Assault Weapons & Mass Shootings

 The first mass shooting I vividly remember was the August 1, 1966 Texas Tower. There were plenty before that, but without the main street media coverage that now exists.. I've known two friends who died as the result of a mass shooting. One involved  an employee termination while the other person was simply in an office where the shooting occurred. 

While there are many elements, I believe 3 primarily contribute to our situation:

The shear number of assault weapons already in the United States along with fairly easy procedures for a person to acquire them. While there are many definitions of an assault weapon, there are millions. We are a well-armed nation, and I am not counting guns in general.

The mental state of most of the individuals who decide to kill multiple random individuals including a willingness to die during or after the event. Both shooters of my friends committed suicide before being apprehended.

Coverage of these by MSM and the divided opinions of individuals over gun rights v gun control.

I do not have a solution because:

With millions of assault weapons already out there, the proverbial horse has already left the barn. Banning assault weapons won't eliminate those, and I suspect asking owners to surrender them would not create a very long line. Given the mind state of many owners aggressively going after them could result in more shootings.

Since most states shut down many mental institutions there are lots of individuals with severe mental problems that do not receive care or counseling. If you don't believe me go start interviewing the homeless. In addition, mass shooters may not show any discernible clues as to their intention.

The United States has a long history of violence dating back to our founding. Duels, old west gun fights , lynchings that continued  into  the 1930s and 40s, protests resulting in violence, etc. We are a divided nation and more prone to employing violent methods to settle disagreement.

Since I do not have a solution, I worry less about being the victim of a mass shooting--or any shooting--than I do about being hit by a car while cycling. 

It's also interesting to note that in the Texas Tower incident,  the shooter had 7 weapons. The closest one to an assault-style weapon was a 30 M 1 carbine rifle. His advantage was location and a multiple variety of rifles to choose from. 

Bill Hicks

 I just learned that my friend Bill Hicks had passed away in April last year at the age of 92. Bill and I had been friends since 1968. Like many long lasting inter-generational friendships, it began through a formal channel and over time became something more. I first met Bill during my early career at Chubb when I was sent to the Atlanta office to work on a 3 month assignment. I was brand new to the insurance business and Bill was the branch office claims department manager. Our departments were next to each other and I probably learned more about insurance policy coverage from him than anyone else. I was sent back to Atlanta in 1970 for several years, and our friendship continued. After several promotions/transfers I returned to Atlanta in 1982, and that's when our friendship and mutual love of cycling and canoeing really became cemented. 

I don't remember the date but Bill and I decided to canoe the Chattahoochee River. Early on A Saturday morning we left a car at the park on Azalea Drive and then had a friend drop us off at Bowman's Island just below the Lake Lanier dam.  As we were preparing to embark we encountered a boy scout troop also planning to canoe the river. The scoutmaster asked how far we were going and when we told him, he then asked where we would be camping since that was too far to canoe in one day. We had only prepared for a day trip and our drop off driver was gone so we had no choice but to head down river. I suppose it was a combination of adrenaline and river water release, but we were done by mid-afternoon. That was the first of many canoe/kayak adventures that Bill and I shared.

In 1984 we decided to register for the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG), which was a week long ride following Sherman's march to the sea. Bill wanted to have his van available, so we indicated we would have it when we registered. When we showed up to start the ride it turned out we had been designated as the only SAG support for the entire ride which consisted of over 300 other cyclists. It worked out fine and I had a chance to cycle several side trips as I was reading a book by Burke Davis on Sherman's March which was a historical account of the route Sherman followed. Like canoeing that was the first of several more BRAG rides and many other cycling adventures.

I left Chubb in 1988 and Bill retired several years later, but our friendship continued. The last time I spoke with Bill was as the pandemic began . We agreed to get together once that was over. During the past year I drove or cycled past the retirement community where Bill lived and kept planning to at least check in with him by phone. The cruelest irony of the pandemic is how it isolates you from friends you don't see constantly. You tend to think, when it's over we'll..... Unfortunately, time can change things.

I will never do another bike ride or a canoe/kayak trip without remembering how valuable that relationship was for me. Godspeed, Bill Hicks.

2020 Georgia Election Results

My overwhelming initial reaction to the Georgia January 5th senate run off was relief that campaign ads are gone. $800 million bought a lot of mud slinging. I was not enamored with any of the four candidates. I believe the Republican candidates ran to continue lining their own pockets. Ossoff has his sights on much higher offices, and will probably sell out to whoever he thinks will help him achieve that. I'm not sure about Warnock so I will reserve my opinion for now. I am super skeptical of political ad content, but Warnock's were clearly better than the other three.

Several factors led to Georgia turning blue. While demographics were important, I believe Trump's behavior was the catalyst that tipped the scale between November and January particularly in the Perdue/Ossoff race. I also believe that if Trump had been even semi-diplomatic during his presidency, he would have easily won re-election. His comments/tweets during the riot on January 6th were as always all about his ego.

As a log time skeptic of both the democratic and republican parties, I hoped republicans would win at least one of the Georgia races just to maintain some degree of checks and balances. The fact that Ossoff has generated a huge campaign war chest over the past few years despite his background leads me to think he has a lot of people/organizations in his pockets--and many of them have little interest in serving Georgians or other citizens.   

The January 6th Capitol Hill chaos could lead to a civil war that many predict might occur. I wasn't around for the the first one in 1861, but like then our country seems very divided and angry right now. Upon reflection, January 6th was not the start. The protests over the past few years over a variety of issues have often led to violence. Now some folks are creating unrest over a presidential election. That hasn't happened since Abraham Lincoln was elected. I guess history can repeat itself. Hopefully the last shot of this uprising has been fired, but things remain uncertain.

