Rules I use to avoid intellectual ossification

Never mistake being different with being right.

Never take criticism as evidence that you are right.

Reason through the logic using different sets of assumptions. Questioning someone's logic is not the same as questioning someone's assumptions.

Work to define the borders of areas of your competence, understanding, and experience. Work to expand those frontiers, but always redraw the map. Be wary of enclaves due to the passage of time, new research, or changing assumptions.

Never argue with someone who is unwilling to state or examine their assumptions; this typically leads to frustration, stress, and worst of all, deteriorating logic.

Wisdom is not equivalent to age. Nor is it a democracy.

Don't be afraid to make statements or take positions for the sake of practicing rhetorical devices, argument, or logic.

Do not drink your own kool-aid, unless it's really kool.

Will update later with more as I think of them. Additions are quite welcome.

Distribution of Facebook Friend Request Confirmations after Stupidness

Abstract:

Due to my incompetence at Web2.0, I killed my access to my Cornell Facebook account. Being somewhat remiss at losing my friends, as well as borderline codependent, I decided to re-add my friends. The distribution of confirmations was interesting enough that I decided to do this mini-lab report. As it turns out, I have more Cornell FB friends on the West Coast than I thought, which meant that people were confirming well past what I would expect for Ithaca residents. I am utterly ashamed that I did this analysis.

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name? Weighing in on Texas State Rep. Betty Brown comments

I decided to write about the case involving Texas State Representative Betty Brown, (R-Terrell) (homepage), because I think it’s important to address events that might trigger emotional rather than nuanced reactions in as calm a manner as possible. There are way too many issues to take the eye off the ball and rant about a case which only serves to reinforce preexisting notions of an imagined “other”.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Rep. Brown made some controversial comments during a session of the House Elections Committee in response to testimony delivered by Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans.