Monday, November 15, 2010
16.9 Mile Training Run Today
Earlier today I ran 16.9 miles as I continue to prepare for some uncertain marathon race in the not-so-distant future. My time was 2:39:52. The temperature went from 63 to 77 during the workout, while the humidity dropped from 73 to 43%. Not excruciating conditions, to be sure, but also not conducive for me running up to a marathon distance (26.2 miles) either. Still, I came out of the run feeling better than after recent ones, and the run itself went smoothly. I could have even gone a few miles further, but it seems that there is always an externally-imposed time-ceiling limiting my runs. Something is always coming up that I have to deal with, and this demands that I limit my running even when I want to go further. Frankly, even if the weather was perfect for a long run, I don't know how I would be able to swing it. This leaves me with the feeling of being a bit harassed, and I resent it. Still, I keep plugging away.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Brief Blog Hiatus
I'm keeping the faith with this blog; it's just that I've had other things going on in my life recently. Consequently, the blog articles have been few and far between. Still, I plan to resume writing before too long.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Personal Running Observations
I am sitting in a Starbucks close to home, reflecting on my running. Today I ran a very modest 8.1 miles. Modest in that I have recently attained the distance of 20.54 miles, while this past week alone I ran (hard) in a 13.1 mile half-marathon and did a 15 mile workout two days later. But today's much shorter run left me tired and wondering what exactly I'm doing to my body. I want to run in a marathon race this winter, which entails covering a whopping 26.2 mile distance. But the weather down here in Florida has been fighting me tooth and nail in my endeavors to attain that distance in my training. For example, today it climbed to 79 degrees by my run's end. But just five days ago, the half-marathon race occurred under 39-49 degree conditions, ideal for running. We just can't seem to keep it very cool, at least for very long. I would be quite content just to have it in the fifties for my running, and it does dip into the forties before sunrise. But immediately thereafter the temperature shoots rapidly up. Ugh!
I don't know that it is necessarily in my best interests for me to emulate some of my fellow runners and embark on a year-round lifestyle of marathon training and racing. For one, I really don't know how much of a toll it's already taking on my body. For another, I already know how huge of a chunk of time it takes away from my already limited free time. So I'm thinking of a change in strategy with my running.
I will train to run in a couple of marathons. The first will be in late December or in January next year. Options are the upcoming marathons in Jacksonville, Clermont (the Florida Marathon), Disney World, and Ocala (all in central or north Florida). Then, on February 20 it will once again be time for Gainesville's Five Points marathon event. Last year I ran the half-marathon; this year I'm shooting for the full marathon. After that, I'm tapering down the distance I train for to between 6 and 13.1 miles.
Will I change my mind again later and just stick with trying to run marathons? Maybe, but there's still more to it than just being in physical shape to cover the distance.
I just saw how one of the freed Chilean miners ran the entire New York Marathon last week. Bravo! He sure had a lot of guts to try that, considering the long ordeal he just recently suffered through. But although I don't want to detract from his feat and my admiration of him, for me there's a lot more involved in running in a marathon race just just "running in a marathon race".
The Chilean miner no doubt was entered by another and pretty much transported right to the starting line, after which he was escorted through the race by a party of assistants. He didn't have to worry about getting time off from work to schedule for the race or about transportation to the site and back home again. Or about where he would stay before the race. All of this I have to consider when trying to decide where to enter a race. Even the relatively close Jacksonville Bank marathon presents a problem because, although it is held on an "off day" for me, the previous night I work until late. Other events present similar problems, and usually they arrange it so that an entrant HAS TO stay overnight in the race's city just to be able to pick up the essential racing packet that contains the timing chip and other important items. I can guarantee you that, if these hassles were removed from me, I wouldn't have any qualms about trying to gut out a marathon, be it in New York or anywhere else.
I don't know that it is necessarily in my best interests for me to emulate some of my fellow runners and embark on a year-round lifestyle of marathon training and racing. For one, I really don't know how much of a toll it's already taking on my body. For another, I already know how huge of a chunk of time it takes away from my already limited free time. So I'm thinking of a change in strategy with my running.
I will train to run in a couple of marathons. The first will be in late December or in January next year. Options are the upcoming marathons in Jacksonville, Clermont (the Florida Marathon), Disney World, and Ocala (all in central or north Florida). Then, on February 20 it will once again be time for Gainesville's Five Points marathon event. Last year I ran the half-marathon; this year I'm shooting for the full marathon. After that, I'm tapering down the distance I train for to between 6 and 13.1 miles.
Will I change my mind again later and just stick with trying to run marathons? Maybe, but there's still more to it than just being in physical shape to cover the distance.
I just saw how one of the freed Chilean miners ran the entire New York Marathon last week. Bravo! He sure had a lot of guts to try that, considering the long ordeal he just recently suffered through. But although I don't want to detract from his feat and my admiration of him, for me there's a lot more involved in running in a marathon race just just "running in a marathon race".
The Chilean miner no doubt was entered by another and pretty much transported right to the starting line, after which he was escorted through the race by a party of assistants. He didn't have to worry about getting time off from work to schedule for the race or about transportation to the site and back home again. Or about where he would stay before the race. All of this I have to consider when trying to decide where to enter a race. Even the relatively close Jacksonville Bank marathon presents a problem because, although it is held on an "off day" for me, the previous night I work until late. Other events present similar problems, and usually they arrange it so that an entrant HAS TO stay overnight in the race's city just to be able to pick up the essential racing packet that contains the timing chip and other important items. I can guarantee you that, if these hassles were removed from me, I wouldn't have any qualms about trying to gut out a marathon, be it in New York or anywhere else.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
George W. Bush's Reappearance
Lately, former president George W. Bush has been making the media rounds while promoting his newly-released memoirs. I have heard a lot of positive reaction to him as he made his case for the often controversial decisions he made during his two-term tenure from 2001 to 2009. I know of several people who could find a multitude of items to complain about him, but I will spotlight two: his insistence on tax cuts favoring the rich throughout his presidency and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
When Bill Clinton left office in 2001, he had a right to claim some credit for not only balancing the federal budget during the last few years of his presidency, but also for generating a surplus that cut into the national debt, reducing the interest that taxpayers would pay on said debt. When Bush came onto the scene in 2001, there was a buzz going around in some conservative circles to the effect that the surplus was somehow bad in that by having "extra" money (a falsehood, since as mentioned the cumulative national debt was still staggering), the federal government would begin to invest in private business and thus begin to insidiously control them. Apparently, young Bush subscribed to this theory as he made it clear that having a yearly surplus was a sign that the government was holding onto the people's money (in spite of the overall debt). And that this money should be given back. Hence the continual deficit-spiraling tax breaks for the duration of his presidency and the first two years of Obama's. Congress gave Bush his wish regarding tax policy, but apparently Obama isn't going to be accorded the same respect (even though he wants to keep much of the tax break intact). Not that I completely agree with Obama: We are in an economic downturn and ending this long-term albeit "temporary" tax break now would, in my opinion, just stifle business investment in growth and jobs at a moment when it needed all the encouragement it could get. But although Bush's tax breaks could have initially been justified for the same reason, they should have ended once the economy had rebounded by the end of his first term. Instead, coupled with the unwarranted invasion and occupation of Iraq, our national debt was allowed to skyrocket while Democrats or anyone else criticizing the president's decisions were labeled as unpatriotic and/or anti-business by his supporters, fiscal responsibility be damned. But the moment Obama stepped into office in 2009, those very same people got "religion" and began to preach fiscal responsibility!
