Primer Sets

On the trail

2012-01-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

I came across the unmistakable tracks of the mostlydomesticated Patrick.

His path wandered by obvious signs of others from hisspecies.

Here he seems to have diverted from his mate.

Another sign of Patrick's species. This dwelling appears empty though his species is known to acquiretheir homes from the previous occupants.

The as the snow increased in intensity, it became moredifficult to track Patrick.

The structure in the background is a gatheringplace for Patrick's species. He hasn't been there, however, others of his kind congregate there for undetermined but seemingly ritual like behavior.

This is a dwelling where a higher concentration of Patrick’sspecies call home.

Finally, Patrick’s tracks led to this dwelling. Typically, both he and his mate journey asimilar path in the early mornings and return here. They emerge a short time later, share a pathdown the hill, but then diverge near the base. I hope to track Patrick after this divergence in the future.

Be It Resolved

2012-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were out for a run first thing New Year's Day. She brought up the idea of finding a theme by which we could organize our resolutions. After a discussion about prioritizing experiences over material things and some talk about branding preferences, we came up with the following:

Be it resolved that the year 2012 be known to us as "The Year of New Things".

And by "Things" we generally mean doing things we haven't done before. To chronicle our year, I will blog about the new places we explore and the novel experiences and people we encounter. For example, we enjoyed dim sum for brunch on New Year's Day with friends. I had a wonderful time and would endorse making this both a regular thing and a New Year's Day tradition.

Hope you enjoy the rest of year!

Preview: Winter activity and things aquatic coming this weekend.

Source Material

2011-12-01T16:31:00.001-08:00

Here’s another list of ten items. Again, how far down the list must you gountil you can correctly guess what they all have in common?

toothpaste
bread
concrete
train brakes
fine bone china
sand paper
bullets
cigarette filters
heart valves
renewable fuel

In Common

2011-11-30T16:33:00.001-08:00

Below is a list of ten things. How far down the list do you have to go to guess what they all have in common? Click "Read more" for the answer and a link to the reference.

chopsticks
crayons
motorcycles
pianos
stand mixers
electric guitars
greeting cards
baseball bats
guns
cars

What's in your chocolate peanut buttercup?

2011-10-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, two great tastes that taste great together. However, there is quite probably a much lessgreat, if not universally repugnant taste in that and many other chocolatetreats. That taste is child slave labor.

A little over ten years ago, Raghavan and Chatterjeereported in Knight Ridder Newspapers on the story of two boys trafficked from Mali towork on a cocoa farm in the Ivory Coast. A US State Department report on human rights a year prior to this story statedthat as many as 15,000 children between the ages of 9 and 12 had been sold intoslavery to work on farms in the northern Ivory Coast. At the time, the Ivory Coast supplied 43% of theworldwide production of cocoa beans used to make chocolate. Today, that number approaches 50%. Raghavan and Chatterjeedetailed how the boys were lured from their families by the promise of $20 amonth and a bicycle. When the boysreached the farm, they received no money and no bicycles. They were locked in shacks at night with onlybaseball-sized air holes in the walls. They were beaten with tree branches and, ironically, bicycle chains ifthey worked too slowly, dropped bags of beans, or tried to run away.

At first “Big Chocolate” said they were not aware of thesetypes of abuses. Then they said they hadno way to control slave-harvested cocoa beans from getting mixed withnon-slave-harvested ones. In 2001 theHarkin-Engel Protocol was signed by the US Congress to eliminate childand/or slave labor from the production of chocolate. To date “Big Chocolate” won’t name their suppliers and have certified only small fractions of their products as being free from ingredients derived from child slave labor.

A decade has passed and these abuses are still happening. So what can we do?

Click the links in this post and learn about this issue. You could also order an informational videoat http://www.thedarksideofchocolate.org/
Let Big Chocolate: Archer Daniels Midland, BarryCallebaut, Cargill, Nestle, and Hershey know where you stand. Hershey’s makes this easier: Hershey’s Corporate Social Responsibility –Survey
Write your representatives in Congress and voice youropinion. They won’t act unless theystart hearing from us.
Buy Fair Trade Certified chocolate.

From the Water Tower

2011-09-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Space Needle, Elliot Bay and Olympic National Park

I am still working through how I want to proceed with this blog. For now, here is another photo. I took it a couple of hours ago from the water tower in Volunteer Park. Be well.

Kain 1.01

2011-09-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Garlic and Lemon Rasam

Dinner was adapted from a recipe in Three Bowl Cookbook by Scott and Pappas. The following are diversions from the protocol:

I didn't have any red lentils, so I substituted with a mix of split peas and brown lentils.
I passed the garlic through a press rather than mincing it.
I left half the seeds of one jalapeno pepper in the dice.
I seeded the tomato before chopping it.
I supplemented the juice of 1 lemon with its zest.
I reduced the eggplant saute by 5 minutes to maintain its body.

We ate it with some toast. I'd do this one again.

Progress Bar Food

2011-09-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really hungry

Ways Seattle's Rally Differed From NY's

2011-09-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

There was a plastic bag monster. The demonstrators carried signs that looked like trees and birds. They did yoga on stand-up paddle boards. And, thank goodness, they didn't get pepper sprayed.

Summer Christmas

2011-09-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone is telling me to burn these days in my memory. The Fall and Winter here, otherwise known as the next 10 months, are reportedly grey, wet and cold. I'm going to call the weather we've been having, The Twelve Days of Sunshine. Goodnight, Seattle!

Elliot Bay and Olympic National Park

Yesterday, Out Our Window

2011-09-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Daybreaks Over The Cascades

Reportedly, this view will not be happening very often in the coming months. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Mt. Si

2011-08-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

The weather report gave us a one in five chance of escaping rain. I was a little down about scheduling a hike to reportedly breathtaking vistas on an dreary overcast day. When we broke above treeline, it was windy, misty and grey. Then our friend the sun took over.

Nice job, Nature!

A See Food Diet

2011-08-20T22:02:00.002-07:00

Seattle, it seems, is about seafood. These are some salmon at the Chittenden Locks' Salmon Ladder:

And here are some dungeness crab at Uwajimaya:

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2011-06-12T17:10:00.007-07:00

The last time I tried this, I misread the recipe and used fifteen fluid ounces of evaporated milk instead of the one five fluid ounce can that was actually called for. The dough was more batter than dough, but I went ahead with baked it off anyway.

This time, I forgot the milk altogether. Wah, wah. Well this is the result. It makes for a passable bread that will probably hold up to a good toasting and butter. Next time ...

Recipe adapted from:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/wholewheathoneybread

With cautious steps

2010-11-24T14:05:00.006-08:00

Rehabilitating right calf, adjusting to new shoes and thinking about blogging again.

Happy Thanksgiving! See you in about 3 weeks.

A Tale of Two Cities

2009-04-06T19:35:00.006-07:00

My guess is that the theater district has seen better days. Some show palaces present vacancy. The luckier ones have been recycled into office buildings or classroom space. The marquee on another heralded the appearance of James Carville and Karl Rove. Have they dropped the artifice? Is this the state of political discourse, vaudeville?

She nodded her head emphatically agreeing that I should carry my cell. She also asserted I should carry ID and ten dollars, just in case. It was a route on which I’ve never run in a city in which I’ve only a handful of experiences. I started my run on Tremont Street. It was a brisk Sunday morning. I was wearing a long sleeve microfiber moisture wicking shirt and similarly absurd pair of high-tech running pants. The few others on the street were wearing jackets or overcoats.

He was skinny for his height. That was what I thought when I first saw him from behind. As I passed, I recognized the soiled sweatshirt frayed and peeking out from under his now noticeably worn sports team jacket. I saw him an hour earlier as my fiancée and I stopped in at the convenience store to buy her lunch for the day. Not for nothing, but you’d think a $1300 examination fee would at least get you a boxed lunch.

I crossed the Charles River on the east side of the Longfellow Bridge. The proximal side walkway was closed to pedestrians. The Genzyme building stood out amongst the others in the skyline. They use molecular biology to try to cure disease and suffering. Also on this day, there were several hundred neurologists and psychiatrists anxiously auditioning for their certifying board. I passed private and collegiate boathouses, art deco architecture and buildings that have stood for well over three centuries.

A crew team skulled by an embankment tagged with the graffiti, “Give Me Some Credit.”

I crossed back over the Charles at the Eliot Bridge and turned towards my temporary home. Glancing at my watch, I was assured I would make it back in time to shower and check out. Every once in a while I’d recite the remainder of my route just to distract from the fact that this was an 11 mile training run with no gels or water.

“Follow the river to the band shell. Arlington to Beacon. Beacon to Charles. Cross the Commons. Boylston to Tremont and done.”

A young couple was quickly approaching from the opposite direction. The front surfaces of their legs were crimson (a touch brighter than Harvard) from the biting wind. At the very least, the homeless man from earlier had clothes to keep him warm. I should get an extra piece of fruit or a sandwich for him if he is still there. I do have ten bucks in my pocket.

Later that day I walked the Freedom Trail: Boston Common, State House … to Bunker Hill and back. What struck me was the commercial nature of Faneuil Hall. Save for the assembly hall, it could have been any suburban shopping mall in America. Here, where the ideas and words of James Otis and Samuel Adams catalyzed the experiment called America, where William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass began the end of slavery, now the largest audiences watch magicians, contortionists and troupes of street dancers moving to the beat of 80’s hip hop. I re-oriented myself realizing that this area was a marketplace then as it is now. The exchange of goods and services are as fundamental to us as sharing our ideas, words and oratory. Let’s hope, however, Carville vs. Rove is not what history remembers of us.

