I have never been much of a supporter of the concept of small group discussions, be it at school, church, work, or in any other context. The way I have experienced it, whoever is responsible for organizing the group almost always has an agenda in mind that those sitting around in the group are expected to further, with little room for critical deviation. I can understand the need to "brainstorm" from time to time and get some positive input from others. But I think there are better ways to do this then cooping people up together in a room and expecting them to play a particular role that may be completely out of character for them. And then there is the circular seating arrangement...
Sitting people around in a circle facing each other is one of the more annoying aspects of many small groups, in my opinion. It creates a totalitarian atmosphere in which no one has any privacy from the glares of the others. Each participant in the group is totally exposed, with simple facial expressions and body language affecting the discussion in subtle ways that don't really contribute to an effective resolution of the topic. I have come to the conclusion over years of sitting in circle after circle of small groups that the one(s) responsible for this type of seating arrangement are, deep down inside, manipulators and seekers of power. Now, whenever I find myself in such a setting I zone out on whatever is going on and simply enter another mental reality, one where I review lists of things I've learned or simply drift off in thought about other subjects. I refuse to get caught up in the psychology of small groups, period.
Maybe this is unreasonable of me, but that's the way I am. The way I see it, if anyone wants my opinion they know where to find me and are welcome to engage in a reasonable and respectful discussion as long as they are truly serious about the stated topic instead of playing games with controlling people.
I'm not necessarily against the idea of having informational meetings, which are very common in the workplace. Policies there can be efficiently communicated to the appropriate people without having to go through the tedious process of conferring with each one. Pertinent questions can be posed here, questions that can add to everyone's understanding. But those group meetings that involve people sitting around shooting the bull are pointless, in my opinion. What often happens is that people attending them tend to say things that they later regret having said. When I hear someone speaking in this way during a meeting, I inwardly cringe and curse those responsible for making me attend it.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Back to Hilly Trail on 10.5 Mile Run
Today the weather was cooler and dryer than usual, and I took advantage of it by running 10.5 miles, my longest since being sidelined from running due to a leg injury in January. My time reflected my usual pace: 1:40:59. The temperature went from 68 to 72 during my run while the humidity was pleasant as well, lowering from 57% to 41%.
Not only did I successfully accomplish this run, but I also ran down the (pictured) relatively hilly (for Florida) trail along NW 53rd Avenue for the first time since my injury. I had been concerned that the hills might aggravate my injury, but everything seems to be O.K. so far. I believe, though, that while running I am sensing potential problems in my right leg that may not exist, i.e. phantom sensations. I remember long ago in 1973, after I had suffered a hernia and had surgery to repair it, I also had this type of phantom sensation, concluding then that I had experienced another hernia. That fear turned out to be unfounded, and hopefully so will my current concerns. After all, it's now been more than 11 hours since my run and my leg feels fine.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The End of the World
I have picked up on the news story floating around that Family Radio, a splinter Christian group (well, they are actually ALL splinter groups from each other) is putting out notices that Jesus is coming back on May 21. And yes, that means the end of the world, at least as we know it. Giving me pause to try to come up with something sensible from this lunacy...
I have always wondered why so many are "enraptured" with the notion of the end of the world. Especially when each of us already has, built into our individual bodies through our biology and interaction with the environment, our own personal "end of the world". We all die, plain and simple. After that fact happens, the rest of the world HAS ended, as far as the one who dies is concerned.
Those who are so caught up with events around us that seem to them apocalyptic in nature tend to be believers, not only in an afterlife, but also that they are "taken care of" by their spiritual savior (in Christianity it's Jesus). So if anything they should be unconcerned about what's happening in the world instead of obsessing about it. The reason they're not is kind of like those "time is running out" ploys on QVC or Home Shopping Network: if you want that "eternal life" deal and haven't bought into it yet, you'd better hurry up, because Jesus is coming...this version of the narrative has it happening on May 21. So ultimately this prediction about Jesus coming soon is a device to recruit more believers to the faith. Before it's too late, you see. After all, I suppose that Family Radio must have concluded that some people don't see themselves as ever dying, at least not in the foreseeable future, so this "Jesus coming back on May 21" could be used as something to expedite their conversions...
I have always wondered why so many are "enraptured" with the notion of the end of the world. Especially when each of us already has, built into our individual bodies through our biology and interaction with the environment, our own personal "end of the world". We all die, plain and simple. After that fact happens, the rest of the world HAS ended, as far as the one who dies is concerned.
Those who are so caught up with events around us that seem to them apocalyptic in nature tend to be believers, not only in an afterlife, but also that they are "taken care of" by their spiritual savior (in Christianity it's Jesus). So if anything they should be unconcerned about what's happening in the world instead of obsessing about it. The reason they're not is kind of like those "time is running out" ploys on QVC or Home Shopping Network: if you want that "eternal life" deal and haven't bought into it yet, you'd better hurry up, because Jesus is coming...this version of the narrative has it happening on May 21. So ultimately this prediction about Jesus coming soon is a device to recruit more believers to the faith. Before it's too late, you see. After all, I suppose that Family Radio must have concluded that some people don't see themselves as ever dying, at least not in the foreseeable future, so this "Jesus coming back on May 21" could be used as something to expedite their conversions...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Better Swimming Experience on Thursday
This past Thursday I had a better swimming experience than usual. First of all, I decided to swim on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of M-W-F, giving those days to my running and making weekends a kind of wild card in terms of exercising (or maybe resting from exercise). Then I got to the pool earlier in the morning, around 9:30. The water aerobics "bouncers" were all out in the shallow part doing their class session, but to my delight all of the 25-meter lanes were open. I took the one on the end and proceeded to swim 50 consecutive minutes for a total distance of 1,050 meters. I employed my strategy of alternating between freestyle and my modified backstroke, switching from one to the other halfway through each crossing. It worked perfectly, giving me a lot of confidence and making me feel on a par with the other lap-swimmers I've seen there. I did have a problem with the sun's glare while on my back. Later in the day I purchased some swimmer's goggles that should help with this on future swims.
Also, I developed what I think is a pretty cool way to keep track of the number of laps I'm swimming. I mentally run down the alphabet with each lap, starting with "A". While doing the "A" lap, I think of any words or names beginning with that letter and make any associations that come to mind. Next lap is "B", then "C", and so on. I got through "U", i.e. the 21st 50-meter lap. Not only does this method help me keep track of my ongoing lap total, but it also is fun, distracts me from the rigors of the exercise, and even gives me some insight about my mental state as I tire toward the end (my "S", "T", and "U" laps didn't evoke the same quality of associations as the earlier letters did). In the future, when I swim my 27th lap, I'll just reset the alphabet back to "A" and add 26 to the total.
My strategy in swimming is to continue with what I'm doing until I can swim 30 consecutive 50-meter laps, which at 1,500 meters I believe represents triathlon distance. Then I will gradually increase the freestyle portion of each crossing, always leaving a little room at the end for some backstroke swimming. And at some future date I'll insert some breaststroke into the routine.
Also, I developed what I think is a pretty cool way to keep track of the number of laps I'm swimming. I mentally run down the alphabet with each lap, starting with "A". While doing the "A" lap, I think of any words or names beginning with that letter and make any associations that come to mind. Next lap is "B", then "C", and so on. I got through "U", i.e. the 21st 50-meter lap. Not only does this method help me keep track of my ongoing lap total, but it also is fun, distracts me from the rigors of the exercise, and even gives me some insight about my mental state as I tire toward the end (my "S", "T", and "U" laps didn't evoke the same quality of associations as the earlier letters did). In the future, when I swim my 27th lap, I'll just reset the alphabet back to "A" and add 26 to the total.
My strategy in swimming is to continue with what I'm doing until I can swim 30 consecutive 50-meter laps, which at 1,500 meters I believe represents triathlon distance. Then I will gradually increase the freestyle portion of each crossing, always leaving a little room at the end for some backstroke swimming. And at some future date I'll insert some breaststroke into the routine.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Where is My Last Entry?
It's almost 1 PM and I have to go to work soon. Blogger went down for maintenance last night and finally just came back up. But they lost my last entry, ironically titled Crappy Products for Sale. Hopefully, it will be restored later today. Otherwise, my faith in Blogger as a reliable site will be seriously shaken.
I intend to hold up on any more postings on this blog until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.
********
Later... Well, they finally reposted my "crappy" article, so as far as I'm concerned, the blog is once again full speed ahead! But I'm still miffed...
I intend to hold up on any more postings on this blog until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.
********
Later... Well, they finally reposted my "crappy" article, so as far as I'm concerned, the blog is once again full speed ahead! But I'm still miffed...
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Crappy Products for Sale
There are little things in the world that peeve me, things that shouldn't but do. Not because I need to toughen up and take things in stride better, but rather because those responsible for them should and could do better. For example:
--Whenever I buy a pack of those cheap Bic ball point pens, I am satisfied. I take any pen out of the pack, uncap it, and from the start the ink flows out of the pen onto the paper. But any other brand, including the vaunted PaperMate (which all of the stores around me stock up on instead of Bic) has lousy pens that won't produce ink. This is a simple quality-control situation that the company should have taken care of during production. It's not a matter of me preferring their product less than Bic: I simply can't use their product at all, period!
--The same goes for clear adhesive tape. Scotch is the only brand that "gets it". For every other brand I've tried, the tape won't tear off cleanly, stretching instead of breaking. Or, the tape will begin to tear in such a way that it becomes fragmented around the roll, thus making the entire roll completely useless.
--Or how about those spiral notebooks that have their pages perforated for "easy" removal? After writing several pages of material in one such notebook recently, I tried to remove them so that I could reorganize them in another notebook. But about halfway down the pages, the perforation briefly ended, causing the paper to tear. How frustrating, and ultimately unnecessary!
No, I don't get it. In each of the above examples, I am not talking about products that are cheaper because they have less frills than a more expensive variety. Instead, these products are manufactured to be crappy and then sold as something that does not live up to its purported function. And sometimes they aren't even the "bargain" brands! But just the same, just because a product may be relatively inexpensive, that shouldn't grant its producer the license to sell something that in very basic ways simply doesn't work.
No wonder that many folks are edgy about purchasing generic prescription medicine. And what about the privatization of our space program? Sure hope we don't end up with any off-brand rockets...
KA-BOOM!
--Whenever I buy a pack of those cheap Bic ball point pens, I am satisfied. I take any pen out of the pack, uncap it, and from the start the ink flows out of the pen onto the paper. But any other brand, including the vaunted PaperMate (which all of the stores around me stock up on instead of Bic) has lousy pens that won't produce ink. This is a simple quality-control situation that the company should have taken care of during production. It's not a matter of me preferring their product less than Bic: I simply can't use their product at all, period!
--The same goes for clear adhesive tape. Scotch is the only brand that "gets it". For every other brand I've tried, the tape won't tear off cleanly, stretching instead of breaking. Or, the tape will begin to tear in such a way that it becomes fragmented around the roll, thus making the entire roll completely useless.
--Or how about those spiral notebooks that have their pages perforated for "easy" removal? After writing several pages of material in one such notebook recently, I tried to remove them so that I could reorganize them in another notebook. But about halfway down the pages, the perforation briefly ended, causing the paper to tear. How frustrating, and ultimately unnecessary!
No, I don't get it. In each of the above examples, I am not talking about products that are cheaper because they have less frills than a more expensive variety. Instead, these products are manufactured to be crappy and then sold as something that does not live up to its purported function. And sometimes they aren't even the "bargain" brands! But just the same, just because a product may be relatively inexpensive, that shouldn't grant its producer the license to sell something that in very basic ways simply doesn't work.
No wonder that many folks are edgy about purchasing generic prescription medicine. And what about the privatization of our space program? Sure hope we don't end up with any off-brand rockets...
KA-BOOM!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Pride of Humility: A Paradox?
There are many good lines in Max Ehrmann's poetic piece of counsel titled Desiderata, but a few really stand out to me as having significance for my life. One of these is If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. This speaks of the need to develop a sense of proper perspective and balance when engaging in personal endeavors that are open for public evaluation and comparison with others. It's true: usually I am pretty good at whatever I set my mind to do, but there are always going to be those who are better than me in whatever area I am working at.
I have discovered, while engaging in an activity like swimming or learning to speak a foreign language, that I often feel pretty incompetent and foolish. But I also recognize that only by refusing to feel intimidated by the fear of looking (or sounding) bad will I be able to stick with a project until I ultimate attain a satisfactory level of ability. I am learning, at this late age in my life, to punch through this often embarrassing period in learning new things by embracing the humility of spirit that it imposes on me. And then refusing to allow that humility to turn into humiliation, but instead cultivate a sense of pride that I have the guts to try new things regardless how poorly I may do them at first.
Humility is a virtue, and if you can practice it (without putting yourself down) then you should be proud! A sense of humor about one's own folly can contribute to humility and make it more enjoyable. When I am striving to learn to do something that others do better than me, I respect and accept with humility their superiority in that particular area and am proud that I want to improve myself, possibly to their level or even higher. But most likely there will still remain some with better abilities, and I'd like to be proud enough to say that this is O.K.!
I have discovered, while engaging in an activity like swimming or learning to speak a foreign language, that I often feel pretty incompetent and foolish. But I also recognize that only by refusing to feel intimidated by the fear of looking (or sounding) bad will I be able to stick with a project until I ultimate attain a satisfactory level of ability. I am learning, at this late age in my life, to punch through this often embarrassing period in learning new things by embracing the humility of spirit that it imposes on me. And then refusing to allow that humility to turn into humiliation, but instead cultivate a sense of pride that I have the guts to try new things regardless how poorly I may do them at first.
Humility is a virtue, and if you can practice it (without putting yourself down) then you should be proud! A sense of humor about one's own folly can contribute to humility and make it more enjoyable. When I am striving to learn to do something that others do better than me, I respect and accept with humility their superiority in that particular area and am proud that I want to improve myself, possibly to their level or even higher. But most likely there will still remain some with better abilities, and I'd like to be proud enough to say that this is O.K.!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Union Meeting Attendance Strategy Revisited
Back on 11/21/08 I wrote an article titled The "What If" Fallacy, examining the attendance strategy of my union local. To increase attendance, they have a drawing each meeting, the winner receiving a hefty sum of money. If the one whose name is drawn isn't present, they don't win anything and their name is shown at work on the union bulletin board (I suppose to publicly humiliate them). The amount to win in the attendance drawing is increased with each meeting if not claimed. Once someone succeeds in winning a drawing, the total offered in the next meeting reverts back to a nominal $50. To be eligible for the drawing, all one has to do is be a (local) union member. I examined the flaws in the argument for this attendance strategy in the previous article (hit the link to read it). Now I have some new information on the drawing that, in my opinion, makes it even more flawed.
Union officers and stewards are expected to attend these union meetings. Photos from my local's newsletter reflects this: the attendees are heavily weighted with officers and stewards (and they tend to be the ones winning the drawing), with a few (very few) rank and file members sprinkled in [correction: executive board officers don't take part in the drawing--thanks, Brian]. This is probably just as well, since there really isn't very much room at the meeting site to accommodate more than a handful of people anyway. But to spur greater attendance, anyone attending a meeting gets an extra entry in the drawing for each meeting they attend. So if I, say, attended 5 meetings, then I would have my name in the drawing "pot" on 6 pieces of paper, greatly increasing my odds of winning, a clear incentive to attend. On the other hand, if I attend the meetings and want to win the drawing, then the last thing I would want is for others to start attending since their names would also be multiplied in the pot, thereby reducing my own chances of winning. So what we end up with is a few people faithfully attending meetings while not exactly wholeheartedly encouraging others to join them. I don't think that's what the creators of this scheme had in mind...
