To Mars Or Not?

I remember once going to the University of Florida microfilm collection and surveying newspaper articles from back in the Nixon era. If you’ll remember, it was Richard Nixon’s arch-political rival John F. Kennedy who, as President laid out the challenge for this nation to put a man on the moon and safely return before the 1960s ended. Nixon himself wasn’t interested in JFK’s dream, and our Apollo moon missions were actually cut short before their scheduled completions. However, at the same time, Vice-President Spiro Agnew was calling on the U.S. to land a man on Mars (and safely return) by 1989! Apparently, Agnew and Nixon weren’t exactly on the same page with our space program. Instead of making Mars plans, we decided instead to spend decades circling the Earth in various spacecrafts. The enthusiasm for space exploration during the 70’s was so politically weak that when the design of the Space Shuttle was to be decided, a cheap, inferior tile-protected shuttle was selected over a more expensive, but much safer and more durable casing. We have that to thank for the Columbia disaster! Anyway, in 1990, a year after we would have safely returned from Mars (according to Agnew’s “challenge”), then-President George H.W. Bush publicly challenged the country to land on and safely return people from Mars by 2020! And nothing that I know of was done then, unless you consider the paltry space station efforts with the Russians over the past few years to be of some value. Then, a few years ago, our current President George W. Bush decided that the space program should also have a safe Mars landing and return as a major driving goal. So, what I am missing here? Is anyone actually listening to these people? Is anything actually being done? I think that it would be a great project to go to Mars and back, but it would be greater to do it as part of an international effort that involved Europe, Russia, Japan, and China as well. I think we should get over our nationalist urges for glory on alien globes and do this one for humanity, period. I remember a few years ago how ridiculous it was when the ice cleared over the North Pole and the Russians proudly planted a Russian flag at the bottom of the sea there!

Monday Newsbreak: 4/14

--One of the front page headlines in yesterday's Gainesville Sun was "Obama's 'bitter' voter comment may revive Clinton's chances". Oh, com'n, people! Barack Obama is an articulate gentleman who thinks on his feet and can speak his mind without prepared statements that have been designed to achieve the desired "buzz" effect among the audiences. So, from time to time, something will come out and it will be mercilessly distorted by Obama's opponents. In my opinion, though, it's a little late in the game for Hillary Clinton to be going at it this hard against the probable Democratic nominee. Who knows, maybe she's thinking that McCain might want her as HIS running mate---NOT! I don't see what's wrong with any of Obama's statements. Especially in comparison with those of his two current rivals.

--It's mid-April and temperatures are dipping at night into the thirties. Here in Florida! I welcome the unusually chilly winter and spring we've been enjoying, but I also feel a little concerned that many will choose to see this very short-term phenomenon as a repudiation of global warming as a real ongoing threat.

--As the Olympic Torch goes from one major world city to the next, it is followed by human rights protesters who are determined to spotlight the deplorable state of human rights in the People's Republic of China, which is hosting this years Summer Olympics. And those protesting are fully within their rights to do so, as long as they don't actually interfere with the Olympic ceremonies. The problem I have with all this is that China's human rights shortcomings have been common knowledge for years, and comparatively very little has been done to protest them. And now, when this great nation is hosting the Olympics, the Olympics themselves are being ostracized as some kind of collaboration with oppression. Politician and celebrities are under great pressure in the media to boycott the opening ceremony events. And there has also been a push to simply boycott participation in the Games themselves. But I remember President Jimmy Carter's decision to boycott the Moscow Olympics in 1980. I felt back then that it was a bad decision and I still feel so. I believe that one of the best ways to liberalize and reform an oppressive society is to engage with it culturally and economically, not by ostracizing it. And it was exactly this sort of engagement that helped to bring down the Iron Curtain in East Europe in 1989 (remember West Germany's policy of Ostpolitik?).

--The annual University of Florida Orange and Blue football game was held here in Gainesville this past Saturday. So what? The football team was split into two squads who played each other. One side won, the other lost. Who cares? And yet this event was considered to be so important that ESPN actually hyped it on the air and actually presented play-by-play coverage. And what about all the other college teams? Why do the Gators merit this mania? I see this as a disturbing trend about UF football, where excessive hype, fan hysteria, and hero worship (of athletes and coach) have distorted the image of my hometown team into something that is, frankly, ugly to me.

--I am sad to report that the cable TV channel AZN, devoted to programming for Asian-Americans (and me as well) has left the air due to financial problems. I enjoyed their morning news broadcasts, especially the one in Chinese.

Global Warming and Energy Independence

One of the paradoxes in our society today is the tendency of much of the conservative right to deny the existence of man-made global warming. To hear some of them talk, you would think that the anti-global warming movement is an anti-American socialist internationalist plot. That Democratic former Vice-President Al Gore is one of “them” seems to add fuel to the fires of denial. But let’s look at this a little closer.

