Random Rants XLV: Isn't This Just a Ray of Sunshine?
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hobbsyoyo
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Today is a FML day. 
I knew things were going to go bad when the TA of my Drone-building class asked us to calculate sqrt(10) using a Taylor series. He didn't want us to use a calculator to directly find sqrt(10) because he wanted to refresh our memory of Taylor series for whatever reason.
Then he walked us through the Taylor series and resorted to using a calculator to solve all the sums. This immediately called into question his teaching ability because he is unable to choose a simple, straightforward example. But we already knew he was an incoherent, quietly mumbling idiot to begin with, so no news there I guess.
He also showed us a sample test problem that he proudly informed us had stumped every single student last semester. It's a circuit diagram/equation problem and circuit class isn't a prereq for this class. How would it not stump everyone you idiot?
Then he went on to tell us we have a programming assignment that involves programming in either C, C++ or Fortran, but we can't use Matlab because 'that would make it too easy'. We also cannot work on the assignment with our teams, because apparently all engineers work alone and without access to calculators and Matlab.
WTH
Oh and it's due in two weeks and it's not like I am not already loaded down. FML
I knew things were going to go bad when the TA of my Drone-building class asked us to calculate sqrt(10) using a Taylor series. He didn't want us to use a calculator to directly find sqrt(10) because he wanted to refresh our memory of Taylor series for whatever reason.
Then he walked us through the Taylor series and resorted to using a calculator to solve all the sums. This immediately called into question his teaching ability because he is unable to choose a simple, straightforward example. But we already knew he was an incoherent, quietly mumbling idiot to begin with, so no news there I guess.
He also showed us a sample test problem that he proudly informed us had stumped every single student last semester. It's a circuit diagram/equation problem and circuit class isn't a prereq for this class. How would it not stump everyone you idiot?
Then he went on to tell us we have a programming assignment that involves programming in either C, C++ or Fortran, but we can't use Matlab because 'that would make it too easy'. We also cannot work on the assignment with our teams, because apparently all engineers work alone and without access to calculators and Matlab.
WTH
Oh and it's due in two weeks and it's not like I am not already loaded down. FML
azzaman333
meh
If you have some sort of anonymous feedback thing, you should tell him he's a dick.
Or just tell him he's a dick to his face, but I suppose that could jeopardise your marks.
Or just tell him he's a dick to his face, but I suppose that could jeopardise your marks.
Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
not allowing matlab, that's just silly
though it does depend on what you're doing, because matlab has many built in functions that they may want to essentially program yourself. My hw assignments have fortran stuff where the goal is to have you create numerical integration techniques for things (specifically, integrating a function that is a product of exponential and bessel functions)
which matlab has built in ODE, integration, etc solvers but doesn't have the computing power of fortran.
though it does depend on what you're doing, because matlab has many built in functions that they may want to essentially program yourself. My hw assignments have fortran stuff where the goal is to have you create numerical integration techniques for things (specifically, integrating a function that is a product of exponential and bessel functions)
which matlab has built in ODE, integration, etc solvers but doesn't have the computing power of fortran.
SamSniped
DJ Goodboye
First of all, on my iPad, a fragment of a post is permanently stuck in all reply boxes, and has erased my posts before I can type the full thing many times. Rawr.
And also I hate it when I say hi to someone and they turn away & ignore me, despite having been talking to me earlier. Especially when that someone is the girl I like.
And also I hate it when I say hi to someone and they turn away & ignore me, despite having been talking to me earlier. Especially when that someone is the girl I like.
PlutonianEmpire
King of the Plutonian Empire
So, since I had a bit of time to kill before work this morning, and my favorite threads had few updates on CFC, I decided to check the site for my local tv news station on my phone.
Only to find two articles detailing a murder-suicide that included the douche shooting all nine of his cats with his shotgun and shooting the wife with a handgun, and another detailing a hoarding situation that resulted in 38 cats, 20 additional dead cats, 4 dog and 3 guinea pigs being removed by officials.
Seriously, Minnesota?! You need an ass kicking.
Only to find two articles detailing a murder-suicide that included the douche shooting all nine of his cats with his shotgun and shooting the wife with a handgun, and another detailing a hoarding situation that resulted in 38 cats, 20 additional dead cats, 4 dog and 3 guinea pigs being removed by officials.
Seriously, Minnesota?! You need an ass kicking.
NickyJ
Retired Narrator
That beach sand smell is back. And it's annoying. I can't think straight. I'm finding my mind wandering onto Myrtle Beach.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
At least it didn't hit your toes. I remember during my work term one of the grad students I was working had to be off work for a few weeks due to a cricket accident and then had to wear an orthopedic boot for a while after that.
