Deal or No Deal
When the game show “Deal or No Deal” became popular, I read a few comments about the show saying that it was teaching the American public basic statistics. I chuckled at that since it was quite true. For those of you who haven’t seen the show, the basic premise is that the contestant chooses a briefcase that holds a hidden amount of money. As the show progresses, the contestant eliminates other cases and those cases reveal the amount of money in them. After each batch of elimination, the contestant is offered a sum of money based on the amounts that have not been revealed. The contestant then decides if they’ll take the money and run or keep playing. So at different junctures in the show, typically during a commercial break, the contestant must make a decision. Read more »
Posted: July 23rd, 2008 under Decisions.
Comments: none
My father is an amazing wood worker. All my life he has a project going and when he finishes it, it looks flawless. Chairs, chests, shelves, even a phone booth. Genetically, I feel like I too should have some kind of talent in this department but when it comes to patience, my Dad has it in spades over me. Years back I decided that I wanted to build an entertainment center to house our electronic equipment and DVDs. I drew up some plans and ran them by my father. We discussed them and modified them and ultimately came up with something workable that wasn’t very far off from my original design. Soon it was time for me to put my money where my mouth was and actually start cutting some wood. I felt the pressure of my father’s shadow looming over me as I began my work. 
No, not the Simon and Garfunkel song. When was the last time you experienced true silence? In today’s world, it seems like silence is something we constantly fight against. iPods, having the TV on but not watching it, white noise makers, inane radio, and even signing in the shower all serve to distract us from silence in our daily lives. Why is that? 
For some strange reason I remember a snippet from the Driver’s Ed class I took back in 10th grade. They were trying to get a bunch of us 15 ½ year-olds to pay attention to the road and make smart decisions in a short amount of time. So if up ahead I see flashing yellow lights, I decide to slow down and move over to the right lane, for instance. The method they taught for this was IPDE: Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute. 
I love watching Jackie Chan movies. Obviously the plot and acting are not the main draws of the movie for me. No, it is the way he moves and the things he does. Often the stunts that amaze me the most are the throw away ones he does rather the big, seen from multiple angles, stunt he finishes his movies with. For example, in one movie he is walking towards a gate and rather than open it, he leaps to one side then the other and then over it. A quick little stunt that shows how in control of his body he is.