| As we're well into the holiday season (which I believe starts with Halloween and ends with my birthday), I've been pondering New Years resolutions. Here are my current thoughts, in no particular order: - Grow facial hair - I've never tried to grow a mustache, beard, goatee, or any other such silliness, mainly since I'm not sure I can. I'm also afraid that I will not have the coordination or aesthetic sense to trim said growth and keep it in a presentable manner. I like being clean shaven (not that I really know otherwise), and have been looking forward to the laser razor if it means I have to shave less often.
- Not drive for a month - I've been debating the whole bicycle commuting thing, but am too much of a wuss to start now (too cold, and dark way too early on some moderate volume streets). Anyway, I'm up for a good challenge, so a month without driving a car should be good. This reminds me a bit of Katherine's attempt at 40 days and 40 nights without ever leaving san francisco's mission district. I've done the 40 days and 40 nights thing, both with abstaining from sexual activity (a la the movie), and a second time where I tried to abstain from both sexual activity and alcohol (which I failed on the first, but succeeded on the second). I'm thinking spring when it starts getting warm again . . . could be an excuse to buy a new bike too, especially as the STIs on mine are a bit flaky . . .
- Upload more pictures to my Flickr - I got a pro account, with the plan that I was going to use it as an online archive for my pictures. I need to transfer the images I used to have on my home server to flickr . . .
- Stop using the excuse "I'm too old for this" - This is generally my excuse for not taking another shot, going home before 4 AM, sucking wind, etc. I want to switch to a positive phrase, as opposed to an excuse . . . I'll have to brainstorm a bit on this one.
- Go to Japan - @tony and @katherine (my brother and his gf) are relocating to Japan for 6 months. I must take this opportunity to travel and visit them as well as explore Japan.
- Complete my secret project - I've been a complete slacker on this one, waiting to get some legal advice before I push forward, when in reality I could be doing lots of prep and planning
I'm sure I'll think of others . . . not sure which of these I'll actually try and implement . . .
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| I just got done watching Objectified, a movie described as "a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them." An abridged version is apparently going to be on PBS this Tuesday (24 Nov), and I'd highly recommend trying to watch it (or Tivo it or whatever the kids do these days). It's by the same director who did Helvetica. For some reason I really liked Objectified, but Helvetica (which focuses on typography) didn't do much for me. On the other hand, having seen both, I was able to appreciate the tongue in cheek reference to the prior work when a bunch of designers are looking at a digital layup, and one of them asks "Is that Helvetica?" On a complete aside, there was a great piece in the NY Times about font geeks posted last week. Objectified features a lot of the expected players: Jonathan Ive, numerous staffers of IDEO, members of Smart Design, etc. I think one reason I like this more than Helvetica was that as an engineer, it's easier to relate to much of the design decisions. Ive spends a fair amount of time talking about the original iMac being designed around the CRT, and the Air being an exercise in minimalism as well as how to engineer everything down to it's simplest, seeming to channel Antoinè De Saint-Exupéry, and his famous quotation: A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. The bit on Smart Design focuses on their work on the Oxo Swivel Peeler (I have a bit of bias here as I tend to really like the Oxo Good Grips products). The part I like about the IDEO team is that it shows a brainstorming session, and how they start with the challenge of reducing the waste from toothbrushes (interesting infographic in the background about an adult going through 186 toothbrushes, some large number of toothpaste tubes, etc), and end up with completely off the wall ideas (mani, pedi, toothi or Girl Scouts selling special paste and floss). The brainstorming scenes are excellent examples of good brainstorming, showing fluency, no judgement, affirmation for new ideas, piggybacking, etc. (I actually just wrote an email to a Destination Imagination listserv raving about how this could be used as a teaching tool.) Total geek film, but I'd highly recommend it to any design geeks out there. | |
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| All right, so I'm not Ivan Denisovitch, but I can't think of anything good to write about today . . . mainly a rambling post . . . Last night was meant to be low-key, as I wanted to go snowboarding this morning. I almost stayed in, but around 10:30 or so, decided to go and have a PBR or two at Lincoln. I go in, sit at the bar, and ask for a Pabst in my mug. The bartender makes a face at me like I'm crazy, and then offers me the Spezial Rachbier off the tap. I'd previously had this beer in a bottle, and it had been dubbed the "bacon beer". Off the tap, this was a very different beer, which did not have the overwhelming smoke flavor that the bottle version did. Somewhere along the line, I was also fed a shot of Maker's Mark and a car bomb . . . definitely not the light night I had been planning on. I forced myself to drink a fair amount of water before leaving the bar, but didn't get to bed till 2 in the morning. . . While I was at Lincoln, my friend Justin calls, saying that he's going to be driving down to Reno from Pendleton, OR, starting then (it was about 11:30 PM), and I mind having 4 people crash at my place. Note that this is a little under 600 miles, but whatever. Anyway, I'm game, so part of the reason I was up late was I did do a minimal amount of tidying up when I got home from the bar. Of course, right as I'm laying down, I get a text saying they had to turn around, as the pass was way too icy. I still get up this morning at around 7, have some breakfast, and am at Northstar before the lifts have started turning. Roads were decent this morning, with no chain restrictions. They were fine if you were driving along, but stopping in some places was a bit sketchy, as the Element that spun out two cars behind me on Highway 267 discovered. This was really just the drives fault for not paying attention and realizing all