Something you should know about me--when I was born, one of my legs was a wee bit longer than the other one (Incidentally, John F. Kennedy had the same condition--it helped give him what became known as his trademark swaggah... I got picked on for how I walked as a kid). Consequently I never really took my real actual "first steps" until I was almost two years old. Rather late, in terms of the bell curve. Saw proof of it in my Christmas gift from my mom, in the DVDs converted from old 8mm film (yes, that's how old I am) by way of VHS (yes, that's really how old I am...) But I was watching those old videos this morning that I'd seen a million times before, and saw how all along the way my right ankle was turned IN, never wanting to plant itself firmly on the ground. But never did I straighten that one foot out and give myself a solid base--that took me a lot longer to learn.
Later on I was just on the verge of being able to walk on my own: got Mom & Grandma doing all they can to coax me across the living room floor. Seems like I was a gamer for a good while there, gave it my best shot and all... but eventually, it's clear I'd had enough--even on this 8mm film of ours, I'm sitting there shaking my head, making it quite clear that I've had enough for the day.
Alyssa helped me realize that this helps explain my obsession with the act of walking--it was, after all, extremely difficult for me to do in the first place. Why not relish it?
Also lived and relived the greatest season in San Francisco Giants history this Christmas--ain't nothin' wrong with THAT!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
On population control
Dedicated to Willy McBride:
Every society throughout history seems to have found a way to do it. In the 20th century, they seemed to have reaped the harvest of the 19th, having to do away with more than had ever needed to be done away with before. Hence the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, El Salvador, Stalinist Russia, the Khmer Rouge, etc. (For the record, I could go on. I stop there out of good taste.) They seem to assume that since there's even more people on earth now, despite the carnage of the last century, that there will be still greater wars to come in this century. Possibly, perhaps. I fear it. But much more likely, our fate has already been sealed by our thoughtless abuse of our oh-so-fragile planet. I guess, in practice, that means that there has to be still more intense wars that will go on until homo sapiens sapiens has managed to wipe itself from the face of the Earth. It's a shame--our stay here has been oh so very short, and we've done so many good things. And yet our only lasting legacy, at this rate, is going to be our ability to make ourselves unable to survive here. Oy!
Every society throughout history seems to have found a way to do it. In the 20th century, they seemed to have reaped the harvest of the 19th, having to do away with more than had ever needed to be done away with before. Hence the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, El Salvador, Stalinist Russia, the Khmer Rouge, etc. (For the record, I could go on. I stop there out of good taste.) They seem to assume that since there's even more people on earth now, despite the carnage of the last century, that there will be still greater wars to come in this century. Possibly, perhaps. I fear it. But much more likely, our fate has already been sealed by our thoughtless abuse of our oh-so-fragile planet. I guess, in practice, that means that there has to be still more intense wars that will go on until homo sapiens sapiens has managed to wipe itself from the face of the Earth. It's a shame--our stay here has been oh so very short, and we've done so many good things. And yet our only lasting legacy, at this rate, is going to be our ability to make ourselves unable to survive here. Oy!
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