links for 2009-01-24

" Open a new Excel workbook. In cell B1, write your title. Leave row 2 blank.
In cells A3 through A8, place the letters A through F. These letters are the cues
for your repeating words (teleutons). Leave row 9 blank to denote a stanza break.
In cells A10 through A15, put the letters F-A-E-B-D-C. Then skip a line. Likewise create
your teleuton template for the rest of your stanzas
based on the standard sestina form (left to you to find)."

"Yes, itâs only been one day. But this is mighty impressive. Obamaâs top priority upon taking office was to sign orders rolling back his predecessorâs expansion of executive power. Put another way, Obamaâs top priority upon taking office was to institute limits on his own power. "

"Adelman says that rather than focus on the âretentionâ of students by one college â which he decries as overly focused on the fates of âschools that want to hang on to students (one suspects, more for the sake of their reputations than what would be best for the student)â â policy makers would be better off focusing on the rates at which students persist in higher education, which is âmuch more important to the rest of us who have worked to identify the different productive paths students can take in space and time through our system.â"

"Since today is National Pie Day, I thought I would list a few of my favorite cookbooks. In particular, the ones that have taught me to bake pie. The ones with science."

"The question, of course, is whether the universe (and all the life contained therein) is a clock or a cloud. The methodology of modern science is predicated on the assumption that everything is a clock, a wonderfully complex timepiece to be sure, but still a clock. But what if reality is a cloud?"

"Further, and I think even more damaging, the story Gladwell tells only makes sense in a post selected world. Everyday kids everywhere are given access to different extraordinary opportunities. Some of these opportunities lead down the path to fame and fortune. But others most certainly do not. If one is to make any use out of the idea that extraordinary opportunities are important to becoming an outlier, then one needs to be able to identify in advance which of these opportunities help lead one down the correct path."