In March my total running mileage increased considerably, reaching 137 miles. My longest single run was 8 miles...performed very slowly...and I managed to run on every day during the month, something most running "experts" don't recommend as they usually stress rest days for recovery. Still, I haven't noticed any detrimental effects and I'm careful not to go beyond my capabilities. My only problem as been a tendency to gag during runs...this seems due to acid-reflux, and the effect is reduced when I take an antacid beforehand and am careful to pre-hydrate with water or a low-sugar sports drink. As far as my energy level is concerned, I have yet to even remotely approach that "wall" where the fatigue level necessitates my slowing down or even walking the rest of the way. I'd like to get my distance up to a higher daily level and go back to the good old courses I designed back in 2010 when I was training for marathon and half-marathon races...I've grown quite nostalgic of them whenever I drive past a section of road on which I trained earlier...
In April Gainesville, as usual each Saturday morning, offers a free 5K race at Deport Park starting at 7:30...you just need to preregister online to receive the barcode they use to identify you and record your times. I missed this Depot Parkrun in March, instead running the Miles for Meridian 5K held on the 16th to coincide with the St. Patrick's Day weekend celebration they usually stage in the town of Tioga, a few miles west of Gainesville. On Saturday, April 27th there will be the Run the Good Race 5K/10K event at the North Florida Regional Hospital area, with proceeds earmarked to fight human trafficking...I'm planning on running the 10K distance if my health continues to hold up. In any event, the main emphasis, regardless of which races I decide to run in (or not), will be my day-to-day training...
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Just Finished Reading This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the books I've recently read, Camino Island by John Grisham, spotlights the most famous novels of American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, including his 1920 debut This Side of Paradise...naturally, I had to take a look-see for myself and just finished reading it. Unlike with his contemporary James Joyce's confounding novel Ulysses, Fitzgerald's work struck a fine balance between plain narrative prose, abstract expression of thought, and poetry...it's no wonder his career took off after that! That doesn't mean that I enjoyed This Side of Paradise: its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is a self-absorbed, pampered young man who struggles to grow up at class-conscious Princeton University while going through different love interests and spending much of his time partying with his buddies...WARNING: there are some plot spoilers ahead, in case you're planning on reading this novel for yourself. Blaine's crowd is skeptical about their future and life in general...a realistic portrayal, I'm sure...it hints of the author writing about his own life...but not pleasant to read. The story continues as America first enters World War I in 1917 and then afterwards makes Prohibition (of alcohol) as part of its Constitution...neither event good for Blaine and his pals, some of whom do not survive the war and practically all of whom spend much of their waking hours in various degrees of intoxication. Blaine has a small number of young women he has been romantically involved with...when his chief interest throws him over to marry a rich man, he becomes very cynical about life and alters his worldview to embrace socialism...
One thing that struck me about This Side of Paradise was that sense of cynicism about American society that Blaine develops and expresses at the end of the book in a lengthy, sometimes heated conversation between him and a couple of older, more financially successful men who have stopped to give him a ride. Here Blaine makes the point that in order to be fair, society must give children from all backgrounds, regardless of their families' wealth or position, the same opportunities for education and advancement...this is the main reason he endorses socialism. I see some of this going on a century later with our millennials, many of them enjoying a high standard of living but nevertheless feeling skeptical about their future and embracing more socialist-leaning policies as a remedy for our society's problems. Interesting...I'm definitely going to look into Fitzgerald's other novels as well...
One thing that struck me about This Side of Paradise was that sense of cynicism about American society that Blaine develops and expresses at the end of the book in a lengthy, sometimes heated conversation between him and a couple of older, more financially successful men who have stopped to give him a ride. Here Blaine makes the point that in order to be fair, society must give children from all backgrounds, regardless of their families' wealth or position, the same opportunities for education and advancement...this is the main reason he endorses socialism. I see some of this going on a century later with our millennials, many of them enjoying a high standard of living but nevertheless feeling skeptical about their future and embracing more socialist-leaning policies as a remedy for our society's problems. Interesting...I'm definitely going to look into Fitzgerald's other novels as well...
Friday, March 29, 2019
Quote of the Week...from Attorney General William Barr
I also believe it is very important that the public and Congress be informed of the results of the special counsel's work, my goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law. United States Attorney General William Barr
Bill Barr, who served as Attorney General under the first George Bush many years ago, was picked a few months ago by President Trump to fill the same position's vacancy following his firing of Jeff Sessions. I watched some of Barr's Senate confirmation hearing and was impressed by his candor and realness. Barr knew that by taking on that job enormous pressure would be placed on him by all sides regarding the Mueller investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. During those hearings he said, "I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong, and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong, by anybody. Whether it be editorial boards, or Congress or the President. I'm going to do what I think is right." A great part of the concern from supporters of independent counsel Robert Mueller's investigation arose from Barr's earlier criticism of it, along with questioning whether a sitting president could be charged with obstruction of justice. Well, the Attorney General did nothing to interfere with Mueller's investigation and the final report was handed to him last week. Barr has been constantly stressing...sounding a lot like a broken record...that he would make every effort to release as much of the final report to the public and Congress as legally possible. First, the Justice Department would need to go through it and withhold classified information as well as parts that pertain to other cases currently under investigation or prosecution...this takes time. Still, Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein read the 300+ page Mueller Report and promptly issued a four-page synapsis of its main points. Since this summary conveys Mueller's opinion that there wasn't evidence proving collusion or conspiracy between Trump and his campaign and the Russians, it as seen as a disappointment by some never-Trumpers...including those who wanted to impeach him before he was even sworn into office. Barr and Rosenstein also answered Mueller's open question as to whether there was obstruction on the part of the President: they both expressed the opinion that they felt there wasn't. This riled many because of Barr's earlier statements about obstruction, and I have to acknowledge their legitimate concerns...but remember, Mueller himself wasn't too keen on pushing obstruction, either. In my opinion, it is pure political theater to demand the immediate release of the full report...the Democrats in Congress making these demands know perfectly well that it must first be redacted to withhold sensitive or inappropriate information. I have the feeling that no matter how Bill Barr chose to handle this situation, he would right now be on the receiving end of a torrent of strident criticism and innuendos that he is nothing but a Trump lackey trying to rig the report to minimize any politically damaging sections, this despite his claim within the summary that the report did not exonerate Trump. To those currently flipping out over the report not yet being publicly released in full, I say: chill out, take a deep breath, and give Bill Barr a chance to come through, because as far as I can see he's doing the best he can...
I'm hearing that the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee will soon subpoena Robert Mueller himself to testify there regarding his investigation and report. I expect him to not contradict Attorney General Barr's conclusions and decisions, as well as to help to instruct both Congress and the American public about the nature of this process as it is being played out...
Bill Barr, who served as Attorney General under the first George Bush many years ago, was picked a few months ago by President Trump to fill the same position's vacancy following his firing of Jeff Sessions. I watched some of Barr's Senate confirmation hearing and was impressed by his candor and realness. Barr knew that by taking on that job enormous pressure would be placed on him by all sides regarding the Mueller investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. During those hearings he said, "I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong, and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong, by anybody. Whether it be editorial boards, or Congress or the President. I'm going to do what I think is right." A great part of the concern from supporters of independent counsel Robert Mueller's investigation arose from Barr's earlier criticism of it, along with questioning whether a sitting president could be charged with obstruction of justice. Well, the Attorney General did nothing to interfere with Mueller's investigation and the final report was handed to him last week. Barr has been constantly stressing...sounding a lot like a broken record...that he would make every effort to release as much of the final report to the public and Congress as legally possible. First, the Justice Department would need to go through it and withhold classified information as well as parts that pertain to other cases currently under investigation or prosecution...this takes time. Still, Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein read the 300+ page Mueller Report and promptly issued a four-page synapsis of its main points. Since this summary conveys Mueller's opinion that there wasn't evidence proving collusion or conspiracy between Trump and his campaign and the Russians, it as seen as a disappointment by some never-Trumpers...including those who wanted to impeach him before he was even sworn into office. Barr and Rosenstein also answered Mueller's open question as to whether there was obstruction on the part of the President: they both expressed the opinion that they felt there wasn't. This riled many because of Barr's earlier statements about obstruction, and I have to acknowledge their legitimate concerns...but remember, Mueller himself wasn't too keen on pushing obstruction, either. In my opinion, it is pure political theater to demand the immediate release of the full report...the Democrats in Congress making these demands know perfectly well that it must first be redacted to withhold sensitive or inappropriate information. I have the feeling that no matter how Bill Barr chose to handle this situation, he would right now be on the receiving end of a torrent of strident criticism and innuendos that he is nothing but a Trump lackey trying to rig the report to minimize any politically damaging sections, this despite his claim within the summary that the report did not exonerate Trump. To those currently flipping out over the report not yet being publicly released in full, I say: chill out, take a deep breath, and give Bill Barr a chance to come through, because as far as I can see he's doing the best he can...
