big news in my house, my third child was born the other day. random thoughts and facts.
- 8 lbs, 3 oz - 19.5 inches
- born Sunday
- quick labor delivery - went in around 10:45 and he was born just before 3 pm
- wife wanted epidural but by the time they got there and were ready to do it it was time to push. This was not the plan but wife had all natural labor and delivery, no drugs. Oh man, she is a super tough warrior. Better her than me. thank god for the big bouncy ball. The nurse wss very good and helpful. Resident was nice but looked so young, looked like she was 19.
- food in hospital was pretty good and it was nice to just order whatever you want from room service, wife liked chocolate shakes, yum!
- little man has bit of jaundice, monitoring it, wish it were not raining so he could get sun.
- had to bring him to clinic to check billy rubin (who is Billy Rubin?) and it was a bit worrisome since they have the place on swine flu lock down, masks everywhere
- big bro and big sis are very excited and want to kiss and hug him all the time, they are not good at washing hands unfortunately.
probably will not blog for a while, glad to have time off from work - friends check out FB for more updates.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
We love our hookers!
Nice direct response from craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster to the South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster regarding the terrible fact that craigslist includes ads for escorts.
Two good points:
- if craigslist is guilty of a crime (facilitating prostitution) then AT&T (take a look in your phone book), Microsoft, Village Voice Media, and major newspapers are also guilty.
- there are 40 approved adult ads now on the site in SC and over 300,000 for other valuable services.
Two good points:
- if craigslist is guilty of a crime (facilitating prostitution) then AT&T (take a look in your phone book), Microsoft, Village Voice Media, and major newspapers are also guilty.
- there are 40 approved adult ads now on the site in SC and over 300,000 for other valuable services.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Life is like.....
Life is like one big mardi gras but instead of showing people your boobs, show them your brain and you will have more beads than you know what to do with.
- Ellen Degeneres from 2009 Tulane Graduation
(don't watch just listen - camera too shakey)
- Ellen Degeneres from 2009 Tulane Graduation
(don't watch just listen - camera too shakey)
The first step towards the second civil war
If we (the US Government) bails out the state of California, this will lead to greater and greater tension between states in this country and it will get ugly. If you start to question the fairness of such a move and compare the relative hardship and needs between states, you will make people very upset. I agree with Megan McArdle in that this would be a bad move. She also points out the moral hazards even if you limit the bailout to muni bond market.
People in much of this country don't like California for many reasons. They don't think they deserve it. People generally have not given too much thought to whether their state gets more than it gives to DC or not. But such a request from Arnold would not sit well in Michigan. Which state will be next to put forward such a request. Every state has options available to it to balance its budget. Cut programs and services, raise taxes, sell assets (how much would they get for a tiny chunk of an ocean side state park or prime university property). They are not easy choices.
California voters have decided that the option on the ballot was not the one they supported, what did they expect would happen if that did not pass? Take a Hollywood executive, take a look at their income, the value of their home, their assets and how much they pay in taxes each year in total. Try to tell me that I should pay more taxes to so that he doesn't have to.
I feel the same way I feel about bailing out California as I do about state tax dollars going to subsidize development in the suburbs. California was built in large part on the wealth and brains of people who left the rust belt for warmer pastures. The folks left behind in IL, OH, MI, WI, PA, NY were left to pay for the cost of fixing the decaying infrastructure, cleaning up the contamination from the decaying industrial legacy, dealing with the crime and poverty left behind.
Besides the questions of whether CA deserves $, if they request some, every state will soon get in line. Every state has honest reasons to claim that they deserve money.
People in much of this country don't like California for many reasons. They don't think they deserve it. People generally have not given too much thought to whether their state gets more than it gives to DC or not. But such a request from Arnold would not sit well in Michigan. Which state will be next to put forward such a request. Every state has options available to it to balance its budget. Cut programs and services, raise taxes, sell assets (how much would they get for a tiny chunk of an ocean side state park or prime university property). They are not easy choices.
California voters have decided that the option on the ballot was not the one they supported, what did they expect would happen if that did not pass? Take a Hollywood executive, take a look at their income, the value of their home, their assets and how much they pay in taxes each year in total. Try to tell me that I should pay more taxes to so that he doesn't have to.
