With the recent explosion in popularity of flash-based videos on sites like Google Video and YouTube, media is becoming more accessible and convenient than ever before. The last few nights, I've searched on the Simpsons on YouTube and watched various hilarious clips from one of my favorite shows. I also found the following two videos:
"Inside the Actor's Studio" - ever wonder what the normal speaking voices for the characters sound like? Check out this interview with the voice actors for the Simpsons, along with interesting facts about how they got on the show and where they got the inspiration for some character mannerisms.
"Simpsons Unplugged" - this guy just rocks.
Off to Tahoe for the weekend. Haven't written anything serious in a while, but I'll aim to post some thoughts next week.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Illness
Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." - Luke 5:31
I've been fighting off a cold the last few days. In between sucking down copious amounts of water, coughing up nasty stuff, and going through boxes of tissue, I found that as much as I tried otherwise, the sickness threw me off in almost every arena of my life. I had difficulty working to my fullest potential due to fever and exhaustion. Productive concentration on ministry has been out the window. I've willfully isolated myself from most people, both because I don't want to get anyone else ill, and because talking too much aggravates my cough. I haven't had the energy to do much recreationally aside from watching TV. Finally, my spiritual focus and center on God has been thrown off because my mind just doesn't seem to be all there, most of the time.
Perhaps I'm not strong enough or disciplined enough. But, the parallels that Scripture draws between sickness and sin make more sense to me now. Sin is what hinders people from being who they can be, who they want to be, who they were created to be. Because of sin, many people take no satisfaction in their jobs because they aren't getting paid enough, or work too much, or get bored too easily. Because of sin, many people live from vacation to vacation, with fun as the primary motivator for life. Because of sin, many people never experience the fullness of life in all areas - physical, mental, spiritual, relational - that God wants us to experience.
We are all sick. However, rather than being something that isolates us from others, it is in our weakness and infirmity where we can relate to one another most closely. The lepers in the New Testament had only each other for company and could commiserate directly with one another's despair. Thank God that there is a Healer who wants to gradually restore us back to what He wanted in the first place.
I've been fighting off a cold the last few days. In between sucking down copious amounts of water, coughing up nasty stuff, and going through boxes of tissue, I found that as much as I tried otherwise, the sickness threw me off in almost every arena of my life. I had difficulty working to my fullest potential due to fever and exhaustion. Productive concentration on ministry has been out the window. I've willfully isolated myself from most people, both because I don't want to get anyone else ill, and because talking too much aggravates my cough. I haven't had the energy to do much recreationally aside from watching TV. Finally, my spiritual focus and center on God has been thrown off because my mind just doesn't seem to be all there, most of the time.
Perhaps I'm not strong enough or disciplined enough. But, the parallels that Scripture draws between sickness and sin make more sense to me now. Sin is what hinders people from being who they can be, who they want to be, who they were created to be. Because of sin, many people take no satisfaction in their jobs because they aren't getting paid enough, or work too much, or get bored too easily. Because of sin, many people live from vacation to vacation, with fun as the primary motivator for life. Because of sin, many people never experience the fullness of life in all areas - physical, mental, spiritual, relational - that God wants us to experience.
We are all sick. However, rather than being something that isolates us from others, it is in our weakness and infirmity where we can relate to one another most closely. The lepers in the New Testament had only each other for company and could commiserate directly with one another's despair. Thank God that there is a Healer who wants to gradually restore us back to what He wanted in the first place.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Sport or not?
Did the Winter Olympics sneak up on anyone else?
While watching curling with Chris on a recent broadcast of events, the topic of what constitutes a "real sport" came up again - always a favorite topic for guys, I've found. Today, I came across this quote from an old Sports Guy article from the last Winter Olympics, in 2002:
THUMBS DOWN ... for curling. It has been the chic comedy angle of these games to make fun of the curlers, so I'll hold off, except to say one thing: If this can be an Olympic event, why can't actual bar shuffleboard? What about bowling? What about billiards? Or five-card stud? Or darts? Or Scrabble? Or Monopoly? Why draw the line at curling? Let's get every pseudo-sport in there, so I have a chance at an Olympic medal before I die.
In case you've never had the pleasure of seeing curling in action (especially at the highest Olympic level!) check out the following video:
So what makes this, or any other activity, a sport? Let alone a sport worthy of being included in perhaps the world's most popular and famous athletic competition?
Debating what makes a sport and what's just a pseudo-sport/game/competition is always fun. While any competition may have participants who are incredible athletes, in my mind, a true sport should have two primary components:
1) it should utilize several aspects (a subjective number) of human physical capability, namely, strength, speed, stamina, lateral quickness, leaping ability, hand-eye coordination, etc.