I'm hearing that the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee will soon subpoena Robert Mueller himself to testify there regarding his investigation and report. I expect him to not contradict Attorney General Barr's conclusions and decisions, as well as to help to instruct both Congress and the American public about the nature of this process as it is being played out...
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Major League Baseball 2019 Regular Season Starts Today
Today all thirty Major League Baseball teams will be playing in the opening of the 2019 regular season. In Florida, questions abound about whether Tampa Bay will be able to match or exceed their successful...but ultimately not good enough for the playoffs...2018 record of 90-72. And about Miami, when co-owner and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter joined the Marlins before the 2018 season, he got rid of much of the talent that had sustained them, promising a brighter future and more competitive team but floundering that year in last place with a dismal 63-98 record. Fans are expected to be patient, but they've suffered through this mass roster overhaul a number of times during this franchise's relatively short existence and I don't think they're in the mood to wait much longer anymore. It'll be interesting to see how the Rays and Marlins perform and get to know their 2019 hitting and pitching lineups...
Last year Boston, after an incredible regular season, easily handled the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, winning four out of five games. How will the Red Sox do in 2019 against the Yankees, Rays, and possibly resurgent Toronto or Baltimore? And which teams will be pleasant surprises for their followers and which will disappoint? That's all part of the fun speculation at the start...before reality sets in. I plan to follow the Rays and Marlins, but other than passively watching other contests just for the sake of getting into the intricacies of the game itself I'm not rooting for any other teams. I'm just hoping at the end that the Marlins don't feel the need to change their name to the Flounders...
Last year Boston, after an incredible regular season, easily handled the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, winning four out of five games. How will the Red Sox do in 2019 against the Yankees, Rays, and possibly resurgent Toronto or Baltimore? And which teams will be pleasant surprises for their followers and which will disappoint? That's all part of the fun speculation at the start...before reality sets in. I plan to follow the Rays and Marlins, but other than passively watching other contests just for the sake of getting into the intricacies of the game itself I'm not rooting for any other teams. I'm just hoping at the end that the Marlins don't feel the need to change their name to the Flounders...
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Weekly Short Stories: 1944 Science Fiction, Part 3
I concluded my look back at science fiction short stories from the anthology Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 6 (1944) with the final three tales from that book. All were by established authors of that era, but none of them appealed to me all that much...and for different reasons...
WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS by Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett, the pseudonym for the married writing team of Henry Kuttner and C.L. (Catherine) Moore, was responsible for a great story in 1943: Mimsy Were the Borogroves. It discussed the idea of randomness and how from another's perspective what seemed random actually followed a sensible pattern...very intriguing. When the Bough Breaks has a simpler premise: a baby, born with a mutated gene that gives him superhuman mental powers and greatly lengthens his longevity, at a distant point in the future sends agents back to his infancy...and to his astounded parents...to educate and train his infant self, using strange concepts and toys reminiscent of that Mimsy story. As the baby's genius and powers begin to manifest themselves, mother and father are beside themselves in frustration and fear, powerless to step in and evict the intruders from the future. The story's ending is what turned me against it: how could such a super-genius not see the danger in what he was trying to accomplish?
KILLDOZER! by Theodore Sturgeon
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, has been considered by some to be the greatest ever American novel. But when I read it, I discovered it had two different elements: the characters were very interesting and compelling, but the author's extremely intricate descriptions of whaling boats and their activities were yawners...sure, I'm now "good to go" if I ever want to become a 19th-century whaler. Killdozer! is like Moby Dick, except instead of boring the reader to death about whaleboats we're now treated to overbearing detail regarding the parts and functions of heavy construction equipment...including a bulldozer that has been possessed by an alien spirit bent on destroying humanity. One saving grace to this story is that, unlike so many sci-fi short stories of this era, it actually recognizes that World War II is going on at the time. A crew is sent to the Panama wilderness to build an airstrip, but...well, that bulldozer then turns into a "killdozer"...
NO WOMAN BORN by C.L. Moore
A beautiful, talented, and charismatic young woman has captured the world's adulation through the medium of television, but a tragic fire has spared only her brain. A man with the very improbable necessary know-how and talent has painstakingly placed it within a metallic body...upon revival she discovers her movements are superfluid due to the body's intricate structure of rings held together by the electromagnetism her brain produces, and she seeks to revive her entertainment career. Deirdre's relationship with Maltzer, her creator/reviver, is paramount to the story as he begins to seriously doubt his decision to bring her back to life...is she losing her humanity to the metal she is encased within? This is by far the best of the three stories, but I think it is too long due to excessive, introspective dialog at the end. No Woman Born would have been an excellent Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, or Night Gallery episode...
Next week I begin to look at notable short science fiction from 1945...
WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS by Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett, the pseudonym for the married writing team of Henry Kuttner and C.L. (Catherine) Moore, was responsible for a great story in 1943: Mimsy Were the Borogroves. It discussed the idea of randomness and how from another's perspective what seemed random actually followed a sensible pattern...very intriguing. When the Bough Breaks has a simpler premise: a baby, born with a mutated gene that gives him superhuman mental powers and greatly lengthens his longevity, at a distant point in the future sends agents back to his infancy...and to his astounded parents...to educate and train his infant self, using strange concepts and toys reminiscent of that Mimsy story. As the baby's genius and powers begin to manifest themselves, mother and father are beside themselves in frustration and fear, powerless to step in and evict the intruders from the future. The story's ending is what turned me against it: how could such a super-genius not see the danger in what he was trying to accomplish?
KILLDOZER! by Theodore Sturgeon
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, has been considered by some to be the greatest ever American novel. But when I read it, I discovered it had two different elements: the characters were very interesting and compelling, but the author's extremely intricate descriptions of whaling boats and their activities were yawners...sure, I'm now "good to go" if I ever want to become a 19th-century whaler. Killdozer! is like Moby Dick, except instead of boring the reader to death about whaleboats we're now treated to overbearing detail regarding the parts and functions of heavy construction equipment...including a bulldozer that has been possessed by an alien spirit bent on destroying humanity. One saving grace to this story is that, unlike so many sci-fi short stories of this era, it actually recognizes that World War II is going on at the time. A crew is sent to the Panama wilderness to build an airstrip, but...well, that bulldozer then turns into a "killdozer"...
NO WOMAN BORN by C.L. Moore
A beautiful, talented, and charismatic young woman has captured the world's adulation through the medium of television, but a tragic fire has spared only her brain. A man with the very improbable necessary know-how and talent has painstakingly placed it within a metallic body...upon revival she discovers her movements are superfluid due to the body's intricate structure of rings held together by the electromagnetism her brain produces, and she seeks to revive her entertainment career. Deirdre's relationship with Maltzer, her creator/reviver, is paramount to the story as he begins to seriously doubt his decision to bring her back to life...is she losing her humanity to the metal she is encased within? This is by far the best of the three stories, but I think it is too long due to excessive, introspective dialog at the end. No Woman Born would have been an excellent Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, or Night Gallery episode...
Next week I begin to look at notable short science fiction from 1945...
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
NCAA Tournament Down to Sweet Sixteen
The 2019 NCAA men's basketball championship tournament has reached the Sweet Sixteen stage, and with the exceptions of 12th-seeded Oregon and 5th-seeded Auburn, the top four seeds from each region have advanced. Now this might not sit well with some who like the idea of "Cinderella" teams excelling far beyond expectations...9th-seeded Central Florida came within one shot of knocking out top-seeded Duke in the East region. But although I wanted UCF to win, I also recognize that the games to come in the tournament are now likely to be closer, more competitive, and better played. The eight games in the next round are split between this Thursday (South and West regions) and Friday (East and Midwest regions). Here are the matchups, with each team's seeding following its name...
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
SOUTH...at Louisville, KY
Virginia 1 vs. Oregon 12
Tennessee 2 vs. Purdue 3
WEST...at Anaheim, CA
Gonzaga 1 vs. Florida State 4
Michigan 2 vs. Texas Tech 3
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
EAST...at Washington, DC
Duke 1 vs. Virginia Tech 4
Michigan State 2 vs. LSU 3
MIDWEST...at Kansas City, MO
North Carolina 1 vs. Auburn 5
Kentucky 2 vs. Houston 3
Note that of the 16 teams left, 5 are from the Atlantic Coast Conference, 4 are from the Southeastern Conference, and 3 from the Big Ten...leaving only 5 from other sources. And to conclude, here's my list of the Sweet Sixteen teams, from personal favorite to least favorite (not necessarily by how good they are)...
