End of the Week Amusement (22 January 2010)

I took a bet with some department members.

I told them that many (if not most) of my business calculus class didn’t know the Pythagorean Theorem “off of the top of their heads” and two colleagues disagreed; they claimed that 90-95 percent would know.

So I gave them (a class of 25) a quiz which asked “what is the Pythagorean Theorem”?
The results:
7 (28 percent) stated it correctly.
1 (4 percent) was “oh-so-close” to being correct.
12 (48 percent) knew it had something to do with triangles or with the relation but wrote nothing else down.
5 (20 percent) had no clue; 2 admitted that they didn’t and 3 just wrote down random gibberish.

Scott W. Brown Fits in Well with the Republicans

From here

[Brown's] prior visits to Washington, he explained, were mostly to watch his daughter Ayla, a college basketball player, play against American University, or to visit the monuments “as a tourist.”

“I’m a history buff,” he said. “I love the Museum of Natural History.”

— Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R-MA), as quoted by the Washington Post.

After Lunch 22 January 2010

see more Epic Fails

Health Care Reform

The voice of sanity on things like earthquakes:

Question: Many have criticized Pat Robertson’s suggestion that the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti was the work of the devil or a form of divine punishment. But if one believes God is good and intervenes in the world, why does God allow innocents to suffer? Why does God allow Haiti to suffer so much? What is the best scriptural text or explanation of that problem you’ve ever read?

Surf to the article for the answer. In short: the people who wrote the Bible really didn’t know anything about science. But we do, hence we have no excuse for thinking in such a superstitious manner. True, Paula Kirby says it more gently than I did…

Oh yes, here is where I say “please, for the love of God The Flying Spaghetti Monster, no!

Mr. President: Time to Show Some Leadership!

Man up, no excuses. Get together with Rep. Pelosi and get it done.

22 January 2010 (noon-ish)

Workout notes I had a sore right elbow (weights?) I got to the gym late but still found time to do 1.5 miles of running, 2.5 on the elliptical, then 2650 yards in the water: 500 warm up, 500 drill/swim (fins), 5 x 200 on the 3:30, 500 off-strokes, 150 paddle. The 200s: 3:20, 20, 19, 18, 16. Too damned slow!

But, I am always slower when I swim after running/doing the elliptical. But the pool doesn’t open until 7, and the gym opens at 6 so that is why I do it in that order.

Later in the day: my legs are stiff (squats yesterday?).

More: I sure miss being able to do ultras, so I’ll remind myself of what is to come, if I let my injury heal:

Posts I share Paul Krugman’s frustration. I favor having the House pass the Senate bill, twisting arms if need be. Mr. President, Madam Speaker: show some leadership!

So, what about reelection?

I know who the Republican nominee won’t be.

Now will it be Mittens? Palin? Someone we haven’t heard of as yet?

Science and Religion: No, they aren’t compatible. Sure, some really good scientists are religious but then again some very religious people are pedophiles. So does that make religion and pedophilia compatible?