Maybe I'm sounding a little cynical about all this. After all, shouldn't we just show our "union spirit" and attend meetings for their own sake? But it wasn't me who concocted and implemented this attendance drawing strategy. And I probably would never had commented on it were it not for the continuing deplorable practice of publicizing the drawings' "losers".
Union officers and stewards are expected to attend these union meetings. Photos from my local's newsletter reflects this: the attendees are heavily weighted with officers and stewards (and they tend to be the ones winning the drawing), with a few (very few) rank and file members sprinkled in [correction: executive board officers don't take part in the drawing--thanks, Brian]. This is probably just as well, since there really isn't very much room at the meeting site to accommodate more than a handful of people anyway. But to spur greater attendance, anyone attending a meeting gets an extra entry in the drawing for each meeting they attend. So if I, say, attended 5 meetings, then I would have my name in the drawing "pot" on 6 pieces of paper, greatly increasing my odds of winning, a clear incentive to attend. On the other hand, if I attend the meetings and want to win the drawing, then the last thing I would want is for others to start attending since their names would also be multiplied in the pot, thereby reducing my own chances of winning. So what we end up with is a few people faithfully attending meetings while not exactly wholeheartedly encouraging others to join them. I don't think that's what the creators of this scheme had in mind...
Maybe I'm sounding a little cynical about all this. After all, shouldn't we just show our "union spirit" and attend meetings for their own sake? But it wasn't me who concocted and implemented this attendance drawing strategy. And I probably would never had commented on it were it not for the continuing deplorable practice of publicizing the drawings' "losers".
Monday, May 9, 2011
Swimming Pool Blues
Recently, I have become a bit bummed out about the swimming pools that are supposed to be available for me to use. One of these, Westside Pool, for which I as a Gainesville citizen share in its funding through my property taxes, waited until the very late date of May 6 to finally open to the public. Then it limited its hours to 3-7 PM weekdays and noon-5 on weekends. On top of that, I would have to pay $3.65 each time I used it. Not that I would, seeing that they apparently don't think that anyone but school children use the pool since they don't ever open unless school's out. Then there's my local YMCA's pool.
I pay out a reasonable sum of money monthly for membership in the YMCA. Having access to their pool is a big thing for me. But on Saturday and Sunday, they host a large scuba diving class, effectively clogging up two thirds of the pool. Aggravating the situation further, they reduce the available swimming lanes on these days from five to three. So it's often impossible to find a time there on the weekend when there is enough space in the pool for me to practice my swimming.
This morning I went to the pool around 11 AM, knowing that the water aerobics class, which also effectively monopolizes half the pool, had already ended. These days I often find the 25-meter swimming lanes full, and today was no exception. Still, I had most of the shallow part of the pool to myself and made good use of it, swimming for 43 consecutive minutes. Part of my swim involves a slow backstroke. I was performing this when I swam right into an old dude who was wading over into the shallow end from one of the lanes. Apparently, he felt that he was so important that he didn't feel the need to show basic courtesy and time himself to avoid me. A-a-a-g-h!
I remember experiencing frustration in the past about being able to find suitable places to run, finally deciding on my own home neighborhood streets as a stable, convenient, and consistently available setting. Perhaps I should follow this example and start showing up in my neighbors' swimming pools!
One unexplored option is the large number of natural springs in the Gainesville vicinity. I think I should start looking into this, keeping in mind of course the travel expenses involved as well as admission fees.
Getting my own swimming pool built is not an option for me due to the expense. I have seen ads on TV for something called an "endless pool", which is a small pool analogous to a treadmill that allows a swimmer to "swim in place" against a generated current. Unfortunately, this also seems awfully pricey. Also, the less expensive above-ground portable pools are not large enough to do me any good with my swimming.
So swimming is just going to have to be an activity that has its own limitations for me. But recognizing this doesn't reduce my frustration.
I pay out a reasonable sum of money monthly for membership in the YMCA. Having access to their pool is a big thing for me. But on Saturday and Sunday, they host a large scuba diving class, effectively clogging up two thirds of the pool. Aggravating the situation further, they reduce the available swimming lanes on these days from five to three. So it's often impossible to find a time there on the weekend when there is enough space in the pool for me to practice my swimming.
This morning I went to the pool around 11 AM, knowing that the water aerobics class, which also effectively monopolizes half the pool, had already ended. These days I often find the 25-meter swimming lanes full, and today was no exception. Still, I had most of the shallow part of the pool to myself and made good use of it, swimming for 43 consecutive minutes. Part of my swim involves a slow backstroke. I was performing this when I swam right into an old dude who was wading over into the shallow end from one of the lanes. Apparently, he felt that he was so important that he didn't feel the need to show basic courtesy and time himself to avoid me. A-a-a-g-h!
I remember experiencing frustration in the past about being able to find suitable places to run, finally deciding on my own home neighborhood streets as a stable, convenient, and consistently available setting. Perhaps I should follow this example and start showing up in my neighbors' swimming pools!
One unexplored option is the large number of natural springs in the Gainesville vicinity. I think I should start looking into this, keeping in mind of course the travel expenses involved as well as admission fees.
Getting my own swimming pool built is not an option for me due to the expense. I have seen ads on TV for something called an "endless pool", which is a small pool analogous to a treadmill that allows a swimmer to "swim in place" against a generated current. Unfortunately, this also seems awfully pricey. Also, the less expensive above-ground portable pools are not large enough to do me any good with my swimming.
So swimming is just going to have to be an activity that has its own limitations for me. But recognizing this doesn't reduce my frustration.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Bynum, Odom Goats, Kobe Shows Class in Loss
In the NBA West semifinals, the Dallas Mavericks completed their surprising four-game sweep of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers with a resounding 122-86 win. Laker star Kobe Bryant was magnanimous in defeat, congratulating the winners and giving them full credit for playing so well against his Lakers. It's too bad that he has some teammates who are clueless when it comes to displaying good sportsmanship.
In the fourth quarter, when the game's outcome was no longer in question, Lakers Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum each committed egregious flagrant fouls within the span of a minute, causing both to be ejected. Bynum's was by far the worse as he elbowed a Maverick player sharply in the ribs as he was in mid-air driving to the basket. To make matters even worse, after the referee signalled his ejection, Bynum then took off his shirt in front of the Dallas crowd as he walked off the court.
I saw both flagrant fouls and thought that Odom's was forgivable, but not Bynum's. Kobe Bryant was clearly saddened and ashamed of his teammates' violent and immature behavior. The man does have class, I must say. But still, I will never again root for any team of which Andrew Bynum is a member, even if it's with Kobe Bryant.
In the fourth quarter, when the game's outcome was no longer in question, Lakers Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum each committed egregious flagrant fouls within the span of a minute, causing both to be ejected. Bynum's was by far the worse as he elbowed a Maverick player sharply in the ribs as he was in mid-air driving to the basket. To make matters even worse, after the referee signalled his ejection, Bynum then took off his shirt in front of the Dallas crowd as he walked off the court.
I saw both flagrant fouls and thought that Odom's was forgivable, but not Bynum's. Kobe Bryant was clearly saddened and ashamed of his teammates' violent and immature behavior. The man does have class, I must say. But still, I will never again root for any team of which Andrew Bynum is a member, even if it's with Kobe Bryant.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
New Late Hour Haunt
I don't know how long this has been going on, but I just found a Starbucks that stays open until midnight, not far from my workplace. Seeing how I usually get off from work at 11 PM, this may be the start of something big. You see, when it comes to studying or writing I hit a mental energy "zone of darkness" when I get home. It's been this way my whole life. If I had known as a kid how utterly opposite I am from this when out in a public place like a coffee shop, I might have been a little more rebellious and pressed my parents for some time "out" to do my homework. Still, that was then and now is when I have the opportunity to affect my life the way I want to.
So as long as this place will accommodate me by staying open late, I plan to do business with them. And I have a long, long list of projects that can occupy my time here (I'm at this Starbucks right now).
But more than just studying out late at night, this is a convenient location for me to relax and wind down from my often stressful job. Not that I'm complaining: my job is good for me in many ways. But it is also good to have a brief transitional time between work and home.
So as long as this place will accommodate me by staying open late, I plan to do business with them. And I have a long, long list of projects that can occupy my time here (I'm at this Starbucks right now).
But more than just studying out late at night, this is a convenient location for me to relax and wind down from my often stressful job. Not that I'm complaining: my job is good for me in many ways. But it is also good to have a brief transitional time between work and home.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ten Mile Uncomfortable Run
Yesterday, I ran 10 miles (time 1:35:24). The temperatures stayed in the 70's throughout and the humidity was low. Still, I felt uncomfortable during the run, sensing aches in my legs and imagining that my injury was about to return. But at the end, nothing of the kind happened. Still, today I felt out of sorts and skipped my planned swim. We'll see what the weekend brings. Maybe I just need to take a day or two off from my workouts.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Swimming Progresses to Continuous Level
Yesterday I swam constantly for about 27 minutes at my YMCA's pool. Before this I used to take short "breather" breaks between laps. I swam in the shallow section, doing freestyle in one direction and then immediately a modified backstroke in the other. I discovered that I could go on indefinitely like this, but decided to cut it off at 27 minutes because I instinctively wanted to increase my time in a more gradual manner. Next swim is tomorrow: today is a running day!
My previous conclusion about what curtails my swimming distance seems to be correct: breathing is the limiting factor. Once I get habituated to a good breathing pattern that keeps me from building up an oxygen debt, I should swim on the same endurance level as I run.
My swimming strategy is now laid out. I will alternate freestyle with backstroke at about every 12 meters or so. As my breathing during freestyle becomes more efficient, I will increase my distance in that stroke relative to the backstroke. And it matters not where I'm swimming, either: I just need to count my strokes to determine the appropriate "flipping" moment. So tomorrow I plan to take this continuous swimming strategy and apply it to the longer 25-meter lanes at the pool. And try to swim longer than yesterday.
Somewhere along the line I also intend to integrate breaststroke and, later, the butterfly into my routine. Seems now that I should just be able to practice breaststroke as short segments of my continuous workout.
My previous conclusion about what curtails my swimming distance seems to be correct: breathing is the limiting factor. Once I get habituated to a good breathing pattern that keeps me from building up an oxygen debt, I should swim on the same endurance level as I run.
My swimming strategy is now laid out. I will alternate freestyle with backstroke at about every 12 meters or so. As my breathing during freestyle becomes more efficient, I will increase my distance in that stroke relative to the backstroke. And it matters not where I'm swimming, either: I just need to count my strokes to determine the appropriate "flipping" moment. So tomorrow I plan to take this continuous swimming strategy and apply it to the longer 25-meter lanes at the pool. And try to swim longer than yesterday.
Somewhere along the line I also intend to integrate breaststroke and, later, the butterfly into my routine. Seems now that I should just be able to practice breaststroke as short segments of my continuous workout.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Balanced Breathing in Swimming and Running
I was recently discussing with a friend my ongoing project of improving my breathing while swimming, to the point where I stop building up an oxygen debt and feel comfortable swimming for appreciably longer distances. She mentioned to me that she had previously had the same problem regarding running longer distances: she had to learn to achieve a balance with her breathing while running. I initially thought it unusual that someone might have trouble breathing while running. And then I took a walk down memory lane, back to my own childhood and my approach then to running.
When I was a kid, I ran at one speed: as fast as I could! There was no such thing as pacing myself. So when I ran, I ran all-out and soon would find myself gasping for air, having naturally incurred a great oxygen debt. It wasn't until I began to practice running longer distances in my mid-teens that I began to pace myself and establish a sort of peace between my running and my breathing. After this happened, I could run as long as I had the physical energy, barring any injury. I had figured out how to breathe while running so long ago (early 1970's) that I had at first missed the significance of my friend's remarks.
And this is the significance: even being a land creature with almost constant access to the open air, it took me several years to learn how to breathe in a sustaining way without building up oxygen debt. By contrast, I have been in water much, much less, having spent very little time or effort to balance out my "swimming" breathing. So I should feel encouraged with my progress so far, even though at times it seems like I'm just "treading water"!
When I was a kid, I ran at one speed: as fast as I could! There was no such thing as pacing myself. So when I ran, I ran all-out and soon would find myself gasping for air, having naturally incurred a great oxygen debt. It wasn't until I began to practice running longer distances in my mid-teens that I began to pace myself and establish a sort of peace between my running and my breathing. After this happened, I could run as long as I had the physical energy, barring any injury. I had figured out how to breathe while running so long ago (early 1970's) that I had at first missed the significance of my friend's remarks.
And this is the significance: even being a land creature with almost constant access to the open air, it took me several years to learn how to breathe in a sustaining way without building up oxygen debt. By contrast, I have been in water much, much less, having spent very little time or effort to balance out my "swimming" breathing. So I should feel encouraged with my progress so far, even though at times it seems like I'm just "treading water"!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Smoky Haze Looms
Being a runner, and one who doesn't confine this activity to an indoor treadmill, I have become a little concerned over the last couple of days about the explosion of brush fires, both in the Gainesville area and in northern Florida and southern Georgia in general. Not that I feel at all threatened by any fire: it is the smoky haze from them that ruins the air, making physical activity something that necessitates going indoors into air conditioning.
On my local TV news, it was reported that Gainesville and vicinity had experienced 30 such fires over the past week. Furthermore, with winds shifting to a northerly direction, those fires north of us are due to be sending their stinking haze in our direction. I experienced a few minutes of this yesterday morning, but the wind fortunately shifted again and it disappeared.
This morning I was apprehensive, wondering whether I would need to go to my YMCA and work out on the treadmill instead of my much-preferred road running through the neighborhood. But at about 10:45, I stepped outside and the air smelled clean. I ran my 7.18 mile course with ease, only limited by time restrictions. Let's see how it is on Thursday, when I'll be setting out on another run, possibly a long one (10 miles plus).
Tomorrow I have scheduled myself to swim, so I'm still going to be outside. Hopefully, my string of luck will continue and we'll avoid the haze in Gainesville. But more than anything, we need a lot of rain around here. That may sound incredible, considering the horrendous storms and flooding the southeastern U.S. has been experiencing lately.
On my local TV news, it was reported that Gainesville and vicinity had experienced 30 such fires over the past week. Furthermore, with winds shifting to a northerly direction, those fires north of us are due to be sending their stinking haze in our direction. I experienced a few minutes of this yesterday morning, but the wind fortunately shifted again and it disappeared.
This morning I was apprehensive, wondering whether I would need to go to my YMCA and work out on the treadmill instead of my much-preferred road running through the neighborhood. But at about 10:45, I stepped outside and the air smelled clean. I ran my 7.18 mile course with ease, only limited by time restrictions. Let's see how it is on Thursday, when I'll be setting out on another run, possibly a long one (10 miles plus).
Tomorrow I have scheduled myself to swim, so I'm still going to be outside. Hopefully, my string of luck will continue and we'll avoid the haze in Gainesville. But more than anything, we need a lot of rain around here. That may sound incredible, considering the horrendous storms and flooding the southeastern U.S. has been experiencing lately.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Forget Unity from the Right Over Bin Laden
With the news about the killing of international mass-murderer Osama Bin Laden only hours old, I tuned in to my local extreme right-wing talk show radio station expecting to hear some short-term moments of national unity. You know, unity behind our president Barack Obama, who is strongly responsible for this outcome. It was the morning show with local Rush Limbaugh-wannabe Bob Rose. He was in the middle of taking calls. The first I heard was some dude angrily claiming that if it were Bush who had done this, then the "lefties" would be all over themselves criticizing him. "Rush" Rose said nothing for or against this comment. The next call-in was someone espousing the view that, a-ha, NOW he knows why Obama just went to the trouble to release his birth certificate. To which Rose should have replied, "WTF are you talking about, you irrational, crazy moron?" But he let that caller also go without any correction. These folks, after all, represent Rose's listening base of frightened, liberal-hating ideologues and he knows where his paycheck comes from. Finally, the esteemed local host took a minute away from the phones to make a statement to the effect that some of the previous callers should realize that this is a time of unity for the country as a whole and they don't need to be overcritical. Then he immediately pondered about GITMO, how information leading to the location of Bin Laden's hangout may have been obtained there from detainees, and oh by the way, didn't Obama and his liberal buddies want to close it down? All this almost in one breath.
