Slashdot Mirror


User: ittybad

ittybad's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
119
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 119

  1. CrossFit on Ask Slashdot: How Do You Stay Fit At Work? · · Score: 1

    The company I work at (really, the best place I've ever had the privileged of working) gives us a fitness credit and we are encouraged to go to CrossFit at any hour of the day. For a while, my team would all go at about 11am, but after switching teams, it turned out to be more conducive to our schedule to go at 8am. The team building is great and working out with your cohort is extremely motivating. Had I been spending the last (nearly) two years working out on my own, it would not have continues. Having a team that helps keep you motivated (and in turn, you help keep them motivated) is essential.

  2. Re:Discovery.com teasers on Giant Squid Filmed In Natural Habitat For the First Time · · Score: 1

    I see the same suggestions. I find it awful to see what Discovery has reduced itself to.

  3. Ring Activated on Using Technology To Make Guns Safer · · Score: 1

    I saw, many years ago, a program on maybe TLC, where the person wore a ring that activated the gun. I thought that was cool.

  4. Re:And yet... on 27 Reported Killed In Connecticut Elementary School Shooting · · Score: 1
  5. Am I the only person who read that... on UT Professor Resigns Over Fracking Conflict of Interest · · Score: 1

    In the voice of Col. Tigh?
    I've been watching too much Battlestar Galactica.

  6. There is a reflection on that hubcap... on Vector Vengeance: British Claim They Can Kill the Pixel Within Five Years · · Score: 5, Funny

    Enhance.

  7. Unlimited Sick Days on Stay Home When You're Sick! · · Score: 1

    At my work, we have "unlimited sick days" -- however, we are encouraged to work from home those days if we are up to it. If we show up sick to the office, just about everyone tries to kick you out and go home. There is never the feeling or pressure of "I must work this day even though I'm sick." It is more the feeling of "I really want to get some code out today even though I'm sick." I know there is the sentiment on ./ that you should not go over and beyond for your work for they will not do that for you, but our work really does do a lot for its employees.

  8. Re:System76 on Ask Slashdot: Best Laptop With Decent Linux Graphics Support? · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been developing on a System 76 for about a year and a half now (the then Serval model). I absolutely love it. I've become hooked on the finger print scanner for sudo commands. The only problem that I recall having was trying to upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04 for Ubuntu. A bunch-o-things got all fubar. Reinstalling 12.04 worked like a charm and my overall experience got even better than before. I ended up having to put a windows dual boot on it for some windows/mac only video conferencing software for work, and System 76 provided all the drivers to make the windows installation work as expected. The bizarre "windows experience index" gave me a seven point something which is apparently good. I highly recommend System 76, but I have yet to try the other vendors.

  9. I'll buy an 'R', Alex on Neil Young Pushes Pono, Says Piracy Is the New Radio · · Score: 4, Funny

    There is a missing R.

  10. Fix California? on Google Researchers Propose Plan To Fix CA System · · Score: 0

    I figure Canada does not need much fixing -- not that I know of these things. I'm glad to see that Google is working on fixing California. Oh, wait. What?

  11. Re:Khan Academy = math/science for dummies on Grant To Allow Khan Academy To Expand, Build a Physical School · · Score: 1

    On the note of forgetting about half of what you had learned, it reminds me of a pedagogy that I am a fan of: learn the underlying concepts and how to apply them, and you no longer have to "remember" because you "know." With your example, I cannot rattle off hardly any of the trig identities -- but I can derive all of them quite easily.

    I think that this is a major issue with our education system when it comes to math: memorization. For example, in my daughter's math class, when going over exponent laws, the teacher said, "anything to the 0 power is 1. Why? Because that is the way it is; it is just one of those things we need to memorize." The same kids who learn this way find themselves in a math class a few years later and cant remember if it is 3^1 = 0 or 3^0 = 1. I wrote him showing how bloody easy it is to learn the correct way -- by looking at what exponents are (repeated multiplication) and that if we work backwards from 3^4, to 3^3, 3^2, we see that we are dividing by three each time, so it is easy to see why 3^0 has to be one. Better yet, this lets students understand why negative exponents are what they are. With this proper understanding, the student can re-derive the exponent laws anytime they may need them.

    I completely agree with you that Khan is not a replacement. There is something to be said for us social beings being, you know, social when learning.

  12. New Paradigm on Grant To Allow Khan Academy To Expand, Build a Physical School · · Score: 1

    The system that I envision, at least as far as math is concerned, is something that I dub "modular math" -- though, that term should not be confused with modulus. I think the curriculum should be broken up from arithmetic to calculus in models (sets, pods, mods, levels, whatever).

    A student meats the material at their level, and progresses through each model. This allows a student to quickly move through material that is easier for them and to have the time required for material that is more difficult. I imagine a system whereby students participate in a math curriculum whereby they progress on their own through CORRECT (yet to be defined) use of online lectures and quizzes and tests.

    A teacher is ever present and provides the one on one work that the student requires when they hit a topic that they have trouble with, or need further or alternate explanation. The puts the teacher as a facilitator that needs to be familiar with all levels of math from basic arithmetic through calculus -- and by familiar, I mean able to actually teach the concepts. A teacher may have a student in model 4 and model 10 in the same room, and when each student has an issue, the teacher would need to be able to step in at that topic and work with the student.