2) it should have the athlete performing against an objective opponent to determine a winner - in other words, against another human opponent/team, or against a clock. No purely subjective judges allowed.
Under these guidelines, basketball, swimming, football, soccer, hockey, volleyball, track and field, etc. are all sports (most ball sports, and most races).
Curling? Bowling? Golf? Games/pseudo-sports. Doesn't exercise enough aspects of physical capbility.
Gymnastics? Figure skating? Diving? Incredible athletes... but depends on subjective judges.
Baseball is a tough call. Incredible amount of hand-eye coordination is needed, but you don't need much more than that to be reasonably successful... with the exception of the pitchers and catchers.
Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!
While watching curling with Chris on a recent broadcast of events, the topic of what constitutes a "real sport" came up again - always a favorite topic for guys, I've found. Today, I came across this quote from an old Sports Guy article from the last Winter Olympics, in 2002:
THUMBS DOWN ... for curling. It has been the chic comedy angle of these games to make fun of the curlers, so I'll hold off, except to say one thing: If this can be an Olympic event, why can't actual bar shuffleboard? What about bowling? What about billiards? Or five-card stud? Or darts? Or Scrabble? Or Monopoly? Why draw the line at curling? Let's get every pseudo-sport in there, so I have a chance at an Olympic medal before I die.
In case you've never had the pleasure of seeing curling in action (especially at the highest Olympic level!) check out the following video:
So what makes this, or any other activity, a sport? Let alone a sport worthy of being included in perhaps the world's most popular and famous athletic competition?
Debating what makes a sport and what's just a pseudo-sport/game/competition is always fun. While any competition may have participants who are incredible athletes, in my mind, a true sport should have two primary components:
1) it should utilize several aspects (a subjective number) of human physical capability, namely, strength, speed, stamina, lateral quickness, leaping ability, hand-eye coordination, etc.
2) it should have the athlete performing against an objective opponent to determine a winner - in other words, against another human opponent/team, or against a clock. No purely subjective judges allowed.
Under these guidelines, basketball, swimming, football, soccer, hockey, volleyball, track and field, etc. are all sports (most ball sports, and most races).
Curling? Bowling? Golf? Games/pseudo-sports. Doesn't exercise enough aspects of physical capbility.
Gymnastics? Figure skating? Diving? Incredible athletes... but depends on subjective judges.
Baseball is a tough call. Incredible amount of hand-eye coordination is needed, but you don't need much more than that to be reasonably successful... with the exception of the pitchers and catchers.
Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
CD Reviews: "The Far Country" and "Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul"
"The Far Country" - Andrew Peterson (2006/01/27)
Andrew Peterson is one of the few musicians and songwriters who helps me learn something new with almost every album. On his latest album, he challenged me to consider death and the afterlife with a new perspective. He wrote the following in the press material for "The Far County":
'God is at home. We are in the far country.'- Meister Eckhart
I read that quote in an Annie Dillard book several years ago and it never left me. Too often we tend to imagine that heaven is a cotton-white cloudscape, a place that doesn't seem desirable to us here in this sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrifying world. We're comfortable here, and the skewed notion we have of eternity is that it's like a never-ending church service, where we'll be standing mindlessly around a throne, singing bad praise songs to a white haired God for the rest of our existence. From what I know about God, what I've read of Him in scripture and what I've seen of Him in what has been made - towering mountains, howling wind, purple budded trees, a baby's touch and a panther's roar - He is not a tame God. The City He's prepared for us is not a retirement home. Zion is not a country club. Death is but the cusp of a great adventure, hinted at in Hebrews 11, 'People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own...they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.' The songs on this record were born out of a longing for that better country, and it's my hope that whoever listens to them will feel that God- given flutter in the stomach that reminds us who we are - and where we're bound. -Andrew Peterson
This idea of heaven is something hinted at in Scripture (the "new Jerusalem" and the "new Earth") and is dramatized in fantasy novels like The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. Like me, Peterson is a fantasy fan, and to help bring out this theme of longing for God's heavenly country, uses imagery and quotes from novels like "The Havens Gray" and "This is the love of Jesus / So good, but he is not tame, no" (from "Little Boy Heart Alive"). Every song is worth reading through (you can see the lyrics here) for unique takes and new understandings of Scripture passages, with topics ranging from death and the afterlife, AIDS, childlike faith, a song written for a wedding, and others. Musically, he stretches his palette some from previous albums by going beyond just acoustic instruments in a few songs to incorporate more bass and electric guitars, but at its core, it's a tasty blend of acoustic guitar work, piano, tight harmonies and even an occasional accordion/mandolin/hammered dulcimer. Favorite tracks: Lay Me Down, Little Boy Heart Alive, The Far Country, Mystery of Mercy.
