A pile of articles, brutal. Real grad school...

Starting school equals mixed feelings. Always happy to progress my schooling, but now I am back to A. Shit!

RSA Animate – Empathic Civilisation

RSA Animate – Empathic Civilisation

The power of empathy and the human condition.

What is a PhD?

http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/

This is what a PhD is, a pimple of knowledge.

Summer Ending

This summer is slowly coming to an end, something I am sad to see happen. have been working a fair amount at both IBR and for the census, looking forward to next summer when there is no census and I just have to get projects done...wait, no that sucks.

Evite

I think that evite is one of the worst programs on the planet. Does not work in Chrome (a fairly old, established, and highly used browser), it asks for far too much information when signing up, and it times out/does not warning you it times out after having spent a lot of time working on something.

Terrible program...last time using it since.

Game Post....still steaming ahead

Game is advancing
So many pieces to make
Not sure how it ends.

Bumpter Meter, Broken

The Bumpter Meter
Can take a mighty big hit
But died recently.

Two nights in a row
Our bed has become a scent hell
Hotdogs are the cause.

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

I have been wanting to read this book for quite some time now, and I still will, but this is a great resource. I LOVE this type of learning!!

Sad Salary

Salary Comparison is a tool where you can calculate how long it takes any one of a number of NBA players to earn your salary. For my measly salary Kevin Durant only has to play 0.1 games, or 3.81 minutes, to earn what I do in a year. To add more sting to this I would have to work for 850 years to make the same that Durant does in one season!

Bell’s back with Jazz | The Salt Lake Tribune

Bell’s back with Jazz | The Salt Lake Tribune

The Jazz are making some moves this off-season, which is rare and very much needed. They are bringing in F/C Al Jefferson from Minn. and they just added SG Raja Bell from Golden State. Both fill holes left by Korver and Boozer, and though it means the Jazz will not keep up-and-coming player Wesley Matthews, they will be saving money and get some great players.

News is they are not finished yet, I am already excited for the season!

Former Idaho State star dunks on Terrell Owens at Rucker Park - The Dagger - NCAAB� - Yahoo! Sports

Former Idaho State star dunks on Terrell Owens at Rucker Park - The Dagger - NCAAB� - Yahoo! Sports

Love to see Owens get dunked on, such a chump.

Wow

Yeah, Obama, Hitler, and Lenin are all pretty similar...

Cavaliers: Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Cavaliers: Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Lebron gets ripped by his former boss/owner of the Cavaliers. He used all his chips for this off-season, just to make fans all around the country pissed off at him for his lack of respect for so many franchises.

Lebron/the Heat are now villains, who would have thought that with people like Wade and James being on the same team? I am definitely routing against them from here on out, even if they play the Lakers. Wow, that almost stings to say...

5 Year Anniversary

It has been 5 years since Lindsey and I were married up in Rose Sachs Gardens in Parleys Canyon, UT. Wow how time flies.

I think about all that we have been through, the ups (mainly) and downs, the adventures we have shared, the conversations we have had (either talking to or talking at one another, hey...it happens), and it just seems like yesterday that we first met at SLCC.

Here are a couple of pictures from that lovely day many moons ago...









I LOVE YOU LINDS!!!

New Leviathan Whale Was Prehistoric "Jaws"? (Pictures)

New Leviathan Whale Was Prehistoric "Jaws"? (Pictures)

Reading a great book, In the Heart of the Sea, that discusses early 19th century whaling. I cannot imagine what some of these people went through out on the open ocean, and this book further illustrates the plights when a whale actually attacks (and sinks) a ship, leaving the crew to bounce around the giant Pacific Ocean clinging to their lives.

Have not finished it, but I know it does not end well given that the opening of the book describes only two of the sailors sitting in a tattered vessel sucking the bone marrow our of their fallen whalers.

Makes me feel pretty luck to be both on dry land, and with access to plenty of food and water. Speaking of which, I am thirsty....

Delta

Planning to fly home
If only the prices were
Within our budget.

