It has only been about three months since I have even heard of Regina Spektor. Born in the Soviet Union in 1980 and immigrating with her parents to the U.S. (and locating in New York City) in 1988, she is quite an extraordinary musical talent, an accomplished pianist and vocalist. Her albums, totaling five so far, are all of her own compositions. Her style is usually a fusion of disparate forms, including jazz, rock, hip-hop, adult alternative, rock, folk, and something that I can only term as "quirky". But more than anything, Regina Spektor has captured my listening imagination, even more so than did Sufjan Stevens a year ago. She is my #1 top favorite musical act right now, so it was interesting to find out that she recently performed solo for President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and their families at the White House. It's nice to know that the folks up there nowadays have some musical taste.
As I usually do in this sort of article, I am listing my favorite Regina Spektor songs, along with the albums they are from in brackets. I have all of her works and am eagerly waiting for more. I noticed that, after her first two albums, which were exclusively of her voice and piano, the last three (which I like more) contained many songs with a wide variety of instrumental accompaniment. But all five albums are quite good. Anyway, here are my favorites:
#1 Us [Soviet Kitsch (2004)]
#2 Man of a Thousand Faces [Far (2009)]
#3 20 Years of Snow [Begin to Hope (2006)]
-------------------
#4 The Calculation [F]
#5 Folding Chair [F]
#6 Better [BtH]
#7 Human of the Year [F]
#8 Pavlov's Daughter [11:11 (2001)]
#9 Hotel Song [BtH]
#10 That Time [BtH]
#11 The Flowers [SK]
#12 Samson [Songs (2002), BtH]
#13 Genius Next Door [F]
#14 Edit [BtH]
#15 Dance Anthem of the 80's [F]
#16 Laughing With [F]
#17 Wallet [F]
#18 Après Moi [BtH]
#19 Lady [BtH]
#20 Reading Time with Pickle [S]
By the way, I must remark that, although I like just about everything that Regina Spektor has done, the top three songs Us, Man of a Thousand Faces, and 20 Years of Snow, are much greater than the rest, in my estimation. So if you are "pressed for time", try to see if you can't at least hear those three.
I like Regina Spektor's music so much that I have all of her songs on my MP3 and currently listen only to her songs and to none of the many other quality artists whose songs I have on my player. That should say something about how good she is. And once again I am confounded by how broadcast radio has virtually ignored her, just as with Sufjan Stevens. The genre that she seems to have been placed in is either "indie" or "adult alternative". At least her songs are played on cable radio and the Internet.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Race Organizers Need to Post Results
I have participated, starting with February's half-marathon here in Gainesville, in one running race per month. This year marks my greatest participation in races ever and I'm having a fun time doing it. So far, I've run:
February: LifeSouth Five Points Half-Marathon
March: Climb for Cancer 15K
April: Run Amuck With the Duck 5K
May: Somer's Summer Run 5K (in Orange Park)
June: Chad Reed Memorial 5K (in Cross City)
Each of the above supported a worthwhile charity. The organizers were sincere in trying to raise money and awareness for their particular causes while at the same time putting on a good event for the runners (and sometimes walkers) to enjoy. I recognize that nobody's perfect and that I could find faults with each of the races I was a part of. But I do have more of a beef with the last race (in Cross City).
For the LifeSouth, Climb for Cancer, and Somer's races, my time was recorded and the race results were posted on the Internet. The "Duck Run" (for lung cancer research) was conducted differently: BEFORE the race (that's important), runners were told that only the top three finishers would be timed and their results recorded. Knowing that, I set my own watch and timed myself. No problem. And now we come to the Chad Reed Memorial 5K.
Wonderful cause, which that run was for, no doubt. I hope that the well is dug soon and benefits the people that Captain Reed had wanted to help. That having been said, I feel let down by the way that those running this event seem to have "packed up and gone home" afterwards. No results have been posted, to my knowledge. If they have, no one has bothered to notify me (although at the pre-race registration time I filled out a form that gave information to them that would have enabled them to do so). Fortunately, I timed myself on my watch and know my final time. But I don't know how I did among others in my age group, which is my primary competitive interest. The website RaceSmith has a spot for this race's results should they ever post them, but so far it is blank, ten days after the event. I also noticed on their site, though, that other races seem to take place each week in which the organizers don't bother to post results, either.
I don't intend to demean the important causes underlying many of these races, but there are some basic expectations that runners have when they shell out the registration fee to enter them. Here are two: (1) they want to be timed and (2) they want the race results posted publicly, with the Internet the most convenient medium for this. That shouldn't so burdensome for someone to do, but it seems that with many of these races, times and results are never made public.
Still, it is my participation in the race that rules over everything else. I won't make too much of a deal about various shortcomings I've experienced in them other than to write about the most glaring and then "letting it go". Failing to publicly post race results IS a glaring shortcoming. So now I've written about it and am "letting it go".
February: LifeSouth Five Points Half-Marathon
March: Climb for Cancer 15K
April: Run Amuck With the Duck 5K
May: Somer's Summer Run 5K (in Orange Park)
June: Chad Reed Memorial 5K (in Cross City)
Each of the above supported a worthwhile charity. The organizers were sincere in trying to raise money and awareness for their particular causes while at the same time putting on a good event for the runners (and sometimes walkers) to enjoy. I recognize that nobody's perfect and that I could find faults with each of the races I was a part of. But I do have more of a beef with the last race (in Cross City).
For the LifeSouth, Climb for Cancer, and Somer's races, my time was recorded and the race results were posted on the Internet. The "Duck Run" (for lung cancer research) was conducted differently: BEFORE the race (that's important), runners were told that only the top three finishers would be timed and their results recorded. Knowing that, I set my own watch and timed myself. No problem. And now we come to the Chad Reed Memorial 5K.
Wonderful cause, which that run was for, no doubt. I hope that the well is dug soon and benefits the people that Captain Reed had wanted to help. That having been said, I feel let down by the way that those running this event seem to have "packed up and gone home" afterwards. No results have been posted, to my knowledge. If they have, no one has bothered to notify me (although at the pre-race registration time I filled out a form that gave information to them that would have enabled them to do so). Fortunately, I timed myself on my watch and know my final time. But I don't know how I did among others in my age group, which is my primary competitive interest. The website RaceSmith has a spot for this race's results should they ever post them, but so far it is blank, ten days after the event. I also noticed on their site, though, that other races seem to take place each week in which the organizers don't bother to post results, either.
I don't intend to demean the important causes underlying many of these races, but there are some basic expectations that runners have when they shell out the registration fee to enter them. Here are two: (1) they want to be timed and (2) they want the race results posted publicly, with the Internet the most convenient medium for this. That shouldn't so burdensome for someone to do, but it seems that with many of these races, times and results are never made public.
Still, it is my participation in the race that rules over everything else. I won't make too much of a deal about various shortcomings I've experienced in them other than to write about the most glaring and then "letting it go". Failing to publicly post race results IS a glaring shortcoming. So now I've written about it and am "letting it go".
Monday, June 14, 2010
Quality, Utility, and Expense
I recently came across a bicycling magazine that seems to be devoted to competitive racing. On the back cover is an ad promoting an apparently very good bicycle, specially designed and built to give its owner the best possible performance in a race. To my untrained eye, it looked just like an ordinary bicycle. But its price, $3300, was anything but ordinary.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to my local Wal-Mart and happened upon the bicycle section. There was a mountain bike for sale, at $75. I bought it and rode it around the neighborhood. Perfect, for my purposes.
Just do the arithmetic: for the price of that one racing bicycle, I could have bought 440 of the Wal-Mart bikes! But I am not a racer; I bicycle for the exercise and fun, more than anything else. I am not into the marginalism involved in trying squeeze out a competitive edge in order to beat out my opponents. So I can go cheap in this area.
But suppose it is a different area in my life where a margin or edge does matter. Perhaps I am a stickler for gourmet cooking; then I might dole out quite a sum on high dining. When someone else might be satisfied with simpler and less expensive food. Or I may feel the need to wear only clothing that has been specially tailored to perfectly fit me, and anything else simply will not do. In these cases, as with the bicycle, it is the “margin” of quality that drives up their costs much more than then the basic utility of the good.
The question I have to ask myself is what areas should I personally take a stand in and insist on the “highest quality”, even when this entails paying much more for it than I would for the “basic package”. And having been rooted in simple utilitarian living, this is not something easy for me to answer.
I tend to search out the cheapest ways to attain the best variety of goods and experiences for myself and my family. There are no areas in my life that I can firmly state I am committed to spend whatever it takes to attain an elite level of quality. Maybe this is good, maybe not. Or am I selling myself short?
Right now, I am interested in running. I would like to invest some money in traveling to various places that hold races. Not only would I expand my running experiences, but it would be a lot of fun sightseeing as well. Or perhaps it is in the area of learning foreign languages where I have been selling myself short. After all, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live for a while among its speakers. This requires money and time, something I have heretofore been unwilling to commit.
Well, I’m not getting any younger, so I had better decide which if any areas in which I really want to take the plunge and invest that substantially higher level of money and time necessary to have optimal outcomes. I don’t want my old age to be a time of regret for opportunities passed by. But I do know one thing right now: no way am I going to blow $3300 on a bicycle!
A couple of weeks ago, I went to my local Wal-Mart and happened upon the bicycle section. There was a mountain bike for sale, at $75. I bought it and rode it around the neighborhood. Perfect, for my purposes.
Just do the arithmetic: for the price of that one racing bicycle, I could have bought 440 of the Wal-Mart bikes! But I am not a racer; I bicycle for the exercise and fun, more than anything else. I am not into the marginalism involved in trying squeeze out a competitive edge in order to beat out my opponents. So I can go cheap in this area.
But suppose it is a different area in my life where a margin or edge does matter. Perhaps I am a stickler for gourmet cooking; then I might dole out quite a sum on high dining. When someone else might be satisfied with simpler and less expensive food. Or I may feel the need to wear only clothing that has been specially tailored to perfectly fit me, and anything else simply will not do. In these cases, as with the bicycle, it is the “margin” of quality that drives up their costs much more than then the basic utility of the good.
The question I have to ask myself is what areas should I personally take a stand in and insist on the “highest quality”, even when this entails paying much more for it than I would for the “basic package”. And having been rooted in simple utilitarian living, this is not something easy for me to answer.
I tend to search out the cheapest ways to attain the best variety of goods and experiences for myself and my family. There are no areas in my life that I can firmly state I am committed to spend whatever it takes to attain an elite level of quality. Maybe this is good, maybe not. Or am I selling myself short?
Right now, I am interested in running. I would like to invest some money in traveling to various places that hold races. Not only would I expand my running experiences, but it would be a lot of fun sightseeing as well. Or perhaps it is in the area of learning foreign languages where I have been selling myself short. After all, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live for a while among its speakers. This requires money and time, something I have heretofore been unwilling to commit.
Well, I’m not getting any younger, so I had better decide which if any areas in which I really want to take the plunge and invest that substantially higher level of money and time necessary to have optimal outcomes. I don’t want my old age to be a time of regret for opportunities passed by. But I do know one thing right now: no way am I going to blow $3300 on a bicycle!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Downtown Pedestrian Experience
While Melissa and I recently stayed in St. Augustine, we had the occasion to go to the city’s historic district (we’ve been there many times before). This is a concentrated zone of shops, restaurants, and museums in the heart of town. The roads are narrow and the buildings close together. And pedestrians rule there, actually controlling the “main” road, St. George’s Street.
We pulled into the excellent parking garage on Cordova Street (parking around there wasn’t always so simple) and, after we left it, joined the throng of walkers. And suddenly I was transported back in time to a similar type of experience in Manhattan, New York.
I think most cities deeply want to have a section of their downtown where people can just walk around freely down the sidewalks and visit the various little businesses, as was the case in Manhattan and St. Augustine. My old childhood hometown of Hollywood, Florida was eventually successful (long after I had moved away) at transforming a section of the area around Hollywood Boulevard just west of Young Circle into such a zone. And they always had their very popular Broadwalk along Hollywood Beach. My current hometown of Gainesville has, however, struggled unsuccessfully to create a similar effect in their downtown area. I think I know why, too: not enough is there to attract visitors.
In order to attract people for a “night out” on the town, there has to be a sense that visitors can walk around to many places and browse shops or step into restaurants as they find them on their walks. Also, there needs to be a sense that the cars on the streets are subservient to the presence of the pedestrians. Neither of these is present in downtown Gainesville. You’re still dodging traffic while desperately looking around for SOMEPLACE interesting to go to. I also think that the Gainesville police, for all of the good work that they do protecting us, tend to overdo it with their overt presence downtown. So Gainesville still has a lot of work to do to build up its downtown area.
But St. Augustine was entirely different. The effect of being around the crowds mulling about did remind me a lot of New York. We just stepped off the sidewalk into a popular local restaurant (Scarlett O’Hara’s), instantly plopped down into a booth and were promptly waited on. It reminded me of our Junior’s experience on 45th Street near Times Square. Melissa and I even later went to a dessert shop and enjoyed some Italian ice cream (gelato) as we had done in Little Italy almost two months earlier. And yes, there were plenty of little stores selling tee shirts, caps, trinkets, books, and other items just as there were along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.
We’re thinking about spending a little time in downtown Atlanta in a couple of months, and I can assure you that we will be looking for that “downtown pedestrian experience” again.
We pulled into the excellent parking garage on Cordova Street (parking around there wasn’t always so simple) and, after we left it, joined the throng of walkers. And suddenly I was transported back in time to a similar type of experience in Manhattan, New York.
I think most cities deeply want to have a section of their downtown where people can just walk around freely down the sidewalks and visit the various little businesses, as was the case in Manhattan and St. Augustine. My old childhood hometown of Hollywood, Florida was eventually successful (long after I had moved away) at transforming a section of the area around Hollywood Boulevard just west of Young Circle into such a zone. And they always had their very popular Broadwalk along Hollywood Beach. My current hometown of Gainesville has, however, struggled unsuccessfully to create a similar effect in their downtown area. I think I know why, too: not enough is there to attract visitors.
