I am interested in how the major league baseball standings are unfolding this year. I suppose that, at this late date in July, this would be a good time to assess where we are, especially regarding those teams I tend to follow and root for.
In the American League East, the defending World Series champions New York Yankees have a 3-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, with Boston still in the playoff hunt 7.5 back. Tampa Bay, although in 2nd place, does enjoy a 7-game margin over the other 2nd place teams in the league for the final wild-card playoff position. In the Central division, there is an interesting 3-way struggle for the lead going on between the currently-leading Chicago White Sox ("my" team here), the Detroit Tigers, and the Minnesota Twins (last year's divisional champions). In the West, Texas is 6 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.
Looking at the National League East, my Atlanta Braves are surprising everyone by enjoying a 7-game lead over the NY Mets and Philly, along with the best record in the league. The Florida Marlins are experiencing a difficult season, languishing in 5th place at 47-48 (although they are showing signs of a surge). The Central division is a two-team contest between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals with the latter enjoying a narrow 1.5 game lead due to a recent 8-game winning streak. The West has San Diego surprisingly in front, with San Francisco, Colorado, and the disappointing Los Angeles Dodgers still in the race.
For the rest of the season, I see the standings pretty much holding to the way they are now. I'd like to see the Chicago White Sox hold on to win their division, but I suspect that Minnesota will pull ahead at the end. St. Louis should put some distance between themselves and Cincinnati, while anyone could win in the West.
I may do this a month from now to see where things stand.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Communicating Means Listening, Too
The pastor at the church I attend has quite a gift with public speaking. His sermons are at the same time witty and profound, balancing well the religious message he is trying to convey with his personal life experiences. A lot of times I come out of there saying that he did a great job of communicating what he was trying to express. But not too long ago, I had a personal experience with him that gave me pause for reflection.
This pastor, who is about my age, had decided to train to run in the Sarasota Half-Marathon that was held in March earlier this year. He and an associate pastor in the church were quite public about what they were going to do (neither had run a half-marathon before), and the a.p. actually incorporated it into one of his own sermons. Well, I had thought at first that the half-marathon that they were going to run in would naturally be the LifeSouth Five Points race held right here in Gainesville on February 14. A race, incidentally that I had trained to run (and did). So when that day came and went without any sign of my two religious acquaintances, I wondered whether they might have skipped out. But no, they had decided to run in Sarasota instead. Fine, I thought, maybe I'll have the chance to "compare notes" about our experiences someday.
When that day came, it was after church and the pastor walked out and, noticing me standing there with my two children, walked over to warmly greet me. That's when I brought up his half-marathon race and asked him how it went for him. But he was very terse and quickly let himself be distracted by someone else. In mid-conversation. I was left feeling like someone who had just been insulted. And then it hit me.
If you know you have a more-or-less captive audience for a specific block of time (like with Sunday sermons), then you can plan elaborately textured speeches that leave the listeners impressed with your abilities. But most of the time, you are in informal situations where it can be a struggle to hold someone's attention for more than just a few seconds. It is not your fault that people don't have the courtesy or attention span to hear out your ideas; it is more due to their bad habits as poor, selfish, and inattentive listeners. In that stunted after-church "conversation" with the pastor, his discourteous behavior cast a shadow on the subsequent times I sat through his sermons; if he won't listen to me for a couple of minutes, why does he think I should listen at all to him?
So from now on, when I hear that someone is a great "communicator", I understand that this usually means that they have a good speaking delivery and methodology. But to truly warrant that kind of praise, the great speaker also needs to be a great listener. And I have discovered that, in spite of the relative scarcity of good speakers, there are even fewer good listeners, my proud running pastor included.
This pastor, who is about my age, had decided to train to run in the Sarasota Half-Marathon that was held in March earlier this year. He and an associate pastor in the church were quite public about what they were going to do (neither had run a half-marathon before), and the a.p. actually incorporated it into one of his own sermons. Well, I had thought at first that the half-marathon that they were going to run in would naturally be the LifeSouth Five Points race held right here in Gainesville on February 14. A race, incidentally that I had trained to run (and did). So when that day came and went without any sign of my two religious acquaintances, I wondered whether they might have skipped out. But no, they had decided to run in Sarasota instead. Fine, I thought, maybe I'll have the chance to "compare notes" about our experiences someday.
When that day came, it was after church and the pastor walked out and, noticing me standing there with my two children, walked over to warmly greet me. That's when I brought up his half-marathon race and asked him how it went for him. But he was very terse and quickly let himself be distracted by someone else. In mid-conversation. I was left feeling like someone who had just been insulted. And then it hit me.
If you know you have a more-or-less captive audience for a specific block of time (like with Sunday sermons), then you can plan elaborately textured speeches that leave the listeners impressed with your abilities. But most of the time, you are in informal situations where it can be a struggle to hold someone's attention for more than just a few seconds. It is not your fault that people don't have the courtesy or attention span to hear out your ideas; it is more due to their bad habits as poor, selfish, and inattentive listeners. In that stunted after-church "conversation" with the pastor, his discourteous behavior cast a shadow on the subsequent times I sat through his sermons; if he won't listen to me for a couple of minutes, why does he think I should listen at all to him?
So from now on, when I hear that someone is a great "communicator", I understand that this usually means that they have a good speaking delivery and methodology. But to truly warrant that kind of praise, the great speaker also needs to be a great listener. And I have discovered that, in spite of the relative scarcity of good speakers, there are even fewer good listeners, my proud running pastor included.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Major Story: Lohan in the Slammer, 2A
I have my Gainesville Sun delivered to me every morning, between 6 and 7. It comes rolled up in a plastic wrapper, landing in my driveway behind my car. This morning Melissa got up before me and brought the paper up to the front door before she left for errands. I got up, dressed, and set out for my nearest Starbucks to try to conjure up something for a blog article. I picked up the paper as I stepped out, hoping that today there would be something of interest to write about. When I arrived at Starbucks, I bought my usual tall "bold" roast coffee, pulled my still-wrapped Gainesville Sun out of my backpack along with my AlphaSmart word processor, and glanced at the headline on the upper-left corner of the front page. I may not take the paper out of the wrapper after all.
This is the news headline I saw: "Lindsay Lohan Begins Serving Sentence, 2A". Newspaper. News. Paper. O.K., I get the paper part, I put it down on the floor and my dog understands that as well. But news? Who is Lindsay Lohan? An actress, though not a very prominent one anymore, who for years has gotten herself into one legal predicament after another. I'm sorry that she's going to jail now. But does that rate as a news headline? NEWS??!!
.....Oh what the heck, I took the plunge and pulled the paper out of the plastic and opened it. Sure enough, on page 2, was a long article about Lindsay Lohan's ordeals. On the next page was a shorter article reporting that the jobless-benefits bill had advanced through the Senate, with the Democrats managing to break a GOP filibuster. Thumbing through to page 7, I discovered that Elena Kagan passed the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on her nomination 13-6 (my Republican pal Lindsay Graham of South Carolina displaying his customary classy deference to tradition and voting "aye"), with the final debate and vote to go through to the Senate floor. Neither the jobless-benefits bill nor Kagan's committee vote had any front-page indicators. Nor did the lengthy, important article on 5A with the title "British PM says BP not behind bomber's release". Or how about the informative and interesting analysis in the adjacent article about how China has surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest energy consumer?
I suppose I should be happy that the Gainesville Sun at least did have the relevant news articles somewhere in their paper. And perhaps it isn't all their fault that they thought Lindsay Lohan might mean more to people at large than jobless benefits or a new Supreme Court Justice. Because, sadly, with people at large, the Sun probably sized up the situation correctly.
This is the news headline I saw: "Lindsay Lohan Begins Serving Sentence, 2A". Newspaper. News. Paper. O.K., I get the paper part, I put it down on the floor and my dog understands that as well. But news? Who is Lindsay Lohan? An actress, though not a very prominent one anymore, who for years has gotten herself into one legal predicament after another. I'm sorry that she's going to jail now. But does that rate as a news headline? NEWS??!!
.....Oh what the heck, I took the plunge and pulled the paper out of the plastic and opened it. Sure enough, on page 2, was a long article about Lindsay Lohan's ordeals. On the next page was a shorter article reporting that the jobless-benefits bill had advanced through the Senate, with the Democrats managing to break a GOP filibuster. Thumbing through to page 7, I discovered that Elena Kagan passed the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on her nomination 13-6 (my Republican pal Lindsay Graham of South Carolina displaying his customary classy deference to tradition and voting "aye"), with the final debate and vote to go through to the Senate floor. Neither the jobless-benefits bill nor Kagan's committee vote had any front-page indicators. Nor did the lengthy, important article on 5A with the title "British PM says BP not behind bomber's release". Or how about the informative and interesting analysis in the adjacent article about how China has surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest energy consumer?
I suppose I should be happy that the Gainesville Sun at least did have the relevant news articles somewhere in their paper. And perhaps it isn't all their fault that they thought Lindsay Lohan might mean more to people at large than jobless benefits or a new Supreme Court Justice. Because, sadly, with people at large, the Sun probably sized up the situation correctly.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Foreign Language Geniuses
The acquisition of language is truly a remarkable phenomenon and is one of the main traits that set humanity apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. We tend to take our native language for granted, but encounter a wall of incomprehension when confronted with someone speaking a different language. When I hear someone rattling off in any other tongue than English, he or she seems like an incredible genius. The effect becomes very bizarre when I am watching a TV show and the "geniuses" are displaying behaviors that are anything but intelligent. My primary source of this on TV is my Spanish-language station Univision.
Univision has a good variety of programming on it, and I am glad that my local cable TV company chose to include it on their channel lineup. I tend to watch their morning show Despierta America and their late night news broadcast, usually still on the air when I get home from work. They also have campy comedy shows, reality/talk shows resembling Oprah Winfrey and Maury Povich, and many novelas (soap operas). It is in these genres of programming where I find the "genius bubble" frequently popping!
