Today is the three-year anniversary of the beginning of this blog. This seems like a good time for my last post. I’ve really enjoyed writing here, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my posts. It was a fun three-year project. It’s possible that I’ll start another blog in the future, but it would be a different kind of blog. I expect it to be an anonymous blog about a new job I anticipate beginning soon. I’m still not sure if I’ll start such a blog, but if I do, I’ll be sure to tell you about it. However, I would ask that you keep the author of the potential new blog confidential. Obviously, it won’t be called, “Tim Trowbridge’s Blog.” Thanks again, and take care.

Tags: blog, blogs

I usually don’t comment much on current events or politics in this blog, but this story is a very big deal. One of the most important sentences is probably, “Regulators could prohibit tobacco companies from using candy or other flavors in cigarettes that tend to attract young smokers.” I think that candy cigarettes are just plain evil. When I was in Japan to run the Tokyo Marathon, every time I went into a restaurant or coffee shop, I almost gagged from the smoke. I had forgotten how much I now take for granted that when I go into a public place, I’ll have clean air to breath. (Smoking in public places in banned in Ohio.) Hopefully, Japan will catch up with the West on this issue soon.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Tokyo Marathon, running

I just got this e-mail from Hawaii Pacific University:

From: alumni@hpu.edu
To: timtrowbridge@hotmail.com
Subject: Hawaii Pacific University - Joe Saguto Hawaii Loa retirement
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 21:09:03 -0500

HPU Alumni

Joe Saguto, director of roads and grounds for the Hawaii Loa campus, is retiring at the end of this month. Joe actually landscaped the campus in the late 60's and has been its caretaker for the past 40 years.

If anyone would like to send their well wishes to Joe, please send to alumni@hpu.edu by June 15. I will present these messages to him at his retirement party that week.

Kris Smith, BA '95, MA '97
HPU Alumni Relations Coordinator

Mr. Saguto was there when I attended Hawaii Loa College from 1989 to 1992. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Hawaii Loa is probably the most beautiful campus on Earth.

Tags: Hawaii Loa College

I just got another assignment to write some math problems. Topics include using data analysis and probability, performing systemic listing and counting with matrices and vertex-edge graphs, factoring higher-order polynomials, exploring Euclid’s five postulates, recognizing when an algebraic expression is undefined, working with linear functions, and investigating triangles. These problems should keep me busy all the way through June.

Also, I was having some serious problems with my computer running slowly when surfing the internet, but since I switched from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox, all of my problems have disappeared. I’m now a Firefox convert!

Tags: math, mathematics, Mozilla Firefox, Firefox

Click here for a math exercise from FoxTrot. At the top of the left pane is a series of numbers. By figuring out the math problems in the key below, you can determine the number that corresponds to each letter of the alphabet. Then you can substitute the appropriate letter into the series of numbers above to decode the message. The hardest math problem shown is probably the one for letter ‘Q,’ since you need to know a little calculus to figure it out. However, the good news is that the letter ‘Q’ isn’t used in the message, so you don’t need to know how to do this problem to complete the exercise. Note: The answer for letter ‘Q’ is twenty-four.

Tags: math, mathematics, FoxTrot

I recently read the books Rigged by Ben Mezrich and Relentless Pursuit by Donna Foote. Relentless Pursuit profiles four teachers in the Teach For America program. It also talks a lot about Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach For America. One of the most famous alumni of Teach For America is Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the District of Columbia public school system and founder of The New Teacher Project, a program similar to Teach for America.

In addition, just this last weekend I saw the movie Sugar. It’s about a minor league baseball player from the Dominican Republic. It’s a very good movie, but it’s not really about baseball. Go see it if you're interested in how many of the players who you see on TV came to be there.

Tags: book, books, Rigged, Ben Mezrich, Relentless Pursuit, Donna Foote, Teach For America, Wendy Kopp, Michelle Rhee, The New Teacher Project

I’ve been hearing a lot about Twitter lately. Here is what Wikipedia says about Twitter:

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow anybody to access them. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. The service is free to use over the Internet, but using SMS may incur phone service provider fees.

It seemed a little strange to me, so I looked at the Twitter page of someone I find interesting – Lance Armstrong. No offense to Lance, but his Twitter page is boring. I don’t really understand why people find Twitter so interesting. There’s no context whatsoever. It’s just a bunch of simple statements saying, “I did this,” or “I did that.” If you think this blog is boring, try taking a look at someone’s Twitter page!

Tags: Twitter, Lance Armstrong