Round-trip for a grand
Is pretty rough at this point,
Hell, at any point.

Ceiling Fan

Installed a new fan;
Ceiling, white, with three bright lights.
Took only 2 days.

Free Agency

The NBA Free Agency is alive, and here are my guesses as to where people will end up:

1. Lebron James - Chicago Bulls
2. Dwayne Wade - Miami Heat
3. Chris Bosh - Chicago Bulls
4. Joe Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
5. Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks
6. Paul Pierce - Boston Celtics
7. Amare Stoudamire - New York Knicks
8. Carlos Boozer - Miami Heat
9. David Lee - New Jersey Nets
10. Rudy Gay - New Jersey Nets

These picks are all somewhat random, with a bit of hearsay slapped into them, but overall mainly hunches. I will grade these picks once they are announced.

Oil Spill

Here is a live feed of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Devastating disaster, to say the least. Big changes are needed, both in terms of regulation, but moreso in terms of our needing to change our reliance on unnatural energy sources.

Why?....

Our time is so short,
Should not waste it on garbage
Words should be savored.

.....

1am fighting
Why are we talking about
Whatever we are.

ESPN & NBA Free Agency

I love sports, pretty much all of them. I am particularly fond of sports I grew up playing (basketball, football, soccer) but I am also interested in those I have zero connection to other than video games or a brief stint attempting to play (hockey, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse).

For all the great parts of these sports, the downside is that there is eventually an off-season. This is largely true for professional and college ranks (who cares about H.S. sports other than those attending the schools, I mean really). There is always a portion of the year where the interest of the fans dwindles, gets caught up in some other sport or in life in general, and then has to be rekindled when the season comes around again. Some sports are better suited for this (baseball probably has the best season, stretching from spring training in late February through Free Agency in November, only missing the hectic holiday season, plus they are the only major sport aside from golf, racing, and tennis to compete during the dog days of summer), whereas basketball, football, and hockey largely overlap one another. I am still not a fan, nor do I ever see myself being a big fan of baseball, but they did chose a nice schedule.

The NBA is capitalizing on their off-season this year with a huge group of superstars that are free agents. James, Wade, Bosh, Stoudemire, Nowitski, Johnson, Boozer...big names, with A LOT of $$$$ waiting for them somewhere in the league. There have been hundreds if not thousands of articles written about free-agency this year, which is definitely not standard protocol.

It is funny how much time has been spent examining the possibilities of where players will go, who they are talking to, whether or not there will be an NBA superstar "summit" held somewhere to figure out where players are going to go, etc. My favorite is this, and NBA slot machine to see where players will end up. Fantastic, if only it worked that way in real life.

Golden Goals

World Cup is coming,
Will be starting in 10 days,
Best sporting event.

Catching Up

A post per day, hmm.

Seems pretty easy, yes/no?

Need to catch up soon.

Mental Block?

Creating own game.
Hard to envision in action.
Hope it is not crap.

Athens Transit

Insane bus drivers.
Slam gas to floor, brake to floor.
Repeat frequently.

Confederates Melting

I think the South lost
The Civil War due to this
Mind stifling heat.

Census Lost

Missing census work,
Mainly the mileage pay.
And time estimates.

1 Hour Later

Apparently the
Bus schedules are off a bit.
Waiting equals sweat.

New Assignment

Starting RA job,
Have own office, pretty chill.
Little victories.

Bus

Waiting for the bus,
Sweating my duff sitting.
Humid days are rough.

Driving-Wedge

Driving home from Atlanta last night, at around midnight,there are large stretches of road with a speed limit of around 65. The journey itself is around 70 miles and it can take awhile to get back to Athens (simple math would say 1.8 hours, but there are stoplights as well).

There are not any street lights, it is fairly rural, and there is the temptation to go a little above the requested mph to make better time. Given that both Bri and Linds were exhausted, and I wanted to get them as home asap, I had an additional incentive to push the limit a tad. Answer: Driving-Wedge.

