Team Science!

So, anybody want to contribute to science and possibly have a decent belly laugh in the process? I may be able to help. At the very least, this will give me a chance to use blogger 2.0's label feature. So it goes something like this.

When I was in college, one of my chums from campus crusade made a web page that will display a quote from a database of lots of them upon command. You can even, dare I say should even, add your own. At least click through a few of them, otherwise the rest of this entry may not make sense without the context.

So, after spending maybe half an hour cycling through quotes one night this winter break (I got really, really bored over break. Please don't hate me) I got to wondering, just how random is this so-called random quote generator?

There are a couple ways that we could answer this question. The simplest would probably be to just ask Amos how he coded the page.

Lame!

The alternative way would be to determine through experiment and statistical inference whether or not the quote generator is truly random. Much more work, to be sure, but on the other hand its a good project that I'm pretty sure has never been done before, and eventually I'm going to need a plan B presentation topic...

Ho: The random quote generator is, in fact, random.
Ha: The random quote generator is really only a quasi-random quote generator.

So, this is a theoretically easy thing to measure. Most quotes in the database are fairly short, no more than a few lines of text, thus I decided to add the entire Gettysburg address to the bank so that when a person is cycling through the quotes rather quickly it will still be easily recognizable. So, the experiment part is to simply refresh the page an exorbitantly large but known number of times and just record how many times Mr. Lincoln's speech is observed.

We can then perform a Pearson's chi-square test comparing the number we observe to the number we expect to see, given the null hypothesis of randomness. (The consequence of randomness, of course, is that all quotes in the database have a 1/X [X=the total # of quotes] probability of being displayed). Therefore, the expected number of times we see the Gettysburg address pop up is equal to the number n total refreshes in all trials times the probability p of occurrence.

The other hypothesis that I want to test is that the page is programmed to preferentially give the same quote as the previous refresh, but in a different color. I call this effect "color swap dejavu." If this turns out to be statistically significant, we can also infer quasi-randomness because of the weighting given to the last quote in the sequence.

In this case knowing how to do stuff is the easy part. Now the trick is to simply start counting up enough refreshes to produce at least 15 hits. I'm going to need a clicker and a lot of time, and, if you feel so inclined, some help gathering the data. I mean, let's face it, you want to know too, and the sooner we get enough hits, the sooner we can find out (with 95% confidence) what is going on in that thing.
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Addendum 3/29/07
I just found some of the old data I took a while back. I swear, it was like 10 days worth of work, and also I swear I don't always use my time this frivolously. Anyhoo, it might help if you're foolish enough to assist in this project!

Ex n q hit? CSDJV
1 100 452 0 0
2 100 452 0 0
3 100 452 0 0
4 100 452 1 0
5 100 452 0 0
6 100 452 0 0
7 100 452 0 1
8 100 452 0 1
9 100 452 0 2
10 100 452 1 0
11 40 452 0 2
12 100 453 0 0
13 100 453 0 2
14 100 453 0 0
15 100 453 1 0

Walruses lay their eggs in trees.

The eggs then hatch into larvae, which look much like cheese curls. Most do not survive to the pupal phase.

Ahem. (Looks around, nervously)

After following that act, this week's content may appear to make more sense.

I don't think I've been public enough about my music life lately. Therefore, I present, in no particular order, my "Top 5 albums I've recently either purchased or borrowed with intent to purchase":

1. OK Go- Oh No

This CD is pure euphoria. I love it. OK Go is a Chicago group that's really found a nice way to flavor straight-up indie rock. Yet behind it all, you can tell they have some geek tendencies. Oh No is their second release, and almost certainly their last as an independent production- they won a grammy for this video, which is, in fact, awesome.

If I had to choose a favorite track on this: Invincible



2. Switchfoot- Oh! Gravity
Oh! Gravity was officially released on 1/1/07, which coincided quite nicely which the free leaching offered all of New Year's Day on u-torrent. I was actually kind of disappointed with this one my first listen-through, especially the opening track(title) and closing track(let your love be strong). Perhaps it was because their previous release, Nothing Is Sound, would be in the running for my favorite album *ever*. Anyway, two weeks after the intial let-down, I decided to spin it again and found that that time, it was waaaaay better for some reason. I've probably heard it all the way through about 10 times now and it still hasn't stopped growing on me. My prediction: barring some sort of head injury to Jon Foreman, these guys are always going to be singing something worth hearing because their songs are just so lyrically sturdy.

Favorite Tracks:
Yesterdays, Awakening



3. Jars of Clay- Good Monsters
I've only heard this twice, as it just came out, but I can tell I'm going to be impressed with it already.

I've heard people say it's really different than stuff that the band has done before, and to that I just have to say "Whatever." Maybe the instrumentation might be different but it's still totally Jars of Clay. The first time I heard this CD was on St. Patty's day, and I had absolutely no idea what I was listening to until Dan Haseltine's instatly recognizable voice comes in.

Favorite Tracks:
Oh My God, if they would find a way to end it! What do they mean by the abrupt fizzle after a 2-minute build?
Otherwise: Good Monsters

4. Imogen Heap- Speak for Yourself


This lady is so original and talented. I'm kind of afraid that she's slated to die in a drug overdose or a suicide like so many other musicians that have those charcteristics.

I'd say this album employs the coolest use of vocal distortion I've ever heard.

Favorite Track:
Hide and Seek (Cliche of me to choose the blockbuster single? Maybe... so sue me.)

