Life On A B-I7

The 70+ Ski Club

In January of this year, I became an unofficial member of the 70+ Ski Club. I officially joined yesterday. The club is only open to people over the age of 70. They have over 3,000 members nationwide, many in their 80’s and 90’s, and even a few over 100 years old!

They appear to be primarily located on the East Coast, but they do have regional chapters. I’m excited to find out if they have a PNW chapter. Even if they don’t, they sponsor several trips a year and they look like a fun group to hang out with. They even have a trip to Chile, which would be very exciting.

I’m skiing better at 70 than I ever have in my life. I know that sounds preposterous, but it’s true. This season and last season in particular I have been focused on my technique. It seems like I get a little bit better at one thing each time I go out onto the hill. Yesterday I felt for the first time what it is like to get a truly early weight shift from the downhill ski to the new turning ski. This can be amazingly boring to someone who doesn’t ski, but trust me when I say how important this is. I’ve been working on this and rolling the ankles to initiate a turn for the last year. When you watch most skiers on the hill, you will see them lifting a ski, sliding a ski, or unweighting with their body to initiate a turn. Those are all signs of sloppy, and frankly ugly skiing. What I realized yesterday is that you have to shift the weight to the new turning ski before you roll your ankles. This all takes place before you even start your next turn, in other words, while you are still in the previous turn. It’s not easy, but when you accomplish it, it gives you a smooth connection between your turns and the snow, as well as greater stability and good edging throughout the arc of every turn. It also keeps you connected to the snow during your turn transition.

Enough already. I’m boring you. What I’m doing here is entertaining myself, and documenting what I have come to realize and practice after many years of not having a clue what I’m doing. One final note. This started with a private lesson at Sun Valley from a 70+ Instructor at the end of last season. It was that lesson that set me on the path to better skiing.

I’ve been skiing for almost 60 years (one year shy of 60). It has taken me that long to figure things out. With luck, I’ll have another 30 to enjoy the fruits of my recent discoveries, and maybe the 70+ Ski Club will throw me a “100 Party” 30 years from now…

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A Perfect Day

Rippin the Roy!

I call this post my ode to Instagram. If this were Instagram, I would have ended the post with the caption above. The reason I have a blog is that I like to write and arguably Instagram is not the place for that sort of thing. Of course, neither is TikTok, X, or Facebook. I’ve read that people should be familiar with TikTok slang and be able to use it to relate to younger generations. (You would be correct in assuming I am an older generation.) For example, I could have added the hashtag “xyzbca” to the above photo as a means of pointing out how cool the photo was. That’s not going to happen here. I think words are enough.

I will say the following about today’s social media platforms, you don’t have to know how to read to use them. To be frank, I think it is one of the design goals of the developers. All of the social media platforms mentioned above are designed to influence us in some way. You can say that about any form of communication, this writing included, but I think it is especially true about those sites and many other social media sites. Social media presents us with unsubstantiated ideas. By that, I mean there are often few if any facts to back up the propositions being put forward. I know what you are thinking, where are your facts for this garbage you are throwing out here? It’s simple, what I’m telling you amounts to my opinion, the difference is I’m making no effort to have this particular piece of my opinion sound like fact.

All of this is what you might want to think of as a tangent. It is my opinion that Instagram is the least dangerous social media platform, but still can be used for subtle forms of influencing. It is my opinion that X, TruthSocial, and even Facebook are a waste of time. I’ve seen too many people get hurt on Facebook, and I think X and TruthSocial (and others like them) are a complete waste of time. Not only that, they are dangerous. They can (and have) led us down paths that could ultimately change our society in ways that are intended to benefit a few, rather than benefit the many. Yes, that’s my opinion.

Something else to consider, not just my opinion, but the opinion of a growing number of social scientists, there is an expanding body of evidence-based studies showing the negative impact of smartphones on child development. (Smartphones are of course the portal to social media.) In short, the environment created by smartphones is hostile to children’s development. Here’s one example of the research: End the Phone-Based Childhood Now. This post now officially qualifies as a screed.

