I try! Believe me, I really really try.
But I just can't get myself to swallow all the spoon-fed pablum that seems to be the primary diet of right wing religious fanatics and far right conservatives.
I mean, talk about an unhealthy diet. I get a stomach ache reading the stuff, and the labels I'd put on it would not pass muster at the department of food and drugs.
Now... I confess; I also have some major bones to pick with those who play way out in left field. I'm a nice guy and I'm in favor of a helping hand. But, at some point folks need to demonstrate the willingness to stand on their own two feet.
I'm a registered independent. My pragmatic nature requires empirical thinking. The theoretical is based on guesswork and conjecture. It works well in science fiction but falls short of being factual or even applicable in most instances. I tend to give more attention to planning than conducting. If I stray from practical thought it's in deciding if demonstrable conclusions are worth pursuing.
It's clear to me that separation of church and state was intended by our founders. It's also a wise idea. Religion belongs in the home. It's an individual and family matter. It's a choice; no more or less deserving than any other personal choice. Crying about where God can or cannot be displayed rings hollow. Both sides have overstepped reasonable boundries. While I don't subscribe to the concept of an omnipotent creator, I married a devote christian and we blended well. It's a simple matter of allowing individuality as opposed to foisting beliefs on others. My spirituality belongs to me.
It's also clear... to me, that government is too big. It's also clear, to me, that won't change without a major revolution, at least not soon; and it's not a practical solution. That kinda puts us in deep do-do. I hope Mr. Obama has a big shovel. He is, at least, a ray of sunshine peeking through the gunmetal gray clouds that have lingered for the past eight years. He was't my first choice. But he was and is a better alternative than the other choices provided.
I don't need my government to be my big brother. I already have one and he's a pretty cool guy, thank you very much. Nor do I need my government inventing excuses and/or lies to play world cops as a way of filling the coffers of corporations and cronies. Forcing a redistribution of wealth is not the answer. But neither is widening the divide. In a free enterprise society one must wonder why failing companies are thrown a life raft by government. Would a mom and pop business receive the same consideration?
Yes .... 911 was a tragedy. And yes we need to be alert to attacks at home. But I've seen more illusions, at Disney's Fantasyland, that are far more believable than Bush and company's theatrics and scare tactics cloaked in pretence.
My country, and the world, is in an economic slide. We have an outgoing president to thank for much, but not all of it. I have not seen such incompetence in Washington since the mid 60's. I have no doubt Mr. GW Bush will go down in history as our most incompetent president. He was no Ronald Reagan and certainly no JFK.
I try to stay away from political and religious skirmishes. I don't always succeed. I've had my say and I'm hoping for better days ahead.
28 December 2008
24 December 2008
Dino DNA?
The death, this year, of Jurassic Park creator, Michael Crichton brought a couple things to mind: First, that I have all the movies and it would be fun to rewatch them; and second, memories of my first year in college... when I thought I wanted to be a geologist and discover ancient digs revealing earth's history.
That thought vanished pretty quick as the more I learned the more I became disallusioned with how much we really don't know and frustrated over how we got there, with nary an answer in sight. I dropped the class after one semester and long since put those frustrations behind me. But, these days I have too much time on my hands and I enjoy exploring useless topics. And so... here I go, off to my own little Jurassic Park.
Unlike Michael Crichton's, my Dinoland is not overrun by giant scaly lizards and winged meat eaters created by hollywoods finest. Instead, I chose to build it with what we really have .... a bone, billions of fossil fragments and lots of great imagination that creates myriad theories, which have given rise to exact replicas to more than 1200 dinosaurs of various sizes and temperments. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that big T-Rex at the museum came from a manmade mold.
I'm laughing here, but check it out. That is really all we have. Well... I take that back. We do have some confirmed uncoverings of fraud. Disgraced scientists who got caught seeding digs to win research money. All this doesn't make my Jurassic Park nearly as exciting as Michael Crichton's, but it is interesting.
As I often say, I am inflicted with pragmatism. Back when I took that class, one requirement for success, according to my professor, was that I change my way of thinking. "There is no room in discovery for pragmatism," I was told. "Think circular," he said, "if you want to be successful".
Now... circular thinking is pretty simple. I liked that part because Im a simple kind of guy. The problem is, one gets caught up on the circumference of that circle going 'round and 'round and 'round. It's a real dizzy experience. If your ride happens upon a promising fossil you get to stop spinning and do some real work, figuring out what it is and how old it is, as well as the age of any surrounding earth. That's where the real genius of circular thinking comes into play. To determine the age of the fossil you need only determine the age of the surrounding rocks. To get the age of the rocks you simply figure out the age of the fossil. One confirms the other. Duh?
That task completed it becomes time to theorize a number of scenarios that paint a picture of what you think you found and how it lived. No problem. Just get back aboard that circular merry-go-round. As you're spinning, glance out at the world around you and select a currently living animal that closely fits the one in your fossil scenario. Reach out and grab it, like that brass ring... and presto, Gumbysaurus is born. The idea being that since we really don't have a clue, it's reasonable to conclude that like animals had like habits over the ages.
The only thing left is to put it all together, real scientific like, and present it to someone in authority who will buy into your dizzy creation. That shouldn't be too hard since he probably has his own circle. Like minds, spinning around the edge of a circle, reach like conclusions.