The final straw came recently when I was watching commercials and a Rosetta Stone ad came on, in Spanish of course. Genius after genius came on the commercial (speaking fluent native Spanish) relating what a great program of language instruction Rosetta Stone had been for them. Finally, they revealed the great product that most of those applauding this company were talking about: Rosetta Stone English! Suddenly I got real smug (for a few seconds at least) and reminded myself that to many I was the one who seemed like a genius. At least until people actually learned English and understood what I was saying!
Univision has a good variety of programming on it, and I am glad that my local cable TV company chose to include it on their channel lineup. I tend to watch their morning show Despierta America and their late night news broadcast, usually still on the air when I get home from work. They also have campy comedy shows, reality/talk shows resembling Oprah Winfrey and Maury Povich, and many novelas (soap operas). It is in these genres of programming where I find the "genius bubble" frequently popping!
The final straw came recently when I was watching commercials and a Rosetta Stone ad came on, in Spanish of course. Genius after genius came on the commercial (speaking fluent native Spanish) relating what a great program of language instruction Rosetta Stone had been for them. Finally, they revealed the great product that most of those applauding this company were talking about: Rosetta Stone English! Suddenly I got real smug (for a few seconds at least) and reminded myself that to many I was the one who seemed like a genius. At least until people actually learned English and understood what I was saying!
Monday, July 19, 2010
I Support the Muslim Center Near WTC
I keep hearing of this mosque that will supposedly be built on the World Trade Center site. Those bringing this to the forefront of attention usually are vehemently opposed and even outraged, claiming that since it was Muslims who committed the acts bringing down the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11, Islam itself is responsible with its presence somehow desecrating the "sacred" site where so many died.
Well, it's true that God has been conveniently used by different parties throughout history to justify their atrocities, whatever religion their usurped "God" happened to be fronting. But the proposed mosque and Muslim cultural center will neither be on the World Trade Center site nor on public land. It will go on private property nearby. And as far as I know, we still live in a country that does not establish a state religion. Nor does it favor one religion over another, or least it isn't supposed to!
If the Muslim center is prevented from being established in its proposed Lower Manhattan location, then we need to go across our country and uproot the myriad Christian churches that had been built on the heels of ethnic cleansing of native Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries. Otherwise, let's show some social maturity and celebrate the spirit of diversity and tolerance that is the true antidote for the narrow-minded and intolerant mindset that beset the 9/11 terrorists and led to their unspeakable acts of inhumanity.
Not surprisingly, Sarah Palin, who seems determined to demagogue any issue that she feels she can gain political leverage out of, has come down strongly against the mosque being built. Palin, who quit her one position of elected government responsibility in Alaska to go to other parts of the country and tell others how to run their own business, has managed to get Zondervan, a Christian publisher, to publish and promote her memoirs. Christian bookstore chains prominently stock and advertise her political book Going Rogue. Palin is part of the "Christians are of God and are the good guys, Muslims are of the devil and are the bad guys" simplistic worldview that appeals to so many in the Christian right. The 9/11 terrorists, for their part, were part of the group saying "Muslims are of God and are the good guys, Christians are of the devil and are the bad guys". I don't know about you, but there is too much similarity between the two for me to feel comfortable following "Sister Sarah"!
Well, it's true that God has been conveniently used by different parties throughout history to justify their atrocities, whatever religion their usurped "God" happened to be fronting. But the proposed mosque and Muslim cultural center will neither be on the World Trade Center site nor on public land. It will go on private property nearby. And as far as I know, we still live in a country that does not establish a state religion. Nor does it favor one religion over another, or least it isn't supposed to!
If the Muslim center is prevented from being established in its proposed Lower Manhattan location, then we need to go across our country and uproot the myriad Christian churches that had been built on the heels of ethnic cleansing of native Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries. Otherwise, let's show some social maturity and celebrate the spirit of diversity and tolerance that is the true antidote for the narrow-minded and intolerant mindset that beset the 9/11 terrorists and led to their unspeakable acts of inhumanity.
Not surprisingly, Sarah Palin, who seems determined to demagogue any issue that she feels she can gain political leverage out of, has come down strongly against the mosque being built. Palin, who quit her one position of elected government responsibility in Alaska to go to other parts of the country and tell others how to run their own business, has managed to get Zondervan, a Christian publisher, to publish and promote her memoirs. Christian bookstore chains prominently stock and advertise her political book Going Rogue. Palin is part of the "Christians are of God and are the good guys, Muslims are of the devil and are the bad guys" simplistic worldview that appeals to so many in the Christian right. The 9/11 terrorists, for their part, were part of the group saying "Muslims are of God and are the good guys, Christians are of the devil and are the bad guys". I don't know about you, but there is too much similarity between the two for me to feel comfortable following "Sister Sarah"!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Running Race Doldrums
I had the opportunity yesterday to run a 5K race in scenic and historic St. Augustine, one of my favorite cities in Florida. Instead, I decided to pass it by, having come up with some new parameters regarding my participation in races.
Having repeatedly endured unpleasant starts to previous 5K (3.1 miles) races because of other runners pushing ahead and blocking me from establishing any kind of reasonable early pace, I have decided to avoid this short type of race and instead have established 5 miles as the absolute minimum distance that I will run in a public race. And I'm not so keen at 5 miles either. Secondly, I have decided to ALWAYS avoid the tedious and drawn-out awards ceremony after races as they are almost always held too long after the race. And I will rely on my own timing to clock myself, having seen in three of the last four races either no timing done on the part of the race's organizers, no times posted, or the wrong times posted.
Yes, I will henceforth tailor my participation in running races to my own standards and make events work for me. I may even decide, after a race's finish, to just keep on running for a longer workout!
I e-mailed a letter to my Florida Track Club (I say "my" even though they readily deposited my entry check by July 8 but have yet to acknowledge my membership, even with my e-mail address provided on the application form) about their mishandled timing on their July 4 Melon Run. In reply I got a sickly sweet runaround e-mail letter written by a member who took great pains to let me know he was a "doctor" (as if that had ANYTHING to do with my question). Still nothing was ever done to correct the erroneous times, so I can only presume that this is a do-nothing good-ol' boy kind of club existing just to puff up certain of its members' egos. I didn't shell out very much money to join, so I'll just chalk it all up to a "live-and-learn" type of personal experience and move on.
Having repeatedly endured unpleasant starts to previous 5K (3.1 miles) races because of other runners pushing ahead and blocking me from establishing any kind of reasonable early pace, I have decided to avoid this short type of race and instead have established 5 miles as the absolute minimum distance that I will run in a public race. And I'm not so keen at 5 miles either. Secondly, I have decided to ALWAYS avoid the tedious and drawn-out awards ceremony after races as they are almost always held too long after the race. And I will rely on my own timing to clock myself, having seen in three of the last four races either no timing done on the part of the race's organizers, no times posted, or the wrong times posted.
Yes, I will henceforth tailor my participation in running races to my own standards and make events work for me. I may even decide, after a race's finish, to just keep on running for a longer workout!
I e-mailed a letter to my Florida Track Club (I say "my" even though they readily deposited my entry check by July 8 but have yet to acknowledge my membership, even with my e-mail address provided on the application form) about their mishandled timing on their July 4 Melon Run. In reply I got a sickly sweet runaround e-mail letter written by a member who took great pains to let me know he was a "doctor" (as if that had ANYTHING to do with my question). Still nothing was ever done to correct the erroneous times, so I can only presume that this is a do-nothing good-ol' boy kind of club existing just to puff up certain of its members' egos. I didn't shell out very much money to join, so I'll just chalk it all up to a "live-and-learn" type of personal experience and move on.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
When They're Not Playing the Gators...
I am rooting for the home team University of Florida Gators once again this year in football. I hope they go far with their very talented junior quarterback John Brantley. But within their same division is another school for which I feel a great amount of sympathy: the Tennessee Volunteers.
Last year, with The Twerp and his father coaching their team (for what turned out to be their ONE year of coaching the team), the Vols floundered amid losses and controversy regarding said Twerp's repeated verbal gaffes. Only I don't think HE ever thought they were gaffes. Many of them were directed at instigating hostility between Tennessee and Florida, and to that extent he was successful. Under Tennessee's previous coach Phillip Fulmer, who is a soft-spoken, dignified, and respectful man, I had grown to admire their program. Visiting Knoxville on occasion and seeing how much I liked it there didn't hurt, either.
Well, now The Twerp and his father have gone back to their old school, Southern Cal, to coach and possibly serve as scapegoats for that school's severe punishment for recent severe NCAA violations. The nature of his sudden abandonment of UT after he had pledged to build the program back up as a national contender left many Volunteer fans feeling deservedly betrayed. But they ended up with a better man after it was all over. Tennessee's new coach is Derek Dooley, a man who more accurately reflects their tradition of leaders like Coach Fulmer. I'm back on board with them, but not when they're playing the Gators!
Incidentally, in case you didn't know it, The Twerp also goes by the name of "Lane Kiffin".
Last year, with The Twerp and his father coaching their team (for what turned out to be their ONE year of coaching the team), the Vols floundered amid losses and controversy regarding said Twerp's repeated verbal gaffes. Only I don't think HE ever thought they were gaffes. Many of them were directed at instigating hostility between Tennessee and Florida, and to that extent he was successful. Under Tennessee's previous coach Phillip Fulmer, who is a soft-spoken, dignified, and respectful man, I had grown to admire their program. Visiting Knoxville on occasion and seeing how much I liked it there didn't hurt, either.
Well, now The Twerp and his father have gone back to their old school, Southern Cal, to coach and possibly serve as scapegoats for that school's severe punishment for recent severe NCAA violations. The nature of his sudden abandonment of UT after he had pledged to build the program back up as a national contender left many Volunteer fans feeling deservedly betrayed. But they ended up with a better man after it was all over. Tennessee's new coach is Derek Dooley, a man who more accurately reflects their tradition of leaders like Coach Fulmer. I'm back on board with them, but not when they're playing the Gators!
Incidentally, in case you didn't know it, The Twerp also goes by the name of "Lane Kiffin".
