
As you can see, things are getting pretty festive here at the Rasmussen household. Videos disabled by Jib Jab.

You can make your own at [Elf Yourself](http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/). Share a link to your creation in the comments if you do.


Elfing Around


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061030243_f13b1799d9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Our Dog Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061030243_56df754fac_t.jpg" alt="Our Dog Blue"/>
</a>

One of my parents' dogs is named Blue. He's a border collie with [blue merle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_(coat_colour_in_dogs)) hair color, hence his name. So naturally when they found a bottle of wine called [Our Dog Blue](http://www.chateaumorrisette.com/index.php?pr=ourdogblue), they had to purchase it and keep it, unopened, for display. Perhaps one of them can share how they found or were given the bottle. I was showing the Marga the bottle, which is blue glass, I noticed where the winery was located, and I had to take a picture of the bottle label and the dog in question. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061854072_62ab371f73_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Our Dog Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061854072_1341b83d6b.jpg" alt="Our Dog Blue"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061017143_afaef1c050_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Our Dog Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061017143_6ed46e9b4a.jpg" alt="Our Dog Blue"/>
</a>

I have a [friend](http://www.hillbillyplease.com/blog/) spending this Thanksgiving in Meadows of Dan, Virginia.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061869028_05d3af1eed_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Our Dog Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061869028_601c9524cf.jpg" alt="Our Dog Blue"/>
</a>

A picture outside trying to get the blue color of the bottle. Apparently they [sell t-shirts](http://www.chateaumorrisette.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=113).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061030243_f13b1799d9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Our Dog Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061030243_56df754fac.jpg" alt="Our Dog Blue"/>
</a>

Held up to the sun.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061859746_e970c0bfbf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-26-our-dog-blue/3061859746_7808a051b5.jpg" alt="Blue"/>
</a>

Blue, the dog.


Our Dog Blue


When I was stateside in February, I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to check about what I should do about my soon-to-expire driver license. For some reason, all driver licenses in the US (or just North Carolina?) expire on your birthday. I explained that I was living in Spain, and that my license would expire in October when I was not here, but that I would be in the US again in November. They told me that I couldn't renew my license until a few months (3?) before it expired, but that I could A) make the renewal payment over the internet and promise to take the visual test upon arriving in the US in November, or B) just renew it when I got to the DMV office again in November. I chose the latter.

So I get to the DMV office and there is no one there, but they still give me a number and forward me immediately to a certain agent with my newly printed number displayed above his desk. It's an asian gentleman named, unfortunately, Hang. He looked at my expired license and asked if I still lived at that address in Raleigh, to which I _stupidly_ replied.... Erik: "No, actually I'm living in Spain." Hang: "So you're not living in North Carolina?" Erik: "No. Spain. In Europe." Hang: "You're in the \[military\] service?" Erik: "No, I just live there." Hang \[looking belligerent\]: "We can't issued drivers licenses to people that are not residents of North Carolina. We get people coming down from New York City who lose their ID, and come in here wanting us to issue them a new one. We can't do that." Erik: "Well, the truth is that I work in North Carolina, pay NC taxes, and visit often." Hang: "You work in NC? How?" Erik: "The internet." Hang: "What do they speak in Spain? Spanish?" Erik: "Yes." Hang: "I bet it's a different accent than around here, though, huh..." Erik: "Yep." Hang: "Hmm... Well, your situation is certainly unique. Let me talk to my supervisor."

About this time, I glance at Marga and she's got her, "Good God, my husband is an idiot!" look on her face. (She gets a lot of practice with that look.) I begin contemplating where the next town's DMV office is so we can go there to renew my license with an easy falsehood.

Finally, Hang returns and has concluded that my situation is enough like a military employee (working for the US, living abroad, and needing to renew paperwork locally) that I should be treated as such. He gives me my eye test and issues me my new license. By complete chance, I happened to be wearing the same t-shirt as I had been in my previous drivers license photo eight years ago. I love that shirt. And all is well. Just barely.

So, to all other expats that are renewing their documents in their home countries: LIE!


How Not To Renew Your Driver License In Your Home Country If You Are An Expat


Right at bedtime, I came across Lawrence Lessig being interviewed on Charlie Rose, went to his blip.tv site, and got caught up watching this hour-long video about copyright and creativity sharing. I've seen some videos of Lessig online before, and possibly a TED talk. But this video perfectly demonstrates his arguments and the values he's promoting. It really is worth watching. But save 60 minutes to do so.


