43rd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

Some vendor links:

• Spicy Brown: http://www.spicybrown.com/
  
  
• Bazaar Bizarre: http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/sanfrancisco/
  
  
• New People Store: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/goods/
  
  
• Sou Sou: http://sousousf.blogspot.com/
  
  
• the donut lounge: http://thedonutlounge.com/
  
  
• Fortune Cookie Creations: http://fortunecookiecreations.com/
  
  
• The Head Panda (panda hats): http://www.fancifulgift.com
  
  
• Japanese swords and armor: http://www.nihonto.com
  
  
• Fat Rabbit Farm: http://fatrabbitfarm.com
  
  
• Tomoko Maruyama (graphic designer): http://www.tomokomaruyama.com
  
  
• PixiMix: http://www.piximix.com
  
  
• Baby, The Stars Shine Bright: http://www.babyssb.co.jp ; http://www.pinktanpopodesigns.com/bssbusa (temporary blog)
  
  
• eco-origami: http://www.eco-origami.com
  
  
• Studio In Bloom: http://www.flowersbystudioinbloom.com
  
  
• Marin Bonsai Club: http://www.marinbonsai.org
  
  
• The Urasenke Foundation: http://www.urasenke.org/
  

Radio Songs

Heard this week on KYDS 90.5 out of Sacramento, CA:

Scotland-based Snow Patrol's "Ask Me How I Am" from their 2000 album "When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up" on the Jeepster Records label. Video.

San Diego-based Angels & Airwaves' "Start the Machine" from their 2006 album "We Don't Need to Whisper" on the Geffen label. Video.

Radio Song

Heard this morning on 94.7 KSSJ out of Sacramento, CA:

Franklin, Tennessee-based Paramore's "Ignorance" from their 2009 album "Brand New Eyes" on the Fueled By Ramen label. Video. This is the third song listed by Paramore, which makes me officially a fan, I guess.

Radio Song

Heard this week on 94.7 KSSJ out of Sacramento, CA:

Manchester, UK-based James' "Laid" from their 1993 eponymous album on the Mercury label. Video. A bit NSFW. ;o)

Radio Songs

Heard this week on 90.3 KDVS out of Davis, CA:

NYC-based The Age of Rockets' "Pictures of Space" from their 2005 album "The Drive Home" on the Astronaut / Dinosaur labels. Audio.

Radio Songs

Heard this week on 94.7 KSSJ out of Sacramento, CA:

Detroit-natives The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" from their 2003 album "Elephant" on the XL Recordings label. Video.

Los Angeles-natives Suicidal Tendencies' "I'll Hate You Better" from their 1992 album "The Art of Rebellion" on the Epic label. Video. Love the guitars. Note: Apparently Blitzkid also has a song called "Hate You Better": audio (definitely NSFW, heh).

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-03-08

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-03-08
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 23.96
Weather: cold, windy
Temp: 9 C (48.2 F)
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Terrain: flat
Distance: ~1.0 mile

Comments: Cold as hell tonight; lucky for us we wore leggings and multiple layers to keep the core warm. Two laps running plus two laps walking this evening as Dawn continues to toughen her soles in the Vibram Five Fingers KSOs. I enjoy watching the ARC athletes, with whom we share the track, compete; they are in fantastic shape. An outdoors sport offers a connection with nature; nature is not always so hospitable as we might prefer. This evening, the advancing cold front and wind predicts the advancing thunderstorm coming in from the Pacific Ocean. Rain is always welcome and the thunderstorm we look forward to; weather! what an idea for a sun-saturated coastal state. :)

Weight (after exercise): 82.0 kg (180.78 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, banana, grapefruit, cottage cheese, Amy's organic bean and cheese burrito, Amy's organic lentil soup + organic mozzarella cheese, orange juice, spinach salad + pear vinaigrette dressing + seasoned croutons + sprouts + shredded carrots + cherry tomatoes, yogurt, multi-vitamin, two cups of Ito En green matcha tea, Jelly Bellies, blueberries, strawberries

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-03-06

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-03-06
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Terrain: flat
Distance: ~1 mile

Comments: Dawn and I ran this afternoon on the campus of American River College. The track was occupied by the 25th annual ARC Beaver Relays, so we proceeded to the soccer fields. One run around the fields was enough, about half-mile. We walked one additional time and called it a day. Dawn's foot is still healing from earlier this week and we are going slower as she adjusts to the Vibram Five Fingers KSO's.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: banana, whole-wheat wrap with spinach + sprouts + shredded carrots + hummus + tofu chicken strips, cherry tomatoes, kumquats, matcha tea, brown rice with lentils, yogurt,

Signs of the Times

The closed-for-the-day Lamps Plus store we drove past last night had no lights on. :P Wouldn't you think a lamps store would advertise its wares after-hours by leaving the lights on? Maybe this is a green initiative, which would be awesome.

Radio Song

Heard Friday evening on the re-badged (was smooth jazz) alternative station 94.7 KSSJ out of Sacramento, CA:

American-based (Dayton, Ohio; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon) The Breeders' "Cannonball" from their 1993 album "Last Splash" on the 4AD/Elektra Records labels. Video.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-03-04

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-03-04
Resting heart rate: 59 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.02
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 13 C (55.4 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a

Comments: Stayed in this evening because we both felt exhausted from late nights of studying. x_x Dawn's foot is hurting a bit from our run earlier this week; I am waiting until it fully heals before heading out for runs again. This time of year in Sacramento is perfect outdoor weather. Mid-to-high fifties in temperature, trees flowering and plants blooming, rain and sun mixing for dramatic contrasts of light and dark. The electricity is in the air as the seasons slowly transition from one to the next. Here in the central California valley, the heat will slowly build until it becomes a dry summer furnace in late June through late August. For now, though, the weather is perfect.