Besides draining the country of its money, the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 and beyond exacted a tragic human toll across the nation due to the deaths and injuries deriving from it (not to mention the much more severe toll inflicted on the Iraqi people). The unprecedented level of international support for America shown after 9/11 vanished, with the U.S. looking more like the bully on the block.
So yes, George W. Bush looked like his typical likable, "regular guy" self during the interviews I have witnessed lately. And I, unlike some others, don't hold him responsible for the 9/11 attacks. But even considering that, he left his two terms with this country in worse shape than when he started. And his many apologists, who equated support for his decisions with national loyalty, suddenly threw that notion out of the window when a Democratic president succeeded him. Obama never was accorded a "honeymoon": Bush was and he squandered it.
When Bill Clinton left office in 2001, he had a right to claim some credit for not only balancing the federal budget during the last few years of his presidency, but also for generating a surplus that cut into the national debt, reducing the interest that taxpayers would pay on said debt. When Bush came onto the scene in 2001, there was a buzz going around in some conservative circles to the effect that the surplus was somehow bad in that by having "extra" money (a falsehood, since as mentioned the cumulative national debt was still staggering), the federal government would begin to invest in private business and thus begin to insidiously control them. Apparently, young Bush subscribed to this theory as he made it clear that having a yearly surplus was a sign that the government was holding onto the people's money (in spite of the overall debt). And that this money should be given back. Hence the continual deficit-spiraling tax breaks for the duration of his presidency and the first two years of Obama's. Congress gave Bush his wish regarding tax policy, but apparently Obama isn't going to be accorded the same respect (even though he wants to keep much of the tax break intact). Not that I completely agree with Obama: We are in an economic downturn and ending this long-term albeit "temporary" tax break now would, in my opinion, just stifle business investment in growth and jobs at a moment when it needed all the encouragement it could get. But although Bush's tax breaks could have initially been justified for the same reason, they should have ended once the economy had rebounded by the end of his first term. Instead, coupled with the unwarranted invasion and occupation of Iraq, our national debt was allowed to skyrocket while Democrats or anyone else criticizing the president's decisions were labeled as unpatriotic and/or anti-business by his supporters, fiscal responsibility be damned. But the moment Obama stepped into office in 2009, those very same people got "religion" and began to preach fiscal responsibility!
Besides draining the country of its money, the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 and beyond exacted a tragic human toll across the nation due to the deaths and injuries deriving from it (not to mention the much more severe toll inflicted on the Iraqi people). The unprecedented level of international support for America shown after 9/11 vanished, with the U.S. looking more like the bully on the block.
So yes, George W. Bush looked like his typical likable, "regular guy" self during the interviews I have witnessed lately. And I, unlike some others, don't hold him responsible for the 9/11 attacks. But even considering that, he left his two terms with this country in worse shape than when he started. And his many apologists, who equated support for his decisions with national loyalty, suddenly threw that notion out of the window when a Democratic president succeeded him. Obama never was accorded a "honeymoon": Bush was and he squandered it.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Personal Time Management Needs Improvement
Thought for today: If there is anything that I need to change more than the way I manage time, then I don't know what it is. But how do I run my life in a more efficient, timely manner? I first need to distinguish between two general time situations in my life: committed time and free time.
Committed time is that during which I am, as the title implies, committed to certain activities. The most obvious is work-time, but also sleep-time goes under this category. Work and sleep are pretty predictable, inherently cyclic, and can easily be planned for. But spending time with my wife and children also goes under "committed" time and isn't so predictable. This is a "floating" area that I need to be consciously attentive to and flexible enough by rescheduling other planned events to accommodate family opportunities as they arise.
Free time is time that I am more or less free to schedule my own activities as I see fit. Not only do I want to avoid wasting this precious time through sloth, but also I need to distinguish among the more appropriate use of different times as they relate to specific endeavors I want to accomplish.
So at the start of each day, as well as the end of the previous one, I list areas in which I need to engage myself. Then I set up a rough hourly schedule in which I jot out my plans to fulfill those goals I have written.
Even after the main goals I want to accomplish have been fulfilled, I often find myself with more free time and want to avoid simply vegetating in front of the TV set. So there is another tactic I use whereby I set my pocket timer to 20 minutes and devote myself to a particular activity in a frenzied manner until the timer signals the end of that span. Since there are plenty of activities for me to do that don't necessarily carry with them specific objectives, I'll never run out of ways to occupy myself with the "timer" method. The psychological advantage to this is that, if it's something that I don't particularly want to do (like cleaning the garage or doing yard work), I can see an end to it (the 20 minute mark), beyond which I can switch to a more pleasant activity (even if I'm leaving some work undone in that area).
But ideas for better time management are just that: ideas. It is actually implementing them and developing good time management habits that will change this aspect of my personal life for the better.
Committed time is that during which I am, as the title implies, committed to certain activities. The most obvious is work-time, but also sleep-time goes under this category. Work and sleep are pretty predictable, inherently cyclic, and can easily be planned for. But spending time with my wife and children also goes under "committed" time and isn't so predictable. This is a "floating" area that I need to be consciously attentive to and flexible enough by rescheduling other planned events to accommodate family opportunities as they arise.
Free time is time that I am more or less free to schedule my own activities as I see fit. Not only do I want to avoid wasting this precious time through sloth, but also I need to distinguish among the more appropriate use of different times as they relate to specific endeavors I want to accomplish.
So at the start of each day, as well as the end of the previous one, I list areas in which I need to engage myself. Then I set up a rough hourly schedule in which I jot out my plans to fulfill those goals I have written.
Even after the main goals I want to accomplish have been fulfilled, I often find myself with more free time and want to avoid simply vegetating in front of the TV set. So there is another tactic I use whereby I set my pocket timer to 20 minutes and devote myself to a particular activity in a frenzied manner until the timer signals the end of that span. Since there are plenty of activities for me to do that don't necessarily carry with them specific objectives, I'll never run out of ways to occupy myself with the "timer" method. The psychological advantage to this is that, if it's something that I don't particularly want to do (like cleaning the garage or doing yard work), I can see an end to it (the 20 minute mark), beyond which I can switch to a more pleasant activity (even if I'm leaving some work undone in that area).
