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IT Career Horoscopes

HRHsoleil writes "If you're addicted to horoscopes, you going to love these Horoscopes for geeks." Mine was surprisingly accurate, thus proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the power that a gaseous orb a zillion miles away exhibits upon my laptop.

67 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Umm...no.. by Gibble · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you try to stay in control, you will only set yourself up for disappointment. Let go. Focus on projects that will benefit others and show off your altruistic side. Your co-workers look up to you more than you think. Problem-solving discussions are fruitful -- as long as you don't forget to follow up your words with concrete action. This is a good time to take a second look at an idea you've previously discarded. You've got a new frame of reference and will be able to see farther down the road than most. Be sure to pay attention to financial responsibilities and investments

    Yeah right, the day "Problem-solving discussions are fruitful" is the day hell freezes over.

    --
    Gibble: Descriptive of an emotional state in which one's mind is scrabbling for some purchase on reality
    1. Re:Umm...no.. by Frymaster · · Score: 4, Funny
      Yeah right, the day "Problem-solving discussions are fruitful" is the day hell freezes over.

      you seem to have a problem with meetings. care to discuss it?

    2. Re:Umm...no.. by Frothy+Walrus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agreed. There room for creative problem solving though.

  2. Look Into Their Crystal Ball by Mr.+Fusion · · Score: 4, Funny
    I see lots of spam mail from registration in your future...

    Excuse me, those are newsletters

    -Mr. Fusion

  3. ...the power that a gaseous orb... by burgburgburg · · Score: 2, Funny

    No more baked beans for you, I think.

    1. Re:...the power that a gaseous orb... by twoslice · · Score: 2, Funny

      and looking at the stars, Shrek says to Donkey, "Look, there's Bloodnut, the Flatulent....

      --

      From excellent karma to terible karma with a single +5 funny post...
  4. Clever by jbellis · · Score: 4, Informative

    But not, I think, as clever as Weird Al. :)

  5. Which one is mine? by henrygb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I read all 12 to try to discover if they could tell me when I was born - but they all seemed as descriptive as each other.

    1. Re:Which one is mine? by Frymaster · · Score: 2, Funny
      i have a habit of lying about my sign.

      them: what's your sign.
      me:[insert random star sign here]
      them: oh that is so you.

      in twelve years i have only been caught once off the bat. and that was by my mom.

    2. Re:Which one is mine? by Short+Circuit · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think the "trick" behind horoscopes lay in writing something that the average reader wants to believe.

      The same is true with fortune cookies. Although I sometimes wonder if some were written specifically to have "in bed" appended to them.

      (Warning: That's my personal opinion. I don't mean to offend anyone.)

    3. Re:Which one is mine? by DrMorpheus · · Score: 2, Funny
      Whenever anyone asks me what sign I was born under I always reply:

      "Maternity"

      --
      Debunking the "59 Deceits"
  6. Oh lord...Aquarius by mccalli · · Score: 4, Funny
    Fix up your workspace because company's coming! ...this is really the time to get down to the business of cleaning up your own personal act and taking care of those loose ends that keep you up nights.

    Hmm. So how did it know that my second kid is due any day now, and that the first one is still keeping me awake by howling to the rooftops at night?

    I'm convinced. No really, I am. Honest.

    Cheers,
    Ian

  7. Carl Sagan on horoscopes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm paraphrasing here, but when talking about horoscopes, Carl Sagan summarised them like this:

    The idea behind horoscopes is that the way the planets were aligned when you were born affects you. The only way this could actually be true is if it was their respective pulls of gravity against your body while being born.

    Then he pointed out that the gravitational pull of the obstetrician that delivered you far outweighed that of any celestial body.

    1. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by ronmon · · Score: 4, Funny

      And I think most of us could guess where the good docotor was positioned at that moment.

    2. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by Psiren · · Score: 2, Funny

      The hospital?

    3. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes it was. Unless the obstetrician had no mass at all.

      The gravitational pull of the obstetrician will be about 10 times that of mars.

