Friday, February 29, 2008
Tired, and a little soreish
I guess "soreish" is probably not a word, huh? Too bad. Language evolves. And you're now a witness. Don't scoff. Show some respect for my achievement in evolving the language. And don't tell me "evolving" can't be used in that sense. Language evolves. And you're a witness now, twice in one paragraph! Pretty special!
Perhaps I should be more respectful of my students. They're constantly evolving the language in the most remarkable and unpredictable ways! I've always thought they were simply illiterate. All the time, though, they've just been actively evolving the language.
Anyway, today was a pretty hard day. Had class, spent several hours grading and writing assignments and planning my new Conspiracy Theories course for this fall, and then went for a ride and run. Did 30 miles bike and 9 miles run again. At the end I was a good bit more tired than I usually am at the end of that workout. Must have been bad biorhythms.
Does anyone other than me still talk about "biorhythms?" That used to be a regular topic of discussion. But I don't think I've heard anyone talk about it for years. Anyone other than me, that is. I'm probably just not paying attention, though.
[excuse me for a minute....]
Oops. I'm embarrassed. I've never really thought in detail about biorhythms -- what people say they are. I've always thought the notion seemed reasonable. So many things in life and the world are cyclic (cyclical?)(went and looked it up -- synonyms, except that it seems cyclical is apparently more frequently used with respect to economic or financial cycles).
Anyway, I went (when I excused myself) to Google to look up Biorhythms. The first hit was for "Biorhythms Plus! 2008" software. Unfortunately, although the software was described as outlining everything you need to know about your biorhythms, which would have been OK, it also said it has info you need about astrology and numerology. Astrology and Numerology. Right there with biorhythms. Are biorhythms really on the same level as astrology and numerology?
Next stop? Where else but Wikipedia? Fascinating! Apparently biorhythms is pure bunkum, but there's a "legitimate" branch of science called "chronobiology" -- the study of biological cycles. Long term cycles like migration, reproduction and menstruation, and short term cycles like REM sleep, and the "nasal cycle," whatever that is.
So all this time I've talked about biorhythms, but perhaps I've actually meant chronobiology.
I didn't read enough to know whether science approves of my impression that I'm "with it" more on some days than others, even when I've had similar amounts of sleep and stress. That's what I've meant by biorhythms all these years. Today was definitely a down day, chronobiologically. ;-)
Or perhaps I just didn't eat right over the last 36 hours. I definitely know what I eat makes a huge difference in how I feel when I run or ride. I never noticed it as much when I was just biking, because -- I think -- running is harder (you can coast on a bike).
[Listening to Turandot. Love opera. What I mean is that I love opera. Not that Turandot is a love opera. But actually Turandot **is** a love opera. So I guess I meant that, too.]
[Now that I think about it, pretty much ALL operas are love operas.]
[Opera also is a bike brand. A spinoff of Pinarello. Beautiful bikes. If you haven't looked at high-end bikes lately, they are becoming almost works of art as much as functional machines. (Don't believe me? Go look up the Pinarello Montello FM1, and try to tell me it doesn't look like a piece of sculpture.) I really want a good bike. The problem is that it's gonna cost me thousands of dollars to get a bike that I really want. Can't justify that right now.]
And speaking of eating, I used the last of my Bragg's Aminos today when I was George Foremaning my chicken for lunch. (I love verbing words.) Gotta get more Bragg's. It's the best. Thanks to some friend of mine (who was that?) who introduced me to Bragg's. ;-)
But now it's really late and I've got to do a training session early tomorrow morning. So it's bye-bye blogland, hello slumberland.
Perhaps I should be more respectful of my students. They're constantly evolving the language in the most remarkable and unpredictable ways! I've always thought they were simply illiterate. All the time, though, they've just been actively evolving the language.
Anyway, today was a pretty hard day. Had class, spent several hours grading and writing assignments and planning my new Conspiracy Theories course for this fall, and then went for a ride and run. Did 30 miles bike and 9 miles run again. At the end I was a good bit more tired than I usually am at the end of that workout. Must have been bad biorhythms.
Does anyone other than me still talk about "biorhythms?" That used to be a regular topic of discussion. But I don't think I've heard anyone talk about it for years. Anyone other than me, that is. I'm probably just not paying attention, though.
[excuse me for a minute....]
Oops. I'm embarrassed. I've never really thought in detail about biorhythms -- what people say they are. I've always thought the notion seemed reasonable. So many things in life and the world are cyclic (cyclical?)(went and looked it up -- synonyms, except that it seems cyclical is apparently more frequently used with respect to economic or financial cycles).
Anyway, I went (when I excused myself) to Google to look up Biorhythms. The first hit was for "Biorhythms Plus! 2008" software. Unfortunately, although the software was described as outlining everything you need to know about your biorhythms, which would have been OK, it also said it has info you need about astrology and numerology. Astrology and Numerology. Right there with biorhythms. Are biorhythms really on the same level as astrology and numerology?
Next stop? Where else but Wikipedia? Fascinating! Apparently biorhythms is pure bunkum, but there's a "legitimate" branch of science called "chronobiology" -- the study of biological cycles. Long term cycles like migration, reproduction and menstruation, and short term cycles like REM sleep, and the "nasal cycle," whatever that is.
So all this time I've talked about biorhythms, but perhaps I've actually meant chronobiology.
I didn't read enough to know whether science approves of my impression that I'm "with it" more on some days than others, even when I've had similar amounts of sleep and stress. That's what I've meant by biorhythms all these years. Today was definitely a down day, chronobiologically. ;-)
Or perhaps I just didn't eat right over the last 36 hours. I definitely know what I eat makes a huge difference in how I feel when I run or ride. I never noticed it as much when I was just biking, because -- I think -- running is harder (you can coast on a bike).