It’s true that the United States is often presented as the main target for criticism about carbon dioxide emissions. And carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect that traps the sun’s heat within the earth’s atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels, chief among them petroleum, releases a great amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And don’t we depend in America greatly on other countries to supply us with this petroleum? And aren’t some of those countries, like Venezuela, Libya, Iran, and Russia, places whose national interests don’t necessarily coincide with ours? And aren’t we embroiled in a seemingly endless war in oil-rich Iraq, prohibitively costly both in terms of lives, injuries, and the enormous financial cost? Would we have been doing this in a country that wasn’t a major oil producer?

Conservatives and liberals alike say that they want the U.S. to be energy-independent. By that, I mean independent of other countries. We shouldn't be so vulnerable about our energy supplies that we feel compelled to mortgage our future in order to forcibly protect them. It’s high time we finally get serious with alternative, renewable sources of energy. And by that I mean water, wind, solar, and fusion. Sources that would not tax our atmosphere with excess amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.

Unfortunately, conservatives, in their proclamations for energy independence, stress exploration, mining, and processing fossil fuels that are on U.S. territory or under coastal waters, while belittling efforts to encourage renewable, relatively clean energy sources. The way I see it is that all we will accomplish by their suggestions is pollute our planet more while keeping us just as dependent on foreign sources as before. It will take great strides in both technological development and national commitment to get us truly energy-independent.

I haven’t mentioned two energy sources that hold some promise for the future: ethanol, and nuclear power. The problem with using corn-based ethanol for energy is that it threatens to drive up the price of grain beyond the point where people who really need it for food can afford it. And nuclear energy, despite the claims of increased safety, still has the problem of what to do with the enormous quantity of slow-decaying radioactive waste that is a by-product. So I would rather see more development with solar, hydrogen, wind, and fusion as a long-term solution, both in terms of making us energy-independent and raising the U.S. to be a world leader in preserving our fragile environment. I don’t see the point in wrecking the planet and getting us entangled in more wars when the end result regarding energy resources is going to be the same!

Mundane Matters on the Eights: 4/12

Back when I was a kid in the late sixties, I stopped playing out in my backyard for a few months (this was in 1968). And for the various reasons that can crop up in families, the maintenance of our backyard went by the wayside as well. One day, I decided that I would just step out there and throw the ball around, or maybe just see how many chin-ups I could do on the clothes-line pole out by the back fence. When I stepped out, the yard looked unfamiliar, with heavily grown-up grass and weeds coming up around my waist level. I felt like going back inside and putting on my father’s (a letter carrier) “jungle” hat to fully convey the sense of the environment. But out I bravely went, and actually enjoyed myself for a few minutes. Until I looked back at the house, that is. On the outside wall, about halfway between the back door and the dining room window, was a moth. Almost a foot long! Suddenly, I realized that I was in a very strange, primitive, wild place and began to carefully tiptoe back to the back door, so as not to disturb Mothra. I didn’t go back out again until a few weeks later, when my parents suddenly decided to tackle the back yard situation with a vengeance. The whole family worked together mowing, cutting, and carrying stuff to the front of the house. There had been a growing pile of brush by the back fence that had been accumulating for years. When we picked it up, we discovered it was full of cockroaches, which fled to tree branches above us as we worked! How creepy can you get, right? Well, when we reached the bottom of the pile, the roaches there were albinos! We did get the back yard looking really nice and used it a lot in the following years. I don’t think it ever got much out of hand after that, and I never saw Mothra again, either in my back yard or anywhere else.

I say all this, thinking that I have allowed too much junk to accumulate within my house (especially the garage). It’s really beginning to stifle my lifestyle, as well as that of my family. I feel the urge to embark on a great project reminiscent of the late-sixties yard clearing that my parents did. And while we’re at it, a few home improvements like repairs and new flooring seem to be in order as well!

This “mundane matters” project of mine, where I make a concerted effort to take care of ordinary things concerning me, just hasn’t taken off yet, sad to say. But I’m not giving up. My emphasis needs to be on habit transformation. But first things first. The house needs some extensive work.

Colonoscopy

Just recently, the 64-year-old brother of one of my nearest neighbors died of colon cancer. This disease is one of the more curable types of cancer when it is detected early. Being that I am now in my fifties, my physician advised and referred me to a specialist to get a colonoscopy, primarily for the sake of early cancer detection and prevention. So Wednesday, I “prepped” for the procedure by going on a liquid diet and taking medication designed to cleanse out my intestines. That wasn’t so hot! Yesterday, I went down to have the procedure done. All those I encountered were very professional, efficient, and polite. I had an IV inserted, to which was added something to temporarily “knock me out”. A few minutes later, I was wide awake again, and the colonoscopy was finished. The doctor furnished pictures of various stages within my large intestine, and he gave me a clean bill of health! I strongly advise others to seek out this procedure for themselves as they enter their fifties. Their lives may eventually depend on it!

