They canceled school for the next day on Thursday night, but the snow didn't start to fall until Friday afternoon. I left work a little early to get home before the crazy drivers made the roads more dangerous. I took a different route than before (so as to avoid the aforementioned crazy drivers) and made it home just fine -- the roads were wet but not icy.
It snowed through the evening and all night, and we woke up to about 2 or 3 inches of the white stuff on the ground. We made a snowman -- this one was taller than Vinny, unlike the tiny one we made in December -- and shoveled the walks and the driveway.
Today the snow is melting, but it will do doubt freeze overnight and make for an interesting morning. I've looked at the local TV station website to find out if the public schools are canceled for tomorrow -- the preschool follows the public school schedule -- but so far they are still open.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Musical Interlude
In November, in an effort to ruin my life, my sister Rachel disagreed with me about Bob Dylan (whose composition efforts I enjoy, but whose performance efforts I abhor). This of course occurred right when I was leaving for a big conference and was too busy to reply. But in the meantime, I've thought a lot about it and decided to formulate a better explanation of what I dislike and why.
Music serves different purposes for different people, but to me, music is kind of an aural riddle, constrained by certain rules, that challenges my mind and influences my emotions. When it's something I like, I listen, my brain is stimulated, and I enjoy it. For example, if I'm in a good mood and I listen to a "sad" song, I enjoy the wave of sadness that contrasts with my baseline emotional level. If I'm in a bad mood, I get pleasure out of commiserating with a collection of sounds that are feeling the same way I am.
When I say rules, I'm thinking of the rules of music theory and musical traditions and conventions. This is of course quite fluid over the course of history, and probably one of the reasons I loathe Baroque music quite as much as I do is that it's too constrained by theory rules. I enjoy Medieval and Renaissance music, however, because while it is constrained by the rules of its day, those rules are so different from modern music theory that it is interesting.
A clever composer/artist/whatever can get away with bending or even breaking certain rules, and I like it. But, there are certain things that to me are non-starters. Bad intonation is one of those things. It distracts from the riddle. All I can think about is how off it sounds. And this is what I dislike so much about Bob Dylan.
There is music from other cultures that contains notes that one could not play on a piano -- quarter tones, which fall between adjacent keys on the keyboard. In the context of that cultural musical tradition, these "off-key" notes do not bother me in the least -- it's part of the setting of the riddle. But when we have a Western artist who is clearly playing by Western rules and then singing notes that do not exist in the context of Western music theory,* this is a dealbreaker for me. I don't perceive it as Bob Dylan bending or breaking the rules of Western music theory -- if he were, I would expect to hear the accompanying instruments also coming out with quarter tones. No, Bob Dylan is just being sloppy, and I don't like it.
* There are cases when quarter tones are used in Western music for emotional effect, such as in Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for Alien. He's using these "alien" notes to create a disturbing musical background for a disturbing movie foreground. This rule-breaking works in this context. Again, I don't think Dylan is deliberately using quarter tones to create a disconcerting aural environment -- that goes against the context of the words and the rest of the melody that he's singing.
Music serves different purposes for different people, but to me, music is kind of an aural riddle, constrained by certain rules, that challenges my mind and influences my emotions. When it's something I like, I listen, my brain is stimulated, and I enjoy it. For example, if I'm in a good mood and I listen to a "sad" song, I enjoy the wave of sadness that contrasts with my baseline emotional level. If I'm in a bad mood, I get pleasure out of commiserating with a collection of sounds that are feeling the same way I am.
When I say rules, I'm thinking of the rules of music theory and musical traditions and conventions. This is of course quite fluid over the course of history, and probably one of the reasons I loathe Baroque music quite as much as I do is that it's too constrained by theory rules. I enjoy Medieval and Renaissance music, however, because while it is constrained by the rules of its day, those rules are so different from modern music theory that it is interesting.
A clever composer/artist/whatever can get away with bending or even breaking certain rules, and I like it. But, there are certain things that to me are non-starters. Bad intonation is one of those things. It distracts from the riddle. All I can think about is how off it sounds. And this is what I dislike so much about Bob Dylan.
There is music from other cultures that contains notes that one could not play on a piano -- quarter tones, which fall between adjacent keys on the keyboard. In the context of that cultural musical tradition, these "off-key" notes do not bother me in the least -- it's part of the setting of the riddle. But when we have a Western artist who is clearly playing by Western rules and then singing notes that do not exist in the context of Western music theory,* this is a dealbreaker for me. I don't perceive it as Bob Dylan bending or breaking the rules of Western music theory -- if he were, I would expect to hear the accompanying instruments also coming out with quarter tones. No, Bob Dylan is just being sloppy, and I don't like it.
* There are cases when quarter tones are used in Western music for emotional effect, such as in Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for Alien. He's using these "alien" notes to create a disturbing musical background for a disturbing movie foreground. This rule-breaking works in this context. Again, I don't think Dylan is deliberately using quarter tones to create a disconcerting aural environment -- that goes against the context of the words and the rest of the melody that he's singing.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Our Preschooler
Vinny had a great time at preschool on Monday. They're kind of trying to gradually get him used to school, so he's just going on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week before plunging in to 5 days next week.
He was very enthusiastic on his first day, the teachers said, and he made a couple of friends. He also received an invitation to a birthday party this Saturday. I guess we might go to that -- I don't know. It seems a little weird since we have no idea who the birthday girl is, and probably Vinny doesn't yet either.
He was very enthusiastic on his first day, the teachers said, and he made a couple of friends. He also received an invitation to a birthday party this Saturday. I guess we might go to that -- I don't know. It seems a little weird since we have no idea who the birthday girl is, and probably Vinny doesn't yet either.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Food for Thought
There's a lot to think about when it comes to food. Here are some of the things on my mind:
- My table is the centerpiece of my hospitality. When people are coming over, I spend the most time thinking about what I'm going to feed my guests, rather than what activities we're going to do.
- I loved making homemade baby food and feeding it to Vinny. There was something very satisfying about watching him experience these foods for the first time. It was almost therapeutic enough to make up for my inability to breastfeed him.
- It's important to be aware of what goes in your mouth. Jeff and I have been using the program Diet Power to track what goes in our mouths for several weeks now. I've lost about 4 pounds since the beginning of the year.
- It is a privilege to need to track what goes in my mouth. We have such an excess of food here in this household and in most households in this country. There are far too many people who don't have enough.
- Having more than a meager graduate student income has enabled us to quit buying the cheapest food and buy better quality food instead. For example, we get all our meat from a company that doesn't use growth hormones in their animals, resulting in a better tasting and healthier meat. It is wonderful to have room for that sort of expenditure in our food budget.
- I think I'd like to join a CSA this year. I've said that every year, and forgotten about it until it's too late every year. My state has a pretty informative agriculture website where I've seen a list of CSA farms and I need to look at that again sooner rather than later.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Time for Dinner
Yesterday we had a glorious dinner: homemade chicken soup with bread bowls (okay, really large rolls that were attempting to be bread bowls). It made for a really good meal, but it took a lot of time getting there:
It's an interesting topic and I could say a whole lot more, but I'll leave it for another post.
- Jeff used the rotisserie attachment to the grill (a Father's Day present) to cook a whole chicken on Saturday, which we had for dinner that night, along with some mixed-grain rice and some veggies. I then took the leftover chicken carcass and boiled it in some water with bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme, for 3-4 hours last night.