1 NORTH CAROLINA...GO TARHEELS!!!
2 Florida State
3 Michigan State
4 Oregon
5 Houston
6 Purdue
7 Gonzaga
8 Virginia Tech
9 LSU
10 Texas Tech
11 Auburn
12 Virginia
13 Tennessee
14 Michigan
15 Duke
16 Kentucky
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
SOUTH...at Louisville, KY
Virginia 1 vs. Oregon 12
Tennessee 2 vs. Purdue 3
WEST...at Anaheim, CA
Gonzaga 1 vs. Florida State 4
Michigan 2 vs. Texas Tech 3
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
EAST...at Washington, DC
Duke 1 vs. Virginia Tech 4
Michigan State 2 vs. LSU 3
MIDWEST...at Kansas City, MO
North Carolina 1 vs. Auburn 5
Kentucky 2 vs. Houston 3
Note that of the 16 teams left, 5 are from the Atlantic Coast Conference, 4 are from the Southeastern Conference, and 3 from the Big Ten...leaving only 5 from other sources. And to conclude, here's my list of the Sweet Sixteen teams, from personal favorite to least favorite (not necessarily by how good they are)...
1 NORTH CAROLINA...GO TARHEELS!!!
2 Florida State
3 Michigan State
4 Oregon
5 Houston
6 Purdue
7 Gonzaga
8 Virginia Tech
9 LSU
10 Texas Tech
11 Auburn
12 Virginia
13 Tennessee
14 Michigan
15 Duke
16 Kentucky
Monday, March 25, 2019
Mueller Report in Attorney General's Hands...A Short Summary is Released
The Mueller Report is now in the hands of U.S. Attorney General William Barr, and he has issued a summary statement on it. The independent counsel, during his two-year investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 American presidential election, has apparently found no evidence of illegal collusion or conspiracy with them from the Trump campaign...and furthermore does not promote a charge of obstruction against the president. But it was also established that Russia did seek to interfere in our election...and we don't need Mueller to know that Trump and his campaign at least passively supported that interference: Trump's on record as publicly urging Russia to find thousands of missing Hillary Clinton emails while urging people to go to Wikileaks to read other illegally-hacked Democratic Party emails. As I have been looking at it, I have repeatedly stated that countries all over the world try to influence the outcomes of others' elections, and the United States is no exception. It was already widely known before the 2016 election that Russia was trying to affect our election in favor of the Trump candidacy...it's our own voters' fault if they were so stupid as to buy into what was being put out. Besides, I still strongly maintain that FBI Director James Comey's highly publicized reopening of his organization's investigation into Hillary's emails just ten days before the election had a much greater effect on the election outcome...Obama should have canned him long before Trump ever had the chance to...
My main concern about President Trump and the Russians has always been that they had something on him that would politically damage him were he to stray from their agenda for him as the U.S president. But while publicly gracious and generous to President Putin, Trump is actually strengthening our national defense and showing a greater practical assertiveness toward Russia as well as China. And both George W. Bush and Barack Obama are well documented early on in their respective presidencies for speaking as if Putin were really a good guy and not the brutal autocratic aggressor on the international level that he really is. In any event, Robert Mueller obviously found nothing proving that any blackmail was occurring against Trump on behalf of the Russian regime under Putin...
So now, depending on which TV news channel you're watching, Trump is either completely exonerated or the attorney general is covering up the body of Mueller's report, omitting sections that would cast doubt on the president's innocence regarding Russian interference. My suggestion is that whenever the subject of ongoing discussion is about the Mueller Report...be it on CNN, FoxNews, or MSNBC...just say "NO" and turn the channel, for at least during the next few days you're not going to hear anything new that will enlighten you further about this matter...
My main concern about President Trump and the Russians has always been that they had something on him that would politically damage him were he to stray from their agenda for him as the U.S president. But while publicly gracious and generous to President Putin, Trump is actually strengthening our national defense and showing a greater practical assertiveness toward Russia as well as China. And both George W. Bush and Barack Obama are well documented early on in their respective presidencies for speaking as if Putin were really a good guy and not the brutal autocratic aggressor on the international level that he really is. In any event, Robert Mueller obviously found nothing proving that any blackmail was occurring against Trump on behalf of the Russian regime under Putin...
So now, depending on which TV news channel you're watching, Trump is either completely exonerated or the attorney general is covering up the body of Mueller's report, omitting sections that would cast doubt on the president's innocence regarding Russian interference. My suggestion is that whenever the subject of ongoing discussion is about the Mueller Report...be it on CNN, FoxNews, or MSNBC...just say "NO" and turn the channel, for at least during the next few days you're not going to hear anything new that will enlighten you further about this matter...
Sunday, March 24, 2019
A Posting I Read About Mindfulness
The organization I work for, which is very large and on a national scale, like in other workplaces regularly posts various information sheets promoting safety, proper work procedures, ethical standards, and various suggestions as to how to live a happier and more fulfilling life. I tend to appreciate the input and ideas, but it sometimes rankles me a little when they start to try and get into my head with how I'm supposed to think. For example, they recently posted a notice on "mindfulness", which as far as I can tell is a new, faddish concept that promotes the notion of being completely immersed in the present moment and attentive to as much as is going on around oneself. With this comes the rejection...as it appears to me...of mental activities like remembering, daydreaming, planning, and multitasking. The posting, purportedly based on an article by Gilbert & Killingsworth appearing in a 2010 issue of Journal of Science, claims that "people spent 46.9% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes a person unhappy". Uh-h-h, say what?
Can somebody please explain the "science" behind how mind-wandering causes unhappiness or, more to the point, how they came up with the meticulous-sounding figure of "46.9%" of the time folks are mentally straying? I grasp my company's motivation behind posting this, though: they correctly want employees to be focused on their tasks before them and not let distractions threaten the quality of their work or pose safety risks. But mindfulness, as I understand it, is a philosophy that welcomes distractions as it broadens the definition of what is meaningful in one's life to include sensory experiences of whatever is surrounding them...maybe the colors of the walls or different architectural or construction elements of my building might not exactly be things I need to be paying attention to on my job. Like a lot of people, my work involves periods of intense, focused concentration to detail while other times I am either momentarily waiting for things to pick up or am working in an area that allows for some of that "mind-wandering"...as the posting put it...without detracting from safety or work output quality. Besides, I have to disagree with the conclusion that a little disciplined mind-wandering leads to unhappiness...in many instances it can help to prevent job burnout and make one's life more multi-dimensional...
I'm currently reading James Joyce's novel Ulysses, much of which describes a day in the life...set in 1904...of a middle-age man living in Dublin, Ireland. As he goes about his mundane chores and business and meets up with various people, you get two things from the narrative: one, a relatively brief, ongoing exposition of the ongoing plot and what he is doing. Interspersed with this is the other, taking up the body of the book: Joyce's presentation of his protagonist's roaming thoughts that cover an incredible range of topics and reveal his character as well as that of the society and times he lives in. I have a different term for "mind-wandering": it's called "thinking". Maybe thinking causes some people unhappiness and they should just empty their little minds and then they would be living in bliss. But most people aren't really like that, are they? Better to mentally drift as you please, I say, for much of the time while prioritizing your concentration on the more attention-demanding tasks before you and directing those thoughts in a more constructive and uplifting direction...
Can somebody please explain the "science" behind how mind-wandering causes unhappiness or, more to the point, how they came up with the meticulous-sounding figure of "46.9%" of the time folks are mentally straying? I grasp my company's motivation behind posting this, though: they correctly want employees to be focused on their tasks before them and not let distractions threaten the quality of their work or pose safety risks. But mindfulness, as I understand it, is a philosophy that welcomes distractions as it broadens the definition of what is meaningful in one's life to include sensory experiences of whatever is surrounding them...maybe the colors of the walls or different architectural or construction elements of my building might not exactly be things I need to be paying attention to on my job. Like a lot of people, my work involves periods of intense, focused concentration to detail while other times I am either momentarily waiting for things to pick up or am working in an area that allows for some of that "mind-wandering"...as the posting put it...without detracting from safety or work output quality. Besides, I have to disagree with the conclusion that a little disciplined mind-wandering leads to unhappiness...in many instances it can help to prevent job burnout and make one's life more multi-dimensional...
