Senior Rugby

Question: Who is the two-time defending Olympic rugby champion?

Answer: The USA.

Why?: It was last a sanctioned sport in 1924.

This information comes from an article published 5/14/2005 in the San Diego Union-Tribune by Ed Graney, staff writer.

The 15th annual Golden Oldies rugby games will be played in San Diego. Opening ceremonies will take place 5/15/2005 at 19:00 at the Embarcadero with a welcoming party following at 20:00 at Petco Park. The games themselves will be played Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 through 19:00 at the Del Mar Polo Grounds. 125 teams with about 3,000 players from around the world will participate. All players must be at least 35 years old.

Notables who have played rugby include Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Richard Burton, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Sean Connery, James Joyce, Michael Obownkandi, Fran Tarkington, Andre the Giant, Ernie Els and Meat Loaf.

Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in America.

What the Bleep Do We Know?

There is a strange little movie out, now on DVD, titled "What the Bleep Do We Know?". It is about a large variety of subjects: God, quantum mechanics, the universe, mind power, belief, physics, biology -- in short, everything. It tells a story but is narrated by a large number of people who, initially, seem to get in the way of the story. Its heroine, appropriately, is deaf, speaking rarely, sometimes by signing and at other times in a peculiarly weak voice.

Each narrator has his own voice, his own perspective. Their opinions, while not forming a unified whole, are sufficiently similar to reinforce each other. If you were to ask this group, "Is there a God?", I can imagine them responding, "There are over six billion Gods that we know of and there may be many more". On the other hand, I can also imagine them saying, "Yes, the Observer exists and may be many or, ultimately, one." I would not be surprised, though, if they simply replied, "That's up to you".

The heroine eventually discovers her power to create the universe around herself. Once she reaches that point, however, she is asked, "Do you want to go a little farther down the rabbit hole?".

It's a playful little film, which is surprising for a collaboration on so serious a subject or group of subjects. At the end, if you watch beyond the end of the story, you will be surprised to find out who the narrators are. Only one is a mystic, but, knowing that, you would have difficulty picking out which one before it is revealed to you.

I like upbeat movies with happy endings. This is such a movie.

iRobot

Cathy gave us a carpet-sweeping robot called Roomba, which is manufactured by iRobot. It comes with two virtual walls and a remote control. It has a docking station that it tries to return to when commanded, at the end of its programmed sweeping cycle or when its battery starts to get low. There is also a bracket for hanging the sweeper on the wall or a door.

The virtual wall and the docking station use infra-red lights to tell the robot where to go or not to go. The robot evades the light shining from the virtual wall devices, treating it much the same way it treats a physical wall. On the other hand, the robot is attracted to the light on the docking station when it is ready to dock, ignoring it otherwise.

Unfortunately, the docking station signal is bright enough that the robot will be attracted to its reflections, becoming confused by what seem to be multiple docking stations. If placed directly in front of the docking station, the robot will dock. If it decides to dock when too far away, it can have problems finding the dock. It is best to position the docking station facing into a wide open room with few reflectors so the robot can find its way home.

It is not a vacuum cleaner. It uses a rotating brush to sweep up trash from carpet or bare floor. It isn't very noisy.

The remote control can be used to command the robot to leave the docking station and begin cleaning but not to return to the docking station, which has to be done manually. The remote can also be used to drive the robot to an area for cleaning by commanding it to advance, turn left or turn right.

The robot is supposed to be able to map its environment and learn where things are in the places it has visited. It still needs to find its limits by bumping into things. There is a large bumper in front and two spinning fingers on the sides for detecting objects. When it touches something, it backs up a short distance and then turns one way or the other. It may follow a straight path or a curved path when moving, which allows it to sweep all around any object it finds.

Rocky, Cathy's dog, quickly learned to accept the intruder, showing neither hostility nor fear. On the other hand, I doubt we'll soon see Rocky riding about on the robot like an elephant on a giant turtle.

The robot seems to do its job pretty well. It has to be cleaned out after each excursion, but seeing what it has picked up makes it that much easier to accept. Delia is resigned to having it about, to roam each day in a quest for cleanliness. We would never sweep so often otherwise, especially under beds and chairs.

