I watched two episodes from the reality TV show "30 Days." Episodes from Season 1 and 3 are available on Hulu.com. The show is produced by Morgan Spurlock, the same guy who did the well-known documentary "Supersize Me." The idea is that for 30 days, someone has to experience a life experience very different from his/her own or someone has to interact with people he/she disagrees with, for 30 days. Hence the name of the TV show.
I watched "Minimum Wage," an episode where Morgan and his fiancee try to work minimum wage to support themselves for 30 days, and also "Same Sex Parenting," an episode where a mom against gay parent adoption stays with a two dad family for 30 days.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I found the episodes well-done and enlightening. I often read about social injustice or minority discrimination but good documentary TV like this really drives home the emotions behind the issues.
16 August 2008
13 August 2008
George Orwell on clear writing
George Orwell wrote this nice essay about obfuscated writing and how to avoid it. He was responding to the political writing culture of his time (1946).
I used to worry about my writing on this blog, but nowadays I write crappy first drafts. After using Wordle to look for common words in my blog, I have become more vigilant about excising superfluous words, such as "just." I like how blog writing has made me throw words on a page without worry, but I would like to practice good writing now and then. As Orwell says, bad writing comes from laziness. Eventually bad writing leads to poor thinking, even for bright people. I'd like to avoid that result.
I used to worry about my writing on this blog, but nowadays I write crappy first drafts. After using Wordle to look for common words in my blog, I have become more vigilant about excising superfluous words, such as "just." I like how blog writing has made me throw words on a page without worry, but I would like to practice good writing now and then. As Orwell says, bad writing comes from laziness. Eventually bad writing leads to poor thinking, even for bright people. I'd like to avoid that result.
Ronda Rousey, judo terror
I read a New York Times profile on Ronda Rousey, a 21 year old American woman who is competing in judo at the Beijing Olympics. The Boston Globe did a nice profile on her as well.
I was fascinated for a number of reasons. The next sport I want to try is a martial art and I'm heavily leaning towards a grappling discipline like judo. Also, Rousey is from California. How can I not feel kinship with a fellow Californian? Well, a southern Californian but I'll forgive that.
In particular, I was struck by Rousey's personality. How often do you hear about a girl who trashes both girls and guys in a martial art? Rousey is brash, hates to lose, and outrageously quirky. She even keeps a blog at rondarousey.net where she writes things like "it’s a big turn off if I can beat up a guy easy, "i set up a mean hookah", "when i’m waaay too comfortable i drool in my sleep." She once said in an interview in response to what people should know about her: "Not all jocks and blondes are dumb. Because if that's true, then I would be doubly dumb, and I'm actually not that dumb."
She is also a courageous young woman who survived her father's suicide and came back to judo after a turbulent period when she ran away from home.
Yesterday in Beijing (today in America), Rousey won a bronze medal in 63-70 kg women's judo. Way to go Ronda!!!
I was fascinated for a number of reasons. The next sport I want to try is a martial art and I'm heavily leaning towards a grappling discipline like judo. Also, Rousey is from California. How can I not feel kinship with a fellow Californian? Well, a southern Californian but I'll forgive that.
In particular, I was struck by Rousey's personality. How often do you hear about a girl who trashes both girls and guys in a martial art? Rousey is brash, hates to lose, and outrageously quirky. She even keeps a blog at rondarousey.net where she writes things like "it’s a big turn off if I can beat up a guy easy, "i set up a mean hookah", "when i’m waaay too comfortable i drool in my sleep." She once said in an interview in response to what people should know about her: "Not all jocks and blondes are dumb. Because if that's true, then I would be doubly dumb, and I'm actually not that dumb."
She is also a courageous young woman who survived her father's suicide and came back to judo after a turbulent period when she ran away from home.
Yesterday in Beijing (today in America), Rousey won a bronze medal in 63-70 kg women's judo. Way to go Ronda!!!
10 August 2008
Rent review
I went to see a Sunday matinee of Rent at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City today. I wanted to see it before Rent closes on September 7.
Rent was originally performed on Broadway in 1996. The music, lyrics, and book were all written by Jonathan Larson, a promising young composer. Unfortunately, Larson died shortly before the show's first off-Broadway performance.
