tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60960832960534988472024-03-17T08:07:12.033-05:00This Side of FiftyA Monthly Letter of Musings & MeanderingsMark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.comBlogger851125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-60797093443090187742024-03-16T12:04:00.000-05:002024-03-16T12:04:34.641-05:00Ben Grum for Lake County Board<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdsrMkBTZS-tXWwlvQgsdFEiD1fCQGOLSqMfa-ZCWkeTYxFOJbtsvpFfdIGWt88Tz3sunuu9JUXjMKNqobEpsA8V755-pIkwPORiKL1mAP13H3opGxvykkJCZEfoscGUDmWz397Uo8GExuXgvigmIPiEd3Z41WdmPy5m-Oi-ealQ0GriKI2GdUgk8F9Mon" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2363" data-original-width="3038" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdsrMkBTZS-tXWwlvQgsdFEiD1fCQGOLSqMfa-ZCWkeTYxFOJbtsvpFfdIGWt88Tz3sunuu9JUXjMKNqobEpsA8V755-pIkwPORiKL1mAP13H3opGxvykkJCZEfoscGUDmWz397Uo8GExuXgvigmIPiEd3Z41WdmPy5m-Oi-ealQ0GriKI2GdUgk8F9Mon=w369-h287" width="369" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo with the candidate<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the rewards of teaching is the memorable and impressive
students I have had the pleasure knowing in the one or two classes they take
with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the memorable graduate
students is Ben Grum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a student
in my SBNM 5411 Quantitative Decision Making course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took the class July and August of 2020
which was during the worst of the COVID pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we never met face-to-face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did, however, interact quite a bit online
and have a few phone conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben
was among the best students I have had in that class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was hardworking, curious, smart, and his papers
and Excel work were very well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have the students, especially in online classes, introduce
themselves in discussion posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben
noted that he was a detective in the Lake Forest Police Department where I
live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was very cool for two
reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never had a police officer in
a class and I live in Lake Forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
felt a bit safer knowing we had someone on our police force with Ben’s fine
qualities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We get a free newsletter in the mail of local news and
events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the Lake Forests/Lake
Bluff edition of the Lake County Gazette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In early February there was article, <a href="https://lakecountygazette.com/stories/653975420-lake-forest-police-commander-ben-grum-takes-on-lake-county-board-race-addressing-safety-economic-concerns-and-immigration-policies">Lake
Forest police commander Ben Grum takes on Lake County Board race</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was delighted, and not really surprised, to
see that Ben was running for political office and had risen to the rank of
commander in the Police Department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Shortly thereafter, I got an email announcement that Ben was
having an event, I assume to kick-off his campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought a two tickets and we attended the “Grum
for Lake County Country Music Event at The Farm” in Lake Bluff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that we met in an online class in the
depths of the pandemic and had never met in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was wonderful to finally meet Ben as well
as his lovely wife and mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a
great gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing we went
early, as later it was almost impossible to find a parking spot at The
Farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cowboy Co. Band rocked the
joint and it was a good time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People,
the friends and supporter of Ben, were all happy to be there.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ben is running his campaign on a <a href="https://www.grumforlakecounty.com/issues">four-plank platform</a> all of
which appeal to me as a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Public
Safety:</b><br />
In a time when people question their safety and security, and the State of
Illinois is passing legislation that is consistently inhibiting law enforcement
Ben. will be dedicated to doing what is possible on a County level to ensure
the safety and security of all Lake County residents and visitors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Taxes:</b><br />
Taxes in Lake County are out of control and are negatively impacting our
lowest-income homeowners disproportionally. Ben vows to not vote for a property
tax increase and to repeal the gas tax. Instead, Ben will adamantly push for
third-party audits countywide much like we see in private business to ensure
the county operates efficiently. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Local
Control:</b><br />
Ben Grum recognizes that decisions made closest to the community are often the
most informed and accountable. As a county board member, he champions leaving
local matters to local governments and, when feasible, to the voters
themselves. Ben opposes personal biases influencing decisions, exemplified in
recent instances like the attempted Lake Bluff Golf Course closure, advocating
for transparent, community-driven governance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Economic Development:</b><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">To foster a vibrant and thriving Lake County, collaboration
with business leaders and entrepreneurs is paramount. Ben Grum's approach
involves job creation and revenue generation through sales tax, avoiding
burdensome income or property taxes. Addressing the migration of businesses to
Wisconsin, Ben aims to eradicate anti-business policies that hinder growth
within our county.</span></strong></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ben is a double degree holder from North Park University and
specifically the School of Business and Nonprofit Management in which I am a
faculty member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got a BA in Business
in 2011 and his MBA with an HR Certificate in 2022.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As stated on our <a href="https://www.northpark.edu/about-north-park-university/what-we-believe/">website</a>:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN"></span></span></p><blockquote><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN">The mission of North Park University, as the
University of the <span role="tooltip" tabindex="0"></span></span><span class="jpfdse"><span data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-ved="2ahUKEwjjy4CSmfmEAxV5CnkGHV2BBFEQmpgGegQIIxAD" data-width="250" role="button" tabindex="0"><span lang="EN"><span data-bubble-link="" data-segment-text="Evangelical Covenant Church">Evangelical
Covenant Church</span></span></span></span></span><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN">, is <b>to prepare students for lives of significance and
service through <span role="tooltip" tabindex="0"><span data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-ved="2ahUKEwjjy4CSmfmEAxV5CnkGHV2BBFEQmpgGegQIIxAI" data-width="250" role="button" tabindex="0"></span></span></b></span></span><span class="jpfdse" style="font-family: verdana;"><span data-bubble-link="" data-segment-text="education"><b><span lang="EN">education</span></b></span></span><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span lang="EN"> in the liberal arts, professional studies,
and theology</span></b></span><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN">.</span></span></blockquote><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN"></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ben is certainly has embraced this mission and is living a life of
significance and service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am proud of
and happy for Ben.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He most certainly has
my endorsement and vote.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRGRfihuV6Csrw6fr9AVkgB_tzqUN8PaCz-aubibHRPld0_3D3eebGwk4f5L86PFqud_lJLViS3tUcnp3IKRXxc5S2FUBv6eztIso8mxV6xAlDfBczXYNqAOkq8YR6_hlIIrT5OXbC9M0OoQI2DOhN3XuzLMvhF77jl5jBfyI861oQZQX7ZkSLc7rQ6ME/s1630/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%2011.58.33%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1630" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRGRfihuV6Csrw6fr9AVkgB_tzqUN8PaCz-aubibHRPld0_3D3eebGwk4f5L86PFqud_lJLViS3tUcnp3IKRXxc5S2FUBv6eztIso8mxV6xAlDfBczXYNqAOkq8YR6_hlIIrT5OXbC9M0OoQI2DOhN3XuzLMvhF77jl5jBfyI861oQZQX7ZkSLc7rQ6ME/w415-h267/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%2011.58.33%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="415" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6DFCHMGRSAEQn6sSvuy3fvxkGnYo5loNHy6hyphenhyphen4Zm4bGiS08mAPeuUTLaPXPn36mOhahMl7WXZVs75DpwPQ8BJJiL2TPxG5dEXlXSxlab2L_sWVFuieBgCga4lyo_-HOd7p4m7RWo9CSpifxeRTXcJ1mSJhs_U9TlB_-lYlGHGCxnLu2Fz-jm4LNPRIXs/s2346/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%2011.59.49%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="2346" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6DFCHMGRSAEQn6sSvuy3fvxkGnYo5loNHy6hyphenhyphen4Zm4bGiS08mAPeuUTLaPXPn36mOhahMl7WXZVs75DpwPQ8BJJiL2TPxG5dEXlXSxlab2L_sWVFuieBgCga4lyo_-HOd7p4m7RWo9CSpifxeRTXcJ1mSJhs_U9TlB_-lYlGHGCxnLu2Fz-jm4LNPRIXs/w398-h164/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%2011.59.49%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="398" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-64265022134610174472024-03-12T10:08:00.000-05:002024-03-12T10:08:11.278-05:00Sprung Forward<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk4UIb6PTgQ-E22VaHUZWUgKdpAIbwJdxhKF79LsYXikW3adGKN9fMnBU8zna8WEYi6wT-Awzh1GDWQ4xAM7Hx1sHUaN0LLKxleA20x6xA_hl9VysDP1OwH8uz1qDzatsCOoEvKQpv4kuY4Xw2usXEJTSMN4UIOAdHw4uc5V43acgG2QvljGAdoLtWZEnW" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1118" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk4UIb6PTgQ-E22VaHUZWUgKdpAIbwJdxhKF79LsYXikW3adGKN9fMnBU8zna8WEYi6wT-Awzh1GDWQ4xAM7Hx1sHUaN0LLKxleA20x6xA_hl9VysDP1OwH8uz1qDzatsCOoEvKQpv4kuY4Xw2usXEJTSMN4UIOAdHw4uc5V43acgG2QvljGAdoLtWZEnW=w341-h310" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changing the time at Stonehenge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At 2 am this morning, it became 3
am.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was the annual spring ritual to
move to daylight savings time to give us more daylight into later into the
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will return to standard time
in the fall.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ever since November 18, 1883, when
the US and Canadian railroads created time zones and standardized time within
the zones, there has been controversy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 1908, the Canadians in Thunder Bay, Ontario implemented the bright
idea of daylight savings time (DST) to the longer daylight hours of the summer
to the evening hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1966, Congress
passed the Uniform Time Act which allowed the states to decide if they wanted
to adopt daylight savings time or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only proviso was the decision had to be applied statewide and the
annual spring-ahead and fall-back dates were standardized across the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From the first ‘standardization’
of time and the first notions of shifting to and from DST, people have had
issues with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People on the edges of
the time zones are more vocal about the standardization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The number of those disgruntled with DST ebbs
and flows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to have flared up in
the US as we seem to look for more things to be upset and polarized about.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am OK with it and the few days it takes to
adapt to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly, I like it because I
can post the same cartoons and memes twice a year as I have here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is just 9 am here in
Chicagoland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for the ‘Spring
forward’ it would be 8 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I
can only tell the difference at the beginnings and ends of the days when it is
either lighter in the morning and darker earlier in the evening or vice-versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main reasons people complain are:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">For 74% of respondents, the solution seems clear: they support the idea of
ending DST entirely. <b>They believe it to be a waste of time and money, with
minimal energy savings and inconsistent sunrise times</b>. Alarmingly, some
argue that it may even contribute to an increase in traffic incidents. ~ </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/news/data/2023/11/01/daylight-saving-time-clock-change-not-popular-in-new-survey/71409995007/"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">northjersey.com</span></a><span class="hgkelc"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Health. Experts in circadian rhythms and sleep have warned about the
negative health implications of DST. <b>DST reduces sleep time and causes an
increased mismatch between the body clock and local time</b>, a condition
called social jetlag. ~ </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_of_daylight_saving_time"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">wikipedia</span></a><span class="hgkelc"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="hgkelc" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">In addition to sleep loss, people are at greater risk of mood disturbance,
suicide, and being involved in traffic accidents during both bi-annual
transition periods. However, experts suggest that long term, there is a
reduction of accidents as more people drive home from work in daylight. ~ </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/daylight-saving-time"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">sleepfoundation.org</span></a></span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Honestly, I am OK with daylight
savings time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, an hour change in
the spring and again in the fall is not hard to adjust to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a bit, only a bit mind you, amazed and mystified
about when others complain about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Should we abolish daylight saving
time? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modify it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a few ideas.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, maybe the world adapts a
global time zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s all, the whole
world, move to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is historical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is British
and hearkens back to the days of the British Empire (and I am not really an anglophile).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per the GMT website:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Greenwich Mean Time or GMT is the mean (average) solar time at the Greenwich
Meridian or <a href="https://greenwichmeantime.com/articles/history/prime-meridian/">Prime
Meridian</a>, 0 degrees longitude. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The time displayed by the Shepherd Gate Clock at the Royal Observatory in
Greenwich, London, is always GMT. When the sun is at its highest point exactly
above the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory, it is 12:00 noon at
Greenwich. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I live in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get up at 5 am which would 1000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start class at 8 which would be 1300.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If lunch was normally at noon… I would be having
lunch at high 1800.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone in Bishkek
said he would call me at 1930, there would be no question as when that might
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would clarify if it was Bishkek
time or Chicago time, I wouldn’t have to add or subtract hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time miscalculations would not be the cause
of missing the call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time is relative anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would get used to it after a decade or
two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the world were to move to such a
universal time, the US would probably not join in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, the whole world moved to the
metric system, and we still haven’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other idea is we can all have
our own personal time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This might appeal
to our uniquely American obsession with individualism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are after all, each and every one of us,
unique valued and special snowflakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
here is the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since almost every
clock or watch that matters internet capable, everyone can set their own time
standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want dawn to 6 am wherever I am… because…
well, there is a very small vestige of a farming heritage in my psyche.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time management app would simply adjust
all my clocks (phone, watch, laptops, car, etc) to that dawn is 6 am standard
based on longitude and latitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
day 6 am would vary by a few seconds as days get longer or shorter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the speedometer in my car that displays
mph and kmph, every watch would display my personal time whatever the local
time is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would certainly be ridiculously
confusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I wake up at 5 am on
school days and sunrise was at 7:12 (which would be the new 6 am on that day),
my alarm clock would wake me at 3:48 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>See?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is pretty simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well actually not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure I would be early or late or just
plain miss altogether classes and other appointments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a small price to pay for GMT to mean
Gavoor Mean Time for me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Or… we could just leave things
alone and either complain about it or have a little fun with it twice a year.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinlOoh_Ei5Krepmgs_5UU-NUjRdjO0NtWihwf616v7xmmnxJyNUro2eU0xK4b4YSujwpbWCIEWFAWYT-lHQz3AgiYLaTfVryqUWWCu1UjWasm86s0yR4JfO-304okE5WyP6G58TKoVxAflYu9Nnv0kRWn8pHYKD5xs10uMa3WBkYSUa0thF9YExuLJNvR2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1042" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinlOoh_Ei5Krepmgs_5UU-NUjRdjO0NtWihwf616v7xmmnxJyNUro2eU0xK4b4YSujwpbWCIEWFAWYT-lHQz3AgiYLaTfVryqUWWCu1UjWasm86s0yR4JfO-304okE5WyP6G58TKoVxAflYu9Nnv0kRWn8pHYKD5xs10uMa3WBkYSUa0thF9YExuLJNvR2=w452-h427" width="452" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-72299799041312574152024-03-06T16:42:00.000-06:002024-03-06T16:42:25.089-06:00 Hachig Kazarian’s new book a must-read for Western Armenian music lovers<p> <img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-89726 size-full" height="513" src="https://armenianweekly.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Western-Armenian-Music.jpg" width="372" /></p><p><em><strong>Western Armenian Music: From Asia Minor to the United States</strong></em><b><i><br />
</i></b><b>By Hachig Kazarian<br />
</b><b>Published by The Press at Fresno State University<br />
</b><b>Publication date: 2023</b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Hachig Kazarian has penned a wonderful book, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Western Armenian Music: From Asia Minor to the United States</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. It is the 18</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
book in Fresno State’s Armenian Series, first edited by Dikran
Kouymjian (1986-2008) and then by Barlow Der Mugrdechian since
Kouymjian’s retirement. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Most of us know of Hachig Kazarian.
How could we not? He is known for his masterful clarinet playing at
Armenian gatherings all around the United States since the 1960s. He is
arguably the best there ever was in this country – the GOAT in modern
parlance. We know him from the many albums he has recorded, from </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Passport East</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">
with the Hye Tone band in Detroit to the series of Kef Time albums with
Buddy Sarkisian and Richard Hagopian. His iconic album, in my view, is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Exciting Sounds of Hachig Kazarian</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
featuring “Govand.” This one track inspired countless numbers of young
Armenians of my generation to take up the clarinet. Some have gotten
pretty darn good themselves, but Hachig is still in a class by himself. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This is Hachig’s first book. The
500-page book is in part a scholarly treatment of Western Armenian music
and in part a memoir of his years performing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The book is divided into six
sections: The Quandary of Western Armenian Music (chapters 1-4), The
Understanding of Western Armenian Music and Dance (chapters 5-9), The
Plight of Western Armenian Music (chapters 10-11), Traditional Western
Armenian Bands in the United States (chapter 12), Armenian Village Folk
Dance Melodies (chapter 13) and Musicological Developments in Armenian
Musical Notation and Understanding the Armenian Modal System (chapters
14-15).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Hachig stakes out a place for Western
Armenian music in a way that many of its musicians see it. It is its
own genre worthy of being celebrated and preserved. After the Genocide,
Beirut became a de facto center for Western Armenian culture. Its
intelligentsia led a movement to rid the language of Turkish words. In
their zeal to define what is purely Armenian, they also stripped folk
music of the modal tones that made the music sound “oriental” or
Turkish.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Gomidas Vartabed, thankfully,
captured and wrote down many of the melodies, songs and dances of
Western Armenia. As a people, we have deified Gomidas. Another prominent
Armenian ethnomusicologist once told me that Gomidas preserved the
modal elements in his work, but others have cleansed the modal elements.
“Kele-Kele” and “Groong” are often performed by operatic singers
accompanied by orchestras or pianists. It is the purification of what
villagers might have sung in the fields or after a hard day’s labor
around the hearth. Both are worthy, but the core should not be lost
forever, in favor of the concert hall.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The Beirut Armenians preserved and
cleansed the Western Armenian language and thought they were doing the
same for music. In reality, they faced the West, and that view defined
the evolution of Armenian music in Beirut. In the U.S., it was harder to
preserve the language, so music was another way of staying tethered to
our rich culture. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Armenians started coming to the U.S.
after the Hamidian massacres, and the bulk of Armenians came after 1915.
For the most part, Armenians migrated to the U.S. from villages. When
they gathered in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">getrons </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(centers),
clubs and churches, they brought their foods, dialects, customs, music
and dances with them. The dances, music and melodies of Van were
preserved in Detroit, where large numbers of Vanetsis lived. Hachig’s
grandfather, for whom he is named, was an expert in these dances and
melodies and made sure his grandson knew the music that they brought
from “the old country.” As Beirut turned westward, we in the U.S. turned
eastward, trying to capture, preserve and build upon the music and
dances that our parents or grandparents brought with them. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">As Hachig notes in his chapter on
Gomidas: “Unfortunately, village folk music was already alien to the
wealthy elite Armenians who didn’t like, and looked down upon, village
music. Gomidas and his compositions were revered by the Armenians in
Constantinople who loved his art songs and choral arrangements as the
only true form of Armenian music. Without realizing it, Gomidas’ new
polyphonic selections seemed to debase the existing monophonic village
folk music that had survived for centuries.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">It may be uncomfortable for some to
read any criticism of Gomidas. But Hachig makes a case that all of us
should consider. In discussing the cultural appropriation of Western
Armenian music and dance, he argues that this music is ours, and we have
to embrace and preserve it. It is not just Armenian American, or </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">deghatsi</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
music, but Western Armenian village music. This music overlaps greatly
with kef music, which tends to include Turkish and other Middle Eastern
music. Yet Hachig is referring to the village songs and dances of
Western Armenia, occupied by Turkey.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Assuming we can all agree on
preserving and promoting the village music of Western Armenia, there is
still the question of the “oriental” sound. Should we purify it and
strip out those pesky microtones to make it more Western? Hachig argues
against this. The Armenian modal system is rooted in the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">sharagans </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">of the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Badarak</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">As Hachig notes: “In the strictest
definition, the modal systems of Armenian folk and sacred music are
derived from melody types that are collectively referred to as
Octoechoes… The Ut Tsayn (meaning eight tone) system, also referred to
as Octoechoes when used by the Armenian church, was created by Stepanos
Siunetzi (685-735).”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This modal system is not uniquely
Armenian. It is regional and shared by Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Jews,
and yes, the Turks, who adopted it when they conquered the region. We
should embrace this modal system as well as the polyphonic that is so
often used in Armenian popular, sacred and classical music these days.
