Where Did My Brain Go?

Birth. Education. Career. Cancer.

Summarizing a life should not be that simple.

Remembering Ellen is my favorite non-fiction writing assignment.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

Lexington Kentucky, known as the Horse Capital of the World, is also the tenth most educated city in United States.

So, in addition to tourist attractions, like Kentucky Horse Park and Keeneland, Lexington has a fantastic public library system.

Central Library

I recommend the main branch, or Central Library, on Main Street, where you can query my favorite reference librarians, and watch a Foucalt pendulum powering the world’s largest ceiling clock.

Central Library was built in 1987, and designed to permit expansion for 20-30 years. It replaced a 1904 building (shown), which was leased to The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning for ten dollars a year.

Lexington Kentucky Writers Meet at The Carnegie Center

The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning offers many courses for writers. See their schedule (PDF) for more information.

I take a two mile walk to The Carnegie Center, twice a week. I attend a non-fiction writing class led by writer-in-residence, Neil Chethik, on Tuesday afternoons. I return on Friday at noon, for Gail Koehler’s Writing Practice.

Writing Practice

From Carnegie’s Course Catalog:

Designed as an opportunity to practice creative expression without judgment. Develop your natural story-telling instinct or refresh writing skills from word prompts or personal experiences. Recommended reading: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (not required). Class may be entered on any day it is held; it is not necessary to commit to the full duration of the course.

In Writing Down the Bones, Ms. Goldberg exhorts readers to keep their pen moving, which is the essence of this course.

After Ms. Koehler selects three random words or phrases to use, we keep our pens moving for 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the class. My writing is simply stream of consciousness, but some students write actual stories. I transcribed my output from our last two classes, about 500 words each, so you can read examples.

Our teacher begins the next segment by reading what she has written about her random subjects. The rest of the class follows. Classmates often laugh while I am reading, but I am really not trying to be funny. I write in a relaxed setting, with familiar classmates, and enjoy this opportunity to express myself.

If there is enough time, a ”call around” follows each reading, when writers recite their favorite quotes to the reader.

Do Not Attend Afternoon Writing Practice!

Seriously, we have a nice group; let’s keep it that way. Try the evening class, on Monday at 5:30 — visit The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning on the Web for more information on their programs and activities.

The Carnegie Center almost closed in June 2003, after former Mayor Teresa Isaac removed it from her budget. Please send a tax-deductible contribution to keep this vital institution open.

Bear Grylls will star in six episodes of Worst Case Scenario, on Discovery Channel, in Spring 2010.

Bear Grylls will be placed in life-threatening situations, including a high-rise apartment fire, and a sinking car, to show viewers how to escape. Grylls will also fend off a shark attack — less likely, but probably very exciting to watch!

History of Worst Case Scenario

This television series is based on The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht, published in 1999. Among other things, Piven and Borgenicht explain how to fight bears, alligators, and sharks. The original book evolved into a series of 30 books, on subjects which include, Life, Dating and Sex and Work. The Worst-Case Secenario books have sold over ten million copies.

Mike Rowe, who hosts Dirtiest Jobs, and narrates American Chopper, American Hot Rod, Deadliest Catch, Ghost Lab and Wild Pacific for Discovery Channel, hosted a similar show on TBS in 2002.

However, on earlier series, stunt men performed the escapes, not the host. Rowe explained in a CNN interview:

“we hire the best stunt people in the world to show you out to get out of quicksand, how to jump off of a building and live, how to get out from a car that is sinking in a lake, how to deliver a baby in a taxicab, how to fend off a shark.”

Bear Grylls replaced Mike Rowe, as well as the “stunt people” in 2010 version.

What Is Next for Bear Grylls?

Bear Grylls described this project in a 2008 interview, saying:

“We’re hoping to do an urban survival Man vs. Wild at the end of this year”

Done! Now we can wait for Man vs. Wild: The Movie. Bear Grylls said:

“I hope to do a film next year for Disney that’s gonna incorporate loads of different stuff. The idea is to kind of base it around Man vs. Wild, so we would be filming in a jungle and then everything starts going wrong. You see a plane crash, and there’s a family on-board, and then a whole cat-and-mouse game in the jungle and me getting the family out of there, and then it ends up in London with fight scenes off the rooftops. Again, it would be fun for me.”

How Do You Fight A Shark?

Watch Worst Case Scenario’s 10th Anniversary for answer. At 1:43 of this 3:44 video, coauthor David Borgenicht, asks this multiple choice question to people on street:

What would you do if a shark attacked you? Hold mouse over correct answer to find out now

1. punch in nose
2. repeated jabs in gills
3. punch in eyes
4. grab fin

Bear Grylls leaves tomorrow to start filming a new season of Born Survivor in the Canadian Arctic. Before subjecting himself to the harsh Arctic weather, he took his family on their annual vacation. Instead of visiting their townhouse in Phuket, Thailand, the Grylls family flew 12 hours each way, to stay at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita in Africa.