Weight (after exercise): 82.2 kg (181.22 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Jelly Bellies, oatmeal + raisins, applesauce cup, handful of raw + unsalted almonds and walnuts, Amy's organic bean + cheese burrito, spinach salad + cilantro dressing + cheesy garlic croutons + shredded carrots, Ito En green matcha tea (via CostCo), rigatoni pasta + mixed veggies (eggplant + zucchini + peppers) + tofu beef strips, orange juice, multi-vitamin, granny smith apple

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-03-02

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-03-02
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.08
Weather: afternoon showers + sun = rainbows and dramatic lighting contrasts on slick surfaces and towering clouds
Temp: 13 C (55.4 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a

Comments: Rest day, so here are my top five running tips: (1) always wear sunscreen, especially from 10:00-4:00 p.m. (except in #2, next, or at night); (2) run rain or shine to be consistent; some of my most memorable runs have been in downpours; (3) (from Jeff Galloway): remember the "four H's"--heat, humidity, hills, and health; downward adjust expectations and exertion for each as appropriate, depending on the chosen challenge; (4) find an inspiring place to run; nothing kills motivation more (for me) than running flat ovals. I love running along a river bike trail and all the sights and sounds that accompany it; and (5) post about your experiences online; there is a sense of being accountable that reinforces the desire to succeed.

Weight (after exercise): 82.4 kg (181.66 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: samples of various breakfast casseroles, slice of birthday cake, Activia strawberry yogurt, orange juice, waldorf salad, kumquats, matcha green tea, whole wheat pita wrap with tofu chicken strips + spinach + shredded carrot + hummus, multi-vitamin, cherry tomatoes, vanilla whey protein powder + orange juice drink, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, low-sodium V8, mango mochi ice cream, Jelly Bellies

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-03-01

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-03-01
Resting heart rate: 69 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 23.73
Weather: overcast, cool but not cold
Temp: 14 C (57.2 F)
Time: 6:40-7:40 p.m.
Terrain: flat
Distance: eight laps + two walking laps (400-meter each)

Comments: Running at American River College this evening to help burn off stress from the exam earlier in the day. The air was cool but not cold; the sky was overcast and reflected the sodium lights of the city. We ran four laps counter-clockwise, then four laps clockwise. The intent was to not stress either leg too much with the cornering. I did not notice too much difference, but the change did make the run more interesting. Felt better after running; if Dawn had not suggested it, I probably would have stayed at home. XD I noticed I am under 180 lbs today for the first time in a long time. Probably because I have not been eating much today. :P When I got home I drank some chocolate milk to help rush simple sugars to my muscles.

Weight (after exercise): 81.2 kg (179.01 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: A touch of discomfort in my right knee; nothing painful. I think it is from the constant cornering.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins + banana, cherry tomatoes, orange juice, kumquats, matcha green tea, blueberries, chocolate milk, fried egg sandwich + ketchup + avocado + multi-grain bread, spinach

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-28

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-28
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a

Comments: No exercise today; preparing for Monday's exam. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, banana, cherry tomatoes, whole-wheat tortilla wrap + tofu chicken strips + hummus + shredded carrots + spinach leaves, orange juice, Mikawaya mango mochi ice cream, chocolate square, kumquats, local grapefruit, Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage grain meat sausage with ketchup + relish + country bread, Chocolove raspberries in dark chocolate chocolate bar square, low-sodium V8, sugar snap peas, matcha green tea, blueberries

Anime Icons

In 2007 I found this great anime icon archive hosted by levon_r (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/MyAnime/?user=Levon_r) which now is offline after GeoCities folded. :P

This is the icon I like:

It is Kuno-Senpai from the anime series Ranma ½.

UPDATE: you may find the icons via the Wayback Machine.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-25

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-25
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.19
Weather: on cusp between cool and warm
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a
Comments: No exercise tonight; focusing on finishing our homework assignments.
Weight (after exercise): 82.8 kg (182.54 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, low-sodium V8, organic veggie lasagna, multi-vitamin, handful of raw + unsalted walnuts and almonds, lemon-ginger tea, Jelly Bellies, spinach salad with shredded carrots + pear vinaigrette dressing, organic butternut squash ravioli with marinara sauce, corn, peas, instant mashed potatoes, soy milk, raw foods chocolate popsicle, Chocolove raspberries in dark chocolate chocolate bar square

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-24

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-24
Resting heart rate: 78 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.08
Weather: cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: 45 minutes
Terrain: flat
Distance: eight laps (~2.0 miles)

Comments: Ran at the ARC track tonight! :D Just at twilight so not completely dark. Cool, so glad I ended up wearing long sleeves and running pants. The sponginess of the track makes it nice for running. I felt a bit of soreness in my right knee after four laps or so during the turns. o_O;;; Dawn and I might go the opposite way next time for half the time. It felt really good to get out and exercise to get rid of stress! :) Thinking about grams of fat intake today. After eating the lunch wrap today, we calculated the appropriate amount of fat we could eat for the rest of the day. And it worked out pretty good. We had a salad for dinner and some low-fat cottage cheese. I found this calorie counter online: http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm

Weight (after exercise): 82.4 kg (181.66 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Mild soreness behind my left knee; mild soreness in right knee during turns of the track
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, whole-wheat tortilla wrap + scrambled eggs + avocado + spinach + mushrooms + tofu chicken strips + American cheese + shredded carrots, soy milk, instant mashed potatoes, sugar snap peas, chocolate milk, mochi ice cream, spinach salad + cilantro dressing + croutons + shredded carrots, low-fat cottage cheese, matcha tea + sugar wafer, nigori sake

Radio Song

Saginaw, Michigan-native Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything Is All Right)" from his 1966 album Up-Tight on the Tamla (Motown) label. Video. Love those horns. :)

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-23

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-23
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.13
Weather: raining, cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No exercise tonight. Up relatively last night working on homework and completing taxes. Going to bed early this evening.

Weight (after exercise): 82.6 kg (182.10 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, low-sodium V-8, handful of raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies, bag of donut holes, pumpkin pancakes + real maple syrup, orange juice, Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, whole wheat pita + hummus

Tuesday, Feb 23 is IHOP Pancake Day

That is all.