I’m back in New York. The daily will begin again tomorrow. Boston is an interesting city of contrasts. Neighborhoods struggle to maintain identities as they hope to re-purpose or re-invent the parts that have lost relevancy. People there struggle to expand the frontiers of our knowledge while others just struggle. I did see the homeless man at the end of my run. He was carrying a roll or sandwich wrapped in the convenience store wrapper. He may have fished it out of the trash. I like to think someone else had the same thought as I had during my run.

Not Just a Mailman Who Runs

2009-01-07T15:07:00.002-08:00

Jamie and Lynn Parks

Whippersnapper

2008-06-05T13:51:00.003-07:00

In all fairness, the youth was sufficiently motivated and engaged. He would have more soundly trounced me had it not been for a late surge.

A Day At the Park

2008-03-18T19:05:00.002-07:00

Who Rocked The Bronx?

2008-02-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

2008 NYRRC Half-Marathon Grand Prix: Bronx

Yeah, that'd be me.

Crisis

2008-02-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

What you don't know about your doctor. (my sister's site)

Less Gruesome

2008-01-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Shrimp with Spinach Rice

… because the last image was not exactly appetizing. This was lunch Saturday. The problem with making a butter poaching solution is that it's too easy to keep throwing stuff into it. Back to less rich foods tomorrow.

Getting Back

2008-01-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

17 minus 32, multiply by 5 and divide by 9. I wore a knit hat, three layers up top, two below and a pair of gloves. That left me slightly overdressed for my run today. It was minus 8.3 degrees on the Celsius scale. It was also my first run of 2008 being sidelined since the arm injury. Although I probably could have run with my wing in a sling, things are starting to break down with more and more regularity. I figured I should play it safe. The run was mostly uneventful. My wind is pretty good, and my wheels are predictably a little weak. I stopped at 5.5 miles and walked the last half mile home. By then I’d built up a bit of heat and the wind had picked up a little. Glad I was overdressed.

I signed up at active.com for an online training log, but just came across the log at Runner’s World. Any advice from those who might have tried one or the other? So, this week’s goals are to run four of the seven days. No specific mileage targets yet. My yearly goal is a rehash despite having fallen far short of it last year. I had accomplished a quarter of my annual target before giving way to injury and the summer project. I’m in a better position this year, so here goes: 2008 miles in 2008.

Here’s a slide showing my arm injury recovery. It is day 28 and the bruising and swelling is almost entirely gone.

A Cautionary Tail

2008-01-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

Primer: So, you busy tonight?
Loretta Lobster: No, just crawling around. Might even contract and retract my tail if some jerk steps on one of my feet. Why, what did you have in mind?
Primer: Oh I don’t know. How about dinner and some laundry?
Loretta Lobster: My chitin exoskeleton is not due to molt for another six months. Laundry on a Friday night?
Primer: Alright, alright. Maybe some other time. I did have this bucket of chum …
Loretta Lobster: Did you say chum?
Primer: Huh? Yeah.

Primer: I do enjoy clean clothes.

Where Was I?

2008-01-08T04:20:00.000-08:00

I use my cell as my alarm clock. Actually, I routinely awake seven minutes before my alarm goes off, disable it, go back to sleep and then wake up eight minutes after the original target time. This morning I had a vivid dream during that quarter hour interlude. Unfortunately, now I only remember this fragment:

I’m standing at an entrance holding in my hand a laminated description of an event or venue. The description is in the form of a bulleted list. In the middle of the list is the item, “40 levels of assault.”

I woke up. Where was I?

Resolved

2008-01-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

Some say that lefties don’t work well within structure. I find that I’m too inconsistent when I’m not. So, with that in mind here are my resolutions. They are more organizing principles than specific goals, but you know me. Typical lefty.

Eat more meals with company
Drink more water
Sleep more consistently

Even the shortest list can occupy the longest of days. Once you make headway on one item, other dependencies emerge.

Actually I should have listed the sleep resolution first. I was trying to get cute with the whole “eat, drink and be merry” theme. The evidence supporting both more sleep and a more consistent sleep pattern is compelling. Quantity, quality and variety of endeavors increase when I get 6-8 hours of sleep a night as compared to 3-5 hours. It will require a slavish commitment to prioritization and organization. I will have to identify and eliminate some dead time.

Drink more water. I stole this idea. By the time I got it, it was at least third-hand. However despite its lack of originality and recent evidence that the 8 glasses a day rule should be taken more as a suggestion, I need to hydrate better. Specifically, I can get almost a fifth of my hydration needs satisfied by adding more (any) fruits and vegetables to my diet. The word “hyponatremia” is more commonly spoken. I’ve felt the effects, being one of those 4+ hour marathoners. Glass after glass of water may be expedient, but it is sounding less and less sensible. And why take a salt tab when food is so much more fun?

And there it is. Food. The last two years have been a resurrection of sorts for me. Prior to that, disappointments and life’s setbacks made it easy for me to withdraw. In order for me to eat more meals with company, I will have to invite, accept and cook more often. Those are three things I enjoy, but haven’t done much lately.

That’s my list. I’ll flesh it out as projects come together. What does your list look like?

Wishing everyone peace, joy and success.

Bane and Delight

2007-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

I like steaks, beef in particular. I know the high cholesterol content is bad. I know that there are ethical and environmental concerns surrounding the eating of it. For some things, however, I am easily seduced. Yes, as Gloria Estefan might have sung, the bovine is gonna get me.

Oddly enough, I don’t think the conventional method is going to do me in. Three years ago, I sat down to enjoy a hard earned sizzling juicy slab. I was quite nearly inhaling the protein when a piece took me literally and lodged itself on my pharynx. As I stood up to enact the universal choking sign, I passed out and crashed to the floor. Fortunately the fall, or I guess more precisely, the impact dislodged the steak. I awoke to my brother scooping me off the floor and performing the Heimlich maneuver. I should get that whole syncope thing checked out sometime.

So, fast forward to Christmas Eve 2007 and we find steak and me having another run in. Family comes here for this holiday. An aunt brought a garlic stuffed prime rib roast. This would be a perfect accompaniment to the whole roasted pig, chicken, salmon, shrimp and lobster that was also on tap. I can’t believe I forgot to make the Christmas squid. Anyway, as I was lifting the rib roast out of the thermal picnic basket in which it was transported, I heard and felt a pop in my right bicep. It was sore but bearable. By midnight, there was a quarter-sized bruise midway between elbow and shoulder. I played some poker, busted out early and went to bed. I woke the next morning to find this:

I saw a physical therapist today and have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. Steak, I forgive you. Just let me heal quickly.

True

2007-12-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

Two quick quotes I heard this morning:

If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves.

I didn't actually hear the Shakespere. It came to mind when I heard this:

It is time we steer by the stars as opposed to the lights of the ships at sea.

Contacts

2007-12-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

While updating my contact list I noticed the first entry is no longer with us. The contact was very important to me. It got me through some very rough times. I remember fondly turning to it at the end of the day, calling to arrange meetings and never being let down. It has been years since our last encounter. Something else has replaced it. I will miss it dearly.

First Name - 20 piece chicken meal
Last Name - $26.99
Telephone - xxx-xxx-xxxx
Fax - xxx-xxx-xxxx

Deleted.

Cockfighting

2007-11-29T04:49:00.000-08:00

Roosters

I’ve been hearing from friends who I’ve not seen in over a decade. One had a similarly old roll of undeveloped film that she decided to process last week.

More regularly scheduled programming will continue after I complete a writing intensive project. Thank you for your patience.

Free Rice

2007-11-26T05:03:00.000-08:00

It's fun and you'll do good.

Cursing

2007-11-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

From Jay's Blog

I forgot where I heard it but someone once said in describing their euphoria over running the NYC Marathon:

"I spent [insert finishing time] on the streets of New York City and nobody cursed at me."

I guess some punchlines have shorter half-lives than others.

Shares Our Values

2007-11-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

A 19 year old woman was gang raped by seven men. THE VICTIM was sentenced to 90 lashes for meeting with a man, who was not her husband, in public. After her lawyer spoke to the media about this case, his license was revoked and THE VICTIM’S sentence was increased to 200 lashes and six months in jail. Where? Saudi Arabia.

Our government’s response:

Shying away from criticism of key ally, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the case and the punishment "surprising" and "astonishing."
"While this is a judicial procedure -- part of a judicial procedure -- overseas in courts outside of our country, still while it is very difficult to offer any detailed comment about this situation, I think most people would be quite astonished by the situation, " McCormack said.
"I can't get involved in specific court cases in Saudi Arabia dealing with its own citizens. But most people here would be quite surprised to learn of the circumstances and then the punishment meted out," he said.

Why are we allies?

In the beginning …

2007-11-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

... it was a little tight.

An Orange and Purple Needle

2007-11-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

If you wanted to try to catch me on the course here are some data points. Click on the image to see a full map of the course.

Start time - 10:10 am

Est. Arrival
Mile 5:	11:00 am
Mile 10:	11:50 am
Mile 15:	12:40 pm
Mile 20:	1:30 – 2:20 pm
Mile 25:	2:20 – 3:20 pm
Finish, mile 26.2:	2:30 – 3:30 pm

I usually start breaking down around the 16-18 mile markers so my pace will slow considerably. Wish me luck. Thanks again for all your support. Hope to see you there enjoying the spectacle.

Cookie

2007-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

BREAKING: SCOTUS Declares Bush the Nobel Peace Prize Winner

2007-10-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

Gnarf.

BREAKING: SCOTUS Declares Bush the Nobel Peace Prize Winner

5 For 5 And 5

2007-09-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Please take five minutes to read this post.
Then go to my fundraising page at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and donate at least five dollars.
Then finally and most importantly, forward this to five friends or family members.

Five minutes is less than the time you might spend checking your email, instant messaging and on Blogger, MySpace or Facebook. Five dollars is less than you might spend on drinks tonight. Five friends may be fewer than the number of people with whom you will speak today.

