^ Definitely not me by the way.
Here's something that I find annoying/awkward about some stairs.
When you go start walking up the stairs at the same time as someone you don't know and they're going at the exact speed in which your normal walking speed would put you uncomfortably close behind them but speeding up would be too fast and make you seem too eager and slowing down would be an unnaturally slow pace to walk at. And the stairwell is too narrow to pass in a non-awkward fashion anyway. And you're both going up multiple flights of stairs.
Yeah. That's sort of awkward.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Do you believe in miracles (happening more than once)?
That's kind of the question I have for the USA vs Canada gold medal matchup tomorrow.
I mean it should definitely be interesting especially since the Americans have already beaten the Canadian team last week. There's definitely a lot going right for Team USA headed into this matchup.
I wouldn't discount the 5-3 victory at all, especially for this young American team. That will help give them an edge and confidence that they can take out Canada again. They've also been able to assert themselves early on in games, scoring the first goal in each of their matchups so far. That's another huge thing since they don't want to put themselves in a position where they have to play from behind and deviate from their gameplan.
Team USA has also been getting production across the board. 12 different players have scored a goal in the tournament and only four have been held pointless, three of them being defensemen. Because they're at a disadvantage from a talent standpoint, it's vital that they get scoring from each of their lines and it's been working so far. On top of that, their top forwards have finally been stepping up. Top forward Zach Parise's been having a great Olympics with 7 points, but it was encouraging to see fellow top liners Paul Stastny and Patrick Kane get going in the last game against Finland. Both only had a point apiece before that game but Stastny helped with a goal and an assist while Kane scored two goals of his own. They'll need those guys to have a good game if they want to topple Canada again.
Of course the big story's been Ryan Miller. The Buffalo Sabres goaltender is leading the Olympics with a 95.37 save percentage having allowed a paltry 5 goals the entire tournament. He's been standing on his head for the team and a huge reason they've been able to come so far already. If nothing else, Miller can steal the game for the Americans if he turns in another amazing performance.
But of course Team Canada is no slouch either and, with a lineup stacked from top to bottom, probably should still be favored in this gold medal matchup. One thing of note from their previous matchup is that Canada outshot the US 45 - 23, an almost 2:1 shots on goal ratio. That's a tremendous advantage and the Americans really only survived that onslaught because of Miller's great play as well as Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur's rough outing.
After that game, Canadian coach Mike Babcock switched to Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, who is one of the best goalies in the NHL and having a good Olympics so far ranking fifth in save percentage. Just like Miller, Luongo is capable of winning a game on his own with his great ability in net.
However, he has a lot less pressure as Canada brings a super-high octane offensive attack with them. Every skater on that roster has at least one point, and every forward has at least one goal except for Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews, who's contributed with seven assists. Canada simply has a better offense and more talent than the US team does and they will be pushing this advantage for the entire game.
The great thing about the Olympics is that it's do or die. There are no seven game series, just one game for all the glory. This works to the Americans' advantage because they'd be hard pressed just to keep up with the Canadians for seven games. But while the US has played one less game due to a first round bye, Canada's faced better competition so far, having to beat Russia and Slovakia to get here.
Who knows what will happen. Team USA certainly has the capability to win again and take home the gold, capping a run in which no one expected them even to medal at these games. But hockey is Canada's sport, and with their elite lineup, they have to be the favorites. All I know is anything can happen in sports, and after the Canadians beat the Americans for the gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City, it would only be fitting that we take it this go-around in their territory.
I mean it should definitely be interesting especially since the Americans have already beaten the Canadian team last week. There's definitely a lot going right for Team USA headed into this matchup.
I wouldn't discount the 5-3 victory at all, especially for this young American team. That will help give them an edge and confidence that they can take out Canada again. They've also been able to assert themselves early on in games, scoring the first goal in each of their matchups so far. That's another huge thing since they don't want to put themselves in a position where they have to play from behind and deviate from their gameplan.
