H^E

We're still alive...

2011-12-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

...in case you were wondering.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Anyone want to play Bocce Ball? (Greensburg, PA)

Screen Door on a Battleship

2011-02-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

From a NYT article on freshman Republican efforts to cut the budget:

“There are consequences for our actions,” said Representative Paul Gosar, a freshman from Arizona. “We’re not here to shut the government down, but it is going to take everyone to tango.”

Doesn't he at least watch tv?

Listening

2011-01-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of quick thoughts scripturally related:

I was struck by the two distinct ways of responding to information in a couple of versus in Helaman.

Helaman 9:39-10:1-- After hearing Nephi prophesy, the people come to many different conclusions, "insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone."

Helaman 11:23-- The people begin to contend between themselves about different points of doctrine, but "Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year"

Normally we focus in verse 23 on the spiritual greatness of Nephi and Lehi and the importance of receiving daily revelation and/or the importance of having a prophet on the earth who can receive direct revelation when points of contention and doctrinal disagreements take place. However, in both of these versus the prophet and his method are the same. The difference, in this case, is how the people listen or are willing to listen. In the first instance it seems to me that everyone is focused on speaking their own mind. They're presented with evidence and everyone comes to different conclusions and no one is willing to listen. In the second instance, even with a similar strife and disagreement about fundamental points of doctrine, the people are willing to listen, and what a difference it makes.

Listening, really listening, both to what others have to say and to what the spirit has to say brings people closer together.

End of an Era?

2011-01-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

Joe Lieberman announced today that he would not seek re-election. That shouldn't come as a surprise given his continued alienation from the Democratic Party. He would have been hard pressed to withstand a Democratic Primary challenge, and would have likely ended up losing in a primary like he did in 2006. Unlike 2004, however, he probably would not be able to count on Republican support to lift him to victory in the general election running as an independent. After a Republican tidal wave in 2010, Republicans are going to have an easier time finding a better candidate than Alan "Gold" Schlesinger.

Though some may point to this as another step in the increasing polarization of American politics, to me this is more than that. It is the end of a personal era of politics. In 2000 I turned 18 just a day before election day. I like to think maybe it was that election cycle that spurred my interest in politics. I could vote. Not only that, but I could vote by just a day. Maine was a battleground state, or at least reasonably competitive. George W. came to the state in October, I went and watched. But Joe Lieberman, running for Vice-President came to Bangor on my birthday.

I skipped a soccer banquet to go. Soccer was not my passion in high school, but I think in many ways I identify it as one of my greatest accomplishments in high school. I had a miserable time with some of my teammates, I wasn't a star, but I worked to get into better shape than anyone the summer before my junior year to make the varsity team. I invested a lot into it. But I skipped this banquet to go see Joe Lieberman.

In 2000 he seemed more reasonable than either presidential nominee. I've admired him as he tried to work for what he thought was right and best in spite of party pressures. Those are qualities to be admired despite what one thinks of his politics.

For me, an era began on November 6, 2000. I was eligible to vote. Joe Lieberman arrived, as the Bangor Daily News described it, "at the dank airport hanger" at the Bangor International Airport to win the hearts and minds of Mainers in that 2000 election. He did, in a way, win mine and helped cement my interest in politics.

Joyous

2011-01-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

Maybe we're not always as happy as this, but may the New Year bring you joy in some small shape or another.

Cliff Lee's "The Decision"

2010-12-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

I originally posted this Philadelphia Inquirer story about the Phillies signing Cliff Lee on facebook. What caught my attention was the opening paragraph.

Well, this just doesn't happen. Highly coveted free-agent athletes take their talents to South Beach, or sign bank-busting contracts with the Washington Nationals. That's just how it is.

We think of the Cliff Lee signing as a repudiation of money and fame. In signing with the Phillies, Lee spurned the millions of dollars that the Yankees could have given him in order to return to a team with which he felt comfortable. In doing so, Lee isn't "taking his talents to South Beach" or is he?

In some ways, he's doing the exact same thing Lebron James did. By joining the Phillies he's becoming part of a team that no becomes the odd-on favorite to win the National League pennant and return to the World Series. With a rotation of Doc Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and who ever Charlie Manual throws out there on the fifth day, the Phillies have one of the best rotations, since, well...there's been a lot of speculation about that.

What Cliff Lee is doing is EXACTLY what Lebron James did. He's going to the place where he thinks he has the best chance of winning and where he will feel comfortable. James wanted to play with his friends Chris Bosh and Dewayne Wade and Miami was the only place he could do that and also become an immediate NBA Finals contender. Remember, that because of NBA salary cap rules, James could have signed a bigger contract with the Cavaliers. Cliff Lee has friends on the Phillies and by joining that team, and turning down a larger and longer contract with the Yankees, the Phils easily become the favorite to return to the World Series and even win it.

The difference? Well, there was that botched ESPN hour long special, and the infamous quote "I'm taking my talents to South Beach." Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and just sign on the dotted line.

G.K. Chesterton

2010-12-05T23:00:00.001-08:00

"An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. An adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered."
-All Things Considered: On Running After One's Hat

I like the optimistic view. The entire essay can be found here.

In times of difficulty, or anger, or frustration, I hope we can take a different view of the situation and find sport, or excitement in our trials.

Coach, do you remember my name?

2010-08-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

The Twins went out and acquired a decent left-handed pitcher after the rest of their lanzadoras siniestras went down with injury. Brian Fuentes who came over from the Angels is a decent pitcher, but it was this quote from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire regarding how he was going to use Fuentes that made me smile.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said before Friday's series opener at Seattle that he will use the now-former Angels closer as a set up man for closer Matt Capps, and "probably as an occasional closer if I use the other guy too much."

The other guy? I mean, I guess 25 people is a lot of names to remember.

Songs J Loves

2010-08-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when little J is tired and fussy, he needs a song to cheer him up. A fussy complaining baby mañoso becomes bien tranquilo sentado in your lap.

The past couple of days it's been this one. The animation is kind of cute as well.

The Psychology of Penalty Kicks

2010-07-03T00:46:00.001-07:00

You could write a lot, and I’m sure a lot will be written, about the Uruguay-Ghana quarterfinal match this afternoon. I will remember Suarez’s not one, but two stops at the goal line in the waning seconds of extra time, the second being a handball, and Gyan’s subsequent miss of the penalty kick. Interestingly, what struck me as intriguing at the time and stuck wandering around in my mind was the last penalty kick of the shootout. Over time it will probably lost amid the celebration of Uruguay, the disappointment of Ghana, and the focus of the ire of ethics teachers on Luis Suarez. However, my first reaction upon seeing Sebastian Abreu’s penalty kick that clinched Uruguay’s quarterfinal win against Ghana was that it was one of the gutsiest penalty kick I’ve seen.

