Being a postal worker involved in processing mail that I am, December is by far the most intense, busiest time of the year. Contract provisions governing the other eleven months regarding double overtime and other matters are waived for December due to the heavy amount of holiday mailings. This past week has been the busiest for my shift, which is for processing outgoing mail in the late afternoon and evening. I have a job sorting Priority parcels on a machine that classifies and moves them out according to destination as I, along with the rest of my team, key the correct sorting codes on keypads that directs the parcels down a conveyor belt to be dropped in the appropriate containers for later dispatch and transport.
Because I have been working considerably longer hours during this past week, I haven't had the opportunity to do other things that I would normally due. Including writing on this blog. Hence the most recent gaps in daily entries.
I had intended to set up a regular time, early in the afternoon before going to work, to write my entries out. But since that time has been co-opted by me having to report to work early every day, I'll have to wait until business has settled back down. After Christmas, that is. BAH HUMBUG!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Weird, Disturbing Kindergarten News
Oooh, I can sense another South Park episode coming on. Having just read Chuck Shepherd's weekly News of the Weird in my local newspaper, I have a new candidate for a spoof. For many New York City parents are now sending their children to expensive test-preparation courses for...kindergarten!
According to the article, New York City's public school system has a high-achiever kindergarten program, but applicants have to be in the 90th percentile on two different tests. And the age of the applicants? Three, four years old!
It's true that some kids are precocious, learning to read at a very early age or demonstrating other special talents. The late Isaac Asimov and my friend in New York are examples. For myself, I was a pretty bright little kid who may or may not have qualified on the "admissions" exams for an advanced kindergarten program, whatever that program may constitute. I do know that if this program is run the in same manner that the "high-achiever" public school I attended from fourth through twelfth grade was, I would rather just as soon pass up on the offer, thank you. Of course, it's the parents who ultimately make these decisions, not the poor kids, who have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.
It might be argued that having such a high-achiever kindergarten program in the NYC public school system gives an otherwise unavailable opportunity for kids in depressed, blighted areas to rise above their surroundings and enjoy a more positive, constructive learning environment. But these test preparation courses not only unfairly skew the admissions test scores; their expensive nature (as much as $1,000 or even more) also ensures that those admitted to the program will tend to be from the more affluent families. It may be a great idea for a private school, but hardly something that should be part of the taxpayer-funded public school system.
According to the article, New York City's public school system has a high-achiever kindergarten program, but applicants have to be in the 90th percentile on two different tests. And the age of the applicants? Three, four years old!
It's true that some kids are precocious, learning to read at a very early age or demonstrating other special talents. The late Isaac Asimov and my friend in New York are examples. For myself, I was a pretty bright little kid who may or may not have qualified on the "admissions" exams for an advanced kindergarten program, whatever that program may constitute. I do know that if this program is run the in same manner that the "high-achiever" public school I attended from fourth through twelfth grade was, I would rather just as soon pass up on the offer, thank you. Of course, it's the parents who ultimately make these decisions, not the poor kids, who have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.
It might be argued that having such a high-achiever kindergarten program in the NYC public school system gives an otherwise unavailable opportunity for kids in depressed, blighted areas to rise above their surroundings and enjoy a more positive, constructive learning environment. But these test preparation courses not only unfairly skew the admissions test scores; their expensive nature (as much as $1,000 or even more) also ensures that those admitted to the program will tend to be from the more affluent families. It may be a great idea for a private school, but hardly something that should be part of the taxpayer-funded public school system.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Philip K. Dick's The Cosmic Puppets
Many years ago, there was a TV movie starring Martin Landau titled Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol. In it, a weary Vietnam ex-POW decides to go back to the beloved little town in Vermont where he grew up, see some of the old faces, and see how much things had changed (or hadn't). The only problem is that he can find no trace of this town's existence, either in the present or the past. Ultimately, this mystery is resolved with a pretty ordinary explanation. Philip K. Dick's relatively short novel The Cosmic Puppets creates a similar scenario. Only here, the town is in a remote Virginian valley and the story's resolution is quite cosmic in nature.
The protagonist is Ted Barton, recently married and passing on through to visit his childhood town of Millgate, Virginia. When he reaches it, he discovers that everything has changed, even retroactively, with a completely different history. The people are all different, the streets are all different, and all the town's buildings and landmarks are different. Barton decides to stay in town for a few days in order to sort out this mystery. And discovers two children who seem to be engaged in a life-and-death struggle against each other, using bees, rats, spiders snakes, and even animated clay models (called "golems" here) as surrogate spies and soldiers. Barton becomes entangled in their conflict. Which turns out to be anything but local.
The Cosmic Puppets was an early science fiction novel of Philip K. Dick, written in 1953. Only 143 pages in length, I read it by just stopping by at a local bookstore and reading a few pages at a time (it wasn't available at my local public library). Another writer such as Stephen King probably could have taken this story's premise and expanded it into an 800-page novel. Which he did with other ideas in novels like Desperation, The Regulators, and Insomnia (another "cosmic" thriller). But as I have said before, part of Philip K. Dick's appeal to me is the relative terseness of his writings. And The Cosmic Puppets is about as terse as they come! A worthwhile read, even if you have to shell out some money for it.
The next novel of Philip K. Dick that I am reading is another of his "reality" stories, titled Puttering About in a Small Land. So far, it seems to me to be his best work of this genre, and I am looking forward to reviewing it in the near future.
The protagonist is Ted Barton, recently married and passing on through to visit his childhood town of Millgate, Virginia. When he reaches it, he discovers that everything has changed, even retroactively, with a completely different history. The people are all different, the streets are all different, and all the town's buildings and landmarks are different. Barton decides to stay in town for a few days in order to sort out this mystery. And discovers two children who seem to be engaged in a life-and-death struggle against each other, using bees, rats, spiders snakes, and even animated clay models (called "golems" here) as surrogate spies and soldiers. Barton becomes entangled in their conflict. Which turns out to be anything but local.
The Cosmic Puppets was an early science fiction novel of Philip K. Dick, written in 1953. Only 143 pages in length, I read it by just stopping by at a local bookstore and reading a few pages at a time (it wasn't available at my local public library). Another writer such as Stephen King probably could have taken this story's premise and expanded it into an 800-page novel. Which he did with other ideas in novels like Desperation, The Regulators, and Insomnia (another "cosmic" thriller). But as I have said before, part of Philip K. Dick's appeal to me is the relative terseness of his writings. And The Cosmic Puppets is about as terse as they come! A worthwhile read, even if you have to shell out some money for it.
The next novel of Philip K. Dick that I am reading is another of his "reality" stories, titled Puttering About in a Small Land. So far, it seems to me to be his best work of this genre, and I am looking forward to reviewing it in the near future.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Health Care Reform Slogs On
So it looks as if the Senate version of health care reform will come down soon to a showdown vote to end debate and have a final up-or-down vote on passage. With the more progressive features like the public option and its substitute of Medicare extension to age 55 cut out, the bill's fate still confronts anti-choice Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, who is determined to add more restrictions on abortions to the bill before giving it his approval. Considering that former DNC chairman Howard Dean has already come out in strong opposition to the bill as it currently stands, too much of a concession to Nelson could tear away the support of some of the most ardently pro-choice senators.
