A couple of days ago I wrote about creating a short story I called "Steinbeck Is Dead." I found I had made a mistake (Crowd gasps!) and clicking the suggested link didn't work.
It works now.
At least I think it works now and if you are interested you can also click here -- I think.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 25, 2011
6/25/2011
6/23/2011
A SECRET I'LL SHARE
It dawned on me that I ran across a great secret and yet I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere. I can personally vouch for its validity and will pass it on to you as my contribution to future generations.
The road to the discovery I made began when I accidentally fell and broke my hip about a year ago. I use the word “accidentally” because there are some people who seem to think I did it deliberately to avoid certain chores around the house but that simply is not true. It was an accident.
After the surgery I was fortunate enough to qualify for some intensive physical therapy for about a month. At the end of that time I was mobile but far from being back to what I was. However, this did not bother me because I clearly remembered going into the U.S. Navy Flight Training program and bring whipped into great shape. It only took about three months.
So, I set about mimicking that training routine and it was difficult but I knew it would get easier in three months. I had done it before, I certainly could do it again if I set my mind to it.
Three months later I deduced that wasn’t true. I had given it my best shot and after three months I was no better, possibly worse, than before I started.
I think I have finally have the answer and I figured this out without the help of any outside guidance. It was fairly simple: The human body at 20 years old is not the same as the human body when it’s 88 years old.
You would think that, along the way, someone would have mentioned this. But “No”, I was left to figure it out myself.
So, I now pass it along to you and hope you never actually need this information. However, if you do, I am positive the 20-year old body and the 88-year old body are not identical. Or even close.
My advice is still the same: Don’t fall down! This is an age-neutral piece of advice and it’s the same if you are 20 years old with a slight case of acne or a mature 88 with gray hair that makes you look sexy.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 23, 2011
The road to the discovery I made began when I accidentally fell and broke my hip about a year ago. I use the word “accidentally” because there are some people who seem to think I did it deliberately to avoid certain chores around the house but that simply is not true. It was an accident.
After the surgery I was fortunate enough to qualify for some intensive physical therapy for about a month. At the end of that time I was mobile but far from being back to what I was. However, this did not bother me because I clearly remembered going into the U.S. Navy Flight Training program and bring whipped into great shape. It only took about three months.
So, I set about mimicking that training routine and it was difficult but I knew it would get easier in three months. I had done it before, I certainly could do it again if I set my mind to it.
Three months later I deduced that wasn’t true. I had given it my best shot and after three months I was no better, possibly worse, than before I started.
I think I have finally have the answer and I figured this out without the help of any outside guidance. It was fairly simple: The human body at 20 years old is not the same as the human body when it’s 88 years old.
You would think that, along the way, someone would have mentioned this. But “No”, I was left to figure it out myself.
So, I now pass it along to you and hope you never actually need this information. However, if you do, I am positive the 20-year old body and the 88-year old body are not identical. Or even close.
My advice is still the same: Don’t fall down! This is an age-neutral piece of advice and it’s the same if you are 20 years old with a slight case of acne or a mature 88 with gray hair that makes you look sexy.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 23, 2011
6/22/2011
I WROTE A STORY
Many of you may have heard of a program called OLLI. To quote from the catalog:
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU Monterey Bay was established in 2007 with a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation. We bring the joy and stimulation of lifelong learning to adults age 50 and better who are interested in university-level education without the pressure of course credits or grades.
This program exists at many colleges and last year I signed up for a “Writers’ Circle” group. Each week we would get together and read, comment and occasionally praise each others efforts.
There was one man who laughingly referred to himself as “The Adverb Police.” He would take whatever I wrote and circle all the words ending with “ly.” The contention was that using these adverbs constituted “bad writing.” And he was not alone in that belief. Many respected authorities agree.
So, sort of as a joke, I started to write a short story about all the books with adverbs in the title being missing from the library. I got so interested in writing the story and it kind of “got away from me.” I had intended to read it at the meeting but it became much longer than I had thought it would.
I think it's a fun story to read so I posted it at my website for anyone and everyone to read. The title is “Steinbeck Is Dead” and you should be able to read it by clicking on that title or here.
I hope you enjoy it and I'd appreciate any comments or questions to oldprof@oldprof.com
P.S. There are several hidden giggles in the story. If you think you may have missed them, and that's probably, I'll be happy to point them out. Just ask me via e-mail at oldprof@oldprof.com
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 22, 2011
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU Monterey Bay was established in 2007 with a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation. We bring the joy and stimulation of lifelong learning to adults age 50 and better who are interested in university-level education without the pressure of course credits or grades.
This program exists at many colleges and last year I signed up for a “Writers’ Circle” group. Each week we would get together and read, comment and occasionally praise each others efforts.
There was one man who laughingly referred to himself as “The Adverb Police.” He would take whatever I wrote and circle all the words ending with “ly.” The contention was that using these adverbs constituted “bad writing.” And he was not alone in that belief. Many respected authorities agree.
So, sort of as a joke, I started to write a short story about all the books with adverbs in the title being missing from the library. I got so interested in writing the story and it kind of “got away from me.” I had intended to read it at the meeting but it became much longer than I had thought it would.
I think it's a fun story to read so I posted it at my website for anyone and everyone to read. The title is “Steinbeck Is Dead” and you should be able to read it by clicking on that title or here.
I hope you enjoy it and I'd appreciate any comments or questions to oldprof@oldprof.com
P.S. There are several hidden giggles in the story. If you think you may have missed them, and that's probably, I'll be happy to point them out. Just ask me via e-mail at oldprof@oldprof.com
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 22, 2011
6/21/2011
I AM STILL HERE ALIVE AND --- WELL?
I recently received e-mails from many people who said they missed my regular blogging. Well, two actually.
It’s always nice to be missed and it’s true, I started blogging about 7 or 8 years ago but lately haven’t seemed to come up with anything that even interests me.
It may be an age thing but I don’t think so. It’s more probable that I have said everything worth saying and there is a seldom observed rule: “When one has nothing more to say one should stop talking.”
Of course, exceptions are made for politicians who must keep talking lest people forget they are there making them potential candidates for the unemployment line. There are already too many unemployed without my causing more.
I don’t mean to imply that a politician being unemployed would necessarily be a bad thing. For many we would notice a major improvement in the way government functions.
I certainly appreciate being missed and don’t want to lose any friends, even the invisible kind. They aren’t the same as “the imaginary kind” though I don’t want to lose those either. Some of them are my best friends.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 21, 2011
It’s always nice to be missed and it’s true, I started blogging about 7 or 8 years ago but lately haven’t seemed to come up with anything that even interests me.
It may be an age thing but I don’t think so. It’s more probable that I have said everything worth saying and there is a seldom observed rule: “When one has nothing more to say one should stop talking.”
Of course, exceptions are made for politicians who must keep talking lest people forget they are there making them potential candidates for the unemployment line. There are already too many unemployed without my causing more.
I don’t mean to imply that a politician being unemployed would necessarily be a bad thing. For many we would notice a major improvement in the way government functions.
I certainly appreciate being missed and don’t want to lose any friends, even the invisible kind. They aren’t the same as “the imaginary kind” though I don’t want to lose those either. Some of them are my best friends.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
June 21, 2011
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