But as I think about it more, I’m not so sure. Instead of admiring his stalwart confidence, I instead admire his logical thought process of the situation. Let me try to explain.

Now, granted, I don’t watch nearly as much soccer as I do baseball, but watch below, and maybe I can explain what I was thinking.

Notice how he chips the ball as if he were passing it to a 4 year old who is standing at the back of the net. If the keeper doesn’t move it would be the easiest of saves, but, as keeper’s are apt to do in a penalty kick situation, he dives to one side guessing that Abreu will attempt to smash a shot into the corner of the net and the ball floats gently over the keeper and lands in the back of the net. Gutsy, I thought.

The more I think about it, however, I believe what is to be admired is not his nerves, but perhaps instead his thought process that led him to take the PK the way he did. At the time of Abreu’s PK, the last of the set of 5, Uruguay had a 3-2 lead in Penalty kicks. If he misses, Ghana still has to make their next penalty just to tie the shootout and send it to another round of 5. He’s in a situation where he has nothing to lose if his shot is blocked, and can clinch it if he makes it.

In addition he has just seen his teammate Pereira sky a PK into the 25th row. Perhaps I am giving him more mental credit than he deserves, but by forcing the keeper to make the stop you’re allowing for a larger margin of error into the equation.

And lastly, he’s apparently been practicing this.

I really love this guy!

2010-05-21T17:57:00.001-07:00

How can you not love that smile!

Godward

2010-05-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

"And all true prayer is Godward. I have heard preachers who pray, so that one really wonders whether God is even allowed to overhear the prayer. It seems to be rather a roundabout way to instruct the congregation, especially when the prayer is introduced by the formula, ''Teach us, Oh Lord"—followed by a sermon in prayer format. But all true prayer is Godward, and it will never be anything else than Godward, especially when prayer moves toward meditation. As I leave for Sweden, I shall speak again that language, where the word for meditation is ''the act of looking at" (betraktelse). That is what meditation is. To look at an image of Jesus...when I look at Jesus, I see God."
-Krister Stendahl, Harvard Divinity School Convocation 1984

As I stumbled upon this, it made me pause to reconsider my own prayers. With a life full of academic pursuits, family responsibilities, and the pursuit of leisure, I find my own prayers short and very egocentric at times. They are focused on my own needs and wants and I forget the nature of my relationship with my Father in Heaven. While Stendahl warns about imposing our own teachings upon God, we can just as easily impose our own wants and needs on God. And yet in spite of our short comings our Father is willing to talk to us in any form. It is days like today where prayers have been answered and I have seen miracles in spite of my failure to follow the best patten of prayer, that I am reminded of the great power of prayer, and reminded again of my own need to better shape those prayers in a way that will bring me face to face with my Father.

Spring Training

2010-04-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

First day with shoes (March, 2010)

The Title's Wrong

2010-03-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

The title of this article really should be "A's impose contracts on 29 players." "Agree with" is really a terrible word for a part of the collective bargaining agreement by which the team can renew a player's previous year's contract in his first 3 years of being in the major-leagues without any sort of negotiation.

Then again, I'd readily "agree to" a $400,000+ contract just to play baseball for 6 months.

Nicknames

2010-01-24T22:27:00.001-08:00

The Little Elf (La Jolla, CA)

It seems as if we're constantly being asked what we're going to call J, as if he's never going to survive his full name. The full name is too much of a mouthful for some it seems, but we like it. But in case you can't manage the entire Scandinavian verbiage, here are some of the names he has that are officially approved by one or both of his parents:

1. The Viking or El Vikingo (for his hairyness at birth) (h/t to Kahl for the link)
2. The Brave, usually used as a title (J the Brave)
3. George (used when he's being funny)
4. Jimmy (in case you don't like George)
5. The Monkey (because he crawls all over you when you try and burp him)
6. The lineman (for his manly grunts)

Just as long as he isn't your average Joe.

Grades Must Be Out

2009-12-19T21:04:00.001-08:00

This would make grading much more fun if you knew you would get one of these mad-libs. But who knows, maybe it's already out there.

Dear (noun),

I just (verb) to what my grade was and I was (adjective) that my grade was a (letter grade). (Question word) did I (verb) (infinitive verb) such a grade? Can you please tell me how I (verb) such a grade?

Can I please have an A+?

Sincerely,

(noun)

We think he's cute

2009-12-18T17:31:00.001-08:00

That's all that matters right?

Already flexing his non-existent muscles! (San Diego, CA)

What we should expect from public officials

2009-10-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent veto message of a bill sponsored by a legislative detractor contained a four letter epitaph apparently aimed at that specific legislator. Here's NPR's report:

What drives my commentary on this, however, is the response written by Prof. Jack Pitney at Claremont McKenna College in the National Review. His conclusion is that,

Nobody should expect elected officials to be perfect in their private lives. But we can expect them to behave like adults in their public lives. By pulling a stunt that would land a junior-high-school kid in detention, the governor has flunked this standard.

I agree that this is a bad reflection on the Governor's character, and his ability to govern, but want to disagree with Pitney's argument that we should not expect elected officials to be exemplary in their private lives. While perhaps perfection is a high standard which none of us are able to attain, we should expect a standard from public officials that is higher than the average individual on the street. Because of their position of influence on governmental decisions and their role as examples for the rest of the citizenry, we should expect a higher standard of excellence from those we choose to represent us.

A person's private life may not be public business, but it is often a reflection of that individual's relationships with other leaders and officials, their honesty and integrity in holding public office and their dealings with others, as well as their ability to handle situations that may arise in the act of governance. Voters who have little information about the actions and decisions that a candidate for office would take can often use the behavior and character of that individual in their private affairs as relatively good indicators of the candidate's ability to govern. A candidate who lacks civility when dealing with his or her own family, friends, or even campaign staff will likely lack the civility and character necessary to interact with other public officials. In Minnesota in 2006 it was Democrat Mike Hatch's character and aggressive behavior in calling a reporter a "Republican Whore" that indicated to voters that he was not suited for the governor's office. Private character is still character and many of the same attributes displayed in private carry over into the public life and the public official's ability to accomplish legislative and executive roles.