    I have begun development of the requisite online tools for this, but Khan has, by far, a lead on videos and lectures -- and even presence. I thought of this way before Khan was popular enough for me to have heard of him, but, with most things, it comes down to who implements it first. I think that it could be an exciting next step for the Khan Academy.

  13. Low Tech on Ask Slashdot: How Are You Haunting Your House This Hallowe'en? · · Score: 2

    Bury a mattress in the ground -- "Quick Sand." Chainsaw sans chain. Pretend to be a decoration, {move|jump|scare} at people that happen by (note: may get punched in the face). Hang fishing line from the trees/eves (feels like cobwebs) Get a ghillie suit, pop out of bushes (again, may get punched) .... Meh.... Google is your friend.

  14. System76 on Ask Slashdot: GNU/Linux Laptops? · · Score: 1

    I have the Serval laptop from System76. They vet the hardware and guarantee that everything works with Ubuntu (Ubuntu comes pre-installed and fully loaded with drivers). Awesome computer. The biggest issue is dual monitor support -- but this is an Ubuntu thing, not System76. Oh, and my System76 sticker came off the cover from sliding in and out of my backpack :(

  15. "An FPS..." on An FPS Minus the Shooting · · Score: 1

    Just because "F" sounds like "Ef" does not mean that you use "an." It should read "A FPS..." I don't care how dumb the game concept is, I just care that the headline is easily parsable. -- Today's Grammar Nazi

  16. depends on the device. on Weak Typing — the Lost Art of the Keyboard · · Score: 1

    I can type between 70 and 80 wpm on a standard keyboard. But on this here HTC thunderbolt, I feel that my two thumb hunt and peck is getting me little more than thirty wpm at best. particularly painful is Tue autocorrect when the word or acronym that I want is jot in its database.

  17. if it's porn... on Ask Slashdot: Living Without Internet At-Home Access? · · Score: 1

    Lynx.

  18. I can sense north... on Human Eye Protein Senses Earth's Magnetism · · Score: 1

    I and a few of my friends who have spent a large portion of our lives backpacking and doing other out-doorsie things can tell where north is sans compass just by feel. This is not looking at moss or the sun or the stars -- it is really sensing north. In a closed room we can do it with very high success rates. I can recall a story from ./ some time ago that had a fella who wore a belt with a vibrating magnet that always "pointed" north, and after wearing the belt for some time, he claimed that he could naturally sense north. I can't find the link. Perhaps someone else knows it.

  19. And their names? Censored. on Thousands Marched Against Censorship · · Score: 1

    "Being inspired by the movement, law makers, looking for support of the initiative, went to contact those who marched. However, they were unable to do so because the names were censored and blocked."

    Hmmm. Drat. That sounded better in my head.

  20. Not just IT on Why the New Guy Can't Code · · Score: 1

    I got a BS in Business Administration, and I could not find a non-sales job for anything back in 2005. EVERY decent paying job (ie, greater than 35k) required 5 years experience. How could you get experience if you can't afford to work for that rate? At least, with coding, you can work on some open source projects.

  21. Most people are not dealing with the stack on Hewlett Packard's Cult Calculator Turns 30 · · Score: 1

    Solve the equation, using RPN:
    2 x + 4 - = 3 x *
    I don't even know if you can use the equal sign like this in RPN....or if you can even solve an equation with RPN. RPN is considered unconventional because 2 + x - 4 = 3x is more in line with what we want students to be able to solve. When they finally use some assembly to create a calculator, then they will appreciate RPN.

  22. Netmeter on Ask Slashdot: How To Monitor Your Own Bandwidth Usage? · · Score: 1

    NetMeter. I have a older free version running on my desktop, but I think the new one is only a free trial. But it keeps my bandwidth logs nice and neat. Daily, weekly, monthly. Now, I need one that shows what programs are using what bandwidth.

  23. Raw Percents! Yay! on 80% Improvement In Solar Cell Efficiency · · Score: 0

    This year, I have had an, on average, 75% increase in shoe purchases. That is to say I bought a pair of shoes this year. So an 80% increase is what? Can we get some real numbers here. If this goes into production, how much do I need to power my home?

  24. Re:50% of the budget on Speed Tickets Challenged Based On Timestamped Photos · · Score: 1

    Assuming that the speeding tickets all go to locals (bad assumption, I know), that is $1,115 in traffic fines per person funding the local government. Add to this that a paragraph down from your quote, it says that the camera's company receives 40% of the payout. Would this mean that the $2.9 million in ticket revenue is only 60% of the paid fines? If so, then each person's average annual traffic fines would raise from $1,115 to nearly $1,860. The article says that each ticket is $40. That would be 28 to 47 tickets per person per year (depending on the "revenue" numbers being pre or post camera company payout).

  25. Because I did not RTFA... on Medicines Lose Effectiveness In Space · · Score: 0

    With no medical background, no research performed (not even a simple Google search), and not even reading the article: In my expert opinion, I believe that perhaps it has something to do with circulation. Gravity may be a crucial element to our circulatory systems and our circulatory systems are important for medication distribution in our bodies.