the cars in front of him were stopping (as a car further up was making a left turn). I made a half-dozen runs or so, and left as it was starting to get crowded with only a few trails open. Was definitely nice to be riding again, and the new boots were solid. Was definitely reminded though that I wasn't on a new board due to the fender-bender I was in a few weeks ago . . . On the way out, I got stuck behind a car that was doing 35 or so for all 6 miles of 267 before getting to I-80. Painful. At this point, the sun was out, and you could clearly see the pavement. Yes there was some slush, but most of the surface was clear. I had to keep telling myself to be calm and patient, as I've had my fair share of accidents on winter roads (drove a Volvo into someones front yard after playing pinball with a guard rail as well as having spun out and ending up stuck in the median, not to mention seeing that Element do a 180 earlier in the day). I was a little thrown off though as it appeared the person was with Sentury (there was a large SUV in front of them with Sentury decals, as well as her car having a Sentury bumper sticker). A bit surprising to see someone associated with a winter sports company that isn't comfortable driving on winter roads . . . | |
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| My high school friend Justin had this goal for a while about wanting to be "that guy" - the one that people would talk about, that sort of blurred the line between myth and reality. You know, the guy that you hear about - I once knew this guy who <insert outrageous feat here>. While I don't think I've become "that guy", I did have an experience somewhat similar to what might happen to "that guy" a a few months ago . . . I was at Lincoln Lounge, enjoying a beer by myself, and started talking to someone working on their mug club card. The guy's talking about being close to finishing, and he's saying he's going to do a second card. I cock my head to the side, a bit curious, and ask the guy why he wants to do a second card. His response was something along the lines of "I hear there's only one person who's done two cards, so I'm going to be next . . . " Back then, I was the only person who had finished two cards (though Chad finished his second card, and we enjoyed double-fisting mugs when he did), so I do what any normal person would do - I bite my tongue and nod, saying that sounds like a good goal. Chris B. was bartending, and he caught the tail end of this conversation as well, and just plays along. Probably the closest I've been to being "that guy . . . " Of course, there are plenty of small world coincidences like this. Continuing with stories related to the Lincoln Lounge, there's the couple from SF who ended up at the bar because of my Yelp review. In Helena, I sort of became the Asian guy at the bar to people who might not know me directly. Helena was tiny, about 30,000 people, and the few Asians in town tended to be tied to a restaurant or two (a Chinese buffet, a Thai place. and a few Chinese carry out places). In fact, I stuck out enough at the bars that when I first moved to Helena, I remember a night at the Gold Bar, where this drunk, grizzled old man came up to me, started talking to me, and then says "Welcome to our country." 100% genuine, no sarcasm what-so-ever. I had no idea how to respond, and was just thinking to myself, "wow, my English is really good for a guy who's fresh off the boat . . . " Anyway, sometime during my second year in in Helena, there ended up being a Chinese artist at the Archie Bray. So, another guy, close to my age, who would occasionally go to the bars. His circle overlapped with mine a little in that he was dating a VISTA member. Now, he didn't really look much like me - he was a probably a good 4 to 6 inches taller than me, had his hair buzzed, and wore facial hair. I don't remember if my hair was long or short back then, but I got called his name (which I can't remember for the life of me now) a few times at the bar, and I later learned he had had people come up to him and call him Ernie. Crazy, though I guess to be somewhat expected for being a token. What prompted this whole line of thought though was that I've been asked for a jukebox selection for the Lincoln Lounge. While I'm definitely flattered to have been asked, it may be a sign that I spend way too much time at the bar . . . CD wise, it's hard. The National's Boxer would have my first choice, and then the Decemberist's Picaresque, but both are already in there. Postal Service is in there already as well. Suicide Machines, Goldfinger, or Op Ivy could be fun, but don't fit the vibe of the bar . . . CDs that I'm still considering include Green Day's Kerplunk, Reel Big Fish's Turn the Radio Off, some Guided by Voices (though I have no idea which album), REM's Document, Interpol's Antics . . . argh . . . too many choices. Wow, what a rambling post . . . | |
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| There are 3 more work days till I leave for Helena. On one hand, I'm very excited to go, though I'm slightly disappointed that certain folks will not be there (or may not be there, I guess there are a few who's votes are still out?) As my friend Lisa said "sad face." Still, I'll be in Montana before I even realize it . . . busy at work, so the work days should go quickly. Northstar opens this weekend, and it sounds like there's a fair amount of snow coming in Friday night, so I'll be making some turns. Lisa's talking about doing a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. I'm debating whether this is a good idea, mainly since my calf is still really week. I've been trying to walk more places (as opposed to biking) to work the calf, and it's still sore most of the time. It'll be interesting to see how it holds up while snowboarding. The lump I have where the sprocket went deepest is slightly disconcerting. Surprised me a little bit that the calf pain is a good 6" above the site of the puncture wounds, but I guess this is just showing my lack of anatomy / physiology knowledge. Whether I run or not though, I'm definitely looking forward to a few walks up Mt. Helena - definitely will do the 1906 Trail, not sure about any of the others . . . Temperatures look like they'll be brisk, with highs not even getting past 40 for most of the time I'll be there. Definitely need to remember to take socks. | |
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| Not feeling the mood to really write today, so just some reactions to news stories of interest.
