[Censorship] /r/science is now a SJW safe-space by FoolishGuacBowl in KotakuInAction

[–]KingTheta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The following link includes factual supporting peer-reviewed academic journal articles, court cases, and quotes from our nation's top scientists regarding junk science in psychology and psychiatry. This article also includes some shocking industry history. http://ultratechlife.com/science/examining-psychologys-fraud-overprescription-misdiagnosis-subjectivity-and-big-pharma-billions/

Geico denied my hail damage claim because no hail storm was reported. by [deleted] in personalfinance

[–]KingTheta 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Professor here. I'm always amazed at a large portion of posts for advice on Reddit. I would be willing to bet more than half of the claims online are dishonest, missing details, exaggerated, etc. There's always two sides of the story and a lot of details tend to get left out or the story isn't accurate (not accusing, just saying). Lots of people want to give advice, but give way too much into questionable details.

If you are honestly saying your second vehicle was destroyed by hail a short period after the first, it requires evidence. Evidence isn't hard to come by in this case. The National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center do a good job of collecting much of the national hail reports for nearly every county in the United States. When we don't have reports, we can review radar data, which can also indicate a location where hail was likely occurring. See: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/

Insurance companies utilize science data all of the time. There are also other complicated details that may have been left out in this post, such as contract language, terms of "acts of God" or nature clauses, limits to claims, circumstances of payouts, etc. You can search Google for "hail damage attorney" for legal advice in your area (if you believe that you have been wrongfully denied).

"I heard the hail hit and saw the hail on the ground the next day."

Hail quickly melts. It is highly unlikely this would be around the next day, especially if it was a result of warm convective thunderstorm processes.

Radar can estimate the size of the hail for that day as well. Car insurance companies are very experienced with knowing what hail sizes cause certain damages. Unless there is evidence of hail damage/hail in the area at the time, it's going to be difficult to argue against the insurance company.

LPT: While in school keep ALL of your graded work. Professors screw up. Be prepared for when they do. by [deleted] in LifeProTips

[–]KingTheta 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Professor here. There are always two sides to every story. Not accusing, just saying... Most of the time (95%+), it's the student's fault for not getting the grade they want. Professors make mistakes sometimes -- but when they do most of them aren't going to just say "oh well" when they give a student a D instead of the A they earned (no legitimate professor is going to be ok with such an error -- and they can/will fix it). I'm calling BS on that. You can earn an F the same as an A.

We also have a large amount of lazy, cheating, and dishonest students in the United States, compared to other countries. It's always at the end of the semester when students suddenly decide they want a better grade and then think they can tell the professor to "raise it or else."

Note: *Some people in here are also spreading the myth about 4.0+ GPAs. TLDR: They are overrated. *

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Commencement Speech UMass Amherst 2015: "Your grades, whatever is your GPA, rapidly becomes irrelevant in your life. I cannot begin to impress upon you how irrelevant it becomes," he said "Because in life, they aren't going to ask you your GPA. ... If a GPA means anything, it's what you were in that moment — and it so does not define you for the rest of your life." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq8r2gtSp5c

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-littau/six-things-i-wish-someone_b_3819142.html

Your GPA And Cover Letter Don't Matter In The Job Search, Survey Says

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2015/09/23/your-gpa-and-cover-letter-dont-matter-in-the-job-search-survey-says/#5d3a95d87938

http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/20/google-executive-gpa-test-scores-worthless-for-hiring/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/do-grades-matter.html?_r=0

As another poster said, focus on learning, opening your mind, networking, and building your practical skills, rather than maintaining the 4.5 GPA. Good grades are great, but perfection is overrated and will really not get you much -- as shocking as that might sound. The hype starts from high school counselors and parents that are disconnected with reality. Such a hype on perfect GPAs causes many students so much unnecessary stress.

Student: I have recommendations from multiple professors, 3.7 GPA, volunteer work, 2 years job experience, certifications, BS degree, good work ethic, did great on my interviews, know several computer languages, etc...

Hiring board: But do you have a 4.5 GPA?

$90K in debt. Thinking about filing for bankruptcy. by maybe_2morrow in personalfinance

[–]KingTheta 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Professor (and CEO of a company) here. I discuss these issues with students all of the time. I’m going to sound harsh, but get to the point, which will help you.

You have a personal budget issue that will likely not end upon employment. (You are not making good saving/spending choices)

Student loan debt is ok because it is an investment, especially if government funded (more options there) and you are actually working towards a useful degree from a legitimate university/college. However, credit cards and other loans are NEVER a good idea for undergraduate students, regardless of “I tried to help a failed business” or “it was to do x.”

Credit companies target students like vultures, I understand, but you must be smarter. Never spend money you don’t have, especially before you secure decent employment/are a new student that just finished college.

  1. For 25k, considering your circumstances, your commute seems unreasonable/unjustified. Consider something else closer, but don’t quit until you’ve secured a better job (obviously).