A public official, however, is more than just a legislator, an executive, or a council member. He or she is also a representative and an example for the rest of the community. Edmund Burke described his qualifications for public office not in terms of his policy positions, but rather explained in his speech to the electors of Bristol that his election was a result of the voters' "good opinion [which] has carried me to this happy point of success." Even when representation is about representing views and opinions it is also about the type of example these leaders are setting for our families, our children, and our community.

A public official's private behavior is more than his or her own. It is both an indicator to the public of his or her ability to accomplish legislative or executive tasks in an efficient and positive manner and an example to the rest of the community. As a result, we should expect exemplary behavior from our public officials in their public and private lives.

Hey Hey You Say....

2009-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Check out around 2:12.

Update: Check out this link, the video above is out of sync, but the band won't let you embed the official video

Maybe you can't tell, but we were rehearsing just such choreographed moves as are seen in above music video. Little did we know back then that we were setting a trend in music video production. (Geneva, NY)

Interesting how music comes and goes, but this simple, I want to be noticed and slightly weird, but not over the top never seems to go away. Take this 1997's version (and forgive the slightly awkward video)

It's been a while and not a whole lot is new. Even in music it seems.

What endures...

2009-08-19T23:41:00.001-07:00

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." -William James

(Eureka, UT July 2009)

My family is buried here, in a town which grows still smaller in the mountains of southern Utah. The mines have dried up, and people have moved on with a few exceptions and even the town was officially disincorporated. There's nothing left of the physical home they created except a few now wild roses which my great-grandmother planted.

Yet as I look at this picture again, remembering the miserable heat, and the pestering flies that day, it is not the disappearance of the family home or the community, but rather the figures that walk around the places where their ancestors tread that stand out. While the saloon my great-grandfather ran is gone, along with his house and farm, that family is what remains.

My great-grandparents shaped both the town they lived in and the children they had but it is the latter that carries the stronger evidence of that influence. While our professions and communal responsibilities are important, it is our families that will continue to bear our influence beyond our own time.

We promise not to sit on our kids

2009-07-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

On our balcony this spring we had a mother morning dove with two little ones. From this experience we have learned two things: 1. We will not sit on our own kids. Besides the obvious discomfort it would cause our own children and the resultant civil action, such tactics leaves many observers quite unhappy because they cannot see the little ones. Little ones, A and I have decided, should be shared with others who can be excited about their cuteness as well. 2. If there are giants threatening behind a closed glass door, we probably would not just sit there on our kids and let them take pictures, we'd try and get the little one out of harms way. (La Jolla, CA)

We get our own go at it in December, raising little ones that is. Hopefully without having to protect them from threatening giants.

Nominations

2009-07-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

Kahl says my blog is all about baseball.
So, here's a link to McSweeney, one of his favorites, on the Sotomayor confirmation hearings.

And if you think the first question is irrelevant, check here

Enjoy.

Class

2009-06-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Getting early to the ballpark, you get to see things you wouldn't otherwise notice. Baseball, and most sports, aren't just about stepping out onto the field and playing, but involve lots of preparation, warming up, and repetition. TV doesn't give you that, nor does radio, but by being at the ballpark an hour or so before the game you see ballplayers for who they really are, and the effort they put into what they do.

Arriving an hour or so before the Padres-Mariners game on Wednesday, however, I was struck by an image of respect that I had not seen before. As soon as the national anthem is over players and fans return their focus to the game, yet this time, while the color guard marched off, the players from the Mariners stood at attention, just as I had been taught to do as a little one, until the color guard had exited the field.

In some small way I gained an added measure of respect for them who, in their own individual way, are trying to keep sacred things they view as sacred.

Looking for Dolphins

2009-05-27T10:01:00.001-07:00

Winter comes in May in San Diego (La Jolla, CA)

Cross Culture Experiences

2009-05-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

This winter, A's sister N gave us a dance performance. I'd like to see her do it again to this version!

The places we treasure

2009-05-03T21:31:00.001-07:00

"If I've learned anything, it's that our lives aren't about the big stories that shape history; they're about the little ones that play themselves out in the places we treasure--homes, schools, and ballparks--and with the people we hold dear."

-Tom Stanton, The Final Season, pg.196.

I think this is why, while items such as Specter's switch and theories of democratization dominate my life so much, it is not what is written here. Instead, it is littler things. Here are a few of those little things

Baseball #2, this one from Ian Snell as he warmed up in the Pittsburgh bullpen prior to the Padres-Pirates game. My Christmas gifts from my in-laws apparently make me look like a real Pirates fan. (San Diego, CA)

A mixed relay champion (Camp Pendleton, CA), not bad for one who is finding post-collegiate training harder than expected.

Sunset in motion (Wheaton, IL)

The Twins need Bloomquists

2009-03-23T06:12:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Joe Posnanski put out an article about key differences in the philosophies of baseball. His argument was that while some teams are built around

"what you can see, what is measurable, what is cold and hard and real,"

others are built around

"passion, what is intangible, this sense that if you can get a bunch of guys who KNOW HOW to play the game, who LOVE the game, who HAVE BASEBALLS BEATING IN THEIR CHESTS, then you can do wonderful things."

His examples included two baseball players who are polar opposites and who both signed free-agent contracts this past off-season, Adam Dunn, a power-hitting outfielder who strikes out a lot, and Willie Bloomquist, a scrappy, always has his uniform dirty, multi-positional, solid defensive player. In the article, Posnanski argues that some teams are built one way, and others another, without really giving a rational and strategic explanation for such choices. What Posnanski doesn't realize is that some team's pitching staffs need Bloomquists, while others have the luxury of pursuing Dunns. Some of the key differences between these baseball philosophies comes from differences in their pitching styles.

Consider the Minnesota Twins. As Posnanski explains

"The Minnesota Twins, for instance, lean Bloomquist.. The Twins run and catch the ball and they have not worried too much about power or on-base percentage. This, no doubt, frustrates the heck out of a lot of Dunn-leaning Twins fans."

