Evolving notes, images and sounds by Luis Apiolaza

Month: December 2011 (Page 1 of 2)

An R wish list for 2012

I expect there will be many reviews and wish lists for R this year, with many of them focusing on either running speed or dealing with large data sets. However, most issues that I would like to see tackled in R next year are not technical but, for lack of a better word, social.

Many users will first encounter R through the r-project.org website. This site is begging for a redesign, which could start getting rid of the frames (which have sucked since a long time ago). At a minimum, this would make pages much easier to bookmark.

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Shaken

We had a beautiful day sightseeing Banks Peninsula when another quake hit Christchurch: magnitude 5.8 at 1:58pm local time. This has been followed by numerous aftershocks, including a 6.0 at 3:18pm. The MQZ quake drum looked like this:

MQZ quake drum
MQZ quake drum, near Christchurch.

Tomorrow is another day (probably filled with aftershocks).

The introduction of a new system

It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.

Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 6.

E debbasi considerare, come non è cosa più difficile a trattare, né più dubia a riuscire, né più pericolosa a maneggiare, che farsi capo ad introdurre nuovi ordini; perché lo introduttore ha per nimici tutti quelli che degli ordini vecchi fanno bene, e ha tepidi defensori tutti quelli che delli ordini nuovi farebbono bene.

Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe, Capitolo VI.

I’m a big fan of this quote, because it applies to so many new endeavors including the introduction of new topics in a university curriculum.

First impressions of Doing Bayesian Data Analysis

About a month ago I was discussing the approach that I would like to see in introductory Bayesian statistics books. In that post I mentioned a PDF copy of Doing Bayesian Data Analysis by John K. Kruschke and that I have ordered the book. Well, recently a parcel was waiting in my office with a spanking new, real paper copy of the book. A few days are not enough to provide a ‘proper’ review of the book but I would like to discuss my first impressions about the book, as they could be helpful for someone out there.

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Hiking

Stitched pictures of the view, courtesy of Hugin and Skitch.

Traveling with friends and family, view from Green Lake towards Lake Tarawera, North Island, New Zealand. Time for walks, nice meals and setting R aside (although I have a few drafts for the blog soon to be published). Now back in the South Island we prepare for a great weekend with more walks, food and friends. Merry Christmas.

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