I consider local and state elections more important than presidential elections. Nevertheless, I have voted in 14 presidential elections since becoming eligible. I've only voted democratic or republican on two rare occasions a candidate terrified me (Nixon, 1968 and Dukakis, 1988). The other 12 were for third party candidates based on my opinion that first, America should have more than 2 candidate choices and second, whoever is president does not make that much difference in the long term. The second reason began to change in 2016 with Trump and Hilary as candidates. At the start of campaigning there were a lot of candidates, even a few I felt inclined to consider. In the end it was the same old thing, so I voted for Gary Johnson.

When Trump won, I was willing to give him a chance since he was a true political outsider and I thought he would shake things up in Washington. He sure did, but over 4 years, not the way I thought it should be handled. As mentioned above Trump's personality and character flaws ultimately cost him what could have been a second term, and his post-election actions have "trumped" any chance he will pull off a Grover Cleveland in 2024.  He virtually erased his legacy paraphrased by Kimberly Strassel (Wall St Journal columnist) as a one-term disrupter-- elected to let Washington know many Americans were fed up with "business as usual."

Perhaps the divisions, particularly within the republican party, will eventually create a viable third major party so we have more presidential choices on actual election day. I am not adverse to infighting among democrats either. However, it needs to be handled much more diplomatically than has been done previously. I do hope Washington--along with politicians and citizens--get the message that it is now time for positive change.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Friendship

I just saw in the University of Richmond magazine that Ken Oberg passed away in March. He was my fraternal "big brother" when we were Pi Kappa Alphas together in college. He was a close friend and mentor to me in college. The last time I saw him was at his wedding--not sure of the date but not too long after my graduation. Over the years I tried tracking him without success until now.

In college frat connections were a huge part of my life and afterwards I stayed in touch with many for a few years. 50+ years later I've lost contact with practically all of them. I have learned some of them are dead, mostly through the college magazine notes. It reminds me how as we go through life many close friendships get formed and then fade away over time. 

After college my 20 year career with Chubb allowed me a chance to form relationships within the company all over the country. But 30+ years later most of them have also faded into the past. Now as we struggle through Covid, friendships developed during 38 years in Atlanta seem to be distancing.

I recently bought a condo in Phoenix thinking I will move there later to be close to my stepson. I wonder if my Atlanta connections will also fade away. I hope not.  

Cataract Surgery Reflections

 I recently had cataract surgery and elected to have multi-focal lenses. These should improve both distance and close vision to the point where the patient doesn't need any glasses or contacts to restore normal vision. I wore contacts/glasses for 60 years. My goal was always to see clearly without glasses. For about 30 years rigid contacts worked fine. Then reading vision deteriorated unless I wore reading glasses with contacts. Since I was near sighted I have always been able to easily read without contacts/glasses. I ultimately went to rigid bifocal contacts but not without a long struggle. Finally mastered them and that enabled me to avoid glasses for many years. 

Over time a combination of multi-day/overnight bike rides began to interfere. Pollen season also meant giving up rigid contacts unless you like riding with sand in your eye. Although rigid bifocal contacts provided normal far and near vision, things were getting complicated. I had also been told during eye exams that I would ultimately be a candidate for cataract surgery.

I began wearing glasses more often and noticed my right eye vision seemed worse than my left. My prescription had expired and I decided to visit new optometrist who had become a good cycling friend. He strongly recommended cataract surgery and his preferred surgeon's office is around the corner from my residence. He had told me that multi-focal lenses might eliminate glasses/contacts altogether.

I had surgery on my right eye, and the day after surgery I was advised vision in that eye was good enough to fly a plane. I could also read with no issues. I went forward with surgery on my left eye even though that cataract was much less advanced compared to the right. Had the same result and after two months don't need contacts or glasses to see normally. During my last check up it was recommended to use inexpensive distance glasses to improve clarity when driving at night so that's where I am.

Cataracts are an age-related condition that happens to everyone who lives long enough. Multi-focal lenses are relatively new and cost more than the types of lenses previously available. For me it is worth the out-of-pocket cost. I think ultimately they will become the norm completely covered by most insurance. For me it was worth the price to see normally without contacts/glasses. I hope to live long enough so my cost will exceed what I would have paid for contacts/glasses.  

Thoughts on an Insurance Career

52 years ago today I began my career in the insurance industry. Most individuals do not grow up dreaming of working in the insurance business, and I was one of them. I originally wanted to be a major league baseball player, but a talent deficit nixed that early. In high school I thought about following my father's to become a druggist (that's what they were called back then). My father was a second generation pharmacist and my mother had been a nurse so I thought heredity was favorable. Before dying he suggested that running a drug store was more of a retail business and if really interested in pharmacy I should consider research. But high school chemistry convinced me this acorn fell too far from the tree. During college objective was to successfully graduate without much thought to an occupation. I figured a college graduate with no draft commitment in 1968 would enable me to find something.

During college I worked part-time at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles looking up driving records. During my senior year realizing I needed a job I began interviewing. Working for a state government along with being an economics major convinced me that working for an organization committed to making a profit offered more opportunity. I interviewed a medium sized insurance company (Chubb) and because of my DMV experience I came across as someone who understood the insurance industry. They offering me a personal lines underwriting trainee position in New York City, and I jumped at a chance to work and live in America's financial capital.