Having said the above, I also recognized that I have a good, inexpensive but comprehensive health insurance plan. Others don’t. And it’s this sort of preventative medicine that can bypass less fortunate people who need it just as much as I do. Without my insurance, this procedure would have been very expensive. This is another reason why I support an effective universal health care policy for my country.

Favorite Songs of 1979

For me, 1979 wasn't a very good year, either in terms of music or my life in general. There were a few musical standouts, although these really weren’t comparable to later years. One good thing about 1979 was the start of the decline of the disco era. Sure, I liked some disco songs, but enough was enough! Ironically, just as disco’s popularity began to wane, the group Electric Light Orchestra seemed to want to become a disco band. I liked their Shine a Little Love, while their Don’t Bring Me Down was just gold old-fashioned rock n’ roll, Dave Clark Five-style. Rod Stewart had a likable disco-type song in Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, and I grew to like Andy Gibb’s dance hit Shadow Dancing. But other types of music were emerging in ‘79. New wave, reggae/rock, and rap made their influence felt with Blondie (Heart of Glass), The Police (Roxanne and Message in a Bottle), and the Sugarhill Gang (Rapper’s Delight), respectively. The Knack briefly exploded into rock superstardom with their relentless My Sharona. Dire Straits impressed me with their guitar virtuosity for their enduring Sultans of Swing. Several old-time acts had good records in 1979: Elton John’s Mama Can’t Buy You Love, George Harrison’s Blow Away, and Neil Diamond’s romantic Forever in Blue Jeans (my #3 favorite song from back in 1979). My #2 favorite song was the exciting and grossly underplayed Get It Right Next Time by the talented Gerry Rafferty. The top favorite of mine, as I lived through 1979, was What a Fool Believes (which actually won the Grammy Award that year) by the Doobie Brothers This was one of those songs that I grew to appreciate the more I heard it. The happiest song of that pretty unhappy (for me) year? What else but We Are Family by Sister Sledge!

Tracks in School

When I was a student during my childhood, I derived a great sense of self-esteem from being at the top of my class. And conversely, a great sense of failure and humiliation from those times I was at the bottom of my class. When the general student body was split up into classes without regard to the students' perceived aptitudes, I usually found myself doing pretty well. But often, the curriculum was split into tracks. For example, in high school math, we had three tracks: track three for the math-challenged, track two for the vast body of “average” students, and track one for the math whizzes. I was a math whiz (I took the SAT twice, scoring 780 in math the first time and 800 the second). So naturally, the good folks at my high school kept putting me in track one math. The only problem was, that put me in a situation where it was very difficult to claw myself to the top of the class. If I had stayed in track two throughout my high school career, I could have still learned everything at my own pace, gotten excellent grades, and been at the summit of my classes. But with track one, I felt like an idiot and floundered there. It sure would have been swell if one of those “professional” teachers and counselors in my school had even once considered advising me that perhaps I would be better off staying with track two math. But of course, no one did.

I believe that many kids nowadays feel great pressure from parents, teachers, and counselors to try to claw and scratch their way into as many “track one” and advanced placement courses to enhance their academic records for college admissions and scholarships. But many kids (myself included) have a psychological need to feel a sense of success in relation to the group they find themselves in. A student struggling to stay afloat in an advanced placement class may feel stupid and discouraged, especially if he/she had been used to being at the top of other classes. Now someone may argue that this is just preparation for the competitiveness of adult life: inevitably, the best will “float” to the top and eventually find their optimum “place” in their careers. But I believe that it’s more important to keep a kid’s spirit and enthusiasm going strong than it is to throw down hard experiences on him/her that may be more damaging than educational. But that’s just my opinion, based on my own experiences.

Happy Birthday, Blog!

I’ve finally come around full circle to April 8 again, meaning that this blog has been going on for one full year! I hope that you readers have enjoyed it and gotten something useful from it. My main purpose in writing it has been to practice writing as a daily discipline. Along the way, I’ve tried to be transparent and honest regarding my personality and opinions. Some articles have been easier to write than others. And looking back, there are a few that I probably would have written a little differently! But all in all, it’s been a fun ride.

I plan to continue this blog indefinitely, so keep tuned! I keep thinking that I’m going to add photos and other graphic enhancements, so you’re not just going to be confronted with the written word whenever you drop in. Maybe at some time in the future, I’ll add a regular section that includes some pictures with captions and comments. We’ll see. But the main emphasis will still be writing!

