A Secret Gift by Ted Gup
So this writer Ted Gup was given an unopened briefcase with things owned by his grandfather who passed away some time ago in Canton, Ohio. He found 75 cancelled checks for around $5-$10 each, a great number of letters requesting money, and newspaper articles about the anonymous donor at Christmas, 1933 who made Christmas a little better for needy people in the Canton area. The writer encouraged people via a newspaper ad to send him letters requesting a small sum in order to have a happy holiday. It was done anonymously because of the stigma attached to asking for and receiving charity. The donor turned out to be his grandfather, Sam Stone, a local men’s clothing store owner in Canton who had done well enough to afford the largesse.
After digging into his history, Ted found his grandfather had falsified his origins and obtained U.S. citizenship illegally instead of being upfront about his Lithuanian birth and Jewish heritage. Gup believes that his grandfather found so much opportunity in America that he wanted to pay it back as best he could.
Five dollars in 1933 would be worth something like $100 today, but also consider that the Great Depression was in full swing and Canton had 50% unemployment so it was more like $200 today. People really, really needed it back then because there was no such thing as a social safety net and if you were cold and hungry, you could easily end up dead. Gup researched every letter writer and interviewed as many descendants as possible. Imagine his surprise to find Helen Palm, age 90, who is the sole surviving letter writer, aged 14 at the time. She was on the show and read her 77 year old letter:
"Dear Sir,
When we went over at the neighbors to borrow the paper I read your article. I am a girl of fourteen. I am writing this because I need clothing. And sometimes we run out of food.
My father does not want to ask for charity. But us children would like to have some clothing for Christmas. When he had a job us children used to have nice things.
I also have brothers and sisters.
If you should send me Te[n] Dollars I would buy clothing and buy the Christmas dinner and supper.
I thank you.
HELEN PALM"
He’s written a book about the story and it sounds like a great Christmas 2010 read for those who want an uplifting, true story over the holidays.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Did school mortify you?
Just noticed I made it to 4,000 kms biked so far this year of a possible 8,500 had I biked to work every Monday through Friday. So I've biked exactly the distance from Vancouver to Manhattan, how about that?
This show made laugh and evoked some old, fond memories. Also some old, bad memories, which I think is the point behind the "mortified" show itself.
Teen years can be mortifying at the time, and result in cringe-worthy moments that are best locked away in the vault. For some people, these moments are forgotten, and for some they remain alive, either in memory or on paper. A duo with deep rooted mortifying memories has developed a stage act that allows individuals the opportunity for public catharsis. They audition individuals who if selected read onstage, in public, in a formal show from diaries or recount horrible stories from their younger years. What was horrible is mainly now just humorous, and the act of getting it off one’s chest and laughing at it with others is a relief to most of the people it seems.
On Point is produced in Boston, and we heard many minutes of a recent local show there all of which are available at the On Point link. The poetry, the angst, and the dreams were all right there. One woman read her bucket list from the age of 15, which ranged from “Walk into a dinner party as if you belong” to “Be a prostitute for one night.” At that age you don’t discern terribly well between things and I think the line is drawn between “childish” and “adult.” All “adult” things are lumped together in a kind of netherworld of indistinguishable importance. In a single breath, kids might say they want to “learn to surfboard” and then “become President.”
I have few mortifying moments from my teen years. I can only think of two highly embarrassing moments, the first occurring in about 1975 when my parents insisted on getting a babysitter for me at the age of 11. The girl who showed up was none other than the mature Jackie Cowieson, who wore makeup, dated 14-year olds, smoked at recess and sat next to me in grade 6 at Greenbrier Elementary in Brantford, Ontario. Why do I remember her name? It was indelibly etched on my prepubescent brain in a truly mortifying way.
The other was in French class at Horlick High School, Racine, Wisconsin in 1979. Because I was from Canada I had been taking French since 1973, but unlike Canada I found that only girls in Wisconsin take French. The guys all take German because everyone’s grandparents seemed to come from there, or else they take Spanish because it’s easy. So I was in French class with 15 other high school girls for about three years. There was a poem or sentence that involved “bras” which means “arms” in French. The teacher explained something about the sentence and that it relates to “around or under the arms” which is incidentally where “brassiere” is derived from. Everyone giggled and looked at me, then someone said “Look, he’s blushing!” which of course I was, and it only got worse. Here I was, surrounded by nubile young women, speaking in French about breasts, and tell me why wouldn’t I get a hot flash? I ran into the same girl years later at a gas station checkout in Racine, and she didn’t recognize me because: a) I was in college and had grown up a lot; and b) She looked like a heroin addict.
Vist http://www.getmortified.com/ to see if one of the dozen shows are in your area.
This show made laugh and evoked some old, fond memories. Also some old, bad memories, which I think is the point behind the "mortified" show itself.
Teen years can be mortifying at the time, and result in cringe-worthy moments that are best locked away in the vault. For some people, these moments are forgotten, and for some they remain alive, either in memory or on paper. A duo with deep rooted mortifying memories has developed a stage act that allows individuals the opportunity for public catharsis. They audition individuals who if selected read onstage, in public, in a formal show from diaries or recount horrible stories from their younger years. What was horrible is mainly now just humorous, and the act of getting it off one’s chest and laughing at it with others is a relief to most of the people it seems.
On Point is produced in Boston, and we heard many minutes of a recent local show there all of which are available at the On Point link. The poetry, the angst, and the dreams were all right there. One woman read her bucket list from the age of 15, which ranged from “Walk into a dinner party as if you belong” to “Be a prostitute for one night.” At that age you don’t discern terribly well between things and I think the line is drawn between “childish” and “adult.” All “adult” things are lumped together in a kind of netherworld of indistinguishable importance. In a single breath, kids might say they want to “learn to surfboard” and then “become President.”
I have few mortifying moments from my teen years. I can only think of two highly embarrassing moments, the first occurring in about 1975 when my parents insisted on getting a babysitter for me at the age of 11. The girl who showed up was none other than the mature Jackie Cowieson, who wore makeup, dated 14-year olds, smoked at recess and sat next to me in grade 6 at Greenbrier Elementary in Brantford, Ontario. Why do I remember her name? It was indelibly etched on my prepubescent brain in a truly mortifying way.
The other was in French class at Horlick High School, Racine, Wisconsin in 1979. Because I was from Canada I had been taking French since 1973, but unlike Canada I found that only girls in Wisconsin take French. The guys all take German because everyone’s grandparents seemed to come from there, or else they take Spanish because it’s easy. So I was in French class with 15 other high school girls for about three years. There was a poem or sentence that involved “bras” which means “arms” in French. The teacher explained something about the sentence and that it relates to “around or under the arms” which is incidentally where “brassiere” is derived from. Everyone giggled and looked at me, then someone said “Look, he’s blushing!” which of course I was, and it only got worse. Here I was, surrounded by nubile young women, speaking in French about breasts, and tell me why wouldn’t I get a hot flash? I ran into the same girl years later at a gas station checkout in Racine, and she didn’t recognize me because: a) I was in college and had grown up a lot; and b) She looked like a heroin addict.
Vist http://www.getmortified.com/ to see if one of the dozen shows are in your area.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
John Boehner, U.S./Indian relations and Quincy Jones
Several excellent shows have been featured, and I often wish I could take notes while biking, but that’s one thing I’ve determined is just plain impossible. Some interesting ones:
- A look into John Boehner and how he will behave as the new House leader;
- The U.S./India partnership, in light of Pres. Obama’s recent trip there;
- Why American marathoners are fewer, and slower;
- Quincy Jones’ latest book, CD and seemingly endless collaborations;
- The team producing “Mortified” shows across the country, in which mature people go on stage to read their teen diaries etc. for amusement and healing;
- The grandson of an Ohio man who discovered and wrote a book on his grandfather’s acts of charity during the Depression
- Advice for Pres. Obama on his next two years
All of them were interesting and rather than digging into one, I’ll comment on them ALL over the next days.
John Boehner
He came from humble beginnings, and laboured in his father’s Ohio tavern and other jobs to earn money to put himself through college. He was a Democrat who became a Republican after running a small business and being greatly influenced by the tax code and government bureaucracy. He’s been in the House for 19 years and has been the Republican minority leader since 1996. Freshly elected in 1991, he joined the Gingrich team that gave us the Contract with America, where he saw firsthand the negative effects to Republicans by Newt Gingrich taking politicking too far by refusing to compromise with Pres. Clinton. This resulted in the infamous 1995 U.S. Government shutdown when Gingrich refused to increase the country’s debt level and Clinton refused to sign off on the Republican Congress’s budget. Now that he’s undoubtedly going to be the House Majority Leader I’m anxious to see if he’s as good at governing and crafting workable legislation as he is at being in the minority.
I think no one more greatly represents current Republican ideology than John Boehner. One thing I now respect him for is his refusal to bring pork barrel spending projects back to Ohio, and for strongarming colleagues to do the same. He’s going to be difficult to deal with and has essentially said that he’s willing to compromise with Democrats as long as they agree with his position. For all the principled rhetoric he still has to govern along with the two other branches of government which happen to be Democrat-controlled. Let’s hope he realizes that his goal should be the successful operation of U.S. Government and not simply a Republican takeover of the Senate and White House. The latter will lead to gridlock and another two years of hell for a lot of people.
He doesn’t appear to be flexible at all, and poll results will guide his willingness to compromise, currently set to zero tolerance. If the country respects him for standing up to Obama and the Senate then expect a conservative agenda to be pushed hard at the expense of the economy and the carrot of a three branch win in 2012. Conversely, if Americans grumble about Republican stonewalling then expect a conciliatory approach so that he doesn’t repeat Gingrich’s mistakes and ensure an easy re-election for Obama in 2012.
India/U.S. relations
The gist of the show was how important U.S./Indian relations are to both countries. India looks to the U.S. for economic growth and for a military ally in a very dangerous place. The U.S. wants to ensure that a U.S.-friendly India thrives as a counterbalance to an increasingly strong China.
The big message is that there are now two other superpowers for the U.S. to contend with. I highly doubt that we'll return to a cold war posture with either of these two countries, because history has proven that in global war there are no winners. If anything the U.S., China and India have a strong scholarly influence and a lot of educated, intelligent people. India doesn't seem to be able to get its act together enough to be able to project military and economic power, but with a billion people and its prominent geographic location and size it is a force. I also can't believe China would dare get into a war with any country outside the usual suspects and about anything other than local territorial conflicts. Yes, China is powerful, but will fall apart domestically if the government is forced to divert its military and cash outside the country.
I think the war (not a great term) will be about China's desire for economic influence and power globally. China wants an exclusive, bilateral relationship with the U.S. and doesn't like Obama's friendly overtures to India, making for a fascinating dance between the three.
Quincy Jones
He’s been nominated for 79 Grammies and seems to know everyone in the music industry through massive collaboration and production efforts over the past 50 years. He was live on the show from NYC and was gracious and entertaining with the host and callers. He’s just written new book “Q On Producing” and launched a new CD to rave reviews“Q: Soul Bossa Nostra”. The guy’s 77 years old?
Here’s something I didn’t know: It’s his 1962 song “Soul Bossa Nova” that features heavily in The Austin Powers movies, and was the theme for TV’s “Definition” game show. And I think everyone knows his daughter Rashida Jones from The Office and Parks and Recreation.
What can I say? Look at his Wikipedia page to get a flavour for what he’s done, and listen to the interview.
