Open Secrets in your field (1 Viewer)

[MAC_32]

Not every kid is cut out for grad school. 

Dealing with academic politics is a pain in the ###. 

I hear this a lot, but I don't think the politics are much different than industry. 

Like any profession there is some gamesmanship to be played. Just don't put it in writing. And make sure others do. 

 

[pecorino]

As a person that also does hiring for schools, this is bad practice.  Take a good teacher, put them in another content area with time to prepare and they will perform better than a PhD in that content area that doesn't know how to teach.  Teacher content knowledge is one of the least impactful variables on student achievement (Hattie, et al.)

Your premise is true but 1) identifying a good teacher is not the easiest thing in the world to do, 2) just because someone matriculated with a degree in education does not imply they're going to be a good teacher, and 3) most importantly, I can teach someone with an excellent foundation in math or science how to teach well but I cannot necessarily teach a reasonably good teacher to do calculus or chemistry or whatnot. The bottom line is anecdotal: In my experience, the most interesting, qualified, well-rounded teachers were folks who excelled in their particular field. And some of the most vacuous, least interesting, and least effective teachers come education programs. The programs are just too fluffy and produce people that often don't fit well in the private school environment. We may miss some qualified individuals because of this bias but we also don't have the time to consider huge number of folks to try to find those rarities.

 

[Judge Smails]

absolutely true. my wife tuned me into this one. I have everything done at the hospital. don't care about the cost/efficiency savings of the ASCs, i have everything done at the hospital.

Hmmm.  I've had 2 colonoscopies.  At the specialists office which is like an ASC next to the hospital.  I considered something like a colonoscopy as outpatient, though I do get knocked out.  Also had a deviated septum fixed where I was knocked out.  So all of those should be done at the hospital?

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

Everybody thinks that lllamas are a joke.  Just stupid long sheep. 

Until they need us to tote their #### up to macho pikachu.

 

[RokNRole]

Everybody thinks that lllamas are a joke.  Just stupid long sheep. 

Until they need us to tote their #### up to macho pikachu.

Don't you mean Raichu?

 

[Gamma1210]

Biotech companies are looking for cures for diseases not just treatments. 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Golf equipment industry/design for the past 20 years:

Core driver technology has changed very little in the last 10 years. Any supposed gains in distance and forgiveness are untrue since we've hit the USGA allowable size and CT (spring face measurement) a long time ago. The rest is hype aside from very small changes (like TM movable weight technology). If you have a decent titanium 460cc driver from years ago you are set for the most part.

Irons are even worse. The biggest advancement in the last 30 years was the Ping Eye 2 as far as game improvement/forgiveness and anything past that is glorified hype. Small gains yes, but nothing like the Eye 2.

Once your equipment is past a certain threshold (10 years ago or so), it's the Indian not the arrow. Don't waste your money on equipment and focus on lessons.




 

I haven't played golf in about 6 years but this is what I have. Black dot. Love em. 




 

Bought a new set about 7 years ago.  You can buy any year your want from the factory.  

I am about ready to move on though - I think technology has surpassed them.  I do love looking down at them when setting up though.

 

[shuke]

I'd suggest you've seen too many tv shows.  Doctors love showing how much they know by teaching and challenging and being the boss.

Then I'd suggest you haven't spent much time in an operating room or your sample size is very small. 

What types of procedures are you talking about here?  I have never seen an attending physician leave the room except for closing.

 

[shuke]

I'd guess that 50% of practicing lawyers are essentially incompetent.  There is a pretty good reason a lot of people have disdain for the profession.

I think you could say this for most professions.

 

[ShaqAttaq]

Hmmm.  I've had 2 colonoscopies.  At the specialists office which is like an ASC next to the hospital.  I considered something like a colonoscopy as outpatient, though I do get knocked out.  Also had a deviated septum fixed where I was knocked out.  So all of those should be done at the hospital?

all 6 or 7 of my colonoscopies and both of my septoplasties have been at a main hospital facility.  i am of the opinion that the safest, most conservative answer to the bolded is yes. if something goes wrong, you need blood or another specialist, the solution likely won't be at the ASC or the gastroenterologist's procedure center.

