21 September 2010 Watching the season change

21 September 2010 Watching the season change


Today the autumnal equinox occurs. There’s really nothing to observe unless you are an astronomer, nothing to see that denotes the event for most of us. If one tracks these things the periods of daylight and darkness today will be equal. The planet is positioned relative to the sun so that both northern and southern hemispheres are equally inclined to the sun. When the sun rose this morning it was still summer. Tomorrow morning it will be autumn.

In many ways autumn is my favorite season. There is, of course, the beauty of the forests as trees shut down for the winter ahead and shed their leaves. There is the end to one set of allergens, to mosquitoes, ticks, and other bugs of spring and summer. The camping areas and national parks/forests are once more visited mostly by adults only. The temperatures moderate, cooler days, cooler nights, and in much of the nation we can forget about severe storms for a few months. Add to this, the fact that I met Gloria in the autumn and the season always looks good.

It was a short, rough night last night. Sleep was broken and I did not want to roll out this morning. Still, once up, it was worth it.

I was late in leaving this morning by about ½ hour if I wanted to audit the black history class. I spent about an hour in the parking lot dance and wound up finally finding a place about ¼ mile uphill from my classroom with ten minutes to get to class. Pounding downhill was hard on my knees but I made it to class just in time.

The class was enjoyable today, primarily dealing with the 1812 War and the Mexican-American war. Dr. Collins understands logistics and how they affect the outcome of campaigns. He’s presenting an excellent picture of Winfield Scott as a logistician. He’s also providing a different view of Thomas Jefferson than I’ve encountered before. Perhaps, had Washington prevailed and the US maintained standing army beyond 12,000 men and a navy larger than 7 single-gunned cutters we might have won the 1812 war and own Canada as well.

Unfortunately, Collins is not scheduled to teach next semester. There haven’t been many instructors I’ve felt eager to follow from class to class. Asa Barnes –hematology, Daniel Rosenstein – transfusion medicine, Wally Rogers – parasitology all make the list. Add Baxter Collins – military history.

We had braised short ribs in a stroganoff-like yogurt based sauce over egg noodles last night. Class days usually result in a hurried soup dinner or some other quick fix. Tonight we’ll finish off the left over’s that tasted so good last night.

There is an argument taking place on one of the forums I follow concerning what Israel must concede to gain peace. With few exceptions, the group is calling for Israel to withdraw behind the untenable pre-67 borders. They also want to bi-nationalize Jerusalem.

My position is that Israel should stop building any settlements but should cede no more territory and should not share Jerusalem. These positions, along with my belief that the collective Arab community will never willingly make peace with Israel has placed me far to the political and social right of nearly all the other correspondents. On the other forum that I have monitored, I’m farther to the left than they are willing to acknowledge. I oppose any acceptance by Israel of support from any end of days groups. Again, my stance places me on the outer edges of acceptance in both forums. I think that at those edges is where I should be. I can’t tolerate the new and improved left fawning over the PLO, Arafat, and now Hamas. Nor can I tolerate the people like Palin and Huckabee who want Israel only because their doomsday plans, tempered in really bad acid, calls for a mass conversion and a quick shuffle off the mortal coil.

I’ll stay where I am. I don’t hate either edge. But I know that Israel is not guilty of pogroms as accused by anti-Zionists, not perfect, not able to forego defensive policies. I don’t hate Arabs but I don’t trust them to ever act in the best interests of Israel. The would-be-Palestinians have had 62 years to forge a nation, the same amount of time Israel has had. Reality tells me that the “Arabs care more about destroying Israel than ever building their own state.

See what tomorrow brings. Falling leaves and feeling more rested would be an excellent start.

Today’s words: Ka Mastaba