I Voted: I Enjoy the Freedom to Vote in the United States

Voting is one of my simple pleasures. Since registering to vote in 1976, I’ve enjoyed voting in each autumn election held here in Kentucky, where I’ve lived all my life.

I also usually vote in the May primary election when I can. However, I consider myself an independent voter. I dislike party politics.

Yes, I initially registered as an independent and remain one now. This means that I often can’t vote in primary races in Kentucky. In these primaries Democrats and Republicans vote for their preferred choices among their party members. Those of us who are independent can’t cast ballots in those races, for better or worse..

However, in Lexington, Kentucky, where I now live, many races are nonpartisan, including races for mayor and city council, so I happily get to cast ballots even in primaries for those races.

Prayer for Best Candidates to Win

I seek to pray for the best candidates to win in elections regardless of whether or not they are the ones I voted for. I pray this way because though I try to vote for the best candidates, my limited information may lead me to make an error.

Empathy With Those Who Choose Not to Vote

In many races, such as for judges, magistrates, school board members, etc., I often know very little about the candidates and thus feel I shouldn’t vote in those races. Therefore, I can empathize with those who choose not to vote at all.

Often it’s hard to decide between candidates. And yes, I confess my lack of initiative to research candidates in certain races.

I Voted Today

I voted today, November 8, 2022. As I write this in the afternoon, the election results remain unknown, as balloting continues. Indeed, numerous media sources state that some races nationally may not even be decided overnight for various reasons. A Reuters article discusses some of the reasons for this, as does a CBS News article.

Below is a photo of the “I Voted” button I got after voting, which I attached to my jacket.

Early Voting

Absentee voting under certain circumstances and early voting in person at certain times and places are allowed here in Kentucky. Below is a photo I took yesterday (November 7, 2022) of a ballot drop box near the Fayette County Clerk’s office, which is one place where persons have been able to drop their absentee ballots and may continue to up until 6 p.m. today.

Early voting and absentee voting are convenient for those who face problems voting on election day.

Freedom, Responsibility to Hold Winners Accountable, and Closing Thoughts

The freedom to vote is one I cherish. It’s one of the blessings of living in the United States, in contrast to countries where citizens lack such freedom to select their rulers.

But I confess my distaste for party politics. I dislike the tendency of elected officials, Democrat and Republican, to criticize the failings of those of the other party while overlooking or minimizing those of their own party.

My favorite candidates (when I can find them) are those who seek to do what is correct regardless of the party. These mavericks are a blessing that help keep politics honest and help root out the wrongdoers as I see it.

God willing, I look forward to seeing some of the election returns this evening online and again tomorrow. Furthermore, I pray for God’s perfect will for the outcomes and the aftermath.

And I hope that we voters (and those who do not vote for various reasons) seek to hold those elected accountable, and that those in office seek to do their jobs properly.

I pray for God’s perfect will in all things.

My Ten Favorite Movies: One Viewer's Top Films

My favorite movies often feature positive, uplifting stories with the “good guy(s)” prevailing at the end.

Also, I prefer movies with a a quality script over those that focus on elaborate special effects and/or bright colors.

Independent reviewers rank most of my 10 highly as well, though not as highly as I do. A 2007 American Film Institute list of “The 100 Greatest American Films of All Time” includes 7 of my 10.

Without further ado, below I list my ten favorite movies.

10. Breaking Away (1979)

This movie focuses on a somewhat quirky, somewhat idealistic teenager during his transition from high school into adulthood. It features a love story, some progress toward maturity, a bit of humor, and some drama. It won an Academy Award for best original screenplay.

9. It Happened One Night (1934)

This movie won Academy Awards for best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor, and best actress--the first movie to win all five.

It’s a nice comedy-drama-romance. It stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. You may get a sense of déjà vu watching a few parts of it, since some of its memorable scenes were imitated in later movies and television shows.

8. Forrest Gump (1994)

The Forrest character is a person with a low official IQ who manages great accomplishments. He has a knack for playing a role at places where memorable events occur.

Watching this movie brought back many memories of historical events I read about in the news and watched on television over the years.

The film is probably best known for Forrest’s memorable comment about a box of chocolates. But it contains several other wonderful scenes. It won six Academy Awards, including best picture, best adapted screenplay, and best actor for Tom Hanks who played Forrest Gump.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

This marvelous film about racism in a southern U.S. town features Gregory Peck as a lawyer defending an African-American charged with rape. It won Academy awards for best adapted screenplay and best actor.

6. Imitation of Life (1934)

The movie contains humor, as well romantic love. But the thought-provoking depiction of racism and its impact is the movie’s focus.

This magnificent picture was far ahead of its time in its depiction of racism and its effect on a young lady. Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington are African-Americans in major roles at a time when that was uncommon. Claudette Colbert does a great job. The movie's stereotypes are a bit dated now. But it remains relevant. I consider this version superior to the 1959 remake.

5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Jimmy Stewart is magnificent in this heartwarming Christmas movie featuring an angel and flashbacks to enable Stewart’s character to visualize how his life has been much more significant than he realized.

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of It’s a Wonderful Life. I own more VHS tapes than DVDs.

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

This Christmas classic featuring Santa Claus and efforts to dispel a young girl’s disbelief--and the disbelief of a court of law--is well done. This 1947 version is far superior to the remake as I see it.

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

This magnificent political satire starring Jimmy Stewart as a naïve, idealistic United States Senator is superb. I love it. It may be as timely now as it was when it came out.

Many (including me) feel that 1939 was the best year for Hollywood movies. And although I include two 1939 movies among my ten, I omit Gone With the Wind, which won best picture that year. I also omit the 1939 British movie, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, which won the best actor Academy Award for Robert Donat.

2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This classic aired annually during my childhood and was a pleasure to watch several times. It can be called a children’s story, an allegory, or a lot of other things. But it’s nicely done. Need I state more about this film that most may have seen multiple times?

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of The Wizard of Oz.

1. Casablanca (1942)

This is the best movie Hollywood ever made as I see it. The script magnificently blends humor, drama, war, music, and a love triangle.

Casablanca includes a love triangle, but is not really a love story. It includes wonderful humor, but isn’t a comedy. It takes place during World War II, but isn’t really a war story--even though it was likely produced as wartime propaganda. It is a magnificent drama with the ending perhaps a surprise, though even if you know the ending you can still appreciate its greatness, as well as the acting of its marvelous cast.

You need to see it at least twice to appreciate it. The first time you’ll miss many subtleties and may be confused about some aspects and/or cast members. I’m confident you’ll enjoy it much more the second time--really.

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of Casablanca.

About the List

Any list of superb movies is subjective. And I’m not an expert. Indeed, there are lots of quality Hollywood movies I’ve never seen and can’t evaluate--including most in recent decades. And I’ve seen few foreign films and rank none of the few I have seen among my top ten.

Also, I’m usually not fond of musicals, violent movies, movies that glorify the “bad guys,” and movies with lots of sex and/or vulgar language. Therefore, my list differs from top ten lists you’ll see in a lot of other places.

But The American Film Institute’s list of “The 100 Most Inspiring Films Of All Time” includes 8 of my 10, with all 8 being in the top 37, and 5 being in the top 9. This serves as an indication of my bias toward inspiring films as my favorites.

Closing Thoughts

My list is biased toward movies from the motion picture industry’s glory years in the 1930s and 1940s. I’ve seen relatively few of the old silent films and of the newer motion pictures from recent decades.

Cigarette smoking and alcoholic beverage consumption were more common in mainstream movies decades ago than they are now. But overall, I feel these classic movies from decades ago reflect higher moral values than more recent ones. As I see it, they also feature better written scripts, and remain more timeless than the best ones produced more recently.

The ten movies I list are classics as I see it. What do you think? Am I biased or being relatively accurate?

NOTE:

Much of this article is adapted from an earlier Google Blogger article I wrote about seven classic movies from the 1930s and 1940s.

The Best Years for Movies: Seven Superb Films from the 1930s and 1940s

The best movies of the 1930s and 1940s benefited from better scripts than those in recent decades as I see it.

I think this golden age of moviemaking in the 1930s and 1940s produced the best motion pictures.

Special effects and bright colors in recent decades are superior to those of the past, but quality screenplays typically seem to be lacking in modern films.

Below I list seven movies from the 1930s and 1940s that I consider among the best ever made. Following the list I elaborate about each.

Independent reviewers rank most of these seven highly as well, though not as highly as I do. A 2007 American Film Institute list of “The 100 Greatest American Films of All Time” includes five of my seven, all five in the top 46 in fact.

The Seven Movies

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
6. Imitation of Life (1934)
7. It Happened One Night (1934)

1. Casablanca (1942):

This is the best movie Hollywood ever made as I see it. The script magnificently blends humor, drama, war, music, and a love triangle.

You need to see it at least twice to appreciate it. The first time you'll likely miss several subtleties and may be confused by some aspects and/or some cast members. I’m confident you’ll enjoy it much more the second time--really.

Casablanca includes a love triangle, but is not really a love story. It includes wonderful humor, but isn’t a comedy. It takes place during World War II, but isn’t really a war story--even though it was likely produced as wartime propaganda.

It is a magnificent drama with the ending perhaps a surprise, though even if you know the ending you can still appreciate its greatness, as well as the acting of its marvelous cast.

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of Casablanca. By the way, though I treasure my complete DVD set of the 1966-1968 Batman television series, I own more VHS tapes than DVDs.

2. The Wizard of Oz (1939):

This classic aired annually during my childhood and was a pleasure to watch several times. It can be called a children’s story, an allegory, or a lot of other things. But it’s nicely done. Need I state more about this film that most have seen multiple times?

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of The Wizard of Oz.

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939):

This magnificent political satire starring Jimmy Stewart as a naïve, idealistic United States Senator is superb. I love it. It may be as timely now as it was when it came out.

Many (including me) feel that 1939 was the best year for Hollywood movies. And although I include two 1939 movies among my seven from the 1930s and 1940s, I omit Gone With the Wind (which won the best picture Academy Award that year). I also omit the British film Goodbye, Mr. Chips, which won best actor for Robert Donat.

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947):

This Christmas classic featuring Santa Claus and efforts to dispel a young girl’s disbelief--and the disbelief of a court of law--is well done. This 1947 version is far superior to the remake as I see it.

5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946):

Jimmy Stewart stars in this heartwarming movie aired frequently at Christmas. It features an angel and flashbacks to enable Stewart’s character to visualize how his life has been much more significant than he realizes.

Below is a photo of a VHS tape of It’s a Wonderful Life.

6. Imitation of Life (1934):

This movie contains humor, as well as romantic love. But the thought-provoking depiction of racism and its impact is the film’s focus.

This magnificent picture was far ahead of its time in its depiction of racism and its effect on a young lady. Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington are African-Americans in major roles at a time when that was uncommon. Claudette Colbert does a great job.

Some of the stereotypes are a bit dated now, but it remains a great movie. I consider this version superior to the 1959 remake.

7. It Happened One Night (1934):

This movie won Academy Awards for best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor, and best actress--the first movie to win all five.

It’s a nice comedy-drama-romance. It stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. You may get a sense of deja vu watching a few parts of it, since some of its memorable scenes were imitated in later film and television productions.

Closing Thoughts

Any list of superb movies is subjective. And I’m not an expert. Indeed, there are lots of quality Hollywood movies I’ve never seen and can’t evaluate--including most in recent decades. I rarely watch movies now. And I’ve not considered foreign films, and have seen few of them. But I did take a few film courses as electives during my college years. I enjoyed taking electives in a variety of subjects.

Cigarette smoking and alcoholic beverage consumption were more common in mainstream movies decades ago than they are now. But overall, I feel these classic movies from decades ago reflect higher moral values than more recent ones. I also think they feature better written scripts and remain more timeless than the best ones produced more recently--based on my limited viewing of movies.

The seven movies I list are classics as I see it. What do you think? Am I biased or being relatively accurate?

NOTE:

This article was last modified on October 17th, 2022.

Growing Up in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s: One Personal Perspective

Born in 1958, I grew up in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, reaching age 18 in 1976. I am part of what’s called the Baby Boomer generation.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War seemed to dominate newspaper headlines and television newscasts much of my childhood. As a young boy, I just assumed the U.S. was correct and wondered if I’d be afraid to fight if drafted at age 18. Mom said the war might be over by then. It was.

As time went on I questioned the correctness of the war. Life wasn’t as simple as I’d thought earlier.

Television

If not for cable television, there would be no TV reception in most of southeastern Kentucky.

That’s one reason that the coal mining areas in southeastern Kentucky’s Appalachian mountains were probably among the first places in the United States to get cable television.

But even with cable, our TV only picked up picked up 3-5 channels during most of my childhood. We got a CBS station, an ABC station, one or two NBC stations, and sometimes a snowy hard-to- watch and hard-to-hear public educational network station.

Still, watching television was a big thing. I loved the 1966-1968 Batman series, especially its first two seasons. The show was a big hit. Lucille Ball’s shows and other situation comedies like The Beverly Hillbillies and The Andy Griffith Show were entertaining. Detective shows and medical shows were popular during primetime too. I sometimes watched Captain Kangaroo in mornings.

Saturday morning cartoons were an enjoyable routine. Sometimes dad and mom would sleep in. I’d get up early, fix myself a bowl of sugar-laden cereal and milk, and enjoy watching Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Road Runner, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Underdog, Mighty Mouse, and others.

Reading

I loved reading everything from books to magazines to newspapers to words on breakfast cereal boxes.

I especially loved mystery novels like The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Brains Benton, Trixie Belden, etc. Books ordered at school from I think Scholastic Book Services added diversity to my reading. I also checked out books from libraries.

Dad subscribed to some magazines and newspapers. I enjoyed reading articles in them.

Radio

After mom and dad got me an AM-FM clock radio for a present, I enjoyed listening to it much. At night after local stations signed off, powerful stations from Louisville, New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and other areas could be picked up.

I especially loved WHAS in Louisville. WHAS’s Milton Metz hosted a marvelous talk show where he allowed persons of various viewpoints to speak while rarely expressing his own opinion. I still think he’s the best talk show host I’ve heard

WHAS was one of the stations that broadcast the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre after it debuted. This gave me an opportunity to listen to radio dramas and think about what mom and dad may have experienced decades earlier in the glory days of radio.

