Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thinking about writing...
So, at our last Rodmockers meeting we discussed the importance of being a good writer if you plan on having a successful academic career. Hank , Alisa and I were really keen on passing on to our graduate students some hints to help remind and encourage them to really take to heart the joys of constructing an informative and readable paragraph. My favorite hint, came from Hank -- in order to be a better writer you need to read, read, and read some more. I am all for more reading-- especially on a wet and cloudy days like we are having so many of in central Oklahoma.
What are you reading today? While I am all for a nice trash novel, we should all be reading at least one thing that stretches our mind in some way-- stretching our vocabulary, stretching our understanding or maybe stretching ourselves right out of our own comfort zone.
So what am I reading today? I have decided to re-read Neal Stephonson's The Diamond Age or a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. The amazon.com editorial review describes the plot this way,
"John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the "book" has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change."
I really like this book. I am not a big fan of how it ends (sort of fizzles out), but right up until the end the story is engaging. I love how the idea of subversive thinking is necessary for growth, and innovation. It is an important commentary on how we adapt to the institutions we find ourselves in.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Directly from the Taos News....
Police Reports
Taos Police: May 30-31
Here are the Taos Police Reports for May 30-31. The Taos News reprints police call logs courtesy of the Taos Police Department and does little or no editing to the copy.
If you have any information about a crime in or around the Taos area, call Crimestoppers at 758-HALT.
May 30, 2009
1:51 p.m., Welfare check, Paseo del Pueblo Sur — Caller reported that a man came in early that morning with blood on his head and then went to lie under a tree. Caller reported that he had not moved since lying down under the tree.
5:15 p.m., Criminal property damage, Bent Street — Caller reported that kids with sling shots were hurling rocks at the restaurant.
7:51 p.m., Stray animal, Paseo del Pueblo Norte — Caller reported that he caught a dog near a restaurant and tied it to a pole.
9:51 p.m., Welfare check, Camino del Santiago — Caller reported that there was a woman there who looked lost.
11:10 p.m., Battery, Siler Road — Caller reported that a woman harassed her.
May 31, 2009
4:10 p.m., Domestic violence — Caller reported that she and her daughter got into a fight, the daughter threw a child’s car seat through the window and threatened to kill herself. Caller requested a welfare check on her daughter.
6:55 p.m., Larceny, Taos Plaza — Caller reported that she left her card in the machine and when she came back it was gone.
If you have any information about a crime in or around the Taos area, call Crimestoppers at 758-HALT.
May 30, 2009
1:51 p.m., Welfare check, Paseo del Pueblo Sur — Caller reported that a man came in early that morning with blood on his head and then went to lie under a tree. Caller reported that he had not moved since lying down under the tree.
5:15 p.m., Criminal property damage, Bent Street — Caller reported that kids with sling shots were hurling rocks at the restaurant.
7:51 p.m., Stray animal, Paseo del Pueblo Norte — Caller reported that he caught a dog near a restaurant and tied it to a pole.
9:51 p.m., Welfare check, Camino del Santiago — Caller reported that there was a woman there who looked lost.
11:10 p.m., Battery, Siler Road — Caller reported that a woman harassed her.
May 31, 2009
4:10 p.m., Domestic violence — Caller reported that she and her daughter got into a fight, the daughter threw a child’s car seat through the window and threatened to kill herself. Caller requested a welfare check on her daughter.
6:55 p.m., Larceny, Taos Plaza — Caller reported that she left her card in the machine and when she came back it was gone.
Copyright © 2009 - The Taos News
| The Taos News |
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
You know how much I love twitter....
This article is very interesting. It takes a random sample of 300,000 twitter users and analyzes how they use the twitter service. Check out the article....
Saturday, May 30, 2009
It Sure is Nice to be Back in Red River again....
After a very nice day of visiting the hardware store and furniture shopping in Questa, we decided to stop at Mountain Treasures for a nice afternoon coffee. Hank had a regular coffee and I had a non-fat latte with a dash of cinnamon and 3 splendas. Yum. We decided we were going to need the caffeine for a workout in our new gym and then off to a night of fun at the Bull o'the Woods. We wish you were here.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Waiting for the tornado....
The storm clouds tonight are amazing. It looks like the tornadoes are mostly north of us, so far.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Kevin Bacon: Network analysis and the Swine flu
Hey all,
This story is very interesting. If you are interested in network analysis, you might enjoy this article.
This story is very interesting. If you are interested in network analysis, you might enjoy this article.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tracking the Swine Flu
The NYT has a nice graphic for tracking the cases of swine flu. Check it out here....
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Stupid in Texas
Governor Good Hair thinks that Texas can secede. After you read this article, you might agree that we'd be better off without bufoons like Good Hair.... Fortunately, 3/4 of Texans are smarter than that.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Taxation with Representation
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Speaking of cats....
In this article from Science Daily:
Nine Lives: Cats' Central Nervous System Can Repair Itself And Restore Function
Scientists have discovered that a cat's neurological system has the amazing ability to restore itself after it has been damaged. Quite interesting, really.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Overcoming NIMBY: Partisanship, Ideology, and Change in Risk Perception over Time, Hank C. Jenkins-Smith, Carol L Silva, and Matthew Nowlin
The not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) syndrome has long been researched and discussed. The standard NIMBY model assumes that proximity to facilities that are perceived to pose a risk to the local community drive resistance to such facility. This is particularly true in the case of nuclear facilities. Other research however, has shown that perception of benefits by local residents can overcome some of the NIMBY sentiments. In addition, other research has demonstrated that broader views environment contributes to NIMBY sentiments. Our research will test several competing hypothesis about NIMBY sentiments including demographics, proximity, political ideology and partisanship, and the unfolding process over time. To test these hypotheses we use survey data collected in New Mexico dealing with risk perceptions and acceptance related to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP). WIPP is a permanent storage site for low-level radioactive waste located in Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP became operational and received its first shipment of waste on March 26, 1999. This study tracks the changes of risk perception and acceptance over a decade, using measures taken at multiple points in each year. The data set includes 35 surveys, and spans an 11-year time period from fall 1990 to summer 2001. This time frame includes periods before and after WIPP became operational. We find that acceptance of WIPP is positive and significant among those in the most proximate counties to WIPP, while acceptance is negative and significant among those along the transportation route. We also find that ideology, partisanship, government approval and environmental concern impact WIPP acceptance. Finally, several steps in the policy process are important to acceptance, most significantly the opening of the WIPP facility itself.
Email me if you want to read the paper. clsilva@ou.edu
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Depression Cooking with Grandma Clara
This is a charming video. I like the idea of lentils and rice. I usually cook rice or lentils not both. I think I would use a bit of chicken stock and maybe finish it off with some cilantro or scallions. Bless you too Ms. Clara.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Road trip to Red River
We are on the road to Red River for spring break. Steve is sleeping in
the back seat! :)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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