Radio Songs

Heard on 103.5 FM KBMB out of Sacramento, CA:

Atlanta-native T.I.'s "Live Your Life" from his 2008 album "Paper Trail" on the Def Jam, Atlantic, and Grand Hustle labels. Video. Liked the positive lyrics.

Heard on KYDS 90.5:

Belton and Temple, Texas-based Flyleaf's "Chasm" from their 2009 album "Memento Mori" on the A&M/Octone label. Audio. I thought at first it was some sort of goth music with the words "My castle is not fixed yet." XD

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-21

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-21
Resting heart rate: 73 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.19
Weather: Cloudy, cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Terrain: flat

Comments: Spotty light rain from a mixed gray sky; cool, mildly windy. In other words, great running weather for the runner with leggings and long sleeves. :) We drove to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and ran to the 21.5 mi marker, then returned. A total of just over 3.0 miles today. Dawn continues to adjust to her shoes, this time wearing Injinji mini-crew Tetrasocks and moleskin over the remnants of last weeks blisters. Things went pretty smoothly. The smell of the humid Parkway is fantastic. The sights of fishers in the American River, white and gray cranes, all manner of small birds, flowering trees, and life exploding everywhere is such a contrast to the normal day-to-day life of institutional culture. For the first time today, I found the namesake bulbs of the pipevine! :) These are the plants the pipevine swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on. The eggs hatch and the young caterpillars eat the plant. They eventually grow and cocoon, transforming into the beautiful adult-stage butterflies. The bulbs are quite unique; have never seen anything like them. After running today we returned home to consume a pint of chocolate milk; according to LL Cool J, it is a great post-exercise drink.

Weight (after exercise): 82.8 kg (182.54 lb), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: raspberry and hazelnut chocolate, Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage grain meat sausage with american cheese + ketchup + relish + toasted country bread, chocolate milk, hummus with whole wheat pita, cherry tomatoes, plum wine, raw unsalted almonds, fried egg sandwich + avocado + american cheese + ketchup + shredded carrot, strawberries, sugar snap peas, lemon-ginger tea

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-20

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-20
Resting heart rate: bpm 55 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.02
Weather: partly sunny, pleasant
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: Returned from haircuts this morning and felt exhausted still from this week, so no running. x_x Will run tomorrow (Sunday) though, rain or shine. :) Interesting (to me, at least) as I track my pulse and my weight, both have decreased remarkably; my pulse is -15% and my weight is -2% from my seven-day average baseline totals. As the BMI link above says, "People with BMIs between 19 and 22 live longest". o_O;;; So I am definitely attempting to lower my BMI to at least 22. To achieve this, I need to hit a target weight of 75.3 kg (166 lb). o_O Which is 15 pounds lighter than where I am at now. According to Wikipedia, however, anything between 18.5 and 25 is normal. So I am normal now; apparently there is another cut-off point, 23.75, for Asian and Pacific Islander populations which exhibit increased risk for type-2 diabetes above that point. Also, there is a BMI Prime number. Mine is currently 24.02/25 = 0.962, which indicates I have optimal weight. If I was at 22/25, I would also have optimal weight.

Weight (after exercise): 82.2 kg (181.22 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: blueberry yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, banana, granny smith apple, whole-wheat pita with garlic hummus, veggie burger + avocado + american cheese + ketchup + shredded carrot, french onion soup, avocado + tomato + swiss cheese crepe, chocolate + strawberry + vanilla ice cream dessert crepe, white wine,

Radio Songs

Heard today on KYDS 90.5:

Belton and Temple, Texas-based Flyleaf's "In the Dark" from their 2009 album "Memento Mori" on the A&M/Octone label. Audio. Yes, it has Christian undertones. Don't be a hater; they are good musicians. XD

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-19

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-19
Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.076
Weather: partly sunny, pleasant
Temp: 14 C (57.2 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No exercise today other than grocery shopping. Tomorrow (Saturday) might be our first exercise day this week. We returned to REI this evening to exchange Dawn's crew Injinji socks for two pairs of micro-crew socks (white and olive). One of the floor attendants remarked our selection by saying "Injinji socks!" :) I thanked him for confirming my suspicion on how to pronounce the name.

Weight (after exercise): 82.4 kg (181.66 lb), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, Amy's Organic Indian Mattar Paneer meal, V8 low-sodium, multi-vitamin, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies, fruit cup, green Japanese matcha tea,

Harmonicas and Lazy Sunsets

Listening to Elis Regina's and Toots Thielemans' 1969 album "Aquarela do Brasil" these past few days at work. Fantastic work all-around, especially Toots' harmonica work and Elis' unbelievable vocals.

What has struck me is how the harmonica in this instance is such a nice, relaxing, mellow instrument. It reminds me of the sunset and the ending song "Burning Bridges" from the movie Kelly's Heroes (video). Everything's going to be all right.

Radio Songs

Heard this evening on 89.5 FM KVMR out of Nevada City, NV:

• Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland-native Lisa Hannigan's "I Don't Know" from her 2008 album "Sea Saw" on the Hoop (Ireland) and Barp/ATO Records (USA) labels. Video. Also.

Heard on 103.5 FM KBMB out of Sacramento, CA:

• Atlanta-native Bobby Ray's "Nothin' On You" from his 2010 album "The Adventures of Bobby Ray"on the Grand Hustle Records, Atlantic Records, and Rebel Rock labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "You're my Wonder Woman; call me Mr. Fantastic." XD
  
  
• New Orleans-native Lil Wayne's "Bedrock" from his 2009 album "We Are Young Money" on the Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "Call me Mr. Flintstone I can make your bed rock." XD

And...

The most frustrating thing is hearing a song on the radio and not knowing who sings it. x_x Google's got nothin'.

