I use this word a lot. It just seems to be so applicable to so many people and situations.
But, I have been finding out that foreigners don't learn this word during their English educations. This is problematic because as I said, I use this word a lot, and "goofy" isn't really a simple word to explain.
If I ever teach an English course, I need to make sure "goofy" is on the vocabulary list. If any of you have influence upon English language education in foreign countries, please teach this word.
In the process of me learning German I feel like nouns and verbs are super important while I can get away with a small supply of adjectives and adverbs. But, when I speak English with my foreign friends, I find that it is through the language of adjectives that I express myself and can be descriptive. Apparently, all parts of speech are important. So much to learn...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Bodyweight Study Complete
For the past five weeks (35 days) I have weighed myself every morning first thing when I got up and every night right before climbing into bed. I additionally kept track of how many hours I slept each night, exercise I did, and any notable stresses or health issues.
So, here I present to you the graph. The weight change value (in kilograms) was derived in the following way: each day I would take the difference between my morning and bedtime weight to see how much I had gained or loss throughout the day. Then, the next morning I would calculate how much I had lost over night (always loss). The difference between my gain/loss over the day and loss overnight is the daily change.
The first thing that surprised me during the study was how much weight I gained during each day and lost at night. I had never really thought before too much about my daily food accumulation and nightly energy burning. And getting a good, long, unstressful night of sleep often, but not always, affected how much I burned at night.
My eating habits were variable during these five weeks. I confess to putting conscientious effort into eating with the goal of increasing my weight during the first couple of weeks of the study. But, my body wasn't really liking all of that food, so I cut back.
The second week I was very stressed about a presentation which I knew would go horribly and you can see how my weight went down that entire week. Take-away message: stress is unhealthy.
The final few weeks of the study show much fluctuation. I would love to make a general statement about showing a tendency to always gain during a certain time of the week, but there is at least one peak on the graph for every day but Sunday.
My weight from the entire data set had a range of 4.84 lbs. The difference between the averages of all my morning and bedtime weights was only 1.2 lbs. I consider this to mean that my weight is relatively consistent around the weight which it fluctuates.
During the study I often wondered, does the weight of the food I eat transfer directly to the weight I gain? I was curious, but not crazy enough to weigh all of my food before I ate it...
While we are on the topic of weight, I would like to comment on healthy habits. The Yahoo! homepage loves to supply us with all sorts of articles listing ways to improve health, relationships, city to live in, etc. Well, in this theme I came across this list tonight, "6 Easy Slim-Down Strategies". Or, as I would more properly call the list, "6 Ways to Have a Healthy Body".
1) Weigh yourself daily
2) Keep t.v. viewing under 2 hours a day
3) Eat 4g of fiber at every meal
4) Sleep at least 7 hours per night
5) Drink 8 glasses of water per day
6) Stick to an 8-hour work day
I think this is a pretty good list. In summary, it says to eat healthy, get exercise, keep stress low, and sleep well.
I can't claim to do all of these things super well, but in general I try hard. I know that I have a naturally high metabolism which is simply genetic and I do not have the ability to gift this to any of you who are trying to lose weight. But, in addition to my natural ability, I also put effort into making my diet, exercise, and sleep contribute to the betterment of my health.
I am not a great Ultimate Frisbee player, but I go twice a week to run around like an idiot, sweat, and lower my stress (or temporarily raise it, as that is really the case, but it all works towards the best for the functioning of my body). I drink water all the time which has the consequence of people thinking I'm weird because I go to the bathroom so frequently. I'm a night-owl, but that doesn't keep me from getting my 8 hours of sleep! I just sleep later into the day! One weakness of mine which I used to be great about but have fallen out of the habit is eating an apple each day. It's not just a saying! It really is good to eat an apple a day! My habit has now turned into a banana every morning, which is also good, but not as great as an apple every day at lunch.
I wish you all the best of health!
So, here I present to you the graph. The weight change value (in kilograms) was derived in the following way: each day I would take the difference between my morning and bedtime weight to see how much I had gained or loss throughout the day. Then, the next morning I would calculate how much I had lost over night (always loss). The difference between my gain/loss over the day and loss overnight is the daily change.
