fell in the trash this way... (ok I admit, I adjusted it slightly
after I saw it.)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Accidental graffiti
fell in the trash this way... (ok I admit, I adjusted it slightly
after I saw it.)
Monday, July 06, 2009
Stuck in a rut - literally
Today was fun. I went for a drive with a friend with the intent of going hiking. We were driving around Sutton, MA, looking for a place where the Massachusetts Mid-State Trail becomes a trail again rather than following a paved road.
We eventually found a dirt road turn where the trail headed into the woods. Since there wasn't any parking at that junction, we decided to drive along the dirt road. After a few minutes of driving, the road quality got worse and worse. Eventually, it became a rocky mud thing that somewhat resembled a dirt road, but definitely wasn't suited for most cars. I was kind of enjoying the adventure, and decided to push onward. "What's the worst that can happen?" is something I think I said to my friend at some point. The road was bad, but the worst I expected was getting some scrapes on the bottom of my SUV from some larger rocks that I might accidentally hit.
Well, it turns out something worse could happen. While my friend was outside the vehicle helping me navigate some extra large rocks - I managed to drive a little too far off the edge of road and wedged my front right tire between two very large rocks. Woops! I was being a bit impatient and rather than slowly creep around some rocks in the middle of the road, I went a bit faster and thought I was clear - and didn't even see the brush covered rock on the right that the right tire dropped over. From my friends point of view in front of the car, it looked like the right tire had just bumped into a very large rock and stopped forward progress.
The rock on the right that was behind the right tire was so well hidden, it was a few minutes before we even realized that's why the car wasn't moving. At first I though it was no big deal, that the vehicle was stuck from going forward because there was a rock in font of the right tire. And when going in reverse didn't work, I just assumed it was because left front tire was slipping on a muddy rock. After getting out of the vehicle I saw the right tire nicely placed between two very large rocks and instantly got that "OH Crap!" sick-to-the-stomach feeling.
It wasn't looking good. Both rocks were a couple feet in diameter - not something that two people could reasonably expect to be able to move. Moving the one behind the tire definitely wasn't an option - it was under the car and appeared to be well rooted in the ground. The one in front was big enough to weight about 800 pounds, maybe more. Again, not something easily moved.
So, the first thing we tried was using the car jack to raise the front of the car enough so the tire would be lifted and we could put other rocks underneath. It seemed like a good idea, but due to the way the vehicle was titled on the edge of the road, the jack, while positioned adjacent to the front tire, was actually lifting the whole back end of the vehicle. Eventually the back right tire came off the ground rather than the front right one! The weight of the engine combined with the slope of the road was working against us.
Plan B: While the rock in front of the tire was quite large, it appeared to be sitting mostly on the surface of the ground. So, there was a chance we could move it. I began to dig behind the rock while my friend went searching for something decent to use as a lever. Surprisingly, he quickly returned with 2 good quality 2x8 planks about 4 feet long that just happened to be on the side of the road not too far away. Perfect! After more digging and the coordinated use of the levers between the two of us, we we able to slowly pry and push the rock over enough so the tire was no longer obstructed. It took us about 2 hours in total to get the vehicle free. At that point, we decided we probably shouldn't push our luck and reversed direction back to better road conditions.
I think in the future, I'll keep a few more tools in my SUV than just the standard jack and tire iron. And maybe not treat my Toyota RAV4 like it's a Jeep. But where's the fun in that?
We eventually found a dirt road turn where the trail headed into the woods. Since there wasn't any parking at that junction, we decided to drive along the dirt road. After a few minutes of driving, the road quality got worse and worse. Eventually, it became a rocky mud thing that somewhat resembled a dirt road, but definitely wasn't suited for most cars. I was kind of enjoying the adventure, and decided to push onward. "What's the worst that can happen?" is something I think I said to my friend at some point. The road was bad, but the worst I expected was getting some scrapes on the bottom of my SUV from some larger rocks that I might accidentally hit.
Well, it turns out something worse could happen. While my friend was outside the vehicle helping me navigate some extra large rocks - I managed to drive a little too far off the edge of road and wedged my front right tire between two very large rocks. Woops! I was being a bit impatient and rather than slowly creep around some rocks in the middle of the road, I went a bit faster and thought I was clear - and didn't even see the brush covered rock on the right that the right tire dropped over. From my friends point of view in front of the car, it looked like the right tire had just bumped into a very large rock and stopped forward progress.
