The way science works

Although I can understand the disappointment that many people apparently feel at the loss of the "planet" Pluto from our solar system, I personally find it exciting to see science in the making. We forget that it was less than 100 years ago (in 1930 to be exact) when Pluto was added to the list of planets circling our sun. Astronomers were searching for a ninth planet because of tiny, unexpected variations in the observed orbits of Neptune and Uranus. Through luck and perserverance, Pluto was found just where they thought it should be. Unfortunately, it's size and distance didn't really account for the orbital variations. But it was welcomed anyway. This picture shows Pluto's size in relation to the Earth. It is about 1/2 the diameter of our moon. There was always some suspicion about Pluto. In fact the book "A Matter of Degrees" by Gino Segre published in 2002 stated, "As for Pluto, a bit of an outcast... perhaps shouldn't even be called a planet."

Now, we find there are more trans-Neptune "planets" including one that is larger than Pluto. Do we keep adding to the list or redefine what a planet is? Astronomers of the world voted to redefine, or more accurately define, what a planet is since it had never really been adequately defined. There are three main conditions for an object to be called a 'planet', according to the IAU resolution of 2006.

1. The object must be in orbit around a star, but not be a star itself.
2. The object must be massive enough to be a sphere by its own gravitational force. More specifically, its own gravity should pull it into a shape of hydrostatic equilibrium.
3. It must have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

Because Pluto fails to meet the third condition it was "downgraded" to a dwarf planet.

This story has all the hallmarks of science - discovery, analysis, definition, hypothesis, theory, application and controversy. I think science teachers will be thrilled at the chance to show kids how science is still making strides in expanding our knowledge of the universe.

Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity - a book review

Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity by John Stossel is subtitled "Get Out the Shovel - Why Everything You Know Is Wrong". And the cover indeed shows John with a shovel ready to dig away the BS that he is exposing. It's just too bad that he doesn't include himself in the "everything you know is wrong" phrase.

Mr. Stossel cites scores of "myths" in categories such as media, gender roles, business, government, schools, consumer affairs, lawyers and legal issues, experts, beliefs, health, parenting, and even the pursuit of happiness. For each "myth", he has a corresponding "truth". Sometimes, he's even right. But just as often his "truth" is based upon one-sided opinions as much as the "myth" is that he's attacking. Any data which could help decide between the two is woefully lacking. He usually cites one or two anecdotes, often quoting a carefully scripted or edited discussion between himself and a supporter of the "myth". That is supposed to convince us that his "truth" is indeed true.

It quickly becomes obvious that Mr. Stossel is a Libertarian. At the end of the book he confesses to this fact but somehow makes it out that people have a hard time understanding what a Libertarian is. No politician or media specialist worth their pay (wait a minute, that may be an empty set) should fail to identify a libertarian. I don't know why he thinks he is so misunderstood. But at any rate, he is a true believer in the "invisible hand" of Adam Smith and, for the most part, thinks that pure capitalism will solve all the world's problems - if government, media, and lawyers would just get out of the way.

My suspicions about Mr. Stossel's "facts" were confirmed in the section on polygamy when he failed to identify an active polygamist as an ex-Mormon or splinter group Mormon and even failed to get the name of the Mormon church right. If he's sloppy in one area, he likely is sloppy in other sections. Another section which bothered me was his defense of DDT. In saying that DDT saves lives, he completely ignores the more complex issue about using dangerous chemicals in ways that minimize harm to the environment while still obtaining the benefits possible. Overreaction may be the only thing that promotes action and inaction may be worse than overreaction. And, finally, there was the question of global warming which he dismissed so casually that you feel almost embarrassed to have considered it a problem. He doesn't even seem to know that a huge body of research has been assembled defining the potential for global disaster. It's only the timing and whether or not anything can be done about it that remains in question.

Still, he's right on a lot of items and he's certainly "right" in questioning conventional wisdom and demanding justification and dialogue. Neither the conservatives nor the liberals, scientists nor religionists have immunity from his questioning. I would think they would jump at the chance to use facts to punch holes in his "truths".

Power protection

Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD as it's known in Sacramento) is offering to install and RENT me a device that will be placed at the location where power from their lines enters my house. This device will protect me from power surges caused by weather, bad power lines, accidents, etc. For only $6.95 per month I can get clean (not uninterrupted, mind you, just clean) power from SMUD. Isn't that sort of like the gas station offering to rent me a fuel filter to use while I'm filling my tank? Or the grocer offering, for a small extra fee, to wash the fruits and vegetables I buy there? The fact is that only a monopoly can get away with such a tactic and make it sound like a wonderful benefit. After all, I can't easily plug my house into some other company's power lines.

