User:MARussellPESE

Greetings,

My name is Mike. Currently, I'm from metropolitan Cleveland, Ohio; but I've lived in many places in the United States: Chicago, Illinois where I went to university; Detroit, Michigan, where I went to high school; I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama; and was born in Reno, Nevada to expatriate Californians.

Perspective on Wikipedia
Background

School and Professional

Outlook and Positions



Wikipedia Related

Music

Misc and Meaningless


 * See the main articles: Criticism of Wikipedia, and General disclaimer for additional details.

Out of the blocks: If you are using this as a reliable source then caveat emptor!

You should be aware that: "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth." [Emphasis is Wikipedia's!]

Seriously. There are editors here who are not at all interested in truth. If they can find a citation, in it goes; even if demonstrably false, banal, or represents a perspective shared by 0.1% of the population. Call them Wikisith because they are using the rules to defeat the rules' purpose.

Larry Sanger makes several cogent observations of the project, especially with respect to anything remotely controversial, which are well worth considering.

Pop culture articles are generally good. (Who knew there were seven forms of lightsaber combat?) Militaria, math, science, history, and classical studies are not bad — but be careful in obscure places. And the math and science can be almost impossibly opaque — and that's from an engineer. But pseudoscience, and people grinding axes on even remotely controversial topics, run amok here. Beware of obscure topics.

I have found a consistent anti-expertise, "don't bother me with silly facts", and "how dare you ask me to produce my sources" bias among several editors I've run across. (Take a look at for a really in-depth example.) The damage that only a few editors can do is astounding, and is totally unseen by the casual reader.

And despite the belief, taken as axiomatic by some, that these contributions will all wash out in the end, I haven't really seen evidence of that. The best I've seen is that one can try to bury these with reliable and verifiable sources. The trouble is, is that I've seen many editors confuse a verifiable source for a reliable one. Some do so deliberately. And that difference means all the world to the veracity of what you'll find here. So don't take a "sourced" statement here as necessarily reliable. Remember, "attributable, not the truth" is the motto.

If you're going to be editing here for any length of time, bear in mind that we are all volunteers and this from Henry Kissinger: "University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small."

Therefore, despite my having edited here since September of 2005, made what I think are good contributions, and seen quite a bit of yeoman's work of others, I would never consider Wikipedia an acceptable source for academic work. (I'm not alone.) In a lot of ways wikipedia is tantamount to a readable Google search. If you are going to use wikipedia for research, try the article's sources and start from there. Better yet, go to the libes and ask your librarian.

These articles on evaluating primary and secondary sources are well worth your time.
 * How to Read a Primary Source, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, Patrick Rael, 2004.
 * How to Read a Secondary Source, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, Patrick Rael, 2004.

So dear reader, like everything you find on the internet, if you don't know the source to be trustworthy, don't trust what you're reading — even if I wrote it.

Background
If you're here you're probably looking to see if you can pick out my point-of-view. In the interest of full-disclosure, and recognizing that the first way to overcome bias is to name it:
 * I am a Bahá'í, and have been one since birth. I seem to be following these articles with interest
 * I have an inflexible attitude that Bahá'í articles must adhere strictly to WP's policies.


 * I am an Anglo-American, male, middle-aged, family man; and a masters-degreed, licensed civil and structural engineer.  My specialties are project management and bridge design, particularly movable bridges.
 * Academics run very deep in my family. Both grandfathers, my father and my only aunt hold doctorates. (I have no uncles.) My mother, one grandmother, sister, wife, and I all are underachievers and only hold master's degrees.
 * Military service ran in my family. Both Grandfathers were career officers.
 * Dad's Dad retired a Captain from the United States Navy Medical Corps. He was also the youngest Petty Officer in the Navy for a time.
 * Mom's Dad retired a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army Field Artillery.
 * My late Father-in-Law was an infantryman during WWII and saw extensive action in the South Pacific Theatre. (With five campaign stars to show for it.) He rests at Arlington National Cemetery.
 * Taps makes me cry every time.
 * I consider the CIB, CMB, and the CAB to be valorous decorations, especially when they have stars around them. (I do respect the badges of all the services, and the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor of the Marines; but you do have to get shot at to earn those three of the Army's.)
 * I feel that the Purple Heart should be granted for PTSD — if the victim faced hostile fire.
 * I think we should call it shell shock.
 * Military honors are not trite.
 * The Arlington Ladies is one of the most touching institutions in the country, although you've probably never heard of it.
 * However, the flag is not sacred — the Constitution is.


