This go around with trying to implement an "assault weapons ban" is going to play out very differently. Sadly as with any highly charged issue, no one wants to ask the right questions. People like to make assumptions...it's much easier to do. So for the benefit of those who just didn't know what to ask, I'm going to lay out why it's going to fail this time.
The AR-15 isn't a rifle, it's a class of rifles. This is an important distinction. The AR-15 is a very good and highly modular rifle action. It can be fitted with a full-automatic receiver, a 14" barrel, an ACOG sight and attachment points for anything from a silencer to a grenade launcher. In short, this is the system our troops have and it should never be available to civilians. That same platform can then be fitted with a semi-automatic receiver, chambered for a proper deer round and a telescopic sight can be added to the top and this is what gives Bambi nightmares. It can also spend a lot of time precisely assembling that semi-auto, add a precision made barrel, fantastically accurate sights and a stock that allows the rifle to be an exact fit for the shooter and it's used in competitive shooting matches. How these particular rifles are built and their intended use makes a huge difference.
For the first "assault weapons ban" even sportsmen weren't aware of this. Back then the AR-15 was built by Colt and pretty much Colt only as a straight up semi-auto version of the M-16/A1 assault rifle. So, when legislation was passed to ban them (and lots of other guns) it was not a gun that 99% of sportsmen had ever fired. As a result, many saw it for what it was, one class of firearm being banned...and not one dear to their hearts. Sportsmen weren't happy about any guns being banned but in the world of compromises, not a huge one. Then on September 14, 2004, Pandora opened the box.
Now with all the pent-up demand rifles Colt was no longer the only game in town for the AR-15 and many people realized that it was easy to make very accurate versions of this rifle and those were immediately embraced by the shooting community. This is why there are so many of the rifles in circulation. Many other military style semi-automatic rifles can be had for less than half the price of a good AR-15 but sportsmen like an accurate rifle and gun makers have stepped up to the challenge of making them less ascetically offensive.
So this time around, sportsmen see the AR-15 platform as something useful. They have friends who hunt with one, they envy the men and women with the ability to shoot the precision versions of them out of Camp Perry...the AR-15 has gone mainstream.
So the continued focus on the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary and the tools the mad man used to commit those murders is why a renewed "assault weapons ban" will meet much more stiff resistance than it did in 1994. It's got little to do with the Tea Party or the Republicans being more intractable in their views. It's got everything to do that that particular rifle having a broad fan base and those fans don't view it any differently from any other rifle.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Being cool is still cool?
I have this love/hate thing with Gawker. They bring some really interesting content but the writing is sometimes...well, remember your friend that came back from their first year of college and would lecture you on the system and morality and how you're all pawns? That's what it often sounds like to me.
With the Sandy Hook Elementary murders, Gizmodo stepped over the editorial line for me. I don't go to a site about new tech to be lectured about gun control. Especially so when it uses the same pedantic and half-baked reasoning that comes up every election cycle and keeps people voting Republican.
What really brought my dislike home was an article in Jezebel on the new Disney World MyMagic+ system. For those that missed the announcement, this is an RFID bracelet that would essentially carry your park ticket and room information. Then follows a full page of snark and a mess of snarky comments from a bunch of people who are just entirely too cool and too independent and too very serious to be ever caught dead at Disney...but now they REALLY won't be going since they will be tracking your every move.
To beat an overused meme: Do you know how I know you people have never even been to a Disney property? This is such a good thing. The first time you realize this is when you enter the parks. With the magstripe tickets, the problem starts there. To keep you from passing a single ticket from person to person, Disney requires you to put your finger on a reader after you insert the card. It takes some rough biometrics and you are on your way: Insert card, put your finger on the scanner, wait for the blinking light, collect your ticket and move on through the turnstile. Simple! Unless you are 70...or 7 or don't read English or aren't too bright or you are too excited to think straight or you are distracted talking to your friends. Then the line comes to a screaming halt as the cast member helps the person use the turnstile. If you happen upon the park sometime in the mid-morning on a busy day, the change to an RFID ticket will save you at least 15 minutes.
