Life
is busy, busy, busy. However, every once in
a while I manage to find just a moment or two to play.
Here are a few of my interests and hobbies.
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BASEBALL! Love
the sport. Love the technical nuances of the game.
Love the Yankees in particular. I went to my first
Major League Baseball game when I was 10 years old.
It was in Oakland. Oakland A's versus New York Yankees.
What can I say? I loved the Yankees' uniforms--which
were a sight better than some of the other uniforms worn
by baseball teams in the 70's. It was a clear case
of imprinting. Maybe not the best way to pick a team,
but I've lived and died with them since. My boys, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera still getting it done with another Championship in 2009.
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In 2001, I was able to visit Yankee stadium
for the first time. Actually, I was able to go twice--sitting
in the owner's seats, no less. What a blast!
In summer 2009, I was able to take my family to visit the new Yankee Stadium. Oh, yeah...we also visited family on Long Island. Here is a little clip of Derek Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig's record for all-time hits in a Yankee uniform. I've been to a number of other ballparks around the country,
including the ballparks in Seattle, Boston, Cleveland, Houston,
Los Angeles, Colorado, Pittsburgh and of course, Phoenix.
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MUSIC! Years ago, I played piano and keyboards. I didn't enjoy the playing so much as the composing of music. I was able to do a little keyboard composing and sequencing with the limited time that I had. This was back in the MS-DOS days. When I got married, I had to sell my equipment to help pay some bills. And with that, I left the world of music for a while.
About eight years ago, my brother encouraged me to pick up guitar. He bought one for me as a gift
and I've been tinkering with it since. I've not spent
enough time on it to become terribly proficient. But
every once in a while, I can strum a tune that sounds half-decent. In the last few years, I've gotten back into the electronic music scene. I'm a big fan of Propellerhead's Reason software.
READING! I read voraciously as
a child. However, I've been able to do it less and
less over the years. After my master's program, I
thought that I would never read for enjoyment again.
But as I was finishing up my degree, I came across a copy
of The Firm by John Grisham. I had a little
extra time and so I dove in. I fell in love with reading
all over again. My wife told me that I need to read this book called The Hunger Games. Going to try to get my son to read it so that we can discuss/analyze it and do some of that higher-level thinking that I'm always pushing on my students. :-) |
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GRAPHICS AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN! I started drawing when
I was a kid. I'm a little "red-green" color blind.
So, I stayed away from anything with color. Sketching
with charcoal and pencil seemed a natural fit. I really
enjoy getting caught up in the canvas. The problem
is that I need a lot of time to sketch. It just doesn't
feel right if sit down for only 15 minutes. I take
the time when I can. Most of my creativity nowadays
flows out through multimedia coupled with instructional design on the computer (e.g.,
developing animations to supplement my lectures, digitizing
video, creating art for the department).
Here is a little something that I cooked up to illustrate significance testing in statistics. I did the artwork, but a very gifted statistics student came up with the concept. |
GARDENING & LANDSCAPING! When I moved
down here to Arizona, I immediately fell in love with native
plants and what can be done with them in desert landscapes.
I've read a lot of books on southwest flora and am continuously
fascinated by the adaptability of desert shrubs and trees.
I've designed the landscape in my front and backyards and even created the design for our pool. Okay. Maybe I'm not the best, but it's a great way to let out my creative energy. Along the way, I've learned
a lot and killed a few plants.
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I've even learned a little about architecture and pool construction. If I were to advise others undertaking a landscaping project,
I would say, Have the end in mind before you begin.
Here are some recent pictures of our ongoing backyard and pool project.
The worst part about the plants is knowing that when we go away for a family vacation during the summer months, at least one of the plants will die. :-(
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