As if all this is not enough, all this likeness opens many doors to new and exciting dino scenarios that must also be true... at least from the confines of your circle.
That thought vanished pretty quick as the more I learned the more I became disallusioned with how much we really don't know and frustrated over how we got there, with nary an answer in sight. I dropped the class after one semester and long since put those frustrations behind me. But, these days I have too much time on my hands and I enjoy exploring useless topics. And so... here I go, off to my own little Jurassic Park.
Unlike Michael Crichton's, my Dinoland is not overrun by giant scaly lizards and winged meat eaters created by hollywoods finest. Instead, I chose to build it with what we really have .... a bone, billions of fossil fragments and lots of great imagination that creates myriad theories, which have given rise to exact replicas to more than 1200 dinosaurs of various sizes and temperments. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that big T-Rex at the museum came from a manmade mold.
I'm laughing here, but check it out. That is really all we have. Well... I take that back. We do have some confirmed uncoverings of fraud. Disgraced scientists who got caught seeding digs to win research money. All this doesn't make my Jurassic Park nearly as exciting as Michael Crichton's, but it is interesting.
As I often say, I am inflicted with pragmatism. Back when I took that class, one requirement for success, according to my professor, was that I change my way of thinking. "There is no room in discovery for pragmatism," I was told. "Think circular," he said, "if you want to be successful".
Now... circular thinking is pretty simple. I liked that part because Im a simple kind of guy. The problem is, one gets caught up on the circumference of that circle going 'round and 'round and 'round. It's a real dizzy experience. If your ride happens upon a promising fossil you get to stop spinning and do some real work, figuring out what it is and how old it is, as well as the age of any surrounding earth. That's where the real genius of circular thinking comes into play. To determine the age of the fossil you need only determine the age of the surrounding rocks. To get the age of the rocks you simply figure out the age of the fossil. One confirms the other. Duh?
That task completed it becomes time to theorize a number of scenarios that paint a picture of what you think you found and how it lived. No problem. Just get back aboard that circular merry-go-round. As you're spinning, glance out at the world around you and select a currently living animal that closely fits the one in your fossil scenario. Reach out and grab it, like that brass ring... and presto, Gumbysaurus is born. The idea being that since we really don't have a clue, it's reasonable to conclude that like animals had like habits over the ages.
The only thing left is to put it all together, real scientific like, and present it to someone in authority who will buy into your dizzy creation. That shouldn't be too hard since he probably has his own circle. Like minds, spinning around the edge of a circle, reach like conclusions.
As if all this is not enough, all this likeness opens many doors to new and exciting dino scenarios that must also be true... at least from the confines of your circle.
19 December 2008
Truth is Elusive
One of the nice things about being retired is the abundance of available time. Time to explore the things that silently pass us by in our obsession with managing the day to day toils of work, play, relationships, and other mundane contrivances of "modern man".
Ensconced in our "Me" world, and all that surviving it requires, we get mentally lazy. The result, in large measure, is a degree of unquieted faith. We blindly trust strangers to give us information and we gladly accept their conclusions ... all too often without question. It must be true ... because he/she is an academic scholar or a member of the clergy. Truth is blurred by our ignorance and our lack of time or interest in questioning or focusing for ourselves. I mean... why bother, when we can pick up a book or google it. Notwithstanding myriad opinions and contradicting discoveries, we have a tendency to go with whatever sounds best to us. It feels good ... hence it must be true.
I find that strange.
I also find it strange how easily the masses accept theories and hypotheses as fact; passing them along as reality. The result? Much of what we think we know is not factual at all. But it gives us a sense of intellect and knowing; and in this fast paced world that seems to be good enough. Besides... we're too busy to question or it's really not important.
The difficulty in all this is that once fiction morphs into fact it is almost impossible for the real truth to be accepted. Change history? How dare you!
For me ... a fact is something that is true - ALWAYS. Anything less is a theory, idea, or possibility. Give me evidence of a single instance of a fact straying from ALWAYS and it becomes a "sometimes occurrence" with new possible answers. Truth is elusive.
Ensconced in our "Me" world, and all that surviving it requires, we get mentally lazy. The result, in large measure, is a degree of unquieted faith. We blindly trust strangers to give us information and we gladly accept their conclusions ... all too often without question. It must be true ... because he/she is an academic scholar or a member of the clergy. Truth is blurred by our ignorance and our lack of time or interest in questioning or focusing for ourselves. I mean... why bother, when we can pick up a book or google it. Notwithstanding myriad opinions and contradicting discoveries, we have a tendency to go with whatever sounds best to us. It feels good ... hence it must be true.
I find that strange.
I also find it strange how easily the masses accept theories and hypotheses as fact; passing them along as reality. The result? Much of what we think we know is not factual at all. But it gives us a sense of intellect and knowing; and in this fast paced world that seems to be good enough. Besides... we're too busy to question or it's really not important.
The difficulty in all this is that once fiction morphs into fact it is almost impossible for the real truth to be accepted. Change history? How dare you!
For me ... a fact is something that is true - ALWAYS. Anything less is a theory, idea, or possibility. Give me evidence of a single instance of a fact straying from ALWAYS and it becomes a "sometimes occurrence" with new possible answers. Truth is elusive.
04 December 2008
Got A Minute?
TIME - a fundamental quantity present throughout the known universe -- and beyond.
So, what about this elusive concept called time?