Monday Newsbreak: 4/7

--President Bush met with "outgoing" Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia Saturday. Interspersed with serious disputes about NATO's role in East Europe and Russia's flagging democracy were photo ops showing the two joking around and acting like long-time congenial good ol' buddies. Putin, scheduled to leave office in May to be replaced as Russia's president by Dmitry Medvedev, wants to rule Russia as its prime minister, reducing the country's presidency to a relatively ceremonial position. Bush is planning to meet with Medvedev, too. For all the difference that's going to make!

--With the Presidential campaign, people are getting all hung up over personalities and the likability of the remaining candidates. Just don't forget that once whoever gets elected is sitting in the Oval Office, the issues that will affect us aren't going to be personality-related. They will be which bills the new President signs and which ones he/she vetoes. And of course, what decisions will come down about international relations and war/peace.

--In the midst of grim announcements that the University of Florida is strictly limiting admissions to applicants, it was revealed that Dr. Bruce Kone, dean of UF's medical school, bypassed school admissions policies and, on his own, admitted a politically-connected applicant whose father raised money for the Republicans and helped organize Charlie Crist's 2006 gubernatorial campaign. To me, this sort of thing needs to be "nipped in the bud" or else we'll be seeing a lot more of this double standard going on.

--In the NCAA championship men's basketball tournament, UCLA and North Carolina, the two teams I had picked to play in tonight's championship game, choked up in a big way in their semifinal games against Memphis and Kansas, respectively. I'm picking Memphis to win the final tonight (not that you should heed my opinion).

Decline of Amateur Athletics

I believe in amateur athletics. After all, even though I’m 51 years old, I myself still harbor a desire to excel in sports (within my age level, of course), in particular with regard to running. Unfortunately, the very existence of amateurism in sports has come under severe attack in recent decades. And there are some glaring reasons for this.

After World War II, most of the Communist countries used athletics as a propaganda tool to promote their ideology to the world. Athletes were furnished with token “jobs”, but were in essence completely professional athletes with higher privileges than their non-athletic compatriots as well as access to all of the training resources that their governments could (and would) provide. In Olympics after Olympics, these countries (most notably the Soviet Union and East Germany) would lead the total medal count for the list of nations. It was the West’s response to this challenge that furthered the slide of amateur sports, for they chose to loosen the rules for their own athletes. This enabled the athletes to work full-time within their sports and technically retain the title of “amateur” during the actual Olympic (or other) competition. This, of course, has become a complete farce, as evidenced by the United States Olympic “dream teams” of multi-millionaire NBA players pretending to be amateurs. Nowadays, in many sports that are open for “public” participation (like track and running), big-name athletes are often paid large sums of money up-front to lure them to participate. What an abomination (in my opinion)! It seems now that everybody is on the take, and just competing for the love of the sport is widely considered to be the attitude of a chump.

Even in college athletics, perhaps the last attempt to at least present the appearance of amateurism, superstar athletes are almost always assured of financial windfalls and just as often as not don’t even complete their college careers before turning professional. My hometown University of Florida men’s basketball team had most of its starting lineup turn pro after their junior years. On one hand, I decry the mercenary nature of their actions. But on the other hand, I also feel that so many other parties, both in the University, Gainesville, and anywhere else where Gator products are marketed and publicized, have exploited these athletes, who generated a lot of money for them without being able to enjoy any payments themselves in the process. So I wish them all well. But we sure could have used them this past season! I wonder how far the Gators would have gone had players like Corey Brewer, Al Horford, and Joakim Noah stayed for their senior years.

Nowadays, amateur college athletics have been even more distorted by the win-at-all-costs attitude of alumni and booster clubs. Coaches and their staffs often receive exorbitantly high salaries. Fans and Internet-auction hucksters alike seek out star athletes for their autographs and any mementos they can get hold of. I myself recently witnessed how UF football star players had to walk a gauntlet of autograph seekers just to get from the practice field back to their locker room. However, I also recognize that organized spectator sports, be they amateur or professional, depend for their growth and sustenance on the fact that they are essentially public entertainment. A star athlete should, as an essential part of his/her role, be generous and gracious to the general public as they seek things like autographs. Especially with kids, who are probably the purest fans around.

Recently, I witnessed a local star amateur college athlete, widely known as a man of “character”, just walk away from a group of children for whom he was signing autographs, when he decided that he had had enough of it. And I know that at least one of these children came away from the experience feeling rejected, humiliated, and disillusioned. I even wrote this athlete a letter explaining my objection to his behavior and wondering how big he really thought he was. That was two weeks ago and this great “hero” has yet to respond to me. I don’t like to see anyone humiliated, but that’s what happened to this child, whom this athlete repeatedly ignored while attending to others (including adults). That all aside, I recognize that we all have our own faults. But we should be careful not to project an image of ourselves that we can’t even remotely hope to live up to.

