Disqus - Latest Comments for hilbuk

Re: Deputy who killed man after mistaking gun for Taser is an insurance exec who pays to play cop

hilbuk — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:12:22 -0000

I am a cognitive scientist and I agree that this mistake is actually not that hard to make. It has less to do with what the weapons look like and more to do with what they feel like, which can't be ascertained from this picture. The mistake is more likely to be made for an older person (i.e. 73) and more likely to be made for someone with limited training/practice (i.e. a non-real cop, like this guy.)

Based on the cognitive science, I'd suggest a few policies. #1 - "reserve deputies" should not be allowed to have firearms, period. Personally I think even a taser is a bit much but no way should they have both. #2 - there should be an age limit for reserve deputies (and cops, sorry) that is well under 73, and/or there should be extensive testing that increases in frequency as someone ages, for both cops and for these "reserve" volunteers. At least this should be the case for anyone who is carrying a firearm or taser. #3 - The handling, feel, and trigger of a taser should be very different from a gun. You'd think that making them similar would help but it actually harms because it can cause situations like this one.

Re: Le Tote: A Very Honest Review

hilbuk — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 22:30:23 -0000

I am someone who has used stitch fix and had a great experience with it, so when I saw an ad for le tote I decided to try it. It looks like I'll barely be able to squeak in two (I HOPE!) shipments within my one month of membership. I will be canceling after that. The first shipment did have 1-2 good items for me, and I'm optimistic that the second one will as well based on what they picked out for me. But the shipping is SO SLOW. I did not keep the first one for long at all (3 days?), but I might not even have time for the second one before the new month will start. With stitch fix, the deal is that it's not a rental but a "try and maybe buy" service. They send you 5 things. If you don't buy any, they will charge you $20. If you do buy any of them, that $20 goes towards the first item. And there's no automatic shipping of boxes over time. You request each one. I used it twice and kept 2 things once, all 5 the second time (for a discount). I'll use it again, but I just didn't feel like I needed any more clothes right now. So far I've experienced the selection at stitch fix is a bit better, and overall it costs less, even if you never buy from stitch fix! This is because if le tote is as slow as I've experienced it, you only get maybe two shipments a month anyway. Two shipments of stitch fix is $40 (without buying), less than le tote! And if you buy from le tote there is no discount like with stitch fix. You're out the $49/mo regardless. Plus the items are obviously never pre-worn at stitch fix, a bonus. And I personally hate jewelry, and didn't realize until I had signed up that I'd be stuck with two "accessories" per shipment at le tote. yuck. Not the case with stitch fix. I like that with le tote you can choose specific items (not true with stitch fix), but clearly the case of this poster they ignored those selections anyhow. With me they have followed that better, though, admittedly.

Just add me to the list of people who are not a fan of le tote. I will be canceling right after I receive this second tote and can turn it back to them asap (I'm basically going to use it like stitch fix this month - see if there is something I will buy; if not I will send the whole thing back without wearing any of it.)

By the way I have no connection to / sponsorship with stitch fix. I do like them but even they are not perfect. I just figured it was worth comparing the two services.

Re: Union sets 'aspirational goal' for adjunct pay

hilbuk — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 17:45:59 -0000

Part-timers are woefully underpaid and abused. That said, I don't see how schools can afford to increase their wages so much, or to have more full-time positions (replacing the adjuncts). Where is this money supposed to come from? Most colleges and universities are completely strapped as it is. I know the administration is always to blame, but as the article states, probably some of that is due to changes / increases in regulations that end up requiring more administrators employed on campus.

Basically, colleges can't self-fund unless a) students are willing to pay ridiculously high fees (which they are not--most colleges offer deep discounts to a huge percentage of the students), b) there is much more public funding available to higher education, and/or c) private donations (alumni, etc) increase substantially for higher ed institutions.

