Chad Kurzawski

Marathon training (again)

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:49:00 -0700

Sunday marks another round of serious marathon training; last time, I decided to ease off training after I was regularly running 10 to 12 miles. I had finally hit the runner’s high that so many articles and podcasts urged me to wait for, but I just didn’t have the mental wherewithal to run for hours at a time.

This year, I’m planning on using:

the Hal Higdon Novice 1 program
an embarrassing number of audible.com audio books. When I was last running seriously, I listened to quite a bit of fiction. I’ve missed studying memoir, though, and I can’t wait to read Julian Barnes Nothing to Be Frightened Of, a book I shouldn’t have missed.
another new pair of Mizunos, my fifth
new running podcasts, since so many of my old favorites have fizzled away.

iPad textbooks

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:01:00 -0700

There have been strong rumors of Apple getting into the textbook distribution game and optimizing educational content for the iPad.

The recent Jobs biography makes it clear that Apple will try to revolutionize the textbook industry. Jobs wanted to hire excellent textbook writers and give away content free with the purchase of an iPad.

Alaskan town has 176 inches of snow on the ground - Boing Boing

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:35:40 -0700

Alaskan town has 176 inches of snow on the ground - Boing Boing:

I’ve never experienced 176 inches of snow, but I have fond memories of shoulder-high, Michigan snow.

"Cheaper" is not a tablet feature that interests me

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:30:00 -0700

Cheaper tablets— The industry’s enthusiasm for tablets was considerably tempered this year compared to last, when more than a hundred manufacturers thought they could capitalize on the iPad’s success with their own models based on Google’s Android software. Sales were disappointing, in large part because Apple prices the iPad relatively low compared to the cost of making it. Then, late last year, Amazon demonstrated that you can take on Apple by selling a smaller, barebones tablet for $199. Analysts believe Amazon sold millions of Kindle Fires in little more than a month.

Thoughts about Skyrim

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:28:15 -0700

I began the game with a mage and have become the Arch-Mage of the Mage College; I can’t bring myself to join the Guild of Thieves with this character, so I need to make a new one.
I actually care about my Mass Effect I/II Shepherd. It’s nothing compared to how much I genuinely care for my Skyrim character.
The statement above isn’t as crazy as it seems — tell me…you’ve never cared about a character in a movie? Skyrim is comprised moments that have been well-written and well-designed, and the sum of these moments make me care.
The main story line is good, but not nearly as compelling as the Mage’s College plot line.
I understand how dorky this post is, but let me make it slightly dorkier by writing this — if Skyrim can be this unbelievably awesome now, in 2011, while I am pulled away for a busy job and caring for a 7-month-old, I just can’t wait for the games I’ll be playing 10 and 20 years from now.

Ukulele Covers

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:45:33 -0700

It’s not that I don’t enjoy listening to music, but very few songs are artists really capture my interest. And I’ve never really had a genre of music I loved. But now, I have ukulele covers. They’re great. Enjoy!

http://ukulelecovers.tumblr.com

Baby Hazel watched this video and began waving at the screen....

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:16:56 -0700

Baby Hazel watched this video and began waving at the screen. Her mother might play ridiculous music for her every day, but she’s a Daddy’s girl!

A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage | The Awl

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:48:13 -0700

A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage | The Awl:

gross —

Reconstituted, vaguely anatomically-shaped meat was something of a specialty for Arend, it seems. And though the sandwich is made of pork shoulder and/or reconstituted pork offal slurry, it is pressed into patties that only sort of resemble a seven-year-old’s rendering of what he had at Tony Roma’s with his granny last weekend.

Builders Club Hayride

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:12:58 -0700

Maybe I’m more of a dork than most people, but I find it very inspiring when sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders set goals such as:

when we see bullying, we should let a teacher know but also go talk to the kid who was bullied to help him or her feel less alone.
when our parents come home and it’s clear they’ve had a rough day, we should ask them to tell us about it and really listen.
we should let others know about our club and why community service is important
not just go to school, but really love our school and our teachers and friends as if they are our family, because we spend so much time with them and we will all feel happier if we spread the love

The kids I teach (and the kids I’ve taught) have so much more heart than I did at their age, and I feel so grateful to take a small part in their lives.

Things that are at-risk when a much-needed educational override fails to pass

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:02:00 -0700

my students’ belief that their community finds them worth nurturing
my optimism
a level playing field
my drive to arrive to work at 6am every day
my sanity
my ability to write snarky lists, which is hard to do when you feel plain-old-sad

Happy 90th Birthday, Grammy

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:04:23 -0700

That’s probably 1 year for every 100 pierogi you’ve made me.

Overrides

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:58:00 -0700

Overrides:

>With overrides, voters decide whether to “override” the state-set limits on property taxes to give more money to schools. A “maintenance and operation” override funds teachers and academics, and capital overrides pay for buildings, technology and equipment such as textbooks and furniture.

All necessary, and all criminally underfunded by the state of Arizona.