Do you think supporting research to eradicate cancer is worth five minutes of your time, five dollars and five forwarded messages? In the past few decades, we have witnessed a miracle of sorts in medicine. Where there was once only despair, now there is hope. Through the efforts of our brightest minds (researchers), most compassionate hearts (medical clinicians) and our bravest souls (cancer patients and their families), survival rates have dramatically increased. However, there is much still left to be done. Please take the time to consider this message. Please donate to the cause. Please tell your friends.

Five minutes. Five dollars. Five people.

Thank you.

Where Knowledge Leaves Off

2007-08-24T03:31:00.000-07:00

Children light up a room. When we see them exploring, playing or regrouping even the most jaded among us are hard pressed not to be softened. Is it because we see ourselves or remember our more innocent selves in their joy? Is it because we anticipate and hope for all the potential that their lives promise? Will he inspire others with song, deed or ideas? Will she find cures or mediate grave conflicts? Will they show us in original and imaginative ways the seemingly endless capacity for human creativity and care? Or is it because their heads are disproportionately large compared to the rest of their bodies? Whatever the case, kids make me smile.

My cousin’s almost four year old son was diagnosed with leukemia yesterday. As I am writing this through tears, doctors are inserting an aspirating needle through his lower back. They hope the cerebrospinal fluid they acquire will reveal if this type of white blood cell cancer has infiltrated this brave little man's central nervous system. I know the biology, but I swear I can’t make any sense of this. I am comforted by the fact that treatment of pediatric leukemia is one of the astounding success stories of medicine in the past four decades. Survival rates have improved from a dismal five percent in the 1960’s to the high eighty to ninety percent today. However, WTF?!? He’s facing chemotherapy, blood transfusions and possibly bone marrow transplants for the next two to three years.

A quote on a friend’s wedding website reads:

“Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.”

The context is different, but the sentiment is somehow fitting. His parents, barely older sister, grandparents and a host of cousins, titos and titas, lolos and lolas are all sending our love and praying for him. For now, it’s about all we can do.

Negative Space

2007-08-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Growing up I had one of those inspirational posters hanging on my bedroom wall. No, I’m not referring to the one with the woman in the aquamarine bikini. The image was of a runner going down a road that bisected a wheat field. The road was pin straight and its limit, I’m sure, approached infinity. The notion inscribed in the corner read:

“The race is not always to the swiftest, but to those that keep on running.”

After I started college, I thought it a good idea to buy a box of crayons and colored pencils and try to teach myself how to draw. Prior to that, my interest in art ended when I was sent to the Principal’s office for eating clay. You see, she was awfully cute and it seemed reasonable enough. Eat clay, make her smile. Simple, right? I digress. One of the first lessons of my adult foray into the visual arts was, “Respect negative space.” The image is as much defined by what is untouched as it is by the stroke, slash or scribble.

I read a short post today by someone who is quickly becoming one of my favorite reads. She wrote about irritation. As I read her declaration, I saw myself in her writing. I’ve been on the unsympathetic side of analogous situations. How many fights could have been avoided if I had just shut my trap and listened? It’s a natural impulse that I’m learning to suppress; the need to fix everything I perceive to be wrong. Sometimes, I’m mistaken and it’s not broken. Sometimes I wouldn’t be able to fix it anyway. Other times, it’s just not my place and I’d be more help just sitting there looking pretty. Respect negative space.

Yes, I’m the tool sitting at the beach as the sun goes down tapping away at this helpless keyboard. In between typing, deleting and re-typing, I look up to see the blonde in the grey shorts and white hoodie folding her book. She places it beside her, reclines and closes her eyes. The children to the left have commandeered the lifeguard stand. No worries, they have the watch. There is, however, slight disagreement as to who got there first and who commenced the pushing. The sun is 10 degrees off Connecticut. A bank of clouds has constructed an irregular, temporary but solid horizon. Helio tucks behind a particularly dark cloud. The shadows are long and the colors have just turned magnificent. Unfortunately, the gnats and mosquitoes love the kaleidoscope as well. Not the light show you say? Oh must be my sweet blood. I fold the laptop, shake my blanket of sand (careful not to disturb blonde woman) and trace my way back to my studies. I’ve done a lot in the past few days. Hmm, days, weeks more like months. I spent these precious past few minutes doing as little as possible. It’s the difference between need and desire, utility and appeal. Negative space, if you will.

Timing

2007-08-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Molecular collisions occur on the orders of magnitude lasting literally millionths of a second resulting in fate changing reactions. We don’t see it happen. Only the effects are tangible. These life sustaining and life directing phenomena require precise conditions and multiple supporting players. They are who we are and what we will become.

I remember reading recently, or not so recently, that the number of single people slightly exceeds the number of people in committed relationships. Tens of millions, if not a hundred million single people in the US and yet it is not uncommon to hear about the lack of available or suitable partners. If Love is supposed to be this unstoppable force, why is it so regularly stymied? How can two who once loved each other, who had all the necessary cofactors in an optimal environment not still be together?

Hmm, there it is. To paraphrase, when the conclusion is without a doubt but does not follow from the premises, check the premises. We know that removal of a cofactor or change in the environment can alter a reactant’s conformation. We know that competitive inhibitors can change the rate of effective collisions thereby diminishing productive interactions. Previously unknown requirements or conditions may have been unmet. In other words, it just wasn’t the right time or the right place.

Makes sense, but logic provides only so much solace. There are quiet times like now when I miss her. I miss who we were together, the times we were good to each other. I grew and was changed irreversibly for the better by her. I hope that was mutual. I regret the times we weren’t right. We’d misunderstand or not communicate or just have different expectations. Again, for my part in that, I’m truly sorry.

An enzyme acts on a substrate but is undiminished and unchanged by the reaction. It is capable of acting on another substrate given the proper conditions. We’ve moved on and we’re good for each other in other ways. We differ from the molecules in this respect. I am not only undiminished, I am enhanced by our relationship. I am altered, and for that I am grateful.

Déjà vu?

Beautiful

2007-08-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Pure directed motion. Purposeful, determined and earnest. I know, I just wrote three things that mean the same thing. Apparently that is a writing faux pas. However, repetition for the sake of emphasis serves this situation well.

I met her briefly at a poker game years ago. We may have exchanged not more than a fistful of words. I busted out early when my all-in on a straight was called by the higher straight. It’s all good. I got to watch. She would study her cards, have a moment of self-consciousness then put on her best poker-face. Classical posture. She’d lean back onto her chair after a bet when she had a hand; spine straight or forearms on the table if she was bluffing. Dark piercing eyes. Alarmingly disarming smile.

I’ve caught glimpses of her maybe three or four times around the building since then. I think I remember her name. Then, two days ago I saw her as I was leaving the sports complex. At the greater distance she was a slight buzz on the horizon. As we converged she momentarily came into focus. Her mocha skin was radiant with effort. Her eyes remained trained on the road ahead. Her festive locks were bridled into a neat functional ponytail. Where was it she was from? Argentina, Columbia, Jackson Heights? I don’t remember. Even at our sub-sub-sub-light speed, the Doppler effect of her approach, pass and departure was stunning.

There are precious few things in life more engaging than a woman concentrating on a task and executing the necessary actions. If I was deaf, I could still sit for hours watching a woman play the violin. I’ve annoyed more than my share of women as I watched, star-struck, as they put on makeup. Don’t even get me started on women and food prep. Awesome, just awesome.

And now finally, laundry.

Coping

2007-07-04T05:28:00.000-07:00

Why are some able to deal with horror and tragedy better than others? An article, soon to be published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, sheds some light on a genetic role in the psychosocial outcomes of women who experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Researchers at the NIH, University of Pisa and the Center for the Prevention and Resolution of Violence in Tucson, Arizona have found that women who suffered CSA and who posses a variant of a polymorphic regulatory region for the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) are more likely to become alcoholic and exhibit antisocial personality disorder than women who suffered CSA and who posses other variants of this regulatory region.

MAOA is a gene that encodes a protein that breaks down neurotransmitters like dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are over expressed in response to stress. Knockout studies of MAOA in mice have shown increased neurotransmitter levels and increased violent behavior.

The regulatory region termed, MAOA linked polymorphic region (MAOA-lpr), has variants that signal either low expression of MAOA or high expression of MAOA. Previous human studies have shown that men who suffered CSA and had the low expressing genotype MAOA-lpr were more likely to have psychosocial difficulties in adulthood than their male counterparts with the high expressing genotype MAOA-lpr. The current study aimed to examine the differential psychosocial effects due to genotype in women.

A friend and I have a decade long dialogue going whether life imitates art or art imitates life. This article highlights another, somewhat related, dialogue. Here it is not a question of nature vs. nurture, but more aptly, how do nature and nurture work together?

Reference:

Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication 26 June 2007

Interaction between a functional MAOA locus and childhood sexual abuse predicts alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder in adult women

F Ducci, M-A Enoch, C Hodgkinson, K Xu, M Catena, R W Robin and D Goldman

Too Many Oh Bee Ghee Why Ends

2007-06-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

“We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin’ outta business. Too many OBGYN’s aren’t able to practice their, their love with women all across this country.”

I can’t think of any business other than the medical field whose product price is determined by someone other than the producer or the user. I ran across this quote and it boggles the mind:

Douglas Mathisen, a professor of thoracic surgery at Harvard Medical School, said, "The government has reduced reimbursement rates for coronary artery bypass surgery by nearly 50% since 1987," adding, "Faced with major sacrifices and now modest rewards, young doctors are simply choosing other fields that offer shorter training and greater rewards" (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 6/18).

