QOTD: INFORMS 2009 Part 1

P1: What do you do?
. . .
P1: What does your wife do?
. . .
P1: You are going to have brilliant babies!

P2: (while standing between two baggage claim terminals for 5+ minutes) What baggage claim are the bags from ___ coming?
Me: I know nothing.
. . .
Me to P2: You know, I try really hard to cultivate the 'I know nothing' look, obviously I'm not doing nearly a good enough job at it.
P2: You already got your bag.

P3: "Buenos dias (more stuff in Spanish). Ooh, (aside to coworker) I just started speaking in spanish to him."

P4: I did not know anyone else was doing work on ___. How come I don't know who you are?!
. . .
P4: (to a section chair) I want to have a session on ___ (next year). (to me) You will have something, right?
Me: My student will have something ready.

Me to P5: I'm here to do what traditionally gets done at conferences, meeting someone who works one block away from me.

Teaching QOTD: This is how it will be for the rest of the semester

I'm teaching the introductory Operations Research undergraduate course. (typically taught to first semester juniors and the core usually is introduction to linear programming.) Even though it is at 8AM the first two weeks have been very lively. Out of ~60 students, there are probably 15+ that take an active part in class discussion. I have been able to teach the material almost completely using question and answer. It is not quite Socratic method, but it is very close (and lets be real, even law schools don't truly use Socratic method.)

Until today (day 1 of week 3). Most of the class was pretty dead. The usual chatter of people arriving is subdued. And I am down to a few reliables to answer questions. I felt like I was actually lecturing for the first time this semester. By 15 minutes I acknowledge the obvious and we take it nice and slow for the rest of the class.

Later today I was chatting with our undergraduate coordinator (who has a good read on the undergrads. She is a teaching professor so they are her focus.) And she told me that yes, this class is particularly good. And that now that we are in week three, the initial excitement and energy of the new semester has worn off, and this is how it will be for the rest of the semester. *sigh*

QOTD: Engineers seem to have an interesting, and somewhat unique, definition of fun

Engineers seem to have an interesting, and somewhat unique, definition of fun." Ask your doctor or a local public health official what defines a good time, and you are not likely to hear about the logistics of mass antibiotic distribution or mathematical models of influenza transmission. Larry Wein's opus over the last decade has been, to use a hackneyed phrase, deadly serious, and yet he notes that a personal criterion for his engagement in a project is that it be enjoyable. For those of us in public health emergency response, this provides an important insight into the workings of the engineering mind, since it is precisely those things that we often avoid (i.e., the nitty gritty, and by that I mean quantitative, evaluation of the feasibility and performance of the programs we plan and carry out in the name of health protection) that appeal to Prof. Wein and a relatively small number of colleagues.

From Nathaniel Hubert, Commentary on "Commentary on Homeland Security: From
Mathematical Models to Policy Implementation" by Lawrence M. Wein, Operations Research, OR Forum

QOTD: If you are not pissing everybody off

"If you are not pissing everybody off, you aren't going to make it as a government liaison."

Rachel Carson Challenge 2008

Every year, the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy puts on the Rachel Carson Challenge ("The Challenge), ~34 mile hike from Harrison Hills Park to North Park, along whatever trail the conservancy has been able to stitch together with a myriad of agreements with private landowners, from Sunrise to Sunset on the Saturday closest to the Summer Solstice. In a world that is used to thinking in terms of digital precision, there is something gratifying about an event whose time and dimensions are based on physical reality instead of arbitrary human will. But there is nothing comforting about The Challenge itself. In fact it is brutal. By the time you are done you feel someone massaged your legs with a baseball bat. And it is deep pain, deep into the muscles of the thighs and calves.

Quote:
Mary Reed in her article at getoutzine.com says from her experience in the challenge last year

I ask my fellow participants why they are doing this. The answers fall into three general categories: for the challenge; because I’m crazy and/or stupid; I was drunk when I signed up.

I got to the North Hills parking area where I was ushered in by Mark, whom I know as a Red Cross volunteer. I made my way to the start with two people who I met on one of the training hikes. One of them was dressed in colonial era dress, reflecting this year's theme of General Forbes march across Pennsylvania, along with Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.

Quote:
When we told some Revoluntionary reenactors what we were doing (34 miles, one day), they said that if a horse did that we would have to put it down.



We got to the start area and waited for sunrise. I met Steve there, setting up the tag scanning and radio. He remembered me from a computer donation a year ago.

My friends arrived soon after, and we waited for the beginning of the challenge along with the gathering crowd.