Back to the future

This cell phone, called the Jitterbug, was advertised in this Sunday's Parade magazine. It appears to be a giant leap backward while having some tremendous appeal to a certain segment of our society.

Unlike the normal cell phone with a dozen tiny buttons and even tiner markings, this phone has, for all practical purposes, three buttons - a green Operator button, a yellow MyChoice button, and a red 911 button. Having an emergency? Open your Jitterbug and press the red 911 button. What could be simpler? For the yello MyChoice button you assign a personal favorite number - husband, wife, best friend, Chinese take-out, whoever you call most frequently.

But the real kicker for me is the green Operator key. Hit that and you get .... a live operator ready to select a person from a list you've previously submitted or dial any other number you ask for. Exactly like we did it 56 years ago! I'm old enough to remember picking up the phone and hearing a familiar voice respond, "Operator. Who are you calling?" And we'd respond with "Helen Watts" or "George Weight" or maybe even "527-J". Can't you just see the appeal of this marvel? A live person to talk with any time day or night at the push of a button. Just like the 1950's.

End of the Open House

Yesterday, just shortly after this picture was taken by the Sacramento Temple "Templecam" we and some friends and family members took a tour of this beautiful building. We were 9 of an estimated 10,000 people that were expected to tour the temple this final day of the open house. More than 180,000 people were expected during the entire four week open house period. Besides being an interesting experience by itself, it was also interesting to compare it to the tour we took three and a half weeks before (during the first week of the open house). About the only difference between the two tours was the number of people who had lined up for the second tour. We must have hit a lull in the line the first time as our wait was considerably shorter.

We were impressed at the friendliness and efficiency with which everything was handled. There were dozens of volunteers, each appropriately dressed and name-tagged and wearing broad smiles. Even if we had had time to wander on our own, it would not have been possible without being intercepted and redirected by one of the volunteer guides.

The building was spotless as were the grounds. Several members of our party remarked how "new", "clean", and "orderly" everything was. The outside marble, terrestrial room mural, baptistry cut glass mural, and quiet gold and white and crystal decor of the celestial room seemed to be the most impressive sights.

What I noticed even more (although not everyone in our group did) was the absence of your typical tour information. Indeed, our tour guide provided almost no content for the signer in our group who was assisting some deaf tour members. There were no statistics given, no history, no description of the time and effort that went into securing the site, dedicating the location, or performing the actual construction. There were no details as to cost or thickness of the marble or weight of the gold plated statue on the spire.

When describing the use of the temple, the tour guide was almost as brief, referring to instruction rooms as used for "instruction" and sealing rooms as used for "weddings". Reference was made to the 12 oxen in the baptistry as referring to the 12 tribes of Israel but no explanation about why that should be appropriate symbolism for a baptistry when baptism is not an ordinance mentioned in the Old Testament history of the 12 tribes. All questions were deferred until the end of the tour, allowing the tours to move along much more quickly but at the expense of missed teaching moments and opportunities for explanation and comparison. I think many non-members came off the tour with the thought in their minds that "Mormonism isn't so different from our church after all."

The tour began and ended in the meetinghouse located next to the temple which had been temporarily turned into a visitor's center - the classrooms being used for introductory film presentations and the cultural hall for refreshments and post-tour questions and answers. There was no explanation that this was just a temporary arrangement. There was also no offer to show-off the meetinghouse whcih many tour members would have like to see (at least the non-Mormon tour members). The follow-up with missionaries and volunteers offering to answer questions or provide more information was the most low key of any church site I have ever visited.

The Essential Difference - a book review

The Essential Difference: Male and Female Brains and the Truth About Autism by Simon Baron-Cohen has a lot to say about males and females – most of which seems to reinforce popular stereotypes. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. It seems like Baron-Cohen has taken on the responsibility of proving those differences and this well documented book goes a long way in doing that, assuming the quoted science is valid.

The main thesis of the book is that men are (generally) systematizers while women are (generally) empathizers. This has been demonstrated in test after test as well as observations such as boys gravitate to team sports while girls enjoy small group non-competitive play; or men enjoy machines while women prefer to discuss people; or women are more prevalent in the arts and soft sciences while men excel at the hard sciences and math. There is even some exploration about how the brain differences might have developed both culturally and biologically to take advantage of the different roles that males and females have because of their sex. Purely biological effects of child bearing and fetal hormones are also considered by Baron-Cohen. The author is always careful to couch the comparisons as “on the average” or “in general” while noting that individually both male and female can be found in the opposite/unexpected category. We’re talking about greatly overlapping bell curves here.

The secondary thesis is that autism is extreme male-ness or systematizing taken to the extreme. Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, and other conditions on the “autism spectrum” appear, according to the author, to be extreme examples of talent for and persistence in systematizing while showing a complete inability to empathize. And this extreme male-ness is independent from culture or training just as the previously described male and female traits are.