That sounds like a golf club, but in fact it is a formation for a group of cars to form while they all push the boundaries of the "Speed Limit". Strength in numbers perhaps, extra highlights and eyes on the horizon for possible Five-O, and the possibility that the highway patrol will either ignore us or only pull over one person are compelling reasons to be a part of a Driving-Wedge. I have been in them before, generally in groups of 3 or 4, but last night we had a unique blend. 

I found an ideal Driving-Wedge and we all held a fairly regular "W" formation on a two lane highway, with three cars in one lane and two in the adjacent lane, each of them staggered. There were the occasional slow drivers that we would approach/pass and the two right laners, or sadly sometimes the three left laners would have to slide over and the formation would realign (I will skip the diatribe of slow drivers in the left lane) , with different positions being taken by those cars in the suitable positions, but overall the wedge held. 

The "W" was solid for about 20 miles or so but one car eventually peeled off and we took a trapezoid shape, which changed positions as we went along, and as some cars pushed to the front to lead the wedge (a good Driving-Wedge always needs a shifting pole position, to test both each driver's commitments to the wedge and see if they are willing to pace the group); overall, it held firm for a solid 50 miles.  

Without reporting my exact speed to avoid incriminating myself, we made record time. I wish I could have contacted those other drivers to give a digital high five via text, seen here as a  IIII_ or possibly a (5)_, or a real high five, but we all knew it was a well executed D-W and I appreciated their willingness to stick with it. Well done fellow I-316ers (aka University Parkwayers), particularly my Silver XTerra wingman. 

Nice work, and I hope to see you next time I am traveling to/from Athens.

Logo Sprawl: Had to post this

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

401(K) Actually Increased in Q1 of 2010...first step?

Lost Time

I have missed out on a couple posts already and am starting to doubt my 365/365 goal, but I am here to make up for some misses thus far.

Still working on the census, though at this point I am definitely just pushing through to the finish rather than enjoying the moment. Not that I was ever truly enjoying the moment, but it has not been all that bad. I have had some interesting moments with people, from getting slapped in the face (mosquito was on me) to people thinking I was some kind of auditor for the government (mainly worried about losing housing assistance, or Medicaid), but overall it has been fairly mild. Only three people have refused to answer my questions, and there have only been four people that I could not understand (due to accents or lack of proper English, mainly a combination of both).

Another couple of days and I will be done though, which is good for the mind, bad for the wallet.

Census

Working for the man
On a Sunday afternoon
Time and a half? Nope

Jazz...I know, can't let them go

Here is what I will always remember when I think of the 2009-10 season for the Utah Jazz (well this and the fact they beat the Nuggets in 6 games during Round 1).

Thanks for the memory Sundiatta (from U. of Georgia!).

RIP Utah Jazz 2009-10 Season

Having been swept by the hated/dreaded/feared/hated LA Lakers, at home, in an embarrassing fashion, is going to make the off-season for the Jazz a cloudy one. Granted they were somewhat reeling from a couple of key injuries (Kirilenko, Okur), their last stance at home was a sad one. At one point they trailed Pau Gasol and the Lakers (he was the driving force, Kobe was just complimentary) by 22 points in the second quarter, and though they made a valiant effort and brought it back to within 5 during the third quarter, that hole was just too deep to climb out of.

That is pretty much how the games between these two teams goes: Lakers get up by double digits, Jazz make a run and close the gap (occasionally taking the lead), and then the Lakers big men/Kobe hit the Jazz in the jugular and send them into a downward spiral of missed threes, forced shots, and turnovers. Sad to see such a potent team fizzle out at the most important time of their season, which brings this back to the off-season questions.

Will Carlos Boozer stick around? 

I am torn. He is great during the regular season, but when it comes to the playoffs he has the tendency to shrivel-up and complain to the refs more than go after the basketball. Perhaps his shrinkage is in part due to him being placed at the Center position where he is just too short to compete. Strange to say someone who is 6'8" as too short, but for the C position it is the case.

What draft position will the Jazz get in the lottery?