Finally, Peterson's writing about the longing for God's country, similar thematically to much of Rich Mullins' work, is something that resonates deeply with me. If nothing else, I'd encourage you to think about and perhaps read through Hebrews 11, to keep this life in perspective: God frees us to live a meaningful life of adventure here, but it is only a shadow and a foretaste of true life and true adventure, which is yet to come.
"Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul" - 4th Avenue Jones (2006/02/03)
For the right price, I'm willing to experiment on styles of music that I don't typically listen to. So, with a $6/CD sale going on at BMG, I decided to take a flyer on this album from 4th Avenue Jones, a new band whose music is a mix of rap, hip-hop, rock, soul, and some other things that I probably wouldn't be able to identify intelligently. It's a fun mix that works quite well - I like the fact that rather than relying heavily on drum loops and synthesized music as many conventional hip-hop acts will do, they have a full band with drums, bass, lead guitarist, and a violinist (!) to provide the backdrop to the rapping and singing by husband-wife duo Ahmad and Tena Jones. It's quite fun to hear rapid, yet smooth switches from high-speed rapping to soulful choruses and electric guitar solos, while rapping and singing about topics ranging from dealing with conflicts in marriage, to materialism, to a call for change in America, "this modern-day Roman Empire.". My primary quibbles with the album are that many of the songs seem to cut off rather abruptly, and they like to have many short snippets of dialogue/skits introducing each song, which breaks up the flow of a continous listen. Overall though, this was a good experiment - the album grew on me with every listen, and I'm starting to notice more nuance, like the Radiohead-like chord progression in "Rush" and the brief mention fo Peja Stojakovic in dance tune "It's Over Now." See here for lyrics. I'd encourage you to check out their website, as they play about 5 songs off the album in their entirety, a few of which are among my favorite tracks: Fabulous Dramatics, Unhappy Birthday, Who's Watching Me, Rush.
Andrew Peterson is one of the few musicians and songwriters who helps me learn something new with almost every album. On his latest album, he challenged me to consider death and the afterlife with a new perspective. He wrote the following in the press material for "The Far County":
'God is at home. We are in the far country.'- Meister Eckhart
I read that quote in an Annie Dillard book several years ago and it never left me. Too often we tend to imagine that heaven is a cotton-white cloudscape, a place that doesn't seem desirable to us here in this sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrifying world. We're comfortable here, and the skewed notion we have of eternity is that it's like a never-ending church service, where we'll be standing mindlessly around a throne, singing bad praise songs to a white haired God for the rest of our existence. From what I know about God, what I've read of Him in scripture and what I've seen of Him in what has been made - towering mountains, howling wind, purple budded trees, a baby's touch and a panther's roar - He is not a tame God. The City He's prepared for us is not a retirement home. Zion is not a country club. Death is but the cusp of a great adventure, hinted at in Hebrews 11, 'People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own...they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.' The songs on this record were born out of a longing for that better country, and it's my hope that whoever listens to them will feel that God- given flutter in the stomach that reminds us who we are - and where we're bound. -Andrew Peterson
This idea of heaven is something hinted at in Scripture (the "new Jerusalem" and the "new Earth") and is dramatized in fantasy novels like The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. Like me, Peterson is a fantasy fan, and to help bring out this theme of longing for God's heavenly country, uses imagery and quotes from novels like "The Havens Gray" and "This is the love of Jesus / So good, but he is not tame, no" (from "Little Boy Heart Alive"). Every song is worth reading through (you can see the lyrics here) for unique takes and new understandings of Scripture passages, with topics ranging from death and the afterlife, AIDS, childlike faith, a song written for a wedding, and others. Musically, he stretches his palette some from previous albums by going beyond just acoustic instruments in a few songs to incorporate more bass and electric guitars, but at its core, it's a tasty blend of acoustic guitar work, piano, tight harmonies and even an occasional accordion/mandolin/hammered dulcimer. Favorite tracks: Lay Me Down, Little Boy Heart Alive, The Far Country, Mystery of Mercy.
Finally, Peterson's writing about the longing for God's country, similar thematically to much of Rich Mullins' work, is something that resonates deeply with me. If nothing else, I'd encourage you to think about and perhaps read through Hebrews 11, to keep this life in perspective: God frees us to live a meaningful life of adventure here, but it is only a shadow and a foretaste of true life and true adventure, which is yet to come.
"Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul" - 4th Avenue Jones (2006/02/03)
For the right price, I'm willing to experiment on styles of music that I don't typically listen to. So, with a $6/CD sale going on at BMG, I decided to take a flyer on this album from 4th Avenue Jones, a new band whose music is a mix of rap, hip-hop, rock, soul, and some other things that I probably wouldn't be able to identify intelligently. It's a fun mix that works quite well - I like the fact that rather than relying heavily on drum loops and synthesized music as many conventional hip-hop acts will do, they have a full band with drums, bass, lead guitarist, and a violinist (!) to provide the backdrop to the rapping and singing by husband-wife duo Ahmad and Tena Jones. It's quite fun to hear rapid, yet smooth switches from high-speed rapping to soulful choruses and electric guitar solos, while rapping and singing about topics ranging from dealing with conflicts in marriage, to materialism, to a call for change in America, "this modern-day Roman Empire.". My primary quibbles with the album are that many of the songs seem to cut off rather abruptly, and they like to have many short snippets of dialogue/skits introducing each song, which breaks up the flow of a continous listen. Overall though, this was a good experiment - the album grew on me with every listen, and I'm starting to notice more nuance, like the Radiohead-like chord progression in "Rush" and the brief mention fo Peja Stojakovic in dance tune "It's Over Now." See here for lyrics. I'd encourage you to check out their website, as they play about 5 songs off the album in their entirety, a few of which are among my favorite tracks: Fabulous Dramatics, Unhappy Birthday, Who's Watching Me, Rush.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Astronomer or Astronaut?
Last weekend, I was flipping around the TV and came across the ho-hum "Jurassic Park 3." Certainly not a movie worth much reflection or memory brain cells, but there was one thought-provoking snippet of dialogue from the mouth of Dr. Grant:
Dr. Grant: I have a theory that there are two kinds of boys. There are those that want to be astronomers, and those that want to be astronauts. The astronomer... gets to study these amazing things from a place of complete safety.
Erik: But then you never get to go into space.
Dr. Grant: Exactly. That's the difference between imagining and seeing: to be able to touch them.
I suppose the quote stuck with me because when I was little, for a while I aspired to become an astronomer. I read books on the stars and planets, knew the theories on how they came to be, read up on the Roman mythological figures that were the inspirations for many names... interestingly enough, though, I never really wanted to become an astronaut who was actually walking on the moon or flying to Mars.
I think that mentality has kind of crept into my adult life too. I'm typically more inclined to figure stuff out and understand how things work, rather than exploring the great unknown.
Are you more of an astronomer or astronaut?
I took the "Perfect College Major" quiz and got the following results:
I found it somewhat odd that I tied among three majors for the top spot. I could actually see myself as both an engineer and a philosopher type. Sociology's interesting too, but I was surprised it came up. Just for the record, after the initial round of survey questions, I had to choose one out of the following to break the tie:
1) I enjoy the study of people interactions. (Sociology)
2) I enjoy thinking about the meaning of life, and what it has in store for me. (Philosophy)
3) I enjoy discussions and seeking new ways to approach a problem. (Engineering)
Dr. Grant: I have a theory that there are two kinds of boys. There are those that want to be astronomers, and those that want to be astronauts. The astronomer... gets to study these amazing things from a place of complete safety.
Erik: But then you never get to go into space.
Dr. Grant: Exactly. That's the difference between imagining and seeing: to be able to touch them.
I suppose the quote stuck with me because when I was little, for a while I aspired to become an astronomer. I read books on the stars and planets, knew the theories on how they came to be, read up on the Roman mythological figures that were the inspirations for many names... interestingly enough, though, I never really wanted to become an astronaut who was actually walking on the moon or flying to Mars.
I think that mentality has kind of crept into my adult life too. I'm typically more inclined to figure stuff out and understand how things work, rather than exploring the great unknown.
Are you more of an astronomer or astronaut?
I took the "Perfect College Major" quiz and got the following results:
You scored as Philosophy. You should be a Philosophy major! Like the Philosopher, you are contemplative and you enjoy thinking about the purpose for humanity's existence.
What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3) created with QuizFarm.com |
I found it somewhat odd that I tied among three majors for the top spot. I could actually see myself as both an engineer and a philosopher type. Sociology's interesting too, but I was surprised it came up. Just for the record, after the initial round of survey questions, I had to choose one out of the following to break the tie:
1) I enjoy the study of people interactions. (Sociology)
2) I enjoy thinking about the meaning of life, and what it has in store for me. (Philosophy)
3) I enjoy discussions and seeking new ways to approach a problem. (Engineering)
Monday, February 06, 2006
Super Bowl Thoughts
Well, that was a lackluster championship game. Not much drama, not very high quality football overall. Even the defenses didn't seem to be playing that well, except against the run - most of the offensive problems seemed to be self-generated. Plus, the commercials were mostly uninspired as well.
