Just 2 Percent

Gabe 19 Months

I've been working out in Chicago the past couple of weeks and picked up a Cubs hat for Gabe. He now has two, the other is an Angel's hat. He likes wearing them too. Here he is with his Cookie Monster shirt. Gabe's doing very well. He's picking up some new words and skills. He now says Mama on a regular basis, and is starting to point at objects and call them by name like dog and ball.  The ear tubes have been a little dampner for our summer pool fun, but Gabe's been a little scared of the water this year which is kind of weird since he loves playing in the bathtub.

1.5 Years Old

Rather than make excuses as to why I haven't posted anything for several months, I thought I'd focus on how Gabe is doing or rather what he is doing these days. First off, he had tubes put in his ears last week. Although it is a simple outpatient procedure, they still have to put him under and make some cuts to fit the tubes.  Aside from waking up from the anesthesia pissed off, Gabe did great. He is getting used to his special earplugs and even went swimming with Mommy and me on Saturday.

As a parent, of course I think my son is more advanced than other kids in certain things.  For me, it just seems that Gabe is very coordinated.  His favorite toy are balls, all kinds. He especially likes the round plastic ones you typically see in one of those playthings at McDonald's. He has about 50 of them and they are usually strewn about the house. He's got a good arm and I think he is left handed just like his daddy. He even bats left handed. After watching some of his older cousins last Saturday playing baseball, Gabe holds the bat on his shoulder and will swing it when I hold the ball in front of him. I've got to be careful because he swings the bat hard and hits my hand. I think I will buy him a tee this weekend and teach him how to bat.

Some other good news is that he is finally starting to sleep through the night. It is weird to actually get six to seven hours of good sleep after so long (mainly for Michelle). He's sleeping in his crib, however he is still in our bedroom. There are plans to move him in a couple of weeks to his own bedroom. Michelle and I have decorated his room a bit. Aunt Linda painted some letters that spell his name and I put them over his closet along with a cross my friend Bret and his family gave us as a give (the cross is up there because I didn't initially center the name and used industrial strength Velcro). We also put up one of his favorite mylar balloons, The Cookie Monster, onto his wall. When he first saw it, we stopped dead in his tracks and said, "Wow!".

His vocabulary has increased a little. He can now say daddy, mama, dog (will usually just go Woof!), 'dis (this), no, wow, and hi. There may be some others, but these I know he uses regularly.  His favorite shows are Sesame Street and Teletubbies. I get Sesame Street, but I think Teletubbies is the dumbest show on Earth. However, he'll sit their mesmerized but those little creatures.

Example

This is where I can put stuff. and I can put links to other files.

Google's Book Search

When I first started working at Ameriquest, there were three things I sorely missed having or having access to at Sempra Energy. The first was my IBM ThinkPad. The second was SAS (although I am in the process of getting it shortly). The last was virtually unlimited Internet access as well as administrator rights to my computer so I could download any program I wished.

Okay, that is four things, but whose counting. Because my group is frequently tasked to  gather information on a lot of diverse topics, the having Internet access is indispensable. Ameriquest is much tighter on it's computing policies than Sempra Energy. For instance, everyone has exactly the same desktop computer. At Sempra, it depended on which day of the week you placed your order. If Monday, you'd get a Compaq. Tuesday and Wednesday were IBM's, and Thursday and Friday were Toshiba's. Another area where Ameriquest is very tight is access to Internet sites. Using a software called Websense, IT blocks access to sites contain entertainment (show times), sports (don't really care), shopping (eBay) and personal sites (weblogs).

The one restriction that hurt me the most though was no access to Amazon.com or Fatbrain.com (shopping). I am constantly looking for old and new books to help me and my team to figure something out. Sometimes, through a Google Search, I can link to a publisher's site, but cannot process an order on line. I am forced to wait until I get home to do all my searching and buying.

On Friday, I was looking for articles, research, and of course book titles on retaining high potential employees. This is when I came across one of Google's newest add-ons to their popular search engine: Google Book Search. Type in a subject name, an author, or some keywords, and the Google search engine will list related books. A very useful feature it includes is the ability to search inside any book. By typing in a key phrase or word, the search engine will list all the pages that contain it. Click on the page and it pops-up much like the 'Search Inside' feature from Amazon.
One drawback though is you can usually only browse two or three pages in a book. Because of Copyright laws, the Google Book Search cannot give access to the entire book unless the publisher has given prior permission. Although, public domain books are available and Google lists a number of libraries where you can go to find them.

Not to be dissuaded by Google's restrictions (I hate restrictions as if you can't tell from the first two paragraphs) I started trying to cheat the system and figured out a way to read as many pages as you need to get the information you are looking for. First, type in the keyword or phrase you are looking for. Usually multiple pages will list indicating where the keyword is located. Click on that page and continue to click either forward or back depending on where you need to go. When you get to a page that is blocked and you can no longer read the entire page (Google allows you to see the top third of the page) look for a unique word or phrase on that page. Then go back to the search field and type it in. Google will the re list pages that contain the word. By paying attention to the page you were originally on, you can find it in the list, click on it, and get another two or three pages before having to do it again.