I'm going to have to mount a small camera on top so I can see our house from a turtle's perspective.

Obsolescence

My first two computers both saved programs and data on audio cassettes. My third computer, an Atari, used single-sided, low density 5.25 inch floppy diskettes. The next step was high density 3.5 inch diskettes, and these are about to become obsolete and disappear. The new media are memory sticks and optical disks. Among optical disks, the CD-ROM is probably on its way out, being replaced by DVD, which has its replacements on the horizon.

Recently, and much to my surprise, my mouse became obsolete. It was a serial bus mouse, and serial busses are about to vanish. My newly upgraded Linux system no longer knows what to do with a serial mouse. The mouse has to connect to the PC connector or to the USB (Universal Serial Bus). The PC connector will probably vanish soon. USB 1.1 is being replaced by USB 2.0, both of them on the verge of being replaced by Firewire.

I looked for a replacement mouse at Sams Club, knowing they were not available from Costco. All were wireless, using either infra-red or some kind of radio to connect to the system through USB. At least one had an adaptor for connecting to the PC connector. They ranged from $31 to $77, much more than I was willing to pay. I went to Staples.

Staples had about a dozen mouse models ranging from $8 to the absurd. The $8 mouse used a rubber ball, which isn't reliable. I settled on a $15 mouse that connects to the PC connector. It uses optical technology, will work on any smooth surface with a granular pattern (such as a piece of wood) and has a neat lighted wheel as the third button.

I like wheel mice.

My newly updated Linux system, Linspire 5.0, accepted the mouse with no problems, having a suitable driver already installed. A driver diskette was provided for installation to Windows systems; it goes into the archive with the "manual".

I feel obsolete.

Cost of Ownership

I have seen a computer advertised lately for $199.99, complete with monitor and printer. It is a very nice, modern computer, despite coming with a Windows XP Home operating system. Many people will buy it, not realizing that the price doesn't represent their cost, which is at least $499.39 because to purchase the computer they must subscribe to AOL for a year at $24.95 per month.

That may still be a reasonable cost for the machine. It simply differs from the stated price.

And many people will continue their subscriptions to AOL after the year expires, making the AOL executives happy.

I recently acquired two machines for measuring my blood sugar, one a ReliOn Ultima that cost $8.88 and the other a BD Logic that was sent to me free. Both use modern technology to produce rapid readings with very small blood samples. The Logic is a more sophisticated machine, having the ability to record user insulin injection data and to download all accumulated data to software on a Windows-based machine for detailed analysis.

Using the Logic will cost more than twice as much as using the Ultima because its test strips cost 88 cents each as compared to 42 cents for the Ultima's test strips. That's $2.64 per day against $1.26 per day, $963.60 per year against $459.90. The Ultima will cost me $494.82 less to own in the first year.

Actually, that's only true until the middle of December. When Medicare kicks in, all of the test strips will be free and the cost of ownership, to me, will be nothing. That is assuming the current administration does nothing to screw things up, which is probably not a good assumption.

A cracker (commonly mislabeled a hacker) published his analysis of the cost of ownership of existing operating systems. He compared the ease of taking over, "owning", systems running Windows, Linux, BSD and other software. If you bought a computer running Windows and connected to the Internet, the cost to him to "own" your computer was almost nothing. All other systems were much more expensive to "own".

This is really the cost of allowing your data to be owned by somebody else, somebody who can use it to harm you.

I run a Windows XP system. I just don't connect it to the Internet. The system I'm using at the moment to connect to the Internet runs Linspire 4.5, which is Debian Linux.

The Spyware out there has become too sophisticated. Existing countermeasures won't handle it and nothing in the near future seems likely to be able to. Using Internet Explorer will almost guarantee that somebody else will soon be spending your money and perhaps using your identity.

Viruses and worms are almost as bad. Continuing to use Windows operating systems will help build up the crackers' retirement funds while continuing to keep Bill Gates among the richest men in the world.

Most people don't do the simple calculations that show the real costs of the things they buy.