Lyrics: "...and December..."; "...carries weight..."; "...feelings psychotic..."; "...suffers..."; "...can I..."; "...what I saw....". Anyone? :P I think it was on 91.5 FM KYDS out of Sacramento, CA as I drove to work this morning around 7:00 a.m.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17
Resting heart rate: 68 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.251
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 21 C (69.8 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No entries Monday/Tuesday due to school pressures. Up late both nights and got the assignment in on time. ^_^;;; No exercise today. Should call these entries "Non-running journal" entries, but keeping them as running journal keeps up my motivation. Dawn is studying for her test on Friday so no exercise until Friday evening at the earliest. Purchased Injinji crew toe-socks for her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs. She reports they fit well and will hopefully prevent further blisters. Was focusing on the sock size at REI and did not think about the crew (calf-length)/mini-crew (ankle-length)/micro-crew (sub-ankle-length) distinction. x_x;;; So the crew pair will only be good for winter running. Will return and inspect other socks on another day. I am still finding it grounding to take my pulse and weight at the end of each day. :) My seven-day running average for weight is 83.475 kg (184.0 lb) and for pulse is 65.875 bpm. So that is my baseline going forward.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, orange juice + vanilla soy protein powder, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, breaded eggplant cutlet, brown rice + madras lentils, orange juice, multi-vitamin, moshi + chocolate ice cream, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies,

Love

Dawn and I have been together for nearly four years and each day seems better than the last.

<3 <3 <3

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14
Resting heart rate: 69 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 18 C (64.4 F)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Terrain: flat

Comments: Finally! :D Back to the American River Parkway after a week off for recovery. Remembered a few things we forgot last time--sunblock, lip balm. Forgot to purchase an American River Parkway parking pass, so we parked on the street near American River Drive. Ran east for 1.5 miles, then returned. Observed many mushrooms along the bike trail; two flowering nut trees (almond?), a snowy egret, a swan, ducks, horses. A mother had stopped her bike to console her child, who was crying in her bike carrier. Dawn wore her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs for the first time; she loves them. Her left foot ended up with two big blisters--perhaps Injinji toe socks or moleskin for future runs. We walked back along the levee, looking at the abundance of fruit on the ground from the ripe grapefruit and orange trees along the fence line. At home, we gulped down chocolate milk as a post-run energy booster. A beautiful day; almost nice enough to entertain the idea of tubing. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit (local), whole wheat tortilla wrap with shredded carrots + garlic hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips, kiwi, blackberries, chocolate milk, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, garlic bread, wine, cheesecake, steamed vegetables + spinach,

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.43
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers today from California Canoe and Kayak. I decided to hold off purchasing the pair of gray/palm-colored KSO shoes because I wanted to see if the black or gray-blue camo shoes were available from other local retailers. If not I may go back and purchase the pair. Tomorrow is our first running day in one week! :) A quick run of only 1-2 miles to feel out the VFFs.

Weight (after exercise): 83.6 kg (184.31 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado + American cheese + ketchup, can of low-sodium V-8, banana, whole-wheat wrap with plain hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips + shredded carrot, hummus with country-bread, chocolate, orange juice, blackberries

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: moderate
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Grocery shopping night: Costco, Trader Joes, Safeway. So quite a bit of walking while pushing a cart. A far cry from the American River Parkway.

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.4 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado and American cheese, can of low-sodium V-8, handful of walnuts and almonds, one cup of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, bit of Trader Joes chocolate ganache torte with fresh strawberries, hummus with whole wheat pita loaf

Memmi and Tsuyu

That is all.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: spot of rain this evening
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn is doing homework and I am catching up on a few other tasks. Dawn reports her legs feel almost back to normal. Mine feel normal. So: five-mile run takes 3-4 (relatively sore) days to recover from. I find taking my pulse each evening a grounding moment, even for just the 60 seconds it takes.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, Amy's organic bean and cheese burrito, Mikawaya chocolate mochi ice-cream (Trader Joes), can of low-sodium V-8, peach yogurt, brown rice with Tasty Bite madras lentils, steamed mixed vegetables, spiced naan bread (Trader Joes), two cups of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, kiwi, orange juice

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: outside, mostly sunny
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day today as we continue to recover from our five-mile run on Sunday. Toured the mall again, then visited a Barnes and Noble book store, then walked back through the mall. Not as new today as it was Monday. We walked around Sears, upstairs and downstairs. Sears sells this thing called a Portable Dust Collector which has a big six-inch diameter hose; it tickled me. Sears has also partnered with LL Cool J to sell his line of clothing. I wish retailers sold more navy-colored coats. Barnes and Noble had only one interesting book on Linux systems programming. Both Ladies Foot Locker and the Skechers shoe store are side-by-side and have identical promotional displays of the Skechers Shape-Ups shoes; I forgot to check whether one was more expensive. Going past the food courts is difficult; especially when we decided to eat after the walk concluded.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Almost back to normal.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cottage cheese, Jelly Bellies, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, chocolate mochi ice-cream, can of low-sodium V-8, blueberry yogurt, fried egg sandwich on whole wheat with avocado + American cheese + ketchup, spinach salad with champagne-pear vinaigrette,

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 9.4 C (49 F)
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day as we recover from the run on Sunday. We walked around the American River College campus, visiting the gymnasium and looking at the weight room and exercise facilities. We both sensed it seemed mostly geared toward students in Kinesiology classes, so weight training will most likely be done at 24 Hour Fitness. Picked up the most recent issue of the American River Current and an issue of the Asian Pacific American News and Review. We viewed the library construction as well as the temporary library housed in trailers across from the gymnasium. It felt nice to go for a stroll. Dawn was in some pain from Sunday's run; walking up and down stairs and inclines caused a noticeable look of pain. :( It is grounding to take my pulse and weight again after such a long time. The daily fluctuations will hopefully continue to trend downwards. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.42 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are about as stiff as on Monday; this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. :)
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, smoothie, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (still very good! :D ), Costco veggie pizza slice, salad with Italian dressing, small tin of peaches, handful of walnuts and almonds, peach yogurt

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.49
Weather: night
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day. This evening we walked at the Arden Fair Mall. The perfume in the air made me gag in the basement of Macy's. I think I caught a pocket directly into the back of my throat; normally it does not affect me that way. Found a nice navy sweater but it will have to wait until we can pay off some bills! My heart rate is down, but that may be because last night I took a reading after washing dishes.

