An Ode To Maybe
[Recent Entries][Archive][Friends][User Info]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Kevin" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
|
10:49 pm
[Link] |
46 Days Without Soda: Day 46 +1, Now I'm Done
I was all ready to get a big-ass soda yesterday, but the store was closed for Easter. The final tally is 47 soda-free days! The toughest times were in the first three days and I feel like I could have continued for at least another week if I had chosen to do so. Right now I have 44 ounces of Mountain Dew in me and I definitely feel the caffeine. Hopefully I will sleep relatively normally tonight.
I plan to cut my soda intake by at least half. It will be better for me, my wallet, and the environment (fewer Styrofoam cups in the trash). Don't worry, I won't write about it!
|
|
07:57 pm
[Link] |
46 Days Without Soda: Day 35
I just realized today that Easter is not until Sunday the 11th, making this Lent 46 days instead of the 40 that I was expecting! I'm sure I can wait one more week for sweet, sweet Dew, but I was all ready to be done with this self-denial business.
|
|
11:12 pm
[Link] |
40 Days Without Soda: Day 17
Still going strong. I haven't had any special cravings for soda. At lunch I have lemonade or something sweet, and then water or milk for dinner. I've also been drinking tea occasionally. To me it tastes like very lightly flavored water, and I don't really understand the appeal. Maybe I'm making it incorrectly. I followed the directions on the box.
I am frustrated that it has been easy for me to break, or at least postpone, a bad habit for an arbitrary reason, but it is so difficult when the reasons are important. I don't know how I am supposed to learn from this experiment. If I try to drop other bad habits as random experiments, am I just skirting the underlying cause? Who knew soda could lead to such dilemmas?
Current Music: Metallica - Of Wolf And Man (Live)
|
|
06:27 pm
[Link] |
A moment of brilliance
Today I spontaneously decided to try tea for the first time outside Asian restaurants. Although it rained earlier in the day, it was sunny at the moment and so I decided to walk the two miles to the grocery store with a jacket but no umbrella. About two-thirds of the way there, rain just starting dumping out of the sky. It was like one of those tidal wave rides at amusement parks where you get wet if you stand near the bottom of the hill. I was soaked in about ten seconds and the rain continued to fall heavily for another three minutes. Every step caused water to squelch out of the tops of my shoes. I gained at least 10 pounds in absorbed water. The first thing I did once I got to the grocery store was buy some Ziplocs so I could protect my phone on the way back. Of course, when I left the store the sky was clear and the sun was shining down and mocking me. Despite several years of schooling with good grades I haven't learned to stay indoors during bad weather. I take some comfort in the fact that an umbrella would not have helped.
Current Mood: soaked
Tags: weather
|
|
09:37 pm
[Link] |
40 Days Without Soda: Day 5
My friend has decided to give up carbonated beverages for Lent, including beer but not Guinness (its bubbles come from nitrogen). It made me wonder whether I could give up soda for 40 days, let alone one week. On most days I have a medium (20-oz) soda for lunch and then a 44-oz soda, usually a variety of Mountain Dew, after work. These Den Pops cost only 75 cents but contain roughly 403 calories. I used to have them just once a week but over time it became a daily habit. If all goes well I'll save $30 from Den Pops alone.
Today is the fifth day and I'm going strong. I had headaches for the first two days but I think they were from dehydration as much as lack of caffeine. In place of soda I've rediscovered milk and tap water. I'm positive I can last a week and optimistic about 40 days.
Tags: food
|
|
09:37 pm
[Link] | Three things that must be invented immediately:
- Some sort of durable, factory-applied coating that physically or chemically prevents ice buildup on airplane wings
- A similar coating to prevent ice accumulation on runways
- A weather machine
Any and all of those inventions would have been very useful at the beginning of my winter break. I flew home (or tried to) on the 20th, but Mother Nature chose to release a century of pent-up winter frustration all over the Pacific Northwest.