On WHAS I also frequently listened to University of Kentucky basketball and football games, as well as Kentucky Colonels ABA professional basketball games. Such games were rarely on television then.

Playing Games, Hiking Mountains, Shooting a BB Gun, etc.

Playing board and card games with friends and family, hiking the mountains, bicycling, and shooting my BB gun were among the fun things I did. We played lots of games of Monopoly on hot summer afternoons, sometimes in front of an oscillating fan. We played a lot of Rook.

I owned many toy soldiers. Friends and I sometimes divided them into two “armies” and took time shooting at one another’s forces with toy guns that fired plastic disks. Those disks were not as safe as the foam bullets on today’s toy guns, so I’m glad we didn’t seriously injure one another.

A Give-a-Show Projector with numerous slides provided lots of fun for my sister and me. I especially enjoyed the slides of Mighty Mouse, one of my early childhood cartoon favorites.

On the few occasions during winter when snow covered the ground, I enjoyed riding my sled, snowball fights with friends and family, and building a snowman.

After the sun went behind the mountains in the evening, there were still a few hours of shady daylight. Even on hot summer days, it cooled off relatively quickly during these few hours. We enjoyed playing outdoor games like tag, dodge Frisbee, croquet, and badminton.

Eating Out

There were no McDonald’s, Burger King, or Subway restaurants in the areas I lived in. Mom-and-pop restaurants were the primary places for eating out. And meals away from home typically only occurred when we were traveling on a trip somewhere.

Mom was a stay-at-home housewife who prepared breakfast, lunch, and supper. Mom and dad also kept the kitchen furnished with lots of snacks for in-between meals— though mom limited my snacks, especially in my younger years.

Mom discouraged me from eating or staying at friends’ houses. But on a few occasions during my elementary school years she let me stay overnight with close friends, and I’d eat a meal or so there.

News

Dad subscribed to local newspapers. We also sometimes watched the local and national evening news. And radios offered brief news information.

The space program fascinated me. I enjoyed watching television coverage of the Apollo missions, especially the first landing of man on the moon with Apollo 11, and reading many newspaper articles about it. For a period the Vietnam War was knocked out of the headlines.

Shopping

We did much of our shopping for groceries, shoes, clothes, books, etc., in Williamson, West Virginia, which was relatively close to the places we lived in Pike County, Kentucky during most of my elementary school and the majority of my high school years.

Williamson then featured a huge Sears Roebuck store, clothing stores, at least one or two shoe stores, a book store, two 5 and 10 cent stores, etc.

I considered it a city, since it was the only place I knew with two 5 and 10 cent stores. These stores even included some items priced at 5 cents and 10 cents if my memory is correct.

The big Sears store in Williamson had a large sign on its front reading “We Service What We Sell.” Dad stated it was one of the few truthful advertising slogans he’d seen.

Indeed, our appliances almost all came from Sears: televisions, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and maybe others. The Sears repair person performed in-home service under our product warranties if something malfunctioned.

Catalogues

We ordered many items from catalogues.

The Christmas season mean the arrival of the Sears Roebuck Christmas Wish Book, a marvelous volume containing a huge variety of appealing toys. Many of my Christmas gifts came from that Sears Wish Book. I loved viewing it.

We also received other catalogues from Montgomery Ward and Spiegel.

Electronic Devices

Cell phones, personal computers, DVD players, and VCRs did not exist. We didn’t own a microwave oven until sometime in my teenage years.

I think it was 1974 during my junior year of high school when I first saw a pocket calculator. I enjoyed looking at a friend’s device. I think it was later in that 1974-75 school year when dad and mom bought me one. It helped calculations much.

Not a Typical Child

I was not a typical child. I was extremely shy, introverted. I didn’t date anyone in high school. And my main extracurricular involvement was as a member of the school spelling team from the 7th grade through my sophomore year in high school. The school we moved to in my junior year did not have a spelling team.

I did not play organized sports. I seldom followed elementary or high school sports. But I did get interested in University of Kentucky basketball and football during my elementary school years.

Though most of my close friends attended church regularly, my family did not during much of my childhood. However, mom and dad did instill morals in me.

I kept records of movies watched at the theatre, occasionally kept a journal, and loved to write as well as read, which probably isn’t typical for a boy.

I had relatively few chores during my childhood. But one of them was carrying in coal during cold weather to fill the stoker for the furnace at the house we moved into during my junior year of high school. I had mom take the pictue below of me carrying in a bucket of coal when I was visiting the family in January 1978 during my second year of college, but I often carried in coal the two winters of high school that we had the coal furnace as well.

Travel

We took regular trips to buy groceries and other things. We also frequently visited my grandparents, and sometimes aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well. Dad enjoyed taking a Sunday afternoon drive, so sometimes the family would take such a drive, apparently with no particular destination in mind.

On perhaps a few occasions, we went to drive-in outdoor theatres, then after I got older, we frequently went to indoor theatres, typically the one in Williamson to see Walt Disney movies.

Long distance vacations were rare, but dad and I (and sometimes the rest of the family) took trips to places like the Red River Gorge, Breaks Interstate Park, and the Raven Rock area of Jenkins where we hiked.

Cars lacked seatbelts in my early childhood years. And I think I even rode at least a couple of times in the back of a pickup truck where there was not even a seat in the normal sense.

Closing Thoughts

In my biased opinion, I grew up in a wonderful time. Hiking and playing old-fashioned games seem preferable to me to the new video games. I feel I got the outdoor life and the indoor life too.

Today’s youth seem to miss out on much that I got. Similarly, I got to experience blessings like television, radio, and other advances that my grandparents lacked during their childhoods.

But a lot of it has to do with attitude. Each of us can choose to make the best of whatever situation we grow up in.

Kentucky Wildcats Women's Basketball 2022-23: A Fan's Preview

One of my weaknesses is being a big University of Kentucky basketball fan of both the men’s and women’s teams.

A Rebuilding Year

The upcoming 2022-23 season may be a rebuilding year for the women. The star of last year’s team, senior Rhyne Howard, was picked #1 in the WNBA draft, then went on to win Rookie of the Year in the league. She left some big shoes to fill at Kentucky.

Furthermore, the 2022-23 team’s only center, and arguably the best incoming player, 6’ 4” freshman center Tionna Herron from Texas, underwent open-heart surgery in August, as reported by numerous news sources.

The surgery was successful. She still plans to play for UK. Personally, I hope she makes a full recovery and plays before the end of this season, if not at the beginning. But it’s important for her not to rush.

Even without Howard and Herron, my guess (and hope) is that this year’s UK team will finish with a winning record. I think the Cats will do better than the early forecasts I’ve seen.

An early preseason ESPN forecast[1] did not put Kentucky in the top 25. That’s not a big surprise. But, worse, ESPN’s Charlie Crème’s April 21 Women’s Bracketology[2] did not list Kentucky among the teams expected to make the NCAA tournament. He didn’t even put Kentucky “on the bubble.”

Furthermore, both those ESPN forecasts came out before Herron’s surgery. Before the surgery, I expected Kentucky to be in the NCAA tournament, and maybe even make the top 25 at the end of the season.