Quote:
M to me: "Oh, then you are normal"
T: "No, his fiancee would describe him as anything but normal"


The challenge itself began with the sunrise, with the moon still lit. In Harrison Hills park we were soon greeted by mist over a pond.



And so it was, 34 miles of trails, some roads, fields of wildflowers to cross,



utility lines to follow,



hills to descend,



which always seemed to be followed by hills to climb.



And along the way were the checkpoints, where volunteers checked us in, fed us, and encouraged us.



This year, also in keeping with the Pittsburgh 250th, the checkpoints also had names, after colonial era forts, like Fort Bedford.



Along the way we had many random conversations. Encouraging other hikers, joking around with how crazy this was. Untangling just who recruited or hoodwinked, whom to do The Challenge. And giving aid, carrying packs of people who just could not get further and needed to get somewhere to be picked up. Wrapping knees or treating blisters. Giving directions and advice. Encouraging people to push further, letting those who could not go further know just how well they did. And talking about life, of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, a WWII vet who gave out water, the neighbor on the trail who gave out water, talking about married life and kids (letting a soon-to-be-married type some hints on what is to come).

I'm a believer that when I go hiking, I am usually doing something else as well, be it photography, birding, cooking and eating, or socializing. Of course, The Challenge is big enough that it can certainly be its own reason. But I used this as a test to my ability to carry radio equipment to last through the day. The Challenge has ham radio support at all the checkpoints and accompanying key volunteer staff throughout the day, some of whom are recruited off of the Allegheny County Public Service Net/ARES/RACES, which I am a part. So I carried a handheld radio, several batteries, and listened in throughout the day.



As the day went on, the many things that go on were discussed over the radio net set up for The Challenge. From setting up the checkpoints, ensuring porta-potties were at all locations, to checking on supplies of food, water and ice. All the things that those of us on events are so thankful to see when we get to the checkpoints.



And the not so welcome messages. The tag numbers of the people dropping out. The questions about hikers not accounted for. Arranging for pickups of those who need help. And the warnings of the thunderstorm that was coming that evening.

As the miles went on and the knees were battered, I heard the warning coming of the thunderstorms for Ohio over the radio net, and that gave a sense of urgency to the last few miles. And on the trails of North Park the lightening and thunder started. My little group realized we were less than a mile from the finish, but took the better part of valor and jumped trail to the Sharon shelter to call for pickup. Not long after, we saw the sweep hikers shepherding other hikers off the trail and they brought us to the finish at Beaver shelter for food and rest for our battered legs.

Many thinks to all the volunteers, the training hike leaders (hi Bob and Donna), trail maintainers (hi Mark), everyone who manned checkpoints, logistics and management (hi Steve). And thanks to the radio support, for passing on their frequencies and letting me listen in, giving a bit of an education on the running of a net during an event. And for all the company on The Challenge. I'd welcome seeing you again on trails anywhere, anytime.

New spaces

Moving is a funny thing. First, there is the shock of packing all of your worldly possessions. And if you do it right, you end up with everything you own in boxes in one room before the movers (hired or friends) show up. And you get something that looks like this.



Maintenance staff trying to be helpful: "Let me reserve the elevator for you"
Me: "I don't need it, I'm on the first floor"
Mover: "Good!"

Movers after going through my apartment to "see what we are in for": "He's ready. You should give classes on packing to our customers"

Quote (Movers and maintenance staff watching another moving truck come by): "good thing we got here first" (to get the spot next to the door to the outside)

Loading the truck was fairly easy. We had to take apart a bed that looked like it would fall apart if we picked it up. And I had a lot of camping stuff in bags that they put into one very big box (which was now very heavy), but other then that, it was just move the whole thing in.

Then we got to the townhouse. Which goes three up + basement

Mover: These things are pretty, but the architects do not like movers.

So the moving in was hard, and we had to take a couple of breaks along the way. Especially after bringing furnature to the top floor

Mover: When you move out, leave the ___ there as a housewarming present

So now, I'm in a new (for me) house. And there is so much space around. I have a nice kitchen that two people can work in without bumping into each other (not that is a bad thing, especially if the other person is nice and soft to bump into :-) )




And lots of room for my Roomba, which used to be restricted to certain areas, to run around.



And I'm sitting here, after a neighborhood run, eating breakfast and listening to the Roomba run around. This is nice.

Ritas on the River, San Antonio TX

Server 1: Hi. C is your server, but she asked if I can get you started. Do you want anything to drink?

Me: Can you tell me about Shiner Bock?