It makes no sense to exclude parts of our culture. It makes even less
sense when others are appropriating it and calling it their own. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Hachig also explores the musical notation system created by Armenians over the years. The </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">khaz </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">system
was established in the seventh century using letters and symbols. In
the early 1800s, Hampartsoum Limonjian developed an even better system.
His “Hampartsoun nota” became the standard until the 1920s, when Western
staff notation became dominant in both Armenian sacred and Turkish
classical music. Hampartsoum nota was important to “preserve and unify
the melodies and style of Armenian sacred and folk music. It was the
leading contributing factor to the preservation of Turkish classical and
folk music.” Before reading Hachig’s explanation of Hampartsoum nota,
it looked like a cross between Arabic script and Braille to me. After
reading his explanation, I felt I could actually learn
it. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Chapter 12 may be the most
interesting chapter in the book for fans of Western Armenian music.
Hachig writes about the bands started in the 1940s by the children of
first-generation Armenian immigrants. Hachig admired or performed with
these bands, and their members are his contemporaries. They include: The
Artie Barsamian Orchestra of Boston, The Nor-Ikes Band of New York
City, The Vosbikian Band of Philadelphia, The Aramite Band of Worcester,
The Arax Band of Detroit, The Hye-Tones Band of Detroit, The Kef Time
Band, The New Jersey Orientals, The El Jazaire “Night Club Band,” The
Arax Band of New Jersey/NYC and The All-Star Band.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">In Chapter 13, Hachig provides
musical notation for 129 folk-dance melodies of the villages of Western
Armenia. We owe Hachig a thank you for doing this.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The book is full of photos of bands,
musicians, 78 rpm labels, album covers and both Western and Hampartsoum
musical notation. The importance of capturing the history of Western
Armenian music is evident in two photos of first-generation bands in
Detroit. In photos of the Dertad Toukhoian band in 1953 and the Yervant
Gerjekian band in 1949, the last names of some of the musicians are no
longer known.</span></p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-89727" class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_89727" style="width: 241px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-89727 size-medium" height="300" src="https://armenianweekly.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hachig-Kazarian-241x300.jpg" width="241" /></span><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-89727"><span style="font-family: times;">Hachig Kazarian</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Hachig was born and raised in
Detroit. He played a clarinet his father had come across in his first
workplace at an early age and began lessons in the fourth grade. His
grandfather’s friend, Haig Krikorian, was visiting one day, heard young
Hachig practicing and offered to teach him Armenian music. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Hachig</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">
graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Julliard from
1960-66. In New York, he met and performed with many Armenian musicians.
He writes, “My goal was to be an orchestral clarinetist. However,
during my junior year of college, loving Armenian and Middle Eastern
music so much, I decided to be close to the Armenian community and have
an Armenian family.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">He returned to Detroit, earned
degrees in Music Education and Music History and Ethnomusicology from
Eastern Michigan University, and began a career teaching middle and high
school students. He married his Detroit AYF sweetheart, Christine née
Aranosian, and they created a beautiful Armenian family. He moved to Las
Vegas for the last segment of his teaching career and returned to
Detroit several years ago. Sadly, Christine passed away in October 2023,
just as this book was being published.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This book is encyclopedic. It covers a
vast array of topics, including the origins of the music of the
Armenian national anthem. It is an important resource for historians and
ethnomusicologists. It also has a wide appeal for anyone interested in
any and all things Armenian. It is a must read for anyone who loves
Western Armenian village music. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">There are a few things I wish were
more extensive. First and foremost, I think the book needs a more
detailed index. Fresno State Press might have insisted and helped in
this regard. Secondly, in the preface a companion website is provided,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <a href="http://westernarmenianmusic.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">westernarmenianmusic.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
where “all musical examples may be heard.” I was excited and expected
to find all 129 of the pieces from Chapter 13 to be there. There are
only 10 songs on the website, including an old 78 recording of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mer Hairenik</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.
I am sure there are talented musicians in our community who would love
to help Hachig record tracks for this website or maybe for a companion
YouTube channel.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This is a very important book. It
belongs on the bookshelf of any Armenian with a library of Armenian
books. I hope it inspires more scholarship on Western Armenian village
music and how it has survived and evolved in the United States. We owe
Hachig a huge thank you for writing it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">You can purchase the book from </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://westernarmenianmusic.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">westernarmenianmusic.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.abrilbooks.com/books/western-armenian-music.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abril Bookstore</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://naasr.org/products/western-armenian-music-from-asia-minor-to-the-united-states?_pos=1&_sid=42e39bcc6&_ss=r"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NAASR</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Western-Armenian-Music-United-States/dp/0912201800/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5S3HZYHPQ4AR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5cvfMufUfp2Z8Bi4zbqC_g.dEKwkAEKPuXJi8H81bGHwru4g2XBnEEvdkV3KTGnV9M&dib_tag=se&keywords=western+armenian+music+hachig+kazarian&qid=1709477293&sprefix=hachig+%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">===</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">First published in the <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/03/06/hachig-kazarians-new-book-a-must-read-for-western-armenian-music-lovers/" target="_blank">Armenian Weekly</a> on March 6, 2024 <br /></span></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-75552495725570858982024-03-05T14:37:00.008-06:002024-03-05T14:43:43.587-06:00Chidem Inch: Watching “Armenia, My Home”<div class="separator"><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-89428" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_89428" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 1024px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-89428" height="249" src="https://armenianweekly.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Aerial-view-of-Dilijan-Armenia-Photo_-So-Much-Film-1024x540.jpg" width="472" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-89428">Aerial view of Dilijan Armenia (Photo: So Much Film) <br /></figcaption></figure></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Armenia, My Home</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">
is simply a wonderful documentary – another Armenian-themed documentary
by Andrew Goldberg. It is a beautiful testimony and tribute from an
American-Armenian point of view to what it means to be Armenian and what
Armenia means to all of us here in the diaspora.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Andrea Martin is the primary
narrator. She had lots of help from Ronald Suny, Chris Bohjalian, Eric
Bogosian, Herand and Yeraz Markarian, Salpi Ghazarian, Vahe Berberian,
Dottie Bengoian, Michael Aram and Peter Balakian, an august cast of
talking heads who offer their perspectives and heartfelt thoughts to
this very well-crafted film. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I would love for all my non-Armenian
friends to see this film so they can better understand where my soul
and heart are tethered.<span style="font-weight: 400;"> The sentiments
of the narrators, for the most part, express what each and every
Armenian might say. Beyond the narration, the soundtrack includes
Armenian musicians Ara Dinkjian, Zulal (the trio that includes Yeraz
Markarian) and <span style="font-size: small;">Ara Topouzian </span>and beautiful duduk and church music from
Armenia.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">There was a long and impressive
segment on Mount Ararat and how central it is to the very concept of
being Armenian. It is in our DNA. As noted in the film (and my previous
article, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/02/20/chidem-inch-the-mountain-once-known-as/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chidem Inch: The mountain once known as…</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), this mountain, our mountain, the symbol of our nation, lies just outside the border of our country.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The film is visually stunning. The
camerawork shows the beauty of Armenian church architecture and the
magnificent countryside from Sevan to Aragats and Yerevan. It even shows
the humble homes of the countryside and poor neighborhoods of Yerevan.
The use of drone photography gives movement and panorama to this
beautiful film.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I
would love for all my non-Armenian friends to see this film so they can
better understand where my soul and heart are tethered.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Andrew Goldberg is a true friend of
the Armenian people. His company, Two Cats Production, is based in New
York. His documentaries are often aired on and sometimes in
collaboration with PBS. This is not his first Armenian documentary. His
previous films are: </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Armenian Genocide (2000 and 2006)</span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span></i> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Armenians, A Story of Survival</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (2001) and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images of The Armenian Spirit</span></i> <span style="font-weight: 400;">(2003). His other films include: </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Yiddish World Remembered</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (2002), </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">They Came to America</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (2003), </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proud to Serve: The Men and Women of the U.S. Army</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (2004) and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jerusalem: Center of the World</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (2009).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">When asked why he makes documentaries
on Armenian themes, Goldberg said, “I love telling stories that are
underreported and not being told…” He went on to note that the Armenians
are a people who have fought through many difficulties to survive and
have contributed to business, science and the arts.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">The
film is very current and covers Artsakh, including the loss of Artsakh.
It includes footage of bombed-out homes and the caravan of cars leaving
their homes and a land now devoid of Armenians for the first time in
over 1,000 years.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">I view this beautiful film, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Armenia, My Home</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
and Goldberg’s other Armenian-themed films as Armenian national
treasures. It is, somehow, more impressive when the auteur is not
Armenian. This is not to take away from Armenian artists, but there is
something special when we are honored and celebrated by a non-Armenian.
If it were up to me, I would bestow honorary Armenian citizenship on
Andrew Goldberg.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This documentary is a must see.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-89689" height="300" src="https://armenianweekly.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Andrew-Goldberg-1-scaled-e1709668087739-250x300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="250" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Goldberg<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">===</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This piece was first published March 5, 2024 in the <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/03/05/chidem-inch-watching-armenia-my-home/" target="_blank">Armenian Weekly</a>. <br /></span></p>
Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-86158963094991497872024-03-02T20:28:00.001-06:002024-03-05T14:46:17.858-06:00Wild Swings in the Weather
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb59KJRy8Cjv7svdUqILBTcAvjpSTwx3zFQAkS6w7gk7LniZRQ7HyE1y_gUPnCdrDRg_H7WiDsFXXiH2pZCir3OqbPca3ykh3CQTVnnCQr95DX_N3g-gpDiLsl4aFFT1ggQPfASJ24ZXPQWULyj0-pOvDEwZTGpO01mUvYxIP2bSpH3QI9fw5Tna0pNLh/s1620/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%208.07.57%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1620" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb59KJRy8Cjv7svdUqILBTcAvjpSTwx3zFQAkS6w7gk7LniZRQ7HyE1y_gUPnCdrDRg_H7WiDsFXXiH2pZCir3OqbPca3ykh3CQTVnnCQr95DX_N3g-gpDiLsl4aFFT1ggQPfASJ24ZXPQWULyj0-pOvDEwZTGpO01mUvYxIP2bSpH3QI9fw5Tna0pNLh/w404-h151/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%208.07.57%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> There are a lot of memes this past
week about experiencing all four seasons in one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather around the Midwest and the Northeast
cannot decide if it is still Winter or Spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On Friday evening February 23<sup>rd</sup>, the temperature hit a high
of 48 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That evening, the weather
changed becoming cold, blustery, and it snowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had like 3 inches in short order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next day, we did not get above freezing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nest day it all melted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Tuesday, we had a high of 61 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Wednesday, it was 70.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove down to Lake Michigan in our summer
car with the top down and had dinner in the car overlooking the beautiful
lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really could not believe that driving
around in shirtsleeves on February 27.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On that very same Wednesday
evening, a cold front came through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Severe weather was predicted including hail and possible tornadoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tornadoes in February?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were watching <i>Armenia, My Home </i>on Milwaukee’s PBS station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was interrupted twice with both tornado
watches and warnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the middle of
the second interruption, the warning sirens went off at our local fire
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should have probably gone to
the basement… but we didn’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Wednesday, the temperature
never broke 30 and it was downright cold especially in the morning when I drove
to school for my 8 am class.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB3o3Gefaje7G1S6ZqJPWZ2EBO2TUrzLcFqBaAcDLLVgKPaQ9vG8YcuYZ0mxHSslhyphenhyphen2SYmClpY-sHa2Xm36WBYeu4fsMwIk_P2BqEcb3xd2fUjBYw_2q5m0FPTdVXFsi_M8rDkhbMLFKQzCKa4ILkSiaVl_eAseJ_kfQcFeq5aOEWPakXExt8YKXIyrja/s442/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%208.22.36%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: verdana; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="442" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB3o3Gefaje7G1S6ZqJPWZ2EBO2TUrzLcFqBaAcDLLVgKPaQ9vG8YcuYZ0mxHSslhyphenhyphen2SYmClpY-sHa2Xm36WBYeu4fsMwIk_P2BqEcb3xd2fUjBYw_2q5m0FPTdVXFsi_M8rDkhbMLFKQzCKa4ILkSiaVl_eAseJ_kfQcFeq5aOEWPakXExt8YKXIyrja/w250-h232/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%208.22.36%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="250" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Though it was a mere 55 degrees
today, Saturday, March 2<sup>nd</sup>, I decided to go for another drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud
in the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put on a jacket, took out
my summer car, put the top down, and set out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I grabbed a cup of coffee from Starbucks, lit up a cigar, put on some
Armenian music and cruised around town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drove down to
the lake again, stopped by the gravesite of an old friend, and jumped on the
highway and drove up to Waukegan and back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I may have been over the speed limit… several times… by large margins.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I loved the weather today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s not to like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though none of the trees have budded, the
first flowers, daffodils, have already sprouted about two inches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what the groundhog prognosticated,
it is clear that we are having an early spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Canadian geese are already back and honking up a storm at North Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even saw a few moths flying around our
porch light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As much as I am enjoying this
early spring weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worry about these
wild swings in weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like
what us quality management types would refer to as a system out of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly is a system that can’t decide if
it is Winter or Spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t done
any calculations, but I am certain these wild swings in temperatures would
qualify for what we call special cause variation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some scientists are concerned about
the planet being near a tipping point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
that they mean, where the changes stop being gradual, abruptly leap to a new
state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The warning is that the new state
will not favor agriculture and hence mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not sure whether to buy into these ominous forecasts because the weather
is a very complex thing to model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the changes we have experienced in the past week and very mild winter make those
forecasts more plausible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All this being said, I am still
sharing a few photos from my most pleasant excursion today on this lovely
Spring day.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsrG7mSBm9jyMPguBUJyQHWaO8H399-Rk6gUw8Zcq0uahHrvuBOP4MjBxkOIdeQbrmxMovHvLmK7jSs1siwLTbmfqDolnyUKC4CxKgN61LWjIK9tenP31LHWXKJuSVbo9gnksf6-VW3xDSGjFgdhDaTpEEC9IsJidet2HOerQgnhxo6JOMqg7hdJrNGyU/s4032/IMG_7360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsrG7mSBm9jyMPguBUJyQHWaO8H399-Rk6gUw8Zcq0uahHrvuBOP4MjBxkOIdeQbrmxMovHvLmK7jSs1siwLTbmfqDolnyUKC4CxKgN61LWjIK9tenP31LHWXKJuSVbo9gnksf6-VW3xDSGjFgdhDaTpEEC9IsJidet2HOerQgnhxo6JOMqg7hdJrNGyU/w410-h308/IMG_7360.jpeg" width="410" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdhOJDzsZPVNZcnr5rGGKDTSEswFlfN1fAJ965NIRAwwBCIuROZQpQHF275iRymnDW3WrJIuCuZZyghb4gknLNb9AlXcQQchXJzvJk4uzjDww00JABetX3PlHdDn58RFV9byC2HMnwTMfOSMs6VsQhpXm2W8mF6lFiNQjuu6aV632VrBKFPgQbXXwlTj6" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="2130" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdhOJDzsZPVNZcnr5rGGKDTSEswFlfN1fAJ965NIRAwwBCIuROZQpQHF275iRymnDW3WrJIuCuZZyghb4gknLNb9AlXcQQchXJzvJk4uzjDww00JABetX3PlHdDn58RFV9byC2HMnwTMfOSMs6VsQhpXm2W8mF6lFiNQjuu6aV632VrBKFPgQbXXwlTj6=w406-h279" width="406" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiediGMvmCOzdsP7MGWdIqm2NyykjH3oRLmH_fwVlsB9k241M5Yvh1tAlBCaSNvwzSF3ZU1AS-UXypRAN7eR0jdw3ClDuwS-ZNIBGAy6fDguVq8tlxEX4pzbChh83_l9M2wtHswPEsFzvc18SEGZWj0Gj0EfuGaOgMx2iiiNlH9itcsQh-DqzoXziQT4MU2" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiediGMvmCOzdsP7MGWdIqm2NyykjH3oRLmH_fwVlsB9k241M5Yvh1tAlBCaSNvwzSF3ZU1AS-UXypRAN7eR0jdw3ClDuwS-ZNIBGAy6fDguVq8tlxEX4pzbChh83_l9M2wtHswPEsFzvc18SEGZWj0Gj0EfuGaOgMx2iiiNlH9itcsQh-DqzoXziQT4MU2=w395-h296" width="395" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span><p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-79418815838280863862024-03-02T18:54:00.003-06:002024-03-02T18:54:56.438-06:00Happy 90th to The Armenian Weekly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29VeDkySJtu-HxrDnoFPT6PBq19VyTmG5kfKUE1NznXPMIIBODQmuax3vXptYQQWutPw91cTo5YP6W_DtRhZshBKGD-Impqiq9x71rMFDKv4cG4SarHm57gl2FZvNpbzcYGuN-iIcwnkWV5YVGxNcXUJpRcPwDjqdzZ34kuHhN4jx2Sk9PNNPM45AAikj/s1406/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%206.52.01%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1406" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29VeDkySJtu-HxrDnoFPT6PBq19VyTmG5kfKUE1NznXPMIIBODQmuax3vXptYQQWutPw91cTo5YP6W_DtRhZshBKGD-Impqiq9x71rMFDKv4cG4SarHm57gl2FZvNpbzcYGuN-iIcwnkWV5YVGxNcXUJpRcPwDjqdzZ34kuHhN4jx2Sk9PNNPM45AAikj/w492-h283/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20at%206.52.01%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="492" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><div class="mh-social-top">
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Per the internet, the first Armenian language newspaper ever published was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Azdarar</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.
It was first published on October 16, 1794 in Madras, India. The first
Armenian language newspaper in the United States was the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hairenik </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">that began publication in 1899 in Watertown, Massachusetts. In 1932, the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hairenik </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">included an English language column. It was so popular that an English language newspaper, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hairenik Weekly</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, began publication on March 1, 1934. In 1969, the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hairenik Weekly</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was renamed </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Armenian Weekly</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Today, March 1, is the 90</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">
birthday of the paper that is a part of so many of our lives. In its
modern format, both print and online, it is a source of news of all
things Armenian that are simply not covered in the mainstream U.S.
press. The </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekly</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, over the years, has been led by dedicated editors and staff. Working at the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekly </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">is
a labor of love. The contributors and columnists are equally dedicated.
Great writers got their start in the Hairenik family of publications.