- I started the bread bowls on Saturday evening as well. I used one cup of my sourdough starter that I've been cultivating since the beginning of the month, two cups of water, one tablespoon of salt, and nearly five cups of bread flour to create the dough. I mixed it and kneaded it in my super-duper stand mixer (since sadly, my arm prevents me from doing this by hand), before turning it out into a greased bowl covered by a plate, to rise all night. I also fed the starter again (1 c milk, 1 c flour, 1/2 c sugar), and let it eat for a while at room temperature before putting it back in the fridge.
- Then, on Sunday morning, I kneaded the dough and shaped it into four rolls, and let them rise for 6 hours (my sourdough starter is kinda wimpy, and there's no sugar in the dough, so this takes a while).
- I removed the bones from the soup early Sunday afternoon, and let the soup boil for a while before adding other ingredients (mixed vegetables, noodles, etc.). Normally I make matzo balls for my soup, but since this soup was supposed to go into bread bowls I did not.
- I actually decided to go wild and crazy and make homemade whole-wheat noodles for the soup, something I adored when my mom made them when I was a kid. I enlisted the help of my favorite cooking assistant when I made the dough -- he got a huge kick out of making a mound of flour, and a well in it to crack the eggs into. He called it a volcano, which was especially appropriate when I overfilled the well and egg started pouring down the sides. I did hand-knead the pasta dough, which just about wore me out. The rolling of the dough one hour later was pretty exhausting too. But the noodles turned out well.
- After the rolls were done rising (or I gave up on them, depending on how you think about it), I put them in a 450 F oven along with a cup of ice cubes that I poured into a cast-iron skillet in the oven. The Joy of Cooking says you should have them in for 25 minutes; however, The Joy of Cooking does not know my oven, so I instead watched them like a hawk and took them out after less than 15. They were hot and crusty but not very bowl-like, unfortunately.
- But still, hot soup and hot rolls made for a delicious combination. It took me only... 24 hours from start to finish to make this meal (not counting the rotisserie time)!
It's an interesting topic and I could say a whole lot more, but I'll leave it for another post.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Growing Up
My little boy is all grown up. He's starting pre-school tomorrow. I can hardly believe it!
It's a Montessori school that goes through Kindergarten. It's a morning program for the non-Kindergartners. The only problem is that it starts at about the same time he usually wakes up in the morning. So we're going to bed a little earlier than usual tonight.
It's a Montessori school that goes through Kindergarten. It's a morning program for the non-Kindergartners. The only problem is that it starts at about the same time he usually wakes up in the morning. So we're going to bed a little earlier than usual tonight.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Turning Over a New Leaf
Last weekend, we went to Nashville to see the sights and to see the Nissan Leaf:
It's an electric car with a range of 100 miles on one charge. One hundred miles may not sound like much, but your average commuter drives less than fifty miles a day. So, it would be a really good commuter car, but not particularly useful for long trips.
Here are some pictures of the car from different angles:
As you can see, it's a regular sized car -- it can hold up to five people. The trunk is pretty large.
This place in the front of the car is where you plug it in to recharge it. The recharge from completely empty to full takes 8-12 hours at 110 V (regular outlet) or 4-6 on a 220 V outlet (the kind your range or other large appliances are hooked up to).
You can get this 220 V recharger for extra, plus you have to get an electrician to put in a 220 V line out to your garage:
Here's what the charger looks like:
I'm on Nissan's mailing list for the Leaf. In the spring, they'll send me a message letting me know when I can sign up on the waiting list (and put down a deposit). I'm very interested in buying one of these cars, because it will eliminate all the carbon emissions from my commute to work. Of course, that will mean we'll have to continue making car payments when we could just be done paying for a car (the Beetle will be paid off next year). But I think it will be worth it to encourage the production of cars like these that eliminate our dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions. Oh and it's also going to be built right here in Tennessee -- another reason to buy one!
It's an electric car with a range of 100 miles on one charge. One hundred miles may not sound like much, but your average commuter drives less than fifty miles a day. So, it would be a really good commuter car, but not particularly useful for long trips.Here are some pictures of the car from different angles:
As you can see, it's a regular sized car -- it can hold up to five people. The trunk is pretty large.
This place in the front of the car is where you plug it in to recharge it. The recharge from completely empty to full takes 8-12 hours at 110 V (regular outlet) or 4-6 on a 220 V outlet (the kind your range or other large appliances are hooked up to).You can get this 220 V recharger for extra, plus you have to get an electrician to put in a 220 V line out to your garage:
Here's what the charger looks like:
I'm on Nissan's mailing list for the Leaf. In the spring, they'll send me a message letting me know when I can sign up on the waiting list (and put down a deposit). I'm very interested in buying one of these cars, because it will eliminate all the carbon emissions from my commute to work. Of course, that will mean we'll have to continue making car payments when we could just be done paying for a car (the Beetle will be paid off next year). But I think it will be worth it to encourage the production of cars like these that eliminate our dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions. Oh and it's also going to be built right here in Tennessee -- another reason to buy one!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Nightmares, Three-Year-Old Style
The other night, Vinny woke up screaming and in a panic, because Mama had left for work without telling him, while he was taking a bath. I don't know if that meant that I'd been giving him the bath and just left without taking him out of the tub, or if he just didn't realize I was gone. Either way, he was so panicked about me leaving that he was determined to stay up for the rest of the night. I convinced him to just snuggle in bed with me and he soon fell back to sleep.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Best Second-Rate Mathematician in the World
It has long been my goal to be the best second-rate mathematician in the world. Partially this is a joke; more importantly, it is an attainable goal.
You see, I know I am a smart person -- they don't just give away doctorates in computer science from one of the best Computer Science departments in the world. But, I am very much aware that I am not the smartest person in the world, and I am okay with that fact. I know that if I fell off the face of the earth, as much as my family, friends, and vast blogging audience would miss me, the world of science would keep on keeping on. I'm but a small cog in a very big system, and very much replaceable.
But, this really does not bother me. After all, if everyone were waiting on my brilliant insights to save the world, that would be an awful lot of pressure. Thank goodness I can live in obscurity and enjoy the precious time I have in life.
I do want to use my superior second-rate skills to make a difference in this world, however, and I do feel that I am able to do that in my job. I help application scientists to gain insight into the universe and the laws of physics -- thanks to my efforts, nuclear physicists will soon be able to use their codes to gain insights into even larger nuclei, and large logistics problems that were considered impossible are now in the realm of possibility.
I don't care whether students hundreds of years from now will ever know my name. All I want is for my anonymous efforts to have contributed to a better world for them.
You see, I know I am a smart person -- they don't just give away doctorates in computer science from one of the best Computer Science departments in the world. But, I am very much aware that I am not the smartest person in the world, and I am okay with that fact. I know that if I fell off the face of the earth, as much as my family, friends, and vast blogging audience would miss me, the world of science would keep on keeping on. I'm but a small cog in a very big system, and very much replaceable.
But, this really does not bother me. After all, if everyone were waiting on my brilliant insights to save the world, that would be an awful lot of pressure. Thank goodness I can live in obscurity and enjoy the precious time I have in life.
I do want to use my superior second-rate skills to make a difference in this world, however, and I do feel that I am able to do that in my job. I help application scientists to gain insight into the universe and the laws of physics -- thanks to my efforts, nuclear physicists will soon be able to use their codes to gain insights into even larger nuclei, and large logistics problems that were considered impossible are now in the realm of possibility.