- A look into John Boehner and how he will behave as the new House leader;
- The U.S./India partnership, in light of Pres. Obama’s recent trip there;
- Why American marathoners are fewer, and slower;
- Quincy Jones’ latest book, CD and seemingly endless collaborations;
- The team producing “Mortified” shows across the country, in which mature people go on stage to read their teen diaries etc. for amusement and healing;
- The grandson of an Ohio man who discovered and wrote a book on his grandfather’s acts of charity during the Depression
- Advice for Pres. Obama on his next two years
All of them were interesting and rather than digging into one, I’ll comment on them ALL over the next days.
John Boehner
He came from humble beginnings, and laboured in his father’s Ohio tavern and other jobs to earn money to put himself through college. He was a Democrat who became a Republican after running a small business and being greatly influenced by the tax code and government bureaucracy. He’s been in the House for 19 years and has been the Republican minority leader since 1996. Freshly elected in 1991, he joined the Gingrich team that gave us the Contract with America, where he saw firsthand the negative effects to Republicans by Newt Gingrich taking politicking too far by refusing to compromise with Pres. Clinton. This resulted in the infamous 1995 U.S. Government shutdown when Gingrich refused to increase the country’s debt level and Clinton refused to sign off on the Republican Congress’s budget. Now that he’s undoubtedly going to be the House Majority Leader I’m anxious to see if he’s as good at governing and crafting workable legislation as he is at being in the minority.
I think no one more greatly represents current Republican ideology than John Boehner. One thing I now respect him for is his refusal to bring pork barrel spending projects back to Ohio, and for strongarming colleagues to do the same. He’s going to be difficult to deal with and has essentially said that he’s willing to compromise with Democrats as long as they agree with his position. For all the principled rhetoric he still has to govern along with the two other branches of government which happen to be Democrat-controlled. Let’s hope he realizes that his goal should be the successful operation of U.S. Government and not simply a Republican takeover of the Senate and White House. The latter will lead to gridlock and another two years of hell for a lot of people.
He doesn’t appear to be flexible at all, and poll results will guide his willingness to compromise, currently set to zero tolerance. If the country respects him for standing up to Obama and the Senate then expect a conservative agenda to be pushed hard at the expense of the economy and the carrot of a three branch win in 2012. Conversely, if Americans grumble about Republican stonewalling then expect a conciliatory approach so that he doesn’t repeat Gingrich’s mistakes and ensure an easy re-election for Obama in 2012.
India/U.S. relations
The gist of the show was how important U.S./Indian relations are to both countries. India looks to the U.S. for economic growth and for a military ally in a very dangerous place. The U.S. wants to ensure that a U.S.-friendly India thrives as a counterbalance to an increasingly strong China.
The big message is that there are now two other superpowers for the U.S. to contend with. I highly doubt that we'll return to a cold war posture with either of these two countries, because history has proven that in global war there are no winners. If anything the U.S., China and India have a strong scholarly influence and a lot of educated, intelligent people. India doesn't seem to be able to get its act together enough to be able to project military and economic power, but with a billion people and its prominent geographic location and size it is a force. I also can't believe China would dare get into a war with any country outside the usual suspects and about anything other than local territorial conflicts. Yes, China is powerful, but will fall apart domestically if the government is forced to divert its military and cash outside the country.
I think the war (not a great term) will be about China's desire for economic influence and power globally. China wants an exclusive, bilateral relationship with the U.S. and doesn't like Obama's friendly overtures to India, making for a fascinating dance between the three.
Quincy Jones
He’s been nominated for 79 Grammies and seems to know everyone in the music industry through massive collaboration and production efforts over the past 50 years. He was live on the show from NYC and was gracious and entertaining with the host and callers. He’s just written new book “Q On Producing” and launched a new CD to rave reviews“Q: Soul Bossa Nostra”. The guy’s 77 years old?
Here’s something I didn’t know: It’s his 1962 song “Soul Bossa Nova” that features heavily in The Austin Powers movies, and was the theme for TV’s “Definition” game show. And I think everyone knows his daughter Rashida Jones from The Office and Parks and Recreation.
What can I say? Look at his Wikipedia page to get a flavour for what he’s done, and listen to the interview.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Elvis Costello and Frank Sinatra
I enjoy On Point because the producers bring in so much diverse content, which is split between current, mainstream events and niche topics have great appeal to the average person. The most recent shows have focused on U.S. elections and the economy, but have still managed to include these really interesting shows on Elvis Costello (interviewed live) and the younger years of Frank Sinatra. I've only linked the two because they're both about musicians, and while I liked the shows I can't offer an opinion on them because they're weren't issue-related. So I'll just recap the two and encourage others to have a listen.
Elvis Costello is married to Diana Krall, and they live in our district of West Vancouver. Krall is known for walking with their small children around the seawall on the Pacific, and probably because she's not as famous as Costello and feels more comfortable doing so. She's also a Vanouver Island native and likely just wants the kids to enjoy the things she grew up with. We think the same way, and my wife regularly takes our 4-year old down to Eagle Harbour beach to see what the ocean washed up and to look for wildlife like eagles and sea lions. You can see my pics of us going crab fishing, which brings us right into contact with the same and lets our son actually hold and touch animals like Dungenness crabs and star fish that climb into our trap.
I've never seen Costello hanging out in our village, but I've heard that when he does he's a little aloof. I guess that when you've had people grabbing at you since the late 1970s you become conditioned to appreciate your independence. An Aussie friend of mine from Hong Kong spent the evening with Costello in a Wan Chai bar and didn't even know who he was at first. He said Costello was chatting to him around midnight, ordered up Champagne until morning, during which my friend clued in that he was with a huge star. He was a great, regular guy and that's how I like to imagine him in real life.
Costello's new album (a "double LP" as he said) is targeted at Wall Street, its bankers and its misdeeds. The show featured some clips, as well as Costello live with his guitar in the studio for an entire song. They spoke of the current events which Costello is interested in, but it was mostly an hour with an unassuming rock/folk star who was happy to talk about a range of personal topics. I'll buy the "double LP" now and fully expect that Costello's angst is holding up well. I remember his famous SNL appearance from 1977 very well, for which he was banned by Lorne Michaels, who ultimately relented. I Googled this and found an interesting article on all celebrities banned from SNL.
The show on Sinatra was different in that it focused on his earliest years and not the later period of which we are all too familiar. Author James Kaplan was interviewed to discuss his latest work entitled "Frank: The Voice" which details his boyhood in New Jersey up to his Oscar win in "From Here To Eternity." I'm a Sinatra fan, but not an enthusiast, because I grew up in Wisconsin and as a teen of the 1970s we were mainly fed a classic rock diet. I became aware of Sinatra as a university student in Madison and through the years have come into contact with his music. He was already an icon when I was a kid and my knowledge is limited to the Vegas era and the stereotyped version of Sinatra most famously played on SNL by (Canadian from my and Gretzky's hometown of Brantford, Ontario) Phil Hartman.
Many of us forget how insanely famous Sinatra was back in the late 1930s and 1940s prior to his crash and rebirth in the 1950s. In his early days he was as ubiquitous as Mick Jagger, Elvis and Bono, and was about as controversial as a star could be back then. I hadn't know any of this prior to the show, and it was a great 40 minutes as I pedalled in the dark along the Pacific on Marine Drive. I'll check the local library for the book because it sounds to be a page turner.
Elvis Costello is married to Diana Krall, and they live in our district of West Vancouver. Krall is known for walking with their small children around the seawall on the Pacific, and probably because she's not as famous as Costello and feels more comfortable doing so. She's also a Vanouver Island native and likely just wants the kids to enjoy the things she grew up with. We think the same way, and my wife regularly takes our 4-year old down to Eagle Harbour beach to see what the ocean washed up and to look for wildlife like eagles and sea lions. You can see my pics of us going crab fishing, which brings us right into contact with the same and lets our son actually hold and touch animals like Dungenness crabs and star fish that climb into our trap.
I've never seen Costello hanging out in our village, but I've heard that when he does he's a little aloof. I guess that when you've had people grabbing at you since the late 1970s you become conditioned to appreciate your independence. An Aussie friend of mine from Hong Kong spent the evening with Costello in a Wan Chai bar and didn't even know who he was at first. He said Costello was chatting to him around midnight, ordered up Champagne until morning, during which my friend clued in that he was with a huge star. He was a great, regular guy and that's how I like to imagine him in real life.
Costello's new album (a "double LP" as he said) is targeted at Wall Street, its bankers and its misdeeds. The show featured some clips, as well as Costello live with his guitar in the studio for an entire song. They spoke of the current events which Costello is interested in, but it was mostly an hour with an unassuming rock/folk star who was happy to talk about a range of personal topics. I'll buy the "double LP" now and fully expect that Costello's angst is holding up well. I remember his famous SNL appearance from 1977 very well, for which he was banned by Lorne Michaels, who ultimately relented. I Googled this and found an interesting article on all celebrities banned from SNL.
The show on Sinatra was different in that it focused on his earliest years and not the later period of which we are all too familiar. Author James Kaplan was interviewed to discuss his latest work entitled "Frank: The Voice" which details his boyhood in New Jersey up to his Oscar win in "From Here To Eternity." I'm a Sinatra fan, but not an enthusiast, because I grew up in Wisconsin and as a teen of the 1970s we were mainly fed a classic rock diet. I became aware of Sinatra as a university student in Madison and through the years have come into contact with his music. He was already an icon when I was a kid and my knowledge is limited to the Vegas era and the stereotyped version of Sinatra most famously played on SNL by (Canadian from my and Gretzky's hometown of Brantford, Ontario) Phil Hartman.
Many of us forget how insanely famous Sinatra was back in the late 1930s and 1940s prior to his crash and rebirth in the 1950s. In his early days he was as ubiquitous as Mick Jagger, Elvis and Bono, and was about as controversial as a star could be back then. I hadn't know any of this prior to the show, and it was a great 40 minutes as I pedalled in the dark along the Pacific on Marine Drive. I'll check the local library for the book because it sounds to be a page turner.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
NPR: Censoring to support its partisan agenda?
(Note: The heading above hyperlinks to the show's website.)
I've never actually listened to Juan Williams on NPR, but I'm deeply interested in the story of his dismissal as a news analyst after making inflammatory comments on the Bill O'Reilly show. A whole host of questions come up:
- Freedom of speech: Can't he say what he wants without retribution?
- Professional vs. personal viewpoints: Is he required to abide by NPR's policies only at work, and not off the clock?
- Is NPR biased by not allowing its analysts to comment subjectively and with an opinion?
- NPR receives U.S. Government funding: Because NPR is acting in a partisan way, should funding be cut?
- Was his dismissal rash? A knee jerk reaction to a single incident?
I graduated in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin with a B.A. in Journalism. In addition to technical training on things like grammar we spent a large amount of time studying the role of the media in a range of societies and historical timelines. I'm not a professional journalist, but would consider myself well informed on the role of the media and am very passionate about the need for an unemcumbered and vocal press. Forming an opinion on the NPR/Juan Williams story is a challenge, and today's On Point show helped to inform me.
