Forgot your password?

typodupeerror

Comment: Re:RTFA - really, it's interesting! (Score 3, Informative) 845

by chad_r (#38325904) Attached to: Are You Better At Math Than a 4th (or 10th) Grader?
Nobody has mentioned anything other than a few math questions, so I assume few people RTFA. I think his comment on the reading portion is spot on:

On the FCAT, they are reading material they didn’t choose. They are given four possible answers and three out of the four are pretty good. One is the best answer but kids don’t get points for only a pretty good answer. They get zero points, the same for the absolute wrong answer. And then they are given an arbitrary time limit. Those are a number of reasons that I think the test has to be suspect.

This is true of standardized reading tests, and as an analytical-minded person with good math skills, this always troubled me about these tests. Many times there is more than 1 correct answer, and you have to somehow make a judgment as to which is most correct. Whether this comes from intuition, ability to weigh qualitative factors on the fly, or taking a lot of practice tests, it's not a skill that comes easily for many people. It's not just with reading comprehension but also in grammar questions, where there are no clear grammatical errors, but one choice of phrasing is supposed to be "better" than another option that can also be perfectly acceptable.

Comment: Re:Taught? (Score 1) 176

by chad_r (#37902168) Attached to: Why Fingernails On a Chalkboard Sound Painful

Know what I hate?

The texture of that unrefined pulpy cardboard that McDonald's drink trays are made of. Feeling that stuff against my fingertips just makes my skin crawl. Styrofoam and chalkboards don't bug me at all.

Sort of related, I can't stand the feeling of wooden popsicle sticks against my teeth. Certain paper products have the same effect. It's hard to finish a popsicle--it has to be very tasty for me to take that last lick. Funny, even just the thought of the feeling is only slightly less pleasant....Gotta go, I'm going to be sick.

Comment: Re:Superman III (Score 1) 1200

by chad_r (#35464026) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Worst Computer Scene In TV or Movies?
In all the Superman III hate, what everyone is forgetting is this: When Richard Prior was causing mayhem with the city grid, at one point he MADE A DON'T WALK SIGNAL GO OVER AND STRANGLE THE WALK SIGNAL!! Yes, you read this right. He hacked a traffic signal so that the stick figure pedestrians moved and then fought with each other. If you haven't seen the movie, I think this sums up just how utterly terrible it is. Stupid password hacks are in many movies, but in no other movie did a Don't Walk signal go over and strangle a Walk signal.

If we won't stand together, we don't stand a chance.

Working...