Archive for the ‘Ponder’ Category

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The Save Icon

Dec

17

2010

Kids these days… don’t even know why the save icon is what it is…or even what is it..

For those of you who don’t know the cryptic image that appears in the save button: it is a floppy disk. That’s what we used to transfer files before USB was invented. And back when a 24k modem was impressive.

picture of the save icon using a floppy diskFloppy disk

Since no one uses those anymore, it is time to get rid of it. But when people save files, to what do they save them?

We need to find a new save icon, one that is independent of the medium. Like the open folder for opening a file – the file can be local, USB stick, internet, whatever. Let’s explore our options…

picture of the save icon using a hard driveHard drive
Too vague – no one sees the hard drive, so that’s not going to work.

picture of the save icon using a CDCompact Disc
Not vague, but slightly outdated. When was the last time you saw someone save a file to a CD?

picture of the save icon using a USB driveUSB drive
Not vague, but not the usual destination. This is probably familiar to most people, but most of the time you’re saving locally. Plus it might throw off some less technically-aware people: “How can I save a file without my USB drive? Look, it wants me to save it to the USB thing…”

picture of the save icon using a life preserverLife preserver
Hmm…interesting. Good connection to the concept of saving. Unfortunately, some programs already use this as their icon for help.

picture of the save icon using a crossCross
Perfect! An icon to clearly denote saving a file. And it will help evangelize the masses, right?

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost

Matthew 18:11

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Probability and Sockistics

Dec

6

2010

You may have wondered how much you’re going to use the things you learned that were taught in the probability and statistics part of math class. Some people really liked the probability and statistics class. Other people really disliked the class. I was somewhere in the middle, somewhat more towards the like side of things.

Now that I am older and wiser more experienced in life, I can tell you that you will use those concepts.

Because I have young active children, it’s always a race to fold the laundry before someone jumps or climbs on the bed and knocks over the piles of neatly folded clothes. Because of that, some things do not get folded.

Or even sorted…

Like socks.

Story Problem:
Some Guy has 4 different sets of 3 pairs of socks each. If he just tosses all his 24 socks in a drawer without sorting them, what is the minimum number of socks he must grab each morning to ensure that he has at least one matching pair?

Assume there is no difference between left and right regarding the sock pairs.

Also assume the effects of friction are negligible.

Answer:
Okay, pencils down. Trade papers with the person next to you and mark +10 points for the answer “5” and 0 points for anything else.

Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; There is no secret that is a match for you.

Ezekiel 28:3

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Daylight Saving Progression

Nov

10

2010

As we are nearing the end of the first week back on normal time, I thought I would analyze the progression of Daylight Saving Time.

Since they keep increasing the number of weeks spent on DST, I wondered how long it would take before there was only DST and no more standard time. I think a lot of people would be happy if they didn’t have to change their clocks twice a year, especially these people.

Here is a history of DST in the US, starting with the beginning of the USA in 1776 (approximately).

chart of the history of daylight saving time in the US

Fig. 1 – Number of Weeks in DST versus Year A.D.

As you can see, there was no DST for a while, then it started, then it increased, then it increased again.

If it keeps increasing linearly, it might look like this:

chart of the history of daylight saving time in the US

Fig. 2 – Number of Weeks in DST versus Year A.D. with line

From that, I estimate that there will be only DST starting in the year 2147.

But you may have noticed that the increases are increasing in frequency, which suggests an exponential relationship rather than linear.

chart of the history of daylight saving time in the US

Fig. 3 – Number of Weeks in DST versus Year A.D. with curve

That estimate is 2033, which means only 23 more years of switching clocks.

I will not miss that hassle at all.

“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord GOD,”That I will make the sun go down at noonAnd make the earth dark in broad daylight.”

Amos 8:9

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Sweet Boss Day

Oct

13

2010

Did anyone else notice that Sweetest Day and Boss’ Day (sometimes misspelled as Bosses Day or Boss’s Day) are the same day this year?

Was anyone else amused by that?

“Here’s some candy, Sweetie … Happy Boss’ Day!”

Sweetest Day is the third Saturday in October. Boss’ Day is October 16, which is a Saturday (specifically the third Saturday in October of 2010). You have to be a very dedicated employee to celebrate Boss’ Day on a Saturday.