This scene repeats at the fastpass machines while people stand befuddled before the machine and the line moves slower than you think it should. The whole of being a savvy visitor at Disney is all about avoiding the omnipresent line. That boys and girls is why it's good to have Disney tracking people at attractions. Want to know how long it takes to get to the head of the line at Haunted Mansion? Yes I know there is a number on top of the entrance but having seen behind the curtain, the current process is woefully analog and that's why those numbers are almost never right. What about attractions that get backed up simply due to movements of a crowd? How much better would it be if they could see that mob of 200 Brazilian students heading to Pecos Bill and could quickly mobilize some staff to open more checkout lanes?
Bottom line, managing the ebb and flow of people is what Disney parks do. It's part of the experience that you don't get in other parks, they do everything in their power to give you a compelling and personal experience, along with the half a million people who also want that personal experience. This tool will help them do that.
As for the soul-less, entirely too cool crowd at Jezebel... I keep reminding myself that it's just a phase and just a pose. As John Tartaglia observed "See those fireworks climb for a mile; I don't care how butch you are; that shit'll make you smile."
With the Sandy Hook Elementary murders, Gizmodo stepped over the editorial line for me. I don't go to a site about new tech to be lectured about gun control. Especially so when it uses the same pedantic and half-baked reasoning that comes up every election cycle and keeps people voting Republican.
What really brought my dislike home was an article in Jezebel on the new Disney World MyMagic+ system. For those that missed the announcement, this is an RFID bracelet that would essentially carry your park ticket and room information. Then follows a full page of snark and a mess of snarky comments from a bunch of people who are just entirely too cool and too independent and too very serious to be ever caught dead at Disney...but now they REALLY won't be going since they will be tracking your every move.
To beat an overused meme: Do you know how I know you people have never even been to a Disney property? This is such a good thing. The first time you realize this is when you enter the parks. With the magstripe tickets, the problem starts there. To keep you from passing a single ticket from person to person, Disney requires you to put your finger on a reader after you insert the card. It takes some rough biometrics and you are on your way: Insert card, put your finger on the scanner, wait for the blinking light, collect your ticket and move on through the turnstile. Simple! Unless you are 70...or 7 or don't read English or aren't too bright or you are too excited to think straight or you are distracted talking to your friends. Then the line comes to a screaming halt as the cast member helps the person use the turnstile. If you happen upon the park sometime in the mid-morning on a busy day, the change to an RFID ticket will save you at least 15 minutes.
This scene repeats at the fastpass machines while people stand befuddled before the machine and the line moves slower than you think it should. The whole of being a savvy visitor at Disney is all about avoiding the omnipresent line. That boys and girls is why it's good to have Disney tracking people at attractions. Want to know how long it takes to get to the head of the line at Haunted Mansion? Yes I know there is a number on top of the entrance but having seen behind the curtain, the current process is woefully analog and that's why those numbers are almost never right. What about attractions that get backed up simply due to movements of a crowd? How much better would it be if they could see that mob of 200 Brazilian students heading to Pecos Bill and could quickly mobilize some staff to open more checkout lanes?
Bottom line, managing the ebb and flow of people is what Disney parks do. It's part of the experience that you don't get in other parks, they do everything in their power to give you a compelling and personal experience, along with the half a million people who also want that personal experience. This tool will help them do that.
As for the soul-less, entirely too cool crowd at Jezebel... I keep reminding myself that it's just a phase and just a pose. As John Tartaglia observed "See those fireworks climb for a mile; I don't care how butch you are; that shit'll make you smile."
Monday, January 7, 2013
Once more into the breech
It's funny. I sit down for a status update but you know what, this is the part we've all seen 1000 times. This time of year is especially rife with the well meaning resolutions of what our friends will do differently in the coming year. So, I'm going to keep this short.
Life has been lumpy. I used this as an excuse to eat too much and eat the wrong sorts of things. As a result the combination of the weak knee and the increased weight mean that, for now, I'm no longer a runner. I'll be getting my butt up on the elliptical, on stationary bikes and taking walks. The weight training will continue...strong muscles gets me back into action sooner instead of later.