When the Associated Press and Coaches’ polls come out later, expect Kentucky’s name to be absent from the top 25. But it will be interesting to see if (and how many) votes the Wildcats get. One (or a few) voters may put UK somewhere on their ballots.

The Roster

The UK team’s 2022-23 roster is listed on UKAthletics.com[3] and several other websites.

The roster includes: Tionna Herron, Robyn Benton, Saniah Tyler, Kennedy Cambridge, Eniya Russell, Blair Green, Jada Walker, Ajae Petty, Amiya Jenkins, Nyah Leveretter, Maddie Scherr, Cassidy Rowe, Zennia Thomas, Adebola Adeyee, and Emma King.

As usual, Kentucky is blessed with an abundance of guards.

Guard Blair Green returns from an injury that kept her out last season. If she is fully recovered, she can offer experienced leadership and potentially be the best overall player on the court.

Sophomore guard Jada Walker had an impressive freshman year, including making the All-SEC Freshman team. She will hopefully be even better this season.

Robyn Benton returns and may be improved enough to start regularly.

Transfer guard Maddie Scherr from Oregon will hopefully live up to her outstanding high school career after what were probably two disappointing seasons at Oregon. She may earn a starting spot along with Green, Walker, and Benton in a four-guard starting lineup.

Transfer guard Eniya Russell from South Carolina is probably good enough to earn significant playing time at Kentucky after mainly being on the bench at talent-loaded South Carolina.

Freshmen guards Saniah Tyler, Kennedy Cambridge, Amiya Jenkins, and Cassidy Rowe add depth, as does senior guard Emma King.

The Wildcats’ only true center is 6’4” freshman Tionna Herron. Unfortunately, she may miss the season due to her open-heart surgery. If so, forward Adebola Adeyee coming to UK after four years at Buffalo may be the Cats best inside player and earn a starting position.

Returning forward Nyah Leveretter and transfer forward Ajae Petty from LSU will add depth to the Cats’ inside game. Freshman forward Zennia Thomas may earn significant playing time too.

My Expectations

How many games the team wins may depend on how well they work together as a team and how much effort they put forth individually. Expectations are not high. This may give them incentive to work hard to prove forecasters wrong.

The team playing well together (with Kentucky’s well-known tough defense) can make this a successful season.

The nonconference schedule only includes a few quality teams (as I see it, though I could be wrong), so I hope the Cats get some early wins to build a nice record early in the season. The UK Athletics website[4] (and other sources) list the team’s complete regular season schedule.

The season begins with one exhibition game, a November 2nd game against Pikeville. The highlights of the nonconference season will likely be two games in the Bahamas (against Dayton and Virginia Tech) and the Louisville game. If UK loses those three games and wins the others, it can enter conference play with a 9-3 regular-season record. Some of the other opponents are not weak teams. I think UK will enter conference play with an 8-4 record.

The brutal Southeastern Conference schedule includes two games against an outstanding South Carolina team that will probably repeat as national champions. Several other SEC opponents may make the national top 25 rankings.

Many persons will probably forecast UK to experience a losing overall conference record. I optimistically predict an 8-8 conference record to finish the regular season 16-12.

Closing Thoughts

I’m only a fan. I’m not an expert prognosticator of a team’s success. But I’ve been a UK men's and women's basketball (and UK football) fan for decades. Over the years I’ve even accumulated an assortment of fan-related items, such as those pictured below.

My forecast is based on freshman Tionna Herron not being able to play this season and on the team experiencing some growing pains as it blends newcomers and returnees.

If one or two or three of the newcomers plays better than expected, Kentucky can do well, maybe very well.

If Herron is able to return from her injury at some point (say middle of the season) and plays in top form, I think the Cats will win more games, finish strong, and make the NCAA tournament. But her making a full recovery is more important than rushing to make her available this year, and I’m confident the UK staff agrees.

We fans need to be patient with this year’s team. It may not meet our usual Kentucky expectations. But I’m confident it will be a fun year. Let’s enjoy it and look forward to a significantly better season in 2023-24.

ENDNOTES:

[1] Philippou, Alex and Voepel, Mechelle; “Women’s college basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2022-23”; ESPN; June 14, 2022; webpage accessed September 26, 2022; web https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/34086750/women-college-basketball-way-too-early-top-25-2022-23

[2] Crème, Charlie; “Women’s Bracketology 2023 NCAA Tournament”; ESPN; April 21, 2022, 9 a.m. ET; webpage accessed September 26, 2022; https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2023-women-college-basketball-projections

[3] “2022 Women’s Basketball Roster”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed September 26, 2022; https://ukathletics.com/sports/wbball/roster/

[4] “UK 2022-23 Women’s Basketball Schedule”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed September 26, 2022; https://ukathletics.com/sports/wbball/schedule/

Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball 2022-23: A Fan's Preview

Being a University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball fanatic (men’s and women’s teams) is one of my weaknesses. I devote too much time to watching, listening to, and reading about UK basketball. Thankfully, I’m not as zealous as in the past. But I do look forward to the upcoming 2022-23 season.

My History as a Fan

I’ve been a University of Kentucky basketball fan since age 12, and maybe became a fan even younger. When the #1 ranked 1969-70 UK team led by All-American Dan Issel lost in the NCAA tournament to a Jacksonville team led by center Artis Gilmore, 12-year-old me cried.

It’s wrong for a person, even a child, to take a basketball loss so seriously. After all, it’s only a game. But some of us take sports seriously. Furthermore, it's been stated that UK basketball is almost a religion in Kentucky. And there’s at least a bit of truth to that. Many in this state are fanatical about UK basketball.

As a college student decades ago, I sometimes camped out on Saturday nights in order to be in line early to get tickets for quality seats to UK home games that were distributed Sunday afternoons. Once I even camped out Friday night and Saturday night. And I wasn’t the only one. Typically a crowd of students camped outside seeking to get nice lower arena tickets.

Over the years, I also accumulated things to show my fan support for UK men's basketball, UK women's basketball, and UK football, including those pictured below.

Last Season

A complete list of last season’s games and scores is on the UK Athletics website.[1]

The season ended with disappointment, two consecutive losses. After falling to Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals, the Wildcats suffered a loss to St. Peters in Kentucky’s one NCAA tournament game.

UK ended the season with a 26-8 record, excluding the two wins in exhibition games against Kentucky Wesleyan College and Miles College.

Some 2022-23 Kentucky Preseason Forecasts by Others

Forecasters anticipate a better season for UK in 2022-23 than last year.

ESPN[2] has Kentucky #4 in August 23, 2022 preseason rankings. The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook[3] ranks Kentucky #3. Sports Illustrated[4] ranked Kentucky #4 in a June 18, 2022 preseason ranking.

Yes, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook all pick Kentucky to make the Final Four.

My Forecast and UK’s Schedule

Being a UK fan, I am likely biased. But I’m picking Kentucky to win the national championship. Believe it or not, there is some logic to my pick.

* For one thing, Kentucky played some summer exhibition games in the Bahamas (as noted on the 2022-23 season schedule which is posted on the UKAthletics.com website[5] and many other places).

These summer games in the Bahamas gave Kentucky some early practice time, experience playing against outside competition, and provided Kentucky Coach John Calipari a chance to learn how his team members play individually and as a team.

