There is this telling observation about how most extant institutions that, in the West, have been around for five hundred years are universities (about 70 out of 85). It seems like most people know it in some form, but often don’t know it’s origins.

I first heard it in a small meeting among some students and Jim the university president I attended. He had included it in a convocation speech at some U.S. college of which I had never heard. Some kid disagreed with the implication of how the fact was used in Jim’s speech and also misattributed it to a Canadian writer named Saul.

The fact appeared in the report Carnegie Commission on Higher Education led by Clark Kerr who later wrote a book on The Uses of the University which included a refined version.

Here it is:
(more…)

I just started reading an econometrics textbook and in the review section the author wrote this:

[...] when you throw just one die. (Pedantic note: This is the singular of the word whose plural is dice. Two dice, one die. Like two mice, one mie.) (Well, two mice one mouse. Like two hice, one house. Peculiar language, English.)
– Introduction to Econometrics Christopher Dougherty

It is kind of unexpected and shows that the writer is quirky enough to put his jokes into print in the middle of the beginning of an economics text.

The Toronto Star had a misleading unrelated graph with a story yesterday. The article explained how the value drop in the markets was hurting universities’ endowments. They also had a chart with a distorted time axis showing tuition. Of course tuition was only passingly mentioned in the last paragraph.

The graph seems to show tuition rising steeply and then levelling off, but they space different spans of time equally, showing one, three, and eleven years as the same. It is misleading for what it is about and on a topic unrelated to the content of the article.

Here I spaced the bars of the histogram properly. You can see from it how the chart was so distorted.

So, really it doesn’t show that much. Tuition rose more quickly in the 90s than in the 00s and tuition was pretty low 18 years ago.

Our Wednesday keeper bailed on short notice. Our Thursday keeper actually could have made it if he knew a bit earlier. So, when I showed up I found out, was asked, and I stepped up to guard the net.

We were playing the top team in the league so after lesser competition and wins we would have a struggle. We played well and held strong but ended up losing in a game closer than the 4-1 scoreline. The last two were near the end.
(more…)

I stopped by the “Free Hugs at UW” day, not so much for the hugs, but to witness the event that I missed last year.

The event page said:

This is your chance to give back to your fellow students, at a highly stressful time, with a much needed act of kindness.

Allan Babor reminded me of it earlier in the week.

It is a pretty fun thing. The participants who were mostly from ASU also offered the option of the high five for those who want to retain their personal space.

My work Christmas party was on Saturday at the Concordia Club, which allowed me to complete my three-year triptych depicting me about to eat.

(more…)

When I brought bread into work last week someone asked me for my recipe. I don’t really have one because I am still learning, but I wrote down my basic process thus far.

Basically, it is “proofed” sourdough culture mixed with flour and water so that is it in a flour water ratio of about 3or4 to 1 (including the water and flour in the sourdough) with some salt (around 2 tsp per 4cups of flour), 2 TBsp olive oil, and sugar (say a quarter cup per).

Mix, knead, rise in a warm place for hours. Make loaf or loaves, let rise. Bake at around 375F for about 45 minutes.

The proofed sourdough is sourdough with about equal amounts of flour and water added and stirred and left in a warm place for hours so an army of yeast and bacteria can be raised to leaven your bread.

Here are my sourdough adventures for the past week:
(more…)

A few years ago I heard the term “social profit” to refer to what are normally called not-for-profit or non-profit. The terms indicates that it is not a business organization who driven by then profit motive operates to make money.

So, people started using “social profit.” Instead of saying what it was not, they try to say what it is. I don’t like the term because it still includes the word profit and I don’t think you can overcome the connotations of the word. I thought “social benefit” might be better, but it sounds clumsy with its extra syllables.

Recently I came up with “purpose driven.”
(more…)

Magda and Nicole’s, but mostly Magda’s blog is nominated for a Canadian blog award.

We’re nominated! For two Canadian blog awards that is — for best pundit/professional commentator and for best blog. First round of voting started today and goes for a week. We face stiff competition — the likes of Paul Wells and Warren Kinsella.
– It’s an honour just to be nominated 59 Carden St. 23 Nov 2008

• New 59 Carden St. blog review 21 Sep 2008

Greg used Typealyzer on his blog and posted the results. The service analyzes the post on your blog to try to match the writings with a personality type.

Developed by “the happy people @ prfekt.se” they describe the system thusly:

For a long period of time, we have been training our system to recognize texts that characterize the different types. The system, typealyzer, can now by itself find features that distinguishes one type from another. When all features, words and sentences, are statistically analyzed, Typealyzer is able to guess which personality type the text represents.

Here is the result when this blog is analyzed:

ESTP - The Doers

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.
Typealyzer.com