How much does medical school cost? What are the malpractice insurance rates again? I know it is hard to feel sympathy for doctors when the common perception of one is that of the golfing country club type. However, how could anyone be expected to run a business when the price of their product is determined not by the business owner’s costs or the consumer’s need but by a third party whose primary interest is to pay as little as possible for each procedure. How many farmers would be in business if they were getting 50% less than they were 20 years ago. How many auto mechanics, teachers, plumbers or politicians …

I’m looking forward to Michael Moore’s, Sicko. It opens this Friday.

A Big, Black Ball of Crap

2007-06-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

That is how Pfc. Joshua Calloway described his brain after nine months of combat in Iraq. His tour ended soon after he saw his sergeant step on a pressure plate roadside bomb. After he finished throwing up, the first thing he remembered was being ordered to collect body parts while under fire. Pfc. Calloway is back in the US now. From an article:

On an early venture outside Walter Reed, he went to downtown Silver Spring and became enraged by young people laughing at Starbucks. "Don't they know there is a war going on?" he said.
Wearing a rock band T-shirt, Calloway looked like any other 20-year-old on the sidewalk, but an unspeakable compulsion tore through him. He said he wanted to hatchet someone in the back of the neck.

Why is this man not getting the mental healthcare that he both needs and fully deserves? The army estimates that for every physically injured soldier returning from Iraq, there are 43 soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What is our plan to help these people? Instead of the billions and billions in corporate welfare going to Halliburton and KBR, why aren't more of these war funds going to treat the tens of thousands of soldiers who desperately need mental healthcare? What are the consequences if we don't do what is right?

Evidence of Things Unseen

2007-06-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

My recent training is in a discipline wherein the phenomena studied are, for all practical purposes, invisible. Take a liter bottle of soda and divide it one million times and you get the kinds of volumes with which I deal. How do we know one protein activates or inactivates another? What are the events required for a progenitor cell to become fully differentiated? How much of this chemical is needed to inhibit mis-regulated cell cycle control?

Molecular biologists have developed elegant, sometimes elaborate and sometimes astoundingly simple assays by which we can “see” the microscopic world unfold before us. But are these blots, gel patterns, stains and laser sorted / computer generated graphs really truth? How much of what scientists do is really more faith based rather than factual?

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.”

Hebrews, Ch. 11:1-4

I Never Understood

2007-06-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Why so pissy Jesus? Over the years I remember hearing the story of Jesus cleansing the temple by violently overturning the market that had cropped up. Friday I read again that chapter from Mark and, as if reading it for the first time, was befuddled. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? Sure he was hungry and the tree bore leaves and no fruit. But Jesus knew that it was not the season for the tree to bear fruit.

I asked two people, whose opinions I respect a great deal. One said the verse was an illustration of Jesus’ dual nature prior to his crucifixion and resurrection. Indeed, Jesus was both God and human. As human he was subject to wrath and vindictiveness. OK. I can see that very valid point.

My other guide pointed me to another verse in that chapter.

“Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.”
Mark 11:11-26

It is an early iteration of Oscar Wilde’s quotation:

“When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”

Jesus was showing the apostles that faith and belief in the Word of God was so powerful that it could move mountains. And because prayer was so powerful, Jesus cautioned them to be thoughtful and aware of the consequences of their prayers.

What is it that we pray for? Or, more along the lines above, would we truly benefit if all our prayers were answered?

The Courage of Convictions

2007-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them;” and when he said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:55-60

Stephen had received the Holy Spirit and was afforded a special vision. He saw God in Heaven with Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. Did he see pure love, justice, truth, caring and forgiveness? We can only speculate. However, we do know that he was so moved by what he saw that he was inspired to bear witness to his fellow man. Unfortunately, for Stephen, they didn’t want to hear it. Matter of fact, they battered him to death.

What are the things in our lives that move us to action, even in the face of danger? Family? Romantic love? Friendship and fellowship? Subjective or objective ideals? Professional accomplishment?

The United States Department of Defense has confirmed 3404 US military deaths since the beginning of the war in Iraq and its subsequent occupation. Many of the fallen were moved to join the military out of a sense of service to their countryman. They swore oaths to defend and protect the laws of our land and the principles behind those laws. Are we repaying that debt, and in a sense honoring their sacrifice, by continuing a policy whose justifications change as often as its goals? It is a policy neither rooted in reason nor executed by a competent leader.

I have nothing but contempt for those that wire and detonate IED’s. I have no sympathy for those that take up arms against my country, my brothers and sisters, our moms and dads, our sons and daughters. They are directly responsible for the deaths of our soldiers and the hundreds of thousand, if not half a million, deaths of Iraqi citizens. In the same vein, I have no respect for those who place our soldiers in harms way, but can only smirk as they change explanations or justifications. Stephen’s last words were not of anger or bitterness. Nor were they of vengeance and hatred. He pleaded with his God to spare those who were, quite literally, murdering him. What will be our claim to the forgiveness of the 3404 fallen and the mercy of our God?

Justified

2007-05-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

Because having to work late earns me food with a view. Portion control was never my strong suit.

Nerve

2007-05-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

The NY Times reports Chevron is going to admit that it should have known they assisted Sadam Hussein in cheating the United Nation’s Oil for Food program. The program was a humanitarian effort to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people due to UN Security Council sanctions imposed in the early 1990’s. Hussein, in what has been called, “… the biggest scandal in world history,” was diverting funds from the sale of oil under this program to support his military, for personal gain and possibly to terrorist groups. Clearly anyone involved in this should be held to account.

Secretary of State, Condelezza Rice, sat on the board of directors at Chevron from 1991 through 2001. Chevron now admits that it should have known in August of 2000 that it was assisting Hussein circumvent UN sanctions. So Madam Secretary, you have some nerve when you said just last week:

But we certainly know now that the sanctions weren't working, that in fact, Saddam Hussein was making a mockery of the oil- for-food program. We certainly know that now from the multiple investigations of the oil-for-food program.
Sec. Rice, interview on CNN, 4/29/07

Yeah, we certainly know now, but you most assuredly knew then. Exactly who is making a mockery of what?

occams hatchet, has the more in depth and sarcastic post at DailyKos.

Happiness is a Sad Song

2007-05-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

When the dust settled, there lay a favorite childhood book. The cover is water damaged and the pages are yellowed with time. I was cleaning my garage to make room for some things I need to store temporarily.

As I leafed through the pages I thought, “What the heck, Primer?”

Was I really such a sour puss as a kid? I don’t know what kind of mood Charles Schultz was in, but this little book, one in a series of “Happiness is …” books, is more than a little sublime.

… Happiness is coming home from the hospital … Happiness is walking home from school and not being afraid of getting beaten up … Happiness is a sad song …

Good grief Charlie Brown. I was a morbid little runt. I’d ask my mom to read this to me so many times I committed it to memory even before I could read it myself. I remember being tucked in and read to before bed. My blanket was also Shultz. On it, Snoopy lay on his dog house, eyes closed with the most contented smile. The inscription read, “Dogs were made to sleep in the sun.” Since it took years for me to be able to sleep without it, the blanket acquired an irregular pattern of patches and stitches.

Regrettably, however, some memories of my mother are becoming less vivid as the years pass. I can’t remember the sound of her voice. I’ve forgotten what a mom’s hug feels like. I do remember some things. If I get it just right, when I make chicken cacciatore or lechon I might remember the kitchen at Bluepoint Ct. We’d take turns either helping mom cook or setting the table. Or, I remember the night before we moved from Brooklyn to Long Island. All our furniture was packed leaving us to sleep on mats and in sleeping bags. I was sick and couldn’t sleep. My mom made me some broth from a bouillon cube. It was the only thing left in the kitchen. To this day, I make it the same way. The bouillon cube needs to be half dissolved making for a watery broth but leaving a stingingly salty brown bite for me to chew on. When I leave myself shorthand notes, I remember the messages she would leave around the house. You see, I’ve always needed to be told more than once.

My mom died seven years ago today. In what had become a short-lived birthday tradition, seven years and five days ago we were working in her garden. That night, the myocardial infarction that put her in the hospital and eventually ended her life occurred. I have a newly found appreciation for that little book. I’d like to add my own:

Happiness is thinking you are forgetting your mom but realizing that nothing could be further from the truth.

Chum Bucket

2007-04-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

No, that's my lunch.

I Knew Her When

2007-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Primer Niece @ Wrap Party

Primer Brother-in-Law fashioned the appetizer spread. Shrimp tempura, tomato/mozzarella/pesto, fresh cut fruit and bruchetta with tomato confit.

Rest in Peace

2007-04-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

When we look to that which is greater than ourselves, we often find courage and hope beyond our imagination. In our faiths, our families and in our friends we search for that something greater. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Va. Tech. community during this tragic time. The school’s motto, Ut Prosim (so that I may serve), is a promise that one makes to oneself to reach beyond personal needs. It is a pledge to a more noble cause, a higher calling. It is the hope that through our efforts our darkest hours will pass and light will come again.

To all with my care, much love.
-primer

April 16th Memorial Website

Antagonistic Regulation

2007-04-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hematopoetic stem cells are pluripotent, that is, a single type of cell can commit to a variety of fates. In the bone marrow, hematopoetic stem cells differentiate into cell lineages that comprise our blood. Lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, platelets and erythrocytes all descend from the same type of cell. Both synergistic and antagonistic gene expressions govern these fate determining events.

At the fork in the road where a common lymphoid progenitor, a descendant of hematopoetic stem cells, commits to either a B-cell or a T-cell lineage, the relationship between Pax 5 and Notch 1 is best described as antagonistic. Expression of Pax 5 both commits a common lymphoid progenitor to the B-cell lineage and inactivates Notch 1 signaling. Conversely, active Notch 1 signaling commits a common lymphoid progenitor to the T-cell lineage and inhibits the expression of Pax 5.

