Lately, Mitt Romney has come under fire for his actions as a high school student when he, along with some classmates, would taunt and ridicule fellow students that looked or acted "different". The implication that many have drawn from this is that the victims, one of whom Romney held down on the floor and sheared his hair off, were gay (or at least so suspected) and that this was a "hate" issue. Although that probably figures into it to a degree, I beg to differ with the focus here.
According to Romney's recollection, he didn't know who was gay or not back then. No, he was just having fun and playing pranks. I say instead, with a memory of how some of my classmates were harassed back in high school, that he was engaged in bullying and that the core driving force in his behavior was not anything about his victims but rather something deeply wrong with his personality and character. I remember the individuals who practiced bullying in high school: I wonder whether they, like Romney or FoxNews fixture Bill O'Reilly, an admitted high school bully, now whimsically look back on their behavior as just having a good time, being a "prankster". Bullies-grown-up, let me enlighten you: playing pranks has its place, but only in the setting of being among friends. Bullying happens when one goes outside their own circle and picks on another out of the general population. And this is what Mitt Romney was fervently engaged in doing. Using aggression, not fun, as the primary motivator. And just like my old school "buddies", many of whom, like ol' Mitt (and "Billo"), most likely have revised their personal recollections to make themselves look like anything other than the contemptible vermin that they were (and possibly still are)...
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Paul-is-Dead Movie
While searching my sadly inadequate streaming Netflix to try to find some interesting movies to watch, I came across one with an intriguing title: Paul McCartney is Really Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison. So I selected it to see what it was about. This film presented itself as a documentary that purported to prove the conspiratorial urban legend that the Beatles great musician Paul McCartney was killed in a car crash on November 9, 1966. According to this "theory", his death was covered up, with the collusion of the remaining three Beatles (as well as British intelligence), and a new "Paul" (nicknamed Faul for "fake" Paul) replaced him after extensive plastic surgery. The movie covered this and made the standard claims, as well as a few that I find hilarious.
For example, hints about Paul's death were supposedly surreptitiously put by the surviving band members into the albums Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, and Revolver. One problem with this, though: all three albums were released BEFORE Paul's alleged death! You can look up the facts yourself; for me, it's a bit more personal as my parents, ardent Beatles fans during this period, quickly bought each album as it released. I was there: the sequence of events didn't work with the narrative I was hearing from my TV. So the movie's entire plausibility, predicated on a couple of audio tapes that the late Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison supposedly made in the hospital right after he was severely stabbed at his home in 1999, comes crashing down with this monumental boner.
As for conspiracy theories and urban legends, I am a sucker for them because they are fun to follow, like the idea that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax, JFK's assassination was a sinister conspiracy involving disparate elements, or ... Paul McCartney's covered-up death in 1966. But although I tend to be squarely on the skeptical side of these notions, I still expect those presenting their arguments for them to at least make some attempt to be correct with basic circumstantial facts. And the fact here is that the makers of Paul McCartney is Really Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison totally screwed up...
...unless, of course, this was DELIBERATE misinformation designed to discredit the "Paul-is-dead" believers. And thus protecting the real "secret", which is that he really did die! Oh, the fun I can have with this...
For example, hints about Paul's death were supposedly surreptitiously put by the surviving band members into the albums Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, and Revolver. One problem with this, though: all three albums were released BEFORE Paul's alleged death! You can look up the facts yourself; for me, it's a bit more personal as my parents, ardent Beatles fans during this period, quickly bought each album as it released. I was there: the sequence of events didn't work with the narrative I was hearing from my TV. So the movie's entire plausibility, predicated on a couple of audio tapes that the late Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison supposedly made in the hospital right after he was severely stabbed at his home in 1999, comes crashing down with this monumental boner.
As for conspiracy theories and urban legends, I am a sucker for them because they are fun to follow, like the idea that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax, JFK's assassination was a sinister conspiracy involving disparate elements, or ... Paul McCartney's covered-up death in 1966. But although I tend to be squarely on the skeptical side of these notions, I still expect those presenting their arguments for them to at least make some attempt to be correct with basic circumstantial facts. And the fact here is that the makers of Paul McCartney is Really Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison totally screwed up...
...unless, of course, this was DELIBERATE misinformation designed to discredit the "Paul-is-dead" believers. And thus protecting the real "secret", which is that he really did die! Oh, the fun I can have with this...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Adequate Rainfall Still Eludes Us
Well, today we were suppose to really get some serious rain, and that would be followed by a couple more days of good precipitation. But only late at night did we finally see some rainfall around town and it wasn't very much. This morning I tuned in to my local TV weather forecast and...
...and the forecast for today had mysteriously changed from one of rain to one of "sunny, with some clouds". This isn't good.
...and the forecast for today had mysteriously changed from one of rain to one of "sunny, with some clouds". This isn't good.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Google Maps Street View Feature Intriguing
I was checking out the latest edition of Google Maps the other day and was pleasantly surprised at the enhanced quality of their "street view" feature. It was a little disconcerting, however, to see how often different neighborhoods, mine included, were recorded on garbage pickup day, with the ugliness all out there by the street for everyone (in the world) to see. As for me, I had a broken fan/stand jutting out of my garbage receptacle in plain view for everyone. And man, my shrubbery was desperately in need of trimming. Thanks a lot, Google!
