The 'Ber Months

Happy 'Ber Months! (Septem-ber to Decem-ber)

Every year I get to celebrate my birthday (Nov. 3) and favorite holiday (Halloween) the same week. The arrival of September reminds us to start thinking about Halloween costumes. 

What'll yours be this year? Be wild and creative!

I'm considering... James Gandolfini (as Tony Soprano) with Robin as Carmela, Tom Wolfe (author & boulevardier), Jack Hughes (USA/Devils hockey star), Tim Curry (as Dr. Frank-N-Furter) and, of course, Dolly Parton. Although Dolly was a foot shorter than me, with her big hair she reached the same height. :)

Recovering My Mojo

Last May, at the beginning of Summer, I declared an intention to return to photography. I hadn't taken a picture in three years (since my eyesight went south). 

I admitted apprehension because my one attempt to take photos after vision loss was a disaster. My eyesight is really, really bad. But... as we bikers say, it's the journey, not the destination. Since childhood I've loved photography, especially with film. I want to re-claim that joy even if the results are poor. After all I'm doing it just for myself: I'm not a professional artist or trying to sell anything. I can live with mediocre images as long as creating them is fun. And it is.

Over the Summer I took my vintage 1972 Kodak Instamatic 30, loaded it with 110-cartridge film and ventured out to the world. I believe I crafted a few photos worth sharing. I'll post them in about two weeks after the film negatives are developed and scanned. (I use the aptly-named "Old School Photo Lab" in New Hampshire.)

Age Groups

You've probably heard reference to age groups like Baby Boomers, Gen Z, etc. but do you know how to distinguish between them? It's important knowledge if you want to talk about them publicly. Here's a primer:

- Baby Boomers are born between 1946-1964. They're currently 61-79 years old. There are 75 million in the U.S. including me. :)

- Gen X are born between 1965-1980, are currently 45-60 years old and include 65 million people

- Millennials are born between 1981-1996, are currently 29-44 years old and include 75 million folk

- Gen Z are born between 1997-2012, are currently 13-28 years old and include 70 million people

- Gen Alpha starts with children born between 2012-2024. They're currently 2-14 years old. There are 50 million of the little creatures. 

- Gen Beta are babies/toddlers born in 2025-2039.

What are you?

Our Lives

I've seen highs, I've experienced lows. Both were more extreme than I imagined possible.

The philosophy I've developed is, without consciously realizing it, essentially Taoist. Observe everything. Learn as much as you can. Cherish small pleasures. Roll when punched hard. And, finally, see with your mind, not your eyes.

I've come to believe that everything is connected. We may not always grasp this because our perception is limited; we are, after all, primitive animals. But we are part of the universe -- inherently tied to everything else in it including two trillion star galaxies. The plain fact of reality should enliven us, give us hope and serenity. We are meant to be here and, during our short lifetimes, are waves cresting in a big, beatific ocean.

Progress Report

Captain's Log, Stardate 2445.3

Our mission to repair the critical time-line breach progresses. My covert return to 21st Century Earth is yielding useful information. Inhabitants of this era are, as history records, remarkably irrational. Their society is chaotic and one readily grasps how The Second Civil War started in 2029. If it wasn't for First Contact with orbiting Vulcan spacecraft during that intractable war it's doubtful this planet would have survived in any time-line. Humans possess enough technology to save or destroy their world but seem to lack sufficient wisdom to avoid the latter fate.

Universal skills promoting peace and self-development (e.g., empathy, compassion) are in short supply here. Instead of confronting the real cause of political oppression (an entrenched economic class system) people quarrel with others in similar or worse circumstances as they compete for limited resources. Without insight or unity these Earthlings can't understand or correct their plight. Anxiety and rage are on full display in public places, especially roadways, where motorists recklessly vie to "get somewhere" at faster speed than prudent. This species cannot be trusted with warp-drive energy prior to receiving extensive genetic augmentation. (See, however, Khan Noonien Singh.)

My plan to infiltrate the existing power structure continues. I've mastered cultural knowledge necessary to persuade numerous inhabitants to assist me in this effort. My next move is to acquire a professional sporting team since athletics is valued here not for personal achievement but as secular religion with rituals and mystical significance. Fans worship "the baseball gods" and related deities. Sports gambling, once forbidden, now flourishes openly. The majority of young men now divert scarce long-term investment capital to bet on sporting events where, predictably, they lose their money. Loss of such funds cripples the imprudent leading to widespread poverty and social instability. Humans, it appears, do not comprehend the well-established Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Captain out.

The Ravages of Time

If you think of me as an old blind man, you might be surprised to learn that 25 years ago I was a catch. A moderately handsome guy with a soupçon of style.

For the plaintiff, we offer Exhibit A into evidence. A photograph from August 2001. The exhibit speaks for itself.

We rest our case. :)

Light Reading

Lately I've been studying heavy tomes on abstruse subjects like physics and neuroscience. To give myself a break I'm now reading a series of fun books by George Plimpton. They're an amuse-bouche, light refreshment to stimulate my mental palate.

These books were popular in the 1960s and '70s. George Plimpton, a literary gentleman, wondered what it would be like to play sports with professional athletes. At the time George was an out-of-shape amateur who hadn't done anything physical since college -- and was mediocre even then. What interested George were the visceral experiences of meeting pros on their turf, facing reality instead of fantasy.

In Yankee Stadium George pitched to baseball greats Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and a dozen others ("Out Of My League"). On the gridiron, George quarterbacked for the Detroit Lions ("Paper Lion"). He even climbed into a boxing ring and went a few rounds with a champion fighter. And he was a hockey goalie for the Boston Bruins ("Open Net"). These feats were initially published as articles in Sports Illustrated and later turned into bestselling books. "Paper Lion" was turned into a movie starring Alan Alda.

Every sports fan has Walter Mitty fantasies of being on the playing field in heated battle. "It's the bottom of the ninth inning and..." George faced those situations up close and his observations about them are very amusing.