Tuesday's List: Senators Entering the US Senate Since 1974 Election

A few months ago Texas junior senator Ted Cruz, along with Florida representative Ron DeSantis, proposed a Constitutional amendment to impose term limits on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.  Senators would be limited to two elected six-year terms while representatives would only be able to serve three elected two-year terms.  Although I appreciate the reasons for term limits and think that there is a problem with career politicians sitting forever in their positions in the House, I'm not quite sure about the Senate.  In the House, the districts are usually drawn up by state legislatures, often with outrageous partisan gerrymandering, to help keep incumbents entrenched in power.  But with the Senate, the elections are statewide and, as you should be able to see by the list below, there is a lot of turnover there.  After all, Patrick Leahy, the senior senator, was first elected in 1974.  Since then there have been about 300 senators in that 100-member body...

Below is a list of all senators put into office since that 1974 election, which I greatly simplified from a cumbersome list on the U.S. Senate website.  Current senators I have listed in blue and bold-type.  Each name is followed by their party affiliation (R: Republican, D: Democrat, I: Independent), their state, and their years in office. You'll notice that the overwhelming majority of today's Senate (71, to be exact) have served less than twelve years...which to me makes Cruz's proposal seem unnecessary.  Sure, you have a few like Leahy and Hatch with long stints of service...but maybe it's a good thing to have a few like them in there with their experience and historical perspective on things.  I suspect, though, that term limits would make more sense in the House of Representatives, although I believe they should be for longer than only six years...how about ten?