Some of William Saroyan’s early short stories were published in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hairenik</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">When I think of this wonderful paper,
I think of editors James Mandalian (35 years) and Jimmy Tashjian (36
years). I think of the shorter tenure editors who came after, many of
whom I knew and admired: Tom Vartabedian, Mimi Parseghian, Georgi
Bargamian, Antranig Kasbarian, Vahe Habeshian, Jason Sohigian, Khatchig
Mouradian, Nanore Barsoumian, Rupen Janbazian and now, Pauline Getzoyan.
The editors were mentors and friends to many. Tom Vartabedian was
certainly a friend and mentor of mine. I would not be writing for the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekly </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">as
much as I do if it wasn’t for Tom getting me involved and encouraging
me all along the way. Being a part of the AYF Olympics reporting and
photography crew is a true labor of love. The current editor, Pauline
Getzoyan, picked up where Tom left off. She is nurturing and encouraging
to everyone. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Beyond and behind the editors are the
hale and hearty, almost anonymous staff that edit articles, lay out the
paper, fact check, create graphics and process photos, and I am
probably only scratching the surface. I think of the contributors and
columnists like my great uncle Rouben Gavoor, Tom Vartabedian, C.K.
Garabed and now, my AYF contemporary, Stepan Piligian. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">I have read pieces in the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekly </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">that
made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry at an injustice, made me
angry as only Armenians can be from an opinion we disagree with, and
kept me informed of the comings and goings, events and passings in our
community. Once I started </span><a href="https://hairenik.com/subscribe/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">subscribing</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, I never stopped, and I encourage everyone to do so…even more so since everything is presented online for free.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">==</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">First published in <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/03/01/happy-90th-to-the-armenian-weekly/" target="_blank">The Armenian Weekly</a> on 3-1-24 <br /></span></span></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-29917754500256513562024-02-27T23:13:00.002-06:002024-02-28T22:32:47.997-06:00Britannia Rules the Waves?<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOO3oC_lizAFGiWE_B4GdYuB8qIn0ZP0tzg8_DUui53dmJdhJN-9k2RP0x0366PJhspyPUlE0-451zSUcRUf4hklfm_SlCWPOyOgHxbWNkamrcKOxAWnSuub41OwkRSUHa5uQfLL0d3wIHzW2uoL5e7H10kxn13hax_cZGYWONud7Fhn-Nmo2G6bHGKByH" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1342" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOO3oC_lizAFGiWE_B4GdYuB8qIn0ZP0tzg8_DUui53dmJdhJN-9k2RP0x0366PJhspyPUlE0-451zSUcRUf4hklfm_SlCWPOyOgHxbWNkamrcKOxAWnSuub41OwkRSUHa5uQfLL0d3wIHzW2uoL5e7H10kxn13hax_cZGYWONud7Fhn-Nmo2G6bHGKByH=w377-h290" width="377" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/Blog/British-Navy-Size-Over-Time/">historic-uk.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Per usual, I was listening to NPR
on my way into North Park University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a report of the missile and drone attack on commercial
shipping in the Red Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Houthi rebels
in Yemen are responsible and doing it to show support for the Palestinians in
the ongoing onslaught by Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
attacks began on January 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have
been 57 attacks on ships since then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
damage has been limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A recent attack
on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer caused a large oil spill that in 18 miles
long is by far the worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ship is
taking water and there are environmental concerns from the oil and even more if
the fertilizer spills into the sea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The part of the report that really
caught my attention was when they talked about who in the West was defending
the shipping against the attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
expected, they noted that the US is taking the lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They talked about other countries and their
inability to provide much assistance because their fleets are downsized to a
minimum and lacking sailors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One country
they called out was the UK saying that their fleet size was smaller than during
the Revolution of the American Colonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Royal Navy was the
backbone of the military that built and sustained an empire that the sun never
set on. A</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> famous song
popped into my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This song was
featured in every swashbuckling, seafaring, war movie ever made where the Royal
Navy saved the day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rule Britannia!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This patriotic song with a grand melody
extolling that “Britannia rules the waves.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(For some reason, I thought it was always “Hail Britannia, Britannia
rules the waves.”)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit
disappointed that Britannia no longer ruled the waves. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Per the graphic above and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/largest-navies-in-the-world">worldpopulationreview.com</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, the UK does
indeed have less ships than they did during American Revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1800, there were 285 warships in the Royal
Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today they have 117.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is totally unfair to compare the sailing
warships of 1800 that used muzzle loading cannons to the higher tech ships of
today that includes aircraft carriers, submarine, and surface warships that are
armed with missiles, torpedoes, and conventional guns. But it is a fact that
the Royal Navy has less ships today than they had in 1800.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where does the Royal Navy stand
today relative to other counties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
number of warships is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the only measure,
the Royal Navy is not in the top ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
Royal Navy is tied with Bangladesh for 30<sup>th</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Countries like landlocked Bolivia have more
warships than the Royal Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the
same measure, number of warships here is the top ten Navies in the world:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj66aAwyOufmNnWYlo7DDcNv-MArPY6T68yJdG22WEoQu84ts1dGAnFMShwFDviRyRK48vpjsZAMnUMumvmZh-O-TLZpE3EtuyahYmYf07SWVbcMdaag3y3slSc5oYrLMTo8iUcToMm3DsAPQhT68q79SdB3jdFVim_gUpDX16fD_puxgHeGz3CPBED0Lr7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1616" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj66aAwyOufmNnWYlo7DDcNv-MArPY6T68yJdG22WEoQu84ts1dGAnFMShwFDviRyRK48vpjsZAMnUMumvmZh-O-TLZpE3EtuyahYmYf07SWVbcMdaag3y3slSc5oYrLMTo8iUcToMm3DsAPQhT68q79SdB3jdFVim_gUpDX16fD_puxgHeGz3CPBED0Lr7=w520-h307" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/largest-navies-in-the-world" style="font-family: times;">worldpopulationreview. com</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The US is ranked 4<sup>th</sup>
behind Russia, China, and North Korea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sri
Lanka is ranked 10<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe number
of warships is not the best measure of naval power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, the 117 Royal Navy warships of today
would wipe the 285 warships of Royal Navy of 1800.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for
Sri Lanka, they have zero aircraft carriers, destroyers, or submarines and 5 frigates
among their 270 warships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Royal Navy
has 2 aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers, 11 frigates, and 10 submarines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would imagine 1 UK carrier group would make
quick work of the entire Sri Lankan Navy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/largest-navies-in-the-world">worldpopulationreview.com</a>,
which is the source for all current day numbers, prefers another measure to rank navies:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>total tonnage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this measure, the US is #1 followed Russia,
China, Japan, and the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The measure of
total tonnage gives more emphasis to the larger ships and often more sophisticated ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bulk of the Sri Lankan navy are smaller
coastal gunboats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is their forecast
of the top five navies in 2030.</span></p>
<ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>United States</b>
- The U.S. is expected to remain the dominant global naval power in 2030,
thanks to an unmatched combination of sheer tonnage and technological
advancement. The U.S. Navy doesn't just have many ships, it has many
massive, cutting-edge ships.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>United Kingdom</b>
- While the U.K.'s total number of ships is expected to decline, the
addition of two new aircraft carriers and the progressive updating of its
submarine fleet should establish the U.K. as the #2 maritime power.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>China</b> - The
People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet is older, but larger in number
(if not tonnage) fleet than the U.S. Navy fleet, and the PLAN has
ambitious plans to keep adding more and more vessels.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>India</b> -
Another Asian country expanding its naval presence, India should have
three operating aircraft carriers by 2030, collectively capable of
deploying 110-120 aircraft.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Russia</b> -
This superpower's aging fleet is likely to suffer some budget constraints
as older equipment is decommissioned, but Russia is still expected to have
eight ballistic missile submarines (with 20 missiles each) patrolling the
seas in 2030.</span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, while Britannia no longer
rules the waves, their small number of ships can still pack a wallop. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="381" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/akbzRuZmqVM" width="459" youtube-src-id="akbzRuZmqVM"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-91690400758035196712024-02-25T13:01:00.001-06:002024-02-25T13:01:58.695-06:00The Changing Landscape of College Football<div class="separator"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="pagephoto layout_pagephoto" height="232" src="https://boxscorenews.com/06-12-2022-02-13-28-pm-7394798.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="348" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://boxscorenews.com/the-transfer-portal-is-a-view-to-how-nil-is-really-going-p167544-206.htm" target="_blank">Boxscore</a></i><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>
</p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Beyond the changes at <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2024/02/michigan-football-after-winning-it-all.html">Michigan
and the Big Ten</a>, the winds of change are have changed big time college football.
From the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies to the buzz
around the transfer portal, the continued league consolidation, and the expansion
of the playoff format to 12 teams which begins with the 2024 season, it's clear
that the game many of us love had undergone a metamorphosis. But as with any
transformation, there are plusses, minuses, and any number armchair experts
swirling around these shifts. Here are my thoughts on this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Name, Image, and Likeness
(NIL):</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>College football has always
been a money maker for the schools, coaches, and the networks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s face it:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it is a business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The athletes are finally getting their slice
of the pie, thanks to NIL. It's a game-changer, no doubt. Athletes can now cash
in on their personal brand, turning their hard-earned popularity into tangible
opportunities. From endorsement deals to social media partnerships, the
possibilities are endless. And let's not forget the ripple effect: this could
usher in a new era of college sports, with heightened visibility and, dare I
say, profitability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players can make
millions in college and there will be some incentive for players not quite NFL
ready to spend another year in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is also a dark side to this
shiny coin. Can teams with big pockets lure players from other teams to transfer
to their school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will there be some need
for regulations to keep this from getting out of hand?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe a salary cap is needed because NIL is
shaping up to be a salary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some players
with big NIL pay days, like premier running backs, have shared their NIL pay
with their linemen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Transfer Portal:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, the transfer portal – college football’s
version of free agency? It depends on who you ask. On one hand, it's a lifeline
for athletes seeking greener pastures. A chance to hit the reset button, to
find a new home where their talents will be appreciated, and they can get a
starting position or simply more playing time. It's a game of musical chairs,
with athletes shuffling from one program to the next in pursuit of their dreams:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>college glory and the NFL. Let’s face it,
college players can play for a team four or five years max.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The portal already has many players only
wearing a uniform for one or two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
players have transferred more than once. For teams with coaching changes,
players will hit the portal if they don’t think they won’t fit into the
philosophy of the incoming coaching staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The transfer portal has the potential to shake the very foundations of
college programs, leaving coaches scrambling to piece together a cohesive
squad. Ohio State forced their 2023 quarterback, Kyle McCord, into the
portal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They used the portal then to
bring other, they believe better, quarterback talent to Columbus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>League Consolidation</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>League consolidation has been led by the SEC
and the Big 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The college football
landscape is at a crossroads. On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer –
fewer conferences, more competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
we scratch beneath the surface, there are issues. For starters, what happens to
the smaller teams? So far, teams have only added teams to conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is ejecting or demoting teams as they do in Premier
League soccer by in the future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let's not overlook the logistical nightmare of
reshuffling conferences and rivalries. Traditionalists are up in arms, fearing
the loss of cherished matchups and traditions. Consolidation is more likely being
pushed by the broadcasting networks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fans will grumble at first but get used to it within a year or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Again looking at the Big Ten, what
are Pac 10 teams doing in our conference. This is being asked by Big 10 and Pac
10 fans I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My football guru buddy, Jack,
speculates there may be a Super League of 30 teams soon independent of the
NCAA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we use the term Premier League,
the UK soccer model would apply nicely.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>12-Team Playoff:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last but not least, let's talk playoffs. The expansion
to 12 teams has everyone buzzing – and for good reason. More teams, more drama,
more excitement – what's not to love? It's the ultimate underdog story, with
Cinderella teams vying for a shot at glory. But hold onto your hats, folks.
With great power comes great responsibility, and an expanded playoff format is
no exception. Will it dilute the significance of the regular season? Will it
lead to lopsided matchups and blowouts? And let's not forget about the toll it
will take on the players – both physically and academically. The road to the
national championship may be paved with gold, but it's also fraught with peril.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the ever-changing world of
college football, one thing is clear: change is inevitable. But as we navigate
these uncharted waters, let's not lose sight of what makes this game great –
the passion, the tradition, the camaraderie. Yes, the tides may be shifting,
but the heart and soul of college football will always remain the same. So,
let's embrace the changes, but let's do so with caution and care. After all,
the future of college football depends on it.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-48508714568552993852024-02-25T11:19:00.001-06:002024-02-25T11:19:49.783-06:00Michigan Football After Winning it All<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdm1j4q2QJjnu4LxC2ZIqBN7KF45q33zS8B3enTn93FIzjO3ym8oJKcIUXn6zuCW7E9bSt_CzG2fv9SbFqk8tQfX0xD8yL1Pkdxb5f6KLv9tIZAeLFVRRleK_Idaq_7zRBo59iyyVJ67VpqdW-WPwcT8g5od1PJNrFWMlQeSzmCMDFrnTYPqTr22UB2YDL" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="962" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdm1j4q2QJjnu4LxC2ZIqBN7KF45q33zS8B3enTn93FIzjO3ym8oJKcIUXn6zuCW7E9bSt_CzG2fv9SbFqk8tQfX0xD8yL1Pkdxb5f6KLv9tIZAeLFVRRleK_Idaq_7zRBo59iyyVJ67VpqdW-WPwcT8g5od1PJNrFWMlQeSzmCMDFrnTYPqTr22UB2YDL=w376-h229" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Harbaugh and Moore</i></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2024/01/michigan-footballs-national-championship.html" target="_blank">last post about MichiganFootball</a> was a celebration of the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>National Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an amazing run from a solid team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key players and coach of this team are
already in the Wolverine Pantheon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fan base was ecstatic, and it was something quite special given the tough times
of the Rich Rodriquez and Brady Hoke coaching eras.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We celebrated and basked in the
glow of the National Championship for about a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became evident by the end of that week
that Jim Harbaugh was going to return to the NFL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Harbaugh’s departure, the best players
who still had eligibility, e.g. quarterback J.J. McCarthy, opted for the NFL
draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Large segments of the fan base
went and, allow me to use a technical term here, nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They blamed the Michigan AD for not signing
Harbaugh to a new contract and called for his job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dissed Harbaugh for not being a true ‘Michigan
man’ and abandoning the program.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, many of the fans are all
emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live and die with their
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losses can be really tough to
take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to a rivalry game
like Michigan-Ohio State, a loss is agonizing with a depression that lasts for
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>String a few losses together?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you have fanbase apoplexy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We experienced that earlier this century, Ohio
State fans are experiencing it right now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are certainly emotional
components for coaches and players as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Team spirit, alignment, and cohesiveness is necessary for a football
team to commit to a system to prepare well and play at a high level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emotion is component but only a component. For
players and coaches on elite teams, college football is their job and potentially
their career and livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
money involved and lots of it, more so with NIL for the players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who can blame any coach or any player acting
in their own self-interest, when millions of dollars are involved?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Harbaugh brought a National
Championship to Michigan, his alma mater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wished he had stayed and created a dynasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot disparage him for making a move that
allows him to pursue becoming a Super Bowl Championship coach at a
significantly higher salary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
where I teach, but for an opportunity to make anywhere north of 20% more… I am
gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Michigan took a few days and named
their offensive coordinator, Sherrone Moore, as their new head coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moore was a popular and obvious choice to the
fan base as was the head coach of four games this season while Harbaugh was out
due to the alleged cheating scandal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
I am happy with the selection of Moore, only time will tell how well he does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has said the right things about continuing
to be a hard-hitting tough football team that wants to continue a winning
tradition… especially over the big rivals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the next few weeks after his
departure, as is common in football, Harbaugh took several key assistants to
San Diego including the defensive coordinator and the strength coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running backs coach, Mike Hart, left presumably
because he didn’t the top job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
more players hit the portal and a key recruit backed out of his commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moore had to work hard fill his coaching
staff and solidify the roster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While all of this was happening
with Michigan, Ohio State spent like crazy securing transfer quarterbacks and
other players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also opened up the
purse strings and hired UCLA head coach, Chip Kelly, to be their offensive coordinator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan Day is fighting for his job and doesn’t want
to lose to Michigan for a fourth year in a row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beyond even that, they want to win a National Championship and re-establish
their dynasty (which of select number of teams doesn’t want the same).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rivalry has certainly revved up.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 2024 season will feature two major
changes for Michigan and the Big Ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
will be the first season for UCLA, USC, Washington, and Oregon in the Big Ten
which now numbers 18 team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New
conference members USC, Oregon, and Washington are on Michigan’s schedule along
with Texas and, of course, the big rivalries of Michigan State and Ohio
State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan will have one of the
toughest schedules in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
we go undefeated and win a back-to-back National Championship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be an unbelievable feat given the changes
in personnel in the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In February,
six months before the season starts and trying to digest all of these changes,
I have more hopes for next season than anything definitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given our schedule one to three losses is not
out of the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guess is that if
we are undefeated or have one loss, we should get in the playoffs which are now
expanded to 12 teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two or more
losses, probably not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bravo to winning the Natty last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best wishes to the coaches and
players that moved on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wishing Coach
Moore and the team success moving forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Go Blue!</span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-67752689449773004652024-02-24T13:42:00.011-06:002024-02-24T14:05:16.505-06:00Putin's War - Two Years Old<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisRsQZdRK8YC_xzrzSPA3QVaPJHB34xnRF-Ih1voVGLZBiZrtkTwU6nL44K79CxRp1S_1UHxMgHo3McfXQF8k6PkEmMECVPlSl58wb7azdeEW6A-E-85G1FjoeFBgnLb_fT9jMuHfggx_dmKcIjRg2reVP8Ipk1RzUheDxEiU4LpsJk0KLsAeID03Fvg7i" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1110" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisRsQZdRK8YC_xzrzSPA3QVaPJHB34xnRF-Ih1voVGLZBiZrtkTwU6nL44K79CxRp1S_1UHxMgHo3McfXQF8k6PkEmMECVPlSl58wb7azdeEW6A-E-85G1FjoeFBgnLb_fT9jMuHfggx_dmKcIjRg2reVP8Ipk1RzUheDxEiU4LpsJk0KLsAeID03Fvg7i=w397-h278" width="397" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two years ago today, February 24,
2024, Russia invaded Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world
thought the Russian Army would quickly conquer and annex Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What unfolded was something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became apparent that this Russian Army was
not the feared Red Army of the USSR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
they outmanned and outgunned Ukraine, they lacked the tactical leadership,
training, and, more importantly, the commitment of the rank and file to achieve
their goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The common frontline soldier did
not want to invade Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no
threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life in Russia was not
horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, they were doing the
bidding of their duly elected dictator:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Vladimir Putin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They saw no
reason to put their lives on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a result, their hearts were not into it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the other hand, the Ukrainians
were defending their land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The did not
want to be part of Putin’s Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
of that motivation, they fought valiantly and slowed down the invasion further
exposing the Russian Army’s morale and leadership issues.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the invasion, the Europeans were
worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Putin successfully took
Ukraine, might Putin next set his sights on Poland or Finland?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was Putin’s aim to bring the former SSRs back
into the fold?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Europeans were concerned, so was the
United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short order, military
supplies from ammunition and artillery to more sophisticated armaments were provided
to Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putin stated that he was
intent on taking Ukraine and said he would use any means possible to achieve
that goal if there was outside interference from NATO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
thought he might use nuclear weapons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Led by the US, military was provided to Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, there were no more veiled threats
about using nukes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the military aid, the invasion
soon stalled, and slowly the Ukrainian pushed the Russians back some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A front line was established and it became a
war of attrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, it looked
as if the mercenary Wagner Group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin might take a larger
roll in the war to break the stalemate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prigozhin
looked tougher and more capable than Putin, and even challenged Putin’s
leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putin did what Putin does so
well when someone challenges his leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The threat is neutralized and Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash… on his
way to Moscow to make amends with Putin.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fast forward to today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another war, Israel’s invasion of Gaza is
consuming more of the news than the Ukraine’s war with Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus far $75 billion has been given by the US
to Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a presidential election year in the
US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biden wants to provide more aid to
Ukraine. The Democrats are most certainly with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Republicans most certainly are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congress is having a hard time approving a
bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, the Ukrainians are
running low on ammunition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Russians have
made their first meaningful advancement in months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without more aid from the US, the Russians
will gain the upper hand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This kind of politics speaks to
the rumors of the equally odd relationships of Biden family alliance with
Zelensky of Ukraine and Trump with Putin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Depending on one’s political leanings, one of those odd relationships
will be true and virtuous and the other an unholy alliance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The US and Europe has tried to
cripple Russia’s war machine with economic sanctions. They have not
worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Economics makes seeming strange bedfellows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Russian oil and gas have made their way to
the world markets perhaps even to Europe who would have suffered most from sanctions
on Russia if they had worked.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, in the ‘War What is it Good For’
department, what is the cost of this Russian invasion of Ukraine beyond what
the US, Europeans, and Russians have spent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The human cost per <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-war-russia-anniversary-deaths-statistics-b2501334.html">The
Independent</a>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">10 million Ukrainians have been
displaced by the war.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">30,457 Civilian Casualties that
include 10,582 deaths 587 of which were children.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">A high-end estimate of military
casualties on both sides in 500,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This included 110,000 killed.</span></li></ul><div>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And what is the good or purpose of
all this chaos and carnage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Apart from whoever wins this war,
there are always entities that profit from war and that is certainly the case
here. There are leaders, addicted to the heroin of power and might over others that
need a war like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, for me and I
guessing for all the families that experienced displacement, causalities and
deaths in this war, the words of the song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett
Strong resonate strongly:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">War, what is it good for? </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">Absolutely nothin’!</i></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p></div>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-69791942516420982112024-02-20T15:56:00.003-06:002024-02-24T13:47:03.502-06:00Chidem Inch: The mountain once known as…<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfJkh4isNC_v7BAVuiGEliED6X9ukvY0aBFMPy9qrUs9n4F5EWmccsfjl83AYGP65QoOW-9JvVEP6jZcbJExZ9U-HMPn8uGKldVfOuBsbcP4Jlgg3W5lSDd1PqGSCAcM6v2NmbgTDERsTQiPLsPYsHJfUSYPEYG_ULO5T4c9ik_m4IokXgzO3m2KnWNbOJ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1396" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfJkh4isNC_v7BAVuiGEliED6X9ukvY0aBFMPy9qrUs9n4F5EWmccsfjl83AYGP65QoOW-9JvVEP6jZcbJExZ9U-HMPn8uGKldVfOuBsbcP4Jlgg3W5lSDd1PqGSCAcM6v2NmbgTDERsTQiPLsPYsHJfUSYPEYG_ULO5T4c9ik_m4IokXgzO3m2KnWNbOJ=w367-h257" width="367" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">In the Soviet era, Armenia, like
other SSRs, had its own coat of arms. The Armenian Coat of Arms had an
image of Ararat wreathed in two stalks of wheat with a red star and
hammer and sickle above the two peaks. In the 1950s, Turkey complained
to the USSR about using ‘its’ mountain on the Armenian SSR Coat of Arms.