Server 1: Umm, let me ask the bartender about it. . . . Hey, can you come up with words to describe Shiner Bock?

C comes bounding up: Oh, Shiner Bock is my favorite beer, I drink it all the time at home . . .

Server 1: Oh, and (bartender) says

C: Oh, he does not like Shiner Bock, but let me tell you . . .



Earlier that day

Take off. *rumble* *shake* Me to neighbor: That did not sound too good.


Later, a bit before landing: This is that pilot speaking . . . That vibration you may have noticed on take off, one of our landing gear tires blew out. . . We'll be landing in . . . Please take out your safety cards as we review procedures for emergency landing.

I ended up explaining to my neighbor just what does one tire blowing out mean (not much, as long as its neighbor and the landing gear are ok), what the procedure is (the pilot had explained this in detail, but most people did not catch it), and yes, this was more complicated than the normal landing, but not out there on the difficulty/dangerous rating compared to what these fine (young) pilots are trained for, but it would be a good idea to count how many seats are between you and the two nearest exits. It probably helped my neighbors' comfort level that as we approached, the pilot did indeed do a few of the things I had explained in detail.

And of course, lots of joking around on the ground afterwards.

Neighbor on bus from plane to terminal: I wonder why they did not just have all of us get our bags at the plane since we were waiting for the buses.
Me: They probably were trying to get us off the runway. People who run airports get nervous when people who don't belong are wandering on runways. Like these buses that are normally parking shuttles (noticing the helpful placards for people going to/from parking lots on the bus). That is why all these SUVs with flashing lights are playing sheepdog with the buses.
Neighbor: *chuckling* yep, keeping everyone in line.

Man on escalator after I caught a lady with a baby who fell while trying to hold baby and bags: This has been an exciting day, hasn't it.

CQ CQ CQ DE KB3OGQ/AG

Passed the exam this evening. Some quotes of the night:

VE1: He is doing this the hard way, he keeps getting deployed so he doesn't get his ticket punched (take the exams)

VE1: Do you want to try the Extra exam? You already paid the fee and you are already here.

later

VE2: He is taking this just for giggles.

VE2: You know what this means, know you know what you have to study.
Me: Yes, everything.

VE2: Is this a guy thing to look at each other's knives? (the other volunteer examiners had taken out their pocket knives and were looking at them on the table)

QOTD: I should have found a fiancee before I went

S: I heard you got engaged, is this something new?
Me: We were dating before I went (to Afghanistan). She was watching my things while I was away, We even wrote pen and paper letters to each other.
S: Wow, you must have some great momentos for the grandchildren about how you courted their grandmother while you were in a war zone. I should have found a fiancee before I went so I could do that.

Thailand Travel notes 2007 2/2

Day 5 was the actual wedding. We went to Wat Benjamabopit where the monk who supervised one of my cousins time ordained was. An aunt had gone the night before and set up preparations for the wedding. At that point we found out that the monk in question was very engaged with the preparations, and had made plans on showing us around to the best spots to take pretty pictures.

Quotes
J (brother of groom): Wow, he is really involved. I thought monks were supposed to renounce worldly things like marriage.
Me: Yes, but that is just for themselves. If religious people are not involved with important things like marriage, births and deaths, what society will support them? And weddings are much more fun then funerals. (there was a funeral on the grounds as well)

Cousin: Noone goes to the Wat (temple) for weddings anymore.
Me: That's why they are being so helpful, they are trying to associate coming to the temple with fun things like weddings and nice pictures, and maybe people will come more often.

We got there around 9, and the monk came and met us, and took us on a tour of the grounds to take, well, pretty pictures. There were some side building that were well decorated. Sides of temple buildings. A room with pictures of some historical leaders and statel wood fixtures.

The actual ceremony was next. 9 monks at the front. They had the chanting in Bali. The presentation of the triple gem as well as the five precepts. Then the feeding of the monks. Last, the blessing and the splashing of holy water. After the monks left, we had the water ceremony. One of the things that got noticed is J and I seemed not to have any duties as groomsmen. Although the two bridesmaids had their time to stand and look pretty (they prepare water for use by the many participants in the water ceremony, namely everyone present who was married. As there were only ~70 people present it was not too bad. At my other sister's wedding with 200+ people the girls were platooning this duty.) There were a few more pictures and lunch. And that was it. B (sister's now husband) was very happy. So was the bride (a good thing).

