Disqus - Latest Comments for redhawk

Re: noodad » Understanding Percentiles

redhawk — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:00:48 -0000

With percentiles in a normal curve, what you really have to look out for is the extremes. The numbers near the 50th percentile do not represent a great deal of difference (e.g., there is not much difference between the real value represented by the 51st vs. the 52nd percentile). \"Normal range\" extends from the 20th to 80th percentile (roughly). Once you get to the ends of the curve, the differences between percentiles represent large differences in the represented values.

One way to think about it: Every pitcher in professional baseball is in the 99th percentile of pitching (of the world\'s population), but there\'s a huge difference in ability between the best and worst.

Re: noodad » The Princess Guide (The Big 6)

redhawk — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:53:55 -0000

I used to feel like a pervert when it came to checking out cartoon protagonists. Now I feel like I\'m part of a community of perverts. Thanks, foodad!

Re: noodad » Adoption Zealot Bear Trap

redhawk — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 03:15:27 -0000

I object to the use of \"[insert preferred higher power]s\" in your article. You are obviously a monotheistic bigot with Calvinist leanings. To be inclusive, you should have stated \"It was [insert preferred higher power(\')(s)(\'), or leave blank] [divine will/predestined/coincidence] that we be together [forever/until one of us dies].\"

The Almighty Terrence and Phillip will be *very* displeased...

Re: noodad » Your Kid Talks Funny

redhawk — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:01:23 -0000

I love the graphic.

Re: noodad » Things That Are Cool Until They Stopped Being Cool

redhawk — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:04:42 -0000

I only had one Gobot (the Harrier), but I had a few Transformers. The Gobot had was die cast metal, so I always assumed Gobots were of a higher quality. It\'s good to have that straightened out. Thanks, Noodad.

Re: noodad » Family Crazy Hour

redhawk — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:32:25 -0000

I had to read that twice to be sure you meant you did all that in an hour. Impressive!

Re: noodad » Father’s Day Contest - Winner Announced

redhawk — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 03:16:38 -0000

We\'re entering the 14th month of the process involved in adopting a little girl from China, so receiving our referral would be a fantastic Father\'s Day gift (even though I\'m still a predad and thus not yet eligible).

Re: noodad » One Way to Change a Diaper

redhawk — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 03:23:42 -0000

I did not know you could buy squirtable Vaseline.

Re: noodad » The Disaster Called Co-Sleeping

redhawk — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 09:53:48 -0000

I have not followed the issue, but Dr. Sears is the only authority I\'ve ever heard mentioned as an advocate for co-sleeping. Is he credible? (Having 8 kids does not make him so. Plenty of crappy parents have had 8 kids.) What is his background?

Re: noodad » Understanding APGAR Scores

redhawk — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:56:46 -0000

This was a good idea for an article. Back when I worked in special ed, we always asked about APGAR when doing assessments.

Re: noodad » The Predad Dictionary Part 1: Vagina

redhawk — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:14:07 -0000

Another great and informative article, but \"hoagie\" is a Philly-area term for any warm sub, not just Italian. And a cold Italian sub is not a hoagie. Not that I\'ll be able to order a hoagie anytime soon after reading this.

I\'ve always thought \"Afterbirth\" would be a cool name for a speed metal band.

Re: noodad » TV and McDonalds Is Good For You Too

redhawk — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:20:29 -0000

I group people who say TV is bad with people who say the Internet is bad. There is good TV and bad TV. Most can be considered bad, but there are certainly shows worth watching. That said, we don\'t plan to do any TV for our kid before age 2, but will practice moderation after that for the reasons you mentioned.

Same deal with McDonald\'s - certainly don\'t want to make it out to be more than it is.

Remember, though, to keep your kids off the computer and game console until 2nd grade. [Reference to an old discussion.]

Re: noodad » 10 Paternity Leave Questions You Need Answered

redhawk — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:22:51 -0000

I\'ve learned a lot while catching up with noodad tonight. Thanks!

A shorter answer to #3: If taking paternity leave hurts your reputation at work, your employers are assholes.

Re: noodad » Your Kid is Not a Dog

redhawk — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 14:49:35 -0000

I think the worst aspect is the time the kid figures out he\'s untethered and *really* takes off.

Re: noodad » Tips for Reading to Your Kids

redhawk — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:21:43 -0000

Many important abilities stem from reading skill, and you\'re totally right in encouraging an early start. In all of my studies and work in schools I learned that kids with parents who read to, with, and in front of them had fewer academic problems than those for whom the converse was true.

Re: noodad » The Definitive Guide to Power Boy Names

redhawk — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:24:59 -0000

What is the average age of a CEO? At what year of birth does that place them? What were the most popular boy names that year? If the most popular boy names that year were Robert, John, James, William, and David, then you would expect those to be the most common CEO names. The most popular boy names in the 1950s (quick Google search) were John, James, Robert, William, and Michael. That accounts for all of your top five except for David, which was #6 on the most popular boy names list. Your assertion that the names of those on your CEO list had a signficant effect on career path is questionable, though you could still suggest that having a common name did nothing to [I]prevent[/I] those individuals from becoming CEOs.
Unfortunately, this research does nothing to help my case in the GoBot vs. Transformer (aka die-cast metal vs. marketing) debate.

