Comparing Groups: Randomization and Bootstrap Methods Using R

I have recently finished the writing of a manuscript for John Wiley & Sons called Comparing Groups: Randomization and Bootstrap Methods Using R. It is intended as a graduate-level statistics textbook for courses offered in social science programs. The content provides the statistical foundation for researchers interested in answering questions about group differences through the introduction and application of current statistical methods made possible through computation—including the use of Monte Carlo simulation, bootstrapping, and randomization tests. 


Rather than focus on mathematical calculations like so many other introductory texts in the behavioral sciences, the approach taken in this book is to focus on conceptual explanations and the use of statistical computing. The authors agree with the sentiments of David Moore, who stated,

calculating sums of squares by hand does not increase understanding; it merely numbs the mind.

Perhaps the best writing in the book will be in the Foreword, which George Cobb was gracious enough to write (even after reading the book). The website for the book includes all of the data sets, data codebooks, and R scripts used in the book.

You can pre-order the book at Amazon or from Wiley. 

My iPhone Data

Earlier this week, data scientists Pete Warden and Alasdair Allen wrote that

your iPhone, and your 3G iPad, is regularly recording the position of your device into a hidden file. Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps. We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations.

They also released an open-source application to map this data. Below are two screenshots of my iPhone data. One is zoomed in at the more regional level.

Reading: Autumn 2009

Wow...it has been a long time since I've updated this beast. But, recently inspired by Nick Hornby, I thought I might attempt another entry. I have been trying to read more books. I have finished several in the last couple months and perhaps a few deserve mention.

Books I've Read

• When Jesus Came to Harvard (Harvey Cox) - An excellent read by a Harvard Theology Professor who put together a course called "Jesus and the Moral Life." The course examined contemporary ethical dilemmas and was so wildly popular that it was eventually moved into Sanders Hall - the only place large enough to hold symphony and rock concerts on campus.
• The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events (Stanley Coren) - The title says it all.
• The Student Conductor (Robert Ford) - A novel about a young conductor who goes to Germany to study from a master. The book was haunting - set around the time that the Berlin Wall fell - and for a debut novel was spectacular.

• The Secret Supper (Javier Sierra) and The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece (Jonathon Harr) - Both of these books' plots are centered around a painting and the art world....I am a sucker for these types of books.
• Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper (Diablo Cody) - Great read. She is an excellent writer...I don't understand the hate for her in the online world.
• Dead After Dark & Living Dead in Dallas (Charlaine Harris) and Guilty Pleasures (Laurell Hamilton) - The first two books are from a series called the Sookie Stackhouse books and are what the television show True Blood is based on. The third book is the first in the series of Anita Blake novels. Again, I've always been a sucker for the vampire novels....Thank you Anne Rice!

• The Supreme Court (William H. Rehnquist) and The Genesis of Justice: Ten Stories of Biblical Injustice that Led to the Ten Commandments and Modern law (Alan M. Dershowitz) - The former is a re-read, while the latter was not. I really do love constitutional law.
• Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses (Danny Sugerman) - Sugerman managed the Doors, was a heroin addict and married Fawn Hall (Iran-Contra Conflict). He wrote this biography in 1991 and drew on the philosophies of Nietzche, Jung and many others. Probably the only book in which W. Axl Rose, Dionysus, William Blake, Motley Crue and Percy Shelley are all mentioned in the same book. If that doesn't intrigue you, the promotional excerpts on the cover include Ray Manzarek (The Doors), Timothy Leary and Oliver Stone.

Books I've Got in My Queue (I am Currently Reading)

• Housekeeping vs. The Dirt (Nick Hornby) - The follow-up to the Polysyllabic Spree, is a collection of fourteen months of Nick's column "Stuff I've Been Reading"
• The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein) - The novel is narrated by a dog, Enzo, on the last evening of his life. A wonderful book so far...but, I know I will cry at the end.
• Interred With Their Bones (Jennifer Carrell) - Imagine the DaVinci Code meets Shakespeare...not awesome, but interesting...
• Vampire Hunter D (Hideyuki Kikuchi) - The author is renowned in Japan for his horror work, and the book was published by Dark Horse (they did 300, Sin City - Note to Greg. It is good no matter what you say. - and Hellboy just to name a few).

Books I Recently Ordered

In the spirit of increasing our library and reading interesting books, I recently ordered several books through Abebooks, including: Lost in Music; Midnight in the Garden of Evel Knievel; Motley Crue - The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band; Introductory Probability and Statistical Inference (the two-volume 1957 work that came out from the Commission on Mathematics); and Computing in Statistical Science Through APL (Thank you George for this recommendation).

A Burger Never Tasted So Good

Sunday evening both Lauren and I were in need of some American food, so we treked over to the Hard Rock Cafe. Their Legendary Burger and a cold Bohemian beer really hit the spot. All the fish and croissants have been really good, but at times the inner carnivore really needs feeding.

Famous the world over: Ten ounces of fresh Certified Angus Beef, topped with seasoned bacon, two slices of Cheddar cheese and a crisp fried onion ring.