[Listening to Turandot. Love opera. What I mean is that I love opera. Not that Turandot is a love opera. But actually Turandot **is** a love opera. So I guess I meant that, too.]
[Now that I think about it, pretty much ALL operas are love operas.]
[Opera also is a bike brand. A spinoff of Pinarello. Beautiful bikes. If you haven't looked at high-end bikes lately, they are becoming almost works of art as much as functional machines. (Don't believe me? Go look up the Pinarello Montello FM1, and try to tell me it doesn't look like a piece of sculpture.) I really want a good bike. The problem is that it's gonna cost me thousands of dollars to get a bike that I really want. Can't justify that right now.]
And speaking of eating, I used the last of my Bragg's Aminos today when I was George Foremaning my chicken for lunch. (I love verbing words.) Gotta get more Bragg's. It's the best. Thanks to some friend of mine (who was that?) who introduced me to Bragg's. ;-)
But now it's really late and I've got to do a training session early tomorrow morning. So it's bye-bye blogland, hello slumberland.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Thanks!
For all of my loyal readers out there, I'm sure you've noticed the new banner at the head of the page. It certainly adds pizazz to what was otherwise a really boring page. Of course, if you make the mistake of actually reading the blog, you'll get a real lesson in boring. The writing made the design seem absolutely scintillating!
But now, thanks to my friend Jennifer, I have a new banner atop the page. It looks like a marathon blog header ought to look: someone (in this case, me) coming across the finish line at a marathon. Jennifer applied her estimable artistic talents to the problem of Photoshopping (the blog is red-underlining that word, but how else would you spell that tense (progressive tense--I just took a minute to look it up)(sorry for the delay) of the verb "to Photoshop?") my picture to make it usable. (I hope I had enough nested parentheses there to confuse you adequately.)
[If any of you out there still have not taken the time to listen to Roscoe Holcomb, you really need to get with it. Granted, he's not for all the time, even for me. Perhaps even an acquired taste. But he's an important part of American musical culture. One of the original "high lonesome" bluegrass artists. Or at least one of the originals in my experience. I actually know almost nothing about bluegrass history.]
In any event, thanks for your help with the banner, Jennifer.
[We're having up to 40 MPH wind gusts outside right now. It's a little frightening. My run in the morning is going to be a challenge.]
For now, though, I'll say goodnight. Perhaps next post I'll go back to imparting wisdom. Maybe 2 items for now, though....
1. Hillary is almost toast. She's in the slot and the plunger is halfway down. And she's feeling it. And it's going to get a lot uglier before March 4.
2. Smartwool socks are far and away the best socks out there. Get some. You'll see.
But now, thanks to my friend Jennifer, I have a new banner atop the page. It looks like a marathon blog header ought to look: someone (in this case, me) coming across the finish line at a marathon. Jennifer applied her estimable artistic talents to the problem of Photoshopping (the blog is red-underlining that word, but how else would you spell that tense (progressive tense--I just took a minute to look it up)(sorry for the delay) of the verb "to Photoshop?") my picture to make it usable. (I hope I had enough nested parentheses there to confuse you adequately.)
[If any of you out there still have not taken the time to listen to Roscoe Holcomb, you really need to get with it. Granted, he's not for all the time, even for me. Perhaps even an acquired taste. But he's an important part of American musical culture. One of the original "high lonesome" bluegrass artists. Or at least one of the originals in my experience. I actually know almost nothing about bluegrass history.]
In any event, thanks for your help with the banner, Jennifer.
[We're having up to 40 MPH wind gusts outside right now. It's a little frightening. My run in the morning is going to be a challenge.]
For now, though, I'll say goodnight. Perhaps next post I'll go back to imparting wisdom. Maybe 2 items for now, though....
1. Hillary is almost toast. She's in the slot and the plunger is halfway down. And she's feeling it. And it's going to get a lot uglier before March 4.
2. Smartwool socks are far and away the best socks out there. Get some. You'll see.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Second post today....
[Warning! This is an "old school" post where I whine a little and talk about stuff I've already talked about a dozen times, till anyone reading it is going to say "Patrick, just get over it!" But that kind of reflection (that's what it is....) is the reason I started this stupid blog in the first place.]
Gee. I'm feeling kinda fatigued. No surprise, I guess. It's been a busy day, starting at 4 a.m., when I had to get up to make my carpool.
As I was riding I was thinking about the run. The same thoughts keep coming up. I did a 1:52 today. And I did it without really pushing myself. It would be cool to finish in under 1:50, and I am pretty sure I could have done that today, in spite of the hills and the wind, but I wouldn't have been as comfortable. I know it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. But, then again, it kinda does. Here's the deal: I want to have cool fast times, but I want to do it without having to push myself so hard that I don't have as much fun running. I'm afraid those are mutually exclusive goals. One of the guys with us today ran a 1:33. That kind of time is forever out of reach. And I don't regret that. If I'd started running when I was in my teens, the way he did (he's now 28), I'd be (or at least would have been) going that fast, too. The thing is: there are some sort of "barrier" times that it's sort of cool to be under. And 1:50 is one of those times for the half marathon. If you can run in the 1:40s you're kind of "one of the fast people."
I think the end of this is going to be that as I run more, 2 things will happen: 1) I'll naturally get faster, at least for a while, so some of those faster times will just naturally happen, and 2) I'll get over being a new runner, and I'll stop thinking about times as much. I'll just run for fun and not worry about it. That's not quite where I am yet.
