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!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
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!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Shopping Cart Design Unsafe
When I began working at the post office many years ago, I thought they had it all backwards with their rolling equipment. Designed to transport mail from one location to another within the mail processing plants as well as into (and out of) trucks, they come in different sizes and shapes: the U-Cart, the Hamper, the GPC (general-purpose-cart), the Cage, and the BMC (bulk-mail-cart). Except for some old types of hampers, all of the rolling equipment features turnable wheels (can change direction) on one end and locked wheels (can only go forwards or backwards) on the other, similar in design to the typical shopping cart I would use in stores. The only problem was that I (and most everyone else) was accustomed to the store carts with the turning, steering wheels at the cart's narrow front. But except for the small u-cart, the other postal equipment is designed strictly for pushing from the end where the turnable wheels are. They also consider it to be an important safety issue to push from this prescribed end, with notices to this effect placed on the equipment itself. At first I felt awkward pushing around carts like this, but then quickly realized that by doing so I had much more steering leverage with the steering wheels close to me.
The only postal rolling equipment that has the steerable wheels away from the operator is the small u-cart, and its front end is tapered and relatively narrow, much like the old-fashioned shopping carts. I know that this tapering was no design accident, as it mitigates the lost steering leverage with the "moving" wheels being in front by preventing too much weight from being put into the front of the cart. But nowadays, stores have come out with rectangular-shaped shopping carts with as much storage room in front as in the back. And this can create a greater hazard for injury and accident. The shopper, often someone who is frail or even handicapped in some way, has enough of a burden just steering around one of these carts when it is empty; it can get to be overwhelming when loaded down with groceries! This wouldn't have presented a problem if the cart designers had switched the cart handles around when they changed its shape.
When I go shopping for groceries at my local Publix (which is one of those places with the rectangular carts), I often push the cart around (very adroitly, I must say) from the so-called "wrong" end, often eliciting worried glances from my fellow shoppers. But they are the ones who are working against the laws of physics affecting the strain on their bodies and their difficulty in steering and stopping. Not only do these shopping carts present a hazard for those pushing them, but also for anyone unfortunate enough to be in the path of a "pusher" who has lost control of such a cart.
The only postal rolling equipment that has the steerable wheels away from the operator is the small u-cart, and its front end is tapered and relatively narrow, much like the old-fashioned shopping carts. I know that this tapering was no design accident, as it mitigates the lost steering leverage with the "moving" wheels being in front by preventing too much weight from being put into the front of the cart. But nowadays, stores have come out with rectangular-shaped shopping carts with as much storage room in front as in the back. And this can create a greater hazard for injury and accident. The shopper, often someone who is frail or even handicapped in some way, has enough of a burden just steering around one of these carts when it is empty; it can get to be overwhelming when loaded down with groceries! This wouldn't have presented a problem if the cart designers had switched the cart handles around when they changed its shape.
When I go shopping for groceries at my local Publix (which is one of those places with the rectangular carts), I often push the cart around (very adroitly, I must say) from the so-called "wrong" end, often eliciting worried glances from my fellow shoppers. But they are the ones who are working against the laws of physics affecting the strain on their bodies and their difficulty in steering and stopping. Not only do these shopping carts present a hazard for those pushing them, but also for anyone unfortunate enough to be in the path of a "pusher" who has lost control of such a cart.
Monday, October 18, 2010
My 18.39 Mile Run Today
In another "step" toward my goal of covering the marathon distance of 26.2 miles, I set out at 9:30 AM to see how far I could run. The temperature was 52 and the humidity 82%. I felt kind of crappy at the beginning, but thought that this feeling would shake off once I got into my running groove. Unfortunately, that groove never came, and the entire run was a struggle for me against fatigue and soreness. I had beforehand allotted myself enough time to cover the marathon today, but as it turned out I just couldn't go on past my 18.39 miles. My time was 2:59:04. The temperature at the end of the three hours had risen 27 degrees to 79 and the humidity plummeted to 32%.
18.39 miles still surpasses my previous mark of 17.71, set just a few days ago. I'm wondering if my use of the no-calorie drink Powerade Zero hampered me in today's workout. I think I'll switch to Gatorade for my next long run, which will take place at least a week from now. I may just be needing an energy infusion while I'm running. By the way, this is how I classify my running distances:
Long: 15 miles or greater
Medium: 10-14.99 miles
Short: 5-9.99 miles
Tiny: 3-4.99 miles
Why Even Bother: Less than 3 miles
Quite a change from a year ago!