Lisbon with Lauren

After Lauren arrived we found some lunch at the Young Liberty Cafe. Lauren had a hamburger and I had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. The Portuguese take hamburger very literally. It was a burger with ham and mushrooms sans bun. We also enjoyed a tasty beer that is advertised all over called Super Bock. In the evening we walked to a little place tucked away on a side street and had essentially a fish and potato dish. We also drank Vinho Verde...Green Wine. This was excellent!!

The Vinho Verde is an unique product in the entire world with a blending of aroma and petillance that makes it one of the most delicious natural beverages!

Medium in alcohol, Vinho Verde has great digestive properties due to its freshness and special qualities. It is a highly regarded wine, specially for Summer drinking. The malo-lactic fermentation gives it a distinctive taste and personality. The reds are full-bodied wines with an intense colour and a rosy or light red foam. The whites usually present a lemony or straw colour.

The strong distinctive character and originality of these wines are the result of soil and climate characteristics and social-economic agents, on one hand, and of the grape varieties and the vinegrowing methods, on the other.

Friday, after I got back from the conference, we went to lunch at the Frog Cafe. Then we relaxed until the evening when we ventured out to dinner at a sidewalk cafe on Avenida da Liberdade. We both had a rice and meat dish. The sausage in it was tasty. The next morning was overcast and dreary. (Note: Dreary in Lisbon is almost equivalent to a sunny day in London.) Lauren wanted to see Alfama, so we walked in that direction. On our way, we detoured to the waterfront. The water is in fact the Rio Tejo and not the ocean. The ocean is in actuality about 15 kilometers away. The picture is of the City Municipal Building taken from the commercial square (Praça do Comércio) which was built on the site of the former royal palace which toppled during the earthquake of 1755.

We then continued up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge which offered some spectacular views of the river and the city below. The castle was originally built in the fifth century and then enlarged some 400 years later by the Moors who settled in the area. The walk to the castle takes place on narrow winding streets that rise in elevation at every step. It is quite an exhilarating workout. The Alfama area has many buildings and wall murals that are completed in the famous blue and white tile. They are quite breathtaking and many of the local artists sell the tiles as souvenirs.

That evening we went to an Italian place, Ristorante-Pizzeria Valentino, a suggestion in the Let's Go Spain and Portugal book. (Note to Tim and Greg: Pepperoni and sausage do not exist on pizzas in Portugal. It seems that many vegetable-like accouterments are abundant as pizza toppings.)

Sunday is a day of rest in Lisbon. There is not much that is open. Lauren and I walked to the park near our hotel (Parque Eduardo VII). It was built for Edward the Seventh when he visited Portugal. For lunch we went to A Brasileira. This cafe was a former haunt for many of Lisbon's great poets and intellectuals. The picture shows Lauren sitting with Fernando Pessoa. This was apparently his regular chair in the cafe.

There is ample metaphysics in not thinking at all.

What do I think about the world?
How should I know what I think about the world?
If I were ill I would think about it.

What idea have I about things?
What opinion do I have on causes and effects?
What meditations have I had upon God and the soul
And upon the creation of the World?
I don't know. For me, to think about that is to shut
me eyes.
And not think. It is to draw the curtains
Of my window (but it has no curtains).
   From The Keeper of Sheep
   ~Fernando Pessoa

Lisbon

After two days in Lisbon, I can truly say, "I like this place!" The people are very friendly and the city is absolutely beautiful. Their english is somewhat sketchy, but I have managed to communicate with most of them. At any rate, the words for chocolate croissant and coffee must be similar enough.

My journey to Portugal was pretty uneventful except for the bus ride through London to the airport. I had an early flight out of Heathrow, so I took two London city buses at about 3:00 in the morning. On my first bus I met Frank. He was very big and drunk and claimed to be the "hardest man in England by way of Ireland." Frank was toting a can of beer and tried to guess my heritage. He was very hard to understand, but had a very firm handshake. He actually said goodbye when I got off the bus. As I was waiting for the second bus to take me to Heathrow, I met several young men and women who were leaving the pubs of Kingston (a subarb of London). One group when they found out that I taught statistics began a rowdy chant of "r-squared...it's the fit of a model." It turns out they had majored in econometrics and had taken a few statistics courses. They wanted to wait with me for the bus, but they ended up having to get their really drunken friend home to bed.

After I got to Lisbon, I took a taxi to my hotel. The hotel staff not only allowed me to check in early, but they upgraded me to their sister hotel, a five-star wonder right on Avenue de Liberdad (see picture). For a map of Lisbon, click here. Most of that first day I spent snoozing in my room and exploring a little bit of the city right around my hotel. I found a wonderful little shop called Picasso's Cafeteria located right around the corner. It is a local haunt that serves up great pasteries. They also serve the world's tiniest cup of coffee that packs quite a punch. They don't have any tables or chairs, so everybody stands at the counter. It is a pretty cool little place.