Fortunately, the entire Sunday was redeemed by some challenging thoughts on the Lord's Prayer from Pastor Tim and Ruth during service, mounds of junk food at Mike P's place, shooting hoops on his indoor mini-basketball hoop from every possible angle of the living room (both first story and second story), then watching Grey's Anatomy, Simpsons, Family Guy, and the classic B-movie "Big Trouble in Little China." Now I know who "Lo Pan" is in the Ultimate Showdown music video.
Amusing quote from The Sports Guy's Super Bowl Diary regarding "Grey's Anatomy" (which wasn't all that bad last night, although we learned from Andy that "Code Black" is defined by each individual hospital, so it doesn't always mean unexploded ammunition. Darn):
(Note: I think God created "Grey's Anatomy" as a way to stick it to guys who watch football all day, then have to deal with girlfriends or wives who play the "Screw you, you're watching this with me, you spent all day watching football!" card on Sunday night. There's really no way out unless you're giving up any and all hope for sex later that night. This is why the ratings are so high, I'm convinced. Wait, am I sharing too much here?)
Some thoughts on the commercials:
Funniest: Both Ameriquest commercials ("That Killed Him" and "Turbulence") got big guffaws in our crowd. Some other ones that had us chuckling included Bud Light ("Secret Fridge" - although, this is one that will probably get older and older every time you see it), Michelob Ultra ("Touch Football" - "You were OPEN, and now you're CLOSED!"), and FedEx ("Caveman" - "You're fired." "But FedEx isn't invented yet!" "Not my problem.")
Most Sentimental: Definitely the Budweiser spot with the Clydesdale pony pulling the cart out, not knowing some other horse is helping him. Awww.
Neatest gimmick: The Mastercard spot with MacGyver shows that you can still make a clever commercial using an old tagline, if you know who to appeal to. I also thought the Degree ("Stunt City") and ESPN Mobile ("Sports Heaven" with all the 2nd-tier stars that only sports fans would really know) commercials weren't bad.
Biggest flop: Diet Pepsi's two commercials featuring Jay Mohr (Bob Sugar?) were rather uninspired. "Brown and Bubbly" is supposed to be an appealing tagline?
Most disturbing: Hands down, the winner (loser?) goes to the Hummer 3, the apparent progeny of Godzilla and some Mecha Man. Gyah. Second place would go to Burger King for making a Whopper look completely unappetizing (do we really need to see people dressed up as slices of onion?).
See this link for some memories of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials of all time. Who could forget the Bud-weis-er frogs, MJ vs. Larry, Monster.com "When I grow up I want to have a brown nose", and 2003's "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker"?
Fortunately, the entire Sunday was redeemed by some challenging thoughts on the Lord's Prayer from Pastor Tim and Ruth during service, mounds of junk food at Mike P's place, shooting hoops on his indoor mini-basketball hoop from every possible angle of the living room (both first story and second story), then watching Grey's Anatomy, Simpsons, Family Guy, and the classic B-movie "Big Trouble in Little China." Now I know who "Lo Pan" is in the Ultimate Showdown music video.Amusing quote from The Sports Guy's Super Bowl Diary regarding "Grey's Anatomy" (which wasn't all that bad last night, although we learned from Andy that "Code Black" is defined by each individual hospital, so it doesn't always mean unexploded ammunition. Darn):
(Note: I think God created "Grey's Anatomy" as a way to stick it to guys who watch football all day, then have to deal with girlfriends or wives who play the "Screw you, you're watching this with me, you spent all day watching football!" card on Sunday night. There's really no way out unless you're giving up any and all hope for sex later that night. This is why the ratings are so high, I'm convinced. Wait, am I sharing too much here?)
Some thoughts on the commercials:
Funniest: Both Ameriquest commercials ("That Killed Him" and "Turbulence") got big guffaws in our crowd. Some other ones that had us chuckling included Bud Light ("Secret Fridge" - although, this is one that will probably get older and older every time you see it), Michelob Ultra ("Touch Football" - "You were OPEN, and now you're CLOSED!"), and FedEx ("Caveman" - "You're fired." "But FedEx isn't invented yet!" "Not my problem.")Most Sentimental: Definitely the Budweiser spot with the Clydesdale pony pulling the cart out, not knowing some other horse is helping him. Awww.