First, after considering the facts I do believe it is correct that Williams doesn't belong on NPR. The controversy relates to the suddenness and form of his dismissal, which was crude and insensitive. So they are both to blame, but regardless of how he was terminated the conclusion remains that Williams did not have a place within NPR. A media organization (and any organization really) states its goals and mission then develops policies that are derived from them. NPR clearly states that it reports the news in an unbiased, centrist fashion and it requests that its analysts refrain from offering a strong opinion, personal or otherwise, on events. Williams repeatedly went against NPR's policy and NPR discussed his commentary with him over many years. He consciously made the decision to behave that way and a separation was going to come eventually. When the time arrived it surely wasn't a surprise to Williams, but it was to most of America who didn't even know his name. The event got a huge amount of spin from all sides, and became even more intense because of the looming elections.
I believe NPR is labelled unfairly as a "liberal" media organization and I think this comes from the polarized state of politics in the U.S. and the emergence of self-selected media. The polarization creates an "us vs. them", "win or lose", "good vs. evil" lens for interpreting events and situations. This perception is further concentrated and strengthened by a range of media that supports the view held by each audience member, therefore a "dissenting opinion" and even the existence of another opinion, doesn't exist for a great number of Americans. The terms "centrist, impassionate and impartial" don't exist for people who are at polar opposites of each other.
If NPR doesn't reflect one's ideals, then it's subjectively labelled as the polar opposite of those ideals and not as "in between" or "objective." Liberals tend to process information more impassionately and would probably not call a centrist new organization "right wing" whereas conservatives tend to process information more emotionally and NPR would more likely be labelled as "liberal" because its viewpoint is "different." Because the conservative's "liberal" label is the only one being communicated, that's the one which sticks. The opposite is true for conservative news organizations like FOX. Conservatives don't label FOX as "right wing", and it's the liberal news organizations that do that. They're the ones communicating that label, and it's the one that sticks.
In the world of polarized media there is a role for Williams, and he signed up as a FOX analyst shortly after his dismissal. To be accepted by FOX, Williams was certainly identified by its management as representative of their audience's viewpoints, and this fact alone demonstrates that Williams should not have been on NPR. NPR critics should be focusing on the positive aspects of this new alignment, and the shortcomings of the previous misalignment. NPR is simply enacting its policies albeit in a crude way, FOX is taking advantage of a market opportunity, and Williams is profiting by a significant salary increase that he likely engineered in a systematic fashion.
It would appear to me that different factions are using Williams' dismissal to their own end, and spinning the story in their direction. As I see it, the fact is that Williams was in the wrong place, and he's now in a better place so we should all be satisfied with the new alignment between the three affected parties. Williams is free to opine as he likes and in no way has NPR censored itself or sent a message to its analysts.
I've never actually listened to Juan Williams on NPR, but I'm deeply interested in the story of his dismissal as a news analyst after making inflammatory comments on the Bill O'Reilly show. A whole host of questions come up:
- Freedom of speech: Can't he say what he wants without retribution?
- Professional vs. personal viewpoints: Is he required to abide by NPR's policies only at work, and not off the clock?
- Is NPR biased by not allowing its analysts to comment subjectively and with an opinion?
- NPR receives U.S. Government funding: Because NPR is acting in a partisan way, should funding be cut?
- Was his dismissal rash? A knee jerk reaction to a single incident?
I graduated in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin with a B.A. in Journalism. In addition to technical training on things like grammar we spent a large amount of time studying the role of the media in a range of societies and historical timelines. I'm not a professional journalist, but would consider myself well informed on the role of the media and am very passionate about the need for an unemcumbered and vocal press. Forming an opinion on the NPR/Juan Williams story is a challenge, and today's On Point show helped to inform me.
First, after considering the facts I do believe it is correct that Williams doesn't belong on NPR. The controversy relates to the suddenness and form of his dismissal, which was crude and insensitive. So they are both to blame, but regardless of how he was terminated the conclusion remains that Williams did not have a place within NPR. A media organization (and any organization really) states its goals and mission then develops policies that are derived from them. NPR clearly states that it reports the news in an unbiased, centrist fashion and it requests that its analysts refrain from offering a strong opinion, personal or otherwise, on events. Williams repeatedly went against NPR's policy and NPR discussed his commentary with him over many years. He consciously made the decision to behave that way and a separation was going to come eventually. When the time arrived it surely wasn't a surprise to Williams, but it was to most of America who didn't even know his name. The event got a huge amount of spin from all sides, and became even more intense because of the looming elections.
I believe NPR is labelled unfairly as a "liberal" media organization and I think this comes from the polarized state of politics in the U.S. and the emergence of self-selected media. The polarization creates an "us vs. them", "win or lose", "good vs. evil" lens for interpreting events and situations. This perception is further concentrated and strengthened by a range of media that supports the view held by each audience member, therefore a "dissenting opinion" and even the existence of another opinion, doesn't exist for a great number of Americans. The terms "centrist, impassionate and impartial" don't exist for people who are at polar opposites of each other.
If NPR doesn't reflect one's ideals, then it's subjectively labelled as the polar opposite of those ideals and not as "in between" or "objective." Liberals tend to process information more impassionately and would probably not call a centrist new organization "right wing" whereas conservatives tend to process information more emotionally and NPR would more likely be labelled as "liberal" because its viewpoint is "different." Because the conservative's "liberal" label is the only one being communicated, that's the one which sticks. The opposite is true for conservative news organizations like FOX. Conservatives don't label FOX as "right wing", and it's the liberal news organizations that do that. They're the ones communicating that label, and it's the one that sticks.
In the world of polarized media there is a role for Williams, and he signed up as a FOX analyst shortly after his dismissal. To be accepted by FOX, Williams was certainly identified by its management as representative of their audience's viewpoints, and this fact alone demonstrates that Williams should not have been on NPR. NPR critics should be focusing on the positive aspects of this new alignment, and the shortcomings of the previous misalignment. NPR is simply enacting its policies albeit in a crude way, FOX is taking advantage of a market opportunity, and Williams is profiting by a significant salary increase that he likely engineered in a systematic fashion.
It would appear to me that different factions are using Williams' dismissal to their own end, and spinning the story in their direction. As I see it, the fact is that Williams was in the wrong place, and he's now in a better place so we should all be satisfied with the new alignment between the three affected parties. Williams is free to opine as he likes and in no way has NPR censored itself or sent a message to its analysts.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
New Yorker music critic Alex Ross
Alex Ross is arguably the most celebrated active, American music critic and until this show, completely unknown to me. I feel like I "should" read The New Yorker and am sure I can pick it up at the local library, but just never fell into it. In fact, like many people I consume the vast majority of media content online because our house is not really set up for quiet reading and is instead organized around four teenage boys. The most action is in the computer room where they do homework, surf the net and catch up with friends online.
Ross only listened to classical music until he was 20, but now his interests now go in all directions. He's written a few best selling books on music, the latest of which is "Listen To This" a wide ranging work on music across the centuries, and that does a few deep dives into interesting topics. It's an edited compilation of his essays over the past 12 years, and looks for a common thread between musical genres, styles and time. For example, he and Tom Ashbrook discussed the "descending bass line" found consistently in music through the centuries. His examples focus on the chromatic scale, which is simply all the individual half note intervals without the normal whole step found in other scales. In simple terms, a chromatic scale can be played on a piano by pressing every black or white key in order, so A, A#, B, C, C# etc. A famous rock era descending bass line is on Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" in which Jimmie Page plays it over and over again. Similar lines were heard in a delta blues song and operatic aria. Ross's hypothesis is that this line is intimately connected to "sad" human exhalation such as exclaiming "Awww" to convey a sense of dismay. Authors take advantage of this human experience and intrinsically convey a well known emotion.
He thinks Bjork is the most gifted musician of our time, but the show didn't dig into this, and I'm fascinated enough to do some further digging. I have a few Bjork CDs, but didn't find them gripping at first listen, so will try again. He is most definitely not a music snob and had kind things to say about a wide variety of genres like death metal, and focused on a couple of bands who play not only good music, but are clearly gifted musicians who know exactly what they're doing with music theory. Radiohead, for example, employs guitar chord changes and formations that are often highly unusual, and must certainly not self-taught. In fact, he said that Radiohead was spurred on by a high school teacher who pushed the then boys in new directions.
I'm absolutely going to check out the book from the library, and get my 13-year old son to try and listen to the podcast. He's the closest thing to a music enthusiast among the siblings and is intellectual in a way that would find resonance with Ross's points. If he enjoys the podcast then maybe we can read the book together and give hims some exposure to a world of music. I thoroughly enjoy music and have a huge range of content, but excluding classical. Ross made a great point on this, and claims he "hates classical music." Not the music itself, but the term, which labels the music as "old" and makes it unapproachable by the vast majority of people, particularly younger ones. I think it's time that I add a few CDs to my collection and enjoy my forties in a quieter manner.
Ross only listened to classical music until he was 20, but now his interests now go in all directions. He's written a few best selling books on music, the latest of which is "Listen To This" a wide ranging work on music across the centuries, and that does a few deep dives into interesting topics. It's an edited compilation of his essays over the past 12 years, and looks for a common thread between musical genres, styles and time. For example, he and Tom Ashbrook discussed the "descending bass line" found consistently in music through the centuries. His examples focus on the chromatic scale, which is simply all the individual half note intervals without the normal whole step found in other scales. In simple terms, a chromatic scale can be played on a piano by pressing every black or white key in order, so A, A#, B, C, C# etc. A famous rock era descending bass line is on Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" in which Jimmie Page plays it over and over again. Similar lines were heard in a delta blues song and operatic aria. Ross's hypothesis is that this line is intimately connected to "sad" human exhalation such as exclaiming "Awww" to convey a sense of dismay. Authors take advantage of this human experience and intrinsically convey a well known emotion.
He thinks Bjork is the most gifted musician of our time, but the show didn't dig into this, and I'm fascinated enough to do some further digging. I have a few Bjork CDs, but didn't find them gripping at first listen, so will try again. He is most definitely not a music snob and had kind things to say about a wide variety of genres like death metal, and focused on a couple of bands who play not only good music, but are clearly gifted musicians who know exactly what they're doing with music theory. Radiohead, for example, employs guitar chord changes and formations that are often highly unusual, and must certainly not self-taught. In fact, he said that Radiohead was spurred on by a high school teacher who pushed the then boys in new directions.
I'm absolutely going to check out the book from the library, and get my 13-year old son to try and listen to the podcast. He's the closest thing to a music enthusiast among the siblings and is intellectual in a way that would find resonance with Ross's points. If he enjoys the podcast then maybe we can read the book together and give hims some exposure to a world of music. I thoroughly enjoy music and have a huge range of content, but excluding classical. Ross made a great point on this, and claims he "hates classical music." Not the music itself, but the term, which labels the music as "old" and makes it unapproachable by the vast majority of people, particularly younger ones. I think it's time that I add a few CDs to my collection and enjoy my forties in a quieter manner.
Friday, October 15, 2010
NY tries to ban Coca-Cola bought with food stamps
My last ride in was just before my very good friend Eric arrived from Portland on Sept. 24. My chain popped off the big cogset on the rear wheel and I ripped apart a couple of spokes, and it took me until this Tuesday, Oct. 12 to fix them. I made it to HK and had a visit from another old friend for a week in the meantime. Hence the absence of any biking/iTunes blogs because I was out of my normal groove.
This show was fascinating, to say the least. Mayor Bloomberg is on a crusade to improve the state of New Yorkers' health, and I must say: "Hats off to you, sir." He's banned smoking in bars and eliminated trans-fat oils from the city's packaged foods and restaurants. Smokers and snackoholics don't like it, and they can just go to New Jersey if they desire. In fact, Manhattan may actually become a more attractive city if this stinky, oily demographic were to relocate.