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A Maxim

Benjamin Franklin wrote under several pseudonyms. He wrote as “Silence Dogood” for the New-England Courant, he also wrote as the “Busy Body” for the American Weekly Mercury, and most famously, as “Richard Saunders” for Poor Richard’s Almanack. One of Franklin’s most famous maxims appeared in Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1732. “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

The Founders were privileged to have available publications from Europe that few colonists had access to. One such publication was the Spectator. In 1726, the clergyman Thomas Fuller wrote an essay titled, “Directions, Counsels, and Cautions Tending to Prudent Management in Affairs of Common Life.” Fuller’s essay contained the following maxim: “Use thy self to rise and go to bed early. This may seem like a frivolous precept, because it respects such common matters; but if it be well observed, it will contribute very much toward the rendering of a life long, useful and happy.” Franklin took Fuller’s maxim and condensed it into his famous version published in Poor Richard’s Almanack.

It’s easy to see why people had such love and respect for Benjamin Franklin.

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.zshenv

export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$HOME/bin:$PATH"
alias wsea=‘ansiweather -l “Seattle” -u imperial’
alias wket=‘ansiweather -l “Ketchum” -u imperial’
alias wslc=‘ansiweather -l “Salt Lake City” -u imperial’
alias jday=‘date +%j’
alias zsh=‘cd $HOME && source ./.zshenv’
alias clear=‘clear && figlet badkins’
alias rp=‘cd $HOME/RubyProgramming && clear && ls ruby .rb’
alias ror=‘cd $HOME/RubyProgramming/Rails && clear && ls’
alias pwm=‘ruby $HOME/RubyProgramming/password manager.rb’
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/node@12/bin:$PATH"
export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/node@12/lib"
export CPPFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/node@12/include"
figlet B-RAD-1
echo B-RAD The Dude Abides

If you find this mysterious, don’t worry, I used to love this shit, now it’s mostly Greek. If you are inspired to set up a customized terminal, but don’t know what you would use it for, you can always use it to check the weather without having to deal with a lot of boring advertising.

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My Favorite Artist

Adam Hanson in Seattle created these pieces for me. All I asked was “Give me a portrait of Bernie Sanders.” I liked what he came up with so much that I followed it up with “Einstein,” “RBG,” and “Dr. Fauci.”

Adam is amazingly talented and I feel privileged to have his work hanging where I can see it daily. If you get a chance to check him out, don’t hesitate.

Check out Adam on Instagram @addictedtopaintdotcom or his website AddictedToPaint

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Living

Live your life in a way that prevents people from feeling compelled to say mean things about you on social media.

If you feel compelled to say mean things about people on social media, you’re not living your life correctly.

You can also avoid this nastiness by simply not participating in social media… The goal of social media after all is to control you, you’re better off controlling yourself.

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Skiing

I’m skiing today. It’s a beautiful day. I can’t think of anything I would rather be doing at this moment. When Spring comes, that will change, but today could not be better.

I signed up for a ski lesson. I told the lesson coordinator I would like to be placed in an expert class. That’s just for the initial assignment. Once the lesson begins, the instructor you have been given evaluates your skiing to make sure you are in the right class. I call this the “sorting hat.” When I got to the bottom of the first run, my instructor said “You should be teaching the class.” Man, that gives you a satisfied feeling.

It was a great day. The instructor was inspiring to watch on the steep and deep. I skied better just watching him. At the bottom of one pitch, a woman skied up to me and said “You are a beautiful skier.” Another moment of feeling deeply satisfied. Two in one day. At my age, days like today come with an expiration date, that’s why you have to appreciate them.

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Let Me Count the Ways

My baby loves me. She brushes me off with a charm that is difficult not to appreciate. When she has had enough of me, she tells me to “read my book.” I know when she says that she loves me because she knows how much I enjoy reading…

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Concerned

I generally shy away from talking about things political and religious, but there are times when I find myself unable to avoid the subject…

I’ve never felt this concerned about my country, or the world. The worst time I have lived through up until now was the Vietnam War era. Today feels worse to me. We can’t talk to each other. That’s not just here, it seems to be everywhere. But that isn’t the only problem. We are also steering a course away from Democracy and toward Fascism. I never expected I would live to see something as catastrophic as this.