* Second the team features the return of consensus national player of the year Oscar Tschiebwe,. He led the nation in rebounds per game last season, as recorded on NCAA.com[6] and other sources. This is great news. But the fact that the Cats lost in their opening NCAA tournament game indicates he alone isn’t enough.

* Returnees also include Sahvir Wheeler, who led Kentucky and the SEC in assists per game last season according to records on SECSports.com[7] and other sources. The return of CJ Fredrick who missed last season due to a hamstring injury helps too.

* In the August Bahamas games, the transfer from Illinois State (Antonio Reeves) was the tournament MVP. He's a nice addition to the team. Among many sources offering details on the summer Bahamas games is ASeaofBlue.com.[8]

* Calipari often does well blending experienced players with transfers and incoming freshmen. This team includes enough experience to allow more of that blending to occur than with a typical Calipari team. Calipari’s Kentucky teams seem, as I see it, to function better when a few quality experienced players can mesh with the incoming players.

The Roster

The 2022-23 team roster is listed on the UK Athletics website,[9] as well as numerous other media websites. The team members are: Jacob Toppin, CJ Fredrick, Sahvir Wheeler, AdouThiero, Daimion Collins, Antonio Reeves, Grant Darbyshire, Brennan Canada, Walker Horn, Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Kareem Watkins, Ugonna Onyenso, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Lance Ware.

The Bahamas games may offer insights into which players will start, which will come off the bench first, etc. But it’s still a while before the start of the season. Things can change.

The Future and Closing Thoughts

Kentucky basketball’s future looks bright. Calipari continues recruiting well, in addition to securing quality transfers. The fan base remains strong too.

I expect an exciting, successful season this year and next year, as well as in the foreseeable future.

However, partially due to so many one-and-done freshmen players, as well as transfers, I don’t keep up well with who all the players are for Kentucky anymore. My other activities are probably a factor too.

Furthermore, while it seems fair that players can earn more for their efforts, the new NCAA regulations allowing certain types of sports-related earnings for college athletes may negatively impact some student athletes, programs, and the sport. Time will tell how the changes affect things.

My not being as avid a fan as I used to be may be a good thing. After all, basketball is only a game. It’s not important in the grand scheme of things.

But I’ll still be hoping for another national championship for the University of Kentucky Wildcats this year. Go Big Blue!

ENDNOTES:

[1] “UK 2021-22 Men’s Basketball Schedule”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://ukathletics.com/sports/mbball/schedule/season/2021-22/

[2] Borzello, Jeff; “Way-Too-Early Top 25 men's college basketball rankings 2022-23: Standouts from a summer of international tours”; ESPN; August 23, 2022; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/page/earlytop25082222/way-too-early-top-25-men-college-basketball-rankings-2022-23-standouts-summer-international-tours

[3] Dortch, Chris; “Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason Top 25”; Chris Dortch’s Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook; September 1, 2022; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://blueribbon.substack.com/p/blue-ribbon-college-basketball-yearbook-e14?utm_source=twitter&sd=pf

[4] Sweeney, Kevin; “Top 25 Reset: How Transfers, Draft Decisions Changed Our Men’s 2022–23 Rankings”; Sports Illustrated website; June 18, 2022; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://www.si.com/college/2022/06/18/ncaa-basketball-rankings-top-25-reset

[5] “2022-23 Men’s Basketball Schedule”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed September 25, 2022 https://ukathletics.com/sports/mbball/schedule/

[6] “NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Individual Statistics: Rebounds Per Game”; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/137

[7] “SEC Basketball: 2022 Statistics’; SECSports.com; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://www.secsports.com/statistics/mens-basketball

[8] Marcum, Jason; “Cumulative stats and postgame notes from Kentucky’s Bahamas Tour”; ASeaofBlue.com; August 15, 2022; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://www.aseaofblue.com/2022/8/15/23304724/uk-basketball-cumulative-stats-postgame-notes-bahamas-tour-2022

[9] “2022-23 Men’s Basketball Roster”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed September 25, 2022; https://ukathletics.com/sports/mbball/roster/

Kentucky Wildcats 2022 Football Preview: A Hypocritical Fan's Forecast

Confession of a Hypocritical Fan

Due to its violence, I support abolishing football, as I wrote in a 2019 Google Blogger [1] post.

Huge numbers of injuries occur, and an objective of tackling other players seems counterproductive to good sportsmanship.

But I remain a big UK football fan. Yes, I confess I am a hypocrite. Now, on to the forecast.

Kentucky Wildcats Football 2022 Overview

For perhaps the first time in my memory, the national media ranks UK football better than many local UK fans, including me.

The preseason Associated Press poll has Kentucky #20 and the AFCA Coaches’ poll has the Cats at #21, as stated on ESPN [2] and other media sites.

Quarterback and running back are arguably the two highest profile positions in college football. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez are both highly regarded.

Those two are probably big reasons that the AP and Coaches’ polls rank Kentucky higher than all its opponents except Georgia. This could indicate an 11-1 record for the season.

But road games at Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee will be tough, as I think even pollsters would agree. My guess is that UK will be an underdog in at least one or two of those road games.

Longest Active Non-Conference Win Streak in the Country

The University of Kentucky football team now has the longest active non-conference winning streak in the country among Division I schools, according to ASeaofBlue.com. [3]

This speaks well for the Wildcats. It’s true that many of the nonconference wins came against mediocre teams, and that in 2020 their regular season only included SEC teams. But that winning streak includes four bowl wins. I expect Kentucky to add four games to that streak this year, five if they win a bowl game.

Game-by-Game Predictions

Kentucky’s 2022 schedule is posted on UKAthletics.com [4] and many other websites. Below is my game-by-game forecast.

Game 1: Miami University (Ohio), home, September 3, 2022; The season opener will be an easy win for UK, despite some likely opening game jitters.

Game 2: University of Florida, away, September 10, 2022; Last year, Florida had a dismal season by Florida standards. The Gators will be a much better team by the end of this season, as I see it. But fortunately for Kentucky, this game is early in the season. I expect a UK win in a close game to go 2-0.

Game 3: Youngstown State University, home, September 17, 2022; The Cats move to 3-0 on the season with an easy win.

Game 4: Northern Illinois University, home, September 24, 2022; Another easy wins puts UK 4-0.

Game 5: University of Mississippi, away, October 1, 2022; The SEC west is typically tougher than the east, and Mississippi is a quality team. The Cats will try hard, but fall short, as Kentucky goes to 4-1 on the season.

Game 6: University of South Carolina, home, October 8, 2022; The Cats bounce back to beat South Carolina to go 5-1.

Game 7: Mississippi State University, home, October 15, 2022; UK goes to 6-1 with a win over a fairly good Mississippi State team.

Game 8: University of Tennessee, away, October 29, 2022; Tennessee is one of Kentucky’s biggest rivals, and is a team that usually gives UK trouble. How Tennessee is doing at this time of year will help determine how the game goes. But my guess is that Tennessee will prevail in Knoxville to put the Cats at 6-2.

Game 9: University of Missouri, away, November 6, 2022; This will not be an easy game, but Kentucky will win to go 7-2.

