The phrase “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics” is commonly attributed to Mark Twain, who popularized it in his writings. Specifically, Twain wrote in his 1906 autobiography, Chapters from My Autobiography, published in the North American Review: “Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli, ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics,’ is peculiarly applicable.”
Twain credited the phrase to Benjamin Disraeli, the former British Prime Minister, but there’s no definitive evidence that Disraeli ever said or wrote it. Some scholars suggest the phrase may have originated elsewhere or been a common saying at the time. Despite this, Twain’s attribution to Disraeli is the most widely recognized source, and he’s often credited with popularizing it.
September is Campus Fire Safety Month! Share vital information to help students reduce the risk of fires in dorms and off-campus housing. Learn how: https://t.co/3VgMY8nagZpic.twitter.com/Blra1tTKJ1
This planned new addition at the Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture is so much more than classrooms and office space. It’s a living laboratory for students. Learn how #masstimber is playing an integral role in this project. #BuildWithWoodhttps://t.co/bhyg5n3jKz
One of the most contentious aspects of best practice discovery and promulgation in any domain, and no less so in educational settlements, is an agreed-upon vocabulary and shared understanding. As we explain elsewhere in this history, when a counter-party disagrees with you, he simply switches out the vocabulary — i.e. changes definitions or adds or subtracts from the traditional meanings of things. So we approach this topic several times a year to confirm our bearing on the meaning of things.
We observe National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada every year with an inquiry into changes in the (meaning of) definitions at the foundation of best practice literature; frequently the subject of sporty debate among experts writing codes and standards for the built environment of education communities.
In the United Kingdom, National Poetry Month is celebrated in October, and it is known as “National Poetry Day” which has been observed since 1994. It is an initiative of the Forward Arts Foundation, which aims to encourage people to read, write and perform poetry.
Other countries also have their own poetry celebrations, such as World Poetry Day, which is observed annually on March 21 by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry worldwide.
In past years we used a Tamil mnemonic because Tamil is the oldest surviving language and remains the spoken language of 80-odd million people of South Asia. Alas, use of Tamil confounds our Wordpress content management system so in 2024 we began coding this topic in American English
Once median household income is adjusted for cost of living, Utah emerges as the wealthiest state in the nation and Mississippi yet again ranks last. Source: https://t.co/AN3JZqtNnFpic.twitter.com/kv8U3LZlvh
Illumination technologies have had a pattern of consuming about 35 percent of building electrical energy use. That number has been pressed downward with the expanded application of LED luminaires and occupant responsive controls; much of the transformation hastened by the IEEE, IES and ASHRAE best practice catalogs.
Today we run through the development status of these products with specific interest in exterior illumination best practice. This topic also is covered in the 4 time monthly meetings of the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.
“The Cuckoo” is a traditional English folk song with roots tracing back to at least the 18th century, though its precise origin is unknown. Often categorized as a “floating verse” ballad, it exists in many lyrical and melodic variants across Britain and the United States, especially in the Appalachian tradition. The song typically opens with a reference to the cuckoo bird, symbolizing unfaithfulness and longing, and often transitions into themes of courtship, heartbreak, or seasonal change. Its adaptable verses allowed singers to personalize the narrative, making it popular in oral tradition.
Early versions appear in English broadsides, and later collectors like Cecil Sharp and Alan Lomax documented multiple variants in the early 20th century. The enduring popularity of “The Cuckoo” lies in its haunting melody and evocative symbolism, which have inspired numerous interpretations by folk revivalists and contemporary artists alike, preserving its place in the Anglo-American folk canon.
Harvard University is building its first sustainably-sourced mass timber structure. Designed by Studio Gang, the David Rubenstein Treehouse will offer new conference facilities and event space on the University’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston.
“Composition in red, yellow, blue and black” (1921) / Piet Mondrian
Status check on open source consensus products — and practical applications — evolving around distributed ledger technologies for financing, planning, design, operation & maintenance of the #WiseCampus.
“Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people.
Let your memory be your travel bag.”
— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (From “The Gulag Archipelago”)
Today we explain our collaboration with other education settlements in the US and other nations. We conform to participation requirements set by ANSI US Technical Advisory Groups to the International Organization for Standardization but we also have liaison with other universities in the European Union who conform to the participation requirements of their own national standards bodies.
Overview of codes and standards relevant to the food service enterprises in K-12 schools, college and university student housing, athletic venues and university-affiliated healthcare systems.
Today at 11 AM/ET we update our understanding of best practice literature relevant to the information and communication technology enterprises in education communities. Our online meetings coincides with the day of two IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee teleconferences at 14:00 Central European time and 2:00 PM Eastern time in the Americas. Starting 2023 we have begun to break down our coverage of information and communication technology embedded in campus buildings into four modules – Infotech 100, 200, 300 and Infotech 400.
Open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
“Prometheus creating Man in the presence of Athena” (1802) / Jean-Simon Berthélemy
Our periodic review of all consensus, consortia and open source codes, standards and regulations the set the standard of care for fire safety in education settlements.
“Actors from the Commedia dell’Arte on a Wagon in a Town Square” 1640 Jan Miel
A walk through the status of best practice literature that sets the standard of care for safety and sustainability in the education facilities built for the performance arts.
Today we run a status check on public consultations released by ANSI-accredited and finance industry consortia whose involvement affects the cost of US education communities. Ahead of quarterly county elections we examine a few tax-free bond referenda on ballots across the US for insight into the money flow through education communities.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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