In order to attract people for a “night out” on the town, there has to be a sense that visitors can walk around to many places and browse shops or step into restaurants as they find them on their walks. Also, there needs to be a sense that the cars on the streets are subservient to the presence of the pedestrians. Neither of these is present in downtown Gainesville. You’re still dodging traffic while desperately looking around for SOMEPLACE interesting to go to. I also think that the Gainesville police, for all of the good work that they do protecting us, tend to overdo it with their overt presence downtown. So Gainesville still has a lot of work to do to build up its downtown area.
But St. Augustine was entirely different. The effect of being around the crowds mulling about did remind me a lot of New York. We just stepped off the sidewalk into a popular local restaurant (Scarlett O’Hara’s), instantly plopped down into a booth and were promptly waited on. It reminded me of our Junior’s experience on 45th Street near Times Square. Melissa and I even later went to a dessert shop and enjoyed some Italian ice cream (gelato) as we had done in Little Italy almost two months earlier. And yes, there were plenty of little stores selling tee shirts, caps, trinkets, books, and other items just as there were along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.
We’re thinking about spending a little time in downtown Atlanta in a couple of months, and I can assure you that we will be looking for that “downtown pedestrian experience” again.
Friday, June 11, 2010
World Cup (yawn) Commences Today
Today the World Cup in international soccer opens in South Africa with the host nation playing Mexico. Tomorrow the United States plays England. So what.
Like many of "my fellow Americans" (with a nod to LBJ), I really couldn't care less what goes on in the World Cup. Neither do I care whether the U.S. does well or not. I don't even like watching soccer, which has to rate as among the most boring sports ever to be broadcast on television. And I can see this particular blog article going nowhere in a big hurry!
Let's see, there are 32 teams right now at the opening, divided into eight groups, each naturally comprised of four teams. In the opening round, the groups are engaged in round-robin play among themselves, ending after three games. The two teams with the best W-L-T records in each group advance to the quarterfinals (the World Cup version of the "sweet sixteen") while the remainder get a "sayonara baby" and pack up.
The U.S., whom I supposedly should be following, will play (favored) England along with Slovenia and Algeria. Mexico, which is getting a disgustingly high degree of biased adulation on my U.S.-based Spanish-language cable TV channel Univision, is in an "easier" group competing against a weaker France (they made the final game four years ago in the last World Cup), a possible dark horse in Uruguay, and a very weak South Africa (who are in this 32-team field only by dint of being the host country).
And then there are the usual favorites as in every World Cup: Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy (the 2006 winner), Portugal, England (of course), ... the Netherlands are supposed to be real good; I'll take the opinion of the experts about them at face value. The absolutely worst team, perhaps besides South Africa, might be North Korea. I'd like to see a game between them and South Korea, who also made the World Cup field. But since they're in different groups, this is very unlikely to happen.
Like many of "my fellow Americans" (with a nod to LBJ), I really couldn't care less what goes on in the World Cup. Neither do I care whether the U.S. does well or not. I don't even like watching soccer, which has to rate as among the most boring sports ever to be broadcast on television. And I can see this particular blog article going nowhere in a big hurry!
Let's see, there are 32 teams right now at the opening, divided into eight groups, each naturally comprised of four teams. In the opening round, the groups are engaged in round-robin play among themselves, ending after three games. The two teams with the best W-L-T records in each group advance to the quarterfinals (the World Cup version of the "sweet sixteen") while the remainder get a "sayonara baby" and pack up.
The U.S., whom I supposedly should be following, will play (favored) England along with Slovenia and Algeria. Mexico, which is getting a disgustingly high degree of biased adulation on my U.S.-based Spanish-language cable TV channel Univision, is in an "easier" group competing against a weaker France (they made the final game four years ago in the last World Cup), a possible dark horse in Uruguay, and a very weak South Africa (who are in this 32-team field only by dint of being the host country).
And then there are the usual favorites as in every World Cup: Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy (the 2006 winner), Portugal, England (of course), ... the Netherlands are supposed to be real good; I'll take the opinion of the experts about them at face value. The absolutely worst team, perhaps besides South Africa, might be North Korea. I'd like to see a game between them and South Korea, who also made the World Cup field. But since they're in different groups, this is very unlikely to happen.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
World Golf Village and Golfing
A couple of weekends ago, I spent some time with Melissa at the World Golf Village on the outskirts of St. Augustine, Florida. It was as part of a marriage retreat, and we stayed at the Renaissance Hotel there. It was also as if I had entered a foreign country with a fanatical following of the great sport of golf.
Oh, by the way, I have never golfed before. Unless you count my experience playing miniature golf (and I’m pretty damned good at it, thank you) or my childhood adventures with croquet, swinging a stick at a ball lying on the ground to make it go to a specific place has never taken off in my imagination. But I think I might get good at it were I to practice; I just don’t know. Anyway, I felt completely out of place at the World Golf Village, which naturally has a humongous course, practice holes, a golf hall of fame, and a couple of golf-themed restaurants. The stones comprising the floor of the nearly half-mile circle around which our hotel, the hall of fame, two restaurants (one of which has all of their many TVs tuned exclusively to a golfing channel), other golf-related businesses, and an IMAX theater were situated feature the names and signatures of famous golfing hall-of-famers from around the world. It made me wonder what I have been missing out on all these years, having basically ignored what appears to be such a significant and magnificent sport with all of its important heroes (most of whom I had never heard of).
I do know that golfing has quite its share of fanatics. Golfers I know tend to get pretty worked up talking about their recent outings, although they tend to only discuss their golfing with other golfers. Meanwhile, I can only eavesdrop and naturally have nothing substantial on my own to contribute to their weighty conversations other than something like, “Hey, I’ve beaten my family at miniature golf three straight times”. And I’m not dumb enough to do that, so I usually just keep my mouth shut.
So I don’t know about golf. I would like to engage in it with Melissa as a fun outdoors activity that the two of us could share into our retirement, but I don’t see myself spending an exorbitant amount of money on it or becoming a raving fanatical lunatic about it. And that World Golf Village was nothing if not fanatical.
Right now, my #1 golf experience was the vicarious pleasure I derived at watching James Bond have a “little fun” with Mr. Goldfinger by switching golf balls on him during a match. It would probably behoove me to delve a little deeper into the sport than that! But when?
Oh, by the way, I have never golfed before. Unless you count my experience playing miniature golf (and I’m pretty damned good at it, thank you) or my childhood adventures with croquet, swinging a stick at a ball lying on the ground to make it go to a specific place has never taken off in my imagination. But I think I might get good at it were I to practice; I just don’t know. Anyway, I felt completely out of place at the World Golf Village, which naturally has a humongous course, practice holes, a golf hall of fame, and a couple of golf-themed restaurants. The stones comprising the floor of the nearly half-mile circle around which our hotel, the hall of fame, two restaurants (one of which has all of their many TVs tuned exclusively to a golfing channel), other golf-related businesses, and an IMAX theater were situated feature the names and signatures of famous golfing hall-of-famers from around the world. It made me wonder what I have been missing out on all these years, having basically ignored what appears to be such a significant and magnificent sport with all of its important heroes (most of whom I had never heard of).
I do know that golfing has quite its share of fanatics. Golfers I know tend to get pretty worked up talking about their recent outings, although they tend to only discuss their golfing with other golfers. Meanwhile, I can only eavesdrop and naturally have nothing substantial on my own to contribute to their weighty conversations other than something like, “Hey, I’ve beaten my family at miniature golf three straight times”. And I’m not dumb enough to do that, so I usually just keep my mouth shut.
So I don’t know about golf. I would like to engage in it with Melissa as a fun outdoors activity that the two of us could share into our retirement, but I don’t see myself spending an exorbitant amount of money on it or becoming a raving fanatical lunatic about it. And that World Golf Village was nothing if not fanatical.
Right now, my #1 golf experience was the vicarious pleasure I derived at watching James Bond have a “little fun” with Mr. Goldfinger by switching golf balls on him during a match. It would probably behoove me to delve a little deeper into the sport than that! But when?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Running Tourist Denied
Earlier this year, while investigating the blogs of others who had run marathons in Florida, I came across the blog of a woman who had run in January’s Disney World Marathon. Her article was very interesting in that she carried a camera with her to photograph her ongoing experience while running it. It was as if she were just continuing her vacation at Disney World as a tourist, only while running in an athletic event.
That idea has simmered within me to the point where I have seriously considering doing the same with my runs. In both May’s Orange Park 5K race and June’s Cross City race, I felt like carrying my digital camera around with me during the runs but put it away at the last minute both times. Why the inner resistance?
When I am not in the “running” state of mind (and it is a special state of mind for me) I see things a little differently. And that includes the idea of taking pictures while running. But when the immediacy of a race is directly in front of me, I tend to want to shed myself of anything that I think is superfluous. Just think of that scene at the beginning of Platoon when experienced combat veteran William Dafoe examines new arrival Charlie Sheen’s pack and keeps throwing out stuff, repeatedly saying “You don’t need this”. That’s kind of like how I feel when about to race. So not only do I put back my camera, but I also take off my cap and glasses (including sunglasses). But I think I’m missing out on something by not photographing my experience.
Take Orange Park: much of the race was along the pretty St. John’s River just south of Jacksonville. And Cross City: they have their magnificent Greenway that I, living here in Gainesville, am so envious of. Plus, there are all of those great “people” and “running” shots that shouldn’t be so hard to set up during a race.
So it’s all set in my mind: I will take pictures during my next race, whenever and wherever that may be. Because that lady running the Walt Disney Marathon had the right idea! I AM a tourist of sorts when I run races, especially out-of-town races. I drove the distance, paid my fee, and will hereby gawk at the sights and photograph them like any tourist worth his mettle (whatever that means) walking down Broadway in Manhattan!
That idea has simmered within me to the point where I have seriously considering doing the same with my runs. In both May’s Orange Park 5K race and June’s Cross City race, I felt like carrying my digital camera around with me during the runs but put it away at the last minute both times. Why the inner resistance?
When I am not in the “running” state of mind (and it is a special state of mind for me) I see things a little differently. And that includes the idea of taking pictures while running. But when the immediacy of a race is directly in front of me, I tend to want to shed myself of anything that I think is superfluous. Just think of that scene at the beginning of Platoon when experienced combat veteran William Dafoe examines new arrival Charlie Sheen’s pack and keeps throwing out stuff, repeatedly saying “You don’t need this”. That’s kind of like how I feel when about to race. So not only do I put back my camera, but I also take off my cap and glasses (including sunglasses). But I think I’m missing out on something by not photographing my experience.
Take Orange Park: much of the race was along the pretty St. John’s River just south of Jacksonville. And Cross City: they have their magnificent Greenway that I, living here in Gainesville, am so envious of. Plus, there are all of those great “people” and “running” shots that shouldn’t be so hard to set up during a race.
So it’s all set in my mind: I will take pictures during my next race, whenever and wherever that may be. Because that lady running the Walt Disney Marathon had the right idea! I AM a tourist of sorts when I run races, especially out-of-town races. I drove the distance, paid my fee, and will hereby gawk at the sights and photograph them like any tourist worth his mettle (whatever that means) walking down Broadway in Manhattan!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cross City’s Greenway
Last Saturday’s Chad Reed Memorial 5K race in Cross City gave me the opportunity to travel to a place where I hadn’t been before. In some ways, Cross City is pretty much like any rural little northern Florida town. But one thing stood out like a sore thumb: the Greenway.
The Cross City Greenway is actually a small section of the Nature Coast State Trail, part of a program designed to convert old railroad tracks into usable trails, and I experienced it firsthand: most of the race took place on it! As the trail's website indicates, the trail starts (or ends, depending on which direction you're going) in the cities of Cross City, Trenton, and Chiefland, with a "central" hub in Fanning Springs. I experienced it as a long stretch of relatively wide (one traffic lane in breadth) asphalt pathway generally running parallel (with some notable deviations) to US 19. I noticed it long before I entered Cross City proper. This is a remarkable asset for such a relatively small community as Cross City, or this entire very rural part of northern Florida, for that matter. Gainesville has a minor "rails-to-trails" version of a greenway, but it doesn't really go anywhere useful. I recall seeing a similar pathway (from the rooftop of my tour bus)…in extremely densely populated Manhattan, running along the East River and wonder whether that might also have been a converted railroad track. I hear that Knoxville, Tennessee, has something similar. As most likely do several of the bigger cities. But Cross City? CROSS CITY??!!
Unfortunately, I don’t think Cross City makes a lot of use out of its greenway. Except for the Chad Reed Memorial Run, I didn’t notice anyone using it anywhere. Man, could I use something like that here in Gainesville! You can bicycle, walk, run, dog-walk, skateboard, pogo-stick, you name it. In Cross City, it’s readily accessible from just about any point in town. If I could place such a greenway in Gainesville, I would have it run along West 34th Street from the northern tip of town to the southern borders. That way I could either run or ride my bicycle to and from work with a minimum degree of exposure to the loony tune drivers who plague this town! Of course, there would still be that touchy matter of crossing busy streets…
The Cross City Greenway is actually a small section of the Nature Coast State Trail, part of a program designed to convert old railroad tracks into usable trails, and I experienced it firsthand: most of the race took place on it! As the trail's website indicates, the trail starts (or ends, depending on which direction you're going) in the cities of Cross City, Trenton, and Chiefland, with a "central" hub in Fanning Springs. I experienced it as a long stretch of relatively wide (one traffic lane in breadth) asphalt pathway generally running parallel (with some notable deviations) to US 19. I noticed it long before I entered Cross City proper. This is a remarkable asset for such a relatively small community as Cross City, or this entire very rural part of northern Florida, for that matter. Gainesville has a minor "rails-to-trails" version of a greenway, but it doesn't really go anywhere useful. I recall seeing a similar pathway (from the rooftop of my tour bus)…in extremely densely populated Manhattan, running along the East River and wonder whether that might also have been a converted railroad track. I hear that Knoxville, Tennessee, has something similar. As most likely do several of the bigger cities. But Cross City? CROSS CITY??!!
