geomark

29 ms·

271.
by geomark 6y ago
Did you say that you took an online class once ? And based on that one experience you have seen both sides? Just askin'
272.
by geomark 6y ago
Seems useful to compare the dealership experience to how it works in other countries. In the US, the dealership experience seems to be pretty bad for many people, at least it was for me and everyone I know through several car purchases. It
273.
by geomark 6y ago
"I'd point out that the job of spy agencies is to lie and manipulate the public." The spy agencies have a number of jobs. The obvious one is to spy (not just on foreign powers, but on everybody, as we now know without a doubt
274.
by geomark 6y ago
That seems quite bad. It's a graphic example of how when it comes to public schools, or public policy in general, things get dumbed down to the lowest common denominator in the interest of "fairness" regardless of how unfair
275.
by geomark 6y ago
That's a big part of it. My kid goes to a British international school. Starting in Year 5 all students are required to have a laptop. So when the shutdown happened they all had devices already and were adept at using them. Teachers ha
276.
by geomark 6y ago
My old timer story: I worked for TRW Space Electronics Group a long time ago. TRW Automotive was a distant division. They wanted a high tech gadget for tractors. So they came to my department. They needed a true ground speed sensor because
277.
by geomark 6y ago
I think most people are realizing it isn't so much the teaching aspect as it is the daycare function that schools serve. So the discussion might be about compensation, but it is very much about how much what I would call "struct
278.
by geomark 6y ago
Where I live (not the US) the same thing is happening, except that although the big stores are open they cannot sell nonessential items. They have those aisles roped off.
279.
by geomark 6y ago
That idea of flu season seems a distinctly North American notion. Flu season in Thailand is June to October, which coincides with rainy season when it is hot and very wet.
280.
by geomark 6y ago
An interesting observation about that map is that there is a high correlation between countries that stopped BCG vaccinations and high fatality rate from Covid-19. However, Australia is one of the countries that stopped doing BCG vaccinatio
281.
by geomark 6y ago
That is what I am noticing with my son's maths lessons. He is in year 5 at a British curriculum international school. The word problems seem a bit too easy, in my opinion.
282.
by geomark 6y ago
Yes. The paper includes a number of examples of word problems from Singapore primary maths and the author says "the Russian and Singapore programs go roughly hand in hand in style and difficulty of arithmetical problems."
283.
by geomark 6y ago
I have been using it to supplement my son's maths lessons, using some of the problems the author gives as examples and creating more in similar style.
284.
by geomark 6y ago
Here is an interesting paper [1](PDF) by a Russian mathematician who has taught mathematics in Russia, USA and Brazil. He compares the "very successful usage of word problems in Russia and contradictory, inefficient and often immature
285.
by geomark 6y ago
Counterpoint to the respect for educators argument. I live in a country where teachers are highly respected (Thailand), but has among the world's worst education outcomes (as measured by standardized tests like PISA) and steadily dec
286.
by geomark 7y ago
Not sure, of course, because testing is insufficient and the data is noisy. But it seems pretty clear that there are not a lot of dead bodies piling up. That would be all over social media even if it wasn't reported by local MSM. All o
287.
by geomark 7y ago
Yes, competent leadership. Doing things in the way you described. I have a real conundrum, however, when I compare countries that are held up as good examples and the place where I live, Thailand, which is largely ignored in all the multi-c
288.
by geomark 7y ago
I don't think of preparedness as in have huge stockpiles of everything you might need in all crises is the answer. You could never make that happen. It's preparedness as in having competent leaders who are good at interpreting dat
289.
by geomark 7y ago
Yes, that is the discussion I have heard, that healthcare workers without proper PPE get larger doses than those with the right gear and are more likely to fall ill. Same effect applies to the average person in public when exposed to an inf
290.
by geomark 7y ago
My understanding (not an expert) is that there is a difference depending how much of an initial dose of the virus you get. If it is very small then your immune system has more time to respond before the virus replicates to dangerously large
291.
by geomark 7y ago
Make your own. Transparency sheet with corners cut rounded, foam strip cut from a sponge stuck along one edge of the sheet with double sided tape, elastic strap stapled to two corners. Easy and effective. We have been making and donating th
292.
by geomark 7y ago
Right. You don't want a standing army to address every potential pandemic or other catastrophe. You DO want the ability to repurpose and scale up existing production resources to address face the surprise. You would want to develop com
293.
by geomark 7y ago
In my area (not in the US) we are making homemade face shields. Simple hand made construction, no 3D printer required. Hospitals are happy to get them because they go through them like crazy.
294.
by geomark 7y ago
I it was intended to be solar roads.
295.
by geomark 7y ago
Makes perfect sense when interest rates are near zero. Borrowing is practically free and saving earns you next to nothing.
296.
by geomark 7y ago
At least some places the mandates are at the local level and businesses decide for themselves. Example: In-law's business does print advertising. One of their big clients is a fast food chain. So their company lawyers decided they can
297.
by geomark 7y ago
Not sure about other countries in Asia, but here in Thailand every toilet has a sprayer next to it. You get a lot cleaner and use a lot less toilet paper. So no TP panic here. If I ever move back to the US I will definitely install one.
298.
by geomark 7y ago
Then why all the angst among US military and government about being unable for so long to produce their own rockets?
299.
by geomark 7y ago
Yet they somehow beat the US to space. And for some reason the US is still buying rocket engines from Russia.
300.
by geomark 7y ago
It seems strange to me as well. I am in Thailand and, in Bangkok at least, most people wear masks, carry disinfecting hand gel and are very wary about close contact with people and surfaces. Stores like Makro (Thai version of CostCo) have m

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