Weight (after exercise): 83.8 kg (184.7 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are stiff from yesterday. x_x I am doing OK; sort of worried about Tuesday though. :P The second day is always the worst.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, hummus and soy meat wrap, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, spinach salad with cilantro dressing, milk, orange juice, strawberries, granny smith apple, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (this was new and very good! :D )

Shanta

Heard this caller's name on a recent NPR episode of Click and Clack. Shanta means "peace" or "serenity" in Hindi. I like it!

William Poundstone

I heard an interview between Douglass Everett of KDVS 90.3's Radio Parallax and author William Poundstone (cousin of comedian Paula Poundstone) this week. He talked about his latest book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)". Sounds interesting, so I thought I would index it here.

Radio Songs

Heard this week on KYDS 90.5:

Baldwin, Long Island, New York-based Straylight Run's "I Know It Hasn't Been Easy", a bonus track on their 2007 album "The Needles the Space" on the Universal Records label.

What is a Doula?

That's what I wondered today when I saw a car with business web site "My3Doulas.com" on the back window.

Well, it turns out not only is there such a thing as a doula, but there are certified doulas!

"A doula is a neutral third party, non-judgmental woman caregiver, with a knowledgeable and quiet presence at your birth and/or in your home. Birth doulas offer continuous emotional and non-pharmacological support through labor and birth. Postpartum doulas bring that same level of care and support into your home as you recover from birth and adjust to life as a new parent."

How about that. :)

So Why No Parking at North Bridge Street?

The Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee minutes may have the answer.

From the Aug 5, 2009 public meeting notes:

15. Bridge Street
a. Safety and fire hazard issues.
b. Proposal to close off parking on Donner, east side of Temascal.
c. Yoga studio has issues with parking.
d. Next meeting is on September 14.
i. Highly recommend for a FOVEC member to attend.
e. Overflow on Capitola and Grand.
f. Parks are not budging on pre-paid parking.
g. Coordinate with Omni-Means regarding this issue.

I inquired via an e-mail to see if more context might be found.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07
Resting heart rate: 73 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 14.4 C
Time: early afternoonish
Terrain: flat with mild hills

Comments: A full spectrum of clouds this afternoon on display. Everything from sun-illuminated white puffs to gray, scudding rain clouds. The sun poked through sporadically, and when it did the Parkway came alive with color. The air was humid with the smell of earth and plants released after fresh rains. Avian wildlife was abundant: snowy egrets, ducks, all manner of smaller birds. We initially attempted to park at north Bridge Street, as we customarily do, but found the street is now posted No Parking all the way up. A shock and disappointment; it was my favorite places to park, with the wide tree canopy and easy access to the beautiful pedestrian bridge. Instead, we traveled farther upstream to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery parking lot. There too, things have changed dramatically. The Flatiron construction company (http://www.flatironcorp.com/) has begun what seems to be a project to expand the Hazel Bridge overpass. About half the parking lot was available, but we succeeded in finding a spot. This was the first time I have been running for many months. Probably since at least December 2008. The run itself was rather uneventful. We traveled approximately 4.2 km (2.5 mi) downstream to the Bridge Street pedestrian bridge, then circled back. Today we practiced running on the balls of our feet, something labeled "Pose running," in order to reduce the amount of stress on the knees. The initial run was a mild success. My knee feels relatively OK; a mild amount of soreness, but no pain (yet). My heart rate is much higher than it was during the heyday of 2006 marathon training, when at times it dropped as low as 49 bpm. The weather was fantastic. Couldn't ask for better conditions. The heat from the sun and the car's heater combined to dry my hair on the way home. First though, we stopped at the Sunflower Drive In restaurant in Fair Oaks and purchased a non-fat yogurt chocolate shake. Delicious.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (183 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee mildly sore

Spring 2010 Class Schedule

Things change quickly. When I last posted about grad school plans, I hoped to take CSC 139, Operating System Principles (3 units) at CSUS, MW 5:30-6:45 p.m., and CISP 453, Introduction to Systems Programming (4 units), at ARC, MW 10:30-11:50 a.m., and Lab from 12:00-1:20 p.m..

Then CSUS canceled the MW 5:30-6:45 p.m. section of CSC 139, leaving section 1, TR 3:00-4:15 p.m.

CSUS also canceled the MWF 4:00-5:10 p.m. section of STAT 50 (4 units). x_x

Also, an alternate class, CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 units) TR 4:00-5:15 p.m., has been changed to TR 1:30-2:45 p.m.

So, it appears my new schedule will be CSC 132 and CSC 139:

1. CSC 60 - Intro System Program Unix (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Chung Wang)
  
  
2. CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Meiliu Lu)
  
  
3. CSC 139 - Operating System Principles (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 3:00-4:15 p.m. (Du Zhang)
  
  
4. CISP 453 - Introduction to Systems Programming (4 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MW 10:30-11:50 a.m. + Lab 12:00-1:20 p.m.. (Tak Auyeung)

Burberry

Dawn and I visited a Burberry store this evening. We both liked the Navy Harwood Officer's Overcoat:



Originally $1,100, on sale for $750. :P Do I go to college this semester or buy the coat!? x_x

Also, the Burberry Bonded Cotton Field Jacket in Navy:



$895. x_x

Also, Dawn liked this Burberry wool military coat (royal purple):


Originally $1,495, on sale for $1,099. :P

Radio Songs

In the Bay Area again today:

105.3 KITS: Los Angeles-based Silversun Pickups' Panic Switch from their 2009 album Swoon on the Dangerbird Records label. Video. Also.

