Thursday, August 12, 2010
Friday, October 30, 2009
Ripley's Story
On a September afternoon in 2004, a visitor arrived on our back porch. He was a black, long-haired cat we would name Ripley. His mangled left ear hinted at a violent past typical of a stray male wandering city streets. Skinny and starving, he begged for food and attention and we would not turn him away. He ravenously devoured all the food we gave him. Ripley knew a good thing when he saw it, so he decided to adopt us permanently. From that point on, whenever I went into the back yard he would come bounding out of the bushes to see if I had any treats for him. While we enjoy having cats around, we did not want anymore un-solicited kittens introduced to the neighborhood. We took Ripley to the vet to make sure he would not run around spreading his seed. Fortunately, the vet confirmed he was already fixed. The vet also did a quick search for a micro-chip but found none. We were by default confirmed as the only family Ripley had.
With winter approaching, we attempted to acclimatize Ripley indoors by getting him litter-box trained. Sadly he could never quite grasp the concept of a designated litter box. Any old corner of the house looked good enough for him. Our only alternative was to set him up a shelter in the garage. There we placed a space heater on a timer, and heating pad to snuggle up on. It would help take the bite out of winter.
Outdoors, he remained a stray cat at heart. He would routinely defend his turf against other male cats in the area. I had to break up a couple nasty fights he got himself into. In one unpleasant incident, Ripley suffered a deep scratch or bite across this face. It scratched his cornea and caused a large infected bald patch. It was obviously a very painful and unpleasant injury for him. For the next few weeks he spent a lot of time wanting to be in-doors and next to us to be warm and safe. We accommodated when possible, but we could not divert our attention for a moment lest we risk having him defecate in our carpet. I felt bad that we couldn’t better separate him from the dangers of uncivilized cat life, but that litter box learning disability would not go away.
A couple years passed and we noticed Ripley was getting quite skinny. He was constantly pulling wads of his own hair out and he was beginning to look quite scraggly. A trip to the veterinarian yielded an answer; he had developed hyperthyroidism. To keep it under control we began a permanent regimen of grinding up medicine into his food twice per day. Gradually, his coat filled out again and he began to regain some lost weight.
As Ripley aged, his hearing faded and he eventually became completely deaf. No longer would he hear the door open and come running. Unless he saw us approach, he would stay curled up somewhere and sleep happily way. Fortunately, Ripley also became less interested in wandering and confronting other male cats. This was good because he was aging and unhealthy and could not defend himself well. The cat fights seemed to stop completely.
In the summer of 2009, Ripley’s appetite began to erode. He moved very slowly, lost a lot of weight, and seemed to lose his ability to meow. Based on previous experience with other cats, I began to wonder if he was approaching the end of the road.
A very expensive trip to the vet resulted in his being diagnosed with a severe intestinal infection. Daily medication for two weeks helped clear it up. His appetite returned, but so far his weight has remained disturbingly low.
This past week, I found Ripley had become blind. It is amazing how quickly it happened…seemingly over night. He is now living in a world of silent darkness with only his powerful sense of smell and sensitive whiskers telling him where he is and who is around. We keep him secluded in our fenced back yard where with his condition it is practically impossible to climb out.
I became sad at the thought that he will never again watch birds, or excitedly run over to me from across the yard in anticipation of food. However, from Ripley’s point of view he really does not understand what has happened and he is adapting well. I imagine he just wonders why the lights went out and they won’t come back on again.
I don’t know how much longer he has, but at least he still can enjoy some of the things all cats never grow tired of, like lounging in the warm sun, being brushed by an attentive human, or devouring an aromatic serving of fish feast.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Your Stimulus Money at Work
It was a safe bet things like this would happen. Given free economic stimulus money from the federal government, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) took the opportunity to buy six shiny new Segway scooters at nearly $8000 each. The rationale given was that they will help transit officers see over crowds and respond to incidents more quickly (much the same way a bicycle would at 95% less cost).
The real unmentioned perk of Segways is that they save transit officers the ordeal of exerting themselves. We wouldn’t want them to walk around and accidentally become physically fit for the job would we? The picture below says it all. Look at the overweight officer on his new tax-payer funded toy.
(Anna Kartashova / The Salt Lake Tribune)
At least now he can see over the crowd…if there was one. The Segway can reach up to 12.5 mph on a flat surface. This is almost fast enough to chase down a fleeing fare-evader, unless the thief jumps over an unusual obstruction like a curb.
Segways are a perfect example of what our increasingly obese American culture does not need. They are reminiscent of the hover-chairs in the movie Wall-e that spare their pathetic roly-poly occupants from having to ever use their legs. Public money should never be spent on such expensive and unnecessary machines.
The real unmentioned perk of Segways is that they save transit officers the ordeal of exerting themselves. We wouldn’t want them to walk around and accidentally become physically fit for the job would we? The picture below says it all. Look at the overweight officer on his new tax-payer funded toy.
(Anna Kartashova / The Salt Lake Tribune)
At least now he can see over the crowd…if there was one. The Segway can reach up to 12.5 mph on a flat surface. This is almost fast enough to chase down a fleeing fare-evader, unless the thief jumps over an unusual obstruction like a curb.
Segways are a perfect example of what our increasingly obese American culture does not need. They are reminiscent of the hover-chairs in the movie Wall-e that spare their pathetic roly-poly occupants from having to ever use their legs. Public money should never be spent on such expensive and unnecessary machines.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Swine-Flu...Stay Clean, Don’t Freak Out
As of May 14th, 2009 the swine flu has infected 4714 people in the United States. Of these, 4 people have died from it. While I cannot speak for the whole planet, this 0.0085% death rate in the U.S. is not something to become panicked about. We all stand a better chance of dying in a car wreck driving home from work than in catching and dying from the swine flu.
There is always the chance the virus will mutate into something more lethal and rebound in the fall with devastating consequences, but I wouldn’t count on that happening. Now keep your sneezes to your self, and if you do get a stiff fever, just think of it as a quick way to lose 5-10 pounds.
There is always the chance the virus will mutate into something more lethal and rebound in the fall with devastating consequences, but I wouldn’t count on that happening. Now keep your sneezes to your self, and if you do get a stiff fever, just think of it as a quick way to lose 5-10 pounds.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Yes it’s bad, and it will likely get worse
The election is over and there really were not any big surprises. The state and national polls were quite accurate as Obama won easily everywhere he was predicted to. McCain fulfilled his expectations by winning the core red states and losing the key swing states. Closer to home, the predictable Salt Lake County citizens once again voted to raise their own taxes. People love to pay taxes around here; Joe Biden must consider it a very patriotic city.
With the election that consumed national attention now over, what is the next big thing to follow? Most likely the obsession will turn to how bad the economy is going to get. Life could get extremely onerous in the coming months as more companies run-out their cash reserves. When the cash is gone, employees start getting laid off in mass quantities. Those hundreds of thousands of jobless people then have no money to spend, businesses get fewer sales, fire more people, and the downward spiral continues.
Obama has quite the task on his hands. The economy of the U.S. is a massive and complicated giant that is hard to move once it gets headed a certain direction. Even throwing a $700 billion dollar bailout plan at the financial sector is like trying to alter the course of a cruise ship by pushing against it with a jet ski. That is not to say it is insignificant; much like an asteroid hurling towards impact on Earth can be redirected with just a tiny nudge. It just takes a long time to realize the value of the nudge.
In the short term things will get unpleasant. When unemployment rises, so does crime as desperate people resort to desperate measures. Health suffers, and cities decay. Yet, this country has seen it all before. It has faced massive challenges previously and come out stronger and better as a result. We will see the same happen again.
With the election that consumed national attention now over, what is the next big thing to follow? Most likely the obsession will turn to how bad the economy is going to get. Life could get extremely onerous in the coming months as more companies run-out their cash reserves. When the cash is gone, employees start getting laid off in mass quantities. Those hundreds of thousands of jobless people then have no money to spend, businesses get fewer sales, fire more people, and the downward spiral continues.
Obama has quite the task on his hands. The economy of the U.S. is a massive and complicated giant that is hard to move once it gets headed a certain direction. Even throwing a $700 billion dollar bailout plan at the financial sector is like trying to alter the course of a cruise ship by pushing against it with a jet ski. That is not to say it is insignificant; much like an asteroid hurling towards impact on Earth can be redirected with just a tiny nudge. It just takes a long time to realize the value of the nudge.
In the short term things will get unpleasant. When unemployment rises, so does crime as desperate people resort to desperate measures. Health suffers, and cities decay. Yet, this country has seen it all before. It has faced massive challenges previously and come out stronger and better as a result. We will see the same happen again.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Utah’s Paranoia Is a Boon for Its Neighbors
Salt Lake Valley residents send millions of dollars annually to Wendover, Nevada for the pleasure of slot machines and gambling. Thousands of Utahans leap over into Idaho every year to play the lottery, while Evanston Wyoming is the destination of choice for fireworks. Whenever in any of these surrounding states, Utahans like to stock up on “good” beer before heading back to the watered down Utah variety. They also load up many other spirits that carry lower prices than in Utah.
Now, one more little perk is being offered to Utah citizens to encourage them to travel out of state. Flavored and fruity malt beverages are becoming banned in Utah grocery stores and will only be allowed in state liquor stores, provided they have special labeling. So far, malt beverage makers have apparently decided to get out of Utah completely rather than incur the extra cost of a special label just for Utah.
“Thanks to the Legislature, Smirnoff Ice is no longer available in Utah,” said a spokesman for Diageo, a large multinational beverage company. “It’s just not cost effective.”