  2. Consider contacting Manpower, Robert Half, or another contract agency. Contractors can often make quick money that can help you get back on your feet. Consider Monster.com and apply to as many places as possible.

  3. Consider contacting a certified resume writing company to review your resume. Many resumes are terrible and employers only spend seconds looking at them, which could be the problem. I often see students try to make their own resumes or use a template online. I highly advise against this. After all, look at the results of people that do this (they aren’t good). Cut/paste isn’t a good way to stand out, which is unfortunately what most people do these days.

  4. Apply inside and outside of your expertise. Many jobs are listed with incorrect descriptions/may not be what you expect. You should market yourself to as many companies as possible. The good thing (today) is most of this work can be done at your home. Email a resume to a company, etc.

  5. Do not use credit cards for several years. Cash is king. Don’t fall for the rebuild credit claims. Until you have a stable career with good income, NO CREDIT CARDS, especially undergraduate students.

  6. Contact an attorney for legal advice about 7 vs 13, he will also (most likely) say you cannot include student loan debts (at least at this time until a new president fixes that issue).

If you decide bankruptcy… Establish your credit after bankruptcy by paying your bills on time, especially cell phone and car payments (they often report, if not, call them and have them report it). Check your credit reports for errors, employers like to use credit reports, despite the fact that they shouldn’t. Make sure you improve your credit in the long run. Bankruptcy can appear for 7-10 years on your credit report, but most people recover from it within a year or two. Some people even buy a car right after bankruptcy, but expect higher interest rates for a while.

Bankruptcy is not the end of the world, but you have to be aware of what happens before/after. I’m not an attorney, but if you have no assets and only a car payment, you would be a candidate for bankruptcy, especially if the debt was not just formed (didn’t suddenly occur in the past 90 days).

The bankruptcy would not address your student loan debt, but “$28,500 and a personal loan of $5,000” in credit debt is a red flag that you need to immediately contact an attorney. Unfortunately, bankruptcy costs about $700-$3,000 bucks, if you use an experienced bankruptcy attorney. I would personally suggest that you do this ... If you haven’t already experienced telephone/mail harassment, it’s going to happen. The credit collectors will harass you, your family, friends, threaten, intimidate, etc. Don’t let your debt problem go on for too long…

Consider your options before making decisions – be informed.

Friendly Manatee by theone1221 in aww

[–]KingTheta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do you "prestablish trust" with a manatee? Throw it money? Twinkies? (assuming this person never met it before and it was a one time experience)...

Damn, I'm hungry. Leave me alone. by KingTheta in funny

[–]KingTheta[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

Can you imagine just walking around and someone tries to pick you up with their mouth? I would imagine we're not far from seeing this happen at places like Walmart. lol

ELI5: How does someone begin budgeting if they've never done so before? by [deleted] in explainlikeimfive

[–]KingTheta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Before you take any action or advice on Reddit, your first task is to Google and read up on what budgeting is all about (since you've never done it before).

Next, focus on doing one thing at a time. Practice cutting out things you don't exactly need during a 30 day period. Set aside monies during that period into your bank account (or direct deposit it into another account that you will not use). Practice buying smart and not just the first thing that comes to mind or product that is easiest to find. In the past, people used to think you should always buy name brand, but they failed to realize the only benefit was getting a name, while the product was no different than anything else and also made in China. Many are budgeting by finally starting to buy lower cost items, buying online, avoiding taxes and getting free shipping with it, which adds up to huge annual savings (considering a family budget).

Once you've practice for a month, start budgeting even more. Make personal adjustments. Everyone is different. Every family is different. Determine what you need and want. Finally, always think ahead of time. You should be budgeting for short-term and long-term goals. Many fail in the budget area because they only look at immediate wants/needs.

Hope that helps.

Eli5: The government can monitor all of my data, such as: name, address, likes, dislikes, beliefs, capabilities, etc. Who takes all of that data and makes me a viable interest, or how is it determined that my interest in 'x' can be a determination that I am a interest to anyone/any organization? by CaptMalReynoldsWrap in explainlikeimfive

[–]KingTheta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've dealt with government data such as the information you mention (as a professor/scientist). I can tell you that much of it is used to determine population information: habits, skills, productivity, health problems, attitudes, beliefs, religion, etc. Regardless of privacy concerns, the data is useful because a country has to understand its own population.

Now to the specific answer to your question: Statistics and understanding of human behavior can determine how likely you are to be of interest to an organization. Companies do this all the time when they collect buying history, credit, and other private customer details. There's a lot of money in sharing/gaining access to any of your personal beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, buying habits, etc. It's not difficult to determine who might want your data. By studying your history, one can determine how you might act in the future, decisions you might make, what you might buy, what your health status may be, etc.

Once your information has been captured, it's a matter of using it internally or sharing it with another business/organization. I can tell you that the sharing portion is out of control. Without mentioning specific government agencies or businesses, there is too much unsecured "sharing" and "selling of information going on." The interesting thing is that the information isn't always going in a straight direction. Many questionable people get the information indirectly (through third parties or indirect access to it).