So I see little hope for anything resembling the national unity expressed for President Bush immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Furthermore, I have a prediction: in the ensuing days, a conspiracy theory will develop, probably viewable on YouTube and passed around on "hate" radio and FoxHateNews: it was all faked, Obama knew he needed to "get" Bin Laden to be reelected and made a deal with him to "disappear" in exchange for his faked killing. After all, he had been living right there all along among the Pakistani military, our allies. And didn't they get rid of that body pretty conveniently fast? I further predict that at least one of the GOP presidential hopefuls will embrace this nutty fabrication and actually gain traction over it with the party's "base".
You should be able to see this coming: too many people utterly despise our president and will never credit him with doing anything good...
******
... I see tonight's Colbert Report ripped off my short-but-sweet article from yesterday. Now where's my lawyer....
So I see little hope for anything resembling the national unity expressed for President Bush immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Furthermore, I have a prediction: in the ensuing days, a conspiracy theory will develop, probably viewable on YouTube and passed around on "hate" radio and FoxHateNews: it was all faked, Obama knew he needed to "get" Bin Laden to be reelected and made a deal with him to "disappear" in exchange for his faked killing. After all, he had been living right there all along among the Pakistani military, our allies. And didn't they get rid of that body pretty conveniently fast? I further predict that at least one of the GOP presidential hopefuls will embrace this nutty fabrication and actually gain traction over it with the party's "base".
You should be able to see this coming: too many people utterly despise our president and will never credit him with doing anything good...
******
... I see tonight's Colbert Report ripped off my short-but-sweet article from yesterday. Now where's my lawyer....
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Too Many Books Adhering to Murder Formula
I was walking through my local Books-a-Million the other day, wondering how all of these successful general-fiction writers come up with successful story plot lines. I entered one of the aisles, looked around to make sure that there wasn't anyone I might accidentally bump into or trip over (many B-a-M customers like to sit on the floor), and closed my eyes. And then reached over to my right and pulled out the first book I touched. It was about a serial killer. Placing it back on the shelf, I then walked down a couple of steps and repeated myself. So did the book I picked: another serial killer story.
I stopped the experiment and began to examine book after book. No, I wasn't in the mystery section, but most of the books had as their premise a murderer on the loose. And then it hit me: books are marketed nowadays according to formulae similar to how popular music is marketed and played on broadcast radio. And instead of the diversity of stories that should be available, we end up getting a relatively sparse number of very successful authors churning out minor variations of their own (and each other's) works, much like the annoying homogeneity of crap being passed as music on broadcast radio. Yuck...
So I wonder how many aspiring writers have eschewed the overworked serial murderer story line and tried writing material of a more offbeat nature, resulting in their stories either never being published or suffering poor promotion leading to their lack of exposure in major book outlets.
Maybe I should write a parody of these tedious and ultimately boring serial killer books, but try to sell it as a serious work and see what happens. A kind of literary Spinal Tap, if you will...
I stopped the experiment and began to examine book after book. No, I wasn't in the mystery section, but most of the books had as their premise a murderer on the loose. And then it hit me: books are marketed nowadays according to formulae similar to how popular music is marketed and played on broadcast radio. And instead of the diversity of stories that should be available, we end up getting a relatively sparse number of very successful authors churning out minor variations of their own (and each other's) works, much like the annoying homogeneity of crap being passed as music on broadcast radio. Yuck...
So I wonder how many aspiring writers have eschewed the overworked serial murderer story line and tried writing material of a more offbeat nature, resulting in their stories either never being published or suffering poor promotion leading to their lack of exposure in major book outlets.
Maybe I should write a parody of these tedious and ultimately boring serial killer books, but try to sell it as a serious work and see what happens. A kind of literary Spinal Tap, if you will...
Friday, April 29, 2011
Boda Real is Real Bull
Let's be clear about this: I am an American. And if there's one thing that is clearly positive about my heritage as an American, it is that my country was founded as a republic, divorced from the curse of royalty. Places with kings, queens, princes, princesses, czars, sultans, emperors,... however you may designate them, are plagued with essentially worthless people who inherit shameless amounts of wealth and have completely unmerited power to influence events in their countries. It is true that in today's world, most royalty is chiefly ceremonial and symbolic. But a lot of the reason for this change has been bloody revolts and wars against autocratic royal despots in the past. And to think that people are getting all excited and teary-eyed about a prince marrying his girlfriend in England? Unbelievable!
What makes things even worse are two buried news stories occurring at the same general time as this ludicrous event. Three hundred people, i.e. American people, have violently perished at the hands of an historic storm system that unleashed hundreds of tornadoes on heavily populated areas, chiefly in northern Alabama. And another historic event, the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavor, with its very important cargo for studying the basic nature of the universe, was slated for Friday (but postponed for at least two days due to last-minute technical problems). But no, let's push these stories to the background, dress our journalists and announcers in ridiculous costumes, and fly them overseas for non-stop coverage of this non-event!
What I think is also funny (or sad, depending on how you look at it) is how even much more engrossed in the British "boda real" my Spanish-language television station Univision has been, apparently in response to its viewing audience. This floors me, especially considering that for most of the Latin American countries, their struggle for independence from hegemonistic European royalty was even more traumatic than was the Americans' struggle against the British during the Revolutionary War.
But I suppose that part of this fascination with today's wedding stems from our childhood memories of so many stories revolving around royalty. So instead of being realistic about how parasitic on society the REAL royalty is, we impose our fantasy visions on these basically common, ordinary people and elevate them to an undeserving status.
What makes things even worse are two buried news stories occurring at the same general time as this ludicrous event. Three hundred people, i.e. American people, have violently perished at the hands of an historic storm system that unleashed hundreds of tornadoes on heavily populated areas, chiefly in northern Alabama. And another historic event, the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavor, with its very important cargo for studying the basic nature of the universe, was slated for Friday (but postponed for at least two days due to last-minute technical problems). But no, let's push these stories to the background, dress our journalists and announcers in ridiculous costumes, and fly them overseas for non-stop coverage of this non-event!
What I think is also funny (or sad, depending on how you look at it) is how even much more engrossed in the British "boda real" my Spanish-language television station Univision has been, apparently in response to its viewing audience. This floors me, especially considering that for most of the Latin American countries, their struggle for independence from hegemonistic European royalty was even more traumatic than was the Americans' struggle against the British during the Revolutionary War.
But I suppose that part of this fascination with today's wedding stems from our childhood memories of so many stories revolving around royalty. So instead of being realistic about how parasitic on society the REAL royalty is, we impose our fantasy visions on these basically common, ordinary people and elevate them to an undeserving status.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Ten-Mile Run Ahead of Killer Storm
Well, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic. But I did run ten miles late this morning, and it WAS ahead of a massive frontal storm system that, at last report, is responsible for at least 170 deaths throughout the southeastern U.S.. The front seems to have dipped to the northern fringe of Florida, just missing Gainesville. But some spinoff storms still cut through the area later today (but not anything like the devastation visited elsewhere, especially Alabama). Ironically, it was this front that largely helped me to reach ten miles by providing welcome shade with clouds leading ahead of it. And it never rained during the run, although a few sprinkles probably would have enhanced it.
The run was done under generally unpleasant weather conditions: the temperature ranged from 78 degrees at the start to 86 at the end. Humidity dropped during the run from a sticky 74% to a more manageable 63%.
My ten-mile run time was 1:36:40, reflecting my stubbornly predictable and comfortable long-distance running pace.
It certainly does raise my spirits to be able to return to a regular running routine. Once again, there was no hint throughout this workout that I had ever suffered any injury. Hooray! But that personal encouragement is tempered with the sadness over this terrible storm system's casualties.
The run was done under generally unpleasant weather conditions: the temperature ranged from 78 degrees at the start to 86 at the end. Humidity dropped during the run from a sticky 74% to a more manageable 63%.
My ten-mile run time was 1:36:40, reflecting my stubbornly predictable and comfortable long-distance running pace.
It certainly does raise my spirits to be able to return to a regular running routine. Once again, there was no hint throughout this workout that I had ever suffered any injury. Hooray! But that personal encouragement is tempered with the sadness over this terrible storm system's casualties.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Is Kobe the Best Right Now?
I was listening earlier today to a sports talk show on the radio (I think it was ESPN). The question being discussed was who the best player in basketball is right now. The announcers settled on Kobe Bryant. One of them pointed out that, in last night's playoff game against New Orleans, Bryant made a couple of stunning plays to the basket that only he could make. And he was supposedly nursing an ankle injury!
Well, apparently there wasn't any ankle injury and Bryant had been using it as an excuse for his lackluster play against the Hornets so far. Then last night, in the second quarter (after a very slow first quarter), he suddenly "made his statement" and his Los Angeles Lakers won to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. But does that show him to be the best player right now?
Remember, the announcers were referring to the present and not to the span of a player's career. Kobe Bryant has a solid claim to a "career best player" for his impressive total of NBA championship rings. But his performance lately has been spotty and erratic, to say the least. For me, I place much greater store in consistent greatness. Chicago's Derrick Rose and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, by that standard, have shown themselves to be much greater than Kobe Bryant. Right now.
Kobe Bryant, like Miami's Lebron James, has enormous talent, talent which at times is breathtaking. But much of the time in a game, at least as I see it, both of these superstar athletes simply won't play up to the level that they are capable of. It creates frustration for their teams' fans as they wonder when, if ever, their hero is finally going to get himself in the mood to "turn it on" in a game. For me, I come away from the experience with a feeling of having been manipulated somehow. I certainly wouldn't elevate someone like this to the title of "best".
Well, apparently there wasn't any ankle injury and Bryant had been using it as an excuse for his lackluster play against the Hornets so far. Then last night, in the second quarter (after a very slow first quarter), he suddenly "made his statement" and his Los Angeles Lakers won to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. But does that show him to be the best player right now?
Remember, the announcers were referring to the present and not to the span of a player's career. Kobe Bryant has a solid claim to a "career best player" for his impressive total of NBA championship rings. But his performance lately has been spotty and erratic, to say the least. For me, I place much greater store in consistent greatness. Chicago's Derrick Rose and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, by that standard, have shown themselves to be much greater than Kobe Bryant. Right now.
Kobe Bryant, like Miami's Lebron James, has enormous talent, talent which at times is breathtaking. But much of the time in a game, at least as I see it, both of these superstar athletes simply won't play up to the level that they are capable of. It creates frustration for their teams' fans as they wonder when, if ever, their hero is finally going to get himself in the mood to "turn it on" in a game. For me, I come away from the experience with a feeling of having been manipulated somehow. I certainly wouldn't elevate someone like this to the title of "best".
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Is My Injury Recovery Complete?
On March 22, I began to experience some familiar pain from my January IT band injury (in my right leg just below the knee) while on a neighborhood run, around the four-mile mark. I prudently laid off running for a weak to aid in my healing. Since then...
Starting on March 29 and including today, I have run on ten different occasions and amassed 57.5 miles. No pain! Today was a breakthrough of sorts: I ran on the road around my neighborhood for 8.15 miles (time 1:15:12) and only ended my run because, frankly, I had fallen out of shape due to resting from the injury and was too tired to continue (and it was hot and humid to boot). But no pain in the injured area.
So have I fully recovered? I might as well act as if I have, since it will probably take some time to gradually build my distance back up to the level I had previously enjoyed. But with several recent runs of over seven miles, I am already in the lower mileage level of the area I want to get to! I would just like to add a longer run, around 13-14 miles, once a week, and I will be content with running again.
Yes, I don't think it will be long before I am participating again in various community road races. Unfortunately, with the oncoming hot summer, they may be few and far between.
Starting on March 29 and including today, I have run on ten different occasions and amassed 57.5 miles. No pain! Today was a breakthrough of sorts: I ran on the road around my neighborhood for 8.15 miles (time 1:15:12) and only ended my run because, frankly, I had fallen out of shape due to resting from the injury and was too tired to continue (and it was hot and humid to boot). But no pain in the injured area.
So have I fully recovered? I might as well act as if I have, since it will probably take some time to gradually build my distance back up to the level I had previously enjoyed. But with several recent runs of over seven miles, I am already in the lower mileage level of the area I want to get to! I would just like to add a longer run, around 13-14 miles, once a week, and I will be content with running again.
Yes, I don't think it will be long before I am participating again in various community road races. Unfortunately, with the oncoming hot summer, they may be few and far between.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Final Endeavor Mission Slated For Friday Liftoff
The space shuttle program is winding down as another shuttle, Endeavor, is scheduled for its final launch this Friday. There is so little popular interest in our space program anymore that it probably would have been largely ignored by the media were it not for the human interest angle with astronaut Mark Kelly being on of the crew. Kelly is the husband of recently-shot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who apparently will be able to watch the launch.
It is a shame that so many care little or nothing about space exploration. To me, it represents the future of science and carries enormous significance for our ability to maintain our fragile Earth's ability to sustain life. But public apathy has instead allowed NASA, the federal agency charged with the responsibility of setting our goals and implementing them, to escape the needed scrutiny it needs to avoid slipping into a weighted-down bureaucracy instead of a dynamic, tightly managed organization with clear and ambitious missions.
When our last president presented his plan to go back to the moon and set up a permanent base there, the press reacted to it as if it were just a lame, fill-in news story. Soon after Bush laid out his vision, the story quickly died.
Space travel has little political traction with the ideological polarization currently intensifying in our country. The political right sees anything to do with the government as being inherently evil (unless it involves increasing discrimination against minorities and the poor, depriving women of reproductive freedom, promoting one particular religious worldview over others, or funding the military to ridiculous levels). The political left, on the other hand, seems to delight in negatively comparing public spending on space exploration to entitlement programs that it would like to see strengthened (the old "we can send a man to the moon but we won't help the poor" argument).
Hopefully, private industry will step in and help to revitalize space exploration. But don't expect a lot of media coverage on this. After all, the commercial news media of today is more interested in anticipating public interest for its stories, not creating it. Too bad.
It is a shame that so many care little or nothing about space exploration. To me, it represents the future of science and carries enormous significance for our ability to maintain our fragile Earth's ability to sustain life. But public apathy has instead allowed NASA, the federal agency charged with the responsibility of setting our goals and implementing them, to escape the needed scrutiny it needs to avoid slipping into a weighted-down bureaucracy instead of a dynamic, tightly managed organization with clear and ambitious missions.
When our last president presented his plan to go back to the moon and set up a permanent base there, the press reacted to it as if it were just a lame, fill-in news story. Soon after Bush laid out his vision, the story quickly died.
Space travel has little political traction with the ideological polarization currently intensifying in our country. The political right sees anything to do with the government as being inherently evil (unless it involves increasing discrimination against minorities and the poor, depriving women of reproductive freedom, promoting one particular religious worldview over others, or funding the military to ridiculous levels). The political left, on the other hand, seems to delight in negatively comparing public spending on space exploration to entitlement programs that it would like to see strengthened (the old "we can send a man to the moon but we won't help the poor" argument).
