New name - part 2

The new blog is ready. I just need to pick a name. I've narrowed it down to two choices:

1. Matteorology
2. The Independent Variable

Which do you prefer?

posted by Matt @ 7:16 AM 5 comments  

New name for this blog

Now that I've been back in the U.S. for more than 140 days, it seems appropriate to change the name of this blog.

My top choice right now is "The Haugland Parameter". It's a spin off names like "The O'Reilly Factor". A parameter is a measurable factor or independent variable or constant, usually in an equation. I use them a lot in my research, but I think it's also a good metaphor for how I relate to the world. Originally, "the Haugland parameter" is a term that a committee member suggested (at my dissertation defense) that one of the variables in my forecast model could be called some day.

What do you think? Any other/better ideas? Or should I not rename it?

posted by Matt @ 4:13 PM 5 comments  

A first in my life

Until last night, I've never eaten a sandwich, burger, or anything else with lettuce on it. I always thought of it as a vile weed. Whenever a restaurant accidentally put lettuce on my sandwich/burger I couldn't eat it. Even if I took the lettuce off I could still taste it. I never understood how anyone could ruin their food by putting lettuce on it. I've also never eaten a sandwich with tomato(es) on it.

Last night between softball games I went to Sonic for dinner. I was in the mood for something different; and something not-greasy, which is hard to find at Sonic. They had a picture of a BLT sandwich and it didn't look all that bad. So I ordered it.

It wasn't so bad. I kinda liked it. The fact that I ordered it on purpose (rather than the lettuce or tomato being their mistake) made a big difference. I was expecting to taste lettuce and tomato so the odd taste & texture weren't a surprise.

Of course, I ordered it without mayonnaise -- nothing in the world could get me to eat that stuff. I can tolerate lettuce & tomatoes (sometimes), but mayonnaise is pure evil.

posted by Matt @ 5:22 AM 2 comments  

From favourite places

As readers of this blog should know, there were a few places in the UK for which I had a special love. Two of those are Birmingham and Wales.

Yesterday I got to see (for the first time since before I went there) my old officemate/friend from Birmingham, the one who helped inspire me to study abroad in England. I even noticed her "Brummie" accent, which I never noticed before.

Then tonight I went out with a girl who's family is from Wales. Cymru am byth!

Meeting people from these places brings back so many great memories. In a way it makes me not miss those places quite so much. But in a way it makes me miss them even more.

posted by Matt @ 5:20 AM 2 comments  

Da Vinci Movie

I finally was able to see the Da Vinci Code movie last night. Here are some thoughts:

• It's a good movie.
  
• The story is nothing short of brilliant.
  
• It contains some obvious historical errors.
  
• Maybe the premise is a little shaky. As a friend pointed out, the holy grail wouldn't prove Jesus was married to her, so perhaps its not as big a threat as portrayed.
  
• It contains enough historical fact to seem plausible. It's at least believable enough to be entertaining.
  
• If it portrayed Christian history 100% correctly, the story would've suffered a lot.
  
• It's NOT a vicious attack on Christianity.
  
• Some good Christian arguments are presented fairly; a nice surprise.
  
• I see no reason for it to be boycotted or avoided by Christians.
  
• It's a movie that Christians SHOULD see.
  
• I wasn't expecting it to make me think much, but it did.
  
• It's fiction; fiction based on a lot of true facts and some embellishments; the best kind of fiction.
  
• Entertaining from beginning to end.
  
• Sometimes it made me forget that it was miserably hot in that movie theatre.

If any of you have seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. If you're refusing to see it for religious/moral reasons, I hope you reconsider. It won't make you doubt your faith, but it just might open your mind a little. And if you've seen it (or read the book) and believe it's all true, we need to have a little talk about history.

posted by Matt @ 6:22 AM 7 comments  

Tesco lunch in America

As of a few days ago I'm no longer missing Tesco (and Sainsbury's) quite as much. What I missed so much were the white sandwich rolls with cornmeal and their German (or Italian) salami. I couldn't find these anywhere in Norman. But a few days ago I discovered that Wal-Mart sells "European sandwich rolls" in the deli section.

But Wal-Mart doesn't have anything resembling the salami at Tesco. Albertson's has "Genova salami", which is pretty similar, but they don't have European sandwich rolls. If I go to both Wal-Mart and Albertsons I can have something very similar to my favorite Tesco lunch in the UK. But it takes a long time and costs more than the real Tesco.

It's more evidence that living as a British person in America is possible but expensive and inconvenient, just as living as an American in Britain is possible but expensive and inconvenient.

By the way, the packaging for the "European" rolls is very authentic. No twisty tie, just a little piece of tape!! (see Day 29)

posted by Matt @ 11:15 PM 3 comments  

American cities

I've written a lot about the European cities that I visited. Recently I was thinking about the U.S. cities that I've visited. Of the 30 largest cities in the U.S. (by population), here are the ones I've been to and haven't been to:

1. New York, NY 2. Los Angeles, CA 3. Chicago, IL 4. Houston, TX 5. Philadelphia, PA 6. Phoenix, AX 7. San Diego, CA 8. San Antonio, TX 9. Dallas, TX 10. San Jose, CA 11. Detroit, MI 12. Indianapolis, IN 13. Jacksonville, FL 14. San Francisco, CA 15. Columbus, OH

16. Austin, TX 17. Memphis, TN 18. Baltimore, MD 19. Fort Worth, TX 20. Charlotte, NC 21. El Paso, TX 22. Milwaukee, WI 23. Seattle, WA 24. Boston, MA 25. Denver, CO 26. Louisville, KY 27. Washington, DC 28. Nashville, TN 29. Las Vegas, NV 30. Portland, OR

So of the top 30, I've been to 29 (all but Charlotte, NC). Have any of you been to all 30?

posted by Matt @ 6:59 AM 6 comments