Game 10: Vanderbilt University, home, November 12, 2022; The Wildcats go to 8-2 with a comfortable win over Vanderbilt.

Game 11: University of Georgia, home, November 19, 2022; Georgia is the toughest team on Kentucky’s schedule. Even with all the quality players gone from last year’s Bulldogs, Georgia has much more talent than Kentucky. By this late in the season Georgia will be back in a groove, while Kentucky will likely be suffering from depletion due to injuries. I pick Georgia to win and put UK at 8-3.

Game 12: University of Louisville, home, November 26, 2022; Kentucky won’t win easily in this game of instate rivals. But UK will prevail to finish 9-3, and earn a bowl game, maybe a good one.

Cautions About My Forecast

Forecasting football seasons isn’t easy. Surprises often occur. Furthermore, I am just a fan. I’ve never coached or played football.

But I’ve been a fan since 1973, following Kentucky football somewhat regularly via radio, television, and then in-person at most home games while I was a UK student.

Below is a photo of a shirt I bought as a UK freshman in 1976 to wear to home games while I was a student.

A team's success is affected by numerous factors. A few of these are: injuries, illnesses, and player suspensions.

Kentucky’s star running back, Chris Rodriguez, is expected to be suspended for one or a few games at the start of this 2022 season, though Coach Mark Stoops hasn’t announced anything official yet. My guess is that he’ll only miss the season opener, but I could be wrong.

Some others have forecast Rodriguez to be suspended three or four games. An article on 247Sports.com [5] discusses Stoops commenting about Rodriguez’s status. More news about this will come out as the season approaches.

Furthermore, the Southeastern Conference has several teams with more talent than Kentucky, including some with quarterbacks and running backs arguably better than Kentucky's, even excluding top-ranked Alabama.

My point is to expect surprises this season. At its best, I even think UK has a chance to go 12-0. But their chances of beating Georgia would be better if the game was played early in the season before injuries likely deplete Kentucky and Georgia has time to adjust to the players it lost from last season. At least one and maybe all three of those tough road games at Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee are likely to be losses.

But who knows what surprises await as the season unfolds?

Closing Thoughts

Fans, remember football is only a game. Whether Kentucky wins or loses matters little in the grand scheme of God’s immense universe. And, yes, I still feel that football should be abolished due to the violence and injuries that occur. But I’ll still be following Kentucky’s football team and rooting for UK to win this season. Go Big Blue!

ENDNOTES:

[1] Gibson, James Edwin; “Football and Other Violent Sports Need to Cease—But I’m a Hypocrite”; Google Blogger; August 31, 2019; webpage accessed August 28, 2022; https://oneopinionsomeviews.blogspot.com/2019/08/football-and-other-violent-sports-need.html

[2] “College Football Rankings (All FBS 2022 Preseason)”: ESPN; webpage accessed August 28, 2022; https://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings

[3] Hahn, Samuel; “How Kentucky football got the nation’s longest active non-conference winning streak”; A Sea of Blue; January 11, 2022; webpage accessed August 28, 2022; https://www.aseaofblue.com/2022/1/11/22872434/kentucky-wildcats-college-football-longest-winning-streaks

[4] “UK 2022 Football Schedule”; UKAthletics.com; webpage accessed August 28, 2022; https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/schedule/

[5] Fisher, Chris; “Mark Stoops issues statement on status of Chris Rodriguez”; 247Sports.com; August 27, 2022; webpage accessed August 28, 2022; https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/Article/chris-rodriguez-kentucky-football-mark-stoops-suspension-192179942/

The 1960s Batman Television Show: My Childhood Love for It Adapted and Endures

As a second grader, I loved the opening season of the 1960s Batman television series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin.

The Batman show debuted in January 1966. It was innovative, funny, suspenseful, and entertaining.

My Favorite Television Show for a While

For a while during my childhood, Batman was my favorite television show. The series ran from January 1966 to March 1968.

Its 1966 episodes were best. I tired a bit of the show after a couple seasons, as I think many others did. Its quality seemed to decline in 1967 and 1968.

But Batman did well in the Nielsen television ratings in its early days. It aired twice a week then. Its first season both the Wednesday and Thursday episodes finished in the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings according to TVObscurities.com* and other sources.

Dad and I both enjoyed watching it. Mom disliked the show, perhaps at least partially due to the violence. She made a good point. If my memory is correct, I sometimes acted out some scenes in the show where Batman and Robin fought with criminals.

As an Adult, My Love of the Show Adapted and Endures

A complete DVD set of the series became available in 2014. I purchased a copy at some point. My set is shown in the two pictures below.

I watched every episode (all 120 of them) of the DVD set over a period of perhaps a few months, as well as the extra features that were included on the DVDs. I still loved several aspects of the show, especially the early episodes from 1966. And I liked some of the extra features too. Nostalgia probably accounts for some of the show's enduring appeal.

Rewatching the shows, I pick up on some subtleties I likely missed as a child.

I’m not much of a television watcher, certainly not a regular binge watcher. Indeed, my television is currently only hooked up to a DVD player and VCR, not to cable. But the Batman TV series is special to me. It's the only television DVD set I've bought.

The show initially aired twice a week. The first episode typically ended with the villains appearing to succeed, and at least one good guy in peril. The second episode gave the good guys the win.

As a child, my favorite villain was the Joker, but as an adult I appreciate why dad seemed to enjoy the Penguin most. Now I rank the Penguin my top bad guy on Batman too. Indeed, my two favorite episodes now are the satirical “Hissoner the Penguin” episode (first broadcast in November 1966) in which the Penguin runs for mayor, and the following episode “Dizzoner the Penguin” in which the Penguin gets his downfall.

I perhaps especially enjoyed watching those episodes with dad. The parody of politics was timely then, and remains so now.

Color Television

The Batman show probably deserves some credit for my family’s purchase of a color TV too. As I watched an episode in which a villain turned Batman’s cape pink, I wondered why the cape didn’t look pink on our screen. Then I remembered (or mom or dad reminded me) that we didn’t have a color television set. Dad commented that we might ought to get a color television set. And I think it was soon after that when dad purchased a color TV.

Subtleties That Added Much

Batman featured numerous subtleties that added a great deal for viewers.

I remember thought-provoking comments like Bruce Wayne mentioning to Dick Grayson that music was “the universal language.” Dad commented that his mom who had been a piano teacher had stated something similar (as have others over the years).

Another thought-provoking comment occurred as Bruce and Dick were using a telescope and Bruce stated that “astronomy . . . helps give us a sense of proportion. Reminds us how little we are, really.” Definitely thought-provoking. Nice.

Robin frequently would blurt out “Holy _____." There were many different words used to fill in the blank. It was funny hearing the various versions.

Also, Batman often gave Robin helpful advice about diet, fastening his seat belt, dental hygiene, etc., in an entertaining way.

Furthermore, the show attracted several big-name stars to portray villains. It was interesting learning who was going to appear and what type of criminal they would be.

In addition to famous actors as villains, other well-known persons appeared briefly in building windows during many episodes. When the Caped Crusaders scaled a wall, I wondered who they would meet looking out a window at them.