I've already stated on this blog (and have been affirmed in this opinion by Dean and others) that it is disturbing to have the following scenario facing us if this bill is passed:
--Legally-imposed mandate that everyone purchase health insurance from private health insurance companies, which are not subject to federal antitrust laws; fines levied on those in violation.
--No public option available to keep companies honest and competitive with their prices.
The combination of the above two, at best, is corporate welfare at its worst. And there can be a strong argument made that this is an underhanded way of establishing a fascist type of society, without the overt ideology. For what is fascism anyway, but the partnership between the state and the big money interests and corporations to the detriment of the general population? Yes, I think that there is definitely something wrong having the government, with its police powers, shaking down already financially-struggling people to help further enrich the fatcats in the private health insurance industry!
Maybe, though, I have it all wrong. Maybe, if this bill is enacted, the pool of choices (albeit all private) may drive prices down and make health insurance more affordable, even without a public option. As might the idea that having more participants (albeit forced by law to participate) would keep prices down. But the Senate bill, even if finally passed, still has to be reconciled with the more liberal House version in conference. With the final product subject to up/down votes in both houses. No done deal, I say. Ironically, the President seems so mellow on this extremely divisive and passion-stirring subject that he is likely to sign a final passed bill into law regardless what garbage it contains!
I've already stated on this blog (and have been affirmed in this opinion by Dean and others) that it is disturbing to have the following scenario facing us if this bill is passed:
--Legally-imposed mandate that everyone purchase health insurance from private health insurance companies, which are not subject to federal antitrust laws; fines levied on those in violation.
--No public option available to keep companies honest and competitive with their prices.
The combination of the above two, at best, is corporate welfare at its worst. And there can be a strong argument made that this is an underhanded way of establishing a fascist type of society, without the overt ideology. For what is fascism anyway, but the partnership between the state and the big money interests and corporations to the detriment of the general population? Yes, I think that there is definitely something wrong having the government, with its police powers, shaking down already financially-struggling people to help further enrich the fatcats in the private health insurance industry!
Maybe, though, I have it all wrong. Maybe, if this bill is enacted, the pool of choices (albeit all private) may drive prices down and make health insurance more affordable, even without a public option. As might the idea that having more participants (albeit forced by law to participate) would keep prices down. But the Senate bill, even if finally passed, still has to be reconciled with the more liberal House version in conference. With the final product subject to up/down votes in both houses. No done deal, I say. Ironically, the President seems so mellow on this extremely divisive and passion-stirring subject that he is likely to sign a final passed bill into law regardless what garbage it contains!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Get Off Tiger’s Back
The latest feel-good news story for those Nancy Grace types whose self-image is so low that they can only derive a sense of self-worth by putting down others who are in a personal crisis is the recent Tiger Woods saga. Woods had an auto accident near his home in Orlando and defied police efforts to interview him at his home afterwards. That is the only problem I have with Woods regarding this story. But the predatory gossip press has expanded on the famous pro golfer’s misfortune and intruded into his marital life, emphasizing extramarital affairs, insinuating spousal abuse, and even interviewing former lovers and adorning their pictures on the covers of gossip magazines. But I personally sense that there is more to this story than people deriving some sick vicarious pleasure at the downfall of a celebrity.
Tiger Woods has a multiracial background, if you want to believe that there actually is such a thing as race. And apparently it is too much of a temptation to emphasize his marriage to a woman of Swedish background. So that old, stinking racism against interracial marriages, which still runs high across demographic boundaries, has found a vehicle for expression. Only you don’t hear anyone actually explicitly coming out against Tiger’s “interracial” marriage per se. But his blond light-skinned wife has become something of a caricature in the press, and I have seen many drawings of her that would never have been published had she, say, an African-American background. I would have thought that by the year 2009 we all would have lifted ourselves out of this sort of slimy bigotry.
Which leads me to wonder aloud why all of these big corporations are dropping Tiger Woods from sponsorships. After all, celebrities goof up all the time, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t merit respect for what they have accomplished in their respective professions. This notion that Woods has “fallen”, so he doesn’t deserve the title of “role model”, is pure bull. I am sick of the nonsense that someone who has become a success in a particular area suddenly has to project a saint-like image in order to have any chance of economically capitalizing on that success.
Yes, I wonder whether the unspoken unforgivable “sin” that Tiger Woods has committed wasn’t his accident or adultery, but rather his marriage to his “white” wife! Could I be wrong about this? Maybe, but I seriously doubt it. Beyond the matter with the police I have previously mentioned, this is all none of anyone else’s business. Every time I hear some editorial take on this story or a new “scoop”, I get angrier. Butt out, jerks!
Tiger Woods has a multiracial background, if you want to believe that there actually is such a thing as race. And apparently it is too much of a temptation to emphasize his marriage to a woman of Swedish background. So that old, stinking racism against interracial marriages, which still runs high across demographic boundaries, has found a vehicle for expression. Only you don’t hear anyone actually explicitly coming out against Tiger’s “interracial” marriage per se. But his blond light-skinned wife has become something of a caricature in the press, and I have seen many drawings of her that would never have been published had she, say, an African-American background. I would have thought that by the year 2009 we all would have lifted ourselves out of this sort of slimy bigotry.
Which leads me to wonder aloud why all of these big corporations are dropping Tiger Woods from sponsorships. After all, celebrities goof up all the time, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t merit respect for what they have accomplished in their respective professions. This notion that Woods has “fallen”, so he doesn’t deserve the title of “role model”, is pure bull. I am sick of the nonsense that someone who has become a success in a particular area suddenly has to project a saint-like image in order to have any chance of economically capitalizing on that success.
Yes, I wonder whether the unspoken unforgivable “sin” that Tiger Woods has committed wasn’t his accident or adultery, but rather his marriage to his “white” wife! Could I be wrong about this? Maybe, but I seriously doubt it. Beyond the matter with the police I have previously mentioned, this is all none of anyone else’s business. Every time I hear some editorial take on this story or a new “scoop”, I get angrier. Butt out, jerks!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
As the World Turns Canceled
CBC [see comments below] has just announced its plans to cancel the soap opera As the World Turns, which began its incredibly long run in 1956 (my birthyear). I generally have a strong feeling of disdain for soap operas, or novelas as they are called on Spanish-language television. Even from early childhood, I could see no point in watching programs where grownups stood around arguing with each other all the time. (Correction: sometimes they sat around arguing with each other.) Frankly, when I was a kid, soap operas painted for me an image of adults as just being a foolish, contentious bunch of dumbasses. Hmm--come to think of it, they may have had something there after all!
My beloved mother, alas, was a big fan of the genre, though. And As the World Turns, with its evil lead character Lisa running around messing up everyone's lives, was by far her favorite in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When I was three or four, I lived in an apartment in Opa-Locka, Florida. Our TV set worked O.K. ... except, that is, for the slight problem that it couldn't pick up channel four (which was CBS for the Miami area). So on weekday afternoons, my mother and I would walk down to the other end of the apartment complex to visit her friend Betty and watch the show. And I would hang around, drink "cossee" (coffee), and play with the kids around there. So As the World Turns occupies a special place in my memory, although it's a pretty ancient, dilapidated place!