Team USA has also been getting production across the board. 12 different players have scored a goal in the tournament and only four have been held pointless, three of them being defensemen. Because they're at a disadvantage from a talent standpoint, it's vital that they get scoring from each of their lines and it's been working so far. On top of that, their top forwards have finally been stepping up. Top forward Zach Parise's been having a great Olympics with 7 points, but it was encouraging to see fellow top liners Paul Stastny and Patrick Kane get going in the last game against Finland. Both only had a point apiece before that game but Stastny helped with a goal and an assist while Kane scored two goals of his own. They'll need those guys to have a good game if they want to topple Canada again.
Of course the big story's been Ryan Miller. The Buffalo Sabres goaltender is leading the Olympics with a 95.37 save percentage having allowed a paltry 5 goals the entire tournament. He's been standing on his head for the team and a huge reason they've been able to come so far already. If nothing else, Miller can steal the game for the Americans if he turns in another amazing performance.
But of course Team Canada is no slouch either and, with a lineup stacked from top to bottom, probably should still be favored in this gold medal matchup. One thing of note from their previous matchup is that Canada outshot the US 45 - 23, an almost 2:1 shots on goal ratio. That's a tremendous advantage and the Americans really only survived that onslaught because of Miller's great play as well as Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur's rough outing.
After that game, Canadian coach Mike Babcock switched to Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, who is one of the best goalies in the NHL and having a good Olympics so far ranking fifth in save percentage. Just like Miller, Luongo is capable of winning a game on his own with his great ability in net.
However, he has a lot less pressure as Canada brings a super-high octane offensive attack with them. Every skater on that roster has at least one point, and every forward has at least one goal except for Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews, who's contributed with seven assists. Canada simply has a better offense and more talent than the US team does and they will be pushing this advantage for the entire game.
The great thing about the Olympics is that it's do or die. There are no seven game series, just one game for all the glory. This works to the Americans' advantage because they'd be hard pressed just to keep up with the Canadians for seven games. But while the US has played one less game due to a first round bye, Canada's faced better competition so far, having to beat Russia and Slovakia to get here.
Who knows what will happen. Team USA certainly has the capability to win again and take home the gold, capping a run in which no one expected them even to medal at these games. But hockey is Canada's sport, and with their elite lineup, they have to be the favorites. All I know is anything can happen in sports, and after the Canadians beat the Americans for the gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City, it would only be fitting that we take it this go-around in their territory.
Friday, February 26, 2010
No Se
I went to the Suns/Clippers game tonight. And it was fun.
You know that feeling when you get a song randomly stuck in your head and you don't know why? Or when you start liking a song you used to not like all of a sudden and it seems so random?
That's kind of how I feel about Rasual Butler. I don't know why I like this new Clipper, but I do. He's a solid guy, not great, not a star but good. Apparently not good enough to have his jersey sold though. A pretty typical "D and 3s" guy, I just like watching him play. Maybe it's just because I think his name is cool/funny and like to yell it when he shoots.
Rasuuuuual!
You know that feeling when you get a song randomly stuck in your head and you don't know why? Or when you start liking a song you used to not like all of a sudden and it seems so random?
That's kind of how I feel about Rasual Butler. I don't know why I like this new Clipper, but I do. He's a solid guy, not great, not a star but good. Apparently not good enough to have his jersey sold though. A pretty typical "D and 3s" guy, I just like watching him play. Maybe it's just because I think his name is cool/funny and like to yell it when he shoots.
Rasuuuuual!Anyway, the topic of what exactly a "clipper" is came up (by the way were those quotes necessary? I wasn't sure). I kind of just threw out a guess that it was a small ship of some sort. It seemed to make sense and I thought I remembered hearing or reading that somewhere.
Well if anyone out there is curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper
Or the short version: "A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had multiple masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area."
What can I say, I'm a good guesser. I really do attribute much of my success in school to that.
Well if anyone out there is curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper
Or the short version: "A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had multiple masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area."
What can I say, I'm a good guesser. I really do attribute much of my success in school to that.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Born in the USA
I love Olympic hockey and of course watching Team USA go at it. It's pretty interesting because there were a few of those guys I didn't even know were American until I found out they were on the team. So I'm going to list out some Olympic hockey players here, some American, some foreign. Let's see how you do.
