Alternate Universes

 I posted a comment on Facebook about writing my memoirs and how depressing it was. I guess here, I will explain why it is depressing.  When I was in the eighth grade, I had a chance to meet new people, to bring them into my life. Yet it seems that everyone I brought into my life, I either ended up ignoring, discarding, or even alienating. I wish there was some way I could blame this on other people, but the truth is, I did it to myself. Now I wonder, am I alone in this deficiency? Or is this just the nature of being human? To take advantage of others, to ignore the people who are nice to us, and to fail to notice those around us who might actually make a positive impact on our lives. I am not a huge fan of Facebook (and even less a fan of Twitter). Yet Facebook had brought back into my life some people that I didn't pay much attention to. And the amazing thing is, once I started seeing them, truly for the first time, I realize that they are really wonderful people. People I should

  Yesterday I took the plunge. I donned my face mask, which may or may not protect me or may or may not protect others, I got in my car, which may or may not need gas, and I drove to the medical center to get my Covid booster. I’ve mastered all the basics: park on the top level (direct sunlight kills the virus, adding an extra level of protection), don’t take the stairs (even going downhill exhausts me), know where I’m going (fortunately Covid signage is much clearer than signage to the Psychiatric ward, my usual destination. Getting the booster was a lot easier than getting the original shots. Better scheduling, less panic, and a more orderly process. Not only was my provider able to give me the booster, but they were able to update my records so that my first booster was included. And, as an added bonus, I was able to get a flu shot. Ah, I feel so protected now! Then I got home. “What? You got the booster? Don’t you know that’s going to cause heart failure?” (Yes, I have an a

I often find that I have problems with people who confuse data and information. Data is often cited as proof that some proposition is true, but it is only when data is collected and presented in a rigorous organized manner that it becomes information. Let me see if I can give an example. Data is the collection of instances of a specific occurrence. For example, four people on a deserted island are women. You know nothing about the gender make-up of the island's population. The number four constitutes data. While we need data to interpret the universe, data itself is insufficient. We need information.  Now if I told you that the total population of the island was one hundred people, and four of them are women, you have not just more data, but enough data to start comprehending the nature of that data. But even this is insufficient. If I told you that the island had a population of one hundred individuals and ONLY four of them are women, you have have a more complete understanding of

I watched a segment on Morning Joe with Laverne Cox. She is a 50 year old transgender woman who looks and sounds quite feminine. She started transitioning in her twenties, which is probably why she looks so good. She commented that since Jan 1 of this year, states have introduced 151 anti-trans bills into their legislatures. As I was viewing her, it occurred to me that she puts me to shame in a number of ways. First, as a transgender woman, she looks damn good. Oh, I know. Most of you probably don't think that transgender women worry about their appearance, since their "gender identity" is so important to them. Well, I can tell you that's a pile of bull. Transgender women stress and worry about how they look as much as any cisgendered female does. We want to conform to the "standard" as much as any teenage girl does. (The good news is that after many years, trans women outgrow their teenage traumas and begin to accept themselves for who and what they are.

I tried writing a post about my life, and I discovered that my protection software suddenly decided this site was potentially dangerous. It kept me from coming here, and when I did manage to access the blog, my most recent post was blacked out. I don't like that. I don't believe in censorship. I don't believe my post was advocating anything immoral, illegal, or wrong. But if this site is going to be compromised by other people censoring my thoughts, I am not happy with it.  I reposted the blog I wrote, but without the Labels. It seems to have posted correctly, but I still need to check it out.

Recently, my daughter related a tale to me about her son. He's a teenager in high school, a promising junior who excels in academics, participates in many organizations, studies martial arts, and is a whiz at military history. He is a shy young man, yet is popular with his peers. As he and his friends were coming home from school, my grandson noticed an elderly man, bent over with age and arthritis, studying a map. The old man appeared to be lost and unable to determine which way to go. My grandson saw the man's confusion. He hurried across the street and asked the old man if he needed help. The old man nodded, then described where he was trying to go. My grandson checked the map, then explained how the old man could get to his destination. The old man started along the route, but was hesitant and uncertain in his movements. My grandson realized that the old man might still get lost, so he caught up with the man and then guided him ultimately to the man's destination. When