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Comment This would work and costs nothing (Score 1) 163

Assuming you have a DVR, you can record on it some shows for the kids to watch, then unplug the cable input before you go to bed. When the kids wake up they will only have access to what is already on the DVR. When you wake up, plug in the cable and you're good to go. The downside is that nothing you have scheduled will record overnight. But it would work and costs nothing.

Comment Sitting backward sucks (Score 2) 394

A few years ago I sat facing backwards in one of those Southwest flights with two rows facing each other. It was terrible. Planes tilt nose up on takeoff, which meant that I was leaning forward, most uncomfortably. I figured I'd at least make it up on landing, but planes also tilt nose up on landing, which meant more discomfort. You'd have to give me a sizable discount to get me to fly backwards.

Comment FYI: definition of an en-dash (Score 1) 292

There are three kinds of "dashes" commonly used. A hyphen is what you have on your keyboard next to the zero. This is used for hyphenating words (who knew?) and for compound adjectives (a man-eating alligator). An en-dash got its name because it is the width of the block of type used for the letter "n" in the same font. Em-dash was named for the width of the block of type for an "m".

The en-dash is primarily used for both a minus sign and to indicate ranges in numbers (from 2–3 days). The em-dash is used as a kind of parenthesis (I am saying—not for the first time—that I am mad).

On a Mac you make an en-dash with option-hyphen, and an em-dash with option-shift-hyphen. I haven't used a PC for this kind of work in at least 10 years, but I do recall that entering en- and em-dashes was a hassle.

Comment David and Goliath and Soccer (Score 2) 111

In David and Goliath, you show that the highest science students at U of Maryland are more likely to become scientists than the lowest science students at Harvard, despite the fact that the Harvard students were, before college, much more successful. The idea being that the best place to develop is at a level where you are successful. This is the opposite of the conventional wisdom for soccer. In that world, the consensus for developing players is that they should get on the best team they possibly can, even if that means they don’t regularly play in league matches. Supposedly, being around better players in practice outweighs the lack of actual game experience. This question comes up for American players regularly. Should they stay in MLS, where they start and gets lots of playing time, or move to a better team in a better league in Europe, where they often struggle to see the field? So my question is, is Soccer different than Engineering in some fundamental way, or has the soccer world just not read David and Goliath? Would a rising American soccer player be better of on the Bayern Munich reserve team or starting for the LA Galaxy?

Comment Re:Rewarding the bullies... (Score 1) 798

"try getting teens to talk about any important matters, let alone suicidal ones."

As a parent of teenagers and a middle-school teacher I can tell you that this is a great idea. Try. Try getting teens to talk. Try getting them to talk about important matters. Try getting them to talk about suicidal thoughts.

It's not easy but it does work and it does help. Teenagers who feel this way are usually desperate for the chance to talk to about it. The first thing they learn is that they are not the only ones who feel this way. This is half the battle, sometimes. Often just the fact that the teacher/parent/adult is trying means the world.

And keep trying. Don't stop trying just because the standard line is that it's impossible to get kids to talk about important matters. That attitude is half the problem.

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