OK. That's going to be all for tonight. Sorry for the boring post. (not that anyone is going to read this anyway, of course......)
Later --
Gee. I'm feeling kinda fatigued. No surprise, I guess. It's been a busy day, starting at 4 a.m., when I had to get up to make my carpool.
As I was riding I was thinking about the run. The same thoughts keep coming up. I did a 1:52 today. And I did it without really pushing myself. It would be cool to finish in under 1:50, and I am pretty sure I could have done that today, in spite of the hills and the wind, but I wouldn't have been as comfortable. I know it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. But, then again, it kinda does. Here's the deal: I want to have cool fast times, but I want to do it without having to push myself so hard that I don't have as much fun running. I'm afraid those are mutually exclusive goals. One of the guys with us today ran a 1:33. That kind of time is forever out of reach. And I don't regret that. If I'd started running when I was in my teens, the way he did (he's now 28), I'd be (or at least would have been) going that fast, too. The thing is: there are some sort of "barrier" times that it's sort of cool to be under. And 1:50 is one of those times for the half marathon. If you can run in the 1:40s you're kind of "one of the fast people."
I think the end of this is going to be that as I run more, 2 things will happen: 1) I'll naturally get faster, at least for a while, so some of those faster times will just naturally happen, and 2) I'll get over being a new runner, and I'll stop thinking about times as much. I'll just run for fun and not worry about it. That's not quite where I am yet.
OK. That's going to be all for tonight. Sorry for the boring post. (not that anyone is going to read this anyway, of course......)
Later --
The Cowtown
Well, I went to Fort Worth this morning and ran in the Cowtown Half Marathon. It was actually a pretty fun run, in spite of the hills, the wind and the chill. I did it just the way I want to: not running so hard that I'm uncomfortable, but not running so slowly that I don't feel good about it.
The fact that I ran "within myself" the entire race and still finished 4 minutes ahead of my time at the DRC Half shows how far I've come, fitness-wise. All my miles were sub-9 minute. I finished in 1:52:42, for an 8:36 pace. That was 22nd out of 86 finishers in my age group, 348th out of 1068 males and 451st out of 2033 total finishers. Times and placings are interesting, but the important thing is that I really felt good for the whole time. I've said my goal is to finish a sub-4 hour marathon this year, and I think I'm well on my way. If I were able to finish a full marathon in that same pace (I won't) I would run a 3:45 marathon. Perhaps by November, when I run the San Antonio Rock N' Roll Marathon, I'll be able comfortably to finish a sub-4. I'd like to be able to do it without totally making a mess of myself. We'll see....
A really fun thing about today was that I carpooled with 3 other guys to Fort Worth. I didn't know any of them before today, though I'd seen them hanging around at DRC training runs. We had a good time in the car talking about stuff. One guy is a former Marine who was in Iraq for the first Gulf War. He had some stories to tell. Interestingly, he was a Marine actually in the war for 3 months, and never fired a round from his rifle, he said. He said "the action" was always over a hill somewhere or by the time his squad got to the fight, the shooting was over ("I never thought anyone could be so anxious to surrender."). He also said he was just as glad it turned out that way, because he was "scared shitless" the whole time he was there. Anyway, by the time we got back to Dallas, they had all promised to come to REI to look at bikes!
We tried to go to Joe T. Garcia's after the run, but they weren't open yet. So we went across the street to Esmerelda's or Esperanza's or something like that. Owned by the same family as Joe T's. There was a bit of a line to get a table, and I solidified my friendship with the guys by bringing back a round of beer after my trip to the potty. Run a half marathon and stand in line at Estancia's (??) and have a beer at 10 a.m. What better way to spend the morning? And the migas was great.
I've got some grading still to do, but I think before I start I'm going to do a little bike ride. I don't **need** to do it, and I'm feeling a little tired, and it's still a little cool and windy, but I really feel like riding. So I'll just go and take it easy. Do just a couple of laps. This will have been my hardest training week by far. At least since the marathon. I will have done about 39 miles running and 50 miles riding. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I had any weeks that long even when I was training for the marathon. I'll take it easy next week. I don't want to overdo too much. That's how injuries happen, they say. In spite of all my aches and pains I've "suffered through," I haven't had any real injuries. I hope to keep it that way as long as possible. I suppose injuries are inevitable -- everyone says so. But I can do my best to limit them. Probably the best way is to continue to run as much as I can at Richland and Brookhaven, for the soft surfaces. I need to remind myself of that.
No politics in this post. Maybe later. Obama and Clinton are really going after each other now. I've been talking to people about going to their precinct conventions. Does everyone out there in blogland know they need to do that?
Going for a ride now. See ya later....
The fact that I ran "within myself" the entire race and still finished 4 minutes ahead of my time at the DRC Half shows how far I've come, fitness-wise. All my miles were sub-9 minute. I finished in 1:52:42, for an 8:36 pace. That was 22nd out of 86 finishers in my age group, 348th out of 1068 males and 451st out of 2033 total finishers. Times and placings are interesting, but the important thing is that I really felt good for the whole time. I've said my goal is to finish a sub-4 hour marathon this year, and I think I'm well on my way. If I were able to finish a full marathon in that same pace (I won't) I would run a 3:45 marathon. Perhaps by November, when I run the San Antonio Rock N' Roll Marathon, I'll be able comfortably to finish a sub-4. I'd like to be able to do it without totally making a mess of myself. We'll see....