Still, it was fun to "travel" down various roads, especially ones that I had gone down in the "real" world. For example, I explored the street view of Midtown Manhattan, first stopping by for a return visit to Junior's restaurant at Broadway and 45th Street, and then going down Broadway in the northerly direction toward Central Park. Along the way, I noticed the eatery in which my wife, daughter, and myself ate breakfast the first morning of our visit there in April 2010: the EZ Deli. And there were the stairs that we climbed to the second floor, where there was some seating available for us to eat our food after buying it in the rather cramped (but remarkable for its culinary diversity) ground floor store.
I wonder how extensive street views are for Google. I'd like to check out some other countries for this feature, but realistically I don't see it happening anytime soon in most other places. But even if this is only a domestic feature of Google, I still see myself playing the role of armchair tourist as I visit places like Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, and so on...
Still, it was fun to "travel" down various roads, especially ones that I had gone down in the "real" world. For example, I explored the street view of Midtown Manhattan, first stopping by for a return visit to Junior's restaurant at Broadway and 45th Street, and then going down Broadway in the northerly direction toward Central Park. Along the way, I noticed the eatery in which my wife, daughter, and myself ate breakfast the first morning of our visit there in April 2010: the EZ Deli. And there were the stairs that we climbed to the second floor, where there was some seating available for us to eat our food after buying it in the rather cramped (but remarkable for its culinary diversity) ground floor store.
I wonder how extensive street views are for Google. I'd like to check out some other countries for this feature, but realistically I don't see it happening anytime soon in most other places. But even if this is only a domestic feature of Google, I still see myself playing the role of armchair tourist as I visit places like Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, and so on...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Welcome Rain, Finally
Just when it looked as if northern Florida would finally follow the examples of other regions of the world at our latitude (like western Mexico and northern Africa) and transform itself into a barren desert, it finally rained a bit this afternoon and evening. Whew, I was getting a little worried there. Of course, that was only for a couple of hours...we'll need a lot more than that to get out of our drought. And also, even deserts experience some precipitation every now and then. I'd like to see a pattern to this rainfall before switching the focus of my "weather" writings to complaining about the excessive rain! Well, the forecasts for the next couple of days do include some rain...but how much?
Speaking of the rain, I was tickled again when I walked out of Publix this afternoon and discovered that it was raining (finally). I wasn't amused at the rain, you see, but rather at the line of intimidated customers massed together under shelter, afraid to get a little wet walking the short distance to their vehicles in the parking lot. For me, I (smilingly) stepped straight out into it, getting a little soaked but none the worse for wear...
Speaking of the rain, I was tickled again when I walked out of Publix this afternoon and discovered that it was raining (finally). I wasn't amused at the rain, you see, but rather at the line of intimidated customers massed together under shelter, afraid to get a little wet walking the short distance to their vehicles in the parking lot. For me, I (smilingly) stepped straight out into it, getting a little soaked but none the worse for wear...
Sunday, May 6, 2012
NBA Injuries Mounting in Playoffs
I may just be noticing this because I am following the sport a little more closely than usual, but aren't there a lot more injuries taking place in NBA basketball in the last few days? Chicago's star guard Derrick Rose is out with a season-ending injury, and he'll probably miss out on playing in the 2012 Olympics. His teammate Joakim Noah suffered an ankle sprain, with his absence most likely a major contributing factor to his teams last two losses to Philadelphia in the playoffs. With the New York Knicks, Imam Shumpert suffered a knee injury and Amar'e Stoudemire just returned to action still tending to his own hand injury. And Baron Davis was put on a stretcher with what at this writing looked like a horrendous knee injury during today's game. Orlando's Dwight Howard was already out for the season due to his own injury...
It is beginning to look as if the winners in this year's playoffs will be the teams who survived injury the best, avoiding it completely being the preferred option. Well, the Knicks were pretty much out of it anyway: even though they won their game with Miami today, they're still behind in the series 3-1. But Chicago and Orlando are in serious trouble, each team unexpectedly on the verge of playoff elimination with their own 3-1 deficits. It's sad about Rose's injury, but he seems to be one of those players prone to them, having now missed stretches of games this year due to four different injuries.
It is beginning to look as if the winners in this year's playoffs will be the teams who survived injury the best, avoiding it completely being the preferred option. Well, the Knicks were pretty much out of it anyway: even though they won their game with Miami today, they're still behind in the series 3-1. But Chicago and Orlando are in serious trouble, each team unexpectedly on the verge of playoff elimination with their own 3-1 deficits. It's sad about Rose's injury, but he seems to be one of those players prone to them, having now missed stretches of games this year due to four different injuries.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Afghanistan: Why Are We Still There?
The United States has now been militarily involved in Afghanistan for more than ten years. The original purpose was to eliminate the Al-Qaeda presence there and to overthrow the ruling regime, peopled by the Taliban movement and a supplier of sanctuary to Al-Qaeda. Well, the Taliban has been out of power for ten years and Al-Qaeda is most likely much more active in other countries like Yemen and Somalia. Osama bin Laden was assassinated a year ago...not in Afghanistan, but in Pakistan, where he was enjoying protected sanctuary by the military there. You know, our "allies". So why are we still hanging around there?