I've previously blogged about my career at Chubb. While an insurance career does not seem glamorous compared to others, insurance is the grease that allows our economy to function. Try getting a mortgage or financing a car without it. In most states you can't even register a car without liability insurance. Those are just a few examples. I spent half my career with Chubb and the other half with several insurance agencies. I watched this industry undergo a lot of changes over the years, but my perspective is once you have sufficient insurance experience it's pretty easy to find work and employment. The times I went looking for a job it usually took very little time to secure something.

So as long as society has to manage risk there will be a place for insurance. The business is not without some bumps in the road. Many people regard insurance as a necessary evil, taking too much in premium and paying out too little in claims. They think insurance companies have deep pockets but very short arms. Some insurance employees especially those handling claims approach clients wondering how they are trying to cheat the insurance company to regain dollars they feel should never have been paid as premiums in the first place. To be successful in this business it helps to be empathetic but fairly thick skinned.

One concern I have about the insurance industry is how much their advertising focuses on price and saving money. Insurance is an intangible in that when you buy it you don't get anything but a promise outlined in a contract that is not easily understood. If you have a claim it's not always clear what you can expect to receive. There are basically three things a company can offer, price (premium), quality (coverage) and customer service. Almost any company can do one of these better than their competition. Many can do two of these very well, but no organization can consistently offer the lowest price, the highest quality AND the best service. People pick what's most important to them and often it's price because they don't expect quality and service. That's too bad because often those are really more important. The industry itself is guilty because most of the time they do not effectively demonstrate the importance of quality and service.

I'm no longer active in the insurance industry, mainly because I enjoy semi-retirement, learning and applying new things in the fields of exercise science and gerontology. It certainly helps that I can take college course in these subject tuition free since I am over 62 and  live in Georgia. I enjoyed my insurance career and feel fortunate to have embarked on it even if it was by accident.

Segregation Revisited

I grew up during the 1950's and early 60's in Danville, Virginia. I believe Danville was one of the most segregated cities in America. As the "last capitol of the confederacy" I sometimes felt  back then the civil war was simply a temporary truce. Southern resentment was widespread; when the last union veteran  died before the last Confederate, I heard someone say, "At least we outlived the bastards."** Segregation in Danville existed everywhere as there were separate neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, bathrooms, water fountains, etc. Growing up I had little interaction with African-Americans so the whole segregation concept had no real impact on me. We were told things were "separate and equal." I accepted that even though in the People's Drug Store my father managed, blacks could not sit at the lunch counter; they could only order "to go" standing at the end of the counter.

Around 1961 sit ins began at several lunch counters. My father asked the People's headquarters in Washington for guidance and was told, we're not sure, use your own best judgement. He decided to open the counter to everyone, and it seemed to go calmly at Peoples although waitresses served blacks with paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils instead of normal washable items. My father died in late 1962 and by the following spring demonstrations were escalating. Demonstrators were beaten and arrested almost daily but the local newspaper did not acknowledge anything had even occurred. Finally the Danville white library closed to prevent blacks from using it. The library was housed in the Sutherlin mansion, the Confederate capitol site from April 3--10, 1865. Since I loved using the library I decided to use the black library. I finally realized segregated facilities in Danville were "separate but NOT equal."  Even after the white library was reopened all the tables and chairs had been removed. The summer of 1963 was tumultuous in Danville, but study history and you will find plenty of previous local atrocities and violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

I finished high school the next year with 3 black students in a school of around 2,000 and recall the scorn and ridicule they endured. I then went off to and graduated from an all white college. Demonstrations and desegregation efforts intensified during the 1960's, but had little effect on me personally. After college I went to work in New York and was asked why southerners disliked blacks sometimes by the same people who expressed dislike for Italians and other immigrants. During that time and for decades afterwards I judged people by their demeanor and character. Color is not a reliable indicator of whether someone was a decent person or an ass.

Recent events reconfirm to me that growing up white instead of black was an advantage especially in Danville. The recent turmoil over police actions resulting in deaths of  George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and others along with the public response to these type situations over many decades reminds me that racism and discrimination have existed in America over 400 years. It's taken many different forms, but to me it is like a crock pot slow cooking constantly and at times boiling over.

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution except living my life treating others as I would want them to treat me. I certainly have empathy for anyone treated unjustly. That doesn't help the overall picture, but it does help keep my own conscience intact.


** Years later it was determined the last verifiable confederate veteran died in 1951, while the last verifiable union veteran died in 1956  At the rate monuments are now being questioned and removed, we may wind up a nation of pedestals.

Lance Armstrong--Revisited

I watched all 4 hours of the Lance Armstrong documentary. I began following Lance when he won the World Championship in 1993 as a 21 year old prodigy. About the only new information for me was his admission about using PEDs at 21. It's been 7 years since Lance formally admitted the doping allegations that dogged him since his first Tour win in 1999. During this documentary when asked about relevance, he said, "I am relevant." I certainly agree with that;  Lance did exponentially fuel interest in cycling in America and the world, he demonstrated that significant resources could keep cyclists ahead of those trying to regulate the sport, and like many other famous individuals, the fall from grace can be pretty brutal both financially and emotionally.

There's no question Lance paid a huge financial price. Many people will disagree, but I think he has for the most part paid the emotional price. He bullied a lot of people--both friends and foes--and I am not sure where his relationships stand with many of those folks. But you know what--it's none of my business. The one area of his impact that I would like to see resurrected is the impact he had on the cancer community. While the documentary displayed encounters with that effort, it suggested that stopped when he was asked to step away from his foundation. However, I've read articles that indicate Lance still remains available to that community. These articles were written by members of the Indiana hospital oncology staff where he received treatment, and were done with no fanfare on his part.

