"How to Move a SIAM Minisymposium Online from the Comfort of your Home"

Several of us wrote a paper, from the perspective of both organizers and speakers, for DSWeb about our efforts to move a SIAM minisymposium online.

Authors: Heather Z. Brooks, Yuxin Chen, Michelle Feng, Yacoub H. Kureh, Mason A. Porter, Alexandria Volkening

Play Ball!

Today it's time to start the weirdest Major League Baseball season ever!

Given the circumstances, I'm much less excited than usual about the baseball season. But, anyway: Play ball!

Mookie is Here to Stay!

The Dodgers have signed Mookie Betts to a 13-year contract (with 2020 as the first year), so he's going to be with us for a long time. Maybe he'll wear a Dodger hat on his Hall of Fame plaque?

Cardboard "Fans" at Dodger Stadium

To make the cardboard fans at Dodger Stadium more realistic, one should only start placing them in the stands after the 3rd inning starts. ;)

(I write this as a die-hard, lifelong @Dodgers fan!) pic.twitter.com/t3EXkIXF2w

— Mason Porter (@masonporter) July 21, 2020

"FIPO"

This is your occasional reminder about the mantra known as "FIPO" ( = "Fuck it. PLOS One.")

It is best used in verb form.

Example usage: "My paper got rejected from more than half a dozen journals and I wanted it out of my life, so I decided to FIPO it."

The Princess Bride: The Home Movie

I just finished watching the last installment of The Princess Bride: The Home Movie, and there are quite a few amazing appearances in it.

As it turns out, this movie also includes Carl Reiner's last screen performance.

If you have seen The Princess Bride, you definitely need to watch this version.

(And if you haven't seen the original version of The Princess Bride, you have some catching up to do!)

P.S. I have the right hair for Inigo Montoya (but I think that I would make a great Dread Pirate Roberts).

Update (7/11/20): I really enjoyed this version of the movie. It is kitschy, of course, but it's supposed to be. There are some really cool performances and choices of actors in it. And some cool bits of humor with improved props. It's definitely worth watching. Obviously, it's not polished like the original, but it isn't supposed to be.