Saturday, September 30, 2023
My September 2023 Running and Walking Report
Friday, September 29, 2023
Quote of the Week...from Benjamin Franklin
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Constellation of the Month: Vulpecula (the Fox)
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Weekly Short Stories: 1993 Science Fiction, Part 3
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Season Changes, Still Could Use Some More Cooling
The season has officially changed from summer to fall, but not fast enough of me as the temperatures, while slightly better in the last few days, are still too hot. And this hurricane season won't go away as there always seems to be something brewing either in the Gulf of Mexico/Western Caribbean, Atlantic, or both. I'm looking forward to the time when, as the sun sets, I'll feel comfortable putting on a light sweater...looking forward to that first full cold front of the autumn season! Until then, I'll be continuing my indulgence in (and appreciation for) air conditioning...
Monday, September 25, 2023
Just Finished Reading The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Ran Depot Parkrun 5K This Morning
Friday, September 22, 2023
Quote of the Week...from Alan Watts
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Podcaster Talks about Personal Affirmations
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Weekly Short Stories: 1993 Science Fiction, Part 2
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Spreading Self Thin over Projects...and Enjoying It
Monday, September 18, 2023
Some Sports (Especially College Football) Comments
Three different college football polls have come out following Saturday evening's University of Florida 29-16 victory over Tennessee in Gainesville. The Volunteers were strongly favored to win, by something like a five-point margin, but the Gators proved the better team at least for this game. Following Saturday's contests, ESPN, the Associated Press and the Coaches each came out with their new rankings and Florida actually made it to #25 for the first two pollsters. Yet in all three Tennessee was ranked higher, at #23, #24 and #20 respectively. This slighting in the polls of UF in favor of their conference divisional rival reminds me of the years during Steve Spurrier's reign as head coach when the Gators would handle the Vols in their early season contest, only to see UT with their easier late season schedule surge ahead of them in the final polls. The only thing Florida can do now is play well...especially in their upcoming conference games, starting against Kentucky two weeks from now in Lexington following a home game next week against small college Charlotte. I kind of liked watching college football this weekend, in particular the FSU-Boston College game and some of UF-Tennessee...yet I'm still not yet on board with NFL pro football. But the season is young. Yesterday, though, I had other stuff to do besides watching sports, although I did check out a golfing tournament taking place out in California that Saith Theegala, won, his first PGA victory...
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Back to Depot Park for Their Weekly 5K Race
Today I returned to my Saturday morning haunt of Depot Park...just a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville...to run yet another of their free Parkrun 5K (3.1 miles) races. I had considered spending some money and driving down to Ocala to participate at either a 10K or half-marathon held twice monthly at their Baseline Trailhead Park off SE 58th Avenue but decided to take the "easy" road at least this time around. At race time the temperature was 73 with 97% humidity...yuck! I wasn't sure whether I would run or walk this particular race, but at the last minute decided to run it. The start went slow since there were a lot of people there, including many from an African children's charity organization called Life Child. As the run progressed, each successive lap of the four-lap course went faster for me, and I finished with a lot of energy to spare at 32:17...you can view the race results by clicking HERE. Someday, probably next month, I'd like to try out one of those Ocala races. If I choose the half-marathon, I'm planning to walk a good percentage of the distance. And now, on to the rest of the weekend. The lawn needs mowing and there's plenty of sports on the telly: full speed ahead!