Unfortunately, I don’t think Cross City makes a lot of use out of its greenway. Except for the Chad Reed Memorial Run, I didn’t notice anyone using it anywhere. Man, could I use something like that here in Gainesville! You can bicycle, walk, run, dog-walk, skateboard, pogo-stick, you name it. In Cross City, it’s readily accessible from just about any point in town. If I could place such a greenway in Gainesville, I would have it run along West 34th Street from the northern tip of town to the southern borders. That way I could either run or ride my bicycle to and from work with a minimum degree of exposure to the loony tune drivers who plague this town! Of course, there would still be that touchy matter of crossing busy streets…
Monday, June 7, 2010
Cross City’s Insane Street Grid
I tried Google Map to find out where Dixie County High School, the starting point for Saturday’s 5K race, was in relation to Cross City. Google had it spotted far east of the main town on US 19. But in truth, I had to drive through most of Cross City before I reached it. At least Google had the part about it being on US 19 correct. But maybe Google isn’t completely to blame; Cross City’s street plan is kind of weird, to put it mildly without using profanity.
Before my visit, I already found out that Cross City’s street plan was bizarre. The roads north of US 19 have a completely different numbering system than those lying to the south. And the numbers tend to be very high. As a matter of fact, while on US 19 approaching the area, in the middle of the boondocks, I saw a sign advertising “592nd Street”!
View Larger Map
As you can see on the pictured Google Map (press the "+" square in the map's upper left corner a couple of times to zoom in better), I could go south on NE 147th Street, cross US 19, and then suddenly be on SE 304th Street. And note that SE 22nd Avenue, on one side of US 19, is slightly north of NE 190th Avenue on the other. Quite disorienting. But that’s not all.
The day before the race, I looked at a fold-out city map of Cross City available at my Publix grocery store to see if they had Dixie High School on it. Which they didn’t. But I noticed something else: none of the roads were numbered as they were on Google; instead they had proper names! When I visited the area in person, though, the numbered signs were there.
It’s almost as if Cross City is at once a site of two alternative realities connected by a wormhole (US 19) and a third alternative reality (named, not numbered streets) somehow in play. I don’t get it, but the folks living there probably don’t think anything of it, I bet. Seems a little spooky to me, though. I wonder if there isn’t a black hole in the center of town causing all of this.
Before my visit, I already found out that Cross City’s street plan was bizarre. The roads north of US 19 have a completely different numbering system than those lying to the south. And the numbers tend to be very high. As a matter of fact, while on US 19 approaching the area, in the middle of the boondocks, I saw a sign advertising “592nd Street”!
View Larger Map
As you can see on the pictured Google Map (press the "+" square in the map's upper left corner a couple of times to zoom in better), I could go south on NE 147th Street, cross US 19, and then suddenly be on SE 304th Street. And note that SE 22nd Avenue, on one side of US 19, is slightly north of NE 190th Avenue on the other. Quite disorienting. But that’s not all.
The day before the race, I looked at a fold-out city map of Cross City available at my Publix grocery store to see if they had Dixie High School on it. Which they didn’t. But I noticed something else: none of the roads were numbered as they were on Google; instead they had proper names! When I visited the area in person, though, the numbered signs were there.
It’s almost as if Cross City is at once a site of two alternative realities connected by a wormhole (US 19) and a third alternative reality (named, not numbered streets) somehow in play. I don’t get it, but the folks living there probably don’t think anything of it, I bet. Seems a little spooky to me, though. I wonder if there isn’t a black hole in the center of town causing all of this.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Captain Chad Allen Reed Memorial 5K Run in Cross City
A long blog article title this is, but necessary. Yesterday morning I chose to get in my June public running race (there aren’t very many available to choose from) by going west about fifty miles to the interesting little town of Cross City, Florida. More about what makes it interesting in upcoming articles. But back to the race and its reason for being…
On January 14 of this year, police captain Chad Allen Reed was gunned down and killed by a suspected murderer while on duty. He left his wife and young children behind, as well as a bereaved community comprising two counties: Dixie, where he worked, and Taylor, where he grew up. Reed had a heart for the poor, as he had been working on a project to dig a well that would provide fresh water to some poverty-stricken residents. His death interrupted his efforts only temporarily: this race’s main goal was to raise the money to make Reed’s Samaritan dream a reality. At the opening ceremony before the race, wreaths were symbolically laid for Reed and three other recently-fallen police officers. Reed’s children were accorded the honor of symbolically starting the race.
The heat was stifling on race morning, with temperatures rising from 76 at sunrise to nearly 90 by 11 am. The humidity was horrific as well. I was surprised to see that the race planners had scheduled the race to start at 10, which would guarantee pretty hot, sticky conditions for the runners. But since I have been training for weeks under these conditions, I personally had no issues with that decision.
When the race started (just outside Dixie County High School), I was running well, at a good pace. Or that’s what I thought at first, until a flood of other runners practically sprinted past me as if this were more like a single lap around the high school track. But I kept to my pace, while accepting the first water bottle offered to me and making regular short pauses to swig some along the way. After the initial stretch of the run, I began to pass one tired and overheated runner after another. It got to be pretty funny, as I was getting stronger the more grueling the race became for others. I finally finished it at 23:23, which was my second highest time for a five kilometer run. I was very satisfied with the outcome, although it was a little disconcerting to discover that the race’s finish line was in a different location from the start, about a half-mile away from my car at the school. A police volunteer offered me a ride back, but I said “What the heck” and walked/ran back.
I had to go to work back in Gainesville early that afternoon, so I couldn’t hang around for the usually delayed and drawn-out awards process. Maybe I would have won something, maybe not. But I enjoyed the racing experience, which was the whole point of going there in the first place.
I had first thought, upon discovering that Cross City of all places was hosting a race, how cool! But the reason for it, of course, was this tragic loss of a policeman’s life; I would have preferred instead to never have gone to Cross City and have Chad Reed still around to brighten up his community and family. So sad.
On January 14 of this year, police captain Chad Allen Reed was gunned down and killed by a suspected murderer while on duty. He left his wife and young children behind, as well as a bereaved community comprising two counties: Dixie, where he worked, and Taylor, where he grew up. Reed had a heart for the poor, as he had been working on a project to dig a well that would provide fresh water to some poverty-stricken residents. His death interrupted his efforts only temporarily: this race’s main goal was to raise the money to make Reed’s Samaritan dream a reality. At the opening ceremony before the race, wreaths were symbolically laid for Reed and three other recently-fallen police officers. Reed’s children were accorded the honor of symbolically starting the race.
The heat was stifling on race morning, with temperatures rising from 76 at sunrise to nearly 90 by 11 am. The humidity was horrific as well. I was surprised to see that the race planners had scheduled the race to start at 10, which would guarantee pretty hot, sticky conditions for the runners. But since I have been training for weeks under these conditions, I personally had no issues with that decision.
When the race started (just outside Dixie County High School), I was running well, at a good pace. Or that’s what I thought at first, until a flood of other runners practically sprinted past me as if this were more like a single lap around the high school track. But I kept to my pace, while accepting the first water bottle offered to me and making regular short pauses to swig some along the way. After the initial stretch of the run, I began to pass one tired and overheated runner after another. It got to be pretty funny, as I was getting stronger the more grueling the race became for others. I finally finished it at 23:23, which was my second highest time for a five kilometer run. I was very satisfied with the outcome, although it was a little disconcerting to discover that the race’s finish line was in a different location from the start, about a half-mile away from my car at the school. A police volunteer offered me a ride back, but I said “What the heck” and walked/ran back.
I had to go to work back in Gainesville early that afternoon, so I couldn’t hang around for the usually delayed and drawn-out awards process. Maybe I would have won something, maybe not. But I enjoyed the racing experience, which was the whole point of going there in the first place.
I had first thought, upon discovering that Cross City of all places was hosting a race, how cool! But the reason for it, of course, was this tragic loss of a policeman’s life; I would have preferred instead to never have gone to Cross City and have Chad Reed still around to brighten up his community and family. So sad.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Abby Panders to Ghost Beliefs
In today’s Dear Abby newspaper advice column, Topic Numero Uno was a woman’s fear that ghosts of her deceased loved ones were lurking around her and watching her doing things like going to the bathroom and making love with her husband. She wanted to know whether she was crazy about her lack of privacy due to said ghosts.
Jeanne Phillips (“Abby”) could have just gone straight to the point, agreeably replied “Yes, you’re crazy”, and moved on to the next letter. But no, she instead decided to do something that I term “pandering to another’s narrative” in order to offer some emotional comfort. Phillips flat-out stated as fact that “the departed sometimes ‘visit’ those with whom their souls were intertwined, but usually it’s to offer strength, solace and reassurance during difficult times.” How could she know that? No, all Phillips did was to size up the frightened woman’s belief system, which she realized wasn’t going to change by just saying that ghosts weren’t real. Instead, she made up her own narrative, which naturally affirmed the existence of ghosts, to soften that writer’s fears of privacy invasion. Is this ethical?
I have done this in the past as well, although not with ghosts. I would be with someone whose beliefs were difficult for me to digest, but who still seemed so entrenched in them that the only way I would be able to effectively communicate with them would be to temporarily presume the truth of their underlying narrative, “for the sake of argument”. I would always afterward find this type of experience to be distasteful and that I had somehow debased myself in the process.
More and more, I have become more resistant to what “Abby” did: playing along with another’s absurd notions in order to reason with or comfort them. After all, I don’t notice others bending over backward to accommodate MY beliefs!
Then again, maybe Jeanne Phillips truly does believe in ghosts and how they supposedly “behave” according to some kind of ethical code. Ouch! Say you’re more savvy, Abby!
Jeanne Phillips (“Abby”) could have just gone straight to the point, agreeably replied “Yes, you’re crazy”, and moved on to the next letter. But no, she instead decided to do something that I term “pandering to another’s narrative” in order to offer some emotional comfort. Phillips flat-out stated as fact that “the departed sometimes ‘visit’ those with whom their souls were intertwined, but usually it’s to offer strength, solace and reassurance during difficult times.” How could she know that? No, all Phillips did was to size up the frightened woman’s belief system, which she realized wasn’t going to change by just saying that ghosts weren’t real. Instead, she made up her own narrative, which naturally affirmed the existence of ghosts, to soften that writer’s fears of privacy invasion. Is this ethical?
I have done this in the past as well, although not with ghosts. I would be with someone whose beliefs were difficult for me to digest, but who still seemed so entrenched in them that the only way I would be able to effectively communicate with them would be to temporarily presume the truth of their underlying narrative, “for the sake of argument”. I would always afterward find this type of experience to be distasteful and that I had somehow debased myself in the process.
More and more, I have become more resistant to what “Abby” did: playing along with another’s absurd notions in order to reason with or comfort them. After all, I don’t notice others bending over backward to accommodate MY beliefs!
Then again, maybe Jeanne Phillips truly does believe in ghosts and how they supposedly “behave” according to some kind of ethical code. Ouch! Say you’re more savvy, Abby!
Friday, June 4, 2010
What the Fungus!
The other day I noticed on the front cover of "advice" publication Bottom Line: Personal a small article about an airborne fungus hitting the Pacific northwest, ranging from northern California to Washington. It has been causing respiratory problems, mainly in middle-age to elderly men (according to the Bottom Line: Personal article). And a few deaths have occurred as well. I checked this out on the Internet today and came across several articles on the subject, including this from myfoxny.com. Dr. Joseph Heitman of Duke University has been publicizing this new public health hazard and is the chief researcher. According to the Fox article, symptoms include "severe cough, shortness of breath, chest pain and severe fatigue." And possibly death, I might add.
The fungus problem is not just in the northwest, though. It has been identified in New York City as well, with a 20% fatality rate at this point there (10 out of 50 reported).
I don't know if this fungus will (or already has) spread to Florida. I do know that this pops the fantasy bubble I have been living in of seeing the northwest Pacific area as a kind of paradise with its year-round temperate climate, so conducive to outdoor activity (especially long-distance running). After all, this is "Karno country" (Karno is ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, who lives in San Francisco). I suppose, though, that every area carries its own drawbacks. Although I don't exactly see developing pneumonia-like symptoms from breathing in fungus in the great outdoors as your typical regional "drawback".
I would hate to see this fungus spread further. Since it had only been discovered in 2005, though, little is still known about it, its growth pattern, and range. This could be an escalating national health concern. I think from time to time I may just type in "fungus heitman" on my Google to see the latest developments on this ominous ongoing news story.
The fungus problem is not just in the northwest, though. It has been identified in New York City as well, with a 20% fatality rate at this point there (10 out of 50 reported).
I don't know if this fungus will (or already has) spread to Florida. I do know that this pops the fantasy bubble I have been living in of seeing the northwest Pacific area as a kind of paradise with its year-round temperate climate, so conducive to outdoor activity (especially long-distance running). After all, this is "Karno country" (Karno is ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, who lives in San Francisco). I suppose, though, that every area carries its own drawbacks. Although I don't exactly see developing pneumonia-like symptoms from breathing in fungus in the great outdoors as your typical regional "drawback".
I would hate to see this fungus spread further. Since it had only been discovered in 2005, though, little is still known about it, its growth pattern, and range. This could be an escalating national health concern. I think from time to time I may just type in "fungus heitman" on my Google to see the latest developments on this ominous ongoing news story.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Free Tanning: Oh Yeah?
On the way to work, I regularly pass a large complex of townhouse apartments geared primarily for University of Florida students. On the roadside as I pass, I see a small sign that says "$799/Month"; this obviously refers to the rental rate. A few feet past that sign is another: "Free Tanning". Hmmm...
Unless someone just decided to donate their tanning services out of the goodness of their heart, I don't think that the advertised "free tanning" is all that free. Most likely, the "services" are included in the $799/month rent that EVERYONE has to pay, whether they want the tanning or not. So instead of there being "free tanning", instead there is "not-free non-tanning" at these apartments for the majority of (level-headed) residents who choose to forgo this unnecessary and potentially dangerous abuse of their skin. To be sure, those who do use the tanning facilities there will enjoy the effect of reduced rates as the costs are spread over everyone, users and non-users alike. But that still isn't "free tanning".
Speaking of tanning, I cannot fathom why deliberately exposing oneself to harmful ultraviolet radiation is still considered to be a healthful activity in some quarters. I think people should instead enjoy being whatever shade of brown they already are (and we are all, except for albinos, various shades of brown) and get on with more substantial aspects of self-presentation (e.g. personal hygiene, smiling more, speaking positively). While preserving their skin (and life) in the process. Besides, haven't these "tanners" ever heard of cosmetics, which can change skin tone without the harmful and often permanent side effects of tanning? Oh well, to each his own, I suppose.
