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elmer007's comments

elmer007 | 1 year ago | on: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

Whoa! I didn't even realize the page is like a game! I was just watching them like embedded YouTube videos, not understanding that I could click on the video to see if I was correct and getting a score.

elmer007 | 1 year ago | on: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

I agree, there are some that appear more competent and others that seem less so. Granted, all are capable of panicking and needing assistance, but prioritizing does look like an effective strategy.

elmer007 | 1 year ago | on: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

I think there is another element at play in these videos: in addition to being well-trained and paying attention, these lifeguards also know these kids.

I think they recognize some of the kids and are on alert-- in at least one video, the lifeguard jumps in a mere 2 seconds after the kid slides off the float, and there are others that are similarly fast. Of course, it could also be that they happened to be looking at just the right time. However, in the 2-second one, the lifeguard turns to look at someone below them who splashes, then turns straight back to the section of the pool with the kid who then slides off, and in she jumps.

In some cases I would guess that they either know the regular kids, or they've been watching and gradually adding/removing kids from a mental list of high-risk candidates to keep an eye on. In other words, their excellent response times are aided by both their ability to recognize the signs as well as context gained throughout the summer or that day.

elmer007 | 1 year ago | on: The Microsoft Excel superstars throw down in Vegas

I just put all 6 of the examples above into Excel as text, then used DATEVALUE to parse them. It worked correctly for all 6. However, in the immediate parent comment, you mention d/m/y format, which 3 of the examples above could not be, so perhaps the details of the issue you've encountered are more subtle (such as 2-digit years that require context to determine the century); but, at present, it looks like DATEVALUE handles this well.

elmer007 | 3 years ago | on: Starbucks CEO will work a shift at the company’s cafes once a month

I'm not familiar with the C-suite level, but I can confirm that my local CFA's operator is routinely working various positions at his store. When he isn't, he's sitting at a table working on paperwork.

I'm there a lot (some would say too much, but I wholeheartedly disagree!), and it's odd to pass through without seeing him. He works the register, he takes orders in the drive through, he directs traffic in the parking lot, he carries orders out-- everything. I'm certain that he's done shifts in the kitchen as well, just that I couldn't seem him to know.

Just today, I went into the restroom to wash my hands and he was cleaning the stall.

elmer007 | 3 years ago | on: The Harry Potter fallacy

Related to the previous post and to this one (and agreeing with parts of both), I think it's worth mentioning an important aspect a little more explicitly: the conclusion of an argument that contains a fallacy is not necessarily false.

The conclusion isn't proven true, but the fallacious reasoning doesn't render it false either. Naming the fallacy can help refute, but it's likely that one needs to go further with their explanation of a differing conclusion (or a more sound reasoning of why the other's conclusion is, in fact, false).

elmer007 | 3 years ago | on: What happens when a reservoir goes dry

This is the first time I've seen his blog, but I've been watching his videos on YouTube for a while.

My brain read the entire post in his voice, and I couldn't seem to turn it off. What's interesting is that I felt like I understood the post better, and I think it may be that I was reading it slower, as if he were speaking it. He has a really pleasant way of explaining things.

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