But ideas for better time management are just that: ideas. It is actually implementing them and developing good time management habits that will change this aspect of my personal life for the better.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
My Tom Walker Memorial Half-Marathon Run
Earlier today I ran the Florida Track Club's Tom Walker Memorial Half-Marathon. It was the first public running race I participated in since my unpleasant three-mile Melon Run (also put on by the Florida Track Club) on July 4. I had decided to run only in longer events and not place any store on the race administrators' ability to accurately record and post my finishing time and placing relative to the other runners. This local half-marathon event seemed tailor-made to prepare me for the upcoming marathon races I plan to enter.
This morning at sunrise, just before the race's start, the weather was so cold at 39 degrees (remember: I'm a Floridian) that I seriously considered just turning around and getting back in my car and driving home. But I stuck it out and shivered for the ten-to-fifteen minutes before the race's start. I wasn't going to make the same mistake I made earlier this year at the Five Points Half-Marathon and overdress; I wore shorts and a "technical" running T-shirt. Anything more would have created stifling conditions for me as the run wore on. Oh, and to avoid the pointless crowding and jockeying for position among runners at the race's start, I simply resolved that issue by making sure I was initially behind EVERYONE. Then I began my own personal timing of my run as I crossed the starting line a few seconds into the race.
The Tom Walker Memorial Half-Marathon has a distinctive course. On one hand, the entire race takes place away from streets, going completely down a pleasant nature trail on the southeast side of Gainesville. On the other hand, and unlike with other races of this type, the trail in question, the Hawthorne Trail, is paved, wide, and smooth (with no motorized traffic permitted). It was a joy to run down it. Now that I know of its existence, I'll have to take others in my family down it sometimes for bicycling.
Initially, I had planned to follow Jeff Galloway's walk/run principles during this race, but the discomfort of the cold made me want to keep running (to stay warm). Instead, I decided to listen to my body and walk whenever I felt the need. I never did. What began as an intended easy-paced workout ended in a lengthy near-sprint at the end. I finished with a time (by my watch) of 2:01:41. The official time will probably show me going a little over 2:02. That doesn't place me anywhere near the elite runners, even among those within my own age grouping (50-54). But I feel quite satisfied with my performance. And although I didn't employ "walk/run" during the race, this strategy, which I used in my training throughout the long, hot summer, had built up my endurance drastically to the point where I didn't need to use it, at least for this 13.1 mile race. A full 26.2 mile marathon is a different matter entirely, though.
The next race I am considering running in is the marathon taking place in Jacksonville on Sunday, December 19. Alas, there seem to be a few glitches with this plan regarding the logistics of getting there in shape for the race: I have to work at least until 11 PM on the Saturday before and may possibly have to stay even later due to the heavy Christmas parcel season. And the race, I think, starts at 7 the next morning. So I'll have to think about this a little before I commit to paying the entry fee (which now stands at $65).
This morning at sunrise, just before the race's start, the weather was so cold at 39 degrees (remember: I'm a Floridian) that I seriously considered just turning around and getting back in my car and driving home. But I stuck it out and shivered for the ten-to-fifteen minutes before the race's start. I wasn't going to make the same mistake I made earlier this year at the Five Points Half-Marathon and overdress; I wore shorts and a "technical" running T-shirt. Anything more would have created stifling conditions for me as the run wore on. Oh, and to avoid the pointless crowding and jockeying for position among runners at the race's start, I simply resolved that issue by making sure I was initially behind EVERYONE. Then I began my own personal timing of my run as I crossed the starting line a few seconds into the race.
The Tom Walker Memorial Half-Marathon has a distinctive course. On one hand, the entire race takes place away from streets, going completely down a pleasant nature trail on the southeast side of Gainesville. On the other hand, and unlike with other races of this type, the trail in question, the Hawthorne Trail, is paved, wide, and smooth (with no motorized traffic permitted). It was a joy to run down it. Now that I know of its existence, I'll have to take others in my family down it sometimes for bicycling.
Initially, I had planned to follow Jeff Galloway's walk/run principles during this race, but the discomfort of the cold made me want to keep running (to stay warm). Instead, I decided to listen to my body and walk whenever I felt the need. I never did. What began as an intended easy-paced workout ended in a lengthy near-sprint at the end. I finished with a time (by my watch) of 2:01:41. The official time will probably show me going a little over 2:02. That doesn't place me anywhere near the elite runners, even among those within my own age grouping (50-54). But I feel quite satisfied with my performance. And although I didn't employ "walk/run" during the race, this strategy, which I used in my training throughout the long, hot summer, had built up my endurance drastically to the point where I didn't need to use it, at least for this 13.1 mile race. A full 26.2 mile marathon is a different matter entirely, though.
The next race I am considering running in is the marathon taking place in Jacksonville on Sunday, December 19. Alas, there seem to be a few glitches with this plan regarding the logistics of getting there in shape for the race: I have to work at least until 11 PM on the Saturday before and may possibly have to stay even later due to the heavy Christmas parcel season. And the race, I think, starts at 7 the next morning. So I'll have to think about this a little before I commit to paying the entry fee (which now stands at $65).
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Mid-Term Elections Reaction
Last night the mid-term elections yielded the generally-expected result with Republicans taking back control of the U.S. House, the Democrats managing to hold on to the majority in the Senate, and state gubernatorial races tending to fall into the GOP's win column. Many voters in Nevada who disliked sitting senator Harry Reid nevertheless couldn't bear to vote for his teabagger opponent Sharon Angle and so the Senate Majority Leader was reelected, much to the surprise of many. As I said, there were many Republican victors, so to whom did ABC's Good Morning America decide to give a spotlight interview? Christine O'Donnell, who as expected badly lost her own Tea Party/Republican bid for the Senate against Christopher Coons. I wonder whether ABC even sought out Coons, who actually is the individual who matters and who will be representing Delaware during the next six years.
In Florida, Marco Rubio, a very conservative Republican embraced by the Tea Party movement, coasted to an easy victory over sitting governor Charlie Crist and Democratic congressman Kendrick Meek. Although he is on the opposite end of the political spectrum, I see Rubio's rise as being very similar to Barack Obama's, who successfully ran for president only four years after winning his Senate race to represent Illinois. Rubio strikes me as being just as ambitious as Obama. In the Florida governor's race, Republican Rick Scott appears to have won a real squeaker against Democrat Alex Sink.
We'll see whether or not the Republicans in the new Congress will at least partially abandon their obstructionist tactics against the Obama administration. I would think that they HAVE TO in the House since they are going to be the party in power with the gavel and will control the legislative agenda there. One thing that always happens when the opposition party takes one or both houses during a president's term will probably happen here: they'll begin to have investigations and hearings on alleged or implied improper behavior within that administration. Don't believe me? It happened with Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush during their tenures in office.