I'm trying to think of any soap operas that I actually watched and enjoyed. The only one I could come up with was the gothic series Dark Shadows around 1969. And that was only for a stretch of a few weeks. Many years ago I would sit in on episodes of Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, but that was when my wife enjoyed those shows and I watched them with her as part of sharing her company. But as a personal choice, I guess I just don't dig this genre, pure and simple.
My beloved mother, alas, was a big fan of the genre, though. And As the World Turns, with its evil lead character Lisa running around messing up everyone's lives, was by far her favorite in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When I was three or four, I lived in an apartment in Opa-Locka, Florida. Our TV set worked O.K. ... except, that is, for the slight problem that it couldn't pick up channel four (which was CBS for the Miami area). So on weekday afternoons, my mother and I would walk down to the other end of the apartment complex to visit her friend Betty and watch the show. And I would hang around, drink "cossee" (coffee), and play with the kids around there. So As the World Turns occupies a special place in my memory, although it's a pretty ancient, dilapidated place!
I'm trying to think of any soap operas that I actually watched and enjoyed. The only one I could come up with was the gothic series Dark Shadows around 1969. And that was only for a stretch of a few weeks. Many years ago I would sit in on episodes of Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, but that was when my wife enjoyed those shows and I watched them with her as part of sharing her company. But as a personal choice, I guess I just don't dig this genre, pure and simple.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I Change My Mind (Horror of Horrors)
I change my mind, from time to time. For example, my favorites in music vary over the months and years, and sometimes pretty dramatically. My political notions undergo some revisions as well as I follow the issues, how they are presented by their advocates, and how I conclude how much those advocates are motivated by the public welfare and how much by ulterior motives such as power or secret ideological agendas. I change my own personal self-improvement goals as well quite a bit. Earlier in this blog, I used to express them much more often (and my progress or lack thereof), using the reasoning that expressing my goals publicly would sharpen my focus in striving for them. I'm thinking of reviving that, as a matter of fact.
I have not always been center-left in my political leanings. When I was growing up, I was more centrist-right, reflecting the views of my parents. They opposed anyone whom they perceived as being too extreme in one direction or the other. Hence they were against both Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Democrat George McGovern in 1972. By 1976, though, I had come of voting age and had early on jumped on board with upstart Georgian Jimmy Carter's candidacy. In 1980, I missed out on that election although I felt then, as did many others, that the country was quickly going to hell in a hand basket and that Carter needed to turn the reins of power over to someone else. I think that the turning point that made me reject Carter was his cynical ploy of "staying in the White House" in the early months of the Iran Hostage Crisis to avoid campaigning head-on against challenger Ted Kennedy. Not that I supported Kennedy: he should have supported Carter instead of dividing his party.
By 1984, I was back with the Democrats and gamely supported them in the next three presidential elections, finally winning with Clinton in '92. Then, from 1994-2001, I shifted over to a more center-right orientation. After watching C-Span and C-Span2 in the spring of 2001, though, I discovered that the Democrats had better ideas and a better grasp of the issues, while the Republicans, albeit with some good arguments from time to time, tended to be hollow in their intentions. So I switched back to being a Democrat and have supported them ever since. But, hey, my leanings aren't set in stone and they could change in the future. But not if folks like Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck continue to determine the GOP's direction.
I have not always been center-left in my political leanings. When I was growing up, I was more centrist-right, reflecting the views of my parents. They opposed anyone whom they perceived as being too extreme in one direction or the other. Hence they were against both Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Democrat George McGovern in 1972. By 1976, though, I had come of voting age and had early on jumped on board with upstart Georgian Jimmy Carter's candidacy. In 1980, I missed out on that election although I felt then, as did many others, that the country was quickly going to hell in a hand basket and that Carter needed to turn the reins of power over to someone else. I think that the turning point that made me reject Carter was his cynical ploy of "staying in the White House" in the early months of the Iran Hostage Crisis to avoid campaigning head-on against challenger Ted Kennedy. Not that I supported Kennedy: he should have supported Carter instead of dividing his party.
By 1984, I was back with the Democrats and gamely supported them in the next three presidential elections, finally winning with Clinton in '92. Then, from 1994-2001, I shifted over to a more center-right orientation. After watching C-Span and C-Span2 in the spring of 2001, though, I discovered that the Democrats had better ideas and a better grasp of the issues, while the Republicans, albeit with some good arguments from time to time, tended to be hollow in their intentions. So I switched back to being a Democrat and have supported them ever since. But, hey, my leanings aren't set in stone and they could change in the future. But not if folks like Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck continue to determine the GOP's direction.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Miami Dolphins and the "Perfect" NFL Teams
As a follow-up to my article the other day on the "curse of perfection", specifically regarding football teams, let me direct my attention to the professional sector. In the NFL, there are an unprecedented two teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, which still have perfect regular season records of 12-0 with four more games to go before the playoffs. I say good for them, but the team I am following, the Miami Dolphins, is 6-6 and can make the playoffs as well if they finish the season strong. And if they make the playoffs, then who knows what could happen?
As far as I'm concerned, Miami made a success out of its season last Sunday by knocking off its archrival New England 22-21. Now that is a team whose fans have had to come to grips with the "curse of perfection" after the NY Giants, with five regular season losses, deprived them of the championship two years ago, despite the Patriots having won all of their previous games, with a 17-14 Super Bowl win. The Dolphins may well do the same thing this year against the "perfect" Colts or Saints in the playoffs.
But what would be even sweeter than that would be for Miami to pass New England in the standings, win the division again, and deprive the Patriots of a playoff spot for the second year in a row. And this time without the excuse of their MVP quarterback Tom Brady being injured. Or the Dolphins could just as well screw up and lose their final games. Oh well, I can dream, can't I?
As far as I'm concerned, Miami made a success out of its season last Sunday by knocking off its archrival New England 22-21. Now that is a team whose fans have had to come to grips with the "curse of perfection" after the NY Giants, with five regular season losses, deprived them of the championship two years ago, despite the Patriots having won all of their previous games, with a 17-14 Super Bowl win. The Dolphins may well do the same thing this year against the "perfect" Colts or Saints in the playoffs.
But what would be even sweeter than that would be for Miami to pass New England in the standings, win the division again, and deprive the Patriots of a playoff spot for the second year in a row. And this time without the excuse of their MVP quarterback Tom Brady being injured. Or the Dolphins could just as well screw up and lose their final games. Oh well, I can dream, can't I?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Philip K. Dick's Time Out of Joint
I have a theory about some of the blockbuster movies and television series that have come out over the past few decades. It is that those responsible for creating some of these successes lifted, possibly unconsciously, the premises for them from earlier, relatively unknown stories. Stories by authors like Philip K. Dick. Take his 1959 science fiction novel Time Out of Joint, which I recently read, as an example.