    4. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Which is a little arrogant perhaps. It is possible that there are other forces in the universe that we don't know about. Who says they're not giving off waves of Crappon particles that science is unable to detect, but do manage to affect things?

      And while we're at it, the gravitational effect of the obstetrician is currently much lower than that of most planets since he's not standing right next to me any more. Perhaps if he decdied to visit me, astrology would have something to say about that.

      n.b. I stil think its all bunk, but Sagan's argument is rubbish.

    5. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by kisrael · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For the record, I think people who are trying to put forward astrology in the modern age don't argue that the stars are affecting you, but the stars and planets are responding to the same kind of underlying (presumambly cosmic) forces that control your environment.

      I don't believe that either, but it seems more plausible. Most likely it's a big rosarch blot.

      The other point I'm kind of willing to accept about astrology, at least with its origins, is that maybe once upon a time, when a kid was born relative to the harvest cycle would influence what kind of nutrition he or she got, and thus what kind of person they ended up. Still, it seems like other factors, especially nowadays, would greatly outweigh that influence.

      --
      SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
    6. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by __aafutm5472 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think my preacher put it best...

      "If horoscopes were true, they'd be on the front page of the papers, not buried back by the funnies."

    7. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by rknop · · Score: 2, Interesting

      For the record, I think people who are trying to put forward astrology in the modern age don't argue that the stars are affecting you, but the stars and planets are responding to the same kind of underlying (presumambly cosmic) forces that control your environment.

      I don't believe that either, but it seems more plausible.

      It does? Not if you know anything about stars and planets. We can completely describe the behavior of the planets in our solar system using Newton's theory of Universal Gravitation. (Except for a few small details like the precession of Mercury's orbit, which require corrections from General Relativity.)

      This leaves very little room for "mysterious cosmic forces" to affect where the planets show up in front of constellations....

      The so-called "theoretical" basis of Astrology is almost as much absolute bunk as the claimed practical "successes" of it (given that astrology has been experimentally shown to have zero predictive power).

      -Rob

    8. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by Chatmag · · Score: 4, Funny

      Carl Sagan shares the same birthdate as myself, 9 Nov. and as we all know, Scorpios are too intelligent to believe in horoscopes.

      --
      Pete Carr Owner Chatmag.com
    9. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by Dr.+Zowie · · Score: 4, Funny
      The problem there is that the ``underlying (presumably cosmic) forces'' that control both the planets and your environment are well understood. They are the familiar, simple forces that you can learn about in physics class.

      Trying to understand something as complex as people using a force as simple as gravity is, well, laughable -- it's like trying to debug the Linux kernel using the theory of humours ("It panicked because of an excess of blood! But this patch contains extra phlegm, which should counteract the black bile from browsing slashdot...")

    10. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by aiabx · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Wrong. Try again. We have convincing evidence that life evolved on at least one planet. And if it happened here, and you accept the premise that it happened without divine intervention, then it could happen elsewhere as well.
      Thanks for trolling!
      -aiabx

      --
      Just this guy, you know?
    11. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by Sivaram_Velauthapill · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You are overestimating the present state of science. There can very well be forces and things we don't understand in the universe.

      For instance, we just discovered (i.e. in the last 30 or so years) that the vast majority of the mass (something like 75%(?)) in the universe is contained in dark matter. We thought we understood the universe fairly well but now we just realize that we couldn't even see the most dominant mass in the universe. How do you know dark matter doesn't affect the birth of a child?

      Similarly, consider superstring theory. I don't know much about it but my feeling is that it will be accepted by science. From what I understand (which isn't much) superstring theory is supposed to postulate that there are more dimensions in the universe. From what I could recall, there are soemthing like 10 dimensions (although these dimensions are nothing like the 4D spacetime). All this time, we live with 4D and all of a sudden we realize there may be more (assuming that is what superstring actually proves)). How do you know these extra dimensions don't impact astrology?