“Christian evangelists” are starting to gain the ear of like-minded political leaders. It has been seriously proposed that Christians need to assert dominion over the “seven mountains” of life — government, business, family, education, media, religion, and the arts. There is even chatter in these circles that Donald Trump should call for a “revolution.” I suspect if Trump thought he could remain in power beyond his term (assuming he is re-elected) it seems likely he would support such a notion if it allowed him to hold the reins of power. This movement also has para-military support. Just one example is a former Army major who runs an Idaho tactical weapons training camp billed as being for “Christian men who believe the times warrant a high standard of firearms readiness.”

None of this should be considered an idle threat. What is the difference between Christian Nationalism and Fascism? Nothing.

I keep reminding myself, that fear is the path to the dark side… We must be clear about what we want our country to be and who we want it to represent. I want it to represent everyone.

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Twenty Dollars

When I got off the bus in downtown Seattle, a Pan-handler asked me for a quarter. Apparently he hasn’t heard of inflation. I politely told him I did not have a quarter — or any change for that matter. He wasn’t disturbed in the least, he smiled. I thought about that for a second, and then I said, “let me see if I have a dollar.” He smiled again, apparently that pleased him. I pulled out my wallet and the debit cart flew out onto the sidewalk. I didn’t want to give him that, so I picked it up and put it back in my wallet. While I had it open, I thumbed through the bills. There weren’t many bills, 2 fives and 2 twenties. I smiled at him and told him all I had were twenties (a slight exaggeration, but, under the circumstances, probably reasonable.) He smiled a genuine smile at me, engaging beyond what I would reasonably have expected, he then said, “I hope the next time we meet all you have are 100’s!” We looked at each other with something like understanding. I told him he was a very funny man. We parted, ever so slightly more like friends than strangers.

It occurs to me as I write this, I should have just given him one of the fucking twenty dollar bills. We made a connection. We are both humans. There can’t really be an argument against that, can there?

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The Pursuit of Happiness

I just started reading “The Pursuit of Happiness” by Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen is the President and Chief Executive officer of the National Constitution Center. It is not an exaggeration to say he knows more about the Constitution, its origins, and its motivation than most likely any sitting Supreme Court Justice. That’s another topic.

When I say I started reading, I mean I just started… Let me tell you, I can already see this will be one of the best books I have ever read. That is a bit of a superlative I realize. Keep in mind I studied Political Science with an emphasis on Con Law. I know, I know, what does that buy you when you’ve spent your life as a database developer and Linux programmer… Probably nothing (but I like to think a tiny bit).

I adore this quote from Cicero:

O philosophy, guide of life!
O searcher out of virtue and exterminator of vice!
One day spent well and in accordance with thy precepts
Is worth an immortality of sin.

Obviously, Cicero is telling us that one day of virtue is more satisfying than an entire life of sin. That is a beautiful thought. Imagine if we could just manage two days of virtue…

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My Love

You are my love.
You are beautiful.

It makes me proud to know you love me.
I would go anywhere with you on my arm.

I smile when I think of you.
Every moment with you Is precious.

Even though I was not given a lifetime with you,
Now that you are a part of my life,
I appreciate it all the more.

