The Column
Grad School
Going back to school because you actually want to learn things is a wholly different experience than my first time through school. I am actually excited to start my next homework assignment. That’s a sentence that’s never left my mouth before.
I am, as of this writing, complete with the first 2 (of 10) courses in towards my Master’s in Data Analytics. So far so good. My grades thus far are beginning to spell out my name.
Class Status
- ✅ Data Analytics Fundamentals
- ✅ Practical Evaluation of Data
- ⏭️ BI & Analytics
- ⏭️ Applied Machine Learning
- Data Visualization
- Databases for Analytics
- Continuous Intelligence
- Web Mining and Applied Natural Language Processing
- Data Analytics Capstone
I’m pretty pumped for some of the natural language processing, machine learning, and data visualization stuff.
Statistically Speaking
Humans are not good at statistical thinking. I think that’s inherent to the way our brains work, but I think it’s made worse by the language statisticians decided to use to talk about statistics. I think the words and phrases in use in statistics are actively hostile to us normies.
Take hypothesis testing for example - hypothesis testing is where you make a guess about a population for which you have some sample data. You use statistics to determine if your guess is plausibly true. Nothing crazy going on so far. Well, the way that’s “supposed” to be done is by stating your guess as a pair of contrasting hypotheses:
- The “Null Hypothesis” - what you assume is true
- The “Alternative Hypothesis” - what might be true & you’re using statistics on
Okay.
Well you do your stats. I’ll ignore the particulars about “degrees of freedom” and whatnot, but ultimately you either decide your guess is likely true or not… but how you’re “supposed” to state your result is:
Reject the null hypothesis.
or
Fail to reject the null hypothesis.
So basically, if it’s true you’re saying “it’s not not true”, and if it’s false you say “it’s not not not true”.
Maybe I’m stupid, but that is stupid.
Miscellaneous (Mostly Good!) Things
Cruising USA
We took a Disney cruise! It was magical.
I met the real Captain America.
Turns out he’s only 5’9”. Don’t let the perspective fool you.
🚗 We also drove from Kansas to Galveston Texas and didn’t go crazy! So that’s a true testament to our compatibility as a family unit, which is not something I take for granted.
Health
Perhaps related to the previous topic - my entire family got influenza A. I’m happy to say we’re all back to health. I’ve found a really nice little groove recently. I read a book about health and my daily routine has perhaps never been better.
Notes
My notes have sprouted recently. I haven’t written here for a month because I’ve been so prolific there. See the Top 5.
Andor
The second season to the Star Wars show “Andor” should have been called “Botheither”.
TV is Good Right Now
I’m watching Invincible & The White Lotus as they come out, and Melissa and I are catching Severance together every Friday. I’m enjoying all of these shows.
Top 5: New Notes
5. Stress
Taking head on a topic I’ve beat around in many notes.
4. Religion
In which I theorize about what connects various uses of the term “religion”.
3. Collocation of Strategic Artifacts with Daily Work Tools Keeps Strategy Relevant
In which I talk about how “plans” that live separate from the execution framework of those plans are less likely to remain valid plans.
2. Subcategories of Health
Arguably the best note I’ve written?
1. Dependency Chains are the Victim of Statistics
The one I spent the longest on - and it only uses big words to say something we all know intuitively.
Quote:
Why did they sprinkle their butts with glitter?
- My 6 Year old, about the dancers in the Super Bowl halftime show
I watched a dude go from skinny to obese with tortillas in his way.
- Fintel