Random randomness

[Isgrimnur]

Story's better if it's Telepresence.

Science Alert

A California family is outraged that a doctor told their elderly relative his lungs were failing and he was going to die imminently - via a telepresence robot.

"You might not make it home," the doctor at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center told the patient, according to local television channel KTVU, which broke the story.

The patient, Ernest Quintana, died two days after arriving at the hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune - but the impersonal manner in which his doctor delivered the news to him and his family illustrate the strange ways that medicine is changing as technology and automation make their way into the hospital system.

[GreenGoo]

"You might not make it home," the doctor at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center told the patient

You might be dead right now! What a twist!

He probably meant he was too sick to leave the hospital, but I read it differently. Because people receiving horrible news heartlessly is comical to me. Or something.

[Isgrimnur]

[GreenGoo]

And of course that's the voice l hear in my head when I write that. Usually. There are a lot of voices in there.

[Pyperkub]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tix for SF (presale) went on sale today at 11am.

I'm currently still behind over 8k people to get up to 9 tix after over an hour in the virtual queue.

[Pyperkub]

Almost 4 hours after the sale began, I'm still around 500th in line...

[Smoove_B]

When you've graded 10 out of 100 exams and so far, only one person has passed



Spring Break, here I come.

[Isgrimnur]

So is that on the students or the professor?

[Smoove_B]

I've often wondered that, truly. If I didn't give an exam review last week and there wasn't a student with a 95%, I'd think I was losing my mind. There's a reason I don't take attendance, btw. It's because I can tell by your nonsense answers that you don't come to class.

EDIT: I've also come to learn that students over the last decade have changed noticeably; currently they are really, really good at memorizing things. Application of theory? They parrot back lists and don't actually know how to apply any of it. It's creepy. Also, get off my lawn.

[Isgrimnur]

Which tells you how they’ve been trained up to that point.

[Kraken]

I hope that just means that you start with the worst students to get them out of the way.

I was taken aback when I learned that a C is a failing grade now. Eventually there will only be A+, A, and A-.

[Smoove_B]

Which tells you how they’ve been trained up to that point.

Oh yeah, absolutely. I know I'm going to sound like an even older, crotchety man but I seriously wonder how some of them are going to make it in the workplace. Maybe it's just my field, but I'm hard pressed to think of any related field where being creative and/or applying knowledge in an creative manner is the skill set employers are really after. I know having someone that's an automaton is ideal in certain situations, but being able to apply your knowledge or realize how things are connected? That's what I'm after. I've had people ask me how did I ever memorize the state food code and the answer is, I didn't. It's just something that happens when you're using it all the time - you just become familiar. Understanding how something you find or observe is defined in the code? That's the skill. Maybe I'm placing too much value on critical thinking skills. Maybe it's the scotch talking. I just don't know anymore.

I was taken aback when I learned that a C is a failing grade now. Eventually there will only be A+, A, and A-.

I have students drop my courses all the time when it becomes mathematically impossible to earn an (A) grade. I want to tell them - do you have any idea how many classes I've failed - and I'm teaching this course! Higher education is getting wacky.

[Max Peck]

Why does my cable provider even have an online interface for making changes to my cable package if the only thing that happens when I select an option is a pop-up with the toll-free number that I have to call in order to make any changes?

[morlac]

Which tells you how they’ve been trained up to that point.

Yes,

I have noticed the most important time of year (according to her school) for my 10 year old is the National and State testing. They probably spend a good 3-4 weeks just on prepping and taking these every year. They are doing a wonderful teaching kids how to pass test...

[LordMortis]

EDIT: I've also come to learn that students over the last decade have changed noticeably; currently they are really, really good at memorizing things. Application of theory? They parrot back lists and don't actually know how to apply any of it. It's creepy. Also, get off my lawn.

It is my experience that this is not limited to students of the now. I can't speak to how that may be worse today than it was "back in the day" but it seems to me that is stretches across all generations and people tend to fall in to one or more of several buckets.

People with a natural desire and ability to understand
People who have families who nurtured the desire to understand
People who essential become geeks and have the desire to understand narrow topics
People who can be taught that understanding is better following a script
Some people, you can't reach...