Bloomberg's latest crusade is to lobby the federal government to add sweetened soft drinks to the list of goods prohibited for purchase with food stamps (aka "EBT" or Electronic Benefit Transfer".) There are two camps: 1) Food stamp recipients who claim they have the right to buy whatever they like with their government-issued food money; and 2) High-minded individuals who believe the growth of obesity and diabetes in America should not be facilitated by the federal government.
What struck me was that the EBT program is used by one in eight Americans, and one in FOUR American children. Perhaps Arianna Huffington is correct with her latest book which claims that American standards are heading toward third world levels. I don't agree with her sensationalised conclusion, but the point hits home when the EBT statistics are heard. Twenty five percent of American kids get fed in part from EBT? Now I understand why Bloomberg is lobbying so hard, because New York City undoubtedly has an above average rate of program participation so possibly one in three New York children are assisted by EBT. If so, these kids and their families probably (and the key word is "probably") forgo an amount of nutritious food for unnutritious food substitutes. Sweetened soft drinks are high profile because their volume is so high, and have extremely high consumer penetration, so Bloomberg's plan is probably to start with these and then keep moving the needle.
There are many points to consider: 1) An individual's right to use food stamps for various goods; 2) Cheap prices of highly processed foods versus higher cost of healthier raw materials; 3) Local government rights to manage federal programs; 4) Long term government health care costs related to obesity and diabetes; 5) Education versus prohibition; 6) Retailer adminstration costs and feasibility of excluding soft drinks at the checkout; 7) Abuse of the EBT program in which purchased food is resold for cash; 8) Expanded government control of its constituents; and others.
I can't go through all these points, but I can sum up my personal position. Currently, the EBT program excludes fuel, tobacco, alcohol, hot food, and non-food like detergent and shampoo. Adding soft drinks to the list is straightforward both technically and in terms of staff and consumer education. The EBT program is government-funded and by willingly accepting assistance, participants abdicate their rights to choose exactly what is available. Participants are not prevented from buying sweetened soft drinks in the same way they can already purchase cigarettes and beer, albeit with their own money and not the government's. Sweetened soft drinks provide absolutely no nutrition and by substituting them for healthy alternatives, consumers degrade their health and of particular concern the health of children who don't buy for themselves. Government subsidies for corn results in cheap corn syrup, and therefore relatively cheaper soft drink prices versus healthier alternatives, so removing subsidies will move soft drink prices in line with better alternatives and change purchase mix.
These days consumers, and perhaps the average American, opts for convenience and forgoes spending time cooking. Unfortunately, convenience foods are relatively quite unhealthy and cheap. To encourage a trend back towards consumption of raw materials, i.e. fresh meat and produce, it seems sensible to discourage the alternatives in terms of price and education. Ideally, it would be wonderful if parents and schools educated the upcoming generation of children, but clearly the situation in places is out of control and the "penalty" approach is required. I absolutely side with Bloomberg on this, and would support reduced subsidies for all products that overwhelmingly result in negative health consequences. Corn farming is a large target, and those who cry foul about the farmers' plight should consider that a great number of American children are deeply affected by how corn is being abused. These kids have few alternatives because they are fed by parents who buy as cheaply as possible, while the farmers do have legitimate choices about what they plant.
Rather than talking about improving health, at least Bloomberg is doing something and even if he doesn't win this one, at least he is creating some healthy, productive discussion. So good for him.
This show was fascinating, to say the least. Mayor Bloomberg is on a crusade to improve the state of New Yorkers' health, and I must say: "Hats off to you, sir." He's banned smoking in bars and eliminated trans-fat oils from the city's packaged foods and restaurants. Smokers and snackoholics don't like it, and they can just go to New Jersey if they desire. In fact, Manhattan may actually become a more attractive city if this stinky, oily demographic were to relocate.
Bloomberg's latest crusade is to lobby the federal government to add sweetened soft drinks to the list of goods prohibited for purchase with food stamps (aka "EBT" or Electronic Benefit Transfer".) There are two camps: 1) Food stamp recipients who claim they have the right to buy whatever they like with their government-issued food money; and 2) High-minded individuals who believe the growth of obesity and diabetes in America should not be facilitated by the federal government.
What struck me was that the EBT program is used by one in eight Americans, and one in FOUR American children. Perhaps Arianna Huffington is correct with her latest book which claims that American standards are heading toward third world levels. I don't agree with her sensationalised conclusion, but the point hits home when the EBT statistics are heard. Twenty five percent of American kids get fed in part from EBT? Now I understand why Bloomberg is lobbying so hard, because New York City undoubtedly has an above average rate of program participation so possibly one in three New York children are assisted by EBT. If so, these kids and their families probably (and the key word is "probably") forgo an amount of nutritious food for unnutritious food substitutes. Sweetened soft drinks are high profile because their volume is so high, and have extremely high consumer penetration, so Bloomberg's plan is probably to start with these and then keep moving the needle.
There are many points to consider: 1) An individual's right to use food stamps for various goods; 2) Cheap prices of highly processed foods versus higher cost of healthier raw materials; 3) Local government rights to manage federal programs; 4) Long term government health care costs related to obesity and diabetes; 5) Education versus prohibition; 6) Retailer adminstration costs and feasibility of excluding soft drinks at the checkout; 7) Abuse of the EBT program in which purchased food is resold for cash; 8) Expanded government control of its constituents; and others.
I can't go through all these points, but I can sum up my personal position. Currently, the EBT program excludes fuel, tobacco, alcohol, hot food, and non-food like detergent and shampoo. Adding soft drinks to the list is straightforward both technically and in terms of staff and consumer education. The EBT program is government-funded and by willingly accepting assistance, participants abdicate their rights to choose exactly what is available. Participants are not prevented from buying sweetened soft drinks in the same way they can already purchase cigarettes and beer, albeit with their own money and not the government's. Sweetened soft drinks provide absolutely no nutrition and by substituting them for healthy alternatives, consumers degrade their health and of particular concern the health of children who don't buy for themselves. Government subsidies for corn results in cheap corn syrup, and therefore relatively cheaper soft drink prices versus healthier alternatives, so removing subsidies will move soft drink prices in line with better alternatives and change purchase mix.
These days consumers, and perhaps the average American, opts for convenience and forgoes spending time cooking. Unfortunately, convenience foods are relatively quite unhealthy and cheap. To encourage a trend back towards consumption of raw materials, i.e. fresh meat and produce, it seems sensible to discourage the alternatives in terms of price and education. Ideally, it would be wonderful if parents and schools educated the upcoming generation of children, but clearly the situation in places is out of control and the "penalty" approach is required. I absolutely side with Bloomberg on this, and would support reduced subsidies for all products that overwhelmingly result in negative health consequences. Corn farming is a large target, and those who cry foul about the farmers' plight should consider that a great number of American children are deeply affected by how corn is being abused. These kids have few alternatives because they are fed by parents who buy as cheaply as possible, while the farmers do have legitimate choices about what they plant.
Rather than talking about improving health, at least Bloomberg is doing something and even if he doesn't win this one, at least he is creating some healthy, productive discussion. So good for him.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Zuckerberg - Facebook
When I heard that a Facebook movie was coming out, I initially cringed. In this day and age of extreme wealth polarization, I resent that a 26-year-old gained almost $7.0 billion from a social networking application. I don't resent Bill Gates for being the wealthiest man on earth because he worked hard for his money, took risks and improved the average person's life. Mark Zuckerberg had a good idea and should be wealthy because of it, but billionaire-wealthy? However, after I listened to this podcast I was able to separate the merits of the story and the deservedness of the individual.
We're definitely past summer now, but biking weather is reasonably good. My high school friend Eric was up for the weekend and believe me that I needed to burn a couple thousand calories. We bought a replacement bike helmet cover (mine blew off on the highway last week) and biking glasses (mine were crushed into my face during the crash) just before visiting the homebrew shop. I couldn't find them yesterday morning and thought one of the kids had taken them. It took me until this morning to recall that I'd put it them in the bucket with the malted grain and hops, so they now have a distinct (and pleasing) hop aroma.
The writer Aaron Sorkin, and a few lead actors were in the studio and they were questioned in a way that changed my opinion of the movie. I had immediately assumed that it was only going to glorify Facebook and lead to even more wealth and glamour for Zuckerberg, but Sorkin explained that he wrote it from the perspectives of the three groups who claimed partial ownership of the idea, and therefore the money. The story itself is incredible, and I believed him when he said it was in no way fictionalized. "Dramatized" yes, but his sources were primarily firsthand and he simply had to fit several years of action into 2 hours so the drama is condensed and heightened. The movie is written from the perspective of each of the three, and Sorkin strove to not favor any one angle. The viewer is left to compare the actual outcome with his own opinion, and thus reach closure on the event, which is sure to generate debate and lots of media.
The movie itself sounds great, and I'll just put aside my liberal leanings on fair wealth distribution in order to enjoy the show.
We're definitely past summer now, but biking weather is reasonably good. My high school friend Eric was up for the weekend and believe me that I needed to burn a couple thousand calories. We bought a replacement bike helmet cover (mine blew off on the highway last week) and biking glasses (mine were crushed into my face during the crash) just before visiting the homebrew shop. I couldn't find them yesterday morning and thought one of the kids had taken them. It took me until this morning to recall that I'd put it them in the bucket with the malted grain and hops, so they now have a distinct (and pleasing) hop aroma.
The writer Aaron Sorkin, and a few lead actors were in the studio and they were questioned in a way that changed my opinion of the movie. I had immediately assumed that it was only going to glorify Facebook and lead to even more wealth and glamour for Zuckerberg, but Sorkin explained that he wrote it from the perspectives of the three groups who claimed partial ownership of the idea, and therefore the money. The story itself is incredible, and I believed him when he said it was in no way fictionalized. "Dramatized" yes, but his sources were primarily firsthand and he simply had to fit several years of action into 2 hours so the drama is condensed and heightened. The movie is written from the perspective of each of the three, and Sorkin strove to not favor any one angle. The viewer is left to compare the actual outcome with his own opinion, and thus reach closure on the event, which is sure to generate debate and lots of media.
The movie itself sounds great, and I'll just put aside my liberal leanings on fair wealth distribution in order to enjoy the show.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Back to biking after being unable for a few weeks due to weather, client meetings, and travel to Chicago for my sister's wedding reception. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and today it poured. That's Vancouver...
I tuned my bike a week ago and got the gears shifting well, which is a nuisance when cycling for pleasure, and a real hassle for commuters like myself. I bought a semi-pro bike repair stand and the right books, so in combination with internet sources and patience I can stay on top of repairs and tuning.
Today I listened to Arianna Huffington and her book on the declining standards of the U.S. middle class, and yesterday was a great show with Henry L. Gates, most famous for being charged for breaking and entering into his own Cambridge, MA home. As a Harvard professor of African-American research, he used his position to publicize the event which eventually turned into the memorable White House "beer summit" with the police officers. Huffington was good, but Gates was great.
The show was based on this week's Fortune article by Dinesh D'Souza that claims President Obama thinks like his father, and therefore the country is being run by an African anti-colonialist. Newt Gingrich called the article "a stunning insight" and talked it up on Meet The Press, among other platforms. D'Souza writes: “The U.S. is being ruled according to the dreams of a Luo tribesman of the 1950s. This philandering, inebriated African socialist, who raged against the world for denying him the realization of his anticolonial ambitions, is now setting the nation's agenda through the reincarnation of his dreams in his son.” This is strong stuff and makes an assumption that genes influence behaviour more than environment, which I can't believe is true.