It was concerned that the USSR might have designs on taking Turkish
territory. Per his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev retorted, “Why do you have
a moon depicted on your flag? After all, the moon doesn’t belong to
Turkey, not even half the moon. Do you want to take over the whole
universe?” I distinctly recall reading, years ago, that Armenian
Communist Anastas Mikoyan had a similar exchange with a senior Turkish
official, who asked, “Who gave you permission to use our mountain on
your Coat of Arms?” Mikoyan supposedly answered, “Who gave you
permission to use the moon on yours?” (I say supposedly because I have
been unable to verify Mikoyan’s version.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The Turks have raised the issue of
Ararat on official Armenian symbols again this year. They object to the
use of Ararat on the current Armenian Coat of Arms and the word ‘enemy’
in the Armenian National Anthem. How they figured out that they
themselves are the enemy is beyond me. By chance, as I write this I am
wearing an Ara the Rat hoodie with a picture of the two peaks and the
words, “Out of bounds, but never out of sight.” This is our
circumstance, our </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">vidjag</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
that the symbol of our nation, the mountain of our hearts and souls,
revered in song, poetry and art, lies not in our country but in our
enemy’s country. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Imagine if, because of war and
arbitrary borders, Mount Fuji was no longer in Japan. It is unfathomable
for any educated person with a basic knowledge of geography and
history. Well, with regard to Ararat, the unfathomable is a reality
Armenians can see every day. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">At many Armenian cultural events we attend or in articles we read, we
see or hear the line, “We are unmovable, like our mountains.” I
understand the sentiment and its inspirational intent. But, as it often
can be, the truth is much harsher. Our borders can and have been moved;
our people can and indeed have been moved from our unmovable mountains.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Who moved the borders? Who eliminated our people from our unmovable mountains? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">This was done in 1915 in Western
Armenia and again just a few months ago in Artsakh. Might we call these
people, oh, I don’t know, enemies? Turkey has an issue with the word
enemy in the third verse of our national anthem. Again, for some reason,
they believe it may refer to themselves. Sounds like paranoia to me.
They ask for this change while simultaneously supplying their latest
drones to surrogate Azerbaijan, who keeps threatening to take what it
calls ‘Western Azerbaijan.’ This sure sounds like an enemy to me. I
would want more than a tricolor to shine against such an enemy – maybe
some seriously high-tech weapons of my own. Perhaps we can call it ‘the
iron ladle’ drone.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">We would not feel any safer by
acquiescing to these requests to change our National Anthem or eliminate
Ararat from our Coat of Arms. It rings more of subjugation than
negotiations for border delineation and security. Yet, the government of
the Republic of Armenia is considering these changes. But negotiations
tend to go the way of the 800-pound gorilla in the relationship, and
clearly, the Republic of Armenia is not the 800-pound gorilla.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Maybe we can borrow from Prince’s
playbook and no longer refer to Ararat or Masis but instead ‘the
mountain formerly known as…’ We don’t even have to use the words Ararat
or Masis. We could conjure up an abstract symbol, again a la Prince, to
replace the names Ararat and Masis. I might recommend, and I am just
spit-balling here, the Greek letter beta: β. They might not get that it
is just a stylized graphic of Ararat rotated clockwise 90 degrees.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Per the Khrushchev-Mikoyan story,
this is nothing new for Turkey. Here is another example. About a dozen
years ago, I organized a concert with a singer born and raised in
Istanbul. One of the songs we planned for her to sing was ‘Khnjouki
Yerk,’ based on the endearing poem by Armenian poet Sarmen. The first
two lines of the poem are:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seghann eh arad,<br />
</span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Timatsn Ararat…</span></i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The abundant table<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Set under Ararat…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">She had learned a version of the song
without a reference to Ararat. Even though she attended an Armenian
school, they had to comply with state regulations and censorship in this
regard. It would be beyond horrible for schools in the Republic of
Armenia to ever have to follow the same rules as Armenian schools in
Istanbul.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">If this were to happen and, sadly,
such concessions have been considered, I would surely be in favor of
changing Armenia’s National Anthem. But I would also change the first
line from:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mer hayrenik, azad angakh…<br />
</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our fatherland, free, independent…</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">Back to Mikayel Nalbandian’s first line:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mer hayrenik, tshvar, ander…<br />
</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our fatherland, miserable, barren…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">===</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Origninally published in <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/02/20/chidem-inch-the-mountain-once-known-as/" target="_blank">The Armenian Weekly</a> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-36615888302118697852024-02-13T20:08:00.002-06:002024-02-24T13:47:22.731-06:00Avocation vs Profession<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6KhukM5-hkM8j_uyzDiY38NxGg56GLfJgFyTCyfiMlQzKWqjjhYwKHDaX7fwHrOKy3Iy7_qoLFbwKyqoX_d68eOOjjQdlkxFPF12bQCFO-f1--E_HsqmY0TEI9y5jINc4WkbJAvmtWZUtqpXUbhIyU9QiX_imUqdDqljRGiAPCio38GyQUUpn0PGsnEqg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1732" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6KhukM5-hkM8j_uyzDiY38NxGg56GLfJgFyTCyfiMlQzKWqjjhYwKHDaX7fwHrOKy3Iy7_qoLFbwKyqoX_d68eOOjjQdlkxFPF12bQCFO-f1--E_HsqmY0TEI9y5jINc4WkbJAvmtWZUtqpXUbhIyU9QiX_imUqdDqljRGiAPCio38GyQUUpn0PGsnEqg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This month ends the 20<sup>th</sup>
year of This Side of Fifty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This writing and the music I
perform are two great avocations, two great joys, two hobbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have loved to have done either or
both professionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While, that dream,
that desire, is not dead, I must admit that the probability of it happening is
diminished and ebbing with each passing day primarily because of my age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will continue to do both because of my
devotion to them and the enjoyment I get from them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This blog gets views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The musical piece I record and post on
Facebook also gets views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In terms of music there are videos
I have made of myself on Facebook and several that were recorded by Ara
Topouzian when I played in his group at an AYF picnic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have one video from 2014 in which I play <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/490284791112532">God Rest Ye
Merry Gentlemen and Joy to the World</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has 9,900+ views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
popular because of the Christmas Carols but also because I post it every year
since them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second most popular is
something I called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/1614499625547885">A Bit of
Nihaventing</a> from October 16, 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has over 3,800 views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
few more with views in the 2,000-3,000 view range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They include:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/1680040592136940" style="font-family: verdana;">Darikes</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/2029620660512263" style="font-family: verdana;">Koon Yeghir
Palas</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/1695120663962266">Ipek Siyah
Mantolu</a><span class="x193iq5w"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.gavoor/videos/1897205897305932">Seninle ey
gül-i ahsen</a><span class="x193iq5w"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLpqswycjLc">Armenian Dance Song - Ara
Topouzian Ensemble</a><span class="x193iq5w"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;">These are all
decent numbers nothing close to what anyone ever might call viral. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;">From this
blog, I have three posts with 2,000 or more views.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2013/03/never-give-up.html">Never
Give Up! </a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9.57K views This blew up
during the pandemic</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2011/10/detroit-lions.html">The
Detroit Lions</a> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>5.26K views Most of
these numbers are from when I first posted it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2019/03/killings-in-christchurch.html">Killings
in Christchurch</a> 2.36K views This post also racked-up most of these views in
the first few days of posting it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are 11 more posts with
between 1,000 and 2,000 views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
remaining 825 posts have less than 999 views with, and I am guessing, 700 of
them in the 1-200 range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As mentioned, the writing and
music are avocations or hobbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are fulfilling, enjoyable, and fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the past 10 years, as a
full-time member of the North Park University faculty, I have been recording
lectures for online courses and problem-solving tips for both online and
face-to-face classes on my professional YouTube channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of this was to provide a resource
for students to watch on their own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They could watch all or parts of an entire lecture or just watch a short
video on how to solve a specific style of problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the pandemic hit in 2020 and we went
totally online, I recorded all my lectures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For all practical purposes, I rarely visited this YouTube channel except
to be sure a video I just uploaded was functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, a student came up to me
class and said, “Professor, you’re really popular on YouTube.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I replied, “I don’t think so,” thinking that YouTube
was only for music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The student, “Your
lectures get a lot of views.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never really checked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I did, I found out that I had 4,320+ followers
and 240 videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While by blog has 840
posts, there are only 51 followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have videos with with 150K, 100K, 70K, 33K, 30K, 16K, and 11K views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 42 will view in the 1,000 to 9,999
views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a bit of thought, it makes
total sense that my professorial post has more followers and are viewed more
often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is my “day job.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was I get paid to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a professor is the last part of my 48-year
career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lots of experience in both
industry and teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the
production content of these videos is nothing special, they are actually amateurish,
the content is useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I have a
knack for explaining things per the comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is an example:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://youtu.be/NCjJGZH5jN8?si=e3lVr6MzFGUqeXbn">Forecasting and Demand
Planning: Example</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get the best
of what I do content wise as well as the amateurish production and delivery
that includes talking to myself, awkward moments of silence, and way too much fumbling
around in Excel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I tell my students, they should watch it the first time for the content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, if they can’t sleep, they should watch it
again, and they’ll be out like a light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
truly believe I could market these videos as sleep aids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will I stop posting my writing or
music?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are my hobbies. Will I pay more attention to my professorial
posts and try to improve on presentation and production quality?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For sure.</span><br /></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-57875053603359029392024-01-28T20:10:00.003-06:002024-02-24T13:46:15.895-06:00Michigan Football's National Championship<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7La4I6f2gCQpEjpv9Cr5DCUEMr_8sQsLXlElWdBxAP2vKidLzzSXlRcUo72IlmnH_dq1yKPUAl4YjDfyT3FF5_FxMgZjXLiwe8M91GOanhsDk7q7_okPRQQz818tu0uPF8qECgS6GNPByqC63hMjnaXUQloyVQAcep9-sjbclsD47cf-Dszu4NfmG2mR/s1900/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%207.55.59%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1900" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7La4I6f2gCQpEjpv9Cr5DCUEMr_8sQsLXlElWdBxAP2vKidLzzSXlRcUo72IlmnH_dq1yKPUAl4YjDfyT3FF5_FxMgZjXLiwe8M91GOanhsDk7q7_okPRQQz818tu0uPF8qECgS6GNPByqC63hMjnaXUQloyVQAcep9-sjbclsD47cf-Dszu4NfmG2mR/w556-h293/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%207.55.59%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="556" /></a></div>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On January 8, 2024, the University
of Michigan Wolverines beat the University of Washington Huskies 34-13 to
secure the College Football Playoff National Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was 12<sup>th</sup> National Championship and
the first since 1997.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I should have written about it
that evening or maybe the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
big win like this the would-be sports reporter in me should have jumped right
at it acting as if a gruff cigar chomping editor from a black and white movie
is barking at me for the copy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time,
for some reason, I did not jump on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
savored the moment and thought I would get some perspective on it before I put
finger to keyboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The need to savor
the moment was because I was sensing we are on the cusp of a new era in college
football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the almost three weeks
since the National Championship game a lot has happened from regarding Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a short list from my perspective:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><ul><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Right after the National Championship, Nick Saban announced his retirement from Alabama. Washington's coach Kalen DeBoer was named as his replacement.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A number of Michigan starters, including JJ McCarthy, opted
for the NFL draft.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Jim Harbaugh did his annual flirtation with the
NFL causing nonstop speculative chatter on the social media fan pages about
what might or might happen.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Ohio State when shopping in NIL portal and signed
four talented quarterbacks in the hopes that, in competing for the starting job,
they would find someone who could beat Michigan and take them to the National
Championship.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">They are so serious about the above point, they
also got a new offensive coordinator from New England Patriots and Alabama before
that.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">This year Harbaugh actually pulled the trigger and
was announced as the head coach of the San Diego.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Michigan just announced that they were promoting
Sherrone Moore to replace Harbaugh.</span></li><li>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Shortly after that, Michigan’s defensive
coordinator, Jesse Minter, announced that he would be following Harbaugh to the
Chargers.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now it looks like Mike Hart, Michigan's newly named offensive coordinator, is about to leave because he didn't get the head coaching job. <br /></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whatever happened after, the 2023 Michigan Football season was a wonderful, a
perfect 15-0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The defense was tough, hard-nosed,
and stingy in the number of yards and points they allowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The offense really turned it on in the last four
games of Big 10 play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They beat Penn
State, Maryland, Ohio State, and Iowa at the end of the regular season to win the
third Big Ten Championship in a row and secure a #1 ranking heading into the
National Championship Playoffs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the playoffs, we had to face a
one loss Alabama in the Rose Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alabama
was coming off a 27-24 win over Georgia in the SEC Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their only loss in 2023 was a 34-24 loss
against Texas who was pitted against Washington in the playoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fan base, including me, was a bit
apprehensive about playing Alabama because they had just beat Georgia, Saban was
arguably the GOAT, our record against SEC teams was not the best, and simply it
was Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I covered this game and the
overtime Michigan 27-20 win in a January 2<sup>nd</sup> post:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-rose-bowl.html">The Rose
Bowl</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the other half of the College
Football Playoff Bracket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The University
of Washington and the University of Texas squared off against each other in the
Sugar Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched it, after the
nerve-wracking Rose Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I
thought Washington would win, I was not particularly in favor of either team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was much calmer watching that game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an exciting game which I enjoyed
watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Texas kicked a field goal with
1:09 left in the game to make it 37-31 in favor of Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Texas tried an onside kick which Washington
recovered and after a taking a few knees, the game was over.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: verdana; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">Michigan was to play Washington on
January 8<sup>th</sup> in Houston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan
was favored by a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of
hype about Washington’s powerhouse offense led by quarterback Michael
Penix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a great passer, accurate
and with a quick release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He first played
at Indiana from 2018-21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember watching
him when Michigan played Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought he was a very good quarterback and he impressed me when he was there. He
transferred to Washington for the 2022-23 seasons and took his game to another
level under head coach Kalen DeBoar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Washington offensive line was something
special too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They received the Joe Moore
Award for being the best offensive line in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only allowed 11 sacks for the entire
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan’s offensive line won
the award the previous two seasons.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leading up to the game, I was more
confident we would beat Washington than I was about beating Alabama in the Rose
Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was certain Michigan would score
on Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our offense was pretty
high-powered, and their defense was good but did give up points relying more on
their offense to score a lot more points e.g. Texas scored 31 on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key to the game, in my mind, would come
down to Michigan’s defense versus the vaunted Washington passing attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan had an awesome defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believed we would stop their running game
and pressure Penix and disrupt his flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We might not sack him a lot but we he would get hit and knocked down
further disrupting his flow.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-23WTxHg2oKAag2GEp-Abu4uyBDRRjDbrAbBqETUjt9wYeU8SZ_YHPx33FPASHg6Pi_uGpFmbhCwe9JvnICltQQy-sdg8Rbuxgy3wsVvCni_AuzYfRro71LFJv_pXxb64h4IB6h_OMIeuJo5cAw0WSYR5Wk1Wv5L6j6hZrOTz3jYziaq0VOPaJy5dJyy/s833/IMG_9012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="636" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-23WTxHg2oKAag2GEp-Abu4uyBDRRjDbrAbBqETUjt9wYeU8SZ_YHPx33FPASHg6Pi_uGpFmbhCwe9JvnICltQQy-sdg8Rbuxgy3wsVvCni_AuzYfRro71LFJv_pXxb64h4IB6h_OMIeuJo5cAw0WSYR5Wk1Wv5L6j6hZrOTz3jYziaq0VOPaJy5dJyy/w202-h264/IMG_9012.jpeg" width="202" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Just before the game started, I
