Morning all:

“Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together…” — Carl Zwanzig

Earlier this week I listened to a podcast dealing with ‘probability’ and ‘randomness’. Once in a while it’s good to stimulate the mind with something normally way outside of everyday thinking.

Anyway, probability comes into play when picking numbers for something such as the State Lottery. People may spend inordinate amounts of time formulating a sophisticated system, but the sequence of numbers: ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6’ are just as likely to come up as any other combination of numbers. And I don’t even play the lottery—maybe that’s why. Now, with my morning coffee that’s something else, there is no ‘randomness’ and the ‘probability’ is 100% that I’ll have a perfect brew. Just as the one I’m enjoying right now.

It is amazing how I too have been sucked into using the word “play” almost synonymously with the lottery. Doesn’t ‘play’ make reference to occupying with amusement, sport, or some other recreation? With the lottery, standing at the counter of some dingy 7-11 type store, paying and having a machine spit out some, with very crappy odds, ticket is not sport or recreation; its a wishful hope and therefore a poor gamble pure and simple.

Now that all my tests are complete I have been informed that I have a clean bill of health. Something to be thankful for. With my test last week I had a my complete written report, multi page and with embedded photographs handed to me as I left the office 20 or so minutes after the procedure. I didn’t ask, but it is quite realistic to assume that the notes, dictated while the test took place, were electronically transmitted. The transmission could have been to their front office, a central location across town or in a differing state, or even to a different country, i.e. India, transcribed and sent back as a Word document then printed for me to take with. It’s a new world.

I did get a dietary bit of advice relating to the importance of a high fiber diet. Over the past weekend Marcia did some serious shopping – we had a guest for a few days – and this always means that the perfect full salmon filet needs to be bought. Anyway, while at Whole Earth Foods I found what could be my annual supply of fibre in a single container. Marcia just had to take a photo of me with my find. She managed to take one before the photo police came along. As I said earlier, it’s a new world.

Son-in-law Tevita welds specialty items or art when he’s not busy earning his living with the more standard fare, items such as picket fencing and steel stairs. This week he was busy every evening finishing up the stands for a new art exhibition. These pieces with stand are almost 100 pounds each. Since the works themselves are all different he had to create a specific stand for each. This afternoon Marcia and I will head to the event—not so much for the art as for viewing the ‘art’ of the stands. Nice work Tevita.

Make it a great week. Take a moment to catch a glimpse of the everyday ‘art’ in your life or along your paths, you’ll brighten your outlook.

Cheers,

Dirk