Category Archives: Journalism

JOLABOKAFLOD—“CRASHED”.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Philip

JOLABOKAFLOD—“CRASHED”. For Christmas, I gave Scott and Nick each a copy of “CRASHED” by Adam Tooze for Christmas on the theory that they both are interested in economics and politics, and “CRASHED” seems likely to be a definitive book about … Continue reading →

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SMALL SAMPLES.

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Philip

SMALL SAMPLES. The issue that Professor Kahneman missed—that small samples can lead to results that can’t be replicated—is one that is discussed almost routinely in Sabermetric studies (“Moneyball”). Many is the time I have seen Nick or his colleagues hedge … Continue reading →

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“HOW PUNDITS NEVER GET IT WRONG”—-THE 40% RULE.

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Philip

“HOW PUNDITS NEVER GET IT WRONG”—THE 40% RULE. Rolfe Winkler and Justin Lahart had an article in the Wall Street Journal (February 27, 2018) about what they call the “40% rule” for predictions. They call the rule “a favorite forecasting … Continue reading →

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A TRADITIONALIST REMAINS UNCONVINCED (COMMENT).

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Philip

A TRADITIONALIST REMAINS UNCONVINCED (COMMENT). I concluded my apology by saying: “For myself, since I am not going to be facing any more English teachers, I intend to use ‘they’ more often.” Mary Jane commented on my post: “What does … Continue reading →

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USING THE SINGULAR “THEY” BECAUSE IT’S TRADITIONAL.

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Philip

USING THE SINGULAR “THEY” BECAUSE IT’S TRADITIONAL. Paula Froke, lead editor for the AP Stylebook, said “… we offer new advice for two reasons: recognition that the spoken language uses they as singular and we also recognize the need for … Continue reading →

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VINDICATION FOR “THEY” AS A GENDER-NEUTRAL SINGULAR PRONOUN.

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Philip

VINDICATION FOR “THEY” AS A GENDER-NEUTRAL SINGULAR PRONOUN. In 2010, I posted an apology to Annalisa and Nick for having given them a hard time when they were in school about being careful not to use “they” as a gender-neutral … Continue reading →

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STATES WHICH REQUIRE THE OXFORD COMMA IN STATUTES.

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Philip

STATES WHICH REQUIRE THE OXFORD COMMA IN STATUTES. Grammarians argue about the Oxford comma with only clarity and style at stake. For judges and legislative draftsmen, the “serial comma”, as the Oxford comma is referred to in the opinion I … Continue reading →

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THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AVOIDED USING PROBABILITIES IN THEIR FORECASTS.

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Philip

THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AVOIDED USING PROBABILITIES IN THEIR FORECASTS. Of course government agencies, including the National Weather Service, should keep the public up to date on what their models are predicting. But the cause of … Continue reading →

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SHOULD THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSIST IN A WEATHER FORECAST THAT IT KNOWS IS WRONG?

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Philip

SHOULD THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSIST IN A WEATHER FORECAST THAT IT KNOWS IS WRONG? The National Weather Service issued forecasts that New York City and other coastal cities would get 24 inches of snow on Tuesday March 14. On … Continue reading →

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JOE BOB BRIGGS’ BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REDNECK.

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Philip

JOE BOB BRIGGS’ BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REDNECK. Judith Matloff says that honor codes still survive in mountainous regions like Albania, “where 10.000 men have perished in vendettas in the last two decades”. She points out that J D Vance’s … Continue reading →

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