Big night at the Opera

Today was a big day for the Sydney Opera House. A television news teaser just announced that the SOH has been named a World Heritage site. Opened in October 1973, it is the youngest to be included on the World Heritage list. It was considered for the list because it represents 'a masterpiece of human creative genius'. It is only the second Australian building to make the list, and seventeenth Australian site overall. Today's nominations bring the total up to 843 sites worldwide.

This is big news for Australia. World Heritage status is a tourism boom, even for a site like the Opera House that had over four million visitors last year. It also provides protection for the SOH, including a 2.5km radius barrier around it protecting views to and from the site.

It's too bad this announcement didn't come a week earlier. My year 7 geography class just began an assessment task requiring research on a World Heritage site. Several of them thought they were going to do the Opera House, only to check the list and find out it wasn't there. They have since moved on to other sites.

So how many sites have you been to? With today's addition, I'm up to seven—only 836 more to go.

Qantas Wallabies commercial

This is the Qantas Wallabies commercial that aired during last week's game versus South Africa.

Full moon

The Wallabies played the Springboks of South Africa last night in Cape Town. The Wallabies lost 22-19, but there was a funny incident at the end of the first half.

One of the South African players broke through the Wallabies line for a nice gain before being caught from behind. As he was tackled, his shorts were yanked down to mid-thigh, revealing bare white South African bum. This was punctuated by the announcer's 'Ohhhh!!!!', followed a few seconds later with 'well, there's a crack in the Wallabies defense.'

Skypin'

Thanks to the miracle of the internet, and specifically Skype, we now have a Dallas area local phone number. So if you are in Dallas, you can call us Down Under for nothing from your home phone. Or if you have nationwide calling on your cell phone (does anyone not?), that's a free call, too. Shoot me an email if you want the number.

Also, we finally got a webcam, so if you are on Skype we can make a video call and you can remember how good looking I am. Search for me on Skype or send me an email and I can give you that username, too.

Just remember, we are fifteen hours ahead of you, so when it's noon in Dallas, it's three in the morning here!

Back to school

When I was in eleventh grade, my high school was just starting a 'write across the curriculum' program. Some of the subjects, in this case math, got a little creative with writing, since writing was not a regular part of the class. Ms. Voss, my math teacher, had us write three letters to universities, requesting information packets. She wanted us to choose one school we were confident we could get into, one school that would be a challenge, and one that would be a dream application. I chose the University of Sydney as my dream app. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it was because my parents had been to Australia a few years earlier and it seemed exotic. Like most American kids, I considered anything foreign to be exotic. I never actually applied to Sydney back then—it was just a letter I wrote because my teacher told me to.

Well, sixteen years later, I will actually be a student at the University of Sydney. I recently submitted an application for the Master of Development Studies program and got the call today that I'm in. Basically, it is a study in developing countries and, as the department head describes it, the program allows the freedom to 'cherry pick' your classes. I'll be able to choose courses in human rights, peace and conflict studies, globalisation, communication and indigenous issues, to name just a few. My problem will be choosing only eight classes. Click here to see more about the program.

Classes are offered in the evening, so this won't affect my work. It should take me two years to complete the degree, assuming that I take two classes a semester. I start at the end of July.

I'm excited. Nervous, but excited. I went to an information expo a month ago promoting the program, and it was nice being on a campus again, talking to professors, being 'academic'. It will be particularly exciting studying topics that I am very interested in.

So what's next? Well, I don't know exactly. Maybe nothing other than a pay raise for earning a master's degree. But what I would really like to do is work for the Carter Center, the United Nations, or some similar organisation that would enable me to work as an advocate for a developing country. How about that, Dad? Jimmy Carter, my boss. Heather is taking Spanish now, and I'll start next term, too, just in case. Gotta brush up a bit on my español if I want Jimmy Carter to be mi jefe.

I've got time to figure all that out. For now, it's time to hit the books. Ms. Voss, thanks for the writing assignment—it took a while, but I got into my dream school.