Posnanski attributes the choice of baseball style to the baseball fans "core" or an internal intrinsic preference whose foundations are unattributable. However, as you look at the pitching staff of the Minnesota Twins, you begin to understand why. This is a team that needs defense behind it. The choice of the Minnesota Twins to play a Bloomquist style baseball is not based upon some internal preference, but on the objective of maximizing their winning potential. The Twins pitching staff of Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Glenn Perkins are pitchers who pitch around the strike zone and they are not known to strike a lot people out. Last year Baker's K/9 innings were 7.2 while his BB/9 were 2.2. Slowey and the rest of the staff have even lower numbers, at 6.9 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9, 2.5 and 1.8, 1.9 and 2.3 respectively. The one Twins starting pitcher who differs from this mode is youngster Francisco Liriano who has posted a 10.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 rates over his three-year career. In general Twins starting pitching is not going to miss bats. Opposing batters are going to be given every opportunity to hit the ball, but hopefully with-in the range of a Twins defensive player.

Another perfect example of this is Carlos Silva, a former Twin who became a free agent and signed with the Seattle Mariners before the 2008 season. Silva is another strike-throwing pitcher. During his best year in 2005 for the Twins he had a 3.44 ERA and a grand total of 9 walks in 188.3 innings pitched for a BB/9 of 0.4. In the World Baseball Classic, Silva was pegged by Venezuelan manager Luis Sojo to start the Semi-Final game. The results were less than satisfactory. As David Pinto of Baseball Musings put it,

"Every ball the Koreans put into play in the first inning seemed find a hole or bounce off a glove, and the two seed bats around and picks up five runs in the inning. The Korean hitters look very patient and aim to put the ball in play, so they matched up well against Silva. Weak defense helped as well..."(emphasis added)

The Venezuelan team was a team built around Adam Dunn type players. Miguel Cabrera at first, Maglio Ordonez in left field and Bobby Abreu in right. This is a team that can slug the ball, but perhaps has a little more trouble chasing after it, and the results were less than desirable. Silva did about what you could expect from Carlos Silva, and put himself in a place to succeed. Unfortunately, his defense wasn't able to back him up. Is it any wonder his numbers declined in Seattle, where the right side of the diamond had slow moving Richie Sexon, Jose Vidrio, and Wladimir Balentien or Raul Ibanez, all who are known as sub-par defenders?

The Twins play a Bloomquist philosophy baseball, not necessarily because it's their philosophy, but because it's what they need to do because of the pitching staff they've come to rely upon. And even before the current staff, there were others like Brad Radke and Eric Miton who were very much the same type of pitchers. The Twins have a pitching style built on strike throwing pitchers that need that good defense behind it. Their Bloomquist philosophy of baseball, then, is not a mere preference of style, but is a strategic choice that maximizes their opportunity to win. When the Twins can get a power hitter like a Jason Morneau, they take him, but not on the sacrifice of what is crucial to their pitching staff. That is why the Minnesota Twins won't sign an Adam Dunn.

Blasts from the Past

2009-03-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

While at Pomona a no-name band would usually come at least once or twice a semester and play somewhere on campus, either in the basement of the student center, or on Walker Beach. A couple of weeks ago D linked to a YouTube video of one of those groups, Speechwriters LLC.
Then late last week I walked into the bookstore here on campus at UCSD, and found this, another band that would always seem to appear on campus, being broadcast on the bigscreen tv. Apparently they are no longer a no-name. So check it out.

Two of them went to Pomona and one to Harvey Mudd.

When not to cue the camera

2009-03-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

Just a quick story to keep up with the blog:

We went to the BYU vs. SDSU basketball game this last week here in San Diego. It was enjoyable as I haven't been to a good college basketball game in almost two years. It was all SDSU in the first half (they were up by 13 at the half, and BYU had shot something like 26% from the field) and all BYU in the second half (they won by 10 pts). We went with a bunch of people from the Institute, which was also enjoyable.

But one of the funniest things though, was the timing of their "action fan cam" that they had on the scoreboard. You know how during time-outs and breaks sports arenas will often have shots of the audience or clips or something playing on the scoreboard, and this was the case at this arena as well. The "Action fan cam" is supposed to be when fans are psyched up and jumping all over the place, ecstatic to be on the scoreboard. However, the moment they picked for one of their pannings of the audience was right in the middle of BYU's 15-0 and right after BYU had hit a tough shot and had taken the lead. I've never seen such a lethargic group of "action fans." There were lots of heads resting in hands, and there were a lot of disgusted looks on the camera. I think the most exciting fan was the one who gave a half-hearted "hey, look, I'm on tv" wave.

Sections

2009-01-27T10:23:00.001-08:00

As graduate students continue through the system, we seem to get more responsibility piled upon us. This quarter's latest is teaching 2 sections of Intro to American Politics. The classes vary in their interest and engagement just as students vary in their interest and engagement.

One nice thing about the new experience is that it has led me to parts of campus that I haven't explored before. I'm no longer just moving between third floor and the first floor of our building but instead traveling to Revelle and Warren and to tiny classrooms that I didn't know existed. And while it's not Europe or Israel or Egypt or any of the exotic places that some friends have visited recently, there are some nice views if you stop to look around.

Revelle College (La Jolla, CA)

The back entrance to the library (La Jolla, CA)

Welcome to Pirate Country

2009-01-13T08:58:00.001-08:00

The welcome excursion (Pittsburgh, PA)

Just needed a little somethin-somethin to find beauty in

2008-12-05T23:40:00.001-08:00

Enjoy the October Puget Sound Sunset! Memories of a Honeymoon. (Dash Point, WA)

There's more...

2008-11-19T22:25:00.000-08:00

I'm glad I survived the wolves. :-)

My Syster

2008-11-17T09:30:00.001-08:00

If you know her, she'd love a Christmas letter (Lund, Sweden)

Winter Sunsets

2008-11-14T22:25:00.001-08:00

After spending all of the summer looking for them, they magically seem to appear, and always just when all you have is a camera phone (La Jolla, CA)

Voicing our opinions

2008-11-04T11:44:00.001-08:00

Voting day gives us an opportunity to express our opinions. Some express them better than others... on facebook.

Some of the best facebook status updates I have seen in a while:

"B thinks that by Wednesday morning, the Republican Party is going to resemble post-Soviet Afghanistan. The good news is that makes Mitt Romney a warlord."

"D just voted and is eager to see if Obama will be the next Lincoln or the next Carter."

and then there are those who really have their priorities straight:

"Y looks forward to the end of the election season so he can start paying attention to things that really matter, like Georgetown basketball."

More to come as the day progresses...

Update:
Some even express opinions about how others express their opinions

"A is getting stressed out by the urgency with which the anchors on CNN make projections and instead prefers the quiet calm of the NYT's pop-up dashboard."

some are just bitter:

"Pennsylvania is an ugly state anyway."

some have new experiences:

"M did what he thinks is right. Which is rather new"

Which they think point to a conspiracy:

"J voted and it took like 2 seconds...then I filled my tank for $20.00......seriously??? Something smells fishy."

