There was a spam comment left this morning on my website. I knew this would happen, it was just a matter of time. To solve the problem, I will soon be implementing a CAPTCHA system that will at least help prevent computers from leaving automated spam comments. In the meantime, I will be manually deleting spam comments.
I made sure my alarm was correctly functioning last night. It did work and I spend another wonderful day up at Loveland, although not as sunny as yesterday. I was done and home before the Superbowl started, so I was able to watch that. I wasn’t too impressed with the commercials this year. My favorite was definatly Budweiser’s Sky Diver. Anyways, I spent the next two hours or so after the Bowl working on a website for MACS445, you can check on the progress if you like.
I was going to get up at 6am this morning to up to Loveland and help officiate the race. However, for some bizzare reason, my alarm clock failed to function properly and I ended up sleeping until 7:30ish. I was fortunate enough to be able to get a ride up with Andre, who was going up to A-Basin, just 10 minutes past Loveland, so it ended up working out ok. I got their at 11ish, so I ended up just watching and taking some photos, still pretty fun though.
From the email box of Andrew Ferguson:
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first round of the Resident Assistant Selection process for 2005-2006 academic year staff.
I’ve enclosed a timeline for the remainder of the selection activities. Review and notify me if you are unable to make your designated time.
Monday, February 7 RA Candidates (with Last Name letters beginning with A-M)
8:30-10:30 p.m. in Ballroom B – Ben Parker Student Center
Topic Area: Getting to Know You
Dress: Business Casual
Supplies: Paper and pensSunday, February 13 RA Candidates (with Last Name letters beginning with N-Z)
8:30-10:30 p.m. in Ballroom D & E – Ben Parker Student Center
Topic Area: Getting to Know YouDress: Business Casual
Supplies: Paper and pensHave a great weekend and we look forward to getting to know you better!
Sincerely,
Barb Morgan
Director of Residence Life
& the 2005-2006 Selection Committee
A few month ago, I was contacted by Amry Staff Sergeant Todd A. Dimock. He was curious about my interest in the Army. I told him that I had some interest. We met a few weeks later and talked about the possibilities.
I have been thinking about the joining some brach of the Federal Government, FBI, CIA, DEA, Military or otherwise, on and off for many years. I had considered USAF so that I could fly fighter jets and perhaps make it to NASA one day. FBI, CIA, and DEA were all interesting because of the all the technology they use for surveillance. Ever hear of a program called Echelon? I digress.
However, no matter what department I joined, if I joined, I didn’t want to just be a mindless tool, sent out to kill. I wanted to use my skills to make a difference and I think the Army has the potential to let me do that. I don’t think I’d ever join the Full-Time Army, I would join the Reserves (the "one weekend a month and two weeks a year" gig). This doesn’t give me all the benefits of being Army full time, but it does allow me far more choices about what I want to do in the future. The Amry Reserves actually lists some pretty compelling reasons, many of which I not only agree with, but am activly looking for. They include:
- Serve in the Reserves while remaining close to home (home being Colorado in this case)
- Earn extra income (this helps pay for college, I also get money for tuitition as well)
- Pursue a civilian career while serving in the Reserves (the flexibility I want)
- Continue your education with the help of the Reserves (like I said before, money for college)
- Build a military retirement (given the state of Social Security, this wouldn’t hurt; but it’s not key)
- Benefit from job training that will enhance your civilian career (this is a key part)
- Maintain a high level of mental and physical discipline (and so is this)
I already took the ASVAB and passed, so I’m in the door, if I so choose. I can also do Basic Training this summer and then next summer I can do my AIT.
However, the most interesting, and possible the key to this entire decision came today. Staff Sergean Dimock called me today with some rather interesting information relating to residency. Apparently, if I were to join the Reserves (and I would also assume any other Military Department), I automatically gain In-State Residency for tuition purposes. This is important, very important, because this summer I was planning on getting some sort of job here in Colorado so that I could hopefully, but not guarenteed, gain In-State Residency for next year. However, which such an attempt, I would have to find a job, find a place to live, find a way to get to my job, feed myself, etc, etc. If I join the Reserves and go to Basic this summer, I don’t have to worry about ANY of that AND I get In-State Residency for next year.
