Miscellany

Random List.




1. I write a blog to cure my annoying habit of writing letters to the editor.


2. A good thing in my life is how much my siblings and I all love each other. It's really too good to be true.



3. I have a love/hate relationship with football spectatoring. I can't resist watching it, but I loathe the steroids and other enhancements. I can't stand it that QBs and WRs and RBs are called "skill players." I hope the dunces who use that lingo realize who makes them great -- it's the O Line, who by default are not called "skill" players. I love the circus catches and gadget plays and the times when defensive lineman intercept passes and lumber toward the goal line. My absolute recent fave was an NFL game when a RB was about to break the plane of the endzone. A defender hit him, and he did a front flip toward the endzone and nailed the landing for a TD.



4. Two of my favorite photographs: 1. Leonid Brezhnev, Soviet Premier, was lying in state after his death. His wife was photographed leaning over his body, looking at him in the eyes, as if she had not finished their last conversation, or had not started many of the conversations she missed the opportunity to have. 2. Joan Benoit was leading the women's marathon in the summer Olympics in the first time that the women's event was run separately from the men's. The announcers were commenting about the psychological difference in being the overall leader in a race compared to being the first woman in a combined event. A helicopter was following the race leaders since it was historic. Benoit came to a segment of the course that was very isolated, far from any fans or media, other than the copter that was very high above her. She had a substantial lead on other racers as she pressed forward, running her race physically and mentally, and in that isolated spot, she was even isolated from the other racers. The picture taken by the helicopter crew somehow captured her isolation, which made the point for me that you cannot run a race fueled by adulation; rather, in those unseen moments of conversation with yourself, you know that you must run the race fueled by your own constitution.



5. It is painful to admit when I have been influenced by Hollywood or Madison Avenue, because I see them as self-interested operators. Nevertheless, I confess that I was moved by "Saving Private Ryan." Seeing the reality of war, and knowing that my government could send my two sons to war, a switch flipped in my psyche that commanded me to be vigilant about my government and foreign policy.



6. I don't resent growing old, but it is a little bit hard to stomach how much daily maintenance one needs. Vitamins, meds, exercise (cardio, strength, balance, flexibility), planned nutrition/food, medical screens, and on and on. This is whining, so I apologize, but I am just surprised at the reality of all this. This line of thinking is a perfect example of when perception lags reality. Another way to look at it that I would just rather not spend all this time on myself because I have other things I'd rather be doing, and most of these involve doing things for other people, which makes me happier. It is just a darn shame to be a feeble mortal.



7. As a certified math and science geek, I have always loved science experiments or projects or any hands-on learning. For this reason, I love cooking because it feels like a science experiment. And leading scientists must replicate experiences of other scientists to corroborate original discoveries. This is tantamount to sharing a recipe. The best cooking fun comes from having the just-right gadgets for the job: a microplane, a cherry pitter, spring form pan, or gravy separator. Of course, the fun is tripled if someone else cleans up the mess, or, if the customers really like the work product. But untripled fun is acceptable for this auteur.

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