Wednesday, I attempted to make it to the conference center (Centre de Congress). The Portuguese are wonderful people, but rather poor when it comes to giving directions. They gesture and offer their directions in generalities rather than specifics. "Over there by the roundabout," seemed alright at first until I actually got "over there by the roundabout." There were approximately 103 different bus stops. After about half an hour of searching and asking people for help, I found the 727. I got on the bus only to discover that I took it the wrong direction. This wasn't discovered by me until the bus came to the end of the line. So, I got on another bus and eventually got to the conference center.
It turns out this detour was quite fortuitous. I ended up checking in at the same time as Alan Rossman (a statistics colleague at Cal-Poly). He, his wife, and I explored the city together. We decided to take a sightseeing bus of the city's statues and monuments. It was a great way to get an overview of the city of Lisbon.

Afterwards we got lunch at a little croissantery and then walked to the castle. We got lost in the Alfama district (the picture shows the view over the Alfama district) and eventually stumbled upon a local artisan's ceramic shop. He was very kind and spoke pretty fluent english. He gave us many suggestions, as well as directions to the castle...take a left and keep going up. These actually were quite accurate. We must have climbed 7000 stairs. We did eventually get to the castle, which had some great overlooks of the city, but decided against taking a tour.

After getting back to the hotel, I relaxed for awhile and then had dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants. I had the grilled codfish and a half bottle of local red wine. The food and drink were excellent. The cod was served in about half an inch - I kid you not - of melted, seasoned butter and oil. This was wonderful, especially for dipping the side of bread into. It also had the effect of making me very sated about three-quarters of the way through the meal. Needless to say, I slept soundly that evening.

Thursday - As I sit in the hotel lobby, waiting for Lauren to arrive and writing this piece of the blog, I have already enjoyed a chocolate croissant and a tiny cup of coffee. I am looking forward to more exploration of the city, some down time for relaxing, some shopping and getting home.

Back to London

On Friday I traveled by bus, taxi and train back to London and then to Surbiton to spend a few days with Ann Ooms. She was a wonderful hostess showing me around the area and providing lodging. On Saturday - after some much needed sleeping in - we took the train and tube to Notting Hill where the street market was in full swing. After a morning stop in a pub, we took a side street to the travel bookshop made famous by the movie titled after and set in the area in question.

We then took the tube to St. Paul's Cathedral where we bummed around and walked down to the Tate Modern to pretend like everyone else that we were interested in art. Afterwards we went back to Surbiton and relaxed at Ann's flat. Sunday morning - again after snoozing late - we took a bus to Kingston and walked about 4 miles along the Thames River to Hampton Court, the living place of King Henry the VIII.

They had some wonderful statues lining both sides of the drawbridge. The dragon (pictured at right) was one of my favorites. Hampton Court is also home to the well-known hedge maze. We didn't go in, but we did walk along at least one side of the perimeter. After stopping in the gift shop - I bought a book on the six wives of Henry VIII - we began our walk back to Surbiton. After many wrong turns and directions from 5 to 6 people, we eventually made it back to Ann's flat.
Now it is Monday and I am in Ann's office at Kingston University writing this blog. I have today left, and then I will catch a flight to Lisbon. I will be leaving Ann's place this evening/morning at about 2:00 a.m. Then I will catch a bus to another bus which will, in theory, bring me to Heathrow. If all goes according to plan, I will arrive in Lisbon at about 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. I will update you in a few days with more adventures.

Coventry, Hook Norton, Birmingham,

England has redeemed itself! A pub on every corner indeed. But before I get ahead of the story, allow me to tell a tale or two about the rest of our journeys in Warwickshire. On Tuesday, we visited the city of Coventry. We began our tour of the berg by departing the bus at Coventry Cathedral. We were then given the option of taking a guided tour of said cathedral or roaming Coventry. I chose the latter since you can only see so many old buildings and again hear things such as,

"...it had been a small Benedictine monastery (endowed by Earl Leofric and Lady Godiva in 1043), but shortly after this time rebuilding began and by the middle of the 13th century it was a cathedral of 425 feet in length..."

Instead, Joan, Michael and myself walked the city centre and found a space-age coffee shop in the midst of an indoor-outdoor mall type space to relax in and enjoy a smooth caffeineted beverage. But, before I leave the cathedral completely behind, I should mention that there was a very cool metal sculpture of St. Michael throwing down on Lucifer attached right outside the main entrance (see picture at left).

We then had a meal at a trendy restaurant/pub called Dogma. I dined on succulent chicken breast slices with a rich blue cheese dressing, fine beans, bacon crisps & toasted sesame seeds and a cool, frothy Guinness. The picture at left is of the taps at the Dogma bar.


Wednesday evening, we traveled to Hook Norton, a small town with predominately narrow streets and cute thatched roof cottages in the Cotswalds (said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world). We first visited the Hook Norton Brewery. Our tour guide dutifully told us about the whole beer making process and explained in detail each and every piece of equipment in the whole place. She then filled, re-filled and re-filled (ad infinitum) our beer cups in the sample room. I sampled several beers, but the Hooky Dark was magnificent. Alas, it is not available in the United States due to their quirky bottling guidelines. We then proceeded to the Sun Inn (one of something like 37 pubs in the small village of Hook Norton. Note to Ed: I think Hook Norton might be a expatriate Wisconsin City.) At the Sun Inn, we played Skittles - a kind of indoor bowling type game - right next to the table we dined at.