In the meantime I'm tracking my food with SparkPeople again. With the Disney trip coming in under a month, it's very tempting to continue to coast...after all, I won't be on point when I'm on vacation but I really don't need *more* excuses in my life. Fourty five is by no means old in this day and age but the body does undergo changes that make staying focused on food and fitness more important.
I've also taken some of my own advice for recovering and first time runners. I'm doing Hal Higdon's 30/30 plan. For 30 days, I'm out the door, on my feet and moving for at least 30 minutes. This won't help the cardio but it will keep all the connective tissue strong so that hopefully, not too long after I'm recovered from Disney, I can start running again.
So, that's the plan. Now to execute.
Life has been lumpy. I used this as an excuse to eat too much and eat the wrong sorts of things. As a result the combination of the weak knee and the increased weight mean that, for now, I'm no longer a runner. I'll be getting my butt up on the elliptical, on stationary bikes and taking walks. The weight training will continue...strong muscles gets me back into action sooner instead of later.
In the meantime I'm tracking my food with SparkPeople again. With the Disney trip coming in under a month, it's very tempting to continue to coast...after all, I won't be on point when I'm on vacation but I really don't need *more* excuses in my life. Fourty five is by no means old in this day and age but the body does undergo changes that make staying focused on food and fitness more important.
I've also taken some of my own advice for recovering and first time runners. I'm doing Hal Higdon's 30/30 plan. For 30 days, I'm out the door, on my feet and moving for at least 30 minutes. This won't help the cardio but it will keep all the connective tissue strong so that hopefully, not too long after I'm recovered from Disney, I can start running again.
So, that's the plan. Now to execute.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Courage
People have two bits of short sightedness when it comes to courage. I think a lot of this is due courage and bravery and heroism being over attributed these days.
Courage requires an action. That's not a popular position since we like to think of people who simply endure as brave and heroic but frankly that's not true. To simply suffer is not brave. To choose to continue to suffer as a choice, for a reason...that's different but there is a common denominator. There is a moment when you decide to do something that possibly will cost you, something that honestly makes little sense to the logical mind but is simply what is right. For some reason people aren't comfortable with this. Perhaps they think it sounds boastful, perhaps they never see it in themselves, perhaps they think that heavy stew of emotional actions is uncomfortable to own but for what ever the reason, people are a lot more comfortable with owning actions that are really just...smart.
Let's take Minerva for example.
People LOVE the moment when she awakens the statues. She is getting her upper lip stiffened and putting stuff in motion but seeing how she is slightly giddy is telling you that this is honestly just a logical choice. The bad guys are coming and they are ready to make war. She knows the spell, she's putting the defenses in place to try to win. This really isn't particularly brave...this is just good sense. Put all your pieces out on the board. This shows why this lady was (as rumor has it) almost sorted Ravenclaw.
Now let's talk about the less funny, less comfortable moment that is hers. When she shoves Harry Potter out of her way to draw down on Snape. This is courage. She is potentially offering her life for Harry. Being a smart woman, she knows she is starting a war and even if she wins, she might die. Even if she wins and doesn't die, people she loves WILL die...that's what war is. She does it anyway because it's right and it's what she needs to do. This is showing why she's the leader of the Griffondors.
Tossing up a fairly undramatic but resolved restart post without stats (you know we will love you and cheer every victory anyway) shows that you know the only person who can hold you accountable, REALLY is...you. You have to make the choices to eat right, to do the workouts and become a better Jen. Clearly you've given it a bit of thought but it's equally clear this is something you *need* to do.
So, yea. You aren't doing the pragmatic thing. You are starting a fucking war lady!
Courage requires an action. That's not a popular position since we like to think of people who simply endure as brave and heroic but frankly that's not true. To simply suffer is not brave. To choose to continue to suffer as a choice, for a reason...that's different but there is a common denominator. There is a moment when you decide to do something that possibly will cost you, something that honestly makes little sense to the logical mind but is simply what is right. For some reason people aren't comfortable with this. Perhaps they think it sounds boastful, perhaps they never see it in themselves, perhaps they think that heavy stew of emotional actions is uncomfortable to own but for what ever the reason, people are a lot more comfortable with owning actions that are really just...smart.
Let's take Minerva for example.
