True voting reform

This year's voting is serioulsy irking me. It's probably the same ever year, but for whatever reason, this year it just seems like more misinformation is being spread than ever before. It's gotten to the point where I'm not reading or watching anything about the vote until a few days before, so that my mind isn't tainted by incorrect information.

I haven't studied the propositions yet, which sort of helps me stay immune to the television ads about them. The television ads I've seen give no indication as to what the propositions stand for, they just explain how a yes vote or no vote would cause the world to fall apart. I know that the california police say one of the propositions would cause our state to crumble into a Gotham-City-like crime state, but I have no idea why, and I don't even remember what proposition would do this. When I finally do read the ballot I'm hoping that I'll be able to approach it from a fresh perspective, since really none of the advertising is all that meaningful to me right now, because it has no context.

On the other hand, I feel my approach is not pushing forward what I believe is right. If I was a concerned citizen, I would have studied the issues months ago, and been writing, calling, protesting, flyering, etc., about the issues and spreading the facts. I feel torn between the fact that I loathe the marketing that goes into the campaign and proposition process, and the reality that this process actually does affect the outcome of the vote.

I personally think that the only way to reform this process is to get rid of privately funded media advertisements altogether. Instead, take those millions of dollars spent on campaigning, and cut it back to just a few ads that air the weeks before the election, and the ads would mirror what happens in the official ballot guide: the first 20 seconds of the ad would be the information about what the issue was about, the second 20 seconds would be the argument from one side, the last 20 seconds would be the argument from the otherside (and the ads would randomly alternate which side went first and second). That way, as long as you are seeing the whole ad, you are receiving the facts and both interpretations of the facts all at once. I feel like this would be the most effective and fair way to get information out to the voters, and would also save the voters money in the long run because these hundred-million dollar mudslinging campaigns would be reduced to a few million dollars of fair media coverage.

There's also something inherently flawed with the fact that as a San Francisco resident, I should be so concerned with a senate election happening in some small town in the midwest. Theoretically senators are elected to represent their local district. The fact that there are huge campaign events where people from Oregon get together to call voters in North Dakota just seems wrong. Again, this is where the ideal world falls apart and reality steps in - of course local elections matter on a national level because they determine who controls the senate, the house, and therefore the nation. But the system was not intended to be that way, it's a side-effect of having a two party system. However, this system is so ingrained into our government that I'm not even sure at this point that there's an alternative. It would probably be more worthwhile for me to start taking interest in elections in Ohio than trying to support a system where local elections only have local effects...

Grape crushing

I took part in the Vincent Arroyo Winery Amigos De Arroyo day today. I picked grapes, crushed them, took part in the bottling process of some 2004 grapes (well actually I just watched that part), and ate lunch there.

First, let's get the obvious joke out of the way - yes, we paid money to partake in the process that wineries normally pay other workers to do. Yes, we are crazy like that.

But it was a lot of fun. We started off the morning with about 40 of us picking grapes off the vine. They gave us gloves and a knife to cut the grapes off with, and the normal crew followed us in tractors to help us pick up the buckets of grapes. All in all, the 40 of us picked about 2.5 tons of grapes. Normally, a crew of just 8 people picks 4 tons of grapes a day.

Then we crushed the grapes. Instead of just putting them into the machine, they actually let us do it the old fashioned way first - we took off our shoes and got in the crates and stomped around. Pretty silly but surprisingly fun. It makes me chuckle to think that in 2008 my foot funk will be drunk by someone somewhere.

The lunch was prepared by a chef that specializes in making paella for large groups of people (apparently he goes around doing this for celebrity parties such as for Teri Hatcher or George Lucas). I didn't get to partake because I'm a vegetarian and got a salad box instead, but the word on the street was that the paella was amazing.

