This kind of stuff is going to kill me

[cameraman]

I'm watching a newscast (a local newscast, I should have known better) and they are going on about the traffic screwup du jour and at the end of the story they start reading what people were Tweeting about the incident:saywhat: Up pops a screen cap of @allthumbs saying what a mess it was. SERIOUSLY??? Is that what it has come to? The "news" is now visually quoting random anonymous tweets about peoples' reactions to the days events and are broadcasting them and calling it news? These people need to be removed from the population and sent somewhere far, far away where they can not continue their efforts to destroy the IQ of the nation.:flaming:

[TravelGal]

:thumbup: from TravelGal and a big :thumbup::thumbup: from TravelGuy

[Don Quixote]

:thumbup: from TravelGal and a big :thumbup::thumbup: from TravelGuyI call your :thumbup: :thumbup: and raise you a :thumbup:

[G.]

ALL TV news is barely any news, it's all just entertainment. To compete with the web, they have been trying to make it more "local" and interactive. It's pretty easy to set up a crawl of tweets, and that makes the masses "part of the story". Yay!


It will eventually fail, and they'll just get sexier weather babes.

[nrc]

c.f.
http://www.offcamber.net/forums/showthread.php?18300-News-is-dead

If you think about it what we're really seeing on the news these days is what's "trending" rather than what should be "news". And of course the comments on news and video sites always feature our best and brightest. :rolleyes:

[chop456]

Chicago. Last night.

Now lots of people can take selfies that require skill, but this one is amazing because it involves proof of bilocation. Either that or news people are idiots.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/13300799614_5df8fb2363_c.jpg

[Kiwifan]

Does anyone here watch FOX NEWS even for a laugh??

I was watching CNN late last night NZ time and when they went to an add break I flicked up one notch to FOX. Oh good grief, even by their standards the show was appalling. :shakehead:

The long legged blonde had four very serious stern looking gentleman from the TSA, Boeing, Pilots Association etc who all gave their view the plane had it's transponder turned off manually. I got it straight away but this girl just went on and on looked like a 5 year old kid in the playground telling one and all someone had stolen her pencil.

I wonder if FOX should require their staff to go back and watch their show after it has aired........ :p

[Dvdb]

I was forced to watch Bill O'Reilly last month while driving to Florida in an RV. Even for me, a conservative republican, he was unwatchable. The best I can describe it was attractive leggy blonde reports a story, turns to Bill, and he briefly recaps and then solves the problem.

Whenever I see him, I still think of his drunk voicemail scandal. Loofah!!!

[cameraman]

And yet another bit of viral asshattery.
We have the following little temper tantrum posted on Facebook.

http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/lifestyles/2014-03-25/8ef7c930-b44a-11e3-84f5-9547b2943d40_commoncorephoto.png

I truly feel sorry for this kid and his teacher. Cutting to the chase it is graphical subtraction on a number line, first you do the 100s, then the 10s (which Jack forgot) and then the 1s. It isn't meant to be the method used for routine subtraction, it is meant to give the kids a better idea of numbers.

The problem has four parts:
First, realize that the graph shown is wrong (this kid's dad failed massively on part 1).
Second, graph it correctly yourself.
Third, compare your graph to Jack's and find the difference.
Fourth, write an explanation to Jack of what he did wrong.

The exercise is about the concept of numbers, ones, tens, hundreds. It is about graphing. It is about comparing two graphs. It is about coming up with and writing an explanation. The one thing it isn't about is the quickest way to subtract 316 from 427.

Then he goes off on a political rant about the evils of the common core. Well electrical engineer Dad you just abjectly failed a second grade homework assignment because you didn't bother to read and actually understand the question being asked. So it is quite fitting that he is an engineer...

[gerhard911]

So it is quite fitting that he is an engineer...

With a father and two brothers who were educated as engineers, I had to LMFAO at this comment!

[Gnam]

So it is quite fitting that he is an engineer...
That is so racist... :mad:
Oh look, a train! Nevermind. :)

http://s30.postimg.org/nxf6u4zu9/628x471.jpg

http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/The-cool-model-railroads-of-old-Brits-5348199.php#photo-6071556

[nrc]

Then he goes off on a political rant about the evils of the common core. Well electrical engineer Dad you just abjectly failed a second grade homework assignment because you didn't bother to read and actually understand the question being asked. So it is quite fitting that he is an engineer...

What is political about considering this a stupid way to teach math?