Mark Streit
David Backes
Roman Wick
Mike Richards
Brooks Orpik
Joe Pavelski
Duncan Keith
Martin Erat
Paul Stastny
Alexander Makritski
Mike Komisarek
Erik Johnson
Michael Bakos
Zach Parise
There are 14 names here. They're all players who have played in these Olympics or were named to Olympic rosters. 7 of them are American. Do you know which ones?
Mark Streit
David Backes
Roman Wick
Mike Richards
Brooks Orpik
Joe Pavelski
Duncan Keith
Martin Erat
Paul Stastny
Alexander Makritski
Mike Komisarek
Erik Johnson
Michael Bakos
Zach Parise
There are 14 names here. They're all players who have played in these Olympics or were named to Olympic rosters. 7 of them are American. Do you know which ones?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Human Supply Chain
Ok I admit this is slightly morbid and insensitive maybe. But it's just hypothetical.
Anyway I've been thinking a lot about supply chains recently, mainly because I just had a test in it today.
I wonder if anyone's ever considered human population as a supply chain. It's got inflows and outflows (births and deaths) and you roughly know the lead times for "orders" (9 months from conception).
I'd be somewhat interested to see a forecast of human population based on examining it as a supply chain. Hmm...
Anyway I've been thinking a lot about supply chains recently, mainly because I just had a test in it today.
I wonder if anyone's ever considered human population as a supply chain. It's got inflows and outflows (births and deaths) and you roughly know the lead times for "orders" (9 months from conception).
I'd be somewhat interested to see a forecast of human population based on examining it as a supply chain. Hmm...
Ballers and Gamers
Totally lost track of time while studying for a test tomorrow. In lieu of a real post, I'm going to link an article I thought was really funny/cool/amusing/insightful. Enjoy.
http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=4939370
http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=4939370
Monday, February 22, 2010
Plan for tonight
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A New Addiction
It's called Tiger Woods Online. And it's so much fun. I feel like it has the potential to suck away many hours of homework doing. Just to clarify, it is a golf game not a...you know. Tiger Woods thing.
On another note, who watched Tiger Woods's apology this past weekend? Goodness that was honestly painful to watch.
I don't really blame him for seeming awkward and uncomfortable. I don't imagine he's had a lot of practice having to be open and actually talk to people given his status as golf prodigy turned probably legend. And when you're giving a public statement for cheating on your wife with a myriad of women, comfort is not on the top of the priority list.
But still he just sounded so wooden and robotic, even for a scripted speech, it was really hard to listen to. Was he sincere? Of course I don't know for sure, but I just can't fully trust a supposed meeting with the media with no questions asked. And the fact that Tiger tried to go on the offensive when there are still so many unanswered questions about what happened that night and what is going on with him was actually kind of insulting. I mean the whole incident was so unusual and surrounded in secrecy and the fact that he waited until late February to talk about something that happened over Thanksgiving certainly didn't help any.
And what is up with this whole sex addiction thing? I'm not a scientist or anything but to me addiction isn't just something you like a lot but something you can't keep yourself from even if you know better or try to. Let's not pretend that Tiger is the first or only professional athlete (or man for that matter) who's slept around with many women while married. If he just had a lot of sex all the time with his wife, that would have been more indicative of a sex addiction than what he did. Having all those affairs doesn't make him an addict, much less a victim, just an unfaithful SOB.
EDIT: Two ESPN columns that I think do a good job of portraying the two different camps concerning Tiger's apology.
Bill Simmons talking about how Tiger's still playing by his own rules.
Gene Wojciechowski saying that Tiger's statement was sincere and a good start.
On another note, who watched Tiger Woods's apology this past weekend? Goodness that was honestly painful to watch.
I don't really blame him for seeming awkward and uncomfortable. I don't imagine he's had a lot of practice having to be open and actually talk to people given his status as golf prodigy turned probably legend. And when you're giving a public statement for cheating on your wife with a myriad of women, comfort is not on the top of the priority list.
