Demelza

During dinner with the 24 gang last night Lo & Gary called from the middle of the South Pacific! They are currently making their way back to Vancouver from New Zealand on their sailboat Demelza. We spoke to them via their HAM radio operator who had to keep reminding some of us to say "over". It was so amazing to hear Lo's voice knowing that she was on a boat in the middle ocean 5000 nautical miles away from us! The map below shows where Demelza is...this Google map is better: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=VE0DLZ
They will be home in July - I can't wait to see them!!

Sun Run Weekend

My friend Cari is running the Sun Run this weekend. There was a good article on her in the Vancouver Sun yesterday:

Cari Kuzyk is discovering that motherhood and elite running can make for a compatible combination.

A former three-time NAIA cross country champion at SFU, Kuzyk felt her days as a competitive runner where pretty much over when she and her husband decided to start a family. But now that son Payton is a robust two and a half year old toddler, Kuzyk is finding there are ways of combining her role as a mother and still get back into the competitive world of racing.

"I thought I was finished as a runner," laughs Kuzyk, who is training for the 10K April 23 Sun Run. "However, I've found running is a sport that fits pretty well with being a stay-at-home mom. Payton is still my focus, but I'm back in competitive running and Payton seems to enjoy being outdoors and coming to my races."

After completing her college days at SFU -- where she competed as Cari Rampersad -- Kuzyk worked for a while for the Better Business Bureau before leaving to start a family. She resumed training again last June and, with the workouts going so well, she decided to enter the Canadian cross country championships in early December at Jericho Beach. To her surprise the result there was a top-10 finish in the short course 6K race. That was good enough to earn her a spot on the national team as well as a recent trip to Japan for the world championships.

"I was a bit shocked to make the national team," admits Kuzyk, a Cranbrook native who trains under Jerry Tighe with the Hershey Harriers Track Club. "The first few months after getting back into training were a bit hard. But it got better after that."

With the Sun Run coming so soon after her April 2 race in Japan Kuzyk -- a psychology major who also won a NAIA 3,000-metre indoors crown while competing for SFU -- isn't quite sure what to expect from herself at the Sun Run, which she hasn't contested for several years. Her focus for the summer is on the Canadian 10,000-metre track championships which will be held in Abbotsford in June.

"I used to run 10K races, so it's not that big an adjustment," notes Kuzyk, who ran an 8K at the cross country Worlds in Japan. "It's definitely a competitive thing for me. I want to see what I can do."

Lance to run N.Y. marathon in November

ESPN: Look out, New York. Lance is ready to run.

Lance Armstrong told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he plans to compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5.

"We were looking at the Chicago Marathon, but a conflict arose with the date, and New York seems to fit our schedule better," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "I've been training some, but I wouldn't call it serious. It's just something to fill a void in my life after I quit competing as a professional cyclist."

Armstrong, who is preparing for his first marathon, retired from cycling after winning an unprecedented seventh straight Tour de France last year.

Before committing to become a full-time cyclist, Armstrong competed in triathlons as a teenager. He indicated he has no plans to run marathons or enter triathlons professionally, at least not at this time.

Pandora

I found this great site yesterday - all you have to do is enter an artist's name and it will play music of a similar type. It is like having your own personal dj! You can try it out without registering but they only let you listen to a few songs - after that you need a US zipcode in order to sign up.

Paradise Now

We watched this movie last night - it was eye-opening. I can't comprehend what it must feel like to believe in something so strongly that you are willing to kill yourself and innocent bystanders.

"Paradise Now" follows the last few days of two suicide bombers. Dutch-based Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad has designed the story so that a number of different viewpoints on this tragic Middle Eastern form of terrorism get aired. While nothing truly new or shocking emerges, the film does bring clarity and compassion to its depiction of an act that baffles, angers and sickens people the world over. More here.

Beer Vertigo for Geoff

My friend Geoff Kabush, the rock star mountain biker, recently competed at the Commonwealth Games. He was the heavy favourite to win gold, but unfortunately he came down with a viral ear infection which he affectionately refers to as "beer vertigo". Geoff sends out regular updates to his family and friends and this update is also posted on cyclingnews.com. Here is a bit of his most recent post:

Soooo...time for another report. Last time I wrote I had just won the Oceania Champs - I was on a bit of a high, feeling pretty good about myself heading into the Commonwealth Games. Well, let's just say it has been a bit of a roller coaster since then in the world of bike racing.