I remember Rent being a huge hit during my freshman year in high school. My high school choir sang "Seasons of Love" for our Valentine's concert (as well as "Loveland" from Stephen Sondheim's Follies!) I also have some family friends (a few years younger than me) who are big fans.
Going into today's matinee, I had only previously seen the movie and listened to the movie soundtrack. I was pretty disappointed despite my great view from a front row center mezzanine seat. The sound was over-amplified and the energy level of the cast overall seemed low. The singing was subpar compared to the movie. I did like the actors who played Mark and Joanne.
It's interesting to think about why I got hooked onto this musical after seeing the movie. At the time (about three years ago), I related to the angst of feeling alone and helpless. Today, I felt the same, but I also appreciated the theme of relationships. A friend of mine told me recently: "Relationships are hard." I thought the song "Tango Maureen" was pretty funny especially when Joanne sings: "She cheated / She cheated / Maureen cheated / F**kin' cheated / I'm defeated / I should give up right now / Gotta look on the bright side / With all of your might / I'd fall for her still anyhow." Then later in the second act, Maureen and Joanne sing their spat duet "Take me or leave me," which is equally amusing.
However, it was bizarre to watch the actors create "bohemian" New York on stage. I couldn't relate to a bunch of HIV-positive people who are so poor that they burn scripts to heat their apartments. I simply don't have any friends with life-threatening chronic illnesses. As many people have pointed out, HIV is no longer a death sentence, so the musical is dated.
I haven't changed my mind about my favorite songs. The musical numbers that resonate most with me revolve around the theme of love/friendship/being alone: "Seasons of love," "Life support," "Will I?" Also, the songs "La vie voheme" and "Take me or leave me" are extremely fun and entertaining if you are in a sassy, rebellious mood.
I'm still glad I went to see Rent, though I wish it had been better. Maybe by putting together my live viewing today and the movie, I get a feel for the original Broadway cast, which everyone claims was fantastic. After 12 years on Broadway, Rent feels old and the producers have wisely made the decision to move on.
Rent was originally performed on Broadway in 1996. The music, lyrics, and book were all written by Jonathan Larson, a promising young composer. Unfortunately, Larson died shortly before the show's first off-Broadway performance.
I remember Rent being a huge hit during my freshman year in high school. My high school choir sang "Seasons of Love" for our Valentine's concert (as well as "Loveland" from Stephen Sondheim's Follies!) I also have some family friends (a few years younger than me) who are big fans.
Going into today's matinee, I had only previously seen the movie and listened to the movie soundtrack. I was pretty disappointed despite my great view from a front row center mezzanine seat. The sound was over-amplified and the energy level of the cast overall seemed low. The singing was subpar compared to the movie. I did like the actors who played Mark and Joanne.
It's interesting to think about why I got hooked onto this musical after seeing the movie. At the time (about three years ago), I related to the angst of feeling alone and helpless. Today, I felt the same, but I also appreciated the theme of relationships. A friend of mine told me recently: "Relationships are hard." I thought the song "Tango Maureen" was pretty funny especially when Joanne sings: "She cheated / She cheated / Maureen cheated / F**kin' cheated / I'm defeated / I should give up right now / Gotta look on the bright side / With all of your might / I'd fall for her still anyhow." Then later in the second act, Maureen and Joanne sing their spat duet "Take me or leave me," which is equally amusing.
However, it was bizarre to watch the actors create "bohemian" New York on stage. I couldn't relate to a bunch of HIV-positive people who are so poor that they burn scripts to heat their apartments. I simply don't have any friends with life-threatening chronic illnesses. As many people have pointed out, HIV is no longer a death sentence, so the musical is dated.
I haven't changed my mind about my favorite songs. The musical numbers that resonate most with me revolve around the theme of love/friendship/being alone: "Seasons of love," "Life support," "Will I?" Also, the songs "La vie voheme" and "Take me or leave me" are extremely fun and entertaining if you are in a sassy, rebellious mood.
I'm still glad I went to see Rent, though I wish it had been better. Maybe by putting together my live viewing today and the movie, I get a feel for the original Broadway cast, which everyone claims was fantastic. After 12 years on Broadway, Rent feels old and the producers have wisely made the decision to move on.
09 August 2008
Championship round of summer co-ed rec league
For the first time in four years of playing summer co-ed rec league, my team made the championship game! The standings were pretty tight this year. The #1 seeded team had 12 points, three teams including ours tied for 10 points, followed by two teams which tied for 9 points.