Geek Joke

Q: Why do programmers confuse Hallowe'en with Christmas?
A: Because OCT 31 == DEC 25.

Strange Events

The news today mentioned a woman who was pulled over for drunken driving. She admitted having consumed three glasses of Listerine mouth wash. That raised her blood alcohol level to twice the legal level for drunkenness, according to the report. I don't know how anybody could stand to drink that stuff. It's hard enough to keep half a cap full in the mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out.

The world of politics has met the world of fantasy, too. Barbara Boxer had been picking on Condoleeza Rice during her confirmation hearings, but not hard enough to prevent her confirmation and eventual swearing-in. I voted for a Democrat for the office of president, although he lost. And now the uber-Democrat, Ted Kennedy, has taken an action I heartily agree with, stating that the United States should withdraw from Iraq as quickly as possible.

What's next? Will I find myself agreeing with Diane Feinstein?

Eroding our Minds

Television

In this morning's edition of Parade Magazine, Norman Mailer examines one cause of our increasing inability to read. I thought his conclusion was particularly insightful because the demon he chose to attack could be responsible for many of the ills that plague our minds.

Many in the past have pointed out that the advent of television viewing corresponds with an increasing inability of our nation's children to score well on standardized tests, especially on the verbal portions that require an ability to read and comprehend. But, Mailer points out, the problem didn't begin immediately when people began watching television.

The problem began when the narrative of programs was regularly broken up into short segments by commercials.

Note that the problem is not due to the commercials themselves. It is due to frequent interruption of the narrative. Comprehension, whether in an active pursuit like reading or a passive pursuit like watching a program enfold, is disrupted by being sliced into segments of seven, ten or 12 minutes. Frequent interruption of narrative creates a habit of incomprehension, a habitual inability to comprehend simple story lines.

The ability to comprehend is improved by practice, provided that we practice good habits. If we practice techniques that inhibit our ability to comprehend, we reduce that ability. We will understand neither lectures nor printed word.

Mailer suggested we eliminate commercials, perhaps by paying directly for our viewing.

Some people have begun eliminating commercials from their viewing by the use of TiVo and other recording devices that allow skipping the commercials. There is still an interruption to the narrative but it is reduced in its ability to annoy. The use of these devices by even a small fraction of the viewing public has, however, caused the corporations who sponsor television propaganda to begin an effort to have our government make it illegal for us, the viewers, to bypass viewing of the commercials.

Destroying our minds has become profitable.

Medicine

When I learned I had severe arthritis of my upper spine, I joined a support group on the Internet. I've received a lot of information from them concerning my problem during the last three months.

One concern of the group is that many of the medications prescribed for the severe pain we suffer have side effects that attack, in particular, the liver, the kidneys and the brain. My doctors have been taking care of my liver and kidneys through frequent blood chemistry tests, but there is little that can be done for the brain.

Reading of the problems others have had leads me to believe that two of the medicines I'm currently taking are damaging my brain.

The first of these, Topamax, is no surprise, as it was originally intended to suppress seizures. In diabetics, it is used to reduce the pain from peripheral neuropathy. Migraine sufferers also use it to eliminate their problem which, when associated with an aura, is similar to a seizure.

But Topamax attacks a number of important centers within the brain, including the auditory center. There, it causes a form of auditory hallucination. I have been suffering an increasing number of such hallucinations -- voices, sounds like knocking on the door or ringing of the doorbell -- which typically wake me from a sound sleep.

The protection I've been getting from the neuropathy pain has been diminishing, which would normally mean it was time to increase my dose. I think, however, it is time to give it up before the damage becomes permanent and extensive.

The other medication that seems to be destroying my mind (and eyes) is lipitor, the statin for reducing cholesterol. Before starting to take lipitor, my cholesterol level was about 170, not an extremely high value. My doctor, Dr. F, convinced me to start using it in the hope of reducing my triglyceride levels, which were slightly high. My cholesterol dropped to about 130 but the triglycerides remained a bit high. Dr. F wanted to become more aggressive about the 'problem'.