102.1 KDFC: Austrian Josef Strauss's Die Libelle ('The Dragonfly') polka-mazurka op. 204 (1866), performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, Georges Prêtre conducting, on their 2008 album "New Year's Concert 2008" on the Decca label. Video. Driving through Sausalito, listening to this as lights illuminate the hills like fireflies. :D

101.1 KHYL (V101.1): Santa Monica, CA-native Teena Marie's "Square Biz" from her 1981 album It Must Be Magic on the Gordy label. Audio. Love the horns! :D Fantastic.

Radio Songs

I heard Rio De Janeiro-native Marisa Monte on the radio (KRSH 95.9 out of Santa Rosa, CA) for the first time ever this evening: "Lenda das Sereias, Rainha Do Mar", from her 2x-platinum 1989 debut album MM on the Phonomotor Records/EMI labels. Audio. Only 20-years late. And the announcer pronounced her name "Marisa Mon-tay". x_x But: there it is! :D

Also (speaking of 20 years too late): Los Angeles-based Oingo Boingo's Dead Man's Party, from their 1988 double album Boingo Alive, on the MCA Records label. The horns on the intro are spectacular. Video. :D

Wedding Ring Ideas, Part 2

Image source: http://www.stepheneinhorn.co.uk/product.asp?pc=J1-41R&p_subcategory=we06

School has interrupted many projects, including my wedding ring quest. Tonight I came to the conclusion I would prefer rose gold as part of the ring in some form:

http://www.skaletfamilyjewelers.com/WeddingBands/GoldWeddingBandsMens/00140500029.html

CSUS CSC 130 Final Exam Grades

The final exam grades from my class this semester are in; it was yet another bloodbath:

• Class peers' overall final exam average: 67.32%
  
  
• Class peers' overall semester average: 61.35%
  

Maximum possible points were 100. The test counts for 30% of the final grade. No grade distribution breakdown is available for the final. However, since the final exam average is roughly consistent with the second midterm average, the distributions are likely consistent with the second midterm.

I earned a 98 on the final exam. o_O;;;; Overall, I earned 96.23% of the points available this semester, a solid A! :D

As I mentioned after taking the second midterm:

This comment on SacRate.com, however, may provide hope for even these students: "Has a huge curve. I had 47% before the final, got 66/100 and ended up with a B+ after the curve."

Food for thought. :X

Radio Songs

Leigh, UK-based The Ting Tings' "We Walk" from their 2008 album "We Started Nothing" on the Columbia and Red Ink labels. Video.

Tanton, Massachusetts-based Boys Like Girls' "Love Drunk" from their 2009 eponymous album on the Columbia, Red Ink labels. Video.

Hanna, Alberta-based Nickelback's "If Today Was Your Last Day" from their 2008 album Dark Horse on the Roadrunner and EMI labels. Video.

Colorado Springs-based OneRepublic's "All The Right Moves" from their 2009 album Waking Up on the Mosley Music Group and Interscope labels. Video.

Job Satisfaction

Instead of staying late this evening to increase profits, I stayed late to ensure kids get fed.

The Last Byte

Finished up my LZW compression/decompression code today. It took my all day to figure out the last byte of the compression algorithm was not getting written out to the encoded file. x_x

The problem was masked by several things: (1) confusion over whether the problem existed in the compression or decompression algorithm; (2) careless (in my opinion) compression/decompression pseudo-code provided in the class notes (for example, the pseudo-code compression algorithm is just plain wrong as written); (3) intermittent nature of reproducing the problem: input "abababa\r\nabababa" decompressed OK, but "abababa\r\nabababa\r\n}" did not (the byte for character "}" was not getting written to file by the compression algorithm)....; (4) complexity of the algorithm; (5) some limitations of using stock tools (for example, jdb).

Happily, it is now done. On to the final program for the semester: an implementation of a lexer using hashing functions.

Favorite NES Ninja Gaiden Tune

Watched a no-death run through the NES Ninja Gaiden this evening and remembered my favorite tune from the game; 6:16 in, the background music to the mineshaft level.

Radio Songs

Akron, Ohio-based The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" from their 1981 album "A Christmas Record" on the ZE Records label.

Lowell, Massachusetts-native Gary Hoey's "Twelve Days of Christmas" from his 2003 album "Ho! Ho! Hoey: The Complete Collection" on the Surfdog Records label.

Roswell, New Mexico-native (!) John Denver & The Muppets' "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," from the 1979 album "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together", on the RCA label.

Indianapolis, Indiana-based Sloppy Seconds' "Hooray for Santa Claus" from their 1990 album "Destroyed" on the Musical Tragedies/Toxic Shock label. :D This is a song from "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians."

Stockton, California-born Chris Isaak's "Christmas on TV" from his 2004 album "Christmas" on the Reprise label.

Creepyheads.com

Saw this web site on a bumper sticker :)

http://creepyheads.com

Turns out it is an artist's web site.

Radio Songs

This evening as I scanned the dial:

East-Harlem, Manhattan-born Tupac Shakur's Changes from his posthumous 1998 album Greatest Hits, on the Amaru/Death Row/Interscope Records labels. Video.

Houston-born Beyoncé's, Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) from her 2008 album I Am… Sasha Fierce on the Columbia label. Video.

SomaFM: Xmas in Frisko Songs

SomaFM's Xmas in Frisko:

• Gary Glitter's "Another Rock and Roll Christmas"
• Judy Garland's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
• Bob Rivers' Godfather-inspired "A Letter to Santa"
• Pearl Bailey's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from her album, Wonderland: Cool December, A Warm And Fuzzy Winter
• Kay Starr's "(Everybody's Waiting' For) The Man In The Bag" from the album Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails, Part One. What a horn section!
  