I appreciated the description of the five levels of sexual distinction listed in this book:
1. Genetic sex – based on possession of a Y chromosome
2. Gonadal sex – based on possession of testes or ovaries
3. Genital sex – based on possession of a penis or vagina
4. Brain type sex – based on skill at systematizing or empathizing
5. Activity based sex – based on liking or participating in activities concerning machines, gadgets, and sports, or people, relationships, and intimacy.

I also was fascinated with an example of a test designed to measure one’s ability to “read” other people’s feelings solely by the expression in their eyes. I encouraged several family members to take the test and was surprised to see that everyone did better than expected by random chance. However, I did not detect any overall difference between the males and females taking the test. Both got high and average test scores. And no one felt comfortable taking the test, even those getting the highest scores.

I’d like the concepts explored in this book to be right simply so that we could start narrowing the focus on autism and Asperger’s and perhaps develop treatments for or prevention of the most severe cases.

Another hybrid

Once again I've scored!

I'm always a little nervous about going back to school for a new semester. Because I've had great teachers and great classes, each new semester I'm afraid I will be disappointed and have to drop the class or settle for second best. And I have dropped a couple of classes after one or more disappointing class sessions.

This semester I am in Kamau Kinuthia's Economics 302 (Macroeconomics) class which is designed as a hybrid class - half in the classroom setting, half on-line. And that was exactly what the first class session was. We spent 30 to 40 minutes discussing the syllabus then another 30 minutes in the computer lab making sure that everyone had an email account and knew how to access eLearning services where we'll find our homework assignments, quizzes, on-line discussions. It doesn't appear at this time that we will have any set times for chat sessions except maybe on an informal basis.

Now, of course, since one archaeology class made me an archaeologist, one creative writing class made me a creative writer, and one guitar class made me an expert guitarist, I expect four months from now to be able to expound great economic theories and to be asked to the White House to explain how to grow the U.S. economy.

A simple description of my life

as suggested to me by an old schoolmate:

Intellectual Solitaire

I came across this blog entry in WELCOME TO THE SUCK blog and thought it was a clever little game. I think I was lucky in that the first 3 times I tried it, it took between 3 and 10 clicks to come up with an article I felt comfortable saying I was familiar with.

Try it and post a comment about how well you do.

Monday, August 07, 2006
A new Wikipedia game to test your smarts!

Check this out, I'm pretty sure I invented this game.

Go to the Wikipedia website. Click on the "Random Article" link from the menu on the left. Count how many random articles you have to click before you see something you'd heard of or know about. My average so far is about 11 clicks. As such, I've come up with this general grading system, with absolutely no consideration given to complicated algorythms or odds:

36 or more clicks: Forrest Gump.
31-35 clicks: Read a friggin' book.
26-30 clicks: Read a friggin' book without pictures.
21-25 clicks: Smarter than Belinda Stronach.
16-20 clicks: You read a newspaper once a week or are halfway through the Penguin Book of Facts.
10-15 clicks: Damn, you're getting smarter.
5-9 clicks: You own an impressive intellect, are well-read, and probably don't have a girlfriend.
2-4 clicks: Join Mensa.
1 click: What's up, God?

Give it a try, and if you want, tell me how you did. It's fun!

Types of truth

One of my pet peeves is the idea that since we can't know anything for sure, everything is just a matter of belief and preferences. And my beliefs are just as valid as yours, no matter how wacky.

Something I read recently (I wish I could find the citation) hypothesized that if Aristotle were somehow able to materialize in today's world he would be absolutely astounded at the progress we have made in scientific knowledge. He would recognize how woefully inadequate his knowledge of scientific facts is and he would probably be soaking up as much as he could as fast as he could so that his philosophy would reflect reality. On the other hand, this person posited, Aristotle would feel right at home discussing philosophy, religion, and politics with experts of our day. His thoughts and ideas in these areas are not outdated.

I think the term that describes the difference between science and philosophy (under which term I'll include religion and politics to avoid discussing religion and politics) is cumulative truth. Science is cumulative. Philosophy is not.

Like a gigantic pyramid, science builds block upon block, discovery upon discovery to reach heights and cover areas never before reached. Conjecture and hypothesis extend the reach but only at the peril of later being proven wrong and causing the pyramid to need repair and replacement. But while little pieces here and there are patched and perfected, the bulk of scientific knowledge stands.

Philisophy, on the other hand, is more like one of those Japanese sand gardens which is made up of stones, sand, trees arranged and rearranged in endless configurations. Each arrangement gives a new meaning or perspective, a new "truth". But it does not provide a basis for building upon.

