Trip Report: San Diego 2011

Attendees: Ajay, Alex, Azim, Fu, Zhi

I had deemed this trip "Beach, Beers, Bros" for obvious reasons. However, in retrospect, we didn't spend much time on the beach, some d-bag didn't actually drink, but it was still great to be with my bros*.

Assorted observations and anecdotes:

- Good idea with the shirts, Alex. Although I'm not sure there was much impetus to wear them again. I did wear mine to the airport to drop people off on Tue. Regardless, way to take the initiative, Champ.

- Thanks for bringing the poker chips, Alex. They did come in handy.

- Getting a house where we can all stay is a nice feature. We are not separated and it really cuts down on coordinating logistics. Plus, with a kitchen area, we can stock all sorts of supplies.

- Having no planned activities is fine. Anything is fun as long as we end up doing it together.

- I was disappointed by the Mexican food I found in San Diego. Maybe I have to look harder next time.

- Former professional athletes are poor restaurateurs.

- Remember that time I nearly shit my pants? All I have to say is thank goodness for Panda Express.

- Phil's BBQ was totally worth driving to.

- I am much more awkward around [very-]underage girls than Alex is. He seems very comfortable with the prospect.

- Kanna and Jack, we missed you guys.

Did I miss anything? Where to next, Fellas?

* Shut it Alex. I say 'bros'. Get over it.

Toastmasters - My back

Yeah I know it's not what you were expecting.

Who among us, at least once in their youth, thought they were invincible? In my teenage years I certainly behaved that way as I ate, slept, ran and leapt through life. While I was running up and down stairs two steps at a time, I always wondered as I breezed past the elderly how they could possibly be so feeble and slow. I vowed that in my later years I would never become THAT silver haired geriatric holding up the line to get on the bus. Fatefully, just a few days ago I sprained my lower back and finally understood how everyday motions can become arduous performances. As we all age oh so gracefully we should become more aware of many aspects of our deteriorating health. I hope that I will be able to enlighten you about lower back injuries today.

The reason why I want to focus on the lumbar is because acute lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for physician visits. Additionally, it is the area of our bodies that allows for flexibility and movement in bending and supports the upper body and head. Indeed it is vital to almost every movement we make. This also makes it more likely to be injured. A pain in this area can be caused by a stretched or torn muscle or ligament and even though a muscle strain doesn’t sound like a serious injury, the pain can be surprisingly severe. Simple tasks need to be planned out in steps to find transitional positions that minimize the agony. Beginning the morning by rising from the lying position is no longer a simple fluid motion. I had to start on my stomach and raise to a crawl position before I could attempt lifting my upper body. Bending down to put on pants became an excruciating chore, especially with two legs. An unconstrained flop onto the couch is an invitation to a sharp hellish suffering that will make you curse the heavens and lay down to seek sweet relief. Which of course means you have to get back up. Even sitting on a chair is not a pain-free activity.

It is because of this massive reduction in the quality of life, we strive to prevent such injuries from occurring. Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and none of this should be construed as professional medical advice. Of course regular exercise and stretching will result in well conditioned muscles that are much less likely to suffer from strain. Exercises and stretches such as the upward dog position, plank, rotational stretches, sideways bending stretch and abdominal crunches all exercise the lower back in varying degrees. I used to snicker when I saw my grandmother doing these each morning but too late do I realize she was wise and experienced.

If prevention fails you as it did with me. The goal becomes to recuperate as quickly as possible. Using ice packs to reduce inflammation and resting will relieve the pain. However, unused muscles will start to atrophy which increases the likeliness of subsequent injuries. Therefore you should only rest for a day or two, and try to do light stretching and exercising. Of course all exercises should start light and gradually increase in difficulty as you become more comfortable. What you do not want is to be pushed into hardcore interval training when you haven't worked out for a couple of years. This of course also happened to me.

Now that we better understand lumbar sprains and strains, I hope all of you can avoid one of the most problematic and pervasive injuries. By exercising and being active you can preempt the suffering and continue enjoying a quality lifestyle. If you do become an unfortunate victim to lower back pain, remember to rest but do not let the muscles atrophy. It is my sincerest hope that using this knowledge I will heal and be waiting for the next obstacle in my slow and inevitable descent towards one of life's only guarantees. No, I'm not talking about taxes.

