Michael Braun's Blog

So get this. Lately, I’ve been leaving for work around 7:55. This means I get into my office (so that’s after parking and walking) around 8:20. Not too shabby. But yesterday, I decided to leave around 8:05. For whatever reason, the traffic lights that I usually get stopped at, forced to wait for a couple of cycles, were clear! I soared on thru. That meant I got to work at… you guess it – 8:20! I’m going to try the same thing today to see if I have similar results.

But what am I supposed to do with all that extra free time in the morning? I don’t really like sleeping in, as those few extra minutes don’t make much of a difference. That means I’m stuck sitting here on my porch with the cat, writing in this here blog. Not exactly exhilarating, but it’ll have to do, I guess.

John’s leaving for Edmonton on the 5th, bidding farewell to Madison forever. It’s been a pleasure, John. I’m sad to see you go.

It’s Tuesday! Enjoy your Tuesday!

Warning: Starting with the second paragraph of this post, I discuss the 7th Harry Potter book. While I am not aiming to reveal any spoilers, or even serious plot points, if you want to remain uncorrupted before you read the 7th book, do not read past the following paragraph.

Lauren and I saw Harry Potter 5 last night. What an incredible disappointment. I’ve got all the same complaints that I had about the fourth movie (check that out here.) And even more! They kept in parts that they didn’t explain – like the prophecy and Dumbledore’s reluctance to engage with Harry. And the plot got obscured too, with too much going on at once. I loved the 5th book, though Tony did not. He complained that Voldemort returns in the 4th book, and we barely hear anything about him in the 5th. While I didn’t cite that as a fault in the book, it resonated deeply in the movie. The whole way thru, I kept thinking, what’s the point?

The seventh book is an altogether different affair! For one, it’s different from all the other books. Harry keeps his promise to not return to Hogwarts. With Ron and Hermione in tow, they avoid death eaters while trying to fulfill the task set upon them by Dumbledore: destroy the remaining horcruxes and defeat Voldemort! Easier said then done as they feel the pressure to unravel the puzzle created by the most powerful dark wizard to ever exist. And the death eaters are out in full force, formidable foes finally! I was so tired of seeing a bunch of kids hold off the death eaters; what kind of enemy is that? The stakes seem real, the danger imminent, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally tasked with something they may not be able to handle.

Along the way, we resolve other questions and mysteries. We get into the pasts of some key characters, and begin to understand pieces from all other books (though especially book 3 onward). I have no questions left unanswered after finishing the book, yet I don’t feel like there was much work done to try to tie up loose ends thru the telling of backstory. Everything seems to flow with the plot. In the end, I was quite satisfied.

I won’t get into much more detail about it, but if you haven’t read the book and you plan to – get on it!! There’s no time to waste.

Oh cycling world! Let me lament thy demise. The Tour de France had its leading rider tossed out after he tested positive for steroids. Makes you long for the days of Lance Armstrong, who either didn’t dope (unlikely) or was at least smart enough to not get caught. These days, it seems like athletes dope just as much but are under increasing scrutiny for doing so. Steroids have become a dangerous and hated drug, and have even been blamed for former fake-wrestler Benoit killing his wife and son.

But who really cares? The fact of the matter is that even if someone like me took steroids, that person could never make it to the top of any sporting field; you need coordination, determination, some kind of natural ability. So these athletes who have that, but feel they need an extra boost, who can blame them? But at the same time, who’s looking up to them? Do we only credit those who have the purest of pure natural ability?

In the end, everyone recognizes sporting’s greats after they’ve long retired. Tiger Woods, even if he passes Jack Nicholas’s Masters record, probably won’t be declared best golfer ever until well into his retirement. There’s too much talk about technology in golf assisting someone like Woods, never mind that the courses are made harder and harder every year to adjust. Barry Bonds won’t ever eclipse Hank Aaron in greatness, and not just because of the steroids controversy; it’s because Bonds can never do for baseball what Aaron did. He’ll never be a leader in that way.

