So sue me

Well we continue to see the real value of the legal system in the US where people can and so sue over almost anything shamelessly.

1) a police officer in Florida sued the family of a young boy who was disabled with brain damage in an accident in the home. The officer responded to the emergency call and slipped on some water and injured her knee. She then sued the family for having an unsafe house when she entered for the emergency response. That's gall! This one was withdrawn after much outcry. Even in the litigious US there are apparently limits. Imagine a fireman suing someone for getting too warm during a fire at their home. Or a consumer suing a company for not warning them that the cup of coffee they sold him or her was hot and might burn them - oh wait that one happened.

2) a lawyer in NYC sued the florist from her wedding for providing the wrong colour of flowers. While she had wanted rust coloured hydrangeas the florist had the temerity to provide paster pink ones (trying to match a photograph). The flowers had been valued at over $27,000 (a huge pile of hydrangeas apparently) and she is suing for an additional $400,000 (no extra zeros there from rantman) for restitution and damages. $400,000 for the damage done by pink flowers. Someone should sue the lawyer bride for the damage she's doing to the profession. Wake up and spill the coffee woman.

He's not a man

Most Americans it turns out have never actually read the document that they are so smug about. The constitution! They all were shocked to discover a few weeks back that the office of the vice president unlike what they were told in civics 101, is not part of the executive nor is it a part of the legislative. So what is it? Dunno.

But that leads to a more interesting question, if VP Count Cheney is neither an executive nor a legislator than what exactly is he? Is he as he like everyone to believe part hunter(yes the shooting incident) part redneck trash talker (he is from Wyoming and used to represent Kansas and swears in the senate, need I say more) and part a guy who likes to drink baby blood. No clue. Maybe a hypocrite? Has a lesbian daughter, but is against same sex unions. Or maybe he is just a convoluted old guy who thinks he can bully anyone he wants and if you dare question him, he has an ace up his sleeve......question your patriotism. Are Americans that insecure that if one dares to ask you an question, you need to question their patriotism? He of course is not alone in his quest for ultimate evil. He has his wife by his side. Ultimate Bonnie and Clyde taking down DC.

But I digress as usual. The question is what is Dick Cheney? I believe, and this is just the mystic in me talking, he is not a man. The guy works in one of the most secure and might I add safest places in the world, yet has a man sized safe in his office. Where does he think he is? Watergate? Wait! Wrong decade, wrong party. He is obviously an unusual guy by any standard. And in case he or his pals fuck up, Dubbya has their backs covered with a pardon. So who or what is Cheney? He has been in the White House for a long time, under Regan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. and yet hasn't had enough of Washington. He is not even a neo-con, cause as insane as they maybe he makes them sound like sound and rational human beings. I am not sure, but judging by his deeds or lack of it, I must conclude in my humble and mystical opinion that the guy is a crackpot from a bizzaro world. Part crazy old guy, part your worst nightmare for a loving old grand daddy(I am talking to the newest edition to his family). 100% evil.

All ye faithful rejoice...........

Paris Hilton is free. Now we can get back to our normal lives again. maybe the news will now be about something that actually matters. like the war. or maybe something else. maybe Angelina Jolie and the kids she is planning on adopting now. My money is on Eskimos.

Being a cheap bastard that I am, I could have offered her a was cheaper suggestion than to fly around Asia and Africa to find under privileged kids to adopt. All she had to do was get in her car drive a few blocks to a hell hole called Compton and could have had a football team of underprivileged kids to adopt. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

She had t make a statement. And BTW why exactly is she famous? Its not like she has given great performance on screen. Its not that she has won an oscar for her role in tomb raider. Maybe she is famous cause she is married to Brad Pitt. I dunno. Please tell me. And yes I think she is hot, but I think any woman who can walk is hot. Thats what happens when you spend 10 years in school. To all potential PhD students out there. Pick a field where women outnumber men, else you will go insane. LIKE ME.

Or maybe the media will focus on someone else who maybe has just murdered his wife, specially if the guy is black and the girl is white.....and piece de resistance, she is pregnant. Cause that just never happens in America. so obviously we must spend every possible minute we are not watching commercials, watching the tragedy. Cause other than that there are no murders in US are there? If black kill black, so fucking what. That ain't news.