Thursday was our last evening in Warwickshire, and we again journeyed from the university by coach, this time to the city of Birmingham. In Birmingham we took a boat tour through some of the canals (Birmingham has several more miles of canals than Venice, and in fact you could travel much of England by canal if you had weeks and weeks with nothing to do.) After the boat ride, we had an hour or so before dinner, so several of us naturally found a pub....the Prince of Wales. (See picture - The Prince of Wales is most famous for hosting visits from J.R.R. Tolkein, who used to be a regular.) Here I tried the John Smith Ale. Not bad, but I still prefer Guinness. We then found our way to Strada - an Italian place - for dinner and wine.

England

Arrival in London happened after I managed only a couple hours of sleep on the plane ride over. Unfortunately for me, the arrival occurred at 7:00a.m. London time. This meant a long day before I could consume myself in a deep sleep.

After getting to the hotel (which was a long tube ride from Heathrow) I checked in and met up with Joan and Michael. The hotel - the Park Lane Hotel- was located on Picadilly, right across the street from Green Park. Green Park is the park that abuts Buckingham Palace (Click here to see a map.) Ann Ooms met us at the hotel and the four of us walked all around the area seeing many of the sights. Unfortunately I forgot the Noodler shirt on this tour.

The next day we walked down to the south bank of the Thames - see the photo - and then left London for Coventry. (For a map of England, click here.) Now this is normally about a two hour jaunt by bus. The bus we got on, however, had no air conditioning and then broke down. After waiting for a very long time, another bus eventually came to get us and took us a little further, where we transferred to yet another bus without air conditioning. About five hours after our start we got to our final destination via taxi...the University of Warwick! So, what, you may ask, have I learned about London from this experience...

• First off, London is probably the most expensive city anywhere. For example, when placing a phone call to get our bus ticket from the hotel they charged us 7 pounds (about $14).
• Secondly, the people in London are very unhelpful.
• Thirdly, customer service is a non-existent entity in England (Both in London and in Coventry).
• Lastly, although the movies and folklore of England promise a pub with wonderful beer at every street corner, the reality is quite a disappointment. We had to really search for a pub once we were at the university and after we finally found one the beer selection was terrible...The only dark beer was Guinness and most of the rest were horrible beer-like-anomalies such as Bud Lite. It was as if Jeb owned the pub.

Since arriving at the university, I have been living in a dorm room. We have gone on a couple outings. Sunday evening we went to the village of Royal Leamington Spa. We took a walking tour of Leamington with a guide that was a very funny man. Imagine a character from Monty Python crossed with a very short history professor and you start to get the picture. He was quite informative, telling us about almost every building. It sounded something like the following:

The Pizza Hut came to Leamington in the year 1987. Before that it was the residence of Tim the Gardener who of course was personal gardener to King Greg the Third. Then of course you recall the great fire of Leamington - it was mentioned by Ed the historian in his famous book Leamington for Twits which he wrote during the venerable year 1980 - this burned the Pizza Hut to the ground, or very nearly to the ground since back in those days the ground wasn't really the ground but two to three inches more than the ground. The Pizza Hut was then rebuilt by Kathy and Angela, two nuns of Bachus, who lived in that house across the boulevard - the one with the Ionic columns. Those columns were of course first built in the more traditional Doric style by Lauren the column builder but were renovated in the turn of the century by JC the fifth - who as you may remember in your school days as the son of JC the fourth.

If you add a British accent to that account, you begin to get the picture. We had about an hour tour with this guy. It was great!!! After our walk we ate Balti food at the home of one of the conference organizers.

Monday afternoon, we took a coach to Stratford-Upon-Avon home to one Bill Shakespeare. We visited the Mary Arden house, which saw the birth of Big Bill, and also saw his grave. We also saw the grave of Anne Hathaway - his wife. We then had dinner at the Dirty Duck also known as the Black Swan (see photo at left).

After dinner we wandered across the street to the Black Swan Theatre (notice the British spelling). This theatre, although it is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, looks like something you might find in northern Minnesota. If Hackensack were to build a theatre, it might well look like this one. We saw the RSC put on a performance of The Penelopiad. (For a synopsis click here.) It was much shorter than 1776.

Note for the Northstar Noodlers: I got some pictures with the shirt at Mary Arden's house, but unfortunately I left my cable to get the pictures from my camera to the computer at home. I will put them up as soon as I have access to the cable.

Chili (6 months)

I can't believe Chili is almost six months old! Where does the time go? They grow up so fast. She is now an uncontrollable 43 pounds. What is new in her world you ask? She has been working with a dog walker three days a week. Sometimes better than other times. She walks Deb, our dog walker, for 30 minutes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Chili has also discovered the excitement of playing Ball. When asked, "Where's your ball?," Chili will run around inquisitively until she locates said ball (An Air Dog Squeaky Tennis Ball), which is generally either under the dining room table or on the couch. Our games of ball usually consist of the following sequence of events (sometimes in mixed order):

• Me throwing the ball
• Chili chasing the ball and skidding across the wood floors
• Chili bringing the ball back to me
• Me asking Chili to "Drop It" (This event is usually repeated ad nauseum)
• Chili refusing to drop the ball and continuously ramming the ball into my outstretched hand
• Chili occasionally dropping the ball on the floor and then immediately picking it up
• Me finally duping Chili into letting me have the ball
• Then the sequence generally repeats until one of us (usually me) becomes tired of the game.