I hope that Lance Armstrong will take his incredible survivorship story to re-inject himself back into that role. If the foundation he started won't take him back, he is relevant enough to start a new path. Leave the lifetime ban in place; there's too much doping going on at the master's competition level. As for sponsors,, I think Lance has enough assets to live comfortably. When it comes to PEDs in cycling do not kid yourself; while cycling has been under scrutiny since Tom Simpson died on Mount Ventoux 53 years ago this stuff has been happening in almost every sport since at least 1900.

As for my original thought in 2013 about Lance running for governor of Texas someday, he has previously said that's no longer on his radar screen. However, he has proven that he can change his mind--about most any issue.
 

Back to the future--Luna Lake

Luna Lake was one of the few "happening places" if you were growing up in Danville during the 1950"s. Besides all the water, tower diving/jumping and swimming there was an open pavilion with a dance floor and juke box. Plenty of kids type food in and around the complex. Swimming was probably my father's main recreation and going to Luna Lake was about the only family activity that involved all of us at some place away from home.

I learned to swim and got my first American Red Cross life saving certificate there. A lot of my time was spent around the tower shown above. Rumor had it there use to be three levels until a guy known as Nick the Greek dove from the third level and died upon hitting the bottom. Whether true or not that level was gone before my time. I remember being afraid about diving off the top tower, until a friend yelled at me while I was on the shore "Watch this" and dove off. When he surfaced I yelled back "I can do that" swam out, climbed up, and dove off.

In the 50's we didn't own a car so we either hitched rides or rode the Danville transit bus. The bus ride from north Danville involved a bus transfer and then a one mile walk down Kemper Road. It was easier walking down to there compared to walking up, but often the trip involved a bus ride out and a car ride back. Swimming and diving were two athletic things I could do better than most of my friends so during the summer it seemed like I lived at Luna Lake.

We finally got a car in 1960, and about then our family joined Glen Oak Country Club which was well off any bus route. Some of the same friends I hung with at Luna Lake also became members, and I also met a number of new friends, mainly cute girls. I sometimes wondered why we joined a country club when no one played golf, but too much fun stuff was going on there for me to ask questions.

Luna Lake faded into my past and eventually closed in the 1960's. When I reflect on those times I suspect it declined in part due to the pressures of desegregation, but that's not really talked about. I do remember how divided Danville was over that issue back then.

The photo I copied is from a post by my facebook friend Von Cannon. I'm perplexed because it has a notation of 2/22/87. I think Luna Lake closed long before then. The notation mentions an icy slide  and a reopening in a few months. I don't remember the slide, but I think this photo was taken before 1987, and it does look like a winter photo. In 2014 and 2016 while in Danville I cycled to the site. I had to look carefully to find any evidence Luna Lake was ever there.

Nevertheless, I;ll remember the good times I had at Luna Lake.

Covid 19

We live in an interesting time: a pandemic spreading  around the globe,  fueled by social media has caused,  fear, anxiety and strange behavior. If I were 44 instead of 74 I'd be inclined to come in contact with the virus, spend my time quarantined, and then be done with it since science suggests once contracted a person is immune. Even at 74, I'm most likely in good enough to survive, but feel the need to do my part to "flatten the curve" which seems like the primary thing we``` can do to slow down the spread.

During the first week lots of items disappeared from merchandiser shelves. I understand hand sanitizer but not sure why toilet paper is in such high demand. Looking over Amazon it's apparent that Angel Soft, Charmin and Cottonelle are very popular since they are all unavailable. Lends credence to the saying "life is too short for cheap toilet paper."

Looking at the brighter side, there are some positive side effects.
1. Reduced traffic.
2. Increased fostering of dogs (not so much cats).
3. Learning to live without sports, concerts and other gatherings
4. Expansion of on line learning tools.
5. More time to socialize with family members. One post said without TV sports they noticed a spouse in the room; seemed like a nice person."
6. Frequent, proper hand washing.

They are others. One thing I am sure of, we will get through this and learn valuable lessons that can help improve the overall quality of life.

Inside the Actor's Studio

James Lipton, the long time host of this program died this week. He always ended this program by asking guests the same 10 questions. Here they are along with my own responses.

1. What is your favorite word? Movement.
2. What is your least favorite word? Politician.
3. What turns you on? Learning.
4. What turns you off? Forgetting.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  Songs by Harry Chapin, Jim Croce or James Taylor.
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Rap songs.
7. What is your favorite curse word? God dammit.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? College professor.
9. What profession would you not like to do? Dentist.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? How did you get past security?

Prostate Issues

Several years ago my prostate specific antigen (PSA) reading headed north of normal. The first time it happened my routine physical had followed  three days of long bike rides. Several weeks later blood-work indicated it was back to normal.  Before the second visit, I stayed off my bike for several days. The diagnosis was a benign prostate enlargement which meant I seldom slept all night without trips to the bathroom and  sometimes had difficulty completely emptying my bladder. Inconvenient, but a trade-off  I willingly endured to enjoy cycling. My mantra is the quote "I don't ride a bike to add days to my life, I ride to add life to my days."

Recently my PSA was again fairly high, and my doctor suggested seeing a urologist who suggested a prostate biopsy mainly to establish a baseline. I remember him saying if all 12 samples are benign, you might never see me again. A prostate biopsy is a pain in the ass both from a prep and procedure standpoint, but I decided to go through with it. 10 samples were benign, but two showed signs of cancer. On the Gleason score index one was 6, the other an 8. Several of the benign samples indicated simple inflammation which I suppose is from cycling.