Where have you gone Jimmy Foxx?

2008-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

The A's lack good hitters. What else is new?

Finding Beauty

2008-10-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

There is beauty everywhere. Sometimes it takes a little more time to find it. Each place is a little different, and each place has its beautiful features. San Diego's is it's ocean views. Here are two that I love:

The view from my office...once I'm tenured at UCSD (Social Science Building, UCSD, La Jolla, CA)

The view from the road. (La Jolla Shores Rd., La Jolla, CA)

An Election to be grateful for

2008-10-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Coming across this quote made me smile, but when looked upon in the context of this years election, it makes me glad.

"A democracy predicated on the ability to 'throw the rascals out' is far less convincing when it exists only in the abstract than when it is backed up by periodic examples of rascals actually flying through the doors."
-T.J. Pempel, Prof of Political Science at UC Berkley, 1990 (Then at U. Washington)

The result this November will probably be among other things, a testimony to the Democracy of the United States of America.

Forgetfulness breeds opportunities

2008-09-20T22:35:00.001-07:00

As soon as we saw the lights on the fountain, we wished that we had not forgotten the camera in the car. After we saw the result, we were glad we had what we did.

Livin' it. (Balboa Park, San Diego, CA)

Lovin' it. (Balboa Park, San Diego, CA)

A Baseball Voice

2008-08-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love to listen to Vin Scully?

I'm not a Dodgers' Fan, but I think he just has a wonderful voice for baseball broadcasting.

I think there are just a couple of voices that seem so perfect for listening:
Carl Kasell
Garrison Keilor
Vin Scully

and of the three I have heard the least of Vin Scully. Growing up on NPR, I have heard countless broadcasts of Prairie Home Companion and All Things Considered on long car rides back from Bangor, but only in the last couple of months as I've had more time to listen to the occasional Dodger game on the radio or through MLB.tv have I had the chance to really listen and appreciate Vin Scully. The contrast with the Padres broadcaster Ted Leitner is astounding. I will continue to look for voice samples, but if you could hear the difference, you'd understand.

UPDATE:
Voice Samples of
Garrison Keilor
Carl Kassel
Vin Scully (1)
Vin Scully (2)

UPDATE II
I also can't stand the voice of Angels TV announcer Rex Hudler. Terrible. How two teams in the same city have such a contrast!

Innovation in a Wedding

2008-08-11T01:18:00.001-07:00

We are in the middle of marriage season. Proposals, engagements, weddings. At one point I was keeping track, and was up to 14 weddings of friends and acquaintances between March and August. I've gotten more since. This past weekend was my friend L's wedding. Apparently she and her now husband have a thing for photo booths, and so for a guest book they rented a photo booth and told everyone to get their picture taken. Here's A and mine's contribution.

You might also consider these our first engagement pictures. I think they are some of the first ones we've taken since we got engaged last week. That's a story, but not a blog story. (San Carlos, CA)

I promise we'll have real engagement pictures before too long :-)

Baseball Theology

2008-07-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

After watching the full 15 innings of the All-Star game, including this amazing throw by Nate McLouth of the Pittsburgh Pirates to Russell Martin of the LA Dodgers to get Dioner Navarro of the Tampa Bay ~~Devil~~ Rays, I want to explain some of the reasons I think baseball is a wonderful game.

This is a game to be savored, not gulped. There's time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings. ~Bill Veeck

Baseball is for the leisurely afternoons of summer and for the unchanging dreams. ~Roger Kahn

When watching other sports you're always afraid that by getting up to do something in the other room you'll miss the action. If you're not always closely attentive you'll miss the amazing shot by the point guard, or the hard check by the left defenseman, or whatever. With each pitch and with each play there is time to think, talk about it, get nervous about it, and then savor it. And then if you miss it, there's always enough time inbetween pitches to watch replays of it.

You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the goddamn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all. ~Earl Weaver

Baseball is unique. There are no other sports (beside baseball's cousin cricket) where the defense has the ball. No team can ever say, as Vince Lombardi once did, that they never lost, they just ran out of time. Every team has their chance. Strategically it's fair.

Baseball fans love numbers. They love to swirl them around their mouths like Bordeaux wine. ~Pat Conroy

Baseball can be statistically measured in ways that other sports just can't. There are even stats that most people haven't heard of, such as Batting Average for Balls in Play, or Defensive Zone Ratings. With the rise of Sabermetrics, anything and everything can be measured, analyzed, and considered. If you haven't read Moneyball, it's worth a read.

The great thing about baseball is that there's a crisis every day. ~Gabe Paul

Baseball is played every day. Day in, day out. It's there. Not every third day, or once a week or once every two weeks, but every day. It reflects the daily grind. To truly excel in life doesn't require greatness every so often, but consistency and dedication and work every single day of your life.

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer. ~Ted Williams

At the same time, what is most important is that you keep trying. Most batters don't get a hit. Most fielders don't touch the ball in an inning, the important thing is that you are ready and always there.

Baseball? It's just a game - as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It's a sport, business - and sometimes even religion. ~Ernie Harwell, Broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, "The Game for All America," 1955

Just some Political thinkings

2008-07-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

"I run because it angers me ...... All you Minnesotans take a good hard look at all three of us. And you decide: If you were in a dark alley, which one of the three of us would you want with you"
-Jesse Ventura, July 9, 2008

Yes, Jesse Ventura is at least seriously contemplating running for Senate in Minnesota.
I'm not sure what to think. A comedian who isn't really funny, a wrestler who tries to be serious but fails, and a schmoozer. Can I just say I love Minnesota? Politics there are fascinating to watch. You have to wonder what goes through a Minnesotans' mind when they see these three and realize that they are picking between them to have one of them represent them in the U.S. Senate. How it just makes me smile.

Then there's also this in response to Ventura's quote:

First of all, Ventura just told us that he's angry, and we know he's pretty huge. And if I remember correctly from watching the WWF as a kid, he's kind of shiftless and unpredictable. For all I know, he'd take advantage of the darkness of the alley to whack me with a folding chair.

For all of you voting in Minnesota. Just don't get whacked by a folding chair. Then again, my Governor was also in The Predator.