The show contained many jokes. As an adult I now appreciate some that probably slipped past me as a child. This television series operated on multiple levels to appeal to both children and adults.

Merchandise Related to the Show

An enormous amount of merchandise was marketed related to the show. I remember having a Batman t-shirt (pictured below with me wearing it, standing beside my sister). I also had a Batman & Robin Society Charter Member pin (pictured below), Batman trading cards, and comic books. Of course, the comic book preceded the television show, but I think I began reading the comic after the debut of the TV series, and I’m guessing many others did too.

I had lots of fun with the Batman cards which had pictures and a caption on the front, and puzzle pieces on the back. My Batman t-shirt was my favorite shirt.

A second grade classmate and I in 1966 discussed the huge amount of merchandise sold about the Batman television series. Even as second graders, we felt it was over commercialized.

One day at a store checkout counter with mom, there was some type of Batman-related item displayed for sale. Mom asked if I wanted one. I said no, and I wasn’t interested in that particular item, whatever it was. However, I loved the TV show and the Batman merchandise I already had.

Closing Thoughts

Batman may seem silly to many today. But I urge persons to watch (or rewatch) a few episodes from the first year of the series, in 1966. Maybe start with “Hissoner the Penguin” from November 1966. See if you appreciate what so many of us get out of the show.

The first season’s Joker, Penguin, and Riddler episodes all contain some nice insights and perspectives that even today’s audiences can appreciate, as I see it.

In Batman good always triumphed over evil in the end. Regardless of how bad it looked at times, I knew that Batman and Robin would prevail when the story ended.

I optimistically think that’s the way it will be in the real world in the end too. And I think watching the fictional Batman show with its happy endings contributed to my optimism, as does my faith in God.

ENDNOTE:

* “Batgirl and the Batman Phenomenon”; Television Obscurities; TVObscurities.com; webpage accessed August 16, 2022; https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/batgirl/

Growing Up Without Air Conditioning

I cherish wonderful memories of childhood summer days. A small electric fan blowing on the floor, as well as a glass of ice water and/or cold lemonade and/or Kool-Aid®, often accompanied me as I enjoyed reading a good book in my bedroom.

That was before I had air conditioning in my bedroom.

I was born in 1958 and grew up without air conditioning in my bedroom. It was a few decades after I was born that air conditioning became common here in Kentucky and elsewhere in the United States.

I drank lots of ice water, lemonade, and Kool-Aid®. That, along with electric fans, kept me reasonably cool.

I’m grateful to God for all four seasons. But, as far back as I can remember, I’ve preferred summer over winter, even when I didn’t have air conditioning.

I could drink cold fluids, sit near a fan, and maybe enjoy a breeze under a shade tree. I do remember complaining to mom about the heat at times though--probably many times.

How We Coped

Screen doors allowed a breeze in while keeping flies out during daytime, as long as the wind was blowing.

Mom also let my friends and I use a small oscillating floor fan that we would sometimes put near us while my friends and I played Monopoly® and other games somewhere in my house on hot summer days during my elementary school years. I don't know how much it cooled us, and how much we just felt a placebo effect from its sound and thinking it was cooling us. But it helped.

My family also had a large, powerful Sears Roebuck window fan that, after the sun went down in the evenings, would draw in cool air through our open windows and fairly quickly cool the entire house.

Yes, we were blessed with fans and a refrigerator. Furthermore, in southeastern Kentucky where I grew up, after the sun went behind the top of the mountain, there were still perhaps a couple hours of daylight with cooler temperatures. It usually cooled down fairly quickly outside to a comfortable temperature in evenings as I recall.

We could play croquet and do other outdoor activities on those cool evenings between sundown and darkness. Meanwhile, mom would turn on that big Sears fan to cool the house. Our home thus became pretty comfortable by bedtime.

However, I sometimes played outside even in the heat of the day. If I remember correctly, there were even some hot summmer days that my friends and I rode bicycles and/or hiked on the nearby forested hillsides. Somehow we boys managed to play without overheating and to drink adequate fluids when we went inside to stay hydrated.

History of Air Conditioning

Air conditioning existed long before I was born, as noted by a U.S. Department of Energy webpage [1] about its history, and numerous other sources. That Department of Energy webpage states that air conditioning was used in 1904 at the Saint Louis World’s Fair “to cool the Missouri State Building. It marked the first time the American public was exposed to the concept of comfort cooling.”

Use of air conditioning expanded in the decades following until “By the late 1960s, most new homes had central air conditioning, and window air conditioners were more affordable than ever” according to that same Department of Energy webpage cited earlier.

In fact, sometime in the 1960s or early 1970s my dad bought a window air conditioning unit for his and mom’s bedroom, though they didn’t use it much. Dad wanted to save on the electric bill, and fans were cheaper he said. Furthermore, at night when the outside air was cool, our Sears window fan cooled the house well.

When I was in the seventh grade, we moved to a house that only had small windows that rolled out partially rather than raising or lowering, The small openings limited the amount of cool air coming into my bedroom in the evenings. I began sleeping with the oscillating fan blowing on me.

During the summer after my freshman year of high school, I caught pneumonia. The doctor stated that the fan blowing directly on me was a contributing factor, so I stopped having it blow directly on me.

And when I was a junior in high school we moved to another house that had a window air conditioning unit in the dining room.

But even there, my upstairs bedroom lacked air conditioning. Its window faced the southwest. The hot afternoon sun shined in brightly in the summer. I kept the curtains closed till the sun went down. But with a fan blowing, cold water and/or lemonade, and being engrossed in reading a good book, I coped effectively and didn’t mind. Indeed, when deeply interested in my reading, I can basically tune out a lot of stuff.

Now

This summer (2022) has been unusually hot here in Lexington, Kentucky where I live now. Numerous days have featured high temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit, often accompanied by high humidity that produced a heat index several degrees higher.

This helps me appreciate the air conditioning in my apartment, libraries, city buses, stores, workplace, etc., and to reflect back on childhood summers when we lacked air conditioning in my bedroom. And it helps me sympathize with those who lack air conditioning or whose air conditioning unit isn’t working or whose electricity is off due to storms, flooding, etc.

Indeed, now I’m blessed with a studio efficiency apartment with a window heating-cooling unit that keeps the apartment at a comfortable temperature year round.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration [2], as of 2020 “88% of U.S. households use air conditioning.” That's a big percentage, and excluding northern areas with milder summers it is probably significantly higher.

But I still have fans for a backup. I have (1) a tiny pocket-sized, battery-powered one, (2) a small one that runs on electricity, USB, or battery, and (3) a small electric table-sized one that is pictured below that I bought at Aldi.

Several people I know say they sleep with a fan on even in winter just for the sound. I could do that, but I don’t. Fans seem to often make a nice white noise.

Ancestors

Centuries ago, not only was there a lack of air conditioning, but things like refrigerators, electric fans, and even electricity in homes didn’t exist. How did they manage?

One thing is that years ago it seems to have been common for houses to have outdoor porches, often on multiple sides of the home. They could also get cool drinks from a well or spring in some cases.

But times had to be tougher in those days. And, so far, I don’t think global warming has made temperatures that much warmer now than then in the summers.

I guess human beings just adapted and did what they had to do.