Tossing up a fairly undramatic but resolved restart post without stats (you know we will love you and cheer every victory anyway) shows that you know the only person who can hold you accountable, REALLY is...you. You have to make the choices to eat right, to do the workouts and become a better Jen. Clearly you've given it a bit of thought but it's equally clear this is something you *need* to do.
So, yea. You aren't doing the pragmatic thing. You are starting a fucking war lady!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
A New Hope
Seeing some of the talk on the internet about Disney buying LucasArts has made me realize that people have selective memory about Disney and how they have managed their creative partnerships.
"Coming soon: 'Star Tours, The Motion Picture!'"
I can see where some of this comes from. Disney saw the huge piles of cash that came in from Pirates of the Caribbean and obviously thought that more of that and more of any other great ride would be the key to more money than any company could ever spend. "Tower of Terror packs them in, has a great story and an existing IP, let's start there!" Then it tanked, hard. "Okay, let's spend more money, a bigger name on the marque and a more wide appealing ride at the parks!" This movie made money. If you are counting foreign sales as well, BIG money...but it sucked and sucked hard enough to actually damage the Disney parks value a bit. As a result, Disney has backed away. So, yes they have some really terrible ideas but they do seem to be able to learn.
"Won't someone think of the merch!?!"
This one made me laugh a bit. If anyone can be counted on to bring the merchandise, it is the mouse. At the parks Disney relentlessly sells Star Wars stuff, from spiffy Yoda backpacks to having an insanely cool "Build Your Own Lightsaber" station. Some of it is co-branded (what do you expect? It was a partnership) and some is not but even before buying the IP outright, Disney has shown their commitment.
"Disney let my favorite IP languish!"
If they did, either your favorite thing sucked or it has a niche appeal. Sorry but that's the truth. If Disney can turn a buck and do it with enough quality to bring more prestige to the mouse they will do it. Disney is all about building their properties. While they have really let the side down of late when it comes to ensnaring the minds of boys when it comes to the core Disney properties, they take great pains to own the hearts of little girls...and young Star Wars fans. At the parks, one of the most popular experiences is Jedi Training Academy. Watch a bit of the video and tell me that these young ones won't be life long fans.
"But Disney has made some really, REALLY suck movies!"
Yep, that they have. Especially live action and especially sequels but that's the law of averages. It takes some long and hard thought to think of a really, properly good sequel. There is Godfather 2 and well... Aliens and...hmmm. So yea, put out enough content and some of it is bound to suck. But for every Prince of Persia there is an Avengers. For every G-Force there is a WALL-E and for every Dragonslayer there is a Tron. Look back on all the theatrical features that Disney has created and you'll see a lot of stinkers but I bet you see a lot more than make you smile fondly. If you think that most of those movies that make you smile are historical and that the new ones just seem to suck, realize two things. First: Most of them aren't aimed at you anymore. Kids love the hell out of things like Cars 2. Second: Well I'll just let YouTube do the talking again. THIS is what Disney can do.
"Disney has a long history of really vigorously defending their copyright. Cosplay and fan art is over!"
That would have been true were it still the 1980s. Yes back in the Eisner era Disney didn't understand fans, it simply understood products. These days, Disney understands passionate fans and actually uses them to add value to what they are doing. As long as you don't try to horn in on their action, like say, dressing as one of the princesses at the park, they are very accommodating. This likely means an abrupt cease and desist to most sources of Amidala porn but can you really blame them? If you are a Star Wars and cosplay fan, you've likely heard of the 501st Legion. They have been invited to participate at Star Wars weekends at Disney parks and are even featured on the official promo page for the event. Disney is also very okay with people making fair use of their property. They now understand that most fan videos simply add more value and make people even more engaged. I'll close on that note with a brilliant fan video for the theme from Brave - Touch The Sky.
"Coming soon: 'Star Tours, The Motion Picture!'"
I can see where some of this comes from. Disney saw the huge piles of cash that came in from Pirates of the Caribbean and obviously thought that more of that and more of any other great ride would be the key to more money than any company could ever spend. "Tower of Terror packs them in, has a great story and an existing IP, let's start there!" Then it tanked, hard. "Okay, let's spend more money, a bigger name on the marque and a more wide appealing ride at the parks!" This movie made money. If you are counting foreign sales as well, BIG money...but it sucked and sucked hard enough to actually damage the Disney parks value a bit. As a result, Disney has backed away. So, yes they have some really terrible ideas but they do seem to be able to learn.