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Blog in a Lull
It looks like I've entered a period of time in which I am not keeping up with this blog as I would like. I'm sure this is only temporary; before you know it, I'll be churning out article after incredibly important article! But for now, I am at a loss for words.
Actually, there are a lot of topics I have lined up to explore. I just haven't found the time to explore them.
Actually, there are a lot of topics I have lined up to explore. I just haven't found the time to explore them.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Give Skateboarders a Break
I recently bought a copy of the skateboarding magazine Thrasher after perusing it at the Jacksonville Barnes & Nobles (currently my favorite bookstore). It gives an interesting insight into the culture and mindset surrounding this activity, an insight that is a little disturbing but justified.
Skateboarders tend to be anti-establishment, and for a good reason: they are continually being harassed, even arrested, by local police who use local, state, and even federal laws that severely restrict skateboarding practically everywhere to pick on those whose appearance or lifestyle they don't happen to like. I've said it before: People need to be careful about pushing their own pet legislative agendas through to enactment because this often just increases the power of the police to selectively enforce those laws. According to the article "By the Time I Get to Arizona", appearing in the July 2010 issue of Thrasher, skateboarders entering Arizona for a sanctioned contest were repeatedly intimidated and even arrested by the police there.
In my own state of Florida, it is technically illegal to ride on a skateboard without a license. The federal government has reportedly passed legislation that both absolves property owners of any liability caused by skateboarders injured on their property and prohibits any skateboarding activity on any public property unless specifically authorized for that purpose. Guess what? That pretty much eliminates public streets, sidewalks, and bike paths. So kiss good-bye the idea of anyone legally riding a skateboard as a legitimate means of transportation (I've observed many ride skateboards to get around, and quite skillfully and fast). Unless of course one wants to "flout the law" and ride on anyway, giving our fabled public protectors the right to stop and harass them according to their own whims and prejudices.
I've grown a chip on my shoulder on behalf of skateboarders and I haven't even ridden a skateboard once. But sometimes, late at night I think I can hear that old board of my daughter's softly calling out from the garage, "C'mon, here I am, throw caution to the wind and take me for a spin; you know you want to"!
Skateboarders tend to be anti-establishment, and for a good reason: they are continually being harassed, even arrested, by local police who use local, state, and even federal laws that severely restrict skateboarding practically everywhere to pick on those whose appearance or lifestyle they don't happen to like. I've said it before: People need to be careful about pushing their own pet legislative agendas through to enactment because this often just increases the power of the police to selectively enforce those laws. According to the article "By the Time I Get to Arizona", appearing in the July 2010 issue of Thrasher, skateboarders entering Arizona for a sanctioned contest were repeatedly intimidated and even arrested by the police there.
In my own state of Florida, it is technically illegal to ride on a skateboard without a license. The federal government has reportedly passed legislation that both absolves property owners of any liability caused by skateboarders injured on their property and prohibits any skateboarding activity on any public property unless specifically authorized for that purpose. Guess what? That pretty much eliminates public streets, sidewalks, and bike paths. So kiss good-bye the idea of anyone legally riding a skateboard as a legitimate means of transportation (I've observed many ride skateboards to get around, and quite skillfully and fast). Unless of course one wants to "flout the law" and ride on anyway, giving our fabled public protectors the right to stop and harass them according to their own whims and prejudices.
I've grown a chip on my shoulder on behalf of skateboarders and I haven't even ridden a skateboard once. But sometimes, late at night I think I can hear that old board of my daughter's softly calling out from the garage, "C'mon, here I am, throw caution to the wind and take me for a spin; you know you want to"!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Running Progress Continues
As I continue to run in the midst of temperatures climbing into the nineties, I am discovering that I am becoming acclimated to the new challenges raised by the heat and humidity. I thank Jeff Galloway's "walk/run" system for much of my progress. I also carry Powerade Zero with me on my runs and chug down a gulp during each walking period. I also generally give myself a day to recuperate from training runs, choosing to either do upper-body workouts, work in the yard, or just take the day off. The results have been very encouraging so far.
On runs of any length, even those of more than 8 miles, I fail to discern any kind of leg or foot pain, something that was always a factor when I trained for the half-marathon earlier this year. My times have also improved to the point where, even with my walking breaks included, I am achieved times on the same level as when I would run straight through the same distance without walking. At this rate, I will be able to try to gradually increase the distance of my training runs, even in the midst of sweltering summer heat. Something that just a few weeks ago I would have thought to be impossible.
Later this year, I am planning to run at least one marathon: in Jacksonville on Sunday, December 19. But if the opportunity avails itself, I'd like to be able to run one or two more before that takes place. This, however, depends on me getting off from work on days which don't seem available right now. Early next year, there are several marathons offered here in Florida. I am definitely planning to run in the LifeSouth Five Points Marathon in February here in Gainesville and might venture in January down to Disney World to participate in their annual exercise in mass mob running. Just to see if I can avoid being trampled!
Right now, at this very moment, I feel confident that I could complete a 26.2 mile marathon. But someone would need to supply air and hotel fare for me to travel up north or out west where the only races are currently being held. Oh, and a little extra time off from work would help, too!
On runs of any length, even those of more than 8 miles, I fail to discern any kind of leg or foot pain, something that was always a factor when I trained for the half-marathon earlier this year. My times have also improved to the point where, even with my walking breaks included, I am achieved times on the same level as when I would run straight through the same distance without walking. At this rate, I will be able to try to gradually increase the distance of my training runs, even in the midst of sweltering summer heat. Something that just a few weeks ago I would have thought to be impossible.
Later this year, I am planning to run at least one marathon: in Jacksonville on Sunday, December 19. But if the opportunity avails itself, I'd like to be able to run one or two more before that takes place. This, however, depends on me getting off from work on days which don't seem available right now. Early next year, there are several marathons offered here in Florida. I am definitely planning to run in the LifeSouth Five Points Marathon in February here in Gainesville and might venture in January down to Disney World to participate in their annual exercise in mass mob running. Just to see if I can avoid being trampled!
Right now, at this very moment, I feel confident that I could complete a 26.2 mile marathon. But someone would need to supply air and hotel fare for me to travel up north or out west where the only races are currently being held. Oh, and a little extra time off from work would help, too!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
I Go With Holland in World Cup Final
Let me quickly get this in before it's too late.
The World Cup (excuse me, the "FIFA" World Cup, whatever the hell that is) has reached its final game, to be played tomorrow afternoon Eastern Time. The Netherlands and Spain, pre-tournament favorites, are the finalists. And this time there is no clear favorite. My own family is split on whom to root for: my daughter wants Spain and I'm pulling for Holland. I don't think the rest of my family could care less who wins, revealing naturally that they are more in tune with the pulse of American public opinion in general.
It's a lot more fun watching a game when you have people in the same room pulling for opposite sides. A couple of years ago, Rebecca and I did this watching the Super Bowl matchup between Pittsburgh and Arizona (she got the last laugh when the Steelers pulled it out). Last year's wasn't the same, as we both rooted for the New Orleans Saints. And now it's soccer time! [Oops, I mean "FIFA" soccer time]. Truth is, neither of us knows much about either team playing in the final. We made our choices somewhat arbitrarily, but in the thick of the game one's reasons for team allegiance get lost in the fervor anyway.
The World Cup (excuse me, the "FIFA" World Cup, whatever the hell that is) has reached its final game, to be played tomorrow afternoon Eastern Time. The Netherlands and Spain, pre-tournament favorites, are the finalists. And this time there is no clear favorite. My own family is split on whom to root for: my daughter wants Spain and I'm pulling for Holland. I don't think the rest of my family could care less who wins, revealing naturally that they are more in tune with the pulse of American public opinion in general.
It's a lot more fun watching a game when you have people in the same room pulling for opposite sides. A couple of years ago, Rebecca and I did this watching the Super Bowl matchup between Pittsburgh and Arizona (she got the last laugh when the Steelers pulled it out). Last year's wasn't the same, as we both rooted for the New Orleans Saints. And now it's soccer time! [Oops, I mean "FIFA" soccer time]. Truth is, neither of us knows much about either team playing in the final. We made our choices somewhat arbitrarily, but in the thick of the game one's reasons for team allegiance get lost in the fervor anyway.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Hunker-Down Season Upon Us
In an Associated Press article appearing in the Gainesville Sun today, the federal Climate Prediction Center has affirmed predictions of a very active hurricane season this year by reporting on the observed emergence of a La Niña pattern. La Niña, which involves relatively cool waters in the Pacific, tends to spur develop of Atlantic hurricanes without the wind shear that helps to control their number and intensity. The result: seasons like 1995, 2004, and 2005. Add 2010 to that list and "hunker down"!
For Floridians, 2004 and 2005 were monster hurricane seasons. For us in Gainesville, 2004, with its triple threats of hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jean, were a sign of things to come. Ivan, although not a threat to us, did crash into the Florida panhandle and caused a lot of damage. And 2005, with megastorms Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, only bore that notion out (not to mention that the named storms for that year wore out the traditional alphabet and went all the way to zeta in the Greek alphabet).
This year I predict we may not make it all the way through to "Zeta" or even "Z", but we will have some exciting and even scary times to contend with. Especially come August, September, and October. Not just for Florida, either. And not just for states bordering the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. I mean the entire eastern part of the United States.
For Floridians, 2004 and 2005 were monster hurricane seasons. For us in Gainesville, 2004, with its triple threats of hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jean, were a sign of things to come. Ivan, although not a threat to us, did crash into the Florida panhandle and caused a lot of damage. And 2005, with megastorms Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, only bore that notion out (not to mention that the named storms for that year wore out the traditional alphabet and went all the way to zeta in the Greek alphabet).
This year I predict we may not make it all the way through to "Zeta" or even "Z", but we will have some exciting and even scary times to contend with. Especially come August, September, and October. Not just for Florida, either. And not just for states bordering the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. I mean the entire eastern part of the United States.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
LeBron James and His Oh-So-Important Decision
So this evening on ESPN, after weeks of unwarranted hype and excessive analysis and speculation, one of the National Basketball Association's all-time talents (and prima donnas), LeBron James, will reveal the team he has decided to bestow his grand presence on. James has been on the Cleveland Cavaliers and led them to great seasons recently, but never has been able to capture the league title. As if he were entitled to it. So the whole buzz around the sports media has been to guess how James will get other teams to assemble a lineup that will accommodate his championship hopes.