( A three-hour tour becomes a three-day journey )
My return trip to Indy and back to campus was completely normal with no weather delays. Waiting in my mailbox was a voucher from Southwest and a letter of apology for the hassle. There was nothing they could have done about the weather, but they could have dropped us in a city that has regularly-scheduled flights to Portland so we could get on standby, or at least had a better plan for keeping the lot of us informed about our options. To their credit, all of the agents were polite despite the enormous amount of frustration that was being unfairly directed at them. No one could have anticipated such a colossal "Artic Blast." The local news stations promoted the hell out of that name. I bet the graphics department got overtime.
Happy New Year!
Current Mood:  tired
Current Music: Incubus - Dig
Tags: vacation
|
|
07:04 pm
[Link] |
Proud to have done my duty
I had planned to vote on campus yesterday, but the line was around the building and I heard someone say it would take two hours. Over here we can vote at any polling place in our district, so I walked a couple of blocks and stood in line for just 35 minutes. I was surprised that so many students were registered locally, but also encouraged. I'm proud that my vote was among those that gave the state to a Democrat for the first time since 1964. It was a slim margin of victory.
This election was more exciting for me than the previous two. The debates were actually interesting to me and I found myself forming opinions (*gasp*) about the issues. Actually, I think the excitement comes from being absolutely sure I made the right choice.
|
|
10:34 pm
[Link] |
Weird coincidence
Several months ago I watched Dr. Randy Pausch's last lecture about achieving one's childhood dreams. I remember feeling amazed that someone who could be so upbeat and energetic in the face of terminal cancer. Last week I saw his book, inspired by that lecture, at Borders and I wondered how he was doing. Last night I had an unusually difficult time sleeping. I kept tossing and turning in that state of half-sleep that isn't nearly as satisfying as the real thing, but I did manage to dream. In my dream I was in the auditorium for that last lecture and I felt even more inspired than I did when I watched it on YouTube. Maybe in my state of semi-sleep I knew that soon I would have to get out of bed and go to work, which has lately been a source of anti-inspiration, so I needed to stock up on inspiration while I could. Maybe I miss the undergrad days of big lecture halls and folding desks. Or maybe it was just a really awesome lecture. The combination of a vivid positive dream and a fitful sleep left me very unsettled when I awoke. Minutes later I turned on my computer and learned that Dr. Pausch passed away this morning. Then I felt really unsettled. I don't know if there is a point to this post, but since it is technically a blog I will assume not. Go watch his last lecture and try to change your life in a positive way. That's what I'm going to do now.
Current Mood:  thoughtful
Current Music: Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Tags: random
|
|
02:12 am
[Link] |
Quakin' like the oats
According to the timestamps I haven't made a substantial post since October. Since that post I went snowboarding for the first time, went to Washington, DC for a work thing, and learned that my cousin is better at fake guitar than I am at the real thing. Now that we're caught up, allow me to comment on some other events.
The 5-year reunion was awesome. I went in expecting to see a bunch of former ME classmates and having to explain why I am still in grad school, but fortunately that did not happen. Instead I spent the entire time with my B2 friends mixing nostalgia with tales of life after college. My undergrad years were the best four years of my life and every day I think about how lucky I am to have had that experience. It was interesting to see how everyone was mostly the same but still slightly different than they were five years ago. The changes really sneak up on you. Maybe 15 years from now we'll all be whining about the estate tax and "young people" and their music. Maybe I'll own a car by then.
On Friday morning I was awakened at 5:30am by the earthquake centered in southern Illinois. My bed was shaking (not from the usual means, heh h-- oh, who am I kidding) and my door was rattling against the jamb. This continued for what felt like 30 seconds, during which time I hoped I wouldn't have to get out of bed and descend all of those stairs to leave the building for no good reason. Fortunately I didn't have to. It was actually kind of scary. There were a few smaller earthquakes when I lived in Oregon but we always seemed to be out of state when they happened. At the 15-second mark of this quake I felt a pang of fear. You can hide in a basement and escape the wind and rain, but you can't leave the earth. A doorway won't protect you from much in a tall building if things really go sour.