      My view is that there are some truths in astrology--we just don't know what they are. It's kind of like tradional medicine (i.e. non-scientific medicine). Traditional medicine is supposed to be totally bogus according to science, yet I have a feeling that some of it is true. People, in the past, couldn't have just made up these medicines. They would have refined it over time. Some may be pure junk; but some won't be. We just don't know what... same thing with astrology...

      Sivaram Velauthapillai

      --
      Sivaram Velauthapillai
      Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places ;)
    12. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by hesiod · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > I think my preacher put it best...

      Yeah, a practitioner of one flimsy idea explaining how flimsy another is. Funny. Yet it is still a good point.

    13. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Informative
      How do you know dark matter doesn't affect the birth of a child?

      I don't know that. But that's not what astrologers claim, is it? They claim that the position of Jupiter in the solar system affects the birth of a child. Jupiter isn't made of dark matter, it's made of hydrogen, helium, some methane and ammonia, and the vapourised remains of Galileo. Astrologers don't point to mysterious, exotic entities from frontier physics, they point to bloody huge balls of gas and rock, made entirely of normal matter, interacting gravitationally in a very good approximation to Newtonian mechanics. Even relativity hardly gets a look-in. String theory doesn't even enter into it.

      The funniest part is when astrologers claim that the position of Neptune (discovered 1846) or Pluto (discovered 1930) will have some effect on a newborn's future. And they try to pass this off as Wisdom of the Ancients. I must have missed the massive research programme over the last 73 years in which astrologers deduced the nature of Pluto's effect on people's lives. I must also have missed the public apology where the astrologers admitted that their predictions had been wrong for centuries because the unknown influence of Pluto was throwing them off...

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    14. Re:Carl Sagan on horoscopes by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Insightful
      My point is that you cannot dismiss astrology simply because there may be some truth to it. Since most astrological descriptions are so vague, it's hard to prove that they are wrong.

      Au contraire: that's precisely why I _do_ dismiss astrology. If astrologers made specific, precise predictions and statements, if they made claims that were clearly and definitely either right or wrong, then maybe there might be something to it. But they don't - they make predictions and statements that are so damn vague that they apply to anyone, whatever the circumstances of their birth, and you get absurdities like the Randi demonstration upthread where nearly everyone claims that an identical horoscope describes them remarkably well...

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  8. Geek horoscopes by Crazieeman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your significant other will become jealous when you buy a new one. She laments being called the 'slow' one. Tonight: Play old school.

  9. predictions for folks in IT are easy by Savatte · · Score: 5, Funny

    Aries: you will die a virgin
    Taurus: you will die a virgin
    Gemini: you will die a virgin
    Cancer: you will die a virgin

    etc..

    1. Re:predictions for folks in IT are easy by CGP314 · · Score: 4, Funny

      What a coincidence! Those are the same horoscopes for the star trek fans. : )

    2. Re:predictions for folks in IT are easy by scalis · · Score: 4, Funny

      My new girlfriend is a Star Trek fan.... This is REALLY bad news. =\

      --

      True ravers don't need drugs
    3. Re:predictions for folks in IT are easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Two suggestions:

      1) Ask her what PI is calculated to the last digit, then slip it to her when she's thinking about it.

      2) Tell her that you have blue balls. Tell her that the blue balls were her fault. Then, while she's suffering from CPU failure, slip the anti-grav units on her and slip it to her right before you beam her out into space. As a bonus, your best buddy will tell you that "your logic was impeccable."

      Hope that helps. As a last resort, you can paint yourself green from head to toe and tell her you tested negative for Rigelian fever.

    4. Re:predictions for folks in IT are easy by CableModemSniper · · Score: 2, Funny

      Doncha mean:
      Gemini: You're gonna die a virgin, twice.
      Apologies to Chris Rock.

      --
      Why not fork?
  10. My prediction by evrybodygonsurfin · · Score: 2, Funny

    As I gaze into my crystal ball, I see that site will stop serving pages in approximately two minutes.

    Of course, they probably know that already ;)

  11. Horoscopes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    We Scorpios don't believe in astrology...

  12. Oh great by amplt1337 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Expect to spend lots of time waiting in line for menial work when it is discovered that for your salary, management could hire six workers in Bangalore." ...darn.