But still he just sounded so wooden and robotic, even for a scripted speech, it was really hard to listen to. Was he sincere? Of course I don't know for sure, but I just can't fully trust a supposed meeting with the media with no questions asked. And the fact that Tiger tried to go on the offensive when there are still so many unanswered questions about what happened that night and what is going on with him was actually kind of insulting. I mean the whole incident was so unusual and surrounded in secrecy and the fact that he waited until late February to talk about something that happened over Thanksgiving certainly didn't help any.
And what is up with this whole sex addiction thing? I'm not a scientist or anything but to me addiction isn't just something you like a lot but something you can't keep yourself from even if you know better or try to. Let's not pretend that Tiger is the first or only professional athlete (or man for that matter) who's slept around with many women while married. If he just had a lot of sex all the time with his wife, that would have been more indicative of a sex addiction than what he did. Having all those affairs doesn't make him an addict, much less a victim, just an unfaithful SOB.
EDIT: Two ESPN columns that I think do a good job of portraying the two different camps concerning Tiger's apology.
Bill Simmons talking about how Tiger's still playing by his own rules.
Gene Wojciechowski saying that Tiger's statement was sincere and a good start.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Pinnacle
Watching the Olympics always makes me think what it must be like to be at the top of something. To be literally the best person in the world at one thing and have a medal to back you up.
I've rarely been the best at anything and there are a lot of things that I'm not even very good at so it's pretty unfathomable for me to think of what it's like to be THE best.
But in watching these elite athletes and competitors, I don't think they're even thinking about that. Maybe that desire to be on top is what pushes them in training, but when I see them work and sweat and push in competition and collapse in elation at the end, it seems to me that they're more just proud of themselves and excited that all the hard work they put in paid off. And even those that don't finish first or second or third often look happy. Just to be able to compete in an event as great as the Olympics and represent your country is enough for them.
These athletes celebrate not just in their talent and victories but in achieving a goal and finishing what they set out to do. And for them that's enough. For them, it's not about a podium or a shiny medal, it's about the thrill of competition and the joy and satisfaction of a job well done. That's their pinnacle.
I've rarely been the best at anything and there are a lot of things that I'm not even very good at so it's pretty unfathomable for me to think of what it's like to be THE best.
But in watching these elite athletes and competitors, I don't think they're even thinking about that. Maybe that desire to be on top is what pushes them in training, but when I see them work and sweat and push in competition and collapse in elation at the end, it seems to me that they're more just proud of themselves and excited that all the hard work they put in paid off. And even those that don't finish first or second or third often look happy. Just to be able to compete in an event as great as the Olympics and represent your country is enough for them.
These athletes celebrate not just in their talent and victories but in achieving a goal and finishing what they set out to do. And for them that's enough. For them, it's not about a podium or a shiny medal, it's about the thrill of competition and the joy and satisfaction of a job well done. That's their pinnacle.
Friday, February 19, 2010
It must be some kind of...Hot Tub Time Machine
I got to see a screening of Hot Tub Time Machine the other night. It was pretty neat since I'd never been to a movie screening before and also because it was a movie I wanted to see based on its previews.
Overall it was pretty much what I expected. Just some good old fun, sometimes raunchy, humor. Everything was just so ridiculous and random and randomly ridiculous that you couldn't help but to laugh.
The basic premise is that four guys go to a resort up in the mountains and get taken back in time by a mystical hot tub. They find themselves back in their past and have a chance to live their lives a different way.
Far be it from me to criticize the plot and logic of a movie like this. I know that it's just an out there comedy and that no one would really go see it for a dynamic, engaging storyline.
Still, that was actually my biggest problem with this movie. Most of the humor came from the fact that it was simply a set of funny, ridiculous situations and scenarios, and don't get me wrong, they were hilarious and had everyone cracking up. But at the same time there just didn't seem a reason or a method to the madness. So many times something funny would happen and I would just be like, "...why?"
