1.6.2023 – cotidal lines that

cotidal lines that
circulate counterclockwise
amphidromic points

In the North Atlantic, because the cotidal lines circulate counterclockwise around the amphidromic point, the high tide passes New York Harbor approximately an hour ahead of Norfolk Harbor. South of Cape Hatteras the tidal forces are more complex, and cannot be predicted reliably based on the North Atlantic cotidal lines.

From ancient times, tidal observation and discussion has increased in sophistication, first marking the daily recurrence, then tides’ relationship to the Sun and moon. Pytheas travelled to the British Isles about 325 BC and seems to be the first to have related spring tides to the phase of the moon.

Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation first enabled an explanation of why there were generally two tides a day, not one, and offered hope for a detailed understanding of tidal forces and behavior. Although it may seem that tides could be predicted via a sufficiently detailed knowledge of instantaneous astronomical forcings, the actual tide at a given location is determined by astronomical forces accumulated by the body of water over many days. In addition, accurate results would require detailed knowledge of the shape of all the ocean basins—their bathymetry, and coastline shape.

(Wikipedia)

Time and tide wait for no man but when you move to an area with an average 8 foot tide you learn to check the tide tables early and often.

I am not sure why it didn’t sink in but an 8 foot tide is not horizontal.

The water does not move back and forth.

An 8 foot tide is veritical.

It moves up and down.

In doing so, the water moves back and forth across the beach but it is the depth that is changing.

I am just at six feet tall.

If I stood at low tide along the ocean’s age and didn’t move, but the time high tide was at its peak, my head would be 2 feet under water.

Those cotidal lines that circulate counterclockwise around the amphidromic points can really mess up your day and use some really wonderful words to do it.

1.5.2023 – reasonable but

reasonable but
nevertheless too often
we slow down for fog

Adapted from, You Came with Shells by June Jordan.

You came with shells. And left them:
shells.
They lay beautiful on the table.
Now they lie on my desk
peculiar
extraordinary under 60 watts.

This morning I disturb I destroy the window
(and its light) by moving my feet
in the water. There.
It’s gone.
Last night the moon ranged from the left
to the right side
of the windshield. Only white lines
on a road strike me as
reasonable but
nevertheless and too often
we slow down for the fog.

I was going to say a natural environment
means this or
I was going to say we remain out of our
element or
sometimes you can get away completely
but the shells
will tell about the howling
and the loss

In a borough that has landmarks for the writers Thomas Wolfe, W. H. Auden, and Henry Miller, to name just three, there ought to be a street in Bed-Stuy called June Jordan Place, and maybe a plaque reading, ‘A Poet and Soldier for Humanity Was Born Here,” said American playwright, journalist, librettist, novelist, poet, and screenwriter, Thulani Davis.

Nevertheless.

We slow down for the fog.

Too often.

We slow down for the fog.

What might be in the fog?

Giants maybe?

Windmills?

Tie Sherlock Holmes with Don Quixote and you get the line from the movie, “They Might Be Giants where Mr. Holmes comments:

“Well he had a point.

Of course, he carried it a bit too far.

He thought that every windmill was a giant.

That’s insane.

But, thinking that they might be…well…all the best minds used to think the world was flat.“

Sometimes you can get away completely …

But the shells …

They might be …

Reason?

Reasonable?

But the shells.

Will tell about the howling.

And the loss.

1.4.2023 – The Elfstedentocht

The Elfstedentocht
nonmaterial losses
commemorated

These scenes were so iconic, so Dutch, that I felt a bit bereaved, when I moved to the Netherlands more than 20 years ago, to realize that the world they showed was gone — and that thanks to climate change, it wouldn’t be coming back. Even the Elfstedentocht, the skating race through the 11 historic cities of Friesland that is one of the country’s most beloved national traditions and has been held 15 times since 1909, was passing from memory. The ice has to reach a certain thickness for it to be safely held, and the ice no longer reaches that thickness. What I found, in place of the sparkling white winters of the old paintings, was month after month of tepid drizzle.

How can such nonmaterial losses be commemorated? As long as we are unable to see them as losses, we can keep refusing to see what has caused them and keep hoping that they still, someday, might be reversed. The Elfstedentocht is like a relative whose small plane went missing a few years ago and whose loved ones still hope that he could, one day, stumble into town. They all know he’s dead, of course. But it feels too cruel to be the first to say it — too painful to erect a gravestone without so much as a corpse.

From the Guest Opinion piece, Waiting for Snow in the Netherlands, by Benjamin Moser, the author of “The Upside-Down World: Meetings With the Dutch Masters.”

Sure.

I just wanted to use the word, Elfstedentocht.

Aside from that I am forming a theory that every generation feels like they just missed out on something because of when they born and also because of how old they are getting, they are starting to lose out on something as well.

