Here it is

On the funny side: Lance Armstrong talks about the time he almost gave up.

On the fun side: Tonight is the David Crowder/Shane & Shane concert!!!!!!!!!!!!
When news that good it's impossible to use to may '!'!!!!!

You should be excited!!

Maybe later I'll tell you why.

Looking around

The sad part

Today I was in seminar when the lecturer gave the warning:

This lecture refers to Darwinian evolution. Evolution is only a theory. Others believe another explanation may be equally valid

It was in jest. Yet, it was at that point that it dawned on me: There are MANY "theories" regarding fetal development, carcinogenesis, even the history of our nation. Still, when a researcher gives a talk on how he perceives a particular process based upon the data he's collected, he isn't required to give a caveat explaining that other theories exist. Should he be? Do I need to know about all relating theories to hear one? It's just something I've noticed.

Tuesday is my first mid-term. Others who have taken this class before me have not done so well. Oh well...here we go

Debugging your baby

The first thing you should do when debugging any new device, is to check the owners manual. Unforunately, most babies don't come with owners manuals...that's just the way the industry is right now. Frankly, I'd be worried if your baby did come with an owners manual.

OK, we tried the owners manual, and that failed. Once you have any kind of experience with this device, like any device, a guy develops a short list of things to try before getting into the real grunt work. For a baby the list consists of:
1) Swaddling - he's an infant, he doesn't need to move around. In fact, he will sleep better if he doesn't.
2) Holding - some babies prefer to be held a certain way.
3) Noise - white noise specifically. You can substitute classical music if you must. But, only classical, right Owen?
4) Jiggling - not shaking. There is a difference. A good example is the amount of play a babies head has when you walk around with him.
5) Suckling - for some reason having something in his mouth is really soothing.
These are the baby equivalent to rebooting. Or, using the car analogy, this is equivalent to popping open the hood, checking the fluids, and making sure the lug nuts are properly secured. Don't ask me why they work, they just work (sometimes).

It's when these solutions break down that we must look to the hardcore methodologies involved in infant care. The approximations we made before worked to our previous level of accuracy, but now we must take a deeper look at the problem and develop ways to incorporate it's solution into our daily lives. This is where the magic happens. Where boys become men, and the weak show their true colors. In short, we must resort to trial and error. Yes. It doesn't matter what you try as long as you are trying something. Statistically, he's bound to stop crying at some point. When he does stop crying be sure and remember what it specifically was that made him stop, because I promise it won't work next time.

P.S. It's been noted that most of the pictures of Kyle are of him sleeping. No, he doesn't sleep 24/7 (although, we wish he did). It's just easier to take pictures of him at that point. I'll work on presenting pictures that are more representative of the state of Kyle.

Difficult to Swallow

I love my field for pictures like these:

Yup. This is a (working) watch imaged through an endoscope to the stomach.

Chest X-rays confirmed a wristwatch and two rings in the distal oesophagus. An otolaryngologist performed rigid oesophagoscopy, but the watch migrated into the stomach. A flexible gastroscopy was performed and a Casio digital wristwatch, displaying the correct time, and two signet rings were identified in the stomach and removed using a snare.

It takes a lickin' (literally)...

ARRRRRRGGG

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Take part if you must.

Are you ready? Gates vs. Napoleon. Think this will be released to the public? I certainly hope so...

Musically Inclined?

The up and down side to music

What is up with the music industry trying to fight off technology? Word on the street (and by the street I mean Slashdot and Neal's word) is that new music CDs try to install software onto your computer which prevent you from copying or ripping the CD.

Rather than try and keep up with technology, embrace the future, and adapt a buisness model the music industry chooses to sit behind an old and dying medium. It's only a matter of time before CDs become obsolete (if you don't consider them obsolete already) and mp3s become the medium of choice.

On a happier note, the new Switchfoot album is above average. Personal favorites include Lonely Nation, Happy Is a Yuppie Word, and Politicians (just to name a few).

It's not Kyle

But it's still cute.

Via Kevin M.D., some hospitals are letting newborns listen to music.

I've got more to say about music, but it's too late and I've got to much homework to say it now.

the quiet before the storm

He's sleeping. Jealous? I am.

$8.04

That's what I paid today to put gas in the motorcycle.

Tonight we are going to watch the stomping that will be the UA-NAU football game. Go Jacks!!

$42.51

That's what I paid to put gas in the car.

Who says a motorcycle is to dangerous?

Optics homework

6c)If you were god designing the retina for this species, what detector spacing would you specify so as to satisfy the Nyquist sampling condition?

God really understands optics.

Attention motorists

A bicyclist is not a pedestrian. You don't (and probably shouldn't) stop at pedestrian crosswalks for a cyclist to cross.

Other than that, cycling to school is going well. In general it takes longer, but it's gratifying to pass masses of cars which wait in traffic at stop signs and lights (especially when you consider how much I'm saving on gas). Ok...fine. I spent $5.00 a week on gas riding the motorcycle.

Kyle had another appointment today. He's already grown a 1/2 inch and gained 12 ounces from when he was born (and babies loose weight the first days after birth). Thats a lot of growing for only be a week & 1/2 old.

Just laying around...

Wow

We've seen (what seems like) a lot of people this weekend. Many many people are excited about our little Kyle. I can't blame them...I'm pretty excited myself. We're still not gonna get to see everybody though...which makes me sad.

Weekends like this tend to eliminate the time spent on homework, which is bad I have 5 more NMR problems due on Tuesday. Luckily, I'm done with 3 of them.

I don't know what else to say. Except: It's cheaper to make a baby than to buy one!!

Ok...Kyle time!! (not to be confused with hammer time)

Kyle & great grandparents

Lessons Learned

Happy 1 Week Kyle!!!!

We are extremely lucky in that Kyle only cries when something is wrong. Deconvolving the cry into the basic yet unfulfilled need, however, is still a problem.

For most of the week we found it interesting that Kyle LOVED to be outside. A cry that couldn't be solved by food, diaper, or rest could be solved by a simple walk around the complex. Tonight he was more sensitive to this system than normal.

So, here I am, sitting outside with a quiet baby. Every few minutes I'd get hot, go inside and the quite baby would become a noisy baby. Until, that is, it hit me that there was a dynamic temperature difference between the 2 locations. Note to self: a baby does not generate heat like an adult.

The picture below depicts Kyle sleeping with his mouth open. He gets that from yours truly. THAT is when you know that you're a father.

As promised...

Getting Ready

I promise I'll post more pictures of Kyle tonight...

I rode a bicycle into work/school today. I've gotta get training for the 24 Hours at McDowell Mt, comming up in the end of October. While I know 10 miles a day won't do much for me, it's got to be better than doing nothing (especially when you've got an extra 30 lb on your back and in the bike).

We're off to Phoenix tomorrow to see Jess and some others in Phoenix who have yet to meet Kyle. Then mom is gonna come spend next week with us (assuming everybody involved is healthy). I don't think we could have survived this (and next) week without help from the grandmas. Not to mention, I pretty much lucked out as mother-in-laws go. She spoils me.

Back to search again...