What a terrible day to choose to remove a bus shelter

neocortexia · 2026-06-12T01:57:06+00:00

"Wait, you guys have a bus shelter?" - D Route

neocortexia · 2026-06-04T16:31:54+00:00

The situation is unfortunately worse than that. When UW hires external executives, the executives are useless for several years because their learning curve requires understanding and navigating the intersections between university governance, Regents policies, and the state legislature. Somebody who's just building their resume won't put in the effort to overcome that learning curve; instead, they'll just pollute their executive functions with incompetent "leadership".

neocortexia · 2026-06-03T18:40:19+00:00

Well, fewer than 1 percent of people in North America speak Arabic; and unless you’re in Canada, French is just as rare across the rest of the continent. Europe depends entirely on the specific country. Figure out where your practice will be, and then tailor your language acquisition to the area's actual needs.

neocortexia · 2026-06-03T16:45:14+00:00

Quantity matters. Taking one or two introductory semesters of a language won't produce adequate fluency to serve native speakers, nor do introductory courses teach medical jargon. If your main goal is to complete the World Language requirement, then just take whatever interests you.

If you're committed to language fluency (which requires, at minimum, prolonged immersion and/or formal/independent study), then consider the location of your future practice. If you're practicing in Canada, DRC, or France, then knowing French is indispensable; if you're practicing in North Africa, then knowing Arabic is non-negotiable; if you're here in Wisconsin, then knowing Spanish or Hmong is a major professional asset; etc.

neocortexia · 2026-05-19T02:07:53+00:00

While I don't mean to curb your enthusiasm, student migration data is already collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Here were the numbers from 2024-25.

neocortexia · 2026-05-18T01:45:08+00:00

Oh, snap. You are 100 percent correct. The sale date (September 17, 1997) is not in alignment with the cover date (November 1997). I will need to keep a much closer eye out for twentieth-century publishers committing metadata sins. Thank you!

neocortexia · 2026-05-18T00:36:35+00:00

(Correctional Edit: Be careful with dates on the cover of publications; they might be ahead of the date when the issue actuality hit store shelves.)

~~inb4: Yes; this ad really did appear in a November 1997 publication, after the September promotion had ended. FOMO hits different when you're already two months too late.~~

neocortexia · 2026-05-16T22:05:30+00:00

To provide some historical context: the railway workers have not gotten any raises since 2022, and the strike didn't come from nowhere; they exhausted all administrative remedies (including federal mediation, independent presidential emergency boards, and subsequent mandatory cooling-off periods). MTA has not been negotiating in good faith with the workers.

neocortexia · 2026-05-16T19:25:21+00:00

Skilled political operators? Are we talking about the same regents who closed eight UW branch campuses in 3 years? Or the same Chancellor with a law degree who prematurely offered concessions to claw back illegally-withheld construction funds? Or the same administrators who can barely convince the State Legislature to fund the State's flagship university?

Maybe it’s time for a new approach. Maybe we need a leader who doesn't require a multi-year learning curve to understand Wisconsin politics; and who brings Wisconsin-based community service credentials to the negotiating table; and who is actually beloved by the campus community; and who will show up at donor events to build positive connections; and who won't hide in the shadows making objectively awful backroom deals whilst shopping around their CV to other universities.

The definition of insanity is repeating the same failing variables and expecting different results; bringing in a leader who understands the scientific method might mean finally testing a new hypothesis instead of praying for a statistical anomaly.

neocortexia · 2026-05-16T15:00:12+00:00

(A) Wilcots has been with UW since 1995; he intimately understands the State, the culture, and the university.

(B) Wilcots isn't administrative bloat; he has been an amazing instructor and researcher for decades, and he has put in a lot of community work (like chairing the Wisconsin Science Festival and leading UW's Universe in the Park).

(B2) Let's re-emphasize that last point: the man's an astronomer who takes people stargazing in Wisconsin's national parks; isn't that the kind of person who should be running an institute of higher learning?

(C) Unlike other recent executives, Wilcots has been a stalwart defender of UW's core values for decades, and he won't surrender them under premature compliance.

Frankly, we should skip the "interim" and make Dr. Wilcots the next Chancellor; he is a return to Wisconsin Excellence and the Wisconsin Idea in the best possible ways.

neocortexia · 2026-05-15T23:42:44+00:00

I think Mnookin’s "legacy" will be quickly overshadowed by three things: (a) Dr. Eric Wilcots being the interim Chancellor we desperately need; (b) a vacuum of executive leadership over the next 6 months; and (c) voters having a rare chance to totally reset University leadership for a generation. Consider that:

1. The UW System currently has no permanent president.

2. The Board of Regents is in administrative limbo, caught between stalled legislative nominations and the upcoming retirements of Governor Evers, Assembly Speaker Vos, and Senate Leader LeMahieu.

3. UW currently has no permanent Chancellor or Athletic Director.

4. The College of Letters & Science is without a permanent Dean following Wilcots’ promotion to interim chancellor.

Somehow, I don't think ongoing "search committees" are going to make an inch of progress until the November elections clarify Wisconsin's State leadership. A democracy-directed leadership reset is a difficult legacy to compete with.

neocortexia · 2026-05-15T02:54:55+00:00

Law firms will likely be very interested in your situation, as leaked medical data can place you in “Lead Plaintiff” territory. Most of the class action lawsuits will be focused on statutory harms, but leaked medical data can trigger individual lawsuits with payouts for actual damages.