Unless someone just decided to donate their tanning services out of the goodness of their heart, I don't think that the advertised "free tanning" is all that free. Most likely, the "services" are included in the $799/month rent that EVERYONE has to pay, whether they want the tanning or not. So instead of there being "free tanning", instead there is "not-free non-tanning" at these apartments for the majority of (level-headed) residents who choose to forgo this unnecessary and potentially dangerous abuse of their skin. To be sure, those who do use the tanning facilities there will enjoy the effect of reduced rates as the costs are spread over everyone, users and non-users alike. But that still isn't "free tanning".
Speaking of tanning, I cannot fathom why deliberately exposing oneself to harmful ultraviolet radiation is still considered to be a healthful activity in some quarters. I think people should instead enjoy being whatever shade of brown they already are (and we are all, except for albinos, various shades of brown) and get on with more substantial aspects of self-presentation (e.g. personal hygiene, smiling more, speaking positively). While preserving their skin (and life) in the process. Besides, haven't these "tanners" ever heard of cosmetics, which can change skin tone without the harmful and often permanent side effects of tanning? Oh well, to each his own, I suppose.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Jeff Galloway's Walk-Run Method
As most of you probably have surmised, temperatures in north central Florida have begun to skyrocket as the spring progresses toward summer. This is not a good thing for people like me who like to run long distances and would like to run a marathon at some time this year (the earlier the better). The prevailing pattern is for lows around 70 and highs around 90, with the temperatures destined to rise even further. Quite different from a few months ago, when I could run as long as I wanted in temperatures of 40-60 degrees. So a change in my training strategy was needed, a change that I believe I found a few weeks ago while browsing in the running section of Jacksonville's large Barnes and Nobles store in Town Center.
The book was Marathon: You Can Do It! by longtime star marathon runner and running instructor Jeff Galloway. As I thumbed through it at the bookstore, I quickly discovered the book's overriding theme: intersperse short walking breaks within your long runs and you will drastically improve your ability to cover longer distances (like marathons) and withstand adverse weather conditions (like the heat and humidity). I began trying this on May 14 and have continued to this day. And it works, enabling me to run in conditions that would have been impossible before.
For me, I run the first seven minutes and then, after that, walk a minute and run six minutes. And then repeat the walk-run cycle for as long as I run on that day. This way, I just look at my watch and slow to a one-minute walk each time it hits a multiple of seven (like 21, 28, 35 minutes, etc). Walking for brief stretches like this replenishes my energy and helps me recover from the heat (I also now carry a bottle of Powerade Zero with me on the runs for rehydration). Yesterday I ran 8.14 miles this way while temperatures climbed to 90. It works!
Now some regard accomplishing a marathon as meaning "running 26.2 miles without stopping". In fact, an acquaintance of mine, when discussing his feat of running his first half-marathon a couple of months ago, told me that his main goal was to run it "non-stop", meaning "always running". But according to Galloway, studies have shown that those who use his walk-run method, or some variation of it, tend to finish longer races (like marathons) with faster times than those who run throughout them. Frankly, the prospect of me being able to run a respectable marathon (and training for it in the summer) strongly appeals to me!
Galloway also points out that taking walking breaks within a long run relieves the stress on legs and feet that, over time, could cause injury. And it's true: since I have been following his example, I have experienced very little pain in my feet or legs. Something for all of you runners (or aspiring runners) to consider!
The book was Marathon: You Can Do It! by longtime star marathon runner and running instructor Jeff Galloway. As I thumbed through it at the bookstore, I quickly discovered the book's overriding theme: intersperse short walking breaks within your long runs and you will drastically improve your ability to cover longer distances (like marathons) and withstand adverse weather conditions (like the heat and humidity). I began trying this on May 14 and have continued to this day. And it works, enabling me to run in conditions that would have been impossible before.
For me, I run the first seven minutes and then, after that, walk a minute and run six minutes. And then repeat the walk-run cycle for as long as I run on that day. This way, I just look at my watch and slow to a one-minute walk each time it hits a multiple of seven (like 21, 28, 35 minutes, etc). Walking for brief stretches like this replenishes my energy and helps me recover from the heat (I also now carry a bottle of Powerade Zero with me on the runs for rehydration). Yesterday I ran 8.14 miles this way while temperatures climbed to 90. It works!
Now some regard accomplishing a marathon as meaning "running 26.2 miles without stopping". In fact, an acquaintance of mine, when discussing his feat of running his first half-marathon a couple of months ago, told me that his main goal was to run it "non-stop", meaning "always running". But according to Galloway, studies have shown that those who use his walk-run method, or some variation of it, tend to finish longer races (like marathons) with faster times than those who run throughout them. Frankly, the prospect of me being able to run a respectable marathon (and training for it in the summer) strongly appeals to me!
Galloway also points out that taking walking breaks within a long run relieves the stress on legs and feet that, over time, could cause injury. And it's true: since I have been following his example, I have experienced very little pain in my feet or legs. Something for all of you runners (or aspiring runners) to consider!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Manhattan Experience: Streets vs. Buildings
There is no doubt that there is an awful lot to discover and experience on the streets of Manhattan. My three-and-a-fraction days there didn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I know that I could stay there an entire year and still never have a day go by when I ran out of new sights to see. Museums, shows, restaurants, tours of some of the most famous buildings, parks, different methods of transportation, and more…
However, even if I were to exhaust all of the possibilities at street level (and including those “open” buildings like the GE Building and the Empire State Building), I STILL would only be scratching the surface of Manhattan. To understand exactly what I’m talking about, all one has to do is just stand on a Manhattan street and look up and around. At the endless ranges of skyscrapers and tall buildings. Most of which are off-limits to ordinary run-of-the-mill tourists like me. Yet this is where the overwhelming volume of the city works and lives. A very, very, private, restricted, and vast place.
How does one pick a building out at random and then go about touring it by oneself? Or is that possible without the probable locked doors, alarms, and most likely security personnel blocking my advance? And why should I even think I have a right to go inside any of these buildings anyway?
I don’t know, except I remember one particular scene in the old (1967-68) The Prisoner series starring Patrick McGoohan. The episode is The Dance of the Dead and Number Six, the prisoner played by McGoohan, is in a building fleeing for his life from an angry mob. He stops in his tracks and tries a door. It opens and he slips into a room, encountering his nemesis, Number Two. Number Two assures him that the mob won’t follow because, she says, “They lack your initiative.” Are we all so cowed that we are afraid to step up to an unmarked door somewhere and try the knob to see what’s inside? What has happened to our sense of initiative?
Speaking of that, what would happen if I just walked down a busy Manhattan street and tried one door after another, skipping stores and restaurants? Would a tee-shirt vendor or a policeman sense something suspicious and create a general alarm about my activities? What would anyone be able to say, though? Has simple curiosity become a crime in this age of privacy? And what exactly is privacy, anyway?
I live in a subdivision, in a house that is situated on a public street. People don’t have to go through shells of security to reach my residence; I’m just there, pure and simple. And my workplace is similar: just pull into the parking lot and go inside. But Manhattan? How many hoops must one jump and barriers pass before they can visit a friend at home or work?
Finally, I know quite well how intensively patrolled the streets are by the police, not to mention the extensive camera surveillance everywhere. This was borne out by the recent near-tragedy at Times Square and that failed attack. But what about that vast area within all of the buildings? Seems like it would be a completely different type of world up there to me, with its own vision of the law and how people can treat each other. Or am I just speculating too much?
However, even if I were to exhaust all of the possibilities at street level (and including those “open” buildings like the GE Building and the Empire State Building), I STILL would only be scratching the surface of Manhattan. To understand exactly what I’m talking about, all one has to do is just stand on a Manhattan street and look up and around. At the endless ranges of skyscrapers and tall buildings. Most of which are off-limits to ordinary run-of-the-mill tourists like me. Yet this is where the overwhelming volume of the city works and lives. A very, very, private, restricted, and vast place.
How does one pick a building out at random and then go about touring it by oneself? Or is that possible without the probable locked doors, alarms, and most likely security personnel blocking my advance? And why should I even think I have a right to go inside any of these buildings anyway?
I don’t know, except I remember one particular scene in the old (1967-68) The Prisoner series starring Patrick McGoohan. The episode is The Dance of the Dead and Number Six, the prisoner played by McGoohan, is in a building fleeing for his life from an angry mob. He stops in his tracks and tries a door. It opens and he slips into a room, encountering his nemesis, Number Two. Number Two assures him that the mob won’t follow because, she says, “They lack your initiative.” Are we all so cowed that we are afraid to step up to an unmarked door somewhere and try the knob to see what’s inside? What has happened to our sense of initiative?
Speaking of that, what would happen if I just walked down a busy Manhattan street and tried one door after another, skipping stores and restaurants? Would a tee-shirt vendor or a policeman sense something suspicious and create a general alarm about my activities? What would anyone be able to say, though? Has simple curiosity become a crime in this age of privacy? And what exactly is privacy, anyway?
I live in a subdivision, in a house that is situated on a public street. People don’t have to go through shells of security to reach my residence; I’m just there, pure and simple. And my workplace is similar: just pull into the parking lot and go inside. But Manhattan? How many hoops must one jump and barriers pass before they can visit a friend at home or work?
Finally, I know quite well how intensively patrolled the streets are by the police, not to mention the extensive camera surveillance everywhere. This was borne out by the recent near-tragedy at Times Square and that failed attack. But what about that vast area within all of the buildings? Seems like it would be a completely different type of world up there to me, with its own vision of the law and how people can treat each other. Or am I just speculating too much?
Monday, May 31, 2010
On This Memorial Day
Earlier this month, a young Gainesville man, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Philip Paul Clark, who graduated two years ago from my daughter's high school, was killed in Afghanistan while serving our country there. It was very sad news, which hit our community hard. Last Friday, the funeral motorcade went through Gainesville, where he was finally laid to rest. I never knew this soldier, but I do appreciate his service and ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
Memorial Day, which is today, often touches people in a personal way when one of the fallen is a loved one. But this holiday has a more collective and historical meaning as well, giving recognition and honor to all of our past slain servicemen and servicewomen during all of the armed conflicts of our nation's past. These brave people did not decide on the policies that led them to go off to war, but simply did their duty as they were trained to do.
Heroes.
Memorial Day, which is today, often touches people in a personal way when one of the fallen is a loved one. But this holiday has a more collective and historical meaning as well, giving recognition and honor to all of our past slain servicemen and servicewomen during all of the armed conflicts of our nation's past. These brave people did not decide on the policies that led them to go off to war, but simply did their duty as they were trained to do.
Heroes.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Joy of Posing With Dead Animals
I had it all written out: a stinging denunciation of hunting and hunters, complete with my usual jabs at Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin for their hunting follies. But thankfully, my blog instincts directed me to delay publishing my passionate and acerbic article and reflect on it a bit.
And I'm glad I did. Hunting is largely a cultural phenomenon, with its followers often rooted in it due to their family's participation as well as their local community's attitude toward it. So hurling insults at hunters isn't really something I want to do. Besides, I wonder which culturally rooted activities I am currently involved with will be frowned upon (or even condemned) by a future, more "enlightened" society.
Still, that being said, I always find it more than a little disconcerting whenever I run across one of those hunting magazines and find a hunter proudly posing on the cover with an animal he (or she) just killed (usually a deer). The animal is made to look alive, with its eyes open and its expression often a smile. As if to commemorate its first (and last) meeting with its biggest and bestest new buddy (who just ended its one chance at life)!
So that preceding little tidbit will have to be the only sarcasm left from the scrapped article to hurl at hunters. I just wish they would be careful out there with their weapons, especially considering that there are others who are not hunters and would like to go hiking through the wilderness without enduring the hazard of being shot by accident.
And I'm glad I did. Hunting is largely a cultural phenomenon, with its followers often rooted in it due to their family's participation as well as their local community's attitude toward it. So hurling insults at hunters isn't really something I want to do. Besides, I wonder which culturally rooted activities I am currently involved with will be frowned upon (or even condemned) by a future, more "enlightened" society.
Still, that being said, I always find it more than a little disconcerting whenever I run across one of those hunting magazines and find a hunter proudly posing on the cover with an animal he (or she) just killed (usually a deer). The animal is made to look alive, with its eyes open and its expression often a smile. As if to commemorate its first (and last) meeting with its biggest and bestest new buddy (who just ended its one chance at life)!
So that preceding little tidbit will have to be the only sarcasm left from the scrapped article to hurl at hunters. I just wish they would be careful out there with their weapons, especially considering that there are others who are not hunters and would like to go hiking through the wilderness without enduring the hazard of being shot by accident.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Opinions on Plugging Oil Leak
I obviously don't know what I'm talking about, so you might just consider passing this entry in my blog and wait for a more informed opinion at a future date. But with this catastrophic continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico going on for more than five weeks and with no end in sight, I have a suggestion to end it.
A few days ago I was chatting with a buddy at work when the topic came up and I said, "Why not just nuke it?" That would surely seal the breach and end the leak. And if the possibility of radiation from a nuclear explosion bothers some people, then why why detonate the most powerful conventional bombs (of the order of those dropped in late 2001 while fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan)? I think the results would be the same.
Anyway, my pal thought I had a good idea, although I felt a little bit like Archie Bunker spouting off about something I knew little about. Then, just a couple of days later on one of my rare viewings of Fox News Channel, somebody who claimed to have credentials in the area posed the same solution, claiming that the Soviet Union had bombed their own undersea oil lines several times in the past to seal them. But this "expert" stated that he doubted BP would ever consider this a viable possibility, for doing so would destroy their investment and end their chances of making money from the drill as it is. How cynical! But maybe true...
Anyway, suppose that whatever high-tech, intricate solution that BP tries to stop the leak fails and the government has to resort to a bombing of the ocean floor. And further suppose that this is successful in stopping the spill. Can you imagine the political repercussions coming from this? After all, that would mean that this unprecedented environmental disaster could have been prevented at the start from assertive, bold government intervention and that the current leadership let us down and maybe will let us down in the future. A gnawing, unpleasant feeling I have...
A few days ago I was chatting with a buddy at work when the topic came up and I said, "Why not just nuke it?" That would surely seal the breach and end the leak. And if the possibility of radiation from a nuclear explosion bothers some people, then why why detonate the most powerful conventional bombs (of the order of those dropped in late 2001 while fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan)? I think the results would be the same.