The rock on the right that was behind the right tire was so well hidden, it was a few minutes before we even realized that's why the car wasn't moving. At first I though it was no big deal, that the vehicle was stuck from going forward because there was a rock in font of the right tire. And when going in reverse didn't work, I just assumed it was because left front tire was slipping on a muddy rock. After getting out of the vehicle I saw the right tire nicely placed between two very large rocks and instantly got that "OH Crap!" sick-to-the-stomach feeling.
It wasn't looking good. Both rocks were a couple feet in diameter - not something that two people could reasonably expect to be able to move. Moving the one behind the tire definitely wasn't an option - it was under the car and appeared to be well rooted in the ground. The one in front was big enough to weight about 800 pounds, maybe more. Again, not something easily moved.
So, the first thing we tried was using the car jack to raise the front of the car enough so the tire would be lifted and we could put other rocks underneath. It seemed like a good idea, but due to the way the vehicle was titled on the edge of the road, the jack, while positioned adjacent to the front tire, was actually lifting the whole back end of the vehicle. Eventually the back right tire came off the ground rather than the front right one! The weight of the engine combined with the slope of the road was working against us.
Plan B: While the rock in front of the tire was quite large, it appeared to be sitting mostly on the surface of the ground. So, there was a chance we could move it. I began to dig behind the rock while my friend went searching for something decent to use as a lever. Surprisingly, he quickly returned with 2 good quality 2x8 planks about 4 feet long that just happened to be on the side of the road not too far away. Perfect! After more digging and the coordinated use of the levers between the two of us, we we able to slowly pry and push the rock over enough so the tire was no longer obstructed. It took us about 2 hours in total to get the vehicle free. At that point, we decided we probably shouldn't push our luck and reversed direction back to better road conditions.
I think in the future, I'll keep a few more tools in my SUV than just the standard jack and tire iron. And maybe not treat my Toyota RAV4 like it's a Jeep. But where's the fun in that?
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Random Eye Dull Photo - Yellow Mushrooms
Spotted these colorful mushrooms on the first sunny day after what seemed like a month of rain.
"Wait for Me"
I'm really enjoying the latest Moby album - "Wait for Me". After just one listen all the songs feel like old friends. I especially like the melancholy "Mistake" and "Jltf". Such a nice way to present those god-awful feelings of times gone bad.
If you like Moby's earlier more ambient-style moody music, this new album is definitely recommended.
If you like Moby's earlier more ambient-style moody music, this new album is definitely recommended.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
Enjoying More with Less
Here's an interesting side effect of being self-employed and making about 1/4 the amount of money I was making at my previous corporate job. I find I'm enjoying things a lot more.
Sure, I can't afford to go out to eat every day like I used to, or buy just about any gizmo that piques my interest. But having less money, I find I'm actually much more content. I appreciate what I can afford much more. In the past, if something broke, I wouldn't think twice about buying a replacement - and this time getting something even better than what I had before. Now, if something breaks, I take the time to try to repair it. And it's a very satisfying feeling when I've successfully repaired something, knowing I'll get some more life out of the product... and I saved some money.
If only I could have appreciated the frugal lifestyle while still making a nice salary. I could have saved a whole lot of money. But, as my mom once said to me in my younger days- money burns a hole in my pocket. If I have the spare cash, I tend to spend it. I don't go into debt - I always pay my credit card balance in full each month - but other than maxing out my 401K contributions each year at my old job, I didn't do much in regards to savings.
I guess this is just another reason why I'm very happy with my decision to quit my job and try the self-employment route. Who would have thunk it? Less money is a perk! I suppose it does make sense. Since I have less money, everything I do have is now more valuable to me. I don't take things for granted because I can't easily replace what I now own.
One of my favorite Buddhist sayings has always been, "True happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have". (No, really, it wasn't that pop singer who made up the phrase...) I always knew the statement was true, but just had a hard time living it. Now it's much easier for me to enjoy more with less.
Sure, I can't afford to go out to eat every day like I used to, or buy just about any gizmo that piques my interest. But having less money, I find I'm actually much more content. I appreciate what I can afford much more. In the past, if something broke, I wouldn't think twice about buying a replacement - and this time getting something even better than what I had before. Now, if something breaks, I take the time to try to repair it. And it's a very satisfying feeling when I've successfully repaired something, knowing I'll get some more life out of the product... and I saved some money.