 * I may have grown up in the American South, but I'm a Union man, and think Robert E. Lee etc. betrayed their country.
 * My office overlooks Cleveland's Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and I do enjoy the view.


 * I watch U.S. PBS almost exclusively, particularly: Nova, Frontline, Frontline World, Mystery!, BBC World News and The Red Green Show.
 * I am a voracious reader.
 * An open dictionary can cost me half-an-hour.
 * An open encyclopedia can cost me an entire afternoon.
 * I arange visits to the mall to avoid Borders if I'm (or She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed is) in a hurry.


 * My family and I are members of:
 * Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
 * Cleveland Museum of Art
 * Cleveland Museum of Natural History
 * Cleveland Public Library


 * Sloppy logic, fuzzy journalism, and innumeracy make my teeth itch.
 * This is not a syllogism:
 * "I exist,"
 * "God exists,"
 * "Therefore I am God."
 * … it's nonsense.
 * If inflation this past quarter rose from 1.0% to 2.0%, this is not a 1% increase — it's a 100% increase, or one percentage point increase.


 * On the other hand, elegant logic, clear and well-documented journalism, and precision are things of beauty.
 * I understand significance arithmetic and use it;
 * which means that I understand uncertainty.


 * I claim no expertise other than what I've earned and is recognized by my peers. I generally do not recognize others claims unless they can demonstrate likewise. That doesn't mean I won't listen to a well-researched and cogent argument — in fact I rely on that when I'm outside of my areas of expertise. But please don't stand alone on a claim of expertise. That's argument from authority.
 * I have formally, and informally, studied logic and rhetoric; ergo I have a nose for logical fallacies, and have no problem noting them in a discussion.
 * I consider chocolate to be a food-group — and the darker the better. White chocolate, on the other hand, is evidence of the existence of evil.
 * I am eagerly waiting for Tim Horton's to finally come to northeast Ohio — and wondering why it's taking so long.

Idiosyncracies
Everybody's got them. It's the variety that makes life interesting.
 * There are two sports seasons: Football Season and waiting for Football Season. (I am refering to the armored American variety; preferably that played by genuine college students.)
 * Thanks to Western Reserve Public Media I've developed a real appreciation for the Aussie version of the game. (Now I know where Quidditch comes from.)


 * I have a soft spot for Canada and Canadians (See the The Red Green Show.) but America must begin bombing Saskatchewan immediately. Our precious bodily fluids are at stake!
 * (Personal Notes: My paternal grandmother was born in Saskatoon; and I spent my high-school years in Detroit — where the prettiest places were in Windsor — that is until the casinos came and ruined both downtowns.)
 * I would love to convince the CBC to install a high-power transmitter in Chatham, Ontario. (We could use the "Voice of Canada" here in Cleveland.)


 * Santiago Calatrava is indisputably a master; but Frank Gehry is over-rated and ridiculous, and Daniel Libeskind's works look like they're collapsing. (I consider Deconstructivism an unmitigated disaster.)
 * Frank Lloyd Wright was good; but Greene and Greene were better.
 * I generally find Tony Brown's Journal informative, challenging and thought-provoking; but I find Tavis Smiley shallow and annoying.
 * I prefer the Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian to Harvard referencing and the APA. (I've not used MLA, so I'm witholding judgement.) Harvard (and APA) don't require page numbers in parenthetical citations, where Chicago does. What's the use in an APA-style citation like: "Jesus said: 'Be nice to people.' (Jesus 30)"? How're you supposed to back-check that? Chicago is more flexible and allows for footnotes/endnotes where Harvard/APA discourage them. Bluntly, unless you are citing an academic paper I consider Harvard/APA worse than useless as their appearance of thoroughness may belie the opposite. (Personally, I think some editors here use this to obfuscate their edits, despite the Wikipedia guideline not to do so.)
 * I still have my copies of Strunk & White (3rd. ed., 1979) and Turabian (13th ed., 1982) from college.