Wilco show iMix

I finally put the previously promised Wilco iMix together, consisting of the playlist from their concert at Enmore Theatre. I tried to include tracks from their live album Kicking Television, but my US iTunes account doesn't recognise my Australian CD. That's really too bad, because it makes sense to use live tracks when recreating a concert playlist, plus some of the live songs are better than the studio versions—more energy. So in addition to my iMix, I also recommend Kicking Television.
I'm trying to put together more iMix setlists for concerts I've been to. I have ready to post in the next few weeks, but if anyone knows where I can find Ben Folds setlists on the World Wide Web, let me know.

Surfing 50 States

If there is one thing I have learned in our time here, it is that Australians are a crazy bunch. I found something today that further confirmed this: Surfing 50 States.
These two Aussies took a seven month trip, driving across all 50 states in search of something in each one to surf. And they were successful. Your first question is this: how did they find a place to surf in the inland states? Answer: no one said it had to be water. 'Surfing' was defined as standing on a surfboard with forward momentum.
Looks to me like they had quite an adventure, and I freely admit that I am jealous. This sounds like a great trip. Congrats to the Surfing 50 States boys. Check out this sampler video of their adventures.

The Great Ocean Road Marathon

I ran a 10K on Sunday in 58:30. Not to bad, considering I still had nearly 32K to go.

Add it all up, and I participated in the Great Ocean Road Marathon, a leisurely stroll from Lorne to Apollo Bay. The run is shown on the map above. To view the full map at Google Maps, click here. Check out the satellite view and zoom in on parts to get an idea what I saw. As you can see here, my final time was 4:29:17. For my first marathon, I'll take it.

Especially considering how difficult training has been for me this year. My training runs have been significantly slower than in the past and I have been dealing with nagging injuries the whole time. To be honest, I was pretty discouraged heading into the race, and had resigned myself to enjoying the ocean views and trying to finish before the road opened back up. I had originally set a goal of 4:30, so to actually beat that after all the difficulties felt great.

And the views were great—the road traces the ocean the entire way, weaving back and forth. The only exception is a stretch about 500 metres surrounded by eucalypts, but that is where the koalas are hiding. I spotted five. If you look at the elevation chart further down, you'll notice that some parts of the road are almost at sea level, while others are quite high up, so you enjoy both the sounds and spray of the surf and the wide, panoramic views. It's almost enough to make you forget that your knees are killing you.

Because of my difficulties during training, I did not intend to run the entire distance. So I was quite surprised when I did, excepting brief walks (30-60 seconds) through the drink stations every 5K and walking up two steep climbs at about 27K and 33K, about two minutes each.

Of course, I don't mean to imply that I didn't want to walk, or that I wasn't hurting. At the end of the race, I rated my body pain like this:

1. hips
2. left big toe (blisters)
3. knees
4. feet

Other than that, I felt great.

After three days, I am pretty well healed. My only remaining concern is the toe. Turns out, the blisters on the side were nothing. The real problem is the blister that developed under the nail—I think I'm going to lose it. Pictures, anyone?

Below are a couple of my charts from the race. The first is my 'lap time' for each kilometre and the second is the previously mentioned elevation chart. These charts (and many others) and the map at the top are courtesy of my Garmin Forerunner 205 (also pictured above) and MotionBased. If you run or cycle, I would highly recommend one of these. Yeah, they are a little pricey, but absolutely worth it. It tracks your distance, time, pace, bearing, elevation, calories burned, etc. You can set it to auto pause when you slow down or stop. You can 'race' yourself against a previous run or a preset pace. It can auto lap at preset distances, times or points. Basically, it's like having a state-of-the-art treadmill on your wrist with one exception: while it is a little bigger than a standard watch, it is definitely smaller than a treadmill.

Plus, you can load all that data onto your computer, get all these charts, graphs and maps. You can create specialised training sessions or trails on your computer and load them to the Forerunner. I could go on and on—just go to the websites and check it out yourself. And tell them Chris sent you.