Hopefully, private industry will step in and help to revitalize space exploration. But don't expect a lot of media coverage on this. After all, the commercial news media of today is more interested in anticipating public interest for its stories, not creating it. Too bad.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Annoying Late Night for Me
Sometimes work can be a bit stressful toward the end of my shift, approaching 11 PM. After I get off from work, I would like to find a relatively quiet public place to unwind with a little decaf coffee and then go home. Try finding such a place in Gainesville, though! Still, I'm making it a kind of quest: surely there is someplace that isn't too loud, excessively lit, full of obnoxious people, and serves coffee that time of night...
The other night after a particularly stress-inducing shift, I went to my local 24-hour Krispy Kreme to find some solace and coffee. Mistake. There was a long line of customers as I entered, so I sat down and waited, pulling out a notebook to read. Only I couldn't read, everyone was so loud. And argumentative. It seems that some of the customers were irate because the red "hot doughnuts" sign wasn't on yet, and they wanted their doughnuts HOT, dammit. Then the comatose-looking attendant behind the counter asked a woman customer what she wanted, to which she replied a dozen glazed. This angered another customer, who had already ordered and was waiting for his dozen glazed doughnuts (are you beginning to see how irrational these people were). The woman actually apologized to the man for her order, probably realizing what a nutcase he was. All this and a myriad other conversations seemed to be amplified by the place's acoustics. And the lighting there would befit an interrogation room. Well, I eased on out of that joint and wrote off my experience as a lesson learned...
Maybe tonight I'll try one of those all-night restaurants where they expect you to order complete meals (like at IHOP or Perkins). Then I'll just sit there like the goth kids on South Park, annoying the servers by ordering only coffee and sitting there glued to the seat!
The other night after a particularly stress-inducing shift, I went to my local 24-hour Krispy Kreme to find some solace and coffee. Mistake. There was a long line of customers as I entered, so I sat down and waited, pulling out a notebook to read. Only I couldn't read, everyone was so loud. And argumentative. It seems that some of the customers were irate because the red "hot doughnuts" sign wasn't on yet, and they wanted their doughnuts HOT, dammit. Then the comatose-looking attendant behind the counter asked a woman customer what she wanted, to which she replied a dozen glazed. This angered another customer, who had already ordered and was waiting for his dozen glazed doughnuts (are you beginning to see how irrational these people were). The woman actually apologized to the man for her order, probably realizing what a nutcase he was. All this and a myriad other conversations seemed to be amplified by the place's acoustics. And the lighting there would befit an interrogation room. Well, I eased on out of that joint and wrote off my experience as a lesson learned...
Maybe tonight I'll try one of those all-night restaurants where they expect you to order complete meals (like at IHOP or Perkins). Then I'll just sit there like the goth kids on South Park, annoying the servers by ordering only coffee and sitting there glued to the seat!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Annoying Day for Me
Today was one of those interesting days I could do without, for the most part. For most of the morning, after I drove my daughter to school, I was too tired to do anything but sleep. So I slept in. Finally, at the last minute I decided to try another seven-mile run around the neighborhood. By then the temperature had climbed to the mid-eighties outside, making the run somewhat grueling. But I completed it nonetheless and was quite self-congratulatory as I walked back up to my front door, keys in hand. Only I had the wrong set of keys; my house key was locked up inside the house. With nobody home inside this time of day, I had to spend the next twenty minutes creeping around the house trying to find a way to break in. Finally, just about when I had given up hope, I found a way. But then I thought this is a security problem. If I could get in this way, then an intruder could as well. So I fixed that breach, making the next time I lock myself out of my house an assured disaster!
I had just enough time to wash up and get ready for work. But right after I started my car, it instantly died on me, completely. Great, now I was going to be late for work and who knows what was wrong with the car. After getting on the phone with my auto repairman, he suggested that I tighten the battery connections. Sure enough, when I did that the power came back on and I was only a few minutes late for work.
Even after that, the day dragged on and I felt sluggish and weak. Usually after a good run I am pretty sharp, so I wondered why. And then it hit me: I hadn't had any coffee all day! At my first break at 4:30, I drank a big cup and everything improved from then on.
It's interesting how predicaments like locking oneself out of the house or having the car inexplicably shut down can seem so catastrophic while they are going on. But looking back from my perspective just a few hours later, it all now seems rather trivial, not to mention funny!
I had just enough time to wash up and get ready for work. But right after I started my car, it instantly died on me, completely. Great, now I was going to be late for work and who knows what was wrong with the car. After getting on the phone with my auto repairman, he suggested that I tighten the battery connections. Sure enough, when I did that the power came back on and I was only a few minutes late for work.
Even after that, the day dragged on and I felt sluggish and weak. Usually after a good run I am pretty sharp, so I wondered why. And then it hit me: I hadn't had any coffee all day! At my first break at 4:30, I drank a big cup and everything improved from then on.
It's interesting how predicaments like locking oneself out of the house or having the car inexplicably shut down can seem so catastrophic while they are going on. But looking back from my perspective just a few hours later, it all now seems rather trivial, not to mention funny!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Swimming and Breathing
Sunday at the mega-used-book sale here in Gainesville I spent 50 cents on a swimming guide. It gave some tips for how to breathe while swimming. One was to practice breathing in the water by standing in place with the water at about shoulder level. Quickly inhale through the mouth and then dip under water by bending the knees. Slowly exhale through the nose and then briefly emerge to inhale again. Keep repeating indefinitely, if you can. For if you can do this without building up an oxygen debt or starting to gasp for air, then you have a working model for breathing while swimming. Or at least that's what the book implies.
In practice, it is different to do this while swimming. I am thinking about a lot of things besides breathing. I am balancing my body and concentrating on how I am positioning my arms, torso, and legs at any given moment. Most of the time (when I am swimming freestyle) my head is under water, so naturally I have to delay my breathing until my stroke is at the stage where my head is momentarily turned sideways out of the water. So the bobbing practice pushed in the book is helpful, but not entirely adequate.
Today I worked on my breathing at the pool, and it continues to be a work in progress. But I did learn something very significant today: I don't really tire much while swimming. My rest periods between laps are almost entirely because I am catching my breath, not because of any energy drain. And that gives me hope, because I am shortening those rest intervals with each time I go to the pool.
In practice, it is different to do this while swimming. I am thinking about a lot of things besides breathing. I am balancing my body and concentrating on how I am positioning my arms, torso, and legs at any given moment. Most of the time (when I am swimming freestyle) my head is under water, so naturally I have to delay my breathing until my stroke is at the stage where my head is momentarily turned sideways out of the water. So the bobbing practice pushed in the book is helpful, but not entirely adequate.
Today I worked on my breathing at the pool, and it continues to be a work in progress. But I did learn something very significant today: I don't really tire much while swimming. My rest periods between laps are almost entirely because I am catching my breath, not because of any energy drain. And that gives me hope, because I am shortening those rest intervals with each time I go to the pool.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Enjoying NBA Playoffs
I'm enjoying the National Basketball Association playoffs this year immensely. There have been some unexpectedly close games and some upsets as well. New York-Boston, Indiana-Chicago, Atlanta-Orlando, Philadelphia-Miami, Los Angeles-New Orleans, San Antonio-Memphis, Denver-Oklahoma City, and Dallas-Portland (the game I am currently watching) have all had competitive, interesting games (well, except for the latest Philadelphia-Miami game). The favorites have usually won, but even then the games have generally been tense and close, going down to the final minute in most cases.
I love this time of the year. NBA playoffs are a great source of entertainment for me. It's funny seeing how some players get traded from one team to another but somehow seem to be in the playoff picture every year!
This year I like Boston in the Eastern Conference and San Antonio in the West. The teams I am absolutely opposed to are Miami in the East and Oklahoma City in the West. My aversion to the Oklahoma City Thunder is probably irrational as I had always liked the franchise's previous location and name: the Seattle Supersonics. Oh well, at least they had enough sense to change the nickname when they moved, unlike the ridiculous Utah Jazz (formerly of New Orleans) and the even more ridiculous Memphis Grizzlies (formerly of Vancouver).
I love this time of the year. NBA playoffs are a great source of entertainment for me. It's funny seeing how some players get traded from one team to another but somehow seem to be in the playoff picture every year!
This year I like Boston in the Eastern Conference and San Antonio in the West. The teams I am absolutely opposed to are Miami in the East and Oklahoma City in the West. My aversion to the Oklahoma City Thunder is probably irrational as I had always liked the franchise's previous location and name: the Seattle Supersonics. Oh well, at least they had enough sense to change the nickname when they moved, unlike the ridiculous Utah Jazz (formerly of New Orleans) and the even more ridiculous Memphis Grizzlies (formerly of Vancouver).
Monday, April 18, 2011
Ditto to Karl Rove (This Time)
Karl Rove and I are seeing eye-to-eye, and that bothers me. For years I had regarded him as one of the chief culprits responsible for George W. Bush's shift to an ideological, right-wing presidency after initially running in 2000 as a moderate who could unite the country behind him (as he successfully had done with Texas as its governor). It was Bush's stubbornness during the initial months of 2001 in refusing to work with the Democrats in Congress that led me to switch my party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. So Rove is not exactly on my list of most-admired.
But Karl Rove has lately been quite vocal in his denunciation of new presidential hopeful Donald Trump, even calling him a "joke candidate". Why? Because Trump, who could have run strongly on his credentials as a very successful businessman qualified to take on the nation's economic problems as president, instead decided to go off the deep end and focus on Obama's birthplace, siding with the fringe "birther" movement that claims the current president to be illegally in office because he was supposedly born abroad and not in Hawaii. I initially had welcomed Trump's entry into the race until he showed that, beyond his business acumen, he was nuttier than a fruitcake.
But even setting aside the Trump nonsense, I find myself agreeing somewhat with Karl Rove, who wants there to be a field of stronger GOP candidates than there is right now. When November 2012 comes around, I want to have a choice between two candidates, either of whom I feel confident to be qualified to take over the reins of power in 2013. The last thing I want is for some simplistic demagogue to make it into office by repeating Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh's talking points. But except for Mitt Romney (who at least has a record in office of being reasonable, although he now is understandably trying to ingratiate himself with the party's right wing), I see no one who doesn't fit this description.
I don't think that Mr. Rove wants the Republicans to nominate political bomb-throwers like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, or Michelle Bachmann for the simple reason that their nomination would almost automatically guarantee Obama a second term. Rove wants the GOP to unite early in the campaign around a strong candidate who can win over independent and moderate voters, something crucial for their election in 2012. Instead, the Republicans may end up crippled with extremist teabaggers rejecting any moderation during the primary season and nominating a nutcase to run against Obama in the general election. Neither Rove nor I want this to happen.
But Karl Rove has lately been quite vocal in his denunciation of new presidential hopeful Donald Trump, even calling him a "joke candidate". Why? Because Trump, who could have run strongly on his credentials as a very successful businessman qualified to take on the nation's economic problems as president, instead decided to go off the deep end and focus on Obama's birthplace, siding with the fringe "birther" movement that claims the current president to be illegally in office because he was supposedly born abroad and not in Hawaii. I initially had welcomed Trump's entry into the race until he showed that, beyond his business acumen, he was nuttier than a fruitcake.
But even setting aside the Trump nonsense, I find myself agreeing somewhat with Karl Rove, who wants there to be a field of stronger GOP candidates than there is right now. When November 2012 comes around, I want to have a choice between two candidates, either of whom I feel confident to be qualified to take over the reins of power in 2013. The last thing I want is for some simplistic demagogue to make it into office by repeating Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh's talking points. But except for Mitt Romney (who at least has a record in office of being reasonable, although he now is understandably trying to ingratiate himself with the party's right wing), I see no one who doesn't fit this description.
I don't think that Mr. Rove wants the Republicans to nominate political bomb-throwers like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, or Michelle Bachmann for the simple reason that their nomination would almost automatically guarantee Obama a second term. Rove wants the GOP to unite early in the campaign around a strong candidate who can win over independent and moderate voters, something crucial for their election in 2012. Instead, the Republicans may end up crippled with extremist teabaggers rejecting any moderation during the primary season and nominating a nutcase to run against Obama in the general election. Neither Rove nor I want this to happen.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friends of the Library Sale: My Visit
Today Melissa and I went to the semi-annual Alachua County Friends of the Library book sale. This is a major event in Gainesville, and it draws many people to a warehouse located just north of downtown, a warehouse loaded to the hilt with books of (almost) all types. There are also many used CDs, audio cassettes, vinyl records, DVDs, and VHS tapes. The sale began yesterday and will conclude on Wednesday. Melissa bought a few books and I bought a couple (an elementary school Chinese story reader (in Chinese) and a book explaining swimming techniques and strategies). Since more books are added to the shelves each day, it might behoove me to pay a return visit there Tuesday or Wednesday.
The crowds there didn't bother me at all, but then again I wasn't really passionately searching for specific titles. So if there was an area that was overcongested, I just went to the next that wasn't. Besides, looking for specific books can be a little nerve-wracking even without having to deal with others competing for browsing space: other than areas specified by genre, books are shelved in no particular order, so one must look at each book to cover an area. That's too much of a hassle for me.
As I walked through the warehouse, I wondered how many of the out-of-print books on sale there would ever make it to electronic media like Kindle or The Nook. And would the prices of these books be such that the same folks who visit this massive used book sale be willing to buy them?
The crowds there didn't bother me at all, but then again I wasn't really passionately searching for specific titles. So if there was an area that was overcongested, I just went to the next that wasn't. Besides, looking for specific books can be a little nerve-wracking even without having to deal with others competing for browsing space: other than areas specified by genre, books are shelved in no particular order, so one must look at each book to cover an area. That's too much of a hassle for me.
As I walked through the warehouse, I wondered how many of the out-of-print books on sale there would ever make it to electronic media like Kindle or The Nook. And would the prices of these books be such that the same folks who visit this massive used book sale be willing to buy them?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Bonds Guilty Verdict Baffling
I'm reading Thursday's news report of the verdict in the Barry Bonds perjury trial: guilty on one count, mistrials in the other three. The conviction wasn't for any perjury charge, though: Bonds is supposedly guilty of "obstructing justice" because he digressed and appeared "evasive" in his statements to the grand jury probing allegations that Bonds had purposefully taken injections of steroids and human growth hormone to boost his baseball performance. Uh-h-h, say that again?!
Bonds appeared in person as a "witness" before the grand jury, which in fact was there for one primary reason: to determine whether charges should be leveled at various alleged participants in the baseball doping scandal, Bonds himself one of them. I personally don't dig the idea that grand juries or congressional committees can subpoena people whom they know all along are the actual suspects of their investigations and then give them the third degree on the stand, probing and probing until they can catch them in some sort of contradiction. Then, in this "gotcha" game of theirs, they forget the original "crime" and level perjury charges against the witness. Only with Bonds, he wasn't convicted of perjury: it was for supplying information about his childhood and his friendship with personal trainer Greg Anderson, who has been tainted in the investigation. This information apparently didn't contribute much to the jury's knowledge about the case, but does that really constitute "obstruction of justice"? After all, Bonds was there in person. Anyone could have pressed him as much as they would have liked about any matter that they though was pertinent. The idea of a grand jury being incapable of doing this because they are not versed in legal intricacies is invalid: they have the power to recommend prosecution!
If being evasive when asked a question is a crime, then let's just go ahead and arrest all of our elected officials for the same thing every time one of them dodges a difficult question that a reporter poses to them. Or take me: once in my tenth grade English class I wrote a short, rambling paper off the top of my head summarizing a book that I never read and knew very little about, receiving my school's equivalent of a "B" grade on this assignment. Talk about an evasive narrative! Time to haul out the handcuffs and slap 'em on me, coppers!
