What was on my mind...

Time, the double-slit photon experiment, the Higg's boson and the requisite quantum field, and old friends. Here's to that quantum field associated to each point of spacetime and with a non-zero vacuum expectation value.

 

 Joy of joys when it couples with zero-mass fundamental particles so they acquire mass.                                                 

My dinner would have been far less filling without it.

Gene Hackman... a consumnate American actor

Strange topic I guess.  Just surfed in to "The Quick And The Dead" (1995 - teen Leonardo DiCaprio, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone, etc..).  While he does ham it up when playing the villain (he is a classic "Snydely Whiplash" villain, sans curly moustache), especially as Lex Luthor in the Superman movies, he is a very compelling screen presence.  It's hard not to like the villain in these movies, if you've a sense of humor anyway.  I was thinking how, it seems to me anyway, he is underrated as a protagonist;  his numerous bad-guy portrayals serve to overshadow the roles in which he plays the hero, or at least one of the good guys.   I think he is a stellar actor, and only wish he had played more roles as the protagonist.  It's hard not to rally around Gene Hackman when he's the good guy.  In fact, as alluded previously, it's even hard not to rally around his evil villain, for his brilliant boasting, his witty diatribes that invariably, and surgically, tear-down his nemesis' character, values and ideals.  Good stuff.  Hard to believe he was in "The French Connection" almost forty years ago.   Character's name was "Popeye", if I recall correctly.  I never knew anyone with that name - not ever.

It all A.D.D.s up after all

It's almost trendy nowadays to have A.D.D.

Which is really quite unfortunate for those who actually do suffer from this pretty debillitating condition, as it raises suspicion and more than a few eyebrows in dubious consternation.  The real thing is something that one has suffered with their whole life, and not just losing things like keys or getting distracted by loud noises or whatever.  There's a world of difference between the over-worked, stressed and caffeinated throngs who will swear that they have ADD, and the unfortunates who have actually struggled through a lifetime of pain and anguish - real honest-to-goodness struggling.  If you were not the one kid (or one of just a few) who was always being scolded for interrupting, talking in class, blurting things out, fidgeting, being sent to the principal time and again or whatever - and I mean always.  Not just those couple times.  I mean that every report card from 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.. for each quarter told of your problems with impulsive behavior, talking excessively, not sitting still --- and that no amount of discipline or correction or punishment was effective at stopping these behaviors.  They had no idea that ADD existed  - they thought we were just inconsiderate and undisciplined little monsters that needed a swift kick.   Well - anyway, perhaps I'll stop, perhaps not.


I was just writing an email to a friend, and wanted to mention how much I hoped that her marriage (recent year or two) was going really well, that they were taking care of it (they do need care, and attention, and work, after all).  Anyway - I could not remember her husband's first name, so decided to go find their website and track it down.  Now - all of us, A.D.D. or not, can have problems when it comes to disciplined surfing/computer time, keeping to task and staying aware of time, etc...   I realize that's one of the things that get "regular/normal" folks thinking they may have A.D.D. as a matter of fact.  That and misplacing the keys or wallet from time to time.  These do not, by a long-shot, mean that one has the disorder.  However, for the A.D.D. sufferer, they are often (usually I'll wager) very much extremely affected, exaggerated, whatever.  I was looking for the name, I started reading - pretty soon read a blog or two, with absolutely no thought as to my original intent.  What email?  Seriously.  Two hours later, realizing that the sun was on it's way down and my dog was looking at me anxiously to go outside, I paused and tried to re-trace my steps.  I was reading about the female spotted-hyena (which, despite aspects of it's appearance, is not a canine - in fact it's more closely related to felines, though it is actually it's own distinct species, Hyaenidae.  Anyway - it took me awhile to figure out how I'd gotten here.  There was a trail of sorts, but many pages had been closed (history is there, though confusing).  I'd read about a number of different, interesting things - lots on endurance training, coaching; really nice articles and pieces written by my friend, then I'd moved on to some singer/songwriter that popped in to my head.  Had to listen a bit, and read a biography (always comparing - something we do, sometimes just something I do - trying to figure out where I went wrong, what advantages another may have had (wealthy folks who sent them to Harvard and/or Juliard perhaps, etc..).  This is a confession of a rather pride-less behavior that I'm ashamed of and trying to improve upon.  Anyway - then, I think I heard something from the television (yes, often "on" even if just for background.  I'm normally pretty "green" about energy and recycling, etc.., but sometimes I simply must treat my potential for extreme despair with a good dose of distraction, and I do this often with documentary material - I especially like Science, Physics/Astrophysics/Astronomy, Nature stuff (esp. big cats, but anything really), History and oh man, Archeology and Anthropology.  This stuff just ROCKS, what they are finding these days - discovering, uncovering MORE AND MORE.    Anyway - I heard something like "female spotted hyena with 'male-like genitalia'"  Wow.  So, naturally googled it, and... well --  I can speak at great lengths about the plight of these poor female hyenas, with serious problems just with mechanics of hooking-up with the males, then dangerous birthing issues (for both mother and pup).  (After all that "not a dog" stuff I read, I note that they still call the little ones "pups").  Anyway -  I finally traced my way back to what I was trying to do.  Write a QUICK email so that I could get my dog out for a few minutes before dark.  The meds ain't working yet 'Doc.