Time chart

Elevation chart
Key stats from the race:
Distance: 41.66K
Time: 4:29:17
Minimum elevation: 1 m
Maximum elevation: 72 m
Temperature: 12-16°C
Koalas: 5

Finally, supersportimages.com already has pictures from the race up. Click the link and select 'view photos' under the May 20 Great Ocean Road International Marathon—my bib number was 139. In one picture I show a five for the koalas. In another, I flash a 'hook 'em Horns'. There are a few other good shots with ocean backgrounds.

I said I was discouraged before the race, but I'm glad I did it. I didn't expect it, but I do have a sense of pride and accomplishment about it. Will I run another marathon? I don't know—we'll see after my toenail grows back.

Railway reading: City Weekly

Thursday is City Weekly day. This is more of a food/style/culture publication. For example, the cover story this week is Bellissimo!, a piece about Sydney's Italian Festival (May 22-June 11). Also included are TV, music and DVD recommendations and various small style pieces. Mostly though, it's a collection of ads for hotels, restaurants and boutiques.

And that's about it. I know it doesn't sound like much, and it is a lot of filler. But this is one that I'll pick up every once in a while if the cover seems interesting.

Rating: Two trains.

Railway reading: The Epoch Times

Sorry I missed yesterday. I didn't even think about picking up the daily reading in the morning. I'll make it up next week.

Wednesday is The Epoch Times day. This is a weekly newspaper that is published around the world in various local formats. The strength, and in fact origin, of The Epoch Times is news coverage in China. It began in 2000 as a news outlet to fill a need for uncensored news in and about China. In 2003, they expanded to include news from around the world, but still include significant news on China. For example, there is a Chinese language edition handed out alongside the English edition, and there was also an additional 'exclusive report' titled 'Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party'.

On the front page, I read about the Australian government's boycott of Zimbabwe cricket, the ivory trade on eBay, Tony Blair and how the UK's health system is better than Australia's.

Inside, I read about fires in California and Alaskan oil spills.

In the travel section I learned that the Great Barrier Reef was voted the best destination by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

The Life section had a piece about lawn bowls.

Science & Technology covered the discovery of King Herod's tomb and reminded me to cheer on Australia as they defend their title at the RoboCup 2007.

Opinion had a column discussing Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel. In Business I read about tax cuts and home mortgages.

Arts & Entertainment had articles about Live Earth 2007 and the upcoming Sydney Writers' Festival.

Sport covered Roger Federer's split with his coach and the all South African final in the Super 14s.

And of course, sudoku.

All this and more can be found on The Epoch Times website.

Rating: Three trains. Pretty good information, although a little stale on occasion due to the weekly format.

Railway reading: 9TO5

Things have been quiet around here, but I'm planning on making it all up this week. This is the first part of what should be a series running all week on the various magazines and handouts that are available each day at the train station.

Monday is 9TO5 day, geared to the ladies. Lots of shopping, gossip and pink. And horoscopes, of course.

Cover story: A one page interview with Avril Lavigne, who was in Sydney last week promoting her new album. Topics covered include her fashion style, career, married life and growing up a child star.

Feature: An article on the dangers of plastic surgery. Specifically, a young woman who tried to do it cheap in Thailand. 9TO5 advice: 'Avoid cut-price sales.'

Fitness: Reducing your real age: eat a good breakfast, eat honey, eat foods with healthy unsaturated fats.

What's hot: Designer gumboots, pomegranates and 'design your own superhero undies' (Bonds, if your interested).

What's not: Men's handbags, Paris Hilton trying to avoid jail and athlete salaries.

Also included: Celeb fashion, socials and travel. All equally shallow.

Pages: 55

Rating: One train.

Good thing I'm not in their target audience.