Re: noodad » Does the SI Swimsuit Issue Objectify Women?

redhawk — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:05:33 -0000

I always thought if it made you feel tingly, it was probably objectification...

Re: noodad » Happy Birthday to Us (Win a Noodad T-Shirt)

redhawk — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:45:43 -0000

I like the non-touchy-feely, straight-to-the-point, we-don\'t-care-if-we-frighten-off-the-timid writing. The article topics are always relevant, entertaining, or both.

Suggestions:

1. An article on \"where to buy [I]x[/I].\" Just like you should never buy CDs at FYE, there are probably good recommendations for where best to buy (or order) the most important items for kids, like diapers, formula, clothes, and toy guns. Should I order diapers from Amazon? Is it safe to buy formula from the scratch-and-dent? Are used clothes okay? Should my kid\'s first piece be plastic, die-cast, or should I just take the firing pin out of that old Ruger?

2. A detailed analysis of the Transformers vs. GoBots debate.

3. More pictures of foodad.

Thanks for all your work on this site. It really is a great resource.

Re: noodad » 5 Reasons Why The Transformers Are Better Than the GoBots

redhawk — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:26:58 -0000

A very nice analysis, though it takes more of a global view of the toy concepts rather than focusing on the toys themselves. Obviously when you take into account the movies, TV shows, and comic books the Transformers come out ahead (although you have to subtract a couple points from the Transformers movie due to its use of \"Dare to be Stupid\" in a totally out-of-context fashion).

I guess I like metal better than plastic.

Regardless, thank you for addressing another item on my noodad wish list. Now if we can just get some more pictures of foodad the site will become a true online utopia.

Re: noodad » Your Wife May Be Pimpin Your Kid on the Net

redhawk — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 06:16:51 -0000

To save the predators time, along with pictures and personal details, it\'s courteous to include your address or the address of your day care provider along with the best time to abduct your children.

[URL=http://www.eff.org//Privacy/eff_privacy_top_12.html]Be safe.[/URL]

Re: noodad » Why You Shouldn’t Watch American Idol with a 4 Year Old

redhawk — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:59:17 -0000

I\'m glad I\'m not the only one who remembers Paula at her best.

Re: noodad » What Age Is Too Old To Have Kids?

redhawk — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:08:44 -0000

but he\'s too old to have a kid.

I think you have to split this up into two categories. The first would be the max age for a woman to bear a child, which should be determined by risk factors.

As for fathers fathering biologically and individuals of both genders adopting, I think you have to think about where everyone will be in twenty and thirty years. There should be a goodly number of years between the last instance of the parent changing the child\'s diaper and the first instance of the child changing the parent\'s. I\'d put the cutoff at 50 for an infant, but in the case of adoption I\'d add years to the limit in accordance with the child\'s age (thus a 60-year-old could adopt a 10-year-old).

That\'s my off-the-cuff response.

And a big thumbs up for Mr. Duvall\'s performance in \'The Apostle.\'

Re: noodad » A Practical and Tactical Alternative to the Diaper Bag

redhawk — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:31:13 -0000

Noodad.com continues to deliver the goods. Not only pictures of foodad, but video! And in a Redhawks hat, no less! Could wallpaper be next?

Re: noodad » Should You Circumcise Your Son?

redhawk — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:37:48 -0000

Whoa, guys. It was a joke suggesting that since there is no evidence that there are any benefits to circumcision, it\'s questionable to put little boys through the pain and suffering involved. The comment further mocked Mel Gibson\'s violent tendencies and anti-Semitism.

Re: noodad » The Scam Called Kid Recital Videos

redhawk — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 07:56:43 -0000

As with many other services, you have to be aware of the \"hidden costs\" involved when choosing a dance studio. My wife runs a dance studio, and while her monthly rates are only slightly less than those of her competitors, I\'m always amazed at how much the other studios gouge when it comes to costumes, recital tickets, and other fees.
As for the recital video, we don\'t allow parents to videotape the night of the performance as the auditorium is very crowded and raised camcorders would block the view of others. However, we do allow parents to videotape the night of the dress rehearsal. It\'s a clean run-through, so the only difference in a dress rehearsal video is there are fewer folks applauding at the conclusion of each number. Parents can even position themselves in front of the stage during their child\'s performance to make their videos and take pictures.
We do not allow flash photography at the performance as it makes the experience more difficult for students who are nervous about performing. We do allow it at the dress rehearsal since there are fewer nerves that evening and we do want parents to be able to take pictures.
Recital tickets are $2, and each family receives two at no cost. Programs are $3. I do the recital DVD, and it is $20 but includes the holiday recital video (with the chapter markers you mentioned), the dress rehearsal, and a picture slideshow.
I don\'t know what dance studio choices are in your area, but I hope you can find one that provides a better value for your investment.

Re: noodad » REVIEW: Signing Time! DVD

redhawk — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:06:09 -0000

Earlier this week a concept that child development experts have known for years made it to the national news: Don\'t let your kid watch TV until he or she is at least two years old.

This DVD sounds good for older toddlers, though - thank you for the review.