My largest effort and failure as a teacher was trying to teach kids to break away from script following.
As a tutor or mentor for many in one on one or one to small group situations throughout life, sometimes in topics where I'm teaching as I learn, I've had varying levels of success.

OtOH, I am always legitimately impressed by people who can take in flash cards or highlight chapters and repeat them or give speeches from 3x5 bullet points, etc... I almost think my drive to understand is a coping mechanism for my inability to recall anything but song lyrics and cartoons.

Which tells you how they’ve been trained up to that point.

In part, I would agree. Learning to understand, I think can be taught to most, especially if their curiosity and desire to learn everything is fostered at a young age. I'm not sure everyone is wired to keep sponging or has the capacity to keep applying but I woudln't bet my life savings on it.

I hope that just means that you start with the worst students to get them out of the way.

I was taken aback when I learned that a C is a failing grade now. Eventually there will only be A+, A, and A-.

It's been that way since not too long after you were a student. It's not so much that C was failing but C meant not that you were average but that you had between a 73 and 77 percent "objectively" tested" mastery of a skill. It was considered passing when I was school, but how often is a 73 percent success rate considered acceptable in most livelihoods? I suppose as I hitter or hunter it's a huge success. Not so much for a doctor or machinist.

Oh yeah, absolutely. I know I'm going to sound like an even older, crotchety man but I seriously wonder how some of them are going to make it in the workplace.

By following scripts and making the people lives around the miserable when there is no script for the situation.

. I know having someone that's an automaton is ideal in certain situations, but being able to apply your knowledge or realize how things are connected? That's what I'm after.

Was a communicated and clear expectation from the beginning? Was it a skill you worked on with them? Was it a known per-requisite?

I have noticed the most important time of year (according to her school) for my 10 year old is the National and State testing. They probably spend a good 3-4 weeks just on prepping and taking these every year. They are doing a wonderful teaching kids how to pass test...

When I was teaching and I don't doubt it is still the case today, funding was based on 1) students in seats at a certain day of the year. 2) students performing on "objective" tests at the state/federal level. So that is what administrations enforced/emphasized. I think when I went to school the thing we learned to do best was anticipate the bell and then move to where we were supposed to be. 6 of my 13 years of primary and secondary education were dedicated to the bell.

Also, I would love to make a living following bells and scripts. Working with an active mind all day for something you are not passionate about is exhausting.

[Skinypupy]

Why does my cable provider even have an online interface for making changes to my cable package if the only thing that happens when I select an option is a pop-up with the toll-free number that I have to call in order to make any changes?

I ran into this same issue last night. It then took three tries to navigate Comcast's disaster of a phone system to reach an actual person. Then...this happened.

In January, I finally broke down and bought my own cable modem instead of "renting" one from Comcast for $10/month. Figured it would ultimately save me some $$ down the road, right? Got my March bill today, and it has actually increased by $30/month. WTF?

I was told by Comcast (once I finally reached a real person) that the modem I bought is "not compatible" with the internet service that I had been operating under. As a result, I was automatically "upgraded" to a higher tier service this month (the extra $30/month) because I have a non-Comcast modem. I helpfully pointed out to the rep that this new modem operated just fine for about 60 days before I was switched to their "upgraded" service, and he stammered something about a company policy that he had no flexibility on.

But wait, it gets better! I was also told that if I upgraded to their Triple Play package which includes a home phone (a service I haven't had for a few years and don't need), that they could drop my bill by $20...which gets it back to EXACTLY what it was before I bought my own modem. What a coincidence!

I had been seriously considering just cutting the TV cord anyways (just need to figure out the sports aspect of that process), and this fuckery certainly pushes me further in that direction. I've actually been pretty happy with Comcast's service over the years, but this is just garbage.

[Isgrimnur]

Students and cable customer service. It all comes down to what the upper muckety-mucks have decided to measure. Everything else is subsumed to that.

Tell me what the rules are, and I'll tell you how to play the game.