The theory behind this boneheaded move by the Utah legislature is that those alcoholic beverages are too enticing to teens and children. That bottle of hard lemon flavored malt beverage, or that red berry wine cooler are just too sweet and fruity to be intended for adults….they must obviously be marketed toward minors.
My guess is that Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada (those states closest to the Salt Lake Valley), are about to see a nice pick-up in sales for flavored malt beverages. Eat, drink, and be merry….for tomorrow you may be in Utah.
Now, one more little perk is being offered to Utah citizens to encourage them to travel out of state. Flavored and fruity malt beverages are becoming banned in Utah grocery stores and will only be allowed in state liquor stores, provided they have special labeling. So far, malt beverage makers have apparently decided to get out of Utah completely rather than incur the extra cost of a special label just for Utah.
“Thanks to the Legislature, Smirnoff Ice is no longer available in Utah,” said a spokesman for Diageo, a large multinational beverage company. “It’s just not cost effective.”
The theory behind this boneheaded move by the Utah legislature is that those alcoholic beverages are too enticing to teens and children. That bottle of hard lemon flavored malt beverage, or that red berry wine cooler are just too sweet and fruity to be intended for adults….they must obviously be marketed toward minors.
My guess is that Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada (those states closest to the Salt Lake Valley), are about to see a nice pick-up in sales for flavored malt beverages. Eat, drink, and be merry….for tomorrow you may be in Utah.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Get Published in Space!
In February 2009, NASA will be launching the Kepler Mission which will place a spacecraft in orbit around the sun. It will be the first instrument able to detect terrestrial Earth-size planets around other stars, and I’m looking foreword to hearing about what it finds. We currently have the opportunity to submit our names in the “Names In Space” program, which will place all collected names on a DVD to be placed on the spacecraft and in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Along with a name, anyone can submit a short article describing why they think the Kepler mission is important.
Being a space exploration geek, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Here was my submission:
"In the distant future, humans will attempt to bridge the vastness of interstellar space. We will seek to spread humanity’s seed to other Earth-like worlds in the hope that our existence is not dependent on Earth alone. A primary step in this vision is learning to locate other life-sustaining worlds, and the Kepler mission is a profound leap foreword in this endeavor. Interstellar migration of humanity may at first seem to be a ridiculously difficult and complicated idea when viewed in the context of our own individually short lives. However, in the perspective of human evolution it is only a logical and essential stepping stone. Taking the next leap requires knowledge of where we want to go, and the Kepler mission is a preliminary tool in this grand journey.
More near term, the Kepler mission can provide us the most specific leads so far in our search for extraterrestrial life. Intelligent life may indeed be very rare in the vastness of space, but simpler life must certainly be abundant. If all goes well the Kepler mission will help us uncover exciting candidate planets that might harbor basic life.
I hope I will live to see the day when conclusive evidence of life beyond our solar system emerges. I hope that such knowledge serves as a catalyst for a great awakening in humanity. We are a fragile and arrogant species, and perhaps the confirmation that Earth does not have a monopoly on life will inspire some humility within our civilization.
The Kepler mission is but one key to open many doors ahead."
Being a space exploration geek, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Here was my submission:
"In the distant future, humans will attempt to bridge the vastness of interstellar space. We will seek to spread humanity’s seed to other Earth-like worlds in the hope that our existence is not dependent on Earth alone. A primary step in this vision is learning to locate other life-sustaining worlds, and the Kepler mission is a profound leap foreword in this endeavor. Interstellar migration of humanity may at first seem to be a ridiculously difficult and complicated idea when viewed in the context of our own individually short lives. However, in the perspective of human evolution it is only a logical and essential stepping stone. Taking the next leap requires knowledge of where we want to go, and the Kepler mission is a preliminary tool in this grand journey.
More near term, the Kepler mission can provide us the most specific leads so far in our search for extraterrestrial life. Intelligent life may indeed be very rare in the vastness of space, but simpler life must certainly be abundant. If all goes well the Kepler mission will help us uncover exciting candidate planets that might harbor basic life.
I hope I will live to see the day when conclusive evidence of life beyond our solar system emerges. I hope that such knowledge serves as a catalyst for a great awakening in humanity. We are a fragile and arrogant species, and perhaps the confirmation that Earth does not have a monopoly on life will inspire some humility within our civilization.
The Kepler mission is but one key to open many doors ahead."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The GM Volt: Looks Good on Paper, Up Until the Price Tag
GM has officially unveiled the Volt, its upcoming Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). It is not a bad looking car, although it is less visually inspiring than its initial prototype. I like the approach GM is taking with the Volt. It offers a practically all-electric power source for routine city driving, while maintaining the ability to travel hundreds of miles using a backup gas engine to regenerate its own electricity. In my own situation, if I had such a car I estimate I might only fill it up once or twice a year; very few of our household trips ever exceed the Volt’s 40 mile electric range.
There are just 2 big problems with the Volt that prevent me from considering it:
1) It is a GM vehicle. I have never had a positive experience with a GM vehicle. Their quality has improved in recent years, but it still lags other automakers. It remains to be seen if the Volt has been designed as a high quality, long-term car, or if it was just thrown together to make a quick buck until it can be replaced with something else. GM seems to prefer to make the latter.
2) The expected price of the volt is around $40K. Who is this car supposed to be marketed toward? I certainly would never pay that much for a mid-size car like the Volt. Do people who have $40K to dump into a car really care that much about its fuel efficiency? Think of it this way….instead of buying a Volt for $40K, why not just buy a larger and more powerful traditional car for $25K, and use the $15K savings to buy the extra gas it would consume. Fifteen thousand dollars will buy quite a lot of gasoline even at $5 per gallon. Many people may claim to care about the environment, but when faced with such a massive premium for doing so, they inevitably decide that they cannot afford to care too much. The Volt would seem to be a niche car, and as such it will not revolutionize auto travel in the larger market.
At this stage I see Honda and Toyota as being the most savvy high-efficiency vehicle makers. They seem to realize that a lot of people out there want to buy hybrid-electric vehicles if only they were available and affordable. Toyota already cannot make the Prius fast enough, and they are actively engaged in improving is capabilities while lowering its price in future editions. Honda’s insight seems poised to undercut the Prius next year to make electric-hybrids capture even greater market share.
Meanwhile, GM is casually planning to release its Volt a couple years from now in 2010. It will be late to the game, overpriced, and I have yet to learn to trust in GM. Count me out on the Volt.
There are just 2 big problems with the Volt that prevent me from considering it:
1) It is a GM vehicle. I have never had a positive experience with a GM vehicle. Their quality has improved in recent years, but it still lags other automakers. It remains to be seen if the Volt has been designed as a high quality, long-term car, or if it was just thrown together to make a quick buck until it can be replaced with something else. GM seems to prefer to make the latter.
2) The expected price of the volt is around $40K. Who is this car supposed to be marketed toward? I certainly would never pay that much for a mid-size car like the Volt. Do people who have $40K to dump into a car really care that much about its fuel efficiency? Think of it this way….instead of buying a Volt for $40K, why not just buy a larger and more powerful traditional car for $25K, and use the $15K savings to buy the extra gas it would consume. Fifteen thousand dollars will buy quite a lot of gasoline even at $5 per gallon. Many people may claim to care about the environment, but when faced with such a massive premium for doing so, they inevitably decide that they cannot afford to care too much. The Volt would seem to be a niche car, and as such it will not revolutionize auto travel in the larger market.
At this stage I see Honda and Toyota as being the most savvy high-efficiency vehicle makers. They seem to realize that a lot of people out there want to buy hybrid-electric vehicles if only they were available and affordable. Toyota already cannot make the Prius fast enough, and they are actively engaged in improving is capabilities while lowering its price in future editions. Honda’s insight seems poised to undercut the Prius next year to make electric-hybrids capture even greater market share.
Meanwhile, GM is casually planning to release its Volt a couple years from now in 2010. It will be late to the game, overpriced, and I have yet to learn to trust in GM. Count me out on the Volt.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Does Spore Teach Anything About Evolution?
As I relayed in a previous review, Spore is a mass-market game. As such, it tries very hard to not scare away its user base by requiring them to think too much. That is fine; sometimes dumbed-down games are a nice diversion when you want a quick dose of mindless entertainment.
Aside from the pretty graphics and the pleasure of making funny looking-creatures, does Spore actually have any scientific substance to it? Does it actually teach anything about evolution and adaptation? The short answer is no. Spore fails miserably as an evolution simulator. I cannot even classify it as a simulator of anything, unlike its older software siblings SimCity and The Sims (both also designed by Will Wright). Spore is more of a 3-D art program.
I am not a biologist, but I like to pretend to be one sometimes. That is one of the reasons why I was initially intrigued with a game like Spore. I thought that it would offer the opportunity to manipulate and model evolutionary forces. For example, I might want to introduce a climate change into an environment and watch how my creatures changed in response. If I wanted my creatures to have long hair, I might introduce a colder spell. Spore allows none of this. Climate and temperature are irrelevant in the game. Whether a creature is a small, fat round blob that would seem to conserve heat, or a hairless, skinny monster with numerous tentacles, both thrive equally well in Spore’s static climates.
With climate and planetary morphology being largely irrelevant to life in Spore, the hope of it approximating anything resembling evolution is lost. The creatures we make in the game cannot evolve if there is nothing to adapt to. The only factor that determines what a creature will look and act like is the user’s personal, artistic preference. Someone who used Spore as their primary frame of reference for evolution would be seriously misled as to how evolution really works.
