Thanks listener; just busy here. Had a court appearance in Oakland that took two days (I was in the witness box for about eight or nine hours), and on top of that the lab was short two analysts this week. But I am pretty well caught up now, and have an unanticipated three-day weekend! I heard today that the defendant in the Oakland case (who had a prior DUI, another bargained down to a wet reckless, and has another one pending) was found guilty on all counts--driving (motorcycling, to be precise) under the influence, driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater, speeding (110 mph) and recklessness. On top of that he will have a honking big bill from his private attorney and the "expert" the attorney hired. Serves him right. I'm pretty sure that if he loses that next case the punishment will be severe.
You take care, Cat, hear?
On the face of it, that police shooting in Burlington doesn't sound justified, certainly. The cynical side of me wonders if it was a semi-automatic shovel. No Tasers?
During our time in Oakland I finished reading Ursula LeGuin's The Word for World is Forest. I found the description of the terrans and their reason for being there unsatisfactory and shallow (indeed sexist). Maybe it was necessary to be rather brutal about that in order to spend more time on the central part of the story and still fit it into a publishable novella format. A touch of Zenna Henderson could have improved that part. But once into the main part of the story it improved quite a bit.
I continue to reflect on LeGuin's The Day Before the Revolution and The Dispossessed. One really should read them both, and in that order; the former to set the scene, and the latter to carry the argument. The Dispossessed deals with the central paradoxes of both anarcho-syndicalism and unbridled capitalism, how they both tend toward dictatorship and need periodic renewal. IMO.
Thanks, listener, I'll pick them up in a bit. Haven't been on FB or even checked my mail yet today. Even before reading your comment on the last thread I had begun to wonder about anemia. Will check that out as well.
Thanks, Alan, for the good wishes! BTW you do know, I guess it's pretty transparent, that The Word for World Is Forest is a condemnation of the Vietnam War? It's not the most subtle of books, nor among Le Guin's best IMO. But I applaud her for writing it.
P.S.: The only reliable reflection of body iron stores is a serum ferritin test. Serum iron and iron binding capacity are still frequently ordered by MD's, but are long since outmoded. Blood hemoglobin is of course the most basic test. After my medical adventures (almost five years ago!) it took a surprisingly long time for my hemoglobin to come back up close to where it had been (probably due to chemo damage to the bone marrow). I didn't seem to get my energy back until it rose to 14 g%; at 12 I still felt tired, and a lot of people do just fine at that level.
Today we picked, washed, peeled and (mostly) hung persimmons to dry. We already had about fifty drying, and picked another two hundred today. Only about fifty left to prepare for the drying rack (tomorrow).
Hip, Hip, Howard!
ReplyDeleteThanks listener; just busy here. Had a court appearance in Oakland that took two days (I was in the witness box for about eight or nine hours), and on top of that the lab was short two analysts this week. But I am pretty well caught up now, and have an unanticipated three-day weekend! I heard today that the defendant in the Oakland case (who had a prior DUI, another bargained down to a wet reckless, and has another one pending) was found guilty on all counts--driving (motorcycling, to be precise) under the influence, driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater, speeding (110 mph) and recklessness. On top of that he will have a honking big bill from his private attorney and the "expert" the attorney hired. Serves him right. I'm pretty sure that if he loses that next case the punishment will be severe.
You take care, Cat, hear?
On the face of it, that police shooting in Burlington doesn't sound justified, certainly. The cynical side of me wonders if it was a semi-automatic shovel. No Tasers?
During our time in Oakland I finished reading Ursula LeGuin's The Word for World is Forest. I found the description of the terrans and their reason for being there unsatisfactory and shallow (indeed sexist). Maybe it was necessary to be rather brutal about that in order to spend more time on the central part of the story and still fit it into a publishable novella format. A touch of Zenna Henderson could have improved that part. But once into the main part of the story it improved quite a bit.
I continue to reflect on LeGuin's The Day Before the Revolution and The Dispossessed. One really should read them both, and in that order; the former to set the scene, and the latter to carry the argument. The Dispossessed deals with the central paradoxes of both anarcho-syndicalism and unbridled capitalism, how they both tend toward dictatorship and need periodic renewal. IMO.
Well, that's it for now.
--Alan
Quick note (Grand on the premises) …
ReplyDeleteCatreona, I just sent you a series of private messages via Facebook.
Thanks, listener, I'll pick them up in a bit. Haven't been on FB or even checked my mail yet today. Even before reading your comment on the last thread I had begun to wonder about anemia. Will check that out as well.
DeleteThanks, Alan, for the good wishes! BTW you do know, I guess it's pretty transparent, that The Word for World Is Forest is a condemnation of the Vietnam War? It's not the most subtle of books, nor among Le Guin's best IMO. But I applaud her for writing it.
I didn't pick up on that, Cat. But this [Click] shows how "we" haven't become any smarter since then…
ReplyDeleteWell, on to The Left Hand of Darkness, but not right away. I need some lighter stuff first--maybe a bit of Harry Harrison. Maybe tonight a movie---
Blancanieves? [Click]
--Alan
P.S.: The only reliable reflection of body iron stores is a serum ferritin test. Serum iron and iron binding capacity are still frequently ordered by MD's, but are long since outmoded. Blood hemoglobin is of course the most basic test. After my medical adventures (almost five years ago!) it took a surprisingly long time for my hemoglobin to come back up close to where it had been (probably due to chemo damage to the bone marrow). I didn't seem to get my energy back until it rose to 14 g%; at 12 I still felt tired, and a lot of people do just fine at that level.
--Alan
Today we picked, washed, peeled and (mostly) hung persimmons to dry. We already had about fifty drying, and picked another two hundred today. Only about fifty left to prepare for the drying rack (tomorrow).
ReplyDelete--Alan
Blancanieves was a very powerful movie, a real tribute to the european masters of the silent film.
ReplyDelete--Alan
Hollywood it ain't.
Delete--Alan