My theory:
Before time, there was nothing. "Time is the single continuum that witnessed the birth of space, in which all else came to be."
Poets lose themselves in time, searching for words to describe it. Ivy Schex's To Everything There is a Season, allots time to every event and purpose under the Sun; as defined in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.
Scientists attempt to warp it, bend it, break it, slow it down and speed it up; all to no avail. Time is everywhere, and nowhere. The one universal constant that invokes itself in all that is, ever was... and ever will be. Time is the one true god. For, even if there exists an omnipresent entity that created all there is, he/she/it would have been preceded by Time, if only for a moment.
We divide time up like so many slices of pie, to give order to our lives. Along the way, we abuse it, misuse it and, often, lose it; unconcerned that we can't get it back. We buy time, sell time, rent time and waste time. Sort of like I'm doing here. Yet, time goes on... unaffected.
We have learned to measure time, yet we have never viewed it's outer reaches. The further we travel through time, the further away time travels. We sometimes speak of the end of time, but time has no end. Before anything else, there was time. After all else is gone, only time will remain.
Because all else happens, in time - time, by its nature, reveals a structure. Time has infinite length, width, breadth, depth, and weight; and embraces an as yet unnamed fifth dimension. Perhaps, also, dimensions not yet imagined.
We speak of saving time... yet time moves on, with or without us. We look foward in time and backward in time. We can't see it, feel it, or slow it down. Yet, we travel through time unimpeded.
Time belongs to no one... and everyone.
That said, it's time to end this discourse and thank you for your time.
... and so it goes.
So, what about this elusive concept called time?
My theory:
Before time, there was nothing. "Time is the single continuum that witnessed the birth of space, in which all else came to be."
Poets lose themselves in time, searching for words to describe it. Ivy Schex's To Everything There is a Season, allots time to every event and purpose under the Sun; as defined in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.
Scientists attempt to warp it, bend it, break it, slow it down and speed it up; all to no avail. Time is everywhere, and nowhere. The one universal constant that invokes itself in all that is, ever was... and ever will be. Time is the one true god. For, even if there exists an omnipresent entity that created all there is, he/she/it would have been preceded by Time, if only for a moment.
We divide time up like so many slices of pie, to give order to our lives. Along the way, we abuse it, misuse it and, often, lose it; unconcerned that we can't get it back. We buy time, sell time, rent time and waste time. Sort of like I'm doing here. Yet, time goes on... unaffected.
We have learned to measure time, yet we have never viewed it's outer reaches. The further we travel through time, the further away time travels. We sometimes speak of the end of time, but time has no end. Before anything else, there was time. After all else is gone, only time will remain.
Because all else happens, in time - time, by its nature, reveals a structure. Time has infinite length, width, breadth, depth, and weight; and embraces an as yet unnamed fifth dimension. Perhaps, also, dimensions not yet imagined.
We speak of saving time... yet time moves on, with or without us. We look foward in time and backward in time. We can't see it, feel it, or slow it down. Yet, we travel through time unimpeded.
Time belongs to no one... and everyone.
That said, it's time to end this discourse and thank you for your time.
... and so it goes.
10 November 2008
The Resilience of Man, Part II
Unless and until some supernatural phenomena presents itself to prove otherwise, there is one undebatable truth about each of us: We are born of circumstances. We do not choose our birth parents, our country of origin, our race or our birth condition. And ... we are each born with "free will" which, at some point in our lives we may, or may not, choose to employ. This is true of every human born.
What also appears to be true is that some are born with more abilities than others, regardless of birth circumstance. Intellegence and skills are, for whatever the reason (some say genes), more prevelent in some than others. Some choose to tap into these abilities, others do not. Mankind appears to allow those who utilize their pronounced abilities to control them in some way. Hence, we are, in different times and places, presented with tyrants, dictators, Kings, Chiefs, Presidents and the like. In some historical accounts mankind has allowed such leaders and pseudo-leaders as a matter of birth right regardless of their abilities. Historically, the masses succumb to some form of rule, be it of their choosing or by force. Also, historically, as some social groups (or countries) grow they tend to foist their way of life on others, as the best way to live. Out of this mankind has become embroiled in a history of war ... killing his own kind to obtain and maintain rule. Along the way, the atrocities that mankind is capable of inflicting on his victims have no barriers.
At different times and places man's resilience allows him to rebound from these self-inflicted attrocities and start anew, but... caught up in his own desires and greed he falls back to his historical roots of war, leaving one to wonder if man's inhumanity to man is the natural order of life... and death, inherited from the chaotic universe in which we live.
To be sure... our finite universe is in constant chaos, albeit one of expansion accompanied by beauty and magnificents such that mankind could never master short of his imagination; complete with direction and defined purpose... something that mankind appears to lack.
Some say that mankind is affected by the gravitational pull the moon exacts on earth's tides (lunetics?). Could the far away birth and death of stars, with its chaos and turmoil, also exact an effect on mankind? Are we in some way connected to these events? Does the cycle of passing comets and nearby astroids affect our demeanor and decisions? Are we one with the universe in which we live?
