[q]While I would disagree with an excellence rating on any other element of TPM, I do think they win the Oscar for "Best fight choreography of all time". If nothing else.[/q]
ha! I made the mistake of watching a Jet Li film (fists of fury if I remember correctly, not sure) before watching TPM. The light saber fight made absolutely no impression on me. TPM's fight scene adds NOTHING to a typical HK kung fu vocabulary and doesn't even do it all that well.
On the other hand, HK movies could learn a bit from that cool Matrix lobby massive gun blow everything up in the lobby scene (but it might be just cause I don't watch that many action movies in general so I'm not sure if its a rehash of something that is going on)
[q] Hm. O'er here, it depends a LOT on the course. In undergrad CS courses with TAs, they may have a bit of authority to change the scores they assigned. On the other hand, objective criteria mean that unless there was an inconsistency or other mistake, there's usually not a whole lot of grounds to argue for points. [/q]
I agree that even science Profs/TA's have quite a bit of room to play with grades. ex: rumors are that there is a physics prof will generally pass any architecture student that comes his way (I'm hopeing its true). And conversely I imagine that if a TA recommeneded so (for what reason I would have no idea) my prof could grade someone down (within reason of course).
BUT at least you still have progress reports (ie midterm and final test grades) with which to argue with.
Like I said, I've taken 4 classes where I didn't recieve one single progress report the whole time. It was art-related but when you get a grade that you think is low -- how do you appeal it???
hmm but I'm not a science/engineering major -- how much room do you think you have to up your grade through non-objective criteria at given your major/school?
[q] Total freedom, IMHO, disappeared the day the second sentient being was born on this planet. Freedom is as much about everyone's freedom as it is about yours. [/q]
if "total freedom" means "the ability and perogative to do whatever I damn well please whenever and wherever I want" then yes:
1) with the 2nd human being it disappeared 2) and "total freedom" was rightly renamed (given the new circumstances) "lawlessness.
well at least at my school the only way to get a grade changed is to talk a prof into changing his/her grade. That of course is quite rare.
Considering that my last 4 important major-related classes (as an Architecture/Visual Studies student) didn't involve a single grade handed out until the end of the semester....
It might be easier in science classes where 1) if you're fucked most likely a whole lot of other people were fucked with you (creating a disgruntled mass) and 2) there ARE objective standards.
however I HAVE heard of students threating civil action and were able to mediate a change -- usually due to a misunderstanding, or a really spiteful prof grading a student down much lower than reasonable (they can usually get away with a 1/2 grade +/- tweak with no liability)
I've had some profs bust my balls and I loved every minute of it. They would somehow show that the work was not only important for finding a grading scale but also for our own tangible good. There are hard profs and there are hard profs that INSPIRE.
I'll also say that some profs are more inspiring to different people. For example, I have a physics prof that I like a lot but has been seriously disliked by everyone else I know. I think the reason is because 1) I'm not going for the grade cause "C-" (D = not pass) is fine with me, 2) I like how he derives stuff instead of wasting time on showing examples.
As for students that complain 1) if the prof really sucks drop the class, 2) if its cause you're not working hard enough then enjoy the grade you get -- you earned it. I get low grades in some of my classes but I don't care, if I didn't care about the class why should I care about the grade -- in nowise go whining about it.
I personally think I was graded unfairly once, but its a wierd situation where I didn't work to my full potential but niether did the rest of my class...as it turns out I think the prof realized I was like one out of 3 people that actually cared about the class (and thus the grade as a reflection of my effort), expected more out of me, and graded me unfairly low (compared to other students, but not low compared to absolute standards) to add a little fire in my belly. It worked -- I don't totally respect him for it but I don't hate him for it (at least not after talking with him about it).
and consider how many dot.com's in SV are started by or recruit heavily from either UCBerkeley or Stanfurd grads who really don't care to move out of the area just yet -- a lot of them dig the Bay Area and don't even LOOK outside of it for work.
basically talent attracts more talent. (It doesn't hurt that UC Berkeley and Stanfurd are located there either.)
But when you have such a concentration of skilled people its easier to 1) head hunt (for companies) 2) find better working situations without having to move (for workers) 3) network to start new companies on your own.
as far as SF is concerned, I'm getting the distinct feeling that its becoming a yuppie place to be that is a shitload cheaper to live (and more exciting) than Palo Alto.
Suppose you wanted to start a new tech company in the middle of nowhere. When you start it'll be ok cause you're on your own. Once you need more people to continue expanding WHERE are you going to find them? Even if your company is attractive is it SO attractive that you can have them pick up and move to the new place?
well maybe -- now that taking 10% pay cut to move out of Silicon Valley is virtually a 30% pay raise.