The thing I'm realizing about wine tasting is that I really enjoy going to wineries that emphasize the fun aspects of wine. Sure it's a business, but also wine is supposed to be social and fun. It seems like every winery in Napa knows Vincent Arroyo (and his dog J.J.) and the first thing everyone says about him is what a great guy he is. We also had the pleasure of stopping by two wineries on the way home where the pourers were quite social and ready to make sure we were having a good time. Some of the larger wineries tend to lose this personal touch in their tasting rooms, and while the wine may be good, the experience is not.

The Arroyo wines are often sold out, and many of them can only be bought as future orders. However, they are one of the few remaining wineries in the Napa area that offer free tastings (though you have to call in advance to make an appointment - something about their building not being up to handicap code so they can't have an an "open door" or something). It's definitely worth a stop to meet Vince, J.J., and try some great wine.

The condiment conspiracy

Sometimes I find it disturbing that there is an apparent monopoly in regards to restaurant condiments. Do you ever see ketchup that isn't Heinz? Probably not unless it's a house-made ketchup. Or when you ask for hot sauce, it's almost always Tabasco (or if it's a Vietnamese restaurant it's Sriracha or if its a Mexican restaurant it's Tapatio).

Why is there such a limited supply of these sauces into restaurants? I guess it's not that different than how restaurants serve almost all the same sodas - large distribution channels keep prices down.

The thing that really gets me about Heinz ketchup is that it contains high fructose corn syrup. The media may be obsessed with trans fat right now, but when that dies down most likely high fructose corn syrup will be the next big focus in regards to making American foods healthier. Plus, I personally don't think Heinz ketchup tastes as good as the alternatives you can get in a grocery store.

As for hot sauce, I'm not a hot sauce connoisseur. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started eating spicier foods. However, I am learning that there's a difference between "hot" and "spicy and flavorful". I actually like Tabasco on some foods, but when I was in Costa Rica last year I found a hot sauce I really liked - Lizano Chilero. I brought a bottle home with me and used it on a wide variety of things, and the flavor was great. I'm going to order some online now that a year has passed and see if I was just under the "everything is better when I'm on vacation" spell, or if it really is an excellent sauce.

At least when it comes to salsas, restaurants seem to be willing to offer varieties, many of them are house-made. In fact, many people go to specific Mexican restaurants simply because of their salsa alone.

Race results

On Sunday I participated in my first half marathon. When I first started training, I thought maybe 2:15 would be a good goal. About half way through the training, I felt like I would be around 2:30. But then at the end of training I was able to run a little faster and 2:15 seemed realistic again. I ended up with a 2:18:12.

My split times were:
5k: 30:31
10k: 1:00:56
10mi: 1:42:03

I ran very well the first 8 miles. I cramped up a bit around mile 5 but ran through it ok. I actually ran the first 6 miles a little faster than I had been practicing, but felt pretty good about it. Around the 8 mile marker, I used the bathroom, and made it to about the 10th mile before I started really slowing down. At the last 3 water stops, I walked a lot farther than I had intended, but by that point my muscles were completely fatigued. I had hoped to do a last little sprint at the finish line, but I had nothing left by that point. Despite all the pain, I felt I did pretty well for my first half marathon.

I think that if I boosted my low-mileage practice runs by 1 mile each, I would have been better prepared for the race. I also learned during the race that I can push myself a little harder than I did in my practice runs. We'll see if I can keep up that intensity for my next event.

The fact that the marathon had rock 'n roll bands helped the race seem faster. When the race got to the residential area around mile 7 there were no bands and no people cheering, and that part of the race seemed to take forever.

Also, knowing that there were other people I knew going through the same experience made the entire thing more bearable. Knowing that my wife, sister, mother, and friends were pushing themselves just as hard as I was made it seem like I could keep going.

I'm not sure what my next event will be. Right now, I just want to relax a bit and rest my tired muscles.