... to be continued
What also appears to be true is that some are born with more abilities than others, regardless of birth circumstance. Intellegence and skills are, for whatever the reason (some say genes), more prevelent in some than others. Some choose to tap into these abilities, others do not. Mankind appears to allow those who utilize their pronounced abilities to control them in some way. Hence, we are, in different times and places, presented with tyrants, dictators, Kings, Chiefs, Presidents and the like. In some historical accounts mankind has allowed such leaders and pseudo-leaders as a matter of birth right regardless of their abilities. Historically, the masses succumb to some form of rule, be it of their choosing or by force. Also, historically, as some social groups (or countries) grow they tend to foist their way of life on others, as the best way to live. Out of this mankind has become embroiled in a history of war ... killing his own kind to obtain and maintain rule. Along the way, the atrocities that mankind is capable of inflicting on his victims have no barriers.
At different times and places man's resilience allows him to rebound from these self-inflicted attrocities and start anew, but... caught up in his own desires and greed he falls back to his historical roots of war, leaving one to wonder if man's inhumanity to man is the natural order of life... and death, inherited from the chaotic universe in which we live.
To be sure... our finite universe is in constant chaos, albeit one of expansion accompanied by beauty and magnificents such that mankind could never master short of his imagination; complete with direction and defined purpose... something that mankind appears to lack.
Some say that mankind is affected by the gravitational pull the moon exacts on earth's tides (lunetics?). Could the far away birth and death of stars, with its chaos and turmoil, also exact an effect on mankind? Are we in some way connected to these events? Does the cycle of passing comets and nearby astroids affect our demeanor and decisions? Are we one with the universe in which we live?
... to be continued
The Resilience of Man, In Spite of Himself - Part I
I am a student of life. More narrowly, the history of (hu)mankind. It seems a natural thing to study given my membership in this grandiose segment of existence, in a Universe rife with contradictions.
Given man's history, I have concluded that we have either been endowed with a resilience that keeps us going despite ourselves, or whatever great force scripted us into the universal plan has a morbid sense of humor and an enduring threshold for pain. The kind of pain that comes from repeatedly watching the human race succumb to it's belief that, of all the wonders of the universe, we are the chosen. And as such, we are free to heap our impunity on one another in search of individual or special interest group superiority. The reality, of course, is that we are but a twinkle in the universal macrocosm. Outside of an unknown grander plan, our existence is important only to ourselves.
One can only speculate on the inter-relationships of the first human societies. Bible stories give us clues about early human life, but they remain debatable and dependent on one's faith as to which to believe and the true nature of their origins. That, in and of itself, has spawned much of man's inhumanity to man and continues to be a hotbed of confrontations, as myriad religions vie to be the chosen way... readily accusing each other of fraud.
The masses are pliable. Over eons, they have continued to migrate to that which either brings them less pain or offers more answers to their needs, at any given time. The fickle nature of mankind has always and continues to exist.
There remains conflicting thoughts as to the origins of man. Darwinism, which claims man evolved from a "lower" form of animal, some 4 billion, or so, years ago. Creationism, professes that man was created, in His image, by the One superior Being, which has always existed and created the whole Universe from His thoughts. This just a few thousand years ago. More recently, in an effort to meld the two thoughts, the thinking of some has led to a new belief called Intelligent Design; holding that this One Being created life and infused it with evolution to correct the imperfections that would surely be revealed along the way, to its final perfection.
The truth is that no one really knows the origins of life and it's a good bet that we will never know. It's also a good bet that we will continue to argue the point and heap accusations of fallacy on each other until the last flicker of life is extinguished... perhaps by mankind himself.
This may all sound like a defeatest view of existence. That could be because, whether we chosee to accept it or not, defeatism is the one true consistancy in mankind's history. The rise and fall of kingdoms, dynasties, countries and ideas, fueled by warring peoples each proclaiming their way to be best for all; each proclaiming the one true God is on their team.
In the midst of the chaos, our risilience allows us to carve out our individual or collective niche designed to achieve what we each, in our time, see as our purpose and fit it into the scheme of life afforded us.
... to be continued.
Given man's history, I have concluded that we have either been endowed with a resilience that keeps us going despite ourselves, or whatever great force scripted us into the universal plan has a morbid sense of humor and an enduring threshold for pain. The kind of pain that comes from repeatedly watching the human race succumb to it's belief that, of all the wonders of the universe, we are the chosen. And as such, we are free to heap our impunity on one another in search of individual or special interest group superiority. The reality, of course, is that we are but a twinkle in the universal macrocosm. Outside of an unknown grander plan, our existence is important only to ourselves.
One can only speculate on the inter-relationships of the first human societies. Bible stories give us clues about early human life, but they remain debatable and dependent on one's faith as to which to believe and the true nature of their origins. That, in and of itself, has spawned much of man's inhumanity to man and continues to be a hotbed of confrontations, as myriad religions vie to be the chosen way... readily accusing each other of fraud.
The masses are pliable. Over eons, they have continued to migrate to that which either brings them less pain or offers more answers to their needs, at any given time. The fickle nature of mankind has always and continues to exist.
There remains conflicting thoughts as to the origins of man. Darwinism, which claims man evolved from a "lower" form of animal, some 4 billion, or so, years ago. Creationism, professes that man was created, in His image, by the One superior Being, which has always existed and created the whole Universe from His thoughts. This just a few thousand years ago. More recently, in an effort to meld the two thoughts, the thinking of some has led to a new belief called Intelligent Design; holding that this One Being created life and infused it with evolution to correct the imperfections that would surely be revealed along the way, to its final perfection.