"Won't someone think of the merch!?!"
This one made me laugh a bit. If anyone can be counted on to bring the merchandise, it is the mouse. At the parks Disney relentlessly sells Star Wars stuff, from spiffy Yoda backpacks to having an insanely cool "Build Your Own Lightsaber" station. Some of it is co-branded (what do you expect? It was a partnership) and some is not but even before buying the IP outright, Disney has shown their commitment.
"Disney let my favorite IP languish!"
If they did, either your favorite thing sucked or it has a niche appeal. Sorry but that's the truth. If Disney can turn a buck and do it with enough quality to bring more prestige to the mouse they will do it. Disney is all about building their properties. While they have really let the side down of late when it comes to ensnaring the minds of boys when it comes to the core Disney properties, they take great pains to own the hearts of little girls...and young Star Wars fans. At the parks, one of the most popular experiences is Jedi Training Academy. Watch a bit of the video and tell me that these young ones won't be life long fans.
"But Disney has made some really, REALLY suck movies!"
Yep, that they have. Especially live action and especially sequels but that's the law of averages. It takes some long and hard thought to think of a really, properly good sequel. There is Godfather 2 and well... Aliens and...hmmm. So yea, put out enough content and some of it is bound to suck. But for every Prince of Persia there is an Avengers. For every G-Force there is a WALL-E and for every Dragonslayer there is a Tron. Look back on all the theatrical features that Disney has created and you'll see a lot of stinkers but I bet you see a lot more than make you smile fondly. If you think that most of those movies that make you smile are historical and that the new ones just seem to suck, realize two things. First: Most of them aren't aimed at you anymore. Kids love the hell out of things like Cars 2. Second: Well I'll just let YouTube do the talking again. THIS is what Disney can do.
"Disney has a long history of really vigorously defending their copyright. Cosplay and fan art is over!"
That would have been true were it still the 1980s. Yes back in the Eisner era Disney didn't understand fans, it simply understood products. These days, Disney understands passionate fans and actually uses them to add value to what they are doing. As long as you don't try to horn in on their action, like say, dressing as one of the princesses at the park, they are very accommodating. This likely means an abrupt cease and desist to most sources of Amidala porn but can you really blame them? If you are a Star Wars and cosplay fan, you've likely heard of the 501st Legion. They have been invited to participate at Star Wars weekends at Disney parks and are even featured on the official promo page for the event. Disney is also very okay with people making fair use of their property. They now understand that most fan videos simply add more value and make people even more engaged. I'll close on that note with a brilliant fan video for the theme from Brave - Touch The Sky.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
It's been a long road
My friend Damian Doty recently encouraged me to give Star Trek: Enterprise another chance. I'd watched maybe a dozen episodes before tuning out entirely. One of the biggest bones of contention for me at the time was the theme song. Every other outing into the Star Trek setting was an instrumental piece that set the tone for the show. ...what was THIS crap.
Surprisingly when I go back to Enterprise, I like the theme now. I find it very moving. So that made me ponder on why. My exposure to Star Trek started with the original series. I was a suburban "latch key kid" and in the 19070s, the show still lived in syndication. I'd come home, do my homework (sometimes) and then it was time for Star Trek.
Let me tell you a bit about the early 1970s for those who weren't there. This country was about space exploration in a huge way and we were all excited about it. The Apollo missions had just finished, we had our first space station in orbit, we had managed an orbital rendezvous with the Soviets, we were about to put our first landers on Mars and there was planning on the first of the fleet of "space trucks" to ferry people into orbit. The prototype of these reusable space ships was to be named the Constitution but a huge write-in campaign (no small feat pre-internet) to the then President, Gerald Ford convinced him to direct NASA to change the name...to the Enterprise. While she was never launched, she was the first shuttle to ever fly.