5. David Crowder Band- All I Can Say

This isn't necessarily new, it's actually their first CD. And technically, it's done by the University Baptist Church praise band, which just happened to have all the same members as David Crowder Band. There was a multi-year period of time that there was, I swear, zero copies of this available for purchase. But it's finally in print again! If you're a Crowder afficianado, you should go get it from their website or elsewhere.

The first track, All I Can Say, is one of the best songs that mankind has ever produced, and I will not be argued with on this matter.

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Bonus list:
Dwarves that were cut in the waivers before Disney decided on the final seven for "Snow White":

1. Bleedy
2. Sweary
3. Inverse Hyperbolic Cosiney
4. Lispy
5. Gary

When thrift and Europe collide

Warning: This post contains a (probably narcissistic) recount of my own exploits that could be offensive to some readers. Viewer discretion would be encouraged, except I obviously don't care that much because the content is here, ain't it? So continue at your own risk (and the risk of anyone else that might be affected if you have a slightly worse day, because lets face it, people are all connected at some level) of being hit by a literary cheese log.

So, I'm having a bit of reflection time after taking a three-hour nap today right now, and in case you were wondering, and you weren't, jet lag= very yes. But, everything good comes at some sort of cost. I mean, seriously, I'm so tired of hearing all that "the best things in life are free" bullcrap. Like, for instance, going to freakin' London for two days and Barcelona for four cost me about 1.2 kilobucks. But dag, yo, it was worth it.

First of all, did I mention it was only $1200, including air fare? It was, like a shade under seven Franklins to Gatwick, and then EasyJet is just ludicrously cheap, like $74 from London to Barcelona, which is almost worrying. Can that much money per person even cover the cost of fueling the plane? So getting to Europe isn't so bad, it's once you're there that the expenditures can get out of control. Luckily, both me and my little bro Nick (who sucked me into the whole Euro tour adventure) both carry the gene for thrift (if I had to guess, and I don't, thank God, I'd postulate it's on chromosome niner). It was pretty clutch of Nick to have a girlfriend who is studying abroad in Barcelona this semester, such that we could eat all of her food instead of buying it at restaurants. Turning continental breakfast into continental lunch by filling your pockets with ham and cheese also helps (that was more in London but whatev). And for the love of all that is good, don't take taxicabs.

Did I mention I love mass transit in Europe? I don't know why people would ever drive there, when it's like 20 Euros to fill the Nalgene-bottle sized gas tank in your Citroen or smart car, especially when the tubes and buses are so convenient. I mean, crap, in Barcelona, it was sunny with a high of 22 (aka 75 F) every day, so just walking somewhere, even for like an hour, was downright fun. Plus, this is what you get to see on the way:









The Spanish did pretty well for themselves when picking a place to live. Did I mention yet that Barcelona is the most beautiful city I've ever seen? It's only getting better, too. It's gonna be home to the coolest-looking cathedral *ever* built, Sagrada Familia, scheduled to be finished in 2021; this is the masterpiece of the genius architect Gaudi. If you don't know who he his, you should click here.

London wasn't bad either. The first night there, I broke a two-month fast from alcohol (I have my reasons but I'm not going to elaborate) with a John Smith's lager, which has revolutionized the way I view dark beer. Usually, I'm not so big of a fan of dark beer- I never recommend Guinness to anyone unless I think liquid yeast is their thing. But this John Smith's stuff was amazing. Same with Pedigree, which I had the next night, that was a lighter one that was just amazingly smooth. So, England, I laud you for your brewing. You just keep up the good work, ya hear?



And then some other stuff happened but I'll write about it later. Maybe. For now it's back to the grind (exasperated sigh).

Subtitle courtesy of David Crowder Band

So, have I mentioned I'm going to Europe?

I'm going to Europe! In two hours. Not that I'm excited or anything, but I could pee my pants at any moment.

Sorry if it seems like I'm just bragging that next week is probably going to be more fun for me than it is for you. That wasn't the intention of this post. I really just want to talk about how ridiculously and almost nauseatingly lucky I am.


"The beauty of grace is that it makes life unfair"

-Relient K

Lives can change so dramatically and so quickly. It's scary if you're busy holding on to whatever you can, but its also a reason for the hopeless to hope. Providence can come in the blink of an eye just like misfortune... I think of where I was 3 months ago and where I am now and the difference those three months have made to me. And now here I am, awestruck, tazered by God's grace. Which is great, but, where do I go from here?

Psalm 50:7-15
This is God, your God,
speaking to you.
I don't find fault with your acts of worship,
the frequent burnt sacrifices you offer.
But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull,
or more and more goats from your herds?
Every creature in the forest is mine,
the wild animals on all the mountains.
I know every mountain bird by name;
the scampering field mice are my friends.
If I get hungry, do you think I'd tell you?
All creation and its bounty are mine.
Do you think I feast on venison?
or drink draughts of goats' blood?
Spread for me a banquet of praise,
serve High God a feast of kept promises,
And call for help when you're in trouble—
I'll help you, and you'll honor me."

So it turns out gratitude is all I can give. God already has everything he needs. What he wants is for me to give him credit. And that, mis amigos, is what I intend to do. So, the thesis part of the whole thing is that God has bailed me out of some trying times, and he can do the same for you. Our God is infinitely clutch! He totally knows it, too and actually looks forward to the next time he can rescue us. Why?

Really, that's for Him to answer. If I had to venture a guess, it's this: every bad situation you've been rescued from is, in some ways, just a metaphor for how God has rescued you from the ultimate bad situation of being both sinful and accountable for your actions. You were once an enemy of God, but now, not so much. Quite the reverse in fact.

I will sing, sing a new song... okay, have fun in North America, suckers.