Click to enlarge.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Almost transparent glowing teeth
Let's see, a "trick" discovered by a "mom" to "whiten" teeth for under $5.
Hmmm. Gargle with a lava lamp? Brush with phosphorescence? Paint your teeth "glow in the dark"?
These people may want to change their marketing approach.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I'm not crazy...
While recently listening to "Sunday Sun," I was reminded of the movie, The Painted Veil. I thought I was nuts. Now, not so much.
"River Waltz" by Alexandre Desplat (From The Painted Veil soundtrack)
"Sunday Sun" by Beck
"River Waltz" by Alexandre Desplat (From The Painted Veil soundtrack)
"Sunday Sun" by Beck
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 02, 2009
J: Are you doing schoolwork?
Me: No. I'm trying to come up with a perfect, yet simple, thing to say in case (fingers crossed) Barney Frank comes to our work colloquium.
J: Oh. {pause} Is that a band?
Me: WHAT!? You're kidding, right?
J: {longer pause} Ummmm. No?
Me: Seriously, pay attention! US House Representative Barney Frank, from our state, very powerful representative for the Democratic party, chairman of the House financial committee who basically uses logic & intelligence to battle ignorance and stupidity.
J: So, it's not a band.
{Me walking away}
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Brücke von Millau, Languedoc-Roussilon (france)
I know I posted an image of this before... But it just amazes me! Wow!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hmmmmm
From the PISA report. Relationship between mathematics performance and GDP per capita for various countries. Click on the image to enlarge.
But wait! There's more! Student mathematics performance and spending per student.
But wait! There's more! Student mathematics performance and spending per student.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
How well is your MA school district performing?
Massachusetts Department of Education has updated their school profile site: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/
While I am bummed you can no longer export data as an excel file, I am pleased to discover you can now view (and download) school level MCAS item analysis for each grade level. (And I've since discovered a free pdf to word converter.) This information did not used to be public but it is now. You can compare the school average, district average, and state average for each individual item on the LA MCAS, Math MCAS, HS Biology and (coming soon) HS chemistry and physics. There is also an Annual Comparison for the past 4 years and breakdowns of scores by various subgroups. It is, essentially, an informative and relative data set you can play with if you choose.
While I am bummed you can no longer export data as an excel file, I am pleased to discover you can now view (and download) school level MCAS item analysis for each grade level. (And I've since discovered a free pdf to word converter.) This information did not used to be public but it is now. You can compare the school average, district average, and state average for each individual item on the LA MCAS, Math MCAS, HS Biology and (coming soon) HS chemistry and physics. There is also an Annual Comparison for the past 4 years and breakdowns of scores by various subgroups. It is, essentially, an informative and relative data set you can play with if you choose.
Monday, September 07, 2009
A 6 foot 5 inch man in a Peel P50
Another favorite from Top Gear. Really, really, hilarious.
I love the BBC news bit at 6:52!
Monday, August 31, 2009
RS6 vs. Flying Skiers
This is one of my favorite Top Gear clips.
Hammond in an Audi RS6 races skiers down a French mountain to the bar.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
On the topic of genius
Malcolm Gladwell gave a nice lecture about genius at the New Yorker conference last month. I finally had a chance to listen to it this past weekend while driving. Gladwell talks about the vital importance of collaboration, stubbornness, and the 10,000 hours needed to obtain mastery. His more relative point is about the importance of educating our youth to be collaborators who are dedicated to the pursuit of mastery.
I do not, however, think Gladwell gave enough credit to Andrew Wiles, UK mathematician who proved Fermat's last theorem in 1995. Yes, he was dedicated, collaborated, and studied, in depth, the proofs (and attempts) of previous mathematicians to reach mastery of their work. But in the end, he still solved a simply stated very complex problem that had remained unsolved for over 300 years despite numerous attempts by brilliant minds. Referring to him as "not a genius" is a tad bit condescending in my opinion. But his overall message is one of importance and quite encouraging.
The lecture is quite good. Give it a listen or view if you find yourself so inclined.
Genius: 2012: newyorker.com
I do not, however, think Gladwell gave enough credit to Andrew Wiles, UK mathematician who proved Fermat's last theorem in 1995. Yes, he was dedicated, collaborated, and studied, in depth, the proofs (and attempts) of previous mathematicians to reach mastery of their work. But in the end, he still solved a simply stated very complex problem that had remained unsolved for over 300 years despite numerous attempts by brilliant minds. Referring to him as "not a genius" is a tad bit condescending in my opinion. But his overall message is one of importance and quite encouraging.
The lecture is quite good. Give it a listen or view if you find yourself so inclined.
Genius: 2012: newyorker.com
Monday, June 15, 2009
Tastes of Truro
This past weekend was Truro's 300th birthday. To celebrate, the Truro Vineyard had a small "Tastes of Truro" event. It reminded me of the first year of OysterFest, before it got super crazy with crowds. This first-ever culinary event at the vineyard featured a host of Cape restaurants and artisans, live music and dancing. Truro wines were sold by the glass and by the bottle (a genius idea in my opinion)! The day was quite beautiful and I very much enjoyed myself. I also really enjoyed the Truro Vineyards Maritime Red. If you ever end up in the area, check out the Vineyard. During the summer, wine tastings are held outdoors under our tasting pavillion and it's just lovely.