Like Dick's realism novel Voices From the Street, which I had earlier reviewed, Time Out of Joint reminds me vividly of a television series and a movie: The Prisoner (again) and The Truman Show, respectively. The story's protagonist is Ragle Gumm, a single, deliberately unemployed middle-aged man who resides in a small town with his sister and her husband and makes a small fortune posting consistently winning entries in an ongoing nationwide newspaper game. Originally content with his lifestyle, circumstances begin to unravel and Gumm decides to leave town and begin his life afresh. But he soon finds out that everyone out of town knows him by name and appearance and is working to bring him back "home". He even intercepts radio broadcasts mentioning him by his name and location. So Gumm realizes that he is living a life of illusion: a very important life, evidently, from the perspective of others. But a fake one, nevertheless, in a contrived location around contrived people and family. Why? Having probably already revealed too much of the plot, I'll leave it at that. But you should be able to make the connection I made with The Prisoner (the original series) and The Truman Show. Time Out of Joint also has the feel of a very well-written Twilight Zone episode, creating an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue while ending with a relatively mundane explanation.
As I read through this novel, I began to identify more with Ragle Gumm. Is this because I may have paranoid or narcissistic tendencies, believing that in some hidden way I am the center and reason for everything going on around me, or is it more that I believe that there is something very significant underlying my life of which I am as yet unaware? The former choice is unhealthy from a psychological standpoint, but the latter view is that of a "seeker", i.e. one who believes that there is more to life than everyday existence. A seeker strikes out to find answers. And then to find the appropriate questions for those answers!
Time Out of Joint, so far, is my favorite Philip K. Dick novel. It really helps to be able to strike up some empathy for the protagonist, not always the case for me with some of his other works. I am currently reading another science fiction novel of his titled The Cosmic Puppets, which more closely resembles something that Stephen King might have written (like his The Regulators, published under "alter ego" pseudonym Richard Bachman).
Like Dick's realism novel Voices From the Street, which I had earlier reviewed, Time Out of Joint reminds me vividly of a television series and a movie: The Prisoner (again) and The Truman Show, respectively. The story's protagonist is Ragle Gumm, a single, deliberately unemployed middle-aged man who resides in a small town with his sister and her husband and makes a small fortune posting consistently winning entries in an ongoing nationwide newspaper game. Originally content with his lifestyle, circumstances begin to unravel and Gumm decides to leave town and begin his life afresh. But he soon finds out that everyone out of town knows him by name and appearance and is working to bring him back "home". He even intercepts radio broadcasts mentioning him by his name and location. So Gumm realizes that he is living a life of illusion: a very important life, evidently, from the perspective of others. But a fake one, nevertheless, in a contrived location around contrived people and family. Why? Having probably already revealed too much of the plot, I'll leave it at that. But you should be able to make the connection I made with The Prisoner (the original series) and The Truman Show. Time Out of Joint also has the feel of a very well-written Twilight Zone episode, creating an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue while ending with a relatively mundane explanation.
As I read through this novel, I began to identify more with Ragle Gumm. Is this because I may have paranoid or narcissistic tendencies, believing that in some hidden way I am the center and reason for everything going on around me, or is it more that I believe that there is something very significant underlying my life of which I am as yet unaware? The former choice is unhealthy from a psychological standpoint, but the latter view is that of a "seeker", i.e. one who believes that there is more to life than everyday existence. A seeker strikes out to find answers. And then to find the appropriate questions for those answers!
Time Out of Joint, so far, is my favorite Philip K. Dick novel. It really helps to be able to strike up some empathy for the protagonist, not always the case for me with some of his other works. I am currently reading another science fiction novel of his titled The Cosmic Puppets, which more closely resembles something that Stephen King might have written (like his The Regulators, published under "alter ego" pseudonym Richard Bachman).
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Passing the Torch (or Curse)
Conversation overheard the other morning at the Clock Restaurant while I was eating breakfast:
Customer: Go Gators!
Waitress: Go Gators! (sigh) Doggone it!
I have a slightly different take on Florida's convincing 32-13 drubbing at the hands of now "perfect" Alabama for the SEC football championship. The situation reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode titled A Game of Pool. In it, a pool fanatic played by Jack Klugman is a general loser at life, except for pool: he practices and plays it day and night. And only wants one thing in life: to be the best pool player ever. The only problem is that the man who was the recognized best, played by Jonathan Winters, had just died, depriving Klugman of his opportunity to dethrone the champ. So this talented man was turning into a very bitter man over this. Then one day, what should happen but the ghost of Winters shows up and challenges Klugman to a match. The stakes: if Klugman wins, then he is recognized as the greatest ever. But if he loses, then he forfeits his life. In the end, Klugman "wins", but as a result is cursed with the responsibility, after his eventual death later on, of replacing Winters in heaven with the job of defending his "title" against future wannabes on Earth.
I feel kind of like that about following a team that, like Florida recently, has come to be expected to be perfect and better than everyone else. This year they haven't been annihilating their opponents with the extremely lopsided scores that their fans have been used to. And quarterback Tim Tebow has also been much more closely scrutinized regarding his performance than ever before. But they kept on winning, until last Saturday that is. Once the shock of their defeat has settled in, they can now go back to just being a very good and entertaining team. And the curse of perfection has been successfully transferred to the University of Alabama. Good luck, guys! Now Gators, just go out and have some fun in the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati!
Customer: Go Gators!
Waitress: Go Gators! (sigh) Doggone it!
I have a slightly different take on Florida's convincing 32-13 drubbing at the hands of now "perfect" Alabama for the SEC football championship. The situation reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode titled A Game of Pool. In it, a pool fanatic played by Jack Klugman is a general loser at life, except for pool: he practices and plays it day and night. And only wants one thing in life: to be the best pool player ever. The only problem is that the man who was the recognized best, played by Jonathan Winters, had just died, depriving Klugman of his opportunity to dethrone the champ. So this talented man was turning into a very bitter man over this. Then one day, what should happen but the ghost of Winters shows up and challenges Klugman to a match. The stakes: if Klugman wins, then he is recognized as the greatest ever. But if he loses, then he forfeits his life. In the end, Klugman "wins", but as a result is cursed with the responsibility, after his eventual death later on, of replacing Winters in heaven with the job of defending his "title" against future wannabes on Earth.
I feel kind of like that about following a team that, like Florida recently, has come to be expected to be perfect and better than everyone else. This year they haven't been annihilating their opponents with the extremely lopsided scores that their fans have been used to. And quarterback Tim Tebow has also been much more closely scrutinized regarding his performance than ever before. But they kept on winning, until last Saturday that is. Once the shock of their defeat has settled in, they can now go back to just being a very good and entertaining team. And the curse of perfection has been successfully transferred to the University of Alabama. Good luck, guys! Now Gators, just go out and have some fun in the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
President Obama's New Afghan Policy
President Obama has delivered his decision on Afghanistan in a speech Tuesday evening. The President will send 30,000 more American troops to this civil war-ravaged, historically multi-factioned and warlord-dominated country in order, apparently, to eventually speed up their withdrawal. This seems to be somewhat like the "surge doctrine" used in Iraq during the last two years of the Bush presidency, when a more more aggressive military posture was employed to overcome insurgents there, particularly in Sunni areas.
In Iraq, however, whatever successes the surge had were based on the foundation of area tribal chiefs and leaders switching their allegiances from the insurgency to the government. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is not just some covert insurgency, but rather a very organized shadow government, not necessarily dependent on local chiefs for its survival. I may be misinformed, but I don't believe that the same scenario for success exists in Afghanistan (especially the southern region where the Taliban is the strongest) that existed in Iraq.