Bonds appeared in person as a "witness" before the grand jury, which in fact was there for one primary reason: to determine whether charges should be leveled at various alleged participants in the baseball doping scandal, Bonds himself one of them. I personally don't dig the idea that grand juries or congressional committees can subpoena people whom they know all along are the actual suspects of their investigations and then give them the third degree on the stand, probing and probing until they can catch them in some sort of contradiction. Then, in this "gotcha" game of theirs, they forget the original "crime" and level perjury charges against the witness. Only with Bonds, he wasn't convicted of perjury: it was for supplying information about his childhood and his friendship with personal trainer Greg Anderson, who has been tainted in the investigation. This information apparently didn't contribute much to the jury's knowledge about the case, but does that really constitute "obstruction of justice"? After all, Bonds was there in person. Anyone could have pressed him as much as they would have liked about any matter that they though was pertinent. The idea of a grand jury being incapable of doing this because they are not versed in legal intricacies is invalid: they have the power to recommend prosecution!
If being evasive when asked a question is a crime, then let's just go ahead and arrest all of our elected officials for the same thing every time one of them dodges a difficult question that a reporter poses to them. Or take me: once in my tenth grade English class I wrote a short, rambling paper off the top of my head summarizing a book that I never read and knew very little about, receiving my school's equivalent of a "B" grade on this assignment. Talk about an evasive narrative! Time to haul out the handcuffs and slap 'em on me, coppers!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
My Kick-Ass 7-Mile Injury Recovery Run
Today I was more encouraged than ever about my recovery from the running injury to my right leg that hit me three months ago. This time I ran 7.18 miles around my neighborhood, experiencing no pain in the previously injured area just below my right knee. Now I am beginning to return to my running "comfort zone", having workouts of distances substantial enough to have the positive effects on my mind and body that I enjoyed so much last year. Never mind that the temperatures during the run were warm (78-81 degrees) or that I was tired and sweaty afterwards: this was a great triumph for me!
The 7.18 mile distance is the longest I have run pain-free since January 15, when I ran 26.6 miles. My time on today's run was typical for me, reflecting my habitual running pace: 1:08:04.
My ultimate goals with running are twofold:
(1) Return to a regimen of runs 3-4 times per week, with the distances ranging from 7 to 14 miles per run.
(2) Participate in half-marathons (13.1 miles) from now on (or in shorter-distance events).
And of course, as mentioned before, I also want to make swimming co-equal with running as an athletic activity. But if you read yesterday's article, you can see that I still have a long way to go before this is achieved.
The 7.18 mile distance is the longest I have run pain-free since January 15, when I ran 26.6 miles. My time on today's run was typical for me, reflecting my habitual running pace: 1:08:04.
My ultimate goals with running are twofold:
(1) Return to a regimen of runs 3-4 times per week, with the distances ranging from 7 to 14 miles per run.
(2) Participate in half-marathons (13.1 miles) from now on (or in shorter-distance events).
And of course, as mentioned before, I also want to make swimming co-equal with running as an athletic activity. But if you read yesterday's article, you can see that I still have a long way to go before this is achieved.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Swimming Compared to Running
Let me get this out first:
#1: I really, really, really want to become a good swimmer.
#2: I really, really, really want swimming to be an athletic activity of mine on an equal status as running.
and...
#3: I really, really, really am starting to see how this may not be at all feasible.
It all comes down to the sad fact that I am neither a dolphin nor a fish, so alas, I must create (or use some other party's creation of) an artificial environment in which I can temporarily depart from my naturally evolved tendencies as a land animal and "take the plunge'. If you're already lost, that just simply means that, to swim, I need first to find a pool to swim in!
Well, it just so happens that I already am a member in a pool-bearing YMCA, conveniently only a mile from my home. The only problem is that a lot of other folks like my YMCA's pool and want to use it, and not just for swimming laps. We have various swim teams, swimming classes, scuba diving classes, water aerobics, fitness groups, and of course, individual members in increasing numbers as the temperatures warm and the thought of a pool excursion becomes more and more attractive. And then there are the lap-swimmers, most of whom I am totally in awe regarding their ability to "do it", i.e. go back and forth across the 25-meter lanes without pausing, over and over again, no matter their age or apparent level of fitness. In spite of my near-adulation of these seasoned swimmers, they do represent a problem in that whenever I want to go swimming, I have to work around them.
Now let's look at running. Presuming that I am able to run, I can freaking run anywhere I want to, due to that now-fortunate fact that I am a land animal! And there is no premium on space with running: I can run even if there is a horde of runners going down the street! And there is no time limit either; I don't have to adjust my schedule to the select hours that the street is open, as is the case with the swimming pool.
I can run indoors at the YMCA on one of their treadmills, I can run down the streets of my neighborhood, I can run on a nearby track, I can run in my back yard, I can run through my house, ... hell, I can even just run in place! But if I want to swim, then I have to find somewhere to do that. And that ain't always so easy!
I have to hand it to my local YMCA: they have been good to swimmers, keeping their pool open throughout the winter as they have done. But they only have so much room in the pool, and there is already too much demand for access to it. I can only see this problem worsening as the season progresses through spring and into summer. There are other pools in Gainesville: one in the northeast section and the Westside Park pool, which for reasons only they know won't open this year until next month. So as it stands now, it is a hit-or-miss proposition whenever I prepare to go swimming as to whether I will actually have an available lane to swim in when I get there.
But not with running. I can just step outside my front door and go tearing down the road. It doesn't matter what else is going on: if it's storming outside I can go to that same YMCA and run on one of their many available treadmills...or as I said before I could even just run in place in my living room... while watching TV! Try swimming at home (without a swimming pool). Sorry, but the bathtub just doesn't cut it!
So availability really drastically separates swimming from running for me, even in a generally warm-weather state like Florida. There is also another difference between the two forms of physical activity...
When I have just finished a hot, sweaty, and tiring run, I feel like taking a shower, for sure. But just the same, the act of running makes me feel like I have somehow cleansed my body of toxins. But after a session in the pool swimming, I have the opposite feeling: I feel contaminated by the chlorine and god-knows-what-else was in the pool and--quick, get me into the shower and wash it all off!
#1: I really, really, really want to become a good swimmer.
#2: I really, really, really want swimming to be an athletic activity of mine on an equal status as running.
and...
#3: I really, really, really am starting to see how this may not be at all feasible.
It all comes down to the sad fact that I am neither a dolphin nor a fish, so alas, I must create (or use some other party's creation of) an artificial environment in which I can temporarily depart from my naturally evolved tendencies as a land animal and "take the plunge'. If you're already lost, that just simply means that, to swim, I need first to find a pool to swim in!
Well, it just so happens that I already am a member in a pool-bearing YMCA, conveniently only a mile from my home. The only problem is that a lot of other folks like my YMCA's pool and want to use it, and not just for swimming laps. We have various swim teams, swimming classes, scuba diving classes, water aerobics, fitness groups, and of course, individual members in increasing numbers as the temperatures warm and the thought of a pool excursion becomes more and more attractive. And then there are the lap-swimmers, most of whom I am totally in awe regarding their ability to "do it", i.e. go back and forth across the 25-meter lanes without pausing, over and over again, no matter their age or apparent level of fitness. In spite of my near-adulation of these seasoned swimmers, they do represent a problem in that whenever I want to go swimming, I have to work around them.
Now let's look at running. Presuming that I am able to run, I can freaking run anywhere I want to, due to that now-fortunate fact that I am a land animal! And there is no premium on space with running: I can run even if there is a horde of runners going down the street! And there is no time limit either; I don't have to adjust my schedule to the select hours that the street is open, as is the case with the swimming pool.
I can run indoors at the YMCA on one of their treadmills, I can run down the streets of my neighborhood, I can run on a nearby track, I can run in my back yard, I can run through my house, ... hell, I can even just run in place! But if I want to swim, then I have to find somewhere to do that. And that ain't always so easy!
I have to hand it to my local YMCA: they have been good to swimmers, keeping their pool open throughout the winter as they have done. But they only have so much room in the pool, and there is already too much demand for access to it. I can only see this problem worsening as the season progresses through spring and into summer. There are other pools in Gainesville: one in the northeast section and the Westside Park pool, which for reasons only they know won't open this year until next month. So as it stands now, it is a hit-or-miss proposition whenever I prepare to go swimming as to whether I will actually have an available lane to swim in when I get there.
But not with running. I can just step outside my front door and go tearing down the road. It doesn't matter what else is going on: if it's storming outside I can go to that same YMCA and run on one of their many available treadmills...or as I said before I could even just run in place in my living room... while watching TV! Try swimming at home (without a swimming pool). Sorry, but the bathtub just doesn't cut it!
So availability really drastically separates swimming from running for me, even in a generally warm-weather state like Florida. There is also another difference between the two forms of physical activity...
When I have just finished a hot, sweaty, and tiring run, I feel like taking a shower, for sure. But just the same, the act of running makes me feel like I have somehow cleansed my body of toxins. But after a session in the pool swimming, I have the opposite feeling: I feel contaminated by the chlorine and god-knows-what-else was in the pool and--quick, get me into the shower and wash it all off!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My String of Painless Runs
During the past few days, I have run on four different occasions:
April 5: 3.3 miles in 31:31
April 7: 5.8 miles in 53:24
April 10: 4.81 miles in 45:34
April 12: 6.2 miles in 57:04
The times are reflective of my typical overall pace when I am going out on longer runs: a comfortable lope between nine and ten minutes per mile. I have been more careful in my recovery from the leg injury I sustained in January. I have been mostly using the treadmill, but Sunday's 4.81 mile run was on the road. I have noticed that the treadmill creates a lesser shock on the legs upon impact, although with recovery I intend to gradually wean myself from it.
But the main news to report is that, in none of my runs did I experience any pain or even discomfort in my right knee area where my IT band injury was focused. Hooray! But I will continue to be cautiously optimistic while mixing my workouts with other activities. Like swimming, for example.
I have been assiduous with swimming on my off-days from running, doing multiple laps, gaining endurance, and practicing my breathing. I have also developed my breaststroke, although I still have a long way to go with it before I am comfortable swimming breaststroke 25-meter laps. But it seems to be the least tiring of the strokes, so learning it should add to my enjoyment of swimming.
April 5: 3.3 miles in 31:31
April 7: 5.8 miles in 53:24
April 10: 4.81 miles in 45:34
April 12: 6.2 miles in 57:04
The times are reflective of my typical overall pace when I am going out on longer runs: a comfortable lope between nine and ten minutes per mile. I have been more careful in my recovery from the leg injury I sustained in January. I have been mostly using the treadmill, but Sunday's 4.81 mile run was on the road. I have noticed that the treadmill creates a lesser shock on the legs upon impact, although with recovery I intend to gradually wean myself from it.
But the main news to report is that, in none of my runs did I experience any pain or even discomfort in my right knee area where my IT band injury was focused. Hooray! But I will continue to be cautiously optimistic while mixing my workouts with other activities. Like swimming, for example.
I have been assiduous with swimming on my off-days from running, doing multiple laps, gaining endurance, and practicing my breathing. I have also developed my breaststroke, although I still have a long way to go with it before I am comfortable swimming breaststroke 25-meter laps. But it seems to be the least tiring of the strokes, so learning it should add to my enjoyment of swimming.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sidewalks Not All They're Cracked Up to Be
I have a problem with sidewalks. They are supposed to be relatively safe paths for pedestrians to travel down, away from the dangers of street traffic. But the fact that most sidewalks are concrete, with cracks, makes them dangerous in themselves. Especially to those with various disabilities that limit their mobility. I'm thinking chiefly of the blind, near-blind, and elderly feeble. With the elderly a bad fall, because of their aged, brittle bones, can have a fatal cascading effect, and a bad fall can be as close as the next crack in a supposedly safe sidewalk. Cracks are put there to keep the expanding concrete intact, but what often happens is that shifts in the underlying ground will cause one segment of the sidewalk to lift slightly in relation to the next, causing a tripping hazard where the two segments meet. But one doesn't need to have a disability to be in danger: I have come close to some pretty awful falls myself while running on sidewalks.
And I don't know why concrete is used for sidewalks, anyway. Why not make all sidewalks from the same asphalt generally used for streets? That material, which incidentally is much softer of a surface to walk or run on than concrete, is not subject to the same cracking under pressure and thus doesn't require built-in cracks.
Last year (and into January this year), part of my long-distance training course involved running on sidewalks part of the way. I will not be doing this again, though. I must take care of my body and try to prevent injuries, especially to my feet, legs, and knees. It makes me wince to see others pounding down sidewalks while jogging, especially when I know that they have alternatives to this. I know at least that I won't be wincing at myself!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Are e-Readers for Me?
Today I walked into the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Jacksonville and tried out one of their demonstration models of The Nook electronic reader. I left more puzzled than ever as to why I would want to buy it.
For one, there are The Nook, Kindle, and iPad competing against each other in the e-reader market. What would happen if I were to invest in one of the readers that fizzled into extinction? Also, so what if I can download thousands of books onto my reader: for one, that means that I spent TENS of thousands of dollars on downloaded books and two, when am I going to find the time to read all of this stuff? Plus, I already have a FREE alternative to e-readers: the public library. I can look up a book online in the library's catalog and have it placed on hold at the branch library closest to me. When it's ready for pickup, I'll be notified. Then I can check it out for four weeks, with two renewals possible. And if they don't have the specific title I want? I can place a purchase suggestion, and they will in all probability buy it and have it ready for my checkout in the span of a few weeks.
There are other questions I have about e-readers, chief among them the portability of my purchases. I could see the feasibility of purchasing downloaded books if I were able to transfer them to newer e-readers or my home computer. What if I lose my e-reader or it becomes irreparably damaged? What happens to my purchased downloads on it and can they be replaced?
And what about the overwhelming amount of books that are out of print? E-readers are useless, unless of course those out-of-print books are eventually digitalized as well (this did happen with out-of-"print" musical records that became digitalized for computer and MP3 downloading).
I don't reject the idea of e-readers outright, but I am still a bit skeptical of their usefulness. For me right now, at least. Should my above-expressed concerns be addressed to my satisfaction in the future, though, I'm sure my opinion will change. But in the meantime, I am already swimming in abundant and quality reading material!
For one, there are The Nook, Kindle, and iPad competing against each other in the e-reader market. What would happen if I were to invest in one of the readers that fizzled into extinction? Also, so what if I can download thousands of books onto my reader: for one, that means that I spent TENS of thousands of dollars on downloaded books and two, when am I going to find the time to read all of this stuff? Plus, I already have a FREE alternative to e-readers: the public library. I can look up a book online in the library's catalog and have it placed on hold at the branch library closest to me. When it's ready for pickup, I'll be notified. Then I can check it out for four weeks, with two renewals possible. And if they don't have the specific title I want? I can place a purchase suggestion, and they will in all probability buy it and have it ready for my checkout in the span of a few weeks.
There are other questions I have about e-readers, chief among them the portability of my purchases. I could see the feasibility of purchasing downloaded books if I were able to transfer them to newer e-readers or my home computer. What if I lose my e-reader or it becomes irreparably damaged? What happens to my purchased downloads on it and can they be replaced?
And what about the overwhelming amount of books that are out of print? E-readers are useless, unless of course those out-of-print books are eventually digitalized as well (this did happen with out-of-"print" musical records that became digitalized for computer and MP3 downloading).