What I would like to see is a more robust, science-based version of Spore; a game where many random elements of planetary environments coalesce to influence the organisms there. Allow the user to nudge certain controls and inputs. Have the software insert a bit of randomness and mutation. Then, see what creatures pop out. It would be a completely different game experience each time.
I should not expect a company like Electronic Arts to ever produce such an enhanced version of Spore. It is a corporate giant interested in maximizing profits from the mass-market, and it is controlled by the whims of its stock holders. The in-depth creative game play I crave does not thrive in such an environment. Just like in the evolution of life, environment is everything for the evolution of software.
Aside from the pretty graphics and the pleasure of making funny looking-creatures, does Spore actually have any scientific substance to it? Does it actually teach anything about evolution and adaptation? The short answer is no. Spore fails miserably as an evolution simulator. I cannot even classify it as a simulator of anything, unlike its older software siblings SimCity and The Sims (both also designed by Will Wright). Spore is more of a 3-D art program.
I am not a biologist, but I like to pretend to be one sometimes. That is one of the reasons why I was initially intrigued with a game like Spore. I thought that it would offer the opportunity to manipulate and model evolutionary forces. For example, I might want to introduce a climate change into an environment and watch how my creatures changed in response. If I wanted my creatures to have long hair, I might introduce a colder spell. Spore allows none of this. Climate and temperature are irrelevant in the game. Whether a creature is a small, fat round blob that would seem to conserve heat, or a hairless, skinny monster with numerous tentacles, both thrive equally well in Spore’s static climates.
With climate and planetary morphology being largely irrelevant to life in Spore, the hope of it approximating anything resembling evolution is lost. The creatures we make in the game cannot evolve if there is nothing to adapt to. The only factor that determines what a creature will look and act like is the user’s personal, artistic preference. Someone who used Spore as their primary frame of reference for evolution would be seriously misled as to how evolution really works.
What I would like to see is a more robust, science-based version of Spore; a game where many random elements of planetary environments coalesce to influence the organisms there. Allow the user to nudge certain controls and inputs. Have the software insert a bit of randomness and mutation. Then, see what creatures pop out. It would be a completely different game experience each time.
I should not expect a company like Electronic Arts to ever produce such an enhanced version of Spore. It is a corporate giant interested in maximizing profits from the mass-market, and it is controlled by the whims of its stock holders. The in-depth creative game play I crave does not thrive in such an environment. Just like in the evolution of life, environment is everything for the evolution of software.
Sell! Sell!
Tis’ the season for my employer’s annual health fair. As a health institution that understands the benefits of preventative screening, the company provides a free annual blood test of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.
If my cholesterol was a stock price, now is a great time to sell. Contrary to common medical wisdom, my diet this summer (rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) has done nothing but lift my LDLs to a personal record. Whoohooo!
Imagine that! A diet with practically no cholesterol in it has caused my LDLs to soar. Why? Well, the human body can create its own cholesterol. My theory is that when my dietary intake of fats and cholesterol goes down, my body overcompensates by producing massive quantities of its own cholesterol. This is just me…I am sure other people respond differently.
In my case, this spring I transitioned from a high protein Atkins-type diet to the generally accepted healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Since that only caused me to gain 15 pounds and catapult my cholesterol into the stratosphere, I am going back to being a carnivore. Throw me a slab of meat.
I recently sat with a physician’s assistant who interpreted the blood screen for me. As she recommended reducing animal fats, while increasing fiber, grains and vegetables, I sat with a little smirk on my face. I resisted the urge to point out what that had done to me so far. I cordially thanked her for the advice and looked foreword to dinner today: three cheeseburger patties and some low-carb ice cream.
If my cholesterol was a stock price, now is a great time to sell. Contrary to common medical wisdom, my diet this summer (rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) has done nothing but lift my LDLs to a personal record. Whoohooo!
Imagine that! A diet with practically no cholesterol in it has caused my LDLs to soar. Why? Well, the human body can create its own cholesterol. My theory is that when my dietary intake of fats and cholesterol goes down, my body overcompensates by producing massive quantities of its own cholesterol. This is just me…I am sure other people respond differently.
In my case, this spring I transitioned from a high protein Atkins-type diet to the generally accepted healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Since that only caused me to gain 15 pounds and catapult my cholesterol into the stratosphere, I am going back to being a carnivore. Throw me a slab of meat.
I recently sat with a physician’s assistant who interpreted the blood screen for me. As she recommended reducing animal fats, while increasing fiber, grains and vegetables, I sat with a little smirk on my face. I resisted the urge to point out what that had done to me so far. I cordially thanked her for the advice and looked foreword to dinner today: three cheeseburger patties and some low-carb ice cream.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Fanatics and Their Oil
Today Venezuela’s Dictator-in-Chief (DiC) Chavez insulted the entire United States, kicked out the ambassador, and threatened to terminate oil sales. Yesterday, a Saudi Arabian judiciary official declared that it was acceptable to murder the owners of satellite television stations that broadcast anything he finds offensive. Earlier this week, Iran vehemently demanded a U.N. response to Israeli threats to kidnap president Ahmadinejad...never mind that he declared Israel should be wiped off the earth.
We need to stop supporting these kinds of lunatics, yet every time we fill our gas tanks we are voting with our money, telling them that we don’t mind. We tell them that they are right and we support what they say.
We need to get off oil ASAP. The electric and plug-in hybrid cars of the future cannot get here fast enough. Until then, we need to walk, bike, do anything possible to reduce our consumption. It is a silly thing to be giving so much support to the world’s most dangerous fanatics.
We need to stop supporting these kinds of lunatics, yet every time we fill our gas tanks we are voting with our money, telling them that we don’t mind. We tell them that they are right and we support what they say.
We need to get off oil ASAP. The electric and plug-in hybrid cars of the future cannot get here fast enough. Until then, we need to walk, bike, do anything possible to reduce our consumption. It is a silly thing to be giving so much support to the world’s most dangerous fanatics.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Shocking: 4 Hours of Moderate Exercise Daily Can Cure Obesity
A study appearing in Archives of Internal Medicine has found that people with a genetic predisposition to accumulate fat can still be lean and healthy…provided they exercise moderately 3-4 hours daily. This does not strike me as particularly encouraging news for our obesity epidemic. Of all the seriously overweight people in modern society, how many can we realistically expect to devote that much time to moderate exercise? The reality is that unless a fat-prone person is working full-time in a physical exerting occupation, they will not reach that amount of physical activity.
The FTO genes that lead a person to have an obesity risk are known to exist in half the population of European ancestry. If we were to screen ourselves early in life to detect the presence of these genes, wouldn’t that be a great piece of information to have as young adults planning future careers? For example, if I knew 20 years ago that I carried two FTO genes, maybe I would have been far more likely to be something like a UPS delivery driver instead of an office-bound cubicle sitter.
I don’t actually know for sure that I have an FTO gene or two, but coincidentally the genetic testing company 23andMe just announced a huge price cut on their DNA analysis services. At roughly $400 it is sill beyond what I’d pay just to satisfy my genetic curiosity, but it is a lot better than the previous $1000 price. I’ll wait a few more years; maybe someday they’ll offer it for just $49.95 at Walmart.
The FTO genes that lead a person to have an obesity risk are known to exist in half the population of European ancestry. If we were to screen ourselves early in life to detect the presence of these genes, wouldn’t that be a great piece of information to have as young adults planning future careers? For example, if I knew 20 years ago that I carried two FTO genes, maybe I would have been far more likely to be something like a UPS delivery driver instead of an office-bound cubicle sitter.
I don’t actually know for sure that I have an FTO gene or two, but coincidentally the genetic testing company 23andMe just announced a huge price cut on their DNA analysis services. At roughly $400 it is sill beyond what I’d pay just to satisfy my genetic curiosity, but it is a lot better than the previous $1000 price. I’ll wait a few more years; maybe someday they’ll offer it for just $49.95 at Walmart.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A Review of EA's Spore
I spent much of my day off playing Spore, and I have some initial impressions. I ultimately judge a game by its cost-per-entertainment hour to decide how good it is; this helps me put aside expectations from hype and anticipation. Based on yesterday alone I am roughly at $5 per hour so far ($50 purchase / roughly 10 hours of playtime). I had expected that cost-per-hour would fall much further over the coming weeks, but unfortunately there are very serious problems in the game's final stage....more on that later.
For the first few phases the game work and run well; there were no crashes or problems playing on both 32-Bit and 64-bit versions of Vista. It ran smooth and looks great on my 1-year old PC. My 1-month old PC runs it with maxed-out settings across the board with no problem.
The game itself is a lot more simplistic and dumbed-down than I thought it might be. It was written for a mass-audience, not exclusively for data-focused eccentrics like me. That does not have to be a bad thing, but it does mean this game does not tickle my mind as much as I might like. Unless expansions and enhancements come out later (and I am sure they will), re-playability will be limited.
The game begins with just a little multi-celled organism trying to find bits of material to eat and grow. This cell-phase is quite limited and amounts to little more than a mini-game I might play a couple times. There are no penalties for letting your organism die and there are no real rewards for thriving. Fortunately this stage can be skipped after you complete it once. Nothing you do in this phase has any affect on the outcome or details of later phases.
Next is the creature phase, and it offers a bit more pleasure of wandering around a landscape and either befriending or eradicating other species. This is the stage where you can actively change the shape, appearance, and physical characteristics of your creature. This creature evolution is the most fun part of the experience in this phase. The downside that bothers me is the limited way in which physical characteristics affect creature survivability. While adding horns and claws may make the a creature fight better, other factors that should matter do not. For example, if I make a big fat hippo-like herbivore I would expect that it would have a high strength and formidable constitution. Consequently I would expect it to require far more calories to sustain. In this game size is irrelevant; a tiny mole-like creature needs the same amount of food as towering elephant-like monster with six legs and two heads. As long as the two creatures have the same “health” components, they will also have the same amount of health and attack capability. That is just all wrong.
