Recent Comments

1. about 21 hours ago on Al Goodwyn Editorial Cartoons

   The physics and astronomy grad courses I took were nothing like that. In the first go-around, I do not remember any talks by grad students during a two-year period. But more than fifteen years later in my second time, in the Astronomy classes you were expected to give a short talk about a course-related subject, but those did not comprise the entire period of one class (and we generally had 2 or 3 classes per week).

2. about 22 hours ago on Al Goodwyn Editorial Cartoons

   My first go-around as a physics grad student, I was a TA, and then Head TA the second year. The latter entailed picking out the labs to be done for the first year classes. I asked the prof for some pages (photocopies) from some of the real-life lab books used for particle physics experiments to include in the lab manual. I wanted the kids to see that there was a real purpose for the write-ups they would do in their lab manuals. Great writing was of course not the goal, but the point was to communicate what was done that others could understand.

3. 1 day ago on Al Goodwyn Editorial Cartoons

   There is a lot to be said for all the books on math not intended for the hard core math types. I buy them because sometimes I just want to know the gist of something, and not have to read theorems. I do wish that in high school, I could have read a book like “Everything and More” by David Foster Wallace (Yes, the novelist! Turns out he had an excellent math teacher in high school.) That book really explained what I refer to as “the epsilon-delta” mode of proof and why it was so important.

4. 1 day ago on Al Goodwyn Editorial Cartoons

   I still remember very clearly how, around 1969, I was standing in the university bookstore, browsing physics and math books (not the ones for classes). Behind me were the books for various classes, including Education. Two young women were talking about the books they needed for their Education classes. One said that she really hated math, but would have to teach it in elementary school. I didn’t say anything, but thought, “And this is why kids have trouble with math.” Surely her attitude would find a means of expression in her teaching.

   It was about 6th grade that I began to have more than a single teacher. Except perhaps for some classes in music. And I think my attitude perked up when I was being taught by those who clearly loved what they were teaching. (I was already good at math, but would tell others that I hated it, so as to fit in. That was 5th grade.)

5. 1 day ago on Clay Jones

   Kilroy in the back, looking in over the door. Looks like one of the guys behind the upright for the hanging rope is wearing a McDonald’s cap. Waldo on the right hand side, about 1/3 of the way up. Pizza Rat in front of rebel flag. dc swamp’s idol is there. And Jason the Halloween guy.

   Love the “I’m Just a Tourist” cap.And the elephant with the Russian flag pin. Maybe Clay needs to start adding Boris Badinoff and/or Natasha?

6. 2 days ago on M2Bulls

   Carl Hiaasen published “Squeeze Me” in 2020. It featured the First ummm Lady getting it on with a Secret Service agent…

   Lots more fun than that of course!

   https://www.fantasticfiction.Com/h/carl-hiaasen/

7. 3 days ago on Dark Side of the Horse

   I guess Horace missed that admonition, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

8. 3 days ago on M2Bulls

   Hmm, I did not know Trump smoked. Or are those from the hair critter? Who obviously reads more than Trump does.

   Another hilarious toon from Mr. Two Bulls.

9. 3 days ago on Clay Jones

   Good catch! I missed that.

10. 3 days ago on Clay Jones

    Yeah, fig farmer, retreat to your lies. You got nothin’! Oh, and BTW which party did the ONLY BLACK President of the United States belong to? And which party does he STILL belong to? And funny that the first woman to be win the majority of the popular vote for the office of the Presidency was also a Democrat.