Category Archives: Legacy
What Is Jogging?
Louis Armstrong allegedly said once, when asked what jazz is, if you have to ask, you’ll never know. In a roughly similar way, I’ve found that there are three types of people in this world who run: runners, joggers, and … Continue reading
From the Snake Oil Department
Tonight my wife brought home one of those ladies magazines full of self-improvement schemes targeted at desperate women of the type who are not in the habit of thinking things through clearly. The titles on the cover featured articles designed … Continue reading
Do-Tasks and Not-Do-Tasks
There are two kinds of tasks: Do-Tasks and Not-Do-Tasks. Most of the big life goals we set out to accomplish are achieved by Doing a sometimes complex array of tasks, often in some logical order. For instance, say I want … Continue reading
A Thought on Literary Precision
Compare the consequences of a lack of a single punctuation mark in English and in software. Imagine what would happen if high school students were not permitted to graduate for failing to insert a quotation mark in an essay. I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Language, Legacy, Opinions, Thoughts, Writing
Tagged Oscar Wilde, Quotation mark
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Mechanical Aids in Races
The use of mechanical aids to assist a runner in moving forward is against the rules in most ultramarathons. For instance, a runner will be disqualified for getting a lift in a car, riding a bicycle, or hopping along on … Continue reading
The Paradox of Censorship
Censorship imposed on one sector of society by another is an act of the first group’s taking away freedoms that belong to the second group, regardless of the first group’s intent. Censorship is perpetrated by persons, organizations, committees who have … Continue reading
Failed Diets
Some diet plans, notably Weighwatchers, depend on logging everything that is eaten, playing on the theory that if you have to log it, you may eat less. One reason some people fail miserably in all attempts to control weight is … Continue reading
Routines
A friend once told me: “The more I repeat things the more good things happen.” He spoke of living his life according to an orderly daily routine. Most lives progress in cycles with controlled variations, from which emanate all that … Continue reading
Boredom Yet Again
Time for a rant: About being bored on the track—speaking as one who has spent a total of twenty-three 24-hour days and nights circling various tracks and short, flat pieces of road. The topic comes up often. Persons who say … Continue reading
What Is Economy?
Recently I mentioned to a friend that it was difficult to communicate with some persons I need to keep in touch with because they either do not use computers, or do so infrequently. Sending them email is next to useless, … Continue reading
Half Crazy
Most distance runners have been asked by non-runners: “How far is that marathon you’ll be running?” We all have our own saucy answers. I’m sure somewhere there’s a smart aleck who replies: “It’s just a standard marathon.” “Ummm … Oh! … Continue reading
Chips Off the Workbench
Welcome to my verbal webcam. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, as I’ve been busy with work and the upcoming race Across the Years. Meanwhile, here are a few thoughts that pass through my eccentric mind. When people … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Language, Legacy, Quotes and Quips, Squibblings, Thoughts
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The Dumbing Down of Holidays
Modern American society has dumbed down so-called holidays. The word “holiday” is derived from and sounds like an Old English expression “holy day,” a day set aside for religious observance, for worship of and paying tribute to God. These days … Continue reading
On Being a Soldier
People can put any spin they want on words to defend war and those who join the military — willingly or otherwise. They can call them freedom fighters or defenders, and imply they had a choice by saying they make … Continue reading
To-Do Lists
I don’t do things unless I’ve added them to a to-do list. Sometimes my wife will ask me to do something. I’ll say, “But that’s not on my list.” She’ll say, “So put it on your list.” So I put … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Legacy, Squibblings, Thoughts
Tagged My List, Time management
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The Rudest Devices
On July 13th, I became the owner of my first cell phone. My resistance to having one in the past was not entirely for financial reasons, nor because I suffer from high-tech phobias, nor because I’m an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy. I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Legacy, Opinions, Technology, Thoughts
Tagged Cell Phones, Mobile phone
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Conquering the Voice
Whenever I go to the gym for a run there is a period of time between when I quit working for the day and when I arrive, during which my mind engages in relatively unproductive thought. It provides ample time … Continue reading
Non-Utilitarian Apparel
There is a certain arbitrariness born of tradition regarding what is considered dressy attire. Utilitarian wear is not the first principle of design. There is nothing intrinsically praiseworthy from a practical standpoint about tying a piece of cloth around one’s … Continue reading
Morons Need Jobs Too!
To each person his own job is or becomes important. Morons need jobs, too. Give them their space; let them do their work. When the average joe looks for a job, his primary objective is usually to find an occupation … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Opinions, Technology, Thoughts
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Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman — Arizona Opera
Last night was the first time in 62 years of musical life that I ever attended a live production of a Wagner opera. At that rate I’ll be 124 before I see my next one. I can wait. The event … Continue reading
The Most Secure Place in the World
Many adventure and sci-fi movies show scenes of top secret highly secure fortresses surrounded by armed guards and protected by more hi-tech gear than the Pentagon can afford. Each of these movies leaves you convinced that there couldn’t possibly be … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Legacy, Quotes and Quips, Squibblings, Thoughts
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Music As Wallpaper
Music today has become like wallpaper — part of the ambience. Hardly anyone ever just listens to it any more, unless it’s to get up and dance. As a child I became accumstomed to simply listening to music, allowing it … Continue reading
Posted in Arts, Legacy, Music, Opinions, Thoughts
Tagged Classical music, Radio, Sixteen Tons
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How Many Miles Per Whatever?
Non-runners will ask runners: “How many miles per unit of time du jour do you run?” If the inquirer is a fitness oriented type who sees me at the gym frequently, he may be the sort of person who assumes … Continue reading
A Simple Life
Many people stumble along the path from birth to death with colossal holes in their lives. They never read. How can a person know anything if he never, ever reads? They never think. They never work out. They never learn … Continue reading
Handel’s Semele — Arizona Opera Company
On January 30th Suzy and I attended the Arizona Opera Company’s performance of Semele by Handel. Some musicologists classify it as a “secular oratorio” rather than an opera, but all presentations of it I’ve found listed by Google have been … Continue reading
Boredom Redux
Often I’ve claimed that I never get bored while running. I’ll stick to that claim, with a minor rider. Sometimes preoccupation with something else can interfere with whatever task we are presently performing, such that we do it less well, … Continue reading
Downtown Chamber Players Concert Review
Friday night Suzy and I attended an all contemporary chamber music concert. (Contemporary if you count Ysaÿe.) It’s been a long time since I did that. The venue was a huge space in downtown Phoenix called The Ice House, which … Continue reading
Posted in Arts, Legacy, Music, Re: Views
Tagged Elliott Carter, Steve Reich
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Job Interviews Are Like Auditions
Recently I have been looking for work once again, and in so doing have had to make myself available for job interviews, the humiliating grilling in which a person is expected to lay his life’s work experience on the line … Continue reading
Spinning Statistical Meaning
At Across the Years this year I earned a jacket for covering 1000 miles lifetime in my seventh year of running it. That’s the accumulated total from one 24-hour race, one 48-hour race, and five 72-hour races. (Update: My total … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Running, Sports
Tagged Running, Ultramarathon
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Why Ultrarunning?
On the Ultra List ultrarunning e-mail list one subscriber surmised: “…some people get into ultrarunning to prove to the world that they’re “tough.” Deep down inside they feel weak, so they compensate by doing something physically difficult.” Another responded: Or … Continue reading
Fantastic Writing
At this moment my wife is sitting in the living room watching Lord of the Rings. I tried watching it when it first came out, but fell asleep, and have had no further interest in watching the others. I also … Continue reading