First off, I think most people have seen the video of University of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert and her aggressive play. NY Times had an article today, about those plays "in context." There are some obvious fouls in there, but I tend to cut her a lot of slack. I've never actually played competitively, and I struggle with all the off-the-ball jostling that happens when I do play with players who have. The nudges, the tugs on the shorts, the jabs into the ribs, etc, but I believe it's all a part of the game.
Even in the adult rec league I played in in Helena (co-ed, players from 18 into their 50s, etc), there were aggressive actions that were definitely questionable for the level of play. I even remember pushing this woman out of the way who was considerably slower than me, causing her to fall to the ground and tear up her thigh a bit. In my defense, she was trying to shield the ball as a defender, whereas I had made a 25 yard sprint on a breakaway. I really think it should have been an obstruction call, as she was not going to play the ball, and I had overtaken her.
The point is though, in the heat of competition, sometimes things happen. I do think Lambert's gotten the short end of the stick, especially in the highlight video. I'm sure most players would definitely have some questionable actions in 90 minutes of play . . .
The other article that caught my eye today was about a Korean wedding tradition: These are fixtures of a South Korean wedding, as much so as the wedding officiant. Before entering the wedding hall, guests line up in front of the cashier’s table to hand over an envelope stuffed with cash. The cashier opens the envelope and registers the guest’s name, and the amount given, in a velvet-covered ledger — often while the guest is still standing there.
I hadn't heard of this one, and the article talks about how this tradition is not being followed by some. The main reason mentioned here is the appearance of impropriety, especially for politicians or high level executives - where large gifts can seem like bribes. The other part of the article talks about how weddings tend to be status symbols: In South Korea, where “face” is famously cherished, the measure of a family’s social standing is seen in the number of guests at weddings, as well as the amount of money given and the sumptuousness of the banquet. At funerals, the number of wreaths presented by friends, business associates and local politicians is a comparable social metric. “Here, a wedding is less a celebration than an occasion for a family to show off,” said Lee Yoon-ji, who runs a wedding management agency and photo studio in Seoul’s upscale Kangnam district. “For instance, if the bride’s family finds its guests are much fewer than the groom’s, it’s humiliating.”
This part is definitely true, even in America. I've had cousins whose weddings probably cost well more than $300 a guest, and had 300+ guests (though I've also had cousins who've had very modest weddings as well). The luxury weddings seem crazy to me. While I'm single now, and marriage doesn't seem likely for me in the near future, I think any wedding I do would be relatively frugal. Maybe even a destination wedding, with only a few guests. I'm not one to get caught up in pomp and circumstance, and believe a wedding should be a celebration - which is one reason I love the JK wedding entrance, and other entrances and first dances in the same vein. Whether the people can dance or not, they're having fun. I'm not sure why some people believe weddings have to be solemn affairs . . . | |
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| So, some random thoughts / lessons learned or reinforced / etc while I spent an hour or so trying to see some meteors (I only caught the beginning of the shower, and saw a dozen or so): - No matter how good your coat, hat, and gloves are, lying on the ground when it's 35 degrees out gets cold
- Cold weather + glasses + breath you can see in the air = foggy vision
- I <3 SmartWool socks
- I should really invest in a hip flask
- Street lamps are really bright. I need to go further outside the city if I want to get a good view
- I should either take a blanket, someone to cuddle with, or both if I'm going to be sitting in the cold for an hour or more
- I miss conversations with Sarah while hiking up Mt. Helena (though part of this was accentuated by the fact that I had a good conversation with her a few weeks ago about growing older, being single, etc)
- I'm starting to get exciting about going to visit Helena
- Night hikes during a new moon on trails you haven't been on in months is a challenge, especially without a flashlight or headlamp. I think I definitely ended up cutting some switch backs and things that I would not have usually done, but not being able to see the trail meant I was just wandering in the dark. Probably time for me to bite the bullet and invest in a new headlamp to replace the one that I can't seem to find anymore . . .