So I have a something to look back on, here's a log of my entire training:

• 09/30/06 - 6.5 miles (65 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 09/27/06 - 30 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/25/06 - 30 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/23/06 - 11.5 miles (125 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 09/20/06 - 31 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/18/06 - 49 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/16/06 - 10.5 miles (117 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 09/13/06 - 31 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/11/06 - 41 minute neighborhood run
  
• 09/02/06 - 9.5 miles (101 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 08/30/06 - 41 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/28/06 - 40 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/26/06 - 8.5 miles (91 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 08/23/06 - 35 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/21/06 - 39 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/19/06 - 8.5 miles (92 min, and two yellow jacket stings) at Crystal Springs
  
• 08/16/06 - 25 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/14/06 - 38 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/12/06 - 7.5 miles (81 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 08/11/06 - 33 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/09/06 - 38 minute neighborhood run
  
• 08/06/06 - 80 minute run at San Andreas Trail
  
• 08/04/06 - 3.5 mile treadmill run
  
• 08/02/06 - 3.5 mile treadmill run
  
• 07/26/06 - 2.5 mile treadmill run
  
• 07/24/06 - 6x400 interval treadmill run (3.0 miles total distance)
  
• 07/22/06 - 6 miles (66 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 07/20/06 - 39 minute neighborhood run
  
• 07/16/06 - 4x400 interval treadmill run (2.5 miles total distance)
  
• 07/14/06 - 5 miles (53 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 07/12/06 - 33 minute neighborhood run
  
• 07/10/06 - 2.5 mile treadmill run
  
• 07/08/06 - 4 miles (43 min) at Crystal Springs
  
• 07/07/06 - 30 minute neighborhood run
  
• 07/04/06 - 4 miles at Crystal Springs
  

Comedians

I was thinking the other day that being a stand-up comedian has got to be one of the most difficult careers to break into. Here in San Francisco, there are many bars and clubs that no-name bands can play at in hopes of making it big, but I think there are only 2 comedy clubs where a comedian can perform, and usually they are booked with touring performers (I'm sure there's some small bars that hold stand-up nights, but they certainly aren't advertised well).

I guess the reason that there's such limited opportunity for stand-ups is probably because there's actually very few good and unique comedy routines. Most of what you see is just not that funny, or is a rehash of someone else's material. But every once in awhile a gem comes through that gets the crowd laughing.

I think Chris Rock is pretty funny, as is Adam Sandler and Dave Chapelle. I thought Dane Cook's first SNL performance was horrible, but after a friend made me listen to some of his CDs, I've changed my opinion about him because I laughed a lot during his CDs.

I would say that my favorite comedian is currently Mitch Hedberg. Like too many other creative-types, Mitch died young and didn't reach his full potential (he died right before filming an HBO comedy special). I had the opportunity to see him twice. The first time was a free show at Stanford where Pauly Shore was the headliner. Mitch was so funny and Pauly so unfunny that half way through Pauly's set he commented on how he needs to get a mediocre opening act to make himself seem funnier. The second time I saw Mitch was at the Punchline in San Francisco. Like all comedians, his humor isn't for everyone. A lot of his jokes are transcribed here, but if you can't hear his delivery style in your head while you read them, they might not come off as that funny. The joke I always remember him telling on Dave Letterman is 'This guy asked me if I wanted a frozen banana and I said, "No ... but I would like a regular banana later, so ... yeah."'... his delivery of the lines was perfect.

The Tivo is back!

I lasted a week without Tivo... but I caved in to fixing it.

I decided to go a do-it-myself approach rather than pay Tivo $150 to fix it. I found a cheap hard drive on Craigslist, bought an installer program called Instant Cake, and now for half of the price of that Tivo would have charged me, I have a working Tivo with a much larger recording capacity (118 hours at best quality, 400+ hours at basic quality).

It was fairly easy to complete the setup, though you do have to be somewhat computer savy in order to follow the instructions.

I've read that some people experience problems with power and heat issues when installing their own hard drives, but I think that's mostly when you end up installing 2 hard drives, and I only installed 1. Hopefully this drive works out great for a long time!