October 2008 Archives

Or at least there are plenty of retailers that are trying to make it that.  Carrie and I looked at some cribs today, and I could hardly believe how much unnecessary stuff was in some of these stores.  The last major life event that we had (our wedding), at least has some possibility of reason.  I think a lot of people understand that it is just one day and, in the grand scheme of things, it is not as important as the years and years that follow it.  Having a baby, though, seems to be ripe grounds for all sorts of irrationality.  I mean, how can you not want the best for your baby?!  Nevermind that for the most part it is a bunch of corporations deciding what is 'best.'  Hopefully we'll be able to sift through all this junk and figure out what is and is not important, but that seems easier said than done.

Not quite as good as the radio program, but still quite good.  The stories are just as compelling, I just think that the expectations change a little bit when watching it on TV.  Feature length documentaries usually run at least 90-minutes, and the radio program is 60 minutes, but the TV show is only 30.  This time-constraint just doesn't seem to work, especially if you want to tell a couple of different stories as the radio program often does.  All too often I found myself wondering, "What happens next?"  It's true that I might have ASD (attention surplus disorder), which would explain my enjoyment of minimalist music, but I'm more inclined to think that these stories are just too short.  Still, if you enjoy the radio program or just don't want to bother with a long documentary, the stories are still compelling and worth a watch.

On an unrelated note, apparently Ira Glass is a cousin of Philip Glass.  Who knew?

I posted some more pictures on my run blog, if you are interested.

Just wishing all you nerds out there a happy mole day.  For those of you not in the loop - expand your mind!

Carrie had another appointment with the doctor today, and we got a little bit of a treat--we got to hear our kid's heartbeat for the first time.  I guess this is really happening, huh?  Carrie's also beginning to show, and as soon as she's up to it (which may be in a while), I'll post some pictures of what my mom calls her 'baby bump.'  I'm not sure when we might be expecting ultrasounds, either, but I'll keep you posted.

I think I'm beginning to jump into the minimalism deep end.  I've been reading through Tom Johnson's An Hour for Piano lately and really enjoying it.  I'm even thinking about doing a little extra recital to perform it.  The interesting thing about this piece, though, is that it is meant to be listened to while reading the program notes.  Since I had not really been able to read and play at the same time, I did a little recording of my playing at home.  I do have access to the Rzewski recording, but it is only 54+ minutes long due to time limitations of the vinyl on which it was first recorded.  It is meant to be exactly an hour long, and I overshot by about 25 seconds on this take.  It's not a big difference, but enough that I wanted to see what the slower tempo sounded like.

Anyway, here's a link to this recording.  The quality is poor (done at home on my upright), but someone might enjoy it.  I'll certainly post a better quality recording when I get one.

Tom Johnson - An Hour for Piano

The extended part of this entry then includes the program notes.  If you do listen, do use these notes as well.  :)

Goodness.  People are getting sick left and right.  I had a professor email us today to say that his cold had progressed to bronchitis, so no more class for the week.  I have students and their parents who are sick.  I even heard about other people running half marathons this last weekend with colds (see, I'm not the only crazy one).  So wash your hands, everyone!

The latest documentary that we watched is Paper Clips, which we really enjoyed.  The story is about a small school in rural Tennessee that decides to collect 6 million paper clips to represent the Jews killed during the Holocaust.  In the process, they end up getting attention from the national media, prompting paper clips to flood in from all over the world from regular folks, to survivors and heads of state.  The way the project transforms those involved, and the stories that you get to hear from donors are incredible.  Really a nice little documentary.

As I look at the Netflix queue, there are several more coming up as well.  On the list we have Emmanuel's Gift, Encounters at the End of the World, Up the Yangtze, and American Teen.  I'll let you know as we watch them.  Oh, and we also have the first season of This American Life coming tomorrow, which should be interesting.  We love the radio program, but I don't know how it will transfer to the screen.

And just so you don't think I've become a movie snob, I watched Iron Man a couple of times before sending the DVD back to Netflix HQ.  That reminds me of another Downey Jr. film that I loved, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Time to go update the queue.

So I got a blood blister on my toe from the half-marathon.  You can see a picture if you like.

You have been warned

Time: 2:04:29 - Pace: 9:30/mi - AG: 154/247

Well, some background first. I was feeling great on Wednesday. I just passed my recital hearing and training went well, so I was really excited about this race. Then came Thursday. I woke up with a cold and wasn't feeling so great. Then I barely slept through the night and could hardly get off the couch on Friday. But I had trained too hard (and spent too much on the registration), and had too many people who knew I was running not to, so I went for it anyway. I felt better this morning, but still had a bit of a cough. Ok, enough background. Here's me before the race.

Notice the naive happiness. Now onto the splits.