If only I could have appreciated the frugal lifestyle while still making a nice salary. I could have saved a whole lot of money. But, as my mom once said to me in my younger days- money burns a hole in my pocket. If I have the spare cash, I tend to spend it. I don't go into debt - I always pay my credit card balance in full each month - but other than maxing out my 401K contributions each year at my old job, I didn't do much in regards to savings.
I guess this is just another reason why I'm very happy with my decision to quit my job and try the self-employment route. Who would have thunk it? Less money is a perk! I suppose it does make sense. Since I have less money, everything I do have is now more valuable to me. I don't take things for granted because I can't easily replace what I now own.
One of my favorite Buddhist sayings has always been, "True happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have". (No, really, it wasn't that pop singer who made up the phrase...) I always knew the statement was true, but just had a hard time living it. Now it's much easier for me to enjoy more with less.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
An unwelcome promotion
This past week I hosted 2 guests from Okinawa, Japan. They were visiting the Kodokai Dojo in North Smithfield to provide us with some instruction in a form of martial arts called Motobu Udundi. They were only able to visit for three days, but it was a great experience for everyone involved. Several people from our dojo have visited Okinawa in the past to learn techniques in this martial art and we've been practicing for a few years now, so it was a great opportunity for us to show our teachers what we've accomplished and get some much needed correction on details.
When I visited Okinawa this past December / January, I was dreading one aspect of the trip - the potential of being given a rank in Motobu Undundi. Even though I've been practicing this style for a few years, I don't feel confident that I know what I'm doing or that my techniques are very good. So, the last thing I wanted was to be given a black belt and then have people look at me as an example of how something is supposed to be done. Much to my relief, I was not promoted in January. My teachers had mentioned they were going to promote me, and they had me wear a black belt while taking classes at their dojo, but nothing official was ever done (again, much to my relief). So, I was quite content to return home and continue to wear my white belt and blend in with the crowd.
And I almost made it through this visit last week. While driving the two senseis back to the airport, I was asked what my current rank was in Motodbu Udundi. I said that I didn't have a rank. A discussion then ensued in Japanese between the two teachers and the end result was I was told I was being promoted to Shodan (the starting black belt rank). I was then asked what I thought of it. I explained I didn't think I was good enough to deserve it. He said that was good. The sensei then explained that he didn't think he was good enough to be called an 8th degree black belt, and that his sensei didn't feel he was good enough to be called master (10th degree - highest black belt rank), yet that was their titles.
He further explained that the point of the rank is people will now expect more of me - I will need set a good example - and this will force me to work to a higher standard. In his profession, he is a public speaker. People look to him to know what he is talking about, they expect an expert speaker, yet he doesn't feel he really is an expert. Instead, he must make sure he learns more and thoroughly knows the topic he is presenting so people have the impression he is the expert. He said, as a teacher, you end up learning a lot more than the people you are teaching.
The same applies to rank in martial arts. Being given a "promotion" in not an award - you are now being asked to do more, to live up to a higher standard than you are currently setting. It's a big responsibility and that's one of the reasons I've been trying to avoid it for so long. And I almost avoided it this time - if only the drive to the airport had been a bit shorter...
So now, like my sensei said tonight at class, it's up to me what I do with this new responsibility. Hopefully I won't disappoint anyone.
When I visited Okinawa this past December / January, I was dreading one aspect of the trip - the potential of being given a rank in Motobu Undundi. Even though I've been practicing this style for a few years, I don't feel confident that I know what I'm doing or that my techniques are very good. So, the last thing I wanted was to be given a black belt and then have people look at me as an example of how something is supposed to be done. Much to my relief, I was not promoted in January. My teachers had mentioned they were going to promote me, and they had me wear a black belt while taking classes at their dojo, but nothing official was ever done (again, much to my relief). So, I was quite content to return home and continue to wear my white belt and blend in with the crowd.
And I almost made it through this visit last week. While driving the two senseis back to the airport, I was asked what my current rank was in Motodbu Udundi. I said that I didn't have a rank. A discussion then ensued in Japanese between the two teachers and the end result was I was told I was being promoted to Shodan (the starting black belt rank). I was then asked what I thought of it. I explained I didn't think I was good enough to deserve it. He said that was good. The sensei then explained that he didn't think he was good enough to be called an 8th degree black belt, and that his sensei didn't feel he was good enough to be called master (10th degree - highest black belt rank), yet that was their titles.