Chili has also grown an affinity for the Monday Night Football Theme Song. If this piece (Note to Dr. Wirth: Sorry I called it a song in the previous sentence...I should have used "piece" since there were no lyrics associated with said ditty.) is whistled, Chili will immediately attack the whistler with a bevy of kisses and wipe out anything unlucky enough to be anywhere near her tail which will be wagging at roughly 300 miles per hour. Her display of affection is almost pornographic in nature.

Seattle

We just got back from the Joint Statistics Meetings which were held in Seattle this year. What a great city. The weather was wonderful, cool and a nice mix of sunny and dreary. We stayed at the Marriott Waterfront which was on Pier 66. We had a beautiful view of Elliott Bay out our balcony. Pike Street Market was about 3-4 blocks from the hotel, and I walked through it to the convention center every day. We did a lot of walking (which was fantatic in the cool weather) and a lot of eating (dining itinerary to follow) in the 5 days we stayed. We visited a gallery of dog and cat art (The Studio of Ken Bailey) which is where the pictures come from.

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Sunday August 6

Elliott's Oyster House

Steamed Penn Cove Mussels

Tossed with jalapeño peppers, fresh lime juice and tequila paired with a classic Caesar salad

Alaskan Cod

Pike Ale battered and panko breaded, served with coleslaw and Elliott’s fries

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Dark and distinctive like Black Butte itself, Black Butte Porter uses chocolate and crystal malts, crafting a rich, approachable porter.

Blackberry Margarita

Cuervo Gold blended with blackberry juice, fresh lemon and lime juices, blackberry brandy and triple sec

Ivar's Acres of Clams

Crispy Calamari Dusted with Smoked Paprika

Fried baby spinach and caramelized sun dried tomato, Smoked roma tomato coulis, lemon aioli

Sautéed Manila Clams and Penn Cove Mussels

Basil pesto, garlic, pine nuts, white wine sauce

2003 Benton Lane Pinot Noir

The hot growing season resulted in a “big” Pinot Noir with a dark ruby color, and aromas of ripe black plums, dark berries, currants, and cassis framed by sweet and spicy oak notes. The concentrated ripe berry fruit mid-palate is balanced by lively acidity. The finish is long and succulent.

2002 Sagelands Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine reveals an intense nose of Bing cherry aroma, and a delicate touch of sweet vanilla and caramel. On the palate, bright cherry flavors, round tannins and a touch of cocoa powder on the lingering finish.

---

Monday August 7

Starbucks (Flagship Store)

Pike Place Blend

This distinct blend of the finest Latin American coffees offers a smooth complexity and a touch of roast intensity that capture the true essence of our very first store

Von's Grand City Cafe

Open Faced Turkey with Cheese

Ohana Restaurant & Sushi Bar

Belltown Roll

Salmon, avocado, cucumber

Crunchy Roll

Crunchy, mayo, & masago, topped with shrimp

Firecracker Roll

Tuna, salmon, krab, avocado & cream cream cheese with peanut sauce & spicy mayo on side

Spicy Tuna Roll

Spicy tuna, cucumber, kaiware

Blue Hawaiian

Bacardi Light Rum, Blue Curacao, pineapple juice, sweet & sour mix, served over ice

Blue Dragon

Absolut Mandrin Vodka, Blue Curacao, pineapple juice and Coco Lopez, blended smooth

Sapporo

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Tuesday August 8

Le Panier - Very French Bakery

pain au chocolat

Chocolate filled croissant

Café Petit

The world's tiniest cup of coffee.

Pike Place Chinese Cuisine

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Steamed Mussels À La Mariniere

Fried Fisherman's Platter

Fresh Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and Oysters with Salt & Vinegar Fries

Sour Cream & Onion Mashed Potatoes

Nickel & Nickel Chardonnay - Searby Vineyard

Clean, vibrant and intense, with crisp green apple, spice, citrus and hazelnut flavors that feature lively acidity and a long, persistent finish that keeps the fruit at the forefront.

Elk Cove Williamette Valley Pinot Noir

This 2002 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley gives beautiful black fruit combined with an intensity of earth showing on the nose. The palate follows the bouquet with sweet black cherries intertwined nicely with tar and spice notes, finishing off with a bit of tobacco while acknowledging the purity of fruit and acidity.

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Wednesday August 9

Tully's Coffee

Breakfast Blend

This blend of African and South American coffees is an aromatic masterpiece. The sweet floral aroma inspires a cup that is bright and delicate with hints of blackberry and citrus. Tully's Breakfast Blend brings warmth to the beginning of your day.

Caramel Latte Macchiato

The Latte Macchiato is essentially a layered latte, prepared to inspire a unique espresso experience. Hovering just under a layer of foam, the espresso is present in the very first sip, along with a touch of foam, followed by velvety steamed milk for a unique blending of flavor.