I don't reject the idea of e-readers outright, but I am still a bit skeptical of their usefulness. For me right now, at least. Should my above-expressed concerns be addressed to my satisfaction in the future, though, I'm sure my opinion will change. But in the meantime, I am already swimming in abundant and quality reading material!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
This Blog Now Four Years Old
Four years and one day ago, I began this blog. Now, some 1,300-plus articles later, it seems to be pretty much the same as how I began it: a hodgepodge of topics ranging from personal to philosophical to news and opinion to sports and entertainment. With a little weather thrown in on the side...
I don't know from day to day exactly what I will be writing about. Some days I either can't think of anything or I don't have the time, and that day lapses as a gap in the blog. But for the most part, I have tried successfully to publish something on a daily basis (even if it's silly).
I have no intention to end this blog anytime soon. In fact, I have some ideas up my sleeve to increase readership. But I will continue along the same format I have been using.
By the way, feel free to ready ANY of the many articles I have written since April 2007 and comment on any you'd like: I will read them all (and maybe comment on your comment). And there's no need to identify yourself either: just comment anonymously or leave a pseudonym instead of your actual name if you prefer.
I don't know from day to day exactly what I will be writing about. Some days I either can't think of anything or I don't have the time, and that day lapses as a gap in the blog. But for the most part, I have tried successfully to publish something on a daily basis (even if it's silly).
I have no intention to end this blog anytime soon. In fact, I have some ideas up my sleeve to increase readership. But I will continue along the same format I have been using.
By the way, feel free to ready ANY of the many articles I have written since April 2007 and comment on any you'd like: I will read them all (and maybe comment on your comment). And there's no need to identify yourself either: just comment anonymously or leave a pseudonym instead of your actual name if you prefer.
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Federal Debt Impasse and Shutdown
I don't want a federal government shutdown, but I applaud the president for not (yet) caving in to Republican demands, which go far beyond simply exercising fiscal restraint. If practicing fiscal responsibility were the single overriding factor in the GOP's push in congress this year, then I would be inclined to be sympathetic and supportive of their efforts. But unfortunately, their actions betray their words. For one, they keep insisting on deepening the deficit much more by giving tax breaks to the rich. Their chief argument for this is that it will stimulate economic growth. The irony is that the very same people condemned the Democrats a couple of years ago for their economic stimulus plan because it would increase the deficit. For another, the Republicans are tacking on a social agenda that kowtows to their religious base and to right-wing media. So we have demands to end any federal funding relating to an organization promoting family planning (which includes possible abortion decisions, although federal funds are already prohibited by law from being applied specifically there) as well as calls to completely cut off public broadcasting. These demands do very little to bring down the deficit, but they serve to shore up the base in their party.
President Obama really has no choice but to stand firm. His party has already gone far enough to accommodate Republican deficit concerns by essentially agreeing to an earlier GOP proposal cutting $30 billion. But it seems that with each step the Democrats take to reach an agreement, the Republicans step back further and make more demands. I am convinced that the Republicans want this shutdown and believe that they can turn it to their political advantage. And who knows, with the way the American voters turned to wacko fringe right-wing elements in the 2010 election, they may be right. To steal a line from Michael Moore, "Dude, where's my country?"
President Obama is not an extreme left-wing president as his political opponents have alleged. If anything, he has shown himself to be a collaborator, always searching out coalitions and compromises. This is not necessarily a positive trait, though. The health care reform act, which received almost zero Republican support, nevertheless was watered down so much during its legislation through various amendments and compromises that it is now only a shadow of its original vision. That Obama allowed Libya's Gadhafi time to regroup while seeking an international consensus for military intervention has created a bloody stalemate there.
It's about time that our president draw a line and adhere to it. Now.
President Obama really has no choice but to stand firm. His party has already gone far enough to accommodate Republican deficit concerns by essentially agreeing to an earlier GOP proposal cutting $30 billion. But it seems that with each step the Democrats take to reach an agreement, the Republicans step back further and make more demands. I am convinced that the Republicans want this shutdown and believe that they can turn it to their political advantage. And who knows, with the way the American voters turned to wacko fringe right-wing elements in the 2010 election, they may be right. To steal a line from Michael Moore, "Dude, where's my country?"
President Obama is not an extreme left-wing president as his political opponents have alleged. If anything, he has shown himself to be a collaborator, always searching out coalitions and compromises. This is not necessarily a positive trait, though. The health care reform act, which received almost zero Republican support, nevertheless was watered down so much during its legislation through various amendments and compromises that it is now only a shadow of its original vision. That Obama allowed Libya's Gadhafi time to regroup while seeking an international consensus for military intervention has created a bloody stalemate there.
It's about time that our president draw a line and adhere to it. Now.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The So-Called "Bad" Game
I have heard a lot about how "bad" the recent NCAA men's basketball championship game was between Butler and Connecticut, held this past Monday evening. The main rationale for this complaint was that both teams, and especially Butler, missed a lot of shots throughout the game. Butler only made 12 of 64 field goal attempts, a new record percentage low for NCAA championship games. The analysts on CBS were beside themselves slamming both teams and the game as a whole. But I have a different interpretation.
Butler and Connecticut both made it to the final primarily by virtue of their tenacious defensive play. In an earlier tournament game, Florida's usually frenzied, high-octane offense was slowed down effectively by Butler, which won the game at the end when the Gators simply could not stop them from scoring on drive after drive after drive. That Connecticut was so effective in pressuring Butler to take bad shots is to their credit as a championship team and shouldn't detract from Butler. I have followed many Florida basketball games over the years, and the analysts always judged the opponent's field goal percentage in terms of Florida's defense. If the opponent had a low percentage, then the Gators were given credit for doing a good job defending them. That's the way I see Butler's poor shooting performance in Monday's game: Connecticut did a good job defending them, consequently winning 53-41.
I have seen times like during the NBA All-Star game when there has been little or no defensive pressure applied by either team to the other. There was a lot of scoring and some spectacular-looking drives to the basket as well as difficult-looking three-point shots, but it wasn't well-played basketball to me. The game between Butler and Connecticut was a good, hard fought out game that determined a true champion: the Connecticut Huskies!
Butler and Connecticut both made it to the final primarily by virtue of their tenacious defensive play. In an earlier tournament game, Florida's usually frenzied, high-octane offense was slowed down effectively by Butler, which won the game at the end when the Gators simply could not stop them from scoring on drive after drive after drive. That Connecticut was so effective in pressuring Butler to take bad shots is to their credit as a championship team and shouldn't detract from Butler. I have followed many Florida basketball games over the years, and the analysts always judged the opponent's field goal percentage in terms of Florida's defense. If the opponent had a low percentage, then the Gators were given credit for doing a good job defending them. That's the way I see Butler's poor shooting performance in Monday's game: Connecticut did a good job defending them, consequently winning 53-41.
I have seen times like during the NBA All-Star game when there has been little or no defensive pressure applied by either team to the other. There was a lot of scoring and some spectacular-looking drives to the basket as well as difficult-looking three-point shots, but it wasn't well-played basketball to me. The game between Butler and Connecticut was a good, hard fought out game that determined a true champion: the Connecticut Huskies!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
My MP3 Playlist
As long as I am into making lists of songs, I might as well list the songs I listen regularly to on my "favorites" playlist on my MP3 player. On it are the usual suspects: Radiohead, Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, Nirvana, Metric, MGMT, Spoon, and a not-so-new act that I just recently discovered: DeVotchka. DeVotchka's current indie/alternative hit 100 Other Lovers is currently my favorite song of the year, along with Radiohead's These Are My Twisted Words. By the way, I just heard Radiohead's new album The King of Limbs. I like all of the songs, but I was mistaken in an earlier article I wrote, believing then that Twisted Words would be one of the tracks. It isn't, and Radiohead's new album only has eight songs. But I'll take it!
Here's my playlist, in the order that I hear the songs:
These Are My Twisted Words by Radiohead
Merchants of Soul by Spoon
Faust Arp by Radiohead
Morning Bell (Kid A version) by Radiohead
I Might Be Wrong by Radiohead
In Limbo by Radiohead
Go to Sleep by Radiohead
Sail to the Moon by Radiohead
Scentless Apprentice by Nirvana
Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens
Better by Regina Spektor
Reckoner by Radiohead
Morning Bell (Amnesiac version) by Radiohead
20 Years of Snow by Regina Spektor
Idioteque by Radiohead
Time to Pretend by MGMT
Man of a Thousand Faces by Regina Spektor
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head by Sufjan Stevens
Us by Regina Spektor
Dumb by Nirvana
Calculation (Theme) by Metric
100 Other Lovers by DeVotchka
Why not try listening to some of these and tell me what you think!
Here's my playlist, in the order that I hear the songs:
These Are My Twisted Words by Radiohead
Merchants of Soul by Spoon
Faust Arp by Radiohead
Morning Bell (Kid A version) by Radiohead
I Might Be Wrong by Radiohead
In Limbo by Radiohead
Go to Sleep by Radiohead
Sail to the Moon by Radiohead
Scentless Apprentice by Nirvana
Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens
Better by Regina Spektor
Reckoner by Radiohead
Morning Bell (Amnesiac version) by Radiohead
20 Years of Snow by Regina Spektor
Idioteque by Radiohead
Time to Pretend by MGMT
Man of a Thousand Faces by Regina Spektor
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head by Sufjan Stevens
Us by Regina Spektor
Dumb by Nirvana
Calculation (Theme) by Metric
100 Other Lovers by DeVotchka
Why not try listening to some of these and tell me what you think!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
List Madness: Beatles From Top to Bottom
This is my highly personal, very subjective list of studio-recorded Beatles songs (excluding the BBC recordings) from top favorite to least favorite. In compiling it, I combined some tracks together into single songs: from the album Sgt Pepper, I combined that title song's reprise with the final track A Day in the Life, the way radio used to play it. And from Abbey Road, I combined the individual components of the two outstanding medleys there into coherent pieces.
I was going to list each song's album, the way I had done earlier when I put out a similar list of Led Zeppelin songs. But until the Sgt. Pepper album came out, the U.K. and U.S. released different albums simultaneously, making the identification of each song's album a major headache. So I left the albums off this list. Sorry...
I think the Beatles are the greatest, and I like most of their material a lot. It isn't until I get around #170-180 on this list that I come across songs that begin to irritate me. So a song that seems buried on the list isn't necessarily one I don't value.
One more note: the least favorite song here is actually pretty good, musically. It's message, though, was so abhorrent that it sank straight to the bottom!
Well, here goes my list...
1 Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
2 For No One
3 Eleanor Rigby
4 Strawberry Fields Forever
5 Twist and Shout
6 Blackbird
7 Tomorrow Never Knows
8 Happy Just to Dance With You
9 Good Night
10 The Two of Us
11 Sgt. Pepper reprise/A Day in the Life
12 Across the Universe
13 Old Brown Shoe
14 Doctor Robert
15 Words of Love
16 PS I Love You
17 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
18 The Inner Light
19 Slow Down
20 Hello Goodbye
21 You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
22 And Your Bird Can Sing
23 All You Need Is Love
24 All Together Now
25 You Can't Do That
26 When I Get Home
27 She's a Woman
28 Michelle
29 Long Tall Sally
30 The Long and Winding Road
31 I'll Cry Instead
32 I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends
33 I Am the Walrus
34 I Saw Her Standing There
35 Get Back (singles version)
36 Every Little Thing
37 Martha My Dear
38 Another Girl
39 Things We Said Today
40 Ticket to Ride
41 Everbody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
42 We Can Work It Out
43 She's Leaving Home
44 I'm a Loser
45 While My Guitar Gently Weeps
46 Yesterday
47 Revolution 9
48 What You're Doing
49 The Night Before
50 Fixing a Hole
51 Revolution (singles version)
52 Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
53 It Won't Be Long
54 Norwegian Wood
55 Anna
56 Honey Pie
57 Back in the USSR
58 Hey Jude
59 I've Got a Feeling
60 Penny Lane
61 It's Getting Better
62 Here, There, and Everywhere
63 I'm Only Sleeping
64 Your Mother Should Know
65 Taxman
66 Money
67 Thank You Girl
68 And I Love Her
69 Love Me Do
70 Paperback Writer
71 I'll Be Back
72 I've Just Seen a Face
73 If I Needed Someone
74 Cry Baby Cry
75 Hold Me Tight
76 She Said She Said
77 In My Life
78 Sun King
79 Wait
80 I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
81 I'll Follow the Sun
82 Tell Me Why
83 Matchbox
84 You Never Give Me Your Money
85 Got to Get You Into My Life
86 Don't Bother Me
87 I Want to Tell You
88 For You Blue
90 Lady Madonna
91 I Call Your Name
92 I Will
93 Boys
94 Rock and Roll Music
95 Daytripper
96 Devil in Her Heart
97 Do You Want to Know a Secret
98 Glass Onion
99 Yes It Is
100 I'm Down
101 A Hard Day's Night
102 Anytime at All
103 You're Gonna Lose That Girl
104 Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand
105 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
106 Fool on the Hill
107 Sexy Sadie
108 Bad Boy
109 Drive My Car
110 I Want to Your Hand
111 Lovely Rita Meter Maid
112 Baby You're a Rich Man
113 Good Morning Good Morning
114 Savoy Truffle
115 Mother Nature's Son
116 Why Don't We Do It In the Road
117 Tell Me What You See
118 Because
119 I Need You
120 Think for Yourself
121 Baby's in Black
122 Can't Buy Me Love
123 The Rain
124 Girl
125 From Me to You
126 Sie Lieb Dich
127 Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite
128 I Want You (She's So Heavy)
129 You Really Got a Hold On Me
130 I'm Looking Through You
131 Mother Nature's Son
132 Helter Skelter
133 Love You To
134 Birthday
135 It's Only Love
136 Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
137 Happiness is a Warm Gun
138 Yer Blues
139 Good Day Sunshine
140 Help!
141 Not a Second Time
142 Revolution 1 (white album version)
143 You Won't See Me
144 Dear Prudence
145 Long, Long, Long
146 When I'm 64
147 I Should Have Known Better
148 I Feel Fine
149 All My Loving
150 There's a Place
151 Roll Over Beethoven
152 She Loves You
153 Rocky Raccoon
154 The Word
155 Within You Without You
156 Kansas City
157 Mr Moonlight
158 All I've Gotta Do
159 Dig It
160 Magical Mystery Tour
161 Please Please Me
162 Don't Pass Me By
163 Octopus's Garden
164 Misery
165 You Won't See Me
166 It's All Too Much
167 No Reply
168 Chains
169 I Wanna Be Your Man
170 Piggies
171 Honey Don't
172 I'm So Tired
173 Let It Be
174 If I Fell
175 One After 909
176 What Goes On
177 Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
178 Ask Me Why
179 Act Naturally
180 Oh! Darling
181 Yellow Submarine
182 You Like Me Too Much
183 Maxwell's Silver Hammer
184 A Taste of Honey
185 I Dig a Pony
186 I'll Get You
187 Till There Was You
188 Dizzy Miss Lizzy
189 Julia
190 Please Mr Postman
191 Something
192 Blue Jay Way
193 Eight Days a Week
194 Don't Let Me Down
195 Baby It's You
196 This Boy
197 Wild Honey Pie
198 Flying
199 I Me Mine
200 Hey Bulldog
201 Her Majesty
202 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
203 Come Together
204 Maggie Mae
205 You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)
206 Only a Northern Song
207 Free as a Bird
208 Real Love
209 Run For Your Life
I was going to list each song's album, the way I had done earlier when I put out a similar list of Led Zeppelin songs. But until the Sgt. Pepper album came out, the U.K. and U.S. released different albums simultaneously, making the identification of each song's album a major headache. So I left the albums off this list. Sorry...
I think the Beatles are the greatest, and I like most of their material a lot. It isn't until I get around #170-180 on this list that I come across songs that begin to irritate me. So a song that seems buried on the list isn't necessarily one I don't value.
