July 31, 2013

Wisdom from Wil

When it comes to labels, two of my least favorites are the notorious "geeks" and "nerds", terms of derision designed to ostracize those who fail to fit the dominant mold within any given social strata (or stratum as the case may be). For my generation, being a nerd had little positive connotation, and typically described anyone deemed ultra-smart, weird, or otherwise different and unpopular. TV and movies accentuated the caricature, and at times it felt like a losing battle to simply be accepted for who we were. Over time, the terms broadened, and took on a form a little less derisive - indeed, they were even embraced by those so labeled - for instance, I was a proud "band-geek" during my marching band days.

Fast forward to today, it seems some things may have changed. Middle-school students may still struggle with labels among their peers, but modern vernacular supports the idea of at least marginally broader acceptance: people get "geeked out" over any number of things, whether it be sports, fashion, computers and technology, academics (almost all subjects), politics, faith matters, cars, health and so on.

The video below is a segment of a talk given by Wil Wheaton, known best for his portrayal as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. A questioner asked him to speak to her now infant-daughter, recording some words of wisdom with regard to "why being a nerd is awesome." I found quite a lot to appreciate about his comments on this subject.


Viewed this way, we all have something we are "geeked" about. That love, that passion, that thing that energizes us, is a quality to be embraced, regardless if anyone else understands. Food for thought.

Closing thought: Wil Wheaton is 41. Just a year younger than I am. Feel old?

July 29, 2013

Fanfare and Adagio

Because some days, especially these days, I need to feed and soothe my spirit. Today's contrasting selections: Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.


July 17, 2013

Simmering Summer

The summer slate has not been kind to the writing efforts of this blogger. Too many things command my attention these days, between work, my new role as a cub scout den leader, my aspirations to become a serviceable runner (nearly 20 miles logged across 8 runs in the last 3.5 weeks), and any number of other day-to-day demands. When I do have time to sit and write, I find the cup to be empty. When I look to headlines for, ahem, inspiration, I find instead only those precursors to the spontaneous detonation of what remains inside my head. In those moments, I want no more than to grab the conch and speak sense into this idiotic world in an effort to stave off our nakedly transparent, self-destructive trajectory. Yet to speak (or write) out of anger has limited effect and even less potential for lasting fruit, and would arguably be no better than those who get a pass for lawlessness simply because an adjudication of law didn't fulfill their expectations of justice. Ephesians 4:26 tells me that "in my anger, do not sin." I am angry - and distressed - at the shameless behavior of our political class, our media, and our society for allowing the unraveling of our social compact to occur. I am deeply disturbed at the systemic distrust that infects us all, compelling us to assume the absolute worst about each other in terms of motives, behaviors and views. And I fume at those who exploit that distrust for the sake of celebrity, sensationalism and power. And because I've been unable to see clearly and to speak calmly about the acceleration of our moral dystopia and its progression into the institutional, I've by and large just tried to keep my mouth (and pen) shut, keeping my contemplations to myself.

In truth, I need to regain perspective. Or at least I think I do. I need to exercise discipline and moderate my consumption of news. Staying informed and knowledgeable is essential, but it doesn't have to be so consuming as to rob you of the perspective a little distance can bring. And if regaining that balance means writing a little less frequently, so be it. At least until I find a new muse.

Still, I can't help but to be reminded tonight of a sign-off line from the old show Midnight Caller. It seems forlorn, and I suppose perhaps it is. The America we love is still out there, somewhere. I hope we find her again soon.

Until then, "Good night, America ... wherever you are."

July 04, 2013

Remember, Lest Ye Forget

In Deuteronomy 32:7, we find these words of Moses: "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you." We would do we to consider these words, and the advice and admonition contained within, for the days are speeding by, and the memory of our American heritage is fading into the annals of history with each passing generation. A false conclusion? Perhaps, but it is difficult to ignore the ongoing transformation of people from free citizens back to subjects of the state. I can only wonder if the angst so many of us feel about the state of our Union is actually comparable to those early Americans who were torn about the deterioration of the colonies' relationship to Britain, and the eventual break for their identity as Englishmen.

Have we willingly forgotten or foresaken our roots as a nation? Is it by intention that we fail to educate? Is it neglect, or perhaps the sad consequence of the breakdown of a society no longer built around the construct of the family? What have we become, that so many remain sedated and numbed by the siren song of the collective?

In an interesting post on the importance of heritage, I found this passage particularly interesting, especially extrapolated beyond just the personal (emphasis mine):

Heritage is an inheritance better than money or property. Unlike money or other property, heritage cannot be stolen or taken from you as long as you are alive. It can only be lost or forgotten by a choice that you make. This would be the choice of neglect and disuse. What value is an instruction manual to a complex machine if it is left in packing material and thrown away – none! But when we read that manual, encapsulate that knowledge into our mind, and use it – then there is great value.

We have a world today that has destroyed much of its heritage through war or through neglect. Our mobile society and fast pace world, with the immense prosperity we enjoy, has caused us to forget much of our heritage. We have used our time in meaningless pursuits. We have relegated our family history books, and our nation’s history books, to the corners of our library. We have watered down, or forgotten altogether, our traditions. We have sequestered the older generation to retirement communities and nursing facilities, and as they grow old and die – so does our heritage. Because more often than not, that generation failed to pass it on, while the next fails to retrieve it from them.
It may be too late to turn aside from our present course, but it is not too late to reawaken the sleeping giant that is the quintessential American psyche. A friend of mine has often said, the deceived do not know they are deceived because they are deceived. Until that cycle of deception is broken, until we see clearly the progression that is happening around us and recognize its ramifications, the calls for a resuscitation of liberty will fall on deaf ears.

Until then, Remember. Rediscover. Redeem. And Reclaim. For it is those of us who remember, rediscover, redeem and reclaim our American heritage that carry the torch of liberty for this generation, and our solemn vow to pass it on to the next. It is up to us.


July 02, 2013

GALEX Greatest Hits

It has been a while since I've had a post on a space topic, but the news this week that NASA has decommissioned the Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft (GALEX) after a decade of operation affords me such an opportunity. Once again, a program designed around a 29-month mission far exceeded its original scope, operating a full ten years first under NASA, and then under Caltech in Pasadena.

GALEX indeed contributed significantly to our knowledge of astronomical phenomena:

Some of the mission's highlights include helping astronomers identify the largest known spiral galaxy in the universe, a behemoth called NGC 6872; catching a black hole in the act of gobbling up a star; and discovering a missing link in galaxy evolution, a sort of "teenage stage" between young and old.

GALEX observations also independently confirmed the nature of dark energy, the mysterious force thought to be causing the accelerating expansion of the universe, NASA officials said.

During its year in Caltech's hands, GALEX searched the sky for feeding black holes and the shock waves from long-ago star explosions, or supernovae. Among other tasks, the ultraviolet telescope also monitored how the bright, active centers of galaxies change over time.
Some of GALEX's greatest hits can be found on nasa.gov. They can also be found here. Below are some of my favorites (click to enlarge). Wonderful.

M31 - The Milky Way's Largest Galactic Neighbor (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Cygnus Loop Nebula (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

CW Leo - The Runaway Star (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

I love this stuff.