So what about those steroid users? We can no longer look at them as purists, the best of the best in terms of natural ability. But they’re still a lot more athletically talented than anyone I know. I’m not saying we put them on a pedestal, especially after they’ve doped, but if we continue to worship athletes as the best of the best, is it any wonder that some will take drugs to increase their potential? A scholar may read more books to increase her knowledge ability. So too may an athlete inject chemicals into his body. The athlete may now be cast down as worthless, but was he ever worth something to begin with? He’s a competitor and an entertainer. Knowing the Beatles took drugs to write their songs doesn’t make me any less appreciative. They just don’t become role models for how I want to live my life. Ditto to athletes – doping or otherwise.

Here are three haikus that I wrote while on the plane. Only one has to do with the plane itself.

Contents shift in flight.
With might, fight the tumbling bag.
The weight crumples you.

And two have to do with fashion.

Versace, he’s dead.
Once a prince, now wince, he’s dead.
Design, fine lines, dead.

Try my new fragrance!
So cosmo’, it’s called “Migrant.”
Like, ’round the world, bitch!

There you have it! What do you think?

Wow, vacations from the busy workweek, rat race, scramble for that dollar can really be relaxing. While Lauren and I were only in Colorado from Friday thru Monday, I felt truly relaxed when returning to the grind yesterday. But, what could we have done for all that time?

Friday, we left for the airport at 4:45 AM, obviously quite early. Our plane arrived on time, around 10:30. Unfortunately, Lauren’s friend Toni and her husband Dan (who were also flying in, from the funeral of Dan’s grandma) had their flight delayed, meaning that while they had planned to meet us, we ended up meeting them. But we all got together, drove the hour to Fort Collins, unpacked, and went out for some lunch. After that, we napped for a while, then went out for dinner and had a quiet evening.

Saturday, we stepped things up a notch. That afternoon, with our newly purchased inner tubes, we tubed down the Poudre river. While the river was flowing somewhat slowly, there were still rapids and rocks to avoid when rushing towards them. So it made for quite a fun trip.

Sunday, we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park for some hiking. We had picked a couple of hikes from a book and were then steered towards one – Mills Lake – by a ranger. Mills Lake is the scene on the back of the Colorado quarter. It was around a 3 mile hike out there, and a beautiful scene. The hike was great too, with waterfalls along the way.

Monday was relaxing – out for breakfast, some shopping, then off to the airport.

Anyway, I’m back again. I’ve got more to write about, including the 7th Harry Potter book, which Lauren and I both purchased on Saturday and finished on the plane on Monday. It was excellent, and I definitely will have more to say about it! Have you read it? If not, get on it!!

Lauren and I are leaving for Colorado bright and early tomorrow morning. Hope everyone else has a great weekend!

Tony posted a mock-serious comment on my last post, stating that if I think WiiFit looks cool, I am an enemy to gaming. But… maybe I am? You know what game I’ve probably played the most in my life, and for the most widespread number of years – a game I made on a TI-86, in which you are shown a number between 1 and 99, and you guess whether the next number will be higher or lower. Simple, simple game. I think I’ve played it some 10,000 times (I built in a counter). I love that game! The gaming system I’ve spent the most time playing – the original GameBoy. Favorite computer game – a football game where you chose the type of play you wanted to enact (run, pass, et cetera) and random chance determined whether the ball moved up the field or not. There was no defense, either. Awesome game!

So now I like WiiFit, a decidedly different type of gaming experience. You’ve got a pressure sensitive mat that you stand on (or do push-ups on, et cetera) and this communicates with the Wii to show your figure on screen doing different motions. Check it out here. When I interact with my gaming system, I’m not doing it by mashing buttons. I’m actually moving! I don’t have to try to remember a bunch of different button combinations. I can simply move. I’m not saying that other game systems are too hard for my feeble mind. I played Halo and Halo 2 quite a bit. But I am saying that “hardcore” gaming is not something I’m interested in.