    --
    Freedom isn't free; its price is the well-being of others.
  13. I see... by AngryCodeMonkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    all the US IT workers being replaced by be Indians in the near future.

  14. Excitingly Generic! by jhines0042 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was amazed when I read my horoscope!

    Not only did it apply to me directly, but to countless thousands of other people as well! Nearly 1/12th of the worlds population could benefit from this advice!

    How they get this accurate I don't know.

    --
    42 - So long and thanks for all the fish.
  15. Next /. story.. by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Using Voodoo Dolls to influence your PHB...

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Next /. story.. by CGP314 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Debugging with Tea Leaves: just as good as any other method.

  16. Fake horoscope by deltagreen · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm unemployed, you insensitive clod!
    I think my horoscope needs a patch.

  17. simpsons reference by jeffy124 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Rent-a-Cop security guard: "Wow! My horoscope was right!" Looks at piece of paper, "You will face challenges today."

    (Episode CABF06)

    --
    The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
  18. Horoscopes by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashbot: (Feb 23-Mar 18)

    You will plug some cables into a router today. You will complain over a bowl of kraft dinner that you aren't making the 100,000 dollars and up that the radio commercial for MCP certs promised you. You will post grossly wrong information on slashdot to make everyone think you understand and use linux. Noone will notice as they don't know either, and you will get easy "karma" which is absolutely useless in the cosmic sense. You will not get laid, that was a stupid question.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  19. yea right by manifest37 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The recent drain on your financial resources is about to end.

    If thats true for anybody let me know

  20. Accurate for me as well by admbws · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm Scorpio, and it basically told me it's time to get off my arse and do something new (instead of sitting and reloading Slashdot all day, like I normally do).

  21. And the earth is flat too by infinite9 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm amazed by how many people believe in a science? religion? that relies on the idea that the earth is the center of the solar system and everything else, including the sun, revolves around it.

    --
    Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
  22. Re:Why is it? by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's just entertainment. Like fortune cookies.

    Noone, not even "real astrologers" take them seriously. It's just something to kill another 5 minutes after you already read the comic page.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  23. Hi Tech Chinese Fortune Cookie by BenitoM · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Exchange server will be down at 6

  24. Skeptics and horoscopes by MyNameIsFred · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I remember a Nova program on horoscopes that I saw years ago. The Amazing Randy had asked a class of college students for the birthdates, and wrote a horoscope for each them. He asked them, by a show of hands, whether the horoscopes were accurate. They overwhelmingly said yes. He then asked them to pass their horoscopes to the person behind them. That's when they found out that he had written only one horoscope for the entire class.

    Horoscopes are based on simple concepts that are almost univeral. That if I ask you if you are having conflict with your mate, you will probably say yes. It may be because of a divorce, or it might be a disagreement over what movie to see this weekend.

  25. Spot on. by killermal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nothing about romance... it must be accurate!

  26. Horoscope test... by Dr.+Zowie · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Not long ago I was teaching introductory astronomy to 180 college freshmen, and we did the "James Randi" demonstration. It was almost surprising how well it worked. I browsed to a horoscope site and downloaded horoscopes for everyone. Printed them up in little folding booklets, 12 types, about 4/3 as many as there were students. Asked the students to come get their horoscope and read it secretly.

    Then they voted on how well-tailored their horoscopes were. About 80% of the class said that the horoscopes were "perfect" or "very good", with about 10% "good" and only 10% saying "fair" or "poor".

    Of course, the kicker is that they all received exactly the same horoscope, I believe an Aquarius reading for early spring 2002.

    Even more of course, the site I got them from advertised that "we don't produce generic horoscopes -- we tailor them specifically to your date of birth!"

  27. Actually, and this is serious... by heironymouscoward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Research has shown that the time of birth does have an impact on your life, especially in countries with sharp seasonal differences.