The basic limiting factor that will determine whether one creature can befriend or eliminate another is its accumulated DNA points. These points are gathered by interacting with other species and spent like currency. They determine how many enhancements you can add to a creature. The troublesome aspect of these DNA points is that they will easily accumulate to the same max value every time with any creature you create, and no matter how you play. If I wanted a more accurate evolutionary-based game I would want to see each new creature I create forced to adapt its physical characteristics to some elements of the surrounding environment and competing species. That would tickle the mind a lot more, but there is none of that here. The randomness and chance aspects of real-world evolution are not a significant part of this game, and that will limit is re-playability for me.
After the creature phase is over you can advance to the tribal phase. At this point physical evolution ceases and your creature will basically look the same the rest of the game. However, it will acquire a small selection of clothing and armors that can give various bonuses. These clothing items and armors are very limited in scope. The tribal phase moves the user from controlling an individual creature to controlling a small group. As in the previous phase, the ultimate point is to collect food and either befriend or destroy other species. There are a small number of buildings that can be built to support these activities, and like the clothing they are very limited in variety. They cannot be upgraded or mix-and-matched to make your ideal tribe; one of each type is the limit.
Advancement to the civilization phase is next, and the game gets a bit more interesting here. This stage of the game offers the ability to make vehicles and buildings. The design options are practically unlimited and I spent a lot of time just making different kinds of cars, airplanes, boats, and buildings. The goal of this phase is to consolidate all the cities of your species into one global empire. As previous stages, this can be done peacefully or through force. At its core the civilization phase is not all that different from the Civilization games by Sid Meier. You construct units, move them around a map and manage a few cities. The Spore version, however, is much more simplified and watered down. It is certainly not meant to be as epic in scale as the Civilization series, but just offers a taste of building a global empire with your now civilized creatures.
The final phase of the game, the space phase, is the largest and most open-ended of all. In this stage your now-super-advanced beings gain the technology to travel to other planets, terraform them, and interact with other empires that other people have created. Unfortunately this phase contains a bug which essentially renders it unplayable. I'll call it the "zoom-out-of-home-world" bug and it has spawned a massive post on Spore's technical support forum. Once this bug sets in the game crashes or freezes every time you fly out of your home world, which you have to do quite frequently. I've found it is pretty much pointless to try and continue any further in the space phase until this bug is fixed.
Another problem I have had in this space phase is that I cannot seem to get a moment's peace to explore, terraform, and grow my empire. Random alien attacks occur so often and cost so much "money" to recover from that trying to do anything else is almost impossible. I was basically just flying from one planet to another defending my settlements and repairing them...until the game-halting bug set in.
So far I must recommend NOT buying this game in its present state. Playing in the first few phases is fine, but they do not justify its $50 price tag. The final space phase is broken from both a technical and gameplay standpoint, and Spore will remain a dust-collector on my shelf until EA fixes it.
From past experience I know EA will probably fix the problems, but it may take many weeks or months. I look foreword to playing more Spore again someday when it has been fixed and maybe some expansions have been made available. For now....AVOID SPORE!
For the first few phases the game work and run well; there were no crashes or problems playing on both 32-Bit and 64-bit versions of Vista. It ran smooth and looks great on my 1-year old PC. My 1-month old PC runs it with maxed-out settings across the board with no problem.
The game itself is a lot more simplistic and dumbed-down than I thought it might be. It was written for a mass-audience, not exclusively for data-focused eccentrics like me. That does not have to be a bad thing, but it does mean this game does not tickle my mind as much as I might like. Unless expansions and enhancements come out later (and I am sure they will), re-playability will be limited.
The game begins with just a little multi-celled organism trying to find bits of material to eat and grow. This cell-phase is quite limited and amounts to little more than a mini-game I might play a couple times. There are no penalties for letting your organism die and there are no real rewards for thriving. Fortunately this stage can be skipped after you complete it once. Nothing you do in this phase has any affect on the outcome or details of later phases.
Next is the creature phase, and it offers a bit more pleasure of wandering around a landscape and either befriending or eradicating other species. This is the stage where you can actively change the shape, appearance, and physical characteristics of your creature. This creature evolution is the most fun part of the experience in this phase. The downside that bothers me is the limited way in which physical characteristics affect creature survivability. While adding horns and claws may make the a creature fight better, other factors that should matter do not. For example, if I make a big fat hippo-like herbivore I would expect that it would have a high strength and formidable constitution. Consequently I would expect it to require far more calories to sustain. In this game size is irrelevant; a tiny mole-like creature needs the same amount of food as towering elephant-like monster with six legs and two heads. As long as the two creatures have the same “health” components, they will also have the same amount of health and attack capability. That is just all wrong.
The basic limiting factor that will determine whether one creature can befriend or eliminate another is its accumulated DNA points. These points are gathered by interacting with other species and spent like currency. They determine how many enhancements you can add to a creature. The troublesome aspect of these DNA points is that they will easily accumulate to the same max value every time with any creature you create, and no matter how you play. If I wanted a more accurate evolutionary-based game I would want to see each new creature I create forced to adapt its physical characteristics to some elements of the surrounding environment and competing species. That would tickle the mind a lot more, but there is none of that here. The randomness and chance aspects of real-world evolution are not a significant part of this game, and that will limit is re-playability for me.
After the creature phase is over you can advance to the tribal phase. At this point physical evolution ceases and your creature will basically look the same the rest of the game. However, it will acquire a small selection of clothing and armors that can give various bonuses. These clothing items and armors are very limited in scope. The tribal phase moves the user from controlling an individual creature to controlling a small group. As in the previous phase, the ultimate point is to collect food and either befriend or destroy other species. There are a small number of buildings that can be built to support these activities, and like the clothing they are very limited in variety. They cannot be upgraded or mix-and-matched to make your ideal tribe; one of each type is the limit.
Advancement to the civilization phase is next, and the game gets a bit more interesting here. This stage of the game offers the ability to make vehicles and buildings. The design options are practically unlimited and I spent a lot of time just making different kinds of cars, airplanes, boats, and buildings. The goal of this phase is to consolidate all the cities of your species into one global empire. As previous stages, this can be done peacefully or through force. At its core the civilization phase is not all that different from the Civilization games by Sid Meier. You construct units, move them around a map and manage a few cities. The Spore version, however, is much more simplified and watered down. It is certainly not meant to be as epic in scale as the Civilization series, but just offers a taste of building a global empire with your now civilized creatures.
The final phase of the game, the space phase, is the largest and most open-ended of all. In this stage your now-super-advanced beings gain the technology to travel to other planets, terraform them, and interact with other empires that other people have created. Unfortunately this phase contains a bug which essentially renders it unplayable. I'll call it the "zoom-out-of-home-world" bug and it has spawned a massive post on Spore's technical support forum. Once this bug sets in the game crashes or freezes every time you fly out of your home world, which you have to do quite frequently. I've found it is pretty much pointless to try and continue any further in the space phase until this bug is fixed.
Another problem I have had in this space phase is that I cannot seem to get a moment's peace to explore, terraform, and grow my empire. Random alien attacks occur so often and cost so much "money" to recover from that trying to do anything else is almost impossible. I was basically just flying from one planet to another defending my settlements and repairing them...until the game-halting bug set in.
So far I must recommend NOT buying this game in its present state. Playing in the first few phases is fine, but they do not justify its $50 price tag. The final space phase is broken from both a technical and gameplay standpoint, and Spore will remain a dust-collector on my shelf until EA fixes it.
From past experience I know EA will probably fix the problems, but it may take many weeks or months. I look foreword to playing more Spore again someday when it has been fixed and maybe some expansions have been made available. For now....AVOID SPORE!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
How do I get here by going over there?
The earth is not flat, and neither is the universe. So, if I were to start walking in one direction on Earth I would not ultimately reach and edge and fall off, I would only return to my originally starting point. Is it likewise with the universe? If I begin traveling in one direction I don't expect to someday hit a wall or barrier of any sort. Should I rather expect to keep going until I get back to where I started from. Would that be the nature of a spherical universe?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Want to Eat Less and Lose Weight? Become a Moron!
A team of researchers publishing in Psychosomatic Medicine has discovered that heavy thinking causes people to become more hungry and consume more calories than if they remain mentally inactive. The brain sucks up a lot of glucose when it is active, and this causes the activation of a hunger pangs...even if the body as a whole has been sedentary.
This clears up something; now we know why so many of those beautiful, lean and skinny model-type people are such air-heads. They don’t have a lot going on upstairs in their noggins, so they don’t ever get bothered by that pesky brain-induced hunger.
Our lesson here is that if we want to eat less to lose weight, a good first step is to become a moron. Stop thinking, put on an empty smile, and just stare into space like an idiot. The solution to the American obesity epidemic is evident. We don’t need more education, we need less. Anything that might inspire thought and contemplation should be halted immediately. In fact, I better stop writing about this. It’s making me hungry putting all these words together.
This clears up something; now we know why so many of those beautiful, lean and skinny model-type people are such air-heads. They don’t have a lot going on upstairs in their noggins, so they don’t ever get bothered by that pesky brain-induced hunger.