I'm currently reading James Joyce's novel Ulysses, much of which describes a day in the life...set in 1904...of a middle-age man living in Dublin, Ireland. As he goes about his mundane chores and business and meets up with various people, you get two things from the narrative: one, a relatively brief, ongoing exposition of the ongoing plot and what he is doing. Interspersed with this is the other, taking up the body of the book: Joyce's presentation of his protagonist's roaming thoughts that cover an incredible range of topics and reveal his character as well as that of the society and times he lives in. I have a different term for "mind-wandering": it's called "thinking". Maybe thinking causes some people unhappiness and they should just empty their little minds and then they would be living in bliss. But most people aren't really like that, are they? Better to mentally drift as you please, I say, for much of the time while prioritizing your concentration on the more attention-demanding tasks before you and directing those thoughts in a more constructive and uplifting direction...
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Gators Basketball Season Over After Tourney Loss to Michigan
The University of Florida men's basketball team had a rough year for 2018-19, with three starting freshmen and inconsistent offensive play. Still, they had the guts to get to the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals before losing to eventual champion Auburn in a close game with a controversial non-call at the end going against the Gators. Their efforts through a deliberately challenging schedule...both within and outside their conference...earned them a 10th-seed in the NCAA Championship Tournament West Region in spite of their 19-15 record, one of the worst ever for a team earning an at-large bid. Florida managed a first-round victory Thursday against Nevada, only to find themselves facing a familiar nemesis in Gators sports: Michigan. And the 2nd-seeded Wolverines early this evening handed them a 64-49 defeat, knocking them out of the tournament...
I congratulate the Fightin' Gators for making this season worthwhile, especially as head coach Mike White was rebuilding his team for the future. They should be much improved next year and I look forward to following them. As for other Florida schools still participating in "March Madness", Florida State made the Sweet Sixteen after thrashing Murray State today while Central Florida has the daunting challenge of top-seeded Duke tomorrow if they want to join the Seminoles in that special group...not likely! I also traditionally root for North Carolina in basketball, and the Tarheels look to advance deep into the tournament. But I like to watch NCAA tourney games even if I don't care who wins...of course, in those cases I strongly prefer them to be nail-biters, going down to the final seconds. I have no idea who will make the Final Four, much less win this year's title. Defending champion Villanova was just defeated by Purdue, so we'll have a new champion...
I congratulate the Fightin' Gators for making this season worthwhile, especially as head coach Mike White was rebuilding his team for the future. They should be much improved next year and I look forward to following them. As for other Florida schools still participating in "March Madness", Florida State made the Sweet Sixteen after thrashing Murray State today while Central Florida has the daunting challenge of top-seeded Duke tomorrow if they want to join the Seminoles in that special group...not likely! I also traditionally root for North Carolina in basketball, and the Tarheels look to advance deep into the tournament. But I like to watch NCAA tourney games even if I don't care who wins...of course, in those cases I strongly prefer them to be nail-biters, going down to the final seconds. I have no idea who will make the Final Four, much less win this year's title. Defending champion Villanova was just defeated by Purdue, so we'll have a new champion...
Friday, March 22, 2019
Quote of the Week...from Elton John
Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.
---Elton John
I was fourteen when I first heard British rock/pop musician Elton John very late in the year 1970 just after his debut hit single Your Song was released in America. In the following years...which corresponded to my adolescence and early adulthood...he (along with lyricist Bernie Taupin) was responsible for many great songs that I loved like Tiny Dancer, Friends, Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Blues for Baby and Me, The Bitch is Back, Saturday Night's Alright, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, and Someone Saved My Life Tonight...to name a few. His mass popularity took a dip in the late 70s but he has been producing music steadily up to the present day, with 33 total studio albums so far. So I guess this classically-trained pianist, composer, and classic rock star has a few credentials on his side when he discusses music, doesn't he?
I totally agree with Elton's quote, and it's significant that he tied together the concepts of healing and taking people out of themselves. I think a lot of our inner struggles are caused...well, by our inner struggling: sometimes you have to just let things go, or at least interrupt the pattern of self-imposed turmoil by focusing your attention on something else. While engaging in my daily work or socially-driven activities, my attention is rightfully focused on what I'm doing at the moment. But during other, less structured times I enjoy listening to my music...including that from the inimitable Elton John. I also find activities like reading, studying foreign languages, writing, and running to be therapeutic...even watching television, too, if it is done purposefully and not to the point where I'm just sitting there in a half-stupor flipping channels...
On a final note, if you're like me and somewhat disaffected by the current popular music being promoted by broadcast radio but are also tired of hearing the same old "classic rock" songs over and over again, there is a third choice: listen to those "classic" musicians (like Elton John) in their later works...many are still producing high-quality, compelling songs, the concept of retirement apparently not in their personal vocabulary. But you're probably not going to hear any of them by listening to your radio...
---Elton John
I was fourteen when I first heard British rock/pop musician Elton John very late in the year 1970 just after his debut hit single Your Song was released in America. In the following years...which corresponded to my adolescence and early adulthood...he (along with lyricist Bernie Taupin) was responsible for many great songs that I loved like Tiny Dancer, Friends, Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Blues for Baby and Me, The Bitch is Back, Saturday Night's Alright, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, and Someone Saved My Life Tonight...to name a few. His mass popularity took a dip in the late 70s but he has been producing music steadily up to the present day, with 33 total studio albums so far. So I guess this classically-trained pianist, composer, and classic rock star has a few credentials on his side when he discusses music, doesn't he?
I totally agree with Elton's quote, and it's significant that he tied together the concepts of healing and taking people out of themselves. I think a lot of our inner struggles are caused...well, by our inner struggling: sometimes you have to just let things go, or at least interrupt the pattern of self-imposed turmoil by focusing your attention on something else. While engaging in my daily work or socially-driven activities, my attention is rightfully focused on what I'm doing at the moment. But during other, less structured times I enjoy listening to my music...including that from the inimitable Elton John. I also find activities like reading, studying foreign languages, writing, and running to be therapeutic...even watching television, too, if it is done purposefully and not to the point where I'm just sitting there in a half-stupor flipping channels...
On a final note, if you're like me and somewhat disaffected by the current popular music being promoted by broadcast radio but are also tired of hearing the same old "classic rock" songs over and over again, there is a third choice: listen to those "classic" musicians (like Elton John) in their later works...many are still producing high-quality, compelling songs, the concept of retirement apparently not in their personal vocabulary. But you're probably not going to hear any of them by listening to your radio...
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Looking at 2020 US Senate Elections
The United States Senate with its 100 members, each state represented by 2 senators with 6-year terms, holds elections every 2 years to decide about one third of its seats...33 or 34. Each election cycle a specific "class" is put up for a vote: in 2018 it was Class I, in which the Democrats were defending 25 Senate seats and the Republicans only 8. That's why, in a mid-term year in which the Democrats easily took back control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans were actually able to add 2 Senate seats to their majority. But in 2020 Class II will be up for elections...and this time it will be the Republicans on the hot seat, having to defend 21 Senate seats as opposed to the Democrats' 12. Also, appointed Arizona senator Martha McSally will be facing a Democratic challenger in 2020 to fill that seat until its Class III election in 2022...the original vacancy occurred with the death of John McCain. So there are possibilities for the Democrats to wrest back Senate control after the 2020 elections if they play their cards right...then again, they thought they would win in 2016 and look how that turned out...
Democrat Doug Jones of Alabama looks extremely vulnerable in 2020...the Republicans should easily defeat him unless they nominate another spectacle like Roy Moore. The other Democrats look reasonably safe in their seats...for now. With the Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell usually faces a stiff reelection challenge in Kentucky but prevails...but will he decide to retire? If so, then that seat is up in the air for either party to take. Colorado's Cory Gardner is also a weak spot in the GOP's plans to keep Senate control...that state has been increasingly Democratic in recent years. Maine's Susan Collins has been targeted by Democrats after her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court and Iowa's Jodi Ernst might be in a tough campaign should the Democrats nominate a strong candidate. Bill Cassidy, David Perdue, and Thom Tillis...from Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina respectively, may escape defeat in 2020 if for no other reason than that the voting demographics in those three southern states tend to favor Republicans. And longtime senators Lamar Alexander (Tennessee) and Pat Roberts (Kansas) have announced they will be retiring...once again it will be up to Democrats to nominate strong candidates in those usually-Republican states for their open elections in 2020...