saw a graphic online that said “Defense wins games:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan is #2.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They listed the ranking of every Washington
opponent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregon was the highest ranked
defense they face at #65.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bit of
data solidified my view and dang if it is not exactly what the Michigan defense
went out and did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of the
game, Penix was visibly hurting, holding his side after every play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We held them to one touchdown and two field
goals, 301 total yards (225 passing and 46 rushing), and we intercepted Penix
twice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Michigan’s offense saw something
in their defensive scheme that they thought Donovan Edwards could exploit be
bouncing outside and using his speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
did that twice for 43 and 41 yards to give Michigan a 14-3 lead in the first
quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of Michigan’s 303 yards of
rushing, 229 were in the first quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Washington adjusted and held Michigan to one field goal in each of the 2<sup>nd</sup>
and 3<sup>rd</sup> quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan
scored two more touchdowns in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter to seal the
victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What an amazing season with some
memorable players on both sides of the ball:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blake Corum, JJ McCarthy, Mike Sainristil, Zak Zinter, Will Johnson,
Junior Colson, Roman Wilson, Colson Loveland, Kenneth Grant, and Mason Graham
to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a season to remember.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Go Blue!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdCERMGMcm6Rnx_8oT7cZMaDw7nsCtmgceRJBMM1FxRZOVW2ozMC4VhtHJ8U16tYiOfS88cTSfTZz7IJAPpF2oDMtoA_9KXGa_z2Nqo6_mEeHP90UI0PFtE-v0mCDSqpyO9XA_T2VQM__x6qEmQfbYo2wH4OcW3KdbwuWhQRu1Ltmfho02X9wsYADb_sQ/s1236/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%204.15.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="1236" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdCERMGMcm6Rnx_8oT7cZMaDw7nsCtmgceRJBMM1FxRZOVW2ozMC4VhtHJ8U16tYiOfS88cTSfTZz7IJAPpF2oDMtoA_9KXGa_z2Nqo6_mEeHP90UI0PFtE-v0mCDSqpyO9XA_T2VQM__x6qEmQfbYo2wH4OcW3KdbwuWhQRu1Ltmfho02X9wsYADb_sQ/w488-h218/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%204.15.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="488" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvXRDgBqfRMbN6Z6o88rsiXNkFxL7u27UXPOqW4HqGzmswOxBMuEmeGsXSxYWoxBhHHNShYzRbg4Ir0fEL3Gf9S2aU3O77Z_nL4eZTWeUe0zOqAxzb6GlYVURT-3GRFpQ-ebXx7gpcIIHRibBjwyN_UtzAeNAIE8ubP1x9iEITZ4ecm1tyxSsd4lW1b4h/s1232/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%204.16.24%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="1230" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvXRDgBqfRMbN6Z6o88rsiXNkFxL7u27UXPOqW4HqGzmswOxBMuEmeGsXSxYWoxBhHHNShYzRbg4Ir0fEL3Gf9S2aU3O77Z_nL4eZTWeUe0zOqAxzb6GlYVURT-3GRFpQ-ebXx7gpcIIHRibBjwyN_UtzAeNAIE8ubP1x9iEITZ4ecm1tyxSsd4lW1b4h/w441-h442/Screenshot%202024-01-28%20at%204.16.24%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="441" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-77908048471328970922024-01-21T20:22:00.001-06:002024-02-24T13:45:52.462-06:00Art: Part 2 - AI<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6YdC8bV_k6LLmGlmeMFnwqnImVxOjwCISzMQ0MVI7NUID4oexKOELyjacbjlXGK-8dQYISPzbUphJUVYh9KRLSo68qaxF2mXm1XgQL1pn_22BtTtfHmxeJhCPo_yNf58krd7YUJEFa-acEb1S8EyoDyYc_u_XwaoV3ZyRsKGg1lIgQcJEl1eMRms0w_U/s1024/IMG_7271.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6YdC8bV_k6LLmGlmeMFnwqnImVxOjwCISzMQ0MVI7NUID4oexKOELyjacbjlXGK-8dQYISPzbUphJUVYh9KRLSo68qaxF2mXm1XgQL1pn_22BtTtfHmxeJhCPo_yNf58krd7YUJEFa-acEb1S8EyoDyYc_u_XwaoV3ZyRsKGg1lIgQcJEl1eMRms0w_U/w294-h294/IMG_7271.jpeg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Frank Zappa smashing an oud<br />on a speaker</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, it was well established in Part1
that I cannot draw, sculpt, turn a pot, weave, or anything beyond doodling that
might be considered fine art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last
art class I actually remember taking was maybe in fifth grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were just beginning to dabble in
perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On second thought, dabble may
be too strong a word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given how good I would
be at plane geometry just a few years later, I was that bad at the application
of perspective using paper, pencil, and a straightedge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fast forward to today and the
amazing possibilities of artificial intelligence in the field of fine and
graphic arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Artists are upset over the
ease their work can be emulated in much less time it would take them and, I am
guessing, at a fraction of the cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
the news on this seems to have peaked and then stopped in October 2023 when
lawsuits were filed by artists to get some control of a trend that that could
dramatically change their livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per
<a href="https://www.popsci.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-art-statistics/">Popular
Science</a>, “A caricaturist on the sidewalk of a busy city can whip up a
cheeky portrait within a few minutes and a couple dozen drawings a day. Compare
that to popular image generators like DALL-E, which can make millions of unique
images daily.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtklx8OBuigsTEkizxsM6f-n3M5DWRqSpXxeWX6EufqCD7ymbpkh40LYJzuI8vwWTJw5QLIIJWyuVLrSw678acrHIspMY9EEqRGothY40v6BK9-4XiiJSjT1ksS71PX-83ZOBI2okKHBOFAsjM8UchEWB0d9c6BBUu-3rkjsmONkaTt7jzOl6S0LAQhiB/s2828/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%203.30.37%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="2828" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtklx8OBuigsTEkizxsM6f-n3M5DWRqSpXxeWX6EufqCD7ymbpkh40LYJzuI8vwWTJw5QLIIJWyuVLrSw678acrHIspMY9EEqRGothY40v6BK9-4XiiJSjT1ksS71PX-83ZOBI2okKHBOFAsjM8UchEWB0d9c6BBUu-3rkjsmONkaTt7jzOl6S0LAQhiB/w599-h281/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%203.30.37%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="599" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">AI Generated Image from Popular Science Article</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whether we know it or not, we are
seeing more and more AI generated images and videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They abound in social media and
advertising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more realistic they become
and the easier they become to create, there will be less need to for actors and
models as well as photographers and film crews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This has already happened in the music industry with one composer with
sophisticated software can score an entire movie and make it sound like a lush
orchestra performing the soundtrack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while everyone may not agree, and for the
record, I am not sure I do. It happens or has happened in all fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technological advances and automation have
been replacing jobs and entire professions for centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Historically, this has happened mostly in the
realm of laborers, hourly unskilled labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More recently, the advent of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
and now AI is hitting the white collar and professional ranks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The basic principle these days is that the ERP
or AI does a bulk of the routine transactions and human expertise is needed
only for the exceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, less human expertise is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, a lot less people are needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may now be impacting artists and
graphic artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will no doubt impact
doctors, lawyers, and accountants. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
many radiologists and diagnosticians will be needed when AI can analyze MRIs, CT
scans, and x-rays faster, cheaper, and more reliably than the humans can?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When it comes to business, it is
cut and dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Firms will choose the most
productive solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If quality and
service levels are maintained or improved, they will choose the more productive
option every time. It is the way of commerce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If one firm chooses not to take the more productive option, their competitors
will do so and gain an advantage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will artists go away?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did musicians and composers go away?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
still write, perform, more indy, local, and perhaps more part-time than before.
Some of the best musicians I know are part timers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Success in the field is a steep pyramid that
is getting more steep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I expect fine
and graphic artists will still express themselves find other channels to show
and sell their work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When it comes to music and fine
art, here are a few examples of the oud and AI generated graphics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is incredible how quickly and easily these
incredible graphics are generated given a subscription to the right AI app and
some simple experimentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKWOPYaJsef47XB_tgXH8H8CA0JiunTGuFuCZAoMX6PYzsE53_FDOFPv7Vxx31f8V6wMcVbfHZQ97jgcTcZNvQsRKLTQ9GmabYpOCDXCx2eS4nJBZMKqaPzOcu8Jze3aVm-QXokJMK0IjsvgAsii0eshMVxUAYauRhj-I1hc1f6RJ7nHa0ITvCsRBQsOS/s384/IMG_7272.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="384" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKWOPYaJsef47XB_tgXH8H8CA0JiunTGuFuCZAoMX6PYzsE53_FDOFPv7Vxx31f8V6wMcVbfHZQ97jgcTcZNvQsRKLTQ9GmabYpOCDXCx2eS4nJBZMKqaPzOcu8Jze3aVm-QXokJMK0IjsvgAsii0eshMVxUAYauRhj-I1hc1f6RJ7nHa0ITvCsRBQsOS/w426-h426/IMG_7272.jpeg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">We sometimes refer to a master player<br />as a "monster" on the oud.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxQH279hzhQNVP6hj8dXvIEGxtPH05-Lpma0soYz9MGQAaCDOVTzXdNoXEL4rM1dVUFxPLdzG1UrjgAFUJI10WDMje8j1qpURN7cgyqCLUrpXBQ7CQRrZZD1_X7VxXCw0xgbHb9oSfbXahRgpniXyynAp36A7RSAiUZPeQts0YNX2AEdTtdDVHsa6XkJM/s1741/IMG_7270.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1741" data-original-width="1284" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxQH279hzhQNVP6hj8dXvIEGxtPH05-Lpma0soYz9MGQAaCDOVTzXdNoXEL4rM1dVUFxPLdzG1UrjgAFUJI10WDMje8j1qpURN7cgyqCLUrpXBQ7CQRrZZD1_X7VxXCw0xgbHb9oSfbXahRgpniXyynAp36A7RSAiUZPeQts0YNX2AEdTtdDVHsa6XkJM/w338-h458/IMG_7270.jpeg" width="338" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">From a recent post of a true<br />monster on the oud<br /><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Doç.Dr. Hakan Emre Ziyagil</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-75466559351104719462024-01-21T11:57:00.000-06:002024-01-21T11:57:16.483-06:00Art: Part 1 - Learning to Appreciate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulBLWac4AQiXJZ3GFgqcf9yQAYSh8dVuqPH9IxZEZqgJlC6-x5_cl1JaKWWzAllBcVZyVrFMV2YqcL6t_h62YFNaQEWpBbGma9LAi1QfTxz4GejQxDw_D0km1eXs8AtuGJ6aNOHsDKzD_fOqrprtXX0qO5099QyK8OtAWVVSGQypAMfvzCJFKOu7UZOQg/s1314/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.47.04%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1314" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulBLWac4AQiXJZ3GFgqcf9yQAYSh8dVuqPH9IxZEZqgJlC6-x5_cl1JaKWWzAllBcVZyVrFMV2YqcL6t_h62YFNaQEWpBbGma9LAi1QfTxz4GejQxDw_D0km1eXs8AtuGJ6aNOHsDKzD_fOqrprtXX0qO5099QyK8OtAWVVSGQypAMfvzCJFKOu7UZOQg/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.47.04%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the years, I developed an
appreciation for art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was always
impressed with people that could draw, paint, and sculpt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was something I was never good at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did try, but it never clicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my early days, I loved drawings and paintings
that looked realistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more
realistic the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, I was not
really fond of the abstract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more
abstract, the less fond I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leaned
toward, the point of view that most abstract and modern art was nothing but
scribbles, something anyone could do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
college, I did take some music and film appreciation classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote a term paper on classical Chinese
painting and calligraphy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It fascinated
me more than I had ever imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
to admit at that point, I had a burgeoning interest in art.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I worked in Manhattan, I
bought a membership to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I specifically chose MOMA for four reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a desire to develop and refine my own
perspective on fine arts which was sorely lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, I was in New York City, arguably,
the art capital of the US if not the world and I wanted to be able to hold my
own in a conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modern art seemed
the place to focus since the abstract nature of it was the very reason I
scoffed at art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, MOMA was within
walking distance of my office at Colgate-Palmolive and thus It was easily
visited during lunch or after work.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKu9uoHMzsLcZjCgzKbGIkpGjShBoCxl7IvCWLSpDjNp-SZHhOpnCS3lEHu_ZXKypNo9HsK2JyzjI-ULe00RazCLp0WSVvX7-ni-jBzGi3sxxx9c0pFIeTLhN0hjI1VPwHy2217IbEw_4NVYy3RbPP9wqynwjaLukOny_L1_n7yd5p499cEzw0eg6vzCG/s1264/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.40.41%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1264" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKu9uoHMzsLcZjCgzKbGIkpGjShBoCxl7IvCWLSpDjNp-SZHhOpnCS3lEHu_ZXKypNo9HsK2JyzjI-ULe00RazCLp0WSVvX7-ni-jBzGi3sxxx9c0pFIeTLhN0hjI1VPwHy2217IbEw_4NVYy3RbPP9wqynwjaLukOny_L1_n7yd5p499cEzw0eg6vzCG/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.40.41%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The membership paid the exact dividend
I expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first exhibits I went to
was a retrospective of Jaspar Johns and a second was of Robert Ryman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were both born in May of 1930.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johns was born in Augusta, GA and Ryman in
Nashville, TN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryman died in 2019 and
Johns, 93, is still with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johns
painted variations on motifs especially flags and targets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was interesting to see variations on these
themes differentiated by different colors and textures of the same image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a great glimpse into his focus on these
themes, his exploration of various treatments which you don’t get from a few photos
of paintings in an art book, and, most importantly, seeing the works, full-sized
and up-close, where the textures and meld of colors could really be
experienced.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Robert Ryman exhibit really
secured a quantum leap in understanding and appreciation of the fine arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryman was a master of white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White? Yes, his paintings were all very
shades of white and the off-whites of various hues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Johns, I walked into Ryman’s exhibit
knowing nothing about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked at
the first room and saw all the canvases of white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first thought was predictable “What the…?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was exactly the kind of art I believed
anyone, at any age, with no experience could easily slap together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of the exhibit, I had totally changed
my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw, realized, and appreciated
the same lessons learned in the Johns exhibit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ryman dedicated his life to the study of white, near whites of every
variety, in a kaleidoscope of textures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What all looked the same and totally boring at the beginning of the exhibit
were subtlety and richly different by the end.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was happier that I learned this
on my own without ever having read a book, taken a class, or watched a YouTube (which
didn’t even exist then).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned it experientially;
observation fueled by curiosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
this method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my travels, I was able to
spend an afternoon here and there at various museums of art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorites were the Musee des Beaux Arts in
Brussels and the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My education in appreciation
continues to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Art Institute
of Chicago is a fantastic place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only
regret is that I only visited The Metropolitan Museum of Arts in Manhattan once
and that was well after I had moved to Chicago.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will close with a quote Professor
Vladmir Peter Goss who was an Art History Professor when I was at the University
of Michigan Dearborn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never had him in
a class, but he was a guest lecturer in a music appreciation class I took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He closed his presentation with words I will
never forget, “Always remember, art is nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, when you have nothing to do, do art.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">===</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">images from Jaspar Johns</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW3dU_D-dsCcVyOP5YJAx8oBvW-Vp3Odxke-fENcTj1A2647ccUCvl2m5LSRYEOyZBYq-SGsyYsknQUsblTi4BsSKhntHUyOAW5QBIRLkTDShzOFBEUuMMyHNHAema-7CDwv1_XLvDAuBsHNtPDkO_Tl2WV6g3GFph9LGKfX3m9M96Kr5QuWfxi0K_-5e/s1640/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.45.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1640" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW3dU_D-dsCcVyOP5YJAx8oBvW-Vp3Odxke-fENcTj1A2647ccUCvl2m5LSRYEOyZBYq-SGsyYsknQUsblTi4BsSKhntHUyOAW5QBIRLkTDShzOFBEUuMMyHNHAema-7CDwv1_XLvDAuBsHNtPDkO_Tl2WV6g3GFph9LGKfX3m9M96Kr5QuWfxi0K_-5e/w403-h272/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.45.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="403" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtxNFkHlyiLL7LmB3v-BBTzF33aCQ6ciRb_C8fxFzx6wkZ5gihHLNPXTNMIJWtOoPs4PiyDUuQbSo61HqIuyG0zX8hyphenhyphen4fo2OBQmdSQv-GwuOyQbHSN1FRRCwoOflFKw7H0MUoCqbx5MeYe32ndEs0U58n_FfOMuRoPxNVAHyjwboJp_AYmWg5wp6FY2pX/s960/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.43.31%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="960" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtxNFkHlyiLL7LmB3v-BBTzF33aCQ6ciRb_C8fxFzx6wkZ5gihHLNPXTNMIJWtOoPs4PiyDUuQbSo61HqIuyG0zX8hyphenhyphen4fo2OBQmdSQv-GwuOyQbHSN1FRRCwoOflFKw7H0MUoCqbx5MeYe32ndEs0U58n_FfOMuRoPxNVAHyjwboJp_AYmWg5wp6FY2pX/w401-h270/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.43.31%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="401" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Robert Ryman images</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOugxVgS25dwpycSejBF8atieBNHFU7z5r3TgtiILtkUKKrXhA26K1a0x0vLAq5CIzR8N3P-TQu4tVyzB4NcgdQuPplaQUh1m5EsSh26Dhh8JsFrC30mZRKdB6_l_GvPKij9qv5OV7smEhNWgXiinmY9iFPCICdc_jo_6z6nCn1Paux3Fj39AjUK1XJ4r/s798/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.53.17%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="750" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOugxVgS25dwpycSejBF8atieBNHFU7z5r3TgtiILtkUKKrXhA26K1a0x0vLAq5CIzR8N3P-TQu4tVyzB4NcgdQuPplaQUh1m5EsSh26Dhh8JsFrC30mZRKdB6_l_GvPKij9qv5OV7smEhNWgXiinmY9iFPCICdc_jo_6z6nCn1Paux3Fj39AjUK1XJ4r/w399-h424/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.53.17%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="399" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQXDCJYjDYhyphenhyphenw3AzJtTge4SUeYAv-BQ2Olf9hzg3OGcpqsS_AyIhrA39q9mVDjgO40Xd_eIhWXnWVZCAI-378jVPNGzlMlHM5TOCJUdOe0kOoygHBCunX6oNrnaFHQPqvpvr2gOqS3xK90czMzlTVo3f82cwAAauMAlD-UV2-EiPr8WDccDKIzyciX5dF/s954/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.55.24%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="886" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQXDCJYjDYhyphenhyphenw3AzJtTge4SUeYAv-BQ2Olf9hzg3OGcpqsS_AyIhrA39q9mVDjgO40Xd_eIhWXnWVZCAI-378jVPNGzlMlHM5TOCJUdOe0kOoygHBCunX6oNrnaFHQPqvpvr2gOqS3xK90czMzlTVo3f82cwAAauMAlD-UV2-EiPr8WDccDKIzyciX5dF/w393-h423/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2011.55.24%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="393" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><br /></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-60690294027904514492024-01-14T20:53:00.001-06:002024-01-14T20:53:26.057-06:00ChiBeria<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpfl1Gkai2zS9JDbBQdK-_YDUn3D4AogXN5FLq17CcOL_fr9BjebWYtPa-tzahHaAcHaAQj7c-LJZ5ZG80gPL3mkdwxrSxNrfBIWEAqtbU9G2IlIFTjypQYJp-z63aUo9gbuN_D1nCXVOuPm7iGVS8lGwvtwYY8f3uaZBD2n0WzCIhNqFBDsZWB-oj3ba/s1526/Screenshot%202024-01-14%20at%205.57.11%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1526" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpfl1Gkai2zS9JDbBQdK-_YDUn3D4AogXN5FLq17CcOL_fr9BjebWYtPa-tzahHaAcHaAQj7c-LJZ5ZG80gPL3mkdwxrSxNrfBIWEAqtbU9G2IlIFTjypQYJp-z63aUo9gbuN_D1nCXVOuPm7iGVS8lGwvtwYY8f3uaZBD2n0WzCIhNqFBDsZWB-oj3ba/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-14%20at%205.57.11%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">What it feels like to many people</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are in a good old fashioned cold