Keeping Culture Free


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047036255_7899b95472_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Turkey Closeup">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047036255_c81a7490f6_t.jpg" alt="Turkey Closeup"/>
</a>

It's been seven years since I spent Thanksgiving with my family, and Marga has never partaken of the celebratory feast beyond my [little](/2006/11/23/turkey-pizza-a-mediterranean-thanksgiving/)[traditions](/2007/11/22/thanksgiving-pizza/) of eating turkey on the day. This year, I'm looking forward to showing her what Thanksgiving means in my mind: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pumpkin pie at my grandmother's house. My mouth is watering already!

This past weekend, we visited my in-laws and I got to see how my father-in-law's turkeys are doing. They were quite small a month ago, but now they are huge! I don't spend much time around poultry, but these were the most friendly fowl I've ever been around. I never actually touched one, but they didn't actively avoid me like the chickens do. And they were fascinated, as they should be, by my iPhone.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047035301_2387c981f8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Two White Turkeys">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047035301_40aa76c375.jpg" alt="Two White Turkeys"/>
</a>

Juan has three white turkeys. They are invited for Christmas dinner this year, if you know what I mean.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047037481_10d1468b87_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Turkey Portrait">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047037481_ef55d32e03.jpg" alt="Turkey Portrait"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047875532_e413c700ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Curious Turkey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047875532_8911172781.jpg" alt="Curious Turkey"/>
</a>

According to Wikipedia, the strange flappy growth they have on their beaks is called a "snood". I'm unable to find any more information about it beyond its name. It looks like a bad comb-over.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047036255_7899b95472_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Turkey Closeup">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-21-turkey-break/3047036255_c81a7490f6.jpg" alt="Turkey Closeup"/>
</a>

Hello, Mr. Turkey! What a fine wattle you have!

Marga, Fetus and I are leaving for the States tomorrow and will spend a week there. It's entirely possible that there will be no blog entries next week. Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody!


Turkey Break


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040891068_9ec8986399_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Pregnant Marga">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040891068_b61b086dc8_t.jpg" alt="Pregnant Marga"/>
</a>

A few days after [finding out](/2008/11/07/dos-equis/) that we'd be having a daughter, a thought came to me, I laughed out loud and told Marga, "You know, the main reason Americans want to know the sex of their fetus is to paint the nursery, the kid's room, a gender-appropriate color. So that's one less thing to worry about." This is only funny if you've ever visited our house and know that all of our floors _and ceilings_ are pink. Not a girly princess pink, but more of a flesh tone. I don't even notice it anymore, and sometimes I mention it to our guests after a couple hours, and they haven't yet noticed. Not that we would've painted anything if we'd had a boy, but still kind of funny.  Marga has now made it to the point in the pregnancy where she actually looks pregnant, and not just like she's put on a little weight. She bought a new cardigan that fits the rare specficiations of being good for hiding a swelly-belly and usable post-pregnancy.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040891068_9ec8986399_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pregnant Marga">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040891068_b61b086dc8.jpg" alt="Pregnant Marga"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040059945_d864078daa_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pregnant Marga (Well Hidden)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-18-swelly-belly/3040059945_1c7421f964.jpg" alt="Pregnant Marga (Well Hidden)"/>
</a>

 by erikrasmussen, on Flickr")

Looking good. And now we have a point of comparison for future photos.


Swelly Belly


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037130901_12bf178ec9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="PC World - March 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037130901_b56205d7cc_t.jpg" alt="PC World - March 1985"/>
</a>

The other day, I stumbled upon some photos I took last February of some old [PC World](http://www.pcworld.com/) magazines that I found lying around my parents' house. They really bring back memories. The hardware and software that was thought to be really cool and revolutionary back then looks so quaint and silly now. Will the iPhone look ridiculously quaint 23 years from now? <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037130901_12bf178ec9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World - March 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037130901_b56205d7cc.jpg" alt="PC World - March 1985"/>
</a>

How small is too small? Hahaha.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037042865_4d949ed94a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037042865_0c2b5b26fa.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

7.16 MHz processor! 256K internal memory expandable to 640K. How ridiculous is that? How could anyone _ever_ need that much memory??