With the nuclear option in place for all nominees, including the US Supreme Court, the party controlling the Senate...even by only one seat...possesses enormous political power. So regardless who wins next year's election for president, the accompanying Senate elections will drastically affect our future. By the way, Florida won't be holding any US Senate elections in 2020...
Democrat Doug Jones of Alabama looks extremely vulnerable in 2020...the Republicans should easily defeat him unless they nominate another spectacle like Roy Moore. The other Democrats look reasonably safe in their seats...for now. With the Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell usually faces a stiff reelection challenge in Kentucky but prevails...but will he decide to retire? If so, then that seat is up in the air for either party to take. Colorado's Cory Gardner is also a weak spot in the GOP's plans to keep Senate control...that state has been increasingly Democratic in recent years. Maine's Susan Collins has been targeted by Democrats after her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court and Iowa's Jodi Ernst might be in a tough campaign should the Democrats nominate a strong candidate. Bill Cassidy, David Perdue, and Thom Tillis...from Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina respectively, may escape defeat in 2020 if for no other reason than that the voting demographics in those three southern states tend to favor Republicans. And longtime senators Lamar Alexander (Tennessee) and Pat Roberts (Kansas) have announced they will be retiring...once again it will be up to Democrats to nominate strong candidates in those usually-Republican states for their open elections in 2020...
With the nuclear option in place for all nominees, including the US Supreme Court, the party controlling the Senate...even by only one seat...possesses enormous political power. So regardless who wins next year's election for president, the accompanying Senate elections will drastically affect our future. By the way, Florida won't be holding any US Senate elections in 2020...
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Weekly Short Stories: 1944 Science Fiction, Part 2
As I read through the middle of the anthology Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 6 (1944), I encountered five memorable and significant tales...three of them by one author, Clifford Simak. Here is my reaction to each story...
CITY by Clifford Simak
The three stories here that Simak wrote he later integrated into a novel, also titled City...I read and reviewed it a little while back. In the title short story, he paints a picture of a society that has almost completely moved out of the city life and into country estates...and why not, with the atomic helicopter cheaply replacing cars and the need to upkeep roads, long distances can now be covered in a short span of time. There are still just a few residents left in the story's city as the government struggles to hang onto power and squatters are reclaiming the abandoned houses. The hero, John Webster, defends them against the city burning down their homes...the ending sets the larger story into motion...
The three stories here that Simak wrote he later integrated into a novel, also titled City...I read and reviewed it a little while back. In the title short story, he paints a picture of a society that has almost completely moved out of the city life and into country estates...and why not, with the atomic helicopter cheaply replacing cars and the need to upkeep roads, long distances can now be covered in a short span of time. There are still just a few residents left in the story's city as the government struggles to hang onto power and squatters are reclaiming the abandoned houses. The hero, John Webster, defends them against the city burning down their homes...the ending sets the larger story into motion...
ARENA by Fredric Brown
There's an old Star Trek episode with the same title, where Kirk and a dinosaur-like representative of the Enemy are pitted on a rocky, desert planet in a struggle to the death to determine their respective races' futures. The original story, on which that episode was based, differs in some details as well as how it is all resolved at the end. In Brown's tale, the aliens are invading our solar system and a scout ship pilot is abducted to the large domed arena...with blue sand and bisected by an invisible wall seemingly impenetrable to living things. On the other side he sees a horrid, red sphere and he instantly knows who his opponent is. I read it as a kid before I saw the Star Trek version...the original is better. In both, it is a very advanced consciousness that snatches the combatants, places them in the "arena", and lays down the rules for their war's outcome...
There's an old Star Trek episode with the same title, where Kirk and a dinosaur-like representative of the Enemy are pitted on a rocky, desert planet in a struggle to the death to determine their respective races' futures. The original story, on which that episode was based, differs in some details as well as how it is all resolved at the end. In Brown's tale, the aliens are invading our solar system and a scout ship pilot is abducted to the large domed arena...with blue sand and bisected by an invisible wall seemingly impenetrable to living things. On the other side he sees a horrid, red sphere and he instantly knows who his opponent is. I read it as a kid before I saw the Star Trek version...the original is better. In both, it is a very advanced consciousness that snatches the combatants, places them in the "arena", and lays down the rules for their war's outcome...
HUDDLING PLACE by Clifford Simak
It is a few generations later in Simak's vision of humanity's future and another Webster...this one Jerome, a renowned surgeon celebrated for his work on the nervous system of Martians, resides in reclusive comfort in his remote estate. That works for him as he has a network of his own android talking robots...headed by Jenkins...that attend to his needs, as well as virtual communications that enable him to interact across vast distances with others without the need to travel. Jerome, who once travelled to Mars in his work and met and befriended that planet's greatest thinker, is now a prisoner in his home, suffering from extreme agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces...which he has discovered now afflicts a large segment of humanity. When his Martian friend suffers a catastrophic medical emergency and needs him to travel there to operate, how will Jerome respond? It's a great story with a sobering ending...
It is a few generations later in Simak's vision of humanity's future and another Webster...this one Jerome, a renowned surgeon celebrated for his work on the nervous system of Martians, resides in reclusive comfort in his remote estate. That works for him as he has a network of his own android talking robots...headed by Jenkins...that attend to his needs, as well as virtual communications that enable him to interact across vast distances with others without the need to travel. Jerome, who once travelled to Mars in his work and met and befriended that planet's greatest thinker, is now a prisoner in his home, suffering from extreme agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces...which he has discovered now afflicts a large segment of humanity. When his Martian friend suffers a catastrophic medical emergency and needs him to travel there to operate, how will Jerome respond? It's a great story with a sobering ending...
KINDNESS by Lester del Rey
A genetic mutation vastly improves the mental capacity of humans to the point where a new race forms and eventually fights its way to domination over the dwindling remnant of homo sapiens. Danny is the last human as we know it, and the surrounding people try to make his life as meaningful for him as possible. But he cannot stand being treated with such condescension and plots his escape from Earth. The meaning of the story's title comes into play at the end, and it raises the question of what kindness is and how sometimes deception is used in its exercise...
A genetic mutation vastly improves the mental capacity of humans to the point where a new race forms and eventually fights its way to domination over the dwindling remnant of homo sapiens. Danny is the last human as we know it, and the surrounding people try to make his life as meaningful for him as possible. But he cannot stand being treated with such condescension and plots his escape from Earth. The meaning of the story's title comes into play at the end, and it raises the question of what kindness is and how sometimes deception is used in its exercise...
DESERTION by Clifford Simak
Still later in Simak's timetable for his novel City, this story takes place on Jupiter as a new technology, conversion, allows for people to be transformed into a different life form (and back again)...in this case one that is wholly suited to withstand the enormous pressures and completely different chemical structure of Jupiter's atmosphere and surface. Only one problem: they keep sending people, after conversion, out into the Jupiter wilderness but none ever come back. Finally, the man running the station decides to take things into his own hands and along with his pet dog, they together make the conversion and begin their Jovian adventure. If you love dogs, read this story. Heck, even if you don't, read this story!
Still later in Simak's timetable for his novel City, this story takes place on Jupiter as a new technology, conversion, allows for people to be transformed into a different life form (and back again)...in this case one that is wholly suited to withstand the enormous pressures and completely different chemical structure of Jupiter's atmosphere and surface. Only one problem: they keep sending people, after conversion, out into the Jupiter wilderness but none ever come back. Finally, the man running the station decides to take things into his own hands and along with his pet dog, they together make the conversion and begin their Jovian adventure. If you love dogs, read this story. Heck, even if you don't, read this story!
Next week I'll conclude my review of the best in short science fiction from 1944...
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Just Finished Reading Camino Island by John Grisham
Legal fiction writer John Grisham doesn't always write about lawyers, cases, and trials: his 2017 Camino Island is a "case" in point. Five original handwritten manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous books, worth several million dollars, have been stolen in an elaborate plot from Princeton University. The culprits number five, and they experience vastly different fates following the heist. The question that investigators, including the FBI and an independent private organization, have is who possesses the documents now? The private firm, hired by the university's insurer, believes it points to a small bookstore on Camino Island just north of Jacksonville, Florida run by a rare books collector/dealer. They recruit a frustrated young female writer to go to the island, get to know the locals, snoop, and feed back important information. The details I leave to you, the reader, to discover for yourself...