As a post-script to this article, my friend Barry, unable at the time to submit a comment on Blogger, e-mailed me a comment regarding yesterday's article. He considered my analogy in it between the election campaign and competitive sports to be inapt and also questioned that I would wave at those people on street corners supporting candidates or issues that I disagreed with. To the first difference I would say that no analogy is perfect; you can always find some point where it breaks down. But being a "good sport" is a life-lesson that children are supposed to be taught at home and at school. And exhibiting gracious behavior toward one's opponent in the face of fierce competition is a crucial element of that good sportsmanship that later in life becomes a crucial social skill useful in many areas, not just in sports. Areas like, for example, adult personal relationships, the workplace, driving through traffic, conducting business either as consumer or provider, legal matters, and yes...politics (among many others).
As for the "waving"...to each his own, I suppose. I don't think, though, that me waving at someone who supports another candidate as he or she is waving at me is anything more than simple social courtesy. But each of us has our own hands to control as we see fit.
In Florida, Marco Rubio, a very conservative Republican embraced by the Tea Party movement, coasted to an easy victory over sitting governor Charlie Crist and Democratic congressman Kendrick Meek. Although he is on the opposite end of the political spectrum, I see Rubio's rise as being very similar to Barack Obama's, who successfully ran for president only four years after winning his Senate race to represent Illinois. Rubio strikes me as being just as ambitious as Obama. In the Florida governor's race, Republican Rick Scott appears to have won a real squeaker against Democrat Alex Sink.
We'll see whether or not the Republicans in the new Congress will at least partially abandon their obstructionist tactics against the Obama administration. I would think that they HAVE TO in the House since they are going to be the party in power with the gavel and will control the legislative agenda there. One thing that always happens when the opposition party takes one or both houses during a president's term will probably happen here: they'll begin to have investigations and hearings on alleged or implied improper behavior within that administration. Don't believe me? It happened with Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush during their tenures in office.
As a post-script to this article, my friend Barry, unable at the time to submit a comment on Blogger, e-mailed me a comment regarding yesterday's article. He considered my analogy in it between the election campaign and competitive sports to be inapt and also questioned that I would wave at those people on street corners supporting candidates or issues that I disagreed with. To the first difference I would say that no analogy is perfect; you can always find some point where it breaks down. But being a "good sport" is a life-lesson that children are supposed to be taught at home and at school. And exhibiting gracious behavior toward one's opponent in the face of fierce competition is a crucial element of that good sportsmanship that later in life becomes a crucial social skill useful in many areas, not just in sports. Areas like, for example, adult personal relationships, the workplace, driving through traffic, conducting business either as consumer or provider, legal matters, and yes...politics (among many others).
As for the "waving"...to each his own, I suppose. I don't think, though, that me waving at someone who supports another candidate as he or she is waving at me is anything more than simple social courtesy. But each of us has our own hands to control as we see fit.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Elections, Voting, Sportsmanship, Duality
As Melissa and I went over our sample ballots to determine (or review) how each of us were going to vote today, I recalled the torrent of dire programming on television I have witnessed in recent weeks, particularly on the politically diametrically-opposed news channels MSNBC and Fox News. I also have a pretty good memory of previous elections when one side seemed to be of the mindset that by taking back control of one or more houses of Congress they would be taking the country back from that awful, nasty other side (who were supposedly screwing everything up).
The Republicans are certain to take over the U.S. House of Representatives in January because of today's elections and the Democrats are probably going to maintain narrow control over the Senate. This will change the dynamics of national government, especially now that the prevailing administration has to contend with the opposition party being in power in one of the legislative branches. I will accept the election results and go on with my life, but unfortunately, many others are in perpetual campaign mode. The day after the 2010 election to them just signals the start of the 2012 election campaign season.
When I drive past supporters of various candidates and referenda, they wave at me and I wave back, regardless whether I plan to vote their way. They are fellow Americans who believe in what they are doing and are participating in the process. I respect them for that. I don't regard the candidates I vote against as the "enemy", but apparently many others do. I don't regard people I know who support the "other side" as being stupid or misled, but I know others with this attitude. I feel that they need to get a sense of perspective on things.
It's fine to get passionate about voting and caring for your candidate and party. But it's also important to exercise some restraint and show compassion and respect for those you disagree with. It's similar in sports: A team or athlete prepares hard for an event. During the actual contest, each side tries as much as possible to defeat the other. But after it is over, both sides come together on the field or court and greet and congratulate each other in a good-natured spirit of sportsmanship. This sportsmanship has all but disappeared in the area of politics, and it doesn't bode well for our future.
If everyone is in perpetual campaign mode, then there will never be any time for the compromises and deal-making necessary to get anything done in elected legislative bodies. We elect people to represent us but then won't stand back afterward and let them do what we elected them to do.
Let's bring back the duality of passionately supporting our candidates and positions while respecting and working with the "other side". We can all be Americans who believe strongly in the correctness of our views and at the same time try to understand in a sympathetic way the views of those who disagree with us. How about starting now?
The Republicans are certain to take over the U.S. House of Representatives in January because of today's elections and the Democrats are probably going to maintain narrow control over the Senate. This will change the dynamics of national government, especially now that the prevailing administration has to contend with the opposition party being in power in one of the legislative branches. I will accept the election results and go on with my life, but unfortunately, many others are in perpetual campaign mode. The day after the 2010 election to them just signals the start of the 2012 election campaign season.
When I drive past supporters of various candidates and referenda, they wave at me and I wave back, regardless whether I plan to vote their way. They are fellow Americans who believe in what they are doing and are participating in the process. I respect them for that. I don't regard the candidates I vote against as the "enemy", but apparently many others do. I don't regard people I know who support the "other side" as being stupid or misled, but I know others with this attitude. I feel that they need to get a sense of perspective on things.
It's fine to get passionate about voting and caring for your candidate and party. But it's also important to exercise some restraint and show compassion and respect for those you disagree with. It's similar in sports: A team or athlete prepares hard for an event. During the actual contest, each side tries as much as possible to defeat the other. But after it is over, both sides come together on the field or court and greet and congratulate each other in a good-natured spirit of sportsmanship. This sportsmanship has all but disappeared in the area of politics, and it doesn't bode well for our future.
If everyone is in perpetual campaign mode, then there will never be any time for the compromises and deal-making necessary to get anything done in elected legislative bodies. We elect people to represent us but then won't stand back afterward and let them do what we elected them to do.
Let's bring back the duality of passionately supporting our candidates and positions while respecting and working with the "other side". We can all be Americans who believe strongly in the correctness of our views and at the same time try to understand in a sympathetic way the views of those who disagree with us. How about starting now?
Monday, November 1, 2010
My 20.54 Mile Training Run
Today I reached a distance running milestone by passing the 20-mile mark. I ran 20.54 miles with a time of 3:21:32. At the beginning, the temperature was 61 (O.K.) and the humidity was 92% (ugh). By the end, the temperature had risen to 77 (ugh) and the humidity had dropped to 51% (O.K.). Overall, the weather conditions, although no longer at excruciating summer levels of heat and humidity, were still unseasonal for early November and not very conducive to distance running. As was the case with my recent 18.39 mile run, I didn't enjoy it very much. I did seem to have more energy at my disposal, which may be partially due to my switch to Gatorade from Powerade Zero. But my legs ached badly toward the end. The recovery didn't go too well either, and I was more fatigued than usual.