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037886500_29027b2e37_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037886500_315a7231cf.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

$995 for a 30 MB hard disk. $1295 for a 10 MB _removable_ hard disk. Nice. I love the included software in the box on the right.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037055041_a56b2787d9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037055041_cd27224f75.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

What kind of computer should I buy? Desktop, Transportable, Lap-Size, or Recreational?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037898412_4a1a4ae122_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037898412_fec192d303.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

Dot matrix or letter quality?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037904800_ee34e13988_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037904800_2d962dd8b6.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

Curtis was pretty much the _only_ name in computer peripherals for a long time, as I recall.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037090189_ac08f9a537_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037090189_33ae7350d3.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

"Every game can be the Super Bowl when you take the field with Xor NFL Challenge software. Feel the pressure as you choose starting lineups, drive down-field against the clock, and go head-to-head, down-by-down against the league's most innovative offenses and formidable defenses. It's the most intense computer simulation of the pro football experience ever devised."

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037946130_3e7bcfafa5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037946130_da5a78c311.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

Sorry this picture is so blurry. I was using a new camera. You can still read the offer of a "DeskPro-286, 513K, 1.2-MB drive, 30 MB harddisk, 10 MB tape" for $5695. What's a "1.2 MB drive"? Floppies didn't hold that much data in '85, did they?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037958162_4866bd2b4e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="PC World 1985">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-17-pc-world-1985/3037958162_f419652249.jpg" alt="PC World 1985"/>
</a>

I love the pricing table at the top right.

All I can say is I hope the next 23 years sees as many advances in computing as the past 23 did.


PC World 1985


[![Whirled Peas](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-13-whirled-peas-a-case-study-in-legume-buoyancy/Rasman1978-WhirledPeas158-957-591.jpg)](http://www.blip.tv/file/1463471)I make a lot of salads, more in summer months, but probably at least 50 per year. I also have been [known](/2007/05/18/salad-chefs/) to, on [occasion](/2008/03/13/philadelphia-salad/), [blog](/2008/05/22/ensaladilla-rusa-russian-salad/)[about](/2007/08/03/salad-dressing-delivery-systems/)[salads](/2008/01/05/moje-coriander-salad/). One of our favorite salad ingredients is peas. We buy them frozen in a bag, pour a few into a glass, and add warm water to thaw them. One of the things that puzzles and fascinates me every time I thaw peas is that 20% of them float. And it's roughly _the same percentage every time_. Why would this be? Do the sinking peas have a skin breach that is letting in water? Do the floating peas contain air, or is it some property of the cell tissue? Is the freezing and thawing process relevant to this phenomenon? Do fresh peas float?  Naturally I made a video to demonstrate this phenomenon. The stirring allows the floaters and the sinkers to segregate.

<iframe width="505" height="379" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8RGMCEta90Y?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You can see why I don't get much sleep at night.


Whirled Peas: A Case Study in Legume Buoyancy


I am really enjoying this book I'm currently reading, especially the parts about visiting and fitting in to foreign cultures.

> One of the major differences imposed by Display Rules is the degree of 'dampening' of particular actions that occurs from region to region. In some cultures it may be usual to underplay the smile, even when genuinely happy. If we meet a person from such an 'inscrutable' culture, we may imagine that we are observing a Shortfall Signal indicating deceit, when in reality we are witnessing a genuine but 'damped' display. This kind of problem can set up unconscious confusions in our dealings with foreigners, over and above verbal language difficulties. This is particularly true of tourists who for most of their lives have stayed strictly within their own social group and who then go abroad for a short holiday. If you watch the faces of such people when engaged in conversation with their foreign hosts, you will detect a curious phenomenon. Realizing that they have lost the subtle nuances of their home-town interactions, they avoid the danger of accidental and unintended Shortfall Signaling by employing a device that is both crude and effective: they over-exaggerate everything. They not only talk more loudly and laugh more noisily, but they also smile more intensely, nod more vigorously and generally overplay their friendly gestures. Since they do not have time to learn the local non-verbal 'dialect', they intuitively feel that this is the safest way to behave. But to over-exaggerate a visual signal can be as transparently artificial as to underplay it.
> 
> Â– Desmond Morris, [_Peoplewatching_](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peoplewatching-Desmond-Morris-Guide-Language/dp/0099429780).