One more note: the least favorite song here is actually pretty good, musically. It's message, though, was so abhorrent that it sank straight to the bottom!
Well, here goes my list...
1 Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
2 For No One
3 Eleanor Rigby
4 Strawberry Fields Forever
5 Twist and Shout
6 Blackbird
7 Tomorrow Never Knows
8 Happy Just to Dance With You
9 Good Night
10 The Two of Us
11 Sgt. Pepper reprise/A Day in the Life
12 Across the Universe
13 Old Brown Shoe
14 Doctor Robert
15 Words of Love
16 PS I Love You
17 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
18 The Inner Light
19 Slow Down
20 Hello Goodbye
21 You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
22 And Your Bird Can Sing
23 All You Need Is Love
24 All Together Now
25 You Can't Do That
26 When I Get Home
27 She's a Woman
28 Michelle
29 Long Tall Sally
30 The Long and Winding Road
31 I'll Cry Instead
32 I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends
33 I Am the Walrus
34 I Saw Her Standing There
35 Get Back (singles version)
36 Every Little Thing
37 Martha My Dear
38 Another Girl
39 Things We Said Today
40 Ticket to Ride
41 Everbody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
42 We Can Work It Out
43 She's Leaving Home
44 I'm a Loser
45 While My Guitar Gently Weeps
46 Yesterday
47 Revolution 9
48 What You're Doing
49 The Night Before
50 Fixing a Hole
51 Revolution (singles version)
52 Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
53 It Won't Be Long
54 Norwegian Wood
55 Anna
56 Honey Pie
57 Back in the USSR
58 Hey Jude
59 I've Got a Feeling
60 Penny Lane
61 It's Getting Better
62 Here, There, and Everywhere
63 I'm Only Sleeping
64 Your Mother Should Know
65 Taxman
66 Money
67 Thank You Girl
68 And I Love Her
69 Love Me Do
70 Paperback Writer
71 I'll Be Back
72 I've Just Seen a Face
73 If I Needed Someone
74 Cry Baby Cry
75 Hold Me Tight
76 She Said She Said
77 In My Life
78 Sun King
79 Wait
80 I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
81 I'll Follow the Sun
82 Tell Me Why
83 Matchbox
84 You Never Give Me Your Money
85 Got to Get You Into My Life
86 Don't Bother Me
87 I Want to Tell You
88 For You Blue
90 Lady Madonna
91 I Call Your Name
92 I Will
93 Boys
94 Rock and Roll Music
95 Daytripper
96 Devil in Her Heart
97 Do You Want to Know a Secret
98 Glass Onion
99 Yes It Is
100 I'm Down
101 A Hard Day's Night
102 Anytime at All
103 You're Gonna Lose That Girl
104 Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand
105 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
106 Fool on the Hill
107 Sexy Sadie
108 Bad Boy
109 Drive My Car
110 I Want to Your Hand
111 Lovely Rita Meter Maid
112 Baby You're a Rich Man
113 Good Morning Good Morning
114 Savoy Truffle
115 Mother Nature's Son
116 Why Don't We Do It In the Road
117 Tell Me What You See
118 Because
119 I Need You
120 Think for Yourself
121 Baby's in Black
122 Can't Buy Me Love
123 The Rain
124 Girl
125 From Me to You
126 Sie Lieb Dich
127 Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite
128 I Want You (She's So Heavy)
129 You Really Got a Hold On Me
130 I'm Looking Through You
131 Mother Nature's Son
132 Helter Skelter
133 Love You To
134 Birthday
135 It's Only Love
136 Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
137 Happiness is a Warm Gun
138 Yer Blues
139 Good Day Sunshine
140 Help!
141 Not a Second Time
142 Revolution 1 (white album version)
143 You Won't See Me
144 Dear Prudence
145 Long, Long, Long
146 When I'm 64
147 I Should Have Known Better
148 I Feel Fine
149 All My Loving
150 There's a Place
151 Roll Over Beethoven
152 She Loves You
153 Rocky Raccoon
154 The Word
155 Within You Without You
156 Kansas City
157 Mr Moonlight
158 All I've Gotta Do
159 Dig It
160 Magical Mystery Tour
161 Please Please Me
162 Don't Pass Me By
163 Octopus's Garden
164 Misery
165 You Won't See Me
166 It's All Too Much
167 No Reply
168 Chains
169 I Wanna Be Your Man
170 Piggies
171 Honey Don't
172 I'm So Tired
173 Let It Be
174 If I Fell
175 One After 909
176 What Goes On
177 Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
178 Ask Me Why
179 Act Naturally
180 Oh! Darling
181 Yellow Submarine
182 You Like Me Too Much
183 Maxwell's Silver Hammer
184 A Taste of Honey
185 I Dig a Pony
186 I'll Get You
187 Till There Was You
188 Dizzy Miss Lizzy
189 Julia
190 Please Mr Postman
191 Something
192 Blue Jay Way
193 Eight Days a Week
194 Don't Let Me Down
195 Baby It's You
196 This Boy
197 Wild Honey Pie
198 Flying
199 I Me Mine
200 Hey Bulldog
201 Her Majesty
202 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
203 Come Together
204 Maggie Mae
205 You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)
206 Only a Northern Song
207 Free as a Bird
208 Real Love
209 Run For Your Life
Monday, April 4, 2011
Positive Negative Experience
Sometimes when I get up early in the day, I get a little tired in the afternoon. If I find myself in a stressful situation, that fatigue can contribute to anxiety and possible resulting bad decisions on my part. Case in point: today I got up a little after 6 AM. This afternoon, instead of taking a good, long nap I went shopping in a very congested part of town, in a very crowded store that wasn't being managed very well. Driving home I realized that I wasn't going to have the opportunity to rest anytime soon, so I reacted to the stress by going to the nearby Dunkin' Donuts and blowing some of my money on a coffee and a couple of doughnuts. Doughnuts are just about the last thing I need to be eating, for various reasons. But I happen to be one of those poor souls who tend to react to stress and fatigue by eating sweets, and here I was doing just that. I rationalized my action by taking stuff inside Dunkin' Donuts to study while I stuffed my face. But once inside, I had no peace: the entire miserable time was taken up with noisy workers, noisy customers, and noisy customers' even noisier screaming kids. A-A-A-G-H!!!
I ate my two doughnuts (which didn't taste all that good either) and left feeling angry. Now separated from that negative experience for a few hours, I have changed my interpretation of it all; I am glad that it went bad for me, since this will help me to change my bad habit of stressful eating. Also...
It also gave me something to write about on this blog today besides that evil, very disturbed individual and his supporting cast of nonentity sycophant idiots who knowingly caused the deaths of several people overseas with their book burning party...in my own home town. Way to go, A.H.'s!
I ate my two doughnuts (which didn't taste all that good either) and left feeling angry. Now separated from that negative experience for a few hours, I have changed my interpretation of it all; I am glad that it went bad for me, since this will help me to change my bad habit of stressful eating. Also...
It also gave me something to write about on this blog today besides that evil, very disturbed individual and his supporting cast of nonentity sycophant idiots who knowingly caused the deaths of several people overseas with their book burning party...in my own home town. Way to go, A.H.'s!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Butler This Year's Butler
It seems that with every year in the NCAA men's basketball championship tournament, at least one low-seeded team from an obscure college goes far in it, even sometimes making the vaunted Final Four. Last year, Butler University (in Indiana) surprised everyone with the Bulldogs not only making it to the Final Four, but also getting to the national championship game against Duke and barely losing it to the heavy favorite. So the doubtless-overpaid sports television and radio pundits have been at it this year, wondering which underdog will go far in the tournament, and phrasing the question as "Who is this year's Butler?" Well, guess what? Butler is this year's Butler!
Once again lowly Butler University got it going at tourney time and is now on the cusp of a national championship, with only the Connecticut Huskies standing in their way. The canines play each other for the title on Monday evening.
I thought that Virginia Commonwealth, Butler's most recent opponent, had all of the markings of a great upstart, energetic team playing well beyond its record. But I was wrong, and the team that kept my Florida Gators from reaching the Final Four this year by beating them in overtime has endured.
Still, I haven't forgiven Butler for knocking out my Gators: I'm pulling for the hairy dogs at UConn!
Once again lowly Butler University got it going at tourney time and is now on the cusp of a national championship, with only the Connecticut Huskies standing in their way. The canines play each other for the title on Monday evening.
I thought that Virginia Commonwealth, Butler's most recent opponent, had all of the markings of a great upstart, energetic team playing well beyond its record. But I was wrong, and the team that kept my Florida Gators from reaching the Final Four this year by beating them in overtime has endured.
Still, I haven't forgiven Butler for knocking out my Gators: I'm pulling for the hairy dogs at UConn!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The Press, Human Rights, and Military Intervention
Seeing that the issue of international human rights is so crucial to us as Americans to the point that we consider militarily intervening from time to time in other countries in order to prevent the most flagrant abuses, it would behoove us to examine the role that the press plays in targeting one nation for human rights abuse charges over another. For example, regarding the situation in western Africa's Ivory Coast, where a sitting president's refusal to relinquish power after losing an election has led to a very bloody civil war, the press coverage has been minimal, to say the least. And guess what? You don't hear our president weighing in on any possible intervention to save lives there. But Libya is another matter. The press has seized on the overall theme of recent Arab popular revolts in many countries and has made Libya's war-torn population a more compelling case for intervention. To me, intervention would have made sense had it been done in a more timely manner, before the dictatorship there had been given time to reestablish military dominance over the rebels. Now it seems that the so-called humanitarian intervention on the part of the U.S. and its NATO allies is only serving to create a stalemate. And stalemates can end up costing a lot more lives than would a quick ending to the war, regardless who wins.
The situation in Libya being what it may be now, the fact still remains that the world is full of places where human rights are grossly ignored, places that the press virtually ignores as well. So why did the U.S. get involved in Libya?
Well, for one, Libya is a major oil producer, with western European nations its chief customers. For another, the U.S. fleet is already in the Mediterranean, right off the Libyan shores. It is already in position to launch missiles and bomb strategic targets there. Neither of these conditions applies elsewhere, especially to Ivory Coast. Also, Libyan tyrant Colonel Gadhafi is a proven instigator of international terrorism, having caused the deaths of innocent Americans while maintaining a bellicose posture in the past toward other nations in the area, particularly Israel, Egypt, and Chad. The same cannot be said for Ivory Coast's intransigent president.
So is the press primarily responsible for making Libya a priority for intervention over other human rights crises, or are the self-interests of the neighboring nations, the United States, and the West in general the true determining factors? And if protecting human rights is being used as a cover for protecting or promoting national self-interests, isn't a free and independent press, with all of the ethics pertaining to the field of journalism, responsible for pointing this out consistently and vehemently?
The situation in Libya being what it may be now, the fact still remains that the world is full of places where human rights are grossly ignored, places that the press virtually ignores as well. So why did the U.S. get involved in Libya?
Well, for one, Libya is a major oil producer, with western European nations its chief customers. For another, the U.S. fleet is already in the Mediterranean, right off the Libyan shores. It is already in position to launch missiles and bomb strategic targets there. Neither of these conditions applies elsewhere, especially to Ivory Coast. Also, Libyan tyrant Colonel Gadhafi is a proven instigator of international terrorism, having caused the deaths of innocent Americans while maintaining a bellicose posture in the past toward other nations in the area, particularly Israel, Egypt, and Chad. The same cannot be said for Ivory Coast's intransigent president.
So is the press primarily responsible for making Libya a priority for intervention over other human rights crises, or are the self-interests of the neighboring nations, the United States, and the West in general the true determining factors? And if protecting human rights is being used as a cover for protecting or promoting national self-interests, isn't a free and independent press, with all of the ethics pertaining to the field of journalism, responsible for pointing this out consistently and vehemently?
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Beatles and Lists
Forthcoming on this blog is a list of just about all of the studio-recorded Beatles songs (excluding their BBC recordings), with them ranked from top to bottom according to MY tastes. I decided to do this after watching VH1's show of their own list of the 100 top musical acts of all-time. I confess that I only saw the final hour when they were going through the top ten. I could guess ahead that acts like Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and of course the Beatles would be revealed to be at the top. But I was astonished that, after Elvis was presented to be only at #7, Prince was ranked ahead of the King at #6. This artist, also known as The Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, is in my opinion one of the supremely overrated acts in the history of pop music (and that's saying a lot). And coming in ahead of Presley? Ouch!
So as VH1 approached #1, it occurred to me that this station might pull a fast one this time and dethrone the Fab Four in favor of the late Mister Moonwalk. When #2 was shown, I breathed a sigh of relief: Jackson was there, and the Beatles made it through another year of this highly subjective scrutiny. Then I thought why do I care what others think? And then the preposterous thought boomeranged back: maybe others care about what I think! Hence, the upcoming list of my favorite Beatle tunes.
I do think that it is interesting that the Beatles are supposedly the top act of all time, since I hardly ever hear any of their music played on my sorry radio anymore. But that's O.K. with me: I have just about everything of theirs on MP3 and can even play out all of their songs in my head, I know them so well.
Everyone who followed popular music during their childhood always carries the memories of those songs and artists as personal markers of the events in their lives which happened while growing up. For me, the Beatles played a major role in my childhood. Hearing various songs conjures up vivid memories of things going around me at various times during the 1960's. How about you? Whom, if anyone, did you listen to in your youth?
So as VH1 approached #1, it occurred to me that this station might pull a fast one this time and dethrone the Fab Four in favor of the late Mister Moonwalk. When #2 was shown, I breathed a sigh of relief: Jackson was there, and the Beatles made it through another year of this highly subjective scrutiny. Then I thought why do I care what others think? And then the preposterous thought boomeranged back: maybe others care about what I think! Hence, the upcoming list of my favorite Beatle tunes.
I do think that it is interesting that the Beatles are supposedly the top act of all time, since I hardly ever hear any of their music played on my sorry radio anymore. But that's O.K. with me: I have just about everything of theirs on MP3 and can even play out all of their songs in my head, I know them so well.
Everyone who followed popular music during their childhood always carries the memories of those songs and artists as personal markers of the events in their lives which happened while growing up. For me, the Beatles played a major role in my childhood. Hearing various songs conjures up vivid memories of things going around me at various times during the 1960's. How about you? Whom, if anyone, did you listen to in your youth?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Personal Fitness Progress
After experiencing some warning feelings during a five-mile run on March 22, around my right knee where my IT band injury was concentrated , I decided to cool it with the running for a bit and space out runs a week apart instead of every other day. So this past Tuesday, exactly a week later, I ran 2.7 miles on the treadmill with nothing negative to report. I'll wait again until next Tuesday, when I'll either step up the distance on the treadmill or run a short distance on the street around my neighborhood.
Meanwhile, I have been trying my hand (or should I say "feet") with speed walking on the treadmill. Well, maybe at least it's "speed walking" for me: 4.0-4.6 mph pace for 1.5-2 miles. If I could keep a sustained speed of around 4.6-4.8 mph walking and then train for distance, I could actually participate in half-marathons (or even marathons) as a pure walker and finish the race before the time limit imposed by the organizers, usually three hours for the half-marathon and six for the marathon. I feel encouraged with my speed walking, although I have only been at it a relatively short time.
My swimming has progressed well, too. I am now comfortably swimming in the 25-meter lanes at my YMCA pool. I swim freestyle in one direction and on my back in a relaxed manner in the other. Yesterday I swam 16 laps this way and then went to the shallower main part of the pool to work on my breaststroke form, about which I still feel pretty awkward and self-conscious. But even there I think I improved.
