Monthly Archives: December 2012

2012: Ending with a whimper

I left work early on December 27, not feeling well. I have had a bad cold ever since. mia_mcdavid has it as well. Stuck at home ever since. We have cancelled all social events. It is now past midnight in New Brunswick, Canada. Since that is a place in North America I have been, albeit more than 1/2 century ago, I think I can call it 2013 and go to bed.

Russia’s Soyuz Spacecraft

46 Years and Still Soaring High

While many improvements have been made to the Soyuz rockets and spacecraft since the first launch in 1966, the bottom line is that the Soyuz have become the world’s most used launch vehicles due to their consistent performance and relatively low cost.

“This is a safe and reliable and proven way to leave the Earth, and each successive Soyuz is different; each one has small changes. The role of the astronaut is to learn those small changes… and learn to apply them.”
– Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield

Statistics Hell

Welcome Mortals To My Domain

You hate statistics, you despise maths, you stain your pants at the mention of sphericity. Normal people love these things, but you, barrel of number-fearing sputum that you are, are terrified. Afraid for your worthless life you leapt pathetically to the internet for guidance. A freak spark of lightening hit your house sending a bolt of electricity through your computer. Sparks flew like tendrils from the screen, fusing with your face and sucking your head and body into the number vortex that is statistics hell. Your crime is evacuating your bowels at the mention of a t-test, your punishment is eternity in statistics hell. I am the gatekeeper, the evil ruler of this world of numbers. Although you might confuse me for a human full of empathy and compassion for those taking their first wobbly steps through this horrific world of equations, underneath my skin I am numbers without a soul.

Update in 2021. The author of this gem was Andy Field. Alas, he has removed this particular page from his web site https://www.discoveringstatistics.com/