The first thing that surprised me during the study was how much weight I gained during each day and lost at night. I had never really thought before too much about my daily food accumulation and nightly energy burning. And getting a good, long, unstressful night of sleep often, but not always, affected how much I burned at night.
My eating habits were variable during these five weeks. I confess to putting conscientious effort into eating with the goal of increasing my weight during the first couple of weeks of the study. But, my body wasn't really liking all of that food, so I cut back.
The second week I was very stressed about a presentation which I knew would go horribly and you can see how my weight went down that entire week. Take-away message: stress is unhealthy.
The final few weeks of the study show much fluctuation. I would love to make a general statement about showing a tendency to always gain during a certain time of the week, but there is at least one peak on the graph for every day but Sunday.
My weight from the entire data set had a range of 4.84 lbs. The difference between the averages of all my morning and bedtime weights was only 1.2 lbs. I consider this to mean that my weight is relatively consistent around the weight which it fluctuates.
During the study I often wondered, does the weight of the food I eat transfer directly to the weight I gain? I was curious, but not crazy enough to weigh all of my food before I ate it...
While we are on the topic of weight, I would like to comment on healthy habits. The Yahoo! homepage loves to supply us with all sorts of articles listing ways to improve health, relationships, city to live in, etc. Well, in this theme I came across this list tonight, "6 Easy Slim-Down Strategies". Or, as I would more properly call the list, "6 Ways to Have a Healthy Body".
1) Weigh yourself daily
2) Keep t.v. viewing under 2 hours a day
3) Eat 4g of fiber at every meal
4) Sleep at least 7 hours per night
5) Drink 8 glasses of water per day
6) Stick to an 8-hour work day
I think this is a pretty good list. In summary, it says to eat healthy, get exercise, keep stress low, and sleep well.
I can't claim to do all of these things super well, but in general I try hard. I know that I have a naturally high metabolism which is simply genetic and I do not have the ability to gift this to any of you who are trying to lose weight. But, in addition to my natural ability, I also put effort into making my diet, exercise, and sleep contribute to the betterment of my health.
I am not a great Ultimate Frisbee player, but I go twice a week to run around like an idiot, sweat, and lower my stress (or temporarily raise it, as that is really the case, but it all works towards the best for the functioning of my body). I drink water all the time which has the consequence of people thinking I'm weird because I go to the bathroom so frequently. I'm a night-owl, but that doesn't keep me from getting my 8 hours of sleep! I just sleep later into the day! One weakness of mine which I used to be great about but have fallen out of the habit is eating an apple each day. It's not just a saying! It really is good to eat an apple a day! My habit has now turned into a banana every morning, which is also good, but not as great as an apple every day at lunch.
I wish you all the best of health!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
My Head on Paper Again
I should be studying for my exam Tuesday and so I am trying to keep myself away from the television this evening. But, even without the tv my head keeps fantasizing, so I get the same unproductive result.
This is an old image which I look at often. I saw it for the first time on the western coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula when I was on the Michigander Bike Ride (a week long bike ride tour) in the summer of 2004. I have embellished my drawing with a little fantasy. Missing is Lake Michigan on the horizon behind the forest to the west (left) and I have converted a forest into a wheat field.
When I saw this scene, I thought it was just so idyllic. A perfect little farm house perched on a hill surrounded by a lush field full of sheep. If only you could really see inside my head...
This is an old image which I look at often. I saw it for the first time on the western coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula when I was on the Michigander Bike Ride (a week long bike ride tour) in the summer of 2004. I have embellished my drawing with a little fantasy. Missing is Lake Michigan on the horizon behind the forest to the west (left) and I have converted a forest into a wheat field.
When I saw this scene, I thought it was just so idyllic. A perfect little farm house perched on a hill surrounded by a lush field full of sheep. If only you could really see inside my head...