A really fun thing about today was that I carpooled with 3 other guys to Fort Worth. I didn't know any of them before today, though I'd seen them hanging around at DRC training runs. We had a good time in the car talking about stuff. One guy is a former Marine who was in Iraq for the first Gulf War. He had some stories to tell. Interestingly, he was a Marine actually in the war for 3 months, and never fired a round from his rifle, he said. He said "the action" was always over a hill somewhere or by the time his squad got to the fight, the shooting was over ("I never thought anyone could be so anxious to surrender."). He also said he was just as glad it turned out that way, because he was "scared shitless" the whole time he was there. Anyway, by the time we got back to Dallas, they had all promised to come to REI to look at bikes!
We tried to go to Joe T. Garcia's after the run, but they weren't open yet. So we went across the street to Esmerelda's or Esperanza's or something like that. Owned by the same family as Joe T's. There was a bit of a line to get a table, and I solidified my friendship with the guys by bringing back a round of beer after my trip to the potty. Run a half marathon and stand in line at Estancia's (??) and have a beer at 10 a.m. What better way to spend the morning? And the migas was great.
I've got some grading still to do, but I think before I start I'm going to do a little bike ride. I don't **need** to do it, and I'm feeling a little tired, and it's still a little cool and windy, but I really feel like riding. So I'll just go and take it easy. Do just a couple of laps. This will have been my hardest training week by far. At least since the marathon. I will have done about 39 miles running and 50 miles riding. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I had any weeks that long even when I was training for the marathon. I'll take it easy next week. I don't want to overdo too much. That's how injuries happen, they say. In spite of all my aches and pains I've "suffered through," I haven't had any real injuries. I hope to keep it that way as long as possible. I suppose injuries are inevitable -- everyone says so. But I can do my best to limit them. Probably the best way is to continue to run as much as I can at Richland and Brookhaven, for the soft surfaces. I need to remind myself of that.
No politics in this post. Maybe later. Obama and Clinton are really going after each other now. I've been talking to people about going to their precinct conventions. Does everyone out there in blogland know they need to do that?
Going for a ride now. See ya later....
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
My weight
OK, all of you out there in Blogland, do I **really** look "emaciated?"
Aren't "emaciated" and "sick" the same thing? Do I really look sick?
Ron, a friend here at REI, told me this afternoon he thinks I look like I've been sick. That officially makes 3 people in the last 3 days who've told me I look either emaciated or sick. I don't think I look that way (that bad). In fact, I think I could stand to (read: would like to) lose a few more pounds. Not a lot more. But I've kinda been thinking I'd like to get down to 190. According to the National Institutes of Health, a 6' 3" person who weighs 197 has a BMI of 24.6. That's me. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is "Normal," according to the NIH. A weight of 200 pounds at 6' 3" gives a BMI of 25, which is officially overweight. According to the chart.
When I started running last April I was 232. "The Chart" said that was a BMI of 29, which is not far from 30, at which point one is "Obese."
Now I'm not saying I think "the chart" is the gospel or that the same parameters apply to everyone. I really am "big-boned" if anyone on the planet is. And I'm fairly athletic -- probably more than the average person. So my "real" (I'm having a "great time" using "quote marks" in this "post"...) ideal weight may well be something different from the average population. Or maybe not.
I do know one thing, though. The less I weigh the easier it is to ride the bike and to run. Those are good things, aren't they? I really don't think I'm making myself sick. I'm certainly not depriving myself. I'm eating plenty, and plenty of variety. Healthier, I think, than I've eaten in a long time, and perhaps the healthiest ever.
I have to admit, though, that being told I look sick 3 times in 3 days has gotten my attention. I'm just not quite sure what to do -- if anything -- with the information. In part, I'm hopeful that it's simply people who are accustomed to seeing me a lot heavier saying I look different, and illness is one of the common ways people lose a lot of weight. So even if I really look healthy, they associate illness with weight loss, so therefore I look sick.
It's late again. Seems like it is every night.
G'night Chet. G'night David.
Now I'm not saying I think "the chart" is the gospel or that the same parameters apply to everyone. I really am "big-boned" if anyone on the planet is. And I'm fairly athletic -- probably more than the average person. So my "real" (I'm having a "great time" using "quote marks" in this "post"...) ideal weight may well be something different from the average population. Or maybe not.
I do know one thing, though. The less I weigh the easier it is to ride the bike and to run. Those are good things, aren't they? I really don't think I'm making myself sick. I'm certainly not depriving myself. I'm eating plenty, and plenty of variety. Healthier, I think, than I've eaten in a long time, and perhaps the healthiest ever.
I have to admit, though, that being told I look sick 3 times in 3 days has gotten my attention. I'm just not quite sure what to do -- if anything -- with the information. In part, I'm hopeful that it's simply people who are accustomed to seeing me a lot heavier saying I look different, and illness is one of the common ways people lose a lot of weight. So even if I really look healthy, they associate illness with weight loss, so therefore I look sick.
It's late again. Seems like it is every night.
G'night Chet. G'night David.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Running in your mind
I went out today and did a little over 30 miles on the bike and then ran 15K. It was OK up till the end, when I ran into a little problem: the wind.
Starting in mile 2, I had decided to run all 9+ miles under 9 minutes pace. That's a pretty fast pace for me. I was fine until mile 7, when I spent an inordinate amount of time heading into a pretty stuff wind. When the Forerunner beeped at the end of the mile, I looked down and I'd done a 9:01 mile. I was pretty ticked.