He further explained that the point of the rank is people will now expect more of me - I will need set a good example - and this will force me to work to a higher standard. In his profession, he is a public speaker. People look to him to know what he is talking about, they expect an expert speaker, yet he doesn't feel he really is an expert. Instead, he must make sure he learns more and thoroughly knows the topic he is presenting so people have the impression he is the expert. He said, as a teacher, you end up learning a lot more than the people you are teaching.
The same applies to rank in martial arts. Being given a "promotion" in not an award - you are now being asked to do more, to live up to a higher standard than you are currently setting. It's a big responsibility and that's one of the reasons I've been trying to avoid it for so long. And I almost avoided it this time - if only the drive to the airport had been a bit shorter...
So now, like my sensei said tonight at class, it's up to me what I do with this new responsibility. Hopefully I won't disappoint anyone.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
No Time for Bullies
While eating dinner this evening I decided to do something I rarely do. I turned on the television. I caught the end a National Geographic program about stress, its causes, and how some baboon studies were giving some insights into how stress affects health.
One interesting event was described where a certain troop of baboons experienced a mass death in the early 80s. The baboons had been foraging in a garbage dump for food and ate some meat tainted with tuberculosis. The majority of the baboons that died were those that were considered "alpha males". They were the most aggressive and dominant of the troop. As the researcher put it, the remaining male baboons left alive were "nice guys". This dramatically changed the social behaviors in this particular baboon troop - less time fighting and more time was spent grooming. As a result, the baboons had reduced stress levels (as shown by medical tests) vs. baboon in other troops.
Even more interesting, this change in baboon culture has been preserved for 20 years. Adolescent male baboons normally leave their troop and find a new troop to call their home. When a new adolescent baboon arrived in this troop, it displayed the usual "jerky male" behavior of a normal baboon, but after about 6 months, the baboon some how learned that the jerky behavior was not acceptable in this troop and he became more passive.
It's a very interesting study. You can read more about it here: http://www.primates.co.uk/baboons/culture.html
One interesting event was described where a certain troop of baboons experienced a mass death in the early 80s. The baboons had been foraging in a garbage dump for food and ate some meat tainted with tuberculosis. The majority of the baboons that died were those that were considered "alpha males". They were the most aggressive and dominant of the troop. As the researcher put it, the remaining male baboons left alive were "nice guys". This dramatically changed the social behaviors in this particular baboon troop - less time fighting and more time was spent grooming. As a result, the baboons had reduced stress levels (as shown by medical tests) vs. baboon in other troops.
Even more interesting, this change in baboon culture has been preserved for 20 years. Adolescent male baboons normally leave their troop and find a new troop to call their home. When a new adolescent baboon arrived in this troop, it displayed the usual "jerky male" behavior of a normal baboon, but after about 6 months, the baboon some how learned that the jerky behavior was not acceptable in this troop and he became more passive.
It's a very interesting study. You can read more about it here: http://www.primates.co.uk/baboons/culture.html
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Saturday Morning Physics
Some days I'm just struck by how much there is to know about the world, how much I'd like to learn, and how little time I really have to get things done. There are so many things that interest me, but there's no possible way I can dedicate time to all the topics.
Today I ran across this video podcast series called "Saturday Morning Physics" (link opens iTunes). It's a series of 45 to 60 minute long physics lectures from the University of Michigan designed for the general public. Based on the audience in the videos (retirees), it appears these lectures were probably really given on Saturday mornings for the general public. (Not many college students would get up early on a Saturday morning to listen to a physics lecture for fun.)
Anyhow, it's an amazing resource, currently with 38 videos available - and it's just one small piece of an enormous collection of education videos found on the Internet.
Today I ran across this video podcast series called "Saturday Morning Physics" (link opens iTunes). It's a series of 45 to 60 minute long physics lectures from the University of Michigan designed for the general public. Based on the audience in the videos (retirees), it appears these lectures were probably really given on Saturday mornings for the general public. (Not many college students would get up early on a Saturday morning to listen to a physics lecture for fun.)
Anyhow, it's an amazing resource, currently with 38 videos available - and it's just one small piece of an enormous collection of education videos found on the Internet.
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