Friday, February 12, 2010
English
I am American and I am totally biased to liking American English more than British English. That said, I admit to being a fan of using the letter "u" in words like "flavour" or "colour" because I find it looks very elegant.
But, using an "s" in the place of a "z" is NOT elegant and I incredibly dislike it! Words like "emphasize" or "stabilization" are meant to be spelled with "z"s. My Merriam-Webster Dictionary agrees with me on this. When I type in a word with an "s", I am directed to a page which reads "British variant of..." and doesn't provide a definition. Hah! Take that British English.
I think the reason I take issue with an "s" taking the place of a "z" is that it would actually require a completely different pronunciation. An "s" is different than a "z". With an "s", "emphasize" (emphasise) should be pronounced more like "precise". But it's not. It's not like the British spell the word "size" any different than American English, so what's with messing up "emphasize"?
You know what really cracks me up about the whole thing? Merriam-Webster is an American dictionary producer and they recognize that these "s" spellings exist. But, you pop over to the Oxford Dictionary, which comes from the United Kingdom, and it doesn't recognize the existence of these "s" spellings. Odd, right?
But, using an "s" in the place of a "z" is NOT elegant and I incredibly dislike it! Words like "emphasize" or "stabilization" are meant to be spelled with "z"s. My Merriam-Webster Dictionary agrees with me on this. When I type in a word with an "s", I am directed to a page which reads "British variant of..." and doesn't provide a definition. Hah! Take that British English.
I think the reason I take issue with an "s" taking the place of a "z" is that it would actually require a completely different pronunciation. An "s" is different than a "z". With an "s", "emphasize" (emphasise) should be pronounced more like "precise". But it's not. It's not like the British spell the word "size" any different than American English, so what's with messing up "emphasize"?
You know what really cracks me up about the whole thing? Merriam-Webster is an American dictionary producer and they recognize that these "s" spellings exist. But, you pop over to the Oxford Dictionary, which comes from the United Kingdom, and it doesn't recognize the existence of these "s" spellings. Odd, right?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Decisions, Decisions
What to wear...What to eat...Who to work for...What theme to do a master thesis on?
I did very well on my oral exam today in the course "Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Analysis (EIA & SEA)". After telling me my grade on the exam, the professor (of the Environmental Planning dept.) said that he likes to make his good students aware that they can do paid research for his department on a path to doing a thesis. Sound familiar?
Well, now I have to decide where specifically my interests lie. It's easy to not even consider some subjects/departments because I know for sure that I'm not interested. But, the areas of "Soil Protection and Recultivation" and "Environmental Planning" are similar enough to make the decision difficult.
When I try to give people advice on decisions, I usually try to get out from them the positives and negatives of their options and what their intuition says 'feels' right. Maybe with your help I can talk myself through this decision.
The department of Soil Protection and and Recultivation (SPR) focuses on technical scientific research whereas the Environmental Planning (EP) department tries to make scientific results usable in practical management contexts. SPR would deal a lot with chemistry whereas EP would deal with social systems. SPR deals specifically with soil (lithology, hydrology, biology, air, humans) whereas EP goes beyond that to the level of how to deal with the soil practically. But it's not like SPR isn't practical. The knowledge is being gained in order to hopefully improve practical applications. Each path has a negative attritute. The SPR professor does not give his students any guidance and attention (a fact supported by yet another person). The EP department focuses a lot on Climate Change. But each path also has a positive attribute. Through the SPR department I could have the potential to understand the details of soil even better. A big positive about the EP department is that its study interests fit perfectly with my lifelong interest in understanding the Earth-Human relationship and figuring out how to put them in the most harmony.
This decision reminds me of when I was trying to decide whether to study Geography or Geology at Calvin College. I made the decision to study Geology because I wanted to have a solid background in the technical side of the environment before I pursued the social side later in my life. I wonder, has "later" come and I should begin honing my synthesizing skills? The answer always leads back to the question people have been asking me all my life, "What do I wanna be when I grow up?" I could probably get my dream job no matter which path I choose, so I need to pick the one which makes me happy now.