( Books and works of literature with words in them )
Go see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 'Tis funny.
Current Music: Metallica - Outlaw Torn (Live)
Tags: books, movies, tv, vacation, washu
|
|
01:39 pm
[Link] |
Happy Birthday, The Simpsons!
Today is the 18th anniversary of the series premiere of The Simpsons, entitled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." Happy Birthday, TV show!
Current Mood:  jubilant
|
|
05:24 pm
[Link] |
The future is now
My dad sent me this link to an article about Gibson's new "robot" guitar. It tunes itself by measuring the vibrations from the strings and adjusting tension accordingly. As this video shows, it's extremely easy to use. Now if only it could play itself to make the user look more competent...
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Current Mood:  content
Tags: guitar
|
|
10:46 pm
[Link] |
Go Bears!
"He was tased in the ass for a prolonged period of time." Way to make us look good, bro. [via Fark]
I should really post an update about myself soon.
Current Mood: mildly embarrassed
Current Music: Metallica - Master Of Puppets (Live)
Tags: washu
|
|
07:33 pm
[Link] |
Climbing the ranks of the literati
I've been reading often lately, and I think it's because of very lucky choices in reading material. Also, I want to read as much as possible before the new TV season starts. Here's the latest update on the books I've finished:
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain -- I don't get the Food Network so I don't watch his show, but this story of his career as a chef is illuminating. It doesn't make me want to become a chef (I could never handle the constant stress and rushing) but it does make me want to cook more for myself. As soon as I design a kitchen that fits in my dorm room I will get right on it. I learned why one should never get brunch on Sunday and never order fish on Monday.
I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle -- This one, written by a former writer of The Simpsons, tells the story of the wildest night of Denis Cooverman, a highly intelligent but socially awkward high school student. During his commencement speech Denis declares his love for the girl of his dreams (see title) and chaos ensues. I had some doubts about this book when I first heard of it. Will I be able to relate to a character who blurts out random science factoids when talking to women? Can I buy into the premise that good students are not necessarily admired by their high school peers? The story is more realistic than the fairy tales presented in most teen comedy movies but it still manages to be more uplifting than those movies. I also laughed out loud at least once per page, which hasn't happened with any other book I've read. I finished the whole book in less than three days, which is markedly faster than other books I have read recently. It's not that I'm a slow reader, I'm just very busy and important. Pick up this book if for no other reason than to laugh at the chapter intro art that evolves with the story.
Current Mood: rejuvenated
Current Music: Queens Of The Stone Age - I Was A Teenage Hand Model
Tags: books
|
|
07:06 pm
[Link] |
Back to class ... for others! Not me.
The new semester has begun but very little changes for me in terms of my schedule. I used to loathe having to adjust my research habits to accommodate new classes, but I almost miss having that way to mark the passage of time. Now it seems like all of the semesters just blend together for me as if I exist in a separate time stream from the undergrads. In a way I do, but I miss the normal tick-tock of switching from one semester to another.
We have lately been organizing and taking inventory of our labs, and this has inspired me to do a similar thing for my own possessions. I have discovered that I own enough books to fill half of a shelf. So now the back part of my dresser displays my collection of spy thrillers and non-fiction books. During the course of setting up this miniature library I found that I have no proper bookends. I don't have many things that can be used as bookends. Most of the objects I considered were either too lightweight or too small for the job. I have a jar of peanut butter that might work, but what happens when it's almost empty? What happens when my allergies force me to use all of the tissues in the box? My books will fall over, that's what will happen! I fear that the miniaturization of technology will one day render all household objects too small to keep a few books from falling over, forcing us to buy actual bookends. That's when Big Bookend will reap tremendous profits and its executives will light enormous cigars with gold-plated lighters before flying to work on their personal gold jetpacks. But we don't read very many books in this country, so that probably won't happen.
