#winasone

 The day eagerly anticipated in the Deep South is here at last: College Football Season is fully here.  Sure, there was a "Week 0" game last weekend in Dublin, Ireland.  But with the kickoff tonight of the UAB Blazers vs Alcorn State Braves at Protective Stadium, the season is officially underway.  Second year head coach Trent Dilfer expects an improved Blazer defense this year to support the impressive offense led by quarterback Jacob Zeno.  On a warm late summer evening, the Blazers will work towards getting the season off to a strong start.  While I certainly hope for a good result from the Blazers, I also am looking forward to one of life's guilty pleasures:  stadium food. 

Addendum: UAB won, 41-3. Go Blazers!

Collections

 It is an irresistible urge in many people to collect...things.  Whatever primordial drive it is that leads people to collect objects of any description, it seems to be a fairly common one.  There is even a TV show devoted to examining the collections (in this case, mostly show business related) of extraordinarily devoted collectors.  I, myself, have previously covered my hobby-level collecting of typewriters- nothing that would earn any attention, much less a TV show appearance.  But I also collect books.  Primarily books I read, or intend to eventually read.  After reading them, I rarely part with them, so over a long-ish lifetime, there is now a sizable library in my home.  My "to be read" (TBR) list is long, and the plan has always been to whittle down this list in my retirement years, when I hope to have more time to devote to printed matter.  But then there are other books that I collect because they are collectable.  Rare, old, author autographed, or otherwise noteworthy, these join the household library because of some quality that makes them a special volume.  Sometimes these are also read, and sometimes they are merely admired for existing.  A recent NY Times article reassured me that I am not alone in my accumulation tendencies.  Thus affirmed, I expect I will go on adding to the library, to whatever end it is that I do this.  Collectors rarely have and end goal, I think, but engage in their hunt to accumulate for its own purposes.

So along those lines, my most recent addition is a travel book from Jack Chesher entitled London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers.  I really like the whimsical and historical anecdotes in this book, and the colorful illustrations.  I've been to London a couple times, and hopefully will return some day soon.  When I do, this book will go with me.

Names from the past

 I just saw a name in the news that brought back some very old memories.  It seems that a prominent scientist, Leonard Hayflick has died at the ripe old age of 98.  As a very young graduate student back in 1987, one of my faculty advisors gave me a scientific paper to read that Hayflick had written.  It was already a classic paper that was part of the basic knowledge all bioscientists must learn.  Hayflick had found that individual cells can be grown in the lab, in artificial conditions, but without any special modifications they had a strictly limited lifespan.  A given cell would divide to give two cells, and those divide, and so forth.  But no matter how well they were cared for in the lab conditions, they would only divide a certain number of times.  My faculty advisor, Dr. Jerry Thompson, introduced me to this basic tissue culture principle at the very beginning of my career in science.  I'd spend a little over five years as a graduate student.  Another four or so as a postdoctoral fellow, and then another 25 as a working scientist.  But I still remember Dr. Thompson, Dr. Hayflick's paper, and the principles of biology I learned by reading that paper (and it was actually a printed piece of paper, in the days before .pdf or indeed, the internet.)  What hadn't occurred to me was that Dr. Hayflick was still alive.  Or was until very recently.  (Dr. Thompson died suddenly many years ago.)  Such a blast from the past.  Here's to you, Dr. Hayflick.

Personalities

 I'm working my way through a couple of books that have been on my TBR (to be read) stack for a while.  Well, one has, the other is fairly new.  The first is "Apropos of Nothing", by Woody Allen, one of my favorite film makers.  His memoir came out a few years ago, at the height of the Me Too movement, and because of the accusations against Allen at the time, the book received little attention,  I finally got a chance to read it, and found it a fascinating story of a childhood in Brooklyn that resulted in one of New York City's greatest boosters.  Since I share an affinity for New York (is it a great city or THE Greatest city, I've not yet decided), I feel a basic kinship at the outset.  The book is a fast paced story of an indifferent student quickly making a life in show business, first as a joke writer, then standup comedian, and ultimately as a prolific film maker.  Almost by necessity, Woody drops a lot of names in his book.  One can hardly do otherwise when one's early life is as a staff writer on a tv show with co-writers like Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks.  Imagine the chatter in that room! But naturally, most attention will be drawn to Woody's account of the accusations against him.  To those who might have missed it, the gist is that he was accused by his former girlfriend Mia Farrow of molesting Farrow's young daughter who was seven years old at the time.  As the charges came out during a time when this sort of thing was a focus of national attention, and the philosophy of "always believe the woman" was prevalent, Allen suffered some severe consequences.  He lost the support of former friends, business deals were cancelled, and he became an artistic pariah.  My first instinct, too, is to believe the woman, but I am now convinced in this case such a policy is misguided.  After reading his account (in addition to other independent reporting), I am persuaded that Woody is innocent of the charges against him, and the censorious Hollywood groupthink community condemns him in error.  In short, two intensive official investigations have exonerated him.  Numerous witnesses corroborate his version of the story, and there is ample evidence of Mia Farrow being a vindictive and unstable individual.  Read Woody's full, detailed explanation and see what you think.