I don't know why LeBron James should feel "entitled" to an NBA championship. As talented as he is, James suffers from poor sportsmanship (refusing to congratulate Orlando Magic players after their 2009 playoff victory over his Cavaliers) as well as the bad habit of not giving it his all every time he goes out on the court. Had he put out a consistent effort in Cleveland's losing playoff series this year against the Boston Celtics, I have no doubt that he would have gotten his title shot against the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James will most likely either go to New York or stay in Cleveland. Miami and Chicago have also been mentioned as possible destinations. If he truly does want to be on a championship team, then James needs a supporting cast of players that will help compensate for his own shortcomings (which he probably doesn't even recognize). To that end, Chicago or Miami would be better choices.
Whichever team he chooses, it will be nice to have LeBron James finally out of the sports headlines. My personal choice would be for him to pick the most obscure team, in the most obscure league, and in the most obscure location on the planet!
I don't know why LeBron James should feel "entitled" to an NBA championship. As talented as he is, James suffers from poor sportsmanship (refusing to congratulate Orlando Magic players after their 2009 playoff victory over his Cavaliers) as well as the bad habit of not giving it his all every time he goes out on the court. Had he put out a consistent effort in Cleveland's losing playoff series this year against the Boston Celtics, I have no doubt that he would have gotten his title shot against the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James will most likely either go to New York or stay in Cleveland. Miami and Chicago have also been mentioned as possible destinations. If he truly does want to be on a championship team, then James needs a supporting cast of players that will help compensate for his own shortcomings (which he probably doesn't even recognize). To that end, Chicago or Miami would be better choices.
Whichever team he chooses, it will be nice to have LeBron James finally out of the sports headlines. My personal choice would be for him to pick the most obscure team, in the most obscure league, and in the most obscure location on the planet!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Enjoying Riding the Hurricane
My recent trip to Hollywood in south Florida gave me the opportunity to reacquaint myself with a pleasurable experience I have been lacking of late: the theme park thrill ride. In this case, the park was Boomer's in Dania and the ride was the Dania Beach Hurricane wooden roller coaster.
Boomer's, strictly speaking, isn't really a theme park; at least it isn't in the class of a Busch Gardens, Sea World, or Universal. As a matter of fact, the Hurricane is the only thrill ride they have. But to me it is enough, comparing favorably with Dollywood's Thunderhead coaster as my favorite wooden roller coaster so far. What I like the most about the Hurricane, besides its length, are the numerous times of "lift" caused by going over hills in the course.
I am still confounded by the fact that the Dania Beach Hurricane is the only roller coaster in the entire south Florida area, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. For an area that touts itself as a vacationland and depends heavily on tourism, why hasn't a Six Flags been built there? Go figure. But even that is not as confounding as the fact that not many people down there seem interested in riding the one coaster there. I invite Boomer's to relocate here in Gainesville, with the outstanding Dania Beach Hurricane of course. But they'd have to rename it to something appropriate to my home town. How about the "Gainesville Road Work Adventure"?
Boomer's, strictly speaking, isn't really a theme park; at least it isn't in the class of a Busch Gardens, Sea World, or Universal. As a matter of fact, the Hurricane is the only thrill ride they have. But to me it is enough, comparing favorably with Dollywood's Thunderhead coaster as my favorite wooden roller coaster so far. What I like the most about the Hurricane, besides its length, are the numerous times of "lift" caused by going over hills in the course.
I am still confounded by the fact that the Dania Beach Hurricane is the only roller coaster in the entire south Florida area, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. For an area that touts itself as a vacationland and depends heavily on tourism, why hasn't a Six Flags been built there? Go figure. But even that is not as confounding as the fact that not many people down there seem interested in riding the one coaster there. I invite Boomer's to relocate here in Gainesville, with the outstanding Dania Beach Hurricane of course. But they'd have to rename it to something appropriate to my home town. How about the "Gainesville Road Work Adventure"?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Interstate, Denny's, South Florida
When I drove to Hollywood from Gainesville last week, I hit the Turnpike for a while. Then I decided to switch over at Orlando to I-95 and "free-way" it the rest of the trip. Although I-95 wasn't all that bad, the drive down Colonial Drive in Orlando was a monumental blunder. Endless sprawl and traffic, even on a Sunday evening---ugh!
I was very relieved to finally reach I-95, the interstate highway running along the Florida peninsula's eastern side to Miami (I-75 runs down the western side). I was tired and hungry as well, so I stopped off at the Denny's restaurant just off the Indiatlantic exit in Brevard County. My experience there was so pleasant, with the service, food, and price, that I ended up going to three other Denny's during my round trip. The first time (at the Indiatlantic exit) I order the (pictured) $4 breakfast. Next, at West Palm Beach, I just got a coffee (that Denny's was my least favorite; the coffee tasted old--like Starbucks always tastes-- but I wasn't in the mood to argue about it). Then, while I was in Hollywood I went out at 2:30 in the morning to the Denny's on University Drive, eating their $4 endless stack of pancakes. Finally, on my way back home I stopped off just south of Fort Myers and had a variation of my first meal, substituting sausage for bacon. I liked the friendly attitude of the people working at these restaurants. Maybe it was Denny's; maybe I was just lucky.
As you read this pretty insignificant article, you may have picked up on the fact that on the return trip I stopped off around Fort Myers. On the WEST side of Florida. Yes, I decided to try I-75 back to Gainesville. Actually, it was the first time I had ever traveled down this stretch of I-75 south of Tampa. And I must say that it was quite a pleasant experience, very different from I-95. No endless sprawl of urban traffic to contend with, even as the route passed by Fort Myers, Sarasota, and Tampa. All of the times during my teenage years in the 70's hearing classmates talking about speeding through Alligator Alley (which runs across the Everglades, specifically the Big Cypress Swamp) made me want to travel it, but I never got around to seeing for myself until just now. Now, in 2010, I saw nothing resembling the 100+ mph daredevils my classmates described. Rather, if anything, the traffic was pretty slow.
Yes, from now on I will be traveling I-75 to and from south Florida.
Monday, July 5, 2010
My Melon Run Experience
Yesterday I ran in the three-mile Melon Run, sponsored by the Florida Track Club and held here in Gainesville in the Westside Park vicinity. I enjoyed some of the run, but much of it was an exercise in futility.
Like every other race I have participated in, I was crowded out by aggressive, usually slower runners in the crowded pack at the race's start (even though I had lined up ahead of them). This cost me precious time as I tried to find openings around these runners, whose pushiness this way makes no sense to me. Most of us have a general sense of how fast we are going to run. The slower runners should understand that they are only creating traffic logjams by pushing to the front at the beginning (much like a slow driver insisting on occupying the left "fast" lane on the Interstate).
I spent the rest of the race catching up with and passing other runners, most of whom I should have been ahead of in the first place. At the very end, some hotshot popular elder runner, whose name bystanders were cheering (while ignoring me) pushed past me to the finish. Other than him, it was a typical pattern of me falling hopelessly behind pushy, slow runners at the race's start and then playing catchup and passing others the rest of the way. I finished with a time of 23:04. I probably would have had a 22:30 time or better had I been allowed to run without interference.
Also, unfortunately, the officially posted times were off, since the Florida Track Club uses an antiquated system that matches times with racing finish order. If there is any glitch along the line, than each runner is given the time of the runner ahead or behind him (or her). I was given the erroneous time of 23:15. They should institute the use of computer-chip timing and ditch the present flawed system.
For this race at least, I decided to wait for the awards ceremony. Bad decision. I had to wait an hour and a half, just standing around with the other runners. I tried to make conversation with some, but for the most part they were tightly corralled into their own private circles of family and friends. I felt almost like an unwelcome stranger, here in my home town of 33 years!
The race's organizers, the Florida Track Club, had an irritating manner of being very warm and encouraging to their select group of "buddies" while displaying a rather strict formality to "outsiders" (like 33-year resident "me"). Equally irritating was during the awards ceremony when the presenter would take great pains to recognize UF professors by calling them "doctor" so-and-so. For crying out loud, we only ran a fun race. Am I expected to kiss up to these people all of the time?
You might think that I am down on the Florida Track Club and Gainesville races. But I just sent the FTC my membership application and one year's dues. Maybe by becoming a part of the picture, I can exert a positive influence on running here in Gainesville, especially towards the aim of eliminating the kind of cliquish behavior I perceive going on. We'll see. In any event, I ran my July public race. I can't wait to resume running in longer events. Events timed by computer chips!
Oh by the way, this time I did carry my little digital camera with me for the race. Not much to show, but hey, it was my first venture into "running tourism"! The blurry picture was due to me trying to photograph while running, not a good idea.
Like every other race I have participated in, I was crowded out by aggressive, usually slower runners in the crowded pack at the race's start (even though I had lined up ahead of them). This cost me precious time as I tried to find openings around these runners, whose pushiness this way makes no sense to me. Most of us have a general sense of how fast we are going to run. The slower runners should understand that they are only creating traffic logjams by pushing to the front at the beginning (much like a slow driver insisting on occupying the left "fast" lane on the Interstate).
I spent the rest of the race catching up with and passing other runners, most of whom I should have been ahead of in the first place. At the very end, some hotshot popular elder runner, whose name bystanders were cheering (while ignoring me) pushed past me to the finish. Other than him, it was a typical pattern of me falling hopelessly behind pushy, slow runners at the race's start and then playing catchup and passing others the rest of the way. I finished with a time of 23:04. I probably would have had a 22:30 time or better had I been allowed to run without interference.
Also, unfortunately, the officially posted times were off, since the Florida Track Club uses an antiquated system that matches times with racing finish order. If there is any glitch along the line, than each runner is given the time of the runner ahead or behind him (or her). I was given the erroneous time of 23:15. They should institute the use of computer-chip timing and ditch the present flawed system.