I believe that there is a school of thought within our defense and intelligence communities that sees occupation of foreign territories in itself as a positive benefit for our national interests. This train of thought presumes that if we left Afghanistan, then a "vacuum of power" would open up and forces hostile to our interests would quickly replace us there, causing all sorts of problems. On the other hand, what actually might happen is that the place would revert back to being essentially ignored in the international scheme of things.
The United States may withdraw most of its military presence from Afghanistan in the near future, but it has apparently learned from the past, when it neglected this country after aiding it in its fight against Soviet occupation in the 1980's. That neglect may have contributed to the Taliban eventually winning control over the impoverished country a decade later. But the Taliban, unlike Al-Qaeda, is a popular political movement in that part of the country, as well as having a strong ethnic connection with the Pashto people. So trying to suppress it by force may have given the impression of ethnic favoritism, analogous to a degree with the struggle against Sunni insurgents in Iraq during our occupation there.
The United States and its allies will not destroy the Taliban in Afghanistan: it is too entrenched among the population there. The best bet is to assure that no movement there is foolish enough to ever again harbor terrorists who attack the United States as they did on 9/11. Ultimately, this problem in Afghanistan will only be resolved through political agreements, not by warfare. So why are brave American soldiers still being exposed to injury and death there?
I believe that there is a school of thought within our defense and intelligence communities that sees occupation of foreign territories in itself as a positive benefit for our national interests. This train of thought presumes that if we left Afghanistan, then a "vacuum of power" would open up and forces hostile to our interests would quickly replace us there, causing all sorts of problems. On the other hand, what actually might happen is that the place would revert back to being essentially ignored in the international scheme of things.
The United States may withdraw most of its military presence from Afghanistan in the near future, but it has apparently learned from the past, when it neglected this country after aiding it in its fight against Soviet occupation in the 1980's. That neglect may have contributed to the Taliban eventually winning control over the impoverished country a decade later. But the Taliban, unlike Al-Qaeda, is a popular political movement in that part of the country, as well as having a strong ethnic connection with the Pashto people. So trying to suppress it by force may have given the impression of ethnic favoritism, analogous to a degree with the struggle against Sunni insurgents in Iraq during our occupation there.
The United States and its allies will not destroy the Taliban in Afghanistan: it is too entrenched among the population there. The best bet is to assure that no movement there is foolish enough to ever again harbor terrorists who attack the United States as they did on 9/11. Ultimately, this problem in Afghanistan will only be resolved through political agreements, not by warfare. So why are brave American soldiers still being exposed to injury and death there?
Friday, May 4, 2012
Annoying Experience at Starbucks on Archer Road
I just got off from work and am sitting in the Archer Road Starbucks, which claims to be always open until midnight. But tonight, my experience there is a little less than desirable. For one, they have all of their stock in ugly stacks of boxes right in the middle of the store, spoiling the ambiance from the get-go when I walked into the joint. Second, the only available seat puts me in a back corner. Right across from me are two very, very loud Spanish-speaking men who apparently think that talking so loud that everyone in the room can hear them plainly is a sign of manhood. Then there is the bathroom. I started back there, but a female employee raced past me and went inside to clean it. Everything here just seems a little out of sorts. Annoying. Irritating.
The University of Florida graduation ceremony is tomorrow for most of the colleges. After that, the student population should thin out a bit. Perhaps, just perhaps, I may find myself with better seating choices here than tonight. Assuming, or course, that the worker who told me this Starbucks is ALWAYS open late was truthful. But even so, I may just need to carry some really heavy duty earplugs to muffle the unwelcome sound of these blabbermouths if they return and decide to bestow their decibels on everyone else...
The University of Florida graduation ceremony is tomorrow for most of the colleges. After that, the student population should thin out a bit. Perhaps, just perhaps, I may find myself with better seating choices here than tonight. Assuming, or course, that the worker who told me this Starbucks is ALWAYS open late was truthful. But even so, I may just need to carry some really heavy duty earplugs to muffle the unwelcome sound of these blabbermouths if they return and decide to bestow their decibels on everyone else...
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The New Look Sprout Late Night
It's been a while since I checked in on my "last resort" channel on late night television: Sprout. And it isn't because of the wonderful selection of programming available at that time to choose from, either. Actually, TV pretty much sucks like crazy when I plop down in my living room recliner after a hard day of work, expecting SOMETHING interesting on the air. Sometimes, as has been the case lately, there is interesting sports programming (like the current NBA playoffs). A good movie may be showing as well. I also like to watch South Park, although truth be told, I can get my fill of that series from my computer. Other than that, though, late night television is a vast wasteland of mediocrity. So why haven't I been turning to Sprout all this time? Simply because I am usually so tired around midnight that I pass out unconscious in my chair. So back to Sprout...
Sprout, as I reported in this article a while back, is a cable channel put out by Public Broadcasting that is targeted at little children and features cartoons like Kipper (my favorite), Berenstain Bears, and Thomas the Tank Engine. I had come to enjoy watching Nina (a young lady) and Star (a stuffed talking star puppet resembling a pillow) between the cartoons with their cute, sweet, and gentle banter. The other night I tuned in to Sprout to see more of the same. But wait, Star had changed his appearance. And although Nina was the same, the way their segment was filmed was very different, and more to my liking. So, no, I don't like the new Star, but I do like the overall new presentation. And given the poor quality of television, it looks as if I'm going to be seeing more of Nina and Star...
