Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Want good reporting on bankruptcy news? You want Bill Rochelle.

Here's a perfect example (today's column, here).  Full disclosure:  I've known Bill for several years now and have enjoyed talking with him about developing news, and I've gotten to know other great Bloomberg folks as well.

Update:  to get the podcasts, click here.

David Brooks and "haimishness."

In today's New York Times (here).  Nice.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Rice's 100th entering class.

See here.  Go, Owls! 

My dad was ahead of his time when he taught me math.

Today's op-ed in the New York Times, "How to Fix Our Math Education" (here), argues that students should learn math in context--that teaching them practical applications of math will make the concepts of math stick.  I'm proof of that. 

When I was in high school, my dad realized that, even though I was getting all As, I knew nothing about algebra.  (I went to high school in Texas.  Aside from a very few wonderful teachers, the only real education that I received was the education that Mom and Dad gave me at home.  I still have only the concept of geography that I learned in school:  "Texas" and "other"--and "other" meant "Dallas on up.")  He gave me homework in algebra and more advanced math subjects, as well as science homework.  That homework, which I'm sure frustrated the heck out of Dad, got me into Rice, and Rice got me into my various careers.

So the op-ed is smart.  As is Dad.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The older I get, the more I like straightforward things, like the West Point Honor Code.

See here for a good discussion about the difference between codes that force community members to turn in their colleagues and those that don't.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Quelle surprise! Law firms manage their profits per partner for the rankings.

See here.  At what point do we stop measuring things that don't really matter, rather than chase the tail of the rankings dog?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I would say this even if I didn't hang out with Bloomberg folks.

People who think that they can have it all (a wonderful, engaging job; full participation in family life; time for themselves) are too optimistic.  It's totally possible to have all of these things, but not all of them 100% of the time.  Priorities have to shift; things have to give.  So I wasn't surprised by this story (here) in the New York Times.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011