Amateurs, not just in sports, are treasures who merit more respect and admiration. Whether one speaks of music, photography, art, writing, astronomy, athletics, or one of a myriad other fields, amateurism is the foundation on which excellence and progress are built. Let’s return to a spirit of loving to do something for its own sake, without being concerned about money, fame, or self-aggrandizement!

Finding Some Good in Anything

Sometimes I find, during my daily walk through life, that there are situations that I cannot avoid going through. And of course, the "wise" thing to do during one of these tedious and trying times is to find a way to make the most of the experience while minimizing the negative effects. But what if I deliberately pick out something that I don't like and then try to discover something worthwhile about it? I've started trying this idea with my television viewing recently.

A few months ago, I got my local cable TV company's expanded digital service, adding many new channels to my TV lineup. One of these channels was a Fox soccer station that broadcasts games from all over the world. Now to me, soccer is one of the most boring games there is to watch (although playing it can be quite fun). But one night I tuned in and was greeted with a game in the English Barclay league between two longtime rivals. I was about to "surf on" to something else when I noticed the jabbering between the game's two TV announcers. Both had thick local accents, with one announcer supporting one team and the second the other. And they would whoop and holler like regular fans sitting in the stands. They trashed the referee if they felt he made a bad call (this happened very frequently) and viciously criticized players for mistakes or just poor play. I found this kind of game commentary very entertaining and stayed on to watch the game. Unfortunately, that kind of play-by-play announcing is the exception to the rule of boring soccer coverage, but it's an example of how I could get something of worth out of what could have been a pretty tedious experience.

I also listen to a variety of shows on the radio, including conservative talk radio. Almost without exception, the hosts on these programs are rude, vicious proponents of their ideology and cut down those who express a differing world view. But still, from time to time even these folks will say something of value.

And now I come to my "acid test" to see if this principle works. I just picked up yesterday's Independent Florida Alligator, a free rag put out by University of Florida students that I usually have trouble getting anything out of. Let's see, I'm looking through it now: the front page features an article about tragically-killed-by-drunk-driver Gainesville Police officer Corey Dahlem being remembered one year after his death...my city, confronted by neighbors' opposition, delays action on a new homeless shelter...many articles (and letters to the editor) about the student senate here (mostly boring!)...man tries to steal electric guitar by hiding it in his pants (that made the front page)...Stephen Lewis, an AIDS specialist for the UN, spoke on campus about the plight of 14+ million women and 500,000 children infected with it...apparently, some 2000 Starbucks workers across the country had to share their tips with their managers (maybe that explains the TWO tip jars at the register)...lots of classified ads...typical UF sports articles...the "worship guide" listing various Christian and Jewish places to go (and which ones serve cheap food for students)...a couple of crossword puzzles...there's going to be a free classical music concert tonight at the downtown plaza (I have to work, though)...assorted other articles...(sigh) I guess, upon inspection the Alligator is better than I had been rating it. But nothing that really captivates my interest, though. I did find that the ads were more interesting than the articles. And I'm going to have to bring up the tips scandal with my Starbucks manager pal the the next time I run into him. But then again, I don't quite get the whole business about tips at places where I have to stand in line to order, pay, and pick up my product! Seems like I should be bringing my own tip jar for THEM to contribute to, seeing how much I'm contributing to their business!

Flow With the Rhythm

We all know of the ebb and flow of tides and the moon phases. We know of the various seasons, depending on what part of the world we’re thinking about. There are a multitude of cycles and rhythms within our own bodies. Instinctively, we understand that it is important to recognize these rhythms on at least some level and to not go against them. But rhythms permeate our lives on levels that we sometimes fail to recognize, to our detriment.

I couldn’t begin to count how many times I’ve been driving out on the road and have gotten boxed into slow traffic behind a slow car. Or just found myself stuck in very sluggish, heavy traffic. Or was trying to pull onto a congested street from a side road, wondering against hope whether there would ever be an opening for me to slip through. But in each of these scenarios, there is a rhythm to the flow of traffic that will allow for me to pull through. All I need to do is just drive safely and have faith that I’ll get though eventually. Often, in situations like these, I’ll begin to think about something else, and then suddenly realize that the traffic situation had cleared up and that I am miles down the road! The same situation that applies to traffic also applies to standing in lines. There is no need to get all worked up with impatience over things that are governed by systemic rhythms. If I just allow myself to “go with the flow”, then I’ll get what I need.

There is one thing that can interrupt the rhythmic flow of things like traffic and lines: deadlines. If I feel as if I’m going to be late somewhere, then the natural flow of traffic is going to seem to be my enemy, instead of something that I need to be a part of. The same goes with standing in line somewhere. Suddenly, every delay, no matter how insignificant and predictable, seems to be magnified into something like an evil conspiracy to hinder me from reaching my destination. The antidote for this, of course, is to give myself plenty of time to do things and get to places, so that, if anything, I’m going to be a little early, not late.