TV Turnoff Week 2007: The verdict

TV Turnoff Week 2007 is finally over, and it couldn't have ended a moment too soon. I'm telling you, Heather and I almost went crazy. I spent the week staring at anything shaped like a box, hoping for a moment of TV entertainment. I didn't know what day it was without a TV programming routine to remind me. Worst of all, I cried myself to sleep each night, and dreamed in technicolor sitcoms, reality shows and crime dramas.

Or not.

It was actually quite refreshing. Newsflash: there are other things to do with your time than watch TV.

On Monday, we went to go see A Friend of Mine, a film that was part of the German film festival in Sydney last week. It was billed as a comedy, and while there were funny/amusing/cute parts, it was a drama. But it was good. Not what we were expecting, but good. (By the way, some of you may be questioning going to a movie during TV Turnoff Week. The point is that we were out of the house and met with friends, rather than sitting at home in front of our TV. Also, it was as much a cultural event as a typical night at the movies.)

On Tuesday, we played Scrabble, which Heather always beats me at. No different Tuesday: she won 2-0. But what are you supposed to do when you have FOUR 'O's?!?

Wednesday was ANZAC Day, so Heather and I were both off. We planned to go to a 4:15 sunrise memorial service and even went to bed early, but when the alarm went off and it was raining outside, we didn't get up. However, I did go to a 12:30 service at the ANZAC Memorial near our home. I have video from that that I will be piecing together soon to share, so check back for that. Other than that, Heather got some quilting done and I read a lot.

On Thursday, I conducted our satire workshop. We read Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' then we read some samples that I found on The Onion last weekend. Highlights were 'Bill of Rights Pared Down to a Manageable Six' and 'Millions Participate in Cuban Version of Survivor'. We talked about target, audience and satire technique, analyzed the purpose of each one, and talked about how we would have approached the same topics as a satire.

By the way, The Onion has gone video now. Here are two good ones.


Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti


Immigration: The Human Cost

After that, we played Scrabble again, but this time I stole a game. I think she let me win.

Friday we saw Hot Fuzz, a British comedy. Not a drama with funny/amusing/cute parts. A real, over-the-top, satirical/parodic (I looked that up) comedy.

Saturday we did some quilt fabric shopping and I finished Don Quixote. Three stars.

Sunday we read about South America and did some general planning for our trip later this year. At the moment, Mexico City, Cusco/Macchu Picchu, Peru and Rio, Brazil are looking good.

So what will I take from this? I'm not going to sell my TV and XBox and cut off the internet now, but taking a break for a week has been nice. It helps you realise that you don't need to be constantly wired in, that there are other things to do with your time. I'll be more careful not to automatically turn on the TV when I get home and end up sitting in front of it all evening. I'll still watch what I like, but when it's over, I can turn it off and do something else, rather than flip channels all night looking for something mildly entertaining. The official TV Turnoff Week is over, but I recommend you give it a try, even if it is just for one day. Find something else to do, preferably something with other people that sparks conversation. I just don't recommend playing Scrabble with Heather—she's a killer.

TV Turnoff Week 2007

Heather and I will be participating in TV Turnoff Week 2007 this week. That means no TV, DVDs, internet or Xbox. In a matter of minutes, the plug is pulled.

So what will we do instead? Well, tomorrow evening we will be watching A Friend of Mine, a German comedy. I have seen two German films and both were depressing (I'll tell that story sometime next week), so our friend Klaus is determined to show us that Germans can make funny movies, too. This is part of a German film festival going on in Sydney at the moment. We will probably see another German comedy that Klaus has recommended next Friday or Saturday as well.

Heather is also going to participate in a satire writing workshop, led by me. I gathered some materials this weekend, and we will spend an evening reading and discussing satire, and hopefully writing some of our own.

Heather will get some work done on various quilts she is in the middle of. I will do some reading—I'm in the middle of Don Quixote at the moment. We will go for walks. We'll try a new restaurant. Maybe we'll play Scrabble or some other game. Mostly we'll just see what happens when the TV or computer isn't on all the time.