What minor semblance of a storyline didn't really hold up throughout the movie. As with any movie dealing with time travel, there were some rules of going back to the past. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me what the rules are or if they make sense. The one thing that gets me though is that you gotta stick to what you establish. HTTM never really decided if it was going to go by the butterfly effect, in which any tiny deviance is catastrophic, or a more Lost-like "whatever happened happened" where the universe course corrects for any changes you make, or the idea that you can change anything and everything. In a silly comedy like this one it's really not a big deal except for the fact that these rules and laws had an effect on the story and the motivations of the characters.
In addition to that, there just weren't any real goals for any of the characters. They kind of make a mention of them, but then get so far off track that you don't even know why they're there to begin with. There just didn't seem to be an endgame of any sort. I don't care what the genre is, it's hard to be very into any kind of medium when you're not invested and/or don't even care what's happening.
Overall, HTTM was a fun movie full of great moments and hilarious lines that you'll remember and laugh about for days. Aside from that there's not a whole lot to offer, but it's still a good option for some cheap laughs.
Overall it was pretty much what I expected. Just some good old fun, sometimes raunchy, humor. Everything was just so ridiculous and random and randomly ridiculous that you couldn't help but to laugh.
The basic premise is that four guys go to a resort up in the mountains and get taken back in time by a mystical hot tub. They find themselves back in their past and have a chance to live their lives a different way.
Far be it from me to criticize the plot and logic of a movie like this. I know that it's just an out there comedy and that no one would really go see it for a dynamic, engaging storyline.
Still, that was actually my biggest problem with this movie. Most of the humor came from the fact that it was simply a set of funny, ridiculous situations and scenarios, and don't get me wrong, they were hilarious and had everyone cracking up. But at the same time there just didn't seem a reason or a method to the madness. So many times something funny would happen and I would just be like, "...why?"
What minor semblance of a storyline didn't really hold up throughout the movie. As with any movie dealing with time travel, there were some rules of going back to the past. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me what the rules are or if they make sense. The one thing that gets me though is that you gotta stick to what you establish. HTTM never really decided if it was going to go by the butterfly effect, in which any tiny deviance is catastrophic, or a more Lost-like "whatever happened happened" where the universe course corrects for any changes you make, or the idea that you can change anything and everything. In a silly comedy like this one it's really not a big deal except for the fact that these rules and laws had an effect on the story and the motivations of the characters.
In addition to that, there just weren't any real goals for any of the characters. They kind of make a mention of them, but then get so far off track that you don't even know why they're there to begin with. There just didn't seem to be an endgame of any sort. I don't care what the genre is, it's hard to be very into any kind of medium when you're not invested and/or don't even care what's happening.
Overall, HTTM was a fun movie full of great moments and hilarious lines that you'll remember and laugh about for days. Aside from that there's not a whole lot to offer, but it's still a good option for some cheap laughs.
Fantasy sports
As to not miss my blogs again, I'm just going to throw up something random.
This year I started playing fantasy sports again. This is something I haven't really done since probably middle school. And even back then I wasn't really playing so much as randomly autopicking a team and going with it for a season.
It's funny what it does to my sports watching experience. In both football and basketball I'd find myself yelling at the tv at guys I had no right knowing and/or caring about. Please Ryan Moats, just gain 10 more yards. Please Damien Wilkins, one more three pointer (but some steals would be nice too).
It totally changes the watching experience. It's also confusing when one of your players, especially a key one, is playing a team you like. Of course loyalty to your team comes first, but I'm not going to lie, at times I feel like I have more of a stake in my fantasy team, something I drafted and built up on my own.
Things can get heated, and of course it's all in good fun. If you like sports, or even if you don't but maybe have a thing for number crunching and/or stats, I'd definitely encourage you to try it out.
One more post for today. Coming up shortly.
This year I started playing fantasy sports again. This is something I haven't really done since probably middle school. And even back then I wasn't really playing so much as randomly autopicking a team and going with it for a season.
It's funny what it does to my sports watching experience. In both football and basketball I'd find myself yelling at the tv at guys I had no right knowing and/or caring about. Please Ryan Moats, just gain 10 more yards. Please Damien Wilkins, one more three pointer (but some steals would be nice too).