Anyway, my pal thought I had a good idea, although I felt a little bit like Archie Bunker spouting off about something I knew little about. Then, just a couple of days later on one of my rare viewings of Fox News Channel, somebody who claimed to have credentials in the area posed the same solution, claiming that the Soviet Union had bombed their own undersea oil lines several times in the past to seal them. But this "expert" stated that he doubted BP would ever consider this a viable possibility, for doing so would destroy their investment and end their chances of making money from the drill as it is. How cynical! But maybe true...
Anyway, suppose that whatever high-tech, intricate solution that BP tries to stop the leak fails and the government has to resort to a bombing of the ocean floor. And further suppose that this is successful in stopping the spill. Can you imagine the political repercussions coming from this? After all, that would mean that this unprecedented environmental disaster could have been prevented at the start from assertive, bold government intervention and that the current leadership let us down and maybe will let us down in the future. A gnawing, unpleasant feeling I have...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
VW's Vile Ad Campaign
In a VW television commercial, two adult men are sitting in a parking garage, observing and noting the cars passing through. One, a burly, stocky man, is twice the size of his companion. He mentions something about a car and then viciously slugs the smaller man very hard in his shoulder. The victim winces, then acts as if he deserved to be hit. A few seconds later, it happens again. And then again, the aggressor never being held accountable for his actions. In fact, as far as Volkswagen is concerned, he is Mr. Right, the role model whom they want the viewer to emulate (Mr. Right is hip to their great product line, you see).
This isn't the only ad they put out with this theme. With the opening music of the old Andy Griffith show in the background, various people in a town go around slugging others in the shoulder when they see VWs drive past them. It's all good, mainstream, hometown, apple pie, acceptable All-American fun. At least that's how Volkswagen wants you to see it.
No, slugging a fellow human being hard in the shoulder is NOT acceptable. In childhood, this is called "bullying" and "child abuse". In adulthood, this is called "physical assault" and is a criminal act, subject to prosecution. But let me say that if someone tried to slug me like in their vile commercials, the justice process would begin immediately, back in the face of the aggressor!
I thought those old V8 vegetable juice commercials were over the top with the way people in public were being popped in the forehead for having missed out on opportunities to consume their product. But this goes way beyond V8's misguided gimmick. This legitimatizes bullying, and at a time of bullying-related suicides and efforts on the parts of schools to highlight and fight the problem. Boycott Volkswagen for this outrageous pro-violence campaign!
This isn't the only ad they put out with this theme. With the opening music of the old Andy Griffith show in the background, various people in a town go around slugging others in the shoulder when they see VWs drive past them. It's all good, mainstream, hometown, apple pie, acceptable All-American fun. At least that's how Volkswagen wants you to see it.
No, slugging a fellow human being hard in the shoulder is NOT acceptable. In childhood, this is called "bullying" and "child abuse". In adulthood, this is called "physical assault" and is a criminal act, subject to prosecution. But let me say that if someone tried to slug me like in their vile commercials, the justice process would begin immediately, back in the face of the aggressor!
I thought those old V8 vegetable juice commercials were over the top with the way people in public were being popped in the forehead for having missed out on opportunities to consume their product. But this goes way beyond V8's misguided gimmick. This legitimatizes bullying, and at a time of bullying-related suicides and efforts on the parts of schools to highlight and fight the problem. Boycott Volkswagen for this outrageous pro-violence campaign!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Last Wednesday in May
I don't know about you, but I am a little out of sync with holidays as they stand. I get the significance of all of them, to be sure, but they don't affect me in a very personal sense (except, of course, annual markers like my birthday, wedding anniversary, loved ones' birthdays, and so on). So the idea occurred to me of developing my own personal "holidays", days marking significant events or changes in my own life. And today, the last Wednesday in May, is one such day.
It is a little touchy to reveal much about what this day means, for it involves other people with their own rights to privacy. The first "Last Wednesday in May" happened on May 27, 1970 during my increasingly failing struggle to put a dignified ending to my eighth grade in school (How much should I say?). Let's just say that I was a very vulnerable young teenage boy who also, at the time, had the physique of a concentration camp survivor due to my "off-the-charts" high metabolism and the face of a composite of about five acne commercial "befores". Not to mention extreme shyness and trouble putting words together into coherent spoken sentences. But I was still a benign, kindly character who generally thought well of others and who wanted to develop friendships. On this day, though, I realized that I was more or less on my own and that society was set up to hinder me, not help me.
Unfortunately, this day resonates with me to this day because my changed world view from back then in May of 1970 is still largely the same. It's too bad that I couldn't go into more detail, except to say that this is the way it generally is with writing on this blog: my life is like an iceberg, with the above-ground 10% expressible and the bulk of it submerged and hidden. Maybe I'll expound on the significance on the Last Wednesday in May in future articles while being careful not to reveal the wrong kind of stuff. Now that should intrigue you enough to stay tuned!
It is a little touchy to reveal much about what this day means, for it involves other people with their own rights to privacy. The first "Last Wednesday in May" happened on May 27, 1970 during my increasingly failing struggle to put a dignified ending to my eighth grade in school (How much should I say?). Let's just say that I was a very vulnerable young teenage boy who also, at the time, had the physique of a concentration camp survivor due to my "off-the-charts" high metabolism and the face of a composite of about five acne commercial "befores". Not to mention extreme shyness and trouble putting words together into coherent spoken sentences. But I was still a benign, kindly character who generally thought well of others and who wanted to develop friendships. On this day, though, I realized that I was more or less on my own and that society was set up to hinder me, not help me.
Unfortunately, this day resonates with me to this day because my changed world view from back then in May of 1970 is still largely the same. It's too bad that I couldn't go into more detail, except to say that this is the way it generally is with writing on this blog: my life is like an iceberg, with the above-ground 10% expressible and the bulk of it submerged and hidden. Maybe I'll expound on the significance on the Last Wednesday in May in future articles while being careful not to reveal the wrong kind of stuff. Now that should intrigue you enough to stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Medved's Odd Criticism
In a recent column appearing on AOL News, movie critic and social conservative Michael Medved expressed his criticism of those in the national news networks for possibly waiting until Kentucky Senate contender Rand Paul had won his Republican primary before asking him questions that led to some offbeat, controversial, and potentially damaging statements. Statements such as his reservations with the 1964 Civil Rights Act and his strong opinion that President Obama was treating BP, the company responsible for the ongoing catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (and soon the U.S. east coast) too harshly with his "boots" on them. That Rand, like his quirky father and perennial presidential candidate Texas Representative Ron Paul, entertained some unconventional views based on his libertarian and conspiracist background was already commonly known around the media and political scene. Medved thinks, though, that certain folks may have waited until the GOP was committed to him before "exposing" him nationally and garnering for him some understandably negative attention.
What nonsense! The Republicans in Kentucky and nationwide could easily have brought out Rand Paul's various troubling opinions had they not been sucking up to the tea party movement, taking special care not to offend any of them. They believed then that the important thing was to get voters riled up against the Democrats and they would all then dutifully line up behind them in November like ducks in a pond and vote the Grand Old Party back into power. And the teabaggers were seen as a way to whip up the anger, even though it was often a very irrational, even paranoid anger. For Michael Medved to accuse those in the media, who understandably gave Paul the timely attention and interviews immediately following his remarkable and newsworthy primary victory, of bias in this regard is just a little bit ingenuous.
Besides, Paul's comment taking the side of British Petroleum and his strong denouncing of our president for being too tough on them (which is diametrically the opposite of the prevailing national mood) was made and based on the present situation, not that of the primary period. And it is not exactly as if he is being forced into interviews, either. Paul wants to push his ideology into the mainstream and is using his Senate candidacy as a means to do that. Surely the geniuses in the Republican Party hierarchy could have seen that!
So maybe after all of Rand Paul's different viewpoints are finally out in the open for everyone to see and weigh in on, the voters of Kentucky will still vote the guy into office. However, his Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, already firmly established and known as the state's attorney general, is politically much more in line with the traditional conservatism that prevails in the Bluegrass State. Whoever wins the general election between Paul and Conway is very likely to become a big thorn in the side of his own party during his tenure in the Senate. It should be interesting to see how this campaign develops.
What nonsense! The Republicans in Kentucky and nationwide could easily have brought out Rand Paul's various troubling opinions had they not been sucking up to the tea party movement, taking special care not to offend any of them. They believed then that the important thing was to get voters riled up against the Democrats and they would all then dutifully line up behind them in November like ducks in a pond and vote the Grand Old Party back into power. And the teabaggers were seen as a way to whip up the anger, even though it was often a very irrational, even paranoid anger. For Michael Medved to accuse those in the media, who understandably gave Paul the timely attention and interviews immediately following his remarkable and newsworthy primary victory, of bias in this regard is just a little bit ingenuous.
Besides, Paul's comment taking the side of British Petroleum and his strong denouncing of our president for being too tough on them (which is diametrically the opposite of the prevailing national mood) was made and based on the present situation, not that of the primary period. And it is not exactly as if he is being forced into interviews, either. Paul wants to push his ideology into the mainstream and is using his Senate candidacy as a means to do that. Surely the geniuses in the Republican Party hierarchy could have seen that!
So maybe after all of Rand Paul's different viewpoints are finally out in the open for everyone to see and weigh in on, the voters of Kentucky will still vote the guy into office. However, his Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, already firmly established and known as the state's attorney general, is politically much more in line with the traditional conservatism that prevails in the Bluegrass State. Whoever wins the general election between Paul and Conway is very likely to become a big thorn in the side of his own party during his tenure in the Senate. It should be interesting to see how this campaign develops.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Going Back to Short Stories
Having just plodded through two interminably long and incredibly ponderous books (Stephen King's Under the Dome and Christopher Paolini's Brisingr), I think I'll take some time off from novels and return to my old favorite: the short story. I possess a paperback collection of two different "year's best" series of science fiction short stories that ranges from 1939 through 1989. Also, I have many other collections and anthologies to draw upon, including collected works of Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Cyril Kornbluth, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, William Tenn, Harlan Ellison, and Sherry Jackson, among many others.
There is no reason for me to get stuck in a "bad" novel, but I do so anyway. I wonder whether anyone else has suffered, as I have, through the experience of subjugating themselves to a bad story with lousy characters that are almost impossible to sympathize with, accompanied by massive overanalysis of every dinky event and thought, just because they feel somehow obligated to follow through their mistake in picking out said novel, all the way to its miserable end.
I obviously like Stephen King and I feel Paolini has a lot of talent, but I wonder whether both couldn't do with a little more honest criticism of their writing from trusted sources before they are published. I especially feel this about Paolini, who evaded the usual struggle of an aspiring writer to be published through the good fortune of growing up within a publishing family. Maybe, though, his writing ultimately suffered as he tends to overdwell on everything until I, the reader, am about ready to toss the book out of the window in frustration.
Short stories are different. You can't mess around with short fiction; space is at premium in this form, which has been perfected through thousands of stories appearing over the past decades in various popular magazines and pulp publications. You have to really be sharp to be good at writing short stories, and they often stick with me for a much longer time after I have read them. I also tend to reread my favorite short stories, something I very rarely do with novels.
Where to start? I may just close my eyes and pick a book at random off the shelf: I know I can't go wrong with whatever I pick!
There is no reason for me to get stuck in a "bad" novel, but I do so anyway. I wonder whether anyone else has suffered, as I have, through the experience of subjugating themselves to a bad story with lousy characters that are almost impossible to sympathize with, accompanied by massive overanalysis of every dinky event and thought, just because they feel somehow obligated to follow through their mistake in picking out said novel, all the way to its miserable end.
I obviously like Stephen King and I feel Paolini has a lot of talent, but I wonder whether both couldn't do with a little more honest criticism of their writing from trusted sources before they are published. I especially feel this about Paolini, who evaded the usual struggle of an aspiring writer to be published through the good fortune of growing up within a publishing family. Maybe, though, his writing ultimately suffered as he tends to overdwell on everything until I, the reader, am about ready to toss the book out of the window in frustration.
Short stories are different. You can't mess around with short fiction; space is at premium in this form, which has been perfected through thousands of stories appearing over the past decades in various popular magazines and pulp publications. You have to really be sharp to be good at writing short stories, and they often stick with me for a much longer time after I have read them. I also tend to reread my favorite short stories, something I very rarely do with novels.
Where to start? I may just close my eyes and pick a book at random off the shelf: I know I can't go wrong with whatever I pick!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Scents and the City
Late at night, while I am lying at home in bed, I can often hear very distant sounds that normally would be hidden during the daytime. The reason for this is something called “background noise”. You can’t really grab hold of background noise, but it is definitely there, and in much greater volume during the day. Background noise is a composite of millions of sounds going on in the environment that have mixed together to such a degree that it is homogeneous to the human ear, with individual components indiscernible. It is most noticed by its absence (or least its diminished volume) during the wee, dark hours of late night/early morning.
I have discovered that there is another oft unnoticed assault on our senses besides background noise: background smell. For anyone who has ever paid a visit to the more rural, agricultural areas, this often translates into the perception that one has been plunged into a deep pit of manure. But looking around, there is often no indication of the sort. It permeates the olfactory nerves, although with time spent there this background smell will fade to the point of not being noticed. And now we come to my brief half-week experience in New York City, more specifically Manhattan.
I didn’t notice it the first day I was there (we only arrived in the evening anyway), but by early afternoon the next day, it was unmistakable: there was a peculiar smell to everything in Manhattan. It wasn’t as if any place or object smelled more strongly of this odor, which I haven’t smelled elsewhere; the smell was everywhere, indoors or outdoors. It had an organic quality to it, of something sweet and at the same time in decay. And as my stay lengthened to two, then three days, it was unmistakably omnipresent and unshakable. But time we got out of there and back in Newark, New Jersey, that odor dissipated and I haven’t smelled it since. What was it?
I can only report my experience, which was starkly real to me. What caused the odor in Manhattan is a matter of speculation. But I consider the nature of Manhattan, with its massively dense population, along with the general exclusion of flora, the sense of closed-in air due to the nature of high-rise buildings, and the heavy concentration of said buildings, streets, and the materials that compose them, and I conclude that, like with sound, the smell was a homogeneous combination of humanity, its wastes, and the materials composing the buildings and roads WITHOUT the cleansing presence of the plant life that is usually preponderant elsewhere (Central Park and the other parks notwithstanding). If you’ve ever been there, have you experienced this odor in NYC, and if so what do you think is responsible? I wonder whether other really big cities exhibit the same type of phenomenon. My nearby Jacksonville, which sadly thinks of itself as a big city, can make no claim to any peculiar “background smell” as far as I can detect.