Studies show that roughly one in seven men over 65 have prostate cancer. They also indicate that most men with prostate cancer usually die from something else sometimes many years later. I had three options: do nothing except wait and watch, radiation, or robotic surgical removal of my prostate. Radiation and surgery both come with lots of possible side effects/complications. I leaned towards surgery assuming CT and a complete bone scan indicated it had not metastasized.

Those procedures were negative (although a bone scan on someone 73 with 4 total joint replacements is an interesting side read), so I scheduled surgery for mid-June. The good news is I should be cancer free, and my step-son is coming from Phoenix to visit and help out for a few days. The bad news is not being able to cycle for up to 8 weeks. So I'll have to delay "adding life to my days" for a while, but sometimes trade offs are needed.

I also just had a consult with Andrew Johnston to get nutrition and exercise advice that will prepare me for not only pre-surgery but recovery post-surgery. The doctor gave me one exercise which I wasn't doing correctly. Andrew corrected that and filled my plate with lots of fundamentals. I am truly grateful to have Andrew as a friend and consultant.

Will Recycling Survive?

Recycling seems like a natural thing to do. I wonder though if it has caused us to become a "disposable" society? I believe the proliferation of plastic in our society is already a threat to our planet. Bottled water is one example. It seems more logical to simply invest in a filtration system and non-plastic containers. Another example are the plastic bags used by grocery stores. Clerks tend to use a separate bag for every other item, and if you ask them to put it all in one they want to double bag it. I think we are slowly drowning in plastic. If you doubt this look at what's happening to the world's oceans.

Currently there are doubts about how effective recycling will be since China and other countries who previously took our trash and made new products is no longer doing that. I also wonder how much of our recycling effort actually ends up in land fills? I've read several articles that suggest that is happening frequently since markets for this are disappearing.

I believe the best way to begin dealing with this is to charge for each plastic bag and bottle sold. Turning them back in would get a portion of the charge back, but not all. I I lived in Connecticut when they initiated a deposit on cans and bottles. Roadside litter just about disappeared over time. Maybe not a perfect solution but we need to start doing recycling disposing better if we want to preserve our environment

Writing Well

I think I write well and others have echoed that sentiment. I always got high marks in composition because I considered writing a craft. That trait came from my Mother who wrote two novels. In high school and college, writing was tedious because how we had to type/retype our work. Computers and word processing made writing much easier. Drafts and revisions became a cake walk and I take advantage of them. The day of my last bike/car collision I had revised a paper for the umpteenth time and still decided to go for a ride before looking at it one more time. I ended up submitting it from the Grady Hospital ICU but that's another story.

Graduate school introduced a level of writing that reduced me to a rookie; academic and research writing is a new experience. Over the last year I had to improve those composition skills. I have relied on several books to improve my writing. The recent go to book has been The Craft of Research It was written in 1995 by three professors; it's in its 4th edition with two more editors. If you need to write a research paper this book is a must read.

There are three other books that I have relied on over time.


The Elements of Style, Strunk and White: First edition 1959 (Strunk originally published a version 1920). This was my first English composition book. My current copy is the 4th edition. Still use it today although not as much as my first time in college.


On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to writing Nonfiction, Zinsser: First edition 1976. Covers writing about everything from people, places even yourself, just to name a few.



On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephan King, First edition 2000. Mainly about writing fiction from one of America's most popular fiction writers. The title says it all. King recommends every aspiring writer start with The Elements of Style.


I am not suggesting these are the only good books on writing; they just happen to be ones I like.

3 Minute Thesis Competition

Recently I entered the 3 Minute Thesis Competition at Georgia State. The initial step was submitting an abstract (250 word limit) outlining my thesis. From those submissions, Masters and PHD students were selected for a preliminary round competition. In this competition students have three minutes to outline their thesis. The rules were pretty simple: One static power point illustration, otherwise no notes, props or animation allowed, going over three minutes is automatic disqualification. I made it through the preliminary round to the finals. Placed third in the finals among masters students.

Thesis Title: Comparison of aerobic and cardiovascular changes occurring in older adults engaging in diverse types of stationary cycling

Presentation

"Good afternoon. As people age, a considerable number become less active and sedentary. This reduced physical activity can lead to chronic metabolic conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. However, research has documented the benefits older adults can derive from stationary cycling. In one example a four month study involving healthy older men and women showed an overall 12% improvement in measured peak VO2 and a 13% improvement in anaerobic threshold. VO2 measures how efficiently oxygen is used while anaerobic threshold can measure energy production. These are two common measurements of physical fitness.
Studies suggest that High Intensity Interval Training exercise can increase fitness and cardiovascular health compared to Continuous Moderate exercise. However, these studies involve younger individuals. and diverse types of exercise. Most research involving stationary cycling and older adults has focused on sample populations who have a chronic metabolic condition, injury, or illness. There is no research comparing the results between stationary cycling involving older healthy adults engaging in different exercise intensities.
My research will explore how stationary cycling intensities may help older adults achieve and maintain cardiorespiratory fitness which can help them perform activities of daily living and improve their quality of life. The study will compare cardiovascular and aerobic changes between two groups. Participants will be sedentary but otherwise healthy males and females over 60 years old with medical clearance. One group will engage in Continuous Moderate Exercise stationary cycling while the other group will engage in High Intensity Interval stationary cycling. Individuals in both groups will ride twice a week over 12 weeks. Sessions for both groups will start at 20 minutes increasing to 40 minutes during the study.
Besides workload, data involving heart rate, blood pressure and VO2 max will be collected for each participant before, during and after every session. The expectation is that while both groups will experience improvement in aerobic and cardiovascular function, the High Intensity Interval group will experience a greater improvement than the Continuous Moderate Exercise group. My hope is this research will provide incentive and motivation for older adults to use high intensity interval training as a regular part of their exercise program. Thank you."