Is there "one true philosophy"? It is hard to believe and would be even harder to prove. Is there "one true science"? I think by definition there is, even though our perception of it continues to evolve as our means of measurement, detection, and replication become more and more refined.

Rebel in Chief - a book review

"Rebel in Chief, inside the bold and controversial presidency of George W. Bush", by Fred Barnes should be read by every American and probably every person in the world who can read. This masterpiece of hagiography (biography of a saint) portrays everything Bush has done as brilliant, bold, and possibly the only course that presidents after him can follow if we are to remain the mighty nation we are today.

Seriously, this book may be the answer to all of America's problems for the next 2 years and 5 months. Bush is our president so we may as well learn to enjoy the experience. This book will tell you just why it is so important to follow our "bold and controversial" leader.

Contrary to popular opinion (but true according to Mr. Barnes), the war in Iraq is going great, peace in the middle east has never been closer, and foreigners (the masses, not the leaders) don't complain when the US exerts its influence unilaterally. Bush has simply ignored on all the wrong "common wisdom" that abounds in Washington and by doing so has moved the nation, and the world, towards an "ownership society" where we will all enjoy the fruits of ownership, responsibility, and democracy. What could possibly be any better?

To be fair, Barnes does tell us that W has set a new record for a president being absent from Washington, but the president does that to show his disdain and disagreement with the establishment, not because he isn't doing his job. Barnes explains that President Bush cannot apologize even if he has made some mistakes because that would show weakness. Barnes also quotes President Bush as saying on the campaign trail, "You can fool some of the people all of the time and I'm going to concentrate on those people." You can't get more real than that.

On the positive side (and I have to assume there are some truths in the book) I was impressed at what a voracious reader President Bush is and how much he has studied economics and foreign policy so that he can come up with bold, new solutions to age old problems. And his speeches are masterful as long as they're carefully pre-planned. Barnes doesn't discuss his talents at extemporaneous speech.

I truly do recommend this book for everyone. If you love Bush, you'll find out even more reasons to continue doing so. If you don't happen to like him, you'll have a good laugh from cover to cover.

Attention to detail

The other day a number of us from the accounting/administrative area of the company where I work went out to lunch at the Italian restaurant Strings. Good food. Good company. It was a thoroughly enjoyable lunch. One of the wonderful things about Strings is that they will provide individual checks even for large groups. That it wonderful because our accounting group is notoriously bad about figuring out how to split the check if it is combined. Dividing by the number of diners doesn't do it because some will feel cheated or overcharged.

So individual checks works much better. However, Strings still adheres to their policy of adding the tip to the bill for groups of 8 or more. Thus, each of our bills had a 15% tip added. That made it even easier to pay since we didn't need to figure out what our tip should be - another surprizingly agonizing detail for accounting minded folks. However, as we walked away from the table I saw that 4 or 5 of the group of 11 had left additional change on the table, essentially doubling the tip. Our service was good but not THAT good.

Countdown to retirement - 50 days

With each step, the reality gets a little more real. I am really going to retire!

I've already applied for my CalPERS benefits which aren't much since I've only been in the program for 5 years. But they'll be enough to pay our monthly mortgage payments and utilities.

Now, I'm in the process of negotiating salary and schedule and responsibilities for my "post employment" period. My boss is interested in my continuing to work at the regional center doing special studies, research, analysis, and even some project management where my years of expertise might be most useful. And that certainly has some appeal for me. But there's no reason for me to continue to attend management meetings or trainings where I'm not productively working.

This is starting to get exciting!

Send In the Idiots – a book review

Our society has seen explosive growth in the number of people identified as autistic and an even larger growth of those identified as having symptoms on the “autistic spectrum”. So I expect we’ll see more and more books and articles describing these two populations and probably more books like “Send In the Idiots” which tells the story of autistic people as researched and written by an autistic person.

Reading “Send In the Idiots” by Kamran Nazeer is an interesting experience – as much for the writing style as for the content. Indeed, the writing style tells us as much about Nazeer as his book tells us about the four former classmates that he looks up and interviews 20 years later. I initially found myself criticizing the book’s editing until I realized how important it was to the book’s message.

For those who think an autistic diagnosis is akin to a death sentence or a sentence of life without the normal joys and disappointments, this book should be a revelation. Nazeer, in overly flowery language and excessive attention to detail, shows us how “normal” autistic people can be after (and if) they can manage the extra challenges that autism forces on them. Obsessive compulsive behavior, echolalia, depression, insecurity, paranoia, sensory overload, and other such companion effects of autism make it difficult but not impossible to live an interesting, satisfying life. And the stories of the four classmates show us that it is dangerous indeed to stereotype people with autism. They are each unique, special, human. In fact, we begin to see in them elements of our own personality and being to wonder if each of us is also on the “autism spectrum”.