    Things like the amount of food available to your pregnant mother, the amount of sun light you got when you were a few weeks old, the temperature you had to adapt to when you were a toddler... these seem to have an impact in later life.

    The specific study was on fertility in Canadian women, and showed a difference of (IIRC) 40%+ between those born in the summer and those born in the winter.

    So, before you laugh, there might actually be some basis for assuming that "Capricorns are always horny" and "Leos are dishonest".

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature
    1. Re:Actually, and this is serious... by mrgeometry · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Capricorns are always horny" and "Leos are dishonest"

      All right! I am *so* looking for a Capricorn.

      Wait. You're a Leo, aren't you? Dammit. Forget it then.

    2. Re:Actually, and this is serious... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      As others have pointed out, you have Capricorns and Leos the wrong way around.

      I know this because I'm a Capricorn and my girlfriend is a Leo... and she just can't get enough of me.

    3. Re:Actually, and this is serious... by YU+Nicks+NE+Way · · Score: 2, Funny

      You are a Leo. Leos believe nothing they read. Your horoscope has nothing to do with you. You are Bertrand Russell.

    4. Re:Actually, and this is serious... by damien_kane · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now we know you're definitely a Capricorn, as you said 'my girlfriend'...
      C'mon, this is /., you are a geek, if you're gonna lie at least make it believeable

  28. Astrological signs not all BS by thaddjuice · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of things that a lot of people don't consider about astrology is that there is a good reason why people of the same signs may have similar personality traits. People who were born at the same time of the year have had various seasons and events happen at the same key points in early development. So, people born right after Christmas in January may have different perspectives on the importance of family, friends, and holidays (their birthdays being near the holidays) than someone born in June. Also, can anyone say what difference it might make in a child's development if it's snowing when they're learning to walk vs. heat of summer?

    I'm not saying this means that you can tell their future based on when they're born, but there may be something to the idea that people of like signs have similar personalities and that relationship compatibility may be tied in to zodiak sign.

    --
    Find me in ~/.sig
    1. Re:Astrological signs not all BS by Talthane · · Score: 3, Funny

      So, people born right after Christmas in January may have different perspectives on the importance of family, friends, and holidays (their birthdays being near the holidays) than someone born in June.

      They also realise the same thing when they do what every child does sooner or later and count back nine months from their birthday.

      Born at Christmas? Nine months from the first days of spring. Conclusion: Your parents hibernate.

      Born in June? Nine months from October. Conclusion: Your parents couldn't afford heating.

      For the record, I'm a Scorpio. Born in November, nine months after Valentine's Day. This is the reason Scorpios have a streak of evil - we have lived with the knowledge of dark lust from day one. :-)

      --
      "This is why men never share their feelings; because women always remember." -Just Shoot Me.
  29. Why I read horoscopes by jazmataz23 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    As most people have noted, horoscopes are written as generally as possible, since the horoscopes printed in a paper should "fit" 1/12 of the population. Why do I read them and apply their advice to my life? Because I've been around long enough to understand that a life lacking in mythology is drab and uninspiring. So I take a generic horoscope and look for its (usually positive) outcome in my life. And of course, I find it.

    So how is this different from your collection of Star Wars "collectibles" *snort* or your borg mask? Well, the guidance I get actually makes a difference in my life. Well, one example is that I'm engaged to be married to a woman I met on a day about seven years ago that said "you will meet your soul mate today". Did I take extra care that day to keep my eyes out for intelligent and attarctive women? Sure. Am I glad I did? Yep.

    In short, I have a life plan, and I'm working toward goals, but I don't think that I am the sole arbiter of events. The world doesn't revolve around me. A time to sow, a time to reap and all that. It's human nature to look to some source of greater guidance and pattern in the ebb and flow of life. Astrology's been around for thousands of years; if it were complete bunk, wouldn't we would have thrown it out by now? Does it matter that it can easily be explained as a self-fulfilling prophesy? Nah.

    I love the Sagan quote, by the way. The bull-headed application of science in the realm of faith is absurd; similar to pointing out that a man can't really be suspended on a cross by nails through his hands.

