Comments & Trackbacks & Data, OH MY

Hi Folks. It seems I'm an inveterate fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy when it comes to software installation. I've inadvertently destroyed the comments posted to my blog thus far. Try HaloScan! It's an easy two step installation! Now you'll have trackbacks!

First, I'm not certain what a trackback is… exactly, but hey, if it's new, I want one [yeeesh, sounds like a Jessica Simpson commercial] because I'm certain I'll find a use for it… whatever it is. Lucky for me, I've an email or two that have some of the comments – I will be reproducing them as posts.

My abject apologies to everyone L

Here's the first comment, from Jeff, that I'm reproducing. Once I figure HaloScan out, things will be moving a little smoother in the comments section. Anyway, in response to Men Like Orchids Too:

I was listening to DC101, a local radio station, talking about the proposed "all womens' floor" of a Marriot. The woman commentator said women like a place to go to feel secure away from men and not get hit on. I was waiting in the parking lot of a Borders before going in to hear the author of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants speak (that's another story).

I called up DC101 and said my piece:

If a woman is going to stereotype a man as violent, then the hotel better get ready to make an all white floor, too, because there are plenty of whites who feel threatened by people of other races (and vice versa to be fair). In fact, there is more black on white violence than there is man on women violence (DoJs annual reports back this up). Also, I want a hetero floor, too, so I don't have to worry about homosexuals hitting on me, because you know they're all like that (sarcasm)...

The woman on the radio told me it didn't matter what statistics I could give her, an all woman floor was fine while an all white floor was racist... then she hung up on me.

Face it -- Being a man acting in the essence of man is no longer acceptable. It has given rise to all manner of social discourtesies and petty crimes because most people assume a man won't step up and do what should be done to correct the behavior. And in the cities of this nation, they're largely right.

I'm sure there are some American women left who don't buy into the Oprah ideal of anything with a vagina being too good for anything with a penis unless the penis is in chains and controlled, but I found it easier to look outside the me-centric females here to other countries where a lady expects the door to be held open, finds it romantic if you're jealous, and expects that someone impugning their honor will be dealt with severely.

Wow, Skald. You really set me off, huh?
Posted by Jeff to Skalduggery at June 12, 2007 7:42 PM

Part of the reason for reproducing Jeff's post is because I agree with the content and spirit of the post. What **really sets me off** is the response: "The woman on the radio told me it didn't matter what statistics I could give her, an all woman floor was fine while an all white floor was racist... then she hung up on me."

I heard the same sort of thing during my master's program. My moonbat classmates would categorically reject any statistic that tended to weaken their position and claim statistics could be made to say anything. Of course, this nonsense was only used when the statistic opposed their vision of the world. I'll say here what I said in class in response to the notion that one can make a statistic "say anything":

I disagree on at least a few levels. Part of the reason is pragmatic. If "anyone" can make statistics say what is favorable to their cause, why would any right thinking person bother with doing a statistical analysis, or more important, believe any statistical study? It raised my curiosity when you reported what your stats professor said because later in your post you encouraged smart project managers to prepare "charts and graphics for a presentation to guide and show statistical data."

Supposedly, Benjamin Disraeli said "lies, damned lies, and statistics," a statement Mark Twain popularized by expanding it to "There are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies, and statistics" (Wiki). Though I find it as humorous as the next, I only agree with it in so far as the statistics are inadvertently or deliberately misused, or the current method doesn't account for a particular model.

If I submit a proposition such as, most red headed Irishmen are taller than 5' 10", collect a valid sample, and discover that in fact the mean is 6'1", the median 5'8", the mode 5'9", and then proceeded to say I was right because the average height of a red headed Irishman is 6'1", then I don't believe I've made statistics say what I want -- I believe I've lied about the statistics. Clearly, since the median is 5'8" (meaning half of all Irishmen are shorter than 5'8") and the mode is 5'9" (the most frequently occurring height), more Irishmen are shorter than 5'10".

I do believe a person can use statistics dishonestly to support a position, but I also believe that is an excellent reason to know how they should be used -- in order to separate mistakes and errors from dishonesty. That is why I would disagree with your stats professor.

'Nuff said. Again, my apologies for screwing up the comments section, but I hope this new software will actually help me manage comments better in the future.

Strength and Honor all.