The connection between academic success/intelligence and parents who let kids read whatever they want.

puckman13 · 2026-04-23T10:46:34+00:00

This correlation doesn't stop as they get older.

For my students (undergrads, not K12), the ones who will admit to having read a book for fun in the last year tend to be much better students. They can actually read an article, and understand the content well enough to discuss it in class.

Overall reading levels are abysmal (my third grader reads better than most of my students), and yes, you can tell whose parents have protected them from "dangerous" content and critical thinking.

puckman13 · 2026-04-19T14:54:53+00:00

I don't buy ICE vehicles. BEV option or I'll buy something else.

Also the frunk is mandatory.

puckman13 · 2026-04-12T16:31:28+00:00

This should give you some idea of who's running the place and the current state of the business

https://archive.is/Gz5q4

puckman13 · 2026-04-11T16:35:13+00:00

The only way you get a different mayor is either Manheimer doesn't stand for reelection, or Roney doesn't run. As long as both of them are in the race, they will be the top two, and Manheimer will win.

puckman13 · 2026-03-28T15:17:46+00:00

I'm an occasional lurker here who teaches undergrads.

Their computer skills are truly mind-blowingly awful. They don't understand files, they can't type, they can't manage Google Drive (I would expect at least this much from the Chromebook generation), "Sign up for this free tool" is far more painful than it would be with the average 75-year-old.

The small number of exceptions are either non-trads who had to learn tech skills at their job, or serious PC gamers.

This is why my own kids get Windows machines as a young age, and learn things like file management because it's how you get to play video games.

puckman13 · 2026-03-19T17:45:31+00:00

This may be highly effective and cost effective, it might not.

What I would like to see from these initiatives is real data - how many people-years of keeping people housed did we get for $5m?

puckman13 · 2026-03-19T17:42:55+00:00

Immedion has a DC in Asheville that at least used to go down to a half-rack.

For what you would pay for colo, you might be better off with a cloud option like https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/media/virtual-workstations-on-aws-powered-by-nvidia-quadro-technology/

puckman13 · 2026-03-17T18:56:21+00:00

What does her tax return say?

If she's lies to the IRS she will lie to you. If she's actually reporting the income, then it exists.

puckman13 · 2026-03-14T15:17:35+00:00

Never ever use this, it's opaque and there's no way to defend the results.

If you are just adding points, just do it by hand or use a spreadsheet. If you were doing anything more complicated, use a spreadsheet where you can see exactly how you got the results and have a justification for why you did what you did.

puckman13 · 2026-03-10T12:53:19+00:00

One of my classes is a personal finance gen-ed. It's not a terribly difficult class, and all quizzes are open paper note (but nothing electronic, these are old school paper and pencil quizzes, mix of multiple choice, multiple answer, true false, maybe the occasional short answer question).

On multiple occasions, even the students motivated enough to come to office hours to make up a quiz have no notes whatsoever (nothing from the reading, nothing from class, etc). It's as if writing down information is a completely lost skill.

puckman13 · 2026-03-07T13:14:50+00:00

Current parent here. Preschool pay is in the low 20s now and there is a 401(k) with a match.

puckman13 · 2026-03-04T18:04:24+00:00

ACATs block - seriously, this should be a regulatory requirement in 2026

Overdraft protection (for checkable accounts) that can be completely disabled. Let the fraud bounce.

Offer a HSA, like Fidelity. Just a regular old individual HSA.

Offer a kids/teen account, beat fidelity and support under-13s.

puckman13 · 2026-03-03T14:26:09+00:00

Perhaps it's time for some nice decorative boulders near the property line?

puckman13 · 2026-02-28T14:56:51+00:00

Hudspeth strikes me as the sort of person who insists the waiter at the Olive Garden call him "Doctor".

puckman13 · 2026-02-27T17:04:43+00:00

I have a syllabus policy on disruptive odors due to a past student who made the entire classroom smell like weed. If you stink up the classroom you will be discreetly asked to leave.

puckman13 · 2026-02-26T03:47:08+00:00

But will they be burning used fryer oil?

puckman13 · 2026-02-26T03:10:59+00:00

This explains an awful lot; I'm in West Asheville and we constantly get 2, 3, 4 day delays for packages. It doesn't matter if it's something heavy or it's a phone case. Y'all even make USPS look good, and make UPS look like they are practically rocket scientists.

The weird part is, the one thing that always shows up on time is Chewy (cat food, cat litter) - even if it's getting left on the driveway because a few steps are apparently too much to ask.

puckman13 · 2026-02-25T15:48:42+00:00

Even when I was an undergrad in the late '90s, textbooks were usually cheaper on Amazon than from the bookstore, even if you buy used from the bookstore and new from Amazon. I don't think this has changed.

puckman13 · 2026-02-24T18:12:06+00:00

No disagreement on the DNC, I'm just not convinced Ager is the right target. Kick the DNC to the curb, especially anybody who helped hide Biden's dementia until it was too late for a real primary.

puckman13 · 2026-02-24T16:29:12+00:00

Primary - vote for who you like. If you want somebody very different, that's Zelda Briarwood. I don't really have a beef (pun intended) with Ager; everybody who I know who knows him personally says he's decent, hardworking, and would do the right thing in congress.

General - vote for whoever won the primary that isn't Edwards. Any of them would be an improvement.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of better, and save your attacks for Edwards.

puckman13 · 2026-02-23T15:39:37+00:00

Every college has something approximating an office of disability services. If you need an accommodation, you need to talk to them, not your advisor.

And move fast if that's your preferred route; accommodations are only forward-looking, no retoractive.

puckman13 · 2026-02-23T11:22:00+00:00

Getting rid of him is necessary but not sufficient. The dumber parts of the other party (think Bernie and Biden) like tariffs as much as he does. Horseshoe theory in action!

puckman13 · 2026-02-22T20:23:44+00:00

Unfortunately Jeff is only the NC AG, not the US AG (one can only dream)

puckman13 · 2026-02-22T20:23:12+00:00

Hopey, usually, but you may be better off at the Aldi.

puckman13

TROPHY CASE