I've never been convinced that cholesterol was a problem or that statins were a solution. I was, however, unaware of how dangerous the statins could be. Lipitor is one of the least dangerous of the statins, but that doesn't mean I want it working its magic in my body.

Other things are good for controlling cholesterol levels, chief among them being exercise and a basically good diet (little junk food). Some natural foods that help are the fish oils, garlic and cinnamon.

I've shed Dr. F, partly due to his tendency to push medications at me despite my expressed desire to keep foreign substances in my body to a minimum and partly because the nurse practitioner he assigned to me was even worse about pushing pills than he was. This is a good time to also shed one of the medicines he pushed on me.

Content

It has been shown that watching sitcoms and horror pictures reduces the intelligence. Those who participated in the study showed both an immediate reduction in intelligence following viewing that lasted up to a couple of days and a cumulative reduction from frequent viewing of such material. I'm convinced that watching news and political speeches causes similar damage.

I would guess that the damage results from the suspension of rational thought necessary to accept the portrayed situations as credible or reasonable. I have long railed against the substitution of stupidity for humor, but most people are genuinely incapable of distinguishing between the two.

The growing popularity of stupidity is one of the reasons I rarely watch television. When I do watch, I'm likely to be tuned to the food network, the history channel, science, discovery or one of the movie channels that have infrequent or no commercials. I also watch a few science fiction programs, particularly Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek Enterprise.

Sometimes, though, I just switch to one of the music channels.

I doubt if I've watched any of the currently popular programs. I also don't watch the news. They're hard on the brain.

Our minds are constantly being assaulted. Most people don't realize it. Does my recognition of the situation qualify me as a nut case? I doubt it.

As a teen, I read a statement by B. F. Skinner in Psychology Today to the effect that "Anything you don't know about yourself can be used by somebody else to control you." Or, in this case, to weaken or rob you.

I wasn't fully aware of all of the dangers from the medication I've been taking. I wasn't aware of the problem stemming from habitual interruption of concentration. I was aware of the danger from absorbing stupidity from our environment, although I seem sometimes to be alone in that awareness.

Two Buck Chuck Nouveau

For those of you who are relative heathen on the wine scene, Two Buck Chuck are the various wines bottled by Charles Shaw and sold for $1.99 by Trader Joe's and a nouveau is a wine meant to be consumed young.

Nouveaux, which age more rapidly than gracefully, usually appear in late autumn or early winter and are best consumed by summer. This particular wine is a Gamay Beaujolais, a blend containing at least 75 percent Pinot Noir and Valdiguie grapes. It is light and sweet and fruity, a very pleasant combination. Tomorrow it may be different.

Trying a nouveau wine is always an adventure. They are bottled when at their peak and change character with remarkable rapidity. They are unpredictable. Even two bottles from the same case, opened a week apart, may be distinctly different from each other and they will both differ from other nouveaux. Get them early enough, though, and you're almost guaranteed an enjoyable experience.

Trying cheap wines is a different kind of adventure. A wine is usually inexpensive for a reason. I've made wines cheaply -- for $1.20 a gallon or so -- but I didn't bother bottling it. I used a variety of fruits, from cranberries to the pear-shaped fruit cashew nuts grow under. My son has made excellent wine from jalapeño peppers. Sometimes, though, I've been disappointed by cheap wines.

I paid $23.88 for my case of nouveau. One New Years in Panama, Delia's half-sister's husband Roy Carlos and I spent the early morning downing bottle after bottle of his $80 Cordon Vert champagne, until Delia freaked out and made us stop. I've had some rare scotches and rare brandies whose prices would probably shock me if I ever found out what they were. I've enjoyed each one for what it was, rather than for what it cost, and for the memories that go with it.

You do feel a sense of adventure sipping a full snifter of fine old brandy in the company of the elite, even when you're standing quietly in the background and nobody is aware of you. I once went into a bar where, it seemed, nobody else had ever previously ordered brandy. After a brief search in some cabinets, the bartender came up with a bottle so covered in dust and grime that I couldn't tell what it was. He poured about three fingers in a small water glass and served it to me with an ice-water back. He had no idea what it was, so he charged me something like $3.50. That was one of the best cognacs I ever had. That was high adventure.