Laxalt, Paul D. (R-NV) 1974-87 
Garn, E. J. "Jake" (R-UT) 1974-93 
Glenn, John H., Jr. (D-OH) 1974-99 
Ford, Wendell H. (D-KY) 1974-99
Wyman, Louis C. (R-NH) 1974-75
Stone, Richard (D-FL) 1975-80
Culver, John C. (D-IA) 1975-81 
Bumpers, Dale (D-AR) 1975-99
Morgan, Robert (D-NC) 1975-81
Hart, Gary (D-CO) 1975-87
Leahy, Patrick (D-VT) Jan 3, 1975- 
Cotton, Norris (R-NH) Jan-Sep, 1975  (First served 1954-1974)
Durkin, John A. (D-NH) 1975-80 
Danforth, John C. (R-MO) 1976-95
Zorinsky, Edward (D-NE) 1976-87
Chafee, John H. (R-RI) 1976-99 
Metzenbaum, Howard (D-OH) 1976-95  (First served 1974)
Riegle, Donald W., Jr. (D-MI) 1976-95 
Anderson, Wendell R. (D-MN) 1976-78
Hayakawa, S. I. (R-CA) 1977-83
Matsunaga, Spark M. (D-HI) 1977-90
Melcher, John (D-MT) 1977-89
Heinz, H. John, III (R-PA) 1977-91 
Sarbanes, Paul S. (D-MD) 1977-2007 
Moynihan, Daniel P. (D-NY) 1977-2001 
Lugar, Richard G. (R-IN) 1977-2013 
Sasser, James R. (D-TN) 1977-95 
DeConcini, Dennis (D-AZ) 1977-95 
Hatch, Orrin G. (R-UT)  1977- 
Schmitt, Harrison H. (R-NM) 1977-83 
Wallop, Malcolm (R-WY) 1977-95
Hodges, Kaneaster, Jr. (D-AR) 1977-79
Hatfield, Paul G. (D-MT) Jan-Dec, 1978
Humphrey, Muriel (D-MN) Jan-Nov, 1978
Allen, Maryon (D-AL) Jun-Nov, 1978
Stewart, Donald W. (D-AL) 1978-81 
Durenberger, David F. (R-MN) 1978-95
Baucus, Max (D-MT) 1978-2014
Kassebaum, Nancy L. (R-KS) 1978-97
Cochran, Thad (R-MS) 1978-
Boschwitz, Rudy (R-MN) 1978-91
Simpson, Alan K. (R-WY) 1979-97
Warner, John W. (R-VA) 1979-2009
Pryor, David H. (D-AR) 1979-97 
Armstrong, William L. (R-CO) 1979-91 
Cohen, William S. (R-ME) 1979-97 
Tsongas, Paul E. (D-MA) 1979-85 
Pressler, Larry (R-SD) 1979-97 
Boren, David L. (D-OK) 1979-94 
Exon, J. James (D-NE) 1979-97 
Levin, Carl M. (D-MI) 1979-2015 
Bradley, Bill (D-NJ) 1979-97 
Heflin, Howell T. (D-AL) 1979-97 
Jepsen, Roger W. (R-IA) 1979-85 
Humphrey, Gordon J. (R-NH) 1979-90
Mitchell, George J. (D-ME) 1980-95
Rudman, Warren B. (R-NH) 1980-93
Hawkins, Paula (R-FL) 1981-87
Denton, Jeremiah A. (R-AL) 1981-87
Murkowski, Frank H. (R-AK) 1981-2002 
Dodd, Christopher J. (D-CT) 1981-2011 
Mattingly, Mack F. (R-GA) 1981-87 
Symms, Steven D. (R-ID) 1981-93 
Dixon, Alan J. (D-IL) 1981-93 
Quayle, J. Danforth (R-IN) 1981-89 
Grassley, Charles E. (R-IA) 1981- 
D'Amato, Alfonse M. (R-NY) 1981-99 
East, John P. (R-NC) 1981-86 
Andrews, Mark (R-ND) 1981-87 
Nickles, Don (R-OK) 1981-2005 
Specter, Arlen (R/D-PA) 1981-2011 
Abdnor, James (R-SD) 1981-87 
Gorton, Slade (R-WA) 1981-87 (Served again 1989-2001) 
Kasten, Robert W., Jr. (R-WI) 1981-93
Brady, Nicholas F. (R-NJ) Apr-Dec, 1982
Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ) 1982-2001 (Served again starting in 2003)
Trible, Paul S., Jr. (R-VA) 1983-89 
Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) 1983-2013 
Hecht, Chic (R-NV) 1983-89 
Wilson, Pete (R-CA) 1983-91
Evans, Daniel J. (R-WA) 1983-89
Kerry, John F. (D-MA) 1985-2013
Simon, Paul (D-IL) 1985-97
Harkin, Tom (D-IA) 1985-2015 
Gore, Albert, Jr. (D-TN) 1985-93  
Gramm, Phil (R-TX) 1985-2002 
McConnell, Mitch (R-KY) 1985-
Rockefeller, John D. IV (D-WV) 1985-2015
Broyhill, James T. (R-NC) Jul-Nov, 1986 
Sanford, Terry (D-NC) January 3, 1993
Breaux, John (D-LA) 1987-2005
Adams, Brock (D-WA) 1987-93
Wirth, Timothy E. (D-CO) 1987-93
Mikulski, Barbara (D-MD) 1987-2017  
Fowler, Wyche (D-GA) 1987-93  
Shelby, Richard (D/R-AL) 1987-
Daschle, Tom (D-SD) 1987-2005
McCain, John (R-AZ) 1987-
Reid, Harry (D-NV) 1987-2017 
Graham, Bob (D-FL) 1987-2005
Bond, Kit (R-MO) 1987-2011
Conrad, Kent (D-ND) 1987- Sep 92 (Served again starting in Dec 1992)
Karnes, David (R-NE) 1987-89
Gorton, Slade (R-WA) 1989-2001 (First served 1981-1987) 
Lott, Trent (R-MS) 1989-2007
Jeffords, Jim (R/I-VT) 1989-2007
Coats, Dan (R-IN) 1989-99 (Served again starting in 2011) 
Mack, Connie (R-FL) 1989-2001
Bryan, Richard (D-NV) 1989-2001
Robb, Charles (D-VA) 1989-2001
Kerrey, Bob (D-NE) 1989-2001  
Kohl, Herbert (D-WI) 1989-2013
Lieberman, Joseph (D-CT) 1989-2013  
Burns, Conrad (R-MT) 1989-2007
Akaka, Daniel (D-HI) 1990-2013
Smith, Robert C. (R-NH) 1990-2003
Brown, George Hanks (Hank) (R-CO) 1991-97
Craig, Larry E. (R-ID) 1991-2009
Wellstone, Paul (D-MN) 1991-2002
Seymour, John (R-CA) 1991-1992 
Wofford, Harris (D-PA) 1991-1995
Burdick, Jocelyn (D-ND) Sep-Dec, 1992
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)  1992-
Conrad, Kent (D-ND) Dec 1992-2013 (First served 1987-1992)
Dorgan, Byron L. (D-ND) 1992-2011
Mathews, Harlan (D-TN) December 1, 1994 1803
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) 1993-2017
Gregg, Judd (R-NH) 1993-2011
Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (D/R-CO) 1993-2005 
Moseley-Braun, Carol (D-IL) 1993-99 
Faircloth, D. M. "Lauch" (R-NC) 1993-99
Coverdell, Paul (R-GA) 1993-2000 
Murray, Patty (D-WA)  1993- 
Feingold, Russell (D-WI) 1993-2011 
Bennett, Robert (R-UT) 1993-2011
Kempthorne, Dirk (R-ID) 1993-99 
Krueger, Robert C. (D-TX) Jan-Jun, 1993 
Hutchison, Kathryn Ann Bailey (R-TX) 1993-2013
Inhofe, James (R-OK)  1994-
Thompson, Fred (R-TN) January 3, 2003 
Snowe, Olympia (R-ME) 1995-2013  
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ) 1995-2013  
DeWine, Mike (R-OH) 1995-2007
Thomas, Craig (R-WY) 1995-2007 
Santorum, Rick (R-PA) 1995-2007 
Grams, Rod (R-MN) 1995-2001 
Ashcroft, John (R-MO) 1995-2001
Abraham, Spencer (R-MI) 1995-2001 
Frist, Bill (R-TN) 1995-2007 
Wyden, Ron (D-OR) 1996-
Frahm, Sheila (R-KS) Jun-Nov, 1996
Brownback, Sam (R-KS) 1996-2011
Roberts, Pat (R-KS) 1997-
Durbin, Richard (D-IL) 1997-
Torricelli, Robert (D-NJ) 1997-2003 
Johnson, Tim (D-SD) 1997-2015 
Allard, Wayne (R-CO) 1997-2009
Reed, Jack (D-RI) 1997-
Hutchinson, Tim (R-AR) 1997-2003
Cleland, Max (D-GA) 1997-2003
Landrieu, Mary (D-LA) 1997-2015 
Sessions, Jeff (R-AL) 1997-2017
Smith, Gordon (R-OR) 1997-2009 
Hagel, Chuck (R-NE) 1997-2009 
Collins, Susan (R-ME) 1997-
Enzi, Michael (R-WY) 1997-
Schumer, Charles (D-NY) 1999-
Bunning, Jim (R-KY) 1999-2011
Crapo, Mike (R-ID) 1999-
Lincoln, Blanche L. (D-AR) 1999-2011
Voinovich, George (R-OH) 1999-2011
Bayh, Evan (D-IN) 1999-2011
Fitzgerald, Peter (R-IL) 1999-2005
Edwards, John (D-NC) 1999-2005
Chafee, Lincoln D. (R-RI) 1999-2007
Miller, Zell B. (D-GA) 2000-05
Nelson, Bill (D-FL) 2001-
Carper, Tom (D-DE) 2001-
Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI) 2001-
Ensign, John (R-NV) 2001-11
Allen, George (R-VA) 2001-07
Cantwell, Maria (D-WA) 2001-
Nelson, Ben (D-NE) 2001-13
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY) 2001-09
Corzine, Jon (D-NJ) 2001-06
Carnahan, Jean (D-MO) 2001-02
Dayton, Mark (D-MN) 2001-07
Barkley, Dean (I-MN) 2002-03
Talent, James (R-MO) 2002-07 
Cornyn, John (R-TX) 2002-
Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK) 2002-
Lautenberg, Frank (D-NJ) 2003-13 (First served 1982-2001) 
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) 2003-15 
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC) 2003-
Sununu, John (R-NH) 2003-09 
Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC) 2003-09
Coleman, Norm (R-MN) 2003-09
Pryor, Mark (D-AR) 2003-15 
Burr, Richard (R-NC) 2005-
DeMint, James (R-SC) 2005-13
Coburn, Tom (R-OK) 2005-15 
Thune, John (R-SD) 2005- 
Isakson, Johnny (R-GA) 2005- 
Vitter, David (R-LA) 2005-17 
Martinez, Mel (R-FL) 2005-09 
Obama, Barack (D-IL) 2005-08
Salazar, Ken (D-CO) 2005-09
Menendez, Robert (D-NJ) 2006-
* * * 2007 * * * January 3
Cardin, Ben (D-MD) 2007-
Sanders, Bernie (I-VT) 2007-
Brown, Sherrod (D-OH) 2007-  
Webb, Jim (D-VA) 2007-13
Casey, Robert (D-PA) 2007-  
Corker, Robert (R-TN) 2007-
McCaskill, Claire (D-MO) 2007- 
Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN) 2007- 
Whitehouse, Sheldon (D-RI) 2007-  
Tester, Jon (D-MT) 2007-
Barrasso, John (R-WY) 2007
Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS) 2007-
Udall, Mark (D-CO) 2009-15 
Udall, Tom (D-NM) 2009-
Johanns, Mike (R-NE) 2009-15
Shaheen, Jeanne (D-NH) 2009-
Warner, Mark (D-VA) 2009-
Risch, Jim (R-ID) 2009-
Hagan, Kay (D-NC) 2009-15
Merkley, Jeff (D-OR) 2009-
Begich, Mark (D-AK) 2009-15
Burris, Roland 10  (D-IL) 2009-10 
Kaufman, Edward (D-DE) 2009-10
Bennet, Michael (D-CO) 2009- 
Gillibrand, Kirsten 11  (D-NY) 2009-
Franken, Al (D-MN) 2009-
LeMieux, George (R-FL) 2009-11
Kirk, Paul G, Jr. (D-MA) 2009-10
Brown, Scott P. (R-MA) 2010-13
Goodwin, Carte P. (D-WV) Jul-Nov, 2010
Manchin, Joe (D-WV) Nov 2010- 
Coons, Christopher (D-DE) 2010-
Kirk, Mark (R-IL) 2010-17
Coats, Daniel (R-IN) 2011-17 (First served 1989 to 1999) 
Blunt, Roy (R-MO) 2011-
Moran, Jerry (R-KS) 2011- 
Portman, Rob (R-OH) 2011- 
Boozman, John (R-AR) 2011-
Toomey, Pat (R-PA) 2011-
Hoeven, John (R-ND) 2011-
Rubio, Marco (R-FL) 2011-
Johnson, Ron (R-WI) 2011-
Paul, Rand (R-KY) 2011- 
Blumenthal, Richard (D-CT) 2011-
Lee, Mike (R-UT) 2011-
Ayotte, Kelly (R-NH) 2011-17
Heller, Dean (R-NV) 2011-
Schatz, Brian E. (D-HI) 2012-
Scott, Tim (R-SC) 2013-
Baldwin, Tammy (D-WI) 2013-  
Flake, Jeff (R-AZ) 2013-
Donnelly, Joe (D-IN) 2013-  
Murphy, Chris (D-CT) 2013-
Hirono, Mazie (D-HI) 2013-
Heinrich, Martin (D-NM) 2013-
King, Angus (I-ME)  2013- 
Kaine, Tim (D-VA) 2013-
Cruz, Ted (R-TX) 2013-  
Warren, Elizabeth (D-MA) 2013- 
Fischer, Deb (R-NE) 2013-
Heitkamp, Heidi (D-ND) 2013-
Cowan, William “Mo” (D-MA) Feb-July, 2013
Chiesa, Jeffrey S. (R-NJ) Jun-Oct, 2013
Markey, Edward J. (D-MA) Jul, 2013- 
Booker, Cory (D-NJ) Oct, 2013-
Walsh, John (D-MT) 2014-15
Capito, Shelley Moore (R-WV) 2015- 
Peters, Gary (D-MI) 2015-  
Cassidy, Bill (R-LA) 2015- 
Gardner, Cory (R-CO) 2015-
Lankford, James (R-OK) 2015- 
Cotton, Tom (R-AR) 2015- 
Daines, Steve (R-MT) 2015-   
Rounds, Mike (R-SD) 2015- 
Perdue, David (R-GA) 2015- 
Tillis, Thom (R-NC) 2015-
Ernst, Joni (R-IA) 2015- 
Sasse, Ben (R-NE) 2015-
Sullivan, Dan (R-AK) 2015- 
Van Hollen, Chris (D-MD) 2017- 
Young, Todd (R-IN) 2017-
Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL) 2017-
Hassan, Maggie (D-NH) 2017-
Harris, Kamala (D-CA) 2017-
Kennedy, John (R-LA) 2017- 
Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV) 2017-
Strange, Luther (R-AL) 2017-

Books I am Currently Reading

I am currently in the process of reading two highly-acclaimed books from a few years back: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow.  In spite of their high marks from critics, though, both of these books, which describe the utter horrors of World War II, have been deemed by some as "obscene"...banned from libraries and schools alike at different times.  The reason for this censure is their explicit sexual content and/or profanity, not the graphic depiction of violence and unspeakable injustice done to the myriad victims of the most brutal, costly conflict in human history.  And I find that twisted standard of obscenity in itself a bit obscene...