I plan to take it easy for a couple of days and then resume running at a more moderate distance. I plan to run in a half-marathon race scheduled this coming Saturday in Gainesville, although I will not try to beat other runners. I'm just going for the experience.
I plan to take it easy for a couple of days and then resume running at a more moderate distance. I plan to run in a half-marathon race scheduled this coming Saturday in Gainesville, although I will not try to beat other runners. I'm just going for the experience.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Last-Minute Election Nonsense
I have long ago decided which candidates I will be voting for on November 2, as well as how I will be voting on various referenda and amendments that are on the ballot. Apparently though, there are many people out there who are "swayable", even at this late date. How do I know this? By the incredible flood of political advertisements stuffing my mailbox, most of them virulently negative and even hateful toward the opposing candidate.
I've gotten to the point where, just by seeing an ad from a distance, I can guess who is putting it out. If it features a candidate either in black and white or "fuzzed" up, then the opposing candidate is putting it out. If the picture shows a candidate in relief with large-print words next to it, then the same holds, with that candidate being vilified for having said something (probably taken completely out of context) at some point during his or her lifetime. But if the picture is in color, especially if it pictures the candidate together with family (the more children the better), then you can bet your bottom dollar that this one is that candidate's "positive" ad.
Speaking of that last comment, I have to this day yet to figure out why some candidates for public office have the notion that they will be better public servants than their opponents because they have demonstrated what compulsive breeders they are! But then again, this may all be a part of trying to gain whatever edge they can to sway those nincompoop "still-undecided" voters!
Speaking of nincompoop voters, we've had early voting in Alachua County since October 18. Yesterday I went to my local public library branch, which also is serving as an early voting location, to replace a lost library card. The parking lot was overflowing, packed with people apparently desperate to get their votes in early (the last available day for "early" voting, that is). I lucked out when, having given up on finding a parking spot and making my way toward the exit, a car suddenly pulled out and left me its space. Having seen this spectacle on Saturday, I predict once again a virtually empty polling precinct on Tuesday morning when my wife and I go to cast OUR votes! Imagine that, actually voting on Election Day!
I've gotten to the point where, just by seeing an ad from a distance, I can guess who is putting it out. If it features a candidate either in black and white or "fuzzed" up, then the opposing candidate is putting it out. If the picture shows a candidate in relief with large-print words next to it, then the same holds, with that candidate being vilified for having said something (probably taken completely out of context) at some point during his or her lifetime. But if the picture is in color, especially if it pictures the candidate together with family (the more children the better), then you can bet your bottom dollar that this one is that candidate's "positive" ad.
Speaking of that last comment, I have to this day yet to figure out why some candidates for public office have the notion that they will be better public servants than their opponents because they have demonstrated what compulsive breeders they are! But then again, this may all be a part of trying to gain whatever edge they can to sway those nincompoop "still-undecided" voters!
Speaking of nincompoop voters, we've had early voting in Alachua County since October 18. Yesterday I went to my local public library branch, which also is serving as an early voting location, to replace a lost library card. The parking lot was overflowing, packed with people apparently desperate to get their votes in early (the last available day for "early" voting, that is). I lucked out when, having given up on finding a parking spot and making my way toward the exit, a car suddenly pulled out and left me its space. Having seen this spectacle on Saturday, I predict once again a virtually empty polling precinct on Tuesday morning when my wife and I go to cast OUR votes! Imagine that, actually voting on Election Day!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
14.03 Mile Training Run Friday
Yesterday, as expected, the temperature and humidity went down a bit, making a more reasonable training distance possible for me. Although I had slept in and had to be at work early in the afternoon, I still managed to squeeze in a "middle distance" 14.03 mile run. The conditions were so good that I knew that, had I more time at my disposal, I would have been able to cross the 20-mile threshold. I have switched to full-sugar Gatorade (or "G" as they now call it), and I think that this also aided me in maintaining my energy level throughout the workout. The humidity, averaging about 40%, coupled with the temperature (61-75), resulted in me hardly having broken out a sweat during my run. But alas, the temperatures are once again beginning to climb!
Oh, to live in the Pacific Northwest!
Oh, to live in the Pacific Northwest!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Anti-Tirade Tirade
In the 1986 movie Mosquito Coast, Harrison Ford's character Allie Fox is an inventive genius with all sorts of ideas he wants to inflict on the world. He is also a very verbally overbearing personality, constantly going off into loud and often angry tirades about any of the pet topics that draw his interest. The others in his family and anyone else within earshot are reduced to passive stick-figures having to absorb his wrath and venom without being accorded a respectful hearing of their own feelings. If you've seen this movie, maybe you have some idea about what I mean by "tirade".
Tirade should also be a verb ("to tirade") and "tirader" a noun that describes one who performs this abusive form of speech. If you're a language purist, you just might want to skip the rest of this article, because I plan to use these two forms, correctness be damned.
Tiraders, the way I see it, have a couple of problems that cause them to talk as they do. One, they don't have enough self-restraint regarding the expression of anger or aggression when these feeling arise within them. Two, they are basically contemptuous of the dignity of others (particularly the listeners who have to suffer through their tirades) and feel that their own personal narratives and opinions are the ONLY narratives and opinions that count.
When I am around someone who goes off into a tirade about something else (not about me) in their life or that they heard from radio or television, the harsh, aggressive tone of their speech has the same emotional effect on me as if I were the object of their anger anyway. And I then automatically begin in turn to become angry at them, regardless of the truth value of what they are expressing.
There is what I believe to be a mistaken notion in our society that it is important for people to vent out their feelings to others, especially if the feelings have a negative character to them. It feeds into the idea of "release": just let it out of your system by sharing it with another. But to me, all this really does is to spread the poison. Besides, many of the tirades I have suffered through in my life have little to do with the negative experiences of the speaker and more to do with his or her mental fabrications.
Our society also seems to collectively regard tiraders as somehow being stronger and more important than others, deserving special attention and respect. So now we're stuck with abusive professional radio tiraders like Michael Savage, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh. While watching C-Span I've seen representatives and senators from both sides of the political aisle get to the podium and loudly pitch angry fits on behalf of their opinions, expecting this to somehow bolster their arguments. And who can forget the flood of vitriolic tirades at the town hall meetings while the health care reform bill was being debated?
There are people in my life who, in varying degrees, have given themselves over to tirading. And it hurts me when they do that. They are showing by talking like this AT me that they feel that I am insignificant, essentially a nonentity incapable of thinking for myself and arriving at my own conclusions. Plus, a tirader implicitly inserts a nasty ultimatum into the tirade: if the listener rejects the tirader's point, either in whole or in part, and expresses this disagreement, no matter how respectfully or softly, then the tirader takes it as a personal attack. The listener than becomes either an "idiot" (one of Mark Levin's favorite terms) or an enemy.
Yeah, like I really want to hang around people who treat me like that!