Space exploration was proceeding at a breakneck pace and to a young boy, the future that Gene Roddenberry proposed looked undeniable. If anything, his timeline was looking conservative. Surveyor 1 had preceded humans to the moon by three years so we figured with Viking touching down in 1976 that humans would be on the surface of Mars sometime before the end of the decade.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the value of exploration as a propaganda tool evaporated. Cynicism replaced pride in the US and the public just kind of lost interest in space exploration. The plans for the rockets we were going to build to replace the shuttle fleet got scrapped, the shuttles got retired and it really started to look like the shortsighted among us would allow the human race to go extinct at the bottom of the Earth's gravity well.
...and then the Curiosity landed like a BOSS! We have a new generation of people who have not seen the like and they are excited to be exploring a whole different planet. Bobak Ferdowski is now a rock star and it's very possible we might make it off of this pale blue dot before our species dies out. It's easy to look at some reality TV, read the newspapers and come to the conclusion that maybe, we deserve to end here. If this is the best we can do, we might be best left as a bad example for the next civilization that comes along.
but here is the thing to understand. The stakes are higher than that. We aren't in it for the fans of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." This is about Shakespeare and Mozart and the Beatles and Ansel Adams and Martin Luther King and the millions of books and songs and images and thoughts of those yet to be born.
So, what the hell does that have to do with the Enterprise theme?
When I first heard that song, I was still coasting from my childhood, this future was a given in my mind. It was going to happen. Now, I see the USA as possibly the most scientifically illiterate developed nation in the world. We spend our money saving the bacon of rich bankers but people squabble over the .4 cents on a dollar that it takes to fund NASA. I'm starting to realize that exploring the galaxy in ships capable of faster than light travel has a lot of question marks associated with the prospect. I also see the excitement and the sense of pride from putting a robot on the surface of Mars, I see discussion of a space station built at L2 and I realize that we still have time to turn this around before we reach a tipping point on the natural resources of the Earth. That future is still in play.
So for the first time for me, I'm no longer certain we will continue the very human tradition of exploration...but I have faith.
Surprisingly when I go back to Enterprise, I like the theme now. I find it very moving. So that made me ponder on why. My exposure to Star Trek started with the original series. I was a suburban "latch key kid" and in the 19070s, the show still lived in syndication. I'd come home, do my homework (sometimes) and then it was time for Star Trek.
Let me tell you a bit about the early 1970s for those who weren't there. This country was about space exploration in a huge way and we were all excited about it. The Apollo missions had just finished, we had our first space station in orbit, we had managed an orbital rendezvous with the Soviets, we were about to put our first landers on Mars and there was planning on the first of the fleet of "space trucks" to ferry people into orbit. The prototype of these reusable space ships was to be named the Constitution but a huge write-in campaign (no small feat pre-internet) to the then President, Gerald Ford convinced him to direct NASA to change the name...to the Enterprise. While she was never launched, she was the first shuttle to ever fly.
Space exploration was proceeding at a breakneck pace and to a young boy, the future that Gene Roddenberry proposed looked undeniable. If anything, his timeline was looking conservative. Surveyor 1 had preceded humans to the moon by three years so we figured with Viking touching down in 1976 that humans would be on the surface of Mars sometime before the end of the decade.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the value of exploration as a propaganda tool evaporated. Cynicism replaced pride in the US and the public just kind of lost interest in space exploration. The plans for the rockets we were going to build to replace the shuttle fleet got scrapped, the shuttles got retired and it really started to look like the shortsighted among us would allow the human race to go extinct at the bottom of the Earth's gravity well.
...and then the Curiosity landed like a BOSS! We have a new generation of people who have not seen the like and they are excited to be exploring a whole different planet. Bobak Ferdowski is now a rock star and it's very possible we might make it off of this pale blue dot before our species dies out. It's easy to look at some reality TV, read the newspapers and come to the conclusion that maybe, we deserve to end here. If this is the best we can do, we might be best left as a bad example for the next civilization that comes along.
but here is the thing to understand. The stakes are higher than that. We aren't in it for the fans of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." This is about Shakespeare and Mozart and the Beatles and Ansel Adams and Martin Luther King and the millions of books and songs and images and thoughts of those yet to be born.
So, what the hell does that have to do with the Enterprise theme?