With Slaughterhouse-Five, which I just started reading, I've seen the film version and therefore already know what happens...it is very rare for me to pick up a book after watching the movie.  As for Gravity's Rainbow, my difficulty with it is not so much the graphic sexual content...which can get very old in a hurry...as the disjoint manner in which Pynchon writes the narrative...he jumps around from character to character, scene to scene, and present reality to flashback to dream and back again...without ever giving any warning to the reader about what he's going to do next or where he just jumped off to.  I guess that's what they call "post-modernist" writing...I can't print what I call it.  But I am about 60% through and am determined to finish it.  And then I'll spill the beans about what I really think about this strange tale...

I am also plodding through an old James Blish science fiction novel titled Vor, one of the old paperbacks my sister Anita gave me to take back from Austin last month.  I'm struggling with this one as well, but at least the author seems to be writing with the reader in mind, and I've grown to appreciate that more lately...

Solar Eclipse Coming on August 21st

As my laptop computer is continuing to go through its lengthy updating process, I decided to go to my cell phone and write a blog article using it instead.
 

I have read that on August 21st there will be an eclipse of the sun. Gainesville will witness only a partial eclipse while the pathway for the total solar eclipse will pass through the middle of the United States, entering at South Carolina from the Atlantic, then through Nashville, Tennessee and going westward, hitting the Pacific in the state of Oregon just south of Portland. I don't feel like traveling just to see it in person, but if you live near the total eclipse's path you might want to consider going to see it. Solar eclipses, when the moon in its orbit around Earth covers the sun, are rare events and total eclipses of the sun happen in only a very restricted place. For me, I will see what that partial eclipse looks like here in town...
 

Now to see if I can put a link to this article on Facebook from my phone...

Just Finished Reading Janet Evanovich's Four to Score

Continuing in chronological, "numerical" order with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter mystery series, I just finished reading Four to Score.  Once again in series of this type, the protagonist, her family, associates, and friends have their own ongoing personal narratives that cumulatively depend on the previous installments while the spotlighted mysteries are self-contained within the book...I'll just stick with discussing the latter as I don't won't to give away some story lines developed in the first three volumes...

In Four to Score, Stephanie Plum is given the assignment by her bail bondsman boss (and uncle) Vinny to find Maxine, who has missed her court date for which she is accused of stealing her boyfriend Eddie's car. Maxine, it turns out, has decided to lead Eddie...who is also pursuing her and paying Stephanie money under the table to share information with him...on a vindictive wild goose chase, leaving encrypted notes while trying to humiliate him.  To decipher them, Stephanie enlists the aid of rock musician/drag queen Sally, who has a knack for solving codes...leading into an interesting subplot.  In the meantime, Maxine's mother and friend have each come up with injuries...a scalping and severed (and later reattached) finger, respectively...prompting our hero to suspect something more sinister going on about Maxine than just a stolen (and returned) car...

I love both the story's dialogue and introspection of Stephanie, who narrates it all in the first person, as I have become accustomed to in this enjoyable series.  And eccentric, spunky Grandma Mazur never fails to make me laugh.  Onward to the next book!

Quote of the Week...from Yogi Berra

The future ain't what it used to be.                   --Yogi Berra

The great New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, who passed away two years ago at the age of 90, was always a welcome baseball card for me to pick up as a kid...but his warmth and humor made him a larger-than-life public figure.  One of Yogi's trademarks was his tendency to twist words around in a funny way...some examples:

--Even Napoleon had his Watergate.
--It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.
--I don’t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field, in answer to a question). They had bags over their heads.
--I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.
--I never said most of the things I said.
--Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.
And my current favorite:
--In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

The above quote of his that I settled on for this article, though, while on the surface a bit nonsensical and silly, actually contains a deeper truth: in our times, our view of what the future holds has changed quite a bit from what others saw ahead of them in previous times.  In America, there had long been the notion that we could do anything...where there was a will, there was a way, so to speak...and the future was bright, full of technological innovations if not miracles.  After World War II, a different sort of outlook began to take root among the population: an apocalyptic future of nuclear war and its devastating aftermath.  In the early 1960s, another vision of a future...that of a planet sickened by man-made abuse of the environment...began to take hold.  The revival of Christian evangelism in the latter part of the century combined within that community the idea of worldwide apocalypse with Christ's impending return.  And there is now a developing fear among many of a future world run by autocratic strongmen in alliance with the super-wealthy that disposes of many of the individual's human rights and treats people-at-large as simply consumer units. One of the factors creating political tension within our society nowadays is a plethora of competing visions about what the future holds for us...and what we should do to create the best results.  I happen to believe that there are elements of truth contained within the various outlooks: we do have the capacity and can develop the will to solve many of our problems, but we have to come to some sort of consensus about what those problems are...and that is where I fall a bit on the pessimistic side of things.  For it seems that, in this present world of ours, people tend to just follow the "news" sources that serve to bolster their own closely held notions and prejudices, opting to refer to any opposing input as "fake news".  Not a good portent for the future...I wonder what ol' Yogi would have to say about this...

7/9 Sermon on Everyday Heroes, Pt. 2

This past Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, Pastor Aaron Read delivered the morning message...continuing the new series titled Everyday Heroes and choosing as his subject John the Baptist.  The Biblical text was John 1: 19-37...you can read it in the New International Version through the following link to Bible Gateway: [link]...

How does one be a hero?  Aaron lists three ways.  One is to know and live your true identity: knowing that you are a child of God means you don't blend in when you're born to stand out...to borrow a line from the upcoming movie Wonder.  And John the Baptist clearly knew where he stood in comparison to Jesus...and had no qualms at all about standing out.  Second, know and use your spiritual gifts...and the Bible in various sections reveals many:  creative communication, administration, apostleship, craftsmanship, wisdom, helps, hospitality, intercession, knowledge, leadership, discernment, encouragement, evangelism, faith, healing, giving, prophecy, teaching, shepherding, mercy, tongues, and interpretation.  And third, as Aaron concluded, go and make disciples. As for The Family Church, there are programs here designed for a believer to discover his or her spiritual gifts (Family Foundations) and for learning how to make disciples (Leadership Development).  I'm thinking of getting on board with that Family Foundations class, which meets on Sunday mornings...

You can watch Pastor Aaron's message on the church's YouTube video website...here's a link to it: [link].  The Family Church holds its Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 11, with a message, praise music, and opportunities for small groups and classes.  Oh, and don't forget the complimentary coffee! Wonder what the message will be about this Sunday...

Weekly Short Story: Captive Market by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick is one of my favorite twentieth century science fiction writers.  He is well-known for his short novels as well as short stories...I've read quite a bit of both.  One of my favorite short stories of his is Captive Market, which appeared in the anthology Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories #17 (1955) (DAW Books, 1980).  It features an elderly woman of the present time living in a rural small western town who possesses a special, secret gift: she can go "ahead" in time and enter into the future...and come back...at will.  On one of these trips she encounters...in a post-apocalyptic age...a group of people desperately working on a rocket to leave Earth, people in great need of the basics of life including food and medicine.  How this woman responds to these people in need from the future is really what Captive Market is all about: I won't give away the story to you, but the title gives a big hint...

There is a tendency for folks in general to hold onto their prejudices, greed, and petty judgmentalism throughout their lives...even in the face of events that should instruct them otherwise and steer them toward change.  What I sadly often find is that when confronted with situations and challenges that invite them to show generosity, tolerance, and grace, some people will search high and low for any pretext to avoid doing so...especially if they can keep their behavior hidden from others: that's just basic, "fallen" human nature.  Captive Market is a very, very clear case in point...

Philip K. Dick's literature is full of deep and often disturbing commentary on society...I recommend anything of his.  Captive Market has a big point to make...especially if you are willing to apply its protagonist's attitudes to what is currently going on around us today...and is a good starting place for this excellent author, if you can get hold of a copy.  Normally, I wouldn't recommend buying a collection of an author's short stories just to read one of them, but since you can't go wrong with Philip K. Dick why not look for one that contains Captive Market?  You'll probably end up with several stories you like more...