The book is upbeat and shows that autistic people do “get better”, not in eliminating the disability but in coping with it and reducing its constraints. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in autism.

Snuggle Up

Can't you just think of a dozen or more reasons why you should get one of these for yourself or your sweetheart? And only $19.95. Details here.

Libraries in the modern world

I was pleased to see that the Sacramento Public Library (SPL) is not letting grass grown under its feet, so to speak. They have just opened their digital library complete with 671 audio and digital books available for checkout and download. Like the early personal computers with the DOS operating system, this system is somewhat overwhelming at first. But I suspect it will get easier.

The easy (and familiar) part is searching the catalog which the SPL has made easier and enjoyable by separating the various genres and including the cover art for each book as well as a brief summary. For example The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy had the following listing:

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: The Quandary Phase
Edition: Unabridged
Series: Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
Simon Jones
Geoffrey McGivern
Stephen Moore
William Franklyn
©BBC Audiobooks LTD 2005

Publisher: BBC Audiobooks LTD
Pub Date: 05/23/2005
Subject(s): Science Fiction

Excerpt(s): Episode One: Fit the Nineteenth: A Plant in the Way (WMA format)

Format Information
OverDrive Audio Book eRequest
Available copies: 0 (0 patron(s) on waiting list)
Library copies: 2
Lending period: 21 days
File size: 34444 KB
Number of parts: 2
Duration: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Reader version: OverDrive Media Console 1.0 or later
ISBN: 1405699531

Description
Don’t panic! The Hitchhiker’s saga returns once again with a brand new full-cast dramatisation of So Long and Thanks For All the Fish, the fourth book in Douglas Adams’s famous ‘trilogy in five parts’. The Earth has miraculously reappeared and, even more miraculously, Arthur Dent has found it. Returning to his cottage after... well... ages, he falls in love with the girl of his dreams.

But Ford Prefect is on to something which might well burst Arthur’s bubble. There is, after all, something very fishy about his girlfriend’s feet, and what has happened to all the dolphins? Perhaps, at last, all will be revealed in God’s Last Message to His Creation…

Simon Jones returns as Arthur, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford and Stephen Moore as Marvin. William Franklyn is the Book, and there is a whole host of famous guest stars.

This extended edition features 30 minutes of material not heard on BBC Radio 4.

Digital Rights Information
OverDrive Audio Book
This title can be played during the lending period
Collaborative play of this title is not allowed
This title can be burned to CD during the lending period
This title can be transferred to a portable device during the lending period

The more difficult part of the operation is downloading the free file management and playback software which is intended to deal with the "Digital Rights Management" (DRM) aspect of the digital books. But even that can be done by following the detailed instructions carefully. Future downloads should be a piece of cake.

Digital Management Rights means that there is as tight a control of the digital books as if they were actual paper/tape/disks. If the library has two "copies" of a book, only two patrons can download the book. A patron cannot forward or copy the digital book. When the download "expires" after 3 weeks that copy is freed up for the next patron. It becomes unusable to the first patron because of the DRM software. He doesn't even have to return the book to the library. In fact, one aspect of the digital library that I find troublesome is the fixed checkout time. When you check out a book, you get it for 3 weeks - no more, no less. If you finish reading it early or decide you really didn't want it, there is no way to "return" the book prematurely.

Currently, the Sacramento Public Library has 537 book titles in audio format (that play using Windows Media Player overseen by OverDrive Media Console) and 225 book titles in digital format (readable by Adobe and MobiPocket software). If a publisher allows, the audio version of a book can be further downloaded into a mobile device such as an MP3 player, iPod or a CD. Since I don't have an iPod, I burned a rewriteable CD which I am playing in my car stereo.

National traveler

I remember many years ago admiring the outline maps of the U.S. on the backs or sides of travel trailers and other recreational vehicles. The maps would be partially filled in with colored patches indicating which states the owner of the RV had visited. I liked the idea so much that I even bought one of those maps to put on our cartop carrier. Unfortunately, the carrier was made of such material and finish that the map wouldn't stay stuck. We had to settle for stickers of places we had been - when we could find them to buy.

Now I find there is a website to take the place of that map that wouldn't stick. And here's the updated record of my travels in the 50 states. In my 62 years, I've hit most of them (and with one or two I was asleep traveling through) but there's still a couple missing:

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out our California travel guide

Procrastinator's Creed

I came across this cute little Procrastinator's Creed the other day and decided it was too good not to share. Of course, I've been putting off sharing it for so long that I can't even remember where and when I saw it. Oh, well....