Friday, September 15, 2023
Quote of the Week...from Goth Kid on South Park
Thursday, September 14, 2023
News Outlets Manipulative, Revolting
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Weekly Short Stories: 1993 Science Fiction, Part 1
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Learning Languages and Speaking Partners
Monday, September 11, 2023
Just Finished Reading American Idolatry by Andrew L. Whitehead
The full title of the book I just read, by Andrew L. Whitehead, is American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. It just came out this year and expressed some concerns about conservative evangelical Christianity in this country that I have been feeling for some time. The author also went a little too far is pushing his conclusions, in my opinion. Whitehead is a professing Christian from his youth, attending the very types of churches he discusses in this book. The American flag is prominently displayed in their sanctuaries, and much is made of the United States always having been a Christian nation, established on Christian principles. He disapproves of the flag being there and disagrees with America's Christian heritage. In fact, he seems repelled by both the word "heritage" and its common companion "traditional", since they usually imply that the social values of the "good old days" were better and more noble than our society in the present time. But slavery lasted until 1865 and then afterward legalized discrimination against the former enslaved blacks was practiced until the US Supreme Court struck it down just two years before I was born. Still, the struggle has continued for African Americans to get a fair shake in our country. As for Native Americans, the push for much of our history had been to eliminate either them or their culture, with a strong push toward Christianizing the population, especially children. I'm totally in agreement with Whitehead's grim assessment of these facets of our history...they should be taught in all the schools without any attempt to cover anything up. Where I do have a problem with his book is that he tends to repeatedly emphasize something that, while true up to a point, has some sinister connotations: the notion of privilege, which he applies to whites whether they subscribe to Christian nationalism or not. Historically, different groups of people have been collectively scapegoated for society's problems by essentially being accused of being unfairly privileged: this has long been a recurring theme with anti-Semites when railing against Jewish people. Careful: attacking or criticizing people for being born a certain way crosses an important line and can place you in the company of those who are prejudiced...well, by its very nature it is prejudice. Also, I don't like whole groups of people lumped together and judged by a few in their midst who espouse objectionable views: I think I know of quite a few Christian nationalists in churches I've attended...and quite a few much more tolerant and open-minded folks...should I automatically judge Muslims because some among them have radical notions? This book is nevertheless an appropriate response to the type of Christian nationalism pushed by, of all people, a thoroughly secular reprobate who once as President had federal troops tear-gas peaceful demonstrators so that he could walk from the White House to a church he never attended and...in front of it and numerous cameras...hold up a Bible he never read, much to the adoring approval of Christian nationalist Franklin Graham. The sad thing about it all is that the very people who need to change their attitudes the most are thoroughly (and happily) brainwashed and will only double down on their convictions. Still, I thought the book was a worthwhile effort despite some of my disagreements. Whitehead made a very good point of contrasting Jesus' walk on Earth and his ministry and sayings with the political, bellicose attitudes of many today who liberally invoke his name while violating his principles. There's a fork in the road for Christianity, for sure: which way will it go?
Sunday, September 10, 2023
My Take on Sports This Weekend
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Ran the "Is It Fall" Four-Mile Race at Squirrel Ridge Park Today
This morning I got up early and made my way across Gainesville, driving from my home in the city's far northern end to the far south at Squirrel Ridge Park, where the Florida Track Club was hosting a four-mile race. Since all I've been doing since the half-marathon in January was running Depot Parkrun 5K's, this gave me a chance to change the scenery (and distance). Starting at eight, the race began at this park, located on the south side of Williston Road near US441, in a grassy field and then going along Williston Road until we all hooked a left turn onto unpaved (and uneven) SW 17th Terrace, aka "Tobacco Road". Then, after about a mile, we turned right unto SW 56th Avenue (also unpaved and uneven), going west until the turnaround after which we retraced our path back to the finish line. The course was advertised as flat: maybe it was to some people's standards but there were some hills, nonetheless. The temperature at race time was in the low seventies, not bad, but the humidity was oppressive at over 90%. I ran the race establishing a comfortable-but-honest, steady pace. Out of 100 finishers, I finished #78 (chip time of 41:59, you can view the race results by clicking HERE), but since I placed third in my gender/age group (M 61-70) I was given a prize coffee mug with the Florida Track Club logo on it...cool! All in all, it was a good experience, there was a good, positive vibe among the participants and volunteers, and it was nice to see a familiar face or two among the runners while getting to talk a bit with another. I'm looking forward to seeing what's up ahead on the local racing calendar...