The additional U.S. troops will fill in the void of security in areas that the Afghan government does not control. Which of course means that these areas are, for all practical purposes, Taliban territory. With popular support rooted in those areas. When our soldiers go into these areas, they will once again be confronted by the specter of having to regard the local civilian population as the enemy unless proven otherwise, inviting possibly tragic misunderstandings and even atrocities.
But then again, I could have it all wrong. Maybe, as in Iraq, the groundwork for some success has clandestinely been laid with more moderate Taliban supporters being persuaded to support a temporary American presence in return for political recognition or autonomy of some sort. Who knows? Perhaps our elected leaders, with their access to classified intelligence, know something that I or my fellow lay citizens don't. But then again, this same reasoning was put over on us by the previous Bush administration to justify invading Iraq in 2003("trust us, we have access to special intelligence and know better than you").
Come what will, I believe that continually ostracizing the Taliban in this area is not a formula for success. Our focus should be to separate them from Al-Qaeda, not eliminate them. There will always be a harsh, Islamic fundamentalist presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those following it are in the minority in both countries, but they are devoted and willing to sacrifice themselves and others to achieve legitimacy. Ultimately, the solution for peace will come through negotiation and some sort of political equilibrium with these groups. And there will always be a degree of tension between the fundamentalist interests and those who want a more secular, albeit still Islamic, society in their countries.
Anyway, the way I see it, our main problem over there isn't Afghanistan, but rather Pakistan, a country with nuclear weapons that is directly threatened by extremist forces and in which Al-Qaeda is currently based. And where American troops are not welcome by the presiding official government. Good luck on sorting that mess out, Mr. President! I just hope our additional troops don't just succeed in driving the Taliban completely over the border into Pakistan, further destabilizing that already too-unstable nation.
In Iraq, however, whatever successes the surge had were based on the foundation of area tribal chiefs and leaders switching their allegiances from the insurgency to the government. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is not just some covert insurgency, but rather a very organized shadow government, not necessarily dependent on local chiefs for its survival. I may be misinformed, but I don't believe that the same scenario for success exists in Afghanistan (especially the southern region where the Taliban is the strongest) that existed in Iraq.
The additional U.S. troops will fill in the void of security in areas that the Afghan government does not control. Which of course means that these areas are, for all practical purposes, Taliban territory. With popular support rooted in those areas. When our soldiers go into these areas, they will once again be confronted by the specter of having to regard the local civilian population as the enemy unless proven otherwise, inviting possibly tragic misunderstandings and even atrocities.
But then again, I could have it all wrong. Maybe, as in Iraq, the groundwork for some success has clandestinely been laid with more moderate Taliban supporters being persuaded to support a temporary American presence in return for political recognition or autonomy of some sort. Who knows? Perhaps our elected leaders, with their access to classified intelligence, know something that I or my fellow lay citizens don't. But then again, this same reasoning was put over on us by the previous Bush administration to justify invading Iraq in 2003("trust us, we have access to special intelligence and know better than you").
Come what will, I believe that continually ostracizing the Taliban in this area is not a formula for success. Our focus should be to separate them from Al-Qaeda, not eliminate them. There will always be a harsh, Islamic fundamentalist presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those following it are in the minority in both countries, but they are devoted and willing to sacrifice themselves and others to achieve legitimacy. Ultimately, the solution for peace will come through negotiation and some sort of political equilibrium with these groups. And there will always be a degree of tension between the fundamentalist interests and those who want a more secular, albeit still Islamic, society in their countries.
Anyway, the way I see it, our main problem over there isn't Afghanistan, but rather Pakistan, a country with nuclear weapons that is directly threatened by extremist forces and in which Al-Qaeda is currently based. And where American troops are not welcome by the presiding official government. Good luck on sorting that mess out, Mr. President! I just hope our additional troops don't just succeed in driving the Taliban completely over the border into Pakistan, further destabilizing that already too-unstable nation.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Assorted Rants, Reader Beware
--In a radio interview with conservative talk show host Rusty Humphries, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who abandoned her position of responsibility to "go rogue", openly approved of those who were continuing to question Barack Obama's status as a native-born American citizen. Palin reminds me of people who win the lottery before they learn how to manage money. So they squander their prize with reckless spending. With Palin, the lottery win was McCain selecting her as his running mate in 2008. Her lack of expertise is in managing political capital, not money. And she is squandering it all with reckless speech. Well, maybe not all: she'll always have the conspiratorial nutcase wing of the political right at her beck and call. Do I see a Sarah Palin/Ron Paul ticket in the works?
--Recently, some Republican lawmakers have tried to use a recent misguided government study that was skeptical of women having mammograms for early breast cancer detection before age 50. They cried that this is an example of government health care rationing and is what we can expect if the Democrats' health care reform bill is enacted. But the study was just that: a study, nothing more. And as Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd recently pointed out on the Senate floor, our health care is now already constantly being rationed in minute detail, not by the government, but rather by the private health insurance companies. Which, by the way, enjoy protection as monopolies with their exemption from federal anti-trust laws.
--Regarding the Tiger Woods incident where he had an auto accident and seems to be covering up some personal meanderings, I couldn't care less about the personal business. But I AM concerned about the fact that he was able to get away with repeatedly refusing to talk to police officers following the accident without any legal consequences. Suppose you or I tried the same thing: how long would the police have waited before we were dragged out of our homes, possibly Tasered, and pushed into a squad car and driven off to jail, with charges of resisting the police being levied against us? This is another case of the law being applied differently, depending on how powerful and wealthy one is. Scary.
--The buzz around Gainesville is naturally about the upcoming Southeastern Conference championship game between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday in Atlanta. In football. American football. You know, that weird sport where big people in astronaut-like gear and tight pants form lines opposite each other and then abruptly collide en masse, falling down all over the place and then getting up to repeat the process? And somewhere along the line, some points mysteriously get added to one side or another? With funny little guys in striped outfits running around, throwing flags, blowing whistles and wildly gesticulating with their arms? Yeh, that sport. I'm pulling for UF, but I am no fanatic, either. As Billy Preston once so eloquently put it, "Let the bad guy win every once in a while." Maybe I'll begin to care more who wins when someone shows me how that is going to make even a rat's @$$ of a difference in my life. [Note previous day's article and how irrationally I root for the Miami Dolphins.]
--Recently, some Republican lawmakers have tried to use a recent misguided government study that was skeptical of women having mammograms for early breast cancer detection before age 50. They cried that this is an example of government health care rationing and is what we can expect if the Democrats' health care reform bill is enacted. But the study was just that: a study, nothing more. And as Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd recently pointed out on the Senate floor, our health care is now already constantly being rationed in minute detail, not by the government, but rather by the private health insurance companies. Which, by the way, enjoy protection as monopolies with their exemption from federal anti-trust laws.
--Regarding the Tiger Woods incident where he had an auto accident and seems to be covering up some personal meanderings, I couldn't care less about the personal business. But I AM concerned about the fact that he was able to get away with repeatedly refusing to talk to police officers following the accident without any legal consequences. Suppose you or I tried the same thing: how long would the police have waited before we were dragged out of our homes, possibly Tasered, and pushed into a squad car and driven off to jail, with charges of resisting the police being levied against us? This is another case of the law being applied differently, depending on how powerful and wealthy one is. Scary.
