The Evil Eyebrow

Category: Opinion

  • Kaki King and Joe Robinson

    Joe Robinson

    Last weekend I was visiting friends in Massachusetts and they took me to see a show in Northhampton, headlined by Kaki King and opened by Joe Robinson.

    I had absolutely no idea what to expect, having neither heard of them nor of the venue (Iron Horse). I walked in, sat down, ordered some food and beer and marveled at the panoply of guitars that were set out on stage. There were a lot and I didn’t (still don’t) have descriptions for them.

    Then Joe Robinson came on stage and started playing. Halfway through the first song, I leaned over and whispered to Annie, “This guy is good.”

    Then he got better.

    And then he got better.

    Joe Robinson fucking rocked the house with just himself and his guitar. I think he applied vocals to two or three songs, but I was too fixated on his guitar playing. Wow.

    Kaki King

    Once Joe was done, to wild applause, it was Kaki King’s turn. I had remarked after the first song by Joe that I hoped the headliner was at least as good or I was going to feel let down. I did not.

    Kaki got on stage and proceeded to do things with her guitars so that I couldn’t understand how she was making those noises! She was using a technique that I’d never seen before (partially shown in the image) and was making that guitar sing in ways I’m sure I can’t describe with any sort of fidelity.

    It was, possibly, the best concert I’ve been to in years. I was blown away by the musicianship and virtuosity displayed by these two fabulous guitarists. I hope they come to Atlanta soon.

  • Doctor Frustration

    Warning: The following constitutes generalizations with a sample size of “not very big”.

    Medical Doctors, it seems, don’t really want to look at me as a whole anymore. They want to look at “the problem” and fix it. Or try. Or prescribe medication until it fixes itself. I am not interested in that; I need a long-term approach to a persistent problem; this seems to be an alien thought to the specialists I’ve been seeing.

    Some background: I’ve had two back surgeries, one in 1991 when I was 17 and one in 2001 when I was 27. Both were discectomies, removing bulging discs that were pressing agains my spinal cord and causing debilitating pain. Since then, I’ve had chronic issues with my back, but not associated with the spine per se. The issues have to do with my frequent overstressing of back muscles which then put me on the sidelines for two weeks to a month.

    Additional background: Last July I pulled my calf and this caused me to defer training for the Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn’t for about two months that the calf was healed enough to let me run. Now, after training for the Georgia Marathon, I pull the very same calf muscle ((medial gastrocnemius, if you care)) and am now fed up. With both issues.

    I’ve been a mostly self-coached athlete since taking up running and triathlon. I make efforts to do the things you’re supposed to do in my position: train your core, work on stabilization, improve hip flexibility and strength. Things are obviously not working. So, it’s time to seek some professional help.

    Enter the doctors. They seem convinced of several things:

    • I don’t know what’s wrong with me
    • It’s “my back” or “my discs” ((the first doctor I saw said, “your discs are hurting.” This after I explained my relative familiarity with lumbar anatomy and the several conditions I’ve personally experienced. Kthxbye))
    • It’s something that can be treated through injections
    • It’s something they need to refer to a spinal surgeon

    Finally I gave up and said, “Just give me a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in athletes and sports medicine.” The second doctor seemed convinced that all of my issues were due to overtraining, which I suppose is possible, but there’s no way he could know that from a five minute talk with me and a very brief discussion of my training.

    Thusly, I’m a bit frustrated with the medical community right now. When I made the appointments, I tried to tell the people involved what it was I was looking for (long-term plan and approach) and almost universally I got blank silence on the phone. They seemed to be taken aback that I wanted to vet the doctor I was making an appointment with before showing up. Doesn’t anyone do that nowadays? When I picked my primary care physician, I called the group he is a part of and told the receptionist that I didn’t want to see a doctor who didn’t run at least once a week. I wanted a physician who I could trust at least had an inkling of my habits and conditions.