I don't care whether students hundreds of years from now will ever know my name. All I want is for my anonymous efforts to have contributed to a better world for them.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Too Busy and Very Late
Sorry for the dearth of posts. I've been extremely busy at work lately, and also at home.
At work, as of the beginning of last month I am no longer in charge of all the software on our machines. Instead, I was put in charge of a very high visibility, high-pressure project that reports to some Really Important People in the Gubmint. In some sense, this is a promotion, because I have a lot more responsibilities and I get to rub elbows with these Really Important People. On the other hand, my job title and pay grade have remained the same, so it's just piling more work onto the same old person.
At home, I've been trying to spend more time with my family, and also I've been baking a lot of bread lately. We've gone through a really cold spell over the past couple of weeks, so hot homemade bread has really been nice. I made a "sourdough starter" (which really wasn't sourdough, just a nice little colony of yeast I've been feeding once a week). I've been using it about once a week to make some round loaves of bread, which turn out really crusty and delicious, about 12 hours after I start making the bread. I've been using the mixer for the mixing and kneading but otherwise it's been made by hand, which is time consuming compared to using a bread machine. But it's been worth it.
I missed binary day (1/11/10 -- although there will be more binary days this year and next) and Elvis' birthday because I have been so busy. But one thing I will not be missing is the tour of the Nissan Leaf, Nissan's new electric car that's scheduled to be released at the end of this year. I RSVP'd to see it when it comes to a nearby city on Monday. So, my vast fan base, stay tuned for pictures (assuming they let me take them) and my impressions of the car!
At work, as of the beginning of last month I am no longer in charge of all the software on our machines. Instead, I was put in charge of a very high visibility, high-pressure project that reports to some Really Important People in the Gubmint. In some sense, this is a promotion, because I have a lot more responsibilities and I get to rub elbows with these Really Important People. On the other hand, my job title and pay grade have remained the same, so it's just piling more work onto the same old person.
At home, I've been trying to spend more time with my family, and also I've been baking a lot of bread lately. We've gone through a really cold spell over the past couple of weeks, so hot homemade bread has really been nice. I made a "sourdough starter" (which really wasn't sourdough, just a nice little colony of yeast I've been feeding once a week). I've been using it about once a week to make some round loaves of bread, which turn out really crusty and delicious, about 12 hours after I start making the bread. I've been using the mixer for the mixing and kneading but otherwise it's been made by hand, which is time consuming compared to using a bread machine. But it's been worth it.
I missed binary day (1/11/10 -- although there will be more binary days this year and next) and Elvis' birthday because I have been so busy. But one thing I will not be missing is the tour of the Nissan Leaf, Nissan's new electric car that's scheduled to be released at the end of this year. I RSVP'd to see it when it comes to a nearby city on Monday. So, my vast fan base, stay tuned for pictures (assuming they let me take them) and my impressions of the car!
Friday, January 08, 2010
SNOW!
So, we had some snow here yesterday afternoon. It's maybe 1/4 inch, tops, which wouldn't be that big of a deal to this former Illinoisian, except for two things: 1, the crazy Tennessee drivers, and 2, the ice. My normal 25-minute commute turned into a 90-minute commute last night. It took me 45 minutes just to get out of the gate at my workplace. I don't believe I've ever driven for so long in first gear. I had to take an alternate route as well, because when I saw the long line of cars backed up on the big hill where I turn left, I decided it would be prudent to keep going straight and take the long, roundabout way. Once I did that, I started to be able to drive faster than 5 mph -- up to 30 or 35 on the main road, which was wet but not icy. The most hair-raising part of my drive was actually driving down my driveway -- it is kind of steep and points down, so if it had been slippery I could have damaged my house in addition to my car. Luckily it was just fine.
My workplace is on a two-hour delay this morning, so I am not late (yet). I figured it would be smart to wait until the sun may have melted the stuff on my driveway before trying to back the car out.
My workplace is on a two-hour delay this morning, so I am not late (yet). I figured it would be smart to wait until the sun may have melted the stuff on my driveway before trying to back the car out.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Another Question for My Vast Readership
Lately, I've been getting a lot of calls, text messages, etc. for a fellow by the name of TJ on my cell phone. Now, I have had this number for nearly four years, so the problem must be that TJ couldn't remember his own digits properly.
When I answer a call for TJ, I always let the person know that they have the wrong number. But what should I do about the messages I get for him? Just ignore them, or call/text the person back to let them know they have the wrong number?
Another thing is, TJ must have a number pretty similar to mine, and it would be nice to know what his number is so I can direct the next caller to the correct number. I wish I knew what his number was. Would it be rude to ask the person calling the wrong number to tell TJ to get in touch with me?
TJ appears to be a teenager and the calls and messages have been basically inconsequential. But one time we got a pretty urgent message on our phone, and called the person back to let them know they'd called the wrong number. Instead of gratitude, Jeff got an earful impugning his parents' matrimonial state at the time of his birth, and more. So, what's a person to do?
When I answer a call for TJ, I always let the person know that they have the wrong number. But what should I do about the messages I get for him? Just ignore them, or call/text the person back to let them know they have the wrong number?
Another thing is, TJ must have a number pretty similar to mine, and it would be nice to know what his number is so I can direct the next caller to the correct number. I wish I knew what his number was. Would it be rude to ask the person calling the wrong number to tell TJ to get in touch with me?
TJ appears to be a teenager and the calls and messages have been basically inconsequential. But one time we got a pretty urgent message on our phone, and called the person back to let them know they'd called the wrong number. Instead of gratitude, Jeff got an earful impugning his parents' matrimonial state at the time of his birth, and more. So, what's a person to do?
Friday, January 01, 2010
Happy New Year!
I hope my vast readership had a great New Year's Eve and is enjoying the new year. We rang in the new year with some dear friends.
One of my New Year's resolutions is to be more generous with donating money. I make more than enough for my family to live comfortably, and it is only right that I share my good fortune with those less fortunate than we are.
Many people criticize atheists for not giving money to charity, and it is in fact true that on average, individual religious people give more money to charity than individual atheists do. I think this is at least in part because religious people have a built-in method of giving: that collection plate gets passed around every Sunday. But also, it is hard for atheists to find charities that they agree with ethically and morally.
For example, I'm completely in favor of alleviating poverty in the developing world, but many charitable organizations also proselytize, and I am morally opposed to that. I'm also in favor of reducing homelessness in this country, but the Salvation Army actively discriminates against gays, so I cannot support their organization. It would be nice to be able to contribute to a charity that I can trust to spend my money wisely.
Fortunately, my wishes have come true, and there is now the Foundation Beyond Belief. It features ten charitable organizations per quarter, to which members can assign percentages of their monthly donations. These featured beneficiaries can be founded on any worldview as long as they don't proselytize, and members can nominate potential beneficiaries to the foundation. There's also an educational arm of the foundation, which provides resources for atheist and humanist parents to educate their children about many things, including ethics and religious literacy.
The Foundation Beyond Belief was the brainchild of Dale McGowan, who is the touchiest-feeliest atheist I know of (and Dale, if you're reading this, that is a compliment!). I've never met him, but from reading his books (Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers) and his blog The Meming of Life, he seems like an absolutely wonderful person with a strong moral and ethical backbone and a desire to do good in this world. Those are traits (I like to think that) I share with him, so this Foundation really is a dream come true for me too -- a simple way for me to be sure that my donation dollars are really going to what I want them to go for.
