Snipd - cory's Snips

How to be handsomely witty? | Ask Metafilter

I used to hang out with a bunch of kids at school who were really mean. They spent their whole time ripping it out of anyone who went by, including each other. I got witty really fast as a means of self-defense. Rules to remember:

faster is better than wittier;

self-deprecating and dry is usually more effective than assaulting others or delivering lines like a joke;

topical and pop references are good but only if you're sure that your audience will get it; and

build on other people's jokes, they usually won't mind.

snipd 1 year ago

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No zingers here | Ask Metafilter

When I was in elementary school a friend of mine and I banded together because we were picked on so mercilessly. Along with working on our vocabularies and literary references, we would get together and practice insulting each other. The goal of the game was to leave the opponent with absolutely no comeback.

It's like playing tennis. If you're playing with the average 9 year old kid down the street, you won't need to master your backhand so much. But if you're hanging out and volleying with Roger Federer, you'll be on your toes. You automatically up your game and try to rise to the level of your partner because in order to play the game you HAVE to.

snipd 1 year ago

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I Miss Iraq. I Miss My Gun. I Miss My War. - Page 2 - Esquire

snipd 1 year ago

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I Miss Iraq. I Miss My Gun. I Miss My War. - Esquire

At a party several years ago, long before the Army, I listened to a friend who had served several years in the Marines tell a woman that if she carried a pistol for a day, just tucked in her waistband and out of sight, she would feel different. She would see the world differently, for better or worse. Guns empower. She disagreed and he shrugged. No use arguing the point; he was just off ering a little piece of truth. He was right, of course

That men are drawn to war is no surprise. How old are boys before they turn a finger and thumb into a pistol? Long before they love girls, they love war, at least everything they imagine war to be: guns and explosions and manliness and courage .

snipd 1 year ago

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How can a shy guy improve his cold calling in order to get a job? | Ask Metafilter

Don't bother with HR. Find out who manages the department you want to work in and contact that person directly.

You probably won't get anywhere asking for work, but people do like to help other people so try to get an informational interview instead. I understand you may not be in a position to hire right now and I appreciate how valuable your time is. I have a few questions about the industry though and you've been mentioned as somebody that really knows there stuff. Would you be able to give me five minutes at whatever time would be most convenient for you?

When you meet with them, make sure that you know exactly what you want to ask them and that you are very respectful of their time.

At the end of any informational interview ask for other referrals. Thank you for your time. It's been very helpful. I like what I've seen of , and I'd very much like to work for you. Are you planning to hire at any point in the near future, or do you know of anybody who might be or anybody who might be as willing to help out an up and comer as you've proven to be?

Note that asking for an interview or an informational interview will work TONS better if you can mention who referred the person to you, so work your network to its maximum. I agree with people up-thread who said that networking will be a much better use of your time than cold-calling.

I assume you were trained as a paralegal or legal secretary. Does your school have any programs to assist former students with finding work? If they don't, are you friendly with any of your instructors. They may be able to give you your first round of referrals. Hit up anybody you were in class with as well.

Good Luck

Note that asking for an interview or an informational interview will work TONS better if you can mention who referred the person to you, so work your network to its maximum. I agree with people up-thread who said that networking will be a much better use of your time than cold-calling.

snipd 1 year ago

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My apartment needs a tune-up. | Ask Metafilter

4.In every room of your house, there is a natural focus wall- usually it's the wall you see immediately upon entering that room, or the wa ll opposite the door.Do something cool to every focus wall- paint it a different colour from the rest of the room, or put a big piece or artwork or a cool mirror on it, hang your guitars on it, put up nice simple shelves & display your collection of antique Boba Fett models, whatever.But put something nice there, because that wall's gonna be a focus no matter what, so, there should be something interesting to focus on.

6.Keep the horizontal surfaces clear:no junk on kitchen counters, coffeee table, dining table, desk, and make the bed.Clear horizontals make the room instantly feel calm and t idy.