The truth is that no one really knows the origins of life and it's a good bet that we will never know. It's also a good bet that we will continue to argue the point and heap accusations of fallacy on each other until the last flicker of life is extinguished... perhaps by mankind himself.
This may all sound like a defeatest view of existence. That could be because, whether we chosee to accept it or not, defeatism is the one true consistancy in mankind's history. The rise and fall of kingdoms, dynasties, countries and ideas, fueled by warring peoples each proclaiming their way to be best for all; each proclaiming the one true God is on their team.
In the midst of the chaos, our risilience allows us to carve out our individual or collective niche designed to achieve what we each, in our time, see as our purpose and fit it into the scheme of life afforded us.
... to be continued.
Sojourn into fantasy: Disney World
Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. - from the book, Johnathan Livingston Seagull
The thing about DisneyWorld is, there are no limitations. Flying like a seagull or soaring like an eagle is common place. The difference is, unlike looking with understanding, the mind's borders are breached by imagination ... where anything is possible.
Carl Sagan said, "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."
I go to DisneyWorld once or twice a month. It's my escape from the Briarpatch. A bailing out; a temporary flight of fantasy from the trappings of man. It is the gentler side of reality. Second only to escaping into the magnanimus depths of the universe; the birthplace of imagination.
The thing about DisneyWorld is, there are no limitations. Flying like a seagull or soaring like an eagle is common place. The difference is, unlike looking with understanding, the mind's borders are breached by imagination ... where anything is possible.
Carl Sagan said, "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."
I go to DisneyWorld once or twice a month. It's my escape from the Briarpatch. A bailing out; a temporary flight of fantasy from the trappings of man. It is the gentler side of reality. Second only to escaping into the magnanimus depths of the universe; the birthplace of imagination.
01 November 2008
The Wild West ... Just another episode in the minds of men?
The wild west spawned legends, myths and stories of notorious badmen (and women) that have taken myriad twists and turns, depending on who's telling the story. Jesse James, the Dalton Gang, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Billy the Kid, Etta Place, Belle Star, the Younger Gang, Archie Clement ... the list goes on.
Truth is, most of these villainous characters were little more than half-witted petty theives, or obsessed with revenge over some misguided cause, with no direction in life short of an early grave. Their celebrity was born out of a burning need to counter a labourious and otherwise boring life-style, of the times, that was satisfied by the "dime novel", which brought fiction and folklore to reality and made heroes of outlaws... in the minds of readers.
It's a common thread woven into larger than life stories dating back to biblical times, when stories shaped the minds of men, and stretching the truth gave hope where hope was absent and secreted desires mired in man's imagination made heroes of cowards. Plato's laws of attraction or "affinity" decribes the phenomena as well as any ... we like people for their qualities but we love them for their defects. Defects that we deny in ourselves, but secretly ascribe.
So, what is the truth about these infamous and scandalous desperados? Were the badmen and law breakers of the wild west really all that bad? Or, were many of their exploits justified, to some extent, by a higher law ... survival? Do you really want to know? Come with me as I explore the veracity and uncover the real facts about the characters of western folklore.
Truth is, most of these villainous characters were little more than half-witted petty theives, or obsessed with revenge over some misguided cause, with no direction in life short of an early grave. Their celebrity was born out of a burning need to counter a labourious and otherwise boring life-style, of the times, that was satisfied by the "dime novel", which brought fiction and folklore to reality and made heroes of outlaws... in the minds of readers.
It's a common thread woven into larger than life stories dating back to biblical times, when stories shaped the minds of men, and stretching the truth gave hope where hope was absent and secreted desires mired in man's imagination made heroes of cowards. Plato's laws of attraction or "affinity" decribes the phenomena as well as any ... we like people for their qualities but we love them for their defects. Defects that we deny in ourselves, but secretly ascribe.
So, what is the truth about these infamous and scandalous desperados? Were the badmen and law breakers of the wild west really all that bad? Or, were many of their exploits justified, to some extent, by a higher law ... survival? Do you really want to know? Come with me as I explore the veracity and uncover the real facts about the characters of western folklore.
31 October 2008
Win some, lose some.
So ... I'm out playing golf with my good friend, Bowser. He declares that, "Today is my day. I own this golf course." Yeah... right, I thought to myself.
Hole 1 is a 363 yd Par 4. It's pretty basic. A few undulations in the fairway. A sand bunker to the left back of the green. The green is fairly fast, with two levels.I hit a 258 yd drive off the tee... placed a 7 iron shot three feet from the cup and sank my birdie. Good start for a duffer like me. Bowser wacks a 308 yard drive and chips in for an Eagle. I'm 1 under and one down. Yuck.
The second hole is a nice little 161 yard Par 3. The Tee is elevated forty feet above the fairway. Three bunkers sit to the left of the green. Not a nice place.I'm thinking ... 2 iron. I know, good golfers would opt for somewhere around an 8 iron. But, hey... this is me. Anyway, I connect my drive real sweet and the ball carries the upper level of the green and floats down toward the hole, stopping eight inches from finding it's mark. Tap-in birdie. I'm 2 under. Unimpressive and undramatic since my good friend, Bowser hit a Hole-in-One. He's now 4 under after two holes. I'm beginning to believe he does own the golf course.