I feel the same way I feel about bailing out California as I do about state tax dollars going to subsidize development in the suburbs. California was built in large part on the wealth and brains of people who left the rust belt for warmer pastures. The folks left behind in IL, OH, MI, WI, PA, NY were left to pay for the cost of fixing the decaying infrastructure, cleaning up the contamination from the decaying industrial legacy, dealing with the crime and poverty left behind.
Besides the questions of whether CA deserves $, if they request some, every state will soon get in line. Every state has honest reasons to claim that they deserve money.
Baby Name Doppleganger
So we are having a baby any day now. I googled the name were were thinking of giving to the little one. With the last name. It is not a common name. Not John Smith. Hit number 3 is a guy who went to high school in Madison and was a national merit scholar semifinalist 9 years ago. Very few other real hits for the name. So I plugged the name it to Facebook. Of the 200 Million users, how many have the name we are thinking of giving our child? 1 and it is the same person who went to HS in Madison and we have a friend in common. Is that weird? Is that cool? How many Josh Goldbergs their on FB - 174.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Murder Suspect on Loose in My 'Hood
I have been following local news story, a dangerous murder suspect is thought to be somewhere around my neighborhood. This is about a half mile from my house. I used to live a couple of blocks from the park. The whole area is blocked off by many police with large guns.
Very scary. But the more I hear about it the more I am not sure he is there anymore. Steve Weber’s pickup truck was found near Hoyt park this morning.
My wife ran into a neighbor who was trying to get to a home in the blocked off zone and she saw a man outside the barrier and asked him what was going on and the man told her, "the police are looking for my brother". I am not sure but it may have been this guy who told the same thing to reporters.
Two things to consider, I have spent a lot of time in Hoyt and Quarry Park. They are not that big. A crew of 15 police with a couple of dogs could easily scan the park in a couple of hours + all the people who live around them would report to police if they saw him. They have been there for at least 5 hours now maybe more (I am writing this at 4 PM). They would have found him if he was outdoors in the area, whether he was dead or alive. Only way he is in area is if he is in a house.
Why is his brother so happy to tell people why he thinks his brother is there and that he likely will kill himself? Maybe so the police will keep looking around there. Perhaps Steve set this up and ditched his truck there and got out of town and told his brother to assist with the get away with the story.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE: So my attempt to live blog breaking news, I was all wrong. Oh well. I figured here is a local story, I would share my thoughts, my arm chair crimestoppers theory. As it turns out they guy did kill himself and was found dead in the park at 7:00 pm. Not sure why it took so long to find him. Glad that no one else (besides his ex) was hurt. I wonder if there is more to this that may come out. When did he kill himself? Did the brother help in any way?
I found the whole thing very scary since we live so close. We were extra careful to lock all doors, my wife went for a walk but stayed away from that area. The park was empty after school on a really nice day. Glad it is over.
Very scary. But the more I hear about it the more I am not sure he is there anymore. Steve Weber’s pickup truck was found near Hoyt park this morning.
My wife ran into a neighbor who was trying to get to a home in the blocked off zone and she saw a man outside the barrier and asked him what was going on and the man told her, "the police are looking for my brother". I am not sure but it may have been this guy who told the same thing to reporters.
Two things to consider, I have spent a lot of time in Hoyt and Quarry Park. They are not that big. A crew of 15 police with a couple of dogs could easily scan the park in a couple of hours + all the people who live around them would report to police if they saw him. They have been there for at least 5 hours now maybe more (I am writing this at 4 PM). They would have found him if he was outdoors in the area, whether he was dead or alive. Only way he is in area is if he is in a house.
Why is his brother so happy to tell people why he thinks his brother is there and that he likely will kill himself? Maybe so the police will keep looking around there. Perhaps Steve set this up and ditched his truck there and got out of town and told his brother to assist with the get away with the story.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE: So my attempt to live blog breaking news, I was all wrong. Oh well. I figured here is a local story, I would share my thoughts, my arm chair crimestoppers theory. As it turns out they guy did kill himself and was found dead in the park at 7:00 pm. Not sure why it took so long to find him. Glad that no one else (besides his ex) was hurt. I wonder if there is more to this that may come out. When did he kill himself? Did the brother help in any way?