(Anyone out there who loves James Horner's soundtracks, as I do, has *got* to have Legends of the Fall. It's amazing. Gorgeous. Accessible without being treacly. (Treacly like, for example, The Irish Tenors, which I like, but can't listen to too often or in public.) I've also got Field of Dreams, Braveheart, Titanic and Spitfire Grill. There are a lot more, and I'm sure I'd enjoy most of them.) Sorry for the interruption....
It ended up being educational, though. Because I got kind of discouraged, and mile 8 went 9:17. Then I went from discouraged to mad, because I hadn't intended to slow down. Mental state makes so much difference. I'd gone 9:17 not realizing I'd slowed. Mile 9 was 8:37, because I was focused again. The wind sucks the energy right out of you. And you've got to be careful not to let it affect your mental state. Running is not all in the lungs and the legs. As with any endeavor, I guess, it's very much in your head.
And speaking of mental states, how 'bout the states of Wisconsin and Washington (Hawaii doesn't stop voting for a couple of hours yet)? Obama totally spanked Clinton in WI, and McCain totally spanked Huckabee in WI and WA. Obama will increase his lead by 10 or 12 delegates, and McCain will do much better than that (Dem primaries are mostly proportional, and Rep primaries are mostly winner-take-all).
If Huckabee doesn't drop out after these two primaries, he starts to look like he's just in it out of spite. Those conservative Republicans are looking pretty stupid right now. They've got to know they have very little chance to win in November in any case, as unpopular as Bush and national Republicans are right now. But Huckabee is not dropping out even though he's got about 220 delegates to McCain's 930. It takes fewer than 1200 to win. So McCain could sleepwalk through the rest of the primaries and still win. So why is Huckabee still hanging around? He's been listening to Rush Limbaugh, who -- as bad as he always is -- has gone completely off the deep end against McCain.
If you want a Republican to win in November, you've gotta be at least scratching your head over why those guys are behaving that way.
If you want a Democrat to win in November, you've gotta be laughing all the way to the bank. (But the Dems are not without their problems, too. If March 4 doesn't settle it, and I do not think it will, Obama and Clinton could be sniping at each other all the way to the convention. It could get ugly. And in a normal year (if such a thing exists -- though with Bush at 30% approval, it's certainly not normal this year) the Dems would be making it almost impossible for themselves to win.
It's way too late for me to be typing. Later....
Starting in mile 2, I had decided to run all 9+ miles under 9 minutes pace. That's a pretty fast pace for me. I was fine until mile 7, when I spent an inordinate amount of time heading into a pretty stuff wind. When the Forerunner beeped at the end of the mile, I looked down and I'd done a 9:01 mile. I was pretty ticked.
(Anyone out there who loves James Horner's soundtracks, as I do, has *got* to have Legends of the Fall. It's amazing. Gorgeous. Accessible without being treacly. (Treacly like, for example, The Irish Tenors, which I like, but can't listen to too often or in public.) I've also got Field of Dreams, Braveheart, Titanic and Spitfire Grill. There are a lot more, and I'm sure I'd enjoy most of them.) Sorry for the interruption....
It ended up being educational, though. Because I got kind of discouraged, and mile 8 went 9:17. Then I went from discouraged to mad, because I hadn't intended to slow down. Mental state makes so much difference. I'd gone 9:17 not realizing I'd slowed. Mile 9 was 8:37, because I was focused again. The wind sucks the energy right out of you. And you've got to be careful not to let it affect your mental state. Running is not all in the lungs and the legs. As with any endeavor, I guess, it's very much in your head.
And speaking of mental states, how 'bout the states of Wisconsin and Washington (Hawaii doesn't stop voting for a couple of hours yet)? Obama totally spanked Clinton in WI, and McCain totally spanked Huckabee in WI and WA. Obama will increase his lead by 10 or 12 delegates, and McCain will do much better than that (Dem primaries are mostly proportional, and Rep primaries are mostly winner-take-all).
If Huckabee doesn't drop out after these two primaries, he starts to look like he's just in it out of spite. Those conservative Republicans are looking pretty stupid right now. They've got to know they have very little chance to win in November in any case, as unpopular as Bush and national Republicans are right now. But Huckabee is not dropping out even though he's got about 220 delegates to McCain's 930. It takes fewer than 1200 to win. So McCain could sleepwalk through the rest of the primaries and still win. So why is Huckabee still hanging around? He's been listening to Rush Limbaugh, who -- as bad as he always is -- has gone completely off the deep end against McCain.
If you want a Republican to win in November, you've gotta be at least scratching your head over why those guys are behaving that way.
If you want a Democrat to win in November, you've gotta be laughing all the way to the bank. (But the Dems are not without their problems, too. If March 4 doesn't settle it, and I do not think it will, Obama and Clinton could be sniping at each other all the way to the convention. It could get ugly. And in a normal year (if such a thing exists -- though with Bush at 30% approval, it's certainly not normal this year) the Dems would be making it almost impossible for themselves to win.
It's way too late for me to be typing. Later....
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Perhaps my worstest post ever
I hate the word (???) "worser." I've seen it twice on papers I've received on my students' current assignment.
None of them -- well, maybe 5 of my 85 or so students -- could write their way out of (some metaphorical place).
(INCREDIBLE thunder outside!!! I guess maybe I should turn off this computer. But I won't.)
They can't write. They can't follow the simplest and most often repeated (and, of course, written in the syllabus) instructions. They don't seem to care, even having been reminded several times over several days, that attendance -- or the lack thereof -- is going to have a direct bearing on their grades. I'm sure I will get lots of complaints and tons of whining when grade time comes around, but that always happens. They'll beg for "extra credit," since they will have earned very little credit in the normal course of the semester. Sorry, bub (and bubette).
