Off to Atlanta for a conference. I'm going to learn about hypertension for a few days. Oh, and a nice visit to the new Georgia Aquarium will be in the mix too.
Not much exciting has been going on here - a bike trip to Tahoe (no injuries), a trip to Toronto (see the parents), a nice camping trip (getting time in at the archery and rifle ranges), and local family stuff. The rest of the year should hopefully be as mellow.
September 16th, 2008 / 0 Comments / TrackbackAfter sitting down to watch the tape delayed (and DVR delayed) opening ceremonies and the accompanying NBC fluff, I have to say that the whole spectacle of the Olympics was more or less just that: a spectacle.
When I was in Taiwan for a summer (re)education trip for foreign-born chinese youth, they took us around to an "exposition" at a military base. At the base, we were treated to a performance of hundreds of soldiers performing a rehearsed coordinated martial arts routine. I'm presuming that the message was that Taiwan is strong enough to defend itself from the onslaught of China, but it was the same message that I got seeing the scale of the performances at the opening ceremonies.
I am astonished at the size of the chip on Chinese citizen's shoulders though. I thought I had a big chip, but that is nothing compared to Chinese nationalism. The complaints I have heard primarily focus on "why the international media keeps pointing out the negatives". Perhaps they should realize that the reason the rest of the world points out the negatives is to make themselves feel better about their own negatives - definitely a concept that the Chinese have not grasped yet.
Still, I must admit that I am intrigued by the medal count competition between China and the United States. That, and the fact that Canada has yet to win a medal three days into the competition.
August 11th, 2008 / 0 Comments / TrackbackAccording to a recent study from Allstate (all results here), Tucson is the safest city (with a population >500K) for drivers who are male, female, pre-baby boomer, baby boomer or Gen X. Allstate defines safe as the average number of years between collisions.
Interesting results that the data provides - not really sure what it means because I haven't really driven in too many other cities. I guess the presence of a large university that draws from Phoenix and California and no driver cellphone law doesn't really affect the stats at all.
July 8th, 2008 / 1 Comment / TrackbackI am Seattle bound for the weekend to go have fun with Paul and Taryn at Potlatch. Should be a blast.
Except for the whole "being tired before the vacation even starts" syndrome.
July 1st, 2008 / 0 Comments / TrackbackOn NPR this morning, they were talking to various people around the country about the price of gasoline. Clearly, it is high. Of course, there are many intertwined reasons behind the high price of gasoline. The segment that raised the biggest "what?!" in me was the person who was wondering "why doesn't congress do something about the price of gasoline?"
To which I just wanted to yell out at the radio - "Congress did do something about the price of gasoline. They authorized an invasion into Iraq. And then the American public voted them back into office". It isn't as if Congress is some deus ex machina that can swoop in and magically declare what the price of gas should be. Unless, of course, the American public seems to have an impression that Congress does have such power.
June 17th, 2008 / 0 Comments / TrackbackSometimes, I think newspaper reporters pick out the most headline grabbing people and write about them. Other times, I just hope that the previous statement is true.
From an article in the Guardian:
Johnny Telvor was not happy about Barack Obama becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Not happy at all.
Standing outside the sturdy courthouse in the sweltering heat of a West Virginia afternoon in the small town of Williamson, Telvor smoked a cigarette and bluntly gave his opinion of Obama's historic mission to be America's first black president.
'We'll end up slaves. We'll be made slaves just like they was once slaves,' he said. Telvor, a white Democrat who supported Hillary Clinton in West Virginia's primary, said he planned to vote for Republican John McCain in November. 'At least he's an American,' he added with a disarmingly friendly smile.