Is it a good idea to remain close friends with people you’ve dated? I thought about this today at the post office. Because tax day falls on a Sunday this year, we’ve been given a reprieve until the 17th. Extra time notwithstanding, I put off doing an old girlfriend’s taxes until the final weekend. This sunny Saturday morning I found myself standing in line with about twenty other procrastinators waiting for a post date stamp. Yeah, not only did I complete her taxes, I mailed them for her as well. Sucker, I know. In my defense, I get some free food (Honestly, is there any better kind?) and sincere appreciation. If for a brief moment we were to put consideration of food aside, feeling relevant and appreciated is probably my main motivation in life.

But is this determining motivation, especially when it relates to women I’ve dated, somehow inhibiting other fates? I got a message from a friend the other day saying that I shouldn’t get “hung up” on my recent ex; that I should move on. Funny, I thought I had. I guess, objectively one could say that I haven’t. I haven’t gone on any dates and nobody has caught my eye. But for the most part, I’ve never gone on dates. I’ve either been involved with someone or I’ve been alone. And because of that, the qualities that attracted me to them romantically still have validity even after the romance has ended. I’m fortunate to know and to have been with caring, intelligent and funny women who challenge my assumptions and motivate me towards better things. I’d be less if I did not still count them among my friends.

Don’t get me wrong, when you’ve been in love it’s not easy to back off and as Akon raps, “respect boundaries.” But, as difficult as it is, it is also a committed step in this fate determining event.

I did an out-and-back on the bike path. At mile 11, I stopped and walked it in. Right calf cramp or slight pull. When is this thing going to heal? 39˚F, sunny with winds from the NW @ 12 mph.

Red Queen’s Race

2007-04-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

When two consecutive hitters in a lineup hit homeruns, it is often referred to as “back to back.” When the third consecutive hitter hits a homerun an announcer might describe it as, “back to back to back.” John Sterling, NY Yankee announcer, seems to get the anatomical juxtaposition correct.

“It’s a back to back and a belly to belly.”

Of course, Sterling is so in love with his pet phrases that he uses that call whether two or three consecutive hitters have hit homeruns. So, he loses points on that. Why all this baseball gibberish, you may ask? Opening Day is today. That, and I got off my treadmill and ran in the real world.

Let me start by saying that a 2˚ incline on the treadmill does not compensate for the wind resistance one experiences when running outdoors. I’ll either have to increase the incline or increase the pace in order to more accurately mimic real running. I did 9 today, a slow somewhat struggling 9 at that. Without the persistent threat of being hurled backward onto my cat’s food dish, I found keeping a moderately quick pace very difficult. I couldn’t get into a rhythm and consequently had to stop at 9 miles into a 10 mile out-and-back path. One of the drawbacks to running outdoors is that the coldest rain seems reserved for when you have to cut a run short and walk the rest of the way home.

Speaking of television, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica is a fine piece of science fiction. When a season finale makes reference to both Bob Dylan and Lewis Carroll you’ve got to take notice. Oh, we weren’t speaking about television?

I’m feeling a little loopy right now. Best, perhaps, I get to bed.

"A slow sort of country!" said the Queen. "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"

- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass … Ch. 2, 46

Now I'm Really Feeling Bad

2007-03-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Visitor From India,

This is a personal blog that may at times superficially mention science. I apologize if you were delayed in your research by diversion here.

I am unfamiliar with the T8 and T14 elements. As such, I would not be able to point you in the direction of suitable primers. A very cursory search revealed mention of T8 elements in a neurobiology paper regarding pre-translational mRNA splicing in neuronal cells. T14 is a line of genetically modified corn that is herbicide tolerant and was approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Neither of the papers I've read on these topics include details on primer sequences. Perhaps you can contact the investigators. I'll send you the link if you wish.

If T8 and T14 are referring to elements in a cloning vector, it would be best to contact the biotech company or researcher that provided the vector for sequence data. I know Stratagene, BD Biosciences and Invitrogen all provide vector sequence in their manuals, both online and printed. It's been a while since I've done that type of research, so, off-hand I am not aware of any vectors exploiting elements with those designations.

Sorry I couldn't have been more help.

Regards,
-primer

Reconnaissance

2007-03-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Skin tight orange corduroy jeans and a filthy grey hoodie. Such was the wear of the beggar on the 1 this afternoon. He asked for kindness, he asked for food. I could see, however, that he was already laden with the generosity of others. At least two wrapped half sandwiches and a bottle of water overflowed his pockets. Unfortunately he was probably trying to scrape enough money together for drugs.

“Please, I’m homeless and I’m hungry,” he literally cried.

When I lived here, I grew accustomed to carrying around what was left of my lunch or very occasional dinner out. It’s one of the things you learn living in a city where two humans can be separated by millions in personal wealth but mere inches in physical space. The vast majority of us fall somewhere in between.

I was scouting a restaurant. I’m meeting with friends for dinner next Friday and I wanted to find a clean, low key place with good food and atmosphere. Krik Krak is a small Haitian takeout with very limited seating. I think I counted three tables for four and as many tables for two. It is located on the Upper West Side in a lower to middle class sliver sandwiched between the rich of Riverside and super rich of Central Park West.

I began my meal with Akra De Malanga, fried dumplings made from malanga root paste and Haitian spices served with a spicy hot vinegar dipping sauce. I’m not good distinguishing one kind of hot from another, but I’m guessing this was a regular habanero, as opposed to a Caribbean Red Hot chilli based sauce. Not bad.

For the main course I had Cabrit En Sauce, goat meat simmered in creole sauce. The goat was served with a side of red beans and rice. The sauce had paprika, shallot and garlic, though it could also have been tomato based. I think there might have been cumin or coriander in there as well. When I go back I’ll see if I can tease a couple of hints from the staff. The side dish looked like Jamaican “peas and rice”, however, this version was less sweet and a little more smoky. I’m guessing no coconut milk but perhaps some cumin.

The waitress was pleasant, helpful and attentive. The décor was just enough to elevate it above just a takeout. It’s BYOB, so I’ll try to remember a liquor to mix with passion fruit or cola lacaye.

Although I didn’t have room for dessert, I ordered a slice of Haitian pound cake to go. The proprietor told me they didn’t have pound cake on Sunday’s and that rum cake was the cake of the day. Hmm, I think I’ve found my Caribbean baker connection.

The downtown subway was much more crowed than the one coming uptown. Nobody asked for food.

Sorry to Disappoint

2007-03-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Internet Researcher,

Although I greatly appreciate your visit to my site, I regret to inform you that I am neither a “Sexy Indian Girl” nor a “cookie monster cake, blue”. There is brief mention of the voracious shaggy muppet on this site. As to why Google in its infinite wisdom saw fit to direct you here based on your apparent profound interest in South Asian women, that analysis is above my pay grade.

Best of luck in all your endeavors.

Sincerely,
primer

Taught

2007-03-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

I was in front of a class today. It was never a part of my job description, but early on my bosses realized I could do it, do it well and derived some satisfaction from it. So, there I was standing in front of 9 advanced high school students teaching techniques in molecular and cellular biology. We also discussed biotechnology in regards to medicine, agriculture and the environment. With my teaching skills dulled by atrophy, there were a couple of awkward moments. It was fun, a little stressful but, in the end, well worth my time. I stayed a couple of hours afterwards to attend to my other job responsibilities.

Back when X-Men was just comics and only starting to branch into other media like video games, my friends and I used to try to determine each other's mutant abilities. A friend was called “Rouge” because he could blush on the spot. I forgot another’s nickname, but his mutant ability was to hear any joke or story and be able to make it funnier. Mine was being able to watch a physical skill and then be able to execute it better than the demonstrator. And like Wolverine, Storm and Jean Grey I’ve been both blessed and tormented by this gift.

The truncation, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” haunts me into what is, if I am lucky, my middle age. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can teach. I can manage. I can entertain. I can build and fix. I can administer. I can provide care. But what is it exactly that I am supposed to be doing? What is it that drives me such that I can’t wake in the morning without it being on my mind? I know the answer. Let’s keep that for a later meditation. For now, I think it useful to look back at the longer, certainly more hopeful integral of the quoted phrase above.

“Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one.”

Vigilant Lounging

2007-03-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

Mortimer, I presume.

Corporate Incest

2007-03-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

It’s somewhat comforting to see the resignation of Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey and the firing of Maj. Gen. George Weightman in regards to the shameful conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Maybe now, in the last throes of this lame duck Presidency, this administration is becoming accountable. From Abu Ghraib to New Orleans, this administration has demonstrated a negligent and criminal inability to govern. Blogger, Unbossed, suggests that one of the pillars of the Conservative Movement, privatization, may be at the cornerstone of this latest failure.

The corporate incest and government patronage is sickening. John Snow, former Bush Secretary of Treasury, owns the majority of the contracting company, IAP Worldwide Services, Inc., that holds the contract to run Walter Reed. IAP worldwide executives Al Neffgen (CEO) and David Swindle (President) are alumni of Halliburton/KBR. Why are these contracts not already in someone’s shredder or fireplace? Why does our government continue to award multi-million dollar administrative contracts to people who couldn’t administer a lemonade stand?

Let us hope that the findings and recommendations of the President’s new bi-partisan commission to look into this matter are taken seriously. Just like the 9-11 Commission and the Baker – Hamilton Iraq Study Group. Oh Jeez, these crippled American’s don’t stand a chance.

A Filipino Breakfast

2007-02-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Present for the meal, but absent from the photo, bacon.