Friday, June 05, 2009
10 years later
I had my high school reunion this past weekend. I went. 10 years is not long enough.
I had completely forgotten, but on graduation day, we were asked to put things in the time capsule for the 10 year reunion. So when I arrived and checked in, I was handed a large envelope. The large envelope contained 2 smaller envelopes. One was very thin and the other was very thick. I opened the thin envelope. It was a form listing my best and worst subjects, friends, favorite activities, what I'd learned from school & my family, etc. It was a pretty standard form which I got a chuckle out of.
I did not open the thick envelope right away. When I left the reunion, I headed off to an open mic night to hear the local talent (I was lucky enough to see my old piano teacher there! He played a folk song he wrote about cosmology - hilarious and I did not know he could sing so well!)
I opened the thick envelope after getting into bed. Inside was an 8 page letter to myself, a newsletter which I had created about what was going on in the world at that time (I was very into graphic design in high school. I would design newsletters for myself, programs for local youth theatre, fliers for my dad, anything I could think of.) And my own obituary. Yes, I know it's weird, but I think we were studying Jonathan Swift in British Literature.
It was completely bizarre to reacquaint myself with my 12th grade self. Good grief. I still have some of the same worries I did then! A weird thing: despite writing in my obituary that I studied mathematics in college & math being my favorite subject, I entered university as a political science major. Cause math is hard stuff, man. (I'm glad I changed my mind. And my major!) But the big surprise, my very dramatic 12th grade self who wrote her own obituary, wrote about her death at age 32. Oh boy. Well, it was nice to reminisce.
I had completely forgotten, but on graduation day, we were asked to put things in the time capsule for the 10 year reunion. So when I arrived and checked in, I was handed a large envelope. The large envelope contained 2 smaller envelopes. One was very thin and the other was very thick. I opened the thin envelope. It was a form listing my best and worst subjects, friends, favorite activities, what I'd learned from school & my family, etc. It was a pretty standard form which I got a chuckle out of.
I did not open the thick envelope right away. When I left the reunion, I headed off to an open mic night to hear the local talent (I was lucky enough to see my old piano teacher there! He played a folk song he wrote about cosmology - hilarious and I did not know he could sing so well!)
I opened the thick envelope after getting into bed. Inside was an 8 page letter to myself, a newsletter which I had created about what was going on in the world at that time (I was very into graphic design in high school. I would design newsletters for myself, programs for local youth theatre, fliers for my dad, anything I could think of.) And my own obituary. Yes, I know it's weird, but I think we were studying Jonathan Swift in British Literature.
It was completely bizarre to reacquaint myself with my 12th grade self. Good grief. I still have some of the same worries I did then! A weird thing: despite writing in my obituary that I studied mathematics in college & math being my favorite subject, I entered university as a political science major. Cause math is hard stuff, man. (I'm glad I changed my mind. And my major!) But the big surprise, my very dramatic 12th grade self who wrote her own obituary, wrote about her death at age 32. Oh boy. Well, it was nice to reminisce.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Functions are neat!
The functions below appear to be pretty basic. Some might even say linear & quadratic & exponential in nature (folks at the KC know they are polynomials. How do you determine these functions are polynomials? If you take the nth + 1 derivative of each function where n is the highest degree of the function - it will equal 0.)
If you zoom in on the same functions and look at the domain [0,1], we see some very different behavior.
On a domain of [-1,1], there are several neat patterns within the group of functions.
Think the functions are symmetric across the y-axis?
They are not. Because some are odd degree polynomials and some are even degree polynomials.
Math is cool.
If you zoom in on the same functions and look at the domain [0,1], we see some very different behavior.
On a domain of [-1,1], there are several neat patterns within the group of functions.
Think the functions are symmetric across the y-axis?
They are not. Because some are odd degree polynomials and some are even degree polynomials.
Math is cool.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Winter Treat
Both Stop & Shop and Trader Joe's have blackberries on sale. (The blackberries from Trader Joe's were perfect. The blackberries I purchased from Stop & Shop were a bit tart.)
I love blackberries. It's hard not to eat a whole container in one sitting or put a whole container on one bowl of cereal. And to have blackberries in February in New England seems so extravagant! But I couldn't resist and decided to treat myself.
I popped a berry into my mouth and was taken back to a childhood memory. When I was little we lived in the Berkshires. In the back of my grandmother's yard, there was a fantastic climbing tree and a neighbor named Oz who grew wild blackberries. He was an older gentleman with a big beard and a very scary looking scare-crow in his yard. This, of course, made him pretty scary to a small child. But he was harmless and very pleasant. My grandmother and Oz were friends and so we were allowed to pick his wild blackberries. I remember being very afraid of the scarecrow and sneaking into Oz's yard, grabbing some blackberries and then running back to the house. The blackberries were worth the fear. I was pretty young; we moved to Cambridge shortly after I turned 3.
