Other people are doing other stuff
Category: Random
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The Law of Unintended Consequences
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you must be aware of the new WTC 8% rule!
I joke. Of course, if you’re not a follower of professional triathlon, you’re probably not aware that the World Triathlon Corporation (owner of the Ironman trademark and series of races) has enacted a new set of rules for professionals, one of which states that in order to win prize money, you have to finish within 8% of the winner’s time. The result? Two Ironman races where the female winner waited at the finish before crossing the line.
Professional triathlon is a tight-knit community, I expect more of this to come.
Update: I forgot to include this commentary by Chrissy Wellington, a name you should know if you don’t know any other in the Triathlon community. She is the three-peat winner of the Kona Ironman, and has won every single iron-distance triathlon she has entered, save one (I think). The most dominant female on the scene, she is redefining the sport like Jordan, and Woods did theirs.
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Retirement Plan: Fail
Alas, I’m a big fat failure.
I was supposed to win the lottery last night. I didn’t. Le sigh.
Look, I even had it on my calendar!
Maybe I need a different plan.
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Not a Random Video: Family!
My brother in law, John Ryan, works for the Montery Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California (MBARI, pronounced Em-Bar-Eee). He’s helping out with some gulf oil spill stuff. See him at 1:11.
Update: I apologize if you got random crappy code. Here’s the link
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TED Talk and Animated Short
Here is a great TED Talk about math education.
But forget about that; math’s not important. Go to 11:40 and watch the animated short.
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Meetings as Sabotage
Bruce Schneier linked to a declassified sabotage manual from WWII (pdf). It’s an easy quick read if you’re interested.
It contains a lot of general ideas of how to be a pain in the ass to an occupying power. It mainly advocates low-level irritation and minor sabotage that, if combined with the actions of other people, would make a drain on the enemie’s war-fighting effort.
However, I was struck by this passage (page 32 of the linked pdf). For context, the person being instructed would be an employee that wishes to resist an occupying invader. Here’s how to subtract value from an organization:
(11) General Interference with Organisations and Production
(a) Organizations and Conferences
(1) Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
(2) Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic” comments.
(3) When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and consideration.” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
(4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
(5) Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
(6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
(7) Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reasonable” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
(8) Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.I don’t know about you, but that describes quite accurately some weeks I’ve had at work.
I think there is an opportunity here for a teachable moment. The next time we’re discussing how to make meetings and the job more efficient, I should whip this out.
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Imperial Symphony, in Legos
I’m not sure how I’ve never seen this before.
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Fun with Republicans
I read Pharyngula. I read it for several reasons. One of less noble reasons is the occasional (or not so occasional) opportunity to participate in an internet dose of shadenfreude. Like, for example, when a Republican website goes freaking crazy because of pesky people showing up to vote on their poll.
Come to think of it, shadenfreude is probably not the right term for this. It’s more like the feeling you get (we need another good german-derived word for this) when you just can’t turn away from a scene of disaster. You don’t want to look, but you can’t help yourself.
I will merely tease you with this description without giving you the full details. Click through to the link above and learn a new term: Pharyngulization
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Almost There!
We’re almost back to merely being “extremely high” rather than “really stupidly high“
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LED Fun!
Most Youtube videos that are 7.5 minutes long will not keep me staring at them in abject fascination. Especially when all you’re looking at is spinning lights.
This one did.