Neatest gimmick: The Mastercard spot with MacGyver shows that you can still make a clever commercial using an old tagline, if you know who to appeal to. I also thought the Degree ("Stunt City") and ESPN Mobile ("Sports Heaven" with all the 2nd-tier stars that only sports fans would really know) commercials weren't bad.
Biggest flop: Diet Pepsi's two commercials featuring Jay Mohr (Bob Sugar?) were rather uninspired. "Brown and Bubbly" is supposed to be an appealing tagline?
Most disturbing: Hands down, the winner (loser?) goes to the Hummer 3, the apparent progeny of Godzilla and some Mecha Man. Gyah. Second place would go to Burger King for making a Whopper look completely unappetizing (do we really need to see people dressed up as slices of onion?).See this link for some memories of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials of all time. Who could forget the Bud-weis-er frogs, MJ vs. Larry, Monster.com "When I grow up I want to have a brown nose", and 2003's "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker"?
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Glimpse into the past
Joking loudly. Teasing. Telling stories of loud parties and dancing. The story of my... dad?
This past Wednesday, I joined my parents at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant at Vallco for a reunion dinner of sorts. My dad's two best friends from high school were in town (one from Taiwan, one from Modesto) and they brought their families along. In between chowing down on fish, scallops, crab, chicken, and other tasty dishes, and getting to know some of the other kids (ranging from a few to a decade younger than me), I spent a fair amount of time just observing the way my dad interacted with his childhood buddies.
I tried to picture them 30+ years younger, hanging out at lunchtime in high school. Talking about sports, about class, about girls... sharing frustrations, laughing wildly at the latest antics... even today, I rarely see my dad as lighthearted as he was while the three of them bantered back and forth. It was kinda neat. If I'm not mistaken, both these guys served as groomsmen at my parents' wedding.
I wonder what it'll be like getting together with good friends 20-30 years down the road - reminiscing about old times, perhaps still discussing sports. Maybe there'll be a few fidgeting kids at the table anxious to get up and go play the latest virtual reality video game. I sure hope I'll be able to build and maintain those kinds of friendships that will last a lifetime.
This past Wednesday, I joined my parents at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant at Vallco for a reunion dinner of sorts. My dad's two best friends from high school were in town (one from Taiwan, one from Modesto) and they brought their families along. In between chowing down on fish, scallops, crab, chicken, and other tasty dishes, and getting to know some of the other kids (ranging from a few to a decade younger than me), I spent a fair amount of time just observing the way my dad interacted with his childhood buddies.
I tried to picture them 30+ years younger, hanging out at lunchtime in high school. Talking about sports, about class, about girls... sharing frustrations, laughing wildly at the latest antics... even today, I rarely see my dad as lighthearted as he was while the three of them bantered back and forth. It was kinda neat. If I'm not mistaken, both these guys served as groomsmen at my parents' wedding.
I wonder what it'll be like getting together with good friends 20-30 years down the road - reminiscing about old times, perhaps still discussing sports. Maybe there'll be a few fidgeting kids at the table anxious to get up and go play the latest virtual reality video game. I sure hope I'll be able to build and maintain those kinds of friendships that will last a lifetime.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Brain Teaser
Thanks to Andrew W for the link.
Here's a "gotcha!" scenario to test the minds of the scientists and engineers out there. I'll put the solution in invisible text following the question:
"On a day with absolutely calm wind, a plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyor). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyor moves in the opposite direction. The conveyor has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyor to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the airplane ever take off?"
Answer:
The plane can take off.
The problem is that many people are thinking of the moving conveyor like we would a treadmill - when we run on it, we are exerting forward momentum/force by acting on the treadmill, using friction to push ourselves along the ground. Thus, to an impartial observer on stable ground, a runner on a treadmill would be going nowhere, simply running in place. If a plane was actually just rolling in place and not actually moving to the point that air flowed over the wings in order to generate lift, it would not be able to take off.
However, a plane is not acting on the ground - it is acting on the air. The propeller or jet engine exerts a force upon the air that the plane is in. The wheels are free-spinning and do nothing except hold the plane off the ground. Because the wheels only offer a minimum of resistance, the conveyor belt will not impede the forward motion of the plane because the plane is not relying on a driving force from the wheels to move.
So in this scenario, to an impartial observer not on the conveyor belt, the plane will move down the "runway" exactly the same as on a stable runway, except that the wheels are spinning twice as fast (due to plane's forward momentum and backward speed of conveyor belt). Once the plane achieves lift velocity, it will take off.