That alone should be reason enough to join. However, I like to run the numbers to make sure. So here goes. Each year at Mines at current tuition rate costs me about $33,000/year. If I were to pay In-State, that would drop to about $16,000/year, or half as much as I’m paying now. Considering that only about 17% of students at Mines graduate in 4 years, I’m looking at at least 4 more years of college just to get by BS. Being In-State saves me at least $60,000 over those four years. If I get my Masters, I save another $16,000 to $30,000, however that doesn’t really count because I should be considered In-State by then anyways. So there’s that. Then figure the cost of living for the next two summers. I haven’t done this before, but I would guess I would spend $400/mo for room and board, another $300-$400 for food, $100/mo for public transportation, $100/mo for entertainment, $60/mo for telco and cable hookup, and maybe $100/mo for utilities. That’s just a guess and it adds up to over $1000/mo for living expenses. And that assumes I get a job.
So when it really comes down to it, it makes quite a bit of sense. I get just about everything I want, I get some good benefits to start, I get help with school, I have the oportunity to get a better civilian job. The only downside is that it actually takes some work.
So I would ask for your prayers and comments about it. I am always open to any ideas you might have, no matter how foolish they seem. This isn’t a decision I plan on making in the near future, so don’t feel hurried to comment…or pray.
Well, I’m pretty sure I failed my first Chem II test. This of course means that I will now have to do all the homework problems from now on. However, that shouldn’t be an issue because the Homework Help Center is just one floor down and one building over. I don’t even have to go outside!
There is good news though! I’ve done almost all my Calc 1 homework and it actually makes sense! There is a Calc test next week, but I have to say that I am feeling very confident about it.
In other news, Team America: World Police is actually a pretty funny movie, although a bit crass. Worth seeing, but definatly earned it’s “R” rating, which the MPAA said was for
graphic crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language – all involving puppets.
The first problem is better known as the Monty Hall Dilemma, named for the host of Let’s Make a Deal. The simple and short answer is this: switch doors
The longer answer, from Education, Mathematics, Fun, Monty Hall Dilemma is this:
There is a 1/3 chance that you’ll hit the prize door, and a 2/3 chance that you’ll miss the prize. If you do not switch, 1/3 is your probability to get the prize. However, if you missed (and this with the probability of 2/3) then the prize is behind one of the remaining two doors. Furthermore, of these two, the host will open the empty one, leaving the prize door closed. Therefore, if you miss and then switch, you are certain to get the prize. Summing up, if you do not switch your chance of winning is 1/3 whereas if you do switch your chance of winning is 2/3.
So it really comes down to an odds thing. Just remember not to recalculate the odds after the first door has been opened. That is, you do not you have a 1/2 chance of winning if you switch doors, you actually have a 2/3.
Now on the second problem, which even I didn’t get. Once again, the short answer is: 1 in 11
To figure this out, simply write out all the possible combinations and add them up:
| Roll # | Die One | Die Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 11 | 6 | 1 |
There is only one roll (roll #1) that produces a dice combination of 1-1. Since there are 11 possible combinations, you have a 1 in 11 chance.
Quinn McGinnis sent out this email the other day. I love riddles, especially ones that can be deduced logically. I know the answer, can you figure it out?
Hey, I’m doing a bit of a study here..feel free to help me out.
Please try to figure out the answer to this question. If you think you’ve got it, send your answer directly to me. (Do NOT send it to dualbs, send it to quinn@——–.com).
You’re on a game show. The host has put three doors in front of you. Behind one of the doors is $1,000,000. Behind the other two doors is nothing. You pick door number 1. Then, the host walks over and opens door number 2, showing you that nothing is behind it.
Then, he says, "Are you sure you want to choose door number 1?"You have two options:
- Stick with door number 1
- 2. Change to door number 3
Which one do you choose? Does it matter? Please explain why.
Quinn also chatted with me on Messenger yesterday and posed this problem, which I almost got:
So you have two dice. And you roll both of them. Your friend looks at them and tells you information about only one die, it landed on "1". What are the chances that both dice landed "1", assuming that your friend told the truth?
I’ll post the answers tomorrow, if I remember.
So today marks the 19th year of my birth (for you *NIX freaks, that would be 599529600 since epoch). Another year, another tick on the ol’ age-o-meter. I did have the pleasure of going out to eat with Kit, Melissa, Chris, Grandma, Wendy, Danny, Molly, and Dan Hough, so that was fun. Mom also had way to much fun sending me Hallmark e-cards:
Any how, life goes on, and so does school. Duty calls. Feel free to leave birthday comments in the comments section.
Perhaps. I just saw an approved notice on one of the bulletin boards probing the interest for a CSM radio station. Interesting. Possible callsigns (as suggest by myself) include: KCSM-AM, KORE-FM, KDIG-AM, and KDIG-FM.