Or maybe how about a blond haired, blue eyed girl that is missing? That sure sells right. Even if the parents are the ones who are responsible (read irresponsible) for what happened to the girl. Who has heard of parents going to dinner leaving a 6 year old and two toddlers alone. Who saw that coming? Not them. But add insult to injury, His Holiness THE Pope decides to get in the game as well. Its a slap on every catholic's face, to see that the thousands who lose their kids maybe for no fault of their own, who don't even get a peep from the Vatican. A lesson to learn, if your kid isn't blond haired blue eyed like the McCann kid, you better take real good care of her cause no ones coming to help you. Shame on you, all those people whose children get kidnapped, you couldn't even dye their hair first.

Well enough venting.

SICKO

I saw the movie and as usual I liked it. I like Michael Moore movies, I know I know it may give rant man indigestion. but nonetheless he makes a good point (often using convoluted logic) that health care is a fu*king human right and everyone should have it especially in one of the richest nations in the world.

So what exactly do I like about Mikes movies? I love the fact that he catches you in the act and then puts it on TV/Screen. Catching evil doers everywhere with their pants down. Its like COPS just no shooting.........anyways I highly recommend it to everyone.

Those trips to the Phoenix will pay off

According to studies, social drinkers earn more. Rantman, Indian in the crosshairs and sir t apparently have excellent earning potential.

It might help if we were meeting more people and networking but that's details. Those trips are an investment in our future!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070514.wxloffice14/BNStory/lifeMain

Phoning for Fish - Cool Research

This is an interesting piece of research from the Quarterly Journal of Economics/ The role of cell phones in improving economic efficiency in this Indian fishery. Kind of cool and not just the role of ring tones in choice of hair dye but tangible economic analysis.

http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9149142

Evolution revolution

well forget Darwin, we are making a big leap in the evolution game right now.....no adapting to the environment, why not just turn an otherwise natural phenomenon into a purely legal one?

that's what animal rights activists in Europe and Canadian legislators want to do. turn the animals into humans or turn mythical creatures into real ones. screw common sense lets just legislate.
to
a animal rights group in Austria wants apes declared as humans so that they can have same rights and protections as humans (Read: accept donations on the groups behalf.) since animals cannot accept or cash personal checks as apes but as humans they can have a bank account and cash checks as well have a Visa or a MasterCard or a mortgage. my business sense is tingling.....I sense a new housing subdivision where you can go ape. literally.

a Canadian legislator wants to have Bigfoot, yes that's right big foot also known as Sasquatch in Saskatchewan (i guess) and also known as yeti in east be declared endangered......that's right never mind that it does not exists. why wait? lets declare them endangered and move on.
Bigfoot researcher Todd Standing, who was behind the petition, claims to have proof of its existence, and says he fears for its safety.

"When I get species protection for them nationwide, I will make my findings public and I will take this out of the realm of mythology. Bigfoot is real," Standing told Global National television news.

He said he has 12 seconds of video footage of Bigfoot roaming Canada's western Rocky Mountains included in a 30-minute documentary, but his detractors say it was staged with actors.

His supporters hail from Canada's westernmost provinces, but Bigfoot sightings have been reported across the country, which is 90 percent uninhabited.

There are currently 516 plant and animal species at risk in Canada, according to Environment Canada. Another 13 species are already extinct.

So next time you want to go holidaying you have three distinct choices:

1. go see a human ape
2. go see a big foot (in your imagination or after smoking a joint...can be done from the comfort of your own home)
3. or go see a Indian mystic

NBA refereee bias.

This is cool business school research.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/05/02/bc.bkn.refereebias.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Would this be management science or hr?

Who does this research??????

Lost in the noise of Sheryl Crow's statement to use a single piece of toilet paper was an interesting statistic that raises and important question.

I think the research was cited without attribution but:

1) average number of sheets of TP per visit = 8.6 Who is doing this research????? Cameras? Counting after each visit? Is there a difference by two vs one ply? You need to give us a bit more depth if you want to generate a TP thesis here.