spell in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a good old
fashioned snowstorm two days ago, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forecast after the snow was for the cold
spell we are currently experiencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
6:30 pm, the temperature here is -7<sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman \(Body CS\)";">o</span></sup>
F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The high today was a mere 2<sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman \(Body CS\)";"> o</span></sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The low over night is predicted to be -7<sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman \(Body CS\)";">o</span></sup>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will stay this cold for three more days
when we reach a balmy 15<sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman \(Body CS\)";">
o</span></sup>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My friend Ruth referred to our
cold spell as ChiBeria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly, I have never
heard that term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a perfect
description for our blowing snow and brutal cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It so Pasternakian.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have certainly written about blizzards
and cold spells like this over the years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-2005-winter-survival.html"></a></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-2005-winter-survival.html">January
2005: Winter Survival</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-2009-it-began-with-air-bath.html">January
2009: It Began with an Air Bath</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-2014-brutalmente-frio.html">January
2014: Brutalmente Frio! </a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2015/01/for-love-of-good-winter-blast.html">For
the Love of a Good Winter Blast</a> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-vortex-cometh.html">The
Vortex Cometh</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a name="116298571582124877"></a><b><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-walk-in-frigid-cold.html">A
Walk in the Frigid Cold</a> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-walk-in-snow.html">A Walk
in the Snow</a></b></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-walk-in-snow.html"></a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not only do I write about blizzards
and cold spells, I also make videos about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I only make these videos for my five grandkids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make one almost everytime it snows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the dozens Of the dozens of short videos I
send them, the snow videos have to be the most common theme. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is no secret that I love these blizzards
and cold spells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not really winter
with a few blizzards and a week-long cold spell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without blizzards, cold spells, and a few of
the accompanying snow days, we would have dreary grayish winters with temperatures
in that nowhere zone of the 30s and 40s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, not everyone agrees with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a FB book “ A good winter snow,” displaying
some photos of our recent snowstorm, my friend Rich from Massachusetts
commented, “<span class="x193iq5w"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">That’s
an oxymoron. ‘Good’ does not go with ‘Snow’.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another friend, Peter, noted, “New fallen snow. So beautiful.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, I side with Peter.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlft3MGkDj0EHGQMcwqEmEV_FeFME849MM-d1p_I2EYtaMG-OvxnEgsychABIKk38Sg_R43KU8545GQbiFRwr72uNUcCo8sBska0I-8CRcpbExPZwUHaNaVW7Rd3Pfq7ZAeJFJQosO1Gzkf2cJqtQ_z1aBodO-zSk_4pmYdqc0zDlDNbA5YUG_sQ22C63/s1962/IMG_7256.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1962" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlft3MGkDj0EHGQMcwqEmEV_FeFME849MM-d1p_I2EYtaMG-OvxnEgsychABIKk38Sg_R43KU8545GQbiFRwr72uNUcCo8sBska0I-8CRcpbExPZwUHaNaVW7Rd3Pfq7ZAeJFJQosO1Gzkf2cJqtQ_z1aBodO-zSk_4pmYdqc0zDlDNbA5YUG_sQ22C63/s320/IMG_7256.jpeg" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Hard to photograph
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">2</span><sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> o</span></sup>
F</span><style><span style="font-family: times;">@font-face
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">There is, however, a nonzero probability
that we could end up living in Southern California at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone I know that has moved there from the
Midwest loves the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very few
lament about the loss of fall and the almost non-existent winters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very few ever talk about moving back and the weather
is always listed as a primary reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wonder, if I were to ever live there, if I would ever adopt that perspective?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly understand the lure and have
witnessed the complaints of California transplants from the Midwest who visit “home”
during the winter.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I have written twice about walks in the
cold and snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So. did I take a walk in
the cold today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did go outside, clearly to make a video,
but I did not dress for it and it was really cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed another layer of fleece, better gloves,
and a balaclava.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Here are some quotes on Winter from <a href="https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/quote-archive1/winter-quotes#:~:text=Top%205%20Best%20Winter%20Quotes%3A&text=%22Let%20us%20love%20winter%2C%20for,is%20the%20spring%20of%20genius.%22&text=%22The%20color%20of%20springtime%20is,winter%20is%20in%20the%20imagination.%22&text=%22One%20kind%20word%20can%20warm%20three%20winter%20months.%22&text=%22In%20seed%20time%20learn%2C%20in,teach%2C%20in%20winter%20enjoy.%22">Xavier
University</a>:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt;">"What good is the warmth of summer,
without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white;">-
John Steinbeck</span></em><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, "Travels with Charley: In Search of America"</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of
genius."</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white;">-
Pietro Aretino</span></em><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"The color of springtime is in the flowers,
the color of winter is in the imagination."</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">- </span><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Terri Guillemets</em></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"One kind word can warm three winter months."</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white;">-
A Japanese Proverb</span></em><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in
winter enjoy."</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white;">-
William Blake</span></em></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter
alone reminds us of the human condition."<br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>- Mignon McLaughlin</em></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-91383375787696260742024-01-09T14:39:00.001-06:002024-01-09T14:39:51.662-06:00Chidem Inch: The Enemy's Oud<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmv0O5tyuUptTwLyXSgJ5bMjre_QrNVWcgvtEeAU4fhlrSnWraIrxaGwkQccpcmTWv8OoPnSk7J2P7YdW8TG-OB7RfBNNgb4YkaTJpkBq5jKsCiINfvM6MzOX1urVApxo7aLtXpqChj0g9rovfFzYY5wqNXLbD1WaSfFg0nKdfWb6nTfQLjmjbH6HkQvsQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="748" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmv0O5tyuUptTwLyXSgJ5bMjre_QrNVWcgvtEeAU4fhlrSnWraIrxaGwkQccpcmTWv8OoPnSk7J2P7YdW8TG-OB7RfBNNgb4YkaTJpkBq5jKsCiINfvM6MzOX1urVApxo7aLtXpqChj0g9rovfFzYY5wqNXLbD1WaSfFg0nKdfWb6nTfQLjmjbH6HkQvsQ=w227-h319" width="227" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have a good friend who is
Palestinian.<span> </span>He is a very talented
musician, plays several instruments very well, and has a deep understanding of
music of the Arab world and other cultures in the Middle East.<span> </span>We are in the same orchestra along 40 other
musicians.<span> </span>We perform three concerts a
year and practice eight times for each concert.<span>
</span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have a number of ouds.<span> </span>One that I favor most these days is my most recent
one I purchased during the pandemic.<span> </span>It
is a carbon fiber, all black, oud made in Israel.<span> </span>Because of the color and material, many of my
musician friends consider it unconventional.<span>
</span>They also are not particularly fond the sound.<span> </span>Me?<span> </span>I
love the color and the durability of the carbon fiber.<span> </span><span> </span>I
really do like the sound.<span> </span>To me it is
deep and rich.<span> </span>This oud fits, in my
view, my style of play.<span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the Hamas brutal attack on
Israel on October 7 and the even more brutal response in Gaza, my friend has
been very despondent and for good reason.<span>
</span>The Armenians lost Artsakh a mere nine days earlier on September 28
after a horrible one year siege by Azerbaijan.<span>
</span>Armenians, me included, have been increasingly despondent since the 2020
war with Azerbaijan.<span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At a practice in November, I was
tuning my oud before practice.<span> </span>My friend
who was walking by and said, “I see you brought the enemy’s oud.”<span> </span>I was not sure what to say.<span> </span>In that instant I understood his pain, but it
amplified my pain of the total lack of interest in our three-year plight
leading to the fall of Artsakh.<span> </span>All I
could think of saying was, “You know the maker of this oud was an Israeli aerospace
engineer named Meir Yaakov Efergen.<span> </span>He
stopped making weapons to make instruments.”<span>
</span>It was all I could really think of.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I understand the feeling of my
friend.<span> </span>He could not believe or accept what
was happening to his people in Gaza.<span> </span>He
felt helpless.<span> </span>All he could do was post
on social media, protest, and participate in concerts to raise money for
aid.<span> </span>It is exactly how I have felt for
three years regarding Artsakh.<span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A few weeks later, I was still
thinking about this exchange my friend; the enemy’s oud indeed.<span> </span>As a result, I left the carbon fiber oud at
home and was using a very traditional, classic, instrument made by arguably the
most famous oud maker, Emaniolis, who was a Greek living in Istanbul at the turn
of the 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup> centuries.<span> </span>At another rehearsal, I asked my friend, “Do
you recall calling my carbon fiber oud ‘the enemy’s oud?’”<span> </span>He really didn’t and I understood that given
the swirl of emotions the war on Gaza was causing in so many people.<span> </span>I went on to say, “You went to Istanbul and
had an oud made to your exact specifications by the most talented living maker
in Istanbul.<span> </span>I have never even thought of that beautiful
instrument as ‘the enemy’s oud.’”<span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>This all made me reflect, again, on a
quote from the great troubadour <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2019/08/aram-tigran.html&source=gmail&ust=1704834832535000&usg=AOvVaw0zrn75GLgtcUYfTH66NDSj" href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2019/08/aram-tigran.html" style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Aram Tigran</a>
(1934-2009) was going through my head since the start of the Artaskh War:<span> </span>“If
I come to the world again, I will melt all of the tanks, rifles and weapons,
and make sazes, cümbüşes, and zurnas.”<span> </span>I
would love to see that happen.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>This piece was first published in <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/01/09/chiden-inch-the-enemys-oud/" target="_blank">The Armenian Weekly</a>. <br /></span></span></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-10987809663952309992024-01-03T23:37:00.000-06:002024-01-03T23:37:11.379-06:00What Came First?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszRdFsa4qPt4BrvbMRNjbxtUoLVIKHXpxq6gzQTqjSKlj-CW5Jl2zS2y78s-z42fHdAcXPSXkam-JY8eV24y53qCVzJXcXQE3XC00eUo-tNpadaHxpcyHud0rNznnugi9vF4r2TP_0OPmHZg8fPC8KEiiJ_Dcxz_dHkyaM8g0UAwDG91RFZdYCLzH5AMm/s1410/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2011.25.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1410" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszRdFsa4qPt4BrvbMRNjbxtUoLVIKHXpxq6gzQTqjSKlj-CW5Jl2zS2y78s-z42fHdAcXPSXkam-JY8eV24y53qCVzJXcXQE3XC00eUo-tNpadaHxpcyHud0rNznnugi9vF4r2TP_0OPmHZg8fPC8KEiiJ_Dcxz_dHkyaM8g0UAwDG91RFZdYCLzH5AMm/w406-h271/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2011.25.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="406" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These days, I try to include at
least one photo with every blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the most part, the blog content comes first, and the photo is chosen
to enhance the content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every once in awhile,
I see an image or photo and it inspires me to write a post around the
photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most recent example of that was
on December 22<sup>nd</sup> of last year:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2023/12/we-still-have-dreams.html">We
Still have Dreams</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was inspired
by a photo of John Travolta on the cover of Star magazine with the teaser, “Starting
Over at 70: ‘I still have dreams.’”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This blog is inspired by a photo I
recently took.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have gotten into photography in
the past decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I take just a few
photos, I use my phone like just about everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I take lots of photos like dozens and
even hundreds, I tend to use my Sony mirrorless camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between shooting sessions, I take out the
memory card, download the photos to my PC, erase the photos form the memory
card, and take a random photo to ensure only the random photo is on the card
and the camera is ready for the next shoot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I am at home, this is all done in my home office and the random photo
is usually of something in the office e.g. a chair, a lamp, my keyboard, books,
just about anything in that room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up
until a few days ago that first random photo was always a trashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not with the photo shown here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This photo struck me in a most positive way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to keep it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond that, I liked it so much, I dedicated this
bloggy bit on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I used my big, all-purpose zoom
lens, basically got a nice shot of pencil holder full of some of my favorite
pens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The foreground is crisp and
clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The background is blurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pencil holder is a gift from the Anhui
University of Finance and Economics when I taught there in the Summer of 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is centered in the photo but askew like
the famous leaning tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a corner
of the banner of The Gavoor <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-coat-of-arms.html">Coat of
Arms</a> created by the Washington, DC Gavoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is glimpse of bracelet my granddaughter made me with the red,
blue, and orange colors of the Armenian flag with the “DEDE”, what the
grandkids call me, on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As noted, the pencil holder is
full of writing instruments:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13 pens and
1 pencil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pencil is a Sanford PhD
mechanical pencil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sanford Brand disappeared
as it is fully integrated into Newell Brands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is now known as Paper Mate PhD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are two Caran D’Ache ballpoints, one an entry level and the other
a fine writing ox blood lacquered beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are four Parkers, a chrome Jotter, a Duo-Fold ballpoint, a white
and gold fountain pen, and black rollerball. There are two Cross ballpoints, one
a chrome Classic Century with my Dad’s nickname on it and the other a lapiz
lazuli Century II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a black Mont
Blanc roller ball, a Waterman Carene blue and gold fountain pen, and a black
Rotring ballpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last two are
standard refill (meaning Parker style refill) ball points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is chrome North Park logo pen and the
other is souvenir from Washington DC with a bust of Thomas Jefferson on it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;">What came first, the content or the photo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case the photo, most definitely.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PoxzMEpWjNG1hmlK3Vo_lDihGF_x6DlVVm8B0tLHf26qbjztXfL0BcGMjEn3W9LKfOA4NWhd2lCdFBVBzxIRmXFyebHoC7FGdtt_DWnGrexxKKCbYjL5RNfANMB2L0xMpV1KcjTf4gx-wN6gi6MC1ElgqmNhgOOUpsLU8KDLAagoAJold6rJgNfZvJZl/s3499/IMG_7235.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="2364" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PoxzMEpWjNG1hmlK3Vo_lDihGF_x6DlVVm8B0tLHf26qbjztXfL0BcGMjEn3W9LKfOA4NWhd2lCdFBVBzxIRmXFyebHoC7FGdtt_DWnGrexxKKCbYjL5RNfANMB2L0xMpV1KcjTf4gx-wN6gi6MC1ElgqmNhgOOUpsLU8KDLAagoAJold6rJgNfZvJZl/w308-h456/IMG_7235.jpeg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Thomas Jefferson<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>
</p><p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-10579358640911421472024-01-03T11:44:00.004-06:002024-01-03T11:46:04.218-06:00Chidem Inch: Old Banquet Photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-88714 size-large" height="416" src="https://armenianweekly.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Banquet-photo-1024x748.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="572" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banquet at the Sheraton Towers in Chicago on June 25, 1960, <br />in honor of the visit of Catholicos Vazken I, of blessed memory</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span style="font-family: verdana;"> I was recently at St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church in Chicago for a concert. I noticed a photo, black
and white, taken at a banquet at the Sheraton Towers on June 25, 1960,
in honor of the visit of Catholicos Vazken I, of blessed memory. The
photo was taken from a balcony and showed the head table and at least 30
tables of 10 people that could fit in the shot. Everyone was dressed
up—to the nines as they used to say. My guess is there were 350-500
people in attendance.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> The photo was impressive, not only
because it captured a celebration of a Pontifical visit, or
coincidently, that it was taken on the evening of my seventh birthday.
It was something more—something nostalgic. There have been photos like
this in every Armenian church, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">agoump </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">or </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">getron</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,
in commemorative and souvenir booklets. These photos, always in black
and white and from an aerial vantage point, keep us rooted to the past.
They are always taken from an aerial vantage point, in the grand
ballroom of a swanky downtown hotel. They capture the gatherings of
Armenians in the U.S. honoring or commemorating something—a convention,
the founding of a church, the burning of a mortgage, or perhaps the 25</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> anniversary of this or the 30</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> anniversary of that.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> I am sure these photos are not unique
to the Armenian community. Every ethnic group, church, civic or
professional organization likely has similar photos.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> From my perspective, I have seen more
Armenian banquet photos than any others. These panoramic photos have
impressed me for years, especially those from the 1930s and 1940s. These
photos of hundreds of Armenians, dressed in their finest gathered in
luxurious ballrooms, were taken just 15-30 years after the Genocide. It
is hard to distinguish faces pictured beyond the front two rows of
tables, and if the photo is not from Detroit, where I grew up, there is
almost zero chance I will recognize anyone. Yet, I am mesmerized by
these photos. I look at and study them much longer than I would a
masterpiece in an art museum. It is a window to the first generation,
the survivors of the Genocide. Who is the baker, the butcher, the
storekeeper, the rug merchant? Who are the factory workers and common
laborers? To me, they all seem to say, “Look at us. We not only survived
but are thriving. We miss our homeland, but look at us.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> Why don’t we see more banquet photos
these days? We certainly have photos of participants and delegates of
various conventions, Armenian and Sunday School students, and gatherings
on the steps of churches or other venues. We took photos like these
then and certainly today. Yet, we almost never see these kinds of
banquet photos anymore.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> The answer is probably quite simple.
These days we rarely use the grand city center hotels. Most of our
banquets and dinners are held in suburban hotels and banquet halls.