So we're going off the grid—if you need us, I hope you have our phone number. And I encourage you to give TV Turnoff Week a try, too.

Talk to you in one week.

Weekend entertainment

Friday night, Heather and I went to the movies. Dendy is an excellent theatre here that always shows a variety of independent and foreign films. Since we are trying to stay away from the typical Hollywood movies, we saw a French film called Priceless that was pretty funny. On the way home we talked about who would play in it if Hollywood remade it but couldn't really agree. I say Owen Wilson would be a good lead, but Heather thinks he isn't likeable enough. The movie was good, so if you have an independent or foreign film theatre nearby, look for it. Two thumbs up.

On Saturday, we saw Wilco, one of my favourite bands at the moment, at Enmore Theatre. They played over two hours and it was a great show. Here's the setlist if you're a fan:

You Are My Face
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Muzzle Of Bees
Handshake Drugs
A Shot in the Arm
At Least That's What You Said
One By One
Impossible Germany
Jesus, etc.
War on War
Via Chicago
Walken
Theologians
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Hummingbird
-----
Hate It Here
The Late Greats
Kingpin
I'm A Wheel
-----
Misunderstood
California Stars
Airline to Heaven
Poor Places
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

I would like to put together an iMix, but I need to wait until their new CD comes out next month. Be on the lookout for that.

Surfing is hard

While on holiday at the Gold Coast, I finally tried something I have waited a long time for: surfing. Here is a video collection of some of my surfing exploits. In the first scene, I'm the guy who almost gets to his feet before splashing down. The second scene is Heather's favourite. In the third shot, I get to my feet for almost a full second!

These clips were all taken on the first of three days I took lessons. I would love to say I did better each day, but I'm not sure that would be the case. It is true that I learned more, but it didn't show because we attempted bigger and more challenging waves each day. I did catch a nice wave and ride it all the way in at the end of day two, though. But here is my attempt at a cartoon to show you what else happened on the second day.
Like a hammer to a nail. Let's just say I'm glad it was a soft board. That was bad enough.

The third day was really tough because we were paddling out to the biggest waves, and by the time we got out there, I was zapped. I didn't have the strength to push off the board to stand. I rode one wave in sitting side-saddle on the board because that was as far as I could lift myself.

It was hard, and I'm certainly no pro, but I did earn this fine certificate for my efforts, and I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to catch a wave.

It is time

I was saddened to see the news about the shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday. Saddened, but not surprised. It has happened too many times in recent years to still be a surprise.

It's time for gun control in the US. That is the only sane response I can think of, but unfortunately, I am already hearing the twisted call for more guns in the name of self defense. I can't tell you how many times today I have heard people quoting the Charlton Heston line: guns don't kill people, people kill people. Try telling that to 33 families this morning, Charlton.

After the Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania in which 35 were killed, the Australian government passed gun reform laws. Port Arthur was the thirteenth mass shooting in eighteen years. There have been no mass shootings in the eleven years since.

The United States has refused to implement gun control, and has in fact allowed the Assault Weapons Ban to lapse. And these tragedies keep occurring.

And another thing, America: the rest of the world is shaking their head sadly. Australia's Prime Minister John Howard, a Bush yes man, even spoke up, saying that the negative gun culture in America would never become a negative in Australia.

My prayers go out to the families and friends of the dead and injured. My letter goes to my congressmen.

The Gold Coast

Heather and I just got back from what is becoming an annual event: autumn in Queensland. Last year was our cruise to the Reef, this year was the Gold Coast. We spent five days at Surfers Paradise, doing nothing except relaxing on the beach. It was nice to spend a few more days in the sun with the season winding to a close.

And that's was about it: sun, sand and surf. I've got something I'm working on as a presentation for part of the trip, but that will have to wait for now. Just know that we got back to Sydney a little bit more tan than when we left.