Our lesson here is that if we want to eat less to lose weight, a good first step is to become a moron. Stop thinking, put on an empty smile, and just stare into space like an idiot. The solution to the American obesity epidemic is evident. We don’t need more education, we need less. Anything that might inspire thought and contemplation should be halted immediately. In fact, I better stop writing about this. It’s making me hungry putting all these words together.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
My Take on the Election and Sarah Palin...The Outcome is Sealed
I have been digesting various sources of information on Sarah Palin, trying to get a feel for what her entrance in the campaign means for the outcome of the election. At first, my impression was...”hmm...possibly brilliant chess move by McCain.” Sarah Palin seemed to be a good counter-balance to the perceived youth and energy emanating from the Obama side.
But, there are interesting bits of information coming to light. The most significant item I’ve seen is the video (see below) that Palin sent to the Alaskan Independence Party earlier this year offering them support and congratulating them for doing good work. This is a group that would ultimately like to see Alaska secede from the United States to become its own country. Any candidate for VP (and hence possible U.S. president), should never address that kind of group with such positive terms in any circumstance. The integrity of the United States is something I take very seriously, and this is a huge red flag flying above Palin.
There is the smaller news item about Palin’s pregnant teenager daughter. Of course I personally do not care about this, but it is an item that will be leveraged against her by the far-left. It is going to be a seen as a great irony that this anti-sex education candidate, whose party focuses on abstinence as a way to combat teenage pregnancy, is now a liberal’s example as evidence of failed religious-right ideals. Score one for the leftists here.
There is an experience problem with Palin. She is woefully inexperienced even compared to Obama. If a person lacks experience, they need to make up for that somewhere else if they want to be taken seriously. They should be able to point to some big accomplishments, or be convincing in advancing upcoming ideas. I don’t see any of that from Palin; both her education and work history are very thin for a VP candidate.
In reading about McCain’s vetting process for Palin, I see serious shortcomings. McCain did not even know her personally, and he selected her in a seemingly last minute decision. McCain sent a team to Alaska to begin a thorough assessment of her background only a couple days before announcing her as the running mate. While some vetting procedures were likely done in the weeks leading up to this past weekend, it is interesting (and disturbing), that McCain’s team waited until the last minute to examine Palin’s record on site. There are some things that cannot be done from afar, and cannot be done in only days.
A simple conclusion can be made in light of all this: Obama will be the next president of the United States. I personally feel I have no candidate to vote for…maybe I’ll just write-in myself, I’d do a good job.
Also, see the AIP meeting.
But, there are interesting bits of information coming to light. The most significant item I’ve seen is the video (see below) that Palin sent to the Alaskan Independence Party earlier this year offering them support and congratulating them for doing good work. This is a group that would ultimately like to see Alaska secede from the United States to become its own country. Any candidate for VP (and hence possible U.S. president), should never address that kind of group with such positive terms in any circumstance. The integrity of the United States is something I take very seriously, and this is a huge red flag flying above Palin.
There is the smaller news item about Palin’s pregnant teenager daughter. Of course I personally do not care about this, but it is an item that will be leveraged against her by the far-left. It is going to be a seen as a great irony that this anti-sex education candidate, whose party focuses on abstinence as a way to combat teenage pregnancy, is now a liberal’s example as evidence of failed religious-right ideals. Score one for the leftists here.
There is an experience problem with Palin. She is woefully inexperienced even compared to Obama. If a person lacks experience, they need to make up for that somewhere else if they want to be taken seriously. They should be able to point to some big accomplishments, or be convincing in advancing upcoming ideas. I don’t see any of that from Palin; both her education and work history are very thin for a VP candidate.
In reading about McCain’s vetting process for Palin, I see serious shortcomings. McCain did not even know her personally, and he selected her in a seemingly last minute decision. McCain sent a team to Alaska to begin a thorough assessment of her background only a couple days before announcing her as the running mate. While some vetting procedures were likely done in the weeks leading up to this past weekend, it is interesting (and disturbing), that McCain’s team waited until the last minute to examine Palin’s record on site. There are some things that cannot be done from afar, and cannot be done in only days.
A simple conclusion can be made in light of all this: Obama will be the next president of the United States. I personally feel I have no candidate to vote for…maybe I’ll just write-in myself, I’d do a good job.
Also, see the AIP meeting.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Learning From the past, such a fine thing to do
The regrets of our past should provide the clearest guidance for the course of our future. I think back to a Seinfeld episode where George laments his pitiful life. He decides that if his life has been such an empty disappoint so far, then from that point foreword he should start doing the exact opposite of what his natural inclination would be. Thereafter, all sorts of good things start happening to him.
That episode can offer us some insight into our own lives. Those things which we most regret should be the things we never repeat. Yet, some people continue to repeat the same pattern of mistakes over a lifetime. Why is this?
We should also consider the wealth of experience available to us by examining the lives of others. We can see the mistakes people make and the consequences of those mistakes, but sometimes fail to understand any lessons that could apply to our own lives. Douglas Adams once said… “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
I see in the American way of life a particular weakness when it comes to learning from others’ experiences. We value personal independence so much that we can put ourselves in a vacuum and assume that nothing that anyone else does is necessarily relevant to our own situation. I see this all over in pop culture, where the attitude of “do what you want, do your own thing, don’t care what other people think” is the rule.
What would happen if everyone woke up one day and suddenly became interested in what other people think? What if suddenly everyone truly began to care about the perceptions, needs, and rights of other people? It might be a kind utopian fantasy land. Yes, it is just unrealistic wishful thinking….then again, I’ll remember what Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
That episode can offer us some insight into our own lives. Those things which we most regret should be the things we never repeat. Yet, some people continue to repeat the same pattern of mistakes over a lifetime. Why is this?
We should also consider the wealth of experience available to us by examining the lives of others. We can see the mistakes people make and the consequences of those mistakes, but sometimes fail to understand any lessons that could apply to our own lives. Douglas Adams once said… “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
I see in the American way of life a particular weakness when it comes to learning from others’ experiences. We value personal independence so much that we can put ourselves in a vacuum and assume that nothing that anyone else does is necessarily relevant to our own situation. I see this all over in pop culture, where the attitude of “do what you want, do your own thing, don’t care what other people think” is the rule.
What would happen if everyone woke up one day and suddenly became interested in what other people think? What if suddenly everyone truly began to care about the perceptions, needs, and rights of other people? It might be a kind utopian fantasy land. Yes, it is just unrealistic wishful thinking….then again, I’ll remember what Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Statistics For The Day
For today's fun statistics, I have put together the chart below to illustrate the relationship between NASA's historical budget and the number of people in the United States.
As we can see, the annual spend per person grew dramatically to nearly $180 leading up to the Apollo missions, then gradually declined to about $50 per person. Except for a moderate increase during the George Bush Sr. administration, the spend per person has remained fairly stable at just under $60 since the mid 1970s.
Looking foreword, this funding level looks inadequate to me given the ambitious mandate given to NASA. The agency is supposed to design a new space travel system in the Constellation project, retire the space shuttle, return to the moon, and ultimately deliver humans to Mars within the next 15-20 years. I believe if NASA is to succeed within this kind of time frame, we will need to really pump up the dollars-per-person spend close to Apollo-era levels.
As we can see, the annual spend per person grew dramatically to nearly $180 leading up to the Apollo missions, then gradually declined to about $50 per person. Except for a moderate increase during the George Bush Sr. administration, the spend per person has remained fairly stable at just under $60 since the mid 1970s.
Looking foreword, this funding level looks inadequate to me given the ambitious mandate given to NASA. The agency is supposed to design a new space travel system in the Constellation project, retire the space shuttle, return to the moon, and ultimately deliver humans to Mars within the next 15-20 years. I believe if NASA is to succeed within this kind of time frame, we will need to really pump up the dollars-per-person spend close to Apollo-era levels.
Growing Self-esteem in Toddlers (5 Things a Parent Should NEVER do)
1. Do not use humiliation as a form of punishment or behavior control for a toddler. They will internalize the humiliation, and instead of learning that a behavior is bad they will decide that they are themselves bad.
2. Do not say, “why can’t you be more like [someone else]?” All the toddler will understand from such a statement is…”I like [someone else] better than I like you.”
3. Do not throw temper tantrums in front of a toddler. A parent should be a child’s rock, a foundation, a model of stability they can always count on. Toddlers will nearly always blame themselves when mom or dad throws a fit.
4. Do not carry grudges against a child. Forgive, and forget, lest the child will always be subtly reminded of the grudge and feel belittled because of it.
5. Do not let a day go by without complimenting and telling your toddler what you like about him or her.
2. Do not say, “why can’t you be more like [someone else]?” All the toddler will understand from such a statement is…”I like [someone else] better than I like you.”
3. Do not throw temper tantrums in front of a toddler. A parent should be a child’s rock, a foundation, a model of stability they can always count on. Toddlers will nearly always blame themselves when mom or dad throws a fit.
4. Do not carry grudges against a child. Forgive, and forget, lest the child will always be subtly reminded of the grudge and feel belittled because of it.
5. Do not let a day go by without complimenting and telling your toddler what you like about him or her.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A Tax On Your Genes, Welcome To Alabama
Beginning in 2009, a person who is quantitatively determined to be overweight will face a fat-tax if they are employed by the state of Alabama. Now, I am one of the last people in the world who needs to be reminded of the benefits of exercise and the problems with obesity. It is a fact that obesity yields a greater likelihood of health problems, but this policy in Alabama is the absolute most abhorrent way to promote health. The “fat-tax” takes the form of a surcharge on monthly health insurance premiums. By classifying it as part of an insurance premium it avoids the technical classification of “tax” but I have to call it the way I see it. If it is a government agency requiring it and collecting it, then it is ultimately a tax to me.