    Unfortunately, when I started looking around for someone to help treat my calf and my back, I discovered that “sports medicine” around here ((at least within my insurance plan)) does not mean backs. It means arms, legs, elbows, knees, etc. Also, I’ve discovered ((again, within the doctors on my insurance plan)) that “sports medicine” and “non-operative” seem to be mutually exclusive. The doctors have seemed a bit huffy when the very first thing I’ve said is that I don’t want surgery or medication. The guy I saw yesterday said, “I can recommend a non-operative back specialist in our group. He only does injections.” What part of non-operative means “injections”?

    I’ve tried to explain, up front, exactly what I want, and why I want it. I want non-operative, long-term care to take care of muscle imbalances and strains that are affecting my running. I’ve also tried to explain that I do indeed know a little bit about this stuff and that, no, it’s not my discs acting up ((Probably. I obviously can’t guarantee it)) because I know what that feels like, and it’s distinctive ((Truly. There’s nothing quite like leg pain or sensations due to inflammation around my lumbar region. Plus, if my lower back hurts, and it hurts because of a pulled muscle and not lumbar issues, then when someone palpates that muscle and I yell, it’s obvious where the problem lies)). I’m also an experienced athlete with an unfortunate amount of knowledge with these particular injuries. Lastly, it’s my body and I have an investment in knowing what’s going on with it. What I don’t know, and the reason I’m seeing doctors, is how to fix it. Or if not “fix” at least “reduce”, “mitigate”, or “avoid”.

    All of the above is my fault, however. From the very first moment I decided I need professional attention I’ve been tempted to just go to some of the sports physiologists that are associated with the triathlon club I’m a member of, or that hang around the Atlanta Track Club, etc. However, these professionals aren’t members of my insurance plan. I have no desire to spend money I don’t have to, so I would prefer to have the insurance pay the specialist I’m going to see. If I need to, though, I’ll bite the bullet and pay out of pocket.

    So, right now I’m not too keen on the medical profession. I understand why they’re geared up the way they are (no time to spend with patients, paid by the procedure, paid by the patient) but that doesn’t make me happy about it.

  • Errant Hypocrisy Makes Bill Sad

    Today on the Political Insider:

    Cain: The role of Muslims in American society is for them to be allowed to practice their religion freely, which is part of our First Amendment. The role of Muslims in America is not to convert the rest of us to the Muslim religion. That I resent. Because we are a Judeo-Christian nation, from the fact that 85 percent of us are self-described Christians, or evangelicals, or practicing the Jewish faith. Eighty-five percent. One percent of the practicing religious believers in this country are Muslim. [editor emphasis]

    Herman Cain is from Georgia and is displaying either crass hypocrisy or an amazing unawareness of what he’s saying.

    I will remind my reader that a fundamental tenet of Evangelical Christian sects is to actively promulgate their message to nonbelievers. If you’re not saved, you’re going to hell, and there’s no middle ground.

    It always amazes/depresses me when politicians can say things like this with a straight face. Like the birther movement, you’re either ignorant or a hypocrite. There’s no middle ground.

    About eight seconds after posting this, I read this

  • Why I don't Trust the Cloud

    Engadget alerted me today to a little whoopsie with Google Mail

    If you’ve got a working Gmail account, you might want to back it up every so often — as many as 500,000 Gmail users lost access to their inboxes this morn, and some of them are reporting (via Twitter and support forums) that years worth of messages, attachments and Google Chat logs had vanished by the time they were finally able to log on

    Not good. Not good at all. However, my very first thought was “what the heck did you guys expect?”

    If you trust your data to a third party, that third party will inevitably corrupt, trade, tittilate, lose, sell, abuse, arouse, and/or reject it. This is the natural scheme of things. You disbelieve me at your peril.

    I contend that while you may read my last paragraph as the rantings of a paranoid person, I’m merely applying Henleins’s Razor: “Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” It only takes one person to gloriously screw up your internet life, and that person may be having a really bad day after discovering their partner in bed with their best friend, or something similar. How much do you want to trust your personal correspondence and data to the Google equivalent of a postalized employee?

