When I was a graduate student, my advisor needed an AWS server. Wanting the experience to improve my computer knowledge, I volunteered. The learning curve was steep, but I got it to work, and I learned a lot about the nuts and bolts of computers. I eventually managed the infrastructure for several years, including after graduating. I appreciated the […]
We have used two trash cans for diapers, the Playtex Diaper Genie Complete and the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail. The former was chosen by my in-laws for when we stayed with them for three weeks after the baby’s birth, and the latter is what we chose for our home based on Wirecutter’s recommendation. Overall, they […]
Now that Twitter has released their Academic Research product, I thought I would jot down my initial thoughts. These observations are based on beta testing I was allowed to do in 2020 with the Search endpoint and reading documentation of the other endpoints. I have used Twitter’s API for about 7 years now. Most of […]
I always tell my students not to use Excel for data analysis, which I think means never to use it. Confused eyes stare back at me, understandably since Microsoft is like oxygen: imagining life without it sounds deadly. So this post is going to document examples of where using Excel for data analysis has led […]
My research uses Twitter to understand the dynamics of protest and state violence, which also means I think a lot about media coverage. I have a few thoughts on recent events. TL;DR: There is very little looting going on across the United States. There are lots and lots of peaceful protests and protesters. You would […]
My primary source of data is tweets I get from Twitter’s POST statuses/filter endpoint, what I believe was called the “Streaming Endpoint” when I started working with Twitter data eons ago. While it has always been straightforward to use a bounding box to get tweets with geographic information, exactly what Twitter reports and how it […]
Starting with the 19th book review (Mao biography), I have decided to add a grade and, to counterbalance what can often seem like negative reviews, one interesting fact learned from each book. I aim for a B- average. The Sellout by Paul Beatty – Wow, what a novel. My wife bought it for me for […]
In responding to recent comments on a paper, I went looking for information on how prevalent Twitter is across the world. Based on my work using geolocated images from Twitter, I had a sense that it tracks population and per capita GDP closely. But I have not had the time to investigate the relationship more […]
[Most recent update: 11.21.2019.] The purpose of this post is to catalogue advice from the internet about how to achieve tenure at a research university. When I was a PhD student, one method of calming my anxiety was to read advice from professors to PhD students; The Professor is In, Fabio Rojas, and Chris Blattman are particularly helpful. Now […]
That headline misleads slightly: the 30L backpack is a good everyday bag if photography is part of your everyday. If your everyday involves traditional office work and commuting, I suggest looking elsewhere for a bag. That is what I did, and I own happily the Nomatic Backpack. The internet world is in love with all […]
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