Life On A B-I7

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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72 Poets

Along the lines of six books a month, here is a list of 72 poets. If I were to read all of these poets in one year, that would be six poets per month. That’s not my plan. I would simply like to collect a few poems from each of these poets — from time to time. Having this list puts me on the road to fulfilling that ambition someday. Here’s hoping…

Dick Allen
A.R. Ammons
Matsuo Basho
Ellen Bass
Elizabeth Bishop
Shido Bunan
Yosa Buson
Chuang-Tzu
Billy Collins
Eihei Dogen
Robert Frost
Jack Gilbert
Han Shan
Jane Hirshfield
Andrea Hollander
Kobayashi Issa
Anna Kamienska
Jack Kerouac
Bill Knott
Yusef Komienska
Marilyn Kryst
Philip Larkin
D.H. Lawrence
Denise Levertov
Li Po
Bronislaw Maj
Czesław Milosz
Marianne Moore
Pablo Neruda
Frank O’Hara
Alicia Ostriker
Ron Padgett
Lucia Perillo
Fernando Pessoa
Paulamin Petersen
Po Chu-i
Ezra Pound
Jacques Prevert
Kenneth Rexroth
Yannis Ritsos
Kay Ryan
Ryokan
Saigyo
James Schuyler
William Shakespeare
Old Shoju
Tracy K. Smith
Gary Snyder
Ikkyu Sojun
William Stafford
Wallace Stevens
Ruth Stone
Su Tung P’o
Anna Sir
Wislawa Szymborska
Tomas Transformer
Tu Fu
Wei Ying-Wu
Walt Whitman
William Carlos Williams
William Wordsworth
James Wright
William Butler Yeats
Adam Zagajewski

If you were to add these up, you may have noticed that it does not total 72. That’s okay, I thought I would give myself some room to add a few more — not that I really need to…

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My 2024 Goals

Okay, I have some 2024 goals. I’m going to lay them out here, because, well, a goal not stated is not a goal, right?

My First goal is to read six books a month. I checked that box in January (with a few days to spare too). I’ll chat about the “January 6” in a follow-on entry. It turned out not to be as difficult as I thought to knock out six books in a month, it was fun too.

My second goal is to exercise daily. When I say daily, I would seriously like to make this a daily activity. I expect this will be harder than reading six books a month, but we’ll see. What I have in mind is not that difficult. A little rowing, a little balancing, a little stretching for the back and legs, and probably the most important exercise, walking. When I’m here in Seattle I can walk up Queen Anne Hill (it’s a steep one). You’ll see the point of all this as we get into the rest of my goals for 2024.

With that, here they are. I would like to hike a couple hundred miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, bicycle from Missoula MT to Florence Beach OR, ride a portion of the Oregon BDR on my motorcycle, and the one I’m most excited about, print and hand bind my poetry, three copies, one for each child. That last one will take some skills that I don’t have. I’m referring here of course to hand bookbinding, but that also applies to writing poetry.

If I can pull off this list, it will be a good year for sure. I just need to keep the following tips in mind:

1. Start slow and small.
2. Build a routine.
3. Track results.
4. Cut yourself some slack.
5. Keep going.

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Turn on the Bearm

It’s raining in the mountains again. I’ve had one week of good skiing this winter. I’m not complaining. Wait, yes I am…

Don’t use the top.
Don’t use the trough.
Turn on the bearm.

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Foraging Path

I discovered this while walking through the Seattle Center fountain courtyard. I would never have known what this was unless I had seen a mouse scamper along this trail, never veering off the path…

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Five Habits for the New Year

“Always start slow and small.”

Pick small goals that are stepping stones to your larger goals. Celebrate each small step. Pace yourself. The adage “It’s not a race, it’s a marathon,” is the key to all success.

“Build a routine.”

Someone recently asked me, “How do you have the discipline to write every day?” You don’t start with discipline, you start by finding enjoyment in what you are doing. Once that enjoyment reaches critical mass, you want that feeling every day. Discipline is just the urge to seek that enjoyment.

“Track your results.”

Using a journal to record progress (and setbacks) is a strong incentive and support. It does not have to be fancy. It provides you the opportunity to look back and correct, as well as look ahead and plan.

“Cut yourself some slack.”

Be gracious to yourself, there are going to be good days and bad days. In the greater scheme of things bad days are nothing more than opportunities to examine what isn’t working and avoid those things going forward. We are not perfect. I know that about myself, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to get better. I’m not worried about reaching perfection.

“Keep going.”

If you don’t feel like pursuing your goal today, that’s okay, but take a step anyway. The result might be shit but that doesn’t matter, what matters is that you took the step. Even if the result is less than satisfactory, you will still feel rewarded by the attempt. There is reward in the doing. The product will take care of itself.

Inspiration for this entry came from an online article I found on the Lochby website.

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Happy New Year

“Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again. “
—Og Mandino

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