Closing Thoughts

I still like turning off the heating-cooling unit and raising the window in my apartment on nice days that aren’t too hot or too cold. I can hear the birds singing and other background noises while reading, writing, doing household chores, etc., in addition to allowing a fresh air breeze in.

We human beings are pretty good at adapting to circumstances. Even today persons in areas without air conditioning probably cope well if they’re used to it. But extreme heat in parts of Europe this year where many homes lack air conditioning due to the rarity of very hot temperatures created lots of problems. And thouands of persons in southeastern Kentucky lost electrical power recently due to flooding.

Folks, let’s seek to appreciate our blessings and to seek to stay safe, reasonably cool, and hydrated.

ENDNOTES:

[1] “History of Air Conditioning”; U.S. Department of Energy; July 20, 2015; webpage accessed August 3, 2022; https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-air-conditioning.

[2] “Nearly 90% of U.S. households used air conditioning in 2020"; U.S. Energy Information Administration; May 31, 2022; webpage accessed August 3, 2022; https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=52558

The Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Some of My Memories

The most astounding human achievement (under God's leadership of course) of my lifetime thus far may have been Apollo 11’s successful moon landing on July 20, 1969, 53 years ago today.

It was mankind’s first time on the lunar surface. I was only 11-years-old, a Runyon Elementary School student in Pike County, Kentucky, in the southeastern Kentucky coal fields of Appalachia.

I don’t remember now if I actually watched either the moon landing or Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon live or if I just later watched some of the numerous replays of the momentous moments. But I remember watching much coverage of the Apollo 11 trip.

My Fascination and Speculation

I was fascinated by the Apollo space program. During my elementary school days, I skimmed most if not all of the astronomy books in the Runyon Elementary School library, especially searching for anything that might indicate life on Mars or elsewhere beyond Earth.

The books all indicated life could not exist on other planets in our solar system, at least as we know it, due to lack of water on other planets. But I wondered if maybe as science advanced they’d actually find water somewhere or even life that could exist without water, realizing our knowledge was limited.

I even speculated that maybe we evolved from little green men from Mars who emigrated here as conditions for life deteriorated on Mars. I figured the old stories about little green men from Mars originated from something, and maybe even had some truth to them. Even as an elementary school student, I knew my idea was farfetched.

But decades after Apollo 11, NASA stated liquid water may exist on Mars. In 2020 NASA stated water exists on the moon. The possibility of other life in our solar system exists.

My Newspaper Clippings

I’ve loved to read and write as far back as I can remember. I began reading newspapers at a relatively early age. I even began keeping newspaper clippings on various topics when I was 10-years-old, almost 11 to be more precise. The Apollo space program was a major topic that I clipped them about.

As I recall, dad subscribed to three daily newspapers: The Huntington [West Virginia] Herald-Dispatch, The Louisville [Kentucky] Courier-Journal, and The Williamson [West Virginia] Daily News. The Williamson "daily" paper was published six days a week, Monday-Saturday. The Herald-Dispatch was delivered in the morning, the Courier-Journal arrived in the mail, and the Williamson Daily News was an evening paper delivered in the afternoon, so the three papers arrived at different times.

The photos below are a few about Apollo 11’s moon landing from my first notebook of newspaper clippings. The first photo is of clippings from the Herald-Dispatch. The last two are from the Courier-Journal. The notebook contains many more.

It would have been nice if I’d saved the entire issues of the papers instead of just clippings--and treated them better than taping them on notebook paper. But at least I did save them at age 11.

The Moon Landing’s Significance and Photos and Videos

The moon landing seemed almost miraculous to me. These astronauts were about 240,000 miles away on the moon. But I could see pictures and videos of them on a television screen and hear them speaking with persons on Earth. Modern science (under God’s leadership) managed to design an aircraft to get them there safely with oxygen, food, water, etc. It’s amazing how the logistics were worked out.

You can view online videos of the moon landing, like the one on YouTube linked to here. Online videos like this one on NASA's website show Neil Armstrong taking that first step onto the moon's surface and you can hear his first words from the surface. A NASA montage video shows some highlights of the Apollo 11 mission from liftoff from Earth to the liftoff from the moon.

While many of us in my generation may still consider the moon landing current events, today’s generation may consider it ancient history. Indeed, 1969 now is as far away as 1916 was in 1969. And to me, an 11-year-old, in 1969 the year 1916 seemed long, long ago.

The first landing of mankind on the moon in 1969 attracted much international attention. In a sense it united the world I think, much as an Olympic sporting event maybe sometimes can. Here in the United States, for a while at least, Apollo 11 knocked the ongoing Vietnam War out of the news headlines.

I cherish wonderful memories of Apollo 11 and of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon, as well as his first words after stepping onto the lunar surface, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.“

My First Chicago Visit: A Personal Perspective

Wow! Chicago, Illinois impressed me on my first visit June 18-20, 2022.

From my arrival on Saturday afternoon, June 18, via Greyhound bus to my departure Monday evening via Greyhound bus, I experienced much fun. I’d love to have devoted at least another two days to exploring the city.

Trip Highlights Included:

* A day at the Museum of Science and Industry (largest science museum in one building in the western hemisphere).

* The view from the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower/Sears Tower, including from the “Ledge.”

* Walking part of the Riverwalk, viewing a wide variety of magnificent architecture, people, boats, artwork, etc.

* Taking a guided architecture boat tour

* Eating some tasty food including a moderately-priced breakfast at Valois, apparently one of Barack Obama's favorite breakfast places during his law school days

* Meeting many wonderful people from various places and cultures

Saturday, June 20th, 2022

I arrived in Chicago about 4 p.m. Chicago time (central time) via Greyhound bus, then went to check in at my lodging place for the trip.

Lodging

Saturday afternoon I checked in at the HIUSA hostel where I stayed overnight two nights. This Chicago hostel is an impressive facility, and my favorite of the four hostels I’ve stayed at. But the other three were nice too (two in Washington, DC, and one in New York City).

The room was clean and included furnished linens (towels, sheets, pillowcases), a large locker for storing items, etc. My roommates in the ten-bed room were all nice and came from locations including Argentina, Columbia, and Mexico. It afforded a nice opportunity to meet persons from other cultures. The shared bathroom down the hall included furnished soap and shampoo, as well as a hairdryer. A shared kitchen and laundry were down the hall as well. Staff were friendly and helpful. My fourth floor room overlooked some tracks for Chicago's elevated passenger rail system. I loved the view.

The Cafecito restaurant in the hostel offered tasty food; I ate a vegan Sabo Impossible burger there on Monday afternoon that included a generous amount of spinach, as well as tomato, onion, and their special sauce.

Sunday, June 19th, 2022

I considered visiting a Chicago church congregation Sunday, June 19th, my first full day in Chicago, but decided not to. I did enjoy personal prayer times during my visit.

Sunday I took the #6 Jackson Park Express bus to 53rd Street and walked a block or two to enjoy a tasty, reasonably priced breakfast at the Valois Restaurant, located on 53rd St. It was apparently one of Barack Obama’s favorite places for breakfast during his college days at the nearby University of Chicago’s law school. Valois is pictured below. As I was walking near the restaurant a wonderful lady said "Happy Father's Day to your dad" which made my day even better. It was Father's Day.