I found the whole thing very scary since we live so close. We were extra careful to lock all doors, my wife went for a walk but stayed away from that area. The park was empty after school on a really nice day. Glad it is over.
Would you eat a fish you got out of a West Virginia stream?
Check out the logic of this government decision. Low fish consumption justifies higher mercury levels, DEP study says
Monday, May 18, 2009
Placebo needles?
If you find out that a medical treatment works but that the reason it may work is that people want it to work (placebo effect), does it really work? I seriously considered this for back pain (I had surgery a few months ago) and still may give it a try. NPR news reports that a proper NIH study found a "seven-week course of acupuncture helped many patients ease the pain of chronic lower back pain."
The interesting thing here is:
So fake acupuncture worked as well as real acupuncture. If you get treatment and then find out on the radio that its effectiveness is based on a psychological placebo effect, will it stop working? What would the findings show after people heard this story?
This reminds me of the AWESOME RadioLab program on placebos that I blogged about here. If you did not listen, you must.
The interesting thing here is:
An interesting twist to Cherkin's findings is that people who were given simulated acupuncture — the needles push on the skin, but don't penetrate — reported just as much benefit as those who had standard acupuncture.
So fake acupuncture worked as well as real acupuncture. If you get treatment and then find out on the radio that its effectiveness is based on a psychological placebo effect, will it stop working? What would the findings show after people heard this story?
This reminds me of the AWESOME RadioLab program on placebos that I blogged about here. If you did not listen, you must.
He doesn't look scary
Saw Star Trek this weekend.
Can't believe this guy (Eric Bana) played one of the most disturbing nightmare producing villain I have seen on film.
Friday, May 15, 2009
If a tree falls in the woods.....
I noticed today that my blog has a total of 5000 hits according to the hit counter I put on sometime soon after I started blogging in 2007. I have put over 600 blog posts up. I have also been using google analytics to track the blog but it is a bit confusing and hard to understand. I know many of the 5000 are me because it is a basic counter and every time I fix stuff or change it, it registers a count.
The act of writing and sharing my thoughts on the news or art or food of the day is somewhat therapeutic and feels good, like a journal of sorts. But unlike a journal, I have stayed away from very person topics.
I was hoping to create a way for old friends and new online friends to have a bit of a dialogue on stuff but that has not happened. I get very very few comments so there is really none of that. I have almost never had a friend say, "I read your blog and I disagree with your point...blah blah....." It makes me think, why blog if no one reads it and no one cares about what I say? I know I could comment on other blogs on the same articles I link to here but that is typically too much for me. I don't want to get into a discussion with 100 people, half of who are nut balls on something. Too exhausting. I know part of my problem is that I don't do the blogger stuff to promote the blog and draw people to this site.
If anyone is reading this, here is a questions - should I keep writing this? are certain topics more interesting to you? be honest, if you think my commentary is so bland that it is not worth reading, let me know. Would it be annoying or helpful to send out a note on FB or Twitter directing you to read this blog?
The act of writing and sharing my thoughts on the news or art or food of the day is somewhat therapeutic and feels good, like a journal of sorts. But unlike a journal, I have stayed away from very person topics.
I was hoping to create a way for old friends and new online friends to have a bit of a dialogue on stuff but that has not happened. I get very very few comments so there is really none of that. I have almost never had a friend say, "I read your blog and I disagree with your point...blah blah....." It makes me think, why blog if no one reads it and no one cares about what I say? I know I could comment on other blogs on the same articles I link to here but that is typically too much for me. I don't want to get into a discussion with 100 people, half of who are nut balls on something. Too exhausting. I know part of my problem is that I don't do the blogger stuff to promote the blog and draw people to this site.