Hole 3 is another Par 4. It's 343 yards and doglegs left. Sand traps travel almost the length of the fairway down the left side. Sand bunkers to the left front and right rear of the green. No problem, I'm thinking. Just stay in the fairway. Wack! I hit the ball toward the left, hoping to cut the corner. Just when I think I might find sand the wind... blowing about 7 mph from the left, pushes my ball into the fairway and it stops at 265 yards. A short 9 iron puts me in putting range. Sinking my putt, I'm all over myself with pride. Three holes.... three birdies. Oh... did I mention my good friend Bowser's Eagle, AGAIN!
So.. we've play three holes. I'm 3 under Par and my good friend, Bowser is 6 under Par. I don't mind getting beat at golf. Especially by a good player, and when I'm having a good game. But this is taking getting beat to a different level. I was getting buried.
The day's young... I thought silently, as I drove the ball 285 yards downwind on the 477 yard Par 5 fourth hole. Working my way out of the rough, I managed to save Par. Bowser? No... he didn't get another Eagle, but he did birdie to go 7 under.
The wind picked-up as we drove to the 5th hole, a 355 yard Par 4. It was blowing somewhere around 15 to 20 mph. Could be that's why we both boggied... or maybe our stroke of luck was fading away.
By the time we reached the 9th it was raining and time to call it a day. My good friend, Bowser, finished the nine holes 8 under Par. It was indeed his day.
That's the way it is in my world... and so it goes.
Hole 1 is a 363 yd Par 4. It's pretty basic. A few undulations in the fairway. A sand bunker to the left back of the green. The green is fairly fast, with two levels.I hit a 258 yd drive off the tee... placed a 7 iron shot three feet from the cup and sank my birdie. Good start for a duffer like me. Bowser wacks a 308 yard drive and chips in for an Eagle. I'm 1 under and one down. Yuck.
The second hole is a nice little 161 yard Par 3. The Tee is elevated forty feet above the fairway. Three bunkers sit to the left of the green. Not a nice place.I'm thinking ... 2 iron. I know, good golfers would opt for somewhere around an 8 iron. But, hey... this is me. Anyway, I connect my drive real sweet and the ball carries the upper level of the green and floats down toward the hole, stopping eight inches from finding it's mark. Tap-in birdie. I'm 2 under. Unimpressive and undramatic since my good friend, Bowser hit a Hole-in-One. He's now 4 under after two holes. I'm beginning to believe he does own the golf course.
Hole 3 is another Par 4. It's 343 yards and doglegs left. Sand traps travel almost the length of the fairway down the left side. Sand bunkers to the left front and right rear of the green. No problem, I'm thinking. Just stay in the fairway. Wack! I hit the ball toward the left, hoping to cut the corner. Just when I think I might find sand the wind... blowing about 7 mph from the left, pushes my ball into the fairway and it stops at 265 yards. A short 9 iron puts me in putting range. Sinking my putt, I'm all over myself with pride. Three holes.... three birdies. Oh... did I mention my good friend Bowser's Eagle, AGAIN!
So.. we've play three holes. I'm 3 under Par and my good friend, Bowser is 6 under Par. I don't mind getting beat at golf. Especially by a good player, and when I'm having a good game. But this is taking getting beat to a different level. I was getting buried.
The day's young... I thought silently, as I drove the ball 285 yards downwind on the 477 yard Par 5 fourth hole. Working my way out of the rough, I managed to save Par. Bowser? No... he didn't get another Eagle, but he did birdie to go 7 under.
The wind picked-up as we drove to the 5th hole, a 355 yard Par 4. It was blowing somewhere around 15 to 20 mph. Could be that's why we both boggied... or maybe our stroke of luck was fading away.
By the time we reached the 9th it was raining and time to call it a day. My good friend, Bowser, finished the nine holes 8 under Par. It was indeed his day.
That's the way it is in my world... and so it goes.
29 October 2008
Wasted Days And Wasted Nights
Wasted days and wasted nights... or, the games people play.
I didn't used to play games. Fact is, in my many years as a computer consultant I avoided having any games on my computer(s). There is, I surmised, a time for work and a time for play. My computers were work tools.
Even after retiring I avoided having games on my computer. On occassion I would receive a game link in my email and investigate. Even tried them now and then. But mostly I found little time or interest in computer games. Today there are still no games on my computer.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with playing computer games. Some of them are ingenious, educational, therapeutic, and yes... even fun. I just never seemed to have time for them.
How it all started:
A bit more than a year ago a good friend and I were having dinner at a local eatery and she mentioned that her son (age 16) felt bad because all of his friends had either a Play Station, Xbox or Wii and she couldn't afford to get him one. She wished that she could so he would spend more evenings at home and even have his friends over. On the way home I stopped by the "Game Station", which was near the eatery, and bought a PS 2 and a Wii along with a few of the games the store keeper said were popular with the kids. I gave them to my friend, on loan until she could afford to buy her son whichever one he preferred. She was, of course, grateful and, as it turned out her son was elated and did start spending more time at home and inviting his friends.
A couple of months ago my friend returned both the PS 2 and Wii to me. She had saved enough to by her son a Play Station 3, which was the preference of her son and his group of friends. I set them on a table, where they collected dust for a couple of weeks. Then, one Saturday afternoon, while watching golf, a Tiger Woods PGA Tour game caught my attention ... as all thing golf do.