Tirade should also be a verb ("to tirade") and "tirader" a noun that describes one who performs this abusive form of speech. If you're a language purist, you just might want to skip the rest of this article, because I plan to use these two forms, correctness be damned.
Tiraders, the way I see it, have a couple of problems that cause them to talk as they do. One, they don't have enough self-restraint regarding the expression of anger or aggression when these feeling arise within them. Two, they are basically contemptuous of the dignity of others (particularly the listeners who have to suffer through their tirades) and feel that their own personal narratives and opinions are the ONLY narratives and opinions that count.
When I am around someone who goes off into a tirade about something else (not about me) in their life or that they heard from radio or television, the harsh, aggressive tone of their speech has the same emotional effect on me as if I were the object of their anger anyway. And I then automatically begin in turn to become angry at them, regardless of the truth value of what they are expressing.
There is what I believe to be a mistaken notion in our society that it is important for people to vent out their feelings to others, especially if the feelings have a negative character to them. It feeds into the idea of "release": just let it out of your system by sharing it with another. But to me, all this really does is to spread the poison. Besides, many of the tirades I have suffered through in my life have little to do with the negative experiences of the speaker and more to do with his or her mental fabrications.
Our society also seems to collectively regard tiraders as somehow being stronger and more important than others, deserving special attention and respect. So now we're stuck with abusive professional radio tiraders like Michael Savage, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh. While watching C-Span I've seen representatives and senators from both sides of the political aisle get to the podium and loudly pitch angry fits on behalf of their opinions, expecting this to somehow bolster their arguments. And who can forget the flood of vitriolic tirades at the town hall meetings while the health care reform bill was being debated?
There are people in my life who, in varying degrees, have given themselves over to tirading. And it hurts me when they do that. They are showing by talking like this AT me that they feel that I am insignificant, essentially a nonentity incapable of thinking for myself and arriving at my own conclusions. Plus, a tirader implicitly inserts a nasty ultimatum into the tirade: if the listener rejects the tirader's point, either in whole or in part, and expresses this disagreement, no matter how respectfully or softly, then the tirader takes it as a personal attack. The listener than becomes either an "idiot" (one of Mark Levin's favorite terms) or an enemy.
Yeah, like I really want to hang around people who treat me like that!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Partisan "Non-Partisan" School Board Races
A few days ago I was reading an advertisement put out by the Democratic Party. Pictured on it were the state-wide and local-area candidates for public office who were Democrats, and whom the ad was obviously endorsing by dint of their party affiliation. They included Democrats running for the US Senate, Florida Governor, Florida Cabinet posts, Florida State Senate and House, Alachua County Commission, and Alachua County School Board candidates. Uh...only one problem with the three pictured Democratic school board candidates...
The Alachua County School Board positions are elected officially on a non-partisan basis, with the candidates' parties deliberately left off the ballot. In the newspaper analyses of their positions on issues as well as their appearances on radio or TV, the question of whether they were Democrats, Republicans, something else, or "none of the above" was avoided. But the ad makes those races de facto partisan. Hey, for all I know, the Republicans might have put out their own ads identifying their school board candidate as being in the GOP, who knows? But this does present a potential problem for someone in my position.
As a federal worker, I have certain limitations placed upon my political activity by the federal Hatch Act. I am free to express my opinions as I wish (and I do on this blog), but I am restricted as to the degree that I can involve myself within PARTISAN campaigns. I am accorded more latitude under this law when the races are non-partisan in nature, so maybe you can see what the problem is.
Suppose I had been very active in pushing one of the "non-partisan" candidates, only for the race to later turn into a partisan contest, for all practical purposes. Then where would I stand?
Political parties need to take care when placing ads in local contests, as some of these are non-partisan in nature. Different rules apply, not only to the candidates, but also to other elements of the population, depending on how an election is officially characterized.
The Alachua County School Board positions are elected officially on a non-partisan basis, with the candidates' parties deliberately left off the ballot. In the newspaper analyses of their positions on issues as well as their appearances on radio or TV, the question of whether they were Democrats, Republicans, something else, or "none of the above" was avoided. But the ad makes those races de facto partisan. Hey, for all I know, the Republicans might have put out their own ads identifying their school board candidate as being in the GOP, who knows? But this does present a potential problem for someone in my position.
As a federal worker, I have certain limitations placed upon my political activity by the federal Hatch Act. I am free to express my opinions as I wish (and I do on this blog), but I am restricted as to the degree that I can involve myself within PARTISAN campaigns. I am accorded more latitude under this law when the races are non-partisan in nature, so maybe you can see what the problem is.
Suppose I had been very active in pushing one of the "non-partisan" candidates, only for the race to later turn into a partisan contest, for all practical purposes. Then where would I stand?
Political parties need to take care when placing ads in local contests, as some of these are non-partisan in nature. Different rules apply, not only to the candidates, but also to other elements of the population, depending on how an election is officially characterized.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
2010 World Series Begins Today
Well, the 2010 World Series starts today and it's a lock to be a groundbreaking one as well. The Texas Rangers, originally introduced into the American League as the expansion Washington Senators (replacing the original Senators who had moved to Minnesota), have never been to the World Series before, much less won it. And their National League opponent, the San Francisco Giants, haven't won a Series since 1954 when they were still in New York and a young Willy Mays made his spectacular running outfield catch against the favored Cleveland Indians. So a new city will be partying at the end of this year's World Series.
It looks to me as if there are two main questions that will determine the eventual winner. The Rangers have as their ace pitcher the incredible Cliff Lee, who has been almost completely unhittable during their previous two series against the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. It looks as if Lee will get at least two starts against the Giants, as well as a possible third if the series goes the limit to a seventh game. How the Giants bat against Lee in those games should go a long way toward swaying the series to one side or the other. The other factor I see is how well the Rangers continue to bat while facing San Francisco's vaunted pitching lineup. We'll see, it should be interesting. I still haven't figured out who I'm going to root for.
A sidenote: When I was in Times Square in NYC this past April and sitting in Junior's restaurant there, the TV was tuned in to the Yankees' season opener against Boston. I wonder, since the "pin-stripers" didn't make it to the World Series this year, whether they'll show it in Junior's. Hey all you readers up there, do me a favor and run down to Junior's and check it out for me...
...Just kidding!
It looks to me as if there are two main questions that will determine the eventual winner. The Rangers have as their ace pitcher the incredible Cliff Lee, who has been almost completely unhittable during their previous two series against the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. It looks as if Lee will get at least two starts against the Giants, as well as a possible third if the series goes the limit to a seventh game. How the Giants bat against Lee in those games should go a long way toward swaying the series to one side or the other. The other factor I see is how well the Rangers continue to bat while facing San Francisco's vaunted pitching lineup. We'll see, it should be interesting. I still haven't figured out who I'm going to root for.