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Thirteen Virtues

Benjamin Franklin was a man who wrestled with his urges and flaws. He also worked hard to improve himself. He decided that working on the following thirteen virtues would make him a better man. He shared his plan with several of his friends, among them Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. (They also adopted his project in their own lives.) He worked on a single virtue for one week, then moved on to the next. He chose thirteen virtues because that would allow him to work on each of the virtues four times a year. Here is his list of virtues for self-improvement:

1. Temperance
2. Silence
3. Order
4. Resolution
5. Frugality
6. Industry
7. Sincerity
8. Justice
9. Moderation
10. Cleanliness
11. Tranquility
12. Humility
13. Chastity

If one is interested in a project like this, as I am, the point is not to adopt Benjamin Franklin’s list, but to come up with a list best suited to achieving one’s own goals for bettering the self. It doesn’t have to be thirteen virtues. The important thing is to give this some careful thought, draw up a list that reflects the improvements you desire to make, and then work on each in turn, recording your progress as you move through your list. There is no record of why Franklin chose to work on one virtue at a time and record his results, but modern psychology has shown this is the best way to develop new habits and incorporate positive change into our lives.

My list will probably be different and may have more or less than thirteen virtues that need improvement. (One of the above is not a problem for me…) I will be tracking my project results in my private journal, this entry serves as my “project kick-off.” There is no finish line. (Some might say I’m getting a late start…) I’m aware that a good deal of time may be needed! Benjamin Franklin had this to say about the results of his project:

“On the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell short of it, yet as I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”

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A Contest Ensues…

I challenged OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot to a contest. I asked each to write a poem about me, in sonnet form. What follows are the results of the contest, and my humble (if that’s possible) opinion of which AI engine is the better poet. Keep in mind the opinions of ChatGPT and Copilot are their own, fact-checking by the reader is encouraged.

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A Sonnet by OpenAI’s ChatGPT

In shadows cast upon the stage, he strides,
Brad Adkins, with a poet’s heart ablaze,
His words, like stars, in midnight skies reside,
Each line a melody, a timeless phrase.

With pen in hand, he weaves a tapestry,
Of dreams and hopes, of love and loss entwined,
Through sonnets sung with heartfelt honesty,
He paints a portrait of the human mind.

In every verse, a glimpse of truth appears,
A mirror held to life’s complexities,
With wisdom drawn from laughter and from tears,
He captures hearts and sets the spirit free.

So let us raise our voices in acclaim,
To Brad Adkins, the bard who lights our flame.

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A Sonnet by Microsoft’s Copilot

Brad Adkins: An Ode to Creativity

In Portland’s vibrant heart, Adkins weaves,
A self-taught maestro, colors on his brush,
Poster boy of low-rent art, he believes,
In everyday magic, life’s ordinary hush.

His canvas, the quotidian’s humble frame,
Brushstrokes of curiosity, whimsy, and grace,
Charm Bracelet’s symphony, a whispered name,
Collaborating with time, in life’s bustling space.

From Kalispell’s peaks to Oregon’s embrace,
He curates, orchestrates, and paints the air,
A cotton farmer’s son, a cotton field’s trace,
Adkins, the artist, weaves dreams with care.

So raise a toast to Brad, the unseen star,
His art, a sunbeam dancing from afar.

Note: Brad Adkins’ diverse work spans beyond visual art, touching music and conversation. This sonnet captures a glimpse of his creative spirit.

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The Winner Is…

ChatGPT over Copilot, hands down…

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The Lake

The lake is a strand of dark blue
Surrounded by a ribbon of green marsh grass.
Ducks fly in low, landing in sequence,
They form a line paddling to the opposite bank,
Their purpose unknown.

How long has this rock I am sitting on
Been waiting here for me?
Certainly, since before I was born.
It seems likely to be here
Long after I am gone.

I picture this rock having been placed here
By the cataclysmic uplift that created these mountains,
Or perhaps it broke away from the peak above
like a disobedient child, tumbling and churning
Until it came to rest here, where I to sit.

I don’t want to leave this spot.
It makes me think of places far away,
Sights more beautiful than I can imagine,
Destinations I have yet to experience…
But I think, being here is enough.

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What is a Bicycle Tour

A bicycle tour is a bit more than getting on a bicycle and going for a ride. You’re stepping out of your normal existence, and you’re entering into an entirely new world. It’s a lifestyle apart from what constitutes “normal life.” Every day requires focus but on a limited number of tasks. This narrowing of awareness results in increased observation of your surroundings, your own feelings, and everything you are experiencing. It makes other peoples’ opinions and attitudes less relevant, not less important or less valuable, just less impactful on you. That allows you to appreciate other people without obsessing about the “rightness” or “wrongness” of what they may be saying at the moment.