Friday, September 8, 2023
Quote of the Week...from Rob Dial
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart
Today I'm privileged to be able to shout out, "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SWEETHEART" to my dear, beautiful wife Melissa...we've been married 37 wonderful years today! Baby, you're the greatest: what a joy it's been with you! The adventure continues: now on to the next 37! 💕
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Weekly Short Stories: 1992 Science Fiction, Part 7
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
A Little Bit Behind in My "Songs of the Year" List for 2023
Monday, September 4, 2023
Enjoying Watching the US Open in Tennis
I've been watching the US Open tennis tournament this week. Tonight, they're playing through the singles quarterfinals as some familiar faces are advancing while others have gone down to unexpected defeat. I enjoy the familiar faces, some of whom have suffered banishment from Grand Slam events in recent times for their governments' belligerent actions and another...namely Novak Djokovic...blocked from the Australian and US Opens because of his refusal to take a Covid-19 vaccine. Fortunately...at least as far as I am concerned...they're all back in action, providing some really good tennis. ESPN2 has been showing the US Open, which takes place late summer each year in New York City. My main objection to watching it isn't with any of the players, but rather with the often brash and unruly attendees in the stadiums. The other night there was a near-stampede as Djokovic had reached his match point and a mass of spectators rushed downstairs to get a better look: insane! Of late I've veered away from viewing team sports like football, baseball, soccer and basketball and now enjoy individual sports like golf and tennis. Who do I think is going to win this year's US Open titles? Sabalenka on the women's side and either Medvedev or Djokovic on the men's...
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Just Finished Rereading City by Clifford Simak
City is a 1952 science fiction novel written by acclaimed writer Clifford Simak (1904-88), one of my favorites and someone whom I've read from back in my childhood. I read City five years ago...click HERE to read my lengthier review on this blog from back then. This novel is more or less a connected series of related short stories, two of which, Huddling Place and Desertion, I enjoyed and stand well as classics on their own: click on those titles to read further reviews from me. The premise of City, while injecting a diversity of creative themes like intelligent and talking dogs, very sophisticated and feeling robots, the possibility transfer of identity between bodies, psychic mutant humans, other dimensions of reality, intelligent indigenous Martians and a spreading creed of nonviolence, is simple enough: much of it was written during World War II, with humanity presented as incurably violent and destructive, ultimately enemy to what is good in the universe. The robot Jenkins, who served the Webster family for generations, is the unifying character in the novel, and who deliberates at crucial moments on the fate of just about all life on Earth...including man. Simak wrote an epilogue to City in 1973 that has been included in later editions as a fitting conclusion to it all. I loved the dialogue and personalities of this book's various characters, be they human, robot, animal or alien...I've always sensed an endearing tenderness in Simak's writing and an earnest attempt to empathize with the other guy's point of view: that's a virtue sadly lacking in today's "double-down" culture. If you can pick up a copy of City, I recommend it. If none are available, you can listen to the audiobook version on YouTube...
Saturday, September 2, 2023
My July and August 2023 Running and Walking Report
For the previous two months of summer my overall amount of running and walking mileage took a nosedive, much of this due to (1) issues with lower back spasms and (2) becoming ill...I've happily recovered from both for weeks. Still, I managed to generate more than 200 miles of running training mileage for each of July and August and managed to run two local Depot Parkrun 5K races on August 19th and 26th...they're free and held each Saturday morning at Gainesville's pretty Depot Park. I have also been visiting my local gym after work to run and walk on the treadmill...I think that has helped a lot, too. Unfortunately, the summer weather here has been the most stifling hot and humid season I can remember experiencing...and I grew up near Miami! I am hoping against hope for conditions to greatly improve in September, but still plan to trudge ahead regardless. Eventually I plan to run in some longer distance races starting in October...we'll see how I'm doing by that time. This morning I skipped the Parkrun, correctly gauging that I needed the extra sleep. I signed up to run a 4-mile race organized by the Florida Track Club, of which I'm a member, that starts and finishes at Squirrel Ridge Park off Williston Road near US441. Should be fun: it happens next Saturday...