Random Tuesday Thoughts:

War and more

Without any further introduction...

• "It is a good thing that war is so terrible,
  lest we should grow too fond of it."
  - Robert E. Lee
  
  Lee understood, I think, the simultaneous attraction and revulsion of war. Although we generally profess an aversion to war these days, I think it's a mistake to lose sight of what humans have found appealing for time out of mind: the opportunity to demonstrate courage, to sacrifice for the things which we most strongly believe, to show the best of ourselves in the worst of circumstances. I bring these up not to suggest that war is good - but as a reminder that, to undercut the romanticism associated with battle, we must show how all these things can be exhibited in the clash of ideas, rather than weapons.


• My top five "Star Trek" movies:
  1. II, Wrath of Khan-1982 (Spock's death was the single greatest thing that allowed the franchise to live on)
  2. Star Trek-2009 (J.J. Abrams straddles the tightrope of reverence and irreverence perfectly - while creating a thoroughly entertaining action blockbuster)
  3. VI, Undiscovered Country-1991 (Nicholas Meyer returns to give a fitting send-off to the original cast)
  4. First Contact-1996 (Jonathan Frakes [Commander Riker] directs the best of the Next Generation films)
  5. III&IV, Search for Spock/Voyage Home-1984 & 1986 (Sure, it's a cheat - but this really is just one big movie broken into two parts and directed by Nimoy)


• There's been a woodpecker living in my neighborhood, which you don't get too often in these here parts. Sometimes I'll hear him knock-knock-knocking on a tree across the stree from my house when I'm leaving for work. It's an unusual sound - and one we don't often hear. I almost got a picture the other day - but once I figured out where Woody was (just because you can hear the noise doesn't mean you can figure out which tree he's in), found out the camera battery had been removed, located and inserted the battery - he was long gone. I don't think I would like beating my head against something hard all the time.


• Which reminds me of my wife, the Middle-Aged Woman. As those of you who read her blog already know, she's been going through a rough stretch. It's lasted about three years now and counting. Anyway, there's a real good news / bad news aspect to recent developments, for example:
  - Bad news = She hates her job
  - Good news = Summer vacation is coming (hopefully soon enough)
  - Bad news = She hasn't had a "good day" with respect to back pain in about 3 weeks
  - Good news = She got a refill on her "orangutan" so I won't have to put her out of her misery


• Yesterday, we (yeah, I'm still talking about the little woman here) cut a deal. She wants me to read Lamb - and I've recommended for fifteen years that she read Schindler's List, so we're doing this quid pro quo reading thing. Perhaps, we'll work these books into the whole He Read / She Read thing (which Sprite's Keeper and I are diligently working on behind the scenes - so don't think I've forgotten).


• I'm wondering how long I can keep posting every day (only one missed day since April 1 - oh sure, some of them have been pretty sh*tty - but how many things do you do every day that are a masterpiece?). I don't think I can make it past the end of June (it would be kind of cool to go through my birthday) - but I don't want to underestimate just how stubborn I can be.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you all have a good week.
My experience is that a shortened work week is not always an easier work week. Some people just try to pack in five days of work in four days.

I will avoid that if at all possible.

Take care.

RED WINGS PLAYOFF UPDATE: Detroit vs. Chicago
The Wings defeated the Blackhawks Sunday afternoon, 6-1,
to take a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series