Pranks/Vandalism/Thefts like this go on in college campuses all over. For example, I spray painted at 10 feet by 30 feet wall over spring break a couple years ago. The prof found out who it was (me) and could have fucked me over, but he only asked me to repaint it. He even gave me a deadline a couple weeks after he found out so I could finish the current project before I repainted it.
Next time I spray paint a wall I won't be so public about it but...
If school officials acted reasonably (ie tell the students to stop). I'd be surprised if the student's wouldn't cut off thier own access...(yada yada redundant shit). School discipline should be more than enough even if they didn't comply.
Random note: Personally I think the bigger problem is the that mp3/napster issues. At least at Cal, its was really FUCKING up the entire school network, (not just dorm networks)...ie the Architecture Computer labs at Cal.
part of school however, I think is to discipline you to work and to think. I was a pretty hardcore worker before school (Architecture at Berkeley) but school took things to a new level. Education is hard work.
It is the synergistic aspect of a live brick and mortar (concrete and rebar) school that I think an online univeristy will lose -- does any one take school by video tape seriously?
A student needs to make sure that school doesn't get in the way of his/her education, for sure, but also I think a student in the big schools (I went to JC's for a while which was much more lax) also learns better to roll with the punches, whether that means not sleeping, or getting his/her ass reemed gradewise.
I will say however, that the quality of teaching in the junior colleges outside of architecture was equal or better, most of my non-architecture profs suck hard. They teach because they have to because they are researchers at Cal.
Slashdot Mirror
[q] I have to diagree. Some of the effects used in the Matrix were completely new, (bullet time, [/q]
if I remember the didn't Blade use similar effects for a couple scenes when Snipes is shooting at the badguy?
Or am I missing something about the use of slow-motion bullets in Matrix?
[q]While I would disagree with an excellence rating on any other element of TPM, I do think they win the Oscar for "Best fight choreography of all time". If nothing else.[/q]
ha! I made the mistake of watching a Jet Li film (fists of fury if I remember correctly, not sure) before watching TPM. The light saber fight made absolutely no impression on me. TPM's fight scene adds NOTHING to a typical HK kung fu vocabulary and doesn't even do it all that well.
On the other hand, HK movies could learn a bit from that cool Matrix lobby massive gun blow everything up in the lobby scene (but it might be just cause I don't watch that many action movies in general so I'm not sure if its a rehash of something that is going on)
[q] Hm. O'er here, it depends a LOT on the course. In undergrad CS courses with TAs, they may have a bit of authority to change the scores they assigned. On the other hand, objective criteria mean that unless there was an inconsistency or other mistake, there's usually not a whole lot of grounds to argue for points. [/q]
I agree that even science Profs/TA's have quite a bit of room to play with grades. ex: rumors are that there is a physics prof will generally pass any architecture student that comes his way (I'm hopeing its true). And conversely I imagine that if a TA recommeneded so (for what reason I would have no idea) my prof could grade someone down (within reason of course).
BUT at least you still have progress reports (ie midterm and final test grades) with which to argue with.
Like I said, I've taken 4 classes where I didn't recieve one single progress report the whole time. It was art-related but when you get a grade that you think is low -- how do you appeal it???
hmm but I'm not a science/engineering major -- how much room do you think you have to up your grade through non-objective criteria at given your major/school?
btw I go to Berkeley...
[q] Total freedom, IMHO, disappeared the day the second sentient being was born on this planet. Freedom is as much about everyone's freedom as it is about yours. [/q]
if "total freedom" means "the ability and perogative to do whatever I damn well please whenever and wherever I want" then yes:
1) with the 2nd human being it disappeared
2) and "total freedom" was rightly renamed (given the new circumstances) "lawlessness.
actually just my handle, AAArg ink, if you want to see it:
0 /colorpictjustus.html
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Byte/535
wasn't anything offensive, just pissed him off that a recently repainted (white) wall was so thoroughly nailed.
[q/]It was just worked fine, if a professor got a grade less than 40% for more than 2 semesters, he/she was "moved to research job". [/q]
which, at most public universities, is exactly what most of the profs WANT.
well at least at my school the only way to get a grade changed is to talk a prof into changing his/her grade. That of course is quite rare.
Considering that my last 4 important major-related classes (as an Architecture/Visual Studies student) didn't involve a single grade handed out until the end of the semester....