As for Surfers Paradise, you could easily convince yourself you were at Myrtle Beach, Padre Island, Panama City Beach or any other typical American beach strip. All the regular players were to be found: Hard Rock Cafe, Hooters, extreme thrill rides, tattoo parlors, and high rise hotels as far as you can see. About the only thing missing was an airbrush t-shirt stand. Surfers Paradise separates itself from these American beaches when you actually get to the beach: blue water, nice waves, powder sand and no tar balls. And since the beach was the only thing we were concerned with on this trip, we had a great time.

Earth Hour

Last night, from 7:30 to 8:30, Sydney observed Earth Hour, in which people were encouraged to turn out the lights to show their commitment to reducing global warming. Road and safety lighting were left on, but as you can see in these pictures, many businesses and individuals did their part to support the cause. This was the first event of its kind in a major city in the world. The organisers are hoping to repeat the event annually and to hold similar events in other cities around the world.

We were at the Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles game (more on that later), where they announced that, because of safety, Telstra Stadium would be unable to fully participate in Earth Hour, but they supported the event and would be switching off the large Telstra sign for the hour. Every little bit helps.

See the Sydney Morning Herald's coverage of the event here.

Baseball v Cricket

I love this time of year and what it brings to the senses: the crack of the bat, sunlight in your eyes, the smell of the grass.

Baseball? No, cricket. Opening day is almost here, but down in the Caribbean, sixteen countries are vying for the Cricket World Cup. These two games share a common origin, but each have developed a following in different parts of the world. Typically, baseball fans know little of cricket and think their game is superior, and vice versa. You can read Wikipedia's comparison between cricket and baseball for all the details, but we are here today to decide once and for all which game is better. There are ten categories worth ten points each, plus a bonus category worth up to five points. Play ball.

Best current player
You could easily substitute one of a handful of other players here, but Albert Pujols serves as a good representative. He has a career .332 batting average and has 250 home runs in six seasons. In his career, he has been named Rookie of the Year and MVP, and last year won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals.
Ricky Ponting is currently the number one ranked batsman in the world, so this choice is a little easier to make. He has a 59.29 batting average (his average runs scored per batting appearance) and 58.95 strike rate (runs per 100 balls). If you look at just the past five years, his batting average jumps to 74. Putting it bluntly: he already ranks as the number three batsman of all time.

Best historical player
Most of Babe Ruth's records have fallen to various players over time, but none of them had the complete package the Babe did. He is known for his batting, but remember, he was a pretty good pitcher in his time with the Red Sox as well.
99.94. Any cricket fan in the world recognizes that number as Don Bradman's career batting average. Second place is a full twenty runs less; the rest of the pack tops out at 61. And these aren't just the Australians—we're talking worldwide, all-time players. Statistical analysis by Charles Davis in The Best of the Best reveals Bradman as the most dominant player in any major sport. He says by comparison, a baseball player would need a career .392 average to equal Sir Don's dominance.

Best rivalry
Yankees/Red Sox: Love 'em or hate 'em, this is the best rivalry in the game. This intense rivalry stems from proximity, civic pride, divisional competition and the Curse of the Bambino. Fairly lopsided in the Yankees favor, but intense nonetheless, and more competitive of late.
Australia/England: This rivalry dates to 1882, when Australia beat England on an English pitch for the first time, shocking the hosts and creating the legend of the ashes. It wouldn't be the last time. This rivalry is also rather lopsided, but both sides, and much of the cricket world, closely follow the Ashes Series.

Best venue
This is another one that is up for debate, but I'll go with Wrigley Field. It's got ivy, day games and tons of history.

Lords is considered the home of cricket. Many of cricket's greatest moments, particularly in the Ashes Series, took place here. It might be iconic, but I don't care for the look of the Media Centre.

Game length
Three hours is a fairly standard time for the completion of a game in most major sports, and baseball fits the bill.

There are variations of the game, but the most popular is test cricket, which lasts for five days. Even one day cricket lasts (surprise!) a day, or about six hours of playing time, plus lunch and tea breaks. Only the new (and often maligned) Twenty20 fits within the three hour window.