Tuesday's List: Making a Mental Perpetual Calendar

We have always been cursed with a highly irregular calendar system, in spite of the French Revolution's attempted revision to make days of the week resonate with dates of the month...  Many years ago I devised my own mental perpetual calendar to solve this problem: I published it in my February 25, 2009 article: [link].  My system requires adding three different numbers and taking their remainder after dividing by seven to find the day of the week on which any particular date lies...

Here are my assigned numbers:

****BY DAY OF THE WEEK****
Sunday: 0
Monday: 1
Tuesday: 2
Wednesday: 3
Thursday: 4
Friday: 5
Saturday: 6

****BY YEAR****
1956,1984,2012...3 (leap years)
1957,1985,2013...4
1958,1986,2014...5
1959,1987,2015...6
1960,1988,2016...1 (leap years)
1961,1989,2017...2
1962,1990,2018...3
1963,1991,2019...4
1964,1992,2020...6 (leap years)
1965,1993,2021...0
1966,1994,2022...1
1967,1995,2023...2
1968,1996,2024...4 (leap years)
1969,1997,2025...5
1970,1998,2026...6
1971,1999,2027...0
1972,2000,2028...2 (leap years)
1973,2001,2029...3
1974,2002,2030...4
1975,2003,2031...5
1976,2004,2032...0 (leap years)
1977,2005,2033...1
1978,2006,2034...2
1979,2007,2035...3
1980,2008,2036...5 (leap years)
1981,2009,2037...6
1982,2010,2038...0
1983,2011,2039...1

***BY MONTH***
Jan (leap year):3
Jan (non-leap):4
Feb (leap year):6
Feb (non-leap):0
March: 0
April: 3
May: 5
June: 1
July: 3
August: 6
September: 2
October: 4
November: 0
December : 2

Once you memorize the above...the days of the week are easy, the years follow a 28-year cycle and have a pattern to their number...only the months' numbers may seem arbitrary. You add the assigned number of the month, the numerical date, and the assigned number of the year all together, divide by seven and take the remainder to find the day of the week.  I suggest that at the start you just memorize the numbers of a few years around 2017...say, 2015-2020...

Some examples:

a) July 11, 2017 (today's date)
       3  +  11  +   2=  16...dividing by 7 yields a remainder of 2, so it's Tuesday.

b) November 22, 1963 (the day Kennedy was assassinated):
       0  +  22  +  4 =  26....dividing by 7 yields a remainder of 5, so it was on a Friday.

c) July  4, 1976 (Bicentennial Day)
      3    +  4    +  0 =  7....dividing by 7 yields a remainder of 0, so it was on a Sunday.

d) December 25, 2017
      2  +  25  +  2 = 29....dividing by 7 yields a remainder of 1, so Christmas this year falls on Monday.

I admit it: memorizing the numbers may seem a little challenging, but you can also take it year-by-year and just remember that this year, 2017, is "2" and then you only have to know by rote the months and be able to divide mentally by 7.  That still may be a bit too much for many, and besides, nowadays folks can usually just look at their smartphones.  But it was still a fun little project of mine, and the more you work at it, the easier and quicker this system is to use.  And if you're stuck in a long line somewhere, you can practice this instead of automatically checking your messages and Facebook...

Major League Baseball at All-Star Break

Well, here we are in early July and with the same sports scenario: Wimbledon tennis in England, the Tour de France bicycle races...and Major League Baseball's All-Star Game break.  It is at this time that some folks sit around and discuss how the various teams are doing at this point a little more than halfway through the regular season.  I'm one of these...

The division leaders are Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Washington, Milwaukee, and the Los Angeles Dodgers...the Brewers are the only real surprise here, although the 60-29 win-loss record of the Astros is an eye-opener.  For the wild-card playoff slots, in the American League the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay are in a near-tie, with Minnesota (divisional leader for much of the season) and Kansas City close behind.  In the National League, two surprising teams...Arizona and Colorado...both have large leads over the rest of the field for those final two playoff spots.  The Miami Marlins find themselves at 41-46 and third place in the NL East after struggling under .500 all year...let's see if they can't have a winning season at the end.  The defending World Series champions Chicago Cubs are struggling in their division, under .500 and five and a half games behind the Brewers...their playoff prospects look pretty dim right now.  In the American League, the cellar-dwellers Toronto, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland all aren't all that bad and still have time to turn their seasons around...even make the playoffs...unless they succumb to the trading season and deal off their star players.  In the National League, though, Philadelphia and San Francisco are having utterly dismal seasons and Cincinnati, though better than those two, occupies last place in their Central Division.  And Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles Angels, Texas, New York Mets, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh...teams that one might expect to be more competitive...aren't.  Oh, the Atlanta Braves seem to be having a comeback of sorts from their terrible rebuilding year in 2016, currently at second place in the NL East...

Stream-of-Consciousness Foreign Language Dialoguing

While visiting Austin, Texas last month I had the opportunity to practice speaking some foreign languages with my nephew Gregory, who knows several and is in the process of learning some more.  Of the two of us, his path has been the more productive, having traveled and lived in several non-English speaking lands...giving him proficiency in French, Italy, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish and Czech...to name just a few.  Right now he's learning Chinese...my presence gave him an opportunity to practice it.  Greg loves to practice speaking foreign languages with anyone who'll listen...and I was only too happy to play the role of receptive audience.  Our multitude of stream-of-consciousness dialogues over the four-day visit served to put me on alert: if I am to ever truly get to the level I want with my language study, then foreign travel...coupled with enthusiastic conversational engagement with speakers I encounter here at home...is something I need to pursue.  Melissa already has a step on me: she's visiting Ukraine next week!  I'd better finally get a passport...

When expressing myself in a new language, I naturally want my pronunciation, word choice, and grammar to be good, if not flawless.  But while being "correct" when speaking in a non-native language I'm learning is ultimately desirable, the learning process demands that "communication" should be the driving goal.  Let's take three scenarios where people learn language: early childhood, school, and travel/immigration...

When a baby begins to speak, no one scolds him or her for saying things incorrectly: the goal is to communicate and to positively reinforce effective communication.  In the same way, when someone is learning a new language by living and interacting among the people who speak it natively, it's still the same goal: first communicate...then fine-tune it all to be more accurate.  But when I went to school...whether with the Audio-Lingual Systems curriculum back in the 1960s and 70s in elementary and high school or the college classes I took, the instructor's mantra was consistently the same: if I want to say something in the language I'm studying, the overriding concern is that I say it correctly...even though this puts the cart before the horse and inhibits vocabulary development, confidence, and progress in the long run.  When I worked back in the early 1980s at a local Chinese restaurant, I often did the same kind of "stream-of-consciousness" chatter that Greg and I just did...but with Vietnamese and Chinese coworkers in their native tongues...and with several different people.  They were delighted that I wanted to learn their languages and only criticized me when my speech was incomprehensible to them.  Likewise, I took the same attitude toward them when they were practicing their English, emphasizing meaning over correctness...unless of course they themselves brought up a question about usage.  To this day, Vietnamese is my second most spoken language with others, although my pronunciation is awful, I haven't consistently studied it for years, and my vocabulary is limited...and Chinese is right behind Vietnamese as my third most spoken language.  In contrast, regarding Spanish, French, German, and Russian,the languages I formally studied in school...before Greg conversed with me in them last month...I've essentially spoken none of them with anyone since school...   

So in summing it all up, I have to thank my talented nephew for reminding me what works in language study.  I'd like to travel and live, if only very briefly, in a foreign language setting.  But there are actions I can take here and now in Gainesville...actions I've taken in the distant past and which...as Greg showed...can stimulate thinking in those languages I want to learn.  Unfortunately, this idea of having stream-of-consciousness dialogues with others runs counter to my tendency to seek solitude.  Sounds like a real growth opportunity!
 

