Comments for Uncommon Sense http://blog.grapesmoker.com Pent-up anger from a crochety science guy. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:47:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on More Apple fuckery by KEP http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78&cpage=1#comment-168 KEP Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:47:37 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78#comment-168 I love that this rant ends with the adorable Adium icon. I love that this rant ends with the adorable Adium icon.

]]> Comment on More Apple fuckery by David http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78&cpage=1#comment-166 David Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:08:27 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78#comment-166 why not just download the point and click installer for SLIME in Aquamacs? http://aquamacs.org/download.shtml why not just download the point and click installer for SLIME in Aquamacs?

http://aquamacs.org/download.shtml

]]> Comment on More Apple fuckery by Jerry Vinokurov http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78&cpage=1#comment-165 Jerry Vinokurov Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:48:10 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=78#comment-165 Also, the logic of the Apple keyboard is ineffable. And wrong. Mostly just wrong. Also, the logic of the Apple keyboard is ineffable. And wrong. Mostly just wrong.

]]> Comment on Ender’s Game is actually not that good by Jerry Vinokurov http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=46&cpage=1#comment-62 Jerry Vinokurov Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:40:35 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=46#comment-62 Yeah, I read several of those essays. They're true as far as they go, but I think one could plausibly make an argument that the artistic merit of a creation is not necessarily correlated to its moral merit. The problem with <i>Ender's Game</i> is that it's just a pretty simplistic story with a few clever ideas. It's competently written, but there's nothing in there that particularly moves me one way or the other. It's ok; it seems exciting when you're young, but when you (the general you) are 25 and trying to explain to me how awesome that book is, what that translates to is "I have never read any truly worthwhile literature." Yeah, I read several of those essays. They’re true as far as they go, but I think one could plausibly make an argument that the artistic merit of a creation is not necessarily correlated to its moral merit. The problem with Ender’s Game is that it’s just a pretty simplistic story with a few clever ideas. It’s competently written, but there’s nothing in there that particularly moves me one way or the other. It’s ok; it seems exciting when you’re young, but when you (the general you) are 25 and trying to explain to me how awesome that book is, what that translates to is “I have never read any truly worthwhile literature.”

]]> Comment on Ender’s Game is actually not that good by Jonathan Magin http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=46&cpage=1#comment-60 Jonathan Magin Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:54:34 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=46#comment-60 Also, there's some scholarship on the moral problems posed by Ender's Game (such as its justification of (possibly race-based) genocide and its belief that actions should only be morally judged by their intentions, not their results). I recently read it again, and it's a good book until you start examining it closely, when it begins to fall apart. That's hardly the hallmark of great literature. Also, there’s some scholarship on the moral problems posed by Ender’s Game (such as its justification of (possibly race-based) genocide and its belief that actions should only be morally judged by their intentions, not their results). I recently read it again, and it’s a good book until you start examining it closely, when it begins to fall apart. That’s hardly the hallmark of great literature.

]]> Comment on Republicans are fuckers by Jerry Vinokurov http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=44&cpage=1#comment-56 Jerry Vinokurov Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:14:25 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=44#comment-56 You called me fat and that's mean :( Whatever, dude. You called me fat and that’s mean :(

Whatever, dude.

]]> Comment on Republicans are fuckers by serr8d http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=44&cpage=1#comment-55 serr8d Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:23:18 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=44#comment-55 Yeah, the idea of you eating great, steamy piles of shit brings a smile to my stone face. Don't bother with a bib, either; I want to see it run down your chin and drip on your bloated belly. Yeah, the idea of you eating great, steamy piles of shit brings a smile to my stone face.

Don’t bother with a bib, either; I want to see it run down your chin and drip on your bloated belly.

]]> Comment on Don’t go to grad school, assbutts by Charlie Dees http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-48 Charlie Dees Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:59:13 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=28#comment-48 I just submitted Prebble Q. Ramswell to the Name of the Year competition. I just submitted Prebble Q. Ramswell to the Name of the Year competition.

]]> Comment on Obligatory “gay for Steve Nash” post by Jerry Vinokurov http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=33&cpage=1#comment-46 Jerry Vinokurov Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:29:38 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=33#comment-46 There's no question that given the appropriate resources one could track player performances on different parts of the court. ESPN already tells you where the shots are coming from, and I imagine any NBA analysis team worth its salt would be able to track its own players (piece of cake using RFID) and probably opposing players too (though not as well). There’s no question that given the appropriate resources one could track player performances on different parts of the court. ESPN already tells you where the shots are coming from, and I imagine any NBA analysis team worth its salt would be able to track its own players (piece of cake using RFID) and probably opposing players too (though not as well).

]]> Comment on Obligatory “gay for Steve Nash” post by Andrew Hart http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=33&cpage=1#comment-43 Andrew Hart Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:32:00 +0000 http://blog.grapesmoker.com/?p=33#comment-43 Also, it doesn't really make sense to change adjusted shooting percentage based on how hard it is to make a shot. Shots are worth a point value depending on where you take them, not how hard they are to hit, though those two things are certainly related. Such a stat might tell you how accurate a given player is relative to average, but it makes much more sense to relate shot percentages to their actual point value, since that's how games are decided. There is data on how well players shoot in the immediate basket area, the lane, the wings, from areas of the line, etc., though I don't know if anyone has ever put together a stat that measures how well relative to average a certain player performs in those areas, and combines it all together somehow (maybe by weighting the percentages based on how often the player shoots in those areas?). You also run into the question of whether to compare players to all other players, or only to players at similar positions (i.e. is Tony Parker's insane ability to make shots in the immediate basket area being given the correct value if compared with, say, Andrew Bynum's ability in that area, or would we be best off comparing Parker to other guards?). Also, I believe TS% takes into account free throw makes/misses, which makes sense, since it has a lot to do with how a player uses possessions. Someone like Russell Westbrook, who only shoots 40% but makes four of five FT attempts a game, is actually a pretty efficient scorer. Basketball stats are really cool, since they can tell you a lot in the broad sense, and a lot of players actually attempt to use them in the narrow sense (like is Kobe better driving left or right) to impact how they play the game. Also, it doesn’t really make sense to change adjusted shooting percentage based on how hard it is to make a shot. Shots are worth a point value depending on where you take them, not how hard they are to hit, though those two things are certainly related. Such a stat might tell you how accurate a given player is relative to average, but it makes much more sense to relate shot percentages to their actual point value, since that’s how games are decided. There is data on how well players shoot in the immediate basket area, the lane, the wings, from areas of the line, etc., though I don’t know if anyone has ever put together a stat that measures how well relative to average a certain player performs in those areas, and combines it all together somehow (maybe by weighting the percentages based on how often the player shoots in those areas?). You also run into the question of whether to compare players to all other players, or only to players at similar positions (i.e. is Tony Parker’s insane ability to make shots in the immediate basket area being given the correct value if compared with, say, Andrew Bynum’s ability in that area, or would we be best off comparing Parker to other guards?).

Also, I believe TS% takes into account free throw makes/misses, which makes sense, since it has a lot to do with how a player uses possessions. Someone like Russell Westbrook, who only shoots 40% but makes four of five FT attempts a game, is actually a pretty efficient scorer.

Basketball stats are really cool, since they can tell you a lot in the broad sense, and a lot of players actually attempt to use them in the narrow sense (like is Kobe better driving left or right) to impact how they play the game.

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