Overcompensating


[![Thumbnail](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-11-sunset-season-2008/Rasman1978-MondaySunset217.jpg)](http://www.blip.tv/file/1455374) It's [that time of year](/2007/11/16/sunset-season/) again, as the hour hand approaches the six, my computer screen is showered with sunshine, forcing me to lower the shutters. During the warmer months, there is a building blocking the sun from entering my office, but the [analemma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma) of the sun has moved it far enough south at sunset that its rays invade my workspace. Yesterday, I had a premonition that it might be a good idea to set up my camera pointing west. I was right. 

This video is also available at [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JvIqZmTHHk), [Metacafe](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2021372/), [Google](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3750956404169778144), [DailyMotion](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7dbm6), [Blip.tv](http://www.blip.tv/file/1455374), [Veoh](http://www.veoh.com/videos/v16571555wFbegxwk), [Imeem](http://www.imeem.com/people/EuThHTC/video/7kXJabO1/no_title/), [Sclipo](http://sclipo.com/video/monday-sunset), [Howcast](http://www.howcast.com/videos/75761-Monday-Sunset) and [5min](http://www.5min.com/Video/Monday-Sunset-65039266).


Sunset Season 2008


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-10-chess-pepper-mills/3014102214_7c6d146a91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-10-chess-pepper-mills/3014102214_3de39f5798_t.jpg" alt=""/>
</a>

On Saturday, we braved the mall scene again and went to investigate strollers, cribs, and car seats. We knew nothing going in, and we learned a lot. Many manufacturers sell a bundle of the necessary items, a car seat and a stroller that can either have a little bed for the first 6 months or a seat for the 18-20 months after that. And the car seat can be unhooked and carried around as well. Some models are futuristic and trendy, and some are the old faithful common models that never go out of style. Some fold up better and easier than others. For some of the models, apparently, because the models change so often (to tempt trendy parents into buying more than once?), you actually have to order your stroller directly with the manufacturer and wait three months for it to be produced and shipped to you. Crazy! And we thought we had plenty of time on this!

In the bargain basement of one store, we browsed some of the stuff that hasn't been selling well upstairs. In the kitchenware section, I saw the coolest pepper mills I've ever seen.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-10-chess-pepper-mills/3014102214_7c6d146a91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Chess Pepper Mills">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-10-chess-pepper-mills/3014102214_3de39f5798.jpg" alt="Chess Pepper Mills"/>
</a>

Pretty cool, huh? Not quite [Staunton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staunton_chess_set), but close. The problem is that you don't need 32 pepper mills, so you'd have to choose your favorite chess piece and buy that one. It would be cool if the white ones were salt shakers, but they all seemed to be for grinding pepper. At 25€ each, I can see why they weren't selling.


Chess Pepper Mills


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-07-dos-equis/3009769669_ab388abe7b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Offspring Ultrasound">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-07-dos-equis/3009769669_3a99634e46_t.jpg" alt="Offspring Ultrasound"/>
</a>

It has always seemed odd to me that, in the English language, we say "It's a boy!", or "It's a girl!" Why not "She's a girl!" or "He's a boy!"? But then we say "It's me," when calling someone on the phone. In Spanish, they say "_Soy yo_," conjugating the verb into the first person. Kind of a dumb tautological sentence in any language. But I digress...

The [wave function](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_function) has [collapsed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_function_collapse), the universe has bifurcated. The sex of the fetus has been observed. The obstetrician at the local hospital is not nearly as friendly as someone dealing with nervous parents should be. She stares in silence at the monitor for a long long time before telling you anything. And the first terse nurse is worse, grunting towards a chair for us to sit down. The whole process could use some people skills. I asked if I could record some video of the ultrasound monitor and was ambiguously told, "Well, it's _supposed_ to be prohibited."

They made us sign a paper that stated that, "Everything we tell you during this visit might be completely false and you cannot hold us to any of it," before the procedure could begin. That's always nice to hear. When one of Marga's coworkers went there for her second ultrasound, the obstetrician looked for a while at the monitor, didn't say anything, let her go home, and then called her the next day to inform her that her baby was dead. Sheesh. The hardest part of being a doctor is giving patients bad news, but that's just plain cowardice. Whoever did that should be fired.

Needless to say, I was pleased to see a strong beating heart on the monitor.