All six teams played in the playoffs. The first round was a two game series with the tie-breaker being a shootout. In the first round, we split the series with the #1 seeded team, so we went to the shootout. It was a 5 shooter sequence and we won it in dramatic fashion 2-1 (shootout score, not game score). Despite the fact that the #1 seed lost, they still advanced to the next round because they were the loser with the highest seed.
In the second round, we played a really tough game with only 9 skaters. Our star player managed to score two goals and we carried a 2-1 lead into the third period. We spent the last period mostly in our defensive zone, frantically trying to fend off attacks. Our goalie wasn't too talented, but he managed to cover the puck during scrums in front of the net. To top things off, one of our defensemen broke a thumbnail in the second period and had to leave. So we were down to 8 skaters... but we hung on for the win! So next, we will be playing in the championship game. It will be rematch with the #1 seed.
I don't take summer hockey too seriously, but it is a nice, small achievement to make the championship. I'm proud to say that my team works hard and lately we have been playing to our full potential... which is why we have been winning.
The weightlifting I've been doing has really helped my power and speed but I ran out of energy in the second period of the last game. I guess I need to do more cardio!
All six teams played in the playoffs. The first round was a two game series with the tie-breaker being a shootout. In the first round, we split the series with the #1 seeded team, so we went to the shootout. It was a 5 shooter sequence and we won it in dramatic fashion 2-1 (shootout score, not game score). Despite the fact that the #1 seed lost, they still advanced to the next round because they were the loser with the highest seed.
In the second round, we played a really tough game with only 9 skaters. Our star player managed to score two goals and we carried a 2-1 lead into the third period. We spent the last period mostly in our defensive zone, frantically trying to fend off attacks. Our goalie wasn't too talented, but he managed to cover the puck during scrums in front of the net. To top things off, one of our defensemen broke a thumbnail in the second period and had to leave. So we were down to 8 skaters... but we hung on for the win! So next, we will be playing in the championship game. It will be rematch with the #1 seed.
I don't take summer hockey too seriously, but it is a nice, small achievement to make the championship. I'm proud to say that my team works hard and lately we have been playing to our full potential... which is why we have been winning.
The weightlifting I've been doing has really helped my power and speed but I ran out of energy in the second period of the last game. I guess I need to do more cardio!
08 August 2008
Undergrad community in the Carleton physics department
A few years ago, I complained about the lack of community in my department. This morning, I read a post by Prof. Melissa Eblen-Zayas about the undergrad community in the Carleton physics department. Carleton College is a prestigious liberal arts college in Minnesota.
In particular, she notes the distinction between tightly knit and loosely woven communities. Tightly knit means the stereotypical hard core physics majors who do all their problem sets in the student lounge until midnight and try to sneak into lab to get more data. (I know, my undergraduate department was like that.) Loosely woven means people who just do physics as a major and spend time on other extracurricular activities, for example, being on an athletic team or being part of a theater group. Prof. Eblen-Zayas thinks there should be both a tightly knit and a loosely woven community in her department. She speculates that women science majors prefer a loosely woven community, so they end up choosing a major like biology or chemistry instead of physics. I'm not sure if there's room for two types of communities in a small school like Carleton.
I was always part of a tightly knit community from birth (nuclear family) to college (my living group, undergrad physics department), so I have always preferred my work and social circles to be tight. Maybe that's why I had problems in grad school. Our department is loosely woven, though some experimental groups can be tight. I'm getting more used to the loosely woven scheme, though I can definitely say that tight knit is a better fit for me.
In particular, she notes the distinction between tightly knit and loosely woven communities. Tightly knit means the stereotypical hard core physics majors who do all their problem sets in the student lounge until midnight and try to sneak into lab to get more data. (I know, my undergraduate department was like that.) Loosely woven means people who just do physics as a major and spend time on other extracurricular activities, for example, being on an athletic team or being part of a theater group. Prof. Eblen-Zayas thinks there should be both a tightly knit and a loosely woven community in her department. She speculates that women science majors prefer a loosely woven community, so they end up choosing a major like biology or chemistry instead of physics. I'm not sure if there's room for two types of communities in a small school like Carleton.