Charlie Finley's type of Baseball

2008-06-21T17:38:00.002-07:00

Orange baseballs, midgets, and now switch pitchers vs. switch hitters
Wonderful!

True Maine Traditions

2008-06-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

The one time I raced this as a kid, my foot was numb for a month from being so cold.

We've missed the flowers

2008-05-21T22:43:00.001-07:00

I had all the intentions of going out to Anza Borrego this spring break when the flowers were out, but missed it. But these were on campus outside the Libraray. (La Jolla, CA)

When I was at Pomona and running XC, whenever there was a particularly smoggy day with the smog pegged against the San Bernadino Mountains, one runner would always claim it was the marine layer rolling in. This is the real marine layer rolling in. (La Jolla, CA)

In case you haven't been paying attention...

2008-05-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

You can catch up on the entire Democratic Primary in about 7 minutes... except that there is no policy substance in it.

Enjoy

I'm in Trouble

2008-05-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

I received the following email today

------------------------------
From: UCSD
To: UCSD All Staff

ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD

SUBJECT: Electronic Certification of Effort Reporting

------------------------------

I didn't read the rest of the email, but I'm going to stop surfing the internet now and go do work.

Aprils' Fool

2008-04-10T14:30:00.001-07:00

My roommate's idea of April Fool's is April's Rent coming in coin. $500 in coin.

The landlord wasn't too happy.

It was over 60 lbs. in change. I was sorry for the bank teller and for A who had to carry it back from the bank in his bookbag.

April Fool's 2008 (La Jolla, CA)

Balboa Park on a Sunday Morning

2008-03-06T22:42:00.001-08:00

I would like to take my family here too on a beautiful spring morning (San Diego, CA)

A Laugh

2008-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

This made me laugh this morning

Oversized apes are turning up everywhere these days, from speeches by politicians to articles in newspapers. These 800-pound gorillas -- along with some that are a little smaller, or a lot bigger -- are favorites of talking heads who apply the cliché to powerful people, companies and even movements.

Search the Web for just about every weight of gorilla in 100-pound increments from 100 to 900 and you'll find a lot of hits. (One of my favorites: "The Psalms are the 800-pound gorilla of evangelical worship.")

The gorillas divide, combine into one, lose weight and gain it back again. In a search of New York Times archives, I found a consultant, speaking about the Bell Atlantic-Nymex merger: "If you take one 250-pound gorilla and combine it with another 250-pound gorilla, you could end up with a 500-pound gorilla with fat thighs who may move slowly." About a law-firm breakup, a lawyer opined, "In reality, once the dust settles, the 800-pound gorilla simply becomes two 400-pound gorillas." A campaign consultant said of a politician, "He's not an 800-pound gorilla now, he's a 600-pound gorilla." (In 1999, American Journalism Review gathered gorilla sightings in the press.)

The Wall Street Journal has had fewer gorillas in its pages in recent years, but some of those that have appeared have been enormous. A letter last year referred to a 10,000-pound gorilla. And a 1996 article about PC games included a quote referring to Microsoft as the 6,000-pound gorilla. I asked the Journal's style guru, Paul R. Martin, about the apes. He told me he was "impressed that the appearances of the gorilla in the Journal were in direct quotation, so we weren't directly complicit in perpetuating the expression. As clichés go, I don't consider this one rampant in the Journal -- so far."

There doesn't appear to be any limit to just how big these gorillas can get. Several years ago, Willie Brown, then mayor of San Francisco, called the dot-com industry the 100,000-pound gorilla, though I'd like to see an updated weigh-in. In 1995, the Charlotte Observer called a passenger jet a 200,000-pound gorilla, which may have been an accurate weight but an incorrect species. Closer on both counts, the Associated Press once dubbed King Kong the 500,000-pound gorilla. Denver mayoral candidate John Hickenlooper was also a 500,000-pound gorilla, an opponent's campaign manager told the Denver Post in 2003. Mr. Hickenlooper won a run-off election with 69,526 votes, or one for every seven pounds.

Last year, the Roanoke Times & World News called car-tax relief "the 900 million-pound gorilla running amok in the Capitol." The Women's National Basketball Association was once improbably called a billion-pound gorilla, and in 1999, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist called Microsoft "the 900-billion-pound gorilla of computer operating systems." The biggest gorilla I could find is the U.S. economy, which former U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky in 1998 called the "seven-trillion-pound gorilla" -- one for each annual dollar of activity.

These gorillas clearly have been bred in captivity and fed a high-fat diet. Microsoft, the WNBA and the U.S. economy each dwarf the total weight of living, breathing gorillas, whose numbers have been dwindling even as their metaphorical counterparts expand. Bill Weber, a gorilla expert with the New York advocacy group Wildlife Conservation Society, says that adult male silverbacks, typically the biggest gorillas, usually weigh about 400 pounds. These estimates are imperfect, because as Dr. Weber notes, "It's difficult to get weights in the wild. They don't like standing on scales."

Just 650 to 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, along with four to five thousand eastern lowland gorillas and 50,000 to 100,000 lowland gorillas, Dr. Weber says. Even if all of them were typical silverbacks, they'd weigh about 40 million pounds together -- a far cry from Virginia car-tax relief.

Another way to Pick a President?

2008-02-24T11:24:00.001-08:00

What a tie!
Fresh off it's hit piece, the NYT published this photo along with an article about possible VP candidates to join McCain's campaign.
I also blogged about it over at my new political gig. Check it out if you get a chance.

A new way to pick a President

2008-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

In the midst of studying the new ways to influence voters through media, I have never seen nor heard of any effects from staring contests.

Pictures

2008-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

A good friend maintains a photo blog. I've sent him some pictures in the past, you can see one of my favorites here

He's got some great stuff, I highly recommend it, if you have some time. Or if you don't.

How are you doing...

2008-02-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

on your New Year's Resolutions?

How about spamming your email box with reminders to keep it up?

Just don't hassle me...

President Hinckley

2008-02-02T10:51:00.001-08:00

Just my first viable memory, probably because of the reference to Fred Snodgrass:

"In all of these, someone dropped the ball. [Fred Snodgrass] had the self-confidence, possibly even the arrogance, to think that he didn’t really have to try, that he could make it with only half an effort. But the ball passed through his hands and hit the ground, and he gave away the game. Or [Roy Riegels] thinks he makes a smart catch of someone else’s fumble and runs the wrong way, only to give victory to his opponents.

"It all points up the need to be constantly alert. It points up the importance of unrelenting self-discipline. It indicates the necessity of constantly building our strength against temptation. It warns us against the misuse of our time, especially our idle time."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 1994

He will be missed.