Oh, well. Back to it, I guess. But if one more of them says "worser" I'm going to explode!
Oh.... One more thing. If my students are any indication, Hillary -- we're on a 1st name basis, you understand ;-) -- is toast. My students are convinced that it's Barack/John, with Barack winning a very close election. I'm not quite ready to go there, though. I'll wait until after March 4. And then reassess.
None of them -- well, maybe 5 of my 85 or so students -- could write their way out of (some metaphorical place).
(INCREDIBLE thunder outside!!! I guess maybe I should turn off this computer. But I won't.)
They can't write. They can't follow the simplest and most often repeated (and, of course, written in the syllabus) instructions. They don't seem to care, even having been reminded several times over several days, that attendance -- or the lack thereof -- is going to have a direct bearing on their grades. I'm sure I will get lots of complaints and tons of whining when grade time comes around, but that always happens. They'll beg for "extra credit," since they will have earned very little credit in the normal course of the semester. Sorry, bub (and bubette).
Oh, well. Back to it, I guess. But if one more of them says "worser" I'm going to explode!
Oh.... One more thing. If my students are any indication, Hillary -- we're on a 1st name basis, you understand ;-) -- is toast. My students are convinced that it's Barack/John, with Barack winning a very close election. I'm not quite ready to go there, though. I'll wait until after March 4. And then reassess.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Clinton
OK. One more thing tonight. I was going to bed, but in signing out of my e-mail, I saw a headline that pulled me in.
The Governor of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying there are "some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."
Sadly, I'm sure that's true.
The problem is that Hillary is so aggressively using this fact -- playing on it in a way that exacerbates racial tension and division -- in her campaign. Out of one side of her mouth, she's trying to present herself as a true progressive who's good for all Americans. Out of the other side, she's consciously -- I am absolutely convinced -- inflaming purely race-based opposition to her opponent. Governor Rendell, one of Hillary's early strong supporters, is not going to say something like this without vetting it with the campaign. It was a planned wink to racists telling them that it's OK for them not to feel guilty voting against Obama because he's Black. "Some of my best friends are Black, but even the Democratic governor of a large state says America is not ready for a Black president." It was just a couple of weeks ago that Bill made that remark comparing Obama and Jesse Jackson after the South Carolina primary. Just trying to remind folks that it was mainly the Black vote Hillary lost in in South Carolina. And Hillary, of course, retains "plausible deniability."
How do Hillary's Black supporters put up with it? I just don't know. The only way I can think of is that they think she's just doing what she has to do to get elected, and she's really their friend and will be good to them once she's the president.
It's no secret that I've never been a Clinton fan. This shit is why. It's just too bad that with heinous cryptofascist imbeciles like George Bush in charge, I can't be a Republican either.
The Governor of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying there are "some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."
Sadly, I'm sure that's true.
The problem is that Hillary is so aggressively using this fact -- playing on it in a way that exacerbates racial tension and division -- in her campaign. Out of one side of her mouth, she's trying to present herself as a true progressive who's good for all Americans. Out of the other side, she's consciously -- I am absolutely convinced -- inflaming purely race-based opposition to her opponent. Governor Rendell, one of Hillary's early strong supporters, is not going to say something like this without vetting it with the campaign. It was a planned wink to racists telling them that it's OK for them not to feel guilty voting against Obama because he's Black. "Some of my best friends are Black, but even the Democratic governor of a large state says America is not ready for a Black president." It was just a couple of weeks ago that Bill made that remark comparing Obama and Jesse Jackson after the South Carolina primary. Just trying to remind folks that it was mainly the Black vote Hillary lost in in South Carolina. And Hillary, of course, retains "plausible deniability."
How do Hillary's Black supporters put up with it? I just don't know. The only way I can think of is that they think she's just doing what she has to do to get elected, and she's really their friend and will be good to them once she's the president.
It's no secret that I've never been a Clinton fan. This shit is why. It's just too bad that with heinous cryptofascist imbeciles like George Bush in charge, I can't be a Republican either.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I know what you're thinking....
You're thinking: Patrick, what DO you think when people claim "divine intervention" because a fortuitous accident happened in their lives. For example -- when someone on a mission trip to Kenya comes home for a previously scheduled christian education conference just a week or so before the bulk of the post-rigged election violence starts. This person is apparently convinced that God was looking out for her personally, even though the departure from Kenya had been planned all along.
I think "What... do you think you're better than all the people who've died?" How many is it?
Sorry for the delay, I just went and looked. Over 1,000 people have died in Kenya as a result of politically and tribally motivated violence in the last couple of months.
So, God cares about you enough to arrange for a conveniently-timed departure, but he doesn't care an iota about all the thousands who've been killed and maimed and driven from their homes? Is that arrogant or racist or simply ignorant or delusional or some combination of all the above? (or perhaps it's just mindlessly repeating a formula they've heard from other folks at times) Sometimes it makes me want to scream. Sometimes it just makes me shake my head in puzzlement or dismay or something like that.
Then again, maybe you weren't thinking that at all. Maybe you were thinking: Patrick, why haven't you posted on your blog for 10 days? Well, I guess I've just been lazy. And I never really have anything that seems compelling enough to bother posting it.
So, does anyone out there care that I'm in the middle of a dispute with my mother (who seems not to be talking to me right now...) over politics? I suggested that if she wants a Republican to win in November (which she does) she'd be better off supporting McCain rather than either Romney or Huckabee. She'd been reading a bunch of far right crap and was scared that McCain is an arrogant liar who uses bad language. Personally, I'm agnostic as to McCain's personal characteristics. I'm simply not blind to the obvious fact that if your primary goal is to beat Hillary or Barack, you'd be better off supporting McCain.