Kinda neat exercise. I'll admit that I didn't get it the first time I thought about it.
For more details, see this article.
Here's a "gotcha!" scenario to test the minds of the scientists and engineers out there. I'll put the solution in invisible text following the question:
"On a day with absolutely calm wind, a plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyor). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyor moves in the opposite direction. The conveyor has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyor to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the airplane ever take off?"
Answer:
The plane can take off.
The problem is that many people are thinking of the moving conveyor like we would a treadmill - when we run on it, we are exerting forward momentum/force by acting on the treadmill, using friction to push ourselves along the ground. Thus, to an impartial observer on stable ground, a runner on a treadmill would be going nowhere, simply running in place. If a plane was actually just rolling in place and not actually moving to the point that air flowed over the wings in order to generate lift, it would not be able to take off.
However, a plane is not acting on the ground - it is acting on the air. The propeller or jet engine exerts a force upon the air that the plane is in. The wheels are free-spinning and do nothing except hold the plane off the ground. Because the wheels only offer a minimum of resistance, the conveyor belt will not impede the forward motion of the plane because the plane is not relying on a driving force from the wheels to move.
So in this scenario, to an impartial observer not on the conveyor belt, the plane will move down the "runway" exactly the same as on a stable runway, except that the wheels are spinning twice as fast (due to plane's forward momentum and backward speed of conveyor belt). Once the plane achieves lift velocity, it will take off.
Kinda neat exercise. I'll admit that I didn't get it the first time I thought about it.
For more details, see this article.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
2006 Book Journal
Updated 2006/12/31
Currently reading:
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, Various Authors
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Life, the Universe, and Everything, Douglas Adams
Books read:
Die Trying, Lee Child
The Killing Floor, Lee Child
The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
For Women Only, Shaunti Feldham
Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
For Men Only, Jeff and Shaunti Feldham
Valhalla Rising, Clive Cussler
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
Cracking Da Vinci's Code, James Garlow and Peter Jones
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
The Servant, James C. Hunter
Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Books re-read:
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Various Authors
Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn
Spectre of the Past, Timothy Zahn
The Sum of All Fears, Tom Clancy
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Starfighters of Adumar, Aaron Allston
Without Remorse, Tom Clancy
Clear and Present Danger, Tom Clancy
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Raise the Titanic, Clive Cussler
Cyclops, Clive Cussler
Shock Wave, Clive Cussler
===================
Post to track the new books I read and the old books I re-read this year, along with any memorable quotes or short thoughts.
Currently reading:
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, Various Authors
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Life, the Universe, and Everything, Douglas Adams
Books read:
Die Trying, Lee Child
The Killing Floor, Lee Child
The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
For Women Only, Shaunti Feldham
Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
For Men Only, Jeff and Shaunti Feldham
Valhalla Rising, Clive Cussler
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
Cracking Da Vinci's Code, James Garlow and Peter Jones
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
The Servant, James C. Hunter
Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Books re-read:
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Various Authors
Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn
Spectre of the Past, Timothy Zahn
The Sum of All Fears, Tom Clancy
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Starfighters of Adumar, Aaron Allston
Without Remorse, Tom Clancy
Clear and Present Danger, Tom Clancy
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Raise the Titanic, Clive Cussler
Cyclops, Clive Cussler
Shock Wave, Clive Cussler
===================
Post to track the new books I read and the old books I re-read this year, along with any memorable quotes or short thoughts.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Around the web
News, notes, and fun from around the internets...
First, significant world news - the Hamas group won a majority in the Palestinian parliamentary polls yesterday. This could have serious implications for Palestine-Israel-U.S. relations, as the Hamas group has taken credit for 60 suicide bombings in Israel in the last 5 years. Prayer is needed for this region and these people.
Live 365 - Byron tuned me in to this site for free online radio from every genre you can imagine, ranging from Acid House to Zouk and everything in between. With the enormous variety of music, I have plenty of choices when I want to experiment. Currently, I'm listening to acoustic blues on Bluebird Blues Radio.
The cast of Lost is getting a pay raise 2x to 4x what they made in season 1 (around $80K/episode), due to the runaway success of the show. Not a bad gig, seeing as how in some episodes, the less-important members of the main cast (like Sun/Jin) barely even show up, so they just spend the whole ep lounging on the beach in Hawaii. How do I sign up for this assignment?