With rights to the New York Knick's first round draft position the Jazz are currently sitting at the #9 position in the lottery, though that can change if fate deems it so. Will the Jazz get lucky and move up a couple spots?...would be nice to see, but certainly not counting on it.

What will happen to Korver, Matthews, Fesenko, Gaines, and Jeffers?

Korver has indicated he wants to stay in Utah, though does Utah want to keep him? Certainly an excellent shooter (on occasion), but is a defensive liability. 

Matthews is one of the bright spots at the end of this playoff season, showing that he can play fairly solid defense (though Kobe torched him a number of times, but that is a rough assignment for a rookie). He can hit the three-ball and he has shown an ability to drive the lane and hit free-throws. Jazz should keep him, but how much will they pay?

Fesenko is a beast, but reminds me too much of Ostertag. Size is not everything, especially when you cannot hit free-throws/anything outside of about 5". Decent backup, but keep either Fesenko or Koufos...no need for both.

Gaines/Jeffers are still too raw to gauge at this point, though Gaines did pour in 7 points in the final 2 minutes of game 4 (when the Lakers were asleep). Jeffers looks promising, but needs more minutes. The pair should command less than $1.5 million, probably worth keeping around.

How are the Jazz going to revamp themselves to compete with taller, longer teams?

For the Jazz to reach the next level (WCF or Finals, not to mention Champions) they need to make some changes. Okur is going to be out for the first part of next season and is not a "big man", he is just tall. Boozer is a question mark (though Millsap looks like a nice replacement if he does leave), and there is a desperate need for some size in the paint. At the #9 position in the draft there a couple of players that looks like a decent fit (in order of my personal preference, if they are still available): Cole Aldrich from Kansas (6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan), Hassan Whiteside from Marshall (7'0"), Demarcus Cousins from Kentucky (6'11"), and lastly Donatas Motiejunas from Lithuania (7'0", though his game mirrors Nowitski, which is good and bad). Any one of these players would be a great signing for the Jazz, for now it is just a waiting game.

Brightest point of the season ending?

I get my nights back! The 10:30pm tip-offs (with 1:30-2am conclusions) have been rough. I can watch the highlights now, perhaps some of the Finals (depending on the teams...do not really care to watch the Lakers anymore, unless they are down in the series), but I will not have an ongoing date of staying up late.

...well, until the World Cup rolls around next month. Oh the life of a sports junkie!

"Click"

Sometimes we all need

A reset button to press;

Start your day over.

Gail's Mother's Day Video

Here is a video that we created for Mother's Day. A little Q&A session to show our love.

Heartache

Just watched the Jazz lose a nail-biter to the lakers (refuse to capitalize) in the playoffs. They are now down 0-3 in a best of seven series, meaning they will have to win four in a row to beat them and advance to the next round. Certainly improbably, but not impossible. 

Why sports? Why do I torture myself with loving teams that are good, but never great. So painful, and yet I continue to travel this dark path.

Go...ja......(0-3....)......it hurts to say it at this point. I still have hope though....somehow.

Semester Complete

Just submitted my final papers for the semester; phew. Though I should feel pretty good about this, it is just yet another hurdles on my path to Professorhood.

A rough calculation puts my "pages" this semester at around 90 (only for school work, excluding other projects). Not bad actually, mainly clumped into several large works. Transitioning into the summer, where I will continue to work on my dissertation and finalize my thesis/prep it for publication, is going to be a strange process. Last summer I immediately went from school to rafting, back to school. This summer is a bit more open, I am looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

2009-2010 school year, check.

Census Training: Haikus for you-s

Here are a couple of raw haikus I came up with during Census Enumerator Training:

Census work is fun?
Title 13 protects us,
I like extra cash.

Training days are long,
Too many questions are asked.
My brain is now numb.

Vampire households
They are difficult to find;
Note, wear some garlic.

Basketball court sounds;
I think a baby was born,
With a ball in hand.

Filling out these forms,
It is going to haunt me.
This room is shrinking.