Today I worked out at in the YMCA fitness center with their weights and elliptical trainer. By cross-training, I believe that this will strengthen my body as a whole and enable me to avoid injuries like that of my right iliotibial band that happened on January 15, when I ran 26.6 miles around far-northern Gainesville.
Meanwhile, I have been trying my hand (or should I say "feet") with speed walking on the treadmill. Well, maybe at least it's "speed walking" for me: 4.0-4.6 mph pace for 1.5-2 miles. If I could keep a sustained speed of around 4.6-4.8 mph walking and then train for distance, I could actually participate in half-marathons (or even marathons) as a pure walker and finish the race before the time limit imposed by the organizers, usually three hours for the half-marathon and six for the marathon. I feel encouraged with my speed walking, although I have only been at it a relatively short time.
My swimming has progressed well, too. I am now comfortably swimming in the 25-meter lanes at my YMCA pool. I swim freestyle in one direction and on my back in a relaxed manner in the other. Yesterday I swam 16 laps this way and then went to the shallower main part of the pool to work on my breaststroke form, about which I still feel pretty awkward and self-conscious. But even there I think I improved.
Today I worked out at in the YMCA fitness center with their weights and elliptical trainer. By cross-training, I believe that this will strengthen my body as a whole and enable me to avoid injuries like that of my right iliotibial band that happened on January 15, when I ran 26.6 miles around far-northern Gainesville.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Watching Yanks Opener a New Tradition?
The year has almost come around full circle from when my family and I visited Manhattan, New York. We had arrived and checked in to our hotel, the Marriott Marquis at Times Square, early in the evening on April 6. Discussing where we would eat dinner, my daughter mentioned a restaurant named Junior's she had seen just across the street (45th Street) from our hotel. So we went in there and had our first NYC dining experience. They had TVs positioned in a few locations, and by chance we were seated with me facing one tuned to the New York Yankees baseball season opener on the road against the Boston Red Sox. The major league regular season, at least for the Yanks, started on April 6 last year. This year it starts tomorrow, March 31, and the pinstripers will be at home this time, playing an afternoon game against the Detroit Tigers.
I had such a pleasant time for most of my New York visit that I would like to mark the occasion by starting traditions associated with it. One tradition that I think would be cool would be to mark the baseball season's start by watching the Yankees' opening game. Living in Gainesville, though, this is problematic as New York isn't a home team with any guarantee that their opener will always be shown on ESPN. Also, I will be at work in ensuing years (but not tomorrow). So I'll have to work some bugs out of this baseball opener tradition, I suppose, for it to take hold. My wife Melissa suggested eating cheesecake while watching the game, further connecting the experience with Junior's where we gorged ourselves on this dessert several times throughout our stay there.
I wonder what other traditions I could get going as well that relate to last year's New York trip. Well, I thought that I had wrung out enough material about my visit for several blog articles last year, but it looks as if there may be more in store!
I had such a pleasant time for most of my New York visit that I would like to mark the occasion by starting traditions associated with it. One tradition that I think would be cool would be to mark the baseball season's start by watching the Yankees' opening game. Living in Gainesville, though, this is problematic as New York isn't a home team with any guarantee that their opener will always be shown on ESPN. Also, I will be at work in ensuing years (but not tomorrow). So I'll have to work some bugs out of this baseball opener tradition, I suppose, for it to take hold. My wife Melissa suggested eating cheesecake while watching the game, further connecting the experience with Junior's where we gorged ourselves on this dessert several times throughout our stay there.
I wonder what other traditions I could get going as well that relate to last year's New York trip. Well, I thought that I had wrung out enough material about my visit for several blog articles last year, but it looks as if there may be more in store!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Gainesville Still Not Bicycle-Friendly
Except for a brief period in 1987, I have lived in Gainesville, Florida since 1977. For most of that time I extensively used bicycle travel either for basic transportation, exercise, or leisure. I have recently been increasing my bicycle riding, largely in part due to a leg injury that sidelined me from running for a while. If there's anyone in Gainesville familiar with the road conditions for bicyclists, then I'm that one. And I sadly have to say that, in spite of this town's boasting of being so bicycle-friendly, it has a long, long way to go before I can agree with that assertion.
It is true that Gainesville has its share of bike paths, but upon closer examination those paths tend to encourage north-south travel and are noticeably lacking in an east-west direction through the central portion of the city. The major east-west roads running through the city's center, i.e. University Avenue/Newberry Road, North 8th Avenue, North 16th Avenue, and North 23rd Avenue, are all deficient in bicycle paths. It is hazardous for bicyclists to employ these routes. Instead, one has to go north to 39th or 53rd Avenue or south to Archer or Williston Road to be able to travel down bicycle paths east-west. Lately there has been much discussion about proposals to make a bike path down NW 16th Avenue, but there is a significant level of opposition to any change.
Part of this opposition arises from the notion that spending public funds for bike paths is a waste of money since not that many people use bicycles as transportation. I find this argument circular: a lot of people don't use bicycles as transportation because there aren't the needed bike paths to make them feel safe! Another part of the opposition is more cultural: the country/rural "Deep South" culture is embedded in this area and tends to regard those choosing bicycle travel as being effete and highbrow. Then, there are also many thousands of university students from other parts of the state and country who are wed to their cars and have neither patience for bicyclists nor any desire to share the road with them. Finally, there is this strange, perverse notion that I have noticed among drivers that somehow being behind a wheel in a motorized vehicle makes their lives more legitimate than that of a bicyclist who is just as legally entitled to a place on the public street.
So I am still not at all satisfied with how far my Gainesville has gone to promote bicycle travel by creating strategically-located bicycle lanes. You don't have to put one down every road; just give bicyclists a way to design a course that allows them to reach their destinations without imperiling themselves at the hands of careless, selfish, and inattentive drivers!
It is true that Gainesville has its share of bike paths, but upon closer examination those paths tend to encourage north-south travel and are noticeably lacking in an east-west direction through the central portion of the city. The major east-west roads running through the city's center, i.e. University Avenue/Newberry Road, North 8th Avenue, North 16th Avenue, and North 23rd Avenue, are all deficient in bicycle paths. It is hazardous for bicyclists to employ these routes. Instead, one has to go north to 39th or 53rd Avenue or south to Archer or Williston Road to be able to travel down bicycle paths east-west. Lately there has been much discussion about proposals to make a bike path down NW 16th Avenue, but there is a significant level of opposition to any change.
Part of this opposition arises from the notion that spending public funds for bike paths is a waste of money since not that many people use bicycles as transportation. I find this argument circular: a lot of people don't use bicycles as transportation because there aren't the needed bike paths to make them feel safe! Another part of the opposition is more cultural: the country/rural "Deep South" culture is embedded in this area and tends to regard those choosing bicycle travel as being effete and highbrow. Then, there are also many thousands of university students from other parts of the state and country who are wed to their cars and have neither patience for bicyclists nor any desire to share the road with them. Finally, there is this strange, perverse notion that I have noticed among drivers that somehow being behind a wheel in a motorized vehicle makes their lives more legitimate than that of a bicyclist who is just as legally entitled to a place on the public street.
So I am still not at all satisfied with how far my Gainesville has gone to promote bicycle travel by creating strategically-located bicycle lanes. You don't have to put one down every road; just give bicyclists a way to design a course that allows them to reach their destinations without imperiling themselves at the hands of careless, selfish, and inattentive drivers!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson Series
I just finished reading the five-volume series by Rick Riordan titled Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Intended for Harry Potter devotees who wanted something similar to read, it partially filled the bill for me. And to shift the metaphor a bit, I'm trying to be a "glass-half-full" person. So I generally endorse it. Although...
The Percy Jackson books do introduce the reader to an alternative world running simultaneously parallel to our ordinary reality, much like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter does. Except with Jackson, it's not the world of magic with wizards but rather Greek mythology with its gods and monsters that prevail. In both series, ordinary folks like you and me (Potter's "muggles" and Jackson's "mortals") are shielded from any direct awareness of this due to either magical spells, or in the case of Jackson, something called "the Mist". Although the presentation of Greek mythology as an alternative reality intrigued me, I felt that the way Riordan presented it was something of a ripoff from Rowling. But maybe that's the whole point: readers want to continue with Potter-like stories. While Rowling spent more effort developing her characters, Riordan's emphasis was plot, with a lot of heavy-going action. There were many violent battle scenes throughout the series, so many in fact that I became somewhat numbed to them. I think this ultimately hindered Riordan's attempts to build up suspense in his story.
The Percy Jackson books were all a lot shorter, too, with none exceeding 400 pages. To me that was a plus. There are some authors who pad their works with too much extraneous material when they should be leaving some things to the reader's imagination. I'm thinking of Eragon author Christopher Paolini as a major offender in this regard.
I felt that I was regressing a bit in my reading level while churning through Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Also, these series tend to grind on one with the mysteries and subplots that grow and continue from one volume to the next until, with the final book, a lot of the text becomes bogged down with reconciling and explaining them.
Still, as fun, escapist reading, I liked this series. For kids, it is also a good, subtle introduction to Greek mythology as well as United States geography. A great portion of The Last Olympian, the final volume in this series, takes place in Manhattan, which I visited last April. It was interesting how Riordan wove various locations there into the story. I understand that Rick Riordan is in the middle of writing and releasing volumes of the sequel to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. But at least for now, I think I'll just try something else, thank you. Still, Jackson is pleasant, light reading.
The Percy Jackson books do introduce the reader to an alternative world running simultaneously parallel to our ordinary reality, much like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter does. Except with Jackson, it's not the world of magic with wizards but rather Greek mythology with its gods and monsters that prevail. In both series, ordinary folks like you and me (Potter's "muggles" and Jackson's "mortals") are shielded from any direct awareness of this due to either magical spells, or in the case of Jackson, something called "the Mist". Although the presentation of Greek mythology as an alternative reality intrigued me, I felt that the way Riordan presented it was something of a ripoff from Rowling. But maybe that's the whole point: readers want to continue with Potter-like stories. While Rowling spent more effort developing her characters, Riordan's emphasis was plot, with a lot of heavy-going action. There were many violent battle scenes throughout the series, so many in fact that I became somewhat numbed to them. I think this ultimately hindered Riordan's attempts to build up suspense in his story.
The Percy Jackson books were all a lot shorter, too, with none exceeding 400 pages. To me that was a plus. There are some authors who pad their works with too much extraneous material when they should be leaving some things to the reader's imagination. I'm thinking of Eragon author Christopher Paolini as a major offender in this regard.
I felt that I was regressing a bit in my reading level while churning through Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Also, these series tend to grind on one with the mysteries and subplots that grow and continue from one volume to the next until, with the final book, a lot of the text becomes bogged down with reconciling and explaining them.
Still, as fun, escapist reading, I liked this series. For kids, it is also a good, subtle introduction to Greek mythology as well as United States geography. A great portion of The Last Olympian, the final volume in this series, takes place in Manhattan, which I visited last April. It was interesting how Riordan wove various locations there into the story. I understand that Rick Riordan is in the middle of writing and releasing volumes of the sequel to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. But at least for now, I think I'll just try something else, thank you. Still, Jackson is pleasant, light reading.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Life's a Bitch...Get Over It!
Once, many eons ago, I was sitting by myself in the Waffle House that once existed on South U.S. 441 in Gainesville late at night, doing something esoteric like deciphering a Vietnamese translation of Jack London's short stories or codifying physics formulae into matrices while eating one of their classic breakfasts with raisin toast and cheesy scrambled eggs. A party was seated in the booth in front of me, and everybody seemed to have something to say to each other about what was going on in their lives. All of it was negative, one complaining rant after another about their problems with people in their families, people at work, people, people, people. I could tell that the group as a whole seemed to be getting off on each other's woes, almost as if they were passing around a joint. But there was one middle-aged, haggard-looking woman there whose only contribution to the conversation was the periodic interjection, "Life's a bitch." It could well be that this woman was drunk (they all seemed to have been drinking) and she was trying to fit into the spirit of the proceedings without being able to come up with any beefs of her own. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to a different conclusion. Maybe she was trying to tell others, in her own limited way, that all of their travails were normal elements of a typical life and that, sure, problems make you feel bad, but EVERYBODY'S got problems. So stop whining like a bunch of crybabies. Yeah sure, life's a bitch... get over it and move on!
Then again, most likely she was just stone drunk!
Then again, most likely she was just stone drunk!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Long Walk: My Version
Early in his professional writing career, Stephen King wrote several stories under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Among these was an intriguing tale titled The Long Walk. In it, a future or alternative America staged a walking race like no other: the contestants had to walk at a pace of at least 4 mph or they would be eliminated. Literally eliminated, i.e. shot dead on the spot. The race was over when all contestants had been "eliminated" but one, leaving the winner (and only survivor). I'll leave it to you to read it for yourself if you want. King has written better stories, but it did leave an impression on me nevertheless regarding race walking and walking in general.
When Melissa and I walk around our block, we usually do so at a 3-3.2 mph pace. On the treadmill, I usually cool down from a run at 3.4 mph. But Stephen King's 4 mph is a pretty high level for me. And that got me to thinking...
While I am recovering from my leg injury and waiting to run again, why not just see how fast I can walk and for how long? And why not start with 4 mph as a minimum speed, conveniently using my YMCA's treadmill? Yes, I can still use the elliptical cross-trainer and the weights in my workout while enhancing it with a brisk walking session. I think I'll try this out tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I am also aware of how painfully funny race walkers look, with their exaggerated hip motions. This may be one big reason why more people pursue competitive running instead, in spite of the increased injury hazards associated with that activity. Also, I think it would be hard to police a public walking race as there would need to be race officials practically everywhere to scrutinize the contestants to insure that no one cheated by running here and there. But I'm not all that interested in competitive racing against others, anyway. Just knowing how I am doing with my speed and endurance is good enough for me. But I do like the idea of a public event dedicated to this activity in which, like with running, I could participate from time to time in a more social context.
A lot of the 5K public running races that are routinely offered combine the running with an invitation for walkers to participate as well. Usually though, this is just for the folks heavily into the charities that are running the events; these people tend to take their sweet time getting through the course and aren't all that interested in walking per se. I'd like a setting that attracted fitness walkers who wanted to test each other out in competition, but I don't see that anywhere. Not in Gainesville, at least. But that would be my idea of a fine "long walk".
When Melissa and I walk around our block, we usually do so at a 3-3.2 mph pace. On the treadmill, I usually cool down from a run at 3.4 mph. But Stephen King's 4 mph is a pretty high level for me. And that got me to thinking...
While I am recovering from my leg injury and waiting to run again, why not just see how fast I can walk and for how long? And why not start with 4 mph as a minimum speed, conveniently using my YMCA's treadmill? Yes, I can still use the elliptical cross-trainer and the weights in my workout while enhancing it with a brisk walking session. I think I'll try this out tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I am also aware of how painfully funny race walkers look, with their exaggerated hip motions. This may be one big reason why more people pursue competitive running instead, in spite of the increased injury hazards associated with that activity. Also, I think it would be hard to police a public walking race as there would need to be race officials practically everywhere to scrutinize the contestants to insure that no one cheated by running here and there. But I'm not all that interested in competitive racing against others, anyway. Just knowing how I am doing with my speed and endurance is good enough for me. But I do like the idea of a public event dedicated to this activity in which, like with running, I could participate from time to time in a more social context.
A lot of the 5K public running races that are routinely offered combine the running with an invitation for walkers to participate as well. Usually though, this is just for the folks heavily into the charities that are running the events; these people tend to take their sweet time getting through the course and aren't all that interested in walking per se. I'd like a setting that attracted fitness walkers who wanted to test each other out in competition, but I don't see that anywhere. Not in Gainesville, at least. But that would be my idea of a fine "long walk".
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