--The buzz around Gainesville is naturally about the upcoming Southeastern Conference championship game between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday in Atlanta. In football. American football. You know, that weird sport where big people in astronaut-like gear and tight pants form lines opposite each other and then abruptly collide en masse, falling down all over the place and then getting up to repeat the process? And somewhere along the line, some points mysteriously get added to one side or another? With funny little guys in striped outfits running around, throwing flags, blowing whistles and wildly gesticulating with their arms? Yeh, that sport. I'm pulling for UF, but I am no fanatic, either. As Billy Preston once so eloquently put it, "Let the bad guy win every once in a while." Maybe I'll begin to care more who wins when someone shows me how that is going to make even a rat's @$$ of a difference in my life. [Note previous day's article and how irrationally I root for the Miami Dolphins.]
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dolphins Still In It (Barely)
It's too bad that this year's edition of the Miami Dolphins has experienced some problems, both in terms of their place in the standings and with season-ending injuries to key players. But I'm still with them and admire the gritty, determined manner in which they tackle each game (although they suffered a collective fourth-quarter meltdown against Buffalo last week).
The injuries didn't begin at the beginning of the season, but Miami still couldn't buy a victory, incurring several close losses. Then quarterback Chad Pennington, running back Ronnie Brown, and defensive tackle Jason Ferguson suffered injuries putting them out of action until next year. Backup quarterback Chad Henne, although erratic at times with his accuracy, has generally done quite well replacing Pennington, who in all probability won't be with the Dolphins after this season. Ricky Williams, likewise, has worked very hard, with varying degrees of success, to cover for Brown's absence. One of the big problems with this is that Miami's once-vaunted wildcat offense has thus become much easier to predict and contain with only one star running back in there to cover at a time instead of the great Brown/Williams combo.
These problems notwithstanding, Miami is still, after eleven games, only one game out of wild card playoff contention with a 5-6 record. But they would have to hold off three teams with their same record and pass ahead of three others with 6-5 marks. And next week they play New England, a pretty steep hurdle to cross in itself. Another loss by the Dolphins will pretty much eliminate them from playoff contention, as I see it. Better, I think, to appreciate them from week to week and hope for a .500 season.
The injuries didn't begin at the beginning of the season, but Miami still couldn't buy a victory, incurring several close losses. Then quarterback Chad Pennington, running back Ronnie Brown, and defensive tackle Jason Ferguson suffered injuries putting them out of action until next year. Backup quarterback Chad Henne, although erratic at times with his accuracy, has generally done quite well replacing Pennington, who in all probability won't be with the Dolphins after this season. Ricky Williams, likewise, has worked very hard, with varying degrees of success, to cover for Brown's absence. One of the big problems with this is that Miami's once-vaunted wildcat offense has thus become much easier to predict and contain with only one star running back in there to cover at a time instead of the great Brown/Williams combo.
These problems notwithstanding, Miami is still, after eleven games, only one game out of wild card playoff contention with a 5-6 record. But they would have to hold off three teams with their same record and pass ahead of three others with 6-5 marks. And next week they play New England, a pretty steep hurdle to cross in itself. Another loss by the Dolphins will pretty much eliminate them from playoff contention, as I see it. Better, I think, to appreciate them from week to week and hope for a .500 season.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Night Run Through UF
After driving back from Jacksonville this past Sunday, I thought it would be interesting to see whether the outdoor track on the University of Florida campus was available for me to run on at night. When I pulled my car into the adjacent parking lot and got out, the gates at first glance seemed to be locked up. And I didn't see anyone running on the track, so I assumed that it was closed. However, already ready to go on a jog, I decided to do just that. Across the UF campus, instead.
I was a little skittish at the prospect of running at night through the University of Florida because I knew that their night lighting was somewhat dim and might fail to properly illuminate obstacles and holes in my running path, causing me a possibly injurious spill. But I quickly became accustomed to the low level of lighting and gamely "chugged" on through, passing landmarks like the O'Connell Center, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Weil Hall, Turlington Hall, Marston Science Library, Century Tower, Music building, Little Hall, Tigert Hall, various dorms, Reitz Union, more dorms, and finally Fraternity Row, before completing my 2.7 mile loop in the darkness back just outside the track.
It was just then, at the end of my jaunt through UF, that I noticed someone running around the track. So I examined the gates more closely and found an opening. And entered the track, running another half mile. Cool!
So night running apparently does work at UF, after all. But like Charlie Daniels, I think I'm gonna reroute my trip (at least the final part) in the future (only slightly, not going via Omaha): I'll forsake Fraternity Road, which has no sidewalk or bike path, and go a little further west down Village Drive, which has both. And this small change will also give me a running route exactly five kilometers in length. Doubly cool!
I was a little skittish at the prospect of running at night through the University of Florida because I knew that their night lighting was somewhat dim and might fail to properly illuminate obstacles and holes in my running path, causing me a possibly injurious spill. But I quickly became accustomed to the low level of lighting and gamely "chugged" on through, passing landmarks like the O'Connell Center, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Weil Hall, Turlington Hall, Marston Science Library, Century Tower, Music building, Little Hall, Tigert Hall, various dorms, Reitz Union, more dorms, and finally Fraternity Row, before completing my 2.7 mile loop in the darkness back just outside the track.
It was just then, at the end of my jaunt through UF, that I noticed someone running around the track. So I examined the gates more closely and found an opening. And entered the track, running another half mile. Cool!
So night running apparently does work at UF, after all. But like Charlie Daniels, I think I'm gonna reroute my trip (at least the final part) in the future (only slightly, not going via Omaha): I'll forsake Fraternity Road, which has no sidewalk or bike path, and go a little further west down Village Drive, which has both. And this small change will also give me a running route exactly five kilometers in length. Doubly cool!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Philip K. Dick's The World Jones Made
The World Jones Made, a science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick written in 1954, explores the "future" world of 2002. And, like other typical works of science fiction produced in this era, mankind is deep into outer space, colonizing the moon, Venus, the outer planets, and even exploring nearby star systems. Seven years ago, so it would seem. So where have we gone wrong in our real world?
After giving it a little thought, I hold that we're right on track with our space exploration. The impetus given to human space exploration in the fifties and sixties was motivated in large part by the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with the desire to develop and test long-range missiles capable of accurately delivering nuclear warheads to enemy targets in the event of a nuclear war. As the threat of nuclear war diminished with arms control agreements and easing of relations, so diminished the military's influence on space exploration policy. I believe that many today are wary that a new effort to send men and women into deep space will encourage its militarization and eventually threaten life on Earth. And noting how, in the last century and a half, technological innovations have quickly been converted to instruments of war and death, I would sadly have to concur with them.
But there is an even more obvious reason why we "real folks" haven't lived up to the standards of space exploration set by those sci-fi writers of decades long gone. And it's pretty simple, actually. To make a story more appealing to its readers, many of them in their youth, the writer may find it attractive to paint a picture of colonized planets and star exploration within the projected life spans of those readers. Which gives the story an added dimension of personal involvement on the part of the reader. I remember, in my own youth, reading an Alan Nourse novel titled Rocket to Limbo, in which an expedition to Alpha Centauri takes off in 2008. It had a great impact on me, and putting a date within my own reach no doubt contributed to that. And who can argue against the appeal of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequel 2010?
