Dixie Chicks on Sesame Street

i stayed home today with David, and we ran across this segment on Sesame Street.  I thought it was funny.

 

POTD: Emily

Fun new fact about Emily.  She's taken to sleeping on the hall floor, outside the bedrooms.  She is avoiding her normal spot, because her brother has been sick.  And she says that her bed is too hard.  So she's built a pallet of pillows and blankets on the floor.

This photo was taken in our bedroom.  I like it because i think it gives a glimpse of what Emily will look like as a teenager.

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

Photo of the Day

Have a number of photos to share, between the professional pictures we had taken and me finally getting our scanner working with the new computer.  Won't innundate you, but will try to log in and share a photo a day.  We'll start with the eldest, Caroline.  I'm not sure where & when this photo was taken.

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God's Blueprint of the Universe?

The headline reads "Surfer Dude Stuns Physicists with a Theory of Everything".  A holy grail in the world of theoretical physics, a theory of everything attempts to explain the entirety of our understanding of the universe and all its physical components.  Garrett Lisi, our surfer-hero (and, not incidentally, of course, with an advanced degree in this science), has postulated his theory using the E8, the most elegant and intricate shape known in mathematics. 

E8 is a complex 8-dimensional figure with 248 points.  For mathematicians, it contains 60x more data than did the Human Genome Project.  Written out on paper, it would cover the island of Manhattan.  For we laymen, it looks like an amazing spirograph.

What excites many scientists about Lisi's theory (and don't think for a second that i understand more than a scintilla of it) is that it doesn't need more than our 4 dimensions (the 4th being time or motion) to explain, whereas the other pet theories of the day require 10+ imagined dimensions and other bizarre formulations.  Another point in Lisi's favor is that his model incorporates gravity.

What excites me is the inherent beauty of E8, not just in the standard representation linked above.  But as you rotate (it's hard to imagine rotating a multi-dimension object, i know), you find these other beautiful, elegant, simple, symmetrical pictures.  I can't help but look at them and believe that i'm seeing God's blueprint for the universe.  Not necessarily what you would see if you were able to step outside the universe and see its big-picture shape, such as the earth's sphere or the galaxy's spiral.  But rather the inner workings of the various subatomic particles.

Here's a short video that shows some of those patterns.  Again, i have no idea what all this means from a science standpoint.  One thing that is quite interesting... about a minute into the video, a 6-pointed star appears.

Of course, it's quite possible that Lisi's theory won't pass muster of peer review.  But whether Lisi's model is correct or not, i am confident that if a correct ToE exists, it will amaze us with its simple elegance.  That seems to be the way God works.

A Two-Waterfall Lunch

With the kids off school for two days, i wanted to go somewhere for fall break, but schedules (Julie's) and work emergencies (mine) conspired against us.  Instead, we took a day trip yesterday into the mountains. 

Our first stop was the South Mountains State Park, just over an hour from home.  We arrived a little after 11am.  The park welcome center is very, very nice, complete with theater for educational field trips.  They are also building an exhibit room, but we didn't ask what of.  The road through the park is also quite nice and appears to be new.  North Carolinians, even my anarchic friends, should be proud of this park's appearance.

We drove to the nearly-empty parking lot, and walked a few yards into the empty picnic area for a chilly lunch.  Chilly, as in our bodies, in the low-50s shaded area.  Tethered Clancy to a tree, and nibbled on turkey sandwiches, bananas, raisins, and crackers.

Next, we began our hike through the woods, first along the Hemlock Nature Trail, a short, easy stroll along the riverside with the typical exhibit boards for plantlife, animal life, etc.  The kids enjoyed touching the animal tracks imprints exhibit.  The nature trail, at its end, hooks into the parallel main trail, which leads to the waterfall, this park's main attraction. 

This is the High Shoals Trail that is rated "more difficult".  I'm not familiar with the trail rating system, so i thought "more difficult" than what?  By the time we hooked up with this trail, the signs indicated that the waterfall was less than a mile away, maybe a half-mile.  We're toting a hyper golden retriever, who smells another dog that passed by about 10 minutes earlier, and who knows how many other animals.  And we're shepherding a 2-year old boy, who is certain that he can walk the trail without help, despite doing a couple of face plants after tripping on tree roots.  So, whichever grownup is leading (being lead by) the dog is at the head of our merry band, and whichever grownup with David is well at the rear.  Emily & Jackson darted back & forth from front to rear.  Fortunately, the place was nearly empty, so we didn't get in anyone's way.

The trail soon did become more difficult, as warned, as we faced steep stairs, sometimes with wood pylons, and sometimes just with big rocks.  Leashing the dog became dangerous, as he would pull you ahead too quickly.  And walking with David became more tedious, although he finally would let me hold his hand to ascend the steepest steps.  It was arduous, but i thought it was worth it to arrive at the waterfall.  I plopped down in the corner of the observation desk (we had it to ourselves) and just relaxed in the spray.  We decided to backtrack rather than continue with the loop trail, avoiding the higher climb to the top of the falls and the longer return trip.

Since it was still early (before 2pm) when we got back to the car, i decided to continue the adventure with a 2nd waterfall that i had read about.  It was further west, north of Marion (by the way, that area is chock-full of stone quarries - that stretch of 221/226 is to stone quarries what Seagrove is to pottery, or what the Las Vegas strip is to casinos).  I was going my memory of the website's directions, and we missed the turn.  Had to fire up the laptop to find the right road. 