A sidenote: When I was in Times Square in NYC this past April and sitting in Junior's restaurant there, the TV was tuned in to the Yankees' season opener against Boston. I wonder, since the "pin-stripers" didn't make it to the World Series this year, whether they'll show it in Junior's. Hey all you readers up there, do me a favor and run down to Junior's and check it out for me...
...Just kidding!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Alas, More Unseasonably Hot Weather
While writing about the weather may seem to be a cop-out choice for a blog article, this week's abnormally high, even stifling temperatures in Gainesville are nothing less than a big news story to me. Until Friday, temperatures are expected to rise into the nineties with little relief with the humidity. For someone like me who has been training to run a 26.2 mile marathon in December, this has been a real thorn in my side. I have had to run more moderate distances while waiting for temperatures to eventually drop again.
Of course, this unseasonably hot weather doesn't just affect my locality. In Valdosta, Georgia on Sunday, temperatures had soared as well into the nineties, making our visit to the theme park there less pleasant than it could have been. And we are getting no help at all either from a lack of rain throughout this period.
Friday morning is supposed to see the end of this meteorological anomaly, with highs returning to around eighty and lows in the fifties. I fully intend to get then go back to exploring the frontiers of my running endurance by piling on the mileage!
Of course, this unseasonably hot weather doesn't just affect my locality. In Valdosta, Georgia on Sunday, temperatures had soared as well into the nineties, making our visit to the theme park there less pleasant than it could have been. And we are getting no help at all either from a lack of rain throughout this period.
Friday morning is supposed to see the end of this meteorological anomaly, with highs returning to around eighty and lows in the fifties. I fully intend to get then go back to exploring the frontiers of my running endurance by piling on the mileage!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wild Adventures (Valdosta) Visit
Today I took my family with me on an excursion to Wild Adventures theme park on the outskirts of Valdosta, Georgia. I've been there many times (going back to 2002), but not recently. I read somewhere that Wild Adventures had fallen on lean financial times and that closing it down had been considered. But they seemed to still be hanging in there, although they had redesigned the place somewhat with several of the old rides gone and a few new replacements. I miss the now-gone Power Surge and Inverter, two of my all-time favorite theme park rides. Also missing were the Gauntlet, Sindwinder, Gold Rush, and Tiger Terror rides. The latter two I had a rather fond attachment to as they were "baby" rollercoasters that helped me to gradually overcome my fears until I was ready for the "big guys". Also, Double Shot was shut down but not removed (yet). Hopefully, they'll keep this fun ride for the future. Wild Adventures did add some new rides, although the only one I really cared for was the thoroughly awesome Rattler.
We bought season passes for Wild Adventures that will last through the year 2011. This park, which is a manageable 90 minute drive north from Gainesville on I-75, also contains a nice water park within its borders that runs from mid-spring to early fall. And they have concerts as well (the Doobie Brothers are one of the featured coming attractions). All of this is covered by the discounted passes we bought. Hopefully, the company will stay in business long enough to cover their duration!
We bought season passes for Wild Adventures that will last through the year 2011. This park, which is a manageable 90 minute drive north from Gainesville on I-75, also contains a nice water park within its borders that runs from mid-spring to early fall. And they have concerts as well (the Doobie Brothers are one of the featured coming attractions). All of this is covered by the discounted passes we bought. Hopefully, the company will stay in business long enough to cover their duration!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Gainesville's Crazy Bye Weekend
This weekend marks the one time in the fall season here in Gainesville when the University of Florida football team has a "bye". And every sort of event has consequently been planned for this time: the Pride Parade, the Butterfly Festival, the Macintosh Fall Festival, the Asian Culture Festival, the Friends of the Library book sale (a.k.a. the Friends of Compulsive Hoarders book sale), and my own church's version with the "friends of compulsive hoarders" garage sale. No doubt each of the organizers for these ambitious events looked at the football bye weekend and scheduled their events without any regard to anyone else who may have had similar designs. It reminds me of a scene in one my all-time favorite movies, Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind.
In A Beautiful Mind, protagonist John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) is a stressed-out Princeton mathematics graduate student searching for a topic about which to produce a truly original paper. Finally, as he is about to give up, he is sitting with his classmates at the school's diner/social hall. A stunningly beautiful blonde walks into the place with some of her friends (also attractive). As Nash listens to his buddies pining over the new object of their affections, he comes up with the idea that will form the thesis for his paper: if all of the men go after the blonde, they will crowd each other out and nobody will win. And her friends will then in turn reject them because nobody wants to be "second best". But suppose the men instead agree among themselves to avoid the blonde and each concentrate on a different friend of hers. No conflict ensues, and everyone gets what he wants (except for the blonde, that is). Nash would apply this idea in his ensuing paper to economics.
I believe the folks planning this weekend's events in the Gainesville area could have benefited from John Nash's reasoning. Picture this "bye" weekend as the beautiful blonde that everyone wants. Not all Gator football games are at home; some Saturdays they are playing at another school, and these weekends could be seen as representing the blonde's (albeit less attractive) friends. Why not everyone just ignore the bye week and work with each other to schedule their events on different weekends when UF has road games? Then people wouldn't be torn as to which events they would have to attend and which to pass by. Each event would also enjoy the full attention of the local media without competing events concurrently scheduled. And the parking would not be so overwhelmingly difficult to come by.
Oh well, it was just an idea. Instead, I expect more of this nonsense by event planners in future years.
In A Beautiful Mind, protagonist John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) is a stressed-out Princeton mathematics graduate student searching for a topic about which to produce a truly original paper. Finally, as he is about to give up, he is sitting with his classmates at the school's diner/social hall. A stunningly beautiful blonde walks into the place with some of her friends (also attractive). As Nash listens to his buddies pining over the new object of their affections, he comes up with the idea that will form the thesis for his paper: if all of the men go after the blonde, they will crowd each other out and nobody will win. And her friends will then in turn reject them because nobody wants to be "second best". But suppose the men instead agree among themselves to avoid the blonde and each concentrate on a different friend of hers. No conflict ensues, and everyone gets what he wants (except for the blonde, that is). Nash would apply this idea in his ensuing paper to economics.
I believe the folks planning this weekend's events in the Gainesville area could have benefited from John Nash's reasoning. Picture this "bye" weekend as the beautiful blonde that everyone wants. Not all Gator football games are at home; some Saturdays they are playing at another school, and these weekends could be seen as representing the blonde's (albeit less attractive) friends. Why not everyone just ignore the bye week and work with each other to schedule their events on different weekends when UF has road games? Then people wouldn't be torn as to which events they would have to attend and which to pass by. Each event would also enjoy the full attention of the local media without competing events concurrently scheduled. And the parking would not be so overwhelmingly difficult to come by.
Oh well, it was just an idea. Instead, I expect more of this nonsense by event planners in future years.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Celebrity Chic Leaves Me Cold
Earlier this week, I received an e-mail from the Florida Track Club, an organization of which I am a nominal member. The announcement was that Jeff Galloway, a long-time, famous marathon runner whose philosophy on the sport has greatly influenced me, would be visiting Gainesville. He was even planning to go out with any interested FTC members for a group run in the late afternoon. It turned out that I had to work that day and couldn't meet Mr. Galloway in person. But truth be told, had I been off, I doubt that I would have anyway.
