First Blog

Assorted Commentary -   Res ipsa loquitur* It is always a pleasure to jot down very short passages that explain themselves. The economy of words conveys truth often better than a long discourse.  “ W hen I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.” --- Mark Twain S ure it works in practice, but will it work in theory? --- French proverb W hen the "pity level" exceeds the "competency" level, a political candidate is doomed.  T he zero-sum game is often primitive thinking, even though it has theoretical value in war games and economics. When your thinking is every gain is someone’s loss, you are zero-sum thinking. This is the hallmark of a closed system.  O ne problem with the CIA and similar agencies is that they believe they can control the chaos they create. They fail to understand chaos is inherently unstable. T he most offensive is not their lying - one can always forgive lying - lying is a delightful thing, for it leads to truth -

A. Perhaps it was Ronald Reagan who first said, “Trust but verify.” The latest version has mutated to “Distrust and verify.”    Here are the translations of what they mean. Trust but verify means: Innocent until proven guilty. Distrust and verify means: Guilty until proven innocent. B. Attributed to Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant director of the Manhattan Project, but later felt so guilty about producing the first atomic bomb. He wore his guilt on his sleeve, yet, he did the deed.   John von Neumann, often considered the greatest mathematician of the 20 th century quipped about Oppie,                  Some people confess the guilt so they can take credit for the sin. C. Kids have a break many ignore.   It is about learning, opportunity, and direction in life. Youth is a free first-class ticket on the train of personal discovery.

Have you heard the story about a young ballplayer?   He was quite good, quick, powerful, with a good eye, but made many, many mistakes in his game.   For some time an older gentleman watched this young man play.   After a couple of weeks, on a bright sunny day, the old man walked up to the younger man and whispered in his ear for a few minutes something no one else could hear.    Afterward, in the weeks and years following, the young man became a truly exceptional ballplayer, making few mistakes, hitting well, and often executing brilliant plays.   He went on to be a professional of great fame (and fortune).   Often this story was recounted in the press, and often he was asked just what the old guy had said.   All the ballplayer would ever say was, “I don’t quite remember. It happened so fast. I got excited, and just wanted to play and play.” So, the riddle is this: “What could the old man have said in just a few minutes that could affect a lifetime?” Answer to come..

Humor is a near unique aspect of humans that leaves untouched just about every endeavor, every aspiration, and every desperation we have.   Not the least of these is aging.   While in Part I of this note on aging we reflected on the majesty and melancholy of aging, here we look at the humor.   Most speak to some aspect of youth when viewed from the lens of age.   Each speaks for itself, comments are not needed.    There are hundreds of published quotes online and in print.   Selected here are some of the very funny ones from notable people - all current graduates of that select club.         The older I get, the better I was. - Henry Louis Mencken     Do not regret growing old; many are denied the privilege. - Ogden Nash     Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age. - Victor Hugo       It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone. - Andy Rooney     You don't st

I am what I am. I work out, I travel, I write, I teach and research, do a lot of computing, and importantly I continually plan for the future.  But for many, many years I do recall thinking about aging, its processes, and watching others age. Aging has been on my mind; I guess it’s always been on my mind. A good question is “How do we age?” How about bitterly, regretfully, remorsefully, disgustingly, gracefully, joyfully, disappointingly, philosophically, or wisely? Millions upon millions, blessed with the arrival of old age, have penned their thoughts, their ideas, and their wisdom upon aging. In this note we take up sayings and aphorisms on growing old from many luminaries past and present, then add commentaries. There are numerous categories about aging. They range across (a) Physical aspects (conditioning and fitness, aches and pains, activity), (b) Mental aspects (memory, intelligence, interests, sense of humor), (c) Financial (costs), (d) Death (preparation, last will), and R