"Fitting that he's an engineer"? You mean the guys who do the math that sends men into space and lands jumbo jets automatically? The guys that do math with imaginary numbers and infinity? The problem is that this methodology isn't aimed at creating our next generation of engineers and scientists, it's aimed at creating our next generation of McDonalds wait staff.

[cameraman]

Oh please, I spend my days working with all manner of biomedical engineers and the finest PhD engineer isn't worth the powder to blow him up if he can't be bothered to read the specs and solve the correct problem.

That homework assignment was a graphing problem not a subtraction problem. They are not going to introduce kids to graphing by starting them off mapping linear transformations they are going to do it by having them graph something that they already understand like a subtraction problem. The math educators decided that all kids need to understand graphs, charts, tables and all other graphical methods of displaying numbers from an early age. This is part of it. The exercise is putting numbers on a number line (the simplest form of graph) and showing them how math problems can be mapped. My son is in third grade and he has done dozens and dozens of these exercises. Into the same exercise they added the writing element as a large percentage of the new curricula take a multidisciplinary approach to as many exercises as possible. Kids write about their math problems. The vocabulary test is tied to the history lesson. The science experiments use the exact same math they are doing on the work sheets. There is no shortage of 236 - 45 = ? problems but they no longer make up the vast majority of the work like they used to.

The only problem with that homework was the idiot parent couldn't comprehend what the problem was asking for.

[G.]

Wait.

You're a respected Scientist (well, I respect you anyway) getting all pizzled off at viral asshattery found on FACEBOOK, and "Liked" by millions of stay-at-home moms and Art History majors? :laugh:

Any news on what Paris Hilton has been up to lately? :gomer: This Electronics Engineer has gotsta know! like dis if u cry evry tyme.

:gomer:





PS: just giving you crap, c-man. My kids did learn some silly way to do addition and subtraction in grade 2 that stumped me. They had to use an involved matrix of numbers. A lot of ink used to figure out 22-7. ?? They didn't have a textbook to demo this method, so I had to tell them that I can't help them with HW until the 3rd grade.:o As for Frustrated Parent, you can damn well be sure that some of his work buddies pointed out the countdown-by-tens error and busted his balls for it, mercilessly.

PPS: lay off the engineers, and I'll stop picking on Art Majors.

PPPS: no I won't.

[stroker]

Oh please, I spend my days working with all manner of biomedical engineers and the finest PhD engineer isn't worth the powder to blow him up if he can't be bothered to read the specs and solve the correct problem.

That homework assignment was a graphing problem not a subtraction problem. They are not going to introduce kids to graphing by starting them off mapping linear transformations they are going to do it by having them graph something that they already understand like a subtraction problem. The math educators decided that all kids need to understand graphs, charts, tables and all other graphical methods of displaying numbers from an early age. This is part of it. The exercise is putting numbers on a number line (the simplest form of graph) and showing them how math problems can be mapped. My son is in third grade and he has done dozens and dozens of these exercises. Into the same exercise they added the writing element as a large percentage of the new curricula take a multidisciplinary approach to as many exercises as possible. Kids write about their math problems. The vocabulary test is tied to the history lesson. The science experiments use the exact same math they are doing on the work sheets. There is no shortage of 236 - 45 = ? problems but they no longer make up the vast majority of the work like they used to.

The only problem with that homework was the idiot parent couldn't comprehend what the problem was asking for.

this doesn't bode well for me with a kid in Kindergarten. I don't understand the instructions for the problem at all.

[cameraman]

this doesn't bode well for me with a kid in Kindergarten. I don't understand the instructions for the problem at all.

Well the teacher does explain how the problems work before they get assigned in the homework. The math my kid does in school is wildly different than it was when I was a kid. Once you figure out what they are doing it makes sense. (Most of the time) As an adult you do not do the exercises that they have the kids do, you can easily visualize how many 120 of something is in your mind. Kids new to numbers can't visualize the values, they are amazingly horrible at it. So they spend a lot of time breaking numbers down. 427 is four 100s, two 10s and seven 1s and 316 is three 100s, one 10 (Jack's downfall) and six 1s. The kids have already done this routinely before they ever see the graphing problems. Unless you have a kid in school you would have no reason to think of numbers like that so it seems odd but it is odd with a reason. Same goes for the graph. No adult would map out a subtraction problem on a number line because why on earth would you. But you already understand an XY grid, you don't need to know that addition goes to the right and subtraction to the left. The kids need to learn that.