That I even typed this statement out reminds of the story that Secretary of State John Hay (a man who made a career out of having been Abraham Lincoln’s 2nd personal secretary) once said to Theodore Roosevelt, “There is one thing I admire about you, Theodore, it‘s your original discovery of the Ten Commandments.”

Anyway, so I regret that I missed out on what I never had and I regret what I perceive is being lost.

Welcome to the old age club I guess.

The old ways are changing.

And Mr. Churchill did say, “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”*

2024 will be a year of changes.

People will disagree on what should be changed.

People will disagree on why things should be changed.

People will disagree on whether or not the changes are good or bad.

People all agree 2024 will be a year of changes.

I am prepared to regret what I missed out on that I never had and to regret what I perceive is being lost.

Because I will remember the line before Mr. Churchill said, “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.“

Before Mr. Churchill said, “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often,” he said this.

“There is nothing wrong in change, if it is in the right direction.”

*The quote was traced by Jonah Triebwasser to The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill, by James C. Humes, but no further. It appears to be part of an exchange in the House of Commons with Philip Snowden when Churchill defended his first budget in 1924, cf. “Ephesian” [Bechover Roberts], Winston Churchill, second edition, p. 288.

1.3.2023 – so always have hope

so always have hope
it can be hard to find hope
but always have it …

Kate Kellaway, a feature writer and deputy theatre critic for the Observer, interviewed the author, Michael Rosen and published it under the headline, “Michael Rosen: ‘My daughter once called me an “optimistic nihilist.”

That headline caught my eye so I read the interview even though I had never heard of Mr. Rosem.

Ms. Kellaway asks, “In The Big Dreaming, you have three catchphrases – “happiness right now”, “safe path home” and “have hope”. Why this trio?”

Mr. Rosen responded with: Happiness is worth striving for but the problem is, the more you strive for it, the less you get it. You have, somehow, to happen upon it in a light way. And about the safe path back home… one thing I learned in rehab is that, at the end of the day, you have to help yourself.

Ms. Kellaway asks, “And hope?”

Mr. Rosen responded with: “You can’t go to the next minute if you don’t have hope. My daughter once said: “Dad, you’re an optimistic nihilist.” I said: “What’s that?” And she said: “Well, you don’t believe in anything divine but you’re optimistic about life.” And I said: “Yes, it’s not much fun to be pessimistic about it.” So always have hope. It can be hard to find. But always have it.”

Happiness right now.

Safe path home.

Have hope.

It’s not much fun to be pessimistic about it.

So always have hope.

It can be hard to find.

But always have it.

Not bad to start the New Year.

Though ….

Yet …

I am reminded of how the movie, PATTON, ends with a voiceover of George C. Scott reading something General George S. Patton wrote.

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.”

I can say always have hope.

But whispering in my ear a warning is the voice of Morgan Freeman saying, “Hope is a dangerous thing. Drive a man insane. It’s got no place here.”

You buys your ticket and you takes your chance I guess.

Take a walk on the wild side.

Always have hope.

1.2.2023 – thank you Fielding Yost!

thank you Fielding Yost!
for that one … looking down from …
football Valhalla

I grew up in a Michigan Football family.

My text messaging has been blowing up the last few hours just with texts from family let alone friends.

But I did NOT grow up in a Bob Ufer family.

There were two radio stations that broadcast Michigan football when I was growing up.

In the beginning there were a lot more as there was no Michigan radio network and every little two bit radio station in Michigan that could afford a telephone hookup sent there local guy to broadcast the game.

I can remember when the Michigan Press Box would be covered with Radio Station call sign banners.

One of those stations was always the University of Michigan station, WUOM (WVGR in Grand Rapids where we lived) and deep calm voice of Tom Hemingway.

This was the voice of my fall memories as my Dad would tune in the game and play it over his super HiFi sound system every Saturday.

Then in Ann Arbor there was WPAG with local hero, Bob Ufer who had a different style of broadcasting altogether.

The main Michigan commercial broadcast was over station CKLW in Windsor, Canada.

Some folks thought this was just crazy.

Until it was explained that Michigan’s Athletics’ Director Don Canham had picked CKLW BECAUSE it was outside the USA and not controlled by the FCC and had a broadcast wattage that let fans listen to Michigan football games .. in GUAM.

Yep, Canham was crazy.

Then in 1976, Michigan signed an agreement in WJR in Detroit, another huge station and announced that Bob Ufer would be the lead announcer.

My Dad couldn’t believe it.

The rule of thumb was that there were two games.

The game as it was played.

And the game as Ufer described it.

Ufer had an old air horn with a rubber bulb that he claimed he took of the jeep if General George Patton.

When Michigan scored a touchdown, he would honk the horn announcing another march down the field to victory just the way Patton scored those victories over those nazi’s in World War 2.

Truly the guy had to heard to be believed.

Here is one game.