Next week I may be even more sporadic than usual as we're getting ready to take a family trip. Note that if you travel with the kids or are visiting family, it's a trip, not a vacation.
We're flying to Denver, then driving to Boulder to say with friends. For the rest of the weekend we're going to be at their lake house with 2 other families. These are all people I've known for 20+ years, including our vacation buddies. There will be plenty of kids the HB's age as well.
Sunday evening (all the other kids have to go to school on Monday) we're gonna start a looooooooong drive to Carlsbad, NM. We'll stop near the CO/NM border for the night. The next morning we'll check out the Capulin Volcano before continuing to Carlsbad.
We have reservations to go on a ranger led tour of Carlsbad Caverns. We've been to some cool caves in Sequoia National Park, but we're really looking forward to this. After that, we'll head towards Albuquerque (with the obligatory stop in Roswell) and try to get there in the evening. It's going to be 3 serious days of driving. But, we have the audio books, DVD player, etc. Plus, it's new (to us) scenery, so it shouldn't be too bad.
I'll check in when I can.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Snarky Olympics
One of the great things about NBC showing so much Olympic coverage is that I almost never have to watch gymnastics. However, I do have a couple of suggestions when they show it:
When they show stats on the gymnasts, especially from the U.S., they should also show how many times the participant's parents had to refinance the house so their pixie could by just the right outfit, just the right coach and travel to just the right competitions. Want a great female Olympic story, here it is.
I saw some trampoline (!) competition whizz by. What's next? 3-legged race? Egg toss? That the Olympics would keep that and give baseball and softball the boot is beyond me.
Obviously, their looks have no impact on their ability to do their jobs, but it appears that NBC is hiring its female talent from the Ford agency. I dunno...maybe the female readers have a different opinion. But, ladies (and gay/bi men), stud alert--men's kayaking.
I'm looking forward to more track and field finals tonight.
The field hockey is fun to watch, if for no other reason that the players have weapons, but no helmets. Lacrosse is going to have to lose the headgear if they want back in.
The international players are back in awe of the U.S. men's basketball team. They are just KILLING people. I don't see any more games being closer than 25 points.
When they show stats on the gymnasts, especially from the U.S., they should also show how many times the participant's parents had to refinance the house so their pixie could by just the right outfit, just the right coach and travel to just the right competitions. Want a great female Olympic story, here it is.
I saw some trampoline (!) competition whizz by. What's next? 3-legged race? Egg toss? That the Olympics would keep that and give baseball and softball the boot is beyond me.
Obviously, their looks have no impact on their ability to do their jobs, but it appears that NBC is hiring its female talent from the Ford agency. I dunno...maybe the female readers have a different opinion. But, ladies (and gay/bi men), stud alert--men's kayaking.
I'm looking forward to more track and field finals tonight.
The field hockey is fun to watch, if for no other reason that the players have weapons, but no helmets. Lacrosse is going to have to lose the headgear if they want back in.
The international players are back in awe of the U.S. men's basketball team. They are just KILLING people. I don't see any more games being closer than 25 points.
Religion in the Public Square
I am not anti-religion. I couldn't care less which equally ridiculous creation story you believe in, as long as you don't force your enlightenment on others via the barrel of a gun (or other instrument of violence).
The fact of the matter is that we live in a christian country and there are significant number of people (though not the majority of voters) who vote for president based on which candidates flavor of christianity is perceived to be closest to their own. So, I applauded when mega-church pastor Rick Warren decided to have both Obama and McCain over for a chat (Bob Barr sued, and lost, to be invited to this nominally private event). This gave both candidates a chance to answer questions that christian conservatives supposedly care about. For McCain, it was a chance to burnish is anti-abortion bona fides (more about that later) and for Obama to espouse his faith to the 'true' believers.
The candidates were true to form. Obama gave longer answers which were either more nuanced or showed a lack of conviction (depending on how you feel about Obama) and McCain was more glib and went to his frequently used quotes. There are some who feel that McCain also may have had an advantage of going on after Obama.
For you pro-choice Hillz supporters who are thinking of not voting for Obama, I've got this for you:
Elsewhere, there was an interesting CA supreme court ruling about a doctor's right to not provide services (in this case, non-emergency artificial insemination) to people who's lifestyle conflicts with their religious beliefs (in this case, the doctor claims it's because the woman's not married, when it reality it's probably because she's gay). The court says that the doctor cannot discriminate as to whom she provides services based on sexual orientation. The case can now go to trial.