Next, I began the more recent memoir from Michael Richards, best known for his character "Cosmo Kramer" on the popular 1990s tv show "Seinfeld".  The show was a big part of my life in those years, and even today I frequently resort to quotes and references from the show.  Michael Richards reveals himself in this book to a degree I hadn't expected, and is a different sort of person than I'd always assumed.  Sure, he's not exactly the "hipster doofus" of his Kramer character, but they both share some perspectives.  Richards himself is much more classically oriented that I expected; his early life was full of classic acting and reading.  With some time spent in a Catholic school education, his reflections on the nature of life and our meaning in the universe are soul searching and deep.  No light and frivolous tv sitcom personality here.  After overcoming a difficult and chaotic early life, he landed fame and success with Seinfeld, for which he'll ever be known.  And yet, fame and fortune is no insurance against cruel twists of fate.  Richards is also known for the fateful outburst during his standup performance when he berated a heckler in racist terms.  I've not yet reached that part of his book, so I can't say how he explains or relates to the incident.  But recently he has seemed to be making a re-entry into public society after years out of the public eye following that night.  It's clear from the book so far that Richards is a deeply thoughtful person, and that one brief, sudden event has likely weighed heavily upon him.  Only the future will tell how and when he might be once again accepted by the public.

Beginnings

 On this day in 1989, a new chapter of my life began.  In the Cathedral of St. Paul, my lifelong family priest, Fr. Donald Pock asked me that all-important question, to which I replied, "I do."  This began a 35-year long adventure that continues to today.  Kathy and I have seen a lot so far, and I can't wait for what the future holds.  In my otherwise unremarkable life, I've always been proud of an enduring marriage.  I can offer no secret advice on how to achieve it, but am only glad that it's happened to me. So on this day as I reflect to how things have changed over the decades, I am grateful for the steady foundation that underlies it all- a happy and healthy marriage.  And as retirement looms and a new phase of life is about to begin, there is no one I'd rather experience it with than Kathleen. 

Semper Paratus

 Happy Coast Guard Day!  On this day in 1790, the precursor service to the US Coast Guard was brought into being, making the Coast Guard the oldest continuous marine service in the country; older than the US Navy.  Of course, the Coast Guard has changed many times over the years and has taken on many roles.  Most familiar may be it's primary role as a search and rescue service, but it also has responsibilities in law enforcement, fisheries management, maritime safety regulation, upkeep of aids to navigation, and several educational roles.  I was, for a very short time, a proud member of the Coast Guard.  In the mid-1980s, I was a cadet at the US Coast Guard Academy and looked forward to a career as a Coast Guard officer.  But after about two years of the four-year program, reality reared its head and I washed out of the academy, and made a life in biomedical research instead.  All these years later, I am proud to have known some very fine fellow cadets, some of whom went on to long careers of service.  Most are now retired, but a few still serve at high levels of the Coast Guard.  Among my classmates have been two Captains of the USCGC Eagle, the academy's tall ship.  One classmate served as the head of the Academy itself.  Others have reached the rank of Admiral and still serve today.  Mine was a small class at the academy, and I was proud to have known all my classmates.  So on this day, I salute them, and wish them all a happy Coast Guard Day.