Let's just say my favourite memory of Melbourne was not the racing; as soon as I got in to the athletes' village I started to feel not quite right. I loved the course at Lysterfield Park but the MTB race at the Games was one of the most difficult days on a bike for myself. I knew what I could do but I couldn't have felt worse for the race; it was pure mental torture to just finish. I could've gone out boozing for a month and felt about the same...and speaking of feeling drunk, that is what happened a few days later on the morning of the road race at the Games. As I rolled out of bed my head started spinning like I had 8-10 beers in my head. Vertigo isn't the sweetest thing to have during a road race but I hung in, took a few digs, and managed not to kill anyone before pulling the plug with a few laps to go. More here.

Jack is wanted for more than just his CTU skills...

GAYLE MACDONALD

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Like his father Donald, Kiefer Sutherland's dulcet tones are clearly in big demand.

Turn on the TV, and the star of Fox's hit espionage show 24 -- known to a legion of fans as superagent Jack Bauer -- is also the soothing voice pitching the virtues of Ford's new Fusion car.

The next commercial break might feature Toronto-bred Sutherland again persuasively pleading the case for Apple's Intel-powered computer or Verizon telecommunications. And in Japan, he's been hired to expound on the Calorie Mate nutrition bar.

Tomorrow, Sutherland's voice makes its debut as Samson, the lion, in The Wild, Disney's $80-million (U.S.) animated feature about a madcap troupe of zoo animals let loose on the big city. The hard-living actor -- who's been known to bar-brawl with the best of them -- has a set of pipes that companies find irresistible. His personal life aside, he's a risk that marketing executives from here to Tokyo are willing to bet their brand on.

Just as they did on his talented and eccentric father, who over the years has been the deep, silky-smooth voice for Volvo, Bell Canada, Cigna insurance, Beamish Genuine Irish Stout and Halifax's The Chronicle Herald newspaper.

Why -- pray tell -- are companies falling over themselves to hire the Canadian father-son duo? Franca Piacente, director of broadcast at Toronto-based communications giant MacLaren McCann, figures it's because the pair have both been blessed with voices that wrap around you like a blanket.

"Kiefer's everywhere," Piacente agrees. "When you're selling a product, you always look for a voice that's distinctive because it adds credibility. He's that, he's likable and he sounds trustworthy."

The fact that father and son are homebred boys with deep Canadian roots also doesn't hurt -- especially for audiences here, who seem to have an emotional attachment to the Sutherland clan. Kiefer is the son of Donald and Shirley Douglas, a successful Canadian stage and film actress.

He's also the grandson of Canadian statesman and medicare creator Tommy Douglas, who was voted the Greatest Canadian by CBC voters two years ago.

"Emotion sells products," sums up John Smythe, president of Partners Film Co. Ltd. "Sutherland clearly has what they're looking for."

In another Ford Fusion ad, Sutherland is teamed up with his long-time buddy Wayne Gretzky (who gets the face time). Here Sutherland voices a hockey-themed script that suggests, "It's not about taking off the gloves. It's about taking off the blinders." You can practically taste patriotic fervour in his voice.

For the Apple/Intel Mac ads, he celebrates the fact that a downtrodden little guy has been set free: "The Intel chip. For years it's been trapped inside PCs. Inside dull little boxes. Dutifully performing dull little tasks when it could have been doing so much more. . . . Starting today, the Intel chip will be set free and get to live life inside a Mac. Imagine the possibilities."

In Disney's The Wild -- made by Toronto special-effects and animation house CORE -- Sutherland is, again, the leader, proud father and hero of the day. And other famous Canadians join voices with his, namely Coach's Corner's Don Cherry as a fast-talking penguin MC (minus the bad suits) and William Shatner, who plays a fanatic leader of a cult of wildebeests.

Just this week, Sutherland -- who went to Toronto's Martingrove Collegiate Institute for high school -- signed a $40-million (U.S.) deal with Twentieth Century Fox to keep playing order-barking Bauer for another three years. With 24 now in its fifth season, Sutherland's popularity as a "voice you can trust" is not dimming.

But as Piacente dryly points out, "he's probably going to be a little more expensive now."

THE SOUND OF SUTHERLAND

Blessed with voices you don't want to mess with, Donald and Kiefer Sutherland have companies lining up to get them signed on as their product-pitching voice men. Here's a sample of some of their behind-the-scenes work:

Donald:

Volvo cars
Cigna insurance
"Simply Orange" juice
Barclays Bank
Radio commercials for Beamish Genuine Irish Stout and
Halifax's The Chronicle Herald newspaper

Kiefer:

Calorie Mate
24: The Game PlayStation 2
Verizon Business
Apple/Intel ads
Ford Fusion (Canada)
Miller Genuine Draft
The Los Angeles
Mentoring Partnership


There is a good article on Kiefer Sutherland in Rolling Stone

Selling the PhD

By Katja Bargum, PhD student, University of Helsinki (from Nature News)

"Every day, do something that scares you," urges a song I heard once. Last month, I filled my quota for a long time. As part of my mentoring programme, I went for a mock job interview at a government agency. Questions ranged from the traditional strengths-and-weaknesses to testing my knowledge on politics.

