Comments for Wine, Physics, and Song http://winephysicssong.com Howard Barnum's blog on art, music, culture, science, public affairs, philosophy, and life Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:17:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 Comment on Print-On-Demand publishing: will it allow academics to compete with major publishers? by Mason Adams http://winephysicssong.com/2010/02/27/print-on-demand-publishing-will-it-allow-academics-to-compete-with-major-publishers/#comment-989 Mason Adams Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:07:13 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=444#comment-989 self-publishing is always good but it may require some initial capital and labor to run it.*`- self-publishing is always good but it may require some initial capital and labor to run it.*`-

]]> Comment on Foundational Questions in the Azores II: Limiting frequency arguments for the Born rule in Many Worlds by Peter http://winephysicssong.com/2009/09/02/foundational-questions-in-the-azores-ii-limiting-frequency-arguments-for-the-born-rule-in-many-worlds/#comment-977 Peter Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:33:04 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=83#comment-977 If one view Born Rule as a axiom rather than trying to derive it, are you still left with these problems? Because that seems to be the way most MWI proponents are going nowadays... If one view Born Rule as a axiom rather than trying to derive it, are you still left with these problems?
Because that seems to be the way most MWI proponents are going nowadays…

]]> Comment on Perrin Cotes du Rhone “Nature” and “Tradition”; Vacqueyras by Ikal 1150 Wines of Argentina http://winephysicssong.com/2010/03/12/perrin-cotes-du-rhone-nature-and-tradition-vacqueyras/#comment-828 Ikal 1150 Wines of Argentina Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:13:05 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=518#comment-828 vacqueyras and gigondas are great, less expensive alternatives to the super popular Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines... this is a good producer whose quality did not suffer as they became huge! vacqueyras and gigondas are great, less expensive alternatives to the super popular Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines…

this is a good producer whose quality did not suffer as they became huge!

]]> Comment on To my mind, a 15th gold medal olympic performance for Canada—k.d. lang, Hallelujah by Wine, Physics, and Song » Blog Archive » A different Hallelujah http://winephysicssong.com/2010/02/28/to-my-mind-a-15th-gold-medal-olympic-performance-for-canada-kd-lang-hallelujah/#comment-818 Wine, Physics, and Song » Blog Archive » A different Hallelujah Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:29:31 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=466#comment-818 [...] the Leonard Cohen song. The Happy Mondays, from Madchester Rave [...] [...] the Leonard Cohen song. The Happy Mondays, from Madchester Rave [...]

]]> Comment on How does one prove that domains of positivity of symmetric nondegenerate bilinear forms are self-dual cones? by Howard Barnum http://winephysicssong.com/2010/02/26/how-does-one-prove-that-domains-of-positivity-of-symmetric-nondegenerate-bilinear-forms-are-self-dual-cones/#comment-816 Howard Barnum Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:25:36 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=438#comment-816 I've posted what I think is the answer at <a href="http://mathoverflow.net/questions/16527/proof-that-domains-of-positivity-of-symmetric-nondegenerate-bilinear-forms-are-se" rel="nofollow">mathoverflow</A>. I’ve posted what I think is the answer at mathoverflow.

]]> Comment on Interesting links for Sunday 2/28/2010: political economy of protectionism, complexity of the theory of the reals, subgroups of SU(N), and how to write mathematics. by dick lipton http://winephysicssong.com/2010/02/28/interesting-links-for-sunday-2282010-political-econ-of-protectionism-complexity-of-the-theory-of-the-reals/#comment-810 dick lipton Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:31:15 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=457#comment-810 Thanks for the pointer. Thanks for the pointer.

]]> Comment on Smash (well, hope the U.K. has the good sense to radically revise) the British libel laws! by Ian Durham http://winephysicssong.com/2010/01/21/smash-well-hope-the-uk-has-the-good-sense-to-radically-revise-the-british-libel-laws/#comment-738 Ian Durham Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:32:46 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=432#comment-738 I should add that I received an e-mail from them asking that I sign a petition found at: http://www.libelreform.org. They are encouraging non-UK citizens to sign. I should add that I received an e-mail from them asking that I sign a petition found at: http://www.libelreform.org. They are encouraging non-UK citizens to sign.