Rare card alert

 This morning I found in my mailbox the first card I have ever received from Armenia.  I have sent one card there in the past, but this was the first to arrive here in Alabama after a journey of 6,486 miles that took 19 days.  The card came from Arina, a 25 year old woman working as an IT specialist for a travel company.  Armenia is a small player in the Postcrossing world:  only 134 members, and in the 19 years of Postcrossing's existence, the entire country has sent 11,673 postcards, which is only about 1,000 more than I have myself.  So thank you, Arina, for today's Rare Card! 

Dangerous books

 As I've mentioned before, I do enjoy collecting books.  Mostly these are merely books that interest me, or are from authors who I admire, or are examples of the bookbinder's art.  Book collecting in any serious form requires much more financial resources than I am able to muster, so my collection is limited, and not particularly notable.  Nor old.  The vast majority if my books come from the 20th century or later.  Which, as it turns out, may be a good thing.  Just today I read an article about the dangers of some Victorian-era books.  It turns out that some of the dyes and other materials used back then are now recognized as hazardous.  Toxic metals like mercury and lead, and poisons like arsenic can be found in books from the early 1800s.  That's something I will need to keep in mind if I ever acquire a book of that age.

I don't have many antiquarian books at all.  I do have a first edition Mutiny on the Bounty (from the 1930s).  Many contemporary books that are signed by the author.  And a few that have fine, luxury bindings.  Perhaps my most valuable book is Hitch 22, by Christopher Hitchens.  He was an author I admired, so when his memoir came out in 2010, I bought a copy as soon as it was released.  As I used to sometimes do in cases where I was unlikely to meet the author in person, I wrote to Hitchens and asked if I could send him my copy of his book to be signed.  Using a dubious email address I found online, I wrote him and was surprised to receive a prompt and gracious reply.  He would be glad to sign my book, but he apologized that he may not be able to return it quickly, as he was soon going on the road for a book promo tour.  No problem, I though, and shipped him my book, along with return mail supplies.  Then I went on a short vacation out of town.  I was shocked when the book was waiting for me upon my return, signed by Hitchens himself.  Just the next day, I learned why- news reports revealed Hitchens had been struck with a serious illness at a New York hotel and had to cut his book tour short and return home to Washington, DC.  It soon emerged he'd been diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite intense treatment, he died about 18 months later.  With his book tour unexpectedly cut short, comparatively few autographed copies of this book exist, making my copy one of the most valuable in my collection.  A recent search on ABE Books shows similar signed first editions could fetch a price of about $1800.00.  That is, in the very unlikely event I would ever consider parting with my souvenir of a writer and thinker who I greatly admired.

World Postcard Day - prelude

 On October 1 of each year, we observe World Postcard Day in order to remember the creation of this unique and valuable item.  The simple and inexpensive method of communication is commonly accepted to have begun in 1869 and after a peak in popularity has declined in use but endures to today.  Each year, Postcrossing releases a postcard design for the benefit of its member to use to mark the day on auspicious day.  This year's design was announced this just morning and is a beautiful one by graphic designer Rose Wong.  In previous years, Postcrossing has derived the card design from an open contest.  But last year the winning design was later found to have copyright issues.  Also, AI - derived artwork has infiltrated card contest submissions and is difficult to detect.  So this year the card design has been directly commissioned.  We are told that the design is meant to honor the Universal Postal Union, which is an 1874 treaty organization that standardizes and streamlines the exchange of international mail, and this year celebrates its 150th anniversary.  I've already downloaded this year's postcard design and sent in an order to have a batch printed up so I'll be ready on October 1 to send postcards around the world, continuing the quaint, anachronistic hobby I've enjoyed for over a decade.

It's in the mail 8

 This morning, as the nation struggles with a widespread computer network malfunction, I ponder a simpler time when communication didn't depend on digital equipment.  So today I focus on another in an ongoing series of postal collection boxes.  This one is outside the door of Jefferson Tower, part of the sprawling complex of buildings that comprise UAB University Hospital (which was just - once again - named the best hospital in Alabama and one of the tops in the country.)  JT, as we UAB employees call it, is a 1940s era high rise structure that was once the main hospital building in Birmingham.  It replaced Hillman Hospital, the adjacent building which was built in 1888 as a small charity hospital.  So for over 100 years, doctors, nurses and countless patients have passed the site of this mailbox, and no doubt many sent letters from it to tell friends and family of their medical condition.  Hopefully for most, it was a message of good news.