The Arm Bone’s Connected To The …

2007-02-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

I had an accident at work last Friday and, as my brother-in-law might say, “I jacked up my shoulder.” I’m nearly done with a five month renovation of a laboratory. The excitement and anticipation has driven me to long hours and apparently compromised judgment. There was a beautiful steel cabinet that was marked for disposal sitting in the hallway outside my office. The paint matched my lab. I knew the perfect spot for it. Getting it onto the hand truck, around the corner and down the hall was no problem. It wouldn't fit through the door. I would have to dismount the cabinet from the hand truck, turn it 90˚ and remount it in order to get it through. The night custodian and a co-worker were there to help me.

So, you know the conundrum of the immovable object vs. the irresistible force? Well, I must admit that at times I’m a pretty irresistible force. Either this wasn’t one of those times, or the steel cabinet partook more fully in its platonic ideal.

Saturday on a pain scale from 0-10 with 0 being nothing and 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever felt, it was an 8. Range of motion was limited to 10˚ of arm swing and I couldn’t lift any weight. I went for a short run on Sunday. Monday the pain had subsided to a 2 and I could lift my arm to parallel with the ground. I went to work, but by 2 pm my arm felt like a lead weight hanging by a strand of linguini. I got it checked out. Nothing broken, immobilize joint with a sling, follow up in 7-10 days with an orthopedic physician if symptoms persist. Workman’s Comp. That’s an entry, or perhaps a whole series for another day.

I went out for a run tonight. 36˚F, wind calm. I took the arm out of the sling. You wouldn’t think a shoulder injury would effect running, but darn the interconnectedness of it all. I must have been favoring the right side, because my left knee and hip were aching from about mile 3 onward. Of course that could all be coincidental as I’m only a week back running. If you’ve read my previous training log entries, you know I’m a bit too attuned to my creaky joints and deteriorating muscle mass.

What's Worse?

2007-02-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

In a press conference recently the President had this to say:

But here's my point: Either they knew or didn't know, and what matters is, is that they're there. What's worse, that the government knew or that the government didn't know?

-Pres. Bush, press conference, 2/14/07

Eloquent as always. His point, I guess, is that a bad situation exists and that the Iranian government should be held accountable whether or not it ordered the Quds force into Iraq. In Pres. Bush-speak, “They’re evildoers if they ordered it and evildoers if it happened and they didn’t know about it.”

On a somewhat related matter:

Briefly, blown up, shot or otherwise wounded soldiers live in Army facilities with torn walls, black mold, rotted ceilings and mouse feces. They are systematically shortchanged or denied medical and disability benefits after they have sacrificed life and limb for Pres. Bush’s misadventure. That is exactly how this administration, “Supports our troops.”

The Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates says, “I’m shocked, shocked.”

I want to start by saying that like many Americans, I was dismayed to learn this past week that some of our injured troops were not getting the best possible treatment at all stages of their recovery, in particular the outpatient care … I'm grateful to reporters for bringing this problem to our attention, but very disappointed we did not identify it ourselves.

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Edmund Giambastiani, 2/23/07

I’m sorry, but that’s a lie. Sec. Gates is giving the impression that he had no idea what was going on, that he first heard it from reporters. The Scooter Libby defense, if you will. Maybe he should spend a little more time getting briefings from his own Inspector General. The IG is in the midst of a “yearlong” study to identify problems and provide solutions for our veterans. So far they’ve found, “87 problems” and come up with a 30-day plan of correction. The Army Times, however, has been reporting on these problems since June 2006.

So Mr. President, if I may, “What's worse, that the government knew or that the government didn't know?”

I hate you Nachos!

2007-02-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Nachos, I love you. Such is my relationship with mass produced food. I had dinner with friends tonight. I had the nachos supremeo fantistico or gigantico or some such nonsense and two beers. Don’t get me wrong. Neither morsel of ground beef nor crumb of fried tortilla was left when the frenzy subsided. A lone data point of evidence alluding to the horror to which my poor friends were subjected is the guacamole stain on my sleeve. I am 17 pounds overweight for a person my size who wishes to exercise recreationally. I am 27 pounds overweight for someone wishing to exercise at an advanced level. I’m going to shoot for somewhere in the middle.

Today was going to be a day off from running as I had run the past three days. Nachos changed my mind. I got home and out the door for my run a little after 9 pm. It was 43˚F, lightly raining with winds from the west southwest at 8 mph. It’s good to know that I can get by with two layers up top and one layer below for this type of weather. I’ve written in the past about running in the rain, so I don’t think I’ll rehash the subject. Suffice it to say, it was exhilarating. Oh, one other thing, 8 point 5 freakin' miles.

After Action

2007-02-20T03:38:00.000-08:00

Are there any Carribean bakers out there? I could use some advice. This was my rum raisin cake (ver. 1.1). Version 1.0 was deemed by an ad hoc panel of experts to be more like a muffin than a cake. The panel also said the cake lacked depth in rum flavor despite my generous hand in the measuring of both rum and vanilla extract.

In version 1.1, I switched from Bacardi White rum to Meyer's Dark rum. I also creamed the butter more vigorously to try to get a smoother batter. Some mistakes to look out for next time:

Cooking time was 56 minutes at 350˚F. I checked it at 50 minutes by wooden skewer. The middle of the cake hadn’t set and left residue on the probe. However, by 56 minutes the cake was overdone. The crust was too thick and the cake was a little dry. I’m thinking bain-marie next time.
I burned out a $7.00 hand mixer while attempting to cream the butter. Two mistakes here. I didn’t leave the butter out long enough to come to room temperature, and I added the sugar before actually creaming the butter. I ended up using a large serving fork to finish the job.
I didn’t soak the raisins.

Before you get any ideas, #3 will not be my epitaph.

Good news, bad news

2007-02-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

The good:

I made it out for a run today. 6.2 miles at 13˚F with 20 mph winds from the northwest.

The bad:

I wore boxers under my running pants. I was going so slow that I was able to unclip my phone from my waistband and snap this picture without breaking stride.

Argh, Just Argh

2007-02-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Somedays that's just about all that can be said.

RIP Robert Anton Wilson

2007-01-13T03:51:00.000-08:00

He made me laugh. He made me think.

Why Patriot?

2007-01-11T00:25:00.000-08:00

Leave it to this President to pay homage to a cliché. In the spirit of second verse, same as the first, the President made a speech tonight.

Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.
Address to Nation, Pres. Bush, 01/10/07

Sound familiar?

Thank you. I would like to deliver this in full. It's my first opportunity to talk to you specifically about Iraq. I've spoken many times about why we are there, but I would like to talk about how we assure victory.
In short, with the Iraqi Government, our political-military strategy has to be to clear, hold, and build: to clear areas from insurgent control, to hold them securely, and to build durable, national Iraqi institutions.
Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Opening Remarks Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, October 19, 2005

And not to be out done, a Connecticut for Lieberman senator had this to say:

Does America have a good plan for doing this, a strategy for victory in Iraq? Yes we do. And it is important to make it clear to the American people that the plan has not remained stubbornly still but has changed over the years. Mistakes, some of them big, were made after Saddam was removed, and no one who supports the war should hesitate to admit that; but we have learned from those mistakes and, in characteristic American fashion, from what has worked and not worked on the ground. The administration's recent use of the banner "clear, hold and build" accurately describes the strategy as I saw it being implemented last week.

Sen. Lieberman (CFL-Conn.), Tuesday, November 29, 2005, Wall Street Journal

Let's not forget this press release in 2006 regarding a policy in place since May 2005:

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 20, 2006

Fact Sheet: Strategy for Victory: Clear, Hold, and Build

In Response To Experiences In Tal Afar And Elsewhere, The Coalition Adopted A New Approach - Clear, Hold, And Build. The ability of al-Qaida and its associates to retake Tal Afar was a problem seen elsewhere in Iraq, and the Iraqi government and Coalition adopted a new approach. Instead of coming in, removing the terrorists, and then moving on, Iraqi and Coalition forces pursued a strategy of clearing a city of terrorists, leaving well-trained Iraqi units behind to hold the city, and working with local leaders to build economic and political infrastructure.
In May 2005, Iraqi And Coalition Forces Began Implementing This New Approach To Restore Order In Tal Afar And Give Residents Confidence The Terrorists Would Not Return.

I must have missed the memo where the same old plan was magically transformed to the new way forward. David Ignatus wrote an op-ed in The Daily Star on 11/8/05 (via Yale Global) saying that Clear, Hold and Build was based on Vietnam War counter insurgency plans. Ignatus wrote that Gen. Abizaid and civilian administration leaders were reading, “A Better War,” by Lewis Sorley. In this book, Sorely suggests that Clear and Hold would have worked in Vietnam if only American public opinion hadn’t already turned against the war. Sure …

I found especially disturbing the truly novel part of the President’s plan.

We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region. (see first link)

Patriot missiles are used to shoot down other missiles. Remember Gulf War I? We used the Patriot air defense to thwart Sadam Hussein’s SCUD attacks on Saudi Arabia and Israel. From where exactly are we expecting a missile attack? With Sadam dead and his missile program dead a decade before him … oh, I should have thought before I wrote. This is either cowboy diplomacy or the President has already decided to bomb Iran and finally has some foresight to prepare for retaliatory missile or air strikes. Either way, the President seems hell-bent on escalating our military involvement in the Middle East. Just plain nuts.

Excess Profits Tax

2007-01-03T05:10:00.000-08:00

NBC reports that the President will announce an escalation in the Iraq War as a remedy for the blood and treasure that he has already squandered. A central theme of the President’s address will be “sacrifice”. Let us take a brief look back at how corporations were asked to sacrifice in previous wars.

