I spent a very delightful weekend at MIS (Michigan International Speedway). After a five year hiatus I returned to attend an open wheel race. This time it was the Firestone Indy 400. Oval racing is normally not my favorite type of racing (real race courses, and real roads are more to my liking). What made this trip so special was that on Sunday, my son Vincent was with me. we had a blast, we saw all the cars, saw plenty of racers (Danica Patrick, AJ Foyt IV, AJ Foyt himself). We saw a crew guy in the pits get hit by a tire during the race, we saw 4 engines blow up, and we saw a 4 car accident. We also saw a very good sprint to the finish, and Bryan Herta won. Well deserved, his car was running best all weekend long.
On Saturday, I spent all day in the pits and pattock, during practice and qualifying. There's nothing better to show you that racing is a team sport, than to be with the teams during that day. You immediately see that the drivers become less important. Danica, for example, had just trouble with the car. The engine sounded bad (it blew on Sunday then), and she had problems winding the car up for a fast qualifying time. I already knew on Saturday, that she wasn't gonna make it Sunday. And that's not even her fault. Neither the team's. Racing like that, everythings gotta work perfect, and it's such a fickle thing. It's not like you can sit down, say, you're gonna do this and that, and that will get you the win. You gotta work hard to catch the right setup, and then have the right tires (hello Michelin) and then the driver needs to know what (s)he's doing, and so on.
Anyway, it was well worth the money to have a weekend like that.
20050803
20050727
The Best Radio Show In The World
The best radio show in the world is now on the web. and podcasted. head on over to Thayrone's place and get it. You won't regret it. The Bone Conduction Music Show. What a shame that WEMU ever cancelled him, over a stupid argument. Thanks to WAAM to keep him on the air. Ann Arbor, gotta love it !
20050502
20050311
The brain
Having worked too much and fighting another depression attack produced by stress from home and work, I started thinking about the brain and depression.
When you go by what we know about the brain scientifically. There are neurons which are connecting to other neurons through their axons. It is the fact that many neurons connect to one neuron through dendrites that turns this mass of cells into a neural network.
And in the last 20 years, we developed pretty good models for neural networks. But that's not what I want to talk about. What is interesting, in this neural network that our brain is, is that repetition seems to reinforce. Duuh, when you a learning you need to do things over and over, before you get them right (repetition). When you are learning to shoot the perfect 3 pointer or how to hit a baseball, you have to do things over and over. What you are doing there, is configure (or train) your neural network (the brain and the nerves that communicate to the muscle, the nerves at the muscle) to adapt to the physical realities of your body and control that physical apparatus (not a real simple one) to perform the task.
That's all easy to understand. Then it should not be very hard to understand, that you will do the same thing on an emotional and intellectual level. So if you think the same thoughts over and over again, they will leave a reinforcing trace in your brain, and thought often enough, reconfigure your neural network, so that it will function along those lines.
In other words, if you are depressed (as I often am), and you think those depressing thoughts, have that negative outlook, then that will reinforce the depression, and the negative outlook. So, one thing that should help, is trying to adapt a different attitude, think different (positive) thoughts.
Mind you, I am not just saying, ignore reality, everything is rosy. No, I don't want you to go to that river in Egypt. I just want you to consider thinking differently now and then. Realize the importance of changing your thought patterns. Get distracted. Humour really helps here. When you hear a good joke, see a good comedian, or a good movie, it distracts you. It let's that record player in your head jump to a different groove. Just don't play the same thing over and over in your head. It won't help, it will make things harder.
Enough said now. Tell me what you think about this by sending me an e-mail to mightypeo at gmail.com.
When you go by what we know about the brain scientifically. There are neurons which are connecting to other neurons through their axons. It is the fact that many neurons connect to one neuron through dendrites that turns this mass of cells into a neural network.
And in the last 20 years, we developed pretty good models for neural networks. But that's not what I want to talk about. What is interesting, in this neural network that our brain is, is that repetition seems to reinforce. Duuh, when you a learning you need to do things over and over, before you get them right (repetition). When you are learning to shoot the perfect 3 pointer or how to hit a baseball, you have to do things over and over. What you are doing there, is configure (or train) your neural network (the brain and the nerves that communicate to the muscle, the nerves at the muscle) to adapt to the physical realities of your body and control that physical apparatus (not a real simple one) to perform the task.
That's all easy to understand. Then it should not be very hard to understand, that you will do the same thing on an emotional and intellectual level. So if you think the same thoughts over and over again, they will leave a reinforcing trace in your brain, and thought often enough, reconfigure your neural network, so that it will function along those lines.
In other words, if you are depressed (as I often am), and you think those depressing thoughts, have that negative outlook, then that will reinforce the depression, and the negative outlook. So, one thing that should help, is trying to adapt a different attitude, think different (positive) thoughts.
Mind you, I am not just saying, ignore reality, everything is rosy. No, I don't want you to go to that river in Egypt. I just want you to consider thinking differently now and then. Realize the importance of changing your thought patterns. Get distracted. Humour really helps here. When you hear a good joke, see a good comedian, or a good movie, it distracts you. It let's that record player in your head jump to a different groove. Just don't play the same thing over and over in your head. It won't help, it will make things harder.