I wouldn't recommend doing this if you want to read an entire book for free. But, it is very helpful for researching a topic. Usually, you don't want to read everything, just the information that applies to your topic of interest. I can usually find what I'm looking for in about five pages or so. Ben and I were searching for information on Hyper geometric distributions and found the Google Book search very helpful. I even order on of the books.

The Lady Tasting Tea

Every so often I read a book that changes me. As I sit in my office and look at my bookshelf, some of the books that have had a profound effect on how I view the world are Emerson's <i>Selected Essays</i>, Jon Krakauer's <i>Into the Wild</i>, Jared Diamond's <i>Guns, Germs, and Steel</i>, Brian Greene's <i>The Elegant Universe</i> and David Buss' <i>Evolution of Desire</i>. Some of these I've read years ago (I still don't truly get Emerson) others I've just read in the past year. For me, they all have one thing in common that makes them great. They engage me. They either shed light on something I've read about before and thought I understood it until I read their interpretation and I realize I had not. Or they open a new world for me and get me thinking in ways I never thought possible.

I'm currently reading a book that falls into this category. It is so good, that I want to quit my job, go back to school to get another degree in mathematics, and then go on to graduate school to study statistics. Yes, I said statistics. Who would've of thought that one of the best books I've ever read is about such a dry and technical topic. <i>The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century</i> by David Salsburg is the book I'm referring to.

I've come across the book many times, but passed it by because of the title (the spine just reads "The Lady Tasting Tea". However, the B&N by my work had it facing forward one day and I read the second half of the title. I browsed through it and familiar names immediately jumped out at me: Karl Pearson, R.A. Fisher, William Gosset, Tukey, Venn, Hotelling, Cramer, Cox, and Kolmogorov. I can put it down. The book is highly readable, very much in the same style as a James Gleick (author of Chaos, Genius, Isaac Newton) book. Salsburg shares Gleick's talent of making the subjects of his book approachable. He not only describes a person's technical or academic achievements, but also the obstacles, struggle, and sacrifice they made in order to do what they love.

I think the best part that I've read (I'm only halfway finished) is where Salsburg points out that none of these people ever initially set-out to discover or create something of great importance. They were just interested in learning more about how something works. Some things are harder to understand than others and when they needed to, they created new ways to measure and describe it. The book truly gets to the heart of what scientific study is all about. It also makes me realize that all of the work I've completed to date is crap. Although I like to pride myself that I have a decent grasp on statistics, I surely do not. I don't have any delusions that one day I'll be a great theoretical statistician, but maybe someone who is really good at applying the concepts to real world problems and coming up with definitive answers.

A Day at the Zoo

Since it is Columbus day, I had the day off. Kind of a weird day to have off, but I am not complaining. Michelle and I were shopping at Costco on Sunday and found out you can buy discount tickets for theme parks and movies. We decided to take the Big Boy to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

Gabe's favorite thing at the park was the petting zoo. For fifty cents, you could hand feed what look to me like deer but they were something else. Gabe really likes dogs, and when he is near one he watches them with great intent. He absolutely loved the deer especially when they would come up and eat from our hands. Gabe was able to touch some of the animals but unable to hold his hand out to feed them (mainly because when I put a pellet into his hand it went directly to his mouth).

Of course we spent a lot of time over at the gorillas, one of my favorites. I took a lot of pictures, but few came out very good. We also took the tram ride, however Gabe was more interested in the 15 months little girl behind us (and her him) than all the wildlife. I was impressed with the amount of rhinos we saw, and we even saw one of the lions and a cheetah which I am told is very rare. I put a lot of pictures in the photo album, some of today and others taken about a month ago. Make sure to check them out. He is getting so big and moving around a lot.

Arrested Development

Coining a good television show name is no less important than coming up with a good band name. A good name creates a picture in the viewers mind that allows him/her to identify with the actors effortlessly. Seinfeld was a good name, Cheers, and Friends also come to mind as being pretty good. Each one of these shows conjures up pictures of the actors and scenes they played in. Show names that are too long or complicated don't allow the viewer to connect to the shows theme or actors.  For instance, although I enjoyed, "Two Guys, A Girls, and A Pizza Place", the title was just too long and was ultimately shortened (and subsequently cancelled) to just "Two Guys and a Girl". Another overly long and complicated title was, "Eight Simple Rules My Teenage Daughter..." hell, I can't remember the rest but you get the point.

Today, while taking the train into work, I finally learned what the title "Arrested Development" a show starring Jason Batemen and narrated by Ron Howard actually means. Although it is one of my favorite shows, I've never given much thought to the meaning of it's title. Since the show is about a son who takes over the family home building business because his father is imprisoned for embezzlement, 'Arrested Development' seems to work nicely. However, it has a double meaning that I thought was very clever albeit probably goes unnoticed by many viewers.

While reading Evolution of Desire by David Buss, the author brings up an interesting and not fully understood behavior displayed by Orangutans. Within a troop, if there is already an Alpha or Resident Male present, adolescent males will not develop all of the mature features of the adult male. Although they are capable of sexual reproduction (they have to force/rape copulations with females who prefer to mate with mature males) they seem to exist in a stage of "Arrested Development" morphologically similar to females until such an opportunity exists where the absence of the dominant males allows them to fully develop (usually taking just a few short months).

