Talking with Shana and EricAndreychek yesterday, Shana said that the variance
of high school test scores between rich and poor had steadily gotten worse
since the late 80's, and that the driving factor appears to be not forcing
school integration along racial and economic lines. This reminds me that I
still need to read Tufte's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0961392142">Visual Display of Quantitative Information</a>.

<p>

Saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/">Van Helsing</a>; It's good
fun action-horror, but it's not much of a ride. I think I'm just stuck waiting
for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319262/">The Day After Tomorrow</a>
and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/">Hero</a>(I really hope 
this is subtitled). 

<p>
<blockquote>
I can't think of one major financial fraud in the United States in the last ten years that was uncovered by a major brokerage house analyst or an outside accounting firm. Almost every such fraud ultimately was unmasked by short sellers and/or financial journalists.
<div class="author">-- <a href="http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/hearings/02062002Hearing483/Chanos782.htm">Jim Chanos</a></div>
</blockquote>