Was tempted to add the headline "Sink or Swim?" ...and apparently I just did.

In our lunchroom at work a lively conversation commenced after someone mentioned a book called "The Aquatic Ape" which apparently aimed to prove (or provide evidence?) that humans went through an aquatic or semi-aquatic stage in our evolution.  Back at my desk later in the day I did some digging and discovered that the theory (first introduced back in 1940's and 50's) has been subject to much debate and much of it in the form of ridicule.  Haven't got the time or inclination to dig much further, but my two cents would have to lean on the dubious side since humans do not seem to possess an innate talent for even surviving in the water let alone swimming,  and  without  instruction, practice, knowledge and experience the vast majority of us would drown quickly in any "over our head"  liquid immersion.  

Came across this related link (as only on the internet one might find)...seems to be calling out for a good caption but nothing comes to mind at the moment. 

TAKE ME OUT...

Seems that I promised Ellen (I'll take her word for it) that we'd take in a Met game at Citi Field this year, so with the season winding down and the weather cooling off, we dropped in on a meaningless tussle (Tues. 9/11) with the D.C. Nats hoping to at least enjoy watchin R.A. Dickey rack up some more votes in his bid for the N.L. Cy Young.  Also kinda neat that we (Ellen doesn't remember) were in attendance for Dickey's Met debut (also against the Nats) in May 2010. Will was there too and we played our little game of trying to guess pitch speeds and both of us were stunned at how slow R.A. was while still not getting hit, for little did we know (cause we couldn't see it) that his was no run of the mill  knuckler. Of course it wouldn't be till this season that he would become the most amazin thing to happen to The Amazins during a less than amazin season. 

Since this was our only game of the year and one that Ellen was eagerly looking forward to, I splurged and went upscale for our evening of diamond delights. We made our way through the exclusive Hodges VIP entrance, up the personally attended elevator, through the swanky sushi, steak, salad, imported wine and real booze "Caesars" dining emporium which led out directly to our "Excelsior" seats ...(with areas called Empire, Caesar and Excelsior I was hoping to get in the Socrates section and sample the Hemlock)

We were just under the TV and Radio booths where Ron and Keith and Gary and the rest of the SNY and WFAN  team do their thing directly behind home plate.   My favorite view cause you can almost call your own balls and strikes (inside and outside, but not high or low).   Can't say all the comforts and conveniences aren't pleasant,  but it would be an expensive habit to cultivate, and it's all a bit too tame and cushy for my tastes.  Didn't really feel like a ballgame without the raucous crowd and uninhibited ravings of zealous fans around me (although I much enjoyed the company of a young man on my right who chatted away with me all night and was a virtual  encyclopedia of all things Mets on and off the field--past, present and future.)

All in all though, a beautiful evening under a blue sky with that always astonishing sea of green below and the sparse crowd was  into the action which was close most of the way.  Ellen savored her proximity to the charming Darling, Cohen, Hernandez et.al. and don't think she could've been more pleased or surprised to have been able to get a large salad full of fresh greens and veggies and real chicken with a nice French white wine! At the Ballpark!  What's this world coming to?   We left in 7th  as Dickey's  knuckler failed to fool many a Nat,  and Met wood continued to show a strong aversion to leather--and with work the next day, even a dramatic comeback didn't seem worth the lost sleep.   The Mets cooperated by losing and sparing us any regrets. 

Interview with Errol Morris at Public Books website. Fascinating conversation since Morris is a film maker who is deeply suspicious of the seductive and distorting nature of photo and film imagery...among much food for thought you'll come across this gem in the transcript:
" There’s that famous line from that anti-Semitic Argentinian general who said that the Jews were successively responsible for destroying the Christian idea of the family: Freud. The Christian idea of the state: Marx. And the Christian idea of the universe: Einstein. To which I would like to add, the Christian idea of America: Abraham Zapruder."

for entire interview:
http://www.publicbooks.org/interviews/errol-morris-forensic-epistemologist