The new Alabama policy uses BMI (body mass index) to determine fatness. BMI does not take into account body composition; it only cares about height, weight, age, and gender. This means that weightlifters, body-builders, or naturally muscular people can be taxed for their weight even if they have a nice low 5% body fat. It does not take a rare Arnold Schwarzenegger-type of person to face this kind of problem; any average guy who spends enough time doing heavy weights in a gym can get to this point where the BMI says they are “overweight” but their body composition remains lean. So what is the incentive here? For some people it actually becomes a disincentive to exercise. Some men do not gain much muscle mass when they lift weights, but others naturally bulk up quite readily with even modest lifting. Variations in genetic makeup will determine how lean and muscle-bound a person will get.
The premise of this Alabama fat tax is that if a person is skinny and trim then they are healthy, and being overweight by any amount is unhealthy. In reality we know this is not necessarily true. Some people are genetically predisposed to carry more weight than others, yet they remain healthy and productive well past the average human lifespan. Many of us know of some perplexing individuals that seem to be able to eat junk food in unlimited quantities yet never gain a pound. We also see those others eating miserably healthy diets and keeping very active, yet they stay as round as a pears. Our genes have as much, or potentially more, influence on our weight as do our habits.
Let us also look back at a study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine which found that nearly one quarter of normal-weight adults have cardio-metabolic abnormalities, while over 50% of “overweight” adults were actually metabolically normal. The results imply that while the trim and skinny may lean toward being relatively healthier, there are millions of people that are exceptions. It is absolutely foolhardy to assume a skinny individual is automatically healthier than an overweight individual and therefore deserves a lower tax-rate.
Philosophically, I do not accept that punitive measures are effective in promoting the long-term lifestyle changes that people need to be healthy. Motivation for healthy behavior is a complex thing. It revolves around the corporate cultures people work in. It depends on the choices available to them in the cafeterias they frequent. It depends on the knowledge they have accumulated regarding healthy choices. You cannot tax people into becoming healthy; in fact, it is more likely to cause them to have to skimp on nutrition by buying cheaper junk foods.
The new Alabama policy uses BMI (body mass index) to determine fatness. BMI does not take into account body composition; it only cares about height, weight, age, and gender. This means that weightlifters, body-builders, or naturally muscular people can be taxed for their weight even if they have a nice low 5% body fat. It does not take a rare Arnold Schwarzenegger-type of person to face this kind of problem; any average guy who spends enough time doing heavy weights in a gym can get to this point where the BMI says they are “overweight” but their body composition remains lean. So what is the incentive here? For some people it actually becomes a disincentive to exercise. Some men do not gain much muscle mass when they lift weights, but others naturally bulk up quite readily with even modest lifting. Variations in genetic makeup will determine how lean and muscle-bound a person will get.
The premise of this Alabama fat tax is that if a person is skinny and trim then they are healthy, and being overweight by any amount is unhealthy. In reality we know this is not necessarily true. Some people are genetically predisposed to carry more weight than others, yet they remain healthy and productive well past the average human lifespan. Many of us know of some perplexing individuals that seem to be able to eat junk food in unlimited quantities yet never gain a pound. We also see those others eating miserably healthy diets and keeping very active, yet they stay as round as a pears. Our genes have as much, or potentially more, influence on our weight as do our habits.
Let us also look back at a study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine which found that nearly one quarter of normal-weight adults have cardio-metabolic abnormalities, while over 50% of “overweight” adults were actually metabolically normal. The results imply that while the trim and skinny may lean toward being relatively healthier, there are millions of people that are exceptions. It is absolutely foolhardy to assume a skinny individual is automatically healthier than an overweight individual and therefore deserves a lower tax-rate.
Philosophically, I do not accept that punitive measures are effective in promoting the long-term lifestyle changes that people need to be healthy. Motivation for healthy behavior is a complex thing. It revolves around the corporate cultures people work in. It depends on the choices available to them in the cafeterias they frequent. It depends on the knowledge they have accumulated regarding healthy choices. You cannot tax people into becoming healthy; in fact, it is more likely to cause them to have to skimp on nutrition by buying cheaper junk foods.
The First Day of School, Welcome to 1st Grade
I took the day off work yesterday to help deliver Megan to her 1st day of 1st grade. It was an event we’ll never get to repeat so I wanted to experience it in full. She was her typical bouncing ball of exited energy as she prepared at home. Then, upon stepping into the school it was like someone flipped a switch. Suddenly she was so serious. She entered the classroom, had a few brief words with the teacher, sat at her desk, and intently began her board work. It was as if she had entered some top-security war room and immediately began analyzing the latest intelligence. Meanwhile, Katie and I were trying to get a smiling photo of her, but she would not smile nor maintain eye contact with the camera. Thinking she was nervous, we gave encouraging and affirmative words. Then I realized, she was not really nervous, she just seemed to want us to stop bothering her. She was trying to concentrate and here we were, two clueless and concerned parents trying to comfort a child who was really thinking...”I wish they would leave already.”
I think it may not be long till she says, “can you just drop me off at the corner and not come in this time?”
I think it may not be long till she says, “can you just drop me off at the corner and not come in this time?”
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Fred Astaire & Drum Sticks...awesome
Fred Astaire was awesome, especially when he incorporated props into his routines. This is one of my favorite clips where he uses some drum sticks.
Friday, August 22, 2008
It's not worth it
On today’s cool morning commute I was in full autonomic mode. I drove the same path to work that I always do, chosen for its directness and time efficiency. I do not even recall whether I had to stop at that first intersection for the light; I was completely zoned-out into a routine I have repeated hundreds of times and thoroughly mastered.
I was awakened from my commuting slumber to the sound of a roaring engine. From behind me, passing on the right, came a motorcycle that flew by me as if I was stopped. Up the hill he traveled to pass and cut in front of the car ahead of me, swerving the bike wildly to get into the left turn lane.
I have seen this same guy on the cycle before and he must have a schedule similar to mine. Of all the non-routine things that might jolt me out of my commuting coma, this lunatic on a motorcycle is a regular. It is not as though he pushes the speed limit, he must be at least doubling it. He does not just bend traffic rules, he drives as if there are none. I have seen him pull maneuvers that no sane person would do…all to gain a few extra seconds is his race to the next stoplight.
I stopped riding my cycle and sold it last summer as I decided the benefits were not worth the risk. Over a period of two years riding that scooter, I had several close calls. They were situations where in a car the worst that could have happened would be a mild fender-bender. Such little bumps happen very often. On the cycle, however, had a “little bump” occurred it would have more likely resulted in a hospital trip, and possibly permanent disability (even with the helmet). I decided an extra 25 miles-per-gallon and convenience in parking was not worth it. An accident is not a matter of “if”…but “when,” and I am willing to forego the benefits in order to maximize my length and quality of life. If I really want better mileage I’ll just get a Prius.
The motorcycle lunatic from this morning is inevitably going to miscalculate someday. Maybe he knows that and he does not care. Perhaps he thinks that if he is going to crash he might as well crash really good so that he dies on the spot and does not suffer. Maybe he is so confident in his abilities that he believes he’ll never wreck; he does not understand our personal driving skills are less relevant when we share the road with lunatics (like himself). The collective precautions of the many are no match for just one fool:
I was awakened from my commuting slumber to the sound of a roaring engine. From behind me, passing on the right, came a motorcycle that flew by me as if I was stopped. Up the hill he traveled to pass and cut in front of the car ahead of me, swerving the bike wildly to get into the left turn lane.
I have seen this same guy on the cycle before and he must have a schedule similar to mine. Of all the non-routine things that might jolt me out of my commuting coma, this lunatic on a motorcycle is a regular. It is not as though he pushes the speed limit, he must be at least doubling it. He does not just bend traffic rules, he drives as if there are none. I have seen him pull maneuvers that no sane person would do…all to gain a few extra seconds is his race to the next stoplight.
I stopped riding my cycle and sold it last summer as I decided the benefits were not worth the risk. Over a period of two years riding that scooter, I had several close calls. They were situations where in a car the worst that could have happened would be a mild fender-bender. Such little bumps happen very often. On the cycle, however, had a “little bump” occurred it would have more likely resulted in a hospital trip, and possibly permanent disability (even with the helmet). I decided an extra 25 miles-per-gallon and convenience in parking was not worth it. An accident is not a matter of “if”…but “when,” and I am willing to forego the benefits in order to maximize my length and quality of life. If I really want better mileage I’ll just get a Prius.
The motorcycle lunatic from this morning is inevitably going to miscalculate someday. Maybe he knows that and he does not care. Perhaps he thinks that if he is going to crash he might as well crash really good so that he dies on the spot and does not suffer. Maybe he is so confident in his abilities that he believes he’ll never wreck; he does not understand our personal driving skills are less relevant when we share the road with lunatics (like himself). The collective precautions of the many are no match for just one fool:
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
10 Dimensions
I happened upon a fascinating little presentation that tries to explain in simple terms what a ten-dimensional model of the universe is. In the end, it describes the tenth dimension as a multi-folded amalgam of infinite possibilities, in infinite time lines, in infinite space, in infinite universes of infinite rules. It makes me wonder what existence would be like for a hypothetical tenth-dimensional being. I have to assume that life in the 10th dimension would be the ultimate state of boredom. Let us ponder what it would mean...you would have zero unknowns since you have perpetual access to every possible situation under any rules in any time line. Assuming you could come up with an original thought, you could know instantly the ramifications of that thought through an infinite number of circumstances…so the instant you think of something to do you have already seen it done an infinite number of times in infinite situations. We humans get bored just folding laundry once….imagine how horrid it would be to experience it infinitely in infinite circumstances. I prefer to have a few unknowns and unpredictability, so I’ll stay put right here with just plain old 4-dimensional space-time.