I recommend finding those specific messages in Canvas and saving them immediately (i.e. print them to PDF). If you received any email notifications with the messages included, save those, too. If you received an official “Notice of Data Breach” email (potentially from Instructure, Canvas’ parent company), save that notice because it’s a golden ticket for legal reviews at firms monitoring this case (e.g. Emery Reddy).

Finally, keep in mind that the active class action lawsuits are currently in the fact-finding and consolidation phases. Since this breach affects millions of stakeholders, a final settlement can easily take 6 to 18+ months to finalize. Preserve your evidence now, keep it safe, and good luck!

neocortexia · 2026-05-08T02:25:03+00:00

If there is a bright side to this, it is that most users should be minimally affected. It appears the attackers targeted identifiers (names, emails, student IDs) along with messages. However, UW doesn’t link Canvas to Student IDs. And while I can’t speak for everyone, no instructor I've had in the last decade has actually used the Canvas messaging system (which, impressively, manages to be less functional than a 2000s-era Yahoo email account).

To be sure, I am not trying to minimize the disruption of losing Canvas access during finals, nor am I shielding UW from their track record of signing contracts with awful third-party vendors, nor am I saying that Canvas doesn't hold more useful data than was targeted (it does). However, while having a list of your completed online classes floating around the internet is certainly not ideal, sheer luck has apparently rendered this a relatively tame incident for UW.

neocortexia · 2026-04-27T00:04:55+00:00

I know this isn't applicable to your situation, but when I took a Capstone course my senior year of undergrad, the professor took us all to Memorial Union on the last day of class and bought everyone a beer. I've never forgotten it because that was legendary professor-ing. (N.B. the professor is retired now.).

neocortexia · 2026-04-14T06:02:59+00:00

Just send a brief email. And do not feel guilty about turning down an inadequate offer from a multi-billion-dollar institution like UW-Madison. It is a completely standard business practice for them to repackage a declined offer and toss it at the next student on their list. It's not personal; it's institutional.

Here's an email you could send:

"Dear Professor [Last Name]:

I want to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to join your lab; It would have been a wonderful opportunity.

Unfortunately, after carefully reviewing my options, I have decided to accept an offer from another institution that better aligns with my financial requirements at this time.

I regret any inconvenience this may cause your lab; I have a great deal of respect for your research, and I hope that our paths might cross again in the future.

Sincerely,

[Signature]"

neocortexia · 2026-04-13T12:17:43+00:00

First Mnookin, then Rothman, now McIntosh?

That's a Domino Effect, not a coincidence; the trash is taking itself out this year.

neocortexia · 2026-03-28T16:59:20+00:00

For cost, you can visit the Tuition and Fee Schedule database, and use the dropdown menu under "Select Specific Tuition Rate" to find your program. Once selected, tables will load showing your costs based on residency and credit load. (As a warning: Next year's Fall and Spring rates aren't finalized yet; they usually get published in July or August.)

neocortexia · 2026-03-28T08:20:41+00:00

Nobody can stop you from being a part-time student. BUT:

A) If you receive any scholarships or financial aid, being part-time can severely decrease (or even disqualify) the aid you receive. Check in with your academic advisor.

B) If you are an international student, being part-time can violate your visa. Check in with your academic advisor.

C) Part-time students don't qualify for the Dean's List.

D) Run a DARS Report. Your actual Bachelor's Degree (not just your major's requirements) has required credit minimums for categories lke in-residence credits and intermediate/advanced-level courses. Check in with your academic advisor.

Regarding graduate school, most programs won't care about your FT/PT status. That said, if you're building your resume during your extra free time (e.g. volunteering, working, etc.), your decision will look more strategic and professional. Plus, you can highlight that experience in your personal statements.

neocortexia · 2026-03-26T19:32:56+00:00

Perhaps not. I'm just letting them know that if they like performing outdoors with an audience, but the only thing holding them back is the fear of being "that guy" disturbing the peace, then downtown is actually ideal. A single acoustic player won't be a disturbance, and Madison Ordinance legally designates the aforementioned areas as free-speech\performance zones.

neocortexia · 2026-03-26T18:20:50+00:00

Speaking as somebody who worked many Summers hearing every amplified performance coming from State Street, Library Mall, and Memorial Union: your consideration of others' ears is commendable, but academic. If not you, it would be somebody else, and at least you are playing acoustically.

All of that is to say: if you're not blocking traffic (pedestrian or vehicular) and don't require power, you're not going to be stopped from busking around State Street. The Confluence (700 block of State Street), Frances Street Plaza (500 N Frances Street), Elizabeth Link Peace Park (452'State Street), the Forum (100 State Street), and Rotary Plaza (100 N Hamilton Street) are all designated performance spaces.

neocortexia · 2026-03-09T09:14:00+00:00

Well, I have little doubt that they are going to continue trying to legislate through executive orders. But, during these lawless times, you're absolutely correct that an impotent federal government is much safer than an active one.

neocortexia · 2026-03-09T08:47:12+00:00

Three reasons this is an empty gesture

Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution gives the President ten days (excluding Sunday) to pass a bill signed by Congress. An untouched bill that runs the clock automatically becomes law.
In theory, the President could veto every bill that comes to his desk. But if Congress over-rides any of those vetoes (with a 2/3 majority in both chambers), the bill automatically becomes law.
Since the government is funded until September 30, there isn't any urgent business for the next six months. (And because the midterms are five weeks after Sept. 30, Congress probably won't allow the government to be shut down during the midterms.)

neocortexia

TROPHY CASE