When I first heard that song, I was still coasting from my childhood, this future was a given in my mind. It was going to happen. Now, I see the USA as possibly the most scientifically illiterate developed nation in the world. We spend our money saving the bacon of rich bankers but people squabble over the .4 cents on a dollar that it takes to fund NASA. I'm starting to realize that exploring the galaxy in ships capable of faster than light travel has a lot of question marks associated with the prospect. I also see the excitement and the sense of pride from putting a robot on the surface of Mars, I see discussion of a space station built at L2 and I realize that we still have time to turn this around before we reach a tipping point on the natural resources of the Earth. That future is still in play.
So for the first time for me, I'm no longer certain we will continue the very human tradition of exploration...but I have faith.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Harrisburg Half Marathon
It was an almost perfect day for a race. The morning was cool and clear, if there had been some cloud cover, some absurd times would have been posted. Doreen came with me to lend some support and I met up with Joe Earley so that was cool.
Before I get into the race, some of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good were the spectators. It seemed a sizable chunk of Harrisburg showed up and they were ready to get crazy. The energy on course was palpable. Some of them even made use of bikes to cheer at multiple sections of the course.
Packet pickup was tight. Check your bib number, go to the volunteer in that number range, take your packet and enjoy.
The bad was all about the planning. As Joe noted when he got a bit sidetracked, there were no course markers to speak of. Directions came from the race volunteers...which was fine as long as the volunteers were engaged and on task instead of chatting with friends.
Water stops had issues. The first water stop was at 4.8 miles. It's a darn good thing it was a cool morning. Barring thirst issues, many slower runners are already into their first gel before then. I'm glad I brought my handheld.
Other people were the ugly. I can live without people who: Move slowly more than two abreast...especially when they are too busy chatting to be utterly oblivious to the pile up forming behind them.
People who don't know how to spit. I mean really? You have to be told to spit into the bushes, not into the middle of the race course?
Flailing elbows! This is almost exclusively a lady runner thing and one day, I'm going to get elbowed hard enough to reflexively hit back.
I've said it before, I'll say it again, FUCK Harrisburg cyclists. About a dozen members of the local cycling club showed up to do their Sunday ride. Of course they didn't check for upcoming events when planning this and nor did they decide that since the race was almost over, maybe grab breakfast...or just ride another route. Nope, two by two they took off down the race course.
So, on with the report!
The first mile was fairly typical of the first mile of any race. Lots of excitement, people ramming into one another and screaming and joy. As we hit that first mile and got up on the bridge people settled down, I put on my Walkman and was greeted by, not making this up, Joan Jett: I Love Rock & Roll. Since the device was set for random, I took this for a good omen.
At mile three, we got a little rural and turned off the paved road. We ran almost a full mile through a chunk of Harrisburg's "Green Belt." Happily the group of men that usually hang out in one section got the memo and found somewhere else to engage in in their shenanigans.
By mile 4, we were back out on the path by the river...this is my home field advantage and I wondered how much effort I was going to put into the race. I was debating just taking it easy, phone it in, just run the 13.1 and be content with 2:45-3:00. Then music played a roll again. A song that I have recently adopted as my "power song" filled my ears. Ozzy Ozbourne reminded me that I'm either in or in the way and I Don't Wanna Stop. So I dialed in a pace a few seconds behind last year's race pace and it was on.
Around mile 6 it became apparent that my bladder wasn't going to be okay with another 7 miles. There were exactly two porta-johns at Maclay...both occupied. So, a quick break took a bit over two minutes. Around mile 8 things got interesting for me. We did a dog leg back through a residential area. Lot of families had turned out to cheer but more significantly, the sun was becoming a factor. I was unsure how well I could keep my pace until the end. A smarter runner would have backed down a bit, I'm not always that smart.
At mile 11, I had a realization: There is no way they closed Forster Street for us. That means we are going under the bridge, more significantly, we are going to have to climb the hill by the Walnut Street bridge, that's about ~400m from the finish. So I had a mile or so to figure out if I was going to be a hero, kick OR run up the hill. I invoked Zombieland rule #17 and decided that I would walk the ramp and make up the time that I lose with a ferocious kick across the bridge.