The thing that amazes me is how much time and energy is spent on telling time, specifically reading round faced analog clocks. It turns out that there are many kids who don't have them in their homes and have never used one before when they hit school. Turns out it isn't easy if you never see or use them.

[KLang]

I'm confused Cameraman, you state this stuff shouldn't make sense to us adults but you mock the person in the Facebook post above for not getting it?

[TKGAngel]

(snip)
So they spend a lot of time breaking numbers down. 427 is four 100s, two 10s and seven 1s and 316 is three 100s, one 10 (Jack's downfall) and six 1s. The kids have already done this routinely before they ever see the graphing problems. Unless you have a kid in school you would have no reason to think of numbers like that so it seems odd but it is odd with a reason.

It's the same premise as counting change. It's scary when I get strange looks for paying for something that's $14.86 with $15.01. I just want my 15 cents and not a purseful of pennies. And feel free to give me dirty looks for using cash and not putting everything on a card. :)

[gerhard911]

^^^ Wait, you don't want your Rewards points for that Wendy burger & Frosty :confused:

[Gnam]

I just want my 15 cents and not a purseful of pennies. :)
take a penny, leave a penny. ;)

[cameraman]

I'm confused Cameraman, you state this stuff shouldn't make sense to us adults but you mock the person in the Facebook post above for not getting it?

No I am highly annoyed that instead of asking his child's teacher for an explanation of the problem he instead had a hissy fit, posted it online as an example of how the Common Core will destroy America (the graphing problem predates the invention of the Common Core by at least 5 years) and is now out there condemning the stupidity of America's teachers.

A normal human would have just asked the teacher what was up with these problems.

[TKGAngel]

^^^ Wait, you don't want your Rewards points for that Wendy burger & Frosty :confused:

Heh. My favorite is when the teenage cashiers at the gas station lecture me on how I should know how much cash to give them when filling my tank so that they don't have to open the drawer. If all I have is two twenties, you're getting the twenties and I'm sorry that I interrupted the contemplation of your navel by asking for my change.


The thing that amazes me is how much time and energy is spent on telling time, specifically reading round faced analog clocks. It turns out that there are many kids who don't have them in their homes and have never used one before when they hit school. Turns out it isn't easy if you never see or use them.

So what do schools use for timekeeping in classrooms? :confused:

[cameraman]

So what do schools use for timekeeping in classrooms? :confused:

I was talking to my son's third grade teacher about it as my son is thoroughly fed up with clock problems. (He is one of those watch people who has to know what time it is at all times or he starts to twitch, I don't get it myself) She said over half the incoming first graders have no idea how to read a clock face. Even in the third grade a significant portion of the kids were not getting it. It seems to be a use it or lose it kind of thing and the kids will go the whole summer without seeing a clock face and come September they don't get it right. I guess everything is digital now.

[Tifosi24]

Heh. My favorite is when the teenage cashiers at the gas station lecture me on how I should know how much cash to give them when filling my tank so that they don't have to open the drawer. If all I have is two twenties, you're getting the twenties and I'm sorry that I interrupted the contemplation of your navel by asking for my change.



So what do schools use for timekeeping in classrooms? :confused:

I believe my wife's school still uses analog clocks, which would require extensive teaching of the kids if they have never seen an old fashioned clock before.

The picture by cameraman succinctly summarizes about 90% of my experience with engineers in my line of work. As an economist and sales forecaster, I anxiously await all retorts and jokes.

[gerhard911]

I wonder if they had this much trouble in schools when sundials became an "old fashioned" way to tell time?

And I knew there would be some butt hurt engineer types taking exception...

[gerhard911]

This is for all the engineer types ,no it's not an April Fool's joke.



http://www.tickld.com/cdn_image_article/a_306_20140324041941.jpg

http://www.tickld.com/x/this-is-the-perfect-analagy-

[cameraman]

This is for all the engineer types ,no it's not an April Fool's joke.



http://www.tickld.com/cdn_image_article/a_306_20140324041941.jpg

http://www.tickld.com/x/this-is-the-perfect-analagy-

Substitute biologist for engineer and surgeon for management and you have described my life absolutely perfectly.

[Gnam]

I was talking to my son's third grade teacher... she said over half the incoming first graders have no idea how to read a clock face. Even in the third grade a significant portion of the kids were not getting it.
Maybe it's performance anxiety. Happens to everyone sometimes.

very NOT safe for work :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNBXk0sbzTI

[Gnam]

This might belong in the racist Asian thread, but it works here too. ;)

totally safe for work

http://youtu.be/LJ6OVqvk6p8