But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

Judges 9:11

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Never Say Always

Oct

5

2010

I took a survey last night. I was slightly annoyed with things, which is usually when I decide to take the online surveys that are offered to me. I think that most online surveys are skewed negatively, because people don’t care to vent if their visit to the website went fine.

While I was surveying, I became even more annoyed at the lack of respect the survey had for the English language. Most of the time that I am annoyed with someone’s writing, it’s the grammar or spelling that gets me. But this time it was the choice of words.

They are subtly changing the meanings of words. It may be a post-modern thing, or it may just be a convenience thing, or it may plain-ol’ ignorance.

Whatever the reason, I don’t like it.

Exhibit A: Never

picture of a bad survey saying that never doesn't mean never

And a little closer view . . .

picture of a bad survey saying that never doesn't mean never

It says “I have NEVER smoked cigarettes (less than 100 in my life)”

And they even emphasized “never” by capitalizing it!

If you mean never, that would be “equal to zero in my life”.

I understand the categories that they wanted, but why use the word “never”? And why, oh why, did they EMPHASIZE IT? Use some other term instead, such as “I do not smoke cigarettes (less than 100 in my life)” or “I rarely or never smoke cigarettes”. There are so many possibilities.

Exhibit B: 100%

This one may be more of a math problem than an English problem.

picture of a bad survey saying that 100% doesn't mean 100%

It says “100% – Almost always”

If you mean 100%, that would be “always always”.

I understand the categories that they wanted, but why use “100%”? Use some other term instead, such as “95% or more – almost always” or “100% – always”.

At least they didn’t EMPHASIZE IT.

Don’t dilute the meaning of words by misusing them. That will still get you perjury charges in court, I would hope.

“Have you ever seen this man before?”
“No, I have never seen that man before.”
“But we know that you met with him 99 times for insider trading tips.”
“Yes, but that was less than 100 times, so it counts as never.”
“Are you 100% sure about that?”
“Yes, I am 100% sure . . . almost.”
“Well, which is it: 100% or almost?”
“What!? There’s a difference?”

But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

Matthew 5:37

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Piloting and Parenting

Sep

30

2010

Sometimes the daily grind of raising children becomes wearisome. Most of the time it’s not a problem, but sometimes I just get tired.

How many times can they tell the same story?
How many times can they interrupt a phone call?
How many times can they show me their newest paper-and-string-and-tape creations?

(In case one of my children is reading this some years from now: no, it wasn’t you – it was your brother.)

We all have our weaknesses. In case your weakness is along the lines of “how to motivate yourself to care about everything your child says”, here is how I stay motivated :

Captain Sullenberger has been asked how he was able to make a landing (or would that be “watering”) in such a precarious situation. His answer was something along the lines of

For years I had been making small deposits in the bank of experience. When the time came that I needed to make a large withdrawal, the balance was large enough.

What is my job as a parent? Raising my children, of course. Teaching them now and preparing them for the future.

Hmm…that sounds like a school’s motto.

If I neglect my parenting role now, I am squandering the experience instead of depositing it in the bank. In the future, what if my then-teenage son needs to talk?

If he grew up thinking “dad never listens”, where will he go to be heard?

If he grew up thinking “dad doesn’t want to answer my questions”, whom will he ask when he has an important question?

I’m not saying our kids feel neglected – that’s not why I’m writing this. I just saw that quote from Captain Sullenberger and thought it paralleled parenting rather well. It should be applicable to just about anything, not just piloting.

Oh, and you should listen to “Cat’s in the Cradle” (the real version) a few times a year.

My other question is this: Why wasn’t the emergency landing also a deposit in the bank of experience? How does the experience know whether it is a deposit or withdrawal?

I would liken it more to the stock market. He put enough in so that, when the crash came, he wasn’t wiped out completely.

On second thought, that doesn’t continue well either, because after the crash he had even more experience than before the crash. Maybe we need to avoid the monetary analogies.

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:7

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New Study

Sep

28

2010

A new study shows that people don’t trust new studies.

Earlier studies had shown that people do trust new studies.

The new study, which was released last week, shows that new studies often contradict older studies. That creates confusion and causes people not to care about any studies at all.

Further research is planned to clarify the different results.

Hey, I wonder if I could get a grant for this…

Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail.

Jeremiah 7:8

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