Being Mortal

Gerontology 8000
Critical Reflection # 1

Being Mortal

Atul Gawande

Introduction & Chapter 1: Being Independent

Introduction
I obtained this book two days before our first class, and read it cover to cover. The topic is of great interest to me given my age and other factors I discuss later. Gawande’s introduction confirms what I have heard for years; medical school does not spend much time teaching physicians how to deal with the dying process. According to Gawande, the “purpose of medical school was to teach how to save lives, not how to tend to their demise.” While doctors are expected to be knowledgeable, honest and sympathetic, a few years into his practice, the author realized how unprepared he was to provide support to patients facing their finality. Being Mortal deals with aging and dying in today’s world. Medical advances and technology have changed this experience compared to what previous generations encountered. Life ultimately ends for everyone, and Gawande’s goal is to help improve the ability to help individuals and the people around them get the most quality time possible during this final phase.
To me the introduction deals with the medical profession’s “bedside manner”. There’s a story where a physician says to the patient, “I’ve got bad news and really bad news. The bad news is you’ve only got six months to live.” The patient said, “Gee, what could be worse than that?’ The doctor replied, “I should have told you three months ago.” Hopefully this was a joke, but I believe many health care professionals could improve their communication, especially when issues become tough and unsolvable from a medical standpoint. Most professionals—even outside of medicine—are trained to accomplish tasks and achieve goals. When the problem becomes unsolvable, frustration and fear threatens us. However, many issues are unsolvable and eternal life is one of them. Throughout the book Gawande offers suggestions on how discussions about the final stages of life could be handled more appropriately.

Chapter 1: The Independent Self
I relate to this chapter for many reasons. I am 71 years old, and have lived alone for over 25 years. My only close family is my 69-year-old brother who lives in Olympia, Washington, and a 41-year-old stepson in Phoenix. Although I have 20 cousins all over the country, none of them are within 700 miles. I have been physically active all my life, cycle an average of 4,000—6,000 miles a year and do strength workouts 2-3 times a week. I am in good health despite arthritis and gastroeshageal reflux disease. My only medication is 20mg/day of omeprazole (OTC for GERD). I’ve had numerous orthopedic surgeries including total joint replacements on both left and right knees and hips.
The stories of Alice Hobson, the author’s father and grandfather, and other individuals in later chapters remind me the only way independence lasts a lifetime is if a person has a sudden, swift demise, i.e. accident or heart attack. Most of us will lose complete independence at some point before we die. During recovery from several surgeries, I relied on friends to help with tasks like driving and shopping. Most of the time I astonished friends and physicians with my ability to regain normal functions, but as I read Being Mortal I realize there are no guarantees about remaining independent; something can always snatch that away.
Gawande mentions Del Webb, who developed Sun City, one of the earliest communities strictly for retirees. While they have become popular, many individuals, Alice Hobson for example, wanted to stay in their own home as long as possible. I reviewed a 2014 study which examined how older adults address issues of planning for future living conditions when not under pressure to do so. The bottom line is most of them did not. A recurring theme in several Being Mortal stories is how much individuals forced into assisted living or other facilities missed familiar surroundings.
Upon reflection, I think individuals should consider communities or surroundings that offer independent and/or assisted living services while they are still independent. That could provide an opportunity to design living conditions that would accommodate some declines in independence while providing time for an individual to make it become and feel like “home” instead of a “place”. I downsized and simplified my living situation about 10 years ago. One thing I did though was buy a condominium with three flights of stairs from my garage. I did this on purpose since I felt climbing 51 stairs keeps me moving especially given my osteoarthritis. Reading Atul Gawande’s book helped me realize I should consider additional steps (perhaps a place with an optional elevator) that would provide some flexibility if or before my situation changes.

Back to the Future--Smokey Chattin

My long time friend Smokey Chattin died last Saturday on his 71st birthday. He is the first person to die that I knew and saw regularly for nearly 60 years.

I became friends with Smokey in high school when he dated my next door neighbor, Bonnie Brown. Ironically I wound up becoming friends with a lot of guys when they dated Bonnie. I didn't see much of him during my college years, but in the fall of 1968 we both wound up in Atlanta. I was on a temporary assignment with Chubb and Smokey was with Crawford & Company training to be a claims adjuster. I'd like to think that we related to each other then since we were both involved with the insurance industry, but in fact it was most likely chasing women and alcohol that bonded us. I may have those in the wrong order.

In the early 1970's I was back in Atlanta and Smokey was in our hometown (Danville). I visited Danville regularly to see my mother and we hung out together still pursuing our similar dual interests. Then Smokey met and married Liz Newton. They moved to Blacksburg and Smokey went back to school at Virginia Tech. He had started there previously but dropped out after a few semesters. He graduated, went to work in the banking business and built a new house for he and Liz. They visited me while I was in New Jersey and all seemed great.