Sprout, as I reported in this article a while back, is a cable channel put out by Public Broadcasting that is targeted at little children and features cartoons like Kipper (my favorite), Berenstain Bears, and Thomas the Tank Engine. I had come to enjoy watching Nina (a young lady) and Star (a stuffed talking star puppet resembling a pillow) between the cartoons with their cute, sweet, and gentle banter. The other night I tuned in to Sprout to see more of the same. But wait, Star had changed his appearance. And although Nina was the same, the way their segment was filmed was very different, and more to my liking. So, no, I don't like the new Star, but I do like the overall new presentation. And given the poor quality of television, it looks as if I'm going to be seeing more of Nina and Star...
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Obama's Bin Laden Ads Appropriate
Recently the Obama reelection campaign has come under criticism for citing the President's successful effort to assassinate Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader who authorized the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans, in recent ads. I can understand why the Republicans would oppose this: it was a crowning achievement of his administration and demonstrated how, as commander-in-chief, he was performing his proper duty to protect the country from terrorism. You can be sure that the GOP will paint Obama as being soft on national defense and terrorism, and I predict an avalanche of lies coming out in THEIR ads about him in the upcoming months. So what's wrong with Obama bringing up the truth about something very pertinent to his performance as President? Already, the opposition is describing President Obama's role in the mission as being essentially passive, while in reality he was intricately involved in the planning and decision making. The mission itself was fraught with all sorts of potential traps and disasters, and its successful outcome was anything but "slam dunk". Ironically, Mitt Romney, who as with just about every other issue, has flip-flopped his position on the bin Laden raid (he used to be opposed to it, now is in favor), has contributed to the perception that the presidency is just a passive element in the undertakings of the military by flippantly stating that had the opportunity come up while he was President, he would have given it approval, too. What, with a casual wave of the hand? Talk about passive disengagement from your job!
It is obviously the Republican Party's strategy to divide Barack Obama's decisions and record as President into two categories. The controversial decisions are O.K. to bring up in campaign ads, but those actions on the part of the President that unified the nation are apparently verboten and almost sacrilegious, somehow. Don't people like Arianna Huffington, who has criticized the Obama campaign recently for these ads, see that they are playing into the strategy of people who would be doing the very same thing were their "guy" sitting in the Oval Office?!
It is obviously the Republican Party's strategy to divide Barack Obama's decisions and record as President into two categories. The controversial decisions are O.K. to bring up in campaign ads, but those actions on the part of the President that unified the nation are apparently verboten and almost sacrilegious, somehow. Don't people like Arianna Huffington, who has criticized the Obama campaign recently for these ads, see that they are playing into the strategy of people who would be doing the very same thing were their "guy" sitting in the Oval Office?!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Hot Weather Rekindles My Swimming Enthusiasm
I'm sitting here watching my TV, looking at channel #106, which is my local weather station (not The Weather Channel, of dubious worth much of the time) and viewing my local forecast for the upcoming week, featuring temperatures surging into the 90's and no rain. And that old yearning to go swimming has started to come back over me.
Last year I was working on improving my swimming form with the backstroke, crawl, and breaststroke. I was especially motivated with the latter two. as I found that I had the unfortunate tendency to quickly build up an oxygen debt due in inefficient breathing techniques. So, I have decided to concentrate on bettering my form with these strokes and not push the idea of accumulating laps, like I have done in the past.
I wonder what would be the best time to try to get out to my nearby YMCA pool...there's that annoying water aerobics class at 9 AM, and when the public schools let out in a few weeks I probably won't enjoy going out there in the late mornings. Afternoon/early evening is out of the question, since I have a job to go to at that time. I suppose I could go out there around 8-9 AM, but I like to use that time to study at one of my favorite local coffee hangouts. H-m-m, only one solution I see to getting out to that pool...
I need to get out there when it opens around 6 AM. I live close enough to the YMCA (one mile away) to quickly go there, practice swimming for about a half hour, and then return home in time to engage in my routine of early morning family interaction and transportation. But getting up that early, well, that's going to be quite a challenge for me...
Last year I was working on improving my swimming form with the backstroke, crawl, and breaststroke. I was especially motivated with the latter two. as I found that I had the unfortunate tendency to quickly build up an oxygen debt due in inefficient breathing techniques. So, I have decided to concentrate on bettering my form with these strokes and not push the idea of accumulating laps, like I have done in the past.
I wonder what would be the best time to try to get out to my nearby YMCA pool...there's that annoying water aerobics class at 9 AM, and when the public schools let out in a few weeks I probably won't enjoy going out there in the late mornings. Afternoon/early evening is out of the question, since I have a job to go to at that time. I suppose I could go out there around 8-9 AM, but I like to use that time to study at one of my favorite local coffee hangouts. H-m-m, only one solution I see to getting out to that pool...
I need to get out there when it opens around 6 AM. I live close enough to the YMCA (one mile away) to quickly go there, practice swimming for about a half hour, and then return home in time to engage in my routine of early morning family interaction and transportation. But getting up that early, well, that's going to be quite a challenge for me...
