tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2105609655817239699.post4020449066326720461..comments2023-10-20T07:51:45.504-04:00Comments on Prof. Wombat: second opinion: Other People's Children Left BehindProfWombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11251229209601018545noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2105609655817239699.post-36266898581962099532010-12-30T02:01:55.642-05:002010-12-30T02:01:55.642-05:00I once copy edited a book of Jensen's -- I thi...I once copy edited a book of Jensen's -- I think it was Jensen -- anyway someone of that school (is it a school?) who felt very ill-used by the media. He was setting out his beliefs by listing the most important figures in various scientific and artistic disciplines, and making it statistically valid by using the appearance of these names in a huge assortment of journals and encyclopedias in order to prove that the white race (and males) produced more worthwhile &c. <br /><br />Of course it wasn't my place as an underling to challenge his premises, but I did point out that he'd listed both Arthur Sullivan and William Gilbert among the 100 most important musical figures of the last 500 (was it?) years, and that Gilbert was famously tone deaf and even boasted of the fact. <br /><br />But I doubt I caused him to rethink his premises. Much less his prejudices.Brightshadowhttp://hanslick/blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2105609655817239699.post-2687585456863556252010-12-11T21:01:18.071-05:002010-12-11T21:01:18.071-05:00Yup. Gotta be careful about 'em, but Blow'...Yup. Gotta be careful about 'em, but Blow's is perfect. Beck uses his blackboard, too...<br /><br />Lots of economic models use graphs and functions of really poorly defined units that look great and mean nothing in the real world. <br /><br />And what a shame that we, as a society, think that what we're doing is good enough, and, if it isn't, it's somebody else's fault...ProfWombathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11251229209601018545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2105609655817239699.post-58688281246562094172010-12-11T12:47:19.189-05:002010-12-11T12:47:19.189-05:00I love these sorts of visual aids. They really cu...I love these sorts of visual aids. They really cut through the rhetoric.<br /><br />I am only a bit confused that Unicef did not include African nations in this chart. Or did they? Perhaps they were edited out in the name of political correctness.<br /><br />Anyway, this chart ought to be reprinted again and again on a grand scale for all to see. Mr. Blow has really seized the moment by relating budget cuts/austerity measures to the plight of the children. <br /><br />If only more of our elected officials would remember to shout this from the highest hills, early and often.<br /><br />Who ever would have thought that our children would give their eye teeth to emigrate to------<br />the Czech Republic.Caroline A. Phillipsnoreply@blogger.com