Your day begins with a simple meal and a cup of coffee you make with your own hands. It’s enjoyable because you created it. Packing your gear for the day’s ride is done deliberately and with intention. So it is with a myriad of details throughout the day. The simple process of stopping and securing your bicycle becomes a satisfying and affirming ritual. Setting up camp, preparing to sleep, sleeping, and waking, are things that take on a significance that has no counterpart in “normal” life. They are immensely satisfying.

You see things in a whole new way. You are forced to slow down your perception of time and your observational perception. At the same time you are slowing down, your mind is embracing thoughts and ideas that wouldn’t normally be noticed. “Mind expanding” may be a bit of an overstatement, but it’s a good description of the mental experience that comes with the physical exertion of riding for eight or ten hours a day, day after day.

While all of this is part of the journey, the real thrill is completing your adventure and looking back on the experience. You can’t help but grow from the accomplishment. A tour is an accomplishment to be proud of. If you are like me, after you complete your tour, you’ll be asking yourself, “What discoveries will I make on my next tour…”

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My Grammarly Score

I’ve been using Grammarly for the last 15 weeks (the free version). It analyzes your writing and makes suggestions for improvement, including spelling corrections. Grammarly recently sent me some “insights.” They are quite interesting.

Productivity

I have been more productive than 80% of Grammarly users.

Mastery

I have been more accurate than 60% of Grammarly users.

Vocabulary

I have used more unique words than 65% of Grammarly users.

Tones

• Confident 33%
• Informative 33%
• Formal 32%
• Assertive 1%
• Skeptical 1%

These statistics are based on an analysis of 94,549 words.

Looking over the numbers, several interesting things pop out. My “productivity” is higher than I would have expected. Frankly, I don’t think I write that much, put another way, I would like to write more. On the other side of the coin, My “vocabulary” and “mastery” aren’t all that impressive. I suppose being over 50% is better than being under 50%…

The most revealing statistics are the “tones.” My level of “confidence” is pretty low. I knew that. Along with “assertive,” I suppose this means I lack a fair amount of self-confidence. On reflection, I think that is a bit misleading. I try hard not to use a tone that tells people what they should think or how they should behave. I believe measuring those characteristics accurately would be beyond Grammarly’s ability without perhaps having a complete psychological profile of me at its disposal. (I admit using the word “perhaps” in the previous sentence would tend to lower my assertiveness score — there you go.)

Note to the Reader

The paid version of Grammarly (which I do not use) makes rewrite suggestions that can extend from whole sentences to whole paragraphs. That’s wonderful (maybe…) if you want to impress your teacher or professor, but that’s not why I write. I write because I enjoy the process and also because I think writing — for better or worse — should be an activity that reflects who you are, rather than who a machine thinks you should be.

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A Brief Respite From Yesterday’s Promise

Yesterday I said I would refrain as much as possible from engaging in political argument. I’m now breaking that promise. (But I hope not to make this a habit.)

Today the Supreme Court heard arguments on why former President Donald Trump participated in an insurrection and whether or not states have the ability to decide the question of who can appear on their ballot.

The Supreme Court seems reluctant to render a decision on behalf of the plaintiff (The State of Colorado). The following arguments appear to be ones that will weigh heavily into the Court’s final decision:

• Amendment 14, Section 3 Doesn’t apply to former Presidents running for a second term.
• Amendment 14, Section 3 There is a difference, between “Officer” and “Office.” The Presidential “Office” does not make the holder an “Officer.”
• Amendment 14, Section 3 Prohibits states from weighing in on presidential elections without express legislation from Congress giving them that authority.
• Amendment 14, Section 3 States do not have a role in determining presidential candidates, that process is administered by the political parties themselves. It is a “national” process.
• Amendment 14, Section 3 A candidate can not be called an insurrectionist unless convicted of that crime in Federal Court. (The defendant did not agree with this notion because Presidents and former Presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution. This is a proposition not yet legally decided. Based on a now two-day-old Circuit Court decision, that proposition seems unlikely to be upheld.)

