Besotted

The grandma came to visit today, spending the morning with Joan potting flowers on the back deck, visiting with the neighbors, apparently having a good time. We came in for lunch and sat about, cooling from the sun. She was offered a glass of chilled wine and, heavens to mercy, downed the whole thing, and a second glass to boot. Now she claims to be tipsy and has captured the rest of the bottle to take home. Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Feelin' good

Sometimes one gets to feel really good about doing something simple. Sometimes I find that I can do things that cost me nothing but a little time or that I even enjoy and offer a benefit to another. It's the old win-win stuff. Last night I got to do it again. Same old thing for me -- I do it every year -- and every year it feels good.

Fairbanks is a small town, but we have several public school programs for young people who, for one reason or another, don't make it through high school. A lot of them complete the GED and graduate. They have a graduation exercise and, thanks to a group to which I belong, get the whole experience, complete with the graduation processional, complete with Pomp and Circumstance. Our Community Band performs a pre-graduation concert of about 30 minutes, then plays the processional and the national anthem.

Yes, one can graduate without the music, but to have a live group doing the honors seems to add a lot to the event. It adds a lot to me as well. This wasn't the most dignified of ceremonies; some of the graduates were scampering to catch up with the line, but it represented the end of what for some was a major struggle. I got to add my little bit to make it memorable. I like that.

Neoconomy

Daniel Altman provided me a readable, coherent explanation of the George W. Bush moves on economic policy. I've seen a lot of loosely constructed explanations, but nothing which established a basis for what seemed like an incoherent mess of tax cuts and massive spending. Where Democrats were labeled "tax and spend", Republicans seemed to favor "don't tax and spend". At least now I have some clue behind what these obviously intelligent people were trying to accomplish.

Mr. Altman clearly has reservations about the neoconomy, which may put off Libertarians and Republican True Believers, but his views should not be dismissed without supporting evidence. He has documented his sources well, especially when he used readily available (via internet) publications of government.

I recommend the book and would like to hear comments from my many readers (yes, both of you), should you chance upon it.


Bibliographic information

Title                 Neoconomy
Author(s)             Daniel Altman
Publisher             Public Affairs
Publication Date      August 1, 2004
Subject               Politics / Current Events
Format                Hardcover
Pages                 290
Dimensions            5.84 x 8.48 x 1.10 in
ISBN                  1586482297

Local caches

N 64° 50.741 W 147° 43.378 (probably News Miner)
N 64° 51.216 W 147° 43.955 (bridge to nowhere - has state quarters?)
N 64° 51.247 W 147° 41.041 (at Boston's Pizza?)

Zanshin: The Remaining Mind

From a post by Merlin Mann in 43Folders
* Trackback for links
* Posted on: Thu, May 12 2005 2:45 AM

Zanshin means “the remaining mind” and also “the mind with no remainder.” This is the mind of complete action. It is the moment in kyudo (Zen archery) after releasing the arrow. This is “Om makurasai sowaka” in oryoki practice and drinking the rinse water. In shodo, it is finishing the brush stroke and the hand and brush moving smoothly off the paper. In taking a step, it is the weight rolling smoothly and the next step arising. In breathing in completely, it is this breath. In breathing out completely, it is this breath. In life, it is this life. Zanshin means complete follow through, leaving no trace. It means each thing, completely, as it is.

When body, breath, speech and mind are broken from each other and scattered in concept and strategy, then no true action can reveal itself. There is only hesitation, or trying to push oneself past hesitation. This is the mind of hope and fear, which arises because one is trying to live in some other moment, instead of in the moment that arises now. One is comparing, planning, or trying to maintain an illusion of control in the midst of a reality which is completely beyond control.

A change in the wind

Apple's OS X 10.4 Tiger brings with it a fairly simple concept that I predict will make a significant change in how I use my computer for information retrieval. Apple introduced Spotlight, their name for a local search tool which indexes the content of files and folders for very quick location and retrieval. They did a nice job of it, although I till expect refinements to Spotlight. Some of the nice parts are good integration with the rest of the OS, a simple interface, and the ability to save searches as active folders. There are still some glitches to work out, but that will happen.

The implications are just now beginning to sink in as I play with it. For example, I have problems sometimes remembering where I put stuff. Not just computer files; real stuff. Like the summer quilt for the bed. We've been breaking heat records lately and it became time to put away the winter comforter for something lighter. Neither of us could remember where Joan put the comforter; it wasn't where she expected to find it. We looked for a couple of days before it turned up in the drawer of a chest, a very reasonable place, once we thought of it. This happens often with stuff that gets used once or twice a year. So what if I make a text file stored anywhere on this computer. In it I put a line of key words: where is, locate, find, look for ... whatever is likely to be a part of finding something. Then I add a line of text: comforter is in drawer in west bedroom chest. Presumably, I can then type in the Spotlight search field: find comforter and get back the answer I want.

Another example. When I get an email or web notice confirming a purchase, a delivery, or some other kind of receipt, I print it as a pdf file, an OS print option, and store it in a folder of receipts. I can then ask for receipts in the last month, for example, with a query such as "kind:pdf date:last month" and get back a list. If I add a word about the topic, I'll get the file itself. I don't have to organize this stuff in detail or add a bunch of key words, although there is a tool for that as well. It's all found for me regardless of where I put it. Combine that with smart folders, a tool called Automator, and Spotlight provides really simple information retrieval without having to write code. THAT will change computing where it matters, in the hands that touch the keyboard. Major change, cleanly done.

Cool.

The Wall

After our brass concert Tuesday night, I went with a group of young musicians to the pub on campus. This was the last concert of the spring season for all of us, making it a good time for a bit of levity and a pint or two of a good porter. We arrived to a wall of sound coming from an equally impressive wall of speakers, all managed by a DJ. The only live musicians were looking for a table. We had to arrange where to sit by hand signals, since none of us could hear a thing except for the Latin din.

My impression is simply that I saw little purpose in going there with friends. There was no way to communicate except by touch or gesture and my touchable is 350 miles to the south. The others grumbled a bit, but managed to communicate at least enough to hit the dance floor, in itself somewhat humorous when the two gals dragged the (very good looking) gay guy out to dance. Clearly, though, I'm not in the target audience for the DJ. Not only am I un-thrilled with DJ's replacing live bands but I just don't get the point of the mind numbing roar. It could have been fun with about a 180-degree turn of the gain control. As it was, however, we were all isolated by the musical cannonade; each person left to what thoughts could survive.

I will say that after swapping tastes of the brews, most wound up drinking what I had ordered. That was flattering, which felt good, but the environment was beyond me. Anybody care to explain to me what I'm missing?

PostSecret

PostSecret

Aaron said:

It's been mentioned on Boing Boing and NPR already. I think it's fascinating.

Lewy said:

Oof! Wow! ... and I agree. Thanks, Aaron.