The theory behind an excess profits tax is that profits stemming from war should be taxed at a higher rate than peacetime profits to help cover the added financial obligations of the government waging war. Corporations, like individuals, must sacrifice in a time of crisis. From the Civil War to the Korean War, corporations paid anywhere from 20 percent to 60 percent in additional taxes on profits during war that exceeded their profits during peacetime. For example if, in 1939, ammunition company ABC made 1 million dollars in profits, they paid the normal corporate rate of about 30 percent. Congress enacted the first of four WW II excess profits tax acts in 1940. If ammunition company ABC posted a 10 million dollar profit in 1940, the excess 9 million dollars would be subject to the additional excess profits tax at a rate up to 50 percent. Coupled with the normal corporate rate, this would have meant that ammunition company ABC would have owed an 80 percent tax on 9 million dollars or 7.2 million dollars. By 1943, corporations were effectively paying a 95 percent tax on excess profits.

How long do you think this war would last if such a tax were enacted today?

Trial By Software

2006-12-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

If you've crossed the border by land, sea or air, American citizen or not, you've been rated by the Department of Homeland Security as to whether or not you are a security risk. Your score is determined by a data mining program that factors in personal information that includes your driving record, where you're from, past one-way tickets you've purchased, how you paid for your travel, window or aisle preference, and what you like to eat on your trip.

"The government notice says some or all of the ATS data about an individual may be shared with state, local and foreign governments for use in hiring decisions and in granting licenses, security clearances, contracts or other benefits. In some cases, the data may be shared with courts, Congress and even private contractors."
- U.S. Rates Travelers for Terror Risk

So everyone has access to what you thought was private information. Well, not everyone. YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED to see YOUR SCORE or all YOUR INFORMATION that some government computer program used to determine YOUR SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT.

I wonder how Amendments IV-VII and possibly VIII are feeling. Seems like they are taking a beating.

Moving Marks

2006-11-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

New 'fridge. New scrapes and bruises.

Playing With Worms

2006-11-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

Fire and Mello shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in unraveling the mechanism of what has come to be known as RNA interference. They studied RNAi in C. elegans, also known as roundworms. I ran across this animation video via GrrlScientist who saw it posted on YouTube by megh2748. The video originates from Nature Reviews, RNA interference animation library. I mean, come on. How could you not love a mechanism that involves enzymes called Dicer and Slicer and complexes called RISC?
Enjoy.

You're A Little Pooty Aren't You

2006-11-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

I came across this photo via a recent commenter. Looks like there are some interesting photos up at the photo contest site, but not interesting enough for me to complete yet another online registration. My user name and password file hasn't graduated to the database level yet. Though it is a fairly extensive spreadsheet file.

I really have nothing. Should stop now.

Sign She May Be Too Young ...

2006-11-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Back dating again. It's been a while, but that seems to be a recurring theme these days. Like going back to a childhood playground, the terrain seems smaller. The amusements are updated, but require less imagination. It was several lifetimes ago that these challenges and triumphs seemed relevant.

Ah, get over it. I've made the choices, and I'll have to work with the consequences.

We had been working together on a project over the summer. Nearing the deadline our platonic relationship changed; we kissed. Two weeks later I found her MySpace profile. To my surprise, under her details section her status read, "In a relationship".

Oh, she's already involved with someone else. No, stupid. That someone else is me. So fast forward a couple of months of coupledom and now the holidays are here. A time for family and friends to get together and celebrate all of life's tremendous gifts. Has it been over a decade since I've had to both meet the family and introduce mine?

My cell is wonky at the moment, so I decide to make arrangements online. I try to reconstruct the awkward path of a non-subscriber back to her MySpace page, but then hatch a plan. I'll start my own profile. Then I can add her to my friends list. I'll be able to leave one of those animated gif comments that seem to be very popular but never fail to crash the dinosaur that is my home desktop. When did I become the adult that couldn't program a VCR? OK, go.

I'm back on her page and, what is this? If you sit with one eye half shut and head tilted ~20 degrees off vertical axis, you'll notice that my girlfriend's status is now "Single". So MySpace and all her readers knew before I did that, one, I was in a relationship, and two, I got dumped.

Well, not really, maybe. 'Cause you know new forms of communication inherently come with new forms of miscommunication. I'll update when I've sorted this out.

Rock Solid

2006-10-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

The body tremors. The man is rock solid.

What Strapless Footwear Does

2006-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Link No Longer Available.

It was a link to a video clip of Keith Olberman's Countdown shortly after our "Stay the Course" President decided that he was never really about stay the course after all.

Their Names Are Not John Mark Karr

2006-08-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Read "Priorities and Perspective", by georgia10, and "Beautiful Dead Girls", by hrh for sobering commentary on our news media.

The political cartoon above is from John de Rosier's blog.

Yeah, So I'm a Raptor

2006-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Six days, six pairs of socks punctured. First two days, I wrote it off as a need to add some pairs to the old rotation. After the third day, I figured my toenails weren't getting the proper attention. Snip, snip. The fourth day, same result. I broke out the "new" socks, purchased a month ago and worn only once. Darn it, they too were no match for my trimmed but still deadly talons. The fifth day the weather changed. I switched shoes and tried on another plucky pair. No go. Despite their spunk, they bit the dust as well.

Today held high hopes. Nails once again filed to a blunt edge. Old shoes with a familiar wear pattern. Abbreviated walking commute. New socks.

Man oh man. Same deal. What's a guy to do to get through a day without wearing through a pair of socks?

Reality Unbalanced

2006-01-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things are one-sided. Wolf Blitzer looked liked he wanted to cry when Howard Dean refused to play the "everyone is doing it, so nobody is guilty" game.

"Should Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, who has now pleaded guilty to, ah, bribery charges, among other charges, a Republican lobbyist in Washington, should the Democrats who took money from him give that money to charity or give it back?"

-Wolf Blitzer, CNN

Howard Dean responds.

A New Year

2006-01-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

To quote some not-so-recent emails from my cousin, "... so I was there ..." That's me, Primer Nephew, Niece, Brother and Sis waving from the lighthouse observation deck. PN-n-N's parents did the honors on the photograph taken on the second day of this year.

Though I've been away for a while, I'll try to spend as little time as possible with the recap. No marathon. ROL got in the way. New job, same commute. Much, much love and family during the holidays. I got cookbooks and an "as seen on TV" rotisserie, so I'm hoping to add to the paltry list of entries in the Food Section.

I also got a handy flash drive. All the better to grub photos from relative's hard drives. There, see. That really is me on the lighthouse. Though my running has been limited to one brief outing in the past four months, I got new running shoes. The public accountability thing wasn't enough of a motivator to keep me on track last year, so maybe I'm going to keep the running goals a bit on the down low this year. Hopefully I'll be writing more about results and less about preliminaries.

Anyway, it's good to be back. From the looks of my site meter, I've rendered my site visitor vacant. Also hope that changes. (cricket, cricket)

Oh, Mortimer has a new bed.

Get Back To Ya

2005-07-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Chromosomal breakage can result in transposition, inversion or gene duplication. In addition to events like meiotic crossing over and mutation, chromosomal breakage explains how genetic information changes incrementally yet persists through time.

My other summer projects have priority over my pleasure reading. Thus, I didn’t have time to finish David Mitchell’s, Cloud Atlas, before it was due back at the library. This was an interesting read. Six short stories spanning eras but bound by themes and perhaps genetics. The prose of a couple of the stories took some getting used to. To compound the matter, Mitchell interrupts the first story, not only mid-thought, but also inexcusably mid-sentence. At first I thought it was a printing error. I turned the page. It was blank. Then a google search informed me that this was Mitchell’s intention.

A, B, C, D, E, F, E, D, C, B, A.

Okay, I get it. It’s like a Stravinsky inversion. The themes refer to among others, Marx, Nietzsche and The Police. The structural gymnastics and the diversity of style are mostly engaging. At times, however, it was just annoying. I’ll update this in September when I get around to reading the last section.

Humid Has Broken

2005-07-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

date: 07/27/05
time: evening
weather: 75º F, 94% humidity, wind calm
mileage: today-6.2, week-12.8, year-256.3
resting (bpm): 52
after workout (bpm): 150
weight: +15

comments:

5 minutes of torrential rain, and then a Technicolor Rorschach sunset. This was the most comfortable running weather of the week. I knocked off a 10K at a steady brisk pace. My left knee and hamstring are still a little gimpy. The right calf also let out periodic yelps. Overall, I’m satisfied that my jogging is starting to more resemble running than walking. Oh, and a quick note to the kid hustling people out of the gym. The signs say you’re open ‘till 10 pm. I don’t think your supervisor would appreciate you hustling out patrons and flicking lights on and off at 8:50 pm.

Up Tempo

2005-07-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

date: 07/26/05
time: evening
weather: 82º F, 82% humidity, mostly sunny, wind SW at 13 mph
mileage: today-3.5, week-6.6, year-250.1
resting (bpm): 54
after workout (bpm): 144
weight: +16

comments:

I’d miss my train if I didn’t start running soon. I’d waited out the sun and temperature as long as I could. Just have to make do. Out of the chute I was going along at a clip much faster than I have been running. Little tweaks in my right calf and left hamstring. By the middle of the run I was going at a quick and steady pace. The wind was cooling, though the humidity was leaving me soaked. I heard the on-the-hour electronic chimes that are supposed to evoke a bell tower. Piss poor job. I’d have to cut my run in half or be sentenced to another hour plus for the next train. I hit my watch, looked down and was pleasantly surprised. An actual 5k at a respectable 5k pace. I did a short cool-down and hit the showers.

Good Morning

2005-07-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

date: 07/25/05
time: morning
weather: 77º F, 79% humidity, mostly sunny, wind SW at 14 mph
mileage: today-3.1, week-3.1, year-246.6
resting (bpm): 56
after workout (bpm): 141
weight: +17

comments:

Got up early, but not early enough to fit in six. Windy, but much cooler than the evening runs. I started very convervatively as I took the weekend off to do other stuff. By the end of the run I was going maybe 65-70%. Slightly uphill and into the wind, it felt pretty good.