Anyway, rant. I think my lab report sucks, today's quiz and experiment didn't go that well, and my soles popped out. And the snow turned out to be rain, so my feet were wet. Again. At least I'll have time to buy new shoes tomorrow and will be able to relax with next week off.
NickyJ
Retired Narrator
I have no experience with any other beaches (My family and our relatives used to go there every year since I was born, though those trips ended five years ago.), so I can't say whether it's clean or dirty. But beach sand certainly does smell good. But I hate getting that smell when I haven't been to the beach in years, and won't be going any time soon. At that point, it's kind of depressing.
NickyJ
Retired Narrator
Actually, I live in the Virginia countryside.Oh I thought you were at the beach, not somehow magically getting the beach smell in the suburbs of DC.
Incoming triple Rant:
Rant1: I'm such a social coward
Rant2: I feel like people in my rhetoric class don't understand the meaning behind doing a paper workshop. What you're supposed to do is take other people's drafts, and correct their errors so they can fix it up. All my paper got were compliments. And I'm pretty sure I'm not that great of a writer.
Rant3: I feel like a dick as well because I actually graded theirs
Rant1: I'm such a social coward
Rant2: I feel like people in my rhetoric class don't understand the meaning behind doing a paper workshop. What you're supposed to do is take other people's drafts, and correct their errors so they can fix it up. All my paper got were compliments. And I'm pretty sure I'm not that great of a writer.
Rant3: I feel like a dick as well because I actually graded theirs
Ajidica
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You go to Iowa right? Join their Mock Trial team. It is loads of fun, you spend far too much time with very interesting individuals, get plenty of practice doing speaches and critical thinking, plus St. Thomas competes against Iowa quite a bit so I would be able to show off the superiority of Minnesota over Iowa.
Or join Model United Nations. The convention in Chicago before Thankgiving transforms into a 4 day long open bar. Even non-buzzed people get in on the fun by playing "Hangover Bingo"!
Anyhow, I get rather annoyed at textbooks/professors that assign problems 1-3, but then each of those questions have 6 sub-parts.
JUST TELL ME HOW MANY QUESTIONS THERE ARE! IT WILL HELP ME PLAN TIME BETTER!!!!
Ah well, I'm getting up early tomorrow then.
You go to Iowa right? Join their Mock Trial team. It is loads of fun, you spend far too much time with very interesting individuals, get plenty of practice doing speaches and critical thinking, plus St. Thomas competes against Iowa quite a bit so I would be able to show off the superiority of Minnesota over Iowa.
Or join Model United Nations. The convention in Chicago before Thankgiving transforms into a 4 day long open bar. Even non-buzzed people get in on the fun by playing "Hangover Bingo"!
Model UN is something I always wanted to do in HS, but never got around to.
What exactly do you do in it?
Ajidica
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Besides the rampant drinking and the mentally scarring Delegate Dance?
Essentialy your school is assigned a country or two depending on your size and the importance of the country. (Last year we were Chile, this year we were Ethopia and Botswana.) You then get to chose what committee you are assigned to and each committe has certain tasks they need to handle. Some committees can be small (like ECOSOC which was around 30 countries), medium (like 4th Commitee which was round 50), or General Assembly which is every single country (so around 140). Some committees write reports while the majority write resolutions. Report writing bodies can be a lot of fun, but can also really such if you have a bad Dias (the chairperson) or you get some particularly annoying or know-it-all members. After you go through the wrangling of writing reports, giving speaches, begging for signatures, getting your resolution through hopefully intact, and wishing Cote d'Ivoire or Djibouti would just shut up and sit down, you vote on the resolutions and there is much celebration held by all. There is also a Historical Security Council which can get interesting. IIRC two years ago they accidentally on purpose started a nuclear war over the Second Gulf War due to American opposition to Russian troops being the first on the ground.
http://www.amun.org/uploads/12_Final_Report/GAPlenCombined-4-II-1.pdf
This is the resolution the African bloc (of which I, Botswana, helped lead) on landmines in 4th committee.
See, that sounds really cool. Is there a lot of work involved? Do I need to go in with any sort of knowledge or skill? Or do I pick it up there?
I might actually try and do this next year. I'll need to look into the Iowa one.
Model UN is great. I strongly recommend. If you get an interesting country it's even better. I was Iran and Sudan in different conferences. Loads of fun and I had a grand old time trying to squash and otherwise water down resolutions aimed against me. THE GENOCIDE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES!
classical_hero
In whom I trust
You could just be the US and ignore the UN.
shadowplay
your ad here
Finland does a native dance, if I recall correctly.
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