For this race at least, I decided to wait for the awards ceremony. Bad decision. I had to wait an hour and a half, just standing around with the other runners. I tried to make conversation with some, but for the most part they were tightly corralled into their own private circles of family and friends. I felt almost like an unwelcome stranger, here in my home town of 33 years!
The race's organizers, the Florida Track Club, had an irritating manner of being very warm and encouraging to their select group of "buddies" while displaying a rather strict formality to "outsiders" (like 33-year resident "me"). Equally irritating was during the awards ceremony when the presenter would take great pains to recognize UF professors by calling them "doctor" so-and-so. For crying out loud, we only ran a fun race. Am I expected to kiss up to these people all of the time?
You might think that I am down on the Florida Track Club and Gainesville races. But I just sent the FTC my membership application and one year's dues. Maybe by becoming a part of the picture, I can exert a positive influence on running here in Gainesville, especially towards the aim of eliminating the kind of cliquish behavior I perceive going on. We'll see. In any event, I ran my July public race. I can't wait to resume running in longer events. Events timed by computer chips!
Oh by the way, this time I did carry my little digital camera with me for the race. Not much to show, but hey, it was my first venture into "running tourism"! The blurry picture was due to me trying to photograph while running, not a good idea.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Obama Deserves Respect as Country's President
It has disturbed me seeing how many currently in opposition to President Obama have spewed what is essentially a message of hatred toward this gentle, public-minded man who has consistently conducted himself with a degree of grace and dignity that is truly remarkable. The critics who bother me the most are those who claim that Obama's election was illegitimate, that he either was born outside of the U.S. or that something in the process itself unfairly manipulated people into voting for him.
I had heard the same sort of stuff about George W. Bush, with the notion that he had been able to unfairly manipulate the process to claim two close election victories in 2000 and 2004. And that those who voted for his reelection in 2004 were somehow flimflammed into doing so.
What nonsense. In both 2000 and 2004, both Republicans and Democrats did whatever they could to influence the election outcome, including the intense no-holds-barred legal struggles in Florida following the 2000 election. I remember listening to Air America in 2006, hearing program hosts regularly claiming that Bush stole both the 2000 and 2004 elections.
I always recognized the election results of 2000, 2004, and 2008. When Bush was president, he was MY president as well as president of those who voted for him. And while he pursued a political agenda that I often disagreed with (often very strongly), I felt then and feel now that he understood that he, too, was everyone's president, not just his supporters'. In the same vein I feel that Barack Obama, while pursuing his particular political agenda, also sees himself as the entire country's president.
If only his opponents would just respect him for that and that he is our legitimately elected president, I would be much more willing to listen to their ideas. Hearing some of the anti-Bush venom being pushed back in the Air America days did nothing to predispose me toward their opinions, instead only discrediting them.
I had heard the same sort of stuff about George W. Bush, with the notion that he had been able to unfairly manipulate the process to claim two close election victories in 2000 and 2004. And that those who voted for his reelection in 2004 were somehow flimflammed into doing so.
What nonsense. In both 2000 and 2004, both Republicans and Democrats did whatever they could to influence the election outcome, including the intense no-holds-barred legal struggles in Florida following the 2000 election. I remember listening to Air America in 2006, hearing program hosts regularly claiming that Bush stole both the 2000 and 2004 elections.
I always recognized the election results of 2000, 2004, and 2008. When Bush was president, he was MY president as well as president of those who voted for him. And while he pursued a political agenda that I often disagreed with (often very strongly), I felt then and feel now that he understood that he, too, was everyone's president, not just his supporters'. In the same vein I feel that Barack Obama, while pursuing his particular political agenda, also sees himself as the entire country's president.
If only his opponents would just respect him for that and that he is our legitimately elected president, I would be much more willing to listen to their ideas. Hearing some of the anti-Bush venom being pushed back in the Air America days did nothing to predispose me toward their opinions, instead only discrediting them.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Drinking Coffee, Running, and Parking in Davie
While down in Broward County last week, I drove over to the "block" comprising the Nova public schools and Broward {Community} College to do my 2.87 mile run (actually, I had planned to double it this time to 5.74). Pulling into the B{C}C parking lot, once again almost empty, I encountered this time a sign warning me that I needed a decal to park in one of their many neglected spaces. Off in the distance I saw a huge parking garage (it was the building under construction last year when I visited). So now that they have so much more room for parking than they know what to do with, they're going to start clamping down!
No problem, I just drove northward to Nova Drive, where I pulled into a Publix parking lot. After all, even in Gainesville with its insane, nitpicking enforcement of parking, nobody there gets uptight about anyone using Publix parking lots. But no, I looked and there was a sign saying "roam towing" for those who parked there but didn't immediately jump out and patronize the stores. I drove past row after row of empty parking spaces to the far corner of the lot, where I quickly got out and crossed the street to begin my run. Knowing that I might not have a car there when I returned.
So I decided on that first lap that it would be my only lap. The temperature was hot as usual at 90 degrees, but it didn't bother me. Upon returning to the Publix area, I saw a young man walking around the lot with a red shirt on, looking a lot as if he were the one responsible for determining "towable" cars. I slipped into my car and drove off, wondering what had happened to the formerly liberal parking attitude that had made Davie an attractive place to visit as recently as last year.
Oh, did I mention that Nova High School was completely fenced and locked off, included its publicly funded track? No, I didn't.
I won't be returning there to run. But...
West of all this, on Nova Drive near University Drive, is a great place to drink coffee and study: the Havana Coffee Company. I visited there twice, purchasing each time one of their Café Cubano Doble's. Excellent, although I think the next time I go there I will get something a little larger.
No problem, I just drove northward to Nova Drive, where I pulled into a Publix parking lot. After all, even in Gainesville with its insane, nitpicking enforcement of parking, nobody there gets uptight about anyone using Publix parking lots. But no, I looked and there was a sign saying "roam towing" for those who parked there but didn't immediately jump out and patronize the stores. I drove past row after row of empty parking spaces to the far corner of the lot, where I quickly got out and crossed the street to begin my run. Knowing that I might not have a car there when I returned.
So I decided on that first lap that it would be my only lap. The temperature was hot as usual at 90 degrees, but it didn't bother me. Upon returning to the Publix area, I saw a young man walking around the lot with a red shirt on, looking a lot as if he were the one responsible for determining "towable" cars. I slipped into my car and drove off, wondering what had happened to the formerly liberal parking attitude that had made Davie an attractive place to visit as recently as last year.
Oh, did I mention that Nova High School was completely fenced and locked off, included its publicly funded track? No, I didn't.
I won't be returning there to run. But...
West of all this, on Nova Drive near University Drive, is a great place to drink coffee and study: the Havana Coffee Company. I visited there twice, purchasing each time one of their Café Cubano Doble's. Excellent, although I think the next time I go there I will get something a little larger.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Trivia Not Trivial, To Me
Around work, sometimes we get caught up with asking each other trivia questions, just to help pass the time of day. Usually, I'm pretty quick with trivia, seeing how I have had this propensity to pick up "useless" knowledge over the years with unconscious ease. But I have to admit that these trivia games have begun to wear on me.
The reason I remember so much trivia is that it all takes place within context. Musically, I can almost visualize the times and places when and where I heard various songs. Furthermore, I make this connection even when I am just playing them in my head. Songs like Paul Simon's Loves Me Like a Rock, the Beatles' Don't Pass Me By, Harry Chapin's W-O-L-D, Chicago's I've Been Searching For So Long, and Bette Midler's Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy were all tunes going on in my mind while running in my late teens around the Nova/BCC complex in Davie, Florida. Isao Tomita's remarkable 1974 album Snowflakes Are Dancing places me at a place I worked in Miami Shores during the same period. Country and western songs tend to draw me back to my first year at the post office, when the only headset radio I had, a real "cheapie", could only pick up the powerful GC-101 country and western station. Every time I see the stylized "D" on official Detroit Tigers items, it takes me back to a baseball card I had that displayed it when I was about six. And me standing in front of my house on the north side looking at it. Young Frankenstein I first viewed on the Reitz Union lawn at the University of Florida. Find Your Place in the Sun, a 1977 hit by Pablo Cruz, was played before a movie showing in that Reitz Union's theater. I know the video games I have played over the years by when and where I played them (and with whom). And so on. If someone asks me a trivia question touching upon any of these items or a myriad of others, a chain of associations and memories ensues. And that's what I dig the most about trivia, not just getting the answers right.
I tend to cluster my memories together into settings. When I am prompted by one item, the others fall into place as well. So someone at work asking me a trivia question is begging to be bored by my very long, drawn-out response as I explore the significance that the supposedly insignificant trivia carries to me. But I am tired of simply barking out the answers to show what a smartass I am. There is more to it than that for me.
What makes trivia enjoyable to me are those associations and dug-up memories that create a picture of my own personal past. I like to listen to others relate in a personal way like this, but apparently I tend to do it much more intensely than others.
The reason I remember so much trivia is that it all takes place within context. Musically, I can almost visualize the times and places when and where I heard various songs. Furthermore, I make this connection even when I am just playing them in my head. Songs like Paul Simon's Loves Me Like a Rock, the Beatles' Don't Pass Me By, Harry Chapin's W-O-L-D, Chicago's I've Been Searching For So Long, and Bette Midler's Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy were all tunes going on in my mind while running in my late teens around the Nova/BCC complex in Davie, Florida. Isao Tomita's remarkable 1974 album Snowflakes Are Dancing places me at a place I worked in Miami Shores during the same period. Country and western songs tend to draw me back to my first year at the post office, when the only headset radio I had, a real "cheapie", could only pick up the powerful GC-101 country and western station. Every time I see the stylized "D" on official Detroit Tigers items, it takes me back to a baseball card I had that displayed it when I was about six. And me standing in front of my house on the north side looking at it. Young Frankenstein I first viewed on the Reitz Union lawn at the University of Florida. Find Your Place in the Sun, a 1977 hit by Pablo Cruz, was played before a movie showing in that Reitz Union's theater. I know the video games I have played over the years by when and where I played them (and with whom). And so on. If someone asks me a trivia question touching upon any of these items or a myriad of others, a chain of associations and memories ensues. And that's what I dig the most about trivia, not just getting the answers right.