We can't complain about adjunct pay and tenure-track pay and tuition costs all at once unless we can come up with a way to pay for all of this. Personally I don't have the answer. I am a tenure-track professor at a very average school (not elite but not bottom of the barrel) and my salary is in the $50K-60K range to teach 6 courses per year, serve on committees, and conduct research with students, and publish. I work 12 months per year to make this happen. I took two weeks of vacation last year, and that is typical. This is in a high cost of living location. I do get benefits, but even when you factor that in, yes, the $15K/course sounds ridiculously high. If only I could be paid that much, as well as an equivalent for the research and service I do. My salary would more than double!

I just don't know how anyone can pay for this. Other than maybe Tufts, apparently.

Re: An Open Letter to Journal Editors

hilbuk — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 22:04:38 -0000

I completely agree. This article is nonsensical.

Re: Oh Boy: Robin Thicke “Gropee” Claims He Cheated With Her, Paula Patton Responds

hilbuk — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:49:25 -0000

My thoughts exactly! I'm STUNNED at how all of these comments are about the girl and her character, and whether or not she is lying, etc. Robin Thicke had his hand on her butt--that's the only thing we know, but we do know that. And his hit song essentially condones rape. So, no, I don't consider it far-fetched that he'd be cheating on his wife, or that he'd say "I love that you're so young," or that he tried to do more with the girl. I honestly was just relieved that at least in this case it seemed pretty welcome (i.e. they actually did try to squeeze in the quickie) and that he wasn't doing something worse.

Maybe this girl is a liar and promiscuous. Maybe not. We actually have no evidence either way. The only evidence we have of anything is that Robin Thicke had his hand on her butt...which says much more about him than her....

Re: Real Debt Help - Get out of debt with Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Plan - daveramsey.com

hilbuk — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:00:28 -0000

I dunno...as for the appetizer thing, when I go out I only go out to really nice places that have excellent food, and I'm trying to taste different things. These places usually don't have giant portions anyhow, so it's not crazy to order an appetizer. If I get an appetizer I get to try two things. I think what's stupid is going out to a place when you can cook something better at home for much cheaper. I never waste money on mid-grade restaurants like chili's, olive garden, etc. And if I must go (e.g. a group or work event) I will definitely not get an appetizer for the reasons discussed here. But when I'm out somewhere good, I want to try different things and will definitely consider ordering one.

Re: Scholar explores how graduate admissions committees view measures of merit and diversity

hilbuk — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 10:53:42 -0000

FWIW, when I was on a graduate admissions committee I considered diversity along with all of the other factors in the initial screen.

Re: 5 (Alternative) Reasons Modern-Day Parenting is in Crisis

hilbuk — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 18:24:23 -0000

I also do agree with this post in many ways, but she lost me on a) thinking it's ok to park a kid in front of a screen and b) trusting "instinct" over science & medicine. It's my instinct to give in when my kid is tantruming because I didn't let him have the toy/candy/dessert he wanted in the store. But I know better than to give in. That said, I do understand that "cry it out" is a controversial subject, even within science/pediatrics, but to just say "follow instinct" every time is a bad argument in my opinion.

Re: 5 (Alternative) Reasons Modern-Day Parenting is in Crisis

hilbuk — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 18:21:29 -0000

I have to agree with the people who have said that both posts have their merits and their flaws. The nanny one was overly dramatic ("crisis") and overly negative, but in terms of the content and message I agreed with it more than this one. Kids deserve love, respect, and lots of hugs/touching. BUT, they also need to be disciplined starting early on or else they'll be spoiled and ineffective adults. They need to develop good habits. Parents need to set and stick to boundaries. But still give them unlimited affection and attention, of course!

Re: ‘Racist’ Baby K’Tan Sling Package Sparks Outrage On Social Media

hilbuk — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:51:11 -0000

The viral posting of these pictures, while nice for discussion, was misleading. There is a black father pictured on the same product box when you look at a different angle. The product with the couple is apparently the only couples picture of any of the company's products (I know someone who works there). I ABSOLUTELY agree with everything you've said here, but I just think that this particular case is not the right place to focus our energies.