Philip K. Dick was no scientist, but he knew just enough to be able to enable readers to visualize the future. Dick's greatest strength as a writer was to capture and convey the essence of human nature in all of its forms, good or bad, foolish or wise, weak or strong, through his stories' characters. And The World Jones Made does not disappoint in this respect.
The story's protagonist is a security officer named Cussick who is protecting a worldwide government based on the philosophy of Hoff's Relativism, which criminalizes absolutism, even in ordinary conversation. His foil is a character named Jones, who has the paranormal ability to experience his own life exactly one year into the future. Dick takes this ability and explores all of its ramifications, which become more fascinating as the novel progresses.
There is a subplot to The World Jones Made that involves humans who have been genetically manipulated to adapt to an environment not normally found on Earth. To say more about this would be giving away the story, and I am recommending that you read it. So I'll just let it go at that, except to say that Dick uses this to create a perfect symmetry between the novel's beginning and conclusion.
The World Jones Made, although obviously outdated and technically very flawed, is still very good, entertaining reading. Philip K. Dick explored the nature of personality cults as well as his own favorite topic: the nature of subjectivity versus objectivity. And of course, it's always fun to go back and see what some people thought today's world in the early 21st century might be like.
After giving it a little thought, I hold that we're right on track with our space exploration. The impetus given to human space exploration in the fifties and sixties was motivated in large part by the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with the desire to develop and test long-range missiles capable of accurately delivering nuclear warheads to enemy targets in the event of a nuclear war. As the threat of nuclear war diminished with arms control agreements and easing of relations, so diminished the military's influence on space exploration policy. I believe that many today are wary that a new effort to send men and women into deep space will encourage its militarization and eventually threaten life on Earth. And noting how, in the last century and a half, technological innovations have quickly been converted to instruments of war and death, I would sadly have to concur with them.
But there is an even more obvious reason why we "real folks" haven't lived up to the standards of space exploration set by those sci-fi writers of decades long gone. And it's pretty simple, actually. To make a story more appealing to its readers, many of them in their youth, the writer may find it attractive to paint a picture of colonized planets and star exploration within the projected life spans of those readers. Which gives the story an added dimension of personal involvement on the part of the reader. I remember, in my own youth, reading an Alan Nourse novel titled Rocket to Limbo, in which an expedition to Alpha Centauri takes off in 2008. It had a great impact on me, and putting a date within my own reach no doubt contributed to that. And who can argue against the appeal of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequel 2010?
Philip K. Dick was no scientist, but he knew just enough to be able to enable readers to visualize the future. Dick's greatest strength as a writer was to capture and convey the essence of human nature in all of its forms, good or bad, foolish or wise, weak or strong, through his stories' characters. And The World Jones Made does not disappoint in this respect.
The story's protagonist is a security officer named Cussick who is protecting a worldwide government based on the philosophy of Hoff's Relativism, which criminalizes absolutism, even in ordinary conversation. His foil is a character named Jones, who has the paranormal ability to experience his own life exactly one year into the future. Dick takes this ability and explores all of its ramifications, which become more fascinating as the novel progresses.
There is a subplot to The World Jones Made that involves humans who have been genetically manipulated to adapt to an environment not normally found on Earth. To say more about this would be giving away the story, and I am recommending that you read it. So I'll just let it go at that, except to say that Dick uses this to create a perfect symmetry between the novel's beginning and conclusion.
The World Jones Made, although obviously outdated and technically very flawed, is still very good, entertaining reading. Philip K. Dick explored the nature of personality cults as well as his own favorite topic: the nature of subjectivity versus objectivity. And of course, it's always fun to go back and see what some people thought today's world in the early 21st century might be like.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Health Care For All
Here I am, sitting off in a corner of a Starbucks next to the Oaks Mall here in Gainesville, across the street from the North Florida Regional medical offices where I am currently between appointments for routine medical tests and consultations. For which my excellent health insurance, provided by my employer, USPS, gives coverage with a very reasonable premium. This is the same general type of coverage that our lawmakers in Washington enjoy. And many of them, Republicans for the most part but also several Democrats, evidently think that they are so superior to the American people that they would deprive the rest of the country's population of the same benefits that they enjoy themselves. By opposing health care reform.
As far as the public option that we have heard so much about over the past few months is concerned, it doesn't explicitly exist in the pool of choices I have for health insurance. Instead, insurance companies and FHOs have negotiated special policies with the government to cover federal employees, with their prices being relatively low. So, in a sense, there is already a degree of "public" in the available private options, at least for federal employees.
I have been opposed to efforts put forth by a few Democrats (and Independent Joe Lieberman) to pass a bill without a public option. I can handle that, provided that any mandated health insurance is not beyond the means of the people to pay for. Especially poor people. The only problem is that there is no guarantee that this won't happen, and I am strongly opposed to creating a new class of criminals, based on a new unreasonable mandate to carry health insurance. If there are provisions within the bill to lessen the load on the poor (and I've heard that there are), then those poor Americans should not have to jump through any bureaucratic hoops to obtain that relief and avoid fines or prosecution. After all, there are many living in poverty right now who don't receive available public assistance simply because they are averse to the red tape involved in it or are simply ignorant of their options.
As far as the public option that we have heard so much about over the past few months is concerned, it doesn't explicitly exist in the pool of choices I have for health insurance. Instead, insurance companies and FHOs have negotiated special policies with the government to cover federal employees, with their prices being relatively low. So, in a sense, there is already a degree of "public" in the available private options, at least for federal employees.
I have been opposed to efforts put forth by a few Democrats (and Independent Joe Lieberman) to pass a bill without a public option. I can handle that, provided that any mandated health insurance is not beyond the means of the people to pay for. Especially poor people. The only problem is that there is no guarantee that this won't happen, and I am strongly opposed to creating a new class of criminals, based on a new unreasonable mandate to carry health insurance. If there are provisions within the bill to lessen the load on the poor (and I've heard that there are), then those poor Americans should not have to jump through any bureaucratic hoops to obtain that relief and avoid fines or prosecution. After all, there are many living in poverty right now who don't receive available public assistance simply because they are averse to the red tape involved in it or are simply ignorant of their options.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Blog Entering Patchy Period
I am anticipating a period of a few days in which my blog entries may be sporadic. Or relatively short. Things should pick up, though, sooner or later.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Dip Into Thirties, Finally
This morning the local temperatures here in Gainesville dipped down into the thirties for the first time since early April. Although meteorologists have predicted a wet and cold winter due to the El Niño effect, we have been experiencing a rather warm, dry autumn so far. Lows in the upper thirties, highs in the fifties: that is "my" optimum weather!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Philip K. Dick's In Milton Lumky Territory
In Milton Lumky Territory is a realism novel by Philip K. Dick (1928-82), known primarily for his science fiction. The setting is the American Pacific Northwest, mostly in the state of Idaho. The three main characters, Bruce Stevens, Susan Faine, and Milton Lumky, are struggling with their jobs and businesses in the area. Bruce joins Susan's typewriter/office services business and tries to improve on it by concentrating on selling higher-quality typewriters. To accomplish this, he searches the Pacific area from San Francisco to Seattle for a supplier of a certain Japanese electric typewriter that he feels will sell well and turn the business around. Lumky, on the other hand, is a travelling office paper salesman who knew Susan from earlier and is getting to know Bruce. He reveals a supplier who has a large stock of the typewriters in question. There is a clash of personalities and values between Lumky and Stevens, as the former accuses the latter of lacking in spirituality and concern for others. Lumky asks Stevens if he believed in God, and Stevens can only laugh back uncontrollably in response. Lumky becomes angry at him, not only for his atheism but for the fact that Stevens, unlike himself, thrives being on long road trips.
