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!