Outcomes
You win. Or you lose. Short of a rainout, that's it.

You win. Or you lose. Or, if you score the same number of runs, you could tie, although this is very unlikely. Or you could draw (which is different than a tie) if the game is not complete after the alloted time has expired. Yes, it is possible to play a game for five days and basically get no result.

Popularity
Despite last year's World Baseball Classic, baseball is primarily limited to the US, the Caribbean, and parts of East Asia. And the WBC had to get a little creative to find sixteen teams—even Australia qualified.

Cricket's strongest players are mostly within England and the Commonwealth. According to the International Cricket Council, there are ten full members, 32 associate members (cricket firmly established) and 55 affiliate members (cricket is played). By the way, the US is an associate member, but did not qualify for the Cricket World Cup.

Sportsmanship
Baseball is notorious for the phrase 'if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying'. Corked bats, pine tar and of course steroids are all issues in the game today. Players and managers arguing with umps is also common, and a player would never correct a call to his own detriment. The redeeming factor is the unwritten code of respect that requires teams to stop stealing bases with a big lead or not show up a pitcher after a home run.
Cricket players often police themselves during a game and arguing calls is rare. About the worst you get is sledging, the cricket equivalent of 'we need a pitcher, not a belly itcher'.

Trophy
World Series Trophy—My little league trophies were cooler than this.

The Ashes—Now this little urn tells a story, and you can read a little about it here.


Uniforms
Personally, I like the simplicity of the home whites/road grays. But I hate the softball team look of the alternate colored jerseys.

Test cricket looks great with the whites. One Day and Twenty20 looks ridiculous with the pajamas.


Bonus: Kooky Traditions
More than a few baseball players don't step on lines, always step on bases or some variation when running onto the field.

Cricket has the Nelson, representing a run score of 111. Named for Lord Horatio Nelson, supposedly for a missing eye, arm and leg, the score is thought to be unlucky. Umpires are often seen standing on one leg while a batter is on this score.

Well, the numbers don't lie: Cricket wins 83-78. Neither game is flawless, but you can't go wrong with either one. The good news is this: you don't have to choose. So enjoy the start of the baseball season, but make an effort to catch some of the Cricket World Cup action over the next few weeks, even if they are playing in their pajamas.

What's a vote worth?

Saturday was election day here in Australia. There are a few interesting things about elections in Australia that are worth mentioning here.

First is compulsory voting. Australia is one of only a handful of countries that has compulsory voting, and even fewer actually enforce it. If you don't vote in Australia, it'll likely cost you twenty dollars. A minor sum to be sure, but I'd rather vote and catch a movie than hand over twenty bones for nothing. Ninety-five percent of voting-eligible Australians agree.

Australia also employs a system of preferential voting. There are two main parties, Labor and Liberal, but there are several other smaller parties that are very active and do garner respectable attention. Because of this, voters are required to number the candidates according to their preference. A winner is declared if they have over 50% of the votes. If no one is in the majority, the last candidate's votes are redistributed to their second selection. This process continues until someone has won a majority of the votes. An example of this can be seen here, including a real case where a candidate eventually won an election in which they held only 27% of the popular vote, compared to 41% by the leader, in the first count. Also, voting order is randomised—once upon a time, a lot of candidates with last names beginning with A and B were elected.

Because this can be a complex process, political parties here distribute 'how to vote' cards at poll sites, which voters take with them into the voting booth. These cards instruct a voter how to fill out their ballot to provide the greatest benefit to their party. How to vote cards also played a role in the case mentioned above—if more Independent voters had followed their party's card, redistribution would have been different and the Independent candidate, originally in third place, would have won.

So if you are apathetic but don't want a fine, what do you do? Answer: donkey vote—simply number your ballot 1 to x and drop it in the box. Donkey votes account for roughly 2% of all votes in any given election. Subtracting those, about 93% of eligible Australians make an honest attempt to vote.