The Yin Blog

2012 resolutions/goals

2011 was a pretty good year for me in terms of the usual sorts of resolutions that people tend to make. I didn't make any of them specifically, but I got serious about exercising and eating (somewhat) carefully. As a result, I lost 20 pounds, really improved my blood lipid profile, and so on.

For 2012, I've got a few simple resolutions/goals.

First, although I find resistance training to be tedious, I'm going to put in two sessions per week.

Second, I'm going to run 1200 miles during the year. I've been around 20 miles per week the past few months, so I'll need to up that to about 25 miles per week, which will leave two weeks of buffer for any short-term injuries, etc.

Third, I'd really like to try running an organized 5K race in under 21 minutes. My last race was 23:05, on a hilly course, with a pulled calf near the end, so I figure I need to shave about 90-100 seconds off my time to get there.

An example of California's useless over-regulation as what not to emulate

Here's an example of how California arguably over-regulates. California Proposition 65 requires businesses to post a sign warning customers about the potential presence of significant amounts of toxic chemicals in their locations. That sounds like a good idea!

But the devil is in the details. During our winter break trip to southern California, the place we were staying at had one of those Prop 65 signs posted in its underground garage. Yikes! Toxic chemicals in the garage? What we were exposing ourselves -- especially our boys -- to?

The sign didn't say, which made it all the more ominous.

By scouring the information binder in our room, however, I was able to determine that the toxic chemicals in question were . . . secondhand cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust.

No doubt Prop 65 is well-meaning, but if it requires businesses to warn about secondhand smoke and automobile exhaust, it risks becoming worthless through over-warning. It's much like highlighting every line in your textbook -- there's no differentiation.

California license plates -- a metaphor for the state?

Just got back from spending 10 days on winter break in southern California. The weather was reasonably good, the traffic was horrifically bad for the most part, and I had a good time but I'm glad to be home in Portland. While I was down there, though, I started thinking about how the change in California's license plates maybe says something about the fortunes of the state.

I remember when this used to be the standard California license plate:

I liked it a lot! Palm trees, the ocean, and a bright yellow sun. It captured the essence of the state -- well, of southern California, anyway. But I suppose the fact that the sun was setting was something of a harbinger for the state's fiscal calamities.

This is what California's standard license plate looks like now:

Hmm. That's pretty boring. No palm trees. No ocean. No sun. Nothing at all. It's as if the state either ran out of creativity, or ran out of money to afford paint to liven up the license plates!