This waterfall is called Tom's Creek Falls, and can be found at the end of a moderately easy (a couple of small climbs, and a couple of muddy stream beds) and short trail.  It was taller than the first, but had less volume.  It was quite a cool walk though.  The kids also enjoyed romping around some large stone formations, that look like prime spots for disaffected teens to get away from it all.  This would be a great trail for a geocache, but we didn't check for any.

Perhaps the day was more work than thrills, but i think it's good for us to get out together (unfortunately, Caroline couldn't join us as she had a church retreat) and enjoy nature.  David gave a plaintive "goodbye animals" as we left the first waterfall.  And as i carried him back at the very end of that hard trail, i asked him if he would remember doing this.  He said yes (no doubt helped by the sparse video we took), and i told him, good, that's why we do these things, to make good memories.  You can think back and remember what a big boy you were to climb that hard trail.

Halloween

i don't have pictures.  The younger kids dressed up for a church festival this past wednesday, and then did a little round-the-neighborhood afterwards.

Emily was supposed to be a "geek".  I joked that we could save money on a costume by just letting her raid my wardrobe.  She said, "well, no offense, but i was wondering if i could borrow your old glasses."  But she ended up going  as a "teenager", complete with a faux-bluetooth headset in her right ear.

Jackson was supposed to be a Duke fan/player, and was going to wear my Grant Hill jersey, but he switched at the last minute, too, going as Superman.

David was our old standby, the bumblebee.

I was the grumpy old Halloween scrooge in the basement with the lights off, not wanting to do doorbell duty by myself.

Softball Slideshow

I made a slideshow of our softball game.  You can view it online at my Photodex page.  You'll probably need to load their presentation module (an Active X thing) to make it work.  It's about 8 minutes long.

There may be 2 thumbnails.  You want the one with the glove.

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=120762

Back on the Diamond

For the first time since moving to Winston Salem, i participated in an athletic event, when my department at work held a fun softball outing one recent Friday afternoon.  It all started when our "real" team kept getting drubbed in a local city league, and we started razzing them at the office.  Our department head, my boss, taunted that he could take the leftovers from the non-players and beat the real team.

I was one of those non-players.  So drug out the dusty white cleats that had sat in the garage all these 8 years.  Borrowed Caroline's glove since i couldn't find my own.  Stretched for all of 3 minutes, tossed for another 3, and then we hit the field.

I hadn't played ball since the Windsor vs. Atlanta Casualty showdown back in Atlanta, somewhere around 1997.  In that game (which we won), i went 4-4 batting lefthanded for the first time in my life, and helped turn a triple play from 1B.  I decided it would never get any better than that, and retired from the game.

But duty called me back to the diamond.  Like riding a bike.  All the little things came naturally back to mind.  Where to go on each play, how to position myself defensively.  Batting was a but rusty.  In 3 at-bats, had a meager popup to SS, and sharp fielders-choice grounder to SS, and a Texas Leaguer to RF for a double.

After that double, the next batter hit a grounder to short.  When he pegged the throw to first, i took off for 3b, having noticed that the 3B had drifted away (no idea where she went).  The astute SS notices and starts running with me to third.  I know the 1B is good, and now i'm in trouble.  I'm gonna have to slide.  At least that's what those baseball instincts told me.  Head-first.  At the last moment, though, i noticed the throw going wide, and i maybe remembered the warning from Julie (don't get hurt!), and decided not to slide.

Alas, the body didn't mind the mind, and i got caught in-between, and ended up pounding into the pebbly dirt knees-first.  Then i tumbled over the bag, scrapping my right shin/calf, but still able to stay safely on the bag.  I lay in the dirt, too embarrassed to rise and face the guffawing crowd, laughing myself at how goofy that must have looked.

I came into score, but the game ended 2 outs later.  I trudged over to the first aid station (me on the sidewalk, pouring bottled water over my wounds, gooberly trying to stick a bandage on a wet knee).  I didn't feel it at the time, but these strawberries have been killing me since, as have the sore muscles.

I'm back in retirement.  They'll need cash money next time.

(Another) New Blog

I can't help myself. I started another new blog, and it's getting most of my blogging attention lately. This new blog is called "Huck the System". Its theme is the Presidential candidacy of Mike Huckabee, about whom i've written a few times here. If you're curious about that name, you'll find an early post in that blog that explains it.

Blogging from the Ballpark

Not much to say right now.  Just taking advantage of the wireless card while watching Jackson play coach pitch, on an unseasonably hot October afternoon.  It's almost 90 (yet again; we've already had an all-time record # of days at 90 or above, and look to add to that record tomorrow), but at least the humidity is low.

I don't know the name of Jack's team.  I don't think they have a team name.  But their shirts are red, so we'll call them the Reds.  They started miserably ("pathetic", to use their coach's term) in the first inning, giving up the maximum 6 runs.  But ever since then (maybe the coach's admonishment worked), they've played stellar defense, with about 3 web gems, and a 6-run inning of their own.

Jackson has struck out once, and hit a nubber-single.  He's pretty fast, and a smart baserunner, and ended up scoring that time.  He's up 3rd this inning, so let's see how he does...

3rd at-bat, and 3rd different bat he's taken to the plate.  I've instructed him to let the first pitch go, to get the timing down, to practice watching the ball cross the plate.  He finally let the first pitch go, but he stood statue-still, never moving his head or taking his eyes off the coach-pitcher.  Struck out again, though i only saw 2 swings & misses.  Nobody said anything, and Jackson ran back to the bench, so maybe i was wrong.