After getting back to the house, we changed, rested a bit, and B, my sister and J wanted to go shopping. But not the high end luxury shopping (which they saw in Taiwan), they wanted real "ghetto" shopping. I had brought them down a nearby Soi (side street) the night before that was still active. So I brought them to Mahboonkrong (MBK). MBK is an older mall, but nearby the really nice malls like Siam Paragon, Discovery Center and Siam Center. When you start at Siam Paragon and walk through, it is really obvious that each mall is aimed at a different audience. MBK is divided into zones. The first zone is like th other malls. As you go further, it becomes more old fashioned. And the last zone is like a bazaar, and we went at it. They enjoyed the haggling over everything. So did I. We got back on the BTS (train). Oh, first time B and my sister used the train system here.

Last day here we went to the floating market and the Samphram Elephant Grounds. Very touristy and not really remarkable in any way. But now on my way home.

Thailand travel notes part 1

Random, discombobulated travel notes

Early morning flight from Pittsburgh to LaGuardia Airport. First major task, getting from LaGuardia to JFK (where internationa flights originate). This was actually real easy, because I was pointed to a door, outside of which was a dispatch agent for the buses, who sold me a ticket for the bus that just pulled up. The bus driver was pretty new (I think). But the real highlight, I had a whole coach bus drive me to JFK all to myself. Personnal door-to-door service.

At JFK, while waiting for check-in, there was a guy with two women in front of me. The guy had run past me on the way in the terminal. It turned out that he was a pastor who was helping a member of his congregation and her mother. Her mother was heading back home to Thailand. But she does not speak english. So he asked "she can ask you if she needs help, right." At this point people who are aware of my command of Thai are laughing. Let's see, getting through security was fun. But the real fun thing was the survey that the New York Airport Authority was conducting. So here I am, trying to walk her through an 8-page survey. Which goes well beyond my Thai vocabulary. We actually got through 2/3 of the survey. At this point, we get the attention of a student from Mahidol university who was visiting the states. Between the three of us, we got it.

It was a very long flight, direct from New York to Bangkok. Something that probably was not even possible not all that many years ago (prior to the Boeing 777 and Airbus 340). The flight was to Suvarnabhumi, the new airport. The place is huge. The basic form is like an open tent over hallways and rooms. Think the new Denver airport, but about four of them put together. High ceilings (which probably helps a lot with the temperature control.) with lots of soft light (from the white, slightly translucent ceilings.

I saw my new friends while getting our luggage.

"Who is waiting for you?"
"My mom"
"How long are you going to be here?"
"___days"
"I hope you meet a nice Thai girl."
"Thank you, but I already have a girlfriend."

Birds so far:

Barn Swallow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Common Myna
Rock Pidgeon
White Stork
Little Egret
Oriental Magpie Robin
Coppersmith Barbet

One of the pleasures of the trip was visiting college friends. I met with N and her son S at Emporium Mall by Phrom Phong station. And we used the easiest of landmarks, Starbucks. We went to a children's play area while N and I talked about all sorts of things of life. And we shared pictures. We met with her sister for lunch at the mall food court. At the time N and S went to the bathroom. So eventually this lady coming through just stops near the entrance (where I was) and starts looking around. After staring at each other for a few minutes we introduced ourselves. N was impressed that we figured out who each other was by ourselves. We had lunch (ba mii moo daeng). Afterwards I went to Siam Discovery/Center/Paragon/MBK to do some shopping and went home.

I met with my grad school classmate J Thursday lunch at Siam Paragon. We had dim sum at a plce that was to nice for dim sum. But it was good. In addition to the normal things, and some things that you hope for but are not always on the menu, there a durian pastry, that I had to get once I saw it. Very enjoyable catching up, talking about our socioligical observations of how Thailand has changed in the past six years, various aspects of marriage/divorce/relationships, lots of talking about advice we've gotten. And lists of things to do here. All the things that make us act as if we are human beings :-)

My sister and her fiancee + family came in that day. Today, while my sister went for photo studio pictures (it would take someone from Taiwan or Korea to properly appreciate what this means) I took J (his brother) and his parents to Lumpini Park. Bangkok in general is a loud and dirty place, but Lumpini Park is the city park, occupying the same relationship to the city as Central Park. So, in the middle of Bangkok, we went via BTS to a nice stroll in the park around a nice little lake. We also got lunch. So, not knowing where to get food we asked. In Thai. And the first person we asked was a foreigner who did not speak thai, and did not know anything about the area. At the same time, J struck a conversation with another expat couple out for a walk, and they also did not know anything about the area. Third time the charm, I spoke with a guy who ended up pointing us to a gate were there were hawkers (I think his daughter really wanted to jump into the conversation to practice her english) and so we went. There were a number of food stands. We used two of them. One was pretty easy, one of the people working the stand spoke english. The other was a little harder, especially since the one cook was busy. With two people working and a couple of young office ladies who were there helping us we figured out how to make an order. We brought the food to the park to have a nice lunch. Some of the people who we had asked for help walked by and we rejoiced in our success.

and at night you become a superhero - and other quotes

I spent the last weekend doing a lot of emergency service work, both as a ham radio operator at the Head of the Ohio and for a Red Cross exercise. Some quotes:

"Next time there is someone who is vitally important to the running of the whole show and she refuses a shadow, give her one anyway."