So maybe I am threatening to destroy gaming altogether. Either that, or maybe I am helping to take gaming where it needs to go. Let’s think about computers. There are a lot of different models out there, and a lot of different things to consider. How much RAM to you need? How much hard drive space? How fast of a processor? Previously, we saw nothing but competition between video game system manufactures on this front. But the consoles that fell by the wayside were not those who suffered from poor technology. Nintendo, after releasing two consoles well behind their times in terms of technology (the 64 and the GameCube), is still shining like a rose. Whereas Sega, whose Saturn I own and whose DreamCast I always thought was awesome, is out of the console market altogether. The battles have never been fought on the lines of power. So why are we thinking about power of the console at all? Maybe instead, we should be focusing on splitting the gaming market. Dell is always going to sell more computers than AlienWare (or whoever makes gaming PCs these days). So why shouldn’t Nintendo, with its stripped down Wii, not sell more than the fancy PS3? Why should they have to compete? Dell isn’t marketing towards heavy PC gamers with their Dell line. So why should Sony market towards casual gamers with their PS3?

In the end, you buy the product you’ll get the most use out of. Sure, I’d have fun with an XBox or a PS3. But I couldn’t get Lauren (let alone my mother) to play either one. As it stands now, Lauren plays both my DS and the Wii. It takes her back to being a kid, when games were just a fun novelty. Those are the two systems I have, and I adore them both.

So go ahead and die, gaming industry. Tony – when’s the last time you bought a game anyway? :-) I, on the other hand, will buy WiiFit as soon as it comes out. It looks awesome!

I’m traveling again, for wizzerk. Yuck. I thought it might be better than last trips, but ain’t nothing change the fact that I am in a hotel room, not at home. And that I have to go work somewhere tomorrow that is not my office. I’m not escaping any drudgery by coming here. I’m keeping the same amount of stuff I have to do, but adding to it the stress of not having home to go to at the end of the day. I guess I’ll make the best of it.

So somebody whom I knew back a while ago has been having some trouble lately. She’s apt to document this online frequently, which often makes me feel sorry for some of the stuff (mostly relationship drama) that she’s been going thru. I see now, just today, she’s in a new relationship. But I gotta say, slow your roll, girl! She’s got all this posted up saying she’s in love, talking about how great the man is, and blah blah blah. I’m like you bound to scare this guy off or something. It doesn’t help that she’s all religious and thinks any time she meets some new guy who’s not Satan that god musta send him down special for her. You gon get hurt if you rush into just about anything, so keep it real, keep is slow, and I hope you find some happiness. Every guy who don’t treat you bad ain’t god’s gift to women.

Not much else to report. My mom came over to my apartment on Sunday, and I got her swept up in playing Wii. She liked it a lot. She needed a fair amount of work on tennis, as she would consistently swing too late to hit the ball in the court. I think she would do well with a little more practice. She like bowling a lot, which is probably the most non-gamer friendly of the sports (except maybe golf). I think she’ll definitely give it another go at some future time.

Speaking of the Wii, I’ve read a lot of criticism of Nintendo’s showing at E3, including Tony’s take. But I’ve also read some articles (from journalist types) saying they did well. Sure, Nintendo didn’t release any killer third-party apps. But they did talk about a couple of games I’m really excited about. Namely the new MarioKart and Wii Fit. If you haven’t read about them, that’s your tough luck, as I don’t feel like elaborating. Anyway, they both look sweet. I read thru a lot of comments from some of the articles, people saying Nintendo is crap, blah blah blah. Well, you know what? If you don’t like Nintendo, don’t get a Wii. But if you are looking for a truly unique gaming experience that comes from the system itself, there’s nothing better on the market. The Wii is amazing.

I hung out with John last night. Our main activity, aside from playing Wii Sports, was to burn and rip CDs. It is so wonderful to have all my music on one hard drive, on one computer. And my collection keeps growing. So far, I’m up to 567 albums. That’s a fair number. Total play time is over 24 days.

So silly me, I’ve once again started on a project I completed twice over on my old iMac – listening to all my music at least once thru. Only 18.5 days to go (of constant listening). I’m not as picky as I once was: requiring any song I was listening to to play completely thru prior to stopping my music and requiring myself to be in the room for the entire duration of the song (were I still doing this, it would mean I could not step across the hall to retrieve something from the printer). So that makes it a less tedious process. But still, I’ve got music that I don’t really fancy that I force myself to listen to. For example, the soundtrack to the King and I. It’s a famous musical, so I want it on my computer. But I don’t think much of the music. Or some of the techno that I have. I don’t find it to be very appealing, as situations in which I want to listen to that type of music are quite few. Nevertheless, I’m working my way thru.