I love blackberries. It's hard not to eat a whole container in one sitting or put a whole container on one bowl of cereal. And to have blackberries in February in New England seems so extravagant! But I couldn't resist and decided to treat myself.
I popped a berry into my mouth and was taken back to a childhood memory. When I was little we lived in the Berkshires. In the back of my grandmother's yard, there was a fantastic climbing tree and a neighbor named Oz who grew wild blackberries. He was an older gentleman with a big beard and a very scary looking scare-crow in his yard. This, of course, made him pretty scary to a small child. But he was harmless and very pleasant. My grandmother and Oz were friends and so we were allowed to pick his wild blackberries. I remember being very afraid of the scarecrow and sneaking into Oz's yard, grabbing some blackberries and then running back to the house. The blackberries were worth the fear. I was pretty young; we moved to Cambridge shortly after I turned 3.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Mix-A-6
I went to an IPA tasting at Cardoza's last week and ended up walking out with a mix-a-6 pack. (It's funny how those things happen.) Here are my choices/thoughts.
Troegenator's DoubleBock
It's probably not fair but I have a high expectation for a Double Bock (or Dopplebock - which rolls off the tongue much nicer). A few years ago Buzzard's Bay Brewery made a limited edition Weizen Dopplebock. Holy crap was it delicious! I got myself, my mom, and my uncle hooked on the stuff. They haven't made it since. ::sniff sniff:: Oh right, I'm writing about Troegenator.
I miss BBB's Dopplebock.
Southern Tier's Old Man Winter
It was tasty and drinkable but not really memorable.
Great Divide Brewing Co.'s St. Bridget's Robust Porter
This was a very nice porter. Mellow but not boring. It has just the right amount of roasted malt flavor. It's very robust and delightful to drink. I did not appreciate the pick-up truck silhouette of a woman on the label however.
Avery's Old Jubilation Ale
Basically I picked this one because 1) I've never tried it and 2) it's from Boulder and I love Boulder. Anyway, at first I found this ale had too strong of a barley taste. I ended up eating some Irish aged cheddar cheese and the taste really improved! But I still prefer Abita's Turbodog (brown ale).
Southern Tier's Raspberry Porter
I am not a fan of fruity beers. And I've hated all fruit Lambic's I've tried. But the Raspberry Porter was recommended by Derek, whose beer opinion I trust. If you like fruit and beer combinations, maybe this is for you, but I just didn't like it. It tasted a lot like Raspberry Seltzer.
Founder's Porter
This Porter is dark and rich and it has a strong roast flavor to it - like roasted nuts or malt (go figure). I'm not digging the roasted taste - it's too much for me. I prefer the Great Divide St. Bridget Porter, or Founder's Breakfast Stout.
Troegenator's DoubleBock
It's probably not fair but I have a high expectation for a Double Bock (or Dopplebock - which rolls off the tongue much nicer). A few years ago Buzzard's Bay Brewery made a limited edition Weizen Dopplebock. Holy crap was it delicious! I got myself, my mom, and my uncle hooked on the stuff. They haven't made it since. ::sniff sniff:: Oh right, I'm writing about Troegenator.
I miss BBB's Dopplebock.
Southern Tier's Old Man Winter
It was tasty and drinkable but not really memorable.
Great Divide Brewing Co.'s St. Bridget's Robust Porter
This was a very nice porter. Mellow but not boring. It has just the right amount of roasted malt flavor. It's very robust and delightful to drink. I did not appreciate the pick-up truck silhouette of a woman on the label however.
Avery's Old Jubilation Ale
Basically I picked this one because 1) I've never tried it and 2) it's from Boulder and I love Boulder. Anyway, at first I found this ale had too strong of a barley taste. I ended up eating some Irish aged cheddar cheese and the taste really improved! But I still prefer Abita's Turbodog (brown ale).
Southern Tier's Raspberry Porter
I am not a fan of fruity beers. And I've hated all fruit Lambic's I've tried. But the Raspberry Porter was recommended by Derek, whose beer opinion I trust. If you like fruit and beer combinations, maybe this is for you, but I just didn't like it. It tasted a lot like Raspberry Seltzer.
Founder's Porter
This Porter is dark and rich and it has a strong roast flavor to it - like roasted nuts or malt (go figure). I'm not digging the roasted taste - it's too much for me. I prefer the Great Divide St. Bridget Porter, or Founder's Breakfast Stout.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Too many characters for twitter
I found this interesting:
"To say two people communicate successfully means no more than that they have arrived at a point where their mutual interpretations, each expressed in action interpretable by the other, are compatible – they work for the time being" (Glasersfeld, 1995).
"To say two people communicate successfully means no more than that they have arrived at a point where their mutual interpretations, each expressed in action interpretable by the other, are compatible – they work for the time being" (Glasersfeld, 1995).
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