It might be easier in science classes where 1) if you're fucked most likely a whole lot of other people were fucked with you (creating a disgruntled mass) and 2) there ARE objective standards.
however I HAVE heard of students threating civil action and were able to mediate a change -- usually due to a misunderstanding, or a really spiteful prof grading a student down much lower than reasonable (they can usually get away with a 1/2 grade +/- tweak with no liability)
I've had some profs bust my balls and I loved every minute of it. They would somehow show that the work was not only important for finding a grading scale but also for our own tangible good. There are hard profs and there are hard profs that INSPIRE.
I'll also say that some profs are more inspiring to different people. For example, I have a physics prof that I like a lot but has been seriously disliked by everyone else I know. I think the reason is because 1) I'm not going for the grade cause "C-" (D = not pass) is fine with me, 2) I like how he derives stuff instead of wasting time on showing examples.
As for students that complain 1) if the prof really sucks drop the class, 2) if its cause you're not working hard enough then enjoy the grade you get -- you earned it. I get low grades in some of my classes but I don't care, if I didn't care about the class why should I care about the grade -- in nowise go whining about it.
I personally think I was graded unfairly once, but its a wierd situation where I didn't work to my full potential but niether did the rest of my class...as it turns out I think the prof realized I was like one out of 3 people that actually cared about the class (and thus the grade as a reflection of my effort), expected more out of me, and graded me unfairly low (compared to other students, but not low compared to absolute standards) to add a little fire in my belly. It worked -- I don't totally respect him for it but I don't hate him for it (at least not after talking with him about it).
weather maybe? At least I dig Bay Area weather.
and "coolness" factor of being in SV.
and consider how many dot.com's in SV are started by or recruit heavily from either UCBerkeley or Stanfurd grads who really don't care to move out of the area just yet -- a lot of them dig the Bay Area and don't even LOOK outside of it for work.
basically talent attracts more talent. (It doesn't hurt that UC Berkeley and Stanfurd are located there either.)
But when you have such a concentration of skilled people its easier to
1) head hunt (for companies)
2) find better working situations without having to move (for workers)
3) network to start new companies on your own.
as far as SF is concerned, I'm getting the distinct feeling that its becoming a yuppie place to be that is a shitload cheaper to live (and more exciting) than Palo Alto.
Suppose you wanted to start a new tech company in the middle of nowhere. When you start it'll be ok cause you're on your own. Once you need more people to continue expanding WHERE are you going to find them? Even if your company is attractive is it SO attractive that you can have them pick up and move to the new place?
well maybe -- now that taking 10% pay cut to move out of Silicon Valley is virtually a 30% pay raise.
Esp since words like "fuck" and "shit" seem to be more common day parlance more than anything else.
Fuck is a handy:
noun
what a fucker.
verb
he fucked that up.
adj
that fucking dog!
adv
fucking awesome dude
pronoun
hey fucker!
explitive
fuck!
damn...I hope this gentrification thingy hasn't gotten us into a revolutionary frenzy.
[quote] If me and my money force people like that down onto the peninsula, well, err... hooray.
[endquote]
hah! If people "like that" go down the penninsula its only cause they're homeless.
People are moving into SF BECAUSE "down the penninsula" housing prices are beyond ridiculous.
Its more more like across the bay into Oak-town.
Pranks/Vandalism/Thefts like this go on in college campuses all over. For example, I spray painted at 10 feet by 30 feet wall over spring break a couple years ago. The prof found out who it was (me) and could have fucked me over, but he only asked me to repaint it. He even gave me a deadline a couple weeks after he found out so I could finish the current project before I repainted it.
Next time I spray paint a wall I won't be so public about it but...
If school officials acted reasonably (ie tell the students to stop). I'd be surprised if the student's wouldn't cut off thier own access...(yada yada redundant shit). School discipline should be more than enough even if they didn't comply.
Random note: Personally I think the bigger problem is the that mp3/napster issues. At least at Cal, its was really FUCKING up the entire school network, (not just dorm networks)...ie the Architecture Computer labs at Cal.
part of school however, I think is to discipline you to work and to think. I was a pretty hardcore worker before school (Architecture at Berkeley) but school took things to a new level. Education is hard work.
It is the synergistic aspect of a live brick and mortar (concrete and rebar) school that I think an online univeristy will lose -- does any one take school by video tape seriously?
A student needs to make sure that school doesn't get in the way of his/her education, for sure, but also I think a student in the big schools (I went to JC's for a while which was much more lax) also learns better to roll with the punches, whether that means not sleeping, or getting his/her ass reemed gradewise.
I will say however, that the quality of teaching in the junior colleges outside of architecture was equal or better, most of my non-architecture profs suck hard. They teach because they have to because they are researchers at Cal.
And so it goes....