    I’m not a cloud-luddite, however. It has wonderful uses. I’m in the midst of a three month battle with my corporate IT to allow me access to Google Documents at work. I also use Dropbox and some other cloud-based file management applications. What I don’t do is primarily store things I will want access to later on the web. This is the great failing of Google Mail, in my opinion. I access my personal email through an IMAP server, but it is downloaded to my own PC and then backed up to an external hard drive, both of which I have personal control over. If my ISP goes poof, I will at most lose a few hours worth of email (less, actually, because there will be a resident copy on my phone). I will never have to worry about the last time I backed up my Google Mail.

    So. Don’t trust the Cloud too much. You might regret it.

  • Humans are Humans and Some aren't very Nice

    According to the AJC, a University of Alabama fan has poisoned Auburn’s famous Toomer’s Corner Live Oaks, a set of 130 year-old oak trees. Why?

    From the radio show where he made the claim:

    According to the Opelika-Auburn News, the caller said he poisoned the oaks because Auburn students rolled the trees to celebrate the death of Alabama coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1983.

    The caller signed off with, “Roll Damn Tide.”

    Some days I’m just not happy to be a member of the same species as some other people.

    Sure, in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t murder, nor is it genocide, nor the deliberate torture of children nor the calling for the murder of doctors, but really? Killing trees because you’re angry? I don’t like you .

  • Georgia Legislature: Bicycle Bills

    Bike_Stand_with_David

    There are currently three bills related to bicycles going through the Georgia Legislature:

    HB 71 – Sidewalks

    House Bill 71 does two things: It provides for the requirement that vehicles yield to bicycles as well as pedestrians on sidewalks. It also allows operation of bicycles by persons older than 12 on the sidewalks, something that has been prohibited in Georgia to date.

    Interestingly, I believe from crash statistics that is actually more dangerous to operate your bicycle on a sidewalk than on a street. That’s because of the number of times you have to cross alleys and streets and driveways.

    This one I support, although I think people need to be trained to ride their bikes in the street and not on the sidewalk. Leave the sidewalk for the pedestrians

    HB 101 – Bike Lanes and Definitions

    House Bill 101 does several worthy things and several bad things. I do not support this legislation in its current form.

    • The bill defines and specifies what a “Bicycle Lane” is, and requires that any bicycle lane meet national standards for construction and design. I approve.
    • The bill requires motor vehicles to yield to bicycles in a bicycle lane and specifically outlaws “imped[ing] the bicycle lane from bicycle traffic.” That is for those people who like to drive in bike lanes. I approve.
    • The bill further prohibits parking in a bike lane. I approve.
    • The bill allows for the operation of bicycles on a paved shoulder but specifically says that it is not required. I approve.
    • The bill allows for signaling of turns with either arm, and does not require continuous signaling, if the hands are needed. I approve.
    • The bill calls for riding as far right as practicable except to avoid hazards or for other conditions as defined. I somewhat do not approve.
    • The bill specifically prohibits the transportation of a child under one year of age in a bicycle or bicycle trailer. I do not approve.
    • The bill allows for local authorities to prohibit bikes from a roadway and require them to use the adjacent bicycle path unless “…petitioned to remove restrictions upon demonstration that the bicycle path has become inadequate due to capacity, maintenance, or other causes.” I do not approve.

    The section about riding as far right as practicable I’m hesitant about, but they could beef it up with some additional language and I’d be happy. The reason for my ambiguity is a personal example of riding. I want to make a left on a three lane road. I don’t want to have to sit in the right lane until the last minute and then cut across traffic. The safe way is to merge over to the left lane a distance back from the turn and ride up to the left turn location. This gives maximum visibility to me and maximum predictability of my actions to drivers.

    The part about not allowing cyclists to bring their babies with them is just crap pure and simple. Sure, I support the general idea that it’s not safe to bring your baby with you, but to prohibit it is getting into personal rights territory. Of interest, Rep. McKillip, the bill’s sponsor, is the Athens Democrat who recently defected to the Republicans. If I want to bring my baby with me on my bike, or if I have to, because that’s the only method I have of getting around, that is my call.