This novel, not one of my favorites of Dick's, does examine closely how people think and relate to one another. It paints no favorable picture of anyone, as all of the story's main characters are really pretty disagreeable and miserable people. Which makes reading through it a somewhat depressing experience.
The bleak, ugly description of Idaho that Dick lays out is also rather depressing. The roads are bad, the weather is miserable, and there are these nasty flying, biting bugs that get in your face and clog up your car's radiator.
I suppose that if you are a glutton for punishment, you may want to read In Milton Lumky's Territory. I for one didn't particularly enjoy it, although it did provide some insight into what motivates some people to behave in a petty manner regarding money. And like other Philip K. Dick realism novels such as Humpty Dumpty in Oakland and Voices From the Street, it exposes the mindset of people running small businesses, at least as Dick sees it. And a not-so-favorable portrayal at that.
I am currently reading a science fiction novel of Dick: The World Jones Made. Much, much more enjoyable and interesting (I'm about two thirds of the way through it). I think Philip K. Dick's strength was definitely in the genre of science fiction! The fact that many of his realism novels, including In Milton Lumky's Territory, were repeatedly rejected by publishers during his lifetime and were only published posthumously is just an affirmation of my own opinion.
This novel, not one of my favorites of Dick's, does examine closely how people think and relate to one another. It paints no favorable picture of anyone, as all of the story's main characters are really pretty disagreeable and miserable people. Which makes reading through it a somewhat depressing experience.
The bleak, ugly description of Idaho that Dick lays out is also rather depressing. The roads are bad, the weather is miserable, and there are these nasty flying, biting bugs that get in your face and clog up your car's radiator.
I suppose that if you are a glutton for punishment, you may want to read In Milton Lumky's Territory. I for one didn't particularly enjoy it, although it did provide some insight into what motivates some people to behave in a petty manner regarding money. And like other Philip K. Dick realism novels such as Humpty Dumpty in Oakland and Voices From the Street, it exposes the mindset of people running small businesses, at least as Dick sees it. And a not-so-favorable portrayal at that.
I am currently reading a science fiction novel of Dick: The World Jones Made. Much, much more enjoyable and interesting (I'm about two thirds of the way through it). I think Philip K. Dick's strength was definitely in the genre of science fiction! The fact that many of his realism novels, including In Milton Lumky's Territory, were repeatedly rejected by publishers during his lifetime and were only published posthumously is just an affirmation of my own opinion.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Urban Meyer and Notre Dame
With Notre Dame once again having a mediocre season at 6-5, talk is heating up about an impending head football coach vacancy up there in South Bend, with Charlie Weis on the way out after a string of disappointing seasons. And talk is also heating up about the possibility that Florida head coach Urban Meyer will step in to replace Weis.
Before coming to UF, Meyer has described coaching at Notre Dame, where he was previously an assistant coach for five years, as his "dream job". But he has become very comfortable here in Gainesville and has accomplished everything he would have wanted to at Notre Dame, particularly two national championships in four seasons and possibly a third this year. He can recruit more easily in the high schools of Florida and the South at large, and he doesn't have to overcome the stringent academic standards that Notre Dame has to bring in players who may have had enough difficulty just passing high school. Meyer is almost idolized in the Gainesville area, something that I have already written disturbs me to no end. If he went to Notre Dame, then winning the national championship occasionally and competing for it every season would be the minimum expectation among their fans. Of course, give Meyer a string of three or four seasons with three or four losses per season at UF and see much longer he would remain idolized here in Gainesville.
Urban Meyer has consistently and firmly denied rumors that he would be interested in coaching at Notre Dame, and has reiterated that he is very happy at the University of Florida. The only problem with that is that Alabama head coach Nick Saban was saying the same things while coaching the Miami Dolphins when the Alabama job became available. And once Alabama made him an "offer he couldn't refuse", Saban reneged on his commitment to the Dolphins and jumped over to Alabama. Meyer has "jumped ship" before, most recently leaving Utah for Florida following only his second season of coaching for them, after recruiting players there who believed that he would be with them for their college careers.
For me, I think Urban Meyer is a good coach with essentially no sense of humor, at least as far as it relates to him or his team. This whole mindset around here that it is somehow offensive to criticize Meyer, Tim Tebow, or any other UF player or coach is offensive in itself to me. I would rather have a less successful coach and a team to follow that had moderately successful seasons than a coach and team that are EXPECTED to win every game they play (and by large point margins at that). So Meyer is welcome to jump ship, as far as I'm concerned. Whether he does or not, I'll still root for the Gators. But it wouldn't hurt my feelings if he left, either. After all, Nick Saban has already conditioned me in this area!
Before coming to UF, Meyer has described coaching at Notre Dame, where he was previously an assistant coach for five years, as his "dream job". But he has become very comfortable here in Gainesville and has accomplished everything he would have wanted to at Notre Dame, particularly two national championships in four seasons and possibly a third this year. He can recruit more easily in the high schools of Florida and the South at large, and he doesn't have to overcome the stringent academic standards that Notre Dame has to bring in players who may have had enough difficulty just passing high school. Meyer is almost idolized in the Gainesville area, something that I have already written disturbs me to no end. If he went to Notre Dame, then winning the national championship occasionally and competing for it every season would be the minimum expectation among their fans. Of course, give Meyer a string of three or four seasons with three or four losses per season at UF and see much longer he would remain idolized here in Gainesville.
Urban Meyer has consistently and firmly denied rumors that he would be interested in coaching at Notre Dame, and has reiterated that he is very happy at the University of Florida. The only problem with that is that Alabama head coach Nick Saban was saying the same things while coaching the Miami Dolphins when the Alabama job became available. And once Alabama made him an "offer he couldn't refuse", Saban reneged on his commitment to the Dolphins and jumped over to Alabama. Meyer has "jumped ship" before, most recently leaving Utah for Florida following only his second season of coaching for them, after recruiting players there who believed that he would be with them for their college careers.
For me, I think Urban Meyer is a good coach with essentially no sense of humor, at least as far as it relates to him or his team. This whole mindset around here that it is somehow offensive to criticize Meyer, Tim Tebow, or any other UF player or coach is offensive in itself to me. I would rather have a less successful coach and a team to follow that had moderately successful seasons than a coach and team that are EXPECTED to win every game they play (and by large point margins at that). So Meyer is welcome to jump ship, as far as I'm concerned. Whether he does or not, I'll still root for the Gators. But it wouldn't hurt my feelings if he left, either. After all, Nick Saban has already conditioned me in this area!
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