2) 57 sheets per day? I'm apparently not going as much as others. Perhaps a male/female difference but still???

I can't commit to one per visit but am certain to be below the 57 sheets per day mark. Just doing my part for the environment. May cut down on fibre too to save another tree or two.

The Attendance Issue - or productivity issue???

As I applied to different schools it was apparent that being on campus was important to many of the programs. As I was not moving, commuting distance entered into my decision. I am at my desk on average three times a week and expect that I will continue to be there at least twice a week as I write my dissertation. I think there is value in being around my colleagues and it will lead to collaborative work and a great forum for testing ideas. I also think it is good to interact with my supervisor and a number of other faculty members. AND its fun to go for beers to argue about just about anything with Indian in the Crosshairs and Sir T.

Its not always easy to get to school. Many of us commute. I have a family and am involved in a community away from school. I can also use the 2.25 hours of commuting time more productively than sitting in a car.

I think that compulsory attendance is not necessary. I do believe there are students who are not productive enough and need to be kept on a shorter leash. A professor who I once worked for as a research associate once told me that "I measure output, not input," when I asked if it was okay that I took a long lunch to play hockey. Universities are supposed to be progressive in terms of management (its not about attendance its about output - we are tight on space and are requiring people to be here) and other issues. Telecommuting is now considered a way to reduce the GHG emissions but academia is missing that opportunity. Perhaps we should consider what we're trying to accomplish rather than making blanket one size fits all requirements.

A note on telecommuting.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070428.RCAREERCOACH28/TPStory/Environment

More Indian Mysticism

A man in Britain pulled a 7 ton jet with his ears....that’s right, ears and no he did not morph them into elephant ears like most Indians pulling airplanes. He did it with human ears and now wants to raise money for kids in India using his new found fame.

But more importantly, since its in vogue to talk about cutting emissions of green house gases to reduce global warming, I was wondering if Mr. Singh can be somehow duplicated and installed inside every jet engine, where he can flap his ears and create thrust for airplanes. Supersonic ear flapping flight anyone????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6592323.stm

Calculus and Beer

I am finding too many ways not to study for my upcoming comprehensive exams. I am working on a mathematical review and have found a reason to bear down and make progress. Two mathematicians have developed a formula that explains the growth of those tiny bubbles that make up the head on a glass of beer. By applying this formula, they can optimize the pouring of a glass of beer (they can apply it to a wide variety of much less important but commercially viable situtions too). NOw that's a reason to study math.

Why is there no sex in supply chain research?

I'm feeling hard done by. I have to do pricing, promotion and inventory and there are researchers doing much more interesting work.

1) a student at Concorida University found that male rats (interesting choice of animal to try to make conclusions on human relationships) were more attracted to femalerats playing hard to get than those offering up favours all the time. (I do wonder about the researcher's objectivity given that she is in fact a woman) Who thinks these projects up? Are there any inventory or supply chain possibilities here? I'm good at the mathematics of probabilities but really that won't do much except shed a disappointing light on my chances.

2) Researchers in Austalia examined the behaviour of swans - previously thought to be monogamous. Swans mate for life but these researchers discovered that female swans stepped out at night and screw around under the cover of darkness. The thought was that they do it clandestinely so that their long term partner doesn't slack off on things like babysitting and sitting on eggs. Oh those scheming pens (that's the right word for a female swan - I looked it up). Can we model it? Interarrival times???

Oh well, back to the supply chain.

On Ducks and Dinosaurs

An interesting piece of research (but well out of my area) recently suggested that some long extinct dinosaurs were genetically very similar to contemporary duck species. This on the heels of research that said generally many bird species of today had genetic similarities to dinosaurs.

Given the age and temperament of many professors in different departments around the world, it would hardly be surprising to hear grad students wandering the halls quacking in an attempt to improve communications????

Mumbai Ranger?????

Can our very own Indian in the crosshairs have been usurped as the Mumbai Ranger? Say it ain't so! He may have to fight for the title of Mumbai Ranger. I'm not talking Ninja kickin, Karate chopping, cobra venom spittin fighting. I'm talking lawyer hirin' trademark infringement injunction seeking ass kicking. We've got to get on it soon or this guy will morph from lone ranger into Mumbai Ranger before you can say Mystic Man.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/february/45300.htm

Why a PhD?