    The part about allowing local jurisdictions to prohibit bikes on roadways if there is an adjacent bike path shows that Rep. McKillip doesn’t ride very much on bike paths. Most of the time, you wouldn’t want half of the bikers on the bike path because they’re going too fast, and those paths tend to have pedestrians and strollers and roller bladers who really don’t appreciate me buzzing past at 20 mph. Plus, those paths are the first ones to fill up with debris. If you provide me a path that is well maintained and safe for me, I’ll use it, but please don’t require me to.

    HB 180 – Safe Clearance

    Lastly, House Bill 180 is a “safe clearance” bill requiring three feet of clearance between motor vehicles and bicycles during passing maneuvers. I approve.

  • Georgia Legislature: Sunday Sales of Alcohol

    Beer at Gordon Biersch

    In Georgia you can buy a beer on Sunday at a restaurant1, but not at a store. Senate Bill 10 of the 2011 legislative session may fix that. The word is that this year, this bill has a good chance of becoming law.

    Of course, I say “fix that” but what I really mean is that the legislature is doing a time honored pass-the-buck tradition. Instead of a blanket opening of the door to Sunday Sales of alcohol, they’ve submitted a bill to let local counties and municipalities opt, by referendum, after an appropriate resolution or ordinance is passed, to allow it.

    [sigh]

    I would have preferred if they ditched the prohibition entirely and allowed local municipalities or counties to opt back in.

    Still, it’s a step in the right direction, in my opinion. The marriage of Republicans with their “personal responsibility” mantra and Baptists with their “Death to Alcohol” craze has always been a weird one, to me.

    This Senate bill would allow Sunday sales of package store alcohol after 12:30 PM on Sundays. So, you still can’t get up in the morning and go get some Johnny Walker. I suppose that’s because the various church goers don’t want to miss the rush.

    Here’s a link to the Senate bill
    Here’s a link to the existing code, which is complicated: GA Code Annotated. You’ll have to go through the menus to Section 3-3-7 and 3-3-20.

    1: But not everywhere

  • Running without Ego

    I have a philosophy that I try to embue in the people around me who are also participating in endurance sports. It is symbolized by the phrase, “Run Without Ego.”

    What it means is that you should be running/biking/swimming/rowing/whatevering for you, and not for anyone else. The converse to that is that it’s about you, and not anyone else. This is important for several reasons:

    • If you’re only competing with yourself, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s goals and/or abilities. I recall the situation of a friend (Hi Mike!) who decided, more or less randomly, to run a 10k. He turned in something like 1 hour, with no training. Grrrr… However, I retreated to my philosophy wherein it’s more important that I congratulate him for his ability to do that, rather than be envious or angry that he could beat my 10k time (of that moment) without having put in the effort I had.
    • When I’m training, and doing something like a run-walk program, there is a temptation to modify the speed—or convert the walk to a run—if someone else is watching. The evil thought goes through your head, “That girl/guy is a runner. And (s)he’s watching2. I’d better pick it up so I don’t look like a doofus.” No, no, no. It’s always important to stick with your training program and not give in to those fears. Run for yourself, and not for what other people think.
    • Mental health during competitive sports, in my opinion, means concentrating on yourself and not so much the other person.

    When racing, I am competitive with the people around me, but only in the sense that a person may be ahead of me, or coming up from behind me, and I want to keep my ranking as high as I can. Using other people as Rabbits in a race is an excellent motivator. However, my philosophy of Running without Ego lets me use those people not as race competitors, but as mental incentives. Honestly, Running without Ego doesn’t get much of a test during races for me because, as I’ll never be near the top of a race, it doesn’t matter so much who is around me. Only in triathlons, where a person’s age group is written on their calf, will I have any idea if the person I’m competing against is someone who’s name may be near mine in the age group rankings. I just try to turn in my best time and one of these days, I may place in the top three of my age group.