Speaking of books, I finished The Physics of Superheroes and I tackled Executive Orders by Tom Clancy. At nearly 1400 pages, there is enough material for two or three action-packed movies. Then I read The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie, star of the Fox TV show House. It is a spy novel loaded with lots of dry British humor. It was written in 1996, but today it most closely resembles the show Burn Notice on the USA network. Next up is Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I'm not a gourmand by any means (my idea of a fancy meal is getting the salad with grilled chicken and fruit on top of greens at Panera) but I hope I will understand enough of the culinary references to stay interested.
I would not be myself if I didn't mention some of the movies I have seen in the past couple of months. Superbad is my second-favorite movie of the summer, behind Knocked Up. It was honest, realistic, and last but not least, vulgar. There were a lot of parallels between me and the character Evan. The Bourne Ultimatum was the best of the trilogy and it makes me want to read the book even though there are no commonalities save for Jason Bourne. Rush Hour 3 was better than the trailers made it look, but I am glad that series is over. The Simpsons Movie was better than most episodes of the recent seasons but it was not the defining moment of the series. And it shouldn't be the defining moment. At nearly 90 minutes it accounts for less than 1% of the total footage of the series. To expect it to deliver the same amount of laughter as the top 90 minutes of the 18+ seasons to date is unreasonable. It was a great movie and I enjoyed all of the gags that cannot be shown on broadcast television.
Aside from watching movies and organizing my room (so fun!) I have purchased a frisbee golf disc called The Goblin (manufacturer's name, not mine) and I played a round at the local course. It's fun, especially with trees and other obstacles. I've also been going out to the bars in town with some coworkers, but that might get tough soon because of all of the undergrads. They're a rowdy bunch.
Current Mood:  chipper
Current Music: Queens Of The Stone Age - Turnin' On The Screw
Tags: books, movies, school
|
|
08:35 pm
[Link] |
Bender's back, baby!
Futurama will return to the world in November via a straight-to-DVD movie which will then be split into episodes for Comedy Central. Enjoy the clip while it lasts. You might have to strain to hear the dialog over the sweaty nerd laughter (it's from Comic Con).
Current Music: Metallica - Hero Of The Day (Live)
Tags: tv
|
|
10:49 pm
[Link] |
New York vacation
I'm not sure why the busiest weeks at work always happen right after a vacation. This week was like that, and it didn't even involve catching up with old projects, but rather it involved lots of new stuff. Even Saturday was busy with work-related activities. But today I finally have time to sit down and write about my trip to New York last week. Enjoy this suburbanite's tales of "city folk" and tall buildings.
( The fantastic voyage )
As I said before, this past week was very busy. I had a lot of projects at work, including some supervisory work, and I helped plan a barbecue for the research group on Saturday. The weather cooperated and everyone had a great time. I even got to work on my man skills at the grill for a while. That turned out to be a good thing because I did a very un-manly faceplant during a game of ultimate frisbee. I was sprinting after an opponent and the top half of my body started to move faster than my lower half and I went down hard. I had better luck on the basketball court, where I discovered that my skills had not completely atrophied during the past several years.
This week it's all about Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers, and Ratatouille. And learning how quantum physics applies to the Atom.
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: The Refreshments - Nada
Tags: vacation, work
|
|
08:07 pm
[Link] |
Trunk Monkey
I came across a compilation of amusing commercials for a Portland-area car dealer. Aside from the obvious hilarity of a monkey, a local news station ran a story about one of the commercials. I think the date of the newscast was actually in 2006, not 2002 as shown. The best part is when the anchor encourages viewers that if they want to see more of the hilarious monkey from the commercials, they should tune in to the news later that day.