Just Finished Reading Janet Evanovich's "Two" and "Three" Stephanie Plum Novels

Over the course of the previous week I breezed through popular author Janet Evanovich's next two books in her Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series: Two For the Dough and Three to Get Deadly, published in 1996-97.  Once again New Jerseyite Stephanie Plum is learning her newly adopted trade of chasing down bail jumpers and hauling them to the police, with the failures usually prevailing.  In Two For the Dough three men...one she's pursuing as bounty hunter, one shot supposedly by whom she's after, and one managing a funeral parlor...are friends with each other from childhood, but also seemed entangled in a web of arms theft, killing, and indimidation.  Stephanie's Grandma Mazur, an avid fan of funerals, helps her to infiltrate that scene...with predictably hilarious results.  In Three to Get Deadly Stephanie enlists the aid of her friend, a former prostitute name Jackie, to try to catch Moses "Uncle Mo" Bedemier, a local candy-store owner almost universally adored by the community...including her own family.  Stephanie naturally gets a lot of static when folks learn she is going after good ol' Uncle Mo.  Also there seems to be a rash of killings of drug dealers in town...is there any connection to Mo?  In both stories, the author inserted police detective Joe Morelli as Stephanie's romance interest...as well as an informal partner in solving the mysteries.  And Richard "Ranger" Mansoso continues to instruct and assist the budding bounty hunter with her adventures...

The next book...which I've already lined up to read...is Four to Score.  Janet Evanovich has been very disciplined about putting out a new Stephanie Plum novel each year...George R.R. Martin could use a little of her consistency as he seems to be in no hurry to finish the next book of his A Song of Ice and Fire series...also known as "Game of Thrones".  Not that Janet's series is anywhere nearly as complicated as Martin's...but who's to blame for that?

Quote of the Week...from Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
                                                                                    ---Max Ehrmann,  Desiderata.

Desiderata is a famous piece of "prose poetry"...the term sounds oxymoronic to me...composed ninety years ago by American writer Max Ehrmann.  "Desiderata" means that which is desired, and Ehrmann listed quite a few of his "favorite things" when it came to what he believed to comprise a life well-lived.  The above quote, although not my favorite one from Desiderata, is the opening line and sets the tone for what follows.  The instructions are quite clear: although it may seem more fitting to be placid when things are quiet, slow, and relaxed, the very counterintuitive idea of going through difficult, loud, and stressful times with a peaceful demeanor, however, can go a long way toward changing those circumstances...both for oneself and those around them.  And going along with this is the notion that part of this placidity is being careful about the relative values of speaking one's piece and of holding the tongue in such situations...and the often negative consequences that the latter can bring...

I think that there is within us an innate desire to conform to the patterns of the society around us.  Few of us want to stand apart and alone, and I wonder whether the tendency to feed off stressful situations and respond in kind might be related to this wanting to fit in.  It may take a determined, conscious effort to restrain oneself in the face of turmoil...especially when a threat or danger is perceived, with that instinctual "fight or flight" response kicking in.  The idea of walking through tough circumstances quietly and calmly is neither fight nor flight: instead, it may well be the epitome of courage...

I first heard Desiderata in early 1972 when a radio talk show host, Les Crane, read and recorded it.  It was a minor singles hit at the time, but it made a big impression on me...not that I've always practiced what it preached.  From time to time I think I'll write about some other sections of this very interesting work...

7/2 Sermon on Everyday Heroes, Pt. 1

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, a new Sunday morning message series has begun, titled Everyday Heroes, and which each week examines a different Biblical character...some well known, and some like this week's subject: Phoebe from Paul's book of Romans, Chapter 16, Verses 1-2.  Here is that short text, in the New International Version via Bible Gateway:

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

Jeff Moody, the church's missions coordinator, together with his wife Kem, presented the message. Jeff explained, while going though the verses, that Phoebe was a gentile woman from that church in Cenchreae, Greece (then under dominion of the Roman Empire) who in all likelihood was given the great responsibility (and danger) of transporting and delivering the written text of Paul's epistle (i.e. letter) to the Christians in Rome...remember that there were no printing presses around at the time.  This all occurred during the reign of Emperor Claudius, whose rule predated that of Nero, the eventual executioner of Paul when he was later imprisoned in Rome.  Jeff also brought up two interesting Greek words in the verses: diakonos and prostatis.  Diakonos is translated as being "deacon" or "servant"...not much difference here since the early church deacons were in essence servants.  Phoebe is also described by the word prostatis, translated as "benefactor", "protector", or "leader".   But, as Kem pointed out, Phoebe's identity, which rested in the Kingdom of God, and her message, which was the good news of redemption through Christ, were far more important than her demographic circumstances, be it her family of origin or her gender. Kem brought it all together by emphasizing that each of us can...as Phoebe did...use our particular station in life as a level of jurisdiction through which in Christ we can establish and practice our leadership and service.  Very thought-provoking...and inspiring as well.  Thank you, Moodys!

You can view Jeff and Kem's message from The Family Church YouTube video website.  Here is a link to that sermon: [link].  The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 11.  Looking forward to next week...

Weekly Short Story: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I first read the amazing 1959 science fiction short story Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, from the collection The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time (Avon Books, 1970).  I tend to agree with this book's grandiose title: it really does contain some of the greatest stories ever.  For his part, Keyes was not an established writer when he produced his masterpiece...but it made an indelible impact anyway.  Probably discovering that he wasn't making much money off the short story, he expanded it into novel form in 1966...that version I haven't read.  As far as I'm concerned, when you're as close to perfect with a story like this, why mess with it?

Charlie Gordon is an intellectually-challenged (I.Q. 68) 37-year old who gets by with his custodial job at a factory.  Two research scientists, Doctors Strauss and Nemur, have a project underway designed to increase intelligence.  Their first subject was a little white mouse named Algernon.  But now they are ready to try their operation out on a human...and Charlie is the willing subject.  Dr. Strauss has suggested to Charlie that he keep a daily written journal about his life and what he is feeling.  And that is exactly what Flowers for Algernon is: Charlie Gordon's written record of his changing intelligence...and consequently his changing worldview, including some eye-opening revelations about the people in his life.  All the while he observes Algernon's progress and records his impressions...

What makes this story so special is the meticulous detail in which the author reveals the feelings and abilities of Charlie at different stages in his journey, as well as the generally flawed nature of some people in general, in particular the cruelty of some toward the mentally disabled and the blind ambition of others without regard to the consequences of their actions.  Once you begin to read this epic tale of inner discovery...and outer disillusionment...you just might find it difficult to put down until you're finished.  One of the best short stories of all time, in any genre of fiction...

Tuesday's List: My Favorite Rush Songs

Rush, the Canadian hard rock band made up of singer/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee, drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, and guitarist Alex Lifeson has produced nineteen studio albums so far (the first was made without Peart) and is still a viable group, coming out with new original material every few years and still performing concerts.  Although they had been recording albums since 1974, my interest in Rush didn't take root into one late night in 1992 when my local alternative rock station here in Gainesville played their 1981 album Moving Pictures in its entirety.  I then set off to listen to other albums of theirs, often disappointed at their tendency to go off on long, overblown fantasy productions.  Unlike other groups such as the Beatles, R.E.M., Led Zeppelin, and the Moody Blues, many of my favorite songs from which are deep album tracks, my favorites from Rush tend to be the more well-known pieces played often over the radio...with the notable exception of that Moving Pictures album. The following list of my own personal favorite songs of theirs spans the first fourteen albums while none are from their last five...usually musical acts peak and then either break up or continue for years in steady decline, let's face it.  Speaking of peaking, all seven of the tracks from that masterpiece Moving Pictures are on my list, including the top two songs.  Well, here is that list, with each song in capitals, followed by its album and year of release:

1 RED BARCHETTA......Moving Pictures 81
2 VITAL SIGNS.............Moving Pictures 81
3 WORKING MAN........Rush 74
4 THE SPIRIT OF RADIO......Permanent Waves 80
5 ROLL THE BONES............Roll the Bones 91
6 TOM SAWYER..........Moving Pictures 81
7 SUBDIVISIONS.........Signals 82
8 LA VILLA STRANGIATO........Hemispheres 78
9 NEW WORLD MAN........Signals 82
10 FREEWILL.................Permanent Waves 80
11 THE CAMERA EYE.......Moving Pictures 81
12 LAKESIDE PARK..........Caress of Steel 75
13 FLY BY NIGHT.............Fly by Night 75
14 DISTANT EARLY WARNING......Grace Under Pressure 84
15 CLOSER TO THE HEART.......A Farewell to Kings 77
16 YYZ.........................Moving Pictures 81
17 DREAMLINE...........Roll the Bones 91
18 TIME STAND STILL........Hold Your Fire 87
19 LIMELIGHT.............Moving Pictures 81
20 THE BIG MONEY........Power Windows 85
21 WITCH HUNT.............Moving Pictures 81
22 SHOW DON'T TELL.......Presto 89
23 THE TREES..................Hemispheres 78
24 2112........................2112 76
25 NATURAL SCIENCE.........Permanent Waves 80

Walking and Dining in San Antonio

During our recent visit to my sister and her family in Austin, we made a little detour...to San Antonio in order to experience this important city, especially the Alamo and the Riverwalk.  Melissa and I went with Anita and my nephew Greg on this little adventure and spent the Sunday afternoon and evening walking and dining in the downtown area...