I plan to support the foundation this year, and I encourage anyone else looking for a good home for their charitable donation dollars to do so as well!
One of my New Year's resolutions is to be more generous with donating money. I make more than enough for my family to live comfortably, and it is only right that I share my good fortune with those less fortunate than we are.
Many people criticize atheists for not giving money to charity, and it is in fact true that on average, individual religious people give more money to charity than individual atheists do. I think this is at least in part because religious people have a built-in method of giving: that collection plate gets passed around every Sunday. But also, it is hard for atheists to find charities that they agree with ethically and morally.
For example, I'm completely in favor of alleviating poverty in the developing world, but many charitable organizations also proselytize, and I am morally opposed to that. I'm also in favor of reducing homelessness in this country, but the Salvation Army actively discriminates against gays, so I cannot support their organization. It would be nice to be able to contribute to a charity that I can trust to spend my money wisely.
Fortunately, my wishes have come true, and there is now the Foundation Beyond Belief. It features ten charitable organizations per quarter, to which members can assign percentages of their monthly donations. These featured beneficiaries can be founded on any worldview as long as they don't proselytize, and members can nominate potential beneficiaries to the foundation. There's also an educational arm of the foundation, which provides resources for atheist and humanist parents to educate their children about many things, including ethics and religious literacy.
The Foundation Beyond Belief was the brainchild of Dale McGowan, who is the touchiest-feeliest atheist I know of (and Dale, if you're reading this, that is a compliment!). I've never met him, but from reading his books (Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers) and his blog The Meming of Life, he seems like an absolutely wonderful person with a strong moral and ethical backbone and a desire to do good in this world. Those are traits (I like to think that) I share with him, so this Foundation really is a dream come true for me too -- a simple way for me to be sure that my donation dollars are really going to what I want them to go for.
I plan to support the foundation this year, and I encourage anyone else looking for a good home for their charitable donation dollars to do so as well!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Important Question for My Vast Readership
Lately, I have been briskly walking the 5K route at my workplace with some friends. It is cold out, or at least what passes for cold in Tennessee. Let's say it's 40 F (roughly 5 C) or colder outside.
As I walk briskly, my hands get very hot. As my friends walk briskly, their hands remain cold. In fact, they have to wear gloves on the walk because their hands are so cold. When we get back to our office, my hands are extra warm and puffy, and theirs are cold. We are all sweating in our torso regions and breathing somewhat heavily from the exertion, so it's not like I'm the only one who has exerted him/herself. They think I'm a freak because my hands are so hot and swollen. I think they're freaks because their hands are so cold.
Question: What happens to your hands when you walk briskly on a cold day?
As I walk briskly, my hands get very hot. As my friends walk briskly, their hands remain cold. In fact, they have to wear gloves on the walk because their hands are so cold. When we get back to our office, my hands are extra warm and puffy, and theirs are cold. We are all sweating in our torso regions and breathing somewhat heavily from the exertion, so it's not like I'm the only one who has exerted him/herself. They think I'm a freak because my hands are so hot and swollen. I think they're freaks because their hands are so cold.
Question: What happens to your hands when you walk briskly on a cold day?
Monday, December 28, 2009
Post-Holiday Return
The holiday weekend is over and I once again return to the normal world from the fun time with my family.
Vinny was pretty thrilled with the whole concept of Christmas morning. All those presents... what's not to like, at least in principle? In practice, waiting through opening all those danged presents, that is no fun. This is one major drawback to having literally carloads of presents.
Some of the highlights of his haul included a kid-sized easel, a pirate game, and this pretend electrical board that I made for him. It's a small pegboard with a set of switches and outlets that he can attach to the board with bolts and wingnuts. I took actual electric outlets and light switches, attached each end of them to a small block of wood, and drilled holes in the wood so that the blocks would align with the holes in the pegboard. Then I also got some replacement plugs plus a few other interesting accessories (such as a plug that converts an outlet to a light bulb socket, and another one that converts it back the other way) for him to play with too.
The most exciting gift for me was a Roomba (a vacuum cleaning robot). It is supposedly a time-saving device, but in order to save time, you can't sit there and watch the thing do its work. Vinny and I are both mesmorized by it. So far I've had it clean two of the bedrooms in the house, which has been great, because it can reach under the beds a whole lot better than I can!
I made some special oatmeal for Christmas morning. A friend at work told me you can make oatmeal in the slow cooker overnight, so I thought I'd try it. You have to use steel-cut oats, not rolled oats, and they are a bit harder to find, but I found some in the "health foods" section of the grocery store (which makes me wonder, is the name of this section an indictment of the quality of the rest of the food in the store?). Anyhow, the ratio is 4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of oats. I used half milk and half water for the liquid. I put it in the slow cooker right before I went to bed, and it cooked on low all night.
It did stick to the side of the crock, unfortunately, but it wasn't too bad. Next time, though, I think I'll do a double boiler -- use a larger size slow cooker, half filled with water, and put the oatmeal in a smaller bowl inside. I say "next time" because there will be a next time -- it was really delicious and creamy. This is saying a lot because I am not really an oatmeal person.
Anyhow, I had a great time at home the past four days, and I'm kind of sad to have to go back to work this morning. But oh well. Once I get back into it, I know I will enjoy it. Thank goodness for having such a great job!
Vinny was pretty thrilled with the whole concept of Christmas morning. All those presents... what's not to like, at least in principle? In practice, waiting through opening all those danged presents, that is no fun. This is one major drawback to having literally carloads of presents.
Some of the highlights of his haul included a kid-sized easel, a pirate game, and this pretend electrical board that I made for him. It's a small pegboard with a set of switches and outlets that he can attach to the board with bolts and wingnuts. I took actual electric outlets and light switches, attached each end of them to a small block of wood, and drilled holes in the wood so that the blocks would align with the holes in the pegboard. Then I also got some replacement plugs plus a few other interesting accessories (such as a plug that converts an outlet to a light bulb socket, and another one that converts it back the other way) for him to play with too.
The most exciting gift for me was a Roomba (a vacuum cleaning robot). It is supposedly a time-saving device, but in order to save time, you can't sit there and watch the thing do its work. Vinny and I are both mesmorized by it. So far I've had it clean two of the bedrooms in the house, which has been great, because it can reach under the beds a whole lot better than I can!
I made some special oatmeal for Christmas morning. A friend at work told me you can make oatmeal in the slow cooker overnight, so I thought I'd try it. You have to use steel-cut oats, not rolled oats, and they are a bit harder to find, but I found some in the "health foods" section of the grocery store (which makes me wonder, is the name of this section an indictment of the quality of the rest of the food in the store?). Anyhow, the ratio is 4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of oats. I used half milk and half water for the liquid. I put it in the slow cooker right before I went to bed, and it cooked on low all night.
It did stick to the side of the crock, unfortunately, but it wasn't too bad. Next time, though, I think I'll do a double boiler -- use a larger size slow cooker, half filled with water, and put the oatmeal in a smaller bowl inside. I say "next time" because there will be a next time -- it was really delicious and creamy. This is saying a lot because I am not really an oatmeal person.
Anyhow, I had a great time at home the past four days, and I'm kind of sad to have to go back to work this morning. But oh well. Once I get back into it, I know I will enjoy it. Thank goodness for having such a great job!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Adventures in Radar Detection
As I was driving down the highway the week before last, I got to thinking about all the police cars and their radar speed detectors I was passing. Thankfully I am not a big speeder and did not have to learn from personal experience the effectiveness of their radar guns. But it did make me curious how exactly the radar gun was used to determine a car's speed.
