Frank and Statistics

[fbhjr]

endlessblush asked me in my collecting statistics in my post
the other day about when I dream the most.
It’s funny because I started writing the answer yesterday, before she asked
the question. But, that’s another matter.

I do collect a lot of information and put it into charts:
Rain on Phoenix Swords shows:


Comparison of air temperature to fuel efficiency of my Prius:


Color distribution of the M&M candies I get out of the snack machine at
work.


There are plenty of others as well.

All of those came from questions asked.
Did it rain on us more this year than last?
Is my new car really saving me money?
Do they give me the same number of all of the colors?

The short answer to why is: it is easy and I like to see the answers.
But, that’s really only the surface of the answer.

I’ve always loved information. There really are very few types of
information about which I have zero interest. I love to see how the world
works and it doesn’t really matter if it is feeding habits of jellyfish,
spectral changes in stars, efficiency numbers for car engines or whatnot.
I’m not saying I have equal interest in all of those things. I don’t.
There are certainly some things that interest me more than other.

So, any of these charts you see me do are things that have interested me
enough for me to collect some data on them.
The data is pretty easy to get.
Every time we do a show, note if it rained or not.
Every time I buy gas, put down the mileage and amount of gas.
Every time I open a bag of M&Ms, count the colors and write it down.

And, some of this goes back to when I was a kid.
When I was young and I would ask my father about things, especially his
work, he would need to take out a piece of paper to explain.
When talking about his work, he’d draw out the problems he had been working
on, often in the form of graphs, and explain what he was trying to find,
how and why it mattered.
Other things he’d show drawings or graphs to explain the answer.
My mother was much more of the “because I saw so”, “you wouldn’t
understand” or “I’ll tell you when you’re older” kind of answers to
questions.
I liked my father’s way better.

But, that’s only part of the answer.
The other part of the answer is that it is defensive.
If I say something, I want to have confidence in what I’m saying.

There have been many times I’ve been told that what I think about something
is wrong.
I had one boss, back when I worked at the telecom company in the 90’s, who
was particularly bad about it.
He had on several occasions set me up for failure. He and I would prepare
what was going to be presented on a project, and then when the actual
presentation came he would argue for something else saying what I was
proposing was a stupid way to do it.
I didn’t take much of that for me to start bringing a lot of proof for the
way I presented with me to these meetings. Proof I wouldn’t share with him
before the meetings.
There were a few times I had let him think my proposal was going to be for
one thing when it was really going to be something else, so when he shot
down the first idea I’d have what I really wanted ready to go.

Although he is my second worst boss ever, I worked for him for almost 5
years. And, the habit of having to have a lot of background evidence to
support anything I was going to say became quite ingrained.

Finally, growing up I really wanted to be Mr. Spock from Star Trek. And,
he always had information on all sorts of things on hand, or quickly to be
retrieved from the computer.
I aim for that still…

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

It is exactly these qualities that make you awesome in my opinion! I wish I could slow myself down enough to pay attention like you do, but it's just not in my nature. But I LOVE your charts and graphs and the things you keep track of, because I LOVE data, too. :)

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

I didn’t take much of that for me to start bringing a lot of proof for the way I presented with me to these meetings. Proof I wouldn’t share with him before the meetings.

There were a few times I had let him think my proposal was going to be for one thing when it was really going to be something else, so when he shot down the first idea I’d have what I really wanted ready to go.

this sounds like something you'd see in a local-boy-makes-good comedy. i would have loved to have seen his face when he tried to use you that way and you outsmarted him for the first time. what an insecure jerkwad. grr.

[malterre.livejournal.com]

what an insecure jerkwad. grr.
yes he was, and now has the career to reflect it

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

All he did was take credit for it.

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

ARRRRRRG. jerkwad. i'm SO glad the other comment informed me he is now reaping the reward for being such a creep or i'd be super-annoyed.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well it was many years ago and I pretend it doesn't bother me any more.

He's the one that when I quit went around telling everyone it was because I had a personal problem with him.
30% of the company gave their notice the same day as me and the whole division closed not long after.
I admit that his "leadership" was one of the reasons I left. But only one. It was pretty clear the place was doomed.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

I find it one of your endearing qualities, the search for and recording of information, etc.

Whenever Adam Savage from Mythbusters goes SQUEE! DATA! It makes me think of you when you post your
graphs and statistics.

You also do it for the swordplay and research stuff, which is always fascinating because it shows so many facets of the manuals
and such that we don't necessarily consider, which can help us figure out a lot of the mystery and questions we come across with
how they're set into the time and the culture, etc.

[blue-eye.livejournal.com]

I love the graph for me M&Ms.

You are more like my husband. He was a chemist. He wants to know everything...I pretty much could care less as long as everything works.

Although I am tempted to count M&Ms next time. Btw, you put the M&Ms in my favorite graph -- a pie chart.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I have the M&M one for the different types too.
But, I only showed the grand total...

[endlessblush.livejournal.com]

Well that answers my question - Thank you :D