18.39 miles still surpasses my previous mark of 17.71, set just a few days ago. I'm wondering if my use of the no-calorie drink Powerade Zero hampered me in today's workout. I think I'll switch to Gatorade for my next long run, which will take place at least a week from now. I may just be needing an energy infusion while I'm running. By the way, this is how I classify my running distances:
Long: 15 miles or greater
Medium: 10-14.99 miles
Short: 5-9.99 miles
Tiny: 3-4.99 miles
Why Even Bother: Less than 3 miles
Quite a change from a year ago!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Balance
I have recently been re-teaching myself how to swim, according to the sensible precepts of veteran swimmer Terry Laughlin. In his Total Immersion program, designed for the four basic swimming strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly), Laughlin emphasizes the preeminent need for balance in the water. And this aquatic balance is very different from our land-based sense of balance.
As land-based creatures, humans depend on centering their feet directly below their bodies' center-of-gravity in order to stand, walk, or perform any variation thereof. We have fluids in the semicircular canals of the inner ear to aid us in this. In water, though, this instinct hampers the kind of fish-like balance that we need to move efficiently there. A balanced position for swimming has the head, arms, and upper torso on one side, with the hips and legs on the other: a horizontal, not vertical position. Swimming education has traditionally ignored this need for water-balance, an omission contributing to an almost universal difficulty among the population with swimming. What I'm doing is unlearning bad swimming habits and beginning anew from scratch, working to establish within myself a new "instinct" for water balance.
The concept of balance can be allegorically extended to life in general, although with this it is necessary to establish some parameters. And since each of us, with our own individual natures, emphasizes different parameters according to our own values and priorities, there is no truly objective guide for "balance" in life. So I can only speak for myself and let others speak for themselves.
For me, balance is composed of integrating the good things in my life together to the point where nothing worthwhile suffers at the hands of excess attention to something else. And like with swimming, it can be quite a struggle to unlearn bad habits that create imbalance. Also, over time the parameters that I am trying to balance may themselves change, often causing a "life-direction" shift.
As land-based creatures, humans depend on centering their feet directly below their bodies' center-of-gravity in order to stand, walk, or perform any variation thereof. We have fluids in the semicircular canals of the inner ear to aid us in this. In water, though, this instinct hampers the kind of fish-like balance that we need to move efficiently there. A balanced position for swimming has the head, arms, and upper torso on one side, with the hips and legs on the other: a horizontal, not vertical position. Swimming education has traditionally ignored this need for water-balance, an omission contributing to an almost universal difficulty among the population with swimming. What I'm doing is unlearning bad swimming habits and beginning anew from scratch, working to establish within myself a new "instinct" for water balance.
The concept of balance can be allegorically extended to life in general, although with this it is necessary to establish some parameters. And since each of us, with our own individual natures, emphasizes different parameters according to our own values and priorities, there is no truly objective guide for "balance" in life. So I can only speak for myself and let others speak for themselves.
For me, balance is composed of integrating the good things in my life together to the point where nothing worthwhile suffers at the hands of excess attention to something else. And like with swimming, it can be quite a struggle to unlearn bad habits that create imbalance. Also, over time the parameters that I am trying to balance may themselves change, often causing a "life-direction" shift.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Stuck on Studying in Coffee Shops
I think I have been spending a little too much time in coffee shops studying. Maybe, with the turn in the season and its lower temperatures and drier air, this would be a good time to reconnect with the great outdoors and do my studying, writing, and reading in some of the many public parks here in Gainesville.
You might ask, why not just stay at home and do this? Well, I have always seemed to have the need to get out in order to focus my attention properly. But sitting outside in my yard or on my porch should also serve my purposes.
I am not a "home-studier". I need to get away to another place in order to focus my concentration on what I want to do. This has always been the case with me. Had I known that I studied better in coffee shops and diners when I was younger (high school), I might have been able to turn up my grades a notch or two.
Oh, and where am I sitting writing this? No place other than my nearby Dunkin' Donuts, pausing occasionally to swill some of my large coconut-flavored coffee with cream! But I look out the window and it does look pretty. Maybe I should just stuff my study materials into my backpack and ride my bicycle around until I find a suitable spot to establish my temporary outdoors "office".
You might ask, why not just stay at home and do this? Well, I have always seemed to have the need to get out in order to focus my attention properly. But sitting outside in my yard or on my porch should also serve my purposes.
I am not a "home-studier". I need to get away to another place in order to focus my concentration on what I want to do. This has always been the case with me. Had I known that I studied better in coffee shops and diners when I was younger (high school), I might have been able to turn up my grades a notch or two.
Oh, and where am I sitting writing this? No place other than my nearby Dunkin' Donuts, pausing occasionally to swill some of my large coconut-flavored coffee with cream! But I look out the window and it does look pretty. Maybe I should just stuff my study materials into my backpack and ride my bicycle around until I find a suitable spot to establish my temporary outdoors "office".