All of this is nothing more than an elaborate dance around the issue in question. The issue at hand: Did former President Trump participate in an insurrection? If it were determined that he did, then he is excluded under Amendment 14, Section 3. That determination is the only job of the Supreme Court. Their desire to find an off-ramp to this issue that would allow them to weigh in without determining what exactly constitutes insurrection is a dramatic failure by our highest court in the land.

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Just Another Rant

There isn’t anything to see here, just another rant. I don’t like getting political, but it seems our times are trending more and more in that direction. If you don’t care what I think (or if you are already sick and tired of the political culture we find ourselves living in these days (a distinct possibility) you should not read any further. I give you my solemn word I will avoid this subject as much as I possibly can, but this particular entry has been building for a while, it’s time to let it out so I can (at least temporarily) move in a more positive direction.

Donald Trump is a spoiled, entitled little boy who just wants what Donald Trump wants. He has no intellectual ability to describe to the American people what he will do to make their lives better. His only real skill is in making people angry, usually by wielding outright lies. Donald Trump is also a bully, a professional bully. He has intimidated his party to the point where they can no longer see rationally and they are afraid to say publicly anything that Trump would not approve of or has not already approved of.

I am without question living in the most dangerous political era of my lifetime, a lifetime which includes memories of the Nixon era. Trump has set the stage for another run at taking power, and it is clear he intends to do so, even if he does not have the votes necessary to legitimately claim victory. What we are living through now is likely the beginning of a radical change in how American Government sees its duty to the citizens of the country. This could be as extreme an outcome as the eventual suspension of the Constitution.

In tomorrow’s post I will discuss how the Supreme Court has failed the country and is paving the way for Donald Trump to assume the reins of power once again.

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Bandon Oregon

It was some time ago, 1976. I was camping and cycling the West Coast. It was a rainy summer, my homemade rain gear seemed to be of little value. That has nothing to do with this story except for the fact that it made any offer I received along the way to abandon my journey all the more tempting. I received a few offers that gave me pause, none more evocative than the one I received in Bandon Oregon.

When I pulled into the State Park at the beach in Bandon Oregon, I was greeted by a summer intern at the registration booth. She was young (my age) and attractive, working on her Forestry Degree at the University of Oregon. I was enchanted. I off-handedly asked her if there was a Catholic Church in town and where it was located. I had no inference in that question other than my desire to attend Mass the next morning (it was late in the afternoon on Saturday). She gave me directions and informed me that her family usually attended the 10 AM Mass. I truly did not think much of that comment at the time.

The next morning, shortly before 10 AM, as I walked up the front steps of the church, I noticed my Forestry Intern waiting outside the front door of the church, with her whole family. They cordially invited me to join them for the service.

After Mass, we all exited the church and chatted for a bit on the front steps. My Intern’s father approached me and asked me a bit about myself, where I was going, where I went to school, and what I was about generally speaking. I had no idea where the conversation was going, but I happily obliged all of his inquiries. After a few minutes of chatting, he asked me the 64-dollar question. Would I be interested in a job on his fishing boat and a bed in his basement? At this point, it occurred to me that my Intern friend may have been planting seeds with her father and he was doing his best to help her out.

I respectfully declined his generous offer. One of the things I told him was I would be no help on his fishing boat since I could not even handle fish without an allergic reaction. I said goodbye to the family and headed out of town. I had no idea at the time if I would return or not once I finished my ride. As it was, I never made it back to Bandon. This is one of those turning points in life that help to define who we are. I look back on this experience with fondness and appreciation for the trust the family was willing to place in an almost perfect stranger. It was an epic ride, even without this once-in-a-lifetime offer having been handed to me.