Enough said now. Tell me what you think about this by sending me an e-mail to mightypeo at gmail.com.
20050118
The Man ? - The MAN !
Saw B.B. again at the Fox Theatre last Saturday. Compared to that show (with Bobby Blue Bland) the audience in Ann Arbor was cold fish. Excellent !
20041210
B. B. is the MAN !
His concert on Wednesday was just incredible. There's a man, 79 years old, and he had the whole house at his mercy. And his band, they are amazing. And he's still touring, just look at his work load. That demands respect. Man, I'd give an eye to be able to play with these guys !
So, that made me listen to some of his older records again (ok, they are CDs) - actually MP3s right now. One of the best is Indianola Mississippi Seed right there with Live in Japan.
So remember "Nobody loves me but my mother, and she might be jivin' too" !
So, that made me listen to some of his older records again (ok, they are CDs) - actually MP3s right now. One of the best is Indianola Mississippi Seed right there with Live in Japan.
So remember "Nobody loves me but my mother, and she might be jivin' too" !
20041208
Six Weeks
It took six weeks for my gmail account to get its first spam. That must be some kind of record, since I barely ever give out that address. Don't know what to do with it.
On the domestic front, the war is on again, off again. Not as bad as in Iraq, but emotionally devastating nevertheless. Time to do something about that...
On the better side of things, tonight's B.B. King concert at the Michigan Theatre. Can't wait for that one !
Future City is a blast too. I'm judging some SimCity designs now, got hooked up to that through the IEEE and my daughter's school.
On the domestic front, the war is on again, off again. Not as bad as in Iraq, but emotionally devastating nevertheless. Time to do something about that...
On the better side of things, tonight's B.B. King concert at the Michigan Theatre. Can't wait for that one !
Future City is a blast too. I'm judging some SimCity designs now, got hooked up to that through the IEEE and my daughter's school.
20041103
My Sincere Apologies
My sincere apologies to all my friends in Europe. I really don't know what happened in this country. What got into my fellow countrymen. Voting like this - for 4 more years of Bush.
Let's see what will happen....
P.S. My mom is hanging in there, stay tuned
Let's see what will happen....
P.S. My mom is hanging in there, stay tuned
20041026
And then you hit a wall
Had to go to Germany on a moments notice. My mom was ill.
She had chemo-therapy, and developed an infection. She went to the hospital on Sunday. All week I called and tried to get something out of the three of them (my mom, my dad and my sister).
Mom: Su - We : I'm fine, I'm ok, nothing to worry about.
Dad: Su - We : She's fine, she's ok, nothing to worry about.
Sis: Su - We : I haven't had time to visit her, she's in the isolation ward, since her white bloodcell count is so low, and the baby and I got a cold.
Mom: Th : I'm tired, I'm too tired to talk.
Dad: Th : ?????
Sis: Th : I haven't had time to visit her, she's in the isolation ward, since her white bloodcell count is so low, and the baby and I got a cold.
Me: Well, could you please find out ? Do I have to come ?
Sis: No, not yet, but I'll find out
Mom: Fri : I'm tired, I'm too tired to talk.
Dad: Fri : ?????
Sis: Fri : - i left a message on her answering machine
Friday, noon, the phone rings here at work. It's sis : 'I'm at the hospital, I talked to the doctors, drop everything and come... It could be the end.'
So I drop everything, go home, call LH at 12:30 get a seat on the 18:05 flight out of DTW to MUC via FRA.
I get there Saturday at 1 pm... my mom's really bad shape....
More later...
She had chemo-therapy, and developed an infection. She went to the hospital on Sunday. All week I called and tried to get something out of the three of them (my mom, my dad and my sister).
Mom: Su - We : I'm fine, I'm ok, nothing to worry about.
Dad: Su - We : She's fine, she's ok, nothing to worry about.
Sis: Su - We : I haven't had time to visit her, she's in the isolation ward, since her white bloodcell count is so low, and the baby and I got a cold.
Mom: Th : I'm tired, I'm too tired to talk.
Dad: Th : ?????
Sis: Th : I haven't had time to visit her, she's in the isolation ward, since her white bloodcell count is so low, and the baby and I got a cold.
Me: Well, could you please find out ? Do I have to come ?
Sis: No, not yet, but I'll find out
Mom: Fri : I'm tired, I'm too tired to talk.
Dad: Fri : ?????
Sis: Fri :
Friday, noon, the phone rings here at work. It's sis : 'I'm at the hospital, I talked to the doctors, drop everything and come... It could be the end.'
So I drop everything, go home, call LH at 12:30 get a seat on the 18:05 flight out of DTW to MUC via FRA.
I get there Saturday at 1 pm... my mom's really bad shape....
More later...
20040930
Cruisin'
Cruisin along. School year started and things are falling into their place. Today, I slacked in the morning, decided to go in late - refreshing.
I coach a youth soccer team (kindergarten) and yesterday was our 2rd practice. Finally knew all the kids name (not an easy feat for me - with a pea sized brain and bladder - just kidding)
Nothing else to report.... stay tuned
I coach a youth soccer team (kindergarten) and yesterday was our 2rd practice. Finally knew all the kids name (not an easy feat for me - with a pea sized brain and bladder - just kidding)
Nothing else to report.... stay tuned
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