The user interface of the ultrasound machine impressed me a lot. The obstetrician measured the skull and femur by pausing the video and dragging a dotted line around the screen like the marquis tool in Photoshop. Unfortunately, because the room was so dark, my camera couldn't focus on the screen very well, but at least you can get a sense of [what I was describing](/2008/09/17/procreation/) about how much more three-dimensional things look with the video as opposed to a still shot. I took about 10 minutes of video during the 30 minutes we were there, and I have trimmed it down to 90 seconds so as not to bore you all to death. The video starts with a beating heart, moves on to a good profile shot with mouth opening, then a good spinal cord angle, and finishes with some itty bitty legs and arms. The whole video fills me with a sense of claustrophobia and a desire to extend my arms and legs out of the fetal position. Check out the full leg extension kick the kid gives at the very end. Whack!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-07-dos-equis/3009769669_ab388abe7b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Offspring Ultrasound">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-07-dos-equis/3009769669_3a99634e46.jpg" alt="Offspring Ultrasound"/>
</a>

Good-looking profile. But perhaps I'm biased.

I was going to tell you that the sex of my child is the 21st word of this post and make you work for it, but I don't think I'll be that mean. You can just check the last word instead. If you got it from the post title, I'll buy you a Mexican beer. I considered "Roman Twenty" as well.

Marga and I are going to have a daughter.


Dos Equis


We're still a little ways out from the infamous third trimester, but we did have a conversation the other day that makes me chuckle every time I think of it. Marga was looking at a shop window that I wasn't interested in. I was looking in wonder at a jewelry store window full of diamonds and sparkly expensive things. I called Marga over, gestured towards the jewelry, put on my millionaire face and said, half-jokingly...

> Erik: "My love, if you could have anything in the world, name it, and I'll buy it for you."
> 
> Marga: \[glancing briefly at the jewelry\] "Well, what I'd really like is a donut from that bakery over there."

The person we were waiting for arrived, and no pastry or jewelry purchase was made.

All cravings of late have been citric in nature. Oranges and tangerines don't last long in the fruit bowl.


Conversations With a Pregnant Woman - Pilot Episode


[![](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-%c2%a1felicidades-presidente-obama/patrickmoberg_blog_208_370px.jpg)](http://www.patrickmoberg.com/)I haven't cried yet, but I suspect I would have if I had been watching the live election coverage in the US. It also helped that I received the news when Marga woke me from deep slumber to inform me that "Barack won," and to point out the clear evidence of blanket hogging. Everyone alive today needs to remember where they were when this historic event occurred. This is absolutely _not_ something to be shrugged off as "boring politics". What Barack Obama and his supporters have done is unprecedented in the annals of human history. Even if he had lost, his campaign and the passion behind it would not have gone unnoticed around the world. On behalf of American expatriates around the globe, I would like to thank Barack Obama and everyone who voted for him for restoring pride in my country of origin. Finally I can say "¡Soy americano!" in a loud voice. \[great, now I'm crying\]  [![](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-%c2%a1felicidades-presidente-obama/november-4-2008.jpg)](http://www.patrickmoberg.com/)

The fifteen electoral votes from North Carolina went to Barack Obama by a mere 12,160 votes. That means 49.84% of the 4.2 million NC voters voted for Obama and 49.55% voted for McCain. I've never felt so much like my vote counted in this stupid Electoral College system. I've already commented on how the United States employs the [absolute worst voting system ever invented](/2008/01/07/voting-systems/).

I leave you with some humor, courtesy of [The Onion](http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/black_man_given_nations):

> **Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job** WASHINGTON - African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."


¡Felicidades Presidente Obama!


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3005642022_d751b73ea1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Celebrating Obama Victory">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3005642022_78c5971c34_t.jpg" alt="Celebrating Obama Victory"/>
</a>

Today we had a special lunch of veal steaks with fried red peppers, salad, and champagne to celebrate Barack Obama getting elected yesterday. I have yet to stop grinning today. I'm just _so_ pleased!