If the doctor is accepting state money to provide the services (and the LA Times article does not specifically mention this) or worked in a state facility, then I agree with the court. If the woman was going to pay through private insurance or out of her own pocket and the doctor is in private practice, the doctor should have the right to refer her to another provider. I don't see how in an non-emergency situation that doesn't involve public money that the rights of the person seeking treatment trumps those of the person providing it.
The fact of the matter is that we live in a christian country and there are significant number of people (though not the majority of voters) who vote for president based on which candidates flavor of christianity is perceived to be closest to their own. So, I applauded when mega-church pastor Rick Warren decided to have both Obama and McCain over for a chat (Bob Barr sued, and lost, to be invited to this nominally private event). This gave both candidates a chance to answer questions that christian conservatives supposedly care about. For McCain, it was a chance to burnish is anti-abortion bona fides (more about that later) and for Obama to espouse his faith to the 'true' believers.
The candidates were true to form. Obama gave longer answers which were either more nuanced or showed a lack of conviction (depending on how you feel about Obama) and McCain was more glib and went to his frequently used quotes. There are some who feel that McCain also may have had an advantage of going on after Obama.
For you pro-choice Hillz supporters who are thinking of not voting for Obama, I've got this for you:
Asked at what point he believes life begins, McCain immediately said: “At the moment of conception.”
“I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies,” he said, after receiving thunderous applause.
Just saying.Elsewhere, there was an interesting CA supreme court ruling about a doctor's right to not provide services (in this case, non-emergency artificial insemination) to people who's lifestyle conflicts with their religious beliefs (in this case, the doctor claims it's because the woman's not married, when it reality it's probably because she's gay). The court says that the doctor cannot discriminate as to whom she provides services based on sexual orientation. The case can now go to trial.
If the doctor is accepting state money to provide the services (and the LA Times article does not specifically mention this) or worked in a state facility, then I agree with the court. If the woman was going to pay through private insurance or out of her own pocket and the doctor is in private practice, the doctor should have the right to refer her to another provider. I don't see how in an non-emergency situation that doesn't involve public money that the rights of the person seeking treatment trumps those of the person providing it.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Class and Grace
I (finally) caught up on Friday's late night Olympics coverage of DVR today. One of the best parts was the interview with Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz. Why Spitz isn't at the Olympics is beyond me. He's only one of the two greatest male Olympic swimmers in our history.
Some record holders who lose their crowns are nonplussed while others are pricks about it. Spitz could not have been more gracious in the interview. He didn't damn Phelps with faint praise, nor did he diminish his own accomplishments or patronize Phelps with insincere self-deprecation. I don't know if the interview is being streamed on the NBC Sports website (I'd go there now, but it would spoil tonight's events for me since it's all on 3 hour delay here in LA), but you can read a transcript here.
It's hard to lose something that you value with grace. When we have something we like or treasure we think that we are going to have it forever. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. After tonight, Michael Phelps may take away a record from Mark Spitz. But, last night, Spitz showed displayed character that can never be taken away.
Some record holders who lose their crowns are nonplussed while others are pricks about it. Spitz could not have been more gracious in the interview. He didn't damn Phelps with faint praise, nor did he diminish his own accomplishments or patronize Phelps with insincere self-deprecation. I don't know if the interview is being streamed on the NBC Sports website (I'd go there now, but it would spoil tonight's events for me since it's all on 3 hour delay here in LA), but you can read a transcript here.
It's hard to lose something that you value with grace. When we have something we like or treasure we think that we are going to have it forever. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. After tonight, Michael Phelps may take away a record from Mark Spitz. But, last night, Spitz showed displayed character that can never be taken away.
.01 Seconds to Greatness
The HB made it back yesterday. He had a great time and he claims that he got some sleep (but was vague about when his slumber started). It was fun hanging with him yesterday and we talked a bit about what we wanted to do tonight.
If you're interested, you know by now that Michael Phelps tied Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals at a single Olympics by winning the 100 meter butterfly by .01 seconds. How he completed a stroke while the Milorad Cavic was reaching for the wall is beyond me.
Before the race Cavic, who's apparently a slow learner despite being a Berkeley grad, said that it would be good for swimming if Phelps didn't win the 8 golds. Why on earth would he piss Phelps off? Didn't he learn anything from the French? You can also throw Cavic into the sore loser category with this quote (from the NY Times), “If we got to do this again, I would win it.” Uh-huh.
Phelps has one more race, the team 4x100 medley relay (he'll swim the 100 butterfly). It's a race the US has never lost in the Olympics.