That evening I went down and purchased the game for the PS 2. After a few trial and error games I was hooked.Within a few days I picked up a couple of games for the Wii ... Super Mario Kart and Wii Sports, which had a golf game included. There was no turning back now. Hours began melting away as I worked at master Mario Kart. When I tired and became frustrated I would switch to Wii Sports. The golf game was okay but not really one that would capture much of my time in my new game playing career. Wii Sports bowling took that honor and before long I was in a local Wii Bowling League.
While taking a break from wallowing in some dark, dank and dreary canyon off the road in Wario's Gold Mine, which I constantly drove into with Luigi, in his Wild Wing, I took a moment to explore the other Wii features. Before long I was on the Wii Shopping Channel downloading Virtual Console games: Pacman, Donkey Kong, Super Mario; (nostalgia from my younger days playing 8 and 16 bit video games in arcades) ... and YES, Mario Golf, which Nintendo ported to the Wii Virtual Console, from N64.
I wasn't surprised to discover and endless list of available game, from sports to RPG to puzzles, and more. Mario Kart, Wii Sports Bowling and Mario Golf head my list of favorites. Many of the others are more or less uninteresting to me; some are just plain wasted time. Those others I do find interesting don't fit in my playing schedule.
Yes... that's what I said, playing schedule. I got so absorbed in the games I play that I had to make a playing schedule to end this game playing madness and have a life away from Wii.
That's the way it is in my world... and so it goes.
Wii Friend ID: 0559-9800-4853
I didn't used to play games. Fact is, in my many years as a computer consultant I avoided having any games on my computer(s). There is, I surmised, a time for work and a time for play. My computers were work tools.
Even after retiring I avoided having games on my computer. On occassion I would receive a game link in my email and investigate. Even tried them now and then. But mostly I found little time or interest in computer games. Today there are still no games on my computer.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with playing computer games. Some of them are ingenious, educational, therapeutic, and yes... even fun. I just never seemed to have time for them.
How it all started:
A bit more than a year ago a good friend and I were having dinner at a local eatery and she mentioned that her son (age 16) felt bad because all of his friends had either a Play Station, Xbox or Wii and she couldn't afford to get him one. She wished that she could so he would spend more evenings at home and even have his friends over. On the way home I stopped by the "Game Station", which was near the eatery, and bought a PS 2 and a Wii along with a few of the games the store keeper said were popular with the kids. I gave them to my friend, on loan until she could afford to buy her son whichever one he preferred. She was, of course, grateful and, as it turned out her son was elated and did start spending more time at home and inviting his friends.
A couple of months ago my friend returned both the PS 2 and Wii to me. She had saved enough to by her son a Play Station 3, which was the preference of her son and his group of friends. I set them on a table, where they collected dust for a couple of weeks. Then, one Saturday afternoon, while watching golf, a Tiger Woods PGA Tour game caught my attention ... as all thing golf do.
That evening I went down and purchased the game for the PS 2. After a few trial and error games I was hooked.Within a few days I picked up a couple of games for the Wii ... Super Mario Kart and Wii Sports, which had a golf game included. There was no turning back now. Hours began melting away as I worked at master Mario Kart. When I tired and became frustrated I would switch to Wii Sports. The golf game was okay but not really one that would capture much of my time in my new game playing career. Wii Sports bowling took that honor and before long I was in a local Wii Bowling League.
While taking a break from wallowing in some dark, dank and dreary canyon off the road in Wario's Gold Mine, which I constantly drove into with Luigi, in his Wild Wing, I took a moment to explore the other Wii features. Before long I was on the Wii Shopping Channel downloading Virtual Console games: Pacman, Donkey Kong, Super Mario; (nostalgia from my younger days playing 8 and 16 bit video games in arcades) ... and YES, Mario Golf, which Nintendo ported to the Wii Virtual Console, from N64.
I wasn't surprised to discover and endless list of available game, from sports to RPG to puzzles, and more. Mario Kart, Wii Sports Bowling and Mario Golf head my list of favorites. Many of the others are more or less uninteresting to me; some are just plain wasted time. Those others I do find interesting don't fit in my playing schedule.
Yes... that's what I said, playing schedule. I got so absorbed in the games I play that I had to make a playing schedule to end this game playing madness and have a life away from Wii.
That's the way it is in my world... and so it goes.
Wii Friend ID: 0559-9800-4853
25 October 2008
Keeping Life In Perspective
I played golf yesterday... at Seven Hills. It's a local retirement community course where I frequent with friends who are residents there.
There was a day when I could compete in most sports with the best and hold my own or win outright. That day is a distant memory. Age does that. I ran the Gasperilla (a Tampa area 10K) until I was well into my 50's. I decided to stop the day I started the race at the back of the pack... and finished there. Finishing last in a 10K against a bunch of 20 and 30 year olds is not such a bad thing. My concern was getting to the finish line before dark set in.... :-). When you can't do that it's a good bet your running days are over.
But, I digress. This is not about running. It's about golf.
After our round, the four of us sat in the lounge talking golf. John said, "I'd sure like to play a round with the likes of Tiger Woods and some of the pros." "Why", I asked... you'd just get frustrated just like you did today when I beat up on your bony self with my 82".
"Com'on Dave," he said. "You'd love to play Tiger, admit it"."
"I did play him", I retorted .... "on my Wii, and I smoked him good. Did it agian on my Play Station 2. But, I promise you... I have no fantasies of playing him in person or the slightest fantasy that I could ever beat him on a real course. Hey those guys walk 18 holes. When's the last time we did that? Now, there's a challenge for you. Or... I continued. you can stop by my house and try beating Mario on the Wii. Now there's a game that can tax your nerves and frustration level."