Beyond Words

In the midst of watching another painful Jazz playoff loss to the Lakers, a game that kept me up until 1:44am (being a fan of a Western Conference team in the NBA does not work very well if you live in Georgia), this was one of the lone bright spots of the night. I cannot say where I received this gem, you just need to sit back and enjoy the show.



I have not seen any moves like this on the basketball court, sadly. This agility should come through playing b-ball, rather they both look a bit too Frankensteinian.

Perhaps they are in the wrong profession?..

Census Training

I started training as a census worker today, should be an interesting gig. To get to this point though there was an initial testing process, a 30 question booklet that determined whether or not your skills were adequate enough to gather information for governmental hair splitting and local funding.

Having gone through some basic-to-medium grade statistics courses there seems to be much better ways at getting this information through representative sampling techniques, which would not only be much less expensive, but it would also be more accurate than door-to-door data collection. Other than providing a handful of jobs at a opportune time, why are we still utilizing a broken and costly system?

Back to the initial test. Here is a sample question you may expect to find on the test:

"If you walked 5 miles in one direction, then turned 180 degrees and walked 4 miles, how far from your starting point are you?


a) 37 miles
b) 1 mile
c) Jupiter
d) Banana peel"

Ok, that may not be an exact question that you would have seen on the test....it actually seems a bit too difficult (I mean there are angles, turning, AND walking involved).

With such a rigorous weeding out process and a technique that is loaded with flaws, this has to work....right?

My World

Here is a video of what I live for, my two girls. This was shot at Memorial Park in Athens, Ga, and I cannot help but love so many things about it.



These gorgeous girls love each other so much it is indescribable, as is my love for each of them.

I think that surrounding ourselves with love is fundamental to progression in life, be it in family, work, education, recreation, or religious spheres. If you do not love, or at the least enjoy, what you are engaged in then there is little chance of continuous pursuit, or accomplishment. Granted there are those who strive not based on love but rather on a myriad of other factors (money, fame, glory, necessity, etc.), but the most sustainable fuel is a deep desire, which is just one sliver of the larger concept of "love".

Find what you connect to, and stick with it. Success will define itself.

My Darling Brielle

Sadly I just realized that I have not posted anything about little Brielle, the cutest and sweetest thing to hit this globe since Samoa cookies and puppies started making babies.

I did actually post something when she was kicking Lindsey's gizzards, but not since she graced our lives. There is nothing like being a parent and feeling the love for a child. Various people had expressed that notion When she looks up at me with sheer love and amazement (not because I am amazing, mainly because I am doing strange things that she [or Lindsey] do not understand), I cannot help but largely forget any troubles that may be lingering in my mind. 

I am a sports fanatic, which will probably surface multiple times in this 365 voyage, but even when I witnessed a brutal defeat of a favorite team last year, something that would have normally lingered for hours, I looked over at her and my feelings about the game shriveled. Granted they did not disappear entirely, but they shrank considerably when she raised her arms toward me, signalling her wish for me to pick her up and hold her. I obeyed, happily.

Sweet Brielle, a life changer. 

1:365

Georgia

Living in GA,

Rolling green hills, lots of rain

This is not the West.

University

Baldwin Hall, 421

My studying nest.

Taking Theory, Stats;

Religion and some Pro-Sem

And TA for Beck.

Looks like a good fit.

Lots of Profs to work with here,

Time to grind it out.

Ironman Brother

Just watched my brother finish the Utah Ironman in a little under 15 hours. 15 hours!

In the last 15 hours I have played some tennis (non-competitively), went for a drive, took a nap, played with Brielle, ate lunch (and dinner), watched some NBA playoff basketball, put off writing a research proposal, and of course I have been watching the live feed waiting for him to come in (we are in Georgia, he is in a similarly named, but vastly different, St. George, UT).

Though in terms of sheer numbers of events I have surpassed him (I mean really, he only did one thing all day long), but in accomplishment terms I am dwarfed a thousand fold.

Congrats Nick, proud beyond these measly words!