A study performed by researchers in Europe found that a widely used music recommendation algorithm is more likely to choose music by male artists to the detriment of female artists. Study authors tested a popular music recommendation algorithm across two song datasets. That process revealed that in both instances the algorithm ended up “reproducing” existing biases in … Continue reading Music Monday: Bias Against Female Artists on Online Musical Platforms
Category: rankings
Another One in a Long Line of Epic Gender Reveal Fails
I just read a story in HuffPost in which a couple had a gender reveal party at which the parents detonated (that word and gender reveal party should not go together) 80 pounds of Tannerite, an explosive target typically used for firearms practice. Several New Hampshire towns as well as parts of northern Massachusetts were … Continue reading Another One in a Long Line of Epic Gender Reveal Fails
Life’s Simple Pleasures – What Are Yours?
Researchers at One Poll, polled 6,000 adults in UK, US, Singapore, and Australia to determine all the little things that bring joy. The researchers came up with a list of the top 50 responses for each country; here are the top 10, by country. UK Top 50 Simple Pleasures 1. Feeling of sun on your … Continue reading Life’s Simple Pleasures – What Are Yours?
Music Monday: Despite Pandemic, 2020 Was a Good Year for the Music Industry
Not every industry struggled in 2020. Global music sales grew for the sixth consecutive year in 2020, with total revenues rising 7.4% to $21.6 billion, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's (IFPI) "Global Music Report 2021." Music industry sales are now close to its all time high (at least based on the … Continue reading Music Monday: Despite Pandemic, 2020 Was a Good Year for the Music Industry
It’s Sad That This Is the Sort of Thing That Gets Me Excited These Days
One of the side effects of one of the medications I am on is that it can cause swollen ankles and calves. The problem is compounded when I stand for a few hours to teach, and by the end of the day I can barely fit into my sneakers (forget about wearing shoes). So I … Continue reading It’s Sad That This Is the Sort of Thing That Gets Me Excited These Days
Someone Likes My Blog in Burundi!
I'm not sure what may have caused this, but today there was an unusually high volume (for me) of traffic from the country of Burundi in eastern Africa. I can't tell what blog posts the person (or persons) was reading (at least I don't think I can with WP stats), but I am assuming it … Continue reading Someone Likes My Blog in Burundi!
A Junk Bond by Any Other Name Would Smell As Risky
Today in class we briefly talked about junk bonds. Bonds are fixed-income debt instruments that corporations and governments issue to investors to raise capital. When investors buy bonds, they're effectively loaning money to the issuer who promises to repay the money on a specific date called the maturity date. At maturity, the investor is repaid … Continue reading A Junk Bond by Any Other Name Would Smell As Risky
Music Monday: Oldies but Goodies
Maybe it's the pandemic, or maybe it's just the fact that good music has staying power. Pop Vortex publishes a list of the top100 songs on iTunes, and the latest list, from just about an hour ago, includes six songs from the last century in its top 20. Here are those songs, with their ranking … Continue reading Music Monday: Oldies but Goodies
Simply Put, This Is Disgusting
I've written about gun control before, sometimes in response to a recent mass shooting, sometimes just to share my thoughts. Of all the hot-button issues we face as a nation, this is my number one. My wife and I have supported Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action through donations, protest marches, and phone calls. … Continue reading Simply Put, This Is Disgusting
I’m Betting (Literally) the NCAA Selection Committee Knows What It Is Doing
It was late Thursday afternoon, and my picks for March Madness were due early the next day. As I wrote in a previous post, I haven't really paid much attention to college basketball this year, so my picks were going to end up being completely random. So I decided to go with the quickest, most … Continue reading I’m Betting (Literally) the NCAA Selection Committee Knows What It Is Doing
Borden's Blather 