 

[James Daulton]

all 6 or 7 of my colonoscopies and both of my septoplasties have been at a main hospital facility.  i am of the opinion that the safest, most conservative answer to the bolded is yes. if something goes wrong, you need blood or another specialist, the solution likely won't be at the ASC or the gastroenterologist's procedure center.

As long as you're in overall good health you're ok having colonoscopies in non-hospital settings.  The point is that a great many people have either complicated procedures, or are at greater risk due to poor health, and have procedures in ASCs than should. 

 

[Dedfin]

Except for when the resident or fellow is doing your procedure while the Dr just stepped in for the timeout. 

lolno

 

[NJ]

If you tip us around Christmas, we'll take just about anything you leave at the curb. 

What's a good standard tip?  I usually give my guys 20 bucks each but I can't tell if they think I'm a cheap ######## or not?  I've asked a few people to try to get an idea and almost all of them told me they don't tip at all which was surprising.

 

[James Daulton]

What's a good standard tip?  I usually give my guys 20 bucks each but I can't tell if they think I'm a cheap ######## or not?  I've asked a few people to try to get an idea and almost all of them told me they don't tip at all which was surprising.

I would think $20 each for trash/recycle guys is pretty awesome. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

People respect the hell out of architects... until they have to pay us.

You're residential? I did residential construction for a decade and didn't have much problem with architects since they basically controlled all of the disciplines in their design.

Commercial (which I've been in for over 20 years), on the other hand, is a damned #### show. Most don't even vet the engineers' designs to see if they fit with the other trades. Copy-and-paste specs that don't apply to this specific design; finger-pointing from the AER to the SER on conflicts. Add in various government controllers, and it it a cluster #### for contractors. All contracts say it's on contractors (& their subs) to be responsible to point out conflicts in contract docs (you know - silly stuff like the foundation design doesn't work and the building might fall down). Good luck getting a quick or viable resolution. I doubt I'll ever get another project that Montgomery County, MD and their design teams have some oversight on - because I'm adding at least two zeroes to any bid I submit.

 

[FUBAR]

What's a good standard tip?  I usually give my guys 20 bucks each but I can't tell if they think I'm a cheap ######## or not?  I've asked a few people to try to get an idea and almost all of them told me they don't tip at all which was surprising.

I never even thought about tipping the trash guys or mail man.  I need to read the tipping thread. 

I do remember getting good tips when I delivered newspapers but that was back when I walked the route and put every newspaper in the mailbox or door.

 

[El Floppo]

Do you know anything about the specifics of that case? He said Trump owed him $100k and I would assume a job of that magnitude would entail a written contract? Why wouldn't he sue?

I don't know anything about it. And from the ads, I didn't understand why he didn't go after his money. But we work in a service industry, usually perpetuated by word of mouth, so maybe the fear of losing Trump or his peers as future clients was a reason. Also could have been some additional work beyond the contract verbally approved but never captured in writing (which would have been pretty amateurish). iME, some of the clients specifically in finance make a point about always hammering down price regardless of value, so they can "win". Usually directed at subs, but more than enough at everybody including the architect.

 

[NJ]

I never even thought about tipping the trash guys or mail man.  I need to read the tipping thread. 

I always tipped the mailman 20 bucks, had the same guy for a decade and he was great but he retired last year and the new guy absolutely sucks ###, sometimes leaves the mailbox open so #### gets wet when it rains and at least 25 times this year I've gotten random peoples mail delivered to me.  I generally tip even for mediocre service but this guy has almost gone out of his way to be awful at his job so he got nothing from me.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

I teach high school, so I don't really get a say in what kids I get. Scheduling is so complicated and there are so many moving parts that I just get who I get. I would love a draft, would be funny and we have joked about it before.