Three things I picked up from Camino Island. The first was that no matter how carefully and meticulous to detail one plans and executes an elaborate crime like the one in the story, people are bound to make mistakes...the thieves here blundered badly in various ways. The second was Grisham's wonderful portrayal of a close-knit community of writers, some successful and some...like Mercer, the protagonist...suffering from writer's block and a lack of confidence. And third, it may well be that the small locally-owned used bookstore may soon be a relic of the past...Gainesville used to have many of them, but now I only know of one in my hometown, although there is a national chain used bookstore as well. On our recent trip to Savannah, with all its antiques and history, we only ran across one as well...at least in the Historic District. Maybe, like the shop on Camino Island (which many think is really Amelia Island), future small bookstores will be run by rare book collectors who sell used books as a side venture...
Camino Island is a good book, not too long and easy to read, with an interesting ending that surprised me a little. Maybe a sequel is in the works...
Three things I picked up from Camino Island. The first was that no matter how carefully and meticulous to detail one plans and executes an elaborate crime like the one in the story, people are bound to make mistakes...the thieves here blundered badly in various ways. The second was Grisham's wonderful portrayal of a close-knit community of writers, some successful and some...like Mercer, the protagonist...suffering from writer's block and a lack of confidence. And third, it may well be that the small locally-owned used bookstore may soon be a relic of the past...Gainesville used to have many of them, but now I only know of one in my hometown, although there is a national chain used bookstore as well. On our recent trip to Savannah, with all its antiques and history, we only ran across one as well...at least in the Historic District. Maybe, like the shop on Camino Island (which many think is really Amelia Island), future small bookstores will be run by rare book collectors who sell used books as a side venture...
Camino Island is a good book, not too long and easy to read, with an interesting ending that surprised me a little. Maybe a sequel is in the works...
Monday, March 18, 2019
More on Starbucks, Schultz, and the Gators
Well, let's see...about yesterday's views on Starbucks, Howard Schultz, and the Florida Gators basketball team, a day has passed and here are some slightly revised opinions...
Regarding Starbucks, they provide a service and product and, like every other company on Earth, have imperfect human beings working there. I get a little taken aback at how pretentious they can be, putting out the high-brow, gentrified image for themselves, but their overpriced drinks are passable and they do provide a decent public setting for customers to sit, either by themselves or with others. I often go there to write, and after yesterday's little hassle about a newspaper...which I mistakenly allowed to anger me...I still plan to stop by from time to time. On the down side, this corporation tends to strangle out of business local coffee shops that might have been better places for me and others to frequent. Maybe I should start going to some of the few that remain...
I still agree with virtually everything I wrote yesterday about former Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz, who is considering...or more accurately, threatening...to run for president as an independent. This action would be a windfall for Donald Trump, who won the presidency in 2016 by a few thousand votes in a tiny number of crucial swing states...Schultz could easily pick up enough votes there tip the scales again in his favor in 2020. Meanwhile the Democratic Party seems determined to portray itself as being completely out of the mainstream of what most Americans want from their elected leaders as their presidential candidates collectively lurch strongly to the left. We Americans need viable candidates in this coming election...within the two major, dominating parties and not as independent spoilers...who represent something more reasonable than what the far left and far right currently offer...
And the Florida Gators made the NCCA basketball tournament! They'll play in the West Regional, seeded #10 and playing Nevada this Thursday evening. If they win two tournament games they will have once again succeeded in reaching the "Sweet Sixteen", but to do that they'll not only have to get by Nevada, but also past Michigan, assuming the Wolverines win their first-round contest as expected...
Regarding Starbucks, they provide a service and product and, like every other company on Earth, have imperfect human beings working there. I get a little taken aback at how pretentious they can be, putting out the high-brow, gentrified image for themselves, but their overpriced drinks are passable and they do provide a decent public setting for customers to sit, either by themselves or with others. I often go there to write, and after yesterday's little hassle about a newspaper...which I mistakenly allowed to anger me...I still plan to stop by from time to time. On the down side, this corporation tends to strangle out of business local coffee shops that might have been better places for me and others to frequent. Maybe I should start going to some of the few that remain...
I still agree with virtually everything I wrote yesterday about former Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz, who is considering...or more accurately, threatening...to run for president as an independent. This action would be a windfall for Donald Trump, who won the presidency in 2016 by a few thousand votes in a tiny number of crucial swing states...Schultz could easily pick up enough votes there tip the scales again in his favor in 2020. Meanwhile the Democratic Party seems determined to portray itself as being completely out of the mainstream of what most Americans want from their elected leaders as their presidential candidates collectively lurch strongly to the left. We Americans need viable candidates in this coming election...within the two major, dominating parties and not as independent spoilers...who represent something more reasonable than what the far left and far right currently offer...
And the Florida Gators made the NCCA basketball tournament! They'll play in the West Regional, seeded #10 and playing Nevada this Thursday evening. If they win two tournament games they will have once again succeeded in reaching the "Sweet Sixteen", but to do that they'll not only have to get by Nevada, but also past Michigan, assuming the Wolverines win their first-round contest as expected...
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Starbucks, Howard Schultz, Gators Hoops
Today, after entering my nearest Starbucks and they refused to sell today's Sunday Gainesville Sun newspaper to me at the clearly-stated price of $2, insisting on ripping me off for $3 instead...after which I most diplomatically replied that they could "keep" it, I'm sitting in the same place...possibly for the last time, here with my overpriced iced coffee, which the McDonalds down the road makes tastier and much more cheaply. No, trying to rip off customers at 50% above stated retail price for something that they didn't even produce may well be the final straw between me and this company that should be nominated for Most Overrated Business of the Universe. It takes a certain mixture of smug arrogance and outright gall to pull that kind of stunt with their loyal customers, whom Starbucks obviously takes for granted...
Well, now that I've got that little peeve out of my system, on to another one. It saddens me that a potential centrist presidential candidate like Starbuck's former CEO Howard Schultz, who appeals to me as generally responsible and ideologically a centrist, feels that neither of the two major political parties that run our political system in this country offers a place for him, his views, and his candidacy. Actually, though, I feel that Schultz might be more welcomed by the Democrats than he imagines, at least by Democratic voters...I certainly would be more receptive to his ideas for America's future. But he's stated that if he runs, it will be as an independent, and as such will more likely syphon away votes from a Democratic nominee than from Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. Sure, by running as an independent candidate Schultz will be able to escape the grueling party primary campaigning that has already begun so early, a year and a half before the election. But were he to run as a Democrat, he would exert a more moderating pull on that party's discussions of the ongoing issues...now it seems the candidates are tripping over each other trying to see how radically leftist they can sound. I could vote for Howard Schultz as a Democrat...even as a Republican...but never as an independent. Like it or not, on the presidential election level we have a two-party system: it's binary, stupid!
Unless I and all of the sports pundits I've heard are somehow tragically mistaken, it looks as if the 2018-19 University of Florida men's basketball team will manage to make the 68-school field of the NCAA major college tournament, the brackets for which will be revealed in a few hours. After a very tough out-of-conference schedule and a very competitive Southeastern Conference regular season, the Gators were 17-14 entering the conference tournament. They made the semifinal round, winning two games before bowing to Auburn in a 65-62 defeat marred by a controversial officiating "non-call" blunder when the Florida player at the end, while taking a three-point shot to tie the score and send the game into overtime, was clearly fouled as three Auburn players converged on him...reminds me of that "non-call" at the end of the Rams-Saints NFL playoff game a few weeks ago...
The upshot of all this is that I want Starbucks to repent of their arrogance, Schultz to wise up and run as a Democrat, and for the Gators to go all the way to the championship...fat chance of any of that happening, though....
********
Later...Starbucks got back to me about the newspaper, stating that marking up the price wasn't their company's policy and wanting to make amends...I accept...still, it's kind of humiliating to be confronted in public at the counter like that and they deserve some rebuke for their arrogance...
Well, now that I've got that little peeve out of my system, on to another one. It saddens me that a potential centrist presidential candidate like Starbuck's former CEO Howard Schultz, who appeals to me as generally responsible and ideologically a centrist, feels that neither of the two major political parties that run our political system in this country offers a place for him, his views, and his candidacy. Actually, though, I feel that Schultz might be more welcomed by the Democrats than he imagines, at least by Democratic voters...I certainly would be more receptive to his ideas for America's future. But he's stated that if he runs, it will be as an independent, and as such will more likely syphon away votes from a Democratic nominee than from Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. Sure, by running as an independent candidate Schultz will be able to escape the grueling party primary campaigning that has already begun so early, a year and a half before the election. But were he to run as a Democrat, he would exert a more moderating pull on that party's discussions of the ongoing issues...now it seems the candidates are tripping over each other trying to see how radically leftist they can sound. I could vote for Howard Schultz as a Democrat...even as a Republican...but never as an independent. Like it or not, on the presidential election level we have a two-party system: it's binary, stupid!