However, we still may have use for a 10th dimension. A physicist (Gerald Cleaver) from Baylor University recently spelled out a theoretical method of manipulating the 10th dimension to propel a vehicle faster than light. Imagine being able to fly from Los Angeles to London in less than a second. The only downside is that the energy required to do such a thing is a little steep; a small plane would require power equivalent to what you might gain if you instantly converted the entire mass of Jupiter into energy. The emissions from that kind of power output couldn’t be good for the global warming situation.
However, we still may have use for a 10th dimension. A physicist (Gerald Cleaver) from Baylor University recently spelled out a theoretical method of manipulating the 10th dimension to propel a vehicle faster than light. Imagine being able to fly from Los Angeles to London in less than a second. The only downside is that the energy required to do such a thing is a little steep; a small plane would require power equivalent to what you might gain if you instantly converted the entire mass of Jupiter into energy. The emissions from that kind of power output couldn’t be good for the global warming situation.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Cheaters Never Prosper...
...when we grown up it is what we are told by teachers and parents, and in the long run I believe it. Compulsive cheaters do not prosper, even if it manages to help them get by in the short term. The old saying is not enough to discourage cheating for many, and a new study out of Ohio State University suggests that persistent cheaters are just plain cowards. The study presented this past weekend found that students who do not cheat rate higher on scores measuring courage, empathy, and honesty. In other words, non-cheaters are more brave, trustworthy, and socially perceptive. The study says that those who do cheat are more likely to rationalize their actions by asserting that most others do it anyway (i.e. cheaters are more likely to act like sheep).
I am pessimistic about the likelihood of drastic behavior change by the time someone enters college. Once a person hits young-adulthood it is nearly impossible to make them transform from a cheating personality to an achieving personality. The fostering of bravery and empathy must start in the very young, and parents are the people most responsible for making sure it happens. If parents fail in this task, schools alone cannot fix their children for them.
I am pessimistic about the likelihood of drastic behavior change by the time someone enters college. Once a person hits young-adulthood it is nearly impossible to make them transform from a cheating personality to an achieving personality. The fostering of bravery and empathy must start in the very young, and parents are the people most responsible for making sure it happens. If parents fail in this task, schools alone cannot fix their children for them.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Outside the Cubicle
I have had the Olympics on almost constantly the last few days. Sometimes I am watching it intently, but most of the time it is just some background noise that piques my interest once in a while as I do other things. I am not normally into watching sports but the Olympics offers a great change of pace from the plain old basketball-football-baseball scene that dominates American culture. The summer Olympics in particular offers such as great variety of competitions I don't usually get to see. I especially like watching the gymnastic events because they put me in awe of the kind of strength and precision humans are capable of.
It makes me wonder what I would be capable of if I didn't spend most my days spending many hours in a cubicle staring at a monitor. I don't get to expend many calories pushing buttons on a keyboard and pushing a mouse back and forth. Contrast that to someone like Michael Phelps who needs to shove down some 12,000 calories per day to do what he does. He is incredible; look at him....
If I ate 12,000 calories a day to support my cubicle-based lifestyle I'd look like this....
Watching these Olympians helps keep me motivated, and I guess thats the main reason I have the TV tuned to it so much. Even though I'm 39 and will never be an Olympian, seeing these younger athletes giving their all reminds me that I can accomplish a lot with the time I spend outside the cubicle. Today I lifted some weights as I watched Olympic beach volleyball, and for a little while the last thing on my mind was that I was full-time cubicle sitter.
It makes me wonder what I would be capable of if I didn't spend most my days spending many hours in a cubicle staring at a monitor. I don't get to expend many calories pushing buttons on a keyboard and pushing a mouse back and forth. Contrast that to someone like Michael Phelps who needs to shove down some 12,000 calories per day to do what he does. He is incredible; look at him....
If I ate 12,000 calories a day to support my cubicle-based lifestyle I'd look like this....
Watching these Olympians helps keep me motivated, and I guess thats the main reason I have the TV tuned to it so much. Even though I'm 39 and will never be an Olympian, seeing these younger athletes giving their all reminds me that I can accomplish a lot with the time I spend outside the cubicle. Today I lifted some weights as I watched Olympic beach volleyball, and for a little while the last thing on my mind was that I was full-time cubicle sitter.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sigh...McCain
Dear Mr. McCain, I am so far unimpressed with the direction of your presidential election campaign. It carries a lack of maturity that makes me think it is being run by a few arrogant teenagers…although saying that may be an insult to arrogant teenagers everywhere. Mr. McCain, you need to either fire your staff or get them in line. Instead of impressing people with inspiring messages of what great things America can accomplish, you fill us with visions of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Wayne’s World. Come on…is that the best your people can come up with?
There are many other things you can be challenging Obama on other than “celebrity” status. Everyone is already well aware that Republicans themselves have generated their own fair share of successful “celebrity” politicians (i.e. Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood).
There are many other things you can be challenging Obama on other than “celebrity” status. Everyone is already well aware that Republicans themselves have generated their own fair share of successful “celebrity” politicians (i.e. Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood).
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Eleanor Powell
Another one of my favorite oldies...Eleanor Powell was awesome in this tap-dancing piece.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Friday, November 24, 2006
A Walk To The Park
The sun was deceptive yesterday as Megan and I walked to Curtis Park. From indoors it appeared to be bright, warm, and sunny outside, but the crisp air was markedly cooler than recent days. An occasional gust of wind stung our faces with the distinct taste of winter.
I enjoy walking with Megan and witnessing her spontaneous reactions to the things she sees. We walked among autumn’s fallen leaves, kicking and rustling through them. I regarded them as a collective mass with no particular leaf sticking out among the others, but Megan seemed to consider each one. Suddenly, she veered off course and onto the grass where she picked up one specific leaf that caught her eye.
“This is for you Daddy. You can keep it forever and ever,” she said handing me the leaf. The difference between a child and adult mind was illustrated clearly at that point. While I was plainly focusing on the goal of reaching the park, Megan reminded me to essentially “stop and smell the roses” along the way.
A few steps later, the park came into view and Megan picked up the pace. She began to run and cheer.
“Yay! The park the park!” she yelled. I walked fast to keep up with her, marveling at how quickly 4 year old legs can travel. Abruptly she came to a halt. I wondered what caused her to suddenly stop. She pointed down to the sidewalk at a patch of red paint that I had not noticed.
“Red means stop,” she said. Then instantly she was off running again.
Once at the park, she decided it was getting too warm and discarded her coat. I wondered how she could stand the cold stiff breeze with just a short-sleeve shirt. Several times I asked her if she wanted to put the coat back on.
“I’m fine,” she replied. I don’t know how she does it. In typical fashion she had previously eaten very little. She ran around the playground with practically unlimited energy in the cold air and never slowed down. She is such a lean little kid I don’t know how she kept from shivering and freezing, but she appeared happy and comfortable the whole time.
Later that night, as Katie and I tiredly plodded along getting ready to close the day, Megan kept on going. She was full of energy and ideas and showing no signs of slowing. Without naps, on what seems like a supermodel diet of pathetically small portions, she just kept on going. The Energizer Bunny would be envious.
I enjoy walking with Megan and witnessing her spontaneous reactions to the things she sees. We walked among autumn’s fallen leaves, kicking and rustling through them. I regarded them as a collective mass with no particular leaf sticking out among the others, but Megan seemed to consider each one. Suddenly, she veered off course and onto the grass where she picked up one specific leaf that caught her eye.
“This is for you Daddy. You can keep it forever and ever,” she said handing me the leaf. The difference between a child and adult mind was illustrated clearly at that point. While I was plainly focusing on the goal of reaching the park, Megan reminded me to essentially “stop and smell the roses” along the way.
A few steps later, the park came into view and Megan picked up the pace. She began to run and cheer.
“Yay! The park the park!” she yelled. I walked fast to keep up with her, marveling at how quickly 4 year old legs can travel. Abruptly she came to a halt. I wondered what caused her to suddenly stop. She pointed down to the sidewalk at a patch of red paint that I had not noticed.
“Red means stop,” she said. Then instantly she was off running again.
Once at the park, she decided it was getting too warm and discarded her coat. I wondered how she could stand the cold stiff breeze with just a short-sleeve shirt. Several times I asked her if she wanted to put the coat back on.
“I’m fine,” she replied. I don’t know how she does it. In typical fashion she had previously eaten very little. She ran around the playground with practically unlimited energy in the cold air and never slowed down. She is such a lean little kid I don’t know how she kept from shivering and freezing, but she appeared happy and comfortable the whole time.
Later that night, as Katie and I tiredly plodded along getting ready to close the day, Megan kept on going. She was full of energy and ideas and showing no signs of slowing. Without naps, on what seems like a supermodel diet of pathetically small portions, she just kept on going. The Energizer Bunny would be envious.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Blood
I went in for my 2nd flu-vaccine research appointment yesterday. It was a much shorter visit than the first one, but a lot more painful. The nurse jabbed a needle in my arm to collect some blood; this alone was not a big deal. Unfortunately, the flow just seemed to stop prematurely. It was as if my vein reacted by saying “hey, that stuff is mine leave it alone” then constricted to shut off the flow.
She became perplexed remarking that I had “nice veins” and she could not figure out why I stopped bleeding. I didn’t do it on purpose of course. She began pushing the needle in deeper, then fishing around a little bit. The twisting motion she began to use was getting very uncomfortable. I was sure she had now pushed the needle in one side of the vein out the other and was beginning to twist the vessel into an unnatural position.
