Answer to Howard

Howard:

The blog is for anything that interests me and is useful for a personal reference when I am writing a newsletter or book or preparing a speech. It is not intended for anyone to read. Indeed, you are probably the first person to read anything written on it, because the vastness of the Internet makes my blog the tiniest astroid in the universe.

The equality of opportunity essay was not intended to mean we should be satisfied with our best effort, but we should continue to improve on our best effort. Our best effort tomorrow should produce better results than our best effort today. If we fail to grow and improve we are failing to give our best effort.

The above paragraph is an example of why it is nice when someone with a discerning mind can read my material. It helps me clarify my ideas--sort of like lounging around in the college dorm talking philosophy.

The tennis/bike analogy is false. When you don't play tennis for two decades, your strokes are rusty, your timing is off, your judgement of where the ball will bounce is off. Plus you have lost a couple of steps, maybe three or four steps. Your stop and start conditioning is off. It will take a tremendous work effort to get to 25% of my level in 1985, but I am going to extend myself if the local pro will give me lessons without requiring me to join the tennis club. 

Brad beat me badly (6-0, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0) in January and I cannot abide rudeness in a son. I am determined to pay him back. (But don't tell him. I want him cocky and overconfident.) After I beat Brad, I will take you on which might mean we will never meet on the court. I know this: I will give my best effort to send Brad packing with his racket tucked between his legs.

I ordered the two books from Amazon yesterday.

If you ever read my blog again please try to make a comment on it. It will be neat to have a comment.

Comment from Howard

'Brief essay' is an understatement!  Or maybe 'trenchant' is a better word because it

is certainly an accurate observation.  And this 'blog' seems to be some sort of professional

forum directed to your clients.  One can not be too careful with such forums.  Personally,

I would sterilize the bitch and be done with it.  But that would be in another reality wouldn't

it? (I'm kidding, I"m really a compassionate liberal...)

    The 'Equality of opportunity' essay was more interesting to me.  I understand that your

words are meant to encourage those who might not have the wherewithal to be the very best

they can be, but something about it rankles, also.  The tennis analogy is telling because I

have experienced it many times.  I get a lot of satisfaction out of giving my best effort when

I win, but when I lose to some young punk who overpowers me, I think that my best effort

is not enough and I need to strive for a higher best effort!  I guess the key point is that I

think one should never be satisfied with a losing 'effort' because even if it is one's best, that

doesn't mean one can't set a higher standard for 'best effort'. 

    OK, I accept your challenge.  I prefer singles myself.  The loneliness of you against the

world!  No fall guys; no excuses.  If you have relearned to hit the ball.  (It's like riding a bike!)

Brad didn't say how good a tennis player you were, but if you turn up to be a 4.5, 5.0, then

I'm toast, but what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger! 

    Reading list:  I do not recommend books lightly to a person as sensitive as Brad because

I am mindful of Dwayne Hoover, the lead character of Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions".

His mind was 'poisoned', as mine was, by reading "Sirens of Titan".  But all of the books I

mentioned are exemplary 'cautionary tales' about where we are going as a culture.  And I

admire Zamyatin the most becuase he was able to recognize this trend as early as 1921....

That qualifies as 'visionary' in my book!  I was a science fiction fan in my early childhood

and came across Vonnegut's "Sirens of Titan" when it was first published in 1961 or so.

I have never recovered!  Nor do I want to....