[gilraen]

I try not to call Comcast for anything account-related - I physically drive to one of their stores. Every year I go down there and re-negotiate my "introductory" rate (they finally refused to keep it at the same level and raised it $20 this year, but at least it's good for 2 years this time around).

I have a non-Comcast modem too. How, exactly, did they claim it wasn't compatible? The only way it can be incompatible if it's too old - which wouldn't make sense, since they pushed you to a higher tier?

[Skinypupy]

I have a non-Comcast modem too. How, exactly, did they claim it wasn't compatible? The only way it can be incompatible if it's too old - which wouldn't make sense, since they pushed you to a higher tier?

He had no idea. I'm sure it's perfectly compatible, and they are just trying to find a bullshit excuse to keep me at a higher tier.

That's a good idea on actually going to the store. There's one right by my office, I might give that a shot this week.

[Isgrimnur]

Spectrum sent me a new modem and begged me to use it. It went from DOCSIS 3 to 3.1.

[LawBeefaroni]

Interesting timing. On Sunday I was sitting with the kiddo doing her geometry (3rd grade). She asked if a square was a rectangle and so I had her read through the definition and do some comparing and she determined that yes, it was.

Yesterday after school she told me all upset that her teacher told her that it wasn't and that she got the answer wrong.

Turns out that "the book" said it wasn't and they grade by "the book" since that's what is on the test. Even if "the book" is wrong. This "book" is my new enemy.

[Isgrimnur]

I sense a parent-teacher-principal meeting coming up.

[Smoove_B]

That's awful....and depressing. I can clearly remember learning that all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares and then having a class discussion about it with the teacher. Not sure if it was 8th grade math or high school geometry, but the conversation definitely happened.

[LordMortis]

The rental fees for cable cards and cable modems piss me off as well. When I finally get up and leave WOW, I will have all that research under belt. To make matters more insulitng for WOW, the $5 plus etc... fees for having their cable modem cover a modem that cuts out and needs to be reset way too often... But inertia is a powerful thing and so far I've yet to find a reasonably good OTA solution to make the transition from WOW (oddly enough to Comcast) easily workable. At the rate my inertia is going I might wait for 5G tech to become ubiquitous and test the waters with going wireless.

[Isgrimnur]

My MIL gets the TV service. It currently costs:

• Expanded Basic - 64.99
• Receiver rental - 7.50
• DVR Service - 12.50
• Broadcast TV Surcharge - 11.99

Plus taxes and fees. And I get $6 off my internet, down to $60, for bundling with TV. I do use the log-in for web/phone/smart tv access on occasion...

[Isgrimnur]

At the rate my inertia is going I might wait for 5G tech to become ubiquitous and test the waters with going wireless.

Your neighbors are going to put a stop to that.

But for 5G speeds to be so impressive, wireless companies need more towers, and a fiber line connecting towers, according to AT&T and Verizon. The wireless associations CITA estimates 800,000 mini towers will be need in the US in the next 20 years.

As a result, carriers are putting them up on telephone poles, on the sides of office buildings, even up in lampposts. But to keep them from being so unattractive, wireless companies are hiding them.

In Florida, they are camouflaging 5G towers in fake palm trees. In Arizona, they are building metal cactus trees to hide 5G towers. In Colorado and California, towers are being hidden inside phony evergreens.

Homeowner as Monique Maisenhalter said they worry that towers might end up right outside their bedroom window.

"Some say it will be every three to 10 houses," she said. She cited studies from environmental groups worldwide, claiming that cell tower radiation -- up close -- can possibly cause health issues.
...
She is leading a petition drive asking for a stop to any 5G construction in her community until more is known. Almost 50 other residents had signed.

[LawBeefaroni]

I sense a parent-teacher-principal meeting coming up.

The funny thing, we had a school fundraiser on Friday that included free teacher open bar as a thank you. This teacher hit on me (harmlessly, but still) so it's going to be awkward. I may send the wife to meet with her.

[Smoove_B]

The funny thing, we had a school fundraiser on Friday that included free teacher open bar as a thank you.

Does your school district just have lawyers on retainer or is your budget large enough that eventualities can just be dealt with as necessary?