I knew it had to be using the Doppler Effect somehow. You know when you are driving along and you hear a fire engine or police siren behind you, and how the pitch shifts as the emergency vehicle passes you? That's the Doppler effect on sound waves.
What happens is, the wavelength of the sound gets compressed as the siren approaches you. Conceptually, the siren is producing a sound wave that peaks every so often (hundreds or thousands of times each second). In the case of a stationary siren, these wavefronts would be equally spaced, but in the case of a moving siren, the wavefronts are going to be squished together in the direction the siren is going, and spaced farther apart in the opposite direction.
Mathematically speaking, we know the wave equation: v = f, where v represents the velocity of the wave, is the wavelength, and f is the frequency. Let's suppose, to keep things simple, that you (the observer) are stationary, and the siren is moving. The frequency of the wave that you observe is proportional to the velocity of the observed wave divided by the frequency of the observed wave (i.e., fo = vo/o). The velocity of the wave is constant; the siren isn't pushing the air faster, it's altering the location and frequency of the wavefronts. So vo = v (a constant). How does the movement of the siren change the wavelength of the wave? Well, there is some amount by which the wavelength o gets changed from the at-rest wavelength ; let's call that a. So o = -a, making our equation
fo = v/(-a).
The shift in wavelength, a, has to be proportional to the velocity of the siren, vs (i.e., vs = af). We can substitute v/f for , and vs/f for a, by solving for the wavelength in the wave equation. Thus we obtain
fo = v/(v/f - vs/f)
fo = (v/(v-vs)) f.
We can go through this exercise again, with the siren stationary and the observer moving, and obtain the equation
fo = ((v-vo)/v) f,
and then combine the two equations into the more general
fo = (v-vo)/(v-vs) f.
Of course, a radar gun uses electromagnetic waves, not sound waves. When v is much, much bigger than vo or vs, then we can simplify this equation somewhat. Suppose we multiply the right-hand side, ((v-vo)/(v-vs)) f, by (v+vs)/(v+vs), or in other words, by 1. Then we obtain
fo = f (v-vo)(v+vs)/((v-vs)(v+vs))
= f (v2 - (vs-vo)v - vovs)/(v2-vs2).
This doesn't look very nice or helpful, but since the velocities of the source and the observer are so tiny compared to the velocity of the wave, then we can cancel out any second-order (i.e., squared) terms in vo and vs:
fo = f (v2 - (vs-vo)v -vovs)/(v2-vs2) = (v2 - (vs-vo)v)/v2
So finally, we end up with the much simpler equation
fo = f (1-(vs-vo)/v).
This is the equation that is used in a radar gun. The radar gun shoots out some radio waves, which bounce off your speeding car. The frequency shift is used to determine the speed of your vehicle.
It is slightly more complicated, however, when faced with identifying the actual culprit who is speeding, as well as correcting for certain types of errors that crop up when the radar is not trained in the exact direction of the car's velocity, etc. But combining the radar gun readings with other techniques, such as observation, speed matching, etc., police are able to catch speeders with better and better accuracy.
Sources:
How Radar Guns Work
Doppler Effect (Wikipedia)
Doppler Shift (Eric Weisstein's World of Physics)
I knew it had to be using the Doppler Effect somehow. You know when you are driving along and you hear a fire engine or police siren behind you, and how the pitch shifts as the emergency vehicle passes you? That's the Doppler effect on sound waves.
What happens is, the wavelength of the sound gets compressed as the siren approaches you. Conceptually, the siren is producing a sound wave that peaks every so often (hundreds or thousands of times each second). In the case of a stationary siren, these wavefronts would be equally spaced, but in the case of a moving siren, the wavefronts are going to be squished together in the direction the siren is going, and spaced farther apart in the opposite direction.
Mathematically speaking, we know the wave equation: v = f, where v represents the velocity of the wave, is the wavelength, and f is the frequency. Let's suppose, to keep things simple, that you (the observer) are stationary, and the siren is moving. The frequency of the wave that you observe is proportional to the velocity of the observed wave divided by the frequency of the observed wave (i.e., fo = vo/o). The velocity of the wave is constant; the siren isn't pushing the air faster, it's altering the location and frequency of the wavefronts. So vo = v (a constant). How does the movement of the siren change the wavelength of the wave? Well, there is some amount by which the wavelength o gets changed from the at-rest wavelength ; let's call that a. So o = -a, making our equation
fo = v/(-a).
The shift in wavelength, a, has to be proportional to the velocity of the siren, vs (i.e., vs = af). We can substitute v/f for , and vs/f for a, by solving for the wavelength in the wave equation. Thus we obtain
fo = v/(v/f - vs/f)
fo = (v/(v-vs)) f.
We can go through this exercise again, with the siren stationary and the observer moving, and obtain the equation
fo = ((v-vo)/v) f,
and then combine the two equations into the more general
fo = (v-vo)/(v-vs) f.
Of course, a radar gun uses electromagnetic waves, not sound waves. When v is much, much bigger than vo or vs, then we can simplify this equation somewhat. Suppose we multiply the right-hand side, ((v-vo)/(v-vs)) f, by (v+vs)/(v+vs), or in other words, by 1. Then we obtain
fo = f (v-vo)(v+vs)/((v-vs)(v+vs))
= f (v2 - (vs-vo)v - vovs)/(v2-vs2).
This doesn't look very nice or helpful, but since the velocities of the source and the observer are so tiny compared to the velocity of the wave, then we can cancel out any second-order (i.e., squared) terms in vo and vs:
fo = f (v2 - (vs-vo)v -
So finally, we end up with the much simpler equation
fo = f (1-(vs-vo)/v).
This is the equation that is used in a radar gun. The radar gun shoots out some radio waves, which bounce off your speeding car. The frequency shift is used to determine the speed of your vehicle.
It is slightly more complicated, however, when faced with identifying the actual culprit who is speeding, as well as correcting for certain types of errors that crop up when the radar is not trained in the exact direction of the car's velocity, etc. But combining the radar gun readings with other techniques, such as observation, speed matching, etc., police are able to catch speeders with better and better accuracy.
Sources:
How Radar Guns Work
Doppler Effect (Wikipedia)
Doppler Shift (Eric Weisstein's World of Physics)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Signs of Change
Driving partway across the country gives you an opportunity to get out and see things you wouldn't have otherwise seen. There are some interesting signs by the interstate near Urbana, for example, with Burma-Shave-esque rhymes promoting the benefits of gun ownership. I can't say that I completely agree with the author of these signs, but they are entertaining.
I saw another sign, this one nearer to home, on a church, which asked, "Jesus never changes, how about you?"
This sign had me thinking for a good thirty minutes. The first minute or so consisted of the obligatory jokes about underwear and odor, but then I got down to seriousness, and decided that I completely disagreed with the premise of the sign.
Leaving aside the debate for a minute about whether Jesus changed or not (which, he did!), I just don't see remaining the same as being a virtue.
Let's suppose for the sake of argument that Jesus represents perfection as a human being. Okay, then, we should all strive to become more and more like Jesus... in other words, change. And since we can never actually become perfect, we should keep changing for the rest of our lives, until we die.