Re: ‘Racist’ Baby K’Tan Sling Package Sparks Outrage On Social Media

hilbuk — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:48:43 -0000

I am always one to point out poor messaging and bad companies as far as social injustices go, but I think this is a case of people barking up the wrong tree. I agree with the last tweet mentioned in this article. If you look into the company for one minute you'll see what they're really about.

I know someone who works for the company and she showed me the actual products in the viral picture. First of all, there IS a black father holding his baby in another picture on the same box; it is simply not in the angle photographed here. Secondly, she mentioned that all of their products have pictures of different men and women holding their babies, but that the one with the couple was the ONLY one with two parents in it and was just chose because of how the baby was positioned (safely) compared to some other photos they had. Remember -- the vast majority of their pictures, including pictures of white parents, only had one parent in them.

While I think that companies--especially ones like this one that truly do support multiculturalism--ought to think deeply about any message they might be sending (e.g. the racial make-up of the ONLY couple pictured in their products), I think that as far as companies are concerned this one is one of the best so we really ought to focus our energies elsewhere (afterall, it was a mixed race couple, too).

What's sort of sad about this is that if the company were a typical white-washed baby company with all white imagery all of the time (and probably all moms--no dads, even, carrying babies) there would have been zero uproar about it. One of the only companies that is trying to acknowledge and support all types of parents is getting flack for something that is ultimately very minor, especially when you consider the big picture of their overall marketing.

Re: Why I Don’t Wear Makeup

hilbuk — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:55:31 -0000

I don't wear make-up either, also because I'm lazy, and because I like the way I look already.

Re: Apartment Decorating Ideas - Home Makeover Tips

hilbuk — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 22:00:45 -0000

Is one no longer an adult once s/he has children? 'cause...most of this stuff just does not apply when you have small children. Particularly anything regarding messes.

So it seems to me this post describes a <5 year window of time in people's lives.

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

hilbuk — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:16:29 -0000

instead of a bumbo, get a bouncy seat. same effect, but not bad for your baby.

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

hilbuk — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:13:55 -0000

My sink is clean enough for washing hands (because I don't touch the sink when I do that) and washing dishes (we have a dishwasher, so we don't fill the basin to wash dishes) but not clean enough to wash a baby. It's not that I'm a germophobe, it's just that if you're giving your baby a bath it's to CLEAN the baby. So adding food particles / grease to your baby during the bath doesn't seem like the best plan. Cleaning out the sink first would totally work but it takes more time and I'm lazy. We have a whale bathtub and it is a huge pain to store in the bathroom but it does the trick and we're satisfied with it.

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

hilbuk — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:08:42 -0000

We've never had one, but I've heard of wipe warmers being useful for overnight changes because with it, apparently some parents were able to change their kids without the kid waking up. My solution is no diaper changes overnight except if there's already soaking through of some kind.

We do have a bathtub, which is good, because the kitchen sink is extremely gross most of the time and too small for a baby after 2ish months. I'm not comfortable using the regular bathtub until 9+ mo when the kid is sitting really well.

As for clothes that go over the newborn's head...nice idea but don't like 90% of the clothes go over the baby's head? Or maybe you're just talking newborns <2 mo of age? For our kids we did tend to dress them both in pjs until they were 1-2 mo old, thereby avoiding clothes going over their heads, but at a certain point it becomes unavoidable since every single onesie goes over the head.

Re: I Look Down On Young Women With Husbands And Kids And I’m Not Sorry

hilbuk — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 22:41:37 -0000

nope, I'm an angry mom who has never looked down on someone for not getting married and/or not having kids. I said "go for it!" when my friend wanted to get her tubes tied at 25. She just didn't want kids, so yeah, she shouldn't have them! That's great! I also admire stay-at-home moms even though I work in a job outside of the home. Glass's piece still makes me angry, though.

The only people who I "look down on and I'm not sorry" are asshats like Glass who a) feel the need to judge and b) harm society in their public judgment.