I found these notes on a PhD interesting.

http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.phd.html

I am likely a third string on the A team but better than the minors from my perspective.

PhD Comics

Check out these comics. If they weren't so close to the truth they wouldn't be so painfully funny.

http://www.phdcomics.com/

More Research I Wish I'd Done OR How The Abstinence Program Got Screwed

I'm not sure why I found this story unbelievable but I did. First, the US government and many states combined have spent almost $1 billion since 1996 on abstinence advocacy programs for school aged kids. Secondly they they paid someone to find out if it worked. Third and least surprising of all is that it didn't work at all. I'm frankly surprised it didn't actually increase sexual activity amongst teens but we'll call it even.

Apparently, a survey of 2,000 youths found exactly NO difference between those who had been exposed to the abstinence program and those who had not.

Once again, I'd like to apply for a grant to study the correlation between taxpayer cynicism and the amount of money spent by well meaning bureaucrats on social engineering. Instead of spending money on pamphlets, workshops and Mom and apple pie advertising maybe we should be paying kids not to have sex and buying them condoms if they decide to forego the financial incentives.

Unfortunately one more potential topic to cross of my dissertation list.

A Summary
http://www.mathematica.org/abstinencereport.asp

The report
http://www.mathematica.org/publications/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf

A winter of Liberal discontent

Here is something Rantman will like since he LOVES the Liberals and the CBC:::

http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9047267

Know your French Prez Election

Here is a quiz from economist.com.

http://www.economist.com/diversions/quiz.cfm?quizname=frenchelectionquiz

Its tough. I scored six out of ten and anyone who does better wins a baguette.

This Week's Research Contribution

A federal study by Statistics Canada found that poor Canadians are more likely to take out payday loans than other Canadians. WOW !!! Let me see. Poor people who work from paycheck to paycheck are more likely to take short term loans until their next paycheck. I wonder why someone with savings wouldn't borrow money at high interest rates for a couple of days. Who would have guessed. Its this sort of out there research that made me want to do a PhD and ask meaningful questions.

I wonder if they're looking into whether people who live in apartments tend to live further from the ground than those who live in houses?

I wonder if their follow up research will look at whether chronic gamblers and drug users are more likely to borrow from the Guido the loan shark.

Our tax dollars at work. Where can I get a research grant. I'd like to study the correlation between taxpayer cynicism and Stats Canada research.

A Thought on Gun Control

Thought I might add this to the discussion.

http://currant.blogspot.com/

Professor in France?

Headline on CNN International - French seek Mystic clues in Presidential Elections.

Mystics are giving insight into the "to close to call" race for French President. They have tarot cards and an African guy who does something different but no Indian mystic. We know there's no mystic like a good Indian mystic so off he goes (he's done his pentagon pitch) to Paris to help them with politics.

Travel safe Professor and see you when you get back.

Just Testing to see how it looks

MY FIRST POST. YAY!!!

Hulk Hogan or wikipedia

I was enjoying an adult beverage with a couple of friends the other day. I don't know how we got on the subject - we tend frequently to tangents - but he noted that it was interesting that Rabbis (I don't recall if they were orthodox or not) could not touch any woman who is not their wife. That's all well and good (and apparently true) but I was more interested in the source of his knowledge.

He picked up this tidbit not from wikipedia, or any other credible (he said with a wink) information source, but from Hogan Knows Best - apparently a Hulk Hogan reality show.

I would have thought that this sort of show wouldn't be a source of particular insight - especially as it relates to the religous beliefs of Orthodox Jews - but my bias clearly got the better of me. Clearly reality tv generally, and wrestling reality tv specifically, can be the educational and a source of meaningful insight.

I stuggled with an optimization final today - perhaps if the Undertaker had a reality show I'd have been better at the duel functions. Oh crap that was dual functions - probably not.

Here We Are

and so it begins. the random musings of a couple of friends. enter early and often.