Mile 1: 9:53 - Feeling great!
Mile 2: 9:03 - A little downhill
Mile 3: 10:02 - Liberty Memorial Hill sucks!
Mile 4: 8:53 - Trying to catch my 2:00 pacer
Mile 5: 8:23 - Too fast, left big toe really hurting
Mile 6: 8:58 - Crash eminent, revising goal
Mile 7: 9:52 - Lots of abdominal pain
Mile 8: 9:31 - Looking back, I don't know how I managed this split
Mile 9: 9:58 - So, that long gradual hill that didn't seem too bad, was
Mile 10: 10:02 - Hill still sucks, definitely want to quit
Mile 11: 9:42 - Downhill, but am really having a hard time
Miles 12-13: 19:21 - Forgot to push the lap button
Last .1: 0:49 - Actually managed a kick, 7:20/mi

Me bookin' into the the finish:

That was easily the hardest thing I've ever done. The sickness just zapped my energy and I really struggled from mile 6 on. I also got a nasty, nasty blood blister under my big left toe. I knew it would be bad, but it still shocked me when I first saw it. The best part was that we had to walk nearly a mile from the finish to the start. Oh, and the finish sucked. I had to wait in line about 10 minutes until I finally got some carbs and water, which I was in desperate need of.

Still, I was proud of my time given the conditions and tough course. I felt horrible afterwards, but after some pizza and a nap, I was already replaying it in my mind and thinking about next time. It was cool running with so many other people, and can't wait to try again when I'm feeling better. I am thinking, though, that maybe I should only race these occasionally and run them slower so that I can enjoy them more often.

As always, a big, big thank you goes to Carrie for getting up way too freakin' early just to come watch me run in 40° weather. She rules! I'll also post more race pictures once them come online.

So when can I do this again?

Half marathon time: 2:04:31.  Average Pace: 9:27/mi.  I'm going to take a nap, details to follow.

Last year I tried to go for the marathon and got sidelined by injuries.  Ok, so that wasn't so much bad luck as training too aggressively.  This year, though, I opted for the half after first trying for the full.  When my training got interrupted I scaled back and decided to shoot for a good time on a distance I've covered several times before.  What happens this year?  I get sick beforehand.  Oh yeah, the common cold is wiping out my energy, but I'm not running a fever (I'm running a half, ha ha ha) and the symptoms are above my neck.  So what the heck.  I've paid my money, and lots of people have donated to harvesters, so I'm going for it.  I won't be hitting my 2 hour goal (I don't think), but I'm gonna see what I can do.

Who knows, maybe I'll wake up feeling great tomorrow...

Maybe not.

And I think that's ok.  Carrie and I just watched Spirit of the Marathon last night, and I don't think that you have to be a runner to appreciate it.  Oh, Carrie thinks that I and others are still basically crazy, but she enjoyed the stories.  As I look back over our Netflix queue, there are a fair number of documentaries: Kicking It, Running on the Sun, For the Bible Tells Me So, Word Wars, Spellbound, and Wordplay.  As I look over this list, I tend to be interested in documentaries that concern people.  Topic documentaries can be good too, but I think that this sort of documentary ties into my enjoyment of the This American Life.  I really just like a good story, I think.

So I'm updating my queue.  I've already added a couple more, and I'll try to keep you posted on what's good.

Ok, I know I have a blog dedicated to running, but I just thought I'd post a little bit here as well.

Today Carrie and I drove the course of the half-marathon, which was really good for me to see exactly what I'm going to be doing (and for Carrie to think I'm even more crazy).  I'm feeling good about it, especially after today's run.  I ran 12.4 miles (0.7 miles shy of the half) and plotted a very challenging course for myself.  Last time I ran that route (a little less actually, I overran it a bit today), I did it at a staggering 11:37/mi and felt like, um, poop for the last four miles.  This time around, I managed a 10:46/mi pace and felt much better throughout.  After driving the route for the race, I can say with confidence that what I did today was more challenging than the race course.  I will, however, be shooting for a 9:09/mi pace, so we'll see how that'll work.

Still, things are looking good.  I feel like I'm in great condition and that my training has been solid.  The only thing left to do (aside from some easier runs next week), is make sure I'm well rested and am carb loaded.  Oh, and if you are interested in joining Carrie and coming to see me, all the info can be found here.

Now I just hope that my Garmin arrives in time...

Brought to you by Pundit Kitchen.

No, I'm not short selling.  This always gets me whenever the market takes a big downturn--I start hearing people panicking and selling.  First of all, if your investment horizon is only a few years, you shouldn't be very exposed to the volatility of stocks.  For those of you like me, this is a great time to start pumping a little bit of extra money into your retirement in addition to your monthly investments (you are doing that, right?).  I'm not going to have to pull out money for several decades, so being able to lower my average share price on my index funds is awesome.

So let's review:

Buy Low - Sell High

When people panic and the market gets a bit oversold... that's the low part.  See above for appropriate action.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am an optimist.) 

Well, if you're anything like me than you probably didn't change the channel after The Office was over and watched SNL Thursday Update, or whatever they were calling it. I dunno, it just seems that outside of Tina Fey (and then only recently) they've been pretty hit or miss. There were some nice moments, but the debate sketch was just ok.

So, to cure a bit of the disappointment you may be feeling, I'm posting this Digital Short (I'm not usually an Andy Samberg fan). The video is titled "Iran So Far," and is very well done.