 * My sense of humor runs to the sarcastic, bizarre and thoughtful. (Check out any of the surprise links here for a taste.)
 * I hit the Astronomy Picture of the Day page almost daily. (Home of some of the best desktop wallpapers on the planet ... or rather across the heavens, but you know what I mean.)
 * I'm a reasonably skilled draftsman. If engineering is my profession, drafting is my craft.
 * I am fond of compass and straight edge constructions. I can construct a pentagon and a pentagram two different ways.


 * I scored 27.81065% on this test.
 * Current edit count
 * Edit summary usage
 * World view quiz I'm "Cultural Creative"

Quotes and Maxims
I'll leave it to you to figure out what I think are words to live by — or words to laugh by.


 * "The unexamined life is not worth living." — Socrates
 * "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.  Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.  I will face my fear.  ..." — Frank Herbert's Bene Gesserit littany against fear in Dune
 * "Your pretty brave in cyberspace, flameboy!" - Wally
 * "To be absolutely certain about something, one must know everything or nothing about it." — Henry Kissinger
 * "Morning team. My name is Edmund Blackadder, and I'm the new minister for religious genocide." — Rowan Atkinson as Edmund, Lord Blackadder in Black Adder II
 * "I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do. That is character!" — Theodore Roosevelt
 * "I have a cunning plan that can get you out of your problem." — Baldrick in various Blackadder episodes.
 * "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." — Mark Twain
 * "Quando omni flunkus moritati" — Possum Lodge motto.
 * "The problem is not that we have too many fools, it's that the lightning isn't distributed right." — Mark Twain
 * "Live, live, live! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." — Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame
 * "I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center." — Dwight Eisenhower
 * "I want you to lay down your life, Perkins. We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war." — British Army Major to soldier in Beyond the Fringe
 * "Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest." — Mark Twain
 * "I deplore the need or the use of troops anywhere to get American citizens to obey the orders of constituted courts." — Dwight Eisenhower
 * The Man's Prayer: "I'm a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess." The Possum Lodge Benediction.
 * The Scout's Prayer: "I'm a scout. But I can lighten up. If I have to. I guess." The Possum Lodge Scout's Benediction.
 * The Woman's Prayer: "I'm a woman. Hear me roar. I'm in charge. Get over it." The Possum Lodge Women's Auxiliary Benediction.
 * "Good evening godless sodomites. … It (reality television) warps the minds of our children and weakens the resolve of our allies. … Kneel before your god, Babylon! … I lost to Barry Manilow!" — Stephen Colbert at the 2006 Emmys.

Favorite Wikipedia Articles
To get one thinking:
 * Reductio ad Hitlerum
 * Chewbacca defense
 * Ignoratio elenchi
 * Non sequitur (logic)
 * Proof by assertion
 * Wikiality
 * Truthiness

To make one laugh:
 * In Living Color & Homey D. Clown
 * The Red Green Show
 * This Hour Has 22 Minutes
 * Talking to Americans - Hit the links and download some clips. They are howlingly funny.

Ones that I've made major contributions to, and to which I'm probably ego bound:
 * Azali
 * Bahá'í/Bábí split
 * Bahá'í divisions
 * Bahá'í literature - From scratch
 * Engineering ethics - Complete rewrite
 * Fallingwater - Structural problems
 * Subh-i-Azal
 * Zeta Phi Rho - Helped save it from extinction

Sockpuppets and Meatpuppets I've known and loved
"You're pretty brave in cyberspace, flameboy!"
 * Requests_for_checkuser/Case/Thamarih
 * Requests_for_checkuser/Case/SecretChiefs3
 * Wikipedia sockpuppets of SecretChiefs3
 * Suspected Wikipedia sockpuppets of SecretChiefs3
 * Wikipedia sockpuppets of Ahwa85

I Make a Usenet Discussions for This
"The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here! I'm a real person!" - Steve Martin as Navin Johnson in The Jerk