First on the plan, after checking into our overnight hotel a few blocks east of downtown San Antonio, we all walked down Commerce Avenue and then veered northward to the Alamo site.  The weather was a bit hot and stuffy, and whenever we had the chance to duck into an air-conditioned building I was grateful for the relief.  The Alamo itself was a little bigger than I had imagined...later I found out that the decorative, curved top front part was a later addition, built around 1870.  The Battle of the Alamo took place in March 1836 when dictatorial Mexican president Santa Anna, wanting to fully consolidate and centralize his power, undertook a military expedition to outlying Texas, then still a part of Mexico but increasingly populated by English-speaking settlers from the east.  Resistance to his forces culminated in a siege of the old mission and resulted in a "no quarter" massacre of the fighting men there by Santa Anna's forces.  A few days later, Sam Houston's forces defeated and captured Santa Anna at San Jacinto River, forcing him to officially concede defeat as Texas declared its independence.  At a gift shop within the Alamo complex (a nice, air-conditioned gift shop) an author by the name of John R. Knaggs was holding a book-signing for his historical novel of the Alamo and San Jacinto River battles, titled The Bugles Are Silent.  Anita bought a copy...maybe I'll read it someday.  Next to the Alamo building that most of us recognize is a long building appropriately called the Long Barrack, containing a great museum about the Alamo, a short explanatory movie, and also more air-conditioning.  These two buildings are the only ones left intact to this day from the Alamo battle.  By the way, cutting through the Alamo grounds is a narrow creek/pond stocked full of koi fish...many visitors seemed entranced by them...

As the afternoon progressed, we left the Alamo and headed south back to Commerce Avenue and an entranceway down the steps to the San Antonio River, on both sides of which are restaurants, shops...and even an outdoor theater.  We made our way to the Casa Rio Mexican restaurant and sat out by the riverside to eat our dinner.  The river was marked by a nearly constant stream of tour boats...some of which were set up for dining...and a multitude of ducks, each seeming to stake out its territory near a strategic table in anticipation of crumbs.  The food was good and so was the service...I recommend this restaurant.  For some reason, during much of our meal we heard someone continuously playing a bagpipe from across the river...I wonder what that was all about.  Afterwards, the four of us walked on down the Riverwalk, sightseeing and snapping pictures along the way.  One interesting place we discovered spanned both sides of the river: the outdoor Arneson River Theater, with the grass seating curving around on one side and the stage on the other. A full-blown production at night must be a memorable event to experience...

As darkness fell, I began to sense that, more than anything, I could use a good cup of coffee, so our party walked around looking for such a place.  Unfortunately, we weren't successful at finding a local coffee shop and ended up settling for the McDonalds on Commerce...I got the largest ice coffee and quickly gulped it all down...ah-h-h, that's better now.   After that we walked down the nighttime version of the Riverwalk in the opposite direction, finally finding a gift shop to browse through.  My sister sneakily bought a large Yellow Submarine Beatles coffee mug after I had let it be known that I liked it...thanks Anita, it's my favorite!  I thought the San Antonio Riverwalk was fun, and had we been planning to stay longer in town we could have probably explored it further.  Their boat tours look interesting...maybe if we make it back we'll try going on one of them...

Our visit to San Antonio was constrained a bit by time, but I think we got the essentials down.  Most of all I enjoyed the company of my wife, sister, and nephew...and it's hard to beat that!

And now here's a description of the above five pictures:
#1: The Arneson River Theater, seen from the top of the audience seating area...with a tour boat on the river.
#2: Melissa and I standing before the Alamo.
#3: Anita and I (and a photo bomber) at Casa Rio restaurant on the riverside.
#4: Same place: Melissa and Greg.
#5: That quirky, cool Beatles Yellow Submarine mug.

Just Finished Reading The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Toward the end of our stay in Austin last week, my sister Anita gave me several books she thought I'd be interested in reading.  One of these, John Wyndham's 1951 science fiction novel The Day of the Triffids, I recognized from long ago at our childhood home in Hollywood, Florida.  Well, I didn't waste any time in reading it: I finished it yesterday...

There are many angles one can take regarding The Day of the Triffids.  It is an apocalyptic story concerning humankind's self-destructive folly when it comes to warfare, strongly criticizing the weaponization of space and biological research...very prescient for a story published six years before the first space satellite was even launched.  It also examines the very fragile, delicate structure holding our relatively comfortable modern society together and how one single strong blow to it, delivered over just the span of a few hours, can bring it all toppling down.  But what I found the most fascinating was how the main character Bill Masen, along with those he meets on his odyssey through London and southern England, adapts to his new world and the new social rules forced upon it...

I know I haven't offered much in terms of what actually happens in The Day of the Triffids.  Let me just give a little hint: when handing me this book Anita, who knows how much I like to star-gaze, said I might just have second thoughts about looking up at the night sky after reading it.  It happens that one night there is a spectacular celestial display of lights...green lights...when the Earth apparently passes through some comet debris.  But our hero Bill, completely bandaged over his eyes in a hospital while recovering from an injury, completely misses the show that almost everyone else revels in.  The next morning...oh that next morning...

Read the book, it's a good one.  They later adapted it to film and television, but I'm confident you're not going to get the full impact of John Wyndham's story unless you read it first...there's a lot of food for thought here...

Our Visit to Austin, Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

From June 23rd to the 27th Melissa and I visited my sister Anita and her husband Jim...and family...in Austin, Texas.  They had just recently moved there from Plano (a suburb of Dallas) and we wanted to see how different it was in the state's capital...and of course to see my wonderful relatives there.  We stayed at their house, where my nephew Gregory...very talented at foreign languages and music...is also residing.  Also down the street lives my niece Teresa, who with her husband Joe has started her own family with little "Baby James"...and another on the way.  Our hosts showed us the town...including a very funny bus tour, complete with duck whistles to toot at the passers-by with...and we got a very good initial impression of Austin.  It was fun to walk through the state capitol building and look into its supreme court, house of representatives, and senate chambers.  The landscape in front of it was also beautiful, and they had a fitting memorial to African-American history there.

Austin, of course, is not only the capital city of Texas but is also the site of the University of Texas, where the Longhorns rule.  We saw the tower from which the terrible sniper attack occurred in 1966 and walked the downtown streets, where I was told they shut down traffic on weekend nights and make it all one big festival for night-lifers.  There is Lake Austin, a drainable, damned-up reservoir along the sides of which dwell many of the ultra-rich. Austin also has a great park that runs along the sides of its river and is a magnet for runners, walkers, bikers, and dog-walkers.  Speaking of dogs, this city is reputedly very friendly to them, with many businesses open to allowing them in their doors.  There is also a bridge downtown underneath which a multitude of bats live and come out in a spectacle at twilight...of course, we have something similar in Gainesville across from Lake Alice at the University of Florida.  For such a conservative state as Texas, Austin is an oasis of liberal thought and lifestyle...oh yeah, that reminds me: we had lunch at an enormous restaurant called The Oasis that overlooks a pretty lake a few miles west-northwest of town...

The love and hospitality that Anita, Jim, Greg, Teresa, Joe...and even little James...showed us would have been enough to merit return visits, but Austin is definitely an additional incentive to get back on a plane in the not-so-distant future and pop back on in.  Oh, I forgot to mention their pets: Gracie the very big orange cat, and Ellie and Violet the sweet little dogs...

Here's a description of the above photos:
#1: Walking to the Texas state capitol, with Anita leading and Jim following...
#2: Selfie of Melissa and me within the capitol dome...
#3: Shot of Greg and Anita from The Oasis restaurant...
#4: Same location: Teresa and little James...
#5: The funny tour bus we went on...it converts into a boat midway through the tour...
#6: The African-American History Memorial in front of the state capitol...

