Sunday at the Naked Lounge

First Observation: I can't stop looking at women. I tell you honestly, I love the looks, the sound, the motion, the smell of women. Does that make me a womanizer? I don't think so... perhaps I just have a more acute sense for the feminine form in life and know that attraction to it can just be a manifestation of the creative impulse. That's the optimist in me looking at things. If I were a cynic I'd say that I was just trying to justify my own particular view of women and not seem so lurid. But I'm a realist... I just like women.

Second Observation: I've spent the day fairly productively and noticed a couple things: [1] I can get a lot of planning done in a fairly short time. I've completed a 3D Timeline for my computer work in Annos Luminos and it I stick to it, the office should become a hub of research and as powerful a small library as there can be. I still need to finish off the Mind-Map but it's close... a few more days and it should be done (just a little bit of research left to finish). I still need to figure out how to increase the shelf space in my office to it's full potential in order to get more books into the collection... but that will come in time. [2] People are idiots when they're shopping... plain fact that I can demonstrate at least anectdotally . I went to get some shopping done for bedroom and bath today. I arrived at the store and found an item that was close to what I wanted... just the wrong color (only white available but I wanted black... of course). I walked, and walked, and walked.... ad nausium for assistance. The place was understaffed and too many people were grabbing at the staff's attention at the checkout stand. "Fuck it!" I said in frustration, and walked out. I check out how bad the malls were for my next stop.... madness. I kept on driving to the Naked Lounge and didn't look back. I ended up ordering everything I wanted on-line... is it any wonder that the brick and mortar stores are suffering sometimes.

Third Observation: I have come to the conclusion that I am not as educated as I want to be and have started to put a plan into action to try to remedy that situation. I need to continue my education as earnestly and consistently as possible... every day I can. But here's the rub... I think that I can demonstrate that most people will consider that going through school like college and earning a degree makes them educated. Bullshit. Yup, you read it correctly. Male Bovine fecal excrement! It used to be that a person who was also educated was in the gentlemanly class. Now I know that doesn't necessarily make an individual a gentleman (not by the definition then or mine now... I agree), but the understanding was that education put a person at a level above the vulgar crowd; the mob. But as time moved on we democratized education and made it compulsory. The intent was to make the country a place where democracy would come to full fruition and that an educated populace could make better decisions....Nope. Nice try. It didn't work. Oh education made the country more productive and it has increased our wealth but at what political cost? I am not a big fan of democracy. Yup, I don't like it... but from a practical point-of-view it is the only system that really has the potential to work for the greatest number of people. The fallacy is that it assumes an educated populace. We're not. It is at this point in my ruminations that I just can't help but consider most people plebes like those of ancient Rome. Bread and Circuses! Entertainment and sex... just give the mob what it wants and you can rule the Republic (or the Empire if you like because we can be considered a de facto empire in many respects). Caveat emptor et vendi! Now, aren't I bordering on a kind of arrogance? What makes you so special? Well, I'm not sure that I am special... just questioning. Perhaps that is where the change needs to start....

Influenza - The How's and Why's

So I get home, plop down in front of the computers, check my Tweets and Facebook lists, and there is a link to the best article I have seen in weeks from a science point of view; thanks to Brenda on Facebook. So, I click the link to the NPR story and see the best video rendition of what a virus does to the body. I'm gonna use this with my students. I know it will induce a whole series of questions but it's important that they understand the workings of a virus and get out the their heads some of the mystery surrounding how disease works in the human body.