Day: June 19, 2019

Time to shift gears (sports and professional)

Sports: ok, time to gear up for something else (what?) I am thinking about a fall marathon or 50K (latter in early December)

So, I need to walk more but I need to build up gradually.

Today: 4.5 mile walk (28:37 for 2.1 miles, 5:17 extra lap); about 1:03 total and I focused on form for 2/3 of each lap, relaxed for 1/3. Then weights; rotator cuff, pull ups (15-15-10-10); went very well…showing off for Sue? incline: 10 x 135, decline: 10 x 160, military: 2 x 50 (barely got it up, 10 x 45, 15 x 40, then 10 x 180 machine, rows: 3 sets of 10 x 110 machine, plank, head stand, knee stretches..and goblet squats: 2 sets of 6 x 30, 6 x 40, 6 x 50…good depth..minimal pain when I “sat back.”

Math: trying to get myself to do the hard work to make an article worthwhile…there is a reason I balk. I need to force myself to learn new things throughout the academic year.

New photos from last weekend: no, I am not in them. Crystal ran about 7:30 mpm, and the other photo shows some 6:20-6:25 mpm runners (30 years ago..or more for me)

Rain:

Why Biden is an anti trump

Yes, I appear to have become more bullish on Biden. I back Klobuchar (also like Booker). But Klobuchar and Booker and not getting traction.

Yes, I have worries about Biden; his age is a factor! Seriously, our creativity diminishes and our energy diminishes as well. If he wins the nomination, I hope he picks a younger, energetic VP candidate (e. g. Klobuchar, Biden, Harris…and please, NO Abrams!!!!)

While he is the clear front runner, it is early and he could well lose the lead.

One of the reasons I like Biden is because he is an anti-Trump in the following sense: Biden has always said that one should assume the best motives of one’s political opponents. They want good things for the American people, but they have different ideas as to how to get there, or a different idea as to what constitutes good things. He touts civility towards one’s political opponents.

Now that does NOT sit well with many liberals; part of our deal is that we like to think that we are better than “them” (smarter, more moral, etc.)

And demonizing “the other” is one of Trump’s main tactics:

Speaking in Orlando, Florida — and mostly reading from prepared remarks rather than improvising — Trump launched attack after attack on familiar hate figures: Democrats, the “fake news,” the Mueller investigators, and, of course, Hillary Clinton.

“Our radical Democrat opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice, and rage and want to destroy you, and they want to destroy our country as we know it,” Trump said.

The speech actually opened on a positive note. Trump thanked his supporters, said he’s restored “government by and for the people,” and bragged about the economy’s performance.

Then, just about five minutes in, things took a turn.

“2016 was not nearly another four-year election. This was a defining moment in American history,” Trump said. Then in a mocking tone, he gestured toward the members of the media present and said: “Ask them, right there.” In case anyone missed his meaning, he added: “By the way, that is a lot of fake news back there.”

I honestly think that the country, as a whole, is tired of this.

Joe Biden: Promises to Keep (2008 campaign memoir)

I just finished Joe Biden’s book Promises to Keep. This book was published in 2007 and ends with his decision to run for President in 2008; we know how that ended up.

The book starts out with the home life stuff; many might find it interesting but I found that part to be a bit of a slog. I found that it picks up when he graduates from Syracuse Law School and worked for a firm which defended a company from a law suit filed by a cruelly injured worker…he expresses remorse that the poor, injured guy would probably come up empty.

And so goes much of the rest of the book. Biden expresses his values via how they came up during some of the big events of his long Senate tenure.

He starts by describing his improbable Senate victory in 1972 (he was previously a county office holder), the tragic death of his wife and child, and his early political battles including:
Vietnam, the Carter administration, the Bork nomination, his failed 1988 campaign (yes, he discussed the plagiarism issue in detail, both the speech and the work in law school), the Violence Against Women Act, Kosovo, (including his meeting with Milošević ), Afghanistan, Iraq and the Bush-Cheney administration.

On a personal note: the description of his brain surgery and recovery from it was interesting.

As far as tone, there are some things that might make the heads of progressives explode:
1. He goes over “law and order/crime” quite a bit.
2. He is a conservative on abortion rights…yes, he is politically pro-choice
3. He also has the attitude that one ought to assume the best motives in those you disagree with (politically). This “those who disagree with me politically are evil and stupid” is NOT his brand.

Personally: I liked the book and learned from it.