Gates was excellent and took an academic approach to the situation, without being overly judgmental or harsh on the writers. The callers did that for him though and took their turns denouncing D'Souza and the Republican Party for launching a fear-based smear campaign. People fear the strange and unknown, and many still can't come to grips with a president that looks so different from all previous presidents, and who sounds and acts very different to his predecessor. Obama's opponents understand this very well and are playing on peoples' psychologies.
Gates runs an organization that traces genetic ancestry and he offered some interesting statistics on the percentage of blacks in America with white genes. He stated that he has never found a black American (excluding recent immigrants with direct bloodline) with 100% African genes. Gates joked that he himself is from the "African island of Ireland." This countered D'Souza's claim that Obama's genetic makeup influences the way he thinks, and if this was true, then all the white genes in black Americans should in some way think like whites. The conclusion from the guests was clearly that one's ancestors inform a person's beliefs, but don't dicate them. Personally speaking, I have to agree. My ancestors are British, but my beliefs are those of a Canadian raised in Wisconsin.
One caller asked Gates to substantiate his claim that "humans are all descended from people who walked out of Ethiopia 50,000 years ago." The caller wondered how this could be true when he was of Celtic origin in Scandanavia and does not resemble an African in any way. Obviously "evolution" is taught less vigorously in some parts of America, and it was remarkable to hear the caller's disbelief that his ancestors were African. Gates made the point that one must look at a long historical timeline, and that the caller is American today, he indeed is Celtic going back 10,000 years, but without doubt he is African going back 50,000 years.
It was an interesting hour and well worth listening too again.
I tuned my bike a week ago and got the gears shifting well, which is a nuisance when cycling for pleasure, and a real hassle for commuters like myself. I bought a semi-pro bike repair stand and the right books, so in combination with internet sources and patience I can stay on top of repairs and tuning.
Today I listened to Arianna Huffington and her book on the declining standards of the U.S. middle class, and yesterday was a great show with Henry L. Gates, most famous for being charged for breaking and entering into his own Cambridge, MA home. As a Harvard professor of African-American research, he used his position to publicize the event which eventually turned into the memorable White House "beer summit" with the police officers. Huffington was good, but Gates was great.
The show was based on this week's Fortune article by Dinesh D'Souza that claims President Obama thinks like his father, and therefore the country is being run by an African anti-colonialist. Newt Gingrich called the article "a stunning insight" and talked it up on Meet The Press, among other platforms. D'Souza writes: “The U.S. is being ruled according to the dreams of a Luo tribesman of the 1950s. This philandering, inebriated African socialist, who raged against the world for denying him the realization of his anticolonial ambitions, is now setting the nation's agenda through the reincarnation of his dreams in his son.” This is strong stuff and makes an assumption that genes influence behaviour more than environment, which I can't believe is true.
Gates was excellent and took an academic approach to the situation, without being overly judgmental or harsh on the writers. The callers did that for him though and took their turns denouncing D'Souza and the Republican Party for launching a fear-based smear campaign. People fear the strange and unknown, and many still can't come to grips with a president that looks so different from all previous presidents, and who sounds and acts very different to his predecessor. Obama's opponents understand this very well and are playing on peoples' psychologies.
Gates runs an organization that traces genetic ancestry and he offered some interesting statistics on the percentage of blacks in America with white genes. He stated that he has never found a black American (excluding recent immigrants with direct bloodline) with 100% African genes. Gates joked that he himself is from the "African island of Ireland." This countered D'Souza's claim that Obama's genetic makeup influences the way he thinks, and if this was true, then all the white genes in black Americans should in some way think like whites. The conclusion from the guests was clearly that one's ancestors inform a person's beliefs, but don't dicate them. Personally speaking, I have to agree. My ancestors are British, but my beliefs are those of a Canadian raised in Wisconsin.
One caller asked Gates to substantiate his claim that "humans are all descended from people who walked out of Ethiopia 50,000 years ago." The caller wondered how this could be true when he was of Celtic origin in Scandanavia and does not resemble an African in any way. Obviously "evolution" is taught less vigorously in some parts of America, and it was remarkable to hear the caller's disbelief that his ancestors were African. Gates made the point that one must look at a long historical timeline, and that the caller is American today, he indeed is Celtic going back 10,000 years, but without doubt he is African going back 50,000 years.
It was an interesting hour and well worth listening too again.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Higher education crisis in America
Great ride, and I'm back to my old times: 26 km/hr for 40 minutes into work. My gears are a mess and I'll get the bike up on the repair stand this weekend for a tune-up. Took two of the boys out on the boat last night to retrieve our crab trap out of the Pacific, but as expected there was only a sunfish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zxIKnStnOg munching on the bait. I really need to spend more on a better trap because this one is easy for these things to crawl into, and surely they scare away crabs.
Today's On Point show http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/09/shaking-up-higher-ed is entitled "Shaking Up Higher Education" and is highly relevant to me. We have four boys, with the oldest in Grade 12 and ready to enter university in a year.
The discussion was on the competitiveness of American universities, which are facing overeas competition, increasing costs and are facing a growing push toward removing tenure. U.S. schools were (and are) the envy of the world, and I can say from personal experience that Asian parents work their children hard in order to get into prestigious schools. The goal seems to be "get in" as opposed "learn." This reminds me of my comment yesterday that the Republican goal seems to be "get elected" as opposed to "govern." Like any business, universities are affected by supply (schools) and demand (students) and need to provide a suitable value proposition to prospective students. Using the internet, students can research schools and will pay attention to what current students and recent graduates have to say. Regardless of the school's image and professional ranking, word-of-mouth via the internet will increasingly affect enrollment, and revenue from tuition. The message from one of the panelists was that U.S. schools are in a crisis situation, but academics and deans don't believe it.
A lot of the focus was on the increasing cost of obtaining a university education, and personally speaking this is a primary reason why we chose to move to Canada instead of the U.S. If we had moved to say, Washington state, then the kids would have been encouraged to attend "U Dub" in order to get in-state tuition. Currently, this is $8,710 per year, and out-of-state tuition is triple the in-state price tag at $25,329. It's possible that one or more of the kids might have been disappointed in the state university system and instead set their hearts on another school in another state. Assuming other states' fees are the same, a 4-year degree would set us back $100,000 plus the cost of travel etc. Private schools are somewhat pricier, and I imagine in the $40,000 range for a reasonably good school. There's a risk premium of between $15,000 and $30,000 per year, per kid, for each one that opts to go out-of-state or private.
In Canada, all public universties are around $5,000 per year for Canadians and $20,000 for non-Canadians. This means that all the schools across the country are the equivalent of "in-state" so our kids have a wide, affordable choice. We're encouraging them to attend the University of British Columbia (UBC) which is one of several local universities, but also happens to be ranked in the top 40 globally. They can live at home, get a great education, and not break mom and dad's piggy bank. Plus, they can get up to Whistler during the ski season and enjoy other hobbies like mountain climbing and biking. Many of their friends want to "get away" for university, but our kids "got away" their entire lives and are still learning what life is like in this foreign country of Canada, so luckily that's not an issue for us.
Today's On Point show http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/09/shaking-up-higher-ed is entitled "Shaking Up Higher Education" and is highly relevant to me. We have four boys, with the oldest in Grade 12 and ready to enter university in a year.
The discussion was on the competitiveness of American universities, which are facing overeas competition, increasing costs and are facing a growing push toward removing tenure. U.S. schools were (and are) the envy of the world, and I can say from personal experience that Asian parents work their children hard in order to get into prestigious schools. The goal seems to be "get in" as opposed "learn." This reminds me of my comment yesterday that the Republican goal seems to be "get elected" as opposed to "govern." Like any business, universities are affected by supply (schools) and demand (students) and need to provide a suitable value proposition to prospective students. Using the internet, students can research schools and will pay attention to what current students and recent graduates have to say. Regardless of the school's image and professional ranking, word-of-mouth via the internet will increasingly affect enrollment, and revenue from tuition. The message from one of the panelists was that U.S. schools are in a crisis situation, but academics and deans don't believe it.
A lot of the focus was on the increasing cost of obtaining a university education, and personally speaking this is a primary reason why we chose to move to Canada instead of the U.S. If we had moved to say, Washington state, then the kids would have been encouraged to attend "U Dub" in order to get in-state tuition. Currently, this is $8,710 per year, and out-of-state tuition is triple the in-state price tag at $25,329. It's possible that one or more of the kids might have been disappointed in the state university system and instead set their hearts on another school in another state. Assuming other states' fees are the same, a 4-year degree would set us back $100,000 plus the cost of travel etc. Private schools are somewhat pricier, and I imagine in the $40,000 range for a reasonably good school. There's a risk premium of between $15,000 and $30,000 per year, per kid, for each one that opts to go out-of-state or private.
In Canada, all public universties are around $5,000 per year for Canadians and $20,000 for non-Canadians. This means that all the schools across the country are the equivalent of "in-state" so our kids have a wide, affordable choice. We're encouraging them to attend the University of British Columbia (UBC) which is one of several local universities, but also happens to be ranked in the top 40 globally. They can live at home, get a great education, and not break mom and dad's piggy bank. Plus, they can get up to Whistler during the ski season and enjoy other hobbies like mountain climbing and biking. Many of their friends want to "get away" for university, but our kids "got away" their entire lives and are still learning what life is like in this foreign country of Canada, so luckily that's not an issue for us.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Congressional elections around the corner
Today's was a great show on the upcoming US elections.
The weak state of the U.S. economy continues to drive interest in and the direction of the election. If unemployment was back at NRU around 4-5% and GDP was growing modestly, I believe the Democrats would win easily. The average person links satisfaction with government overwhelmingly to current job and career satisfaction, and with Obama's relatively recent election the Congressional elections would be in the bag. But that's not the case, and voters worldwide have gotten rid of incumbents because they're willing to believe that a change, any change, is better than maintaining the status quo. Republicans understand this and with nothing to lose they are intent on using extreme language and diversionary tactics to win votes. Democrats refuse to make waves by employing Republican tactics, and are letting Congress slip out of their hands.
Republicans see the election as a battle to be won, and winning Congress is the sole objective so that Obama can be defeated in 2012. Democrats seem to be more genuinely interested in governing for the people, and are not willing to sacrifice their self respect in order to win. Republican tactics are proving successful and they rationalize their lack of shame by being the ones in power, while Democrats wring their hands and complain about dirty politics. If the Democrats continue to seek the high ground they need to rely on a successful economy, and failing that for the next several years, they need to fight fire with fire. Unfortunately, their platform appeals to the well meaning public, and the Republican message attracts the unsatisfied public, which is likely the majority. If the economy remains poor then I still expect Obama to be re-elected, but the U.S. government will become increasingly dysfunctional as the economy is used as a pawn in the Congressional election game. Today, the GOP obstructs measures that will help the economy and create jobs, but simultaneously blames the Democrats for not doing enough. The Dems could push through legislation, but fear of bad press. That's how I define "dysfunctional."