Re: I Look Down On Young Women With Husbands And Kids And I’m Not Sorry

hilbuk — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 22:19:12 -0000

OK people, she wrote a post called "In defense of trolling." Those of us commenting all took the obvious (and admitted!) trolling bait with this over-the-top piece. Not to give her more clicks, likes, and comments, but maybe go over to that piece now. It is very telling. She compares herself to Socrates. Then she uses logic very poorly, with a terrible fail of a premise. She says basically that her post wouldn't be so popular if it weren't touching on something that's probably at least a little bit true. No. That's kind of like saying that jumping on stereotypes to debunk them really just goes to show there is some truth in the stereotype. (And I realize some people could read this and say, "yes, exactly! And we know there are truths to every stereotype!" which is really pathetically sickening.) So lets talk about something that is 100% falsified -- the idea that vaccines cause autism. When some moron writes about how vaccines are bad and cause autism, they'll get 12,000K+ comments. They're not getting those comments because there's some truth to the claim. They're getting those comments to be shut down because it's incredibly absurd, and more importantly it is incredibly dangerous to perpetuate such a claim.

Historically (and presently) women have been shut down in society. So people react strongly when someone claims that women lack ambition or are inferior in some way, because it's a dangerous claim. Not because we think there is some truth to it. It's surprising Glass doesn't understand this distinction.

This piece bothered me not because I'm a mother (I am) or because I am worried there is some kernel of truth to it (I don't -- I know SO many wildly successful mothers that I'll never worry about this), but its existence perpetuates something that I consider wrong with society. Now that I have a daughter I am especially concerned about the message she'll be getting from society. Not that I don't worry about what my son hears, either; I feel his education about these issues is at least as important as hers so that he can treat women properly, be an ally, and not perpetuate the same problems we're having today.

Another false assumption of this piece is that all husbands are a drain on the family. My husband and I are both employed full-time. We have both made equal, minor sacrifices along the way of our careers to ensure that both of us are happy and successful in our jobs, and we are. We share childcare, though I do a bit more. We share housework, though he does a bit more. We support each other. So we both have the ability to be exceptional. I'm killing it at my job as a professor, and loving every day of life.

Oh and PS -- I have never begrudged a woman for choosing not to have children, choosing not to get married, or choosing to stay at home to raise children. All cool options, none worthy of looking down upon. And IMO you can be exceptional in any case, including even if you choose both (kids & career), though obviously you may make some sacrifices in your potential in each category if you do so. For the record I do think it's as sick to ask a single career woman if/when she's getting married / having kids as it is to write this piece of crap. You don't need a spouse and/or children for happiness and fulfillment, even though they may provide those things to you.

Re: Fox News contributor: Angry blacks to blame for rise in ‘American Anglo-Saxon’ racism

hilbuk — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:26:14 -0000

Also, by her "black president = no racism" logic, we have a MAJOR sexism problem in this country. Which we do...but I don't think she'd agree to it.

Re: Fox News contributor: Angry blacks to blame for rise in ‘American Anglo-Saxon’ racism

hilbuk — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:17:08 -0000

Also, you can be racist and still vote for a black person over white people. You can be sexist and still choose to hire a woman over men. That's not the definition of racism. Consider this example --

Lets say you want to hire a college graduate. One applicant is a black male with a 4.0 GPA, relevant experience, etc. Another applicant is a white male with a 3.0 GPA, no experience. You can be racist and still choose the black male. Because the comparison is just too stark for even you to ignore. If you're even having a dilemma over whom to hire given those choices, you are probably racist.

I'm not saying that Obama was galactically, objectively a better choice than McCain or Romney; just saying that you can't use two votes as "proof" that racism isn't a problem in the country. And as you said, almost 50% of voters did not choose Obama, and 70% of eligible voters did not (given that many did not vote.)

Re: 8 Toys Your Daughter Will Love

hilbuk — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 13:45:49 -0000

I'm surprised goldieblox wasn't on the list.
I'm sorry but I had to barf when I saw a legos friends set on this list. Sure it might have been one of the least horrible ones of the series, but lego is the WORST for gender stereotyping these days. The friends sets are awful.