These venues were probably built after 1960. They all have something in
common—none of them have balconies. It is almost impossible to get these
kinds of photos without a very tall ladder or perhaps a drone. It seems
these kinds of photos just faded away with the change in architecture
and interior design of the newer, more “modern” venues.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> There are a few modern versions of
this genre of nostalgic photos. Maybe, given how many images are created
these days, we should leave these panoramic banquet photos to the black
and white era of that first generation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> <b>Note</b>: This piece was first published in <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2024/01/02/chidem-inch-old-banquet-photos/" target="_blank">The Armenian Weekly</a>.<br /><br /> Here are some more photos of this genre:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrJREgSSTCesXF32WqRScZ2KDBrKC_ChR8xW4ibyM4h1VHVl9hQlwEqF5YgfFdcb9ftuT3xcG-VA6bmLLRWLRSLHbgzr09z07dyIAzIYyVzkPuzYQYGuYWIUyEaW1mTGLHEsJICTKzx344522AwvFYK1PelDyokDP6JZLPgKyzEd_CczCvOT4WblVVEEsf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2252" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrJREgSSTCesXF32WqRScZ2KDBrKC_ChR8xW4ibyM4h1VHVl9hQlwEqF5YgfFdcb9ftuT3xcG-VA6bmLLRWLRSLHbgzr09z07dyIAzIYyVzkPuzYQYGuYWIUyEaW1mTGLHEsJICTKzx344522AwvFYK1PelDyokDP6JZLPgKyzEd_CczCvOT4WblVVEEsf=w529-h272" width="529" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhArZuun2krexZcuMPFVjRNLVKpd5KA7-fDiR9VJjuD3zSljiDXeDjkrZrORfOSDLElu3HNkMCTEWayF3iP3QuMmXIdjQ1d51MXKEMOUQzl0vt6hCvngxCa5Oue8V-f2Y_8icVM3Or_u0vNJfoe6tyrs3IWXgJJyYOUNQw2nogAG_n-YLkNioR4Ka4QvN1t" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="2034" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhArZuun2krexZcuMPFVjRNLVKpd5KA7-fDiR9VJjuD3zSljiDXeDjkrZrORfOSDLElu3HNkMCTEWayF3iP3QuMmXIdjQ1d51MXKEMOUQzl0vt6hCvngxCa5Oue8V-f2Y_8icVM3Or_u0vNJfoe6tyrs3IWXgJJyYOUNQw2nogAG_n-YLkNioR4Ka4QvN1t=w516-h313" width="516" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy6HwcrQhnafUCXT_S5QAwhBLYyumgQwFPwXM_XHGv3NzLyQUpqCp81BCcN1BNjdCPkMogTn19UwMSGfeXWeBZqQsO8Fa9bHBg_435FBWV5kp8xqugVFj7owAVggsQ4VPSgKYWoSEzdbUBcsDjuXsbtjybl_eu8A8w6FgYgjxqsOqkzoX0LEy7KSV_tX0G" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1706" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy6HwcrQhnafUCXT_S5QAwhBLYyumgQwFPwXM_XHGv3NzLyQUpqCp81BCcN1BNjdCPkMogTn19UwMSGfeXWeBZqQsO8Fa9bHBg_435FBWV5kp8xqugVFj7owAVggsQ4VPSgKYWoSEzdbUBcsDjuXsbtjybl_eu8A8w6FgYgjxqsOqkzoX0LEy7KSV_tX0G=w510-h366" width="510" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjr4v3PjjdN80lP3lDLDvth6zrS3QBPYYNaFS_kBfEOH1AqhStgtfCUorRAUmoe32V7J-sdJtHhd4Yc_zOHGFmDHyBpoFxoiWljRV0yTi_TIqwrGKjNCTPlwa7QSUtcWwXouh7Wm5kkOl6Y9Y2adeGDlyFFkNFw13urMKKT92QyDmKswRmcYEdtAOl0u065" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="2006" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjr4v3PjjdN80lP3lDLDvth6zrS3QBPYYNaFS_kBfEOH1AqhStgtfCUorRAUmoe32V7J-sdJtHhd4Yc_zOHGFmDHyBpoFxoiWljRV0yTi_TIqwrGKjNCTPlwa7QSUtcWwXouh7Wm5kkOl6Y9Y2adeGDlyFFkNFw13urMKKT92QyDmKswRmcYEdtAOl0u065=w491-h296" width="491" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are a few more recent photos in color.<br />Nice, but just not the same feel as the black and white ones.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUOFFV6rnAq9zxPydWO6xelpd5WQCrOD9EPDd7fzL_x3If11AEnetA7ZGDc5mV8a3ABr76IwAj87N35_0SXj6Gmj6N8mh3h7csHuanz1Az5vT42GaVMmTv2tpxPLUpMWYfOFGlIgNy2uDO2a0K80fFLtZlJHWKLZrS_436EwT8RyFo_Bf9brWO8l7uQ2e" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1472" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUOFFV6rnAq9zxPydWO6xelpd5WQCrOD9EPDd7fzL_x3If11AEnetA7ZGDc5mV8a3ABr76IwAj87N35_0SXj6Gmj6N8mh3h7csHuanz1Az5vT42GaVMmTv2tpxPLUpMWYfOFGlIgNy2uDO2a0K80fFLtZlJHWKLZrS_436EwT8RyFo_Bf9brWO8l7uQ2e=w500-h406" width="500" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixc38bg5xi0LTlh-eG2iW82WG2JGu6yuvIVvXTdS4YzJ821osUwyZpft6jZNoeEKFH6Q6NpkTNG4OjMjhYNDyaImgResPksoMmXclgiWA1Flzjp00Hg4uEXIYMyx1BdxXXJxVA9TQPb6ZSjpn-xgqPdtl4fklvkOpCCdw2uPSTNXuQ30QyYIKiojuidBrW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2070" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixc38bg5xi0LTlh-eG2iW82WG2JGu6yuvIVvXTdS4YzJ821osUwyZpft6jZNoeEKFH6Q6NpkTNG4OjMjhYNDyaImgResPksoMmXclgiWA1Flzjp00Hg4uEXIYMyx1BdxXXJxVA9TQPb6ZSjpn-xgqPdtl4fklvkOpCCdw2uPSTNXuQ30QyYIKiojuidBrW=w487-h321" width="487" /></a></div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-86692918765533674312024-01-02T17:17:00.006-06:002024-01-03T12:22:23.335-06:00The Rose Bowl<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0pBowrxnNVIWuumoa4NrJNb6Il9bXTChzuN9g0xemVeE4hryAfBib14hQCnz50yUVlP2NdLiShP4mIjVqS0pLJqFuYuthxSPVcztcxZuiFS4e10K8lgIX022A-NUM-RJLrig8SQZWnTfNnyonOJdSgTqwZJig_WZEFs7DqXjHeUd1B3Vr76TiE4sMCaV/s1914/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-02%20at%208.53.21%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1812" data-original-width="1914" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0pBowrxnNVIWuumoa4NrJNb6Il9bXTChzuN9g0xemVeE4hryAfBib14hQCnz50yUVlP2NdLiShP4mIjVqS0pLJqFuYuthxSPVcztcxZuiFS4e10K8lgIX022A-NUM-RJLrig8SQZWnTfNnyonOJdSgTqwZJig_WZEFs7DqXjHeUd1B3Vr76TiE4sMCaV/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-02%20at%208.53.21%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It has been a magical season for
the University of Michigan Wolverines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They beat Ohio State in the last game of the regular season on November
25<sup>th</sup> to advance to the Big Ten Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we beat Ohio State, it was a hard-fought
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, they were driving at the
end of the game for a field goal to tie and send the game to overtime or to
score a touchdown and outright win the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our defense pressured their quarterback into an errant throw that was
intercepted and sealed a Michigan win, the third in a row against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following Saturday, December 2, Michigan
took on Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Iowa was all defense and little offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a good test for us as we prevailed 26-0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After we won the Big Ten
Championship, we were ranked #1 in the College Championship Playoffs, and we were
pitted against Alabama in the Rose Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The winner of the Rose Bowl would face the winner of the Sugar Bowl,
Texas vs. Washington, in the Championship game on January 8<sup>th</sup> in
Houston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the Rose and Sugar Bowls
were played today, New Year’s Day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When the Michigan fan base learned
we would be playing Alabama in the semi-finals, our optimism became a bit more
cautious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, we have not done well
in Bowl games and we have done even worse against SEC teams in bowl games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept telling myself that was old thinking
and that this team was different and different in a very good way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was that magic one sees in championship
seasons when things just seem to go your way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I define magic as a wee bit of luck on top of a well-coached, superbly
talented team, that executes at a high level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">OK, but this was still Alabama,
and they are still coached by Nick Saban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clearly, it was going to be a hard-fought game that would be won in the
trenches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of my friends thought it
would be a shoot-out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others, including
myself, thought the defenses would dominate making it a lower scoring game that
would, per my buddy and football guru Jack, “go down to the final drive of the game.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jack certainly called that correctly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a hard-fought defense
dominated game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were mistakes on
both sides, the kind that comes from playing a high-stake game like this when
everyone is over excited and on edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Michigan made the first error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They fumbled a punt early in the first quarter which Alabama
recovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bama scored a TD on a knife
through butter 4 play 44-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan answered with a 7 play 75-yard drive
to tie the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After five back and
forth series all of which ended in punts, Michigan mounted an 8 play 83-yard
drive to score another TD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to an
errant snap, we were not able to kick the extra point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The score was 13-7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alabama then drove for 52 yards in 10 plays
and kicked a 50 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Michigan at the end of the
first half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan sacked Alabama QB,
Jalen Milroe, five times in the first half and held Bama to under 100 yards rushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan looked like the stronger team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Both teams were strong 3<sup>rd</sup>
quarter teams, outscoring their opponents by a very large margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third quarter of the Rose Bowl was
surprisingly scoreless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both defenses
were on point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was apparent that
Alabama made better adjustments during half-time as they seemed to be moving
the ball better and they held Michigan to a dismal 32 yards of offense in the
third quarter and won the field position battle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alabama mounted a beautiful 8 play
55-yard drive that started late in the third quarter and ended with a TD in the
first minute of the fourth quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
Alabama leading 17-13 and looked dominating doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things were looking gloomy for Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan still could not move the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alabama looked like they were driving for
another touchdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A penalty and another
sack stalled their drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They kicked a
50-yard field goal to extend their lead to 20-13.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With only 4:41 left in the game
Michigan had to score a touchdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
texting my son on other friends saying that JJ and Corum, as leaders of the
offense and both of whom had came back vowing to win a national championship,
had to produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they did just.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With 4<sup>th</sup> and 2 on the Alabama 40,
JJ hit Corum on a swing pass for 27 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>JJ ran for a first down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JJ then
connected with Roman Wilson for another 29 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few plays later, JJ threw a short pass in
the flat to Wilson for a TD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The score
was tied at 20-20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alabama got the ball with 1:34
left, ran 5 plays, and were forced to punt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Michigan fumbled the punt but recovered it on their own 1 yard
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ran one play and took a knee
twice to end regulation time and sending the game into overtime.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the overtime, Michigan had the
ball and scored a touchdown in two plays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Corum ran both plays with great determination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a 27-20 lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alabama had their chance and now they had to
score a touchdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ran five plays it
was 4<sup>th</sup> down and goal to go on the Michigan 3 yard line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a Bama timeout followed by a Michigan
timeout and then, OMG, another Bama time out, they finally ran a play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a quarterback keeper which Michigan
snuffed stopped to end the game:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Michigan 27 – Alabama 20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was an amazing game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both teams came to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was the first time I felt
that an SEC team was not faster and more agile than us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were as tough or tougher than their
linemen on both sides and as fast or faster than their skill players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe one of the best assets of Michigan
is the strength and conditioning coach. I am not the first to note this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a nail biter, edge of the seat,
heart pounding game for us watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here is a sampling of what texts with my favorite Michigan fans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m a bundle of nerves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Me too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How’s your heart?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pounding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nerves are fried.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mine too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Congrats! You may now breathe!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m on oxygen!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I. Can’t. Believe. We. Did. It.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Was it all just some wonderful
dream?</span></p>
</blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We weren’t alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a thread from a Michigan FB groups. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Damn . I had a heart attack with
the OT!!! Go blue!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">You ain’t the only one.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Me too i was praying the whole time.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">This game was nerve racking!</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And from another. Apparently the reaction and nervousness was universal: </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This game aged me by about 20yrs. Who else about had a heart attack.</span></p><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I may have used a few special words more than normal?<br /><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en">Yes, I consider this game a personal survival story and will tell the grandkids one day.<br /><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en">Yep. Have to go have my hair colored tomorrow.<br /><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en">I had to take both my heart meds for blood pressure and rate and I’m 45.</span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"> </span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"> </span></div></div></span></div><div class="x1ve5b48 x177n6bx x10l6tqk x1ja2u2z xlshs6z" style="visibility: inherit;"><div><div><div><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></div></div></div><div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w"><div aria-hidden="false" class="x1hy63sm x1hc1fzr xhva3ql"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="font-family: verdana;">Defibrillator was on standby<br /><br /></span></div><div aria-hidden="false" class="x1hy63sm x1hc1fzr xhva3ql"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="font-family: verdana;">I'm glad I'm not a big drinker. I would have been plastered by half time, lol.</span></div></div></div></div></span></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> I cannot imagine the National Championhip
against Washington will be any easier. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span class="x193iq5w" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">No matter what I might imagine, I do remember this. After Michigan lost to Georgia 34-11 in the 2021 National Semifinal, JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum came back out onto the field to watch Georgia celebrate and hoist the Orange Bowl trophy. You could sense their resolve to get back and win the whole shebang. Go Blue!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beat Washington!</span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-19282234084053029152024-01-01T16:22:00.003-06:002024-01-01T16:22:49.900-06:00A New Year's Ramble<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTxbh0CrlL6a-CUdvryyP2N6GQyMCaXPQxef8G43KmKNPRtweJWyVbeSKLXV4ulDF0NyoN8NPBlL4iVra_1GiL5YPiC-riKR0-Dnc0izlJxW1U5P-cTeIEjcBwxlfBaEmqrDti3-myDKv5fSkSYvHB7dfhyphenhyphenm9Wq_9PpneUh14SZH_8W8liEWynOWhQhOG/s536/IMG_7997.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="536" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTxbh0CrlL6a-CUdvryyP2N6GQyMCaXPQxef8G43KmKNPRtweJWyVbeSKLXV4ulDF0NyoN8NPBlL4iVra_1GiL5YPiC-riKR0-Dnc0izlJxW1U5P-cTeIEjcBwxlfBaEmqrDti3-myDKv5fSkSYvHB7dfhyphenhyphenm9Wq_9PpneUh14SZH_8W8liEWynOWhQhOG/w334-h206/IMG_7997.jpeg" width="334" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Armenian Float in the Tournament of Roses Parade<br />Photo by <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Nairy Ghoogasian</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy New Year to one and
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wishing everyone a healthy, happy,
and prosperous new year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is New Year’s Day but, honestly,
today feels no different than yesterday, or the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the most nonchalant and ambivalent I
have felt about the transition from last year to the new year since I was an infant
and ignorant and oblivious to the very concept of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is just another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
special that I have nothing really to do but write this bloggy bit and watch
some college football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the least
New Yearsish I have ever felt in terms of it being a new start, rebirth, and
that sort of thing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is not like I am depressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the New Year’s greetings I have gotten
from folks in response to mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
responding to greetings others have sent me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know it is now 2024 and the start of a new term is in just two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that I get and taking in stride.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sure, there is an annual cycle
marked by the change of seasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is more
easily realized in parts of the world where the difference between summer and
winter is more profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it the year
do acknowledge a transition from one year to the next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different cultures have different dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world currently operates Gregorian calendar
where year zero is the birth of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of Anno Domini (AD), the year is denoted by Common Era (CE) e.g.