The American middle needs a moderate version of the Tea Party so that they can legitimately "reclaim their country. " The Tea Party has no clue about who they want to reclaim the country from, but in this case it's clear to me that political and media extremists have done the hijacking. Obama seems intent on restoring decency to the Presidency and Democratic Party, but he really needs to wait for a booming economy because his vocal opponents understand that the large, disctontented public is vulnerable to extreme messages. Some FDR and JFK politicking would help their cause immensely.
The weak state of the U.S. economy continues to drive interest in and the direction of the election. If unemployment was back at NRU around 4-5% and GDP was growing modestly, I believe the Democrats would win easily. The average person links satisfaction with government overwhelmingly to current job and career satisfaction, and with Obama's relatively recent election the Congressional elections would be in the bag. But that's not the case, and voters worldwide have gotten rid of incumbents because they're willing to believe that a change, any change, is better than maintaining the status quo. Republicans understand this and with nothing to lose they are intent on using extreme language and diversionary tactics to win votes. Democrats refuse to make waves by employing Republican tactics, and are letting Congress slip out of their hands.
Republicans see the election as a battle to be won, and winning Congress is the sole objective so that Obama can be defeated in 2012. Democrats seem to be more genuinely interested in governing for the people, and are not willing to sacrifice their self respect in order to win. Republican tactics are proving successful and they rationalize their lack of shame by being the ones in power, while Democrats wring their hands and complain about dirty politics. If the Democrats continue to seek the high ground they need to rely on a successful economy, and failing that for the next several years, they need to fight fire with fire. Unfortunately, their platform appeals to the well meaning public, and the Republican message attracts the unsatisfied public, which is likely the majority. If the economy remains poor then I still expect Obama to be re-elected, but the U.S. government will become increasingly dysfunctional as the economy is used as a pawn in the Congressional election game. Today, the GOP obstructs measures that will help the economy and create jobs, but simultaneously blames the Democrats for not doing enough. The Dems could push through legislation, but fear of bad press. That's how I define "dysfunctional."
The American middle needs a moderate version of the Tea Party so that they can legitimately "reclaim their country. " The Tea Party has no clue about who they want to reclaim the country from, but in this case it's clear to me that political and media extremists have done the hijacking. Obama seems intent on restoring decency to the Presidency and Democratic Party, but he really needs to wait for a booming economy because his vocal opponents understand that the large, disctontented public is vulnerable to extreme messages. Some FDR and JFK politicking would help their cause immensely.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Hit the 3,000 km mark
My daily commute is 36 km (22.5 miles) and features a fairly brisk ride into Vancouver from our 200m mountain elevation down to sea level, during which I average about 23 km/hr over the 40 minute ride and considerably less on the return. On the ride home the 200m elevation is recovered via a very steep climb for about 1.2kms (that reclaims about 150m of elevation) followed by a gradual 2.5km that recovers the rest.
It doesn't compare at all to the 100km climbs in The Tour de France, and while I think most people my age would find it hard to do, a reasonably fit person could certainly match my time. I was regularly getting into work in about 40 minutes and back home in about 55, but I replaced the chain and rear cogset and this really slowed me down. The "cogset" is the mass of teeth on the back wheel, and is the partner to the "chainring" at the center of the bike, which is powered by the cyclist's feet. When a cyclist changes gears, one gear shifter moves the chain up and down each "sprocket" in the cogset, and another moves the chain around the chainring. Competitive bikers adjust the cogset to suit the course, and for long, straight journeys they would go with a cogset with fewer teeth to generate speed, and for steep courses they would opt for many teeth to help them climb. For a course with varied terrain they need both, and for single track courses in a velodrome they probably just need a single speed.
The rear cogset is connected to the chainring by the chain and creates the "drivetrain." I was given my bike for free, and after learning more about bike repair I saw that the chain was old and stretched out, and had whittled away the teeth on the cogset. It's simple to understand because the chain and teeth work in unison, and and if the chain doesn't align with the teeth anymore then it grinds away at the teeth where there's friction.
I bought a new chain and cogset (called a cassette if all the sprockets are together) but was erroneously given a 7-sprocket one to replace my 8-sprocket cogset. I installed it, and then attached the smallest sprocket from the old cogset so the chain wouldn't fall off. That small sprocket has the fewest teeth, and is the one a cyclist uses to go really fast, but I had to disable it because it had been ground down by the old chain and didn't mesh with the new chain. So I can't use this sprocket to achieve high speeds and I wind up coasting a lot.
I'll have to replace the cogset , but ideally would like to wait for a few thousand kms so as to not waste the money I spent. I'll wait and see if my time is being constrained a lot because of this.
It doesn't compare at all to the 100km climbs in The Tour de France, and while I think most people my age would find it hard to do, a reasonably fit person could certainly match my time. I was regularly getting into work in about 40 minutes and back home in about 55, but I replaced the chain and rear cogset and this really slowed me down. The "cogset" is the mass of teeth on the back wheel, and is the partner to the "chainring" at the center of the bike, which is powered by the cyclist's feet. When a cyclist changes gears, one gear shifter moves the chain up and down each "sprocket" in the cogset, and another moves the chain around the chainring. Competitive bikers adjust the cogset to suit the course, and for long, straight journeys they would go with a cogset with fewer teeth to generate speed, and for steep courses they would opt for many teeth to help them climb. For a course with varied terrain they need both, and for single track courses in a velodrome they probably just need a single speed.
The rear cogset is connected to the chainring by the chain and creates the "drivetrain." I was given my bike for free, and after learning more about bike repair I saw that the chain was old and stretched out, and had whittled away the teeth on the cogset. It's simple to understand because the chain and teeth work in unison, and and if the chain doesn't align with the teeth anymore then it grinds away at the teeth where there's friction.
I bought a new chain and cogset (called a cassette if all the sprockets are together) but was erroneously given a 7-sprocket one to replace my 8-sprocket cogset. I installed it, and then attached the smallest sprocket from the old cogset so the chain wouldn't fall off. That small sprocket has the fewest teeth, and is the one a cyclist uses to go really fast, but I had to disable it because it had been ground down by the old chain and didn't mesh with the new chain. So I can't use this sprocket to achieve high speeds and I wind up coasting a lot.
I'll have to replace the cogset , but ideally would like to wait for a few thousand kms so as to not waste the money I spent. I'll wait and see if my time is being constrained a lot because of this.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Silent Friday
No podcasts on Friday because I need a better pair of headphones. I can hear cars extemely well because I only listen to interviews, and not music, so I don't feel there's any danger in that.
The weather has been exceptional and today was an ideal day for biking: Blue sky, slight breeze and cool. I normally take the coastal route through Stanley Park on Fridays, but didn't bother today. I always intend to leave a bit early on Friday, but as usual I wound up cycling out around 6pm and met my friend Cliff, who wanted to set my crab trap off the coast. We didn't get out until dark and had a great time on the water, but his motor had trouble due to a blocked fuel line so I rowed part of the way.
I picked up the trap a few hours ago (it's Saturday now) and had 3 large Dungeness crabs, and a couple of large starfish that were munching on the bait and keeping other crabs from being caught. I put in new bait and we'll retrieve it tomorrow. Wow, the Pacific northwest sure has its attractions.
The weather has been exceptional and today was an ideal day for biking: Blue sky, slight breeze and cool. I normally take the coastal route through Stanley Park on Fridays, but didn't bother today. I always intend to leave a bit early on Friday, but as usual I wound up cycling out around 6pm and met my friend Cliff, who wanted to set my crab trap off the coast. We didn't get out until dark and had a great time on the water, but his motor had trouble due to a blocked fuel line so I rowed part of the way.
I picked up the trap a few hours ago (it's Saturday now) and had 3 large Dungeness crabs, and a couple of large starfish that were munching on the bait and keeping other crabs from being caught. I put in new bait and we'll retrieve it tomorrow. Wow, the Pacific northwest sure has its attractions.
Invented languages
A fascinating show on invented languages. J.R.R. Tolkien probably has the most widely known and inventive group of languages, which he created for his Middle Earth books like the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He was an interesting fellow, and if I recall correctly he was a professor of English at Oxford and became known for his work on Beowulf and Gawain And The Green Knight, written respectively in Old and Middle English. He was British, but was born and raised in South Africa, so I imagine his environment of multiple languages drove his career choice and influenced his writing. Another famous invented language of course is Klingon from Star Trek. The show gave me one piece of info I had never known: James "Scotty" Doohan (also a Canadian from Vancouver) was first asked to create the Klingon language for an early Star Trek movie. He did this, and its success contributed to its continued development for the movies and ultimately as a credit course in Californian universities.
I love language and languages and if I were again considering career choices as a young man, could have easily gone into linguistics. My Chinese is okay, and I continue to find it useful. For some reason I run into Chinese speakers; for example while standing on our remote cul de sac here, have been asked twice by Mandarin speaking tourists for directions. Luckily I know "waterfall" in Chinese because they're often looking for the well known hiking trail to the local waterfall, and would love to hear the conversation in the car after the driver stumbled onto the one Chinese-speaking Caucasian in the area. My Thai became passable after four years in Bangkok, and I worked on Italian and German for a few months prior to visits. And of course, growing up in Canada I took French from Grade 4, all the way through university.
I love language and languages and if I were again considering career choices as a young man, could have easily gone into linguistics. My Chinese is okay, and I continue to find it useful. For some reason I run into Chinese speakers; for example while standing on our remote cul de sac here, have been asked twice by Mandarin speaking tourists for directions. Luckily I know "waterfall" in Chinese because they're often looking for the well known hiking trail to the local waterfall, and would love to hear the conversation in the car after the driver stumbled onto the one Chinese-speaking Caucasian in the area. My Thai became passable after four years in Bangkok, and I worked on Italian and German for a few months prior to visits. And of course, growing up in Canada I took French from Grade 4, all the way through university.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Back to the podcasts
Woke to pouring rain, and found wind into my face at 13 km/hour on the bike ride to work. So, our nice summer is finishing and I missed most of it! My grass is half dead so I'm glad for the watering.
My memory is still not 100% and I'm just now grasping for what I listened to. It's not just a memory lapse, it's mainly because my usual headphones are in one of the kids' rooms and I only heard portions of the NPR show. On...the planned New York "mosque" near the World Trade Center site. I'm torn on that one because I don't think the local Muslims are in any way using this to commemorate 9/11 and in purely rational terms it shouldn't be an issue. I think they simply want a local place to worship, and of all places in the world, New York City is likely the most multiculutral and accomodating environment one could find. However, 9/11 is still too recent to be thought of in purely rational terms, and I completely understand the pushback.
The "mosque" is not a conventional mosque and is evidently a dedicated worship room in a local building. No minarets and no wailing mullahs etc. I have to side with the Muslim community because they are keeping their faith low key and I guess purposely hidden from public view. I also think the opposition is from a small group of vocal individuals with an extremely negative message and point of view that I can't believe reflects the average person. However, the average person can't even voice a moderate opinion now because they rightly fear of being targeted in the same way the Muslims are.
Since it's now such a high profile and sensitive topic I would ask the Muslims to simply move farther away, and avoid the unavoidable fall out. It's a no-win for all involved because it's also un-American and is counter to what the vocal extremists are fighting for and represent.
My memory is still not 100% and I'm just now grasping for what I listened to. It's not just a memory lapse, it's mainly because my usual headphones are in one of the kids' rooms and I only heard portions of the NPR show. On...the planned New York "mosque" near the World Trade Center site. I'm torn on that one because I don't think the local Muslims are in any way using this to commemorate 9/11 and in purely rational terms it shouldn't be an issue. I think they simply want a local place to worship, and of all places in the world, New York City is likely the most multiculutral and accomodating environment one could find. However, 9/11 is still too recent to be thought of in purely rational terms, and I completely understand the pushback.
