Election day

I think you should vote.

I was given a little mind teaser the other day and thought I would offer it as something to think about while you are standing in line to vote.

You have 8 balls that are identical in size, shape and color. They are all indistinguishable from one another, except one of the balls weighs just a little more than the other seven (you can't tell by holding them). The seven balls are of identical weight. You have a balance scale and your boss wants you to maximize your efficiency. What is the fewest times you can use the scale to identify the one ball that weighs a little more than the rest?

Now go vote. You get extra credit if you talk to the person next to you in the voting line about the ball question.

Oops

Have you ever been caught talking to yourself? Do you remember how embarrassed you were and how you tried to sort of brush it off, but you knew deep down it was sort of silly? Today, I took that feeling to a new level.

I was busy on the computer doing research and found this incredible website that had some great links on information that I would need to know. I just didn't have a good way to save it, so I figured I would email it to myself. I got the email all opened up and the link pasted in and I thought, "hey, we're having Joel and his family over for dinner, I should make sure I have his phone number at home". No, I did not say that out loud, that would have been ridiculous. I typed Joel's phone number into the email along with a sarcastic comment so I could laugh when I opened the email. Then I emailed it to Joel...

A few minutes later I got a response, "Was this for me?" Well-- No, actually it was me talking to myself about you... For whatever reason I feel a little silly. I'm glad that I really like Joel so I can be sure that I didn't write anything bad about him... Actually there's nothing bad about Joel so that wouldn't have even been possible. So the next time you're feeling a little dumb, think of me, caught in the act of talking to myself... via email.

Comps part I

After 8 hours of typing for part one of my written exam, this will be short.

Although someone left me an earring on the desk where I took my comps, I did not have to use it to jab my eyes out half way through. I feel that I did OK, but have some refreshing to do before orals in two weeks.

So here's what I did today. I rode into school. I picked up a computer and set it next to my lunches, water and snacks. I typed for 8 hours to answer 6 questions. 8000+ words and 12+ single spaced pages (that's almost 17 words per minute, which also included a little time to think and eat... OK, that's not great typing). I'm going home now. I need to get ready for part two next week. There are 7 questions next week... I hope the earring is still there.

Pop Quiz

Watch the clip found at this link (it's the trailer for an upcoming moving) and then answer the following questions.

1) Does that look like fun?

2) Would you do it? Why, why not or with what modifications?

Have a good weekend

Regret

I study exercise so sometimes I do silly little tests to see how my physiology is doing. The other day I did a VO2 max test. This tells how efficient your body is at using oxygen and is generally an indicator of athletic performance.

An average VO2 max is probably in the 40s, while elite athletes are much higher (Lance Armstrong was in the 80s). I have been in this field for some time, so I have done these tests on many occasions. Over the years I have always been a little below 60. That's probably why I did OK in high school track and was able to keep up in bike races. But a 60 just isn't sufficient to be an elite athlete. That's OK with me, I've never aspired to be an athlete, but it's sort of a fun idea.

I was interested in being tested on Tuesday because they say that your VO2 max drops about a point every year after you turn 25. So I was expecting a number in the mid 50s. My VO2 max on Tuesday was 69.8. While my first question was whether the machine was working properly (and I am still not confident on that), I later started questioning my past.

I've never been good at training. I've ridden in some long bike rides and I've raced. I'm not slow, but I never really had the dedication to put in the long miles and long hours it takes to be competitive. I haven't really been training recently, except that I put 25 miles on my bike every day in 12.5 mile allotments. While my intensity is far from high, I am putting far more miles on my bike than I ever have. I don't ever go on long rides, I just do the same thing day in and day out. Had I been more dedicated when I was 20, could I have been really competitive? Could I have been a world class athlete? Of course that would be highly speculative to say, it takes a genetic component to have a VO2 max of 70 that evidently I have.

Do I wish I had pursued a life of bike racing? NO. While I wonder of the things that might have been had I been more dedicated to cycling, I have no regrets of the path I took (except for anything that I did in Junior High, that's just a bad time). I am glad that I dedicated more time to college than cycling. I'm glad that I have pursued education to the point that I have (I don't think I was glad about that last week). If there was a test that evaluated potential in different professional arenas, I wonder if the results would make me regret the decisions I have made?