Re: This New Coke Ad Totally Captures The Reality Of Early Parenthood

hilbuk — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 16:13:49 -0000

I just had my second. This ad made me tear up. I love how the parents are freaked out but actually giddily happy at the end with the news of the second pregnancy.

Re: I Didn’t Love My Wife When We Got Married

hilbuk — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 10:40:07 -0000

I was in love with my husband when we got engaged and when we got married. This is because we lived together first (but even before that, we were very giving to each other, yes, in the practical way). The type of love you're describing was there for us well before the marriage actually started. Granted it has only grown over time (now 13 years together, 8 married) but it was there. I think that a good idea for dealing with the divorce rate is for people to wait longer within their relationships before they get married. And obviously have MANY conversations about the "practical" stuff in advanced of getting married.

Re: Princeton U. Moves a Storied Train Station Farther From Its Users

hilbuk — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:31:10 -0000

I used to visit Princeton via train. I'd be livid if I still lived/worked in the area.

Re: Adjuncts Are Better Teachers Than Tenured Professors, Study Finds

hilbuk — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:51:01 -0000

1) how do you know it was just assistant professors they were using in their sample? I thought it was anyone on the track, including those tenured who had been there decades.
2) haha, yeah, because adjunct salaries fully cover their expenses. Most adjuncts work at several schools, or they are working toward a PhD, or they work a full-time job on top of it. Or they are the primary caregivers of their children. They have a LOT on their plates AND no job security to boot.
3) yes, but the grades were on the NEXT course they took. The details aren't spelled out here, but as long as there was sufficient counterbalancing of moving from adjunct to TT faculty or vice-versa from one course to the next within the major, this really isn't a problem and has NOTHING to do with incentives of adjuncts to inflate grades or whatever (which people are claiming.)
4) YES, this is just coursework, not undergraduate research. In fact it's intro coursework. But that's important, too, because it hooks the student into the major in the first place.
5) Yes this probably mostly applies to large courses because they are introductory. Someone would have to do the study again with upper-level classes to see if there is any difference there (and I agree there might not be or it could reverse, for a number of reasons.) But it's still a good point to make about intro courses.

Disqus - Latest Comments for hilbuk

Re: Deputy who killed man after mistaking gun for Taser is an insurance exec who pays to play cop

Re: Le Tote: A Very Honest Review

Re: Union sets 'aspirational goal' for adjunct pay

Re: An Open Letter to Journal Editors

Re: Oh Boy: Robin Thicke “Gropee” Claims He Cheated With Her, Paula Patton Responds

Re: Real Debt Help - Get out of debt with Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Plan - daveramsey.com

Re: Scholar explores how graduate admissions committees view measures of merit and diversity

Re: 5 (Alternative) Reasons Modern-Day Parenting is in Crisis

Re: 5 (Alternative) Reasons Modern-Day Parenting is in Crisis

Re: ‘Racist’ Baby K’Tan Sling Package Sparks Outrage On Social Media

Re: ‘Racist’ Baby K’Tan Sling Package Sparks Outrage On Social Media

Re: Why I Don’t Wear Makeup

Re: Apartment Decorating Ideas - Home Makeover Tips

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

Re: 10 Things You Don’t Need For Baby

Re: I Look Down On Young Women With Husbands And Kids And I’m Not Sorry

Re: I Look Down On Young Women With Husbands And Kids And I’m Not Sorry

Re: Fox News contributor: Angry blacks to blame for rise in ‘American Anglo-Saxon’ racism

Re: Fox News contributor: Angry blacks to blame for rise in ‘American Anglo-Saxon’ racism

Re: 8 Toys Your Daughter Will Love

Re: This New Coke Ad Totally Captures The Reality Of Early Parenthood

Re: I Didn’t Love My Wife When We Got Married

Re: Princeton U. Moves a Storied Train Station Farther From Its Users

Re: Ad­juncts Are Bet­ter Teachers Than Tenured Professors, Study Finds

Re: Adjuncts Are Better Teachers Than Tenured Professors, Study Finds