One of the best consumer item ideas I've seen recently is the mini champagne bottle. It's the size and volume, 25 cl, of a normal Spanish beer bottle, smaller than what other countries use (33 cl, I think). It's enough to completely fill one glass of champagne. You see, the problem with champagne is that, once you pop the cork on a normal bottle, you really have to drink the entire bottle, because otherwise it loses its carbonation. Between just two people, one bottle of champagne is finishable, but it will leave you both pretty tipsy. That's why these little serving sizes are so nice. They are sold in three-packs at the local grocer.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3005642022_d751b73ea1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Celebrating Obama Victory">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3005642022_78c5971c34.jpg" alt="Celebrating Obama Victory"/>
</a>

Happy Erik celebrating Obama's victory.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3004814125_0cb9496314_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mini Champagne">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-celebrating-obama-victory/3004814125_0226cb7759.jpg" alt="Mini Champagne"/>
</a>

Mini Champagne bottle.

After reading an article this week about the occasional glass of wine being beneficial (something related to reducing behavioral problems in boys) during pregnancy, Marga and The Fetus were permitted a few sips of bubbly. I hope my child remembers Obama, despite his leaving office before Fetus' eighth birthday.


Celebrating Obama Victory


[![](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2008-11-05-michael-crichton-was-one-of-my-favorite-authors/1222687187_2c578ecb42_t.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinkazzo/1222687187/ "Michael Crichton, M.D., by kinkazzo")Just when I thought nothing could wipe [this grin](/2008/11/05/celebrating-obama-victory/) off my face today, I hear that Michael Crichton has died at the age of 66 after a private battle with cancer. I think I have read every one of his books. He's the only bestseller author I can say that about. His books were quite formulaic: a group of intelligent experts in different fields are brought together to solve a crisis. The formula worked well. Since each character was ignorant in the other experts' fields, they had to explain everything to each other in layman's terms, thus informing the reader as well. What I loved about his books was that he took a field of science and blended smoothly the known reality of the field into a science fiction "what if" scenario. None of his work is classic literature, but it's all excellent reading for scientifically inquisitive.  Below is one of my favorite interviews with Michael Crichton. His intelligence is obvious.

He has one final book, untitled but with ISBN 9780060873028, scheduled for release on December 2, 2008.


Michael Crichton was one of my favorite authors


Washington, D.C. – In news that has shocked the nation, the chairman of the Federal Elections Commission of the United States, David Mason, has suspended voting across the country during this presidential election. When asked what prompted this unprecedented move, Mason explained, "Competitions like this should not be about who wins and loses. It's about participating and having a good time. In the 2008 election, there will be no losers, because I think we are _all_ winners." Ellen L. Weintraub, the vice chairman of the FEC, was as stunned as the rest of the country. "\[Mason\] had been talking a lot about the lessons he learned in kindergarten recently, but I never expected anything like _this_," reported Weintraub. Hours later, the FEC released an official statement explaining that the decision was based on a psychological study that showed that a loss in something as serious as a presidential election would very likely scar the loser for life and result in self-esteem issues. The FEC also called for the Congress to change the Constitution to allow for two presidents, each taking turns governing the nation. "It's more fair this way," Mason stated, clearly pleased with himself.

As of press time, several protesters have been seen outside the Capitol Building calling McCain a "poopyhead". Police have escorted them to the corner where they are being made to sit and think about how their actions might make McCain feel and if they would want someone to treat them that way. One McCain supporter has also been placed in timeout after pushing Senator Obama to the ground during recess.

Also in the official FEC statement is the provision to award "Certificates of Participation" to Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, and Rudy Giuliani, because "they also did an excellent job." Since the release of the statement, David Mason has not been available for comment as it is his naptime.


And the winner of election is: Everyone!


What do you think of when you see the words "two bits"? Is that [25Â¢](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_and_a_Haircut "the price of a shave and a haircut") or half of a [nibble](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibble)? To me, a computer geek in the early 21st century (no quantum computing yet), two bits means the latter: half a nibble, a quarter of a byte. Two binary values, 0 or 1. Combined possible values: 00, 01, 10, or 11. Information. Two important bits of information are scheduled to become known this week, and I'm so anxious to know the outcome of both. One could affect billions of people and be the primary event from this half century that 23rd century school kids learn about. The other might, too, but I'm not going to set the bar that high. One is, in theory, not yet decided and could go either way. And the other, depending on your [interpretation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation) of knowledge and the universe, is already decided and waiting to be [observed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_Cat "Here, kitty kitty!  Kitty?").

I am, of course, referring to the US Presidential election and the sex of my first child. I only have a preference for one of the two bits. Feel free to prognosticate in the comments.


18 posts from November, 2008