Happy Chrismakwaanzakah

Merry Christmas!

Happy Chanukah!

Good Festivus!

Happy Kwaanza!

Does the Flying Spaghetti Monster have a Winter Solstice Holiday?

What's In A Name?

It seems that the New York Times has the perfect reporter to cover the newest New York Yankee. There's a story in the Times today (REG. REQ.) about Johnny Damon's having hacked off his famous long locks and full beard in deference to the sartorial law laid down by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

The byline is"Damon Hack."

My first thought was that it had to be a joke. Maybe a hacker had attacked the Times' web site?

But no, Mr. Hack has written almost 600 stories for the Times. So far.

Now he has a Yankee all his own to focus on.

Let's Hear It for The British Medical Journal

The British Medical Journal special Chistmas Double issue is a treasure. They've published a great collection of scholarly papers. Here are just a few.

There's a study that shows that people tend to put less alcohol in drinks mixed in tall glasses than in short glasses. It's called Shape of glass and amount of alcohol poured: comparative study of effect of practice and concentration (PDF).

Then, there's Epidemiology and prognosis of coma in daytime television dramas (PDF) which found that "The portrayal of coma in soap operas is overly optimistic. Although these programs are presented as fiction, they may contribute to unrealistic expectations of recovery."

And another that found that regular playing of the didgeridoo is an effective treatment for sleep apnoea. That's Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial (PDF).

Maybe my favorite, though, is Harry Potter Casts a Spell on Accident Prone Children (PDF), which finds a reduction in the incidence of traumatic injuries in children that coincides with the release of new Harry Potter novels.

It Doesn't Take Much to Make Me Happy, Sometimes

I had the great pleasure yesterday of watching the Washington Redskins dominate the Dallas Cowboys, win a game 35 to 7, and sweep the season series between the two teams.

I am a life-long Redskins fan. I grew up outside of Washington DC and became fully aware of football when I was 10 years old. It was 1972 and the Redskins were good enough to get to the Superbowl, in January of 1973, and lose to the perfect 1972 Dolphins.

That season was a fitting introduction to the emotional reality of being a 'Skins fan. There were hope, pride, excitement and disappointment. This is not unique to 'Skins fans. True fans, in all sports, know these feelings if they find a single team and maintain their relationship with that team over time.

If you stay with your team long enough, there will be seasons of hope and pride. This year, after many years of disappointment, the Redskins are showing promise. It's fun to be a fan again.

Among the positive signs has been the emergence of new young stars with talent and personality. Stars like Chris Cooley, who caught 3 touchdown passes against the Cowboys.

I was reading a story on Cooley in today's Washington Post (Cooley Shakes (Off) Cowboys All Night Long) and was tickled by this quote:

"This is the funnest game of my career," he said, unconcerned that funnest is not a word.

"I never scored three touchdowns before. Not at any level. This rates number one in my career. All time. Ever. Best ever."

Cooley is a bright spark, if not a Rhodes Scholar. He's fun to watch and fun to read about.

And he led the Redskins in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. I grew up a Redskins fan. That means I grew up loathing the Cowboys. I still feel that way.

Yesterday's football game made me happy. At least a bit.

In Old New Castle

Our Office Christmas Lunch on Friday was at a small restaurant in the oldest part of the City of New Castle, on the Delaware River. After we ate, a few of us took a brief stroll around the town. It was another bright, though cold, day and I wanted to get some photos of the town for possible use in our Livable Delaware web site. And, of course, I love to take pictures of places like this.

New Castle is a gem. It's very colonial; it was one of the first (European) places in the first state. There are old buildings, the river, a sense of history, a village green, and cobblestones.

The photo above is from Battery Park, which fronts much of the town along the Delaware River and features a scenic walk, piers, and a beach. This is how cities and towns should grow.

I Have The Name, Now I Just Need The Rest of My New Band

I heard the phrase that will be the name of my famous rock band this week. I was listening to NPR's story, (The Secret Court of Terror Investigations) when the three words I've been waiting for my whole life were uttered, as part of this sentence: "While radical militant librarians kick us around, true terrorists benefit from OIPR's failure to let us use the tools given to us."

"Radical Militant Librarians"

Just picture it. Me, backed by a band made up of slender, severe- looking women dressed in gray wool skirt-suits (with skirts reaching at least mid-calf), accented by combat boots and bandoleers bristling with books.

Now appearing, Mike and the Radical Militant Librarians.

A Basic Question

Yesterday on the road from New Castle to Dover, I was behind a sedan at a red light. On the back deck of the sedan was a baseball cap, with the following slogan: "God is my Boss."

It must be tough, figuring out what to get God for Boss's day.

It got me thinking.

"God is my Co-Pilot"

Does that make you God's superior officer?

"As God is my Witness."

How do you swear God in?

Fear Can be a Good Thing

I stopped by Beebe Hospital's off-site Lab Express this morning and left behind a fist full of vials of my blood for a variety of you're-approaching-middle-age-man-just-deal-with-it tests. This afternoon, Doctor Robinson called with some of the results. Generally good news.

My cholesterol, which had been running a little bit high over the last few years, is down. Just slightly, but down. Further, my good cholesterol is slightly up from my last test and my bad cholesterol is slightly down.

This is the result of improving my diet and increasing exercise lately. I'm finally getting serious about this and I owe it all to fear.

Over the last few weeks, I let myself think too much about my health. I'd had a few aches and pains and decided that they meant a return of a blood clot, more pulmonary embolisms,
heart problems, stroke, cancer, etc. It turns out that if you think about this stuff too much, you can generate a serious level of anxiety. Which makes your heart race, and makes your blood pressure rise, and makes your chest hurt. Which feels like it might be.... You get the point.

I had various tests that have satisfied me that I'm actually fine. This summer's blood clot is shrinking on schedule. I don't have a new one. My heart is fine. My lungs are clear. I'm fine. Relax.

But I'm also convinced that if I don't make some changes, I may not be fine next time. So? Less salt. Less fat. Less food. More exercise. More relaxation. Proper priorities.

Seems to be working. I think I'll stick with it.

The Lewes City Dock

This is one of my favorite spots in Lewes. The City Dock is just off the main part of town. It floats along the bank of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal where the canal widens out into a harbor.

I once caught a filleted flounder here. I dropped a line on a hot summer afternoon and snagged a flounder that had been caught by someone on one of the head-boats that sail from Fisherman's Wharf, across the water from this spot. It had been cleaned on the dock over there and the remains dumped overboard into the canal.

That may have been the biggest fish I ever caught in my brief fling with fishing. Even without most of its flesh.

Another Loss for Lewes

I was saddened this week to learn that Howard Seymour has passed away. Howard died at home on December 4. He was 79.

Howard was a member of the Lewes Board of Public Works and sat as an ex-officio member on the Lewes Planning Commission. So, for the last several years I've spent about one evening each month with him. He was a cranky-seeming guy, but he knew all about the city and the utilities that serve the city.

He liked to appear crusty and cantankerous, but at heart he was a sweet, kind, wise man. He will be missed.

We're losing too many of our city's characters. Howard was one of the people who made Lewes unique and special. We've lost Howard. We lost Mayor Smith. It's been a rough year.