...I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.
...I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.
...I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.
...I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.
...I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.
...I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.
...I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesimally small, is not exactly zero.
...If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.
...I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.
...I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.
...I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but is wait/plan/plan.
...I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.
...I will become a member of the ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles (the Procrastinator's Society) if they ever get it organized.

Absolute Convictions - a book review

Only in America does the controversy over abortions rage so openly and bitterly, never seeming to be settled or pushed off the front page for long. Long ignored by everyone except medical practitioners (doctors and midwives) and those who needed their services, it was thrust into the national public eye by the Roe v Wade decision January 22, 1983 when the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not prohibit abortions in the first trimester and also allowed for certain abortions in the second and third trimester. But before that time, the issue had come to a head in several states including New York.

Absolute Convictions, My Father, a City, and the Conflict That Divided America by Eyal Press tells the story of Eyal's father Dr. Shalom Press at the center of this controversy in Buffalo during the turbulent 70's, 80's and 90's. The book describes Dr. Press as anything but a fighter for a cause. He is more like the worker who shows up every day, day after day, because it is the thing to do. And his patients need him. He did not go into medicine to perform abortions but to deliver babies. Abortions simply came with the territory because some women would have other wise chosen unsafe, illegal abortions or suicide to terminate their pregnancies.

The book explores the wide gulf that exists between pro-choice and pro-life groups and the small but significant beliefs they share: women should be treated with respect and the fewer abortions, the better. The book also explores the tactics of right-to-life groups and how those tactics sometimes escalate the actions of a fringe element to commit murder to "prevent murder". For being so intimately tied to one side, as his father could easily have been one of the few doctors who have been killed for performing aborions, Eyal Press does a marvelous job in presenting both sides.

I found the book an outstanding example of telling the history of abortion in America in the late 20th century. And it makes a good case for why the issue won't soon fade into the past.

Left-Handers Day

I just knew there had to be someone celebrating this somewhere. Turns out that there is an official Left-Handers Club which was formed in 1990 "to keep members in touch with developments, make their views known to manufacturers and others, provide a help & advice line, to promote research into left-handedness and development of new left-handed items."

And in 1992 the Left-Handers Club officially declared August 13th the international Left-Handers Day. Let's hear it for the Lefty's out there.

Day 10 - August 2006 vacation

Predictably unpredictable. Another phrase I like to use to describe Carolyn. With everyone having left the resort except for my sister and her family, I really expected we would use our last full day in recovering from all the sea, sun, sand, and squalling kids. We'd maybe take some of the leftover food to one or more of the Long Beach and pack up the rest so that it would be easier to transport back to Sacramento. We'd walk around the resort or take one more swim or walk around the Fashion Island shops. Then on Sunday, we'd get up relatively early and head out, stopping at a nice breakfast place on the way.

Didn't turn out that way. Once we got packing, we kept packing. Once we had the car packed, we headed to Long Beach to drop off some food and pick up Jenny. Because of some miserable traffic in Orange County we didn't get to Long Beach as early as we hoped and therefore left later than planned. The net result was getting into Sacramento so late we had just enough time to unload the car, unpack the suitcases and put things into the fridge that couldn't wait until morning. It also meant that Sunday will be a total washout.

We were glad everyone put forth the extra effort to meet us in Newport Coast. We had a good time and hope others did, too. I think even the little ones had a lot of fun.

Day 9 - August 2006 vacation

This was a day of sorting out - sorting out the dishes we had borrowed from the various units that we had reserved in our name, sorting out the food that needed to be eaten or thrown away, sorting out the food that will be given to various families in the area since it won't travel easily back to Sacramento, and sorting out the bathing suits, towels, sandals, and other gear that have been left in our unit by family staying here as well as those in other units or those just staying for the day.

We had to turn in two of our units today so most of our family went home this evening and others will be leaving tomorrow. That will leave Carolyn and me to spend the last evening alone much as we spent the first evening of our vacation alone in Bakersfield. A little melancholic but a nice end to a good vacation.

Today, while some of the family rested from Disneyland and then spent the afternoon at the beach, the rest of us went swimming in the resort pool then paid a visit to the Santa Ana Zoo. It is a small zoo but just right for small kids to enjoy.

A final grand dinner at Home Town Buffet was also the perfect end. We didn't have to wait to be served and all the kids got exactly what they wanted to eat.

Day 8 - August 2006 vacation

It seems that during every vacation there comes a time when it feels like you're back to going to work - that is, scheduling every day like you were getting paid by the number of things you do or the places you visit. You worry about not "seeing it all" or "getting your money's worth. Pretty soon you wonder if this is really a vacation any more. At least the relaxation part is not quite the same.

