Friday's Odds and Ends

Rick Perry dropped his campaign for the Republican nomination for president. I couldn't help but wonder at the timing of the announcement. It was just before the debate yesterday. Had he forgotten to prepare?

And what did you think of Newt's rant against the press? In last night's debate, CNN moderator John King directed the first question to Gingrich, asking him if it was true — as Gingrich’s former wife alleged in an interview with ABC News — that he asked for an open marriage in the late 1990s.

 “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” Gingrich said. “Every person in here knows personal pain. Every person in here has had someone close to them go through painful things. To take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question for a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine.”

I'm not a fan of Gingrich, but I do agree that the media has crossed so many lines they have virtually been erased. Shame on the reporters and broadcasters who just keep filling the airwaves with junk and sensationalist.  A full story about the debate is online at Poltico.com

Some interesting predictions from Gopher Central:

In a story from the BBC two prominent futurologists take some shots at what the world will be like in 100 years. Following are their 10 most likely predictions.

1. Oceans will be extensively farmed and not just for fish.

We will need to feed 10 billion people and nature can't keep up with demand, so we will need much more ocean farming for fish. But algae farming is also on the way for renewable energy.

2. We will have the ability to communicate through thought transmission.

Transmission will be just as easy as other forms of brain augmentation. Picking up thoughts and relaying them to another brain will not be much harder than storing them on the net.

I found this second one most interesting. When my twins were young, I think they communicated telepathically.  Maybe they still do.

One of the things I decided to do this year is read books that have sat on my bookshelf forever. Well, not really forever since books haven't been around since the beginning of time. But you get my drift. Those of us who love to read have books tumbling out of shelves and falling off of tables or sitting in boxes, just waiting for us to get to them.

Yesterday, I started reading Spartina by John Casey. I don't even know how long I have had this book, but I bought it because it won the National Book Award in 1989. The edition I have was published in 1998. I almost donated the book to a local garage sale, but stopped. I bought the book for a reason, I might as well read it before I give it away.

I'm so glad I did. I am only a few chapters into the story, but I can already see why it won the award. It has wonderful descriptions, characterizations, and lines such as:  ...they waded through the clear water, stirring the bright sand, a little school of nice-looking people in bright clothes and bare legs... smiles and words as quick and simultaneous as a school of minnows."

Casey was describing a group of rich vacationers who had come for a clambake and weren't really connecting as people. They were too busy with the patter and chatter of people intent on being part of the group and making sure they said all the right things.