Unless I and all of the sports pundits I've heard are somehow tragically mistaken, it looks as if the 2018-19 University of Florida men's basketball team will manage to make the 68-school field of the NCAA major college tournament, the brackets for which will be revealed in a few hours. After a very tough out-of-conference schedule and a very competitive Southeastern Conference regular season, the Gators were 17-14 entering the conference tournament. They made the semifinal round, winning two games before bowing to Auburn in a 65-62 defeat marred by a controversial officiating "non-call" blunder when the Florida player at the end, while taking a three-point shot to tie the score and send the game into overtime, was clearly fouled as three Auburn players converged on him...reminds me of that "non-call" at the end of the Rams-Saints NFL playoff game a few weeks ago...
The upshot of all this is that I want Starbucks to repent of their arrogance, Schultz to wise up and run as a Democrat, and for the Gators to go all the way to the championship...fat chance of any of that happening, though....
********
Later...Starbucks got back to me about the newspaper, stating that marking up the price wasn't their company's policy and wanting to make amends...I accept...still, it's kind of humiliating to be confronted in public at the counter like that and they deserve some rebuke for their arrogance...
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Ran the Miles for Meridian 5K This Morning
I'm not what you would call an early morning person by any stretch of the imagination, but as a runner I am resigned to the fact that the overwhelming majority of races are held at that time. So this morning I got up about 6:30 and got ready for a Saturday morning race at the Tioga Town Center a few miles west of Gainesville. I had been participating in the Run for Haven 10K event centered around the St. Patrick's Day holiday in March...and happily staged at 4 in the afternoon...but Haven Hospice pulled out last year and Meridian Behavioral Healthcare stepped in as the organization behind it while limiting it to 5K...and changing the time to 8:30 am. Oh well, a tradition is a tradition and I thought this morning would be a good opportunity to keep a mid-March race in Tioga going for me, so I overcame my drowsiness and went out there to run the Miles for Meridian 5K...
.
There were plenty of entrants, from all backgrounds and of all shapes and sizes and genders and age groups. The organizers were extremely courteous as were the businesses that provided food and drink for the participants. The race began and ended just behind the stage at the Tioga Town Center, where there are several stores including a number of restaurants. The run itself went up and down streets in the residential community of Tioga...more or less a level surface if you're careful to watch out for the nearly invisible slow-bumps. I ran a slow pace throughout and finished at 31:14...not very fast but gratifying in that at no point in the run did I have that gagging and coughing issue that had been plaguing my runs recently. Upon crossing the finishing line one volunteer handed me some water and another a cute little participation medal. The weather was perfect: about 67 degrees, 54% humidity, and no precipitation. I'm wondering whether they will post this race's results...I always like to place a link to them here on the blog. And I'm wondering about the older runners and where I stood in relation to them. I'll give 'em a couple more days and if they haven't posted the results I guess I'll email to ask why they haven't...
As for the food and drink provided, it was much scantier than what was available at previous Run for Haven events. A nearby taco restaurant offered free tacos, a deli gave out free coffee, a biscuit eatery had, naturally, biscuits...and another place gave out beer...yes, beer at a little past 9 in the morning: no thanks! But seriously, those things weren't why I went out there...the event organizers can above all demonstrate their respect for the paid entrants by getting down to the business of promptly recording and posting the results...
A few days later: here's a link to the results: [start2finish management]…
.
There were plenty of entrants, from all backgrounds and of all shapes and sizes and genders and age groups. The organizers were extremely courteous as were the businesses that provided food and drink for the participants. The race began and ended just behind the stage at the Tioga Town Center, where there are several stores including a number of restaurants. The run itself went up and down streets in the residential community of Tioga...more or less a level surface if you're careful to watch out for the nearly invisible slow-bumps. I ran a slow pace throughout and finished at 31:14...not very fast but gratifying in that at no point in the run did I have that gagging and coughing issue that had been plaguing my runs recently. Upon crossing the finishing line one volunteer handed me some water and another a cute little participation medal. The weather was perfect: about 67 degrees, 54% humidity, and no precipitation. I'm wondering whether they will post this race's results...I always like to place a link to them here on the blog. And I'm wondering about the older runners and where I stood in relation to them. I'll give 'em a couple more days and if they haven't posted the results I guess I'll email to ask why they haven't...
As for the food and drink provided, it was much scantier than what was available at previous Run for Haven events. A nearby taco restaurant offered free tacos, a deli gave out free coffee, a biscuit eatery had, naturally, biscuits...and another place gave out beer...yes, beer at a little past 9 in the morning: no thanks! But seriously, those things weren't why I went out there...the event organizers can above all demonstrate their respect for the paid entrants by getting down to the business of promptly recording and posting the results...
A few days later: here's a link to the results: [start2finish management]…
Friday, March 15, 2019
Quote of the Week...from Mark Twain
Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason. ---Mark Twain
Within the past year I quoted the great American writer Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) three times...here comes Number Four. Obviously, Mr. Twain had much the same kind of feeling about our elected political leaders more than a hundred years ago that many of us do nowadays...some of them apparently feel that they are automatically entitled to stay in their jobs as long as they want. During Truman's presidency, following the four elections won by Franklin Roosevelt, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting subsequent presidents to two terms. After that, many states and local governments followed suit, placing term limits on various offices...my own city commission has term limits, but the county commission doesn't...and it seems to me that the diapers there are beginning to stink. In the U.S. Congress there are no terms limits, which are especially called for in the House of Representatives where some politicians seem welded to their respective seats. Death and retirement do offer opportunities for "fresh blood" to come in, and election defeats in the more politically divided districts and states can provide some needed turnover as well...although not enough. On the other hand, there has been a pernicious trend in the last few years of more centrist incumbents, strong on responsibility but weak on ideology, being knocked out of reelection races in their own parties' primaries by more extremist candidates. In my opinion this is making it more difficult to get things done effectively with a greater rift resulting between the two major parties. Ted Cruz, the junior Republican senator from Texas and former presidential candidate...and whom I once vilified but now respect...has proposed a Constitutional amendment to limit service in the U.S. Senate to two six-year terms and in the House of Representatives to three two-year terms. That may be a little too limiting...maybe three Senate terms and five in the House would be better...but I can't imagine either the Senate or the House imposing any term limits on themselves...politicians seem to act while in office as if they will always be in office...
Within the past year I quoted the great American writer Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) three times...here comes Number Four. Obviously, Mr. Twain had much the same kind of feeling about our elected political leaders more than a hundred years ago that many of us do nowadays...some of them apparently feel that they are automatically entitled to stay in their jobs as long as they want. During Truman's presidency, following the four elections won by Franklin Roosevelt, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting subsequent presidents to two terms. After that, many states and local governments followed suit, placing term limits on various offices...my own city commission has term limits, but the county commission doesn't...and it seems to me that the diapers there are beginning to stink. In the U.S. Congress there are no terms limits, which are especially called for in the House of Representatives where some politicians seem welded to their respective seats. Death and retirement do offer opportunities for "fresh blood" to come in, and election defeats in the more politically divided districts and states can provide some needed turnover as well...although not enough. On the other hand, there has been a pernicious trend in the last few years of more centrist incumbents, strong on responsibility but weak on ideology, being knocked out of reelection races in their own parties' primaries by more extremist candidates. In my opinion this is making it more difficult to get things done effectively with a greater rift resulting between the two major parties. Ted Cruz, the junior Republican senator from Texas and former presidential candidate...and whom I once vilified but now respect...has proposed a Constitutional amendment to limit service in the U.S. Senate to two six-year terms and in the House of Representatives to three two-year terms. That may be a little too limiting...maybe three Senate terms and five in the House would be better...but I can't imagine either the Senate or the House imposing any term limits on themselves...politicians seem to act while in office as if they will always be in office...
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Start a Radio Station Playing Current Releases of Classic Rock Artists
I've come to a strong realization that there is something seriously amiss with our music industry, and it defies what should be accepted as common sense. You see all these old artists like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Pearl Jam, Rush, and others...whenever they go on concert tours...filling the venue with screaming, riotously enthusiastic and loyal fans. And for the most part these artists continue to produce new music, albeit with their albums spaced a little farther apart then during their glory years. Yet in spite of their continuing popularity, their later musical efforts are rarely promoted or played on the radio, even though the quality of that music often is as good or better than during the times of their biggest hits. Considering the pathetically low level of music that passes nowadays for "hit" status, I have a suggestion for a new station format: like the classic rock stations that are commonly found on the radio dial, begin a station that features artists qualifyng as classic rock acts. But instead of focusing on their few past greatest hits and playing those over and over again, program the music rotation like a current "top 40" station, playing their most current single releases and album tracks. I think this format would be an instant sensation among the classic rock audience and would in kind put some pressure on the present low-standard top 40 stations to raise their own level of quality and begin to promote some of the older artists. Just a thought, what do you think?