It was a bit claustrophobic running the bridge. Everyone wanted to cheer their runner for the last 400m and maybe get a picture, so the crowd was pressed in right up to the sidewalk and most of them were leaning in trying to catch a glimpse of the runners.
All in all, a good race. The complaints I have were minor ones. The energy was insane and the course was quick. I'm proud that I found a pace that gave me a finish I can be proud of without running hard enough to end injured. While not injured, yesterday I was a bit tired and sore and my day today started with two Aleve.
Before I get into the race, some of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good were the spectators. It seemed a sizable chunk of Harrisburg showed up and they were ready to get crazy. The energy on course was palpable. Some of them even made use of bikes to cheer at multiple sections of the course.
Packet pickup was tight. Check your bib number, go to the volunteer in that number range, take your packet and enjoy.
The bad was all about the planning. As Joe noted when he got a bit sidetracked, there were no course markers to speak of. Directions came from the race volunteers...which was fine as long as the volunteers were engaged and on task instead of chatting with friends.
Water stops had issues. The first water stop was at 4.8 miles. It's a darn good thing it was a cool morning. Barring thirst issues, many slower runners are already into their first gel before then. I'm glad I brought my handheld.
Other people were the ugly. I can live without people who: Move slowly more than two abreast...especially when they are too busy chatting to be utterly oblivious to the pile up forming behind them.
People who don't know how to spit. I mean really? You have to be told to spit into the bushes, not into the middle of the race course?
Flailing elbows! This is almost exclusively a lady runner thing and one day, I'm going to get elbowed hard enough to reflexively hit back.
I've said it before, I'll say it again, FUCK Harrisburg cyclists. About a dozen members of the local cycling club showed up to do their Sunday ride. Of course they didn't check for upcoming events when planning this and nor did they decide that since the race was almost over, maybe grab breakfast...or just ride another route. Nope, two by two they took off down the race course.
So, on with the report!
The first mile was fairly typical of the first mile of any race. Lots of excitement, people ramming into one another and screaming and joy. As we hit that first mile and got up on the bridge people settled down, I put on my Walkman and was greeted by, not making this up, Joan Jett: I Love Rock & Roll. Since the device was set for random, I took this for a good omen.
At mile three, we got a little rural and turned off the paved road. We ran almost a full mile through a chunk of Harrisburg's "Green Belt." Happily the group of men that usually hang out in one section got the memo and found somewhere else to engage in in their shenanigans.
By mile 4, we were back out on the path by the river...this is my home field advantage and I wondered how much effort I was going to put into the race. I was debating just taking it easy, phone it in, just run the 13.1 and be content with 2:45-3:00. Then music played a roll again. A song that I have recently adopted as my "power song" filled my ears. Ozzy Ozbourne reminded me that I'm either in or in the way and I Don't Wanna Stop. So I dialed in a pace a few seconds behind last year's race pace and it was on.
Around mile 6 it became apparent that my bladder wasn't going to be okay with another 7 miles. There were exactly two porta-johns at Maclay...both occupied. So, a quick break took a bit over two minutes. Around mile 8 things got interesting for me. We did a dog leg back through a residential area. Lot of families had turned out to cheer but more significantly, the sun was becoming a factor. I was unsure how well I could keep my pace until the end. A smarter runner would have backed down a bit, I'm not always that smart.
At mile 11, I had a realization: There is no way they closed Forster Street for us. That means we are going under the bridge, more significantly, we are going to have to climb the hill by the Walnut Street bridge, that's about ~400m from the finish. So I had a mile or so to figure out if I was going to be a hero, kick OR run up the hill. I invoked Zombieland rule #17 and decided that I would walk the ramp and make up the time that I lose with a ferocious kick across the bridge.
It was a bit claustrophobic running the bridge. Everyone wanted to cheer their runner for the last 400m and maybe get a picture, so the crowd was pressed in right up to the sidewalk and most of them were leaning in trying to catch a glimpse of the runners.
All in all, a good race. The complaints I have were minor ones. The energy was insane and the course was quick. I'm proud that I found a pace that gave me a finish I can be proud of without running hard enough to end injured. While not injured, yesterday I was a bit tired and sore and my day today started with two Aleve.
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