24 this season has been pretty good so far. (Skip down a paragraph if you don't want to hear mild plot points. I'll wait.) The first few eps did a pretty good job creating and sustaining believable, tension-filled terrorist scenarios involving hostages that didn't involve superweapons. Now, I'm a little leery of where they're taking this season, but in this excellent interview with one of the show's writers, there's hope: "Well, at the end of Season 4, we collectively said that we couldn't just keep up coming up with bigger and bigger terrorist threats. The goal instead was to come up with bigger dramatic events that could be spawned by terrorist threats. So, our approach to Season 5 was one of making it more complex and more complicated narratively. We tried to downsize the enormity of the threat without downsizing the impact of the event." Also contains some interesting comments about the conception of the show and the real-time format in the first season.
What do you get when you put Godzilla, Batman, Indiana Jones, Optimus Prime, Shaquille O'Neal, Jackie Chan, and a host of other heroes and villains on an island and watch them duke it out? Why, you get The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny music video! Warning: cartoon violence and the tune gets stuck in your head. Get ready to be surprised who comes out on top!
In another crash between two beloved childhood icons, Hasbro has come out with Transformer Star Wars characters. The Vader/TIE Advanced (left) actually looks really cool. Thanks to Andrew W for the link.
If you haven't seen the Free Photo Booth bit from The Tonight Show, you should really set aside 10 minutes or so to watch. I feel sorry for the little girl who had her head bonked against the ceiling by her dad. Link supplied by Karen.
Looks like U2 may have some hip-hop influence on their next album.
The Canaan youth group is kicking off a series on purity starting tonight and going through February. Andy sent along this CNN segment about the Pledge for Purity campaign that's making its way through youth groups around the nation. Serves to remind that while we who are older can do our best to teach, challenge, and model principles to youth, it's ultimately up to them whether they choose to follow Jesus and obey - we can't make decisions for them.
Men tend to be more vindictive against bad people. Perhaps this is because we grew up idolizing champions for justice like cops, soldiers, and Voltron?
First, significant world news - the Hamas group won a majority in the Palestinian parliamentary polls yesterday. This could have serious implications for Palestine-Israel-U.S. relations, as the Hamas group has taken credit for 60 suicide bombings in Israel in the last 5 years. Prayer is needed for this region and these people.
Live 365 - Byron tuned me in to this site for free online radio from every genre you can imagine, ranging from Acid House to Zouk and everything in between. With the enormous variety of music, I have plenty of choices when I want to experiment. Currently, I'm listening to acoustic blues on Bluebird Blues Radio.
The cast of Lost is getting a pay raise 2x to 4x what they made in season 1 (around $80K/episode), due to the runaway success of the show. Not a bad gig, seeing as how in some episodes, the less-important members of the main cast (like Sun/Jin) barely even show up, so they just spend the whole ep lounging on the beach in Hawaii. How do I sign up for this assignment?
24 this season has been pretty good so far. (Skip down a paragraph if you don't want to hear mild plot points. I'll wait.) The first few eps did a pretty good job creating and sustaining believable, tension-filled terrorist scenarios involving hostages that didn't involve superweapons. Now, I'm a little leery of where they're taking this season, but in this excellent interview with one of the show's writers, there's hope: "Well, at the end of Season 4, we collectively said that we couldn't just keep up coming up with bigger and bigger terrorist threats. The goal instead was to come up with bigger dramatic events that could be spawned by terrorist threats. So, our approach to Season 5 was one of making it more complex and more complicated narratively. We tried to downsize the enormity of the threat without downsizing the impact of the event." Also contains some interesting comments about the conception of the show and the real-time format in the first season.What do you get when you put Godzilla, Batman, Indiana Jones, Optimus Prime, Shaquille O'Neal, Jackie Chan, and a host of other heroes and villains on an island and watch them duke it out? Why, you get The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny music video! Warning: cartoon violence and the tune gets stuck in your head. Get ready to be surprised who comes out on top!
In another crash between two beloved childhood icons, Hasbro has come out with Transformer Star Wars characters. The Vader/TIE Advanced (left) actually looks really cool. Thanks to Andrew W for the link.If you haven't seen the Free Photo Booth bit from The Tonight Show, you should really set aside 10 minutes or so to watch. I feel sorry for the little girl who had her head bonked against the ceiling by her dad. Link supplied by Karen.
Looks like U2 may have some hip-hop influence on their next album.
The Canaan youth group is kicking off a series on purity starting tonight and going through February. Andy sent along this CNN segment about the Pledge for Purity campaign that's making its way through youth groups around the nation. Serves to remind that while we who are older can do our best to teach, challenge, and model principles to youth, it's ultimately up to them whether they choose to follow Jesus and obey - we can't make decisions for them.
Men tend to be more vindictive against bad people. Perhaps this is because we grew up idolizing champions for justice like cops, soldiers, and Voltron?
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