But people in this country -- and our country as a whole, really -- have a mortal fear of changing. For example, if we change our opinions on something, then that means that we were wrong about something, and if we were wrong about one thing, what's to say we're not wrong about a whole bunch of things?
Indeed, what is to say that we're not wrong about a whole bunch of things? It is certainly quite a frightening prospect. But to me, knowing the truth about something is not nearly as frightening as not being able to know about it and make corrections.
For example, if I were on an airplane that had been taken over by terrorists, I think I would like to know that fact so that I can at least try to do something about it. The realization that the plane is indeed hijacked would be frightening, to say the least, but once I got over that, maybe I'd be able to do something to stop the terrorists or at least to land the plane safely. I'd at least prefer to die trying than to die cowering!
Similarly, if I harmed another person, I would want to know. The realization that I had broken my ethical goal of not hurting others would be shocking, anger-inducing, and depressing, but that way I could at least have a chance to try and make up for my transgressions, and to change my ways so it didn't happen again.
But all too often people see any kind of change as a sign of weakness. Think about how much flak a politician gets when he/she changes his/her mind on an important issue. The sad thing is, people's forced rigidity will be their downfall. When things can't fit into the boxes people use to classify life, something has to give -- either the rigid system, or their sanity. Too often it's the sanity that goes rather than the unrealistic and unhealthy worldview.
I for one know that I have changed throughout my adult life, and I am extremely glad that I have. I've developed a new outlook on life, and no longer feel worthless and depressed. I've become aware of patterns playing out in some of my interpersonal relationships, and have been able to change the course of the relationships, or if not, at least to take it a lot less personally. And I have learned so much more about compassion and become so much less rigid and inflexible as a result.
Learning from life experiences, and growing and changing as a result, seems like a better plan than not changing at all. I think even Jesus would approve!
I saw another sign, this one nearer to home, on a church, which asked, "Jesus never changes, how about you?"
This sign had me thinking for a good thirty minutes. The first minute or so consisted of the obligatory jokes about underwear and odor, but then I got down to seriousness, and decided that I completely disagreed with the premise of the sign.
Leaving aside the debate for a minute about whether Jesus changed or not (which, he did!), I just don't see remaining the same as being a virtue.
Let's suppose for the sake of argument that Jesus represents perfection as a human being. Okay, then, we should all strive to become more and more like Jesus... in other words, change. And since we can never actually become perfect, we should keep changing for the rest of our lives, until we die.
But people in this country -- and our country as a whole, really -- have a mortal fear of changing. For example, if we change our opinions on something, then that means that we were wrong about something, and if we were wrong about one thing, what's to say we're not wrong about a whole bunch of things?
Indeed, what is to say that we're not wrong about a whole bunch of things? It is certainly quite a frightening prospect. But to me, knowing the truth about something is not nearly as frightening as not being able to know about it and make corrections.
For example, if I were on an airplane that had been taken over by terrorists, I think I would like to know that fact so that I can at least try to do something about it. The realization that the plane is indeed hijacked would be frightening, to say the least, but once I got over that, maybe I'd be able to do something to stop the terrorists or at least to land the plane safely. I'd at least prefer to die trying than to die cowering!
Similarly, if I harmed another person, I would want to know. The realization that I had broken my ethical goal of not hurting others would be shocking, anger-inducing, and depressing, but that way I could at least have a chance to try and make up for my transgressions, and to change my ways so it didn't happen again.
But all too often people see any kind of change as a sign of weakness. Think about how much flak a politician gets when he/she changes his/her mind on an important issue. The sad thing is, people's forced rigidity will be their downfall. When things can't fit into the boxes people use to classify life, something has to give -- either the rigid system, or their sanity. Too often it's the sanity that goes rather than the unrealistic and unhealthy worldview.
I for one know that I have changed throughout my adult life, and I am extremely glad that I have. I've developed a new outlook on life, and no longer feel worthless and depressed. I've become aware of patterns playing out in some of my interpersonal relationships, and have been able to change the course of the relationships, or if not, at least to take it a lot less personally. And I have learned so much more about compassion and become so much less rigid and inflexible as a result.
Learning from life experiences, and growing and changing as a result, seems like a better plan than not changing at all. I think even Jesus would approve!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Music I Like: Gipsy Kings
I feel that I owe the Gipsy Kings something after their epic concerts (spanning multiple states and multiple hours!) with special guest singer Rebecca, in my car on the way to and from my sister's house. Those guys kept me awake and having fun despite the flat terrain and the fact that I detest driving.
But also, they're darn fine musicians and composers. You may have heard the ubiquitous "Bamboleo" in the 1990s -- which is a fine piece of music, but I prefer some of their less popular works, which are musically deeper and more complex.
I don't understand a word that they sing, and had they actually been present at our in-car concerts, I'm sure they would have been horrified at what was coming out of my mouth. But to my own credit, had I been able to use my instrument of choice (the violin) rather than my instrument of necessity (nothing like singing to get the lungs pumping and the oxygen flowing) they might have enjoyed themselves.
Anyhow, I have told you many times how much I love a good surprise. I love a piece of music that is clearly going one direction and then veers off in another. The Gipsy Kings are very good at this. Their masterpiece in this way is a piece called "Majiwi," from their album Somos Gitanos.
"Majiwi" begins with a flute playing a sweet, peaceful little melody in C major, which is then reproduced by the solo voice, before launching into the piece as a whole. Here's the awesome thing about this piece. You know that beautiful, peaceful C-major melody that you hear at the beginning? It's the chorus of the song! They take those same notes, but harmonize it differently, for a completely different effect. In this case, we go from C major to A minor. I love it! (And since I am a sucker for minor keys, there's twice as much to like: a surprise, and it's in a minor key!)
The thing I love is that I get fooled every time. I mean, I totally know what's going to happen, having heard this piece hundreds, if not thousands, of times, but nonetheless, I get caught in this thought that a peaceful little melody on a flute cannot possibly be in a minor key. Then, halfway through the song, I find myself thinking, "How could I have ever imagined that this was a C-major melody?!?!" It's a form of cognitive dissonance that only a serious music nerd like me loves.
Another of my favorite Gipsy Kings songs is "Montaña," from Love & Liberté.
It starts out plain and simple, with a guitar playing the melody and the chord sequences that harmonize the melody, as an introduction: not quite a simple I, IV, V, I (A major, D major, E major, A major), because the Gipsy Kings are a little more sophisticated than that, but pretty close. Still, it sounds very comfortable, very beautiful, if a bit plain.
The voice begins the song, and there is a little more texture that joins in: a little rhythm, some more guitars, etc. But it is still mostly quiet and peaceful.
It is not until the 0:45 mark that the action begins. At this point, we hear a change in the direction of the song. We branch out into the minor chords in the A major scale: vi and iii (F# minor and C# minor). This change in mood is amplified by the addition of the electric bass and keyboards. The guitars begin adding ornamentation -- ascending scales harmonizing in the minor key. But the progression works its way back to major -- V, or E major, and makes it way back to the melody in major again, but not before repeating the minor portion.
The progression of the harmonies in the song is kind of mountain-shaped, the way that they do it. There are some chords in there I can't completely identify outright, but the basic sequence goes: I, IV, V, I, vi, iii, IV, V, I. That's probably complete gibberish to most of you, but there is a way that you can play the sequence of these basic chords on a piano and change (usually) only one or at most two notes per chord progression. And in doing so, the bass note (the bottom note played, but not necessarily the root of the chord), rises (like a mountain peak) and then descends. You can hear this at about the 4:20 mark of the above video -- just concentrate on the first note the bass plays per chord sequence.