Cafe Campagne

Croque-monsieur

Parisian ham and Gruyère on pain de mie with a green salad

Merguez en baguette

Spicy beef and lamb sausage sandwich with carrot, garlic and lemon salad

VdP des Cévennes Domaine de Gournier

La Saison de Rosé! In Southern France, rosé is the beverage of choice - as an aperitif, at lunch, at dinner. Santé

Côtes du Rhône Mirelle et Vincent

Cool and elegant, pure and with lovely scent of loganberries.

94 Stewart

Fried Avocado

Panko encrusted ~ tomato ~ chive oil ~ Dungeness crab ~ corn relish

New York Steak

Grilled to order ~ roasted pepper, braised shallot butter ~ Yakima vegetables ~ Portobello potatoes

San Joaquin Gold

The creation of the Fiscalini family. A semi-hard cheese with a natural rind and a mild buttery taste. The best of many cheese we love all rolled into one wheel. Straw in color, it is a wonderful cheese for snacking, but can also be used as a topping for soups or salads. Superb grating and melting cheese.

Blackberry Crisp

Covered with vanilla gelato...yummy!

2004 Willakenzie Estate Pinot Noir

The wine displays an appealing garnet color and exceptional clarity. The aromas give an initial impression of fresh, bright red fruit, enhanced by subtle herbal tones.

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Thursday August 10

Fish Club (by Todd English)

“Fish Club” Sandwich

Grilled Fish of the Day with tomolive tartar sauce, Bacon on Toasted Sourdough, salad Frites

Half Pound Grilled Burger

Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, Sautéed Onions, Mushrooms, Garlic Herb Frites

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Chili (4 months)

Chili is growing up. She is now almost 30 pounds. She is actually heavy when you pick her up now. And, when she uses your leg as a pillow, her weight can put your leg to sleep.

Since her last trip to the vet, where she was boarded for two days, she has become quite unmanageable when it comes time to crate her. She essentially turns into Cujo when she nears the crate. We have tried feeding her in the crate, and that has helped some, but she still hates the crate. Since she is better about not peeing in the house (at least not as much), we have begun leaving her out for short trips away from home. So far she has done pretty well.

She has also learned a few commands (or as she sees them, suggestions)

• Come - this one works about 60% to 70% of the time
  
• Sit - she is pretty good with this
  
• Down - she is also good at this one
  
• Shake - she just learned this, so it is still improving

All of these commands go out the window as soon as a cat walks through her field of vision. And, when there is food involved, she will go through all she knows in no partcular sequence. We have tried to teach "off", but that only works about 10% of the time.

The other big event in Chili's life in the past couple of weeks was the purchase of a Gentle Leader Head Collar. This contraption came highly recommended by pretty much everybody in the world of pets (Humane Society, vets, etc.). You put this deal around the dog's head and also part of it goes around their snout. Then the leash attaches to the part that is around their nose, so that when they walk too far ahead of you or pull on the leash, their head gets turned around. It is supposed to work miracles. It lasted under two seconds. She pulled it off immediately. After re-tightening the leader so that she was essentially muzzled, we tried again. This time she fell over on her side, paws working at the leader like mad, and the thing came off in under a minute. We tried several days, thinking that she might get used to the dumb thing. Didn't happen. When I mentioned this to the guy at Bone Adventure in Edina, he recommended the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness as an alternative. This worked like magic. She doesn't mind the harness, and it turns walking a 30 pound maniac into a breeze.

Wedded Bliss...

California. How do I describe thee? Hot. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. And, to be perfectly honest, it isn't any cooler while you are wearing a tuxedo in that torrid heat. Enough about the heat, let's get on to the crux of this post.

We got Josh hitched! That picture is of him and his bride, Emily. He was the first of our friends to get married and actually have several of us at his wedding. Before this one we are a combined 0 for 3. (Two dis-engagments, and a divorce.) But, I have faith in this one. They really are good for each other.

Not too much to report. The wedding was far better than the bachelor party (Hooray!). The ceremony was poignant and succinct. The food at the reception was not bad. The DJ played some good tunes. People danced, including Tim. Seth and Charlie had the women making goo-goo eyes at them. Josh didn't trip or step on Emily's train. All in all a resounding success.

The one classic Josh moment happened the next day. Place: Outback Steak House. Time: Evening. Josh started eating my salad. Red snapper anyone?

Catch Up...

It seems I need to play catch up. Oh how I have neglected thee; my beautiful blog. What has been happening you ask? Well, I have been playing the role of single parent to Chili, Sigma and Secant. With Lauren in Chicago (or Tampa), I am left to raise the critters on my own during the week. Also, I have renewed my commitment to Six Feet Under. I had previously been stuck in Season 4 due to the boredom it was causing me. It did get significantly better toward the end of that season, and Season 5 is infinitely better. The World Cup is also taking up some of my time. However, I am actually a little bored with some of the games. Maybe after watching a season of Longhorn football, I can no longer watch any sport doesn't include illiterate athletes with criminal records. Who knows.