Every time I open an unusual or inexpensive wine, I anticipate a possible adventure in store for me.

It wouldn't be the first time.

[Cathy opened the door with a glass of wine in her hand. The delivery man was standing there, about to ring the doorbell, with a box of wines to deliver.]

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, consider trying the double adventure of a case of Two Buck Chuck Nouveau, spread out a bottle or two a week.

But do it now.

Don't wait too long.

Mochi

Mid-November through December always finds me depressed. Today was a particularly bad day. I braved Walmart, which I normally avoid anyway, because I needed to have a key copied. Well, I strongly wanted to have the key copied.

All of the handicapped spaces were taken. I drove around to the side of the store, to the garden entrance. The three handicapped spaces there were also taken, as were most of the spaces near the garden entrance.

The store wasn't just full of people, it was full of bloated women desperately hauling around herds of screaming kids, all apparently under ten years of age, each herd numbering from three to six monsters, each attempt at control as ineffectual as herding cats. Thoughts of violence began to trickle through my mind as I tried to pick my way through the clots and clusters of disturbed humanity-to-be.

They didn't have the blanks for the kind of key I needed to have copied.

I shouldn't eat when upset, but I had promised myself lunch at the local Gorge-A-Matic / Family Fatness / eat-all-you-can-stand buffet, Hometown Buffet. I got there at 15:15, shortly before they changed from the lunch to the dinner menu, but I didn't time it that way on purpose. It was still lunch to me even if they added roast beef and turkey to the menu at 15:30.

I knew I was unusually upset when my soup vanished so quickly. I made a determined effort to eat my salad slowly and calmly. I started to succeed. But as I finished the salad, I tasted the coffee. I almost choked. The stuff was pure garbage. It must have been sitting in the pot for hours.

My resolve shaken, I set the coffee aside and got a soda instead, a root beer. Then I got some orange chicken, a few fried shrimp, a piece of baked chicken breast and a slice of turkey. Well, I thought it was turkey. It was the first slice off of the bird and was mostly fat covered with a little skin. There was very little meat. It was no problem, of course, since I could always just get more. I never did bother with the roast beef, even though it was very popular and looked very good, but I did repeat on the shrimp.

The primary reason for my excursion was that we had run out of eggs. Delia and Cathy each eat two eggs for breakfast most mornings. They work. Egglessness is not to be tolerated. In addition, Cathy has started taking sandwiches to work with her and had gone through our supply of bread and sliced cheese. And Delia wanted green beans to fix for Christmas dinner. In addition, I found a DVD of "Chicago" at reduced price and added it to the cart.

On my way out of Costco, an obnoxious woman rushed past me, jammed her baby stroller in front of my cart and leaned over my cart to tell the guy checking the carts that she wanted somebody to take her husband's cart out to the handicapped area. The guy was confused for a moment, thinking she meant me, a possibility I vehemently denied. I didn't discover until later that during this brief encounter, "Chicago" had taken leave of my cart. I didn't discover its absence until I unpacked the bags of goods at home and found it wasn't there.

The woman blocking my way with her ridiculous request and her baby had already upset me. My next errand, seeking goat milk at Trader Joe's, also proved fruitless. The goats haven't been putting out lately, they say. But I did notice a new flavor of mochi, one I haven't tried before: mango.

Mochi is an ice cream ball, a small scoop of ice cream with a skin made from rice flour. The skin is rubbery and powdered with flour, so you can pick up a mochi with your fingers, take a bite out or suck its guts out. It comes in a variety of flavors. The three I got this evening, to help me feel better, were green tea, chocolate chocolate and mango.

I won't try to describe the green tea mochi. If you've never had green tea ice cream, rush out and get some. The chocolate chocolate is a dark milk chocolate with bits of really dark chocolate inside. The mango tasted just like mangoes in cream. Delia and I agreed that mango was the best flavor of the three.

Each package contained six mochi, so each of us got two mochi of each flavor.