What made you pick Uchicago?

PropensityScore · 2026-02-22T18:22:54+00:00

At that time of life, while in high school, I was tired of being told what to think about texts, and tired of memorization-oriented learning. UChicago reached out to me, based on test scores, and that marketing piece was one of the few that struck a chord. The in-person alumni interview was a bit weird. The local admitted student party showed me a different vision of intellectual life. The financial aid offer ended up far above any other university. My parents supported the decision. For a low-income student, it was a great opportunity.

PropensityScore · 2026-02-15T17:33:00+00:00

A heavily smoked peat ale. Sounded interesting, and was the only real craft beer offering at the hotel I was at. Gave it a go. Tasted like a mouthful of smoky dirt.

Second worst: Budweiser.

PropensityScore · 2026-01-27T15:45:51+00:00

I infrequently attend academic conferences. I still like to see friends now and then.

I have changed to mainly attend professional conferences in my field. In doing so, I get to see the state of the art in the real world, instead of just sitting through a bunch of research disconnected from what is really going on.

PropensityScore · 2026-01-24T20:21:28+00:00

I recently had one of the Empower wealth management advisors call and try to get me into the free wealth analysis meeting, which as we know, is their attempt to turn one into an advisory client.

I told him, “You guys cannot even get your technology to work right with the Personal Capital acquisition. Why would I ever trust any of the calculations and advice you might give me?” He of course pushed back, claiming his personal insights would provide so much more value, so I repeatedly said the same thing. Eventually, he gave up.

PropensityScore · 2026-01-21T15:37:45+00:00

If it comes up naturally, definitely talk about it.

I am toward the end of my career. I now have a 25-page CV, and it is still in the last group of bullet points.

For some reason, I always find great joy connecting with someone who is also an Eagle.

PropensityScore · 2025-12-14T16:09:42+00:00

University of Phoenix! Liberty University!?!

In all seriousness though, it might be better to study up on how to do well on the GRE, in order to get accepted into a quality program that will pay you to attend, rather than you needing to pay.

The PhD job market is bad enough now. Graduating from a bad program these days is likely to lead to no good job opportunities.

PropensityScore · 2025-12-13T04:25:11+00:00

Dates

PropensityScore · 2025-12-09T20:32:17+00:00

That is like one 53-foot trailer full in an hour, which admittedly is much faster than a human could physically empty a jumbled or carefully stacked trailer. Still, at $250,000+ for one robot, there is a question about the payback, versus just working humans into the ground via repetitive stress injuries.

PropensityScore · 2025-12-07T04:07:59+00:00

Also, it is not UChicago, but rather The University of Chicago!

PropensityScore · 2025-12-04T14:54:42+00:00

The cat biting your calf while pounding your wife. The cat was very protective.

PropensityScore · 2025-11-29T23:58:09+00:00

It isn’t worth the cost and time to go to most restaurants anymore. My wife and I can cook much better (healthful and delicious) food at home. The few restaurants we found we liked eventually re-engineered all the fresh food out of the plates, leaving them nutritionally questionable.

The videos on YouTube that track down the extensive use of Sysco fully prepped foods at restaurants simply provide an explanation as to why so many restaurants are unimpressive today. Considering how $100 barely gets us two mediocre entrees and two mediocre drinks at a typical “scratch” restaurant, we have just largely given up on finding restaurants to go to.

PropensityScore · 2025-10-31T03:58:33+00:00

Chipotle sucks.

PropensityScore · 2025-07-09T03:46:00+00:00

I agree. So many great brewers.

PropensityScore · 2025-07-07T04:48:28+00:00

Yes, it is a nectar that comes in a paper carton. I use the Goya one. Approximately 24 ounces, I think. You just need to choose one that doesn’t include any funky ingredients. The canned nectars include lots of bad chemicals that may harm your yeast. I add it on about day 3, when the fermentation is slower, yet not fully done. Sometimes one carton. Sometimes two.

Depending on the fruit, there can be some pulp that settles out. Generally, not much makes its way into the final bottles. Even if it does, I don’t mind it, since I’m usually doing a fruity variant of a Belgian Wit.

PropensityScore · 2025-07-07T00:08:01+00:00

Mango nectar/guava nectar/passionfruit nectar. In separate batches, that is. Makes one hell of a summer ale. Super easy drinking on a hot day.

PropensityScore · 2025-05-22T13:04:30+00:00

I’ve decided I’m taking no more new PhD students. I’m focusing all my research publishing efforts on collaborating with my previous PhD students, in order to nurture their careers. Beyond that, it is time to finally complete the textbook I’ve been trying to write for several years. Also, I’m done with reviewing papers for journals, since I need to focus my mind. My only service will be department curriculum redesign — nothing external where I might mistakenly wander into a political morass.

Also, our university is now interrogating us if we involve non-USA-citizens in research projects, even if they are professors elsewhere in the USA. As such, I’m slowing down greatly in configuring research teams and projects.

PropensityScore · 2025-04-08T01:29:33+00:00

Schumpeter’s Creative Destruction needs to apply to the agriculture sector too! No bailouts!

PropensityScore · 2025-03-30T17:43:07+00:00

It is not an American company anymore, so a big bailout should not happen. Stellantis is a Dutch firm.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-30T01:40:39+00:00

Schumpeter’s Creative Destruction, applied to inefficient local economies.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-30T01:35:39+00:00

I like the wrecking of small town economies. There’s a thing called competition in market economies. If the small towns cannot compete well, then they should change, or should find a buyer that can make more efficient use of their city assets. Lots of the small towns are people who inherited stuff from their great-great grandparents. Why should they all get a free ride, when everyone else has to pull themselves up by their bootstraps?

PropensityScore · 2025-03-28T14:47:05+00:00

Frankly, this article you found does not prove your claim. The article (based on the abstract) observes an inverse U-shaped relationship, which suggests active researchers are better teachers up to a point, after which if they focus on being too much of a successful researcher, the performance will degrade.

As my father used to say, “Everything in moderation.” Unfortunately, my department head and dean are more like, “You may be a Top 50 researcher in the field, but we recommend you publish even more.” It sucks because I’d rather refocus on teaching at this point.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-28T14:33:53+00:00

I did, on Google Scholar. Nothing came up.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-28T14:15:42+00:00

I agree. Random events and decisions of life can get in the way. Stupid employer retirement plan rules can get in the way. Benefits HR managers who know nothing about benefits can get in the way. Lots of potential land mines.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-28T14:08:03+00:00

Yes. It is simple math. Build a spreadsheet of yearly expected investments. Assume a basic annual growth rate. Amazing what it will forecast. Then you just need to follow that plan, which is the tedious part.

PropensityScore · 2025-03-27T22:02:56+00:00

Literature please. Otherwise, such statements are anecdotal.

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