One of the things I've learned, as I get older, is keeping things in perspective. It's enough to find activities that keep your mind sharp and alert, and your body in as good of shape as possible without hurting yourself. You can't stop aging. What you can do is adjust to it... physically and mentally. Trying to beat it will only get you depressed and at odds with your mind and body.
Playing golf, or any sport these days, for me, is not about winning. It's about participating to the extent that I can, realizing my limits. There are days when I can no more swing a golf club than flap my arms and fly like a bird. It's a philosophy I have a hard time getting across to some of my friends. Especially the Alpha Male types overloaded with machismo and ego leak, who sometimes impress me as being a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I mean, there's reality and then there is the imagined or hoped reality that's stored in an attic collecting spider webs. But hey ... they're my friends and I can live with their fantasies so long as they don't expect me to follow suite.
That's the way it is in my world ... and so it goes!
There was a day when I could compete in most sports with the best and hold my own or win outright. That day is a distant memory. Age does that. I ran the Gasperilla (a Tampa area 10K) until I was well into my 50's. I decided to stop the day I started the race at the back of the pack... and finished there. Finishing last in a 10K against a bunch of 20 and 30 year olds is not such a bad thing. My concern was getting to the finish line before dark set in.... :-). When you can't do that it's a good bet your running days are over.
But, I digress. This is not about running. It's about golf.
After our round, the four of us sat in the lounge talking golf. John said, "I'd sure like to play a round with the likes of Tiger Woods and some of the pros." "Why", I asked... you'd just get frustrated just like you did today when I beat up on your bony self with my 82".
"Com'on Dave," he said. "You'd love to play Tiger, admit it"."
"I did play him", I retorted .... "on my Wii, and I smoked him good. Did it agian on my Play Station 2. But, I promise you... I have no fantasies of playing him in person or the slightest fantasy that I could ever beat him on a real course. Hey those guys walk 18 holes. When's the last time we did that? Now, there's a challenge for you. Or... I continued. you can stop by my house and try beating Mario on the Wii. Now there's a game that can tax your nerves and frustration level."
One of the things I've learned, as I get older, is keeping things in perspective. It's enough to find activities that keep your mind sharp and alert, and your body in as good of shape as possible without hurting yourself. You can't stop aging. What you can do is adjust to it... physically and mentally. Trying to beat it will only get you depressed and at odds with your mind and body.
Playing golf, or any sport these days, for me, is not about winning. It's about participating to the extent that I can, realizing my limits. There are days when I can no more swing a golf club than flap my arms and fly like a bird. It's a philosophy I have a hard time getting across to some of my friends. Especially the Alpha Male types overloaded with machismo and ego leak, who sometimes impress me as being a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I mean, there's reality and then there is the imagined or hoped reality that's stored in an attic collecting spider webs. But hey ... they're my friends and I can live with their fantasies so long as they don't expect me to follow suite.
That's the way it is in my world ... and so it goes!
20 October 2008
This and That
I watched Dillinger last night (starring Warren Oates and Ben Johnson). The movie is full of memorable quotes ... like this conversation:
Samuel Cowley: Can't touch Dillinger, no federal offense; he doesn't deserve to be there. I don't want anyone up there I can't legally shoot!
Samuel Cowley: Can't touch Dillinger, no federal offense; he doesn't deserve to be there. I don't want anyone up there I can't legally shoot!
Melvin Purvis: Shoot Dillinger and we'll figure out a way to make it legal.
and
Baby Face Nelson: One thing. If we're going to work together, I want it understood I don't take no orders.
Pretty Boy Floyd: I believe this is Mr. Dillinger's gang.
Baby Face Nelson: Bah! He ain't my leader, I've got my own way of taking banks. I come in shooting, I kill everyone inside and I grab the dough. Very easy, it works very well. You don't like it, you get someone else.
What a bunch of clowns.
----------------------------------
There are many reasons why this time of year is my favorite. Cold fronts creep in from the north dropping the Florida temperature to a comfortable 70 degrees; clear nights are accented by ocean breezes and the pugent odor of salt riding on the wind; the heavens are saturated with millions of stars and deep space object, all viewable with my 8" Celetron.
The Pleiades - also called the Seven Sisters, in the east, said to be the incubator of life; the Dippers and Cassiopeia wrestling for center stage in the north; and my favorite... Orion, majestically sitting on the throne of the heavens in mind-boggling spendor, constantly giving birth to more miricles of the universe.It's a season for spectacular meteor showers: The Orionids in October (due on stage tomorrow); the Leonids in November and Geminids in December. I'm a night sky junkie and I can find no beauty here on earth more eloquent than the wonders of the universe. Hear the music?
The Pleiades - also called the Seven Sisters, in the east, said to be the incubator of life; the Dippers and Cassiopeia wrestling for center stage in the north; and my favorite... Orion, majestically sitting on the throne of the heavens in mind-boggling spendor, constantly giving birth to more miricles of the universe.It's a season for spectacular meteor showers: The Orionids in October (due on stage tomorrow); the Leonids in November and Geminids in December. I'm a night sky junkie and I can find no beauty here on earth more eloquent than the wonders of the universe. Hear the music?
That's the way it is in my world... and so it goes.
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