I tend to cluster my memories together into settings. When I am prompted by one item, the others fall into place as well. So someone at work asking me a trivia question is begging to be bored by my very long, drawn-out response as I explore the significance that the supposedly insignificant trivia carries to me. But I am tired of simply barking out the answers to show what a smartass I am. There is more to it than that for me.
What makes trivia enjoyable to me are those associations and dug-up memories that create a picture of my own personal past. I like to listen to others relate in a personal way like this, but apparently I tend to do it much more intensely than others.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The Independent Huddling Elderly
Clifford Simak, one of my all-time favorite science fiction writers, once wrote a short story titled The Huddling Place. It examined the negative consequences for someone who was able to fashion his own private environment to the point that the outside world was so effectively filtered that it was essentially shut out. It has one of those profound endings that keep creeping into my thoughts from time to time, reminding me of other things going on in my life.
I admit to having been a habitual "huddler": one who can't wait for the moment in the day when privacy rules and others are barred from entry into my life. This has usually occurred at the end of my workday and I am finally home, late at night. The others in my family have all usually gone off to bed by then, and I pretty much have the run of the living room/kitchen all to myself. But then again, the hour or two I enjoy snacking and "surfing" my TV are no longer typical for how I now spend my free time. For late at night after work, I am often mentally fatigued and just need some "alone" time to relax and lighten up. Yet at other times I go out into the world and mix with it with no problem and to my enjoyment.
But I do know some people who, like the main character in Simak's The Huddling Place, at some point in their lives decided to create their own little "private: no trespassing" cocoon of privacy. All outsiders, almost always strangers, become potential intruders to them. Unfortunately, with elderly people possessing this bent who live independently, this can also mean cutting off one's connections with people whom they find themselves needing at times to depend on for their needs.
It's a fact of life: as we age, our physical abilities diminish, often to the point where we can't function without outside help. We can't see or hear as well as before, we can't walk like we did when younger, and our injuries are both more severe and serious, as well as slower to heal. Our ability to react is also slowed, making driving that more difficult, if not impossible. Yes, the expression "independent elderly" could be termed an oxymoron since it is the sad, though unvarnished truth that aging goes hand in hand with increasingly greater dependence on others.
Instead what happens is that some elderly cut themselves so completely off from their neighbors that, when they finally become so desperate in their needs, they become prey to con artists and even violent crime.
Let's face it, we all like our privacy, even the more gregarious of us. But we also need to take care to make some effort to connect with others around us. In a city environment, having someone on our block or in our apartment complex who occasionally checks in on us to see how we're doing is "priceless", as that old worn-out commercial puts it. Beyond that, there are social and religious organizations that are eager to invite the elderly into its halls and help them with transportation or other relevant matters (belief in their creed is usually not required). Of course, nearby family can make a huge difference. And even those relatives living at a distance can help profoundly. But the base of social connections has to be local, and to accomplish this one's "huddling place" needs to have "occasional", not "permanent" status.
I admit to having been a habitual "huddler": one who can't wait for the moment in the day when privacy rules and others are barred from entry into my life. This has usually occurred at the end of my workday and I am finally home, late at night. The others in my family have all usually gone off to bed by then, and I pretty much have the run of the living room/kitchen all to myself. But then again, the hour or two I enjoy snacking and "surfing" my TV are no longer typical for how I now spend my free time. For late at night after work, I am often mentally fatigued and just need some "alone" time to relax and lighten up. Yet at other times I go out into the world and mix with it with no problem and to my enjoyment.
But I do know some people who, like the main character in Simak's The Huddling Place, at some point in their lives decided to create their own little "private: no trespassing" cocoon of privacy. All outsiders, almost always strangers, become potential intruders to them. Unfortunately, with elderly people possessing this bent who live independently, this can also mean cutting off one's connections with people whom they find themselves needing at times to depend on for their needs.
It's a fact of life: as we age, our physical abilities diminish, often to the point where we can't function without outside help. We can't see or hear as well as before, we can't walk like we did when younger, and our injuries are both more severe and serious, as well as slower to heal. Our ability to react is also slowed, making driving that more difficult, if not impossible. Yes, the expression "independent elderly" could be termed an oxymoron since it is the sad, though unvarnished truth that aging goes hand in hand with increasingly greater dependence on others.
Instead what happens is that some elderly cut themselves so completely off from their neighbors that, when they finally become so desperate in their needs, they become prey to con artists and even violent crime.
Let's face it, we all like our privacy, even the more gregarious of us. But we also need to take care to make some effort to connect with others around us. In a city environment, having someone on our block or in our apartment complex who occasionally checks in on us to see how we're doing is "priceless", as that old worn-out commercial puts it. Beyond that, there are social and religious organizations that are eager to invite the elderly into its halls and help them with transportation or other relevant matters (belief in their creed is usually not required). Of course, nearby family can make a huge difference. And even those relatives living at a distance can help profoundly. But the base of social connections has to be local, and to accomplish this one's "huddling place" needs to have "occasional", not "permanent" status.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
What's Most Important?
--Elena Kagan's confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee begins with Senator Sessions (R, Alabama) using his opening statement to threaten a Republican filibuster.
--Tropical Storm Alex, a very early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, is hitting land as a Category One hurricane, just south of the U.S./Mexico border.
--Oil continues to gush out of the breach at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, more oil is washing ashore wrecking the environment, and accusing fingers are flying everywhere.
--The war in Afghanistan drags on with a new commanding American general--actually a familiar face, General Petraeus--replacing deposed loose cannon General McChrystal. Depending on whom you're listening to, we're either beating the Taliban or they're taking over, with much of the government clandestinely supporting them. Sounds too much like Vietnam to me.
--The World Cup in soccer is in the quarterfinals stage; how is "your" country doing?
For most of the world's population that pays any attention to news, there is only one news story that counts: the World Cup! The planet could be on the brink of being hit by a large asteroid and Univision would still be interviewing crowds of maniacal soccer fans wearing their country's colors and waving their national flags, jumping up and down and screaming.
--Tropical Storm Alex, a very early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, is hitting land as a Category One hurricane, just south of the U.S./Mexico border.
--Oil continues to gush out of the breach at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, more oil is washing ashore wrecking the environment, and accusing fingers are flying everywhere.
--The war in Afghanistan drags on with a new commanding American general--actually a familiar face, General Petraeus--replacing deposed loose cannon General McChrystal. Depending on whom you're listening to, we're either beating the Taliban or they're taking over, with much of the government clandestinely supporting them. Sounds too much like Vietnam to me.
--The World Cup in soccer is in the quarterfinals stage; how is "your" country doing?
For most of the world's population that pays any attention to news, there is only one news story that counts: the World Cup! The planet could be on the brink of being hit by a large asteroid and Univision would still be interviewing crowds of maniacal soccer fans wearing their country's colors and waving their national flags, jumping up and down and screaming.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Blackberry, Road Travel
I got a Blackberry the other day. It is fun to be able to have access to the Internet wherever I go. I'm thinking of trying out a little experiment with it over the next few days: submit all of my blog articles through Blackberry instead of my home computer. The reason is simple: I will be doing some road travelling into the middle of next week, so my daily "homebody" routine will be temporarily interrupted. Should be a little tedious typing on the little Blackberry keyboard, but otherwise this should be an interesting experience.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Infomercial Nation
Some nights I fall asleep with the television on. Often the channel that is on when I drift off into slumber ends its regular programming and instead broadcasts a series of half-hour-long infomercials. The topics are very wide-ranging, but they all have one thing in common: you can get an edge over everyone else if you buy their product, and at such a steal of a price!
The amazing thing is that these commercial "programs" are often more entertaining than the regular programming. Let's just say that the producers of these spots really know how to get my attention! And that can be rough on me, considering that I usually would be better off sleeping at four in the morning (after all, isn't that why I switched my working hours from the graveyard shift seven years ago?).
Even though many of these infomercials just keep repeating the same tape throughout the presentation, they are often the more interesting. Here are a few of the infomercials that have piqued my interest for various reasons:
Free Money: just go to a website, type in your name, and the government probably will be sending you a check, possibly for thousands of dollars. Perennial infomercial fixture Kevin Trudeau has written a book to this effect and is interviewed by two very attractive, very busty women for the duration of the show (with plenty of camera shots at them). Trudeau's message, regardless whichever of his books he is pitching, is almost always with the accompanied theme that THEY don't want you to know this privileged information he is sharing with you. What a nice guy, to stand up against THEM for you and me (and make a little dough on the side)!
Size Matters...to 88% of women (and the other 12% are lying). So says Dr. Victoria Zdrok, also very attractive and busty, with what sounds like a Russian accent, to the accompaniment of "real opinions" emphatically delivered by various incredibly shallow and self-centered young women affirming this notion. The solution is to buy their product, which will "extend" the happiness of its users.
I've seen infomercial after infomercial extolling the virtues of hard, sweaty exercise workouts, sometimes with DVDs being sold, sometimes with quirky (and sometimes dangerous) looking exercise equipment, and sometimes with both. And then there's the commercial that just says to put on their tight, squeezing, elastic suit around your body (under your clothes, of course) and you'll LOOK as if you've been working out without having to actually do anything. Yeah!
Finally, at least for the scope of this article, there is Brainetics, a program designed by math whiz Michael Byster that contains instruction on math and memory shortcuts. Brainetics, as the infomercial clearly reveals, is marketed to parents of little children with the not-so-subtle implication that (1) it will increase their intelligence and give them the needed competitive academic edge over other children and (2) the current, conventional system of education is hopeless without the aid of a system like Brainetics. The whole infomercial has Byster in front of groups of beaming, enthusiastic little children who instantly shout out the answers to what seem like the most complicated of arithmetic problems. More on Brainetics in a later article.