Friday, October 15, 2010
Stop Demonizing Government and Corporations
It's always interesting to me, when hearing either the political left or the political right discussing what they believes ails this country, to notice how each side seem blinded to a major part of the argument. With the left, they have no problems railing against the excesses of powerful big businesses, especially those multinational corporations that they accuse of exporting our jobs oversees, wrecking the environment, fighting the labor movement, and corrupting anything they want to control with their money. But these critics seem to be lacking in awareness as to the dangers posed by an ever-increasing government and the dangers it poses to people's freedoms.
The right-wingers, for their part, have no problem making anything and everything about government into a scapegoat for society's problems (well, except for the military that is). Government makes laws that hurt business and the economy. It uses its ability to spend money in order to make large segments of the population dependent on it. It tries to impose its own version of morality with "activist" judges who decide what will be good or bad for everyone. But those on the right seem blind to the abuses that powerful corporation are susceptible to, just as the left seems blind to problems arising from the State.
There is a terrible irony I see from either demonizing government or corporations. These two institutions are not "disjoint sets", set apart from the "people". Government rather is the reflection of the people's wishes, democratically expressed through the ballot box and tied to the Constitution, which protects their rights and liberties. Corporations, for their part, produce many goods and services that are indispensable for our still-high standard of living, as well as serving to continually research into newer, better ways to provide those goods and services. But more than that, it is the "people" who actually own them. True, the richer hold more sway in corporations than do shareholders with more modest means. But corporations are deeply entrenched within our society, not some almost alien threat as some on the left like to portray them.
So let's chill out a bit, recognize the good and bad in both government and corporations, and work to form a coalition of the reasonable: working to strengthen these crucial institutions and enable them to serve our interests, realizing that we are a part of them.
The right-wingers, for their part, have no problem making anything and everything about government into a scapegoat for society's problems (well, except for the military that is). Government makes laws that hurt business and the economy. It uses its ability to spend money in order to make large segments of the population dependent on it. It tries to impose its own version of morality with "activist" judges who decide what will be good or bad for everyone. But those on the right seem blind to the abuses that powerful corporation are susceptible to, just as the left seems blind to problems arising from the State.
There is a terrible irony I see from either demonizing government or corporations. These two institutions are not "disjoint sets", set apart from the "people". Government rather is the reflection of the people's wishes, democratically expressed through the ballot box and tied to the Constitution, which protects their rights and liberties. Corporations, for their part, produce many goods and services that are indispensable for our still-high standard of living, as well as serving to continually research into newer, better ways to provide those goods and services. But more than that, it is the "people" who actually own them. True, the richer hold more sway in corporations than do shareholders with more modest means. But corporations are deeply entrenched within our society, not some almost alien threat as some on the left like to portray them.
So let's chill out a bit, recognize the good and bad in both government and corporations, and work to form a coalition of the reasonable: working to strengthen these crucial institutions and enable them to serve our interests, realizing that we are a part of them.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Running MP3 Shuffle Reshuffle
This entire past summer, throughout my training runs, I have listened to my mp3 player, with it on "shuffle" mode and programmed for one artist: Regina Spektor. I have heard every one of her songs she did on her five albums so many times that I probably don't really need my mp3 any more to hear them: they play themselves quite well in my head. Well, I do love her music but perhaps I need to mix things up a bit.
So I decided to create a larger group of my favorite musical acts to shuffle during my future runs. And which acts will those be, you're probably asking. Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. They are Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, Metric, Beck, The New Pornographers, and Neko Case. Neko Case, by the way, is my current favorite country artist and is also a prominent singer in the New Pornographers, a Vancouver-based independent/alternative band.
I finally decided to do this after one day changing things up and shuffling through my Radiohead collection during a nine-mile run. What mysterious, eerie, and beautiful music! But Regina, your music is still Number One for me!
So I decided to create a larger group of my favorite musical acts to shuffle during my future runs. And which acts will those be, you're probably asking. Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. They are Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, Metric, Beck, The New Pornographers, and Neko Case. Neko Case, by the way, is my current favorite country artist and is also a prominent singer in the New Pornographers, a Vancouver-based independent/alternative band.
I finally decided to do this after one day changing things up and shuffling through my Radiohead collection during a nine-mile run. What mysterious, eerie, and beautiful music! But Regina, your music is still Number One for me!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Win a Few, Lose a Few
Two weeks ago, the Florida Gators played Alabama with high hopes of regaining their prestigious high national rankings, possibly even returning to Number One. After their humbling defeat to the Crimson Tide, UF regrouped and prepared for last week's game against LSU. Which they lost in a very close, exciting game. Does this mean that their season is now ruined? Some probably think so, but I don't.
It's tough living in a town where the population expects their college football team to contend for the national championship each and every year. In this sort of climate, a loss is treated as a tragedy. What nonsense! I root for the University of Florida football team like most everyone else around here. And no, I don't like it when they lose. But do you really want to expect your team to so dominate the sport that anything short of a blowout is a disappointment?