Messing with Nature's head

2008-01-27T09:56:00.001-08:00

This poor tree is all confused if it's fall and should shed it's leaves or if it's spring and should sprout blossoms. That's what happens when you don't have a winter. (La Jolla, CA)

If you don't like Baseball just skip this

2008-01-25T00:53:00.001-08:00

A couple people were getting on me for not posting more, so in honor of them I will share with you one baseball link that made me realize how utterly pointless it is to follow rumors of trades and other possibilities like I have been doing for the last couple of months since baseball ended in October.
And so I give you the breaking news:
The Kansas City Royals have traded for Johan Santana. (If I'm going to say it, I might as well blow it even more out of proportion.)

A Year Flows By

2008-01-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

I just thought this was a beautiful and not too cold way to end the old year. (Lynn Run State Park, Ligonier, PA)

Christmas Poem

2007-12-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

The elves in the kitchen were full of cheer
Listen to that sound, "ding dong" from the reindeer.
"We've come to eat cookies, and candies, not hay!
Surely the farmer won't turn us away!"
The elves took to cooking and prepared a fine spread
Digging through the cupboards while the house was in bed.
The reindeer were pleased. They had never had eggnog.
(Though they'd read the recipe on Santa's web blog.)

-L,Y,M,A,H,E,M

Merry Christmas to all.

A Beautiful Sunset to the first Quarter

2007-12-17T23:22:00.001-08:00

Visits and Sunsets at the end of a quarter (La Jolla, CA)

Campus Moments

2007-12-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I wish I was on the beach instead of on campus (La Jolla, CA)

2007-12-09T10:53:00.001-08:00

The circus never seems to stop (La Jolla, CA)

Friends up to good things...

2007-12-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me an article she wrote the other day.

Being a student of politics I thought it well written, and a good perspective from one not a member of the church. She was a very nice person charged with working with and reaching out to SoCos at mngop.

She also has recently started a well run blog on the RNC convention in 2008 in St.Paul/Minneapolis. Take a look if you've got a moment, or if you're like me, even if you don't.

What would life be like outside of graduate school...?

Working Late (Version 2007)

2007-11-29T15:53:00.000-08:00

While some illuminate a dome or a building, UCSD chooses to illuminate a funky chicken. (La Jolla, CA)

What you miss in SoCal.

2007-11-18T11:39:00.001-08:00

I wish there was a nice fall in Southern California

New Big Pictures

2007-11-18T11:20:00.001-08:00

Memories from 2005, 2006, 2007 (Boston, MA)

Summer Pictures

2007-11-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of Gems:

Those aren't real swans (Boston, MA)

This is how you practice to be a missionary (Nicholasville, KY)

Academics (again)

2007-11-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Our cohort playing soccer.

Everything that's right with political junkies

2007-11-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

In response to an article in the New Republic remarking about the momentum building of winning early primary states, our good friend Virginiacentrist writes:

"Yeah. If I'm Romney, I'm running ads in all of the post-NH states with Mitt Romney making an acceptance speech in Iowa/NH with big headlines that say, "Romney wins" and tons of balloons falling. Voters will say: "Duhhh....me like winners and balloons....me vote for Romney...."

"Same deal with the dems after Iowa. If Edwards or Obama manage to win, they need to run ads IMMEDIATELY in NH that basically have Obama or Edwards with balloons and confetti falling giving speeches and holding their arms up and what not while using the word "winner" and maybe the phrase "look at those shiny balloons" over and over. Then they'll win NH by 20% as old people travel to the polls and write in "Barack Balloons Obama" or "John Confetti Edwards"

"Primary voters are dumb."

Such sophistication and analytical research.

Everything that's wrong with Academia

2007-11-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

You end up getting this:

"Coordination by precedent, at its simplest, is this: achievement of coordination by means of shared acquaintance with the achievement of coordination in a single past case exactly like our present coordination problem. By removing inessential restrictions, we have come to this: achievement of coordination by means of shared acquaintance with a regularity governing the achievement of coordination in a class of past cases which bear some conspicuous analogy to one another and to our present coordination problem. Our acquaintance with this regularity comes from our experience with some of its instances, not necessarily the same ones for everybody."

-David Lewis, Convention: A Philosophical Study

At its simplest???? gaaaaaaaaah.
Bill Watterson was right.

My academic problems: writing this while I should be reading that.

Never Smoked the Stuff

2007-11-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

I was reminded of a humorous quote

When asked if he preferred natural grass or Astroturf after playing a game at the Astrodome, Tug McGraw replied,

"I don't know, I've never smoked Astroturf."

Thanks Tom.

I should be studying

2007-10-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Combine this:

"If you torture data it will confess to anything."
-Unknown/Lots of authors

with this:

And you get my future job.

Fire map

2007-10-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an updated map that also has some good pictures.

I am still safe and well.

If you are concerned

2007-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am fine.

In spite of UCSD being closed and people being evacuated a couple of miles from where I live, I have not had to go anywhere.

I went down to Qualcomm Stadium and the response is both amazing and amazingly unorganized. When you have that volume of people you need an organized situation and a large number of mandatory evacuations does not lend itself to an organized situation. What was impressive was the number of volunteers willing to help. It seemed at times that there were more volunteers than there were evacuees.

If you want more information on the situation I suggest a couple of sites:
San Diego Union-Tribune Fireblog
CBS News 8
Google Maps of the fires
KPBS
Random Guy's
LA Times

The problems with becoming Educated

2007-10-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

I had this GREAT idea, I would research campaign donations, figure out how campaigns get people to donate by using what type of appeals. I was going to collect massive amounts of data, figure everything out and have a paper to be submitted.

But someone else has already beat me to the punch. (And she doesn't even have a mustache)

Don't stare into the sun!

2007-10-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day (SLC, UT)

Brainwashing

2007-09-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Yet I am anxious and enthusiastic.

The rigors of grad school are exactly that, rigorous. In a previous environment, I would laugh jokingly about the perceived culture at my undergraduate institutions of busy-ness. A typical conversation in the midst of the semester would start, "man, I'm so busy" to which the proper reply was "I know what you mean, I've got so much work to do."

Yet life has caused me to realize that II enjoy that environment (all of this in 10 weeks 3 times a year), or at least I seem to have signed up for another 4-6 years of it. The key is enjoying where you're at, and not complaining.