With only a couple of days left on our vacation, we broke out the "Fun Things to Do With Your Kids in Southern California" again. While one part of our group made their second excursion to Disneyland, the rest of us made a trip to the Discovery Museum in Santa Ana (also known as the Discovery Cube) and took a harbor cruise from the Balboa Peninsula. Of course, a trip to Balboa Peninsula just isn't complete without a ride on the ferris wheel or carousel.

Day 7 - August 2006 vacation

A vacation for me entails a flexible get-up time. With our group, the time for getting up has been really flexible since some of us would get to bed at 9:00 and others might not get in until 1:00 in the morning. I take advantage of getting to bed by 9:00 then acting like I had stayed up until 1:00 so I need to sleep in at least until 8:00.


Today, no one stirred until after 8:00. We then did our usual dividing up into small groups to go swimming, sightseeing, or enjoying some of the resort activities. One of the sites visited was the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, just a couple of miles from the resort. They have an interpretive center as well as a driving tour around the bay.

At the end of the day we had treats for everyone. Some enjoyed it more than others.

Day 6 - August 2006 vacation

One of the really important things we've learned in our vacations and travels is that you should never try to keep groups together that are larger than 4 or 5. It's all right if people happen to get together in groups larger than that but short of using military discpline it is impossible to keep the larger group together while sightseeing, shopping, or just taking a trip to the beach. Actually, cell phones have made breaking up into small groups while coordinating vacations even easier.

Fortunately, a group such as ours consisting of several small family groups allows itself to be broken into smaller units, each with adults and children, so that no one needs to feel left alone and none of the very little ones is left unsupervised.

This morning one-third of our group left really early to spend the day at Disneyland, while another third walked down to the beach, and the last third lounged around the resort or began packing for the trip home. Our initial store of food was getting rather depleted so we also had to visit the local grocery store for resupply.

Most of us ended up this evening at a beach party in Long Beach. Friends and neighbors from the Long Beach 3rd ward were there to meet and greet while we had fresh boiled corn, hamburgers, salads, and treats of every kind.

Pooh Flint's house on the beach.

Manning the grill.

Forking the fresh corn from the boiling water.

Steaming hot corn ready to shuck & butter.

Children's treasure hunt. The chest has been found!

What's left of the treasure after kids have taken handfuls.

Day 5 - August 2006 vacation

The wonderful thing about a location such as Newport Coast is that you're close to many attractions but not so close that you get the problems associated with that attraction. For example, we're only a half mile walk from the beach but the resort isn't on the beach and doesn't have to deal with beach parking. We're only a few miles from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, or Sea World but far enough that we don't deal with the traffic from those attractions unless we actually visit them. And, of course, there are all the attractions sponsored by the resort itself such as the swimming pools, the playground, and King Neptune's grotto running activities full time for kids of all ages.

Today our family split several ways with some going to Knott's Berry Farm while the rest of us enjoyed the resort activity center then watched the koi being fed their every other day rations. No, watched isn't the correct word - we helped feed the fish. Some of us (Grandma Revabeth) showed everyone how to sniff the water lilly blossoms which is supposed to give the sniffer long life and happiness (or just a high).

Later several of the group trooped down to the beach to get a little sand between our toes while others of us trooped through IKEA to find some child friendly cups and dishes. Let's face it, everything around here is an adventure.

Day 4 - August 2006 vacation

The Marriott resorts has both Friday and Sunday check-in times and it just so happens that the two times that we've reserved four units for the same week, they've assigned us two units for Friday check-in and two for Sunday. We thought that was a weird way to do things the last time but have since come to see it as actually an advantage, at least the way our family has used the units. For example, slightly over half the family who will be attending our reunion this year could arrive on Friday and the rest couldn't make it until today. Most will need to leave by Friday with only a couple of us staying until next Sunday. So the split times really works for us.

Today we welcomed my sister Revabeth, her husband Keith, two daughters, and four grandchildren. That brings our total contingency to 16 adults and 16 children. And when we're all in the same unit it is controlled (barely) pandemonium. Today was a great time for all the cousins, both adult and children, to get reacquainted with each other.

For some it was a little more tiring than for others.

Day 3 - August 2006 vacation

We packed almost everything into this day. From the communal breakfast at the start of the day to the family get together in the evening following Perry's baptism. We had planned on having pancakes at our suite and have even given keys to our suite to the family in the second suite. Then we forgot and locked our door with the security latch. So while we slept later than we thought we could, Richard made a grocery run and got breakfast going in their suite.




After breakfast we took off towards the beach, half of us electing to walk since it's only a half mile walk, and the other half electing to drive down, since it's a half mile walk. In either case the toughest part is the last .2 mile down the bluff to the beach. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the water, the sand, and the pleasant sunny day. Richard found some sand crabs to entertain the kids. But they had plenty of surf and sand to keep them busy building castles then watching them wash away.