But it apparently wasn't. The thing about Smokey was that he was intelligent, good looking, and a charmer but there was a self destructive dark side to Smokey which wound up disappointing and frustrating a lot of people who cared for him. And when things went south you really had to take Smokey's explanation with a grain of salt. I hadn't figured that out when his marriage dissolved. That pattern was repeated over the years. At times Smokey seemed like he was on top of the world and then everything would fall apart. I won't go into detail on all those episodes except to say that throughout the 1980's, 90's and beyond we remained friends and saw each other regularly since we both lived in Georgia. I may be one of the few persons really close to Smokey who never directly experienced the frustration with him that others did. He did approach me a few times asking for a favor. By the time that happened though I was pretty cautious and didn't do anything that would have cost me financially or negatively affect our friendship.

I previously mentioned our common bonds and one similarity we shared was a long term dependency on alcohol. One reason I ultimately quit drinking seven years ago was being around Smokey and realizing that alcohol was negatively affecting both of us. Once I quit it was harder to be around Smokey. In fact over the last few years the only time I spent time with him was our 50th high school reunion. We also got together for dinner with two other friends the following evening. I could tell he was not in good physical condition. Life had clearly taken a toll on him. Early last year Smokey suffered a major stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and unable to even speak. I visited him several times in an assisted living facility here in Atlanta and for a while he improved; he could talk and use his right hand. However, it was clear he would probably never be able to live on his own. His older sister Bonnie was about the only family he had left and she lives in California; her hope was he would progress to the point where she could move him to an assisted living home out there. She visited several times and then Smokey wound up back in the hospital. He left the hospital but neither they or the assisted living home knew where he was. I checked in with Bonnie and found out Smokey was in another facility and had deteriorated to the point where hospice was coming in to evaluate. I went to visit the next day and it was tough. I wondered whether he could even last until Bonnie returned in a few days.

Bonnie along with his niece arrived to find out Smokey was back in the hospital on a ventilator. All three of us thought the end was near, but when they removed the ventilator, a decision made by Bonnie who realized he was suffering, he survived and wound up back in assisted living. On his 70th birthday last year, Bonnie came to Atlanta and organized a birthday celebration for Smokey at the assisted living facility. A lot of his Atlanta friends came and Smokey was in good spirits, but to me it was obvious by then he was never going to leave that facility alive.

I went by to see him a few times after that but he was deteriorating. He weighed well under 100 lbs, couldn't really eat solid food, and at times seemed to be in a vegetative state. To be honest it became too painful to watch the downward spiral and like several times before in our relationship I avoided going to see him. In fact the last time I visited I thought he was actually dead; finally I saw his chest barely move. He was alseep so didn't even speak to him. I found out he passed away when his daughter and some friends posted it on Facebook.

As I mentioned Smokey had huge potential and I observed him crashing, but then resurrecting himself like the Phoenix. He could have done almost anything career-wise and been successful. From banking to insurance to sales to becoming a master craftsman building and renovating homes the world could have been his oyster. There's no doubt that his lifestyle ended up cutting his life short. Godspeed Claude "Smokey" Chattin. I am grateful to have known you and happy that you are no longer suffering.

Escaping Death

If you live long enough events happen that can turn into disaster in an instant. September 10th turned into one of those days for me. Early that morning I left home heading to a cycling event. As soon as I got onto GA 400 my dash lights began dimming and my car lost power and stalled in the right lane. I couldn't even turn on hazard lights because the battery was totally dead. Fortunately another motorist pulled in behind me and turned on his hazard lights. He figured my alternator died and I had been running only on battery power which seemed likely to me. I had already called 511 to send a HERO unit and the motorist had a reflective vest and emergency hand held light to warn approaching traffic. Certainly some nervous moments until a police officer arrived.

He called to dispatch a tow truck and as the other motorist left the officer was able to push my car out of the traffic lane into the gore between the right lane and an exit ramp which led to an interstate. I breathed a sigh of relief as it looked like we could tow the car to Dekalb Tire who would open shortly. They had serviced my car many times, and I figured they could replace the alternator and I could then get on with my day. If the repair turned out to be more complicated I would simply ride my bike home and wait out whatever needed to be done. The tow truck arrived and the police officer received another call and had to leave. I later found out that at this time of morning (5:30) Sandy Springs only has two patrol cars on the road as they are going through a shift change. The tow truck driver was concerned about the officer leaving, but I figured we would quickly load my car and be on our way.

The tow truck operator raised the ramp, hooked up my car and instructed me to get in the car release brake, put in neutral and make sure front wheels were straight. I did all those maneuvers and my car was pulled up onto the ramp. The tow truck driver then told me to put the car into park and get out. I did that, opened the door and as I stepped out onto the ramp, I looked back to see headlights aimed at me coming at a high speed. I think I jumped off the ramp just as the approaching car drove up the tow truck ramp and slammed into my car. I landed in the right lane doing one of my better rolls, and faster than I had most likely ever moved in my life rolled back out of the lane. Fortunately no other car was right there in that lane then or I wouldn't be writing this. A few seconds later a motorist did pull up beside me to see if I was OK. I said I was, but asked her to stay there for just a second. She did and I reached under her car to retrieve my hat.

The tow truck driver called 911 and within minutes several police cars and emergency units were on the scene. The other driver got out of his car, phone in hand. I asked if he was OK and he muttered something about needing dialysis, sat down on a curb and began texting. A witness circled back and when interviewed by officers said he thought the other driver was texting just before impact. It made sense to me since the tow truck and my car were out of both the right lane and the exit ramp. The other driver and tow truck driver ended up going to the hospital probably just as a precaution although I figure the police wanted to check out that driver pretty carefully. The police officer who had initially responded had returned and I managed to hitch a courtesy ride back home from him. He had left to respond to a call from Northside Hospital. When he heard the dispatch about a collision at exit 4-A involving a tow truck he returned ASAP along with what seemed too be 3-5 other officers. Guess the shift change had occurred and our incident was the top story.