I was always part of a tightly knit community from birth (nuclear family) to college (my living group, undergrad physics department), so I have always preferred my work and social circles to be tight. Maybe that's why I had problems in grad school. Our department is loosely woven, though some experimental groups can be tight. I'm getting more used to the loosely woven scheme, though I can definitely say that tight knit is a better fit for me.
Motivation mix
Here's the upbeat Rhapsody playlist I use to lift my mood and motivate me through mind blocks.
- "The devil went down to Georgia" performed by Charlie Daniels
- "The old apartment" performed by Barenaked Ladies
- "Falling for the first time" performed by Barenaked Ladies
- "Get out of my mind" performed by Hootie and the Blowfish
- "Einstein on the beach (for an eggman)" performed by Counting Crows
- "Homecoming" performed by Green Day
- "Run-Around" performed by Blues Traveler
- "ABC" performed by The Jackson 5
- "Ain't nobody here but us chickens" performed by Louis Jordan & his Tympany Five
- "La vie boheme" written by Jonathan Larson
- "Take me or leave me" written by Jonathan Larson
- "Tom Dooley" performed by Rob Ickes
- "Ode to a butterfly" performed by Nickel Creek
- "House of Tom Bombadil" performed by Nickel Creek
- "Cuckoo's nest" performed by Nickel Creek
- "The fox" performed by Nickel Creek
- "Stumptown" performed by Nickel Creek
- "Scotch and chocolate" performed by Nickel Creek
- "A love like that" performed by Alan Jackson
- "My next thirty years" performed by Tim McGraw
- "It's a great day to be alive" performed by Travis Tritt
07 August 2008
Hockey goals 2008
It's early, but I have some ideas on things I want to work on for this coming fall season.
- Skating, skating, skating (this is always on my list)
- Backwards crossover
- Backwards skating
- Transitions
- Quick feet (especially accelerating)
- Backwards crossover
- Keep my head up (this is a big one)
- Concentrate on a good first shift during a game. My first 2-3 shifts are often lackadaisical as I'm trying to get my head into the game.
- When setting up in front of the net on offense, don't so deep as to stand at the top of the crease. Come out a little into the slot for some space.
06 August 2008
Link of the day: The Ice Hockey Escapades
I didn't realize that there are a number of adult women hockey players who blog about their experiences. Librarygrrrl has collected a number of links. The best by far is "The Ice Hockey Escapades," written by Lori Hylan-Cho. Her posts go all the way back to 2000! She even does video! Wow, I feel inspired to keep up my hockey posts.
It's nice to read about similar experiences and compare. I like how Lori breaks down her games and notes her good and bad plays.
It's nice to read about similar experiences and compare. I like how Lori breaks down her games and notes her good and bad plays.
02 August 2008
Make happy/motivating things visible in your life
After I read this Lifehacker article on boosting morale with inbox fuzzies, I was reminded of how important it is to keep up your self-esteem by making happy and motivating things visible in your daily life.
One example is the gym streak board I started. I've also found myself re-reading emails where people say nice things about me. It's always a huge boost to know that Person A thinks I'm awesome. So I marked those emails with a "yay_me" label in Gmail. I'll have to keep thinking of more ways to make happy stuff prominent in my life.
This discussion of nice emails reminds me of a particular incident. I have one physicist friend who's always a bit reserved. That's his personality. I went up to his office and waited for him to finish his email so we could go out to lunch. Glancing over his shoulder, I noticed an email I had written to my physics colleagues months ago about some personal problems I was having. Now this occurrence was not because he neglected to clear out his email. There were only about a dozen emails in the inbox. It was nice to know that he kept that email there because he cared about how I was doing.
One example is the gym streak board I started. I've also found myself re-reading emails where people say nice things about me. It's always a huge boost to know that Person A thinks I'm awesome. So I marked those emails with a "yay_me" label in Gmail. I'll have to keep thinking of more ways to make happy stuff prominent in my life.
This discussion of nice emails reminds me of a particular incident. I have one physicist friend who's always a bit reserved. That's his personality. I went up to his office and waited for him to finish his email so we could go out to lunch. Glancing over his shoulder, I noticed an email I had written to my physics colleagues months ago about some personal problems I was having. Now this occurrence was not because he neglected to clear out his email. There were only about a dozen emails in the inbox. It was nice to know that he kept that email there because he cared about how I was doing.
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