J. D. Fielder

Procrastinators

I came up with this one while, ...um... working the other day.

List of mathematical symbols

I don't recommend using Wikipedia articles as citable, scholarly references.

That said, sometimes a cheat sheet sure comes in damn handy:

List of mathematical symbols

Go ahead... use∮and ∀ in a sentence!

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(Video) The Internet in Society: Empowering or Censoring Citizens?

Been reading and writing my @$$ off to get my dissertation prospectus done! Hope to defend the prospectus ~17 January.

Anyways, have an interesting video for you, courtesy of one of my professors:

"Does the internet actually inhibit, not encourage democracy? In this new RSA Animate adapted from a talk given in 2009, Evgeny Morozov presents an alternative take on 'cyber-utopianism' - the seductive idea that the internet plays a largely emancipatory role in global politics.
 
Exposing some idealistic myths about freedom and technology (during Iran's 'twitter revolution' fewer than 20,000 Twitter users actually took part), Evgeny argues for some realism about the actual uses and abuses of the internet."

 

NetValley: Histories of Silcon Valley and the Internet

A website detailing the history of the Internet, including interviews with pioneers such s Vint Cerf and Marc Andreessen. Chapter links are on the right-hand side of the page.

NetValley.com

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Fun Stuff: Online "Rain" Soundtrack for Writing and Relaxation

Found this link on Twitter (can't remember the user).  The site plays a continuous rain track for folks who like working or roosting to the sound of rain.  That is, I've let it run for a while and haven't reached an end yet.

http://www.rainymood.com/

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The Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of "Writer's Block"

One of my professors used to have this printed out and taped to his door, and it never failed to inspire a chuckle.  One thing I've never figured out, though, is whether or not it's real.  The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis exists.. perhaps it was a joke meant for internal editorial consumption? I should look it up on JSTOR...

Zoom in to read the fine print. ;-)

A Short International Relations View on Leftover Hallween Candy

All the leftover Halloween candy was a collective good; however, my wife divided it amongst the kids, meaning the candy is now a private good (let alone nationalized).

Whereas, in original form, the only risk associated with taking candy was the tragedy of the commons if we couldn't arrive at collective terms, now I'll either be a free rider if I ask nicely or a hegemon if I demand tribute.

Given that it IS candy we're discussing, I expect the kids will take Realist rather than Liberal views of their resources.

Time, then, to signal my credibility...

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Chomsky and Foucault Debate Human Nature and Power (1971)

Classic, despite the drab 1970's decor. 

Part 1 via @openculture. You can also find Part 2 of the debate on YouTube.

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Timeu.se: Tracking Reported Time Usage on Twitter

Well, THIS looks like a handy tool! A little something that @redlog at Cornell University put together:

"timeu.se is a web tool for investigating how millions of people report spending their time. This is done by collecting and aggregating millions of messages from Twitter.

Some people say that Twitter conversations are "pointless" or "babble" or that people tweet about "what they had for breakfast." But if you think about it, most casual conversations are just as inconsequential — we just don't record them forever on the web!

I think it's great that people tweet what they had for breakfast, or that they're stuck in traffic or are mowing the lawn. Because what sociologists have always wanted to be able to do is get very detailed measures of how people spend their time without bothering them too much by asking them. Now, by simply examining the conversations that they're having in public, we can do it without bothering them at all!"

Give it at a whirl at http://timeu.se/

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Infographic: Chronological History of Computers

Preview of an interesting infographic over at Bitrebels:

CONTINUED

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