2018 Spring April 10 2018

38 degrees this morning.  35:09 minute walk

I noted during my walk this morning it seems warmer than 38 degrees, which is nice.  However, it is still cold!

Pace was 8 seconds slower than my goal.

The biography on “Grant” that I am listening to during my walk continues to be very interesting.  

One feature I have noted is that both Lincoln and Grant were “good winners”, and this probably actually helped end the Civil War earlier, since it reduced he likelihood of years of guerrilla warfare.  

I think too often the concept of being a “good winner” is lost.  Sports are obvious on this, but it also applies to elections, or any aspect of our life where there are perceived “winners” and “losers”.

In sports I get tired of juvenile “trash taking” etc.  It really takes away from the entire objective of sports etc., as does the crowing of “winners” or the badmouthing of losers for that matter.  

I know I used to be really competitive on games etc. and enjoyed them much more when I started cheering on good plays or even good luck of other players.  

Again, I think the objective of “winning” gets in the way of  the entire purpose of why we even play in the first place.  

Of course, also, “winners” forget that today they may be “winners”, but tomorrow (at least some tomorrow) they will be the losers.  

Perhaps this is where the “Golden Rule” is most effective and it is good to have some empathy for the losers (and perhaps the winners).  

I think “winners” need to enjoy the moment, much as “losers” can regret the moment, but both parties need to understand where the other is coming from.  

Anyway, the posturing of some athletes when they “win” is really rather disgusting at times.  I think athletics and other competitions need  to consider the need for good “winners”.  

Certainly the vindictive, juvenile personal lying attacks by some of the politicians is probably a result fo the “poor winner” behavior that seems to have taken over in sports, as well as other areas of out life.

I have been reviewing a Newsletter on the “future”.  While I disagree with some of it, or sometimes a lot of it, it is interesting to read about alternatives of how the future may develop.  

When you look at “predictions” while it is amazing how close sometimes predictions become reality, there have also been some disastrous predictions  

I think the worst ones probably relate to technology and the errors in understanding the impact of technology or perhaps overestimating the impact of technology also. 

I remember my teacher in high school saying that “big inventions will only be made by big companies” etc.  She couldn’t have been more wrong and she said it right on the agent of a profusion of individuals making  inventions that literally changed the world and how we think of and relate to the world.  Of course, she was summarizing the thinking of the times. 

I continue on my eating patter of no meat.  At least for today, I will continue to not eat meat.  I may suddenly change my mind and start eating meat, but not today.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, April 10, 2018.