In my answers, I tried to remember what people have told me about selling the PhD as a proof of your abilities rather than a scientific piece of work. Don't call yourself a researcher or scientist — rather say that you have experience in planning and realizing large projects. Don't say you're good at lab work — describe yourself as meticulous and patient. Beware of sounding arrogant. Sadly, one of the prevailing prejudices against PhDs is that they are stuck-up specialists. Show them you can think broadly and be a team player.

The interview was stressful but ultimately rewarding. Although my guess on a budget question was 35 million Euros (US$43 million) off, the interviewers said they liked my ability to think analytically and see the big picture, both products of my graduate education. It was a real boost to see I may be employable.

And the little budget mistake? Well, knowing how to find the facts is more important than actually knowing them by heart. At least, that's what I tell myself. If anybody else shares my opinion that 35 million Euros don't matter, just send the money to me.

Lance Armstrong Races Again!

This time there was no bike involved and the race was only 5km. Lance ran 18:20. The race was a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization of which Lance's ex-wife Kristin is an honorary member. The running community has lots to say about Lance's run.

Bad day for Team Discovery at Paris-Roubaix

George Hincapie was one of the favourites to win the 104th Paris-Roubaix (one of the Spring Classics)...unfortunately his steering tube "snapped" 45 km before the finish and he was left sitting by the roadside as the race went on without him. Just when Team Discovery thought things couldn't get worse two of their other riders Leif Hoste and Vladimir Gusev who finished 2nd and 4th, respectively, were disqualified for ignoring a red light at this train crossing. Fabian Cancellara from Team CSC was the eventual winner.

As an aside, the Paris-Roubaix is 259 km long and finishes with 2 laps on the Roubaix velodrome (this year the winner took just over 6 hrs, avg speed was ~42km/hr). Along the course the riders have to carefully navigate through 27 sectors of cobblestones that this year ranged from 200m to almost 4km in length. No wonder this race is considered to have the most gruelling cycling terrain.

Lonesome - Memoirs of a Wilderness Dog

I just finished reading this book that I got for Christmas from my mom. It was excellent. The author runs the Nuk Tesslie Alpine Experience in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola.

Heritage House Publishing

Charming, humorous and utterly engaging, this is a book that will make readers laugh and cry. It is “written” by Lonesome, the author’s dog, and these observations of life in the wilds reveal a dog with great character, charm — and attitude.

Named for her first home, remote Lonesome Lake in British Columbia’s Tweedsmuir Park, Lonesome was a first-rate companion: obedient, mannerly, brave, and occasionally cynical. She did not share her human’s love of the wilderness, and wore a martyred expression for most of her life. She would have much preferred a life in the suburbs, “with nice safe walks in the park and a cozy bed inside the house.”

“Any dog worth her milk bones,” Lonesome writes, “must accept her lot in life—fording rivers, swimming lakes, camping out in bitter weather and, worst of all, bears. Yes, bears. It’s a wonder I am still around to tell this tale.”

Lonesome’s memoirs paint a vivid picture of her life with Chris, but “I am not a vindictive creature and this book will remain family reading.” She focuses on events not already recounted in Chris’s books and, as she loftily points out in her introduction, on sharing her unique dog’s perspective on their day-to-day life in the wilds.

Well-known author Chris Czajkowski has lived in the wilderness for the last 15 years; her experiences are recorded in her previous books: Cabin at Singing River, Diary of a Wilderness Dweller, Nuk Tessli, and Snowshoes and Spotted Dick: Letters from a Wilderness Dweller.

Paper #2

My 2nd first-authored paper is In Press in Bone (or "Boner" as my friend Christian calls it). It is quite long and data-heavy but hopefully the bone community finds it interesting!

Cirque in July

Jamie and I took advantage of the small student discount and got tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Varekai for July 6th. We saw Quidam when it was here a couple of years ago and I was blown away by the acrobatics and the strength and athleticism of the performers - especially of this couple. I expect that Varekai will be just as amazing.

VAREKAI

Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.

From the sky falls a solitary young man, and the story of Varekai begins. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired incantation to life rediscovered.