I respect Jeff Galloway and have adopted much of his advice about running. I even bought one of his books on the subject. But the fact that he is a celebrity does not impel me to divert my activities in order to meet up with him. Nothing against him personally, but I feel this way about ALL celebrities.
A couple of years ago, I took my daughter out with her middle-school level flag football team to the University of Florida to watch the Gators football team do a spring practice session. All of the big stars were there, including Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, future NFL star receiver Percy Harvin, John Brantley, and even Cameron Newton (now a Heisman candidate playing for Auburn). After the practice, fans approached different players for autographs, and they responded to the requests with patience and friendliness. But around Tebow there was a kind of irrational, even creepy fan frenzy, with children and adults alike crowding around the big star to get his autograph. The whole scene disgusted me, especially when I saw a woman crowding out children to get to Tebow, and I fervently wished at the time to be somewhere else. No, this celebrity chic leaves me cold.
I could make a list of many famous people whose accomplishments I greatly admire, and it would be a pretty long list. But I can't think of a single soul among them whom I would want to seek out as a fan would seek out a celebrity. I can think of quite a few with whom I would want to "sit a spell" at Starbucks over coffee and chat (my version of Obama's beer diplomacy). But that would entail a dialogue between two complex human beings with each having something to contribute and something to learn, not some kind of role-playing game involving someone fawning over the image of another. That's just me, though, and I really don't want to get into judging those who are more in sync with this society's bizarre (to me) celebrity mania.
I respect Jeff Galloway and have adopted much of his advice about running. I even bought one of his books on the subject. But the fact that he is a celebrity does not impel me to divert my activities in order to meet up with him. Nothing against him personally, but I feel this way about ALL celebrities.
A couple of years ago, I took my daughter out with her middle-school level flag football team to the University of Florida to watch the Gators football team do a spring practice session. All of the big stars were there, including Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, future NFL star receiver Percy Harvin, John Brantley, and even Cameron Newton (now a Heisman candidate playing for Auburn). After the practice, fans approached different players for autographs, and they responded to the requests with patience and friendliness. But around Tebow there was a kind of irrational, even creepy fan frenzy, with children and adults alike crowding around the big star to get his autograph. The whole scene disgusted me, especially when I saw a woman crowding out children to get to Tebow, and I fervently wished at the time to be somewhere else. No, this celebrity chic leaves me cold.
I could make a list of many famous people whose accomplishments I greatly admire, and it would be a pretty long list. But I can't think of a single soul among them whom I would want to seek out as a fan would seek out a celebrity. I can think of quite a few with whom I would want to "sit a spell" at Starbucks over coffee and chat (my version of Obama's beer diplomacy). But that would entail a dialogue between two complex human beings with each having something to contribute and something to learn, not some kind of role-playing game involving someone fawning over the image of another. That's just me, though, and I really don't want to get into judging those who are more in sync with this society's bizarre (to me) celebrity mania.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Dean Koontz's Novel Intensity
I recently finished reading my third Dean Koontz novel, titled Intensity. It was quite a departure from Midnight, which was the previous novel of his that I read. Midnight, which was about a mysterious coastal California town whose population was undergoing a profoundly sinister change. Intensity, on the other hand, was a life and death struggle between protagonist Chyna Shepherd and her adversary, Edgler Vess, a sadistic killer. This initially disappointed me as I was looking for another "Midnight" and wasn't getting it with this story. But I then began to pick up some things with Intensity that made it stand out as novel with its own worth.
Both main characters had strong personalities and deeply entrenched personal narratives that they used to justify their present behavior. Chyna came from a very unstable family background, continually surrounded by abusive (and criminal) adults. She developed during these early times the crucial survival skill of "invisibility", which came in handy in the story as she tired to elude Vess. Vess , for his own part, created a personal philosophy that life should be lived to its fullest intensity at each moment and that there was really no good or evil. This he did to justify the murderous, sadistic acts he compulsively committed against others since childhood.
It was the examination of these two characters' worldviews that finally salvaged this otherwise overly violent and gory tale for me. I hope that the next Dean Koontz novel I read will have a different type of theme. Still, I got a couple of things out of Intensity.
Chyna's "invisibility" reminded me of my own personal ability, at times, to behave in such a way as to deflect the attention of others, almost to the point where it is as if I am not there. I don't think this is a very healthy way of presenting oneself before others, do you? Also, Vess's "philosophy" of "intensity" made me think of all the people around me and across the world who disguise their own prejudices and hates by donning the clothing of religion and political "principles".
Both main characters had strong personalities and deeply entrenched personal narratives that they used to justify their present behavior. Chyna came from a very unstable family background, continually surrounded by abusive (and criminal) adults. She developed during these early times the crucial survival skill of "invisibility", which came in handy in the story as she tired to elude Vess. Vess , for his own part, created a personal philosophy that life should be lived to its fullest intensity at each moment and that there was really no good or evil. This he did to justify the murderous, sadistic acts he compulsively committed against others since childhood.
It was the examination of these two characters' worldviews that finally salvaged this otherwise overly violent and gory tale for me. I hope that the next Dean Koontz novel I read will have a different type of theme. Still, I got a couple of things out of Intensity.
Chyna's "invisibility" reminded me of my own personal ability, at times, to behave in such a way as to deflect the attention of others, almost to the point where it is as if I am not there. I don't think this is a very healthy way of presenting oneself before others, do you? Also, Vess's "philosophy" of "intensity" made me think of all the people around me and across the world who disguise their own prejudices and hates by donning the clothing of religion and political "principles".
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Things Going Swimmingly
My swimming progress is coming along slowly, but it is definitely progress nevertheless. If you have been reading this blog lately, you would already know that I am basically relearning how to swim, according to long-time swimming athlete Terry Laughlin. Laughlin emphasizes balance in the water and streamlining the swimmer's body in order to make swimming efficient. He also teaches that it is the body's core, not the arms or legs, that provide the energy needed to propel the body forward in water. So I have been going to my (very close) YMCA pool on almost a daily basis, practicing my form each visit for about 15-20 minutes before leaving. I have a long way to go, and it is very clear to me that I have a lot of "unlearning" to do. But "slow and steady" are the watchwords here, and I am working on my form to the exclusion of getting the strenuous physical exercise that I see others doing in the "lanes". My aim is lifelong swimming. So far so good. But it will be interesting as the seasonal temperatures continue to drop and I continue to go to the increasingly chilly pool area! In a way, it will be an ironic reversal of my almost-insane running training I did in very hot summertime conditions. But the YMCA at least heats their outdoor pool up. They plan to keep it open throughout the winter, only keeping it closed on very cold mornings until the temperature climbs to a few degrees over freezing (like around 35). I'll just freeze my ass off getting in and out of the warm water!
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