9.Play music you like, through good speakers but not too loud, whenever you can.

snipd 1 year ago

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remedial hostessing 101 | Ask Metafilter

How about "cafe night".It can either be after dinner or before dinner.I find it works best saying my door is open from 6-9, and whoever is there at 9:00 we order in.You supply coffee, a 12 of beer, maybe two bottles of cheap wine and some snacks. Everyone else has to bring a bottle or a snack or a game to get in.

This works well if you have friends who can't/won't/don't show up on time.It also helps people mix and mingle more since when you sit at a table you're pretty much locked into talking to those three people the rest of the night.However if you have friends who are wallflowers then you're going to have to work harder to engage them than you would at a dinner party.

-- Things to have on hand: lots of lemons and limes (for drinks and simple garnishes), ice (see above), extra napkins and place settings, lots of glasses (if you have them).

-- Have lots of pitchers of water. Also, interesting drinks for those who don't want to drink booze.

-- Have mu sic, and something to do if the conversation doesn't work out great. We like Catchphrase ; you may prefer Pictionary or Charades or whatever. But it's nice to have a game, because even close friends sometimes run out of stuff to just talk about.

Crack a window so it doesn't get stuffy.

Encourage shy people to sit in the middle, and chatty people on the ends (that way the shy people don't get shut out of the conversation).

Wine, coke, fizzy water, cranberry juice, ice, + BYOB.

Make sure you know in advance whether anyone is a vegetarian, lactose intolerant, etc so you can pick a meal that accomodates everyone.

snipd 1 year ago

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10 Essential Personal Manly Items

What are your top ten essential personal manly items that every man, of any walk of life must own to call himself a man?

This list is leaning toward items that every man should have on his person

Off the top of my head, the list went something like this:

1. Chronograph watch that cost over $100

2. Pocket knife (and the knowledge required to effectively use it)

3. Aviator sunglasses (preferably Ray-Ban. I know, but they're too sexy to pass up)

4. Wallet (but ditch all the extra cards and non essentials. It's a wallet, not a folder. Essentials inside: driver's license, debit/credit cards but no more than 2 [3 if one is a business one], insurance proof, and cash)

5. Lighter (preferably classic zippo)

6. Ring/Class ring/Marriage ring (any)

7. Keys (although, I cannot stand a large set of keys on my person. Some friends have keys with three or four rings, and do-dads, grocery cards, pepper spray, bead animals and a ton of junk. A man should have a car key, a house key, and maybe two others. Make another key ring for all lockbox, work, or other keys and use it only when necessary.)

8. A favorite pen (this is mine: http://www.lamyusa.com/safari.html )

9. A journal (I use a moleskine: http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Moleskine-Ruled-Notebook-Large/dp/8883701127/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221157836&sr=8-1

10. Dog (unfortunately, I do not own one, but growing up, we lived in the country and I was homeschooled so I was able to spend entire afternoons exploring with my dog, we even had three at one point, but one was mine.)

snipd 1 year ago

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The Role of University Characteristics in Determining Post-graduation Outcomes: Panel Evidence from Three Recent Canadian Cohorts: Executive summary

In addition, we obtained data on the proportion of the freshman with high school averages of 75% or higher, as well as the average high school grades of freshmen. The data, provided by Maclean's, are for 1994. Although these data are not matched to each cohort, and post-date the year of graduation of each student by 2 to 12 years, we used these variables in selected models to corroborate American evidence that the degree of selectivity in admissions at a university is positively associated with students' subsequent earnings.

n increase of 0.01 in the professor-to-pupil ratio is predicted to raise students' earnings five years after graduation by about 0.25%

In contrast, a number of other university traits, such as median professor salary and the share of graduate students in the overall student population, are not significantly linked with undergraduates' earnings five years after graduation.