"Like Eugene (Levy) you got me straight trippin' boo
hope you look in my eyes and say I'm trippin' too
you say Iran don't have the bomb but they already do
you should know by now, it's you."

Too funny. Watch for the cameo toward the end as well.

Saw this on the news, just wanted to pass it along.

From the Associated Press:

SEATTLE (AP) -- Here's the scenario: It's Friday night, and what began as an innocent happy-hour margarita morphed into a few pitchers. After all, those tacos were salty.

Bidding friends adieu, you jump in a cab, head home and decide a quick e-mail check is in order. And there it is: a message from your ex. Or your boss. Or that friend you're secretly mad at.

If you're the kind of person who types tipsy and regrets it in the morning, Google's "Mail Goggles," a new test-phase feature in the free Gmail service, might save you some angst.

The Goggles can kick in late at night on weekends. The feature requires you to solve a few easy math problems in short order before hitting "send." If your logical thinking skills are intact, Google is betting you're sober enough to work out the repercussions of sending that screed you just drafted.

And if you can't multiply two times five, you'll probably thank Google in the morning.

To activate Goggles, Gmail users should click the "Settings" link at the top of a Gmail page, then go to the "Labs" section.

There's no shame in admitting that sometimes you need a little extra help. Gmail engineer Jon Perlow designed Goggles with his own weaknesses in mind.

"Sometimes I send messages I shouldn't send. Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night e-mail to my ex-girlfriend that we should get back together," he wrote when announcing Mail Goggles on a company blog.

The name is derived from the slang term "beer goggles," or the curious effect of alcohol on one's ability to see the true nature of that "cutie" at the other end of the bar.

But you can set up Mail Goggles to protect you from yourself at other emotionally vulnerable times -- before your morning coffee, for example, or right after "Grey's Anatomy."

Well, in case you hadn't heard (or hadn't seen Carrie's facebook status update), Carrie is Pregnant and is due on April 14!  So far, she's had a really rough go of things.  Instead of morning sickness, she has all-day sickness that has at least been tempered by some powerful medication.  We're hoping that dies down here in the next week or so as the first trimester comes to a close, but any prayers would certainly be appreciated.

So we're pretty excited, as you might guess.  :)  Just wanted to pass that along.

Well, I have now met my fundraising goal for my half-marathon on October 18, so I owe a huge thank you to everyone that donated.  Meeting my goal, however, does not mean that I will stop taking donations, so if you still want to give, I'd be very excited to see how much the goal can be exceeded.

I just thought I'd pass along a bit of information about the donation that put me over the top ($150!!).  This donation came from a neighbor of my parents, who live a bit north of Houston, TX.  I have never met this person, though I've no doubt that she's gotten an earful about me and my siblings.  :)  Anyway, she was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatment for a little while now.  It's really early in the game, so I'm not sure if anyone knows how effective the treatment has been so far.  All I know is that it has (obviously), been really hard on her, her husband, and the rest of her family.

My parents have been really awesome helping them out when they can, and from what I understand they at some point bought some stuff for her to have in the hospital.  When they tried to pay my parents back, my mom directed them to my fundraising page.  My mom said that a $25 donation should more than cover it.  Well, she certainly more than covered it.  I suppose this is her way of saying thank you to my folks, but I definitely owe her a big thank you as well.

So, if you could, I know she'd appreciate all the prayer she can get as she battles this cancer.  I do have her name, but as she did not post her name on the fundraising page, I don't know that I should necessarily post it here.  I'm sure if you pray for "Andy's Parent's Neighbor," God will know who you are talking about.

Again, thanks to everyone, and lets keep her in our prayers.

Well, the house passed the rescue plan and President Bush has signed it into law.  On the local front, all of my representatives, Senators McCaskill and Bond and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver have voted for the bill.  The interesting thing, of course, is that Cleaver has now voted for the bill that he voted against on Monday.  I actually heard him on NPR this morning and found the story on their website.

Here is what he said on the program:

"I concluded that there are some very, very smart people who believe that the failure for Congress to act would result in a cataclysma.  There are 800 bridges in the state of Missouri in need of repair or replacement, and the state right now is unable to get cheap financing that would enable them to do the projects."  (The narrator added)  Cleaver says Kansas City...can't get bonds sold for a water and sewer project, and he's worried about the Ford plant in town, too.

If I had to guess, and it would be a guess, it sounds like Rep. Cleaver got some calls from large organizations that are currently in need of credit and are finding it difficult to get any.  Apparently these opinions, along with the pressing of the democratic leadership, convinced him to change his mind.  I am not convinced that the pork sweeteners are exactly what cause him to rethink things (or at least I hope so).

Speaking of pork, the total cost of the tax breaks and credits that both sides threw in comes to around $110 billion.  That really sounds like Washington, doesn't it?  Constituents complain about the perceived enormous cost and bailout nature of the bill and what do our reps and senators do?  Make it more expensive.  Good thinking, guys.

As for myself, now that this plan is in motion I'm going to refrain from posting so many times about a single political subject.  I got a little excited when I received several google hits about the subject and suddenly I can't write enough about it.  Well, I think it's time to get back to subjects like Chipotle and Fantasy Football.  :)