If you're interested, you know by now that Michael Phelps tied Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals at a single Olympics by winning the 100 meter butterfly by .01 seconds. How he completed a stroke while the Milorad Cavic was reaching for the wall is beyond me.
Before the race Cavic, who's apparently a slow learner despite being a Berkeley grad, said that it would be good for swimming if Phelps didn't win the 8 golds. Why on earth would he piss Phelps off? Didn't he learn anything from the French? You can also throw Cavic into the sore loser category with this quote (from the NY Times), “If we got to do this again, I would win it.” Uh-huh.
Phelps has one more race, the team 4x100 medley relay (he'll swim the 100 butterfly). It's a race the US has never lost in the Olympics.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bachelor Livin'
So far, so good. No homesick calls from the HB and the wife had dinner with a friend of ours from when we lived in Boston.
My thinking for dinner was, "Hm...what can I make that neither my wife or the HB will eat?" The answer: very spicy seafood jambalaya. And I had a secret ingredient: one of the HOT Thai peppers my friend brought me the other day. By HOT I mean remembering washing my hands a couple of times before taking a leak, even an hour after cutting them and washing my hands about 100 times.
I had a late conference call with my Hong Kong client (while the jambalaya was in the oven), then started going through the Olympic DVR backlog. Bummer about Amanda Beard not even qualifying for the semis in her event.
I was talking to someone about Olympic basketball, and I made some comment about no one from the World Champion Celtics (typing that makes me want to puke) being on any of the teams. His retort was that the Olympics was the true world championship because there were teams representing countries. That's a typical European nationalistic view of the world. There probably aren't any players on a non-NBA team that could start in the NBA. Why do I say that? Because the NBA scouts the Euro/Asian leagues and pays the best players enough money for them to come here. Are there some NBA players signing in Europe? Of course there are, just like ther are major league baseball players who play in Japan. Are they starting players? No. The exception to this rule might be high school players who choose not to play for one year in college.
So, what determines the best team in the world? The best team a country can put together or the best team made up of players from a variety of countries? I can see the argument for the former, but the latter is the truest test.
I'd be remiss if I didn't wish Jen a happy birthday.
My thinking for dinner was, "Hm...what can I make that neither my wife or the HB will eat?" The answer: very spicy seafood jambalaya. And I had a secret ingredient: one of the HOT Thai peppers my friend brought me the other day. By HOT I mean remembering washing my hands a couple of times before taking a leak, even an hour after cutting them and washing my hands about 100 times.
I had a late conference call with my Hong Kong client (while the jambalaya was in the oven), then started going through the Olympic DVR backlog. Bummer about Amanda Beard not even qualifying for the semis in her event.
I was talking to someone about Olympic basketball, and I made some comment about no one from the World Champion Celtics (typing that makes me want to puke) being on any of the teams. His retort was that the Olympics was the true world championship because there were teams representing countries. That's a typical European nationalistic view of the world. There probably aren't any players on a non-NBA team that could start in the NBA. Why do I say that? Because the NBA scouts the Euro/Asian leagues and pays the best players enough money for them to come here. Are there some NBA players signing in Europe? Of course there are, just like ther are major league baseball players who play in Japan. Are they starting players? No. The exception to this rule might be high school players who choose not to play for one year in college.
So, what determines the best team in the world? The best team a country can put together or the best team made up of players from a variety of countries? I can see the argument for the former, but the latter is the truest test.
I'd be remiss if I didn't wish Jen a happy birthday.
Bachelor Plus
This morning my wife caught a 7 am flight to Boston through Sunday. At 8:10 am, the bus will pick up the HB for camp where he is staying overnight until I pick him up at 4:15 on Friday. So, it's 28 hours of a quiet house. I'm very psyched.
On a more serious note, Russia has found a good excuse to show its ass in Georgia. OK, Georgia pretty much started it by trying to put down the pro-Russian separatists in South Ossetia. So, Russia decides to, well, put down their ex-separatists. Their incursion is clearly a message to all of the ex-Soviet republics (or those who want to be) that Chechnya was an aberration and they better watch themselves.
On a more serious note, Russia has found a good excuse to show its ass in Georgia. OK, Georgia pretty much started it by trying to put down the pro-Russian separatists in South Ossetia. So, Russia decides to, well, put down their ex-separatists. Their incursion is clearly a message to all of the ex-Soviet republics (or those who want to be) that Chechnya was an aberration and they better watch themselves.
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