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