What of the Chili update you ask? No fear. Here it is. She is now about 10 weeks old. Less than a week after getting those baby gates, she somehow managed to get over the top of them. They do manage to corral her to the main floor of the house. This is good since she also can go up and down stairs with ease at this point. She walked downstairs the other day and before I could turn around from transfering laundry to the dryer, she had eaten about 3 huge mouthfuls of the cats' chow. Last Friday she went to the vet for another shot and check up. The results were as follows:

• Weight: 14.6 pounds
• Stool Sample: Normal
• Heartworm Pill: To be given July 1

She also walked with Lauren and I to the pet store so we could buy some sort of "stop-your-dog-from-bleeding-when-you-f*ck-up-cutting-her-nails" powder. During this trip she also came away a couple new toys (a big furry mouse that she picked out and a plush orange and white soccer ball that Lauren and I picked out for her), and some more rawhide bones. The next purchase needs to be a toybox so that our living room doesn't look like ground-zero anymore. The best Chili news of the past couple weeks (at least for Lauren and me) is that she managed to sleep all night. This happened just last night, so I am hoping that this is a continuing trend and not a one-time deal.

What else have I been filling my time with aside from old TV and sports? Not much...some reading (I'll get to that in the next paragraph or so), teaching (I can't believe how fast we cover material in the summer), and more than a few naps. The two big events in the last couple weeks have been Josh's Bachelor Party and the MN Advocates for Human Rights dinner with Laura (AKA the do-gooder lawyers dinner). All I will say about the bachelor party is that it involved (1) camping in the rain in an RV that looked (and smelled) a lot like a frat house, (2) a tubing trip down the Apple River in what felt like 30 degree weather, and (3) strippers that looked like they were about 40 years old.

Now on to the dinner that I had with Laura to try and raise funds for this do-gooder organization. The dinner itself was pretty weak considering it was a catered event for the glitterati of Minneapolis. The menu consisted of:

• Baby greens, cranberries and walnuts that could be swathed in the patron's choice of a bleu cheese or vinaigrette dressing served in a "i'm on a diet...let me put my own dressing on the salad" silver-ish teapot looking container
  
• A variety of buns placed a priori on the table by the catering crew. I had a herb encrusted bun, but there were a few different types to choose from. This was accompanied by another dish that was full of small orb shaped butter nuggets. It looked like a rabbit had crapped butter into this dish (the butter orbs were the same size and consistency as bunny dung)
  
• The main dish was a piece of chicken swabbed with marinara sauce and mozarella cheese served on a bed of rice and black olives. It also came with a vegetable medley that was color coordinated with autumn foilage (Carrots - orange, Squash - yellow, and Zuchini - green). Serving vegetables with those colors alongside an already red covered piece of meat made them look like amateurs. It looked like a California brushfire broke out on my plate. I have three words for them: Presentation, presentation, presentation.
  
• Finally, the final course was either a Lemon Mousse accomanied by a shard of strawberry, or a more traditional Chocolate Mousse layered on a chocolate cake type substance and garnished with a chocolate leaf. These were also pre-placed by the catering crew...one in front of each place on the table and were alternated so that one place had lemon and the next chocolate, etc. I found it funny that at our table, these were shuffled about so that all (and I mean every single one) of the women had a chocolate mousse, leaving the men with the lemon ones.

The program, which consisted of giving some folks a human rights award, was hosted by Garrison Keillor. He was one of the better parts of the evening for most people in the crowd. The people who won awards were also allowed to speak. At one point during those speeches I reminded myself that they had won their award for their work in human rights...not for speaking. These speeches were often made more intolerable by the sporadic applause offered by the primarily affluent caucasian audience and was made even worse whenever one of the speakers used a snappy trite catch-phrase that would appeal to their bleeding heart captive (and by captive I mean mostly bored) audience. This whole thing would have been horrible except for the fact that I got to hang out with Laura.

Enough about the dinner. I have managed to find a little time for reading. I am currently working on The Cat's Pajamas: Stories by Ray Bradbury. This is a collection of newer short stories from Bradbury. Some of them are great, like the one about a group of senators that lose the United States during a night of gambling at a casino. I have also been reading some scholarly papers about Value-Added Growth Models used in school accountability. Before I end this post I leave you with a few great links.

• The Church Sign Generator: This was used to create the graphics for this post.
  
• End of the World: This is a funny flash animation.
  
• The Evolution of Dance: This is a great video of a guy dancing his way through many of the dance crazes from the 1950's to present.

Chili (8 weeks)

Chili actually looks bigger this week. Her bark, however, is still quite juvenile. She accompanied Lauren and I to Starbucks this morning and promptly introduced herself to about 10 kids who walked by. In the last week we have found two lifesavers. Baby gates and rawhide bones. These save both our sanity and our arms. It also gives the cats a place to escape to.