]]> Comment on Smash (well, hope the U.K. has the good sense to radically revise) the British libel laws! by Ian Durham http://winephysicssong.com/2010/01/21/smash-well-hope-the-uk-has-the-good-sense-to-radically-revise-the-british-libel-laws/#comment-731 Ian Durham Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:08:44 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=432#comment-731 There is an active Facebook group associated with this (I think I found it thanks to Matt as well, though via his Facebook page). In any case, there are a number of petitions that have been sent around and they have been encouraging people from outside the UK to sign them as well as those inside the UK. The BBC and The Guardian have been covering this fairly extensively too, particularly on their various podcasts. The last I heard, some progress on Simon's part had been made, but unless something drastic happened in the past few weeks, the laws are still on the books. The UK unfortunately does not have anything equivalent to our First Amendment. There is an active Facebook group associated with this (I think I found it thanks to Matt as well, though via his Facebook page). In any case, there are a number of petitions that have been sent around and they have been encouraging people from outside the UK to sign them as well as those inside the UK. The BBC and The Guardian have been covering this fairly extensively too, particularly on their various podcasts. The last I heard, some progress on Simon’s part had been made, but unless something drastic happened in the past few weeks, the laws are still on the books. The UK unfortunately does not have anything equivalent to our First Amendment.

]]> Comment on Wine and Cheese at Perimeter: 2007 Flat Rock Red Twisted, 07 Pilliteri Merlot, 08 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, etc.. by Jayson Bryant http://winephysicssong.com/2009/12/05/wine-and-cheese-at-perimeter-2007-flat-rock-red-twisted-07-pilliteri-merlot-08-nautilus-sauvignon-blanc-etc/#comment-661 Jayson Bryant Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:04:06 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=350#comment-661 Nautilus make very good terroir driven wines and are part of the family of 12 New Zealand wineries. Their Chardonnay and Methode Traditionelle are probably, in my mind, their best wines. Good to see, that even the terrible, 2008 vintage was good and did not disappoint. Nautilus make very good terroir driven wines and are part of the family of 12 New Zealand wineries. Their Chardonnay and Methode Traditionelle are probably, in my mind, their best wines.
Good to see, that even the terrible, 2008 vintage was good and did not disappoint.

]]> Comment on Boot Camp for Dinner Ladies with the Naked Chef: A research study of Jamie Oliver’s “Feed Me Better” school lunches program by Howard Barnum http://winephysicssong.com/2009/11/30/boot-camp-for-dinner-ladies-with-the-naked-chef-a-research-study-of-jamie-olivers-feed-me-better-school-lunches-program/#comment-655 Howard Barnum Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:30:58 +0000 http://winephysicssong.com/?p=324#comment-655 Matt, good point. I realized after this post I hadn't made it clear that a likely interpretation of the decrease in absenteeism, which includes authorized absences for health reasons, is precisely improved health. The improved test performance might well also be an indirect sign of better health. The authors do point out that "one drawback of our analysis is that we have little information on the health outcomes of children, as well as whether children actually ate the meals or not." And they point out at the beginning of their "costs and benefits" section, that the health benefits they haven't estimated are likely significant. I think it was a main motivation of the project to begin with, and as you also point out, if patterns of healthier eating are set early there are likely to be lifelong benefits that aren't captured in a study like this. I do suspect studies like this (or more importantly ones dealing directly with health effecs) might be definitely helpful in getting such programs, which do have significant cost, into effect in the face of people who say "well of course it's desirable, but can we really afford it?" Matt, good point. I realized after this post I hadn’t made it clear that a likely interpretation of the decrease in absenteeism, which includes authorized absences for health reasons, is precisely improved health. The improved test performance might well also be an indirect sign of better health. The authors do point out that “one drawback of our analysis is that we have little information on the health outcomes of children, as well as whether children actually ate the meals or not.” And they point out at the beginning of their “costs and benefits” section, that the health benefits they haven’t estimated are likely significant. I think it was a main motivation of the project to begin with, and as you also point out, if patterns of healthier eating are set early there are likely to be lifelong benefits that aren’t captured in a study like this.

I do suspect studies like this (or more importantly ones dealing directly with health effecs) might be definitely helpful in getting such programs, which do have significant cost, into effect in the face of people who say “well of course it’s desirable, but can we really afford it?”

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