As I was starting in the public sector, open bar style holiday parties were just ending. I made it to a few and was always astounded by the spectacle (this would have been late 1990s). I can only imagine what it was like in the 70s and 80s!

[LordMortis]

At the rate my inertia is going I might wait for 5G tech to become ubiquitous and test the waters with going wireless.

Your neighbors are going to put a stop to that.

But for 5G speeds to be so impressive, wireless companies need more towers, and a fiber line connecting towers, according to AT&T and Verizon. The wireless associations CITA estimates 800,000 mini towers will be need in the US in the next 20 years.

As a result, carriers are putting them up on telephone poles, on the sides of office buildings, even up in lampposts. But to keep them from being so unattractive, wireless companies are hiding them.

In Florida, they are camouflaging 5G towers in fake palm trees. In Arizona, they are building metal cactus trees to hide 5G towers. In Colorado and California, towers are being hidden inside phony evergreens.

Homeowner as Monique Maisenhalter said they worry that towers might end up right outside their bedroom window.

"Some say it will be every three to 10 houses," she said. She cited studies from environmental groups worldwide, claiming that cell tower radiation -- up close -- can possibly cause health issues.
...
She is leading a petition drive asking for a stop to any 5G construction in her community until more is known. Almost 50 other residents had signed.

All these mini towers acting like POPs is humorous to me after suburbia has spent so much effort in the last two decades to bury infrastructure to remove power lines and phone lines and cable lines that have littered every populated US landscape for as long as I've been alive.

[LawBeefaroni]

The funny thing, we had a school fundraiser on Friday that included free teacher open bar as a thank you.

Does your school district just have lawyers on retainer or is your budget large enough that eventualities can just be dealt with as necessary?

As I was starting in the public sector, open bar style holiday parties were just ending. I made it to a few and was always astounded by the spectacle (this would have been late 1990s). I can only imagine what it was like in the 70s and 80s!

It's a parent-organization fundraiser at a rented bar (staffed by bar employees) and by invitation (ie, not mandatory). With 2 lawyers lawyers on the board. IANAFL but I think we're covered.

[Isgrimnur]

So it's all a top-shellf game.

[Kraken]

I hope that just means that you start with the worst students to get them out of the way.

I was taken aback when I learned that a C is a failing grade now. Eventually there will only be A+, A, and A-.

It's been that way since not too long after you were a student. It's not so much that C was failing but C meant not that you were average but that you had between a 73 and 77 percent "objectively" tested" mastery of a skill. It was considered passing when I was school, but how often is a 73 percent success rate considered acceptable in most livelihoods? I suppose as I hitter or hunter it's a huge success. Not so much for a doctor or machinist.

Originally a Gentleman's C meant that your father donated to the school and you ticked the necessary boxes without grubbing and grinding for grades like the hoi polloi. By the time I was in college a C meant that you showed up for rehearsals, hit your marks, and knew most of your lines. That used to be enough to get you on stage as, say, Bill Paxton -- a solid enough performer in middling roles. Employers back then might verify that you really had the degree that you claimed, but very few cared about your grades. Nowadays everybody has to be de Niro.

Before grade inflation went galloping away, the scale objectively meant:

A = excellent
B = good
C = average
D = below average
E = thank you for playing

Kinda sad that we're living in Lake Wobegone now...but I guess that if everyone knows the scale has shifted, nothing fundamental has really changed. Where Wife teaches, a B- means what a D used to mean.

[Isgrimnur]

Kinda sad that we're living in Lake Wobegone now

[W]here all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

[Smoove_B]

I think I mentioned it elsewhere, but your understanding of the grading scale is mine as well - it's a way to reflect "mastery" of a topic or of the material in the course. A (C) rating simply means you understand the basics and have demonstrated competency. I actually think (C) is easy to recognize. Differentiation between (A) and (B) in my opinion is much harder.

