lot of my time to celeb gossip, but the Sheen trainwreck has been pretty much unavoidable.  I have a few thoughts and ideas about what's going on with Hollywood's baddest of bad-boys (Mel, you're going to have to step up your game to top this one) that I'd like to share with you.

We Don't Need a Weatherman To Know Which Way the Wind Blows

So . . . I've been away, but I understand there have been some pretty big changes in the world lately.  Particularly in northern Africa the middle east.  I am no expert in history and politics, so I will not comment on the causes or likely future outcomes of these changes.  The problem is that both the real and so-called experts don't really know what's going to happen either - but that's not stopping them from making predictions.  It's that old bugaboo of prediction, and how we're really bad at it.

Pullin' Seine: Insane!

So . . . I'm still away on holiday in Trinidad but thought I'd take a few minutes to fill you all in on one of the impromptu activities I took part in here.  While at a beach house for the weekend in Mayaro (at the southeastern tip of Trinidad, in case you're interested) I has the opportunity to take part in "pulling seine," or beach-front net fishing.  It was a new experience for me, and one that I won't soon forget, even after the scars from the rope have healed.

Musings From Above Your Head

So . . . I’m writing this on a plane, en route to Trinidad and Tobago. I actually had a not-bad travel experience thus far – checking in and security took a grand total of about twenty minutes – and I’ve downed my awful dinner and thought I’d spout off a bit while at 35,000 feet. Naturally, I want to discuss air travel and the security measures that we have in place, because they demonstrate some pretty biased decision-making that is probably not the most effective, efficient, or logical way to meet goals.

I'll Take Computers With Autism-Spectrum Disorders for $200, Alex

So . . . last night on Jeopardy! the IBM supercomputer Watson held its own against two highly-respected challengers, at least in the first round of the first "exhibition match" between man and machine.  This isn't the first time IBM has created a computer to take on human champions at a feat of cognitive strength (see Deep Blue playing chess against Kasparov).  And Watson clearly demonstrated that it was possible to create a computer that didn't just have a lot of digital knowledge, but could also decode clues and respond to indirect language.  But is there something flawed with this type of artificial intelligence?  The answer, in the form of a question, after the jump.

Why? Why? Why?

So . . . yesterday Jerry Sloan, head coach of the Utah Jazz basketball team, resigned after 23 years at the helm. You may think from the title of this post and the first line that I am a die-hard Jazz fan and am distraught. Not so. Today I'm writing more about our constant search for the answers to the title question, and how I got a taste of that propensity while reading basketball news yesterday. Why? Why not. Read more after the jump.

Spending Ourselves Into a Mess

So . . . I know you've all been waiting, and the first reviews of the Spiderman broadway musical are finally out.  And they are not good.  Despite involving proven talent (Julie Taymor is the director, songs by U2), there seems to be a near-unanimous opinion that the show, well, blows (to which the producers apparently responded that panning it is "uncool").  But what interests me isn't so much that the show is terrible, but also that it is the most expensive broadway show ever produced (current total cost: $65 million).  And that got me thinking about other situations where mo' money caused mo' problems.  Some examples, counter-examples, and lots of wasted money after the jump.

How I Know What I Don't Know

So . . . congrats to the Green Bay Packers, the best team in the NFL for the 2010-2011 season.  Or something like that.  Maybe.  What do we really know about the Packers that we didn't 24 hours ago, other than that they won one (important) game?  Today I'm writing about how we know what we know, or what we don't know, or what we know about what we don't know.  You know, epistemology.  More verbal twistage after the jump.

No Quarter for Quarters (or For Four Quarters)

So . . . twice this week I have written about change.  One post was about how we sometimes need to change ourselves to get out of a repetitive cycle, and the other was about how we tend to resist change.  Today I'm writing about a different kind of change - spare change.  I have been doing some research into how people value money apart from it's explicit denomination, and in the name of shameless self-promotion, I'm going to tell you about it.  Put another way, spare a penny for my thoughts about pennies after the jump.

I'm Not So Sure That A Change Would Do Me Good

So . . . I have been forced to go through a major change in my life recently.  It has altered the way I work, the way I perceive information, and cast a pall over everthing last week.  I was happy with how things were before, and then one minor glitch and I had to wipe the slate clean and start all over with a new way of doing things.  That's right, I was upgraded to Windows 7 against my will.  The traumatic story after the jump.