Monday, April 30, 2012
My April Running Goals Attained
The month of April saw me once again attain the cumulative 100-mile mark in my running, with the total being 108.04 miles. The longest run I did was 10 miles on April 9. I ran on 27 out of April's 30 days. Since I had been undergoing all sorts of medical exams and doctor visits this month (another one today, groan), I wondered how all that would affect my running. The answer? Not at all!
I plan to continue with my 100 mile per month goal. I'd also like to run in some races, although my intention isn't to beat anyone or improve on my time: I just like to make running a more social event every now and then. But alas, the races are becoming few and far between as we enter mid-spring and head for probably another scorching summer. Well, I'll keep checking up on any races that might be offered...
I plan to continue with my 100 mile per month goal. I'd also like to run in some races, although my intention isn't to beat anyone or improve on my time: I just like to make running a more social event every now and then. But alas, the races are becoming few and far between as we enter mid-spring and head for probably another scorching summer. Well, I'll keep checking up on any races that might be offered...
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Kyle's Flawed Argument to Goth Kid
Dan Quayle, while he was serving as vice-president under George "Poppy" Bush, once made a fool of himself. Uh, let me narrow that down to the particular time (among many) he made a fool of himself that I am interested in. There was a TV series on at the time called Murphy Brown, starring Candice Bergen. The lead character had discovered she was pregnant and decided to have the baby instead of aborting it. Great for the pro-lifers, right? Well, not for Mr. Quayle, who publicly criticized a FICTIONAL character for her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Suddenly millions of Americans felt a wave of stark terror envelop them when they realized that this dude was only a heartbeat away from the presidency! Why do I mention this now? Only to reassure you dear readers that, although I may be about to commit a similar act of foolhardiness, I am in fact several steps lower than Dan Quayle was in the line of succession to be president of the good old USA. So here goes...
The cartoon series South Park is something that sharply divides the population: either you love it or hate it. I happen to be in the former category, although some episodes (and parts of episodes) were/are really seriously off-base. Well, that's satire, I suppose. Still, I have to take issue with an assumption expressed in the episode titled Raisins by Kyle, one of the main characters who often is the mouthpiece in the series for rational arguments.
In Raisins, Kyle is trying to convince his friend Stan, who is down in the dumps over his girlfriend dumping him for another boy, to leave the overly pessimistic Goth kids clique and get back to his normal life. One of the Goth kids tells Kyle how painful life is, which angers Kyle. He retorts to the Goth kid (and I'm paraphrasing) that he doesn't know what pain is and why doesn't he try living in a third world country to find out. The Goth kid comes back with a silly reply, and the impression is left that Kyle's premise of misery and pain being somehow justifiable in poor countries (and conversely UNjustifiable in the prosperous West) is simple, factual common sense truth. I say bull!
Whether one is talking about foreign missionaries, Peace Corps volunteers, Madonna/Angelina, or other do-gooders who presume that people in poorer nations are in the throes of misery (and inferiority), the fact remains that happiness (and unhappiness) is relative to the context that the person is living in. How would one of you "Westerners" like it if there suddenly was revealed to be a society somewhere that was much more technologically advanced than us? And that the people in that society came to dominate the international media and decided on their own that we were miserable in our relatively less prosperous lives and that they needed to send people over to our lands to make us more like them? Well, that's how some of us regard and treat those "third-worlders", with the same condescension (and possible prejudice). Sure, help people in need, especially if they request it. But don't assume that because of their circumstances they deserve to be less happy than us.
Conversely, being in Western society can raise up all sorts of factors contributing to emotional turmoil. Ever heard of the "rat race"? Well, it just keeps getting worse, folks. And we want to spread THAT to the rest of the world ???!!!
The cartoon series South Park is something that sharply divides the population: either you love it or hate it. I happen to be in the former category, although some episodes (and parts of episodes) were/are really seriously off-base. Well, that's satire, I suppose. Still, I have to take issue with an assumption expressed in the episode titled Raisins by Kyle, one of the main characters who often is the mouthpiece in the series for rational arguments.
In Raisins, Kyle is trying to convince his friend Stan, who is down in the dumps over his girlfriend dumping him for another boy, to leave the overly pessimistic Goth kids clique and get back to his normal life. One of the Goth kids tells Kyle how painful life is, which angers Kyle. He retorts to the Goth kid (and I'm paraphrasing) that he doesn't know what pain is and why doesn't he try living in a third world country to find out. The Goth kid comes back with a silly reply, and the impression is left that Kyle's premise of misery and pain being somehow justifiable in poor countries (and conversely UNjustifiable in the prosperous West) is simple, factual common sense truth. I say bull!
Whether one is talking about foreign missionaries, Peace Corps volunteers, Madonna/Angelina, or other do-gooders who presume that people in poorer nations are in the throes of misery (and inferiority), the fact remains that happiness (and unhappiness) is relative to the context that the person is living in. How would one of you "Westerners" like it if there suddenly was revealed to be a society somewhere that was much more technologically advanced than us? And that the people in that society came to dominate the international media and decided on their own that we were miserable in our relatively less prosperous lives and that they needed to send people over to our lands to make us more like them? Well, that's how some of us regard and treat those "third-worlders", with the same condescension (and possible prejudice). Sure, help people in need, especially if they request it. But don't assume that because of their circumstances they deserve to be less happy than us.
