"Murphy was an optimist!"
Shut out the noise February 26, 2008 11:04 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI love noise canceling headphones. I only wish they could do something about the noise inside my head!
add a commentUS Bank Account $ -747,100,000,000 February 26, 2008 9:18 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Economy, Politics, Touchy Subjects, United StatesI feel so much better about my own! See country current account balances. Didn’t we have a surplus under Clinton? How does McCain think we can finance the Iraq war for another 100 years?
2commentsStand clear! February 26, 2008 8:23 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI might eat you.
add a commentWho is F—ing Who? February 25, 2008 9:18 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Humor, Of Interest, Philosophy, TV / MoviesUpdate: Scroll below the videos to read about the backstory. Part of the humor in all this is that many people miss that this is a gag…a bit.
If you have been living in a closet then you probably don’t know that Sarah Silver is f—ing Matt Damon. Just in case you missed it here is the bleeped version:
Of course, Jimmy Kimmel has a response video:
Interestingly enough, the video is dedicated to the memory of Norman Mailer. I suspected that the dedication was a joke, but if it is, the joke went over my head. Mailer passed in November 2007 which could mean the dedication is serious. Of course a piece of his bio could be the joke reference:
"Mailer was married six times, and had several mistresses. He had eight biological children by his various wives, and adopted one further child." Source, Wikipedia
The backstory to these videos adds an extra level of hilarity. Silverman and Kimmel are still together. Kimmel and Damon are good friends. Kimmel has a running gag on his show about not having enough time to interview Damon.
During Kimmel’s third season — when he reportedly had trouble booking guests — he would frequently close out his show with “apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time” even though Damon hadn’t even been slated to appear. [Source, AOL Television]
Read more at AOL Television and The New York Post.
2commentsTech Advice of the Day February 24, 2008 11:11 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : TechnologyFolks, if you are on the phone with technical support and they say, "now we are going to reinstall your operating system" or "we need to format your hard drive," hang up the phone and get a geek to your house. And that doesn’t mean the Geek Squad because they will do the same thing. You need your friend Joey’s nephew or that guy from work but get someone to come sit with you at your computer and help you. They may still need to reinstall or reformat but they’ll at least get your data backed up first!
add a commentQuit teaching fractions! February 24, 2008 9:04 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Education, Mental, Of InterestDennis DeTurck believes that we should not teach fractions until they can be appreciated which may be after calculus. Watch it below.
USA Today had an article last month noting some people disagree vehemently.
5commentsComfort Creatures February 24, 2008 7:31 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : PhilosophyHow is it that animals know so much better than people when the soul is in need of repair?
add a commentOf Grasshoppers February 24, 2008 2:19 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: Not my problem.
Master: Wanna bet?
We’re having two more babies! February 24, 2008 9:29 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, FamilyI feel like someone slipped me a mickey last night. I mean I slept the sleep of the dead (well, expect at 4am when the puppy decided she couldn’t wait for me to wake up–I did not have the will power to start my day at 4am today). I slept so well that I had vivid dreams! They were detailed, multi-colored and had intricate plot lines! In short, I dreamed Cathy and I had two more babies. Now about that vasectomy fund…
2commentsAre you geek? February 23, 2008 2:30 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : TechnologyDo you remember the importance of keeping a hole punch near your computer and why?
3commentsOf Grasshoppers February 23, 2008 2:25 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: I lost focus.
Master: It is impossible to have focus with your eyes closed.
How far would you walk to vote? February 23, 2008 10:38 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Politics, Regional Politics (Mid-W), Touchy SubjectsHow about seven miles? Read more on BoingBoing and RuralVotes.com.
add a commentTeach Cell Phones, Don’t ban them February 23, 2008 10:01 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI have been a long time advocate of incorporating cell phones into the schools. Cell phones are one of the many tools that will be essential to our children’s success as adults. Cell phones are still in their infancy. In the not too distance future, cell phones will begin to replace credit cards as a means of purchasing products. Two way video conferencing through cell phones is already here and it will be the norm by the time today’s middle schoolers graduate high school. Cell phones interact with the Internet to enhance communication and provide faster research. I can get more detailed information through my phone and the Internet faster than I can using 411 information services. I can see pictures and video from my cell phone to the Internet which a student could use as part of an interview or research project. The possibilities are endless. Effective use of the multimedia (sound, video, text, animation), and productivity tools built into their cell phones will help make our students successful as professional adults.
I advocate teaching cell phone usage in the schools rather than branding them as contraband. I am not alone.
Craik School in Saskatchewan Canada is exploring the use of cellphones as learning tools. This video highlights the work of Carla Dolman and Gord Taylor and the grade 8 and 9 students of Craik School. [Source, Youtube]
Dean Shareski shares some of his discoveries in Exploring Cellphones as Learning Tools.
- Engagement. …the cellphone novelty will soon pass, the engagement was with the ideas and sharing. Students … simply used them to share ideas, pictures, sounds and videos. …
- Responsibility. Clearly posted on the wall were a set of guidelines developed by the students and their teacher on how to use this tool wisely. Discussions of etiquette, manners, privacy and safety led them to their common understandings. …
- Innovation and Problem Solving. Students discovered their phones were also organizers, voice recorders, and multimedia creators. They discovered bluetooth was a great way to share files, they created concise summaries of their group discussions using voice memos or videos.
- Teacher as a Learner. Carla says she still can’t "T9" like her students, but she’s learning. … She texts her students in the morning to remind them of homework and they actually respond. That in itself is one positive outcome already.
[Source, Exploring Cellphones as Learning Tools, Ideas and Thoughts, Feb 5, 2008]
Please see the Ideas and Thoughts full post. I like the note that the teacher was able to text reminders to the students. Just imagine if students learned to Sandy to remind them of deadlines. What if a teacher could prompt the students to "take out your cell phones and enter these dates" or if the teacher could deliver the deadlines via xml, sms, or direct interaction with Sandy!
The schools need to teach the technology that is coming not the technology that is bygone.
Update: New York doesn’t get it.
Update 23 Apr 2008: Another good video.
7commentsAmy’s forked tongue February 22, 2008 8:32 pm
Posted by utterz in : Daily Life, Podcasting
Deepak Chopra has spoken to me February 22, 2008 11:21 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Of Interest, PhilosophyMan I love the Internet! Our world grows exponentially smaller every day. Classes and castes are continually struck down. It’s like Moore’s Law in reverse. Thank you Deepak Chopra for taking some of your time with me!
Deepak Chopra is currently in Atlanta to film an interview with CNN. He has just released his new book The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore
Btw, I still have few Seesmic invites if anyone wants one. You can also go to Seesmic and sign up and I think they’ll send you an invite within 24 hours.
Update: Be sure to add Deepak Chopra’s blog to your reading list!
1 comment so far