I would rather my team be good from year to year, with a few spectacular seasons occasionally sprinkled in. I want the excitement that comes from going into a game as an underdog every now and then. Or playing a team where the outcome is far from certain.
In any event, this year's edition of Gators football promises to continue to be entertaining and exciting. They're obviously not the best in the country, or even in the conference for that matter. But they ARE good and show a lot of competitive spirit. I am looking forward to following them for the rest of their schedule. And, by the way, even though they have lost two games in a row, they can still make it to the conference championship game if they win the remaining league games. But even if they don't, I'm happy.
It's tough living in a town where the population expects their college football team to contend for the national championship each and every year. In this sort of climate, a loss is treated as a tragedy. What nonsense! I root for the University of Florida football team like most everyone else around here. And no, I don't like it when they lose. But do you really want to expect your team to so dominate the sport that anything short of a blowout is a disappointment?
I would rather my team be good from year to year, with a few spectacular seasons occasionally sprinkled in. I want the excitement that comes from going into a game as an underdog every now and then. Or playing a team where the outcome is far from certain.
In any event, this year's edition of Gators football promises to continue to be entertaining and exciting. They're obviously not the best in the country, or even in the conference for that matter. But they ARE good and show a lot of competitive spirit. I am looking forward to following them for the rest of their schedule. And, by the way, even though they have lost two games in a row, they can still make it to the conference championship game if they win the remaining league games. But even if they don't, I'm happy.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Rock 104 Going Country
The University of Florida has announced that its powerful FM commercial station on 103.7, WRUF-FM, will change its format from hard rock to country, starting next week. And this week will mark the end of it carrying the grossly offensive morning talk show Lex and Terry.
Getting Lex and Terry out of there was no doubt the result of the intense public opposition to it, although probably a lot of the public were devoted listeners. Since I was one of those opposed to the negative demographic stereotypes promoted in it, I was glad to see this show at least leave Gainesville radio. Not that another station won't pick it up for their morning lineup. But at least UF won't be responsible for it anymore.
As for the switch to country music, the idea was to raise WRUF's sagging ratings. And Gainesville and its surrounding communities have a large audience for country music. So I'm cool with the format change, although I think changing to more college-oriented alternative/independent rock music would have been more appropriate.
This doesn't mean that now another commercial station won't fill in the rock & roll vacuum created by Rock 104's departure and change its own format. But that remains to be seen. In any event, none of this affects me very much as I get my music from the Internet anyway.
Oh, by the way, Rock-104 will still be broadcast on the Internet, if anyone is actually interested. I'm not.
Getting Lex and Terry out of there was no doubt the result of the intense public opposition to it, although probably a lot of the public were devoted listeners. Since I was one of those opposed to the negative demographic stereotypes promoted in it, I was glad to see this show at least leave Gainesville radio. Not that another station won't pick it up for their morning lineup. But at least UF won't be responsible for it anymore.
As for the switch to country music, the idea was to raise WRUF's sagging ratings. And Gainesville and its surrounding communities have a large audience for country music. So I'm cool with the format change, although I think changing to more college-oriented alternative/independent rock music would have been more appropriate.
This doesn't mean that now another commercial station won't fill in the rock & roll vacuum created by Rock 104's departure and change its own format. But that remains to be seen. In any event, none of this affects me very much as I get my music from the Internet anyway.
Oh, by the way, Rock-104 will still be broadcast on the Internet, if anyone is actually interested. I'm not.
Monday, October 11, 2010
15.56 Mile "Hot" Run
Today the temperatures shot back up to near-record summertime levels as I attempted yet another long training run. I managed to cover 15.56 miles, which is my third longest distance ever. My time was 2:30:13. Considering that the temperature had climbed up to 85 degrees by the run's end (with about 45% humidity), I was pretty satisfied with that distance. I had wanted to see if I could get to 20 miles, but maybe that will have to wait until cooler weather returns. It will, won't it?
As I have extended the length of my runs, I have also added new parts to the course. The latest addition has me running downed a paved path through a pleasantly-wooded park near Devil's Millhopper. Called Felasco Park, it is a nice respite from the city traffic surrounding it. I'm looking around for anything similar to it to add to my course as well, but all I can come up with are more residential subdivisions. I guess that'll have to do. Unless, of course, I set up a completely different course elsewhere that runs through multiple parks. But I've grown accustomed to the convenience of starting and finishing my runs from my front driveway!
As I have extended the length of my runs, I have also added new parts to the course. The latest addition has me running downed a paved path through a pleasantly-wooded park near Devil's Millhopper. Called Felasco Park, it is a nice respite from the city traffic surrounding it. I'm looking around for anything similar to it to add to my course as well, but all I can come up with are more residential subdivisions. I guess that'll have to do. Unless, of course, I set up a completely different course elsewhere that runs through multiple parks. But I've grown accustomed to the convenience of starting and finishing my runs from my front driveway!
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