Reading through what I've written, it looks like I'm leaning a certain way. Do you feel it too?
I did very well on my oral exam today in the course "Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Analysis (EIA & SEA)". After telling me my grade on the exam, the professor (of the Environmental Planning dept.) said that he likes to make his good students aware that they can do paid research for his department on a path to doing a thesis. Sound familiar?
Well, now I have to decide where specifically my interests lie. It's easy to not even consider some subjects/departments because I know for sure that I'm not interested. But, the areas of "Soil Protection and Recultivation" and "Environmental Planning" are similar enough to make the decision difficult.
When I try to give people advice on decisions, I usually try to get out from them the positives and negatives of their options and what their intuition says 'feels' right. Maybe with your help I can talk myself through this decision.
The department of Soil Protection and and Recultivation (SPR) focuses on technical scientific research whereas the Environmental Planning (EP) department tries to make scientific results usable in practical management contexts. SPR would deal a lot with chemistry whereas EP would deal with social systems. SPR deals specifically with soil (lithology, hydrology, biology, air, humans) whereas EP goes beyond that to the level of how to deal with the soil practically. But it's not like SPR isn't practical. The knowledge is being gained in order to hopefully improve practical applications. Each path has a negative attritute. The SPR professor does not give his students any guidance and attention (a fact supported by yet another person). The EP department focuses a lot on Climate Change. But each path also has a positive attribute. Through the SPR department I could have the potential to understand the details of soil even better. A big positive about the EP department is that its study interests fit perfectly with my lifelong interest in understanding the Earth-Human relationship and figuring out how to put them in the most harmony.
This decision reminds me of when I was trying to decide whether to study Geography or Geology at Calvin College. I made the decision to study Geology because I wanted to have a solid background in the technical side of the environment before I pursued the social side later in my life. I wonder, has "later" come and I should begin honing my synthesizing skills? The answer always leads back to the question people have been asking me all my life, "What do I wanna be when I grow up?" I could probably get my dream job no matter which path I choose, so I need to pick the one which makes me happy now.
Reading through what I've written, it looks like I'm leaning a certain way. Do you feel it too?
Friday, February 5, 2010
My Head on Paper
After talking with that soil professor a few days, my mind got to fantasizing about my future. This is the image which came to mind. Since I was enjoying dwelling on it so much, I decided to draw it out and share. That's my dog Ihi Lani chillin' next to the car keepin' me company while I carry out my work (for the Soil Conservancy or Dept. of Land Reclamation, perhaps).
Monday, February 1, 2010
One More Step in the Right Direction for My Life
I love it when life falls in my lap and I don't have to be proactive.
This morning on my way to soil protection class I was chatting with a classmate about our professor. We agreed that he seems a little preoccupied with things other than our class. He said that when he was beginning his Bachelor Thesis (imagine it like a Honors Project or a mini-master thesis) that he considered asking this professor to be his advisor, but decided against it because he didn't think this professor would be a very involved advisor.
Well, at the end of class today the professor said that he had a question for me. He has offered me the opportunity to do paid research work here at the university in soil science. I think it is a lovely idea and I'm very excited that he brought up the offer to me. He suggested we discuss things more after the exam in a few weeks.
Maybe you think I have forgotten the conversation with my classmate this morning and should be wary to work with this professor, but I think it sounds like a good opportunity and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.
This morning on my way to soil protection class I was chatting with a classmate about our professor. We agreed that he seems a little preoccupied with things other than our class. He said that when he was beginning his Bachelor Thesis (imagine it like a Honors Project or a mini-master thesis) that he considered asking this professor to be his advisor, but decided against it because he didn't think this professor would be a very involved advisor.
Well, at the end of class today the professor said that he had a question for me. He has offered me the opportunity to do paid research work here at the university in soil science. I think it is a lovely idea and I'm very excited that he brought up the offer to me. He suggested we discuss things more after the exam in a few weeks.
Maybe you think I have forgotten the conversation with my classmate this morning and should be wary to work with this professor, but I think it sounds like a good opportunity and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.
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