While the rawhides have eased up some of the chewing on Lauren and I, Chili still manages to get her mouth on all sorts of things. Here is a partial list of things she has chewed on or eaten in the last week:

• a dead bug (She ate it as soon as she found it)
  
• two Southern Living magazines (ripped them to shreds)
  
• an old glove she found in the alley the other day
  
• the couch (thank god Pottery Barn slipcovers are only $700)
  
• numerous twigs, leaves and other detritus
  
• the ironwork on the dining room table
  
• Sigma's tail (He didn't care for that and hit her 3-4 times in the snout in about a fourth of a second)
  

She has also gone on several walks this last week. While walks are what most dog owners call it, with Chili it is more of a prance/drag/sniff/bound. A typical "walk" consists of her prancing happily for the first 20 feet, then we stop and sniff something and promptly sit down (or lie down). After that, there is a tugging in any direction except the one you would like to continue walking in, And finally, there is a bounding run past you that end abruptly when she stops to sniff a stick, look at the concrete, etc. If you continually repeat this process you will have an idea of walking with Chili.

Summer Break Literature

Thanks to the new pup, an overwhelming need to sleep after a hectic semester, the start of the World Cup, and the fact that every TV show ever is available on DVD, I haven't read as much as I've wanted to over these last few weeks. As noted in my last post, I have finished a few books despite the distractions of frequent naps.

One of them was a book called 10th Grade by Joseph Weisberg. This was a quick read told from the point of view of a 10th grader named Jeremy. It had all the necessary components of your typical coming of age story: somewhat unpopular narrator, hot girl love interest, supporting cast of confused depressive friends, sisters, and a prom. Nonetheless, it was a refreshing read for the first book this summer.

The other book I mentioned in the last post was a fantastic little tome entitled Fargo Rock City. Written by Chuck Klosterman, this book is a must read for anyone who grew up on the musical interpretations of Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Warrant, Tesla and the like. Klosterman is a master of the pen (or word processor). He writes about hair metal with the same passion as Herman Melville wrote about whale blubber, with vastly different results. (Note: Herman Melville's 8 billion pages about whaling, entitled Moby Dick could put even the most insomniac person into a napping coma. If you haven't had the torture, I mean pleasure of reading this "classic," you can read a synopsis of it here). Anyway, Klosterman effortlessly weaves his tale, waxing philosophic about these 1980's icons. He actually makes you want to pull out those old W.A.S.P. and Dokken albums, let your hair down (at least what's left of it) and rock like you did in 1989. As he writes in the epilogue,

"I could never love Radiohead as much as I loved Mötley Crüe. I could never love Radiohead as much as Mötley Crüe because I'll never be 15 again. I can certainly appreciate Radiohead, but they're not an extension of my life. No rock band will ever be again. For 99 percent of the populace (myself included) that kind of mystical connection can only happen during those terrible, magical years when you somehow convince yourself that a guy like Nikki Sixx understands you."

Those sentences sum up everything that many of us in that generation still feel about this era of music. And, while most of our musical tastes have evolved, there are certain days where like Klosterman and Twisted Sister, we just want to rock!

Most recently, I have completed John Grogan's Marley and Me. This book was laugh out loud hysterical...until the final chapters where I bawled like a little baby. While dog owners might appreciate this one a little more, I feel it could still appeal to people who don't have a barking critter living in their home. You can't help but laugh at the exploits of this hound nor help but be touched by his loyalty and his gigantic heart. Another quickie for the summer months, this one only took a few days to read.

What is next on the summer reading itinerary? As always, too much. Another Klosterman book, Killing Yourself to Live; the Hornby edited Speaking with the Angel; the politically satirical FUBAR: America's Right-Wing Nightmare; Howell's classic Statistical Methods for Psychology; and hopefully, several others.

Chili (7 weeks)

Last Friday (May 26) we got a puppy. She is a rambunctious little golden retriever (at least when she is awake). She has joined our family with reckless abandon. She is the youngest member of the family and has two older "siblings," Secant (1 1/2 year) and Sigma (a little over 3 years). Both of the cats have accepted her (sort of), at least when she is asleep. They tend not to be too fond of her barking at them.

Chili, short for Chili Dog, does four things really well: sleep, chewing (on anything or anybody), peeing (both outside :) and on the floor :(....thank god for wood floors), and eating (right now she puts down a cup and 1/2 of food per day). In fact, if she had one of those grade-school report cards, she would get a SUPERIOR rating in each of those four categories. If she was graded on sleeping through the night, entering her crate without crying, not barking/chasing the cats, not using arms/legs/noses as rawhide chews, she would get a big red "X" in the NEEDS IMPROVEMENT section.

What does Chili do for fun, aside from chasing the cats? We have been to the dog park a couple times. She seems to really enjoy running around and playing with the other dogs. Last night she got run over by a giant poodle. No lie. She got broad sided by this huge, white, curly imitation of a bad 80's hairdo. Then she got slobbered on by another very large dog that looked like it had perma-saliva attached to and dripping from his jowls.

She also seems to enjoy TV and movies. She has seen a couple Twins games, two episodes of Northern Exposure (the finale from Season 3 and the first episode from Season 4), Intolerable Cruelty, two minutes of The Matrix, and the first third of Best in Show. She has mostly slept through all of these, but she did perk up when one of the dogs barked during the opening seconds of Best in Show. Don't believe that because she watches TV that she is a Philistine. Not at all. She has "helped" me read parts of three different books in the last week (Fargo Rock City, 10th Grade, and Marley and Me). Sometimes she does sit with indifference during these literate moments, but usually she wants to take a more active role in her education.