So having a spare moment or two, I hit wikipedia. On the front page, I see something about an infinite sum of positive numbers = -1. I click, and remember back to undergrad. I once knew how to sum an infinite series. It was critical to my existence. Or, at least my grade.
A click later, I stumbled upon "Cauchy sequence" and my mind screamed, "You've heard of that!!"
And, as I type this out, I think back to yet another undergrad class. In this one, I learned the difference between "recall" and "recollect." You have different types of memory. It's easier to get information into "recollect" to ace that multiple choice test. You only have to pick from the choices in front of you. Much more difficult to get it into that "recall" memory bank for the dreaded "fill in the blank" questions. I could recollect "Cauchy sequence" but if my life depended up on it, could not hope to recollect it.
Anyway. I was momentarily seized with the desire to once again commit to memory how to sum an infinite sequence. That desire has passed. It's just a bit too esoteric now. If it were a bit more practical, I would invest a bit of myself.
So we'll leave the moral of the story as "Look Dad! I wasn't drunk for all of undergrad!"
And think, I've only had one beer tonight.
20 February 2007
17 January 2007
30 November 2006
Chinese food
So I was at a local mall yesterday. (Don't ask why.) It's known for having a good, if a bit pricey, Chinese restaurant. So I stopped in to get dinner.
They handed over the menu. And it was in English. Not just "Kung Pao Chicken" or "Mu Shu pork" but "Beef in Hot ginger sauce" and "Hot tofu Szechuan style." I had this latter dish before, and found it to be a imitation of my memories of the real thing.
I've reached the point in my food life when I know I'm a fan of Szechuan, and my favorite dish is "Ma Po Dofu." The traditional preparation has chucks of tofu and small bits of pork in a sauce. And mouth numbing spices. But the key is the bit of pork. So I didn't want the "hot tofu Szechuan style" which was under the Vegetable menu, but the real deal.
I find myself in the awkward place where neither a menu in English nor one in Chinese fits my needs. So I simply had to order up in my bit Chinese, and hope for the best. It was tasty.
They handed over the menu. And it was in English. Not just "Kung Pao Chicken" or "Mu Shu pork" but "Beef in Hot ginger sauce" and "Hot tofu Szechuan style." I had this latter dish before, and found it to be a imitation of my memories of the real thing.
I've reached the point in my food life when I know I'm a fan of Szechuan, and my favorite dish is "Ma Po Dofu." The traditional preparation has chucks of tofu and small bits of pork in a sauce. And mouth numbing spices. But the key is the bit of pork. So I didn't want the "hot tofu Szechuan style" which was under the Vegetable menu, but the real deal.
I find myself in the awkward place where neither a menu in English nor one in Chinese fits my needs. So I simply had to order up in my bit Chinese, and hope for the best. It was tasty.
12 November 2006
Will wonders never cease?
Let me start by saying, "Don't worry, I was supervised."
It's never a good start to a story, but this story does not involve fire.
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I observed the workings of the top loading washing machine. I should point out that I have watched front loading machines at a laundromat. Front loaders were quite common in Europe, as they use less energy and water than the typical top loader. They have a transparent door, as most commercial dryers do.
But it was the opaque lid that always was a discouragement for the top loader. It was as if the process was meant to be a secret. Indeed, to watch it move through the entire cycle, you have to fool the machine into thinking that the lid is closed. Chris did let me put my hand in during the spin cycle, but before it was moving really fast.
So three cheers to the spirit of investigation of the known world! It may be a machine I've used hundreds of times without incident, but I'm a richer person for the experience.
It's never a good start to a story, but this story does not involve fire.
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I observed the workings of the top loading washing machine. I should point out that I have watched front loading machines at a laundromat. Front loaders were quite common in Europe, as they use less energy and water than the typical top loader. They have a transparent door, as most commercial dryers do.
But it was the opaque lid that always was a discouragement for the top loader. It was as if the process was meant to be a secret. Indeed, to watch it move through the entire cycle, you have to fool the machine into thinking that the lid is closed. Chris did let me put my hand in during the spin cycle, but before it was moving really fast.
So three cheers to the spirit of investigation of the known world! It may be a machine I've used hundreds of times without incident, but I'm a richer person for the experience.
29 October 2006
Are you ready to vote?
I'm not opening this up for a free for all to express your political opinions. I'm not up for moderating that discussion. I'm just asking if you feel prepared to vote.