• Anything the Hello! Project does. :)
• James Brown's "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto," from the album James Brown's Funky Christmas
• New Black Eagle Jazz Band's Christmas with The New Black Eagle Jazz Band. Think New Orleans jazz. :D
  

Most unique:

• Afroman's "Death to the World"
• Flatulina's "Joy to the World"
• Any Ru Paul Christmas song
• Any South Park Christmas song (for example, "Merry F****** Christmas")
• AC/DC's "I Want a Mistress for Christmas"
• Any Twisted Sister Christmas song from the album "A Twisted Christmas"
• Buck's Ducks' "Hunter's Holy Night," from the album Classic Christmas Songs.
• Star Wars Christmas In The Stars "Christmas In The Stars" from the album The Star Wars Christmas Album. Barf x_x
• Bob Rivers' Twisted Chipmunk Song. :X
  

Trench Coat

Looking around for a men's trench coat that is : (1) navy or cadet-blue; (2) ankle-length; (3) preferably 100% wool; (4) double-breasted.

Links:

http://www.newportharboronline.com/rainwear.php

UPDATE:

• Command Uniforms of Sacramento was listed as a distributor of Newport Harbor, but no longer exists. :(

CSUS CSC 130 Second Midterm Exam Grades

The second midterm grades from my class this semester are in; it was another bloodbath:

	Section One	Section Two
90+	1	2
80-89	3	5
70-79	7	4
60-69	7	7
50-59	6	4
49-	6	4
Average	61.90	65.85
Standard Deviation	16.29	20.11

Maximum possible points were 100. Out of 56 test takers: 3 earned an A (5%); 8 earned a B (14%); 11 earned a C (20%); 14 earned a D (25%); and 20 earned an F (36%). The test counts for 15% of the final grade.

I earned a 96 on this one. o_O;;;

One might compare this with the first midterm exam and find three signs of improvement: (1) failures dropped from 58% to 36%; (2) passing scores (C and up) increased from 22% to 39%; and (3) above average scores (B and up) increased from 11% to 19%.

On the negative side, 61% (3 in 5) earned a D or worse (compared to 79% from the first midterm). Three in five students have been left behind and are unlikely to catch up and "get" this material. :(

The increasing standard deviations between the two tests confirm a greater spread away from the average.

This comment on SacRate.com, however, may provide hope for even these students: "Has a huge curve. I had 47% before the final, got 66/100 and ended up with a B+ after the curve."

Food for thought. :X

Implmenting LZW Compression Algorithm

Today I am implementing the LZW data compression algorithm as a toy project.

LZW stands for Lempel, Ziv, and Welch, its creators. It was the first widely used universal data compression method on computers.

Its popularity led it to be included in many file formats people use every day: GIF and TIFF images, PDF files, and files sent to your printer.

Burma Shave

How to Learn Almost Anything

Hmm:

http://litemind.com/learn-anything/

Conan End Screen

Those stars created by Volta are awfully fast!

Early Days

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27523472@N07/2567400039

Fell into a transcript of an interview with Gerald D. Cohen, founder of Information Builders, Incorporated in 1975, whose first product was FOCUS, one of the leading mainframe databases of that era, from about 1970 to 1980. The whole thing is a fascinating insider's look. The techie part begins around the end of page 13 and continues through RAMIS, then FOCUS.

Link: http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache%3AcN6NFyPWZzsJ%3Awww.cwhonors.org/archives/histories/cohen.pdf+WebFOCUS+%2Bacronym+mainframe+%22information+builders%22&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNFAMDVyVMp9IGM9tZxJiw_cVk-3cQ

Originally curious what FOCUS stood for. In the interview above, Mr. Cohen remarks, "We labeled this program FOCUS. I guess it stood for online computer users, but we needed was an acronym that was easy to remember. So we gave it a computer type name, and FOCUS was our term for this non-procedural language."

Meltpools

This fall it is cozy to light a candle while coding and manage the wax to create the largest meltpool.

Learning as I go along. Any tips from the reader base? I am currently melting a 4 x 6" Pier 1 ginger peach.

Some tips from a former Yankee Candle manager.

Coding With Cats

It is hard to code when a kitty tail is falling down the middle of your screen! :)

What I Have Learned About Cooking Duck

1. Duck fat. Duck fat. Duck fat. Duck fat.
2. It is hard to go wrong with roast duck.
3. Trussing.
4. Stuffed with one or two peeled potato chunks to absorb any off-taste.
5. How to cut off the head, neck, and feet.
6. Clipped the wings.
7. Salt, pepper, and paprika rub.
8. Pour water into the roasting pan so oven does not get splattered.
9. About two hours at 190 C (375 F)
10. Poke holes into the duck to drain the fat layer.
    
11. Use a roasting rack; do not want the duck absorbing all the drained fat.
    
12. Carving duck does not produce a lot of meat; a bit on the legs, the wings, and breast.

Overall, a lot of praise. Seemed to come out OK.

Conan: Age of Volta

Playing retro games tonight.

I had forgotten the noise the Apple II made when it booted. Fun.

Ethical Problems in Computer Engineering (1965)

A book I want to read:

http://eureka.lib.csus.edu.proxy.lib.csus.edu/record=b1242250~S35

Author	American Society for Engineering Education. Ethics Committee
Title	Ethical problems in engineering, by Philip L. Alger, N.A. Christensen [and] Sterling P. Olmsted. Edited by Barrington S. Havens and John A. Miller
Publisher	New York, J. Wiley [1965]

Computer Science Topic Generator

At least I will not have to worry about how to pick out my computer science thesis topic:

http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.topic.generator.html

• A meta-level functional architecture related to a high-level secure preprocessor
• A high-level digital network for a high-level mobile theorem prover
• A parallel secure system derived from a synchronized binary architecture

and so forth. Excellent.

Duck Confit

Somehow in about two weeks I have to learn how to make duck confit.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

What I have learned so far:

1. Frozen duck is expensive; fresh duck is probably more expensive.
   
   
2. Several local poultry locations in Sacramento may carry duck; the downtown farmer's market may also carry duck meat. Or the Asian markets. Raley's and Wholefoods carry frozen duck.
   
   
3. It takes rendered duck fat to make duck confit. A lot of rendered duck fat; about one pound of fat per cup of rendered fat. Good to know! Rendered duck fat is expensive to buy; about $10 per half-pound. :P Unrendered duck fat runs about $10 for 5 lbs.
   
