#51 / JAN 20 2014: WHO READS WITH WHAT & HOW OFTEN

Pew Research is an impressive organization which seems to be concerned with a quite mind-boggling variety of aspects of the American Way of Life. If Pew was a person, he or she could well be described as a polymath.

Actually, under U.S. law, Pew Research almost certainly is categorized as a person (something that needs to be changed when the Constitution is next re-written).

New Year Resolution: Find out more about this outfit.

Here is what Pew Research has to say about U.S. book reading.

The percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012. At the same time, about seven in ten Americans reported reading a book in print, up four percentage points after a slight dip in 2012, and 14% of adults listened to an audiobook.

Though e-books are rising in popularity, print remains the foundation of Americans’ reading habits. Most people who read e-books also read print books, and just 4% of readers are “e-book only.” Audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits overall, while fewer print readers consume books in other formats.

Overall, 76% of adults read a book in some format over the previous 12 months. The typical American adult read or listened to 5 books in the past year, and the average for all adults was 12 books.¹ Neither the mean nor median number of books read has changed significantly over the past few years.

More also own dedicated e-reading devices

The January 2014 survey, conducted just after the 2013 holiday gift-giving season, produced evidence that e-book reading devices are spreading through the population. Some 42% of adults now own tablet computers, up from 34% in September. And the number of adults who own an e-book reading device like a Kindle or Nook reader jumped from 24% in September to 32% after the holidays.

Overall, 50% of Americans now have a dedicated handheld device–either a tablet computer like an iPad, or an e-reader such as a Kindle or Nook–for reading e-content. That figure has grown from 43% of adults who had either of those devices in September.

NOTES

¹ In other words, the mean (average) number of books read or listened to in the past year was 12 and the median (midpoint) number was 5 (meaning that half of adults read more than 5 books and half read fewer.) This mean can be skewed by a relatively small number of very avid readers, which is why the median is a better measure of what the “typical” American’s reading habits look like.

#50 / JAN 19 2014: IT TAKES GUTS (LITERALLY) TO STAY HEALTHY & TO MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT

Dr. Mercola of www.mercola.com is something of a maverick and a minimalist when it comes to conventional medicine.

He is highly skeptical of Big Pharma, is critical of many medications and procedures, attaches great importance to diet, regards exercise and sound sleep as fundamental to good health, is fanatical about Vitamin D, and is implacably opposed to genetically modified foodstuffs; and, in fact, to industrial food in general. As to Big Ag’s happy habit of rearing cattle, pigs and poultry intensively—and feeding them antibiotics to ward off disease (thus promoting the truly terrifying—and trending—prospect of widespread antibiotic resistance) such practices make him froth at the mouth (metaphorically speaking).

Frankly, I doubt that Dr. Mercola froths. He appears to be a decidedly controlled individual, and in formidably good health.

Sometimes I wish the man would show a flaw.

I don’t know whether he is right on every issue, but he never seems to make a claim without plenty of supporting data—and I regard his general approach approach to health as sound.

We writers are notoriously neglectful of our health, frequently drink too much, and—generally speaking—live a sedentary lifestyle, but I pay great attention to his newsletters and (amazingly enough) actually modify my behavior on occasions. My rationale is simple. You have to be in reasonably good health to focus on writing, and at my age it makes sense to take a few precautions. Beyond that, I don’t particularly want to be dependent on medications—though doubtless I’ll have to compromise at some time or other. I have the notion that meds dull the mind, and since my mind is what enables me to write (I think—see below), I like to keep it (together with its kissing cousin, my subconscious) as keen as possible.

I tend to view my mind and my subconscious as two separate individuals—so to speak—with my mind getting the glory and my subconscious doing most of the work. ‘Twas ever thus!

Mercola has recently been obsessing about intestinal bacteria.

‘Obsessing’ has somewhat pejorative connotations’ but I’m more talking style than substance. The man does seem to obsess, but normally in a worthy cause.

I like to think of myself as being me—a relatively self-contained individual—but, according to him, I’m a housing unit for 100 trillion bacteria (who may be entitled to co-author status given how much they do). It’s all a bit disconcerting—but interesting. 

Anyway, Mercola is more than capable of expressing his views himself. Let me quote briefly from his Jan 17 newsletter.

• Your intestinal bacteria are part of your immune system, and researchers are discovering that microbes play instrumental roles in countless areas of your health, including your weight
• Researchers have discovered a difference in gut bacteria between the overweight and those of normal weight. A strain of beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus also appears helpful for weight loss in women
• Research suggests there’s a positive-feedback loop between the foods you crave and the composition of the microbiota in your gut that depend on those nutrients for their survival
• Bacterial imbalance in your gut can be worsened by processed and pasteurized foods. Sugar also promotes the growth of disease-causing yeasts and fungi in your gut
• A gut-healthy diet is one that is rich in whole, unprocessed, unsweetened foods, along with traditionally fermented or cultured foods

So now you know. It’s also worth putting Mercola’s opinions in context. The facts are that though we spend nearly twice as much on healthcare as other developed nations, generally speaking Americans are not in good health (something of an understatement). Roughly half the adult population suffers from a chronic condition, obesity is rife, and we die two years or more before the competition. That totality is sobering.