I came back to welcome our two young adult couples, Steve & Lisa, and Philip & Jenny. We enjoyed a pleasant dip in the pool while waiting for the others to return. Some of us enjoyed a pleasant afternoon nap while others played with a construction toy that lets you build things with coins.


For the evening we drove to Long Beach for Perry's baptism. The missionaries had agreed to open the building and fill up the baptismal font but they were almost too late. It was a nice family-oriented ceremony. After the baptism and light refreshments by Perry's Thatcher grandparents, we met at Jessica and Jon's for supper, more conversation, and a demonstration by Philip of his new Poweriser toy. He really can run with 9 foot strides and jump over 3 feet in the air.

Day 2 - August 2006 vacation

We got up this morning, had a lovely breakfast at the Homewood Suites hotel then headed south. Staying in Bakersfield really makes the drive so much more bearable.
Usually we hit Los Angeles in the middle of rush hour but this time we got there in mid-morning. We stopped at Costco to load up on some of the food we'll need for the week. It really put a strain on my poor SUV to load in two shopping baskets of groceries when it was already full of our luggage, beach gear, and supplies for arts and crafts activities. We managed finally.

The Marriott Newport Coast Resort was expecting us but since we were about half an hour early for check-in we had to wait to get our rooms. We were more than a little concerned that the groceries weren't going to enjoy sitting out in the car but at least we didn't have any ice cream to melt all over things.

Once we got one of the rooms, we loaded up all the groceries on two luggage carts to transport it all to the room. We were momentarily stymied because our room was down a flight of stairs from the parking lot and our building doesn't have an elevator. The building next door does have an elevator.

Jon and boys were first to arrive. Lee and his kids came shortly thereafter. By the end of the evening we had 8 adults and 8 children sharing our two suites. We'll get two more suites on Sunday as well as several more people. Needless to say, this evening was controlled pandemonium as we attempted to feed everyone in the one suite. It was only because they didn't all arrive at the same time that the whole thing was possible. We ended the evening with a birthday pie for Perry's birthday today.

Day 1 - August 2006 Vacation

I don't know what kind of Internet access I'm going to have on this vacation but since we're going to be in relatively civilized country, I thought I'd at least try to blog every day something about the vacation.

We actually got a jump on our vacation by a day since Carolyn had an assignment in Bakersfield. She's conducting an educational session for some of her providers - something to do with the finer points of the law and its interpretation by the state for child care providers. Because she has this today, we would either have gotten a late start tomorrow heading to Southern California or an early start today. By getting to Bakersfield, we'll have half the distance to travel tomorrow and, hopefully, travel through Los Angeles in the middle of the day rather than the middle of rush hour traffic.

We're staying in the beautiful (and apparently fairly new) Homewood Suites in Bakersfield, a hotel that caters primarily to business people during the week with free breakfasts and light dinners. Tonight, they'll be serving BYO (build your own) tacos and trimmings. Yum. I can hardly wait.

Stay tuned.

Looking forward to retirement

As the summer wanes and the days get shorter, so does the time before my retirement. I'm looking forward to the greater flexibility in my schedule if not my pocketbook. But I can certainly enjoy the thoughts recently sent to me by my oldest brother Bernell.

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% percent discount.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal.

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answers: The never ending Coffee Break.

Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?
Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?
Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.

The power of perspective

A friend sent me a collect of pictures from sidewalk artist Julian Beever. I think his art is nothing short of amazing. It's just a shame that it is so temporary. There probably aren't too many art galleries which could host a show of his. It becomes even more problematic when you realize that the art is best seen from a specific viewing location. A few inches one way or another and the picture gets all messed up.

Looks like the real thing, doesn't it?



I couldn't understand why so many are just walking by and then realized that 1) it takes a long time to do these paintings so people can't stay there the whole time; and 2) from any point other than the camera, the picture just isn't going to look as interesting.

It looks like people are avoiding the hole in the sidewalk but they're just as likely to be avoiding the chalk/paint that Julian is using.


Can you tell which man is real? Which bottle?

What does a treasure hunter do when his metal detector indicates something smack in the middle of the road?




Looks like he's really up to his knees in the hole, doesn't it?

The artist appears ready to join the young lady in the pool but...


... the pool doesn't look so refreshing from the wrong perspective.


Sometimes the right viewing spot isn't even enough. You have to look at the picture upside down. That is really disorienting.


Here's a good model of the earth with the artist standing on top of it...

... and the view from the side.

Finally, a couple of dramatic rescues by superheroes.



Remember Julian Beever. You can see more at his web site: http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/index.html