The "mosque" is not a conventional mosque and is evidently a dedicated worship room in a local building. No minarets and no wailing mullahs etc. I have to side with the Muslim community because they are keeping their faith low key and I guess purposely hidden from public view. I also think the opposition is from a small group of vocal individuals with an extremely negative message and point of view that I can't believe reflects the average person. However, the average person can't even voice a moderate opinion now because they rightly fear of being targeted in the same way the Muslims are.
Since it's now such a high profile and sensitive topic I would ask the Muslims to simply move farther away, and avoid the unavoidable fall out. It's a no-win for all involved because it's also un-American and is counter to what the vocal extremists are fighting for and represent.
Friday, August 27, 2010
2nd day back on the road
Weather here in Vancouver has been hot and dry since about May, and everyone's grass is generally brown. However, I biked in yesterday and again today, and was either rained on or threatened! So what bad luck to have missed six great weeks, and to now enter the cooler, wetter and darker part of the year. I'll get my iPod going again and then will be 100% recoverd. Although on the ride home last night I definitely felt far more tired than I ever have been going home, and I guess my body is just taking its time to fully recover.
A leisurely ride in today, taking 60 minutes and including Stanley Park, which I customarily do on Fridays now. Average pace was 21 km/hr versus my 27 km/hr pace just weeks ago, so I've got a lot of fitness to gain back.
2,800 kms YTD.
A leisurely ride in today, taking 60 minutes and including Stanley Park, which I customarily do on Fridays now. Average pace was 21 km/hr versus my 27 km/hr pace just weeks ago, so I've got a lot of fitness to gain back.
2,800 kms YTD.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Exercised the demons (pun intended)
Six weeks after the crash, finally biked in again. Sans iPod and podcasts, but I was mainly staying focused on the bike to see if it contributed to the cause of the crash. I think not, and I must have hit something. So my "demon" is fully exorcized (exercized?), I hope.
Looking forward to biking again, as it contributes so much to a positive mental and physical state.
Looking forward to biking again, as it contributes so much to a positive mental and physical state.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Recovering
Amost back to normal, but still a bit wobbly. I couldn't concentrate for a week after the crash, but now I can function at work and I have some energy. Hand-eye coordination and control over my legs is good as long as I don't go too fast. Picture the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, and that's probably who I run like.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Ouch...bike crash
My last post was July 8, and that evening I played softball then headed home. Part of my front fender became loose and wedged itself into my front spokes, and caused a wipeout. Several hours and an ambulance ride later I found myself in Lions Gate hospital with a concussion and range of scrapes. Luckily my helmet took most of the shock, but I wound up breaking a bone in my face, and nothing else. I'm a pretty ugly brute at the moment, with scabs slowly dropping off. And it's taken a while to overcome the concussion, which left me "slow" to say the least. And I've been unable to hardly walk, save bike, but I will feel up to it next week!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Summer finally arrived in Vancouver
One of my kids "borrowed" my iPod and when I left yesterday and today it was buried, so no podcasts.
The weather is fantastic here, with blue sky and warm winds. After not biking for six days, during my ride in yesterday I felt strong as an ox and was probably pumped up from watching the Tour de France. I also think the new cassette and chain are creating much better power conversion so I can go faster. The bike computer displays my speed and because this is a constant motivator to keep up the pace I'm certainly going a shade faster on average.
I left at 6 o'clock this morning before the sun rose above the horizon because I had an early teleconference. I think I need to do this everyday in order to avoid too much sun and traffic as well as to just enjoy the view.
2,630 kilometers year to date. My clear weather goal is to get into Vancouver within 40 minutes and to get home within 55 minutes. If it rains then everything changes because the additional wet weather gear slows down the cadence considerably.
The weather is fantastic here, with blue sky and warm winds. After not biking for six days, during my ride in yesterday I felt strong as an ox and was probably pumped up from watching the Tour de France. I also think the new cassette and chain are creating much better power conversion so I can go faster. The bike computer displays my speed and because this is a constant motivator to keep up the pace I'm certainly going a shade faster on average.
I left at 6 o'clock this morning before the sun rose above the horizon because I had an early teleconference. I think I need to do this everyday in order to avoid too much sun and traffic as well as to just enjoy the view.
2,630 kilometers year to date. My clear weather goal is to get into Vancouver within 40 minutes and to get home within 55 minutes. If it rains then everything changes because the additional wet weather gear slows down the cadence considerably.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Managing budgets in NY and Barbados
Great ride in, after tightening the freehub on the rear axle that I obviously didn't do well enough when I replaced the cassette. The new computer is going to greatly improve my performance because I can read out my speed and force myself to maintain it.
Year to date I'm at 2,452 kilometers of biking vs. about 4,900 potential kilometers. Moderate winds, but sunny and really nice overall.
Listened to This American Life on the way in. Great show on how New York state called in the same gent who fixed New York City's budget in the 1980s to fix the state's. The politicians didn't like his no nonsense approach to balancing budgets and his recommendation was rejected. This was contrasted with Barbados, which adopted a US dollar peg in the 1990s, then got the trade unions and company management to agree on how to work together for the sake of the entire country. Granted, Barbados with only 300,000 people is easier to manage than the state of New York, but they got it done.
Year to date I'm at 2,452 kilometers of biking vs. about 4,900 potential kilometers. Moderate winds, but sunny and really nice overall.
Listened to This American Life on the way in. Great show on how New York state called in the same gent who fixed New York City's budget in the 1980s to fix the state's. The politicians didn't like his no nonsense approach to balancing budgets and his recommendation was rejected. This was contrasted with Barbados, which adopted a US dollar peg in the 1990s, then got the trade unions and company management to agree on how to work together for the sake of the entire country. Granted, Barbados with only 300,000 people is easier to manage than the state of New York, but they got it done.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Veterans with brain injuries
I was in Oregon with high school buddies the previous weekend, then in Toronto all last week, so no cycling. But I fit in a run in Beaverton, Oregon which coincidentally is the Nike headquarers. I also fit in a boardwalk run in the Beaches, Toronto with old friend Steve, so didn't feel like a complete slouch.
Here at work in Vancouver the company launched a staff "stepping" program to encourage everyone to get active, so we all have pedometers and daily tracking sheets. I did a run/hike last night around West Van and built up 8,500 steps, then the ride this morning picked up another 4,000. I calculated it would be 5,500 rotations, so with the downhill coasting, 4,000 makes sense. It should be a lot higher on the ride home.
I bought a bike repair stand in Portland, and also picked up some tools over the weekend as well as a cycle computer. I replaced the worn rear cassette by taking it off with the new cassette remover and chainwhip tools. When you replace a worn cassette, you have to also replace the chain so I did that as well. That last sentence implied it was easy, but with trial and error it took about four hours. When I rode in today I found the cranking to be far smoother with better power transmission. Unfortunately my rear wheel started wobbling, and a check on the internet showed I didn't lock down the axle enough. So I get to do it all over again tomorrow.
The new bike computer is great and tells me that I biked on average about 30 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed of 65 down a long hill. The ride is exactly 18.5 kilometers and not 18.1. Time was 48 minutes, but I needed about 4 minutes to check out my wobbly rear wheel. The weather was sunny, with some wind, and it was a fine ride.
The show today was on veterans who experience hidden brain injury from shock waves during bombings. Because the symptons aren't connected to visible injuries the traditional military response has been to toughen up the soldier and get rid of the psychological problem. However, the problems are not always psychological and can be from damage to the brain. The army is not doing enough to diagnose, treat and take care of soldiers with this type of injury. The associated cost could be huge to the military, because soldiers can suffer permanent brain damage that affects their ability to earn an income and live a full life after their service.
Here at work in Vancouver the company launched a staff "stepping" program to encourage everyone to get active, so we all have pedometers and daily tracking sheets. I did a run/hike last night around West Van and built up 8,500 steps, then the ride this morning picked up another 4,000. I calculated it would be 5,500 rotations, so with the downhill coasting, 4,000 makes sense. It should be a lot higher on the ride home.
I bought a bike repair stand in Portland, and also picked up some tools over the weekend as well as a cycle computer. I replaced the worn rear cassette by taking it off with the new cassette remover and chainwhip tools. When you replace a worn cassette, you have to also replace the chain so I did that as well. That last sentence implied it was easy, but with trial and error it took about four hours. When I rode in today I found the cranking to be far smoother with better power transmission. Unfortunately my rear wheel started wobbling, and a check on the internet showed I didn't lock down the axle enough. So I get to do it all over again tomorrow.
The new bike computer is great and tells me that I biked on average about 30 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed of 65 down a long hill. The ride is exactly 18.5 kilometers and not 18.1. Time was 48 minutes, but I needed about 4 minutes to check out my wobbly rear wheel. The weather was sunny, with some wind, and it was a fine ride.
The show today was on veterans who experience hidden brain injury from shock waves during bombings. Because the symptons aren't connected to visible injuries the traditional military response has been to toughen up the soldier and get rid of the psychological problem. However, the problems are not always psychological and can be from damage to the brain. The army is not doing enough to diagnose, treat and take care of soldiers with this type of injury. The associated cost could be huge to the military, because soldiers can suffer permanent brain damage that affects their ability to earn an income and live a full life after their service.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Last post of the week: Up to 2,413 Kms YTD
Have a client meeting Friday morning, so no biking. Going direclty to Oregon to see high school friends for the weekend, so will not get much excercise. I'm part of a "stepping" team competition here at work so I have to see if the pedometer works on the bike. If not, I'll add some running.
Capitalism Doomed?
2 day update: Got a flat on Monday AM so wound up getting a partial ride in, but the ride home was fine. Left the house without a spare tube because I ran out of patches, and specifically said to my wife that I hoped I wouldn't get a flat ("Ha ha....") Of course I had a nail in the tire by the time I got to Cypress. Tuesday it rained in the AM, but was beautiful on the way home.
NPR On Point's show was on the success of state capitalism vs. private capitalism. China and Singapore were discussed as being able to unilaterlly manage their economies without interference from private corporations or elected bodies, e.g. Congress. If China needs to change policy or spend money right away it can do it, whereas the U.S. Congress needs to have hearings, draft motions, etc. before getting anything done.
Good discussion on how large businesses in N. America and Europe are accustomed to getting their way through lobbying and relationships, but when they enter China or state-run markets they are in a far more subordinate position. Also a discussion on China's growing problems: Sure, they have a lot of jobs, but most of them are low-paying, subsistence jobs that help exports, but there's no money left to create a domestic consumer economy. As China's wages go up there is the threat that export jobs are affected, and the economic gap is not filled by employing these workers to produce for the domestic market. Singapore is hailed as the ideal economic model for state capitalism, and achieves a balance of personal liberties and economic freedom, all controlled by a benevolent government. Having worked there, it should be stated clearly that Singapore is easy to manage because it's geographically small and therefore easier to control than say India or America.
NPR On Point's show was on the success of state capitalism vs. private capitalism. China and Singapore were discussed as being able to unilaterlly manage their economies without interference from private corporations or elected bodies, e.g. Congress. If China needs to change policy or spend money right away it can do it, whereas the U.S. Congress needs to have hearings, draft motions, etc. before getting anything done.