I do know some elementary teachers and have heard different things at different schools. Some, it's just random and there is no changing (no matter how much a parent or teacher begs). Some schools randomly assign and then if teachers want to trade, administration is fine with it. Some schools do it random and then if you are a parent or teacher that is either well liked/respected by administration or a big enough pain in the ###, kids can be moved around. I have never heard of a draft. Sorry. If your kids keep ending up with the same teacher, here are the possible reasons why:

1. Those teachers really like your kids and request to have more of them 

2. Those teachers are hated by administration and your kids are awful so it's a punishment

3. Those teachers are hated by administration and you are really annoying parents so it's a punishment

4. The administrator believes in the family-teacher relationship and likes to keep siblings with the same teachers

4. Just randomness  

Best I can tell the pecking order goes something like this -

1. kids of district administrators

2. kids of building administrators 

3. kids of school board members

4. kids of active PTO members

5. kids of teachers in the district

6. legacy siblings

7. star pupils

8. everyone else, although somewhere up around 3 or 4 you have the kids of litigious parents who complain about where their kids are placed so the building administrators will coddle them to avoid conflict.

 

[Riversco]

This one was very interesting

I remember reading something similar about the west coast.  California gets hurricanes, but only once a century or so.  Everything has to line up exactly perfect for it to happen.  Los Angeles is built to withstand earthquakes but not hurricanes and they have no evacuation plan in place.  So eventually, when that hurricane directly hits LA, it will just flood everything and kill 10 million people who don't know how to evacuate.

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

I remember reading something similar about the west coast.  California gets hurricanes, but only once a century or so.  Everything has to line up exactly perfect for it to happen.  Los Angeles is built to withstand earthquakes but not hurricanes and they have no evacuation plan in place.  So eventually, when that hurricane directly hits LA, it will just flood everything and kill 10 million people who don't know how to evacuate.

Well, only if a Sharknado doesn't kill them first

 

[Annyong]

Yes, but illegal for USGA sanctioned event play (if you care).

What's the best club I can get that IS illegal? I'm like a 9-12 beer a round golfer. 90-95 wanna get into the 80's but not have to actually practice. 

 

[Jed]

What's the best club I can get that IS illegal? I'm like a 9-12 beer a round golfer. 90-95 wanna get into the 80's but not have to actually practice. 

In irons, illegal (old) grooves are not going to improve your game. Those grooves will only help great players around the greens. Instead get yourself some later model Ping G series irons (G20/25/30) and that's the best you'll be able to do there.

As far as drivers... worry about forgiveness, not a couple extra illegal yards with higher COR/CT. The most forgiving later model driver on the planet in my opinion was the Nike 5900 square driver. It maxed out the legal MOI (resistance to twisting on impact), and it's hard to mi#### ever for a hack. You can get one on Ebay for about 50 bucks.

 

[El Floppo]

I remember reading something similar about the west coast.  California gets hurricanes, but only once a century or so.  Everything has to line up exactly perfect for it to happen.  Los Angeles is built to withstand earthquakes but not hurricanes and they have no evacuation plan in place.  So eventually, when that hurricane directly hits LA, it will just flood everything and kill 10 million people who don't know how to evacuate.

I'd imagine there's a tsunami evacuation plan in place. 

And fwiw, hurricanes and earthquakes are both designed for as lateral loads. Some differences in detailing, I'd imagine, but otherwise similar forces. In NYC, a lot of the older or recent cheaper (cmu framed) 6 storey buildings will be highly susceptible to failure... especially their facades.

 

[Dedfin]

In irons, illegal (old) grooves are not going to improve your game. Those grooves will only help great players around the greens. Instead get yourself some later model Ping G series irons (G20/25/30) and that's the best you'll be able to do there.

As far as drivers... worry about forgiveness, not a couple extra illegal yards with higher COR/CT. The most forgiving later model driver on the planet in my opinion was the Nike 5900 square driver. It maxed out the legal MOI (resistance to twisting on impact), and it's hard to mi#### ever for a hack. You can get one on Ebay for about 50 bucks.

  Ohh language filter, I love you.

Jed, what is your opinion on Ping drivers?  forgiving enough?

 

[James Daulton]

I'd imagine there's a tsunami evacuation plan in place. 

And fwiw, hurricanes and earthquakes are both designed for as lateral loads. Some differences in detailing, I'd imagine, but otherwise similar forces. In NYC, a lot of the older or recent cheaper (cmu framed) 6 storey buildings will be highly susceptible to failure... especially their facades.