Bear Grylls discussed his vacation in yesterday’s Daily Mail Online. Grylls said:

“As a family, we try to go abroad on holiday once a year. The other break we take is to our small Welsh island each summer. Friends joke that facilities on the island, which sits miles offshore, are a bit on the 15th Century side, with no mains electricity or running water. But I adore it. In return, though, I owe it to Shara to make sure we occasionally have a holiday to a place where everything works and she doesn’t have to flush the loo with rainwater.”

Grylls said they stayed in:

“an immaculate three-bedroom detached villa, sumptuously furnished and with its own veranda, garden and small pool. We tended to breakfast there as a family, then eat in one of the three restaurants, each of which had its own cuisine.”

This sounded like the hotel’s “Bed and Breakfast Plan,” so naturally I looked up the rates. I did not find anything that matched Bear Grylls’s description, but a “Presidential Two Bedroom Suite” costs €10,300 or about $7400 a night. Bear Grylls defended his extravagance, saying:

“I know that in these recessionary times we are somehow meant to feel guilty about any indulgences, but I don’t buy into that. I work super-hard in some true hell-holes for most of the year and I have no reservation about heading off with my family to get a little pampering for a few days. As we used to say in the military: work hard, play hard. It is a great ethic to live by and I do so unashamedly.”

However, this “article,” which praised the hotel, seemed more like an “infomercial,” so the hotel might have been free.

About Mauritius

Mauritius is an island off the south east coast of Africa, about 560 miles (900 km) from Madagascar. Mauritians speak English, have no Army, and live in a tropical climate. It was chosen as best governed nation in Africa, on the Ibrahim Index. E.g. it scored 80.71 on “Participation and Human Rights.” For comparison, Libya scored 20.36 in that category.

It sounds like paradise.

Historically, Mauritius is best known as the home of the Dodo bird which became extinct about 1700. Dodo birds, were basically 50 pound pigeons; too heavy to fly. They had no natural predators until humans arrived on the island. Although the dodo was not hunted, because it supposedly tasted bad — humans also brought dogs, cats, pigs, monkeys, and rats, which plundered their nests, while humans destroyed the forests where they lived.

Dodo birds are often used as an example by environmentalists, to remind us to treat animals better. The image above was taken from Extinct Birds published by Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1907.

New York Giants 7 – Minnesota Vikings 44. That was how the 2009-2010 season ended for Giants in Metrodome yesterday.

Unlike last week, where Giants started well before declining, Giants began poorly, and got worse.

Giants seemed prepared to lose on opening kickoff, when coaches advised Lawrence Tynes to kick ball away from rookie kick returner Percy Harvin, who had a 101 yard return against 49ers, and 88 yarder against Steelers.

Vikings started at their own 40. On opening play, Mathias Kiwanuka was penalized for neutral zone infraction, setting tone for Giants, who had more penalties than first downs. Has that ever happened?

Brett Favre hit Visanthe Shiancoe for 13, Chester Davis rushed for 10, before Giants let Percy Harvin run for 22 yards, giving Vikings first and goal. Vikings completely fooled Giants on next play, when Favre passed to Shiancoe on 8, who was never touched on his way to end zone.

Vikings gained 35 yards rushing on their first series – same as formally formidable Giants running backs gained all day. Brandon Jacobs was out with a knee injury.

Vikings led 31-0 at half. Cannot verify, but it might be first time Giants were ever down by 24 or more points at half for two games in a row.

Waiting For Next Season

Jason La Canfora, on NFL Blogs said their is a “strong chance” that some coaches will be fired this week. One common rumor is that Bill Sheridan will be replaced by Dick Jauron. Giants gave up 40 or more points five times this season! When was the last time that happened?

I also expect running backs coach Jerald Ingram and Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn to be fired.

Did Tom Coughlin hire all these geniuses?

Giants have collapsed at the end of two seasons in a row. I hope next season is different.

Update

NY Times reported that Bill Sheridan was fired; no replacement was named. Article quoted Giants President John Mara:

“We’re not making changes at the head coach or the G.M.”

New York Giants were defeated by Carolina Panthers 41-9 in the final game at Giants Stadium today.

The game seemed promising, just like this season, which began with five consecutive victories. Giants record is now 8-7.

Giants won the opening coin toss, and drove 56 yards to Carolina 26, where Eli Manning connected with Steve Smith in the end zone. Unfortunately, the touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty against fullback Madison Hedgecock. Worse, a 16 yard Manning pass was fumbled by Mario Manningham three plays later.

Panthers recovered the ball, and took over the game. At halftime, Carolina led 24-0, while Brandon Jacobs had gained one yard on six carries for Giants.

This game, and Thanksgiving against Denver, were the two worst games of the season. It is unbelievable that Giants could descend from a ticker tape parade to their present level in only two seasons.

What’s Next?

Giants will reach playoffs if they beat Minnesota Vikings next week, and Cowboys lose to Redskins and Eagles.

There are better odds that Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan will be replaced next season.