Learning From Our Scars

So . . . we have a habit of making the same mistakes over and over.  An important lesson that we try to teach our kids is that you can learn from your mistakes, but it seems we don't necessarily incorporate that into our behaviour.  Either through blindness to the mistake or wishful thinking that things will turn out differently next time, we fail to adjust our behaviour in light of evidence that something isn't working.  And all of this is on my mind because of a movie I re-watched last night.  The film, and the lesson, after the jump.

Update Time!

So . . . once again the topics I have written about have reemerged in the news, and that means it's update time.  I don't know if it's just that news stories don't tie up neatly at the time they're reported and require follow-up in general, or if I'm just so incredible prescient that I tend to write about things that will have future consequences.  I'll leave that up to you.  The updates after the jump.

The Price is Right But We're Often Wrong

So . . . we all deal with prices all the time.  It's usually one of the first things we look at when evaluating purchases, it's how we judge the quality of a lot of items, and it's believed to be the primary usage that most of us have for math.  It's also the basis for a lot of my academic research and a topic I find profoundly interesting.  And yet most people don't really understand how prices are set, why they are at the level they are, and what a "fair" price is.  A couple of anecdotes about pricing after the jump.

All About the Benjamins: Blog Entry 100

So . . . this is my one-hundredth blog entry.  If you're into base-10 numbers, as most of us are, that's exciting news!  I for one am very pleased with myself for getting to this point.  I wasn't sure that I would be able to, worrying that I might run out of topics before then, but it seems not - there is always the opportunity to write about what constitutes a pizza, or offhand comments heard in  hallways, or bees.  Today I'm going to mention some of the lessons obtained through my experience thus far.  What I've learned after the jump.

Honey Is the Root of All Evil

So . . . I read a fascinating article in the paper a few weeks ago.  It was all about honey and bees.  And it was indeed fascinating.  It seems that the honey trade is not so sweet - there is major fraud, money laundering, forgery, and bribery going on to keep the golden flow moving.  Truly a sticky situation.  More on this story, and some more bad puns, after the jump.

Parenting Fallacy: Roaring Back at the Tiger Mother

So . . . parenting is tricky business (I know, and water is wet).  It seems as though the more information out there, the more opportunity to screw it up.  We all want the best for our children (well, other than maybe Michael Lohan and the Golden Voiced Homeless Guy) and try to raise them right.  Of course, we all have a different definition of what "right" is - one person's parenting is another's irresponsible neglect or overstrict bullying.  But a new book is claiming to have the answer when it comes to rearing your child.  More on so-called "Chinese Parenting," and why it's probably not all it's cracked up to be, after the jump.

Star-Gazing

So . . . in the past twelve hours I have seen a furor erupt on news sites and facebook and blogs, as people's very identities are being torn from them.  It seems that (brace yourself) we have gotten astrology wrong, we aren't the signs we think we are, and there is a new, thirteenth sign with a funny name.  I feel so betrayed.  Here I thought for my whole life that I was a Gemini, and it seems that instead I am a Taurus.  I guess I'll have to stop being two-faced and start being stubborn.  More sarcasm and derision after the jump.

Supernatural Science Storm

So . . . as it happens, three interesting items came to attention this past weekend, all having to do with science and the pursuit of knowledge.  They actually make quite an unexpectedly matched set, coming from different sources (the Journal of  Personality and Social Psychology, the science desk of the New Yorker, and a comedian's clip on Youtube) and having slightly different perspectives (one using scientific method to prove the supernatural, one looking critically at the execution of scientific discovery and one looking critically at the denial of science's validity).  The links, and my input, after the jump.

Right Decision/Best Decision - NBA Edition

So . . . you read that right - not even fully back on posting schedule and I'm already combining my two passions, the ones that most of you aren't interested in: decision-making and basketball.  I've had this one in my head for about a couple of months now, ever since Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers had yet another season-ending surgery (that makes for a total of 82 games in the four seasons since he was drafted first overall, with two seasons missed entirely).  Drafting Oden was clearly the "wrong" decision for Portland.  But was it the "worst" decision too?  The answer after the jump.

Resolving to Be a Bigger Man

So . . . happy new year!  I'm back.  Long break, I know, but now I'm back in the swing of things and should be posting more regularly again.  It's one of my new year's resolutions, and if you think I believe in making new year's resolutions, then you haven't been really getting what I've been writing in this blog.  But I do enjoy writing these posts and am looking forward to getting back into it.  Of course, that isn't what this post is about - today I'm writing about my ever-expanding gut.  More on my girth after the jump.