World cup

At first I was quite disappointed that the US got booted out by Ghana again. However, that allowed me to root for the other underdogs, Uruguay and the Netherlands, and both teams did better than expected. It is nice that teams representing small countries hold their own against those representing countries with much larger population base.

Oil spill

The one thing that is good about the oil spill in the Gulf is its timing. Assuming that it was inevitable, at least it happened during Congressional hearings on further drilling, and hopefully it will kill any plans to open up more areas for drilling.

Partisanship

The acrimonious healthcare debate is characterized by increased animosity and loss of civility. However, at least we get more people involved and excited about the political process. I would say that President Obama is the best thing that happened to the Republican party in the same way that President Bush was the best thing that could have happened to the Democratic party.

Brr... It's colder than I ever remember

The past 10 days have been the coldest protracted period in the 15 years I have lived in Florida, and it is predicted to last another week. The University of Florida has been replacing its heating system this month, so we were caught with inadequate heat, and we are all bundled up with heavy sweaters at work. I expect to lose several trees and have a record electrical bill.

However, adversity always seems to produce an outpouring of community spirit. People smile more while commiserating with one another, and offer help when they can. I have seen this happen when hurricanes strike, and this is more of an inconvenience than a disaster, so we are getting the feeling of camaraderie cheap!

Failure in Copenhagen on global warming

I was at first disappointed that the meeting on global warming in Copenhagen did not produce any tangible results. Possibly, though, it is for the better. The Kyoto agreement did not do much, and I suspect an agreement in Copenhagen would have led to committments that would not be followed.

Instead, the ravenous appetite of China and India for energy as they develop will drive energy prices so high, that there will be very high incentive to develop more energy efficient ways to live.

I am looking forward to ten dollars a gallon gas prices! May seem strange that I like the prospect, but it will be most effective in getting people to stop driving gas guzzlers, and I can certainly afford it myself.

Loss to Alabama

Losing the SEC Championship game in Atlanta on Saturday dashed also the prospect of another national championship. However, with 22 consecutive wins and last year's championship, the UF football team is certainly storied. It is good that they leave room for future team to outshine them at least in one possible target: Winning the SEC championship without a single loss in a season.

Having a cold

I had bronchitis a couple of weeks ago, and I had to stop exercising for more than a week, and now it is going to take me a month or so to get back in shape. Normally, without colds and iterruptions, I would experience only the gradual loss of fitness that comes with age. This way, I spend long periods improving my fitness after illnesses and even long trips. This is much more enjoyable.