I hesitated to write about this for a while because, for some reason, we humans have collectively decided that discussing odors carries with it some kind of taboo value. Stating that a whole city “smells” can easily be read as an insult to that community. However I mean nothing of the kind by this observation. On the other hand, since I already criticized NYC to some degree for its almost compulsive willingness to beseech money from me, I’ve probably already offended them once anyway, so why not again? Who knows, maybe lifelong New Yorkers who finally venture beyond their city limits think everything on the outside has a peculiar smell!
I have discovered that there is another oft unnoticed assault on our senses besides background noise: background smell. For anyone who has ever paid a visit to the more rural, agricultural areas, this often translates into the perception that one has been plunged into a deep pit of manure. But looking around, there is often no indication of the sort. It permeates the olfactory nerves, although with time spent there this background smell will fade to the point of not being noticed. And now we come to my brief half-week experience in New York City, more specifically Manhattan.
I didn’t notice it the first day I was there (we only arrived in the evening anyway), but by early afternoon the next day, it was unmistakable: there was a peculiar smell to everything in Manhattan. It wasn’t as if any place or object smelled more strongly of this odor, which I haven’t smelled elsewhere; the smell was everywhere, indoors or outdoors. It had an organic quality to it, of something sweet and at the same time in decay. And as my stay lengthened to two, then three days, it was unmistakably omnipresent and unshakable. But time we got out of there and back in Newark, New Jersey, that odor dissipated and I haven’t smelled it since. What was it?
I can only report my experience, which was starkly real to me. What caused the odor in Manhattan is a matter of speculation. But I consider the nature of Manhattan, with its massively dense population, along with the general exclusion of flora, the sense of closed-in air due to the nature of high-rise buildings, and the heavy concentration of said buildings, streets, and the materials that compose them, and I conclude that, like with sound, the smell was a homogeneous combination of humanity, its wastes, and the materials composing the buildings and roads WITHOUT the cleansing presence of the plant life that is usually preponderant elsewhere (Central Park and the other parks notwithstanding). If you’ve ever been there, have you experienced this odor in NYC, and if so what do you think is responsible? I wonder whether other really big cities exhibit the same type of phenomenon. My nearby Jacksonville, which sadly thinks of itself as a big city, can make no claim to any peculiar “background smell” as far as I can detect.
I hesitated to write about this for a while because, for some reason, we humans have collectively decided that discussing odors carries with it some kind of taboo value. Stating that a whole city “smells” can easily be read as an insult to that community. However I mean nothing of the kind by this observation. On the other hand, since I already criticized NYC to some degree for its almost compulsive willingness to beseech money from me, I’ve probably already offended them once anyway, so why not again? Who knows, maybe lifelong New Yorkers who finally venture beyond their city limits think everything on the outside has a peculiar smell!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Somer's Sunshine Run in Orange Park
Today I decided to travel down the road to Orange Park (lying next to the St. John's River, just southwest of Jacksonville) and run their Somer's Sunshine Run 5K race. It was a very hot and humid Saturday morning at eight, when the race began. Most of the race was along the St. John's River, which appeared very calm. The course was pleasant and off the main road in an older, upscale neighborhood with the police keeping traffic off the roadway for the runners. On our left, as we started northward, were the houses facing the river. On the right, a series of piers jutting out into St. John's with an occasional boat tied up. At the halfway point, the runners simply turned around and went back along the same road.
The race itself was well-attended. As usual, I was bunched up with slower runners at the beginning and ran catch-up the rest of the way. My final time was about 25:00 (I'll check the website later and get the official time). It was slower than last month's Duck Run, but then again I was able to avoid the slow crowd at the beginning of that race. Also, I'm not 100% sure that the folks planning that event, although well-intentioned, accurately measured out the course.
I made a quick recovery following the race and left the place without waiting around for the tedious awards ceremony and celebration. Besides, I have to go to work early this afternoon back in Gainesville. But first, I stopped off at a Starbucks on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park near I-295, where I am now writing this article.
Oh, by the way, this race benefits relatives of missing children as their personal lives are often in complete turmoil as they frantically devote themselves to recovering their lost ones. A good cause that I was proud to run for!
And I did manage to get in a May race, putting the pressure on me to do something in June. This was my first out-of-town run, and it went off without a hitch. More short running trips to come, I'm sure.
The race itself was well-attended. As usual, I was bunched up with slower runners at the beginning and ran catch-up the rest of the way. My final time was about 25:00 (I'll check the website later and get the official time). It was slower than last month's Duck Run, but then again I was able to avoid the slow crowd at the beginning of that race. Also, I'm not 100% sure that the folks planning that event, although well-intentioned, accurately measured out the course.
I made a quick recovery following the race and left the place without waiting around for the tedious awards ceremony and celebration. Besides, I have to go to work early this afternoon back in Gainesville. But first, I stopped off at a Starbucks on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park near I-295, where I am now writing this article.
Oh, by the way, this race benefits relatives of missing children as their personal lives are often in complete turmoil as they frantically devote themselves to recovering their lost ones. A good cause that I was proud to run for!
And I did manage to get in a May race, putting the pressure on me to do something in June. This was my first out-of-town run, and it went off without a hitch. More short running trips to come, I'm sure.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Fine Conservative Principles
Although this blog may seem to betray a liberal slant on my part, I actually consider it to be more or less centrist in its political perspective. Just for the record, here are some conservative principles that I subscribe to:
--Government should pay for itself. If the elected officials legislate into law a particular program, it should be financed without adding to the national debt. One of the essential ways to do this is to raise taxes to bring in the necessary revenue. Today's "conservatives", however, have completely abandoned this common-sense fiscally sound approach to governing. Instead, they propose to diminish, and in some areas, dismantle government itself (an anarchist, not conservative idea).
--It is the responsibility of the federal government to protect this country's borders and citizens from outside threats. I have no qualms with enforcing immigration laws by heavily patrolling the national borders and keeping drug traffickers and their violent society from crossing. But I don't think it is the role of the police to profile people on the streets to decide whether or not to demand proof of their legal status here.
--Also regarding national security, it is the duty of our government to root out enemy threats to us abroad and fight them if necessary. So acted President George W. Bush after 9/11 when he sent U.S. forces to Afghanistan to crush Al-Qaeda and knock their sponsor, the Taliban, out of power there. However, recognizing the value of our soldiers' lives requires being careful about recklessly entering into a prolonged conflict, especially when the country being fought is not a direct threat to America. But the same President Bush violated this wise conservative principle by unilaterally invading Iraq in 2003, and we are still there with way too much sacrificed in terms of casualties and a skyrocketing, unpaid debt of war costs (incurred by a "conservative" administration without even the hint of a tea party revolt in protest).
--Judges should interpret the law, not make it. That refrain, a pretty reasonable one to me, is still being bandied about by conservative politicians who oppose liberal judges for what they say is their judicial activism. But the current Supreme Court has four staunch judicial activists on the political right (Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito) who have already clearly demonstrated their intention of drastically revising U.S. constitutional interpretations by not only rejecting long-standing precedent in the recent corporate campaign financing case, but also deliberately expanding the scope of that case, originally limited in its application, to make a landmark ruling in collaboration with perennially teetertottering justice Anthony Kennedy. In doing so, they supplanted the legislative process (a.k.a. "legislating from the bench"). Not a very conservative philosophy, I think.
--Conservatives tend to oppose the State legislating morality over the population and instead support personal freedoms, opposing attempts to tell people what foods to eat and further opposing anything remotely resembling gun control. But this should be a general principle and not be only applicable to selected "pet" freedoms that suit the so-called conservative's particular belief system.
So there are a few items that I believe a true conservative would have a different take on than the manufactured, manipulated conservatism that media hacks like Hannity and Limbaugh have pulled over so many people's eyes.
I am trying to be more attentive to conservative viewpoints expressed in the media, although radio shows like Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage tend to go way beyond the pale in their nastiness toward any dissenters. Certain shows on Fox News show some promise, although their so-called "fair and balanced" news presentation irritates me to no end. At least when Beck, O'Reilly, or Hannity are on, they are transparent about their right-wing slant. It's those little smirks and digs against anyone left of far right during the news that I could do without on Fox. However, I resent the crusading tone to Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, which implies that the political left is the enemy and we must mobilize to fight it (or, as Beck puts it, "Get out the lifeboats"). At least O'Reilly, overbearing bully that he is, tries to inject a degree of levelheadedness and humor to his bias. Maybe I'll just focus on "Bill-O" with Fox until I can train myself to stomach some of the others.
--Government should pay for itself. If the elected officials legislate into law a particular program, it should be financed without adding to the national debt. One of the essential ways to do this is to raise taxes to bring in the necessary revenue. Today's "conservatives", however, have completely abandoned this common-sense fiscally sound approach to governing. Instead, they propose to diminish, and in some areas, dismantle government itself (an anarchist, not conservative idea).
--It is the responsibility of the federal government to protect this country's borders and citizens from outside threats. I have no qualms with enforcing immigration laws by heavily patrolling the national borders and keeping drug traffickers and their violent society from crossing. But I don't think it is the role of the police to profile people on the streets to decide whether or not to demand proof of their legal status here.
--Also regarding national security, it is the duty of our government to root out enemy threats to us abroad and fight them if necessary. So acted President George W. Bush after 9/11 when he sent U.S. forces to Afghanistan to crush Al-Qaeda and knock their sponsor, the Taliban, out of power there. However, recognizing the value of our soldiers' lives requires being careful about recklessly entering into a prolonged conflict, especially when the country being fought is not a direct threat to America. But the same President Bush violated this wise conservative principle by unilaterally invading Iraq in 2003, and we are still there with way too much sacrificed in terms of casualties and a skyrocketing, unpaid debt of war costs (incurred by a "conservative" administration without even the hint of a tea party revolt in protest).
--Judges should interpret the law, not make it. That refrain, a pretty reasonable one to me, is still being bandied about by conservative politicians who oppose liberal judges for what they say is their judicial activism. But the current Supreme Court has four staunch judicial activists on the political right (Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito) who have already clearly demonstrated their intention of drastically revising U.S. constitutional interpretations by not only rejecting long-standing precedent in the recent corporate campaign financing case, but also deliberately expanding the scope of that case, originally limited in its application, to make a landmark ruling in collaboration with perennially teetertottering justice Anthony Kennedy. In doing so, they supplanted the legislative process (a.k.a. "legislating from the bench"). Not a very conservative philosophy, I think.
--Conservatives tend to oppose the State legislating morality over the population and instead support personal freedoms, opposing attempts to tell people what foods to eat and further opposing anything remotely resembling gun control. But this should be a general principle and not be only applicable to selected "pet" freedoms that suit the so-called conservative's particular belief system.
So there are a few items that I believe a true conservative would have a different take on than the manufactured, manipulated conservatism that media hacks like Hannity and Limbaugh have pulled over so many people's eyes.
I am trying to be more attentive to conservative viewpoints expressed in the media, although radio shows like Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage tend to go way beyond the pale in their nastiness toward any dissenters. Certain shows on Fox News show some promise, although their so-called "fair and balanced" news presentation irritates me to no end. At least when Beck, O'Reilly, or Hannity are on, they are transparent about their right-wing slant. It's those little smirks and digs against anyone left of far right during the news that I could do without on Fox. However, I resent the crusading tone to Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, which implies that the political left is the enemy and we must mobilize to fight it (or, as Beck puts it, "Get out the lifeboats"). At least O'Reilly, overbearing bully that he is, tries to inject a degree of levelheadedness and humor to his bias. Maybe I'll just focus on "Bill-O" with Fox until I can train myself to stomach some of the others.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Central Park
Although I have no qualms about doing things by myself much of the time, the idea of going someplace like Manhattan without some family or friends to share the ongoing experience with simply does not sound like a very attractive idea. No, when travelling like this, some good company is always preferable. And my wife and daughter, who accompanied me on the trip, certainly reaffirmed that notion this past April in New York City. Having said that, though, it is a simple fact of life that, when with others, even loved ones, things have to be negotiated and compromises and even sacrifices made. Especially when there is a scarcity of time and/or money to deal with.
So at the beginning of our trip, the three of us laid out our priorities for the NYC stay so that none of us would feel deprived at its end. But since Manhattan is so chock-full of interesting stuff, this naturally entailed cutting out most of the things we could do or see. And lamentably, it ended up making our experience in Central Park much too short (for my tastes).
Were I to live in Manhattan (yeah, sure, like that’s ever going to happen), I think I would be spending a great chunk of my time in Central Park. It is full of hilly pathways conducive to running, walking, and bicycling. And it’s important as well to have some actual trees, bushes, and grass around to remind me that I am still living on planet Earth and not on some artificial satellite somewhere deep in the galaxy! Our actual walk through Central Park, which occurred after our much-too-rushed tour through the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our last full day in Manhattan, was much too short.
We had left the Museum and had a few minutes to get a bite to eat at a roadside stand and walk into the park a little. So my experience in Central Park was by necessity pretty limited. But even though all we did was walk down some pathways into the park and back, this nonetheless was enough to make me appreciate it.
After we got back off the plane in Gainesville and were riding back into town, the entire surroundings seemed like Central Park in that plant life dominates my home town (especially in the Spring-Summer-Fall “mega-season”). I did like that concentration of tall buildings and the streets and all in most of Manhattan, but I could tell that with any extended stay, that type of environment would start to wear on me. So I instantly understood the significance of this important piece of real estate. Hopefully, the wiser heads running the show in New York City will continue to support their extremely important and valuable city park system in the face of the enormous premium on land values in the area and the concomitant pressures from other parties to build on park land. If anything, they need to add more parks.
So at the beginning of our trip, the three of us laid out our priorities for the NYC stay so that none of us would feel deprived at its end. But since Manhattan is so chock-full of interesting stuff, this naturally entailed cutting out most of the things we could do or see. And lamentably, it ended up making our experience in Central Park much too short (for my tastes).
