Monthly Archives: July 2012

You Might Be a Hotshot Judge…

Posted on July 28, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

…but you really suck at parallel parking: (observed on Clarendon Street, Back Bay, Boston)

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Fallout From Inadequate School Funding

Posted on July 28, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Proflikesubstance, who just finished teaching a summer course for teachers, reports the following (boldface mine): Perhaps part of the reading problem can be traced back to the fact that many school districts in the state have gone text book free. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Funding | 1 Comment

Links 7/27/12

Posted on July 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: What does a phylogeny communicate? (good introduction) American Society of Hematology Launches Multi-Million-Dollar Grant Program to Support Critical Blood Disease Research (what next? A bake sale?) We have a whooping cough vaccine. So why is there … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 7/27/12

Back Bay, 1973 and Today, Part I

Posted on July 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Here’s what Newbury Street between Clarendon and Dartmouth looked like in 1973: Same location in 2012: It’s a little different, I think.

Posted in Boston | 2 Comments

Alternative Careers and the Potential For Student-Advisor Conflict

Posted on July 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Actually, that should be student-PI conflict, since we are really talking about faculty in their capacities as lab managers. In response to a recent post about the wider recognition of the STEM PhD glut, jtotheizzoe comments: What many of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, PhD School | Comments Off on Alternative Careers and the Potential For Student-Advisor Conflict

Links 7/26/12

Posted on July 26, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Brown Spiders Not Deadly After All Whooping Cough Runs Amok in Washington – A Very Scary Graph Washington pertussis outbreak is very, very bad Adventures in Conservative Denialism, Part 73 Why I study obscure and strange … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

Peter Orszag Is a Very Ignorant Person: The Privatization of the Postal Service Edition

Posted on July 26, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Rumor has it that he’s very smart, so I guess I can’t call him a fucking moron. But his call to privatize the Postal Service misses the primary reason why the Postal Service is in trouble–ridiculous obligations placed on it … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, Funding | 2 Comments

Caterpillar: Can’t Pay Workers Even When Its Booming?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

File this under ‘unwillingness to share productivity gains with workers’ (boldface mine): When it comes to dealing with labor unions, Caterpillar has long taken a stance as tough as the bulldozers and backhoes that have burnished its global reputation. Be … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Economics, Unions | 3 Comments

Links 7/25/12

Posted on July 25, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: We really don’t care what statistical method you used (funny) ANTIBIOTICS…TIME TO CLOSE SOME LOOPHOLES Smug Promoters of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Gun violence is a U.S. public health problem (yes, it is) Taming the Impact Factor Other: … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 7/25/12

Park Street Station, 1978

Posted on July 25, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Boston’s Park Street Station looked a little different back then: As far as I can tell, this bit hidden away at Government Center is one of the last vestiges of the old system. More 70s and 80s pictures from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston | 2 Comments