So what kind of music now graces my collection after pillaging John’s CDs? Some highlights:
The Hold Steady – Twin Cities bar band, just now becoming popular
Mr. Bungle – some crazy experimental stuff, fronted by a guy known for making strange sounds with his mouth, and with a penchant for circus music
Fugazi and Minor Threat – two straight-edge punk bands from the Washington DC area, hardcore stuff.

In other words, it’s going to be an awesome music listening day at work today. I’m glad my office borders no one else’s.

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff has revealed something quite amazing about himself. Using his gut alone, he can sense when a terror attack is more likely. He revealed this on Tuesday to the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board. No doubt, however, President Bush was previously aware of this amazing power, which is why Mr. Chertoff was appointed to such a high position.

Could Chertoff play into the hands of Stephen Colbert any more? Colbert often remarks that he thinks with his gut, rather than his brain, because you can trust your gut. I guess I’m not so much upset that Chertoff is taking heat over this as I am annoyed at another sign the Bush administration is completely inept. What in the world are we supposed to do about Chertoff’s gut? The man is supposed to keep the nation safe from terror and instead uses the position to create fear because he’s worried there will be a terror attack. No evidence, no increased chatter or other signs that would indicate something about to happen. Just Chertoff listening to his closest advisor, his gut.

Further indication that the Bush administration are a bunch of morons: former Surgeon General Richard Carmona testified that he received an undue amount of political pressure from Bush officials. They told him to not publish reports that might alarm the public. They told him that he must mention Bush at least three times a page in his speeches. And best of all, they told him not to support the Special Olympics. God damn disabled people. Or was it the fact that the Kennedy’s support the Special Olympics? It’s, somehow, a new low for Bush.

But at least we now know Bush is not going to heaven. Ratzinger (Pope What’s-His-Face) declared the Catholic Church to be the only true church. So when that time comes along, I guess we’ll see the Kennedys on the way up, and Bush on the way down. Darn, I at least thought hell would be enjoyable. Now by the time I get down there, I’ll have to deal with Bush in charge, rather than Satan.

Finally, the heat has broken (though who knows for how long). It’s been stifling here in Madison, with temperatures in the upper 80s/lower 90s, and high humidity. I imagine that anyone else in Southern Wisconsin has been noticing the same thing. But a cool (I won’t call it cold) front passed thru yesterday evening and now it’s a very pleasant 60 as I sit out here on my porch with the cat.

Not only has it been hot outside, but my air conditioner has been running overtime. I have two wall units, one on either side of my apartment, which do a pretty good job of cooling things down, though I fear to see my next electric bill. As the temperature went up, I’ve been trying to adjust them accordingly (raising the house temperature as well), and that seems to have kept them from burning out. It’s also been hot at the Y, where I’ve been working out with Lauren three times a week or so. I don’t mind running on a treadmill when the temperature is above 80, but when I finish, I feel awful sweaty and tired.

That’s not much exciting news to read, but oh well. I’m hoping the temperature stays lower for the rest of the summer!

Oh wait, who cares? Sony repeatedly denied that it was planning to lower the price of the PS3. But then I read that they indeed have lowered the price. That is, until you actually look at what they did. Everyone remembers that during the spring, they discontinued the 20 gig PS3. So they only had the 60 gig, selling at a whopping $599. Now, they’ve announced that the 60 gig will sell at $499 (the old price of the 20 gig) and a new model will be released with an 80 gig hard drive. Guess what price it will be selling at? $599!

Apple does this all the time. For example, when they revamped the iPod nano, the price of the 4 gig became the price of the 8 gig, and the price of the 4 gig dropped to that of the 2 gig. Did anyone get excited that Apple had “lowered” the price? No! Because they didn’t lower the price; they upgraded the product line. This wasn’t revolutionary news, just a ripoff for those who had just bought the iPod nano at the old price, and good news for anyone who had been about to buy one.

So why is everyone so excited about the PS3 price cut? Because everyone wants to see Nintendo fail! That’s probably not right, but I think a lot of critics are smarting as they see the Wii selling so well, despite their predictions that Nintendo was once again putting out a system with specs so far below the competition, there was no way they could compete. Now with innovative gaming on the forefront, critics are backpedaling, trying to figure out what real consumers think about gaming.