In the show, Jason's development is 'arrested' by his fathers insistance on still running the company (even while in prison). So, while I thought it was a very clever title for a television show, I doubt most viewers, except maybe biology majors, get the double meaning. Add this to the fact that whenever I talk about the show to coworkers, I usually get the response, "Is that show still on?" I'm not sure how many more seasons it will last but I'm going to remain hopeful. It is a classic example of another show ahead of it's time much like BJ and the Bear and Small Wonder.

A Grape Escape

Early this morning, Michelle and I cashed in on our wedding present the Lopez gave us two years ago. We planned to go last year but Michelle was pregnant (and was a scaredy cat, but she did great up there). It was a hot air balloon ride over the Temecula wineries. We had to meet at the Wilson Creek Winery at 5:30 AM. Once there we checked in, waited for others to arrive and then drove to the launch site (just a big parking lot at another winery. At the launch site, an operator filled a small balloon with helium and let it go. Later I found out we was measuring airspeed and visibility.

Michelle and I helped Bill and Mike the operators getting the ballloon ready for takeoff. We held the balloon open while a giant fan filled the balloon with air. It was pretty neat looking inside as it began to fill. Although I didn't think they were empty inside, there are a lot of ropes and a central pully system inside the balloon that helps it keep it shape. Once the balloon was about 3/4 full, Bill turned on the burners. After a few thrusts of 20 foot flames, the balloon began to rise. It was quite beautiful.

We shared the basket with two other couples and Bill the operator. There were about 6 or 7 other ballons with us. Starting out from Rancho California Rd., we mainly headed in a southwest direction. Something I didn't know was that although you can't really steer a balloon, by altering altitude you can pick up different air streams and roughly control your direction.

The ride lasted little over an hour. Along the way we grazed an orchard, flew over some amazing houses, saw lots of rabbits, and scared the shit out of some horses. We landed on a neighborhood street around 7:30 in the morning. Several people in their pajamas came out to watch and take pictures. Nobody seemed to mind too much. Once we landed and broke the balloon down, Bill gave a toast and we drank champagne.

So, why no pictures of our first time in a hot air balloon to go along with this blog? We'll at 4:30 AM, when you ask, "Babe, where is the camera?" and the reply is, "It's in my purse" really means, "I don't know where it is, I'm busy making Gabe a bottle". So, unfortunately no pictures this time. I highly recommend the ride. If you're planning to go, let me know, I'd love to go again.

Thanks Pam, Robert, and Zach for the great wedding gift.

Christmas in August (no not July)

I was hoping for Christmas in July. However, it takes a ridiculous amount of time when you buy a book from Amazon and choose the Super Saver mailing method. But it is finally here, The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology Edited by David Buss. I pre-ordered on July 1st and have been anxiously anticipating its arrival eversince. Typically, handbooks aren't the greatest reading. However, they provide a good overview of the major theories of a subject and plenty of references to keep me busy for years to come.

The chapters include topics on survival, mating, group living, as well coverage on some interdisciplinary psychology branches such as developmental and personality. There are even two chapters related to evolutionary psychology and literature, and one as it relates to law.

Some day I hope to come up with a few novel approaches integrating Evolutionary Psychology with Industrial/Organizational Psychology. If successful, I am going to ask the APA for a new division titled, 'EIEIO'. Don't know if they'll go for it but it does fit well with the 'Old McDonald had a farm" song. Seriously, I see evolutionary applications in the areas of leadership (and followership), teamwork, sexual harassment, workplace violence and employee theft just to name a few. I also see a place for it in organizational communication, something that management and employees constantly struggle with. On a side note, also in my shipment came "Why Sex is Fun" by Jared Diamond author of Guns Germs and Steel and Collapse. There is a seminal chapter on "the non-evolution of male lactation" that looks riveting.

Just Me and the Big Boy

It's Friday night and Michelle is in Palm Springs with my sisters at the LaQuinta resort. I got a call about an hour ago, they're a little drunk on margaritas. This is the first time that Michelle will be away from him overnight. She had a hard time this afternoon, but I assured her everything would be okay. Gabe and I got some dinner and rented a couple of movies then hung out tonight. I was nervous about trying to get him to sleep because he usually has his night cap (spelled, 'b-o-o-b') just before bed. After a little fussin' and two doses on Nyquil, he's sleeping like a baby (and why shouldn't he since he is one).

I think we'll go to the SD Wild Animal Park tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it because no one will tell us that they're board at looking at the gorrillas. I can spend the whole day looking at them and I'm sure Gabe won't mind if I give him enough treats. I can't remember from the last time I was there, but I am hoping there are a few petting zoos at the park. Gabe is still too young to fully enjoy one, but he's pretty observant with animals (loves dogs) so it would be cool to get him to touch a goat or something.

As for me, I'm a little nervous tonight. I am hoping I can soothe him when he wakes up during the night. The days are good for me, it is just the night time that gets to me. I'll let you know how things turned out and how the park was tomorrow.