Conversely, being in Western society can raise up all sorts of factors contributing to emotional turmoil. Ever heard of the "rat race"? Well, it just keeps getting worse, folks. And we want to spread THAT to the rest of the world ???!!!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
2012 NBA Playoffs Start Toady
Today, the National Basketball Association playoffs begin
and every series looks to be competitive and interesting, even those pairing up
the disparate #1 and #8 seeds. It’s sad
that everyone acts as if they are somehow entitled to play for and win the NBA
championship, which is actually a very high honor. Not to attain it and whine about it is
tantamount to poor sportsmanship, in my opinion. Still, you keep hearing about all these
players in mid- or late-career supposedly concerned that they won’t win
one. Boo, hoo…
As I did for the “Sweet Sixteen” college teams during the
NCAA Division One championship tournament, I am taking the NBA’s “sweet sixteen”
and ranking them by how I like them.
This time, though, I believe that the seeding is more accurately
reflective of each team’s prospects for advancing. So instead, following each personal preference
entry I will include that team’s seeding within their conference, followed by
that conference (e for East, w for West).
Here goes…
1-San Antonio Spurs
[1w]
2-Dallas Mavericks [7w]
3-Boston Celtics [4e]
4-Chicago Bulls [1e]
5-Miami
Heat [2e]
6-Orlando Magic [6e]
7-Los Angeles Clippers [5w]
8-Atlanta Hawks [5e]
9-New York Knicks [7e]
10-Denver Nuggets [6w]
11-Utah Jazz [7w]
12-Memphis
Grizzlies [4w]
13-Philadelphia 76ers [8e]
14-Indiana Pacers [3e]
15-Oklahoma
City Thunder [2w]
16 Los Angeles Lakers [3w]
Now just because I have a team relatively lower in my
preference list (eg Indiana), that doesn’t mean that I dislike it. I just happen to like others more. The only exceptions are Oklahoma City and the
Lakers (especially the Lakers)…
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friendly Attack By Large Dog
A few days ago, I was running a couple of laps in my neighborhood. On the first "backstretch" headed back toward my house I detected movement from the left out of the corner of my eye. Very soon, no peripheral vision was needed as a very, very large, brown dog came charging across a lawn and out into the street, making a beeline to where I was heading. When we met, it jumped up on me. Since I wasn't being torn to shreds by a hostile dog, I took this as a sign of friendship on the part of this "beast" and rolled with the experience, sweet-talking it with language and a gentle tone I have long used on my own dogs. And I did this while still running, of course. My new gargantuan companion decided to go on a short jog with me as well. When I finally was ready to go back into my house, my pal was waiting and ready to go inside his new "home". I held his collar and, after giving him a big hug (he really was quite affectionate), found the owner's address and phone number on a tag hanging from it: the dog had escaped his kennel in his yard and had already gone way down the road from his proper home. The owner, obviously flustered at this probably-repeat canine Houdini act, drove by, thanked me, and took old Jake into her car.
Jake reminded me of another dog with his sociability: T-Bone from back in my childhood. But T-Bone was relatively small and didn't practically knock people down by jumping on them or scare them by charging at them.
Other people besides me are using the road to walk dogs (properly on leashes), walk with babies in strollers, or just walk/jog for exercise or basic transportation. They don't need inconsiderate dog owners who are careless about letting their dogs run loose. Especially when they are humungous, regardless of their ultimately friendly nature. Still, Jake was quite a friend to me that day: I wonder whether he'll remember me should he get loose again. What am I saying...OF COURSE he's gonna get loose again!
Jake reminded me of another dog with his sociability: T-Bone from back in my childhood. But T-Bone was relatively small and didn't practically knock people down by jumping on them or scare them by charging at them.
Other people besides me are using the road to walk dogs (properly on leashes), walk with babies in strollers, or just walk/jog for exercise or basic transportation. They don't need inconsiderate dog owners who are careless about letting their dogs run loose. Especially when they are humungous, regardless of their ultimately friendly nature. Still, Jake was quite a friend to me that day: I wonder whether he'll remember me should he get loose again. What am I saying...OF COURSE he's gonna get loose again!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Early to Rise, Late to Rest
I probably am not the most efficient person in the world pertaining to personal time management, but the fact remains that of late I have been experiencing "full" days, rising around six in the morning and getting home from work around 11:30 in the night. In between is a host of activities and routines, some externally imposed like work and doctor/dentist appointments (too many of these lately) and some internally imposed like writing, running, and foreign language study. And I do have a family with which I want to stayed engaged and spend time together. The result is a full life with me passing out tired at the end of the day, often without accomplishing some of the things I had set out to do. One of these things is writing a daily blog article.
Not that very many people read this blog, but as I have said before, writing it is a good discipline with which I have been (more or less) successful for the last five years. And I see no particular reason why I shouldn't make it a lifelong discipline as well...
So maybe you'll see some patches when I miss a day or two in a row. Still, there are more than 1,700 articles in this blog and they cover a wide range of subject matter. If you are looking for something in particular, just use the convenient search engine (next to the "B" for Blogger insignia) in the top left corner: it references just this blog's material...