There is also a rhythm to human relations, with the various parties alternating between passive and active roles in relation to each other. Each person has a certain temperament that generally places them at a certain point on the active/passive scale where they’re in a “comfort zone”, and this differs from person to person. The trick in interpersonal relationships is for each side to recognize the other's “comfort zone” and with rhythmic ease alternate between one zone and the other. Hence, no need for impatience, dominance, or feelings of victimization, since all are accommodated, recognized, and respected in their turn.

I’ve just touched on a little of the types of ways that rhythm pervades our lives. It’s everywhere, actually. How well we can pick it out and flow with it will, to a large part, determine how well we can adapt ourselves to and enjoy the world around us.

Favorite Songs of 1980

1980 was full of good music. The Supertramp album Breakfast in America, released the previous year, spun off several popular tracks this year, among them Take the Long Way Home, Goodbye Stranger, and the title song. They also released a single, Dreamer, that I liked. Christoper Cross made his entry into popular music with two great singles: his powerful, exciting Ride Like the Wind and the placid Sailing. Olivia Newton John had two of my favorites: Magic and Xanadu (in collaboration with Electric Light Orchestra). Speaking of ELO, their Last Train to London was another of their likable "disco" tunes. One of my favorites of Bob Seger's, Fire Lake (similar to Night Moves) came out in '80. The Police had two terrific singles with Don't Stand So Close to Me and De Do Do Do De Da Da Da . The Korgis had their one hit, but a great one, in their dreamy Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime. Gary Numan's Cars, Smokey Robinson's Cruisin' ( a carry-over from 1979), and Eddie Rabbit's Drivin' My Live Away gave a "road" theme to the year. Linda Rondstadt's relatively obscure I Can't Let Go should have been a monster hit. One of Jackson Browne's best ever, That Girl Could Sing, dominated the airwaves in the second half of the year. Pink Floyd's double album The Wall produced several hits, one of my favorites being the frantic Run Like Hell. Paul McCartney made a comeback of sorts with his likable, upbeat Coming Up. John Lennon teamed up with his wife Yoko Ono to produce his Double Fantasy album, but his life was tragically cut short on December 8, 1980. He had two posthumous hits with Woman and Watching the Wheels. Stevie Nicks, recording under the banner of Fleetwood Mac, had her beautiful Sara out in '80. The Cars had one of their minor hits this year, but one nevertheless that I really took to (with it's spooky string-sounding background): Touch and Go (my #3 favorite song from 1980). Lipps, Inc. came out with my #2 song with their rousing dance hit Funkytown. And my #1 favorite song of that year was Queen's also-funky Another One Bites the Dust.

Political Feedback Loops

There is a concept in sociology (as well as in other disciplines) known as the “feedback loop” that skeptic Michael Shermer has gone to great lengths to describe and apply to his rationale for Why People Believe Weird Things (a title of one of his books). In a very rough nutshell, a feedback loop is a scenario where a group of people, relatively insulated from others, tends to congregate and tell each other their special takes on things. Within a feedback loop, there is a tendency to avoid contradictory input while anything contributed that reinforces what is being promoted is accepted. The result is a group of people tending to believe in things that the society as a whole may find extreme, deviant, or just plain weird. This phenomenon is very common within religious groups, but it can extend to politics as well.

And now we come to Reverend Jeremiah Wright and his feedback loop. The main problem with Wright, as I see it, is that he has surrounded himself with like-minded people who either echo his sentiments or contribute more input that confirms his opinions, while shunning and even condemning those who hold different opinions. So, as a result, you see this individual giving speeches condemning America or tastelessly ridiculing the Clintons while those around him are both emotionally and intellectually completely in sync with whatever he says. The danger with a feedback loop is that, once you step out of it, you stand a very good chance of being heavily criticized (or even worse, thoroughly ridiculed) for your expressed idiosyncratic views. And this is what has happened with Reverend Wright, to the detriment of Barack Obama’s campaign.

A similar thing happened earlier this year on conservative talk radio. The hosts of these shows have continually highlighted their special pet issues with their own special spins on them. They welcome compliant, agreeing callers while dismissing dissenting callers with insults and name-calling. They also tend to chum around with each other a lot. This is another feedback loop, although in fairness, it must be said that they are not even remotely as insulated as, say---Reverend Wright and his circle. So when it began to look as if John McCain was going to obtain the Republican nomination for President, some of these talk show folks made a spectacle of themselves putting down McCain, even to the point of saying that they would support a Democrat over him. Once they stepped outside of their feedback loop, which was their talk-show circuit, and into the general media, they too, became the object of great criticism and ridicule.

