Sweet crude prices, exchange rates, and higher ed
Gas prices are rising above $4/gallon in the U.S., prices of crude are over $130/barrel, so what does this have to do with higher ed? First, in the U.S., it will affect the effective operating costs of universities, as they face higher heating/cooling bills and higher costs of living for faculty and staff (so either […]
NPR’s coverage of the Sichuan earthquake
Is there anyone else who wishes that the general public could nominate entries for the Peabody Awards for electronic media? National Public Radio’s coverage of the Sichuan earthquake has demonstrated what a treasure the organization is. All Things Considered hosts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block were in Sichuan province so NPR could air features on […]
May progress notes
All May birthdays and the anniversary are now done, all but two of the musical events are done, and one of the two belt tests are done. We know roughly how many faculty are being laid off at my university (very few, which is good, but many staff, which is bad). I’m far behind on […]
Default policy frames, rationality, and Mr. Bayes
About five weeks ago, Kevin Carey wrote a longish blog entry about null hypotheses, the status quo, and decision-making about policy. The gist of Carey’s argument was that we should be willing to make policy changes with a preponderance of evidence in favor of change.
Baggy-pants bingo
Instead of ideas such as the bill proposed by Florida Senator Gary Siplin, who suggested making droopy pants illegal, I have a much simpler idea: peer pressure. Blue 1st Period Gray White 2nd Period 3rd Period Polka Dots Nike 4th Period Cartoon “Mom” Girlfriend’s name Lunch Toy Stripes Nondescriptcolor 5th Period Sportsteam Pink! Any URL […]