[Love that Furry Lewis (on Pandora "Early Blues)]
My mother is one of those who can't bring herself to acknowledge the name Barack Obama. She'd rather refer to "B. Hussein Obama."
When I think about which Democratic candidate has a better chance against McCain, it's a tough choice. Hillary has huge negatives. She does have a strong core base of support. But she has so much baggage. She's probably the most polarizing figure to run for president in a long time. In my opinion, even more than Bush, Bill, Bush, Reagan, Carter, ... and then it gets murky. Looking back I think Ford must have been in a highly polarized position, but I don't think he personally was the center of it as much as the context (abetted by his pardon of Nixon). Nixon certainly had much broader support, and LBJ I'm not sure I remember well enough to separate history from contemporary impressions, which are what I'm talking about. And Hillary has to figure out how to work around the double-edged sword of Bill (and I think Bill may have been a net negative for her campaign so far, though I could easily be wrong about that).
Anyway, Hillary has problems, but so does Obama. He is, let's remember, Black. And his middle name is, as my mother reminds me, Hussein. (And it's not just the Hussein" part. "Barack Obama" seems so.... foreign.) Plus he's only been on the public scene for a very short time. And there's all that weird stuff about so frequently voting "present" or his seeming relationship with Tony Rezko (sp?). I guess, on balance, Obama may be stronger than Hillary.
Just went and looked again, and it's settled: Obama won all three opportunities to gain delegates today. He's now in front for the first time. (Of course, he's been in front considering pledged delegates for some time now. After today, though, he has more delegates even including superdelegates.)
Whether he's running against Clinton or Obama, McCain's biggest problem in the election will be George Bush. I don't know if any Republican can overcome the problems out there for them. It looks like it will take a campaign as inept as those run by Gore and Kerry for the Democrats to lose this time. Is it possible that another Democrat is going to run a poor campaign and lose an election that he or she should win? Perhaps....
Well, it's late and I'm a bit sad because tonight I missed a chance to hear what "Mr. Politics" would have had to say about these things. Oh, well.... Perhaps someone will report to me what a "real" observer has to say. ;-)
Hittin' the hay now. Had a good 9-mile run tonight. Spent most of it trying to write my book in my head. I've gotta figure out how to get this book written on paper (or on electrons, I guess). And I've gotta come up with EXACTLY the right title. The title will sell the book, if anyone is going to buy it at all. I can see it displacing "The History of Farting" at every register at Half Price Books! (I wonder if anyone ever actually buys THoF? I guess if no one bought it, they wouldn't leave it on display at their registers.)
Au reservoir....
I think "What... do you think you're better than all the people who've died?" How many is it?
Sorry for the delay, I just went and looked. Over 1,000 people have died in Kenya as a result of politically and tribally motivated violence in the last couple of months.
So, God cares about you enough to arrange for a conveniently-timed departure, but he doesn't care an iota about all the thousands who've been killed and maimed and driven from their homes? Is that arrogant or racist or simply ignorant or delusional or some combination of all the above? (or perhaps it's just mindlessly repeating a formula they've heard from other folks at times) Sometimes it makes me want to scream. Sometimes it just makes me shake my head in puzzlement or dismay or something like that.
Then again, maybe you weren't thinking that at all. Maybe you were thinking: Patrick, why haven't you posted on your blog for 10 days? Well, I guess I've just been lazy. And I never really have anything that seems compelling enough to bother posting it.
So, does anyone out there care that I'm in the middle of a dispute with my mother (who seems not to be talking to me right now...) over politics? I suggested that if she wants a Republican to win in November (which she does) she'd be better off supporting McCain rather than either Romney or Huckabee. She'd been reading a bunch of far right crap and was scared that McCain is an arrogant liar who uses bad language. Personally, I'm agnostic as to McCain's personal characteristics. I'm simply not blind to the obvious fact that if your primary goal is to beat Hillary or Barack, you'd be better off supporting McCain.
[Love that Furry Lewis (on Pandora "Early Blues)]
My mother is one of those who can't bring herself to acknowledge the name Barack Obama. She'd rather refer to "B. Hussein Obama."
When I think about which Democratic candidate has a better chance against McCain, it's a tough choice. Hillary has huge negatives. She does have a strong core base of support. But she has so much baggage. She's probably the most polarizing figure to run for president in a long time. In my opinion, even more than Bush, Bill, Bush, Reagan, Carter, ... and then it gets murky. Looking back I think Ford must have been in a highly polarized position, but I don't think he personally was the center of it as much as the context (abetted by his pardon of Nixon). Nixon certainly had much broader support, and LBJ I'm not sure I remember well enough to separate history from contemporary impressions, which are what I'm talking about. And Hillary has to figure out how to work around the double-edged sword of Bill (and I think Bill may have been a net negative for her campaign so far, though I could easily be wrong about that).
Anyway, Hillary has problems, but so does Obama. He is, let's remember, Black. And his middle name is, as my mother reminds me, Hussein. (And it's not just the Hussein" part. "Barack Obama" seems so.... foreign.) Plus he's only been on the public scene for a very short time. And there's all that weird stuff about so frequently voting "present" or his seeming relationship with Tony Rezko (sp?). I guess, on balance, Obama may be stronger than Hillary.
Just went and looked again, and it's settled: Obama won all three opportunities to gain delegates today. He's now in front for the first time. (Of course, he's been in front considering pledged delegates for some time now. After today, though, he has more delegates even including superdelegates.)