While laying on the ground, staring up into the sky, pondering about constellations, how far away the stars were, how small I was compared to the universe at large, etc, I also wondered how the experience would be different while high. I've never really done any drugs besides alcohol and a few drags here and there off of a joint (not enough to get a buzz). No recreational pain killer use - the stiffest pain killer I've had was some codeine after I had my wisdom teeth extracted, and I only took that for two days. Anyway, I did wonder how the experience would have differed with some mind-altering substances. The brisk cold, and the crazy science behind twinkling stars, meteors, and the infiniteness of space all seem like they could contribute nicely to an "expanded" point of view . . . | |
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| I've started playing in this bi-weekly "Payday Poker" game with a group at the bar. It's a pretty quick pace game, with a $10 buy in for some chips, and blinds doubling every 15 minutes. Games usually don't last longer than 90 minutes or so. Winner takes all, or sometimes the players will split somehow when it's down to two.
I've never really been a huge poker player, but these games are starting to pique my interest. I've asked a co-worker if I can borrow a book (he's got to get it back from someone else first) to try and learn the game better. While I understand the basic probabilities involved, and can typically calculate rough odds on the fly, I definitely don't know the odds of basic hands pre-flop. At this point, I'm not even interested in the psychological aspects or betting strategy or anything like that. I just want to know what the black-and-white odds are before I get into any of that.
I think learning some of the more intricate parts of the game may help be with my patience with the game as well. Right now, I can tend to play for an hour or so, before I get bored, and start playing more hands than I should (or think I should).
Blackjack is definitely a simpler game, where you don't even have to think about it. You memorize the strategy, and then it's all autopilot. I'll admit I'm bad about some of the strategy, especially for single deck, as when I first started playing, I learned never to split fours and sixes. Looking over the table now, I never realized you should stand with nines against a 7. I should probably look at those again, and re-learn them.
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| Nice piece in the NY Times about teachers who are selling lesson plans. Looks at it from a number of angles, as to who owns the material, who should profit, what should those profits be used for, etc. I tend to believe that lesson plans builds value. Lesson plans take time and energy to develop, and if you can find people willing to pay for it, then more power to you. The one part that is a little questionable is if the school has rights to the material (and / or associated revenue). In the private sector, there's been plenty of intellectual property cases, where any idea developed on company time is company property. If I were a teacher, I would do similar to the last teacher mentioned - I'd share it freely with friends, co-workers, etc, but I'd also sell it online (ideally under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license). In other words, free to share, allowing others to build off of it, but not allowing others to profit from it. In reality, with a loose license like that, anyone that did pay for the content would basically be giving me a donation, since the material would be free to share. In fact, I would probably post the material on less commercial sites, and try and use a tip-jar model. So, a bit more liberal than most of the teachers who cited in the article and are selling their material online. One of the big reasons I like the idea of selling lesson plans as opposed to sites that allow teachers to just share lesson plans, is that it encourages teachers to polish their material. Free lesson plans, much like free software, can vary wildly in quality. The open-source software model is a great parallel for this though, in that good software rises to the top, and people can still make money even as they give away their software. The value of good lesson plans is that they can be used to teach, as well as to share ideas and improve. When I was teaching, I was fortunate that the math department head shared all his lesson plans, as did his predecessor. By the time I had the material, it was very well polished, and was perfect for me as a long term substitute, who wasn't quite sure about pacing, pedagogy, etc. The binder I got had daily lesson plans, with all the worksheets, etc for each day. Now, I didn't teach straight from these lesson plans, as obviously you have to adopt the material for your teaching style, your students, etc, but they provided an excellent base. Creating lesson plans are one of the reasons there are such low retention rates for new teachers. Good lesson plans are hard, and when you're starting out, just developing classroom poise and presence are difficult enough. Have lesson plans provided to me allowed me to focus much more on teaching, and really work on my delivery and teaching style. | |
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| I finally finished Pollan's In Defense of Food. The damn thing took me a good 2 or 3 months to read. For some reason, I just have the hardest time reading non-fiction. I started reading Random Family, and I think that's going to go much quicker. While I might finish a fiction book in a few days, non-fiction just kicks my butt.
This seems strange to me, since I like to discuss ideas, and there are lots of non-fiction books that are appealing to me. I've got a copy of Bowling Alone that I hope to read after I finish Random Family, but flipping through Bowling Alone intimidates me. So many charts, footnotes, etc. Definitely meant to be more of a scholarly work than a popular book. I struggled with the Tipping Point and Freakonomics as well, and those are meant to be easily accessible.
I'm not sure why I struggle so much with the non-fiction. I also tend to hate not finishing books, so I'll keep on reading, even if it's only a handful of pages at a time, till I finish the damn thing. | |
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