Maybe we need to re-think our approach. Read the man and make up your own mind.

#49 / JAN 18 2014: WHY ARE WE SO UNWILLING TO LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES? PARTLY BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON THERE. THAT’S OUR LOSS, THE NATION’S LOSS, AND JUST PLAIN WRONG.

Despite an intelligence and surveillance budget greater than the GDP of most countries in the world—something in the order of $70-100 billion—we remain remarkably ignorant of how other nations manage their affairs on both a macro and a micro basis.

This extraordinary paradox exists despite the fact (based upon evidence rather than opinion) that many countries manage their affairs—in whole or in part—a great deal better than we do.

This is particularly relevant where economies are concerned. Here we have a plethora of real life multiyear case histories which indicate both what works and what doesn’t work—and which we could learn a great more from than from our (decidedly inadequate) computer models.

Many of the answers we seek—or should be seeking--are out there and proven.

Bluntly, there is rarely a substitute for practical experience—and though there are certainly great cultural differences, human nature is universal. In short, what works in Sweden or Germany (for instance) probably could work here—if we gave it a chance.

The U.S. powers-that-be-seem fairly determined to foster intellectual isolationism together which, together with the notion of American exceptionalism, means that this nation suffers from an advanced version of NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome: If it isn’t American, it’s second rate and we shouldn’t even try it.

Oh really! Well, it would be nice to have a choice—and to make such choices we need to know what is going on in other countries in enough detail to make evidence-based decisions.

The following is an extract from an article by Jim Lobe of Inter Press Service.

Major Parts of the World Ignored by US TV News in 2013

Syria and celebrities dominated foreign coverage by ABC, NBC, and CBS – whose combined evening news broadcasts are the single most important media source of information about national and international events for most Americans. Vast portions of the globe went almost entirely ignored, according to the latest annual review by the authoritative Tyndall Report.

Latin America, most of Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia apart from Afghanistan, and virtually all of East Asia – despite growing tensions between China and Washington’s closest regional ally, Japan – were virtually absent from weeknight news programmes of ABC, NBC, and CBS last year, according to the report, which has tracked the three networks’ evening news coverage continuously since 1988.

Surveys by the Pew Research Centre for the People & the Press, among other polling and research groups, show that about two-thirds of the general public cite television as their main source for national and international news, more than twice the number of people who rely on newspapers, and about one-third more than the growing number of individuals whose primary source is the internet.

An average of about 21 million U.S. residents watch the network news on any given evening. While the cable news channels – CNN, FoxNews, and MSNBC – often get more public attention, their audience is actually many times smaller, according to media-watchers.

“In 2012, more than four times as many people watched the three network newscasts than watched the highest-rated show on the three cable channels during prime time,” Emily Guskin, a research analyst for the Pew Research Centre’s Journalism Project, told IPS.

This adds up to a fundamental indictment of the networks—and begs the question: Why does this situation exist? It’s certainly not an accident. That means it is deliberate. That fact has truly frightening implications.

 

#48 / JAN 17 2014: IN COMBAT, IT’S A REALLY GOOD IDEA TO STAY OFF THE ROAD THESE DAYS. THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO BLOW UP

There is nothing new about mines—which is what we used to call IEDs before replacing that perfectly adequate one syllable word with Improvised Explosive Device. They were first used in the thirteenth century by the Chinese when fighting the Mongols. 

In more recent times, IEDs have become just about the insurgent’s favorite weapon. In fact, I encountered them first-hand in Northern Ireland in the Seventies where the culvert mine became so popular that some British Army outposts had to be supplied by helicopter—a truly remarkable sight in what was supposed to be an advanced Western democracy. Driving along a road that may well blow you to pieces is an interesting experience. Short of a physical search on foot, culvert bombs placed under paved roads are quick to place and virtually undetectable.

Most culverts, by the way, are there for drainage, though some are used for sewage, gas or power. Yes, they can be blocked—which leads to other problems—but insurgents can, and do, unblock them, insert IED’s, and then re-block them (which makes the concealed IED extremely hard to detect).

Despite this, the U.S. Army has remained remarkably road bound—and fundamentally still is—in the face of overwhelming evidence that a change in that doctrine is long overdue. And, by the way, when I say “road-bound” I mean just that, even though maneuvering off-road is entirely practicable in all weathers and over most terrain if your vehicle is tracked (a subject I’ll write about some other time).