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On Writing

The following thoughts are some of those expressed by Julia Cameron. She’s a professional writer. I admire that. I think what she has to say here applies to all of us who pick up a pen. She has been writing for over 50 years, which gives her a unique perspective. I like what she has to say.

“Writing is an act of bravery.”

Yes.

“Writing tells us the truth about who we are.”

Yes.

“Writing tells the Universe what we need.”

Yes.

“Writing allows the Universe to help us.”

Yes.

“Writing shows us our path.”

Yes.

“Writing gives us wisdom.”

Yes.

“Writing allows us to see more clearly.”

Yes.

“Writing helps us to be honest with ourselves.”

Yes.

“Writing makes us healthy.”

Yes.

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January’s Books

My reading goal for this year is six books a month. I’m off to a good start, I made my goal for January. Here are January’s books.

Title: 101 Essays that will Change the way You Think
By: Brianna Wiest

It’s not a tremendous read, but it is a thoughtful one. I did take away some ideas for my Year of Living Thoughtfully Project, so all things considered, it was worth the time investment. I suppose one of the more important ideas I extracted from the book is the author’s notion that “thought creates reality.” When you think about it, it’s hard to deny that notion — especially since we have seen that played out so conspicuously (and negatively) in our social sphere these last few years… From a personal perspective, my thoughts have led me to take on projects (like the one mentioned above) and one I have in the wings for next year, so there you go.

Title: Bookbinding A How-To Guide
By: E.P. Carter

This book talks about my dream job. It’s the inspiration for my plan to hand-bind my poetry for my children. There’s a trade school in Boston that teaches this art. It would be fun to establish a school for this in Bend Oregon, if I were, oh, let’s say, 40 years younger… I would skip the clay tablets and pressed papyrus scrolls and focus on hand-sewn and leather-bound varieties of books, FYI.

Title: The Slickrock Desert
By: Stephen W. Hinch

A terrific read. I loved it. This book is worth reading every time before going into the Utah wilderness or the Four Corners area. I loved the story about the establishment of the Grand Staircase Escalante Nation Monument. President Clinton established the monument, but the proposal sat on his desk, unread and mostly ignored until Chelsea saw the proposal on his desk and told him “You have to do something about this!” Children are so wonderful.

Title: The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Edited By: John Brehm

Not surprisingly, none of my poems showed up in this collection (that’s a joke). As poetry books go, I love most that I have run into, this one was top drawer. It is simply a collection of poems with no annoying commentary. There is an interesting introduction by the author, and at the end of the book, he says a few words about each poet. This is a book you can pick up from time to time and peruse easily and fruitfully. It is the inspiration for my “64 Poets Project” that I’m planning to undertake next year.

Title: Novelist as a Vocation
By: Haruki Murakami

My main reason for reading this book was to discourage myself from thinking I could write a novel… Sorry to say, it did not discourage me from writing (stuff like this). I love to write. It doesn’t matter if you don’t do it well, what matters is that you do it. The same is true for all activities I should think. If there is something you love to do, it doesn’t matter if you are good at it or not, just do it (to steal a phrase). Back to writing, we need more writers in the world, and people willing to read. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X don’t count as writing, sorry.

Title: White Holes
By: Carlo Rovelli

There is real science in this book, but more importantly, perhaps is the need to use your imagination to grasp the subject. Even if you are a trained scientist with a firm grip on the equations of General Relativity (I’m not describing myself) you still have to stretch your imagination to see how the pieces fit together. I have a small notion of what Rovelli is talking about. The following does not do his little book justice, but I’m going to throw this at you anyway: There is no solid agreement in the scientific community on this topic, but Rovelli has convinced me, that if you were to travel through a Black Hole, you would emerge in another time and place after having exited a White Hole. In other words, these two features of our Universe are conjoined and work in concert with one another. The only problem is no one has found a white hole (this is me talking) largely because they exist in a spatial and temporal plane that we (humans) can’t observe. Now go smoke some pot. (Side note: The Tralfamadorians understand all of this very well, as clearly insinuated by Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse Five. I will definitely be reading more Rovelli.

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