Wanna be... a Political Scientist

2007-09-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

...you got to know math.

Thank you Bobby McFerrin, you taught me this so long ago on Square One on PBS, I just seem to have forgotten it.

Hugs and Sunsets

2007-09-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Make a day very enjoyable (8-30-07)

2007-08-27T07:04:00.001-07:00

Texas thinks everything is bigger. This is a Maine beach. The grains of sand are really large. (Courtesy of M) (Acadia Nat'l Park, ME)

Sunshine with passing thundershowers

2007-08-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Being a little overwhelmed with house fever after being indoors almost all day I convinced my recently returned sister E to come with me to the American Folk Festival.
A couple of things struck our attention. E noticed that there seems to be a certain dress code for County Fairs and other Folk type outdoors activities. It's hard to describe but it's a much more flowing dress than what you'd typically wear outside on a summer evening
There is also a certain country made herbal soap smell that permeates these activities. A lot of times at county fairs it's combined with the smell of hay, but it's always most definitely there.

Lastly the most amusing thing was watching a sign language interpreter for an electric blues band. I can never understand the words to live performances if I don't already know the music, and so watching this forty year old with a pony-tail jam out while signing was perhaps one of the most entertaining sights I saw all night. On a good people watching evening, you'll rarely get so precious a sight as that.

Saturday Evenings at Wal-Mart

2007-08-04T20:49:00.001-07:00

When it gets late and you're running on 4 hours of sleep you find the best thing possible. (Macedon, NY)

Losing EFY '07

2007-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

And so the summer began (St. Peter, MN)

Kentucky

2007-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

That's a Kentucky Elephant there on the Cake, a rare breed rarely seen elsewhere. Created by yours truly. (Nicholasville, KY)

88:124

2007-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Summer!

Reminded by such an amusing re-mix, I searched my Grandparents extensive library for second and third instalments, which I have read in little over a week, which makes me wonder why I couldn't fly through my school readings so quickly.

Non-the-less, despite such a quick reading, I stumbled across this quote which I thought interesting given our current political situation. Read and consider.

“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
-Faramir

Atrasado

2007-05-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

So it's only 2 years late, but it came, and I made the most of it.

These fools graduated when I should have, but they weren't beyond coming back and saying hello. It seems that the last of their sponsor group is finally graduating.

ps-it was outside

"Agony! Beyond Power of Speech..."

2007-05-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

There's nothing to take your mind off of everything else in your life than an car accident.

Packing? Can't hold you.
Spiderman 3? Maybe for the 2 hours but the last half hour you're just sick of it, and are sick of the movie.
Baseball games? Cancelled.
Enjoyable day at the beach? Ruins it.
Selling books back? $6 just doesn't do it.
Other people trying to converse with you? They just annoy you.

I think the real problem was that the insurance number that I was given, wasn't actually the lady who ran in to me's insurance number, and then the phone number that she gave me wasn't actually her phone number, and the last name she wrote down for me was also misspelled. So all day I called, and called and called, and got "The subscriber you have called is unavailable, please call back another time."
Fortunately the police were nice enough to take her drivers license number, which was correct, and her license plate number which was correct, and spell her name for me, which allowed me to get her insurance number from her insurance company and file a claim. Now if they'll hopefully just pay to have my bumper replaced so that the tailpipe doesn't melt more of the bumper that rests upon it...

Out of an Onion Sack

2007-04-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

It only took us 5 hours to set the soup up, but it seemed a lot longer, especially when it was from 10:30pm to 3:30am. It was amazing though. K looks happy/relieved. But she still has a THESIS.

Leprechaun

2007-04-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

There's a reason he's only a little over 5 feet. This is just too scary. (Claremont, CA)

Thesis

2007-04-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

DONE

Chicagoland

2007-04-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

So, I could tell you about everything that I did in Chicago.

But I'll just summerize. I presented here. And hung out with them. And saw the city. And learned all about Casimir Pulaski, and models, and did some interior decorating. And ate some of the best food I've ever eaten!

It was a great weekend.

Wheaton

2007-04-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

I'm with the Jensens. Ask them about food.

Travis Buck

2007-04-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

One of the few highlights of the game was this amazing grab by the A's Rookie Right Fielder Travis Buck:

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codebase="http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/controls/mplayer/en/nsmp2inf.cab#Version=,1,52,701"
standby="Loading Microsoft Windows Media Player components..."
type="application/x-oleobject">

pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/Downloads/Contents/Products/MediaPlayer/"
SRC="mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2007/open/tp/archive04/042807_tbaoak_oak_6r_1st_tp_350.wmv?ct3=-1&ct4=mlb&ct5=13-Jan-08"
name="MediaPlayer"
width="320"
height="240">

PS-Let me know if the video isn't working. I've been having some troubles with it.

I don't like going to Angels Stadium

2007-04-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Angels always seem to win, which isn't very uplifting for an A's fan like myself.

But I don't want to look like this

2007-03-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

If you ever see me doing something like this... Tell me not to.

What will I look like in 35 years

2007-03-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not object to the posting of this photo because of its political implications... but I found it a shocking contrast.
This summer I met Karl Rove in person when he was up campaigning for Michele Bachmann (R, MN-6). He was quite the jovial person, wanting to make people laugh. Here's that photo-op that we got with him.Then as I was reading some of the Minnesota Political Blogs today while at work to try and keep up with some semblance of what is going on up there, I found this post and couldn't help but smile as I watched the video to see almost an entirely different look on a fellow I had met. He's got quite the style. I mean, look at those sideburns and the hair that you can just go "flip" to... if you know what I mean, the kind of hair that you flip your head and it flops in any direction you want it too. It gives me some hope that when I'm older I may not be as skinny as I am now.
Any way, I give you Karl Rove in 1972.

Easy Decision

2007-03-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations H^2 on accepting admission to the Political Science Ph.D. program at UCSD. We look forward to your arrival in Fall 2007.

Graduate Admissions
UCSD

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Sometimes I think that in order to prevent us from making bad scholastic decisions we're rejected from the other places we might consider. The same sort of thing happened to me as I applied to undergraduate programs. Ultimately I think this (UCSD) is the best fit for me, but I think I would have been tempted with an offer from a place like Stanford or Michigan.

Apparently I rejected a lot of places

2007-03-07T00:45:00.000-08:00

I'm now only 1 of 4 (as in 1 acceptance, 3 rejections).

I'm just glad the acceptance came first. It kind of makes everything else irrelevant.