Georgia Institute of Technology :: News Room :: U.S. News Graduate Rankings Released: "Tech’s College of Engineering retained its position in the elite top five, behind only MIT, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. The eight engineering programs ranked in the top 10 are: aerospace (4th), biomedical (3rd), civil (5th), computer (6th) electrical (6th), environmental (8th), industrial and systems (1st) and mechanical (7th). "
3.31.2006
U.S. News Graduate Rankings Released
My grad school's in the top ten...
3.30.2006
Illegal Immigration
So, I caught the tail end of an NPR story on the drive home discussing a recent study on America's attitudes towards immigration [Pew Research Center]. Leaving the gym, I heard another story about the mixed economic effects of illegal immigrants [Marketplace.org]. This morning, I had caught another essay on NPR suggesting that the US simply focus on reducing illegal immigration through attrition and enforcement of existing laws, rather than through new legislation [NPR Morning Edition].
The Pew study was interesting - one finding highlighted was that support and acceptance of immigrants increased with exposure to them; namely, those most against relaxed immigration policies have the least contact with them. While this invites all kinds of speculation on racism, closed-mindedness, protectionism, etc, I am mostly interested in the third link - the commentary on what to do about things.
I am really uncomfortable with the idea of further criminalizing illegal immigration - I don't see how it would affect the problems associated with illegal immigration, which I perceive mainly as the economic drag on social programs. The suggestion to target employers of illegals seems most appropriate, and appeals to this engineer's sensibilities. Consider that there are some 10 million or so illegals, and that a sufficient pool of potential illegals exists to resupply this number. It seems the logical course would be to try to reduce the driving force - crack down on employers, and this pool will naturally decline. This is also a more practical approach, as the pool of businesses hiring illegals has got to be somewhat, if not significantly, less than the number of illegals (which we're calling 10 million). So, fewer targets to pursue, and this group won't immediately replenish itself. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Unfortunately, it seems instead that Congress would rather take the easier route of targeting the nameless, faceless illegals, rather than targetting American companies that create the demand for illegals. Congress gets to trumpet a new law just in time for the fall elections, people forget as the media changes its attention, and nothing really changes. /sigh
The Pew study was interesting - one finding highlighted was that support and acceptance of immigrants increased with exposure to them; namely, those most against relaxed immigration policies have the least contact with them. While this invites all kinds of speculation on racism, closed-mindedness, protectionism, etc, I am mostly interested in the third link - the commentary on what to do about things.
I am really uncomfortable with the idea of further criminalizing illegal immigration - I don't see how it would affect the problems associated with illegal immigration, which I perceive mainly as the economic drag on social programs. The suggestion to target employers of illegals seems most appropriate, and appeals to this engineer's sensibilities. Consider that there are some 10 million or so illegals, and that a sufficient pool of potential illegals exists to resupply this number. It seems the logical course would be to try to reduce the driving force - crack down on employers, and this pool will naturally decline. This is also a more practical approach, as the pool of businesses hiring illegals has got to be somewhat, if not significantly, less than the number of illegals (which we're calling 10 million). So, fewer targets to pursue, and this group won't immediately replenish itself. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Unfortunately, it seems instead that Congress would rather take the easier route of targeting the nameless, faceless illegals, rather than targetting American companies that create the demand for illegals. Congress gets to trumpet a new law just in time for the fall elections, people forget as the media changes its attention, and nothing really changes. /sigh
3.29.2006
Hail to the chief
This link came to my attention from Buster Olney's blog at ESPN. It's a short anecdote about our president, Dubya. He comes off as a pretty funny, engaging guy - I think it's interesting, and can definitely see that this side of him would appeal to people and engender support. If he were a person who sought multiple viewpoints and to build consesus, he might have even been an effective leader. Instead, we get a guy who seems comfortable in a vacuumand doesn't court outside opinion, leading to our current state of affairs.
The Enquirer - President caught Brennaman off-guard in 2004 meeting
The Enquirer - President caught Brennaman off-guard in 2004 meeting
True Dat/Double True
I've linked to King Kaufman's columns before, and I'll do it again. This line's from today's baseball preview. You have to appreciate a columnist that simply understands and accepts the foulness of the Yankees as a basic law of nature, much like gravity and semi-intelligent design.
King Kaufman's Sports Daily | Salon.com: "I'm an honest person who is kind to animals and small children, mostly, and I deserve to see the Yankees not win their division at least once before my grandchildren swindle me out of my pension."
2.03.2006
Cool... perfect timing, as I've been on a Pumpkins nostalgia trip the past few weeks.
Corgan, Chamberlin revive Smashing Pumpkins - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Billboard) - In the clearest sign yet that
Billy Corgan is reviving seminal alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, sources say he and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are set to begin work on a new studio album."
