Isn’t pseudo-science just grand?

The world of the zodiac has been turned upside down, or, at least, tilted on its axis. It apparently was discovered that the constellations have shifted since the signs were originally calculated because the earth has tiled on its axis.

I admit I do not know the intricacies of my sign. Its symbol shows fish chasing themselves in a circle, which it not the way I perceive myself – although others might. Or perhaps it is a schizophrenic trying to reintegrate itself. That may make sense.

I do read my horoscope most days. It’s on the same page as the crossword and Sudoku. If it indicates something positive, “Damn straight! Of course it’s right.” If it indicates something negative, “You telling me some planet or star or handful of cosmic dust imprints me with a personality because of its electromagnetic-gravitational field from hundreds of light years away more than the metal frame of the building?” Although it would be nice to have something to blame. Most of the time though the horoscope just makes no sense to me whatever. Now I have a reason. I’ve been looking at the wrong sign. I ratcheted back one and followed that one for a few days. Unfortunately I got the same result.

But the seers of the zodiac say that they have been aware of the problem and have been using a multidimensional fudge factor in their differential personality predictive equations. Besides, they say the problem is mostly not relevant because we here in the Occident don’t use a ‘sidereal zodiac’ (side + real), but a ‘tropical zodiac.” That explains it. I wasn’t born anywhere the tropics. Isn’t pseudo-science just grand?

Fourth Night

I went again to First Night in Boston and had a delightful time. For less than $20 I saw a several anime cartoons in the afternoon; attended a ‘procession,’ so called I suspect because it is half organized and half sort of not organized, not really a classic parade; had many excellent choices of classical music, contemporary music, jazz, dance performances, storytelling, early fireworks of the younger children, midnight fireworks and standup comedy. There were thousands of well behaved people, likely because there is no alcohol allowed, wandering through Boston, enjoying themselves. Frequently there were multigenerational families and familiar faces from First Nights of the past. It is a terrific way to spend an evening.

So I was thinking this First Night was fairly temperate, previous ones have been quite cold and still well attended, but why wait a year for the next one? Perhaps we can have a Fourth Night in July, when it is warm. It can be held on the third of July so as not to interfere with cookouts and the Pop Esplanade concert. After all First Night is on the last night of the year, so Fourth Night can be on the third night of July. Just thinking.

Keep them waiting

Of late I have been accompanying an older aunt to many doctor’s visits. At each of these offices we wait rather incredibly long times. I have been to one office with her three times and the earliest she has seen her doctor is ninety minutes late, once two and a half hours late and never an apology. Sitting in the waiting room, it is obvious that the vast majority of the patients are elderly. Surely, it cannot be a coincidence that it is an elderly client that is being kept waiting. Is it assumed that they have nothing else better to do than read out of date magazines? I see a variety of doctors and have never been kept waiting that long. Doctors are often late, but rarely by more that fifteen minutes or so and never without an apology. Is it because the medical staffs know that the elderly loathe to change doctors? Is it because Medicare pays too little? I assume that they do not mean to be insulting, but they are.

Reality Show Opportunity

I sat the other night to watch an evening of television when I was assaulted by a chain of political attack ads. Thank god for the mute button on the remote. But it got me thinking that we have the Nobel awards for important contributions to society from the arts to science and those that are unclassifiable, i.e., economics. We have the ig-Nobels for the science of the curious and often comical. But what award do we have for the inventions, such as the mute button, that make everyday life bearable?

If billionaires are donating significant portions of their estates to fight to extend life, perhaps they should set aside some for a prize that makes that life tolerable, maybe the Gates-way or Icahrn’s icons. Or perhaps they can fund think tanks for the politicians who have no thoughts of their own and hire consultants who have but one idiot thought.

This may also be an opportunity for yet another reality show. Submit inventions for viewer’s judgment. The winner gets cash and a free few hours with a patent attorney. Just a thought.

Illuminating limn

I found out of recently that there is some minor controversy over the word limn. It seems that the Baltimore Sun used the word in a headline and someone wrote to the paper complaining about the use of the word. That person, describing herself as the holder of a Phi Beta Kappa from University of Maryland, as well as graduating magna cum laude, thought if she didn't immediately understand the word, most people could not. I have interest for obvious reason and find this reaction strange on at least two levels.

Firstly, it must be nice to have an ego that allows you to perceive yourself as the standard against which all else is measured. As irritating as it is, you have to have some admiration for her self-perception. I have used the word limn somewhat often throughout my adult life (unfortunately many decades) without ever being challenged. But give the person her due. Apparently the Living World Vocabulary study (1981) estimated that less than a third of college graduates understood the word. However, there is no indication of the makeup on the survey sample. They could all have been Phi Beta Kappa's or University of Maryland graduates.

Secondly, why is it that someone, rightly proud of such academic credits, complains about an apparently obscure word? Where is this person's intellectual curiosity? I would think that they would be grateful for the opportunity to learn something new and perhaps incorporate into her every day vocabulary. Was her purpose in life the achievement the Phi Beta Kappa and/or a magna cum laude degree and there is naught left other than the role of (un)common scold?

Does charity begin at home?

Last week, Tom Brady,quarterback of the New England Patriots, was involved in an auto accident. Brady himself was unhurt. However, his car looked to be totaled. The accident was way overplayed by the press. But in all of the verbiage, there seemed to be little to no comment on the fact that the car, worth in excess of $90,000, was loaned to Brady either by a charity or be auto manufacturer that sponsors the charity.

Now certainly Tom Brady and his wife, who together make multiple millions of dollars a year, can afford to buy their own car. I think the world of Tom Brady as a quarterback, but does he need this too? Would it not have been better for the auto manufacturer to donate the car to the charity rather than to Tom Brady? Is this common practice? How many cars as Audi loaned it to how many people? Do they get a tax deduction for this? Is it larger than the tax deduction to the charity? Through all the other silly hoopla surrounding the accident, why have none of the media questioned this aspect? Is it or should it be acceptable? Isn't this charity for the wealthy?

Head for the middle! Where is it?

I went to a big box hardware store the other day. I needed something in the back corner. As I traveled through the store, I was greeted personally by no less than seven employees, one of which interrupted his sales pitch to a pair of customers. Had I been one of the customers, I would have thought it rude. Being greeted once is pleasant. I enjoy going into Wal-Mart and being welcomed by the greeter and asked if I need help. No one else in the store deems it necessary to run up to me to say hello. Yet Wal-Mart is successful.

When does a corporate desire to be friendly with customers turn from pleasant into assault or stalking? Is it three times or more? It reminded me in reverse of airline flight crews wishing everyone, “Bye. Bye-bye. Bye,” with a bored, endlessly mechanical tone of voice, but with a smile. Doesn’t it just make you want to buy another ticket?

It would be nice if service industries could strike a happy medium. In high school math we learned about distributions and how most events cluster in the middle. Is this still true? Of late politicians seem more and more polarized occupying the extremes. I hope (for many reasons) that they do not represent us by reflecting polarization. Company executives apparently came to the conclusion that instead of one or two employees, perhaps those with whom you interact, everyone should rush up to greet you. If one is good, seven must be better. Can we, please, get back to the middle. If we are closer together we would not have to shout.