Good discussion on how large businesses in N. America and Europe are accustomed to getting their way through lobbying and relationships, but when they enter China or state-run markets they are in a far more subordinate position. Also a discussion on China's growing problems: Sure, they have a lot of jobs, but most of them are low-paying, subsistence jobs that help exports, but there's no money left to create a domestic consumer economy. As China's wages go up there is the threat that export jobs are affected, and the economic gap is not filled by employing these workers to produce for the domestic market. Singapore is hailed as the ideal economic model for state capitalism, and achieves a balance of personal liberties and economic freedom, all controlled by a benevolent government. Having worked there, it should be stated clearly that Singapore is easy to manage because it's geographically small and therefore easier to control than say India or America.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Superweeds, and I'm not talking "weed"
Had an early phone call so I lifted my game and made it in 46 minutes. 13C, no wind or rain. Year-to-date I've biked 2,359 KMs vs. a potential 4,308 KMs if I had biked 100% of the time to work. That's 55% of the time on the bike, 45% on the bus.
Today's NPR On Point show was on the evolution of agricultural superweeds after Monsanto introduced Roundup in the 1970s. It worked great and allowed farmers to stop manual tilling to control weeds, and with fertilizer reduced the need to rotate crops. More money, more efficiency. But some weeds are now resistant and farmers are getting nervous again. Should industry spray more, use stronger chemicals and live with the risk of even more resistant weeds and environmental pollution?
Here comes the need for balance again. Non-farmers and activists simply say "Told you so" and "Go organic", but practical farmers say "It's not economical anymore to pull weeds, and we can't hire people to do it." In the middle of that, progressive farmers are using a combination of reasonable chemical application, crop rotation and ground cover plants to keep weeds at bay and avoid over reliance on chemicals. I would absolutely avoid strengthening the chemicals because without doubt we know that superweeds and pollution will materialize. I think the public needs to pay more for food if it results in a more sustainable environment. The public won't WANT to pay, but as with other things (e.g. national debt, reliance on cheap oil, and poor lifestyle habits) people have to be realistic about the repercussions of continually relying on an economic answer to their problems.
Today's NPR On Point show was on the evolution of agricultural superweeds after Monsanto introduced Roundup in the 1970s. It worked great and allowed farmers to stop manual tilling to control weeds, and with fertilizer reduced the need to rotate crops. More money, more efficiency. But some weeds are now resistant and farmers are getting nervous again. Should industry spray more, use stronger chemicals and live with the risk of even more resistant weeds and environmental pollution?
Here comes the need for balance again. Non-farmers and activists simply say "Told you so" and "Go organic", but practical farmers say "It's not economical anymore to pull weeds, and we can't hire people to do it." In the middle of that, progressive farmers are using a combination of reasonable chemical application, crop rotation and ground cover plants to keep weeds at bay and avoid over reliance on chemicals. I would absolutely avoid strengthening the chemicals because without doubt we know that superweeds and pollution will materialize. I think the public needs to pay more for food if it results in a more sustainable environment. The public won't WANT to pay, but as with other things (e.g. national debt, reliance on cheap oil, and poor lifestyle habits) people have to be realistic about the repercussions of continually relying on an economic answer to their problems.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Is the internet making us dumber?
AM: 10C, wind E6, drizzle, 54 minutes. Slow because I had a big breakfast after an early call. Won't do that again!
The NPR On Point show was a debate between two guys who argued about the effect of the web, SMS, Twitter etc. on our ability to consume and process large amounts of material, such as reading an educational text or history book. Our brains are being trained to demand stimulation and sound bites, because of hyperlinks in web pages, etc. The contrary point is that it develops more nimble thinking. As always, I think a balance is required, but without doubt we're all getting more peripheral info about many things, and not the reverse. I'm glad I did an MBA and have written research based reports that require organization and consistency. It helps me remember that processing and creating a large, focused amount of material requires time and revisions. Whereas blogging for example can be done purely as a stream of thought, without care for a real theme, perfect style, etc.
The NPR On Point show was a debate between two guys who argued about the effect of the web, SMS, Twitter etc. on our ability to consume and process large amounts of material, such as reading an educational text or history book. Our brains are being trained to demand stimulation and sound bites, because of hyperlinks in web pages, etc. The contrary point is that it develops more nimble thinking. As always, I think a balance is required, but without doubt we're all getting more peripheral info about many things, and not the reverse. I'm glad I did an MBA and have written research based reports that require organization and consistency. It helps me remember that processing and creating a large, focused amount of material requires time and revisions. Whereas blogging for example can be done purely as a stream of thought, without care for a real theme, perfect style, etc.
The Perfect Tomato, in the rain
AM: 13C, wind SE 15km/hr, 60 minutes at least. Downpour, took lots of time of my ride, and complicated by flat tire that needed replacing before I left. Small nail right through the tire.
PM: Went to friend's house to watch the Stanley Cup, which Chicago wrapped up. Got a ride home from Jeanne.
NPR On Point show was on tomatoes, of all things. But it was completely fascinating. Evening ride was on grey divorce, ala the Gores. Really pretty boring as I'm not too grey and am happily married.
PM: Went to friend's house to watch the Stanley Cup, which Chicago wrapped up. Got a ride home from Jeanne.
NPR On Point show was on tomatoes, of all things. But it was completely fascinating. Evening ride was on grey divorce, ala the Gores. Really pretty boring as I'm not too grey and am happily married.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Yellowstone Bison go to Ted Turner
2,244 kms biked this year.
AM: Wind E 11km/hr, 13C, overcast no rain. 53 minutes: Slow, but I was tight from baseball.
PM:
Had client meeting Thu so no biking, but played softball. 3 for 5, caught a fly, slipped in the mud several times and got a few laughs from the guys.
AM, listened to On Point's discussion of the Yellowstone bison herd's problem with bruxellosis, which if transmitted to cows requires the entire herd to be slaughtered. Gov't is moving a # of animals to Ted Turner's Montana bison operation, for quarantine and observation, for 5 years. Clean animals will be returned to Yellowstone, and Turner gets 75% of the offspring during the time as payment. Lots of contraversy about the involvement of private business, but I think it's a fine idea. The opponents think private interests needn't be involved and the Montana gov't isn't trying hard enough to find a better solution.
AM: Wind E 11km/hr, 13C, overcast no rain. 53 minutes: Slow, but I was tight from baseball.
PM:
Had client meeting Thu so no biking, but played softball. 3 for 5, caught a fly, slipped in the mud several times and got a few laughs from the guys.
AM, listened to On Point's discussion of the Yellowstone bison herd's problem with bruxellosis, which if transmitted to cows requires the entire herd to be slaughtered. Gov't is moving a # of animals to Ted Turner's Montana bison operation, for quarantine and observation, for 5 years. Clean animals will be returned to Yellowstone, and Turner gets 75% of the offspring during the time as payment. Lots of contraversy about the involvement of private business, but I think it's a fine idea. The opponents think private interests needn't be involved and the Montana gov't isn't trying hard enough to find a better solution.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sarah Silverman - On bed wetting
KMs this year: 2,172 out of a potential 3,801 KMs had I biked to work 5 days a week.
AM: Wind SE 2, 13C, no rain.
PM: Wind N 4, 12C, light rain.
Didn't bike yesterday due to rain and laziness after the 3-day weekend. Jumped on this morning to find my son left a flat rear tire after he borrowed it. Thanks a lot, dude.
Listened to Sarah Silverman's interview on NPR. I've only watched her recently cancelled show a few times, but it worked for me. Probably her most famous bit was the "I'm F***ing Matt Daymon" bit she played to then boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel on his show. And his reply with "I'm F***ing Ben Affleck" was a classic, both on You Tube.
AM: Wind SE 2, 13C, no rain.
PM: Wind N 4, 12C, light rain.
Didn't bike yesterday due to rain and laziness after the 3-day weekend. Jumped on this morning to find my son left a flat rear tire after he borrowed it. Thanks a lot, dude.
Listened to Sarah Silverman's interview on NPR. I've only watched her recently cancelled show a few times, but it worked for me. Probably her most famous bit was the "I'm F***ing Matt Daymon" bit she played to then boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel on his show. And his reply with "I'm F***ing Ben Affleck" was a classic, both on You Tube.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Victoria Day
No biking--Public holiday here in Canada. I replaced a chain on the Marin Bear Valley, but found it was actually sized correctly and the problem was the lousy rear derailleur cable installation I did last weekend. Repaired that as well as the front derailleur. I'm getting the hang of bike repair now after tearing about 3 used and abused mountain bikes recently.
Canadiens lost their semi-final series to Philadelphia so no Canadian team in the Stanley Cup again. I was really hoping for a Vancouver-Montreal Stanley Cup this year! So I'll root for Philly as Chicago knocked out the Canucks here.
Canadiens lost their semi-final series to Philadelphia so no Canadian team in the Stanley Cup again. I was really hoping for a Vancouver-Montreal Stanley Cup this year! So I'll root for Philly as Chicago knocked out the Canucks here.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Fri. May 21, 2010
KMs today: 18.1
This week: 79.4
AM: Got a drive to work.
PM: Wind W12km/h. Along Marine Drive and up 31st. Listened to Bill Maher, funniest podcast available. Long talk about religion and media; BM's point is that religious beliefs taken literally cause huge irreconciliable problems between people, groups, countries and of course between the religions themselves. Guests focused on faith and how religion helps, which BM doesn't see as an issue--His focus is on the what happens when faith + ill placed literal beliefs become more important than common sense and logic.
This week: 79.4
AM: Got a drive to work.
PM: Wind W12km/h. Along Marine Drive and up 31st. Listened to Bill Maher, funniest podcast available. Long talk about religion and media; BM's point is that religious beliefs taken literally cause huge irreconciliable problems between people, groups, countries and of course between the religions themselves. Guests focused on faith and how religion helps, which BM doesn't see as an issue--His focus is on the what happens when faith + ill placed literal beliefs become more important than common sense and logic.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Thu. May 20, 2010
21st wedding anniversary today, so because of that and the outrageous wind in Vancouver I skipped the bicycle and got on the 6:40 bus, with the intention of leaving early for drinks with my wife.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wed. May 19, 2010
KM today: 18.1+7 = 25.1
This week: 61.3
AM: 13C, Wind E10km/h and really felt it from home all the way to Cypress Mtn. 18.1km bike ride took about 50 mins. 190lbs.
Listened to On Point's podcast on the Mexican-American war. James Polk was a so-so Prez but saw the need to have east-west control by annexing Texas and taking Mexico's Arizona, NM, Utah and California. Mexico gave up, sold it all to the US for $15m, but secured the upper tip of the Baja penninsula so that it had a land route there.
PM: 12C, Wind E31km/h. HUGE wind and late so I got a ride home from Park Royal. Listened to Chap 3 of Moby Dick.
This week: 61.3
AM: 13C, Wind E10km/h and really felt it from home all the way to Cypress Mtn. 18.1km bike ride took about 50 mins. 190lbs.
Listened to On Point's podcast on the Mexican-American war. James Polk was a so-so Prez but saw the need to have east-west control by annexing Texas and taking Mexico's Arizona, NM, Utah and California. Mexico gave up, sold it all to the US for $15m, but secured the upper tip of the Baja penninsula so that it had a land route there.
PM: 12C, Wind E31km/h. HUGE wind and late so I got a ride home from Park Royal. Listened to Chap 3 of Moby Dick.
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