Current Mood:  amused
|
|
08:18 pm
[Link] |
Traveling to sunny SoCal
It's been a busy three weeks. The semester ended, my loud neighbor moved out, and I made my video debut at a work-related conference. I am referring to the video that was shot at the same time as that photograph I referenced a while back. The first half of the video was mostly close-ups of me staring impatiently at the equipment. Replace the equipment with a dying rose and it would have made an excellent art-house movie. I learned that the big screen does not flatter me. My head looked like a zeppelin with ears.
I spent the second half of last week in Los Angeles (California) attending my sister's graduation. Surprisingly I was not offered any development deals, back-end points, or drugs, but I saw a monkey wearing a hat and I learned that I have bigger feet than John Wayne. So saddle up and ride with me to a land where broken dreams hide behind pastel shirts and frosted hair!
( Thursday: Hollywood and a headache )
( Friday: Campus, commencement, and cheesecake ... and math! )
( Saturday: Santa Monica performers )
I flew home on Sunday. Not much to say about that. No new sunburns or expandable mathematical sculptures there. I'm glad I made it out to L.A. to see my sister graduate. She kicked ass in school and I'm proud of her. Now she has to deal with the real world, ha ha!
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Queens Of The Stone Age - Go With The Flow
Tags: vacation
|
|
10:08 pm
[Link] |
Free comics!
This Saturday, May 5th, is Free Comic Book Day. It's a chance to get into comics if you've never read them before or get into titles you've simply never read before. Check out the official website for more information, including a partial list of the free books and a locator to find participating stores in your ZIP code.
It's finals week here. Last week there were all sorts of year-ending activities for the students, including a barbecue/showcase for the ME senior design projects. I'm jealous of the budgets for these projects. One of them was an oversized wheelchair that transformed into a sort of bed for moving obese patients in a hospital. They must have spent a fortune on motors and controllers for that thing. Last year a group developed a transporter similar to a Segway. Our acrylic drifting ocean data float may have been cheap, but it worked and had an awesome video to go with it.
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Queens of the Stone Age - Everybody Knows That You Are Insane
Tags: comics, school
|
|
07:45 pm
[Link] |
Science rules!
Last weekend Purdue hosted a conference entitled "Space and Society: Challenges and Opportunities." I attended the keynote speech, given by science educator and bow tie enthusiast Bill Nye the Science Guy. He bounded onstage, wearing one of his famous red bow ties, and delivered a funny and passionate speech about how we need to get excited about space exploration again. Why? Because we don't know what we'll find! That's the joy of discovery! One of his best stories began with his father's imprisonment in a Chinese labor camp in WWII (it gets better). During his time there, he developed an interest in sundials which he explored further after the war ended, and eventually he wrote a book about sundials. A few years ago when his son (Bill) was asked to work on the Mars rovers, Bill convinced the design team to incorporate a sundial into the rovers. It is part of a device used to calibrate the colors on all of their photographs. So besides millions of dollars worth of the latest technology, we have placed a device on Mars that has been used by humans for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. It's a neat legacy.
Bill Nye is also a big fan of our own planet. It's not too cold like Mars nor too warm like Venus. He illustrated Venus' climate by climbing onto a chair and pretending the carpet was hot lava. Also it rains sulfuric acid and the acid evaporates before it hits the ground because the ground is so hot. He spoke of global warming and encouraged as all to "dare [he] say it ... change the world!" The goal is to reduce energy consumption 80% by 2050. Switch to fluorescent lights and that's 30% right there. He was a very good speaker and I miss watching his TV show, but apparently he has another one on PBS now.
Purdue has a news release about an upcoming manufacturing event on campus. Notice the handsome gentleman performing scientific research while wearing stylish protective goggles. Here's a large version of the picture that you can set as your wallpaper ... for science. No, I don't normally sit that close to the experiments and I don't know why it appears to glow red. It's actually a bright yellow.
I finally found some of the new Ben & Jerry's flavor Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. It's vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone bits, a caramel swirl, and a whole lot of truthiness. Buy some or you're a communist.
Current Music: The Refreshments - Down Together
Tags: food, school, science
|
[<< Previous 20 entries] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
calhobbes81's journal