2024 CE. The new year is generally marked ten days after the winter solstice or
the first day of Winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are many other calendars
used throughout history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than the
Gregorian, three come to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jewish
calendar is begins on the 15<sup>th</sup> of September, basically the autumnal
equinox or the first day of Fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
the year 5784.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Year zero on this
calendar is the year of Creation according to the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2024 will be the year 4722 in the Chinese
Calendar, which is lunar based, and celebration this year on February 10 which is
between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year zero was when the calendar was
created by the mythological Emperor Huangdi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Persian calendar marks the new year exactly on the vernal equinox, Nowruz,
the first day of Spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
originally rooted in the birth of Zoroaster but refined in 662 CE to mark the
Prophet Mohammed’s migration to Medina.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, an exact New Year’s Day is arbitrary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no magic to it other than the
calendars are roughly being solar or lunar based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year zero also varies from calendar to
calendar with most having some religious significance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I am not feeling too bad or too old by
this New Year’s Day feeling like just any old day. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am certainly observing some New
Year’s Day traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are watching
the Tournament of Roses Parade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never
really paid much attention to this parade until… there was an Armenian Float.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was back in 2015 and we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, our cousin Ani Hovannisian
Kevorkian was one of the four riders on the float.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were dutifully watching but they never
showed the Armenian float which was #77 in the line-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a tad disappointing but social media
provided both videos and photos.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2020, I wrote a New Year’s Day
post:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-dawn-of-new-year-and-decade.html">The
Dawn of a New Year and Decade</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was one of top 15 read pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
feeling good when I wrote that post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was looking forward to the dawn of a new year and new decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things changed in a short two months when in
March of that year, we went in COVID isolation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That’s all for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The College Football Playoff featuring
Michigan vs. Alabama in the Rose Bowl is about to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may write yet again today, depending on the
outcome of this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go Blue!!</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-642736539398956372023-12-31T10:50:00.000-06:002023-12-31T10:50:11.772-06:00Watching the Cotton Bowl<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDj2roVjPAHgUEIUF0Jg2XmvAnW1TmmoWOcSXDzC7CnrOeFpDxddPi_Rzdg46OuEEsQG6jbSNfzezYN22VIFr3H16a4rhjyQlqaB3QBeScA9MCr_oB5Zde01S69ONeF7SYnNG3_Krs_x2OKe-_QqsuWWr-8dl-WDvOEm9F3iKJpEsq-za5R5ge77e6vdW/s1516/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2010.26.12%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1516" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDj2roVjPAHgUEIUF0Jg2XmvAnW1TmmoWOcSXDzC7CnrOeFpDxddPi_Rzdg46OuEEsQG6jbSNfzezYN22VIFr3H16a4rhjyQlqaB3QBeScA9MCr_oB5Zde01S69ONeF7SYnNG3_Krs_x2OKe-_QqsuWWr-8dl-WDvOEm9F3iKJpEsq-za5R5ge77e6vdW/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2010.26.12%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Cotton Bowl, which had been
one of the traditional New Year’s Day bowls is being play today, Friday,
December 29<sup>th</sup>, in prime time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The game features #7 Ohio State and #9 Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ohio State, of course, is from the
Big Ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pardon the double negative, but
they are not used to not playing on New Year’s Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their first-string quarterback, Kyle McCord,
is not playing have entered the portal after the Michigan loss and has already
transferred to Syracuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are without
their All-Everything wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He opted out of the game presumably to enter
the NFL draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their solid linebacker, Tommy
Eichenberg, is injured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the hard driving
running backs, Chip Trayanum, is also in the portal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started with Devin Brown at
quarterback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his first start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got hurt, ankle injury, in the first half
and had to leave the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was replaced
by freshman Lincoln Kienholz.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Missouri, on the other hand, has
everyone on their roster wanting to play in this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are a surging team under the coaching leadership
of Eliah Drinkwitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were picked to
be second to last in the SEC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have
came into the Cotton Bowl 10-2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
only lost to Georgia and LSU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They beat
Florida, Kansas State, Tennessee, and Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are a tough running team with a very good defense.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As kick-off approached, I was
actually debating if I should root for Ohio State, as they are a Big Ten team,
or for Missouri simply because they are not Ohio State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually did debate it and was leaning toward
the Buckeyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought Ohio State would
want to trounce Missouri show the world who they were… transfer portal and
opting out be damned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the
broadcast started, I saw Missouri sporting their black helmets with… a very
maize-like block M.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that settled
it. Screw it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go Mizzou! Pound Ohio
State. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Defenses dominated, especially in
the first half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio State managed to
get a field goal in the first quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was all the scoring in the first half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period. In the Cotton Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The offensive output was dismal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio State was held to a measly 76 yards in
total, 20 passing and 56 rushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy were
they missing Kyle McCord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Missouri only
did a bit better with 112 total yards, 28 passings, and 84 rushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There was no scoring in the third
quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio State attempted a 48-yard
field goal which banged off the left upright.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the fourth quarter, Missouri
stepped up their offense and defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
simply took over and won the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
had two long drives for TDs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Missouri
offensive line started opening up holes for their gutty running back Cody Schrader
who carried the ball 29 times for 128 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was impressive… for Missouri and, no doubt, for everyone that roots
against Ohio State.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Ohio State, I can only imagine
the tone and tenor of the ranting and raving about this loss in the Buckeye Nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their stats were dismal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were held to a field goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They never got in the red zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had 203 total yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were held to 106 yards passing and 97 yards
running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their third down efficiency was
2 for 15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">They, the Ohio Statesfans and coaching staff, drove Kyle McCord into the transfer portal. They dissed and discarded a quarterback that had 3,170 yards passing and 24 TDs who led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record. He lost to Michigan but he was driving his team for a tie or win on the last drive of the game. The Michigan defense caused an errant pass and interception that ended the game. McCord is a pretty impressive QB.<br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was glad to see Ohio State lose
but I cannot and will not gloat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember our
dismal Rich Rod and Brady Hoke eras and the gloating coming our way from the Buckeye fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, we have Alabama in the Rose Bowl on January 1 that has to be our focus.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can, however, congratulate Mizzou on a gutty hard fought win. <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next year the College Football Playoffs
expands to 12 teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps this new format
will stem the tide of premier players opting out of bowl games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, what I am guessing is an 11 game tournament, will make several bowl games more relevant and well attended than they were this year</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsfxSd045qIHp4Pz0E1h7nDJvEUHmkzj50D1H59vHhIuz0JhkirlHf4XFwhdTRkEtcexEojMfGroZdiZp4WmrMURevOQn_bCqBjklr8VW5feRpMe1AosLTeIclCWo72nn9ca1DTrNnAR1qx9ErZOm9lyv_9_7NCWvrvkbB3P8CBTZRVRMBNY2SxL7Mt1_/s1208/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2010.32.24%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1208" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsfxSd045qIHp4Pz0E1h7nDJvEUHmkzj50D1H59vHhIuz0JhkirlHf4XFwhdTRkEtcexEojMfGroZdiZp4WmrMURevOQn_bCqBjklr8VW5feRpMe1AosLTeIclCWo72nn9ca1DTrNnAR1qx9ErZOm9lyv_9_7NCWvrvkbB3P8CBTZRVRMBNY2SxL7Mt1_/w471-h451/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2010.32.24%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="471" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-12408828638335879142023-12-28T16:59:00.000-06:002023-12-28T16:59:10.172-06:00My John Hancock<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx38LzqaPqPd1JfJGZEr5l8Zo3h9ltK50tt3udfpO6M6gj9Ltf_s8_3Fw-OD4tuzwq3-2MKJcYxyXcTj3nAog2N1SzG283icJ2VpeYCZKZ7jlqY_z9YDUmHELmJW1c9J1095j6nTXIZRJSo1tRiFJ3iiU86_mTz35mPR9uMl4qwsxDAbazYyLw0f9HEqcJ/s780/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.35.49%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="780" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx38LzqaPqPd1JfJGZEr5l8Zo3h9ltK50tt3udfpO6M6gj9Ltf_s8_3Fw-OD4tuzwq3-2MKJcYxyXcTj3nAog2N1SzG283icJ2VpeYCZKZ7jlqY_z9YDUmHELmJW1c9J1095j6nTXIZRJSo1tRiFJ3iiU86_mTz35mPR9uMl4qwsxDAbazYyLw0f9HEqcJ/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.35.49%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">John Hancock (1736-1793) had an
iconic signature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first and most
prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hancock was President of the Second Continental
Congress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His signature on the
Declaration of Independence was so much larger than everyone else’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That signature became a symbol of bold and
defiant patriotism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name became and
still is a colloquial synonym for one’s signature in the US e.g. “put your John
Hancock on the dotted line.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hancock was
a politician and a very successful businessman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beyond his role in the Continental Congress, he was the first and third
governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Buildings are named for him in Boston and Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1862, an insurance company was founded, adopted
his name for the enterprise, and, to this day, uses his famous signature as
their corporate logo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Somewhere around the age of 11 or
12, I became fascinated with Hancock’s signature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was due to reading the Declaration of
Independence both in a social studies class and in seeking a Citizenship in the
Nation merit badge Boy Scouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless
to say, Hancock’s signature stood out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
admired penmanship to be sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
part that fascinated me was the loopy artistic adornment that was below his
name (is there actually a name for such an adornment?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it was sophisticated, elegant, and
evoked a level of education and confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I spent some time copying the ornamental doodle and practicing it until
it became routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then began to apply
it to my own signature, not that I had very many occasions to use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me feel a grown-up and definitely a
bit Hancockian. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikKAfC6w9p8wA7fXVYbTaZLvXb7N7Rc4seIfImiM4aHVP5z1yYRXsxb3_UUYEcG8wVhsjH568CmDbolYISPKQ_wDSYaYajwbnyP3wRA4uPZ7Ctb54gCBgfxIMrWM_zd0lyaYM9wRd0gRx1y-CbkEx5Z7RMv4nsax5wRQDuy4NKkICsp8oudcy6YPgef6m/s1134/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.43.44%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="1134" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikKAfC6w9p8wA7fXVYbTaZLvXb7N7Rc4seIfImiM4aHVP5z1yYRXsxb3_UUYEcG8wVhsjH568CmDbolYISPKQ_wDSYaYajwbnyP3wRA4uPZ7Ctb54gCBgfxIMrWM_zd0lyaYM9wRd0gRx1y-CbkEx5Z7RMv4nsax5wRQDuy4NKkICsp8oudcy6YPgef6m/w270-h114/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.43.44%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="270" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a while, it began to feel a
bit awkward, a bit contrived, and just not me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When it came time to sign things, my
signature has evolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my twenties, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used my full first, middle, and last name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That became my first name, middle name
initial, and my last name in my thirties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my forties and fifties, I simply used my first and last names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More recently, I use my first and middle name
initials and my last name and I have added a swoopy graphic under the signature
that feels more natural, more me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn56Xz4Fh8qGQtpN-nxUSPyFl3SoqKptKejATgaehoAUJ-TgMBpxXKpmYOIZoZxag698KIuhPJ6dD7HJRH9_VpNqUxaYJYqr3Qu5t-OXMTVOjPxGIV-jXVyU4utFnRlB1kbr33EaZCqpZXyKj61rbBMrJHg2dLD4y04fZgORCU7PVbS5tEp3FZM2g-u4w/s1268/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.44.06%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1268" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn56Xz4Fh8qGQtpN-nxUSPyFl3SoqKptKejATgaehoAUJ-TgMBpxXKpmYOIZoZxag698KIuhPJ6dD7HJRH9_VpNqUxaYJYqr3Qu5t-OXMTVOjPxGIV-jXVyU4utFnRlB1kbr33EaZCqpZXyKj61rbBMrJHg2dLD4y04fZgORCU7PVbS5tEp3FZM2g-u4w/w261-h127/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.44.06%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="261" /></a></div><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over those years, I noticed that
others had stylized and unique signatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Certainly, artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, and Matisse, politicians such
as Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and many other noted writers and celebrities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While working in Latin America, I noticed many
of the executives I worked with had very elaborate signatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assumed that they had put some serious creative
thought into designing and considerable practice into making the signature
incredibly repeatable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was impressed
that I did spend some more time on mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am happy with my signature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
not overly ornate nor is it always look the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a statistician, I like that there is some
variation in it and I love the little swoopy graphic under it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzCfNpVNSzQQKPG7NuS66WgCuuiG2v83aZYgWE9IL8Yqf1lcVgHLSPqSsIxBOYhNl4yknu347WRkq5I6sxkf9_NdZFtmNz6k2KMcb1YCDRDeFOtZcT7dPmNk-R2yqOnUlD-zmfPW1Fe7EHeM2yZDtlOvllJYvgXzUvHtKrhzwdH-UFI92BhuH_xisvsS4/s928/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.38.14%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="928" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzCfNpVNSzQQKPG7NuS66WgCuuiG2v83aZYgWE9IL8Yqf1lcVgHLSPqSsIxBOYhNl4yknu347WRkq5I6sxkf9_NdZFtmNz6k2KMcb1YCDRDeFOtZcT7dPmNk-R2yqOnUlD-zmfPW1Fe7EHeM2yZDtlOvllJYvgXzUvHtKrhzwdH-UFI92BhuH_xisvsS4/w226-h114/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%204.38.14%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="226" /></a></div> There are websites that will
generate a signature for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the
internet, notable people of means would contract specialists to design a signature
for the them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One example is the founder
of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who employed an Armenian, Hagop
Vahram Çerçiyan, to do just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Çerçiyan
was a professor of mathematics, geography, and calligraphy at Istanbul’s Robert
College, now Boğaziçi University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can’t make these things up.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are a few webite of a few other famous
signatures: <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-famous-people-have-such-nice-signatures" target="_blank">Quora</a> and <a href="https://www.taminoautographs.com/blogs/autograph-blog/famous-signatures-top-100-celebrity-signatures-in-history" target="_blank">Tamino Autographs</a>. <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-34195206080576930202023-12-25T09:00:00.008-06:002023-12-28T15:34:16.019-06:00Christmas 2023<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmllW2gO2tziF_Rh-bC5vghtCWs1ZvfN2B57OqGiZSZY_yGNA4k7ESJdQ1yU67e1olEpoMhM9NewIbXTWqzKgvI1-IoVKLtMdBjL5R2IVwRsfikoHaCsUmTujCccfRtOHRmF_uVmKejtk-O_YcKTIzFqK8tXiwSQLctvDanX8WWwvh1qhInClt9T3psTJ/s6000/2023-12-24%20LR%20.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmllW2gO2tziF_Rh-bC5vghtCWs1ZvfN2B57OqGiZSZY_yGNA4k7ESJdQ1yU67e1olEpoMhM9NewIbXTWqzKgvI1-IoVKLtMdBjL5R2IVwRsfikoHaCsUmTujCccfRtOHRmF_uVmKejtk-O_YcKTIzFqK8tXiwSQLctvDanX8WWwvh1qhInClt9T3psTJ/s320/2023-12-24%20LR%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> At 6:18 this Christmas morning I
got a text from a dear friend, “Merry Christmas Mark!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume you up writing…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I texted a Christmas greeting back and noted
that I was just about to start my annual Christmas post.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I try to write a Christmas post
every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It began in the early 2000s
when I would email my work colleagues a Christmas greeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit selective in that I wrote the
ones I really liked and valued, the people who were my indirect reports that
were scattered around world, but mostly Latin America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This tradition migrated over to
this blog in 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At that time, </span>due to the
Great Recession, I was unaffiliated with any company or enterprise at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The post was simply titled:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-2010.html">Christmas
2010</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2005, when This Side of
Fifty was still a monthly e-letter, I wrote <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2009/01/december-2005-christmasholiday-letters.html">December
2005:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christmas Holiday/Letters</a>
which was for the most part a parody of the letters that we receive in
Christmas and holiday cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since 2010,
I have written a Christmas post every year except for 2017 which was a very
unproductive year for this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
2020, I actually wrote two posts one on <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2020/12/contagion-christmas-eve.html">Christmas
Eve</a> and another on Christmas Day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/2020/12/christmas-2020.html">Christmas
2020</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I like to write my Christmas posts
early on Christmas morning beginning while it is still dark, very quiet in the
house, and using the “not a creature was stirring” image from the famous
Christmas poem. By the time the post is crafted and sent, the day has usually
dawned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In these</span> posts, I always note that it is Christmas morning, it is still dark, and that all is quiet and not
a creature is stirring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has become my
version of “It was a dark and stormy night…” popularized by Charles Schultz via
Snoopy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As cliched this is, and often
pointed out by another dear friend, this is something magical about writing in
the predawn on Christmas morning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my favorite posts was a
December 2004 e-letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I penned <a href="https://thissideoffifty.blogspot.com/search?q=peace+on+earth">Peace on
Earth</a> on the last day of 2004.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
focused on Luke 2:14 which includes “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” that
is oft quoted in Christmas cards and carols.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think about that phrase more and more with each passing year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a wonderful, aspirational, image and
goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a goal, an ideal that,
we have never fully achieved on any sustained level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is our challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to learn to do this on our heavily
populated planet to stem both the global warming and the senseless wars that result in
too much death and displacement of large numbers of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peace on Earth can only begin when we
collectively have Good Will Toward each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a centuries old message that we nod in agreement to but have
failed to put into action. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Beyond the joys of the day, being
with family and friends, in-person or through the wonders of FaceTime, this is
what is on my mind this Christmas morning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Merry Christmas to one and all.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d3tEq9q4oEwobAQFZrvyTSS3IBxnqH-AVXo0dEGmspFr-Hvsm0IAcC6RG-4Bd5q-jsBngy50MijAZcbW8PWIUYC7DGLPSbKUn1ghpyAKJ3VST8ZWFnwSPCLl3U0lf52S93zeNpDiVvrD0q4xRhk3vJvHQiFZEG-pduEzDvRpEGyESDW6jeHOyCTEoc9P/s6000/2023-12-24%20House.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d3tEq9q4oEwobAQFZrvyTSS3IBxnqH-AVXo0dEGmspFr-Hvsm0IAcC6RG-4Bd5q-jsBngy50MijAZcbW8PWIUYC7DGLPSbKUn1ghpyAKJ3VST8ZWFnwSPCLl3U0lf52S93zeNpDiVvrD0q4xRhk3vJvHQiFZEG-pduEzDvRpEGyESDW6jeHOyCTEoc9P/w435-h290/2023-12-24%20House.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096083296053498847.post-67340480312481817742023-12-22T22:23:00.004-06:002023-12-22T22:26:02.333-06:00We Still Have Dreams<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNeYvqQ6q3qXL1FIs62Pdkvs44ZtU9XL5ib-HeWsC6V5sIbApLuLiWk0j4jChbxoKZlm7q5twSVbs38vz-C4jNlbeUWp5pIlZONjYhmD73CdWUxVsXyx4YCPHsIIr7Z16o4qgjZyUHgWAVupigOxD4aVTTySjDlsCzNJ2_LRiw35tUDiI6pXQ_fMgBM8B/s4032/IMG_7081.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNeYvqQ6q3qXL1FIs62Pdkvs44ZtU9XL5ib-HeWsC6V5sIbApLuLiWk0j4jChbxoKZlm7q5twSVbs38vz-C4jNlbeUWp5pIlZONjYhmD73CdWUxVsXyx4YCPHsIIr7Z16o4qgjZyUHgWAVupigOxD4aVTTySjDlsCzNJ2_LRiw35tUDiI6pXQ_fMgBM8B/s320/IMG_7081.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> I was in Michigan for Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself in a Kroger in Plymouth, Mi
picking up a few things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standing in
line for the check-out I noticed a news and magazine stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not recall seeing the same at grocery
stores in IL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While contemplating this irrelevant
observation, I noticed a Star tabloid on the rack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Travolta’s photo was on the front page
with the headline of the lead story – John Travolta:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting Over at 70.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a starburst with a quote from the celebrity,
“I still have dreams.”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I never knew Travolta was the same
age as me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always thought he was several
years younger. Why did I think he was younger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, he played a high school student in a TV series, Welcome Back
Kotter, that started his meteoric career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That series first aired in 1975 when I 22 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I simply assumed Travolta was 15 or 16 years
old at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick internet check
verified that Travolta was born on February 18, 1954 in, no real surprise here,
New Jersey.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Actually, John Travolta is still
69.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am eight months older than
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we are both septuagenarians,
we don’t have much in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a
global celebrity and successful to the point he could fully retire into a lavish
lifestyle I can barely imagine. He starred in many successful movies, but I
only started admiring his movie roles in the 1990s with Pulp Fiction, Get
Shorty, and Broken Arrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was married
once, to Kelly Preston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
married in 1991 until her untimely passing in 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a movie star, that is impressive for
sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, he wants to start over, realize
some dreams he still holds, and perhaps even reinvent himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This I can relate to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many folks my age can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could say something cliché like 70 is the
new… new what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forty, fifty sixty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That sounds good when your fifty
perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>70 is a cusp age for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bodies have more aches and pains to the
point everyone admits we are starting to really feel our age and realize the
how finite our remaining year, and remaining productive year, are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a bit sobering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a time for reflecting on what have done,
what we have not done, and what we coulda, shoulda, mighta done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a time for reflecting on what we might
want yet to do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have often commented on
colleagues and friends that have retired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some say they want to play golf 24/7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Others want to pursue other pastimes such as woodworking, gardening,
civic involvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us, life a
Facebook friend of mine from kindergarten, are travelling the world and posting
amazing photos of her travels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People
move to warmer climes and more scenic places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Others, sadly turn into couch potatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is an option I could easily slip or settle into if I let my guard
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all seem to revel in the joys
of family, especially the pure joy of grandchildren.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am doing what I always wanted to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a full-time college professor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am playing music in a variety of groups and middle eastern
genres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unexpectedly, I have found the
joys of photography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thoroughly enjoying
all of these activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I never read the article about
Travolta in Star, but I can imagine he could easily be moving in directions
that intrigue him, doing projects or taking up a hobby he always had passion
for but never the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As unique as we
think we are, one thing is certain, we tend to deal with the same general
stages of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a predictable
sameness to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The uniqueness is in
the personalization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While many of us are planning, reinventing,
and doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of are dealing with health
worries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us, have already passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of a few friends that have passed all
the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sobering part of this age
that I spoke of earlier is the realization that frequency of health issues and
deaths will only increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yeah, “I am talking about my generation”
and invoking a saying from back in the day to “keep on truckin’.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfE3XkJLBO0gM58JQ_uowBVqGyAwI80gHfr3cLOK6M1IU6Q3gqED8PkLzJcF6VKNBRJ28nycGrYHPTpLzKoY_1nGKOemBJoaIs9rrSvOSbILJuUGvCog5SvVHsCxQ0TJTOP69mnSrT91Tzck5Io_YujpebO5IResqbT2IbVwNHr9QXKRZqBozGV01FVJHr/s926/Screenshot%202023-12-22%20at%2010.15.08%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="926" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfE3XkJLBO0gM58JQ_uowBVqGyAwI80gHfr3cLOK6M1IU6Q3gqED8PkLzJcF6VKNBRJ28nycGrYHPTpLzKoY_1nGKOemBJoaIs9rrSvOSbILJuUGvCog5SvVHsCxQ0TJTOP69mnSrT91Tzck5Io_YujpebO5IResqbT2IbVwNHr9QXKRZqBozGV01FVJHr/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-22%20at%2010.15.08%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption-in-table">Keep On Truckin’ Poster, R. Crumb, 1967</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span><p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mark Gavoorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718162397767006618noreply@blogger.com0