Were I to live in Manhattan (yeah, sure, like that’s ever going to happen), I think I would be spending a great chunk of my time in Central Park. It is full of hilly pathways conducive to running, walking, and bicycling. And it’s important as well to have some actual trees, bushes, and grass around to remind me that I am still living on planet Earth and not on some artificial satellite somewhere deep in the galaxy! Our actual walk through Central Park, which occurred after our much-too-rushed tour through the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our last full day in Manhattan, was much too short.
We had left the Museum and had a few minutes to get a bite to eat at a roadside stand and walk into the park a little. So my experience in Central Park was by necessity pretty limited. But even though all we did was walk down some pathways into the park and back, this nonetheless was enough to make me appreciate it.
After we got back off the plane in Gainesville and were riding back into town, the entire surroundings seemed like Central Park in that plant life dominates my home town (especially in the Spring-Summer-Fall “mega-season”). I did like that concentration of tall buildings and the streets and all in most of Manhattan, but I could tell that with any extended stay, that type of environment would start to wear on me. So I instantly understood the significance of this important piece of real estate. Hopefully, the wiser heads running the show in New York City will continue to support their extremely important and valuable city park system in the face of the enormous premium on land values in the area and the concomitant pressures from other parties to build on park land. If anything, they need to add more parks.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Reflections on Yesterday's Election
On yesterday's election day for primaries, along with a special election to fill the late Democrat Jack Murtha's Pennsylvania House seat, all of the media buzz was about the anti-incumbency narrative that is supposedly this year's "theme". And to be sure, yesterday's results were partially indicative of that. In Pennsylvania, incumbent party-hopping senator Arlen Specter lost his bid to win his first Democratic senatorial primary to congressman Joe Sestak. In Arkansas, incumbent Democratic senator Blanche Lincoln finished closely ahead of her closest rival, setting up a runoff vote there three weeks from now. But really, where are all of the other races in which incumbents lost out?
The big spotlight seems to be on Kentucky's Republican primary, where scary-looking tea party candidate Rand Paul (supported by retiring, equally-scary-looking senator Jim Bunning) easily made short work of his establishment-supported rival. The network political analysts were all talking as if this were an "anti-incumbency" result and acting as if Paul were already a senator! Reality check: the race had no incumbent, while Paul's Democratic counterpart in the upcoming general election campaign, current Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, won his race receiving more total votes than did Mister Teabagger (as did the Democrat who finished second behind Conway). Yet the only station that gave fair coverage to Conway was C-Span, which showed his acceptance speech. I have to say that I was very impressed with Conway's speech and think that he, not Paul, should be the favorite to win that seat in November. And since Paul has already foolishly stated that he might not support keeping fellow Kentuckian, Senator Mitch McConnell, on as party leader, I don't see Mr. McConnell doing very much to help him with his campaign (other than obligatory party functions). Would you?
Anti-incumbency has often been interpreted to mean "throw out the party in power". But this wasn't the case in that Pennsylvania congressional seat election, the only contest with national significance that pitted a Democrat against a Republican. The Democrat, Mark Critz, easily won this election which had been described as a "toss-up" in a previously Democratic-held district.
You can't tell in May what is going to happen in November, anyway. All yesterday showed was that places with strong challengers can topple or at least compete with incumbents. But since when hasn't that been true? So I'm left with nothing in particular to derive from the results, except that the one race in Pennsylvania should give the GOP stalwarts pause for reflection and temper their cocky presumptive arrogance about taking back the House and the Senate in the 2010 elections.
The big spotlight seems to be on Kentucky's Republican primary, where scary-looking tea party candidate Rand Paul (supported by retiring, equally-scary-looking senator Jim Bunning) easily made short work of his establishment-supported rival. The network political analysts were all talking as if this were an "anti-incumbency" result and acting as if Paul were already a senator! Reality check: the race had no incumbent, while Paul's Democratic counterpart in the upcoming general election campaign, current Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, won his race receiving more total votes than did Mister Teabagger (as did the Democrat who finished second behind Conway). Yet the only station that gave fair coverage to Conway was C-Span, which showed his acceptance speech. I have to say that I was very impressed with Conway's speech and think that he, not Paul, should be the favorite to win that seat in November. And since Paul has already foolishly stated that he might not support keeping fellow Kentuckian, Senator Mitch McConnell, on as party leader, I don't see Mr. McConnell doing very much to help him with his campaign (other than obligatory party functions). Would you?
Anti-incumbency has often been interpreted to mean "throw out the party in power". But this wasn't the case in that Pennsylvania congressional seat election, the only contest with national significance that pitted a Democrat against a Republican. The Democrat, Mark Critz, easily won this election which had been described as a "toss-up" in a previously Democratic-held district.
You can't tell in May what is going to happen in November, anyway. All yesterday showed was that places with strong challengers can topple or at least compete with incumbents. But since when hasn't that been true? So I'm left with nothing in particular to derive from the results, except that the one race in Pennsylvania should give the GOP stalwarts pause for reflection and temper their cocky presumptive arrogance about taking back the House and the Senate in the 2010 elections.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Playing “Opposite Day” with Opinions
I once entertained the idea of occasionally taking the opposite position on issues that I was accustomed to taking and developing an argument for my newly (and temporarily) adopted viewpoint. Were I to do this, it would entail me listening a lot to conservative talk radio and watching the Fox News Channel (which often seems to have its own entirely different vision of what constitutes “news” from that of the other channels). But that’s not all.
I would also need to explore the world of extreme left-wing politics, championed by linguist-turned-expert-on-everything Noam Chomsky. Chomsky tends to blame America for just about everything bad going on in the world and, dammit, makes a convincing, compelling presentation. But since I have an instinctive aversion to making scapegoats out of any specific party for problems that are almost always rooted in wrong-doing on the part of many different involved parties, I tend to reject his actually simplistic message out-of-hand. But why not play along for a while and see where it goes?
The same goes for all of the wacko conspiracy theories floating around today. I might as well delve into them as well, as it sadly appears that with the rise of this tea party movement that more and more of my fellow Americans are subscribing to them.
I bet it must be reassuring to think just in terms of black and white: either you agree with my worldview and are one of the good guys, or you are either bad or seriously deluded. If deluded, then there is still hope through reeducation. But wait, isn’t this the rigid, intolerant mindset that we hated about all of those totalitarian communist regimes of the last century?
On second thought, maybe I had better just stick with more mainstream opinions and philosophies that I tend to disagree with for my “opposite day” ventures. After all, there is involved here a matter of preserving my own sanity!
I would also need to explore the world of extreme left-wing politics, championed by linguist-turned-expert-on-everything Noam Chomsky. Chomsky tends to blame America for just about everything bad going on in the world and, dammit, makes a convincing, compelling presentation. But since I have an instinctive aversion to making scapegoats out of any specific party for problems that are almost always rooted in wrong-doing on the part of many different involved parties, I tend to reject his actually simplistic message out-of-hand. But why not play along for a while and see where it goes?
The same goes for all of the wacko conspiracy theories floating around today. I might as well delve into them as well, as it sadly appears that with the rise of this tea party movement that more and more of my fellow Americans are subscribing to them.
I bet it must be reassuring to think just in terms of black and white: either you agree with my worldview and are one of the good guys, or you are either bad or seriously deluded. If deluded, then there is still hope through reeducation. But wait, isn’t this the rigid, intolerant mindset that we hated about all of those totalitarian communist regimes of the last century?
On second thought, maybe I had better just stick with more mainstream opinions and philosophies that I tend to disagree with for my “opposite day” ventures. After all, there is involved here a matter of preserving my own sanity!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Running Races Scarce Around Town in May
In spite of the image that Gainesville likes to present of itself as a town friendly to running, there are surprisingly few races being held at this time of the year. In May, as far I could tell, only one race, a 5K event at UF promoting a girls’ running program, was scheduled. Having missed it, I now would have to travel out of town to run in a race somewhere this month. So maybe my race-a-month goal will experience its first discontinuity with May. But then again…
There are still a few races slated for the north/central Florida area left in May, but since I am committed to something else for the month-ending Memorial Day weekend, I am left with only the upcoming weekend, and really only Saturday (May 22) to find a reasonably close race. The possibilities (all 5K races):
Grace Race in Ocala
Somer’s Sunshine Run in Orange Park
Race for Research (cross country) in Jacksonville
So if I’m prepared to do a little driving, I may still get in one race (but not more) before May ends. And I could also check out the “social” life in Gainesville as it relates to running.
I haven’t yet joined the Florida Track Club, as I had earlier planned. They do have some Saturday morning informal runs (not races) that give opportunities for something vaguely resembling a social life in this typically solitary sport. I like the solitary aspects of running, but it would be nice to meet up with some kindred spirits from time to time. If for no other reason than to “run” into them while participating in the various local races held over the course of the year and touch base on our running, goals, and experiences.
There are still a few races slated for the north/central Florida area left in May, but since I am committed to something else for the month-ending Memorial Day weekend, I am left with only the upcoming weekend, and really only Saturday (May 22) to find a reasonably close race. The possibilities (all 5K races):
Grace Race in Ocala
Somer’s Sunshine Run in Orange Park
Race for Research (cross country) in Jacksonville
So if I’m prepared to do a little driving, I may still get in one race (but not more) before May ends. And I could also check out the “social” life in Gainesville as it relates to running.
I haven’t yet joined the Florida Track Club, as I had earlier planned. They do have some Saturday morning informal runs (not races) that give opportunities for something vaguely resembling a social life in this typically solitary sport. I like the solitary aspects of running, but it would be nice to meet up with some kindred spirits from time to time. If for no other reason than to “run” into them while participating in the various local races held over the course of the year and touch base on our running, goals, and experiences.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
My Gray Line Tours Experience in Manhattan
If you haven't had the opportunity to visit Manhattan but see yourself doing so sometime in the near future, I would heartily recommend that you secure for yourself a pass to ride on the Gray Line Tours bus system. They run all through Manhattan, as well as parts of Brooklyn (we skipped that part due to lack of time). You can sit on the open-air second floor and look all around at the sights as the knowledgeable, experienced, and often very funny tour guide talks about the more interesting features of the route. On my April trip to Manhattan with my family (staying near Times Square) , we got a 48-hour pass and rode Gray Line four times (with four different guides) (1) down to Chinatown (passing the remarkable Flatiron Building and Greenwich Village), (2) from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan along the east side past Wall Street, Lower East Side, the Katz Deli (where Meg Ryan had her famous restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally), the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges, the vast stretch of World War II-era apartment buildings lining the East River, the United Nations complex, the Trump Tower, and the Rockefeller Center, (3) up Eighth Avenue past the Worldwide Building (with its golden pyramidal top), the Dakota Hotel (where John Lennon lived with Yoko and Sean and was shot), Central Park (including the memorial site directly across from the Dakota called Strawberry Fields, and the Museum of Natural History, and (4) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art past Central Park’s east side, past the Carnegie Deli and back to Times Square area. There were other routes we missed besides the Brooklyn tour, most notably the tour through Uptown Manhattan and Harlem. But time was definitely at a premium on our stay and we were forced to make some hard choices about where we went.
I had wanted to try out the subway system, but instead, once again appreciating how limited our time was, opted instead for the overland route so that we could see the sights. But that subway still lingers in my mind; I wonder how far you can go on it and how much it costs. Maybe I’ll just find that out right here on my computer (or you can, too). On the other hand, who am I kidding? I’m not going back anytime soon (although I want to).
And here are some pix from the vantage point of the Gray Line “rooftop”:
I had wanted to try out the subway system, but instead, once again appreciating how limited our time was, opted instead for the overland route so that we could see the sights. But that subway still lingers in my mind; I wonder how far you can go on it and how much it costs. Maybe I’ll just find that out right here on my computer (or you can, too). On the other hand, who am I kidding? I’m not going back anytime soon (although I want to).
And here are some pix from the vantage point of the Gray Line “rooftop”:
Saturday, May 15, 2010
NBA Down to the Best Four
Now that we have ended this year's edition of the Lebron James prima donna melodrama in the playoffs, can we now please go on and enjoy the actual four best TEAMS square off against each other? I am very impressed with all of them: the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers are the essence of team play. Well, maybe those Lakers, as was Cleveland's case, could be subject a little too much to the moodiness of its star player (Kobe Bryant). But LA, unlike the Cavaliers, possesses a very solid cast of players in Gasol, Odom, Artest, etc. Phoenix, Orlando, and Boston all have their own standouts, but they work so incredibly well and unselfishly that you are often taken away breathless, not by an outstanding individual's play, but rather by the meticulously timely and skillful interaction between the players, operating seamlessly as a team unit.
I will be rooting for Orlando and Phoenix to win their conference finals. My overall favorite has traditionally been the Phoenix Suns, but I'll take what I can get should they fall to the Lakers. Even if "my" teams fail and the NBA championship final is between Boston and Los Angeles, it promises to be a very interesting and entertaining series. I don't know who I would be rooting for should that scenario unfold, though.
I will be rooting for Orlando and Phoenix to win their conference finals. My overall favorite has traditionally been the Phoenix Suns, but I'll take what I can get should they fall to the Lakers. Even if "my" teams fail and the NBA championship final is between Boston and Los Angeles, it promises to be a very interesting and entertaining series. I don't know who I would be rooting for should that scenario unfold, though.
Friday, May 14, 2010
NYC: the “Hands Out” City
Walking with my daughter and me along the streets of New York, my wife came across someone dressed up like Sesame Street’s Elmo character. She chased him down and called out for me to take a quick “Melissa and Elmo” photo. To which I obliged, after which Elmo chased ME down with a pouch for a “donation”. I flicked a little money in for Elmo’s grand cause (whatever the hell it was) and walked on, thinking of an upcoming blog article I would be able to write about NYC being the “hands-out” city.
The Lincoln Center performance of South Pacific we attended (at the Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater) was enchanting and dazzling. We were impressed by the receding front stage that jutted out into the audience, bringing the play intimately close to us while concealing (and occasionally revealing) the talented orchestra playing underneath. Outstanding acting, singing, choreography: everything was quite impressive. So was the ending, with the intricately produced traditional introduction of the cast with their bowing and the audience’s enthusiastic applause. Then right at the close, one of the actors grabbed the microphone and said that the cast members would be standing all throughout the lobby area with buckets to collect for some kind of homeless-AIDS-hodgepodge-etcetera charity drive, so don’t be a “stingy bastard” (a line from the play)! And sure enough, everywhere we turned upon exiting, there was a familiar actor holding a red bucket up at us.