Corgan, Chamberlin revive Smashing Pumpkins - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Billboard) - In the clearest sign yet that
Billy Corgan is reviving seminal alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, sources say he and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are set to begin work on a new studio album."
2.02.2006
The ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill wrote the article below. He mentions his year as the QB for the Jackets, which was also my first year at Tech. What an awful football season. My high school's team had also been awful - 0-10 my junior and senior years, so I went basically 3 years without cheering at a victory.
The first game that year was at home against Arizona. I remember it as a close game, with Tech having a real shot at a win until a late, bogus pass interference call screwed us.
ESPN.com - RECRUITING - Tom Luginbill: My Recruiting Story: "I found the 1994 season didn't go quite as planned. We suffered through a 1-10 season..."
The first game that year was at home against Arizona. I remember it as a close game, with Tech having a real shot at a win until a late, bogus pass interference call screwed us.
ESPN.com - RECRUITING - Tom Luginbill: My Recruiting Story: "I found the 1994 season didn't go quite as planned. We suffered through a 1-10 season..."
1.31.2006
Hehe, here's a great line from the sports columnist at Salon, King Kaufman.
Salon.com | King Kaufman's Sports Daily: "'The president has trademarked starting the game on third base,' a fictional Justice Department official said on the condition of not having a name made up for him."
Salon.com | King Kaufman's Sports Daily: "'The president has trademarked starting the game on third base,' a fictional Justice Department official said on the condition of not having a name made up for him."
1.26.2006
Yup.... and I'm hoping to be one of them soon.
Survey: More Parents Playing Video Games - Yahoo! News
Survey: More Parents Playing Video Games - Yahoo! News
1.25.2006
Lol... I know exactly what he means.
Braves & Birds - The Atlanta Sports Blog: "Mr. Tagliabue, how do you sleep at night?" "On top of piles of money with many beautiful women!": "it always worries me when I do something that Red Staters love and Blue Staters abhor. In that period, I had the same feeling of disquiet listening to Merle Haggard, eating at Waffle House, drinking bourbon, and being outside in February. Then I remembered that my party pissed away the election by nominating a liberal from Massachusetts who had all the personality of Herb Sendek and I felt strangely better."
Braves & Birds - The Atlanta Sports Blog: "Mr. Tagliabue, how do you sleep at night?" "On top of piles of money with many beautiful women!": "it always worries me when I do something that Red Staters love and Blue Staters abhor. In that period, I had the same feeling of disquiet listening to Merle Haggard, eating at Waffle House, drinking bourbon, and being outside in February. Then I remembered that my party pissed away the election by nominating a liberal from Massachusetts who had all the personality of Herb Sendek and I felt strangely better."
1.23.2006
I think this is a pretty accurate summation of the state of digital music. As someone who has taken to buying music online (iTunes) almost exclusively, I think it's a welcome change. I think they'd have been better off spending the last 5 years adjusting to digital delivery, rather than suing 10 year olds.
EMI's Nicoli sees Internet reviving music industry - Yahoo! News: "'We've moved on from the days when the main impact of digital technology was to harm our industry by facilitating rampant online and physical theft,' he said. 'The day is surely within our sights when digital growth outstrips physical decline and we can all compete for share of a growing pie.'"
EMI's Nicoli sees Internet reviving music industry - Yahoo! News: "'We've moved on from the days when the main impact of digital technology was to harm our industry by facilitating rampant online and physical theft,' he said. 'The day is surely within our sights when digital growth outstrips physical decline and we can all compete for share of a growing pie.'"
1.20.2006
1.14.2006
Nice - my google ads include WoW gold farming (unsuprising) and industrial chemical mixing equipment. What I like about the second one is that it fits in nicely with a long-running joke between my wife and me. When we got married, she wanted to register for a mixer. I, having just seen some industrial lab catalog at work, and wanting to flaunt our geek pride, campaigned to register for a "bench-scale homogenizer." Basically, an industrial labratory mixer. In a harbinger of our lives together, she prevailed. ;-)
1.13.2006
Michigan Football Forum: Stop the One-Peat
Pretty good points by some Michigan folks (wow, that looks odd in print).
Here's a referencing link from the USC side.
I'll run it by some LSU folks and get some input.
Pretty good points by some Michigan folks (wow, that looks odd in print).
Here's a referencing link from the USC side.
I'll run it by some LSU folks and get some input.
ESPN.com: Page 2 : Uni Watch: Uni Vision: "• From Tom McCaffrey: 'I imagine you're going to get more than a few e-mails about this, but the best Rose Bowl-related uniforms are those on the USC Song Leaders.' And sure enough, Carl Mazzone adds, 'Last year, during their trip to the Orange Bowl, the USC Song Leaders wore orange patches over their, well oranges.'"
1.06.2006
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