If anyone is reading this, here is a questions - should I keep writing this? are certain topics more interesting to you? be honest, if you think my commentary is so bland that it is not worth reading, let me know. Would it be annoying or helpful to send out a note on FB or Twitter directing you to read this blog?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Julia Dales and Her Magic Beats
This chick kicks ass old school. Julia Dales is like a ventriloquist. How does she make those sounds at the same time out of one mouth? I also love the back of the car in the parking lot home video thing. If I show my kids this video they will no longer be impressed by my bathtub time rapping action.
If you want to hear more from her, she was interviewed in Ottawa before she went to the international beat box competition in Germany on As It Happens on May 13, it is at the end of part 1. (I saw this first on Althouse!?)
Intersting Mix of Blogging, Social Networking, Journalism and Politics
I don't even try to keep up with the vociferous online lefty Madison former politician Brenda Konkel but I did catch this interesting post.
She asks some good questions and brings up the larger issue of what is public, what is private, what should the mainstream media watch and report on this online world.
I agree with her on her first point, if any person blogs (public important person or me) what they say can be reported on other blogs or in the traditional media (in this case it was a Newspaper editorial). You can't expect it to be private. The same goes for Twitter unless you make it private.
Facebook is not so clear. I think that public people, like Brenda, should choose to use Facebook for their real close friends and assume it is private or to open it up broadly to most everyone and assume what you say is public. As I have said before, I think it is amazing how Brenda, while in office, wrote so much and communicated so much with people about what she thought. Most pols are intentionally very limited in what they say. While I'd say it is generally wrong to put some one's facebook updates or shots in a blog, in this case it is not that clear because it sounds like she accepted friend requests from some people who are professional acquaintances, media folks, bloggers, etc. and she posted the original post on Twitter and FB in the first place. One option of course would be to de-friend anyone who would do such a thing. That said, the blogger who included the facebook shot did expose the most interesting piece of the saga, what did Thuy do that made did Brenda think she is a racist?
While I expect these issues will come up more in the future as at all levels, I think Brenda is a very unusual public figure and most politicians and celebrities are very private and keep their cards very close to their chest.
She asks some good questions and brings up the larger issue of what is public, what is private, what should the mainstream media watch and report on this online world.
I agree with her on her first point, if any person blogs (public important person or me) what they say can be reported on other blogs or in the traditional media (in this case it was a Newspaper editorial). You can't expect it to be private. The same goes for Twitter unless you make it private.
Facebook is not so clear. I think that public people, like Brenda, should choose to use Facebook for their real close friends and assume it is private or to open it up broadly to most everyone and assume what you say is public. As I have said before, I think it is amazing how Brenda, while in office, wrote so much and communicated so much with people about what she thought. Most pols are intentionally very limited in what they say. While I'd say it is generally wrong to put some one's facebook updates or shots in a blog, in this case it is not that clear because it sounds like she accepted friend requests from some people who are professional acquaintances, media folks, bloggers, etc. and she posted the original post on Twitter and FB in the first place. One option of course would be to de-friend anyone who would do such a thing. That said, the blogger who included the facebook shot did expose the most interesting piece of the saga, what did Thuy do that made did Brenda think she is a racist?
While I expect these issues will come up more in the future as at all levels, I think Brenda is a very unusual public figure and most politicians and celebrities are very private and keep their cards very close to their chest.
Just What I Needed Today
This is just too funny. Have you seen Awkward Family Photos!? You have to look at these. This is the weirdest one. This could be a Christmas card. Where can I get these outfits? Thanks JZ.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Missing Pumpkins
This song that came up in Pandora and reminded me of the time I saw James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins at Blockbuster in Chicago, the one that was near Division near Bucktown/ Wicker Park, I don't know if it is still there. I am not really a fan but I was pretty sure it was him,I did not say anything to him. This was some time around 1996.
Me = Stuntman ??
No, my dreams of being a stuntman are over. This is not me, but yesterday I had to climb over a chain link fence into a cemetery to get my daughter's shoe (don't ask) and I could not believe how hard it was for this donut man to do it. I scratched my hands and tore my shirt (one of my favorite T shirts). I could not beleive how hard it was for me to get over the fence and then back, not a pretty site. When I was a kid, I used to climb over fences all the time with ease.