I spent the rest of the morning dealing with the aftermath. Trying to find a rental car on Saturday without a prior reservation took all morning and trips to two Hertz locations. Turning in a claim to my insurance company retrieving stuff from my car, and beginning the process of shopping for a another car took up the rest of my day. But in hindsight I was very, very fortunate. If I had still been in my car upon impact or if another car was passing in the right lane who knows what would have happened to me. I've had lots of encounters that could have been deadly but not since I was in junior high and wound up underneath a car after a bike/car collision had I come within inches or seconds of death. If the ramp had been lowered I don't think the other driver would have survived.

Muhammid Ali and Me

Muhammad Ali's passing reminded me of my two encounters with him. OK, the first wasn't an encounter but it was significant for me. As the second fight between Ali and Sonny Liston approached our freshman dorm at the University of Richmond formed a pool to see who would win along with the round. 30 of us each put up $10 and then we drew a name/number. In 1965 $10 was a shitload of money--at least for me--so imagine my enthusiasm when I drew Ali in round one. Well, as it turned out Ali knocked Liston down in the first round and even though the referee didn't start the count until Ali went to a neutral corner (remember the photo of Ali standing over Liston by Neil Leifer) Liston never got up and was counted out. 29 freshman started screaming that it was a fix and the pool should be disbanded with refunds to everyone, I was not to be denied. $300 was more cash than I had ever had in my life in 1965 and as I pocketed the money pointed out we had bet on the winner and ending round so whether it was fixed or not was irrelevant. To this day that outcome is still debated among boxing historians and fans.

My actual encounter occurred in 1970 right after the Supreme Court overturned Ali's conviction for refusing the draft on religious grounds. I was at the Atlanta airport on my way out of town and Ali had just come to Atlanta to fight Jerry Quarry. In 1970 the old airport had solid bathroom doors that swung inward. I pushed the door open and it whacked a man in the head who was standing just inside. It whacked him pretty hard and I immediately apologized. The man turned and said "It's my fault for stopping, I'm OK." I walked on by but noticed several guys standing in front of him; I was amazed at how big he was--he was huge. It looked like he was signing autographs for them. I kept glancing and thinking he looks like Muhammad Ali, but then surmised it can't be--that guy is HUGE. I went outside and hopped up on the shoe shine stand, and within a few minutes Ali emerged and sat down on the stand beside me. He was impeccably dressed in a black suit, white shirt and tie. I noticed the stand was now surrounded by several black men also impeccably dressed; one of them handed him something and said, "Here's your ticket, Ali." I again apologized for hitting him and he again brushed it off very cordially. I then asked him how he felt about the Supreme Court's verdict and he mentioned his faith in Allah had helped him through it all.

That was it. We parted ways and I was amazed by how cordial, friendly and seemingly humble/normal he was. In the meantime I probably became the only person to hit Muhammad Ali hard in the head and not get hit back. The one thing I will always remember about Ali was his absolute fearlessness. Inside the ring he stood up to the likes of Liston, Fraizer and Foreman all of whom looked like they could destroy him. Outside the ring he stood up against segregation and racism, His religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War at great personal costs and no doubt risks.

Godspeed, Muhammad Ali.

What Goes Around Comes Around

As I reflect on my 70th birthday I am reminded how often life is a circular journey. Many times I have traveled down a path only to find myself in that same place years later. For instance almost 34 years ago I came to Atlanta and worked in a Chubb office at Piedmont Center, building 3. Now I am working part time for one of Chubb's largest agencies and I'm once again at Piedmont Center, Building 3. I grew up in Danville, VA and left there in the late 1960's. Lost track of almost everyone I knew back then. Now thanks to Facebook I am connected to many childhood and high school friends I've manged to return there several times over the past few years to attend 2 high school reunions and during the one in 2014 connect with my brother to ride bikes over many of the streets we road on years ago. I am currently back in college working on a BS in exercise science with a minor in gerontology, 47 years after earning a BA in economics. Being in school after so many years is different in many respects. The course work seems easier, I suppose because I am taking courses that interest me without having to take all the core stuff I took years ago. Age and experience also make the work seem easier. One difference is it's harder for me to memorize stuff the way I use to do in order to get through course work. Another difference is I can attend tuition free thanks to being so old and can take as many or as few classes as I want each semester. That's a huge change from when I was at the University of Richmond in the 1960's trying to get done before the money ran out.

One of the most rewarding circular experiences was reconnecting with my first true love after not being in touch for over 35 years. For about 18 months I was on cloud nine until my drinking caused that relationship to fall apart. Looking back on that it was a blessing because it got me sober after a 50 year drinking career. It's too bad I wasn't smart enough to figure that out earlier. Reflecting on that gets me wondering how many opportunities I let slip by either because of my drinking or simply not paying enough attention at the time. I remember a blind date I had back in college. Her name was Page Taylor and she seemed like the nicest person I ever met. She was certainly the most attractive blind date I ever had. However, I blew it one night by picking her up for a fraternity party completely wasted. That date lasted about 30 minutes and I never saw her again. I still remember how embarrassed I was when I called to apologize; she was cordial enough but the damage was done and irreparable at the time.

There are many other situations where I either did--or did not--take action or inaction that ended relationships and friendships In some cases I had all the right in the world to be pissed off. But now as I reflect on a 70 year life span, I wonder if those people passed by me again, would I be able to either make amends or forgive? In almost every case I would welcome the opportunity to try