I'm a big fan of providing lateral loads.  

 

[Sabertooth]

Biotech companies are looking for cures for diseases not just treatments. 

Riiiiiiiiiiight

 

[Riversco]

I'd imagine there's a tsunami evacuation plan in place. 

And fwiw, hurricanes and earthquakes are both designed for as lateral loads. Some differences in detailing, I'd imagine, but otherwise similar forces. In NYC, a lot of the older or recent cheaper (cmu framed) 6 storey buildings will be highly susceptible to failure... especially their facades.

There was no evacuation plan in Los Angeles for the 1997 hurricane that almost hit.  It was literally about 4-5 hours away from landfall and not a single alert was issued.  The hurricane just happened to veer off at the last minute.

 

[James Daulton]

There was no evacuation plan in Los Angeles for the 1997 hurricane that almost hit.  It was literally about 4-5 hours away from landfall and not a single alert was issued.  The hurricane just happened to veer off at the last minute.

And without @TheIronSheik around anymore we FBGs won't have our usual couple of days notice.  I hope he can sleep at night...

 

 

[Jed]

  Ohh language filter, I love you.

Jed, what is your opinion on Ping drivers?  forgiving enough?

Yes, for sure. Anything G5 up to the G30.

 

[PlayaHata]

They all do it, but PC support by far does it the most.  I'm not saying it's a bad thing.  It's the smartest initial move to find a solution or install instructions.  

I interview level 1 I/T support people fairly often and when I ask technical interview questions to probe problem solving skills, I want (and expect) to hear "search Google" as part of the answer if they don't immediately know how to solve the problem on their own.

 

[Steve Tasker]

If you use a large national/international accounting firm to do your taxes, and you aren't ultra-wealthy / don't have extremely complicated tax matters, someone in India with no accounting or finance background is preparing your tax return with your local accountant giving it a gloss-over before providing it to you.  You're paying $300+/hour for something that they're paying someone in India $5/hour to do.

 

[RokNRole]

If you use a large national/international accounting firm to do your taxes, and you aren't ultra-wealthy / don't have extremely complicated tax matters, someone in India with no accounting or finance background is preparing your tax return with your local accountant giving it a gloss-over before providing it to you.  You're paying $300+/hour for something that they're paying someone in India $5/hour to do.

Is that $5 a good wage in India?

 

[The Commish]

You'd have a #### fit if you knew what was collected about you when you log in to just about any financial institution.

 

[kevzilla]

Is that $5 a good wage in India?

Oh, yeah. In the late 90s, the company I worked for had an Indian subsidiary. College graduates in Bangalore processed claims on the graveyard shift, so they were at work the same time we were, for 65 cents an hour. I was also told they could get a hot lunch for a nickel. I'm sure wages have risen since, but still.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Oh, yeah. In the late 90s, the company I worked for had an Indian subsidiary. College graduates in Bangalore processed claims on the graveyard shift, so they were at work the same time we were, for 65 cents an hour. I was also told they could get a hot lunch for a nickel. I'm sure wages have risen since, but still.

I don't actually know how much the people in India get paid (our firm doesn't outsource), I was just throwing a number out as an example.  But yeah.

 

[Dragons & Gridirons]

Psychologists have no way of knowing who's actually a good therapist, because you never really get to watch each other work.

Also, people break the findings of their studies up into multiple articles, because more publication credits = better. Nobody cares if it was an impactful article or not.

 

[matuski]

What types of procedures are you talking about here?  I have never seen an attending physician leave the room except for closing.

Or to re-scrub.

 

[Dedfin]

Psychologists have no way of knowing who's actually a good therapist, because you never really get to watch each other work.

Also, people break the findings of their studies up into multiple articles, because more publication credits = better. Nobody cares if it was an impactful article or not.

Publish or perish, right?

 

[Quint]

In irons, illegal (old) grooves are not going to improve your game. Those grooves will only help great players around the greens. Instead get yourself some later model Ping G series irons (G20/25/30) and that's the best you'll be able to do there.