I haven't begun to touch upon the many other types of infomercials out there; frankly, some of them (like the ones dealing with household cleaning) don't exactly capture my attention. But they all seem to have a common theme. The product being sold is inexpensive, necessary, timely, and not available anywhere else. And if you don't buy their product, you are doomed to failure and unhappiness. Or mediocrity at best.
The amazing thing is that these commercial "programs" are often more entertaining than the regular programming. Let's just say that the producers of these spots really know how to get my attention! And that can be rough on me, considering that I usually would be better off sleeping at four in the morning (after all, isn't that why I switched my working hours from the graveyard shift seven years ago?).
Even though many of these infomercials just keep repeating the same tape throughout the presentation, they are often the more interesting. Here are a few of the infomercials that have piqued my interest for various reasons:
Free Money: just go to a website, type in your name, and the government probably will be sending you a check, possibly for thousands of dollars. Perennial infomercial fixture Kevin Trudeau has written a book to this effect and is interviewed by two very attractive, very busty women for the duration of the show (with plenty of camera shots at them). Trudeau's message, regardless whichever of his books he is pitching, is almost always with the accompanied theme that THEY don't want you to know this privileged information he is sharing with you. What a nice guy, to stand up against THEM for you and me (and make a little dough on the side)!
Size Matters...to 88% of women (and the other 12% are lying). So says Dr. Victoria Zdrok, also very attractive and busty, with what sounds like a Russian accent, to the accompaniment of "real opinions" emphatically delivered by various incredibly shallow and self-centered young women affirming this notion. The solution is to buy their product, which will "extend" the happiness of its users.
I've seen infomercial after infomercial extolling the virtues of hard, sweaty exercise workouts, sometimes with DVDs being sold, sometimes with quirky (and sometimes dangerous) looking exercise equipment, and sometimes with both. And then there's the commercial that just says to put on their tight, squeezing, elastic suit around your body (under your clothes, of course) and you'll LOOK as if you've been working out without having to actually do anything. Yeah!
Finally, at least for the scope of this article, there is Brainetics, a program designed by math whiz Michael Byster that contains instruction on math and memory shortcuts. Brainetics, as the infomercial clearly reveals, is marketed to parents of little children with the not-so-subtle implication that (1) it will increase their intelligence and give them the needed competitive academic edge over other children and (2) the current, conventional system of education is hopeless without the aid of a system like Brainetics. The whole infomercial has Byster in front of groups of beaming, enthusiastic little children who instantly shout out the answers to what seem like the most complicated of arithmetic problems. More on Brainetics in a later article.
I haven't begun to touch upon the many other types of infomercials out there; frankly, some of them (like the ones dealing with household cleaning) don't exactly capture my attention. But they all seem to have a common theme. The product being sold is inexpensive, necessary, timely, and not available anywhere else. And if you don't buy their product, you are doomed to failure and unhappiness. Or mediocrity at best.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Amazing Shrinking Bicycle Path
US 441 is a very important road that effectively divides Gainesville between east and west (although it is, within Gainesville's street grid, West 13th Street). The University of Florida lies on this road, as does Gainesville High School. I live within a mile of it on the north side of town (I always seem to find myself living near 441). And, for the most part, this street is bicycle friendly.
And bicycle friendly it should be, since my local government has invested a lot of money in creating bicycle lanes all across town. US 441 is no exception. As you can see in the top picture, taken on the north side of town near the former site of Dub's (where Tom Petty, former Gainesville High School geek, used to perform in the early 70's with his fledgling rock band). Very wide and accommodating for bicycles, wouldn't you say? This nice pathway continues southbound, all the way to Northwest 23rd Avenue. Then it disappears (unless you have a very, very thin bicycle). The bottom picture, taken by Gainesville High (where Tom Petty attended---hey wait a minute, get out of my blog, Petty), shows this. So just when someone would actually need a bicycle lane to get down on a busy street (and by the high school the sidewalk is often crowded with pedestrians), there is none. Maybe they felt that they couldn't fit one in, with the overall road space possibly too thin there. But there IS a good bike path going northbound along the same stretch. They could at least have fudged just a little and provided SOME space for southbound bicyclists.
You may wonder what the big deal is, anyway, seeing that there is a good concrete sidewalk running along the street in both pictures. But recently a law has been passed here mandating bicyclists to use the designated bike lanes instead of the sidewalks, unless of course there isn't a bike lane. Now I ask, is that a bike lane in front of Gainesville High? Maybe it is, to a cop... who knows. Not that I see the police dishing out tickets wholesale to "violators". But it does give them another pretext to profile, stop, and harass citizens that they might regard as "undesirables".
I don't suppose that very many people are bothered by the amazing shrinking bicycle path. After all, my local rag The Gainesville Sun hasn't printed any protesting editorial letters to this effect. Still, dudes, what would Tom say if he saw this? (Hey Petty, I told you to scram... stop jamming me!)
And bicycle friendly it should be, since my local government has invested a lot of money in creating bicycle lanes all across town. US 441 is no exception. As you can see in the top picture, taken on the north side of town near the former site of Dub's (where Tom Petty, former Gainesville High School geek, used to perform in the early 70's with his fledgling rock band). Very wide and accommodating for bicycles, wouldn't you say? This nice pathway continues southbound, all the way to Northwest 23rd Avenue. Then it disappears (unless you have a very, very thin bicycle). The bottom picture, taken by Gainesville High (where Tom Petty attended---hey wait a minute, get out of my blog, Petty), shows this. So just when someone would actually need a bicycle lane to get down on a busy street (and by the high school the sidewalk is often crowded with pedestrians), there is none. Maybe they felt that they couldn't fit one in, with the overall road space possibly too thin there. But there IS a good bike path going northbound along the same stretch. They could at least have fudged just a little and provided SOME space for southbound bicyclists.
You may wonder what the big deal is, anyway, seeing that there is a good concrete sidewalk running along the street in both pictures. But recently a law has been passed here mandating bicyclists to use the designated bike lanes instead of the sidewalks, unless of course there isn't a bike lane. Now I ask, is that a bike lane in front of Gainesville High? Maybe it is, to a cop... who knows. Not that I see the police dishing out tickets wholesale to "violators". But it does give them another pretext to profile, stop, and harass citizens that they might regard as "undesirables".
I don't suppose that very many people are bothered by the amazing shrinking bicycle path. After all, my local rag The Gainesville Sun hasn't printed any protesting editorial letters to this effect. Still, dudes, what would Tom say if he saw this? (Hey Petty, I told you to scram... stop jamming me!)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
General McChrystal Has to Go
I don't like seeing anyone losing their job, but General Stanley McChrystal, who has been commanding the American war effort in Afghanistan, needs to go after publicly criticizing his commander-in-chief, President Obama, in a Rolling Stone interview. It is not the duty of a military officer to determine our country's foreign policy. If it ever comes to that, we are all in deep, deep trouble. Presidents Truman and Carter understood this when they sacked MacArthur and Singlaub for their insubordination. And in both cases, the deposed officers were lauded in the press while the presidents were criticized.
Seeing this, and seeing how the Fox News Channel tends to pick up anyone famous who is opposed to Obama, I have two predictions: (1) Within the year after his "retirement", General McChrystal will be hired by Fox as a political or military analyst while constantly being referred to as "General" to give his opinions undisputed credence, and (2) further off in the future, he will run for a statewide senatorial or gubernatorial office as a Republican. There is also an obvious third prediction that is so self-evident that I didn't include it as an "official" prediction: McChrystal will get rich from the upcoming book he will write and from the speaking tours he will be embarking on in the not-so-distant future. The good General who stood up to Obama.
That's the way they do it nowadays.
Seeing this, and seeing how the Fox News Channel tends to pick up anyone famous who is opposed to Obama, I have two predictions: (1) Within the year after his "retirement", General McChrystal will be hired by Fox as a political or military analyst while constantly being referred to as "General" to give his opinions undisputed credence, and (2) further off in the future, he will run for a statewide senatorial or gubernatorial office as a Republican. There is also an obvious third prediction that is so self-evident that I didn't include it as an "official" prediction: McChrystal will get rich from the upcoming book he will write and from the speaking tours he will be embarking on in the not-so-distant future. The good General who stood up to Obama.
That's the way they do it nowadays.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Typical Summer Weather Pattern
Today I don't have much to say, so I'll resort to an old stand-me-by: the weather. For the past few weeks, we in north central Florida have been experiencing typical summer weather. Lows are in the seventies, highs in the vicinity of 90 (with a few spikes in the mid-90s). It's usually pretty clear in the morning, with those puffy cumulus clouds beginning to proliferate around noon (see picture). Afternoons and evenings are full of "interesting" weather, with the prospect of violent thunderstorms and near-torrential rains always present. The other day in Jacksonville, my family and I went to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant just before noon, with clear skies all around. By the time we walked out, the skies were overcast. And as we left Jaguartown a couple of hours later, severe thunderstorms descending on the area. Passing through Middleburg on the way back was like driving through a lake. Fortunately, we had taken the van instead of the little Pontiac.
The same outlook holds for today as well. So the wise get outdoors in the morning and do what they need to do then. But then again, I noticed that several of my fellow "Gainesvillians" have decided, by jogging and walking in the rain, that it's better to get thoroughly soaked in cooler weather (as much as 25 degrees cooler) than burn up in the dry heat! Maybe they're the wise ones and the rest of us are the fools!
The same outlook holds for today as well. So the wise get outdoors in the morning and do what they need to do then. But then again, I noticed that several of my fellow "Gainesvillians" have decided, by jogging and walking in the rain, that it's better to get thoroughly soaked in cooler weather (as much as 25 degrees cooler) than burn up in the dry heat! Maybe they're the wise ones and the rest of us are the fools!
Monday, June 21, 2010
A New Celtics Fan in the World
Now that the NBA playoffs are over and the Los Angeles Lakers have beaten the Boston Celtics four games to three to win their second straight championship, I have a revelation of sorts: for the first time in more than forty years of following the National Basketball Association, I rooted for the Boston Celtics. And I came away from the experience as a confirmed fan of theirs, hoping for them to retain the core of their team next year, along with their very talented, wise coach Doc Rivers.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen are the Celtic "standouts", but their talent runs deeply into the bench. And it seems that, no matter who is out there, these players know teamwork more than anything else. What a joy to watch!