But going back to Reverend Wright, I must say that some of the things that he has been saying tend to mesh with a take on the United States and its behavior in the world arena that their more conservative critics call the “Blame America First” movement. You may have heard some of the names of folks who "line up" this way: Noam Chomsky, Gore Vidal, Cynthia McKinney, and abroad, led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. In essence this political philosophy, which is reinforced among its adherents through a sort of loose feedback-loop, claims that many, if not most of the world’s problems can be laid at the doorstep of the United States. Also, they tend to claim that the mainstream media has become nothing more than a compliant arm of the government, and that only through “alternative” media can the truth come out. Of course, the idea of promoting a reinforcing source of information to the feedback loop, while discouraging the use of sources that may tend to mitigate any harm that America is doing in the world, just strengthens the loop among those inside it. And separates them more as extremist from the population at-large. Unfortunately, it appears that some close to Barack Obama, including possibly his own wife, may be within this particular loop.

As I have previously written on this blog, I tend to be center-left on the political spectrum. But I watch, listen, and read material from a wide range of viewpoints. I’ve seen how people are seduced by political feedback loops and I want nothing to do with them (except to point them out to others). And if Obama is “in sync” with Hugo Chavez regarding America’s proper role in the world, then I need to know it now rather than later, when it might be too late.

Be Gentle With Yourself

Often I use this blog to express ideas for self-improvement. Mainly for MY self-improvement! And sometimes, especially when I read back over some of my writings, I feel a bit overwhelmed and pressured by what I seem to have been putting over on myself. There are some important areas in my life, to be sure, that I need improvement in. But I also need to relax a bit and enjoy the ride (through life) as well. As Max Ehrmann said in his wonderful exhortation Desiderata, “Be gentle with yourself.” After all, regardless of where I’m at in the world and what my surroundings are, there is one constant: my own thoughts and behavior always comprise my most immediate and influential environment. And if I can make that environment one of pleasantness, gentleness, and composure, I’ve already gone most of the way toward improving my lot in life!

It’s just as important to set aside some time each day to sit back, without the TV blaring or making frequent compulsive trips to the refrigerator, and quietly (without falling asleep) sit and relax, deliberately thinking about pleasant things while putting away whatever is currently causing any anxiety. It’s this sense of serenity, a calmness in the midst of the storm, that will ultimately carry me through the inevitable challenges and trials that tend to come to all of us at various times. Yes, the problems will still be there, on the outside. But I’ll be here on the inside, effectively dealing with them in an inner atmosphere of a calm, positive spirit. And the tumults and vicissitudes of “rat-race” living will not bring me down!

Monday Newsbreak: 3/31

--When listening to different takes on the “surge” in Iraq, I hear two basically different points of view, both valid, within their limitations. The first, generally espoused by supporters of President Bush, claims that the surge has been a success. By making agreements with Sunni leaders disillusioned by the presence of Al-Qaeda in their midst, the U.S. was able to take back for the Iraqi government territory that had been in the control of insurgents. And that has indeed happened. So to that extent, the surge HAS been successful. But the Iraqi government was then supposed to take advantage of this improved situation on the ground and pass reconciliation legislation that would give all of the major factions within Iraq a sense of participation and security. It is in this area, as detractors of the surge’s effectiveness claim, that the surge is not coming to fruition. And if too much time passes without realizing true reconciliation there, then it all will have been in vain.

--The presidential campaign continues, and after the recent flack about Barack Obama’s pastor and Hillary Clinton’s exaggerations about her experience, not much has changed. Obama is still leading Clinton in delegates, primaries won, and states won. In national polls he leads against both Clinton and John McCain. The only change I am seeing is an increasing number of Democrats beginning to urge Hillary to back out, either now or at least not long after the April 22 Pennsylvania Primary results are revealed.

--A giant 160 square-mile chunk of Antarctic ice just dropped off into the ocean, continuing the undeniable trend of polar ice melting. In the U.S., we had a relatively late winter due to the La Niña effect, causing some (especially folks like Rush Limbaugh) to question the existence of global warming. But friends, it hasn’t gone away!

--The University of Florida Gators men’s basketball team has made the “final four” for the National Invitation Tournament. The next game is tomorrow evening. Florida has shown itself to be an NCAA Tournament-caliber team through its excellent play in the NIT. In the NCAA tourney, I predict a North Carolina-UCLA final next week, with the UCLA Bruins prevailing in that one.

I'm Back!

Well, what can I say? I just couldn't stay away, could I?! Even though I'm back today on this blog, however, I'm not planning on writing anything long. The last two or three days have seen a resurgence of my respiratory allergies with a vengeance. I had my hands full just concentrating on getting through each day. The respite from my allergies that I enjoyed last year apparently wasn't permanent. Instead of taking over-the-counter products to alleviate the symptoms, I'm probably going to have to get a referral to see an allergist for more effective relief. After all, I enjoy being outdoors, and am even planning to spend a lot of time running cross-country this year. But not with things as they currently stand!