All up and down the streets of Midtown Manhattan there were people pleading for donations to help the homeless. No problem; after a while, we had numbed ourselves to the widespread presence of people “doing good deeds” by panhandling for donations. I think I would rather have been accosted by a good old-fashioned beggar looking out for his own interests than all of these self-righteous do-gooders with smiles on their faces, nonstop self-righteous pleading, and their hands in my pocket.
Nowadays, it seems to be O.K. to pressure people out in public for money as long as you can claim to represent some kind of high-sounding cause. Never mind that people have plenty of resources through which they can budget their own charitable donations (like United Way). You’re also expected to shovel out the dough just for the privilege of walking down a street. Or having just put out a large sum on a play, that apparently means that you’re rich, have money to burn, and a few more bucks won’t hurt (unless you are one of those “stingy bastards”, of course).
I don’t resent panhandlers asking for money to help themselves out. Likewise, I was all “on board” with service providers like tour bus drivers and guides asking for reasonable tips as a legitimate part of their income. Cool. But I did resent this omnipresent guilt-mongering, wheedling of the public for their money to prop up whatever God-almighty-goody-goody cause anyone could concoct. Maybe, though, there is a system here. Could it be that, in exchange for cleaning the streets of the panhandlers, they would be substituted by a “higher order” of panhandling that would spread the proceeds down to those who had been kicked off the streets? But then maybe I’m trying to read a reasonable explanation into something that isn’t reasonable. Also, I think I understand something about why some people are homeless and destitute, completely out of sync with organized society. Those people might well not be around to collect on the “dole” handed out by these street-side donation pressure drives.
The impression I get is that, no matter what you do, it isn’t enough; you’re a selfish, “stingy bastard”. Shame on me for even complaining.
Annoying. Oops, I complained again; shame on me for being so insensitive.
The Lincoln Center performance of South Pacific we attended (at the Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater) was enchanting and dazzling. We were impressed by the receding front stage that jutted out into the audience, bringing the play intimately close to us while concealing (and occasionally revealing) the talented orchestra playing underneath. Outstanding acting, singing, choreography: everything was quite impressive. So was the ending, with the intricately produced traditional introduction of the cast with their bowing and the audience’s enthusiastic applause. Then right at the close, one of the actors grabbed the microphone and said that the cast members would be standing all throughout the lobby area with buckets to collect for some kind of homeless-AIDS-hodgepodge-etcetera charity drive, so don’t be a “stingy bastard” (a line from the play)! And sure enough, everywhere we turned upon exiting, there was a familiar actor holding a red bucket up at us.
All up and down the streets of Midtown Manhattan there were people pleading for donations to help the homeless. No problem; after a while, we had numbed ourselves to the widespread presence of people “doing good deeds” by panhandling for donations. I think I would rather have been accosted by a good old-fashioned beggar looking out for his own interests than all of these self-righteous do-gooders with smiles on their faces, nonstop self-righteous pleading, and their hands in my pocket.
Nowadays, it seems to be O.K. to pressure people out in public for money as long as you can claim to represent some kind of high-sounding cause. Never mind that people have plenty of resources through which they can budget their own charitable donations (like United Way). You’re also expected to shovel out the dough just for the privilege of walking down a street. Or having just put out a large sum on a play, that apparently means that you’re rich, have money to burn, and a few more bucks won’t hurt (unless you are one of those “stingy bastards”, of course).
I don’t resent panhandlers asking for money to help themselves out. Likewise, I was all “on board” with service providers like tour bus drivers and guides asking for reasonable tips as a legitimate part of their income. Cool. But I did resent this omnipresent guilt-mongering, wheedling of the public for their money to prop up whatever God-almighty-goody-goody cause anyone could concoct. Maybe, though, there is a system here. Could it be that, in exchange for cleaning the streets of the panhandlers, they would be substituted by a “higher order” of panhandling that would spread the proceeds down to those who had been kicked off the streets? But then maybe I’m trying to read a reasonable explanation into something that isn’t reasonable. Also, I think I understand something about why some people are homeless and destitute, completely out of sync with organized society. Those people might well not be around to collect on the “dole” handed out by these street-side donation pressure drives.
The impression I get is that, no matter what you do, it isn’t enough; you’re a selfish, “stingy bastard”. Shame on me for even complaining.
Annoying. Oops, I complained again; shame on me for being so insensitive.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Return to Possum Creek Park
At Gainesville’s Possum Creek Park, situated on the south side of 53 Avenue just east of 43 Street, a project has been underway to make improvements. This included adding a large skateboarding park, the likes of which Gainesville has never before witnessed. And it has become an instant hit, increasing park usage dramatically. I just made a return visit to size up the changes. Besides the new skateboarding center, they added a spacious, fenced-in ring for dogs to hang out in (reminding me of a similar place, albeit smaller and made of concrete, near Pier 83 in western Manhattan behind P.D. O’Hurley’s) . By the way, the trail I investigated earlier wasn’t much better than before, but there was a crude makeshift metallic slab that sufficed for a bridge across a heretofore impassable creek. The trail did go on a little bit further until it opened into a pretty little remote meadow…
Here is my link to the earlier article I wrote about Possum Creek Park. And here are some photos I took of the “changed” parts of the park, which mainly carries appeal for kids, their parents, and dog owners. But unless I decide to take up skateboarding as a hobby, I’m probably not going to return there anytime soon.
Here is my link to the earlier article I wrote about Possum Creek Park. And here are some photos I took of the “changed” parts of the park, which mainly carries appeal for kids, their parents, and dog owners. But unless I decide to take up skateboarding as a hobby, I’m probably not going to return there anytime soon.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
All Right, Who Turned on the Hot?
This year, I seem to be much more sensitive than before to the regular warming of temperatures that accompanies springtime. Recently we experienced near-record highs for a couple of days, suffering through 92 degrees and high humidity. And although the temperatures have moderated in recent days, that blanket-like humidity hasn't. Plus, even though it may be only 75-80 outside, it still seems oppressively hot to me. What gives?
My unusually adverse reaction to this spring's warm weather may be due in part to the fact that, for a while, I tried to keep up my long-distance runs in conditions that were 25-30 degrees hotter than I had become accustomed to. I honestly don't see how I will be able to maintain the running mileage like before, as even at night the temperatures can be pretty stifling. All I want to do is hang out in extremely-cool, air-conditioned places, preferably with a TV remote control in one hand and a cold drink in the other. Maybe this is my body's way of telling me, "Cool it dude, you're killing me!" I think I'll heed that advice for a few days, delusional or not it may be. The only other option I see is to pack up my things and move up north. Hey, I was watching the Yankees playing in Detroit the other night and the fans sitting out there were still wearing jackets. But for how long, I wonder. Hmm, maybe it's time for me to see what wonders Baffin Island holds! Or better yet, just turn the air-conditioning up a notch, get another drink, and see what garbage is on the other channels! You know television has deteriorated when one of the channels touts its movie lineup with the slogan "Movies that don't suck"! Well, I'll take a "sucking" movie any day over this "sucking" hot weather!
My unusually adverse reaction to this spring's warm weather may be due in part to the fact that, for a while, I tried to keep up my long-distance runs in conditions that were 25-30 degrees hotter than I had become accustomed to. I honestly don't see how I will be able to maintain the running mileage like before, as even at night the temperatures can be pretty stifling. All I want to do is hang out in extremely-cool, air-conditioned places, preferably with a TV remote control in one hand and a cold drink in the other. Maybe this is my body's way of telling me, "Cool it dude, you're killing me!" I think I'll heed that advice for a few days, delusional or not it may be. The only other option I see is to pack up my things and move up north. Hey, I was watching the Yankees playing in Detroit the other night and the fans sitting out there were still wearing jackets. But for how long, I wonder. Hmm, maybe it's time for me to see what wonders Baffin Island holds! Or better yet, just turn the air-conditioning up a notch, get another drink, and see what garbage is on the other channels! You know television has deteriorated when one of the channels touts its movie lineup with the slogan "Movies that don't suck"! Well, I'll take a "sucking" movie any day over this "sucking" hot weather!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Internet Fossils
In this day of instant Internet gratification with its assorted websites, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, there is a phenomenon that greatly intrigues me: Internet fossils.
An Internet fossil is a website that has been abandoned or neglected by its owner/user but is still accessible through its URL. As the Internet gets older, there are more and more of these sites, usually people's blog projects, simply left twisting in the cyberwind. And it has been an ongoing source of frustration for me as well.
In an effort to increase my own blog's readership among readers with similar interests, I explored different blog directories for like-minded blogs. Much too often I would come across an interesting blog, thinking to myself, Yeah, that one rocks, I think I'll leave a comment and establish a link with its writer. And then I would look at the date of the last entry and it would say something like "August 16, 2004". I don't think that dude is going to be around to respond to my comment anytime soon...how about never?!
In a related beef, I've had enough of supposedly active websites that are never updated. For example, the LifeSouth website promoting their annual Gainesville marathon/half-marathon race still states that Marty Bowers, the manager of the Starbucks on Newberry Road where the racers will be passing by, will be there on race day to cheer and encourage the participants. As well he should, because he was actually the guy who gave the idea of staging a marathon here in Gainesville to the LifeSouth folks. Uh, there's only one problem...Marty first transferred to another Starbucks store and now hasn't worked for this company in a year or more. Ooops. By the way, Marty, if you're out there, I want to let you know that I finally got up off my lazy butt and ran it this year! In the meantime, LifeSouth might want to update their website to reflect today's world, not that of three or four years ago!
But back to the fossils: If I want to promote my own blog without any expense, why not find every blog that hasn't been updated for a while and doesn't have comment moderation... and then leave an advertising comment leading back to my own blog? Especially when such a "deceased" blog is prominently listed in blog directories. H-m-m..., that might be as good of an idea as me opening up my blog on demo computers in computer shops (like the iPads in that NYC Apple store) and then just walking away with "WMI Blog" on the screen for the next shopper to discover.
What will ultimately come of abandoned websites? Will there be a push on at some time to "cleanse" the system of unused sites (is that even possible), or will these relics serve a higher historical purpose that is appreciated and studied at some future, more enlightened time? Only time will tell. I just wish that those currently responsible for maintaining ongoing websites would at least occasionally make a little effort to keep them updated. After all, I was counting on good old Marty to make an appearance at that February half-marathon!
An Internet fossil is a website that has been abandoned or neglected by its owner/user but is still accessible through its URL. As the Internet gets older, there are more and more of these sites, usually people's blog projects, simply left twisting in the cyberwind. And it has been an ongoing source of frustration for me as well.
In an effort to increase my own blog's readership among readers with similar interests, I explored different blog directories for like-minded blogs. Much too often I would come across an interesting blog, thinking to myself, Yeah, that one rocks, I think I'll leave a comment and establish a link with its writer. And then I would look at the date of the last entry and it would say something like "August 16, 2004". I don't think that dude is going to be around to respond to my comment anytime soon...how about never?!
In a related beef, I've had enough of supposedly active websites that are never updated. For example, the LifeSouth website promoting their annual Gainesville marathon/half-marathon race still states that Marty Bowers, the manager of the Starbucks on Newberry Road where the racers will be passing by, will be there on race day to cheer and encourage the participants. As well he should, because he was actually the guy who gave the idea of staging a marathon here in Gainesville to the LifeSouth folks. Uh, there's only one problem...Marty first transferred to another Starbucks store and now hasn't worked for this company in a year or more. Ooops. By the way, Marty, if you're out there, I want to let you know that I finally got up off my lazy butt and ran it this year! In the meantime, LifeSouth might want to update their website to reflect today's world, not that of three or four years ago!
But back to the fossils: If I want to promote my own blog without any expense, why not find every blog that hasn't been updated for a while and doesn't have comment moderation... and then leave an advertising comment leading back to my own blog? Especially when such a "deceased" blog is prominently listed in blog directories. H-m-m..., that might be as good of an idea as me opening up my blog on demo computers in computer shops (like the iPads in that NYC Apple store) and then just walking away with "WMI Blog" on the screen for the next shopper to discover.
What will ultimately come of abandoned websites? Will there be a push on at some time to "cleanse" the system of unused sites (is that even possible), or will these relics serve a higher historical purpose that is appreciated and studied at some future, more enlightened time? Only time will tell. I just wish that those currently responsible for maintaining ongoing websites would at least occasionally make a little effort to keep them updated. After all, I was counting on good old Marty to make an appearance at that February half-marathon!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Obama Picks Kagan for Supreme Court
President Obama has selected his Solicitor General, former dean of the Harvard Law School Elena Kagan, to succeed retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court. She is knowledgeable, witty, charming, and showed a strong willingness to accommodate ideological purity during her tenure at Harvard, hiring several conservative law professors. None of which will win her any confirmation votes from Republicans in the Senate. Those senators will vote against ANY Obama nomination for one reason and one reason alone: it is OBAMA'S nomination. Still, now that very conservative Utah Senator Robert Bennett has been thwarted in his attempt to run for a fourth term this year by extreme elements of his own party, he, like retiring Ohio Senator George Voinovich (who supported Sotomayor for the Court), may be liberated from the pressure exerted by stonewalling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to join in an almost certain filibuster attempt to prevent Kagan's nomination from even reaching the Senate floor for an up-down vote. But should a GOP filibuster appear to be succeeding, I would recommend that the Democrats put into effect what then-Majority Leader, Republican Bill Frist had threatened to do a few years ago: Change the Senate rules on nominations to bypass the 60 vote threshold to defeat filibusters (the so-called "Nuclear Option"). Before the Democrats showed the will to pass health care reform through the reconciliation process a few weeks ago, I would have discounted this option. But now that they have finally shown a willingness to have a backbone and stand up to the minority party, I expect them to at least make a gesture in this direction should they lack those 60 votes.
Kagan seems like a great choice to me, although I would have preferred Diane Wood. Well, maybe seeing two female colleagues on the bench will make ailing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to feel more comfortable in retiring, secure that her replacement would be filled by someone more in line with her own judicial philosophy and temperament.
Kagan seems like a great choice to me, although I would have preferred Diane Wood. Well, maybe seeing two female colleagues on the bench will make ailing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to feel more comfortable in retiring, secure that her replacement would be filled by someone more in line with her own judicial philosophy and temperament.
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