Not that very many people read this blog, but as I have said before, writing it is a good discipline with which I have been (more or less) successful for the last five years. And I see no particular reason why I shouldn't make it a lifelong discipline as well...
So maybe you'll see some patches when I miss a day or two in a row. Still, there are more than 1,700 articles in this blog and they cover a wide range of subject matter. If you are looking for something in particular, just use the convenient search engine (next to the "B" for Blogger insignia) in the top left corner: it references just this blog's material...
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Suns Eliminated, NBA Playoffs Around Corner
The Phoenix Suns, which for years has been my favorite team in the National Basketball Association due to their fantastic guard Steve Nash, found themselves eliminated from the playoffs after falling to Utah 100-88. The game was closer and tougher than the final score, but a loss is a loss and the Suns simply didn't have enough to compensate for what, quite frankly, amounts to a long-term decline in this franchise's talent. I don't understand how an organization like Phoenix, which once had an outstanding coach and an all-star cast of starters, would allow themselves to fall back so badly, leaving them relying on basically two players: their "franchise" star Steve Nash and Grant Hill. And Hill has been injured for the last part of the season, leaving the team at an almost unforgivable disadvantage to other teams. It reminds me of what happened to the Miami Dolphins in football over the past fifteen years. Only...
I grew up in the Miami area and followed the Dolphins since 1968. I will always be a fan of theirs, win or lose. But I have no personal connection with the city of Phoenix, or the state of Arizona for that matter. In fact, with the recent reactionary, hateful politics dominating that state in the last few years, I am inclined to root against them for that reason alone. The only reason I pull for them to win anymore is Nash's presence on the team. And if he ever leaves for another team (or retires), they can forget it, as far as I am concerned.
The playoffs are right around the corner, and I am excited at the upcoming action. I see great potential for upsets this year, as well as long, protracted seven-game series...
I grew up in the Miami area and followed the Dolphins since 1968. I will always be a fan of theirs, win or lose. But I have no personal connection with the city of Phoenix, or the state of Arizona for that matter. In fact, with the recent reactionary, hateful politics dominating that state in the last few years, I am inclined to root against them for that reason alone. The only reason I pull for them to win anymore is Nash's presence on the team. And if he ever leaves for another team (or retires), they can forget it, as far as I am concerned.
The playoffs are right around the corner, and I am excited at the upcoming action. I see great potential for upsets this year, as well as long, protracted seven-game series...
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Grueling Seasons, Cherished Memories
I just dropped off my daughter, a junior in high school (and a terrific, talented actor), for a post-production cast party at the home of her drama teacher. The production was an ambitious musical adaptation of the Cinderella fairy tale, complete with a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. There were nine grueling performances, and the cast I'm sure is relieved to be over and done with it (although in retrospect they'll most likely cherish the memories). So their "season" of auditioning, memorizing lines, learning songs and choreography, rehearsing, performing, and (now) celebrating this play is almost over. I, too, experienced memories of an old bygone (and grueling) personal season of sorts when I drove through the party site's neighborhood: I hadn't been there since I had trained for and run my first marathon in late 2010 and early 2011.
For several weeks back then, I was building up my running distance by devising new extensions to my already-established course. I did this largely by running in different subdivisions further and further west from my home (which was the start/end point). In the end, during the longest runs comprising 15+ miles, I entered this relatively distant neighborhood, comprised of large, older homes well spaced apart on sloping, winding roads and interspersed with pretty woods. Although I was usually tired by the time I reached this area on those runs, I always looked forward to running through the beautiful surroundings. I also remember what I was always playing on my MP3 as I ran: a shuffle of Radiohead songs spanning all of their studio albums (along with some "extras"). To this day, when I hear one of those songs, it often takes me back to that era (and area)...
I think that sometimes we may conclude that a worthy, fulfilling experience is closed off from us ever repeating due to some adverse circumstances that come along and trip us up (what I call the "obdurate future" with recognition to Stephen King). My super-long training runs back then, topped off by that 26.6-mile run on 1/15/11 (and passing through that aforementioned neighborhood), were largely physically unpleasant but satisfying to me on a deep, personal level. But even should I decide not to repeat the goal of training for marathons in the future, outside circumstances or not, I can still run (or even just walk) through that subdivision and experience its beauty through the simple expedient of parking in either a nearby shopping center or church parking lot and using that as a closer starting point for my running (or walking)...
But of course, part of the whole experience was my outrageous goal of running a marathon at age 54 and those long, long sessions on the road. Who knows what the future may bring: there may be other kinds of similar "marathon"-caliber endeavors on the horizon for me, although they'll probably have absolutely nothing to do with running!
For several weeks back then, I was building up my running distance by devising new extensions to my already-established course. I did this largely by running in different subdivisions further and further west from my home (which was the start/end point). In the end, during the longest runs comprising 15+ miles, I entered this relatively distant neighborhood, comprised of large, older homes well spaced apart on sloping, winding roads and interspersed with pretty woods. Although I was usually tired by the time I reached this area on those runs, I always looked forward to running through the beautiful surroundings. I also remember what I was always playing on my MP3 as I ran: a shuffle of Radiohead songs spanning all of their studio albums (along with some "extras"). To this day, when I hear one of those songs, it often takes me back to that era (and area)...