It totally changes the watching experience. It's also confusing when one of your players, especially a key one, is playing a team you like. Of course loyalty to your team comes first, but I'm not going to lie, at times I feel like I have more of a stake in my fantasy team, something I drafted and built up on my own.
Things can get heated, and of course it's all in good fun. If you like sports, or even if you don't but maybe have a thing for number crunching and/or stats, I'd definitely encourage you to try it out.
One more post for today. Coming up shortly.
2 Fails with one stone
So....you may or may not have noticed that a couple days ago I noted I was returning to a blog post a day. Clearly this has not happened as now two days have elapsed without a post.
The first night wasn't really my fault. I was planning on posting after watching Hot Tub Time Machine and then my roommate's intramural soccer game. Everything was done by 10 so I figured I could get it done.
Little did I know the internet in the entire Barrett complex would be down until a little after 2 AM, which was also the time I decided to stop waiting for it to come back and go to sleep.
And then yesterday...I just completely dropped the ball. No excuses there.
In thinking about how I would explain all of this though, I did have some interesting thoughts on accountability. It seems like it's almost a dirty word in modern society and to be held accountable is almost like being kept prisoner or something. I feel like more and more people don't want to be held accountable for anything, searching for ways to pass the bill to someone else.
I don't think it's blame that people are scared about but responsibility. It's easy to combine the two, but really they're different things.
For example in my scenario, I set a goal for myself to post a new blog post every day. I obviously failed on the very first day. Am I to blame for that? I don't believe so because of the circumstances outlined above. But am I responsible for not hitting my self-imposed deadline? Yes, completely. Had this been something actually important or of real significance, I could have made some efforts to get it up. So in that respect, it's on me.
I don't know, just some ramblings from me as usual. Look for 2 more over the course of the day for me to try to get myself back on track.
The first night wasn't really my fault. I was planning on posting after watching Hot Tub Time Machine and then my roommate's intramural soccer game. Everything was done by 10 so I figured I could get it done.
Little did I know the internet in the entire Barrett complex would be down until a little after 2 AM, which was also the time I decided to stop waiting for it to come back and go to sleep.
And then yesterday...I just completely dropped the ball. No excuses there.
In thinking about how I would explain all of this though, I did have some interesting thoughts on accountability. It seems like it's almost a dirty word in modern society and to be held accountable is almost like being kept prisoner or something. I feel like more and more people don't want to be held accountable for anything, searching for ways to pass the bill to someone else.
I don't think it's blame that people are scared about but responsibility. It's easy to combine the two, but really they're different things.
For example in my scenario, I set a goal for myself to post a new blog post every day. I obviously failed on the very first day. Am I to blame for that? I don't believe so because of the circumstances outlined above. But am I responsible for not hitting my self-imposed deadline? Yes, completely. Had this been something actually important or of real significance, I could have made some efforts to get it up. So in that respect, it's on me.
I don't know, just some ramblings from me as usual. Look for 2 more over the course of the day for me to try to get myself back on track.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Alright I've decided
That the post-a-day thing is coming back.
With only 13 credits this semester I do find that I've been having a pretty decent amount of free time. And really there have been a lot of times where I've felt like blogging and just kept putting it off. Hopefully this will kick me back into gear or something like that. Also there's been stuff going on as is usually the case when second semester rolls around. Everything just seems to move a little faster.
So anyway I apologize if anyone out there has been wanting to read something. I also apologize if you've been enjoying the dead silence on this blog because that's about to come to an end.
I will be back tomorrow.
With only 13 credits this semester I do find that I've been having a pretty decent amount of free time. And really there have been a lot of times where I've felt like blogging and just kept putting it off. Hopefully this will kick me back into gear or something like that. Also there's been stuff going on as is usually the case when second semester rolls around. Everything just seems to move a little faster.
So anyway I apologize if anyone out there has been wanting to read something. I also apologize if you've been enjoying the dead silence on this blog because that's about to come to an end.
I will be back tomorrow.
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