    This philosophical outlook gets tested occasionally. For example, today I ran across a posting entitled How to Hack a Marathon if you aren’t a Runner1.

    A few years ago I ran the San Francisco marathon without training and finished it in 4 hours and 28 minutes.

    Instantly, a rage blazed up within me, consuming all coherent thought. How dare this person do that! I’ve trained for three marathons (completing only one) and I just barely broke 5 hours, and it sucked! [mental screaming ensued]3

    But, then I backed off and thought about it and grudgingly thought, “good for him.” If he can put down his pen and then go run a marathon, more power to him. Maybe he should train some and then he’ll run a marathon really damn fast but in the grand scheme of things, it’s about him and not me.

    I keep this attitude, especially when I’m encouraging new runners who are having difficulties and/or referring to themselves as “slow”. You’re only as slow as your pace. Your fast pace may be my slow pace, but that doesn’t make you slow. It makes you going your own fast pace. If you work at it, that pace may improve. Or it may not, depending on factors that might be beyond your control. The important thing is to be competitive with yourself and not with anyone else.

    1: Although by my definition, you are a runner if you sign up for a marathon.

    2: Possibly, “…and she’s hot!”

    3: Actually, the real reason this angered me wasn’t because of the article itself. If you click through, you’ll see that the attitude of the post was, “hey, we thought why the hell not, so we did.” BUT! The article had been linked from Lifehacker&mdas;hwho will receive NO linkbait from me on this one—with the title of (basically) “Go out and run a marathon without training. Here’s how!” Personally, I find that irresponsible because they’re asking people to injure themselves if they try. Sure, some people will manage, but others could have serious problems.

  • Jailbreak?

    Is it a jailbreak if—through inaction—you are released before your time is up?

    Apparently a woman was released from prison a year early due to a paperwork snafu. If she knew that she still had time left and was complicit in the early release by doing nothing to correct the issue, is she liable for the time-honored punishments for jailbreaking prisoners?

    Or, conversely, is the County liable for violating the constitution by subjecting the woman to cruel and unsusual punishment in the form of an early release followed by a return to prison?

    So many thick juicy questions!

  • Georgia Legislative Session 2011

    I’ve been paying more and more attention to Georgia politics over the last few years. Partly because it directly affects my job, but also because it’s interesting in an OH MY GOD kind of way. I expect that is the case no matter what level of politics you’re paying attention to (or where), but in my own ego-centric world, I feel that Georgia is special in its ability to deliver crazy people and their crazy ideas into the state legislature.

    This year, I plan to keep a close watch on the goings on as the legislative session proceeds. The session, if you’re not aware, began on January 10th, despite the snowpocalypse. Members of both chambers either arrived on Sunday and stayed at hotels to beat out the storm or were shuttled to the Capitol by state police on Monday morning1. Since then, we’ve had the inauguration of Governor Deal, the State of the State address, and the Governor’s proposed budget plan. Don’t forget about all the bills and resolutions that have already been filed in both the House and the Senate. My best buddy Bob Franklin (R-Cobb County)—total sarcasm intended here—has been prolific with his bills so far, mandating no driver’s licensing, no firearms laws (at all), and reverting back to a gold/silver currency for conducting all state business2. I’d link you to these bills, however the Georgia Assembly’s website is down at the moment.

    You can look for me to be sporadically keeping tabs on the various goings on in the Assembly, and sharing them with you.

    1: The state constitution mandates that the legislative session begin on the second Monday of January. No provisions for weather are made, although the constitution does say “The General Assembly shall meet in regular session on the second Monday in January of each year, or otherwise as provided by law…[emphasis added]”. I am not aware of any laws addressing this issue. Georgia Constitution, 2007 (PDF)
    2: Bob Franklin is going to get picked on a lot by me for several reasons. One, his bills are batshit insane and I don’t understand what he thinks he can accomplish with them. Two, he literally represents my backyard (but not me!) because the district boundary line is my property line. Hopefully that won’t change with this year’s redistricting.