In the days ahead, from time to time I may publish some rather short blog entries, just to keep the discipline and continuity going. Having gaps in my blog just isn't cool with me!

Blog Break

I'm going to be taking a break from this blog for a few days, at least through the end of March. Please feel free to check out my archives, which go back to April of last year.

Favorite Songs of 1981

For 1981, I generally just listened to the average top-40 radio stations around for my music. This is because music had not yet been split up and over-specialized on different stations according to genre. There was a good mix of all types of popular music to listen to without changing the dial! The Moody Blues had two good songs I liked from 1981 in The Voice and Gemini Dream. Rising star Sheena Easton beat that with three: For Your Eyes Only, Morning Train (9 to 5), and Modern Girl. British bands Queen and ELO each came out with different-sounding tunes in Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Hang On Tight, respectively. Time got the "treatment" by the Alan Parsons Project with Time and by Styx with their classic Too Much Time On My Hands. Rush's phenomenal album Moving Pictures came out this year (it would be eleven more years before I discovered it) and with it, the unique, weird hit Tom Sawyer. Neil Diamond showed his patriotic side with America. Hank Williams Jr.'s A Country Boy Will Survive is one of my all-time country favorites. The Theme from Hill Street Blues, by Mike Post, was my favorite instrumental from 1981. Juice Newton hit the big time this year with her Queen of Hearts, a song that may have entered into Tom Petty's subconscious when he dreamed up his Running Down a Dream a few years later. Rod Stewart told a poignant story of a young couple in love in Young Turks. REO Speedwagon came out with a "Bo Diddley-beat" song: Don't Let Him Go. Dan Fogelberg's Same Old Lang Syne was a great seasonal song about a tender but bittersweet reunion. Blondie's tribute to rap music, Rapture, wasn't such a big hit with me in 1981, but it grew over the years and is now by far my favorite of that group. Swing Town, by the Steve Miller Band, and Sausalito Summernight, by Diesel, were two similar-sounding early autumn "happy" songs. Hall and Oates came out with three great tunes in '81: Kiss on My List, Private Eyes (my #3 favorite from that year, and I Can't Go For That (my #2 favorite). My top record from 1981 had to be Kim Carnes, scratchy voice and all, belting out her memorable Bette Davis Eyes, a song that, in spite of hearing it played so often, I never tired of listening to.

Reading on the Eights: 3/26

I split up my reading three ways during the last eight weeks: science fiction, Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and trying out some other authors.

I finished reading Isaac Asimov's The Robots of Dawn and then followed that up with his final robot novel, Robots and Empire. These books were a part of Asimov's general future narrative of robots, interstellar travel and settlement, empire, and finally, the Foundation. I have heard that even novels of his that are ostensibly independent of this narrative are still linked by some references within them. But Isaac Asimov is only one writer of many who do this, Stephen King being another one.

I have just completed The Wastelands, Stephen King's third of seven novels in his Dark Tower series. A few weeks earlier, I had read through book #2: The Drawing of the Three. In a nutshell, the premise of the Dark Tower series is that a "gunslinger" named Roland, in a future and deteriorating world, is searching for the Dark Tower, which reputedly holds the universe together through "beams". But something has gone dreadfully wrong in the Dark Tower, something of an evil nature, and Roland is on a mission to remedy matters. Along the way, he has several improbable contacts with our contemporary world and its people. A combination of science fiction and fantasy, King admits that he was inspired for this series by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The writing is great! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to Roland. And like Asimov's stories, King has allowed elements of his Dark Tower saga to seep into a few of his other works.

Rounding out my reading, I tried out a couple of popular mystery/suspense writers: Mary Higgins Clark and Dean Koontz. I finished Clark's Nighttime is My Time, a stereotypical whodunnit murder mystery, with the author casting suspicion on half the characters in the novel before the villain is "unmasked" at the end. The writing was pleasant to follow and the reading went quickly. But I didn't particularly enjoy the story. For Koontz, I read his Shattered, which is another stereotypical story, this one about a cross-country road trip where the protagonists are pursued by a murderous predator. I liked Koontz's writing more than Clark's, but the endings of both novels were both predictable and flat (to me). I've also just begun reading Sue Grafton's novel "B" Is For Burglar. I've already read her "A" and "L" entries in this alphabetically entitled series, and I can attest that she is a great mystery writer!

I've also, during the past eight weeks, resumed reading science fiction short stories, beginning with works from the early 1930s, such as The Evolved Man (by Edmond Hamilton), The Jameson Satellite (by Neil R. Jones), Submicroscopic, and Awlo of Ulm (the last two by Capt. S.P. Meek). I plan to continue this as a sideline to my reading of novels until I've read all the short stories in my pretty-large collection.