As far as drivers... worry about forgiveness, not a couple extra illegal yards with higher COR/CT. The most forgiving later model driver on the planet in my opinion was the Nike 5900 square driver. It maxed out the legal MOI (resistance to twisting on impact), and it's hard to mi#### ever for a hack. You can get one on Ebay for about 50 bucks.

Q: how would you measure the importance of the shaft in relation to the club head? also, how important is it to get the driver shaft (or all clubs) "trued" vs going off-the-rack?

 

[The General]

Most money shots are faked with cgi.

 

[Jed]

Q: how would you measure the importance of the shaft in relation to the club head? also, how important is it to get the driver shaft (or all clubs) "trued" vs going off-the-rack?

The shaft is very important. The problem is finding a facility to demo a variety of higher end shafts. This being said, price is not the main indicator of quality (as with many products in life). One facility may push certain shafts because of the profit margin they make - not necessarily because they are a good fit for you.

Spining, PUREing, truing, or whatever you want to call it is much more important in lower end shafts. In a higher end shaft made with quality materials it's overkill.

 

[RokNRole]

The shaft is very important. The problem is finding a facility to demo a variety of higher end shafts. This being said, price is not the main indicator of quality (as with many products in life). One facility may push certain shafts because of the profit margin they make - not necessarily because they are a good fit for you.

Spining, PUREing, truing, or whatever you want to call it is much more important in lower end shafts. In a higher end shaft made with quality materials it's overkill.

I'm very interested in checking out the shafts

 

[RokNRole]

Most money shots are faked with cgi.

Not possible with porn budgets

sometimes it's a fake dong filled with what appears to be hair conditioner

 

[Donny Loved Bowling]

 Echoing an earlier post about prisons (since deleted apparently), the squandering of public money as pertains to inmate health care is often staggering. The amount spent on inmates' medication is crazy, and is often wasted since they cannot be forced to take their meds except in extreme cases. And sometimes it is simply unnecessary anyway, as inmates frequently fake symptoms in order to get specific meds.

It gets worse when inmates are sent out to hospitals for treatment. Too many times I've seen inmates rack up huge bills for lengthy hospital stays (don't forget to add the on-duty officers' overtime!), inmates that are being held on very minor charges with little or no bail. Would really be much more cost effective to cut them loose and re-arrest them at a later date. Especially since it often turns out to be an Oscar-worthy performance by a healthy scumbag who just wants a little vacation from his cellblock.

If only the taxpayers knew...

 

[Judge Smails]

Most money shots are faked with cgi.

Well they didn't have CGI in Peter North's day

 

[mr roboto]

 Echoing an earlier post about prisons (since deleted apparently), the squandering of public money as pertains to inmate health care is often staggering. The amount spent on inmates' medication is crazy, and is often wasted since they cannot be forced to take their meds except in extreme cases. And sometimes it is simply unnecessary anyway, as inmates frequently fake symptoms in order to get specific meds.

It gets worse when inmates are sent out to hospitals for treatment. Too many times I've seen inmates rack up huge bills for lengthy hospital stays (don't forget to add the on-duty officers' overtime!), inmates that are being held on very minor charges with little or no bail. Would really be much more cost effective to cut them loose and re-arrest them at a later date. Especially since it often turns out to be an Oscar-worthy performance by a healthy scumbag who just wants a little vacation from his cellblock.

If only the taxpayers knew...

My brother works at a Federal prison. Near Mayo Clinic. Those prisoners get Mayo doctors. 

 

[RokNRole]

My brother works at a Federal prison. Near Mayo Clinic. Those prisoners get Mayo doctors. 

And us working folk get sandwich spread

 

[Gachi]

Certain cancers have cures, but the drug companies are just trying to find a way to make the most money from it. 

Most of these cures are for genetically linked cancers, which make up a small amount of cancer cases. You can't make money if you have the cure to a certain type of breast cancer that only affects 1% of women. 

 

[Donny Loved Bowling]

My brother works at a Federal prison. Near Mayo Clinic. Those prisoners get Mayo doctors. 

Hug a CO. They walk the toughest beats.