The word varekai means "wherever" in the Romany language of the gypsies the universal wanderers. This production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to the infinite passion of those whose quest takes them along the path that leads to Varekai.

Katie is moving to CBS

Katie Couric is leaving the Today show for greener pastures at CBS - she will be the first woman to anchor the evening news solo on American tv. Apparently her two daughters think it is a good move despite the drastic change in the family schedule that this move will bring. I watch the Today show in the morning while I am riding the indoor trainer and I will miss seeing Katie - she connects very well with her audience, although I have always thought that she wears too much makeup. Perhaps they will tone her eyeliner and lipstick down a bit at CBS.

Whale strandings linked to sonar

Nature News

Rex Dalton

Examinations of four whales found stranded along the Spanish coast in January seem to confirm a 2003 Nature report linking sonar to the deaths of several beaked whales.

In recent years, naval sonar devices have been the suspected cause of an increasing number of whale strandings worldwide. The whales are thought to take evasive action to avoid the noise, sometimes diving and surfacing until they suffer decompression sickness and die.

In 2003, British and Spanish researchers reported that Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), stranded off the Canary Islands the previous year, had deadly gas-bubble lesions called emboli in their livers. They suggested these were caused by decompression (P. D. Jepson et al. Nature 425, 575–576; 2003).

After a group of beaked whales went ashore in January, along Spain's Costa del Sol, the Spanish Cetacean Society in Madrid called veterinarian Antonio Fernandez to perform necropsies on four of the animals. He and his colleagues from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria found the same embolic syndrome as that found in the 2003 study.

"This is the first confirmation of the 2003 report," says veterinarian Paul Jepson of the Zoological Society of London, lead author of that article. The new findings are expected to be published in coming months.

Officials at the Cetacean Society suspect that mid-frequency naval sonar caused the strandings. But Fernandez notes that the ships that might have been responsible have not been identified.

Earlier this month, about 45 pilot whales died after stranding on the western side of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, following joint US and Indonesian naval exercises in the nearby Macassar Strait. The cause of the stranding is under investigation.

Some US Navy officials, and oceanographers who use devices to generate air bursts underwater for seismic studies, have been accused of blocking efforts to uncover the links between noise and whale strandings (see Nature 439, 376–377; 2006).

7 of 9

I just gave Heather the first 7 chapters - I have to say it was quite rewarding to see most of the thesis in print. Another few weeks and the last two chapters should be finished!

Monday morning happenings on our street

On my walk home from the grocery store last night an older lady at one of the houses on our street was out on her front porch saying good night to her daughter and her family who I am guessing had been there for Sunday dinner. The only reason I paid any attention was because that was the first time I had seen anyone at that house and I go by it every day. Then this morning when I went by the same house on my run there were 2 ambulances outside and they were bringing someone out on a stretcher. Strange occurrence. I hope she is ok.

Sunday Miscellaneous

1. The Canadian team didn't do so hot at World Cross in Japan.

2. Jamie's friend Didrik was on this trip to Rwanda. The Gorilla Organization is helping to provide fresh water sources for communities surrounding the habitat of mountain gorillas in order to discourage people from trekking into gorilla territory to get their water.

3. This Research Institute at UofC looks cool - they are hiring, but the position is related to school mental health promotion. Not really my area of interest.

4. If we had the $$ I would like to have Alan Maudie take pictures at our wedding.

The Eagle has Landed

Amazing streaming video footage of a bald eagle in its nest on Hornby Island. Two eggs are expected to hatch in the next few weeks.

"More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones"

We watched Capote last night. Philip Seymour Hoffman was amazing - I didn't know much about Truman Capote before watching the film and I didn't realize how perfect a portrayl Hoffman had done until we watched the extras on the DVD. The voice matching was incredible. He definitely deserved the Oscar. I am looking forward to reading In Cold Blood. Interestingly, our friend Margot was in the made for TV version of In Cold Blood with Anthony Edwards (aka Dr. Green or Goose).

Amore

Jamie and I got engaged on March 3rd. I am very lucky to have found such an amazing partner.

I knew there was a reason I didn't do this earlier...it has the potential to be a huge time waster ;)

First entry

Today is probably the 60th straight day of sitting at my computer...both of my eyes are starting to do the funny twitching thing which means I have been staring at the screen for far too long. I am going to give Heather 7 chapters of my thesis on Monday. Crazy. only 2 more after that and one of those is pretty much done. Not sure why I decided to start the blog today - i have been wanting to start one for awhile but I was having trouble coming up with a name. Each time I logged on I tried to be creative and witty but I couldn't think of anything. h's ramblings will have to do until I come up with something better.