Whether he's running against Clinton or Obama, McCain's biggest problem in the election will be George Bush. I don't know if any Republican can overcome the problems out there for them. It looks like it will take a campaign as inept as those run by Gore and Kerry for the Democrats to lose this time. Is it possible that another Democrat is going to run a poor campaign and lose an election that he or she should win? Perhaps....
Well, it's late and I'm a bit sad because tonight I missed a chance to hear what "Mr. Politics" would have had to say about these things. Oh, well.... Perhaps someone will report to me what a "real" observer has to say. ;-)
Hittin' the hay now. Had a good 9-mile run tonight. Spent most of it trying to write my book in my head. I've gotta figure out how to get this book written on paper (or on electrons, I guess). And I've gotta come up with EXACTLY the right title. The title will sell the book, if anyone is going to buy it at all. I can see it displacing "The History of Farting" at every register at Half Price Books! (I wonder if anyone ever actually buys THoF? I guess if no one bought it, they wouldn't leave it on display at their registers.)
Au reservoir....
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Feeling old? (or just experienced....)
Had a race this morning. It was a 10K. I went out just to have a comfortable run, and did just that. Doug Steele, a former REI employee who's a pretty darn fast runner, was there and we met up before the start. We ran together until just after the turnaround, when he took off. As I said, I wasn't trying to go fast, so I was a bit surprised to find that I'd finished in about 51:53. That's pretty fast for me. An 8:21 pace. I didn't have my Forerunner, because I apparently didn't recharge it after my last outing on Thursday, and it died before the start.
Thursday was a weird day. INCREDIBLE wind. I did 3 laps on my bike and it was a real struggle. It was over 50 when I started, although it was really windy. I was riding leaning against the wind. I saw one guy up ahead of me actually blown down by a gust. Anyway, when I finished my ride I had intended to do a run. But with 40 mph gusts of wind and the temperature having dropped into the 30s (according to weather.com when I got home) I was not prepared. After just a little bit of run I gave it up. I felt kind of like a wimp, but not too much. That was the first time I've cut short a run like that for the weather.
Boring, I guess, for anyone but me.....
I think I'll report on an interesting (again, interesting to me....) school event.
Started doing my unit on Civil Rights this week. As a lead-in, I was trying to help them understand at least something about the Civil Rights movement. Part of that was playing for them the Gil Scott-Heron songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "Whitey on the Moon." (I'll bet it's been a long time since any of you out there have heard those!)
Of course they didn't understand a lot of the "ancient" cultural references (e.g., "The revolution will not put a tiger in your tank or a giant in your toilet bowl..." and of course they'd never heard of Hooterville) but I expected that, and even warned them not to be put off by it. On the other hand, I didn't expect to have to explain to them what "Whitey on the Moon" meant. They didn't know who Neil Armstrong was!!
I guess it's not a good thing that when I don't know something I tend to sit back and not say anything, hoping to figure it out from the conversation, unless it's clearly something important. Many of my students, though, are not that way at all. I had 5 or 6 hands up in all three classes, wanting to know "What did he mean by 'Whitey on the Moon'?" I think that's one of those things I would have sat back and waited for. At least for a while. I'd already told them we were going to spend some time talking about the songs. Oh, well. I guess I just expect too much.
Oh, and speaking of expectations, I somehow didn't realize that I wasn't going to get a paycheck from the District at the end of January. I suppose that makes sense, because I didn't teach any winter term classes. Somehow I was thinking I'd not gotten everything from the Fall yet. Oh, well (again....)
I'm going for a bike ride now. See ya later....
Thursday was a weird day. INCREDIBLE wind. I did 3 laps on my bike and it was a real struggle. It was over 50 when I started, although it was really windy. I was riding leaning against the wind. I saw one guy up ahead of me actually blown down by a gust. Anyway, when I finished my ride I had intended to do a run. But with 40 mph gusts of wind and the temperature having dropped into the 30s (according to weather.com when I got home) I was not prepared. After just a little bit of run I gave it up. I felt kind of like a wimp, but not too much. That was the first time I've cut short a run like that for the weather.
Boring, I guess, for anyone but me.....
I think I'll report on an interesting (again, interesting to me....) school event.
Started doing my unit on Civil Rights this week. As a lead-in, I was trying to help them understand at least something about the Civil Rights movement. Part of that was playing for them the Gil Scott-Heron songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "Whitey on the Moon." (I'll bet it's been a long time since any of you out there have heard those!)
Of course they didn't understand a lot of the "ancient" cultural references (e.g., "The revolution will not put a tiger in your tank or a giant in your toilet bowl..." and of course they'd never heard of Hooterville) but I expected that, and even warned them not to be put off by it. On the other hand, I didn't expect to have to explain to them what "Whitey on the Moon" meant. They didn't know who Neil Armstrong was!!
I guess it's not a good thing that when I don't know something I tend to sit back and not say anything, hoping to figure it out from the conversation, unless it's clearly something important. Many of my students, though, are not that way at all. I had 5 or 6 hands up in all three classes, wanting to know "What did he mean by 'Whitey on the Moon'?" I think that's one of those things I would have sat back and waited for. At least for a while. I'd already told them we were going to spend some time talking about the songs. Oh, well. I guess I just expect too much.
Oh, and speaking of expectations, I somehow didn't realize that I wasn't going to get a paycheck from the District at the end of January. I suppose that makes sense, because I didn't teach any winter term classes. Somehow I was thinking I'd not gotten everything from the Fall yet. Oh, well (again....)
I'm going for a bike ride now. See ya later....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