Me: "Hi. I'm your shadow. Your not allowed to get lost anymore."

Me: "You are going to sit down, under a tent, in the shadow, and I am going to watch you drink this bottle of water and eat a protein bar." (at 3PM, on a very hot day)

"I told them that they needed to turn around, and they started telling me how the river was free for everyone. Then I told them that is ok, and the Coast Guard will be coming by to talk to them. They said, 'The Coast Guard?!' Yes, the same U.S. Coast Guard that issues your licenses and put up the Notice To Mariners that is on your marina board saying that the river is closed today, and has been broadcasting messages on Marine Radio every half hour telling you that the river is closed. And they are coming to you."

Coast Guard: "Oh, we saw them. And we stopped to chat. And they were very agreeable."

Coast Guard: "I think we will go over there and say hi. And discourage anyone from heading in the river too fast."

Actress playing resident who was not quite all there and was trying to 'escape': "I want to go for a walk."
Me: "Oh fun, I want to go for a walk with you. Over here is a go outside for a walk place (pointing at a door that led to a courtyard, that was not out)"
Actress: "Oh, you're no fun. I can't even be mean to you."

Actress from a previous exercise: "Hi, remember me?"
Later in the day: "I'm hurt, you were avoiding me all day."

Disaster volunteer: "I work in marketing, it is so boring."
Me: "So then at night you put on your Red Cross shirt and become a superhero."
Volunteer: "I should show you what my phone says. 'Wonder Woman'"

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 2007-2008 season gala quotes

"You two look real good. Is someone going to take your picture?"
Well, since she was asking, of course we asked if she could.

"I know you, do you work for ___? We met at the Korean picnic" (three years ago!)

"Welcome back. We're glad you are safe"

"I don't mind that you can't remember girls names"

Word of the Day: downrange

downrange: shooting. The part of a shooting range where bullets are going i.e. the target and backstop.

Military. A combat zone.

Usage: "How long have you been downrange?"

Word of the Day: Popping Smoke

Smoke: Particulate that is carried in the air and is visible to the eye.
Popping smoke: Lighting pyrotechnic device to generate dense clouds of colored smoke. Used in signaling aircraft from the ground and to identify specific locations. Especially used in marking pickup spots for personnel extraction by aircraft.

Popping smoke: Leaving, especially very quickly.
Usage: "When are you popping smoke?"

QOTD: It is pink. It may as well be contaminated

P1: "My wife had to get a new cell phone"
P1: "It is pink. It might as well be contaminated"
P2: "Does that mean you can't use it? How secure are you in your masculinity?"
Later
P1: "(young daughter), did mommy get a new phone? What color is it? Where you with her when she got it? Did you pick the pink phone?"

QTOD: Have you read those books?

I was giving a collegue some books I had in PDF

P1: Have you read all those books?
Me: I'm from ____. One thing we know how to do is read.

P1: Have you read ___ by ___ ___?
Me: I even cited him in my brief.

QOTD: You're not gone yet

Ok, this was someone who was hoping to use my computer :-)

Word of the Day: Short

Short
usage:
1. Are you getting short?
2. How short are you? He's so short he can look up at a dime.

The state of being when your assignment is close to an end. Long form: short timer. Symptoms: the number of days left in the assignment is recalled instantly by the person in question, as well as anyone who spends more then 10 seconds with the person in a day. Viewing the pages in the calendar below the current month as worthless. Boxes being used to get stuff out instead of bringing stuff in. Office mates looking around and thinking about rearranging all the furniture as the desk and shelves will be cleaned out. Everything done is associated with the question "How are we going to do this when ___ is not here?"

Second-story man

I locked myself out of my hooch today (our rooms are padlocked)

Me: Could you do me a favor?
P1: Yeah, sure.
Me: Could you open my door when I pass my key out? I'm going to hop the wall
P1: *confused look* ok

So, I jumped the wall, and passed my key out. And he opened my door.

I wonder if I have a new career option here?