Just Finished Reading Ruth Rendell's The Babes in the Wood

In about a two-month span from September to November last year, I read eight different Ruth Rendell novels.  She is a renowned mystery writer from England and her stories strongly reflect her homeland and its society.  Some of the books have been standalone, but I also began to read her Inspector Wexford series.  I stopped reading Rendell last year because there was a disruption concerning my checking out of books from a download/borrowing provider in conjunction with my local public library.  But that glitch has been resolved and I'm back to reading this excellent author's works.  I picked The Babes in the Wood, which is the nineteenth Inspector Wexford book, coming out in 2002.  I was a little hesitant about jumping ahead in the series (I was earlier reading them in chronological order) only because with these types of ongoing series there are two story lines: the main mystery...in which it doesn't matter what order you read them in, and the personal lives of the main continuous characters like Wexford and Burden and their families...this book was a little disorienting as a lot had happened to them over the course of the previous stories...

In The Babes in the Wood, the town of Kingsmarkham's Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, Inspector Mike Burden, and their team have to find three missing people: two teenagers...a brother and sister...and their babysitter.  The search is complicated by heavy rains and flooding, which at the start prompts some to suspect that they all had drowned.  Wexford, Burden, and company go around questioning all involved and soon discover a peculiar fundamentalist sect to which the boy had recently joined: is there any connection?  Add to this several suspicious leads and you have a mystery that won't let you down: the ending makes sense while Rendell deftly creates an array of interesting...and very flawed...characters.  But why believe me when you can read it for yourself? 

I wonder, what will be the next Ruth Rendell book for me?

My June 2017 Running Report

For most of June I was in "maintenance-mode" with my running, just running enough daily to keep my low level of endurance intact.  But for the last eight days I've skipped it...I've been on vacation and traveling, deciding to put my running on hold until I got back.  And now I'm back...but the month's over!

In June I ran on 22 of the 30 days, amassing a total of 79 miles.  My longest single run was for 3.3 miles, done a couple of times: nothing to brag about.  I'd like to pick up my mileage and do more road running...we'll see what July brings.  I do know I will not be running any races anytime soon...

And now for something entirely unrelated to running: a couple of weeks ago I took a break from Facebook, which included posting links to these blog articles on it.  I kept writing, so there's several days' worth of articles between then and now about a variety of stuff.  I think I've come to a sense of peace about this social media site, resolving to check it only at certain set times.  So I'm back to posting on Facebook and hope you enjoy reading my articles...

Quote of the Week...from Oprah Winfrey

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
                                                                     Oprah Winfrey.

A few months ago I discussed on this blog another quote by Oprah Winfrey, and in a rather critical manner.  This time around, though, I'm all on board with what she has to say.  For in our society, it is indeed a sign of high character...of integrity...for people to behave ethically and responsibly regardless whether they are out in the open or hidden from others' views and scrutiny.  I think a lot of folks possess integrity to varying degrees, but it is also true that the tendency is sadly for people's behavior to become more selfish, greedy, impatient, and dishonest whenever they feel they are safe from being called out on it.  Take my own experiences the last few days...

I've been on vacation for a few days with Melissa, just arriving back home today.  Whenever we were out around others in public, be it in shops, restaurants, hotels, out walking, or whatever, the other people we saw around us were uniformly considerate, patient, and generous.  But once we got on the road...well, that was entirely different.  It seems that when some people find themselves feeling relatively anonymous within their vehicles, their lower natures come out.  The refusal of someone to let me in because an accident ahead caused a lane closure, the intimidating tailgating I see drivers doing to those directly in front of them, and drivers recklessly zigzagging between cars on the freeway all demonstrate behavior that would never come out were the same people identifiably out in the open with others...and without their vehicles to insulate them...

I heard a sermon a while back on integrity that dovetailed nicely with Oprah's quote.  The bottom line is that the true measure of a person is what they choose to do during the times that no one is present to hold them accountable for it.  So am I the same when I'm alone or driving as when I am physically present around others?  Sigh, I have some work to do in this area...I suspect most of us do...

6/25 Sermon on 1 John, Part 11

At The Family Church in Gainesville, Florida, pastor Philip Griffin concluded his Let There Be Light series...based on the New Testament book of 1 John...by discussing the topic of confidence.  The text of focus was Chapter 5, Verses 13-21...click on the following Bible Gateway link to read it: [link]...

Using John's verses, Pastor Philip listed the ways that God imparts confidence to us: one is that we have eternal life...not from our own accomplishments, but by God's grace.  Another is that our prayers are answered by God as we make them according to his will...the goal of prayer is not to impose our will on God but rather to conform our will to his.  And in Christ we have God's power to overcome our shortcomings, forge a new identity...changing not only how we see ourselves but also how we see the world, and have what truly satisfies...instead of the idols in their various manifestations that this world provides...

Since I was in Austin, Texas last Sunday, I wasn't able to hear the message live.  But that's all right: I (and you as well) can listen to it by accessing the church's YouTube video website...here's a link to last Sunday's message: [link].  As I said before, this was the last in the series on 1 John.  The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its Sunday services at 9:30 and 11...

Weekly Short Story: Evening Primrose by John Collins

Sometimes a short story makes more sense in the time it was written...the advent of technology can render some scenarios obsolete.  A case in point: John Collier's classic 1940 horror tale Evening Primrose, which I read (a few times) from the anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents Stories for Late At Night.  The story begins harmlessly enough...if not more than a little bit goofy...when a young man, fancying himself a bohemian poet of sorts, decides to drop out of worldly society by living hidden within a department store.  He reasons that he would hide and sleep during store hours and then come out later in the night after closing, with only the night watchman to look out for.  Picking the store of his choice, he feels successful as the store closes and he is left alone...and free!  Only he soon discovers the opposite: many other people had already made the same decision and a secret society of store-dwellers is already flourishing, complete with its own rules...and some horrors as well...

Of course, in today's world you can't just hide in a big store like that...everything is now under 24/7 surveillance.  But in 1940 this was an option that people could envision happening, and Collier used it to make a couple of important points, in my opinion.  One is that if you come up with your own "original" way to get around the system, chances are that many, many others have already beaten you to it...trying to get away from it all may only result in being surrounded by others trying to get away from it all.  The second point is the idea of an "underground": it may seem "cool" for a while to be part of a society detached from the mainstream, but all human society is structured and includes rules for its members to abide by.  If one abandons living in the conventional society that employs conventional means of law enforcement...i.e. the police...he or she may instead be subject to some very rough treatment should they be seen by the underground group as straying from their particular laws...check out The Godfather to get another angle on this.  And that's all I'll say about Evening Primrose, a brilliant and unforgettable short story...

Just Finished Reading Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Lauren DeStefano is an author of young adult fiction...she wrote the dystopian series Chemical Garden Trilogy.  Wither, the first book, was published in 2011 and I just finished reading it.  Once again, as is the case in other series of this sort like Divergence or The Hunger Games, we see a nightmare scenario for the future after cataclysm has wrecked the social fabric of society...

It is sometime in the future, after a terrible world war has decimated the world, basically leaving only North America intact.  But science marches on, and advances in medicine have cured cancer, with a disease-free generation of humanity...dubbed the "first generation"...full of hope for the future. But a terrible thing has happened: a fatal virus has been universally genetically transmitted to their offspring, with men succumbing to it by age 25 and women by 20. This causes a complete disruption of societal norms, especially with the proliferation of children orphaned by their parents dying so young.  A by-product is the abduction of teenage girls to be sold onto marriage to the sons of wealthy families...which is the predicament of the protagonist, Rhine Ellery.  Will she be able to escape and be reunited with her twin brother Rowan?  Guess you'll have to read it and find out...

Although Wither is generally depressing, Rhine, her two sister wives Cecily and Jenna...and even her unwanted husband...are sympathetic characters, each victims of their own peculiar circumstances.  The author also was skillful at keeping me in a state of suspense through most of the story. At the end, there was a conclusion of sorts but also a lot of mystery left and uncertainty about the future...so I'm definitely committed to reading this series to its end...

Conservative vs. Progressive Rankings of Congressional Members Misleading

I don't know whether you've ever come across a rankings list of our U.S. senators or representatives based on how their voting patterns resonate with either conservatism or progressivism, but I'm here to tell you that you need to take it all in with some reservations.  Take one such list, for example...

The ProgressivePunch Senate rankings site (here's the link) seems to be the one that is most up-to-date, listing all 100 current United States senators.  They have a window in the upper-left corner that list the different categories describing how they evaluate the senators' voting records...categories like fair taxation, health care, housing, labor rights, and war and peace, to mention a few.  Then they put all the votes into a formula and voilà, there's the list!  They even have lifetime statistics of the politicians' votes as well.  The general assumption might be that, if you're a conservative in your political inclinations, then you might just start at the bottom of the list and go up instead with your rankings.  But the two different political ideologies see things differently, and that can muddle things up sometimes...