   
4. I will probably want to have on-hand: metal strainer; candy/deep-fry thermometer; covered baking dish
   
   
5. It will take time to make: (1) 36 hours to salt cure the meat; (2) anywhere from 1.5-7 hours to bake; (3) curing time in the fat; (4) reheating time prior to serving.
   

Looking like too much for me to bite off right now; the rendered duck fat is too much. Maybe a roast duck instead, and reserve the duck fat for another occasion.

UPDATE: This person may have saved the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwpwqtmKcgc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=714ifZ-Kgnw

Not traditional by any means (not cured; not poached in rendered duck fat; not cured in fat); but for I bet it approaches the quality of duck confit without quite the cost and ingredient sourcing involved with the rendered duck fat.

UPDATE:

• The Sacramento Farmer's Market sells "Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish. No duck or lamb."
  
  
• Corti Brothers sells frozen duck for $5/lb. They sell rendered duck fat, 7 ounces for $8.50
  
  
• New American Poultry sells frozen duck legs and breasts for $3/lb. They sell frozen ducks for $2/lb. They do not sell rendered duck fat.

Graduate School: Spring 2011

When I last checked in with Dr. Cui Zhang, CSUS computer science department graduate program adviser, we dusted off my graduate school transcript and determined I had one or two classes to retake. This afternoon, I checked in with her again and reviewed my progress.

The bad news is from the cursory analysis she picked out several other classes she suggested I retake. The good news is she seemed upbeat about me getting A's in the two classes I am retaking. She suggested I consider taking four classes:

1. CSC 60 - Intro System Program Unix (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Chung Wang)
  
  
2. CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 4:00-5:15 p.m. (Meiliu Lu)
  
  
3. CSC 139 - Operating System Principles (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MW 5:30-6:45 p.m. (Senad Busovaca)
  
  
4. STAT 50 - Intro Probability+Stat (4 Units, gulp)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MWF 4:00-5:10 p.m. ("Staff")
  

She said the Los Rios Community College system does not offer the statistics class, so I would need to take Math 50 through CSUS. She suggested I not retake courses in calculus (I guess not as big a deal for CSUS computer science grad students as I thought). I am tempted to take them again anyway, though, as my memory of the subject is rusty and I think it would help me with my GRE.

She seemed relieved when I told her I was considering entering in Spring 2011. The current deadline for Fall 2010 enrollment is mid-November. Some other random notes:

• The CSC department assigns grad students to an adviser based on last name, after they become fully classified (all entrance requirements met).
  
  
• There is no such thing as an unclassified graduate student any longer. Everyone is either conditionally classified or fully classified.
  
  
• Graduate students may choose either a thesis or a project. It is student-dependent, and not something to really think about until the student approaches advancement to candidacy.
  
  
• Once a student advances to candidacy (begins working full time on the final project/thesis), the student gets to pick their own faculty supervisor. This may be different than the adviser they were assigned when they became fully classified.
  

So, a mixture of good news and bad news. To put a positive spin on it, I will be stronger for taking these classes over again.

UPDATE: CSC 60 is also ARC CISP 453, MW 10:30-11:50 a.m., and Lab from 12:00-1:20 p.m.

Radio Songs

Heard on KYDS, 91.5:

Calgary, Alberta-based Tegan and Sara's "Monday Monday Monday" from their 2003 album, "If It Was You," on the Vapor/Sanctuary label. Video.

CSUS CSC 130 First Midterm Exam Grades

The first midterm grades from my class this semester are in; it was a bloodbath:

	Section One	Section Two
80+	3	3
70-79	3	3
60-69	7	5
50-59	11	9
49-	7	6
Average	58.81	59.62
Standard Deviation	12.84	15.48

Maximum possible points were 100. Out of 57 test takers: 6 earned better than a B (11%); 6 earned a C (11%); 12 earned a D (21%); and 33 earned an F (58%). The test counts for 15% of the final grade.

To repeat: 60% failed using a scale of 90+ = A, 80-90 = B, and so forth.

Unicode to the Windows Console

Spent a lot of time refreshing my memory of Unicode this evening, trying to figure out how to get Unicode in Java to appear properly in the Windows console.

Apparently, native calls to the Windows subsystem are suggested as the best way, but how can this be a good thing for a write-once, run-anywhere language?

Running "chcp 65001" to select the Unicode code page for the console, and then executing the Java code as "java -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 class" barfs all over my screen. The Unicode character I want to print comes out OK, but the rest seems broken.

UPDATE:

Apparently this works:

System.console().writer().print("\u2591");
System.console().writer().flush();

UPDATE #2:

OK, this only works for code page #437. o_O Time to call it a night. Will attempt to print my character tomorrow: http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2591/index.htm

UPDATE #3:

This link was informative: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1272032/java-utf-8-strange-behaviour . Perhaps it is because I am encoding some values and not others?

I Heart Java Debugger

I love it, I hate it. OK, I love it!

So far so good. Once I got past the weird quirk with the java compiler not overwriting already compiled classes with debugging information. :P

Java Debugger is Dumb

Took me about 15 minutes to realize the java bytecode compiler was not overwriting all my class files when I compiled with debugging information (-g) turned on.

Removing all the class files, then recompiling worked.

Radio Songs

This week:

Coyote Grace

Blk Jks

Roseanne Cash's album The List.

2009 Vision Exam

My last eye exam was in May, 2008. Today I had new results:

SRX (Spectacle Prescription)
O.D. (Oculus Dexter, my right eye):

1. SPH: -0.75
2. CYL: +1.00
3. AXIS: 170

O.S. (Oculus Sinister, my left eye):

1. SPH: -0.75
2. CYL: +0.50
   
3. AXIS: 178

Instead of the eye puff, they used a puff-less, more accurate measurement to test my eye pressure, which turned out to be 15. I asked what abnormal eye pressure would be, and she said borderline high is 22, and low would be around 4, I think.

I went in today because I have been having intermittent vision issues, which after consultation seem to be...migraines. I have never had them before, so apparently they affect vision pretty severely.