(the person makes it look easy, photo from Stephanie Booth)
UW Faculty Furloghs
I'm sorry but I don't really think it will be a problem for UW faculty to be required to take furlough days. Most professors I know don't teach from 9 to 5 five days a week. Some at UW Madison only teach a few classes a week. There is no reason that these faculty should have to take furlough days when they are supposed to be teaching. If I were a student and my prof said no class on Friday because I am taking a furlough day, I would not be happy. There are plenty of days/ times when they are not teaching that they can take these days. The state's customers will suffer when employees take furlough days regardless of what state program you are talking about.
Monday, May 11, 2009
It is so private, what is the point?
I have been using FaceBook for a while now and like it. I am one of the people who checks often and puts photos and status updates on there fairly often. I have it set up the way I guess most people do in that all my friends can see everything on my pages, photos, wall posts, etc. People who are not my friends can't see anything except my list of friends and profile photo.
I know FB is offering ways to limit who sees what by different privacy settings and using friend lists and allow some groups to see some things other groups see other things, etc. I can see the value but is seems like a bit of work and complicated.
So an old acquaintance friended me recently and I looked at her page and there was so little there it seemed strange. Some work and school info, one photo of her and one of her kid. No wall to write on. No status updates. No groups. I am guessing that she either has it set up so that close friends see those things or she doesn't really use it at all and wants to be a bit of a voyeur. What is the point of hooking up with a friend if you don't send them a message and don't have any personal information on there about yourself at all?
I have noticed most (not all) friends have become much more limited in what they put for status updates, myself included. I have become too obsessed with what should I include for a status update. Will this sound too whiny, too show off, too boring, too sad, too personal, will the grammar be wrong, etc.?
I know FB is offering ways to limit who sees what by different privacy settings and using friend lists and allow some groups to see some things other groups see other things, etc. I can see the value but is seems like a bit of work and complicated.
So an old acquaintance friended me recently and I looked at her page and there was so little there it seemed strange. Some work and school info, one photo of her and one of her kid. No wall to write on. No status updates. No groups. I am guessing that she either has it set up so that close friends see those things or she doesn't really use it at all and wants to be a bit of a voyeur. What is the point of hooking up with a friend if you don't send them a message and don't have any personal information on there about yourself at all?
I have noticed most (not all) friends have become much more limited in what they put for status updates, myself included. I have become too obsessed with what should I include for a status update. Will this sound too whiny, too show off, too boring, too sad, too personal, will the grammar be wrong, etc.?
Joe Biden Was Wiser Than I Thought
I learned this weekend that a Madison friend, dad, professor has the H1N1 Swine Flu. How did he get it? he was traveling for work and went through LaGuardia. He seems to be feeling OK and is voluntarily quarantined in his home.
Friday, May 8, 2009
kind of freaking out
I am sort of overwhelmed lately
- baby #3 due any day now, when? I don't know
- what do I have to do before baby comes?
- now doing physical therapy every day for my back surgery recovery and my bad knee, takes a while and is not easy since I am an out of shape donut man
- 4 yr old birthday party tomorrow
- big work meeting out of office with travel, food, big agenda, etc. on Tuesday
- putting my grandmother's house on market in Michigan, on phone and email with realtor a lot
- having big garage estate sale at the place in MI
- too much work to do lately, when will baby come, when will I be out, etc.
- found out yesterday that there will be layoffs for state employees and mandatory furloughs for us, 8 days a year. = 3% pay cut
- in-laws in town
- 4 yr old has been acting a bit nuts lately
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
RIP Professor Margolis
A very smart and unique professor I had while a student at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago has passed away. Harold Margolis passed away in April
What I remember of Professor Margolis was a class I took from him with 3 other students. It was a unique opportunity to pick his mind and have in depth discussions on a unique topic of risk communication. Not a topic that drew a lot of interest but I really learned a lot and appreciate his insights and unique mind. We talked and read interesting essays about the psychology of how we perceive comparative risks, why do people get freaked out about some very rare and unlikely risks and seem to ignore other more likely risks. This is a basis of knowledge I draw on now in my life working on environmental cleanup.