Well, any critic who thinks a PS3 price cut is going to project Sony out into the number one spot… maybe you shouldn’t be reading what they have to say anymore.

I’m writing right now from my porch. What a pleasant experience! The cat (for those of you who were evidently unaware that I have a cat, her name being Penelope) seems to love it out here, though it may be a bit hot and humid right now. Anyway, very pleasant experience, even if the sound of traffic on Mineral Point is a bit loud.

So I figured Current Events was a good title, as I can update you on what I’ve been doing, and on my opinions on the latest issues to make headlines. I haven’t been doing all that much. I helped Lauren move into her own apartment last weekend. It’s great to see her have her own apartment, though she’s still worried about all the things she has left to do (like getting cable, decorating, acquiring more furniture, et cetera). But that will all get done in good time. Lauren and I are also planning a trip shortly! We’ll be heading to Colorado to visit Lauren’s friend Toni and Toni’s husband Dan July 20-23. We’re both pretty excited about that! Other than that, it’s been same old, same old.

In the headlines, though, we’ve had some interesting stuff.

First, yesterday, Bush compared the Iraq war to the Revolutionary war. I can see the connection, but not the same way he sees it. He compared US troops now to US troops then, fighting for freedom and all that crap. I see it a little different. You’ve got a country currently being run by another country, with very little say for its citizens to determine the shape of their country. So those citizens rise up and, using tactics previously considered uncivilized, fighting back for the freedom of their country from the occupying force. US rebels then, Iraqi insurgents now. I’ll leave you to decide the right and wrong on your own terms.

Bush also commuted the jail sentence of “Scooter” Libby, who was set to start serving a 2.5 year term soon. And he hasn’t yet ruled out a full pardon. Commuted sentence today, pardon right before his term ends. Bush is no fool. He doesn’t want anyone cooperating with the investigation into who leaked Ms. Plame’s name. He knows it’s Cheney, Rove, or both, and he doesn’t want that on his legacy. Quite frustrating for your everyday citizen.

We’ve also had some terrorist attacks in England. First, two cars packed with gas and ready to explode were parked in London’s theater district. Both those were picked up before exploding. Then a flaming jeep crashes into the Glasgow airport. Let me be the first (that I’ve read anyway) to say these terrorists must have been complete idiots. Rumors coming in off the news-lines is that they were doctors. I bet they went to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College. One of the cars set to explode was spotted smoking, an obvious tip-off. The other was parked illegally and towed away before the bomb was discovered. And in all that time, no explosions. Then, in all their terrorist brilliancy, they decide to hop in a jeep, drive to the airport, and at some point in time, set it on fire and crash it. Ooo! I’m so scared! A big flaming jeep? What did they hope to accomplish with that? Get a clue, terrorists. Your half-assed plots just make you look like morons. Go back to your cave in Afghanistan.

So, there you have it! Have a wonderful July 5, and happy birthday, Katie!

I’m just now listening to a story on Wisconsin Public Radio about farmers and milk production. The main focus on the story is the fact that, apparently, milk producers are making less today than they made 40 years ago. Ummm… yah? Let’s think about this.

1. I bet that the ability to produce a lot of milk for less money has become more and more possible over the last 40 years. You can inject your cows with chemicals (like bovine growth hormone) to make them produce more milk. You’ve got high-speed milkers, which mean you can have even more cows than before, and you’ve got factory farms, who milk 24/7. So there’s more milk on the market.

2. People probably aren’t drinking MORE milk than they were 40 years ago. Now, I wouldn’t argue overall consumption is down as the population has risen, but I know a lot of people who don’t drink milk on a daily basis. And people (including my mom’s husband Mark, and Dan) who don’t drink cow’s milk anymore; Mark drinks soy and Dan drinks rice.

So the supply has risen, the demand has not, and overall production costs have gone down. Yah, big surprise that these farmers aren’t making as much as they would have 40 years ago. Good thing the solution is easy – get out of the milk business! Sell off your cows, convince all your farmer friends to do the same. Start growing whatever crops will make you some money. Then, with no one producing any milk, the prices are sure to rise. Too bad for you: the person to which you sold all your cows is now making a fortune.