There are really no Gipsy Kings songs I dislike, but I do prefer some over others. Other favorites include "Tu quieres volver," "Ami wa wa," "Vamos a bailar," "Legende," "Love and Liberte," and "La Tounga." They have some really good instrumentals -- we share the philosophy that the voice is but another instrument, so they use it in addition to guitars, percussion, keyboards, clapping, and many other things. So maybe if one of my vast blogging audience goes out and purchases one of their albums, the Gipsy Kings will forgive me for our in-car concerts, and we can call ourselves even!
But also, they're darn fine musicians and composers. You may have heard the ubiquitous "Bamboleo" in the 1990s -- which is a fine piece of music, but I prefer some of their less popular works, which are musically deeper and more complex.
I don't understand a word that they sing, and had they actually been present at our in-car concerts, I'm sure they would have been horrified at what was coming out of my mouth. But to my own credit, had I been able to use my instrument of choice (the violin) rather than my instrument of necessity (nothing like singing to get the lungs pumping and the oxygen flowing) they might have enjoyed themselves.
Anyhow, I have told you many times how much I love a good surprise. I love a piece of music that is clearly going one direction and then veers off in another. The Gipsy Kings are very good at this. Their masterpiece in this way is a piece called "Majiwi," from their album Somos Gitanos.
"Majiwi" begins with a flute playing a sweet, peaceful little melody in C major, which is then reproduced by the solo voice, before launching into the piece as a whole. Here's the awesome thing about this piece. You know that beautiful, peaceful C-major melody that you hear at the beginning? It's the chorus of the song! They take those same notes, but harmonize it differently, for a completely different effect. In this case, we go from C major to A minor. I love it! (And since I am a sucker for minor keys, there's twice as much to like: a surprise, and it's in a minor key!)
The thing I love is that I get fooled every time. I mean, I totally know what's going to happen, having heard this piece hundreds, if not thousands, of times, but nonetheless, I get caught in this thought that a peaceful little melody on a flute cannot possibly be in a minor key. Then, halfway through the song, I find myself thinking, "How could I have ever imagined that this was a C-major melody?!?!" It's a form of cognitive dissonance that only a serious music nerd like me loves.
Another of my favorite Gipsy Kings songs is "Montaña," from Love & Liberté.
It starts out plain and simple, with a guitar playing the melody and the chord sequences that harmonize the melody, as an introduction: not quite a simple I, IV, V, I (A major, D major, E major, A major), because the Gipsy Kings are a little more sophisticated than that, but pretty close. Still, it sounds very comfortable, very beautiful, if a bit plain.
The voice begins the song, and there is a little more texture that joins in: a little rhythm, some more guitars, etc. But it is still mostly quiet and peaceful.
It is not until the 0:45 mark that the action begins. At this point, we hear a change in the direction of the song. We branch out into the minor chords in the A major scale: vi and iii (F# minor and C# minor). This change in mood is amplified by the addition of the electric bass and keyboards. The guitars begin adding ornamentation -- ascending scales harmonizing in the minor key. But the progression works its way back to major -- V, or E major, and makes it way back to the melody in major again, but not before repeating the minor portion.
The progression of the harmonies in the song is kind of mountain-shaped, the way that they do it. There are some chords in there I can't completely identify outright, but the basic sequence goes: I, IV, V, I, vi, iii, IV, V, I. That's probably complete gibberish to most of you, but there is a way that you can play the sequence of these basic chords on a piano and change (usually) only one or at most two notes per chord progression. And in doing so, the bass note (the bottom note played, but not necessarily the root of the chord), rises (like a mountain peak) and then descends. You can hear this at about the 4:20 mark of the above video -- just concentrate on the first note the bass plays per chord sequence.
There are really no Gipsy Kings songs I dislike, but I do prefer some over others. Other favorites include "Tu quieres volver," "Ami wa wa," "Vamos a bailar," "Legende," "Love and Liberte," and "La Tounga." They have some really good instrumentals -- we share the philosophy that the voice is but another instrument, so they use it in addition to guitars, percussion, keyboards, clapping, and many other things. So maybe if one of my vast blogging audience goes out and purchases one of their albums, the Gipsy Kings will forgive me for our in-car concerts, and we can call ourselves even!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Music I Like: Christmas Edition
I may be an atheist, but I still like a lot of Christmas music -- for the tunes and the associated holiday memories, of course!
Something I really like in a melody is when it has an interesting shape to it. Imagine creating a graph, with time on the horizontal axis and pitch on the vertical axis. Songs with melodies that stay close to being a horizontal line can be pretty boring. (I say "can be," because it all depends on what is happening in addition to the melody.)
Some of my favorite holiday songs that have good shapes to them include Silent Night, Joy to the World, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
I've always had a soft spot for Silent Night. It's a very soothing lullaby (which goes well with the sentiments of the lyrics). Here's a graph of the song, almost as described above -- note number on the horizontal axis, and pitch on the vertical axis:
I unfortunately could not figure out how to get it to display this graph with the actual measure numbers on the x-axis -- this is what I get for not using an actual graphing program!
But you can see the general arc of the melody, even if the scaling of the x-axis is not quite right. At the end, we have a climatic rise followed by a climatic drop. The melody hints at this from the beginning -- "Silent night/holy night" is a miniature preview of the last two phrases ("Sleep in heavenly peace/Sleep in heavenly peace"). Likewise the middle previews this: we begin to soar with "Round yon virgin" but come back down to the baseline with "mother and child."
You can see these parallels on the graph: from about 33 on the x-axis to the end is the big finale of the melody. You can see a similar shape at the very beginning (1 to 4, repeated immediately), and in the middle (15 to about 24, also repeated).
Joy to the World takes a different shape -- it's kind of like a V or W shape. The first line ("Joy to the world, the Lord is come") descends an entire octave, the second one ("Let Earth receive her King") comes right back up. Then we have a few descents ("Let every heart" and "Prepare him room"), followed by some ascents, modulating downward (the first two "And heaven and nature sing" lines), followed by the octave-jumping and ultimately descending final phrases ("And heaven and heaven and nature sing").
The grandiosity of Joy to the World is very similar to the final movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, which follows the same octave-spanning, V-shaped melodic concept (although the symphony is more like an upside-down V, because its melody ascends first and descends second). But this octave-spanning movement up and down the scale is part of what makes many melodies very grandiose and pompous (which I don't mean in a bad way). Other examples include "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Pomp and Circumstance," and Mendelsohn's wedding march from A Midsummer Night's Dream (a staple of American weddings alongside Pachelbel's Canon).
My favorite movement of my favorite Sibelius symphony -- the third movement of the Fourth symphony -- also uses the (inverted) V-shaped melody spanning an octave, but turns the grandiosity on its head by making it a minor octave rather than a major octave. (I hope to share this symphony with you at some point -- but it is an acquired taste. The first time I heard it I was like, WTF?!?! But I gave it a few more listens and fell completely, head-over-heels in love. It is the leader on play count in my iTunes collection, and by a long shot. This is saying a lot because this symphony is more than a half hour long.)
