30 May, 2006
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?
28 May, 2006
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.
25 May, 2006
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.
23 May, 2006
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.
19 May, 2006
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)
18 May, 2006
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?
08 May, 2006
The DaVinci Code
Tonight I went to a discussion about The DaVinci Code. I was hoping to find out why so many people have such a problem with it. Regardless of what the author might believe, it is a fiction book and is marketed as such. It presents itself as a novel, not a history book. It's based on some true things. Most good fiction is. But its purpose is to entertain, not to present a perfectly accurate historical account or to convert the world to Gnosticism. So why are there so many books out now about "debunking the DaVinci Code"?
I guess some people don't like books or movies or people that question or attack their faith. But I say "Bring it on". If what I believe is true, this kind of book opens doors to sharing the truth with others. If what I believe is not true, it opens the door for me to learn the truth. It's a win-win situation.
Could Jesus have been married? I don't think so, but I haven't studied that issue. If there's evidence that he was, I'd be willing to consider it fairly. Did the church cover up a lot of things? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. Will The DaVinci Code convince me one way or another? Of course not. But exploring these possibilities could potentially be very interesting and entertaining. And isn't that the purpose of the book anyway?
05 May, 2006
My new love
Traveling and storm chasing will never be the same again.
03 May, 2006
Softball-room dancing
Last night was my last class -- ever. It was my "final" for Ballroom Dancing, more like a formal ball. And speaking of ball, I had a church softball game that started before the formal was supposed to be over. So I did the only logical thing. I wore baseball socks instead of dress socks, my softball shirt (Christ the King Church, #99) under my suit, left a little early, and went straight to the field.
It was one of the most unique "class periods" I've had, and was a fun way to end my school/class career. But at the same time it's a little sad to not be a student anymore.
01 May, 2006
Waurika
On this blog I've mentioned several places in the UK that were special to me (e.g., Llandovery/Wales, Belper, Birmingham). The U.S. has some places like that as well. One of those is Waurika, Oklahoma. For those of you who don't know the story, here's a brief summary:
During 1998, while I was living in San Jose and attending SJSU, I was invited to the Waurika High School prom. I had never been to Oklahoma before, but it sounded interesting. Although everyone (maybe including myself) thought I was crazy, I drove the 1,600 miles and attended the prom.
It was awesome. Everything in Waurika was totally different from everything in San Jose. The prom itself was in a barn, which was a great change from my 2 previous proms (one at "the Palace" and another on a yacht under the Golden Gate Bridge). I immediately loved the town and the people who I met there. I knew I wanted to live in Oklahoma some day.
While I was there, I was told about a little school called "the University of Oklahoma" that happened to have a good meteorology program. By August '99 I was living in Norman. My prom date was still a great friend, as was her mom who helped me find my first apartment here. We kept in touch, and they have been great friends to me since then.
Yesterday I went to Denton, TX to visit her as well as her mom, husband, and daughter. I wish I could do that more often. It's so neat that we're still in touch.
Her husband is one of the nicest people I've met. He's also a certified hypnotherapist. Yes, he did hypnotize me while I was there. That was an extremely interesting experience. Maybe I'll give some details in another post...