For example, whereas the "progressive" site categorizes "war and peace", conservatives are more likely to say "national security and defense".  Progressives say "justice for all: civil and criminal" while conservatives will say that "law and order" is necessary for justice for all.  Progressives may emphasize a politician's attitude toward federal funding of education, humanities and the arts while conservatives...who may feel just as passionately about those areas...will decry the federal government's interference in those areas.  And when it comes to the economy, taxation, and health, progressives will emphasize "equality" while conservatives stress "liberty". The different emphases on the same issues are not necessarily mutually exclusive: maintaining a sensible balance while incorporating the best of both perspectives is often the best way to go.  It's a shame that each and every politician doesn't take pains to see things from the other side's point of view.  It's especially painful to me because I lean toward the progressive side on some issues and the conservative side with others...

Another facet to the list that ProgressivePunch drew for the Senate reveals two undesirable trends about politics in our age: the least progressive Democrat is ranked more progressive than the most progressive Republican.  The reasons are twofold, as I see it: first, over the past few decades, the two parties have undergone a polarizing realignment, with their respective bases rejecting members of a different ideological tilt.  Before, we had conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans serving in Congress...no longer is that the case.  Secondly, party discipline has become more the rule than the exception with floor voting as the members feel compelled to follow their respective leaders' directions for voting instead of their own beliefs.  The increasing polarization and party-line trends are both disheartening to me and detract...in my opinion...from the fully effective exercise of  democratic representation in Congress..

Overhyping of Tropical Storms Leaves Me Apathetic

It looks...at least at this early point...that the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season may be a very active one.  After all, it is still only June and we have already gone through the letter "C" with tropical storm Cindy hitting Lousiana and Texas.  In the eastern Caribbean is an area of disturbed weather that also may well develop further.  And yet, in spite of this, I feel vaguely apathetic about it all...probably not the wisest attitude to take...

I think one reason I tend to look askance at the hype I see on TV about tropical storms is how much more coverage they get than the more continental, unnamed storm systems that often cause enormous damage, injury...and even loss of life.  In particular are those sweeping thunderstorms and tornadoes that periodically cover the lower plains in Texas and Oklahoma and travel through Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.  And speaking of the named tropical systems, the heavy coverage seems always focused on where the storm in question will strike the coast...the often much more devastating inland flooding caused when it continues inland isn't quite the same news story, for some unknown reason...

I think those folks who tell people living in states the most prone to hurricane strikes to stock up at the start of the hurricane season are probably right...I haven't done so yet, but it makes sense to go ahead and be prepared.  And then completely tune out the annoying ongoing melodrama about what storms Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, etc. are doing.  The Weather Channel meteorologists are welcome to "bravely" hang out on Florida, Carolina, and Texas beaches as they put on their annual show pretending that they are actually accomplishing something meaningful by getting blown about in front of the camera...but I have better things to do with my life than waste it watching them... 

Just Finished Reading The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick

In 2010, sailing and American history enthusiast Nathaniel Philbrick came out with The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a very well-researched examination of the ill-fated (at least for George Custer) Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25-26, 1876 in which the U.S. Army's 7th Calvary suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and other native American tribes under the leadership of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and others.  I just finished reading it and, as is the case with other history books, this one draws upon many different eyewitness accounts of the event...and from both sides of the conflict...

Philbrick describes the changing social filters through which both Custer and the Indians have been viewed over the years, especially on film...earlier it was the latter who were depicted as savages with Custer and his cavalry representing martyred heroes.  But I remember the tide turning in the late sixties and early seventies in favor of the Native Americans...epitomized by the movie Little Big Man, which showed Custer as bloodthirsty and maniacally narcissistic while the Indians were noble...almost angelic...by contrast.  For the author, though, the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes...no one side had complete claim to the moral high road...

Although the "white" incursion on Indian plains lands had been going on for decades, the 1874 discovery of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota, heretofore recognized as Sioux land, prompted then-President Ulysses Grant to dispatch the Army there to subdue the independent-minded Indian nations in the area and establish some control over the suddenly-valued land.  Enter George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry, along with other integral characters by the names of Terry, Reno, Benteen, and several others...and the setting for confrontation settled on the Little Bighorn River area of southern Montana...

Nathaniel Philbrick's research into the different personalities, strategies, misinformation, and accounts of the players in this conflict is amazing: you get the story piecemeal from so many different sources, and the author has put it all together like a jigsaw puzzle.  When there is some uncertainty as to what transpired in certain events...such as the "last stand" of Custer itself, Philbrick clearly labels his narrative as necessarily being one of speculation...albeit with some compelling supporting facts.  If you are a history buff and want to get a better sense of what was going on back in the late nineteenth century during the plains Indians wars, this book is a great resource.  It is very readable and the character development is outstanding.  High recommendations!

Quote of the Week...from Muhammad Ali and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough.            
                                                           Muhammad Ali and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

I've come across the above inspirational quote on a number of occasions, and it seems to be a split as to its original source.  Although I suspect that the late boxing great Muhammad Ali was the first to say it, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who as Liberia's current president is the first ever democratically-elected female leader of an African nation, has used it as well.  Either source sounds good to me, and the quote reveals something important about how we sometimes sell ourselves short when it comes to planning out our respective futures...

I think the main point of saying that your dreams need to scare you is that if they don't involve you stepping out of your comfort zone and being willing be undergo fundamental transformation, then they aren't worth pursuing and that you're only deceiving yourself and will ultimately be unsatisfied...even if you fulfill them.  Looking back from an imagined future point in time and seeing the talents that you will have developed on your journey...as well as the fears you will have faced and overcome...can be a little bit overwhelming.  Ali and Sirleaf, however, both seemed to be saying that we shouldn't fool ourselves about what we want to aspire to deep down inside ourselves and should follow our goals to their logical ends.  Having been something of an incrementalist tied down to daily routines, following their advice would definitely involve me undergoing a personal paradigm shift.  An intriguing quote, this is...I'll have to meditate on it...

6/18 Sermon on 1 John, Part 10

The sermon series titled Let There Be Light and which is a walk through the New Testament book of 1 John continued last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville with installment number ten, focusing on Chapter 5 Verses 1-13.  This message was titled Believe...

Philip Griffin, senior pastor at the church, delivered the message, which he broke down into four sections: overcoming, the reason to believe, the witness of the son on the cross, and the witness of the spirt which guides us to the truth (from the sermon notes).  As for overcoming, there are four components: belief, transformation, obedience, and victory...

This message sounded to me to be a little bit heavy in the theology department and a little bit light in the personal application department.  Yet if you read the Biblical passage being discussed, you might just understand why: it is very, very heavy on theological doctrine.  As a matter of fact, this section in the Bible seems to me to be a good section to turn to in order to express some of the main points of the Christian faith: here's a link to it via Bible Gateway: [link].

The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 11.  You can watch the weekly messages on its YouTube channel, which you can access through this link: [link]...

Weekly Short Story: First Contact by Murray Leinster

I first read Murray Leinster's science fiction short story First Contact many years earlier, but when I purchased a used copy of Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories 7 (1945) (DAW Books, 1980), there it was again.  The premise is simple enough: a human deep space expedition, in the process of exploring the Crab Nebula, unexpectedly comes across a completely alien ship, the first time ever that mankind has come in contact with another intelligent life form in the cosmos.  The confrontation between the two is mutually suspicious, and it becomes apparent to both sides that neither ship can allow the other to return to its own home planet without jeopardizing their own world's very existence.  After all, neither human nor alien know anything of the other's intentions...best to be safe.  So the two spaceships are at a standoff, with no solution in sight...or is there?

Leinster's tale reminds me to a great extent of Star Trek...especially the original series' five-year mission to explore strange new worlds.  Yes, the Federation knew of its own benign intentions regarding new life forms, but its ships still were armed to the hilt and with scanning technology to probe into strange ships they encountered.  Call First Contact the conceptual ancestor of Star Trek...it puts into proper perspective the notion of just reaching out willy-nilly in favor of contact with extraterrestrials without ever considering the consequences of encountering one that is hostile and/or technologically superior.  With Murray Leinster's story, there is a solution, but will it work?  Looks like you'll have to read it yourself to find out...

Project Gutenberg has on its site several stories by Murray Leinster, but I didn't see First Contact listed anywhere.  It's worth looking into, though...