Like it or not, in Illinois, we elect our judges. The first couple of times I voted, I felt bad because I just had to guess if I should vote to retain someone. I could have unknowingly voted for someone inept. Knowingly is one thing, unknowingly is a psychological burden.
But the Illinois State Bar Association conducts a poll of attorneys. They require a 65% approval rating from the respondents before the judge is "recommended" for retention. They also have questionnaires, which the Bar evaluates, and gives a subjective qualified/not qualified rating. Is it perfect? No. But it's the best I could find.
Click here and select your county to see the ratings.
While we're at it, I'd recommend these folks as well. They send you an email detailing how your Congressional delegation voted over the previous week, as well as letting you know what's coming up to bat.
Like it or not, in Illinois, we elect our judges. The first couple of times I voted, I felt bad because I just had to guess if I should vote to retain someone. I could have unknowingly voted for someone inept. Knowingly is one thing, unknowingly is a psychological burden.
But the Illinois State Bar Association conducts a poll of attorneys. They require a 65% approval rating from the respondents before the judge is "recommended" for retention. They also have questionnaires, which the Bar evaluates, and gives a subjective qualified/not qualified rating. Is it perfect? No. But it's the best I could find.
Click here and select your county to see the ratings.
While we're at it, I'd recommend these folks as well. They send you an email detailing how your Congressional delegation voted over the previous week, as well as letting you know what's coming up to bat.
23 October 2006
So it's been about a year...
Exactly a year ago, I was wandering around China in a state of confusion. So here are some words on my current state of confusion...
It doesn't seem like such a long time ago. But I guess it's been long enough that I've developed the rose colored glasses about the trip. The monkey, the night of four rooms, the bathrooms; a small grin comes to me as I recall them all.
This past weekend, I was looking at some of the China photos. I was struck by how bad the air was, and how bad my pictures were. About 3,000 images later, and I'm ready for an SLR camera. This had been one of my life goals, to own and operate effectively, an SLR camera. My Uncle Ed, long time reader, occasional poster, taught me how to change my oil this past weekend. Imagine, I've had my car 10 years, and I'd never done this. Life is about gaining experiences; I thank you all for reading about mine while you were out living yours.
I'm sometimes struck by how much more meaning the world has. I read The Spy who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre. It's a typical Cold War spy book. But part of it takes place in Berlin. Street names and sites were rattled off, and I had this feeling of meaning, in that I had navigated those very places with some success. (At least enough success to make it home.)
It's a bit like watching a travel show about Chicago. Travel is supposed to be about exploring the great unknown. The irony is that this perk can quickly become the problem. You quickly arrive at sensory overload when each input must be evaluated as good, bad, or critical to your survival. When watching a travel show about someplace you know, there's an odd appreciation finer than that of an out-of-towner. It comes from having a base of the familiar, mixed with a splash of the new.
With so many places at least vaguely familiar, I can only surmise that my wanderings will be better the next time I go...
It doesn't seem like such a long time ago. But I guess it's been long enough that I've developed the rose colored glasses about the trip. The monkey, the night of four rooms, the bathrooms; a small grin comes to me as I recall them all.
This past weekend, I was looking at some of the China photos. I was struck by how bad the air was, and how bad my pictures were. About 3,000 images later, and I'm ready for an SLR camera. This had been one of my life goals, to own and operate effectively, an SLR camera. My Uncle Ed, long time reader, occasional poster, taught me how to change my oil this past weekend. Imagine, I've had my car 10 years, and I'd never done this. Life is about gaining experiences; I thank you all for reading about mine while you were out living yours.
I'm sometimes struck by how much more meaning the world has. I read The Spy who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre. It's a typical Cold War spy book. But part of it takes place in Berlin. Street names and sites were rattled off, and I had this feeling of meaning, in that I had navigated those very places with some success. (At least enough success to make it home.)
It's a bit like watching a travel show about Chicago. Travel is supposed to be about exploring the great unknown. The irony is that this perk can quickly become the problem. You quickly arrive at sensory overload when each input must be evaluated as good, bad, or critical to your survival. When watching a travel show about someplace you know, there's an odd appreciation finer than that of an out-of-towner. It comes from having a base of the familiar, mixed with a splash of the new.
With so many places at least vaguely familiar, I can only surmise that my wanderings will be better the next time I go...
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