Monday

Miscellany

Seneca on Exercise

Nassim Taleb is a fan of Seneca. Art De Vany (of Cave Man Diet fame) reads Taleb. Seneca, it turns out, backs De Vany's opinion regarding proper exercise. From Letter 15:

Now there are short and simple exercises which tire the body rapidly, and so save our time; and time is something of which we ought to keep strict account. These exercises are running, brandishing weights, and jumping, - high-jumping or broad-jumping, or the kind which I may call, "the Priest's dance," or, in slighting terms, "the clothes-cleaner's jump." Select for practice any one of these, and you will find it plain and easy. But whatever you do, come back soon from body to mind.

Weather

Great week of weather ahead. I'm going to plant a few peas and see if we ride this warm weather through. If the risk pays off, we'll get peas by mid-May (instead of mid-June). If the cold weather returns, I will have wasted 75 cents worth of seeds and 45 minutes of time. I'm also going to plant cucumbers in my hobby greenhouse (where the temperature will top 100 degrees . . . cucumbers like it hot), as well as mustard spinach (a southern crop).

And for those who want to contemplate nature during this upcoming week, I recommend Psalm 19:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the firmament proclaims the works of his hands.

Day unto day pours forth speech;
night unto night whispers knowledge.

There is no speech, no words;
their voice is not heard;
A report goes forth through all the earth,
their messages, to the ends of the world.

He has pitched in them a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom from his canopy,
and like a hero joyfully runs its course.

From one end of the heavens it comes forth;
its course runs through to the other;
nothing escapes its heat.

Product Review

My son, Max, bought me a pocket chair for my birthday. It's pretty cool. I guess you can find them for under $5, but if you can't wait until you stumble across a good deal, they have them at Amazon for $7.29.

I was surprised at the number of negative reviews I found at Amazon. Herewith, my bullet review, featuring both positives and negatives: First, the positive: For $5, it's a steal. It fits in my backpack, it's light, and it's an unassuming little thing. It's also surprisingly comfortable, at least for short sitting spells. But a few negatives: (1) For $5, don't expect a Lazy-boy. I needed to use it this weekend during my third son's basketball tournament. After 20 minutes, it started to get uncomfortable. (2) It sits real low to the ground. If you have bad knees, you probably won't be able to use it. (3) I suspect the weight limit is closer to 200 pounds (not 250, like the label says), and I'm a little concerned that even my 180-pound frame will take a premature toll on its thin metal legs. (4) It doesn't really fit in your pocket.

In any event, I like it enough to buy another one or two, so I have ready access to one in my backpack and both vehicles.