Anyway, what I mentioned about this earlier is that we were all instructed to include statements in our syllabuses about how grades are non-negotiable and that we are not grading on effort. I scoffed at the idea last spring when we were told, but amazingly the fall semester last year I had quite a few students complain over their (C) grades and they felt they deserved much higher grades because they worked so hard - they wanted me to grade them on effort. Or maybe give them a participation trophy...I'm not exactly clear. The idea that I wasn't grading on effort was offensive to them.

Things are absolutely changing out there.

[Freyland]

At the rate my inertia is going I might wait for 5G tech to become ubiquitous and test the waters with going wireless.

Your neighbors are going to put a stop to that.

But for 5G speeds to be so impressive, wireless companies need more towers, and a fiber line connecting towers, according to AT&T and Verizon. The wireless associations CITA estimates 800,000 mini towers will be need in the US in the next 20 years.

As a result, carriers are putting them up on telephone poles, on the sides of office buildings, even up in lampposts. But to keep them from being so unattractive, wireless companies are hiding them.

In Florida, they are camouflaging 5G towers in fake palm trees. In Arizona, they are building metal cactus trees to hide 5G towers. In Colorado and California, towers are being hidden inside phony evergreens.

Homeowner as Monique Maisenhalter said they worry that towers might end up right outside their bedroom window.

"Some say it will be every three to 10 houses," she said. She cited studies from environmental groups worldwide, claiming that cell tower radiation -- up close -- can possibly cause health issues.
...
She is leading a petition drive asking for a stop to any 5G construction in her community until more is known. Almost 50 other residents had signed.

If they were more forward-thinkers, they would realize how much faster they would be able to Google information on their new cancer diagnosis!

[LordMortis]

Grading shifted to a skills mastery scale but the rubric of assessment did not (at least not in my time, which now is pretty far in the rear view mirror) and that was known issue with US pedagogy in 1996 that was absolutely not being dealt with effectively, even though it has been the case for my entire secondary education (from 7-12 in 82-88). Post secondary education had no consistent rubric. Expectations were laid in the syllabus and as a liberal arts student assessments were rarely skills mastery based. It's strange to think that I am nigh 25 years removed now, and have no relevant contemporary insight any more. I'm an artifact.

[Daehawk]

I went for a secondary consult and xray for my hand I nearly broke or broke or dislocated. They took xrays and moved it around some. its better and not swollen. Most of the yellow bruising is gone but I still cant use it for a lot of stuff especially any twisting motions...door knobs / coke and milk lids. They gave me two medicine...a steroid called methylprednisolone and some NSAID named diclofenac sodium.

Its these times I miss my pain medication. Im taking 8 500 mg Tylenol and 3 800 mg Ibuprofen a day for my back and my kidney and hand and back all still hurt. I also miss my wife and if she was here she'd most likely have some ideas Im not thinking of to help...advice. Im all alone now after 49 years. Its tough. I realized at the doc I no longer have an emergency contact. It used to be our cousin Ralph until he passed away Christmas 2017. Other than him it was each other. Now that my wife has passed on I have none. I wrote my sister in and asked her later if it was ok lol.

Its like when I go for surgery....Donna would have gone and stayed with me the entire thing like always. She would hold my wallet and keys and keep them safe...easy peasy. Now I have no idea. Ill take only my house key I guess and buy a cheap wallet for just my IDs. Life stinks!

[dbt1949]

I had a bike crash once where I broke one wrist and buggered up the other pretty bad. It took a couple of weeks before they could tell the other wrist wasn't broken. None the less it took longer to heal than the broken one.

[Kraken]

I'd recommend icing it, but a meta-study just came out yesterday questioning whether suppressing inflammation is a good idea, at least for sports injuries. So...don't do that, I guess. Ice did help my elbow after my doc advised it.

[gilraen]

I got kicked in the back of my hand during sparring class about 10 years ago. It hurt for almost 6 months after that. I had x-rays done, but they showed nothing was broken. The doctor said that there are just so many tiny muscle fibers, ligaments and nerve endings in the hand, even a minor trauma takes a long time to heal. I'd be sitting at my computer and reach for the mug with the injured hand, and the moment I'd lift it up, it would hurt so much I'd almost drop it. Had lots of close calls with hot coffee almost ending up on my laptop - or my lap.