Howard Margolis, a professor at the Harris School since 1990, died on Wednesday, April 29 after a battle with cancer. He was 78 years old. He studied social theory, particularly the underpinnings of individual choice and judgment that shape aggregate social outcomes.
What I remember of Professor Margolis was a class I took from him with 3 other students. It was a unique opportunity to pick his mind and have in depth discussions on a unique topic of risk communication. Not a topic that drew a lot of interest but I really learned a lot and appreciate his insights and unique mind. We talked and read interesting essays about the psychology of how we perceive comparative risks, why do people get freaked out about some very rare and unlikely risks and seem to ignore other more likely risks. This is a basis of knowledge I draw on now in my life working on environmental cleanup.
and I can't let it go and I can't get through...
It was too awesome to see Ani perform this tune live with the entire Orpheum audience singing along. wow
Check out this kick ass photo of Ani rocking out at the show (from Lost Albatross - see her other photos too).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
don't tease me
why do I get a brochure each year at work about a conference in Monterey, CA? The state almost never allows us to travel out of state and there is no money for travel or training. We have to beg and plead for them to let us take a day trip to Duluth.
Sunstein for SCOTUS
I think Obama should pick Cass Sunstein for the supreme court to fill Souter's spot. Why? because he is smart and I took his great Environmental Law class at the University of Chicago and I think it would be so cool to say that I took a class from a guy on the Supreme Court.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mom of the year?
I like the failblog, if you have not seen it is shows funny photos of things that should not have been written or drawn as they were. Very funny stuff, stupid mistakes, etc.
This one made me laugh out loud. (Not safe for work) What is this woman doing? and the look on the kids face is priceless. There are lots of families that are different than mine.
This one made me laugh out loud. (Not safe for work) What is this woman doing? and the look on the kids face is priceless. There are lots of families that are different than mine.
Randi is back : (
The Mic 92.1 our local progressive/ Air America radio station has decided to bring back Randi Rhodes. I really don't like her and did not miss her. I don't think they should bring her back. She is too nasty and harsh for me.
I would like my progressive talking people to be either positive (Ed), funny (Stephanie) or very smart (Thom). She is not really any of these things. The only person more bitter her is Mike M. I really like John Elliot (smart and positive) but am not up at that hour.
She went off the air when Air America kicked her off (which I commented on here).
I say find someone else. Even though some listeners may like her and be asking to brnig her back but many feel like me.
I would like my progressive talking people to be either positive (Ed), funny (Stephanie) or very smart (Thom). She is not really any of these things. The only person more bitter her is Mike M. I really like John Elliot (smart and positive) but am not up at that hour.
She went off the air when Air America kicked her off (which I commented on here).
I say find someone else. Even though some listeners may like her and be asking to brnig her back but many feel like me.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Music to Change The World
Went to a kick ass show last night. Because my wife is expecting any day now, I did not get advance tickets but since there was no action in that dept. and the kids went down early, I went downtown for the show at the Orpheum. I love Madison because I can check out a great rock show on a whim and go, park, get ticket and get in door to door in less than 20 min.
It was The Progressive magazine's 100th Anniversary. See good review of the event. On the bill: Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams and Melissa Ferrick. I went to see the Indigo Girls and they were great but I fell in love with Ani. The IGs played some new ones and three wonderful old ones: Galileo, Closer To Fine and Get out the Map.
I was always a bit intimanated by Ani because she seemed too hard core for my taste be was surprisingly petite and young and her voice is awesome and beautiful. Just her and a guitar. She rocked the house.
I also liked Dar Williams, who I did not know. During Ani she was standing in the back just watching alone and I went up to her and told her that she did a great job. In addition to singing she told a great poem 'Grand Canyon of Light' about the great USA.
One funny thing about the show as that there was many more women than men given the lineup and the Orpheum was smart and they made some of the men's bathrooms for women. The only one I could find for me said Men and Women - Tonight Only. So I got in line and of course the women only wanted the stalls and us guys used the urinals but we were in plain sight of the ladies who were in there waiting and washing hands. I did not get stage fright but I tucked things in a bit more than I normally would.
Probably the last concern I will see for a while.
(Photo from Rob Thomas/ Cap Times)
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