Decision Made

Just to get the word out early:

In September, I will be more than like (>90%) back in the US for two weeks for another work thing. 10-Sep to 23-Sep most likely. As previously discussed with BSW, the tail end of that would be an ideal kick off for our next Boy's trip: San Diego. Then, since it will be the first time in three months I'm allowed to take time off, and seeing as how I'm probably not going to be stuck in the prison colony for much longer, this is my upcoming schedule during that time:

10-Sep to 23-Sep: Conference in SF/MTV
24-Sep to 27-Sep: San Diego
28-Sep to ??-Oct: New Zealand

Just FYI.

HC

Curious? You'll find out soon.

Golf is not a Sport

I wrote this for toastmasters. Besides the first sentence the rest of it is filler so I can hit the time requirement. Australia summary will be posted when I stop being lazy.

Golf is not a sport. Oh I'm sure you may have tuned onto ESPN and watched a round of golf. Perhaps when checking the sports section in a newspaper you noticed that they also reported golf scores. However, when I compare golf to other popular and accepted sports it simply doesn't equate. Many people are unhappy with my dismissal of golf as a sport and seem to think that I'm implying that there is little to no skill required to be proficient at the game. I can personally attest that this is not the case. I'm simply not placing the activity of golf in a category that I label sports. Of course this then requires me to define what I consider a sport. I define a sport as an individual or team athletic competition that requires skill, agility and stamina. There are many reasons brought forth as to why golf should not be considered a sport. Arguments from the necessity of direct competition, the excitement and noise level of the spectators to the age and athleticism of the players. Let's take a closer look at these arguemnts to clearly identify why people vehemently argue about this topic and why I am so opposed to labeling golf a sport.

One of the more popular arguments against golf as a sport is the lack of direct competition. In basketball, soccer, baseball, cricket and all the others I could name, there is a head to head competition between the offence and defence. Often the same players will take on both roles. In contrast, golf is an indirect competition where there are no defenders. This of course brings up the comparison to track and field or swimming competitions. Events such as running or swimming would not be sports simply due to the fact that there are no attackers or defenders. I do have friends who abide by this strict view on sports but, they're not very good ones. I do consider track and field and swimming competitions to be sports so for me, it's not the lack of direct competition which sways my opinion.

Another reason given is that sporting events have excited fans who make a lot of noise and express their emotions vocally. When this is used to distract or encourage players, it can become an integral part of sports. During the game of golf, spectators are told to be quiet as the golfer addresses the ball. The excitement level and vocal support is certainly a departure from a loud basketball or football arena. However, tennis matches also require silence from the spectators and I would certainly qualify tennis as a sport. The silence required in these activites seems to originate from their traditional roles as a "gentlemen's" activity and a “gentlemen” does not interrupt the concentration of his opponent. Tennis also provides a counter-example to the point that sports must be played by members in a standard uniform. In fact, many individual sports such as skiing and swimming will allow a variety of styles.

All of the reasons previously presented can be refuted by examples of activities that I do consider sports. One that cannot be contradicted by such an example however, would be that in every sport the player must carry his or her own equipment when standing on the playing field or court or pitch or diamond. In the game of golf a caddy is allowed to carry the player's equipment as they traverse the course. You will never see someone holding a hockey player's stick for them as they skate around the rink only to hand it back when the puck is in the vicinity.

It is a continuation and expansion of this argument that brings us to the crux of my issue with calling golf a sport. Golf IS a competition and DOES require skill and perhaps a modicum of agility but simply does not meet the requirement of stamina. In fact a court had ruled that golfers do not actually need to walk the course because it does not "fundamentally alter the nature" of the game. In no other activity that I consider a sport can a 60 year old man still be considered one of the best active players. Age will degrade a players agility and stamina to the point where they are no longer competitive at a professional level long before then. In the professional golf however, John Daly, who is overweight and can't run for 20 seconds without being short of breath is still considered highly competitive. He has even stated that he does not work out because gyms do not allow smoking. He is not, by any definition of the word, an athlete. Unfortunately by extension, neither is Tiger Woods; at least not in golf.

There are many faulty explainations as to why golf is not a sport. Among them is the need for direct competition, allowing spectators to express their vocal support and standard uniforms. But the fact that a hefty person can slide off a cart, be handed a club from a caddy carrying all their equipment to take a skill shot 3-10 times a hole for 18 holes must preclude the game of golf from being a sport.

Minor differences (source The Oatmeal)