No, they didn't win the title this year, but the current Boston Celtics exhibit the essence of what team play is all about. They certainly do have their share of stars, but these guys aren't prima donnas like Cleveland's LeBron James. Even Rasheed Wallace, formerly at times a prima donna when playing for Detroit, has become an integral, unselfish team player. If Rasheed or anyone else is having a poor shooting night, he will set up those players who are hot that night. The result has been different Celtics stepping up in game after game with stellar performances. Even substitute Glen "Big Baby" Davis came through this way and helped give Boston a crucial victory to keep them in the series.
Boston is in a different division from Orlando and Chicago, which are the only other teams in the Eastern Conference that I root for (the West is an entirely different matter, with me pulling for Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Denver). Is this the beginning of a new trend of me pulling for Boston, with the Red Sox and Patriots to follow? I don't think I'll ever root for the Pats because they are divisional arch-rivals of my Miami Dolphins. As for the Sox, I don't know; maybe I need to visit NYC's northeastern "bracket" city to form a little bonding with Beantown.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen are the Celtic "standouts", but their talent runs deeply into the bench. And it seems that, no matter who is out there, these players know teamwork more than anything else. What a joy to watch!
No, they didn't win the title this year, but the current Boston Celtics exhibit the essence of what team play is all about. They certainly do have their share of stars, but these guys aren't prima donnas like Cleveland's LeBron James. Even Rasheed Wallace, formerly at times a prima donna when playing for Detroit, has become an integral, unselfish team player. If Rasheed or anyone else is having a poor shooting night, he will set up those players who are hot that night. The result has been different Celtics stepping up in game after game with stellar performances. Even substitute Glen "Big Baby" Davis came through this way and helped give Boston a crucial victory to keep them in the series.
Boston is in a different division from Orlando and Chicago, which are the only other teams in the Eastern Conference that I root for (the West is an entirely different matter, with me pulling for Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Denver). Is this the beginning of a new trend of me pulling for Boston, with the Red Sox and Patriots to follow? I don't think I'll ever root for the Pats because they are divisional arch-rivals of my Miami Dolphins. As for the Sox, I don't know; maybe I need to visit NYC's northeastern "bracket" city to form a little bonding with Beantown.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Skateboard Shop to Offer Skate-Through Drinks
In a short article appearing in Thursday's Independent Florida Alligator, writer Tara Wind reports that a skate shop has opened next to the new skateboarding facility at Possum Creek Park. This store is located at the site of a former drive-through coffee shop in the back of a convenience store/gas station.
The owners obviously want to capitalize on the new skateboarding park and are, in my opinion, pretty savvy entrepreneurs. They reportedly plan to convert the original drive-through section into a "skate-through" area where skaters will be given free drinks. Hmmm...
Not being a skateboarder myself, my daughter still has a skateboard in the garage. Maybe, from time to time, I could "borrow" it and stash it in my car trunk. Then I'd drive up to the skate shop, park just around the corner from it (out of sight), take out the skateboard, limp along on it through the "free drinks" window, then disappear around the corner. Where I'd stash the skateboard back into the trunk and drive off, thinking all the time how clever I was.
With my free drink sitting on top of the car.
The owners obviously want to capitalize on the new skateboarding park and are, in my opinion, pretty savvy entrepreneurs. They reportedly plan to convert the original drive-through section into a "skate-through" area where skaters will be given free drinks. Hmmm...
Not being a skateboarder myself, my daughter still has a skateboard in the garage. Maybe, from time to time, I could "borrow" it and stash it in my car trunk. Then I'd drive up to the skate shop, park just around the corner from it (out of sight), take out the skateboard, limp along on it through the "free drinks" window, then disappear around the corner. Where I'd stash the skateboard back into the trunk and drive off, thinking all the time how clever I was.
With my free drink sitting on top of the car.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan: Here We Go Again
The political scapegoating of an entire demographic group with genocidal violence directed against it seems to be as old as history. Since the nineteenth century, the world, supposedly more enlightened and civilized, has seen this troubling phenomenon only intensify in brutality and scope. The pogroms directed against the Jewish population of Russia under the Czars, the Holocaust directed against them by the Nazis during World War II, the atrocities committed against the Ottoman Empire's Armenian population in 1894 and 1915, the ethnic cleansing of "savage" Native American nationality after nationality by the "civilized" Americans throughout the nineteenth century, the atrocities in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda during the 1990's, East Timor, ...I could go on and on, and someone out there would still have their own example to add to the list (while possibly expressing a sense of personal offense because I left their example off my own list). And now, sadly, in a small Central Asian country in which Russia and the U.S. both have military bases, it's happening again.
In Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic strategically situated on Afghanistan's northern border and next to China, a recent coup d'etat has resulted in an ongoing civil conflict between the former and present leaders and their supporters. And once again, a national minority, this time the Uzbeks, have been made into a scapegoat by one of the factions.
According the Associated Press, as many as 400,000 Uzbeks are fleeing angry mobs of native Kyrgyz as they try to escape across the border to Uzbekistan from this country gone mad with hate. The Uzbeks reportedly have generally supported the new interim regime, while the violence against them is thought to be stirred up by supporters of the former government. But why are the people following the instigators into a path of violent mob behavior?
Russia and the U.S. are trying as hard as they can to set up humanitarian aid for the beleaguered Uzkek refugees. But neither can apparently step in to stop the violence, even with all of the overt military and more subtle economic and diplomatic power at their disposal.
From what I know, the Uzbek and Kyrgyz languages, Turkic in origin, are very similar and mutually intelligible, for all practical purposes. For an outsider, it makes no sense that one group would make such a big deal distinguishing itself in this manner from the other.
Irrational, bigoted hatred is indeed a most powerful force. Here we go again.
In Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic strategically situated on Afghanistan's northern border and next to China, a recent coup d'etat has resulted in an ongoing civil conflict between the former and present leaders and their supporters. And once again, a national minority, this time the Uzbeks, have been made into a scapegoat by one of the factions.
According the Associated Press, as many as 400,000 Uzbeks are fleeing angry mobs of native Kyrgyz as they try to escape across the border to Uzbekistan from this country gone mad with hate. The Uzbeks reportedly have generally supported the new interim regime, while the violence against them is thought to be stirred up by supporters of the former government. But why are the people following the instigators into a path of violent mob behavior?
Russia and the U.S. are trying as hard as they can to set up humanitarian aid for the beleaguered Uzkek refugees. But neither can apparently step in to stop the violence, even with all of the overt military and more subtle economic and diplomatic power at their disposal.
From what I know, the Uzbek and Kyrgyz languages, Turkic in origin, are very similar and mutually intelligible, for all practical purposes. For an outsider, it makes no sense that one group would make such a big deal distinguishing itself in this manner from the other.
Irrational, bigoted hatred is indeed a most powerful force. Here we go again.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Obnoxious and Endless [fill-in-the-blank]
The very afternoon, yesterday, that I wrote and published an article titled "Obnoxious and Endless Road Work", criticizing the intrusive and drawn out road work going on in my subdivision (and especially right in front of my house), the "crew" went right to it, finally paving the street on my block. Whoopee!
Now I don't want to flatly claim that it was my article that spurred them to action, but facts are facts. I published it and just a few hours later, I got some redress. So naturally, now that I know I have "The Power", why not try it out on some other areas and see what happens? Like...
Obnoxious and Endless Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Obnoxious and Endless Unwelcome Appearances of Sarah Palin on My TV
Obnoxious and Endless Days When No One Gives Me A Million Dollars
Obnoxious and Endless Lousy Songs on Broadcast Radio
Obnoxious and Endless Supply of Politicians Pretending to be Angry in Order in Gain Public Favor Obnoxious and Endless Line of Pathetic "Reality" Shows on TV
Well, let's cut it off there, for now. Let's see...maybe just putting the above on my blog will solve all of those problems.
Can't I at least hope?
Now I don't want to flatly claim that it was my article that spurred them to action, but facts are facts. I published it and just a few hours later, I got some redress. So naturally, now that I know I have "The Power", why not try it out on some other areas and see what happens? Like...
Obnoxious and Endless Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Obnoxious and Endless Unwelcome Appearances of Sarah Palin on My TV
Obnoxious and Endless Days When No One Gives Me A Million Dollars
Obnoxious and Endless Lousy Songs on Broadcast Radio
Obnoxious and Endless Supply of Politicians Pretending to be Angry in Order in Gain Public Favor Obnoxious and Endless Line of Pathetic "Reality" Shows on TV
Well, let's cut it off there, for now. Let's see...maybe just putting the above on my blog will solve all of those problems.
Can't I at least hope?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Obnoxious and Endless Road Work
The road work in front of my house is driving me crazy. They have had signs out for the past two weeks (after they tore off all of the pavement) prohibiting residents from parking along what is left of the road in front of their homes. This week, the large, loud construction vehicles have come around and started their "work" in the morning while closing sections of the road I need access to in order to get to and from my house. Day after day, I hear and see workers and vehicles loudly going back and forth down my street, as if they are actually DOING something. But then, when they leave for the day, I go out and survey their progress. And the street is still as bad as ever, weeks after this all began!
I decided that I would just get up early in the morning and drive my car around the block to a "no road work" zone and park it, just in the event that my street was being paved over and closed to traffic when I had to leave for work or another reason. Today I did that, later walked over to my car and drove off, only to encounter other road work going on in my new alternate route, with the road broken up even more than on my home street. There's no way to avoid it, apparently.
I wonder if the street in front of my house will ever be repaved.
I decided that I would just get up early in the morning and drive my car around the block to a "no road work" zone and park it, just in the event that my street was being paved over and closed to traffic when I had to leave for work or another reason. Today I did that, later walked over to my car and drove off, only to encounter other road work going on in my new alternate route, with the road broken up even more than on my home street. There's no way to avoid it, apparently.
I wonder if the street in front of my house will ever be repaved.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Go Listen to Regina Spektor
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.
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.
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!
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