Higher fees, as measured by the total fees paid by arts undergraduates are positively associated with men's later earnings, providing indirect evidence that students benefit, to some extent, from fee hikes and consequent increases in expenditures on undergraduate education by universities during the time under study.

Overall, there is a gap in predicted earnings between those in the most highly paid field "Other Health" and those in the lowest paying major, Fine Arts/Humanities , of about 60%

snipd 1 year ago

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Who Needs Harvard? - The Atlantic (October 2004)

But maybe the kids who got into Yale were simply more talented or hardworkingthan those who got into Tulane. To adjust for this, Krueger and Dale studied whathappened to students who were accepted at an Ivy or a similar institution, but choseinstead to attend a less sexy, "moderately selective" school. It turned out that suchstudents had, on average, the same income twenty years later as graduates of the elitecolleges. Krueger and Dale found that for students bright enough to win admission to atop school, later income "varied little, no matter which type of college they attended."In other words, the student, not the school, was responsible for the success.

But, as Krueger has written, " that you go to college is more important than where you go."

Beyond the Krueger-Dale research, there is abundant anecdotal evidence thatany of a wide range of colleges can equip its graduates for success. Consider the UnitedStates Senate. This most exclusive of clubs currently lists twenty-six members withundergraduate degrees from the Gotta-Get-Ins—a disproportionately goodshowing considering the small percentage of students who graduate from these schools.But the diversity of Senate backgrounds is even more striking. Fully half of U.S.senators are graduates of public universities, and many went to "states"

Or consider the CEOs of the top ten Fortune 500 corporations: only four went toelite schools.

Or consider Rhodes scholars: thisyear only sixteen of the thirty-two American recipients hailed from elite colleges

No more: 61 percentof new students at Harvard Law School last year had received their bachelor's degreesoutside the Ivy League. "Every year I have someone who went to Harvard College but can'tget into Harvard Law, plus someone who went to the University of Maryland and does getinto Harvard Law," Shirley Levin says.

Pope analyzedeight consecutive sets of scores on the medical-school aptitude test. Caltech producedthe highest-scoring students, but Carleton outdid Harvard, Muhlenberg topped Dartmouth,and Ohio Wesleyan finished ahead of Berkeley.

"There's a clear benefit to the top fifty or so colleges," she says."Connections made at the top schools matter. It's not so much that you meet the son of awealthy banker and his father offers you a job, but that you meet specialists andexperts who are on campus for conferences and speeches. The conference networking sceneis much better at the elite universities."

Hoxby estimates that about three quarters ofthe educational benefit a student receives is determined by his or her effort andabilities, and should be more or less the same at any good college. The remainingquarter, she thinks, is determined by the status of the school—higher-status schools have more resources and better networking opportunities, andsurround top students with other top students.

snipd 1 year ago

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Is Harvard Worth It? Conventional wisdom says yes. But with the price of a degree from America's most famous university and other elite private colleges now surpassing $125,000, many families--and a number of economists--aren't so sure. Here's a look

Is it worth paying some $125,000 to give their child an education at an elite private college? Or would her future be just as bright if she went to a less expensive school?

assume that it is always better to choose Harvard over Big State U. because of Harvard's presumably superior educational environment, better alumni connections, and more lucrative on-campus recruiting opportunities.

On average, a person with an undergraduate degree now earns almost twice as much as someone with only a high school diploma, up from 1.5 times in 1975.

You would expect graduates of selective schools--which attract successful students--to have successful careers.

Admissions offices at elite schools include many other criteria in their decisions--grades, extracurricular activities, recommendations, essays, interviews. These factors may reveal abilities, like good communication skills, that are far more valuable in the workplace than a perfect 1600.

Then Alan Krueger, an economist at Princeton, and Stacy Berg Dale, a researcher at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, designed just such a study. In a widely publicized report, released by the National Bureau of Economic Research last year, they found no economic advantage in attending a selective college. Their research looked at the 1976 freshman class at 30 schools,

This ensured that they looked at similar individuals. In other words, because the students had been admitted to the same schools, they would have had equivalent SAT scores and "unobserved" traits.