I think that sometimes we may conclude that a worthy, fulfilling experience is closed off from us ever repeating due to some adverse circumstances that come along and trip us up (what I call the "obdurate future" with recognition to Stephen King). My super-long training runs back then, topped off by that 26.6-mile run on 1/15/11 (and passing through that aforementioned neighborhood), were largely physically unpleasant but satisfying to me on a deep, personal level. But even should I decide not to repeat the goal of training for marathons in the future, outside circumstances or not, I can still run (or even just walk) through that subdivision and experience its beauty through the simple expedient of parking in either a nearby shopping center or church parking lot and using that as a closer starting point for my running (or walking)...
But of course, part of the whole experience was my outrageous goal of running a marathon at age 54 and those long, long sessions on the road. Who knows what the future may bring: there may be other kinds of similar "marathon"-caliber endeavors on the horizon for me, although they'll probably have absolutely nothing to do with running!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Bad Book, Good Book
I made a very inexpensive mistake the other day...or was it really a mistake? I went to a local bookstore (the Gainesville Book Company) that is only open every two weeks but sells used books at a large discount. For $2.25, I picked up paperback novels by Patricia Cornwell, David Balducci, and ... Harold Robbins. That last name intrigued me because of the reference that Star Trek characters Kirk and Spock made to him in their fourth movie The Voyage Home, Robbins described in retrospect as being one of the "masters". Although I had never read anything of his before, I knew that he had a profane, raunchy style of writing. Well, the book I read, Never Enough, was plenty of both. Unfortunately, the story was also incredibly disjointed, spread out over decades and stopping here and there to cover various events along the way. About a third of the way through, I threw up my hands in frustration and switched to another of my purchases. Then I discovered that, although Harold Robbins was listed as Never Enough's author, no, actually the book was written by an unknown author after Robbins' death, albeit imitating his style. So in truth, I still have yet to read anything by Harold Robbins (not that I am particularly interested in doing so anymore).
The next book I picked up (and now reading) was Patricia Cornwell's crime mystery Trace. It features the return of crime sleuth Doctor Kay Scarpetta as a medical examiner. Cornwell's writing is a pleasure to follow, especially after the unpleasant experience with the Robbins imposter. By the way, this is my first Patricia Cornwell book...
The next book I picked up (and now reading) was Patricia Cornwell's crime mystery Trace. It features the return of crime sleuth Doctor Kay Scarpetta as a medical examiner. Cornwell's writing is a pleasure to follow, especially after the unpleasant experience with the Robbins imposter. By the way, this is my first Patricia Cornwell book...
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Friends of the Library Book Sale Returns
My local newspaper The Gainesville Sun has a good article about the upcoming semiannual Friends of the Library book sale, to take place this Saturday through next Wednesday. The books and media are used and dirt cheap, attracting hordes of hoarders (with their cardboard boxes) from all over the region. It has gotten to be quite a tradition for me, not that I usually purchase very much here. But it does paint a stark contrast with how the publishing industry has been headed in recent years.
When I walk into the huge Jacksonville Town Center Barnes and Noble bookstore, I am struck by how the sales section for their electronic Nook reader has taken over a large section of the store's center, appearing to be eating away at the surrounding hard copy paper book displays. The push is definitely on for customers to abandon paper in favor of readers like Nook or Kindle. At the same time, there seems to be an increasing popular fervor over old cheap used books, which still completely undersell the electronic downloads. Besides, there are myriad out-of-print old books still under copyright but which are unavailable electronically. Some of these can be bought over the Internet, and many are quite cheap. But nothing beats these used book sales, except...
The library still stands out as the great bargain location for books and media. Unless you have some kind of obsession about possessing and accumulating books, simply checking them out will usually do quite nicely. And now you can also download books from the library free of charge electronically, either on your reading device or on your computer. Good deal, I say...
Still, I will most probably return to the Friends book sale and try to find some remote parking spot, after which I will jostle with the crowds and look for books that are put out for sale without any regard whatsoever for alphabetical order. And then, of course, after I'm done browsing and am ready to check out, the line shouldn't be too hard to find: sometimes it is so long that it snakes through and around the warehouse-size sales floor!
When I walk into the huge Jacksonville Town Center Barnes and Noble bookstore, I am struck by how the sales section for their electronic Nook reader has taken over a large section of the store's center, appearing to be eating away at the surrounding hard copy paper book displays. The push is definitely on for customers to abandon paper in favor of readers like Nook or Kindle. At the same time, there seems to be an increasing popular fervor over old cheap used books, which still completely undersell the electronic downloads. Besides, there are myriad out-of-print old books still under copyright but which are unavailable electronically. Some of these can be bought over the Internet, and many are quite cheap. But nothing beats these used book sales, except...
The library still stands out as the great bargain location for books and media. Unless you have some kind of obsession about possessing and accumulating books, simply checking them out will usually do quite nicely. And now you can also download books from the library free of charge electronically, either on your reading device or on your computer. Good deal, I say...
Still, I will most probably return to the Friends book sale and try to find some remote parking spot, after which I will jostle with the crowds and look for books that are put out for sale without any regard whatsoever for alphabetical order. And then, of course, after I'm done browsing and am ready to check out, the line shouldn't be too hard to find: sometimes it is so long that it snakes through and around the warehouse-size sales floor!
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