    Engage Shields
    jaz

    --
    Death to Argument by Slogan!! (This post twice-encrypted with ROT-13. Replies not using same will be ignored)
  30. Another Horoscope Idea by Scholasticus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here's my idea for the Slashdotter's Horoscope:
    Aries: You will get First Post today!
    Taurus: You will receive a visit from the "goatse guy."
    Gemini: You Fail It!
    Cancer: You will read a story about the SCO lawsuit today.
    Leo: Today you will finish your transformation of an old vacuum cleaner into a computer case.
    Virgo: Today your boss will catch you reading /. while you're supposed to be working.
    Libra: You will be asked to Meta-Moderate.
    Scorpio: Someone will tell you that, despite your best efforts, BSD is dying.
    Sagittarius: Your sig will mysteriously be left off your post on /. today.
    Capricorn: What you thought was a witty comment will receive -1, Troll.
    Aquarius: A site that you try to visit after reading about on /. will ironically be slashdotted.
    Pisces: Your post on /. will unfortunately have an instance of "teh" in place of "the" because you didn't hit the preview button.

  31. More by heli0 · · Score: 2, Informative
    --
    Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way...
  32. more accurate IT Horoscope site... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Funny

    here

    They never fail and are always right on target.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  33. My prediction: by vudufixit · · Score: 2, Funny

    Regardless of Astrological Sign, your job will be outsourced to another country.

  34. You insensitive clod by shis-ka-bob · · Score: 2, Funny

    Gemini May 22 - June 21 A shake-up in human resources may be in the works. .. I blame Slashdot for getting my 30 day notice yesterday! But, on the bright side my "problem-solving and extraordinary organzational skills are about to pay off in a big way monetarily." SO, IF YOU ARE READING THIS HIRE ME NOW AND "everyone will benefit."

    --
    Think global, act loco
  35. The Forer Effect by Mad+Man · · Score: 2, Interesting
    was Skeptics and horoscopes

    Actually Bertram Forer did that experiment in 1948, except with pscyhological profile "tests" instead of horoscopes.

    The phenomenon has since been known as the Forer Effect.

    Psychologist B.R. Forer found that people tend to accept vague and general personality descriptions as uniquely applicable to themselves without realizing that the same description could be applied to just about anyone. Consider the following as if it were given to you as an evaluation of your personality.

    You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.

    Forer gave a personality test to his students, ignored their answers, and gave each student the above evaluation. He asked them to evaluate the evaluation from 0 to 5, with "5" meaning the recipient felt the evaluation was an "excellent" assessment and "4" meaning the assessment was "good." The class average evaluation was 4.26. That was in 1948. The test has been repeated hundreds of time with psychology students and the average is still around 4.2.
  36. Study has no real science in it by delcielo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm tempted to go on one of those personal crusades against stuff like this. I can't begin to relate the difficulties my wife and I have had over crap like this type of study.

    There is no possible way for you to control a control group well enough to get ANY meaningful data from a study that follows people from birth into adulthood. The variables are nearly infinite.

    If the people who wrote the study actually performed the data collection and administered the study, they should be shot for putting forward the idea that you can tell anything specific about adulthood from such specific environmental factors in children.

    Most of the time, when you hear something like this, it is an interpretation of data that other people collected and deemed only marginally interesting; but some advocate got a hold of and pawned off as meaningful.

    A great book to read for new or expecting parents is "The Myth of the First Three Years" by John Bruer.

    Play Mozart to your baby because it's soothing and you wish to foster a familiarity with the music. Don't do it because you think it will increase your child's I.Q. by 5 points; because there is nothing that actually suggests that... nothing.

    --
    Hot Damn! It's the Soggy Bottom Boys!
  37. Silicon Valley Tarot by perp · · Score: 2, Informative
    Silicon Valley Tarot will answer the questions "What will happen to me? My program? My career?"

    Some of the cards are hilarious, like "Venture Capital" or "Flame War"

    --
    There are two kinds of sysadmins: paranoids and losers. I'm both kinds.