Krueger and Dale concluded that smart, talented kids who attended less selective schools did just as well in their careers as their counterparts at elite colleges. There was no difference in average earnings. The same traits that made the students desirable candidates for admission to Yale--ambition, intelligence, wit--carried over to the workplace, where they were duly (and comparably) rewarded, even though they had turned down an elite education.

The advantages of Harvard, in other words, confer few benefits on the class slacker.

She placed several hundred schools in eight ranks based on the SAT scores of their students. She looked at students who entered these colleges in 1960, 1972, and 1982, then examined their earnings at age 32. Hoxby controlled for SAT scores by comparing students with similar scores from different colleges

Using 1997-98 tuition figures, Hoxby concluded that a student who gave up a full scholarship at a Rank Three private college (average SATs: 90th percentile in verbal, 86th in math) to pay full price at a Rank One selective college (average SATs: 96th percentile in verbal, 93rd in math) earned back the difference in cost 3.4 times over his lifetime. Those who moved from paying average tuition at a Rank Three public college to paying average tuition at a Rank One private school earned back the difference in cost more than 30 times over.

They noted that in 1989 fewer than 1% of the 1.1 million students who took the verbal SAT scored above 700. Yet 43.8% of them graduated from one of the 33 schools designated "most competitive" by Barron's.

What can be said is (1) An elite education gives students--especially less affluent ones--better access to certain kinds of elite jobs; (2) There is no economic advantage to choosing an expensive, mediocre private school over a top public one; (3) Talented students everywhere rise to the top.

But knowing the cost-benefit ratio of a purchase is not the same as knowing its value. For many people, the value of a college education is in friendships made (or forgone) and new roads taken (or not).

snipd 1 year ago

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Why talent is overrated - Oct. 21, 2008

During the work. The most important self-regulatory skill that top performers in every field use during their work is self-observation. For example, ordinary endurance runners in a race tend to think about anything other than what they're doing; it's painful, after all, and they want to take their minds off it. Elite runners, by contrast, focus intensely on themselves. Among other things, they count their breaths and simultaneously count their strides in order to maintain certain ratios.

snipd 1 year ago

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Why talent is overrated - Oct. 21, 2008

Then we identify the painful, difficult activities that will make us better and do those things over and over. After each repetition, we force ourselves to see - or get others to tell us - exactly what still isn't right so we can repeat the most painful and difficult parts of what we've just done. We continue that process until we're mentally exhausted.

The reality that deliberate practice is hard can even be seen as good news. It means that most people won't do it. So your willingness to do it will distinguish you all the more.

snipd 1 year ago

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Why talent is overrated - Oct. 21, 2008

Top performers repeat their practice activities to stultifying extent. Ted Williams, baseball's greatest hitter, would practice hitting until his hands bled. Pete Maravich, whose college basketball records still stand after more than 30 years, would go to the gym when it opened in the morning and shoot baskets until it closed at night.

You may think that your rehearsal of a job interview was flawless, but your opinion isn't what counts.

In many important situations, a teacher, coach, or mentor is vital for providing crucial feedback.

It's highly demanding mentally. Deliberate practice is above all an effort of focus and concentration. That is what makes it "deliberate," as distinct from the mindless playing of scales or hitting of tennis balls that most people engage in. Continually seeking exactly those elements of performance that are unsatisfactory and then trying one's hardest to make them better places enormous strains on anyone's mental abilities.

snipd 1 year ago

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The Rationality Project: One Man's Quest to Ignore His Gut Instinct - Esquire

I could spend days researching and testing this decision. I feel like Buridan's ass. This is a donkey in a philosophical parable: He's hungry and thirsty and standing equidistant between a bucket of water and a bucket of food. He dies deciding.

snipd 1 year ago

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