this week i

survived a 10k. placed 151st, 57 minutes. limped home. will never run further. a strange experience to be in a tight crowd of heavy-breathing people, silent of any conversation. a look at the data -



ate tacos at my dad's..

..before our tenth row seats to aretha franklin.

ate 18th st. ethiopian with emily, in town from geneva.

made shockingly good conversation.

bade farewell to dani, off to law school.

watched warren beatty in bonnie & clyde at screen on the green.

hosted emma, flying nonstop dc to addis ababa on her way to teach epidemiology to maternity nurses in somalia. indulged at fogo de chao, since she'll be eating nothing but goat for a month.

hiked the entirety of roosevelt island.

picnicked with willie nelson.

8/5

this week i

finished reading how to buy a condominium or townhouse, and have written up all of my notes here.

attribute starbucks' success to their preparation of your drink before you reach the cashier.

found this interactive age distribution violin plot, and for more than just the united states.

dug up the video that made me love johnny cash.

made sushi for some friends. am out of practice.

am trying to get in the habit of buttoning my back wallet pocket. tired of wearing a chain, would like to keep my never-been-pick-pocketed streak alive.

wondered about the evolutionary advantage of a zebra's stripes. zebras have stripes because lions are colorblind?

figured out how to calculate my ten-, fifteen-, and twenty-thousandth day on earth in r. i crossed the 10,000th day marker earlier this year while in palestine, but now i've cemented my calculations in simple r code -



observed at the 2010 r conference.

listened to statisticians preach never to cut continuous variables into categorical ones.

learned that the most important concept in statistical analysis of social networks like facebook is no longer the unit, but the diode - the paired connection between two units.

discovered that plinko has a practical application in mathematics.

saw levon helm on the drums at wolftrap. his bout with throat cancer cut into his yodeling.

enjoyed the black keys, but can hear the lead singer's voice better in the recording studio.

7/29

this week i

presented on data tips and shortcuts using the consumer expenditure survey at the bureau of labor statistics conference.

would print this guide to happiness out. and maybe just glance at maps that changed the world. oh and this visualization is profound.

read elizabeth drew's article written the week prior to health reform, 'the bill that emerged from the senate probably went about as far as could be expected'.

flew to nashville..

..for the birthday weekend..


..and so much else to adore.

obviously ate pie instead.

disagree that you are not photogenic, miz bailee.

met interesting people.

proudly stood out among the blondes.

teetered on the brink of an exciting bar-fight.

made room on the dance floor.

second amended..

..or not!


couldn't decide whether i preferred the shakespearean amphitheater below the state capitol..

..the centennial parthenon..

..or three storey athena herself, nike in hand.

found a most effective alarm clock..

..beautiful southern belles showing off wombat rugs..

..and punk rockers covering johnny cash.



learned the military equestrian statue code of conduct.

fired up the griddle.

realized that each davidson county liquor license applicant must guarantee live music..


..a bar without a band no better than a bar without alcohol.

swam anyway.

genuinely wish my city also had a newspaper that printed only historical articles.

met the architect.

basked in southern hospitality. (worth a zoom-in)

toured the frist center and its stick figure cautionary signs.

could listen to bluegrass remixes forever.


frolicked through the outdoor chiluly exhibit.

contemplated how zen gardens..

..bamboo forests..

..and other fiery sprouts were not at risk of weather damage.

saw the sun..

..the moon..

..& boats full of bizarre.

understand the fuss.

7/22

this week i

published this examination of adults who don't come into contact with the medical system.

got to do a little on-stage acting at completely hollywood, a good reason not to sit in the front row. luckily, a vice president at kff was also in the audience and ready to snap this picture. notice the riotous applause.

ate gelato in the rain. we spent an easy weekend in my favorite places - thai food, lincoln's memorial, live jazz, then brunch down the street.

love religious music. even if you don't, give grooveshark a try.

enjoyed dinner, drinks, and dizzy on sax at the icelandic ambassador's house.


would be three things forever - curious, young, rich - in that order.

don't understand city filth sometimes. though i wouldn't put it past america to invent a twizzler-based coffee-stirrer.

estimate that one extra vacation day per year is worth roughly one two hundred sixtieth of your annual salary, or a 0.3846% raise.

celebrated bastille day at the embassy.


coined a longer word - supercalifragilisticexpialidelicious.

7/15