I insist that my students only put their ID numbers on their papers and exams, no names. That way I read them all in ID number order and really try to grade as fairly as possible by inputing grades after all items were graded. I found, however, that for papers with multiple drafts I started knowing which students were…

I'm a fan of 5x5 (five reps for 5 sets) with higher weights. It takes a little longer, and sometimes I can't do the full weight for the whole workout, but it will definitely help increase strength over time. Is the problem that your gym only has like 5lb, 10lb, 15lb ... weights, making increasing the weight a really…

I've never thought that. I tend to assume that if I receive a wedding invitation and cannot attend, that I should still send a gift. However, I wouldn't assume that a wedding announcement implies a necessary gift. But I might be totally missing the boat on this.

Interesting, I didn't know about the double name law or the origins. I have a friend who has one, but now that I think about it, the Greek name is her middle name. Thanks!

It's not totally uncommon. I know Sweden has a similar rule. It isn't a set list of acceptable names, but the state can tell you to try again. For example, you can't give your kid a name that is a swear word, has a number in it, etc. It might be something that makes more sense in more homogenous countries like the…

Absolutely agree. If someone has feelings for a friend they need to be frank, even though it can be really scary. And if someone is quite certain that a friend has feelings for them, they need to be frank about their (lack of) interest so that the other person doesn't get led on. I just feel like the impetus is on the…

If you spent time trying to marry someone without making your intentions expressly known and then don't get what you want, that's a risk you took and that is on you dude. If you make your intentions known and things don't work out the way you want, that was still a risk you took and is on you. Relationships are…

I read this as "Standing ovulation." Get it together brain!

I end up having to pause the show at least once and walk away for a minute before I can continue because I feel so embarrassed watching some part of it. And yet, I always watch the next episode.

This isn't crazy. This is effectively intermittent fasting and plenty of people do it. The idea is that your body draws on fat stores sparingly and so it will draw on those stores when other, more readily available sources are depleted (i.e., when you are in a fasted state). Its not for everyone, but it certainly…

My boyfriend told me when we went to our first wedding together that he will not be buying me a diamond engagement ring if we decide to marry. His reasoning: from a materials engineering standpoint it is not the hardest material. He would prefer to a) purchase an engineered stone that supports high skilled American…

I think this sounds totally reasonable. I have lots of running shorts/pants that don't have zipping pockets and its often too warm to wear my running jacket. I would rather just put my ID, phone and a couple bucks in a bra pocket than leave it at home or try to hold them all in my hand while running.

But if you look at the data in OECD countries (a friend plotted this the other day, but looking at it again, it might have been only the "old" OECD 22 to get the time series she has, i.e., excluding new members of the org like Mexico) of assault deaths per 100,000 inhabitants the US is a notable outlier. The most…

I work on a major tourist street that is also a street with lots of international businesses and shopping. My train stop tends to have this horrible mix of people going to work (me and everyone in a suit), tourists (usually in groups of about 6-10 who walk shoulder to shoulder), and shoppers. There is no common norm…

This is me. I have a kitty now though (and she's pretty much the cutest except for the constant nagging) and I generally don't have a problem with her. Going to visit my boyfriend's parents with their 4 cats though: holy shit. Within an hour I'm sneezing, the spigot in my nose is turned on full force, and I'm crying.…

Hear hear!

It is terrible. My boyfriend's roommate absolutely slathers himself in it. The smell actually wakes me up. He's a wonderful man in every other sense, but seriously dude we need to get you some decent cologne.

I've been reading all about the bullshit the lame duck Michigan legislature has been passing and its just absolutely insane. In addition to these bills (which I'm sure will be presented for a vote without debate on the floor) they just pushed through some right to work legislation that Snyder had previously said he…

I get the "you're already so muscular, you don't need to/shouldn't lift weights." How the heck am I supposed to maintain or build those muscles further if I stop lifting or doing bodyweight exercises?! Call me crazy, but I like the fact that I can carry 20 kilos of kitty litter and groceries 3 blocks to my building…

It's not just conservatives who are able to simultaneously believe two contradictory things, its a general human attribute. Though I do enjoy the particular scenario you created here, it made me giggle :-)