“Um, how about you try the other arm,” I said trying not to sound as though I had a needle being twisted around in my arm tissues.
She said that was a good idea. Fortunately, the 2nd arm was more forthcoming with the blood. Within 10 minutes I was back on my cycle heading home.
She became perplexed remarking that I had “nice veins” and she could not figure out why I stopped bleeding. I didn’t do it on purpose of course. She began pushing the needle in deeper, then fishing around a little bit. The twisting motion she began to use was getting very uncomfortable. I was sure she had now pushed the needle in one side of the vein out the other and was beginning to twist the vessel into an unnatural position.
“Um, how about you try the other arm,” I said trying not to sound as though I had a needle being twisted around in my arm tissues.
She said that was a good idea. Fortunately, the 2nd arm was more forthcoming with the blood. Within 10 minutes I was back on my cycle heading home.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Research
I have sold myself for medical research. Yes, I am a test subject, a lab rat, a willing recipient for needle jabs. I’ll be monitored for flu symptoms over the next few months. It is not a glamorous job, but with enough people like me volunteering in the name of scientific research, perhaps the human race may stand a chance at not being wiped-out by the bird flu.
I am just being dramatic, of course. I am taking part in a clinical trial for flu vaccination. It seems a worthwhile cause. The study also provides me a cool binder and a really nice pen to record my statistics. The most painful part so far was my removing the medical tape from my arm where they sucked out blood. I figured I would just try the quick-rip technique. That was a mistake…I’ll just soak it off next time. Why could they not have used a simple band-aid? Instead they opted for some industrial strength, hyper-sticky tape that is more suitable for patching pressurized water pipes.
I am just being dramatic, of course. I am taking part in a clinical trial for flu vaccination. It seems a worthwhile cause. The study also provides me a cool binder and a really nice pen to record my statistics. The most painful part so far was my removing the medical tape from my arm where they sucked out blood. I figured I would just try the quick-rip technique. That was a mistake…I’ll just soak it off next time. Why could they not have used a simple band-aid? Instead they opted for some industrial strength, hyper-sticky tape that is more suitable for patching pressurized water pipes.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Mountain Biking
The edge is definitely off the summer heat. With the combination of cooler weather and more practice, my bike ride yesterday seemed easier than it has been all summer. If there is a perfect temperature for biking, Sunday morning must have had it.
I was tempted to try the widow-maker hill climb at snowbird this year, but at the time registration came around I did not think I was in shape enough to actually “enjoy” it. However, given how I felt on yesterday’s ride maybe I should have tried it. Oh well, I’ll plan on it for next year. I’ll try and keep biking through the winter so I will not atrophy my legs too much, and then I’ll have a head start in preparation next summer.
Eventually, I am interested in getting some sort of advanced, arm-mounted GPS unit for my biking excursions. Being such a data-measuring freak, I would love to quantify and analyze my rides. I would use the device on hikes and runs, too. A recent tuition bill and upcoming expenses preclude me from getting a new GPS toy this summer. But, a Christmas present for myself is a possibility.
The downside of having expensive electronics while biking is that a small wreck can become quite expensive. Such was the case two years ago when I crashed while carrying an arm-strapped MP3 player. There is a particular hump in the shoreline trail that I always loved to catch some air on. One sad day I decided to see just how much air I could catch. I gathered as much speed as I could and sailed high. Everything was perfect: the take-off, the flight, the landing. It was an incredible, beautiful jump. Unfortunately, I traveled further than expected. The trail veered to the left, and I was left with all my momentum heading straight foreword.
The laws of physics are not on your side when trying to make an emergency stop or swerve while biking 20 mph on dirt and gravel. As I saw the scrub-oak approaching, I felt a strange sense of peace as I accepted the inevitable. I did not even try to put on the brakes, I just relaxed and plowed full speed into the brush and branches.
The MP3 player never worked quite right after that. The bike suffered no damage at all; I managed to break its fall with my body and the MP3 player. Thanks to my helmet, I avoided dain bramage and only experienced abdominal contusions and some mild blood loss.
I was tempted to try the widow-maker hill climb at snowbird this year, but at the time registration came around I did not think I was in shape enough to actually “enjoy” it. However, given how I felt on yesterday’s ride maybe I should have tried it. Oh well, I’ll plan on it for next year. I’ll try and keep biking through the winter so I will not atrophy my legs too much, and then I’ll have a head start in preparation next summer.
Eventually, I am interested in getting some sort of advanced, arm-mounted GPS unit for my biking excursions. Being such a data-measuring freak, I would love to quantify and analyze my rides. I would use the device on hikes and runs, too. A recent tuition bill and upcoming expenses preclude me from getting a new GPS toy this summer. But, a Christmas present for myself is a possibility.
The downside of having expensive electronics while biking is that a small wreck can become quite expensive. Such was the case two years ago when I crashed while carrying an arm-strapped MP3 player. There is a particular hump in the shoreline trail that I always loved to catch some air on. One sad day I decided to see just how much air I could catch. I gathered as much speed as I could and sailed high. Everything was perfect: the take-off, the flight, the landing. It was an incredible, beautiful jump. Unfortunately, I traveled further than expected. The trail veered to the left, and I was left with all my momentum heading straight foreword.
The laws of physics are not on your side when trying to make an emergency stop or swerve while biking 20 mph on dirt and gravel. As I saw the scrub-oak approaching, I felt a strange sense of peace as I accepted the inevitable. I did not even try to put on the brakes, I just relaxed and plowed full speed into the brush and branches.
The MP3 player never worked quite right after that. The bike suffered no damage at all; I managed to break its fall with my body and the MP3 player. Thanks to my helmet, I avoided dain bramage and only experienced abdominal contusions and some mild blood loss.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Jill Carroll
I have been following the story of Jill Carroll, the journalist kidnapped in Iraq and one of the few who lived to tell about such an experience. Her personal account of the experience is being published in a multi-part article online. It is some very interesting reading:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0814/p01s01-woiq.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0814/p01s01-woiq.html
Friday, July 21, 2006
Heat
It has been hot. There comes a point where even a stiff breeze offers little relief. Riding my Burgman home after work is like running a blow-dryer in front of my face at full power. What does one do to tolerate the heat? Fitting with my contrarian persona, I fight the heat with more heat. It sounds ridiculous, but it works great. This is how I did it this weekend….
When the heat reached its afternoon peak, I did what any normal and sane person would not do: I went outside for a heavy workout on the mountain bike. I headed to the foothills along the shoreline trail and biked my brains out. I left the house with a bottle of ice-water, but by half-way through my ride it was warm. As I ascended the steep hills where there was no shade to be had, I felt as though I was pedaling upstream in a river of sticky lava. I came across only one other person. We nodded and smiled at each other as if we shared a common heat-induced neurosis.
After such experiences, I find the regular daily heat seems quite mild in comparison. I think to myself; this is not so bad compared to the scorching heat-stroke rides. They are really quite fun after acclimating to them. I actually enjoyed the physical stresses, and I may end up missing these hot summer days when the first winds of autumn arrive.
When the heat reached its afternoon peak, I did what any normal and sane person would not do: I went outside for a heavy workout on the mountain bike. I headed to the foothills along the shoreline trail and biked my brains out. I left the house with a bottle of ice-water, but by half-way through my ride it was warm. As I ascended the steep hills where there was no shade to be had, I felt as though I was pedaling upstream in a river of sticky lava. I came across only one other person. We nodded and smiled at each other as if we shared a common heat-induced neurosis.
After such experiences, I find the regular daily heat seems quite mild in comparison. I think to myself; this is not so bad compared to the scorching heat-stroke rides. They are really quite fun after acclimating to them. I actually enjoyed the physical stresses, and I may end up missing these hot summer days when the first winds of autumn arrive.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Work, work, work...
So, do you ever feel like just rambling on about every random thought that comes into your mind. I do. I've having one of those moments right now. But alas, Megan and her friend need help with the computer downstairs...
....now then, I am back again. As I was contemplating, sitting here with a glass of home-made Kahlúa, my thoughts have been on a project I started at work. I am very fortunate to have a job with minimal supervision, because I really need time to think through such things as this project. Its a challenging one, and I don't quite know how I will pull it off. The last thing I need is a picky boss asking explanation and analysis of every little thing I am doing to get the job done.
I am a spontaneous, haphazard, non-linear thinker. I often speak how I think, with rapidly moving sentences broken up with changes in direction and long pauses that cannot be translated into English. It is a wonder I can manage to exist in such a linear and logical organization as ARUP. I am very much an INFP living in an ESTJ environment.
Yet, I think I do well and my co-workers generally approve of my work. It is a good thing most of them do not know what a mixed-up path I take to get things done. A micro-manager will go nuts trying to figure out my plans for getting the job done.
....now then, I am back again. As I was contemplating, sitting here with a glass of home-made Kahlúa, my thoughts have been on a project I started at work. I am very fortunate to have a job with minimal supervision, because I really need time to think through such things as this project. Its a challenging one, and I don't quite know how I will pull it off. The last thing I need is a picky boss asking explanation and analysis of every little thing I am doing to get the job done.
I am a spontaneous, haphazard, non-linear thinker. I often speak how I think, with rapidly moving sentences broken up with changes in direction and long pauses that cannot be translated into English. It is a wonder I can manage to exist in such a linear and logical organization as ARUP. I am very much an INFP living in an ESTJ environment.
Yet, I think I do well and my co-workers generally approve of my work. It is a good thing most of them do not know what a mixed-up path I take to get things done. A micro-manager will go nuts trying to figure out my plans for getting the job done.
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