But I digress.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen has an interesting arching shape to its melody, more like Silent Night than Joy to the World. But what sets this song apart to me is its minor key. I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for something a little surprising or different, and this song does that by being in a minor rather than major key. It is also great fun to harmonize against, because there are so many ways you can go. I have fond memories of playing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen with my sisters when we were kids -- me on the violin, Rachel on the cello, and our younger sister on the viola or singing. Usually she would be the one to play the melody, while Rachel and I harmonized. Rachel had a good bass line that she would do, and I would tend to try something different every time. Ah, yes. Good times with music!
Something I really like in a melody is when it has an interesting shape to it. Imagine creating a graph, with time on the horizontal axis and pitch on the vertical axis. Songs with melodies that stay close to being a horizontal line can be pretty boring. (I say "can be," because it all depends on what is happening in addition to the melody.)
Some of my favorite holiday songs that have good shapes to them include Silent Night, Joy to the World, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
I've always had a soft spot for Silent Night. It's a very soothing lullaby (which goes well with the sentiments of the lyrics). Here's a graph of the song, almost as described above -- note number on the horizontal axis, and pitch on the vertical axis:
I unfortunately could not figure out how to get it to display this graph with the actual measure numbers on the x-axis -- this is what I get for not using an actual graphing program!But you can see the general arc of the melody, even if the scaling of the x-axis is not quite right. At the end, we have a climatic rise followed by a climatic drop. The melody hints at this from the beginning -- "Silent night/holy night" is a miniature preview of the last two phrases ("Sleep in heavenly peace/Sleep in heavenly peace"). Likewise the middle previews this: we begin to soar with "Round yon virgin" but come back down to the baseline with "mother and child."
You can see these parallels on the graph: from about 33 on the x-axis to the end is the big finale of the melody. You can see a similar shape at the very beginning (1 to 4, repeated immediately), and in the middle (15 to about 24, also repeated).
Joy to the World takes a different shape -- it's kind of like a V or W shape. The first line ("Joy to the world, the Lord is come") descends an entire octave, the second one ("Let Earth receive her King") comes right back up. Then we have a few descents ("Let every heart" and "Prepare him room"), followed by some ascents, modulating downward (the first two "And heaven and nature sing" lines), followed by the octave-jumping and ultimately descending final phrases ("And heaven and heaven and nature sing").
The grandiosity of Joy to the World is very similar to the final movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, which follows the same octave-spanning, V-shaped melodic concept (although the symphony is more like an upside-down V, because its melody ascends first and descends second). But this octave-spanning movement up and down the scale is part of what makes many melodies very grandiose and pompous (which I don't mean in a bad way). Other examples include "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Pomp and Circumstance," and Mendelsohn's wedding march from A Midsummer Night's Dream (a staple of American weddings alongside Pachelbel's Canon).
My favorite movement of my favorite Sibelius symphony -- the third movement of the Fourth symphony -- also uses the (inverted) V-shaped melody spanning an octave, but turns the grandiosity on its head by making it a minor octave rather than a major octave. (I hope to share this symphony with you at some point -- but it is an acquired taste. The first time I heard it I was like, WTF?!?! But I gave it a few more listens and fell completely, head-over-heels in love. It is the leader on play count in my iTunes collection, and by a long shot. This is saying a lot because this symphony is more than a half hour long.)
But I digress.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen has an interesting arching shape to its melody, more like Silent Night than Joy to the World. But what sets this song apart to me is its minor key. I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for something a little surprising or different, and this song does that by being in a minor rather than major key. It is also great fun to harmonize against, because there are so many ways you can go. I have fond memories of playing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen with my sisters when we were kids -- me on the violin, Rachel on the cello, and our younger sister on the viola or singing. Usually she would be the one to play the melody, while Rachel and I harmonized. Rachel had a good bass line that she would do, and I would tend to try something different every time. Ah, yes. Good times with music!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Back Home Again
I made it home safe and sound on Tuesday, one day later than I had planned. The delay was because when I got out of my car to pump gas, I got a migraine! Luckily, this happened right outside of my hometown, so I just called my dad and bonus mom and they came and picked me up and let me spend the night. If it had happened anywhere else I suppose I would have had to find a hotel room.
Then, on Thursday, I got another migraine! I was so angry and disgusted about that. I don't usually get them in such short succession like that. It made me feel a little worried that something is changing (for the worse).
But it hasn't been all headache, all the time, around here. (Well, okay, it pretty much has. Because even though I didn't have an aura obscuring my vision on Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday, I did still have a headache -- enough of one that I chose to wear my hair down rather than in my usual ponytail.)
It was great to be home and see my number one fans again. Jeff was relieved to be no longer single-parenting it, and Vinny just thinks I'm lots of fun, which is very affirming. Last night he and I made some gingerbread dough, which we rolled out into gingerbread cookies this morning. I used the cookie cutters of his choice (two different gingerbread people cutters, as well as the slightly less Christmas-themed shapes of hearts, flowers, butterflies, and squares) to make the cookies, which he then decorated with various candies before I popped them in the oven for seven minutes.
I used the gingerbread recipe in The Joy of Cooking, which I had never tried before, but they turned out quite well. The only problem I had was that the dough comes out of the refrigerator hard -- I had to chip away at it with a fork in order to get some pieces out. Even when it cools to room temperature it is still quite hard, and rolling the dough is a major upper-body workout -- along the same lines as sawing a gigantic squash, only you have to do it more than twice. My left arm was in a fair amount of pain by the end of the whole deal.
But, once you worked the dough, it made some fantastic gingerbread cookies. They held together better than any other recipe I've used. Vinny was able to decorate them with no problems. And most importantly, they were really really delicious. I got a chance to eat one before packing them up and sending them off with Jeff and Vinny to Granny and Granddad's.
I have the house to myself this weekend; they're coming back on Monday. I plan to spend a significant amount of time sleeping and trying to get rid of this blasted headache (yup, my hair is still down today).
Then, on Thursday, I got another migraine! I was so angry and disgusted about that. I don't usually get them in such short succession like that. It made me feel a little worried that something is changing (for the worse).
But it hasn't been all headache, all the time, around here. (Well, okay, it pretty much has. Because even though I didn't have an aura obscuring my vision on Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday, I did still have a headache -- enough of one that I chose to wear my hair down rather than in my usual ponytail.)
It was great to be home and see my number one fans again. Jeff was relieved to be no longer single-parenting it, and Vinny just thinks I'm lots of fun, which is very affirming. Last night he and I made some gingerbread dough, which we rolled out into gingerbread cookies this morning. I used the cookie cutters of his choice (two different gingerbread people cutters, as well as the slightly less Christmas-themed shapes of hearts, flowers, butterflies, and squares) to make the cookies, which he then decorated with various candies before I popped them in the oven for seven minutes.
I used the gingerbread recipe in The Joy of Cooking, which I had never tried before, but they turned out quite well. The only problem I had was that the dough comes out of the refrigerator hard -- I had to chip away at it with a fork in order to get some pieces out. Even when it cools to room temperature it is still quite hard, and rolling the dough is a major upper-body workout -- along the same lines as sawing a gigantic squash, only you have to do it more than twice. My left arm was in a fair amount of pain by the end of the whole deal.
But, once you worked the dough, it made some fantastic gingerbread cookies. They held together better than any other recipe I've used. Vinny was able to decorate them with no problems. And most importantly, they were really really delicious. I got a chance to eat one before packing them up and sending them off with Jeff and Vinny to Granny and Granddad's.
I have the house to myself this weekend; they're coming back on Monday. I plan to spend a significant amount of time sleeping and trying to get rid of this blasted headache (yup, my hair is still down today).
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