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Weekly Short Stories: 1944 Science Fiction, Part 1
I continued this week looking at anthologies celebrating quality science fiction short stories from the past, beginning the year 1944 using the book Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 6 (1944). Today I'll be examining the first five stories appearing in it...
FAR CENTAURUS by A.E. van Vogt
The first human space mission to the Alpha Centauri star system, our nearest star besides the sun, takes hundreds of years with the astronauts, nearly all the time in suspended animation, alternating waking every few decades of flight in order to document the mission's progress and to make necessary adjustments and maintenance repairs. After discovering that one of them had died while asleep, the protagonist begins to suspect that another of his crew is beginning to go insane. As his waking shifts progress and they approach Alpha Centauri, the drama increases until... This is one of those stories that imply that we'll eventually figure out a practical way to overcome the speed of light as an obstacle to space travel...good luck with that, while fifty years after the first moon landing we're just flying around in low Earth orbit (something that I'm hoping will change pretty soon)...
DEADLINE by Cleve Cartmill
Remember that this is 1944, the year before the very secretive Manhattan Project developed and perfected a working atomic bomb, soon to be exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But Cartmill produced this story in rather graphic detail of how nuclear fission needed to be controlled in order to produce a viable explosion...his story prompted a visit to his editor by "authorities" concerned with a possible security breach. But the story then delves into speculation that the very explosion of such a device would cause chain reactions that would eventually envelop and destroy the entire planet...whew, I'm at least glad that didn't happen in real life...yet...
THE VEIL OF ASTELLAR by Leigh Brackett
Many years ago I saw a movie, titled Little Big Man, in which an orphaned white settler boy in the late 1800s, adopted by a Cheyenne tribe after his family was ambush by other Indians, grows up with a dual sense of identity...and eventually feels himself to be a traitor to both his Indian and white selves as he tries to negotiate his way through an irreconcilable conflict between the two warring sides. The Veil of Astellar is like that as a space explorer finds himself abducted by a predatory alien race and adopted into its culture...and now he has to ensnare his fellow humans for their purposes. A lot of soul searching here and a compelling tale...
SANITY by Fritz Leiber
Although it's been established that there is a strong case for a physical component to mental illness, many years ago...and to some nowadays as well...it was believed that being "insane" was a relative term denoting the inability of someone to adapt to whatever norms the current society imposed. In Sanity, this notion is used as ambitious bureaucrat, having clawed his way to what he thinks is the most powerful position in the world, enacts one directive after another mandating how people must live and classifying those who don't abide by them as being insane. How the others react to this is how the author slyly twisted the meaning of "insanity" to where, all things considered, I thought that he was more concerned with "nonconformity" than with mental illness. I did love the elevator scene at the end, though...that dude was thoroughly freaked out!
INVARIANT by John R. Pierce
Only five pages long, this was by far the shortest story in the book. Pierce made a great observation about biological regeneration and how other organisms...like salamanders...can completely grow back limbs and other body parts identical to the ones they lost. What if there existed a way to alter our own biology that would impart that capacity to ourselves? Sounds great, but in these very few pages the author dispelled that dream by revealing what should be an obvious...but very serious...side effect...
Next week I'll cover more great short science fiction from 1944, including three amazing stories written by the great Clifford Simak...
FAR CENTAURUS by A.E. van Vogt
The first human space mission to the Alpha Centauri star system, our nearest star besides the sun, takes hundreds of years with the astronauts, nearly all the time in suspended animation, alternating waking every few decades of flight in order to document the mission's progress and to make necessary adjustments and maintenance repairs. After discovering that one of them had died while asleep, the protagonist begins to suspect that another of his crew is beginning to go insane. As his waking shifts progress and they approach Alpha Centauri, the drama increases until... This is one of those stories that imply that we'll eventually figure out a practical way to overcome the speed of light as an obstacle to space travel...good luck with that, while fifty years after the first moon landing we're just flying around in low Earth orbit (something that I'm hoping will change pretty soon)...
DEADLINE by Cleve Cartmill
Remember that this is 1944, the year before the very secretive Manhattan Project developed and perfected a working atomic bomb, soon to be exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But Cartmill produced this story in rather graphic detail of how nuclear fission needed to be controlled in order to produce a viable explosion...his story prompted a visit to his editor by "authorities" concerned with a possible security breach. But the story then delves into speculation that the very explosion of such a device would cause chain reactions that would eventually envelop and destroy the entire planet...whew, I'm at least glad that didn't happen in real life...yet...
THE VEIL OF ASTELLAR by Leigh Brackett
Many years ago I saw a movie, titled Little Big Man, in which an orphaned white settler boy in the late 1800s, adopted by a Cheyenne tribe after his family was ambush by other Indians, grows up with a dual sense of identity...and eventually feels himself to be a traitor to both his Indian and white selves as he tries to negotiate his way through an irreconcilable conflict between the two warring sides. The Veil of Astellar is like that as a space explorer finds himself abducted by a predatory alien race and adopted into its culture...and now he has to ensnare his fellow humans for their purposes. A lot of soul searching here and a compelling tale...
SANITY by Fritz Leiber
Although it's been established that there is a strong case for a physical component to mental illness, many years ago...and to some nowadays as well...it was believed that being "insane" was a relative term denoting the inability of someone to adapt to whatever norms the current society imposed. In Sanity, this notion is used as ambitious bureaucrat, having clawed his way to what he thinks is the most powerful position in the world, enacts one directive after another mandating how people must live and classifying those who don't abide by them as being insane. How the others react to this is how the author slyly twisted the meaning of "insanity" to where, all things considered, I thought that he was more concerned with "nonconformity" than with mental illness. I did love the elevator scene at the end, though...that dude was thoroughly freaked out!
INVARIANT by John R. Pierce
Only five pages long, this was by far the shortest story in the book. Pierce made a great observation about biological regeneration and how other organisms...like salamanders...can completely grow back limbs and other body parts identical to the ones they lost. What if there existed a way to alter our own biology that would impart that capacity to ourselves? Sounds great, but in these very few pages the author dispelled that dream by revealing what should be an obvious...but very serious...side effect...
Next week I'll cover more great short science fiction from 1944, including three amazing stories written by the great Clifford Simak...
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Just Finished Reading L. Frank Baum's 5th and 6th Oz Books
I think L. Frank Baum wrote something on the order of twelve books on the magical kingdom of Oz, along with spinoff short stories...plus, others have authored additional books on Oz. I just read the fifth and sixth books of Baum's series, respectively titled The Road to Oz and The Emerald City of Oz. The original protagonist Dorothy is prominent in both books as well as her faithful dog Toto...and in the latter her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry play major parts. How Dorothy enters and leaves the magical land of Oz is different for each book. In The Road to Oz she is walking with Toto along a country road in Kansas not too far from home when she encounters a friendly wanderer, the Shaggy Man. Apparently not up-to-date with the present-day injunction against speaking to strangers, she contrives to show him the way to avoid a certain town where the Shaggy Man claims lives a man who owes him money...and he doesn't want it back, so he's avoiding the place, if you can make any sense of that. They walk a short distance and then realize that they're no longer in Kansas...and run into interesting characters like a little boy named Button-Bright who answers almost every question with "I don't know" and Polychrome, a girl whose father is the rainbow king and got lost at one of the rainbow's ends when it disappeared. You know they're going to end up in Oz because, well...look at the book's title. In Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy's Uncle and Aunt are about to lose their farm to creditors and she implores Queen Ozma of Oz for help. Meanwhile, the evil Nome king plots to invade and wipe out Oz with a devious plan involving a tunnel. I liked this book more of the two because it actually contains an element of suspense. At the end, it is implied that this might be the final book of the series, but before too long Baum continued it with another installment...I intend to keep on reading...
The dialog in these Oz stories is simple, funny, and "punny", Baum often having a lot of fun playing around with words and dual meanings. There is real educational value in these books for children without the reader even aware that he or she is learning anything. I don't know why they aren't used more in schools...sure, they're about a century old, but the characters transcend time. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in this fantasy children's saga...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
