Author Archives: matt

So I signed up for GMail some time ago. And I got three invitations I could send out; I think I used two of them. After sending out my second, I got five more invitations; these have all been happily … Continue reading →

I was working on a research problem in between watching my room full of students struggle with histograms and standard deviations, and then I suddenly saw it. The particulars of the “it” in question are probably of no interest to … Continue reading →

The thing I hate about Tuesdays: it’s almost 10:30, and I feel like I’ve been awake for too long. In reality, I’ve only been awake for a little over three hours, but they’ve been three hours before 10:30. I don’t … Continue reading →

OK, perhaps I’m overstating the case. But few things are as disappointing to me as when my first cup of coffee of the day is as bland as the one I’ve got in front of me now. (There are those … Continue reading →

People in the first-class cabin on an airplane aren’t just paying for better treatment. They’re paying for worse treatment for the people in economy class.

I’m with Jan-jan on this: it’s a Chi, not an X. Calm down, folks. Particularly those of you with fish that say (transliterating) ICHTHOS on your cars, since you’re using the Chi as well. Which, I suppose, probably doesn’t describe … Continue reading →

I have mixed feelings about students leaving questions blank. On the one hand, it’s a horrible waste, and doesn’t even allow me to find the leanest sliver of an excuse for part-marks. OTOH, it does make things go faster. I … Continue reading →

I don’t understand why it is that some people seem to take on the persona of Asshole as a first line of defense. (And we’re talking about the Jungian Architype here… the Platonic Form of the Asshole.) The context: a … Continue reading →

Warning: random musings about internet culture ahead. Probably puerile. Once upon a time, the measure of net.chique was whether you had a homepage. Typically, the homepage was a page about you: your interests, your projects, maybe interesting or useful links … Continue reading →

This weekend I was staying at a Days Inn in Muncie, IN, and I’m a little puzzled. First of all, the advertisement at the front desk for frequent-stay rewards makes a big deal about how rewards can be earned (or … Continue reading →