Rerun

2005-07-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

date: 07/22/05
time: evening
weather: 83º F, 69% humidity, mostly sunny, wind W/SW at 6 mph
mileage: today-6.2, week-23.5, year-243.5
resting (bpm): 62
after workout (bpm): 138
weight: +17

comments:

Negative split today’s run by a very good margin. I wanted to see how hard I could push the last mile. Felt good. I’m putting together a pretty good week.

It's Mental

2005-07-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

date: 07/21/05
time: evening
weather: 81º F, 90% humidity, mostly sunny, wind S at 6 mph
mileage: today-6.2, week-17.3, year-237.3
resting (bpm): 58
after workout (bpm): 145
weight: +17

comments:

Although I consider myself more of a sprint to middle distance runner, I am no stranger to long distance running. I’ve had stretches of 7-10 mile daily runs and long runs over 20 miles. I’ve run a few marathons. But for some reason, I’ve had a hard time running 6 miles at a clip the past two weeks. Part of the problem is that my new loop is almost exactly 3.1 miles. Knocking off one isn’t tough, but having to commit to a whole other lap proved too daunting. Today many things fell just right so I went for it. I went for a second lap. Guess what? Not such a big deal. Sometimes I can be a little soft.

Bit Of The OCD

2005-07-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

date: 07/20/05
time: evening weather: 85º F, 43% humidity, NW 7 mph
mileage: today-4, week-11.1, year-231.1
resting (bpm): 56
after workout (bpm): 128
weight: +17

comments:

Much more comfortable than yesterday. The temperature was higher, the sun was out but the lower humidity made for a workable run. I found a nice 1-mile loop that is roughly half a mile slightly downhill and half a mile back up. 1-mile warm-up, then 3x 1 mile. Easy on the downhill and moderate to hard on the way back up. ~45 seconds recovery between miles. No jogging warm-down, as I walked two laps around the track before hitting the showers. That's where I briefly short-circuited.

After showering and changing, I stowed my running shoes, clicked my locker shut and put my locker key in my pack. I put my pack on and walked across the locker room to get some water. Afterwards, I was unsure if I shut my locker door before setting the lock.

I checked my pack. There was my key. I went back to my locker. Yeah, it was shut.

I walked away. Three locker rows later I thought, oh, the locker door may have been shut, but was my lock closed around the handle? If I forgot to close the lock around the handle my key would still be in the lock.

I checked my pack. There was my key. I went back to my locker. Yeah, it was shut.

I chuckled, maybe a little more out loud than I intended. Before I walked away I jiggled the locker door handle, inspected the lock and checked my pack one more time for my key. The sun had set by the time I left the gym. The evening's breeze was fantastically refreshing. My how hungry I was. Missed breakfast, had a cup of coffee (cream, no sugar) and some chicken soup for lunch. By the way, the content of my locker consists of soap in a soap dish, a toothbrush with case, a sample-sized tube of toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm and my running shoes. The stuff of a thief's dream, right?

No Groove

2005-07-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

date: 07/19/05
time: evening
weather: 80º F, 87% humidity, little or no wind
mileage: today-3.1, week-7.1, year-227.1
resting (bpm): 60
after workout (bpm): 125
weight: +18

comments:

It was still hot and humid today. Dewpoint at 76º F, which meant that as soon as I stepped outside, my glasses fogged and I found myself coated with a layer of moisture. This is the kind of weather that usually does not require much of a warm-up. Today, however, there was some tightness in my left hamstring and my breathing felt very restricted. Never found a groove, and cut it short once again. Either I’m going to have to wake up an hour or two earlier or I’m going to have to wait until after midnight to try and get in a run. We’ll see, but I’m leaning towards the former.

Hot-n-Muggy

2005-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

date: 07/18/05
time: evening
weather: 77º F, 100% humidity, wind S/SW at 6 mph
mileage: today-4, week-4, year-224
resting (bpm): 57
after workout (bpm): 135
weight: +18

comments:

Wow. This is one incredibly uncomfortable night. Fortunately, there was a slight breeze during my workout. Pace was between 5k and 10k pace, leaning slightly towards the quicker. Enough, I'm going to bed.

10k Pace

2005-07-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

date: 07/15/05
time: evening
weather: 81º F, 95% humidity, wind S at 7 mph
mileage: today-4.1, week-16.4, year-220
resting (bpm): 58
after workout (bpm): 142
weight: +19

comments:

Fairly satisfied with this short workout. 800m warm-up jog. 12x 300m at 10k pace, 100m recovery jog. 1000m cool-down jog. Hot and humid. Legs feel pretty good. As much as I like the track, I've got to get back on trails and longer loops.

Misty

2005-07-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

date: 07/13/05
time: evening
weather: 71º F, cloudy, 96% humidity, S/SE at 8 mph
mileage: today-3.1, week-12.3, year-225.2
resting (bpm): 55
after workout (bpm): 128
weight: +19

comments:

Quads were still a little sore from yesterday's workout. It's also clear that running with my glasses is not optimal. Nice pace for the last quarter of a mile.

Took The Hint

2005-07-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

date: 07/12/05
time: evening
weather: 69º F, overcast, 78% humidity, SE at 12 mph
mileage: today-6.2, week-9.2, year-222.1
resting (bpm): 58
after workout (bpm): 142
weight: +20

comments:

So, two days in a row I was unfit to complete an intended workout. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to try to shift the runs to the morning without making adjustments to my sleeping habits. Today I left the run for the evening. Much more relaxed. The day was over. The heat seems to have broken. Most of the crowd around here has headed home. First 5K was at an easy pace. The second, I ran on the track alternating striding 100m and jogging recoveries. 12+ laps around the oval. To my surprise, it went by very quickly. Something about finding freedom in structure. Then again, maybe I'm just a simpleton. Quads are barking, but in a good way. Everything else seems to be functioning without incident.

Foiled Again

2005-07-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

date: 07/11/05
time: morning
weather: 88º F, 79% humidity, little no to wind
mileage: today-3, week-3, year-215.9
resting (bpm): 56
after workout (bpm): 136
weight: +20

comments:

The morning run wasn’t early enough to escape the heat. Superhero costume, black shirt and black bike shorts, didn’t help. Cut it short as I was feeling a little dizzy.

Weather Curtailed

2005-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

date: 07/10/05
time: afternoon
weather: 91º F, mostly sunny, wind W/NW at 8 mph
mileage: today-3, week-12, year-212.9
resting (bpm): 60
after workout (bpm): 128
weight: +20

comments:

I didn’t cope with the sun or the temperature very well. I cut my run in half and retreated to the air-conditioned interiors. My farmer’s tan, however, is coming along nicely.

Isolated

2005-07-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

date: 07/09/05
time: afternoon
weather: 69º F, mostly sunny, wind W at 9 mph
mileage: today-6, week-9, year-209.9
resting (bpm): 58
after workout (bpm): 135
weight: +20

comments:

I like summer weekends at alma mater. So much space, so few people. I was in the health sciences library. There were two docs among the current periodicals and a work-study student behind the reference desk. I could see out the windows, the morning weather was beautiful. Around lunchtime, storm-clouds appeared on the horizon. They rushed in, dropped a ton of water and then left. A couple of hours later, I stowed my books and headed for the gym. There was a 3-on-3 basketball game in progress and a couple of people in the pool. The locker room was empty. I changed and hit the trail, a three-mile loop that circles west campus. During my two laps, I encountered only four other runners. Wait, three. I crossed Guy-With-iPod twice. It wasn’t until later that evening on the train platform that I felt again like part of pack. Good enough.

Dreary

2005-07-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

date: 07/08/05
time: evening
weather: 62º F, rain, wind N/NE at 15 mph
mileage: today-3, week-3, year-203.9
resting (bpm): 61
after workout (bpm): 121
weight: +20

comments:

Cold. Wet. Glasses wouldn’t stay on my nose.

Primer Sets

On the trail

Be It Resolved

Source Material

In Common

What's in your chocolate peanut buttercup?

From the Water Tower

Kain 1.01

Progress Bar Food

Ways Seattle's Rally Differed From NY's

Summer Christmas

Yesterday, Out Our Window

Mt. Si

A See Food Diet

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

With cautious steps

A Tale of Two Cities

Not Just a Mailman Who Runs

Whippersnapper

A Day At the Park

Who Rocked The Bronx?

Crisis

Less Gruesome

Getting Back

A Cautionary Tail

Where Was I?

Resolved

Bane and Delight

True

Contacts

Cockfighting

Free Rice

Cursing

Shares Our Values

In the beginning …

An Orange and Purple Needle

Cookie

BREAKING: SCOTUS Declares Bush the Nobel Peace Prize Winner

5 For 5 And 5

Where Knowledge Leaves Off

Negative Space

Timing

Beautiful

Coping

Too Many Oh Bee Ghee Why Ends

A Big, Black Ball of Crap

Evidence of Things Unseen

I Never Understood

The Courage of Convictions

Justified

Nerve

Happiness is a Sad Song

Chum Bucket

I Knew Her When

Rest in Peace

Antagonistic Regulation

Red Queen’s Race

Now I'm Really Feeling Bad

Reconnaissance

Sorry to Disappoint

Taught

Vigilant Lounging

Blogroll Addition

Corporate Incest

A Filipino Breakfast

The Arm Bone’s Connected To The …

What's Worse?

I hate you Nachos!

After Action

Good news, bad news

Argh, Just Argh

RIP Robert Anton Wilson

Why Patriot?

Excess Profits Tax

Trial By Software

Moving Marks

Playing With Worms

You're A Little Pooty Aren't You

Sign She May Be Too Young ...

Rock Solid