True, IEDs can still be used off-road, but many more are needed if a kill is to be likely—which increases the likelihood of the IED layers being detected. Better still, if you drive cross-country, you gain the crucial advantage of being unpredictable—which makes you much harder to hit and vastly more dangerous.

An additional tactic is to get off the ground altogether--which is where Advanced Tactics’s  Black Knight Transformer (see photo) comes in. Equipped with eight fold-away rotors, it can be driven on the ground like a truck—or fly like a helicopter—and be remotely controlled.

From that excellent site www.gizmag.com

When the AT Black Knight Transformer is operational, it will be a streamlined aircraft with turbo diesel engines capable of handling 1,000 lb (453 kg) or five passengers with a 250 nautical mile (463 km) range at 130 knots (241 km/h). On the ground, it will be able to haul 1,600 lb (726 kg) or eight passengers and manage 70 mph (over 110 km/h).

But aren’t there such things as aerial mines?

Yes, there are—but they are much harder to make, expensive, and not yet widely available. Beyond that, it is worthwhile remembering that reassuring combat aviator’s aphorism? “Big sky. Little bullet.”  

#47 / JAN 16 2014: EVEN MORE UNSETTLING, THE FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY WITHOUT PRINT BOOKS! NONE! ZIP! NADA!

I guess this had to happen, but I felt quite queasy when I read the headline.

I'm all in favor of e-books, but I don't want them to take over the world.

I feel much the same way about Google. Or Amazon. Or the Irish.

Moderation in all things.

I will confess: We Irish are not renowned for our moderation.

But the sentence "Bexar County, Texas has opened a new library that has no books inside," made me feel quite ill—even though I think such developments are both desirable and inevitable. But books—real printed books, the kind that are heavy to lug around, and near impossible to dust—are sacred to me. I’ve built my life around them (with the help of a couple of other pleasant ways of passing the time).   

I feel like paraphrasing Rudyard Kipling’s memorable 1922 line: “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke,” into something like: “A woman is only a woman, but a good book is… However, my life is hazardous enough already—and I hold (most) women in high regard. In fact, I think they/you have the edge on us males. But even though it is sexist and dated, I love the rhythm of the line—and of course Kipling was only joking (I think).

I’m a great Kipling fan. My much loved grandmother read me THE JUNGLE BOOK, and other stories, before I learned to read, and then I worked through most of his other works over time.

He was a consummate story-teller  and his works translated well into movies such as KIM, GUNGA DIN and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (one of my favorite films with a dream cast directed by John Huston).

Here is a little more detail from www.mediabistro.com :

Instead the library is outfitted with iPad stations and iMacs loaded with digital books available to check out, making it the first digital library in the country.

The library is called the BiblioTech. Patrons can check out eBooks, audiobooks, and software training databases, as well as eReaders. The library also hosts computer classes and patrons can use laptops, tablets, and desktops at the branch.

The Associated Press points out that the library looks like an Apple Store but is located in a part of town which wouldn’t appeal to the tech company. “BiblioTech is on the city’s economically depressed South Side and shares an old strip mall with a Bexar County government building,” explains the AP.

#47 / JAN 16 2014: IN THE EARLY DAYS OF WRITING ON A COMPUTER, I DID A GREAT DEAL MORE THAN BLEED. I DAMN NEARLY BLED OUT. HEMINGWAY GOT OFF LIGHTLY. HE DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DOS & WINDOWS (AND SHOOTING BILL GATES) JUST ABOUT WRITING!

There is a short but marvelous selection of quotes on writing on a decidedly original blog www.preciousgemblog.wordpress.com put together by GEMMA GATEN. She is a freelance writer who works for UK Best Essays. I have a feeling we’ll we hearing more about her—and from her.

She wrote a guest blog for www.bookbaby.com featuring Einstein qu0tes which got my attention. Here are a couple of extracts.

“Paper is to write things down that we need to remember. Our brains are used to think.”

The genius already said it: use the tools (pen and paper) to write down your notes, ideas, phrases, etc. Then your brain can get back to creating.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning… Never lose a holy curiosity.”

Most intellectuals are curious people. Curiosity leads to discovery. Just look at the curious character of Einstein. If he didn’t ask questions and actively search for answers there would be no theory of general relativity. Writers should always be curious. Without curiosity, you might not recognize a great idea that’s standing right in front of you.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Einstein believed that an active imagination was the key to solving any problem. Writers are most fueled by the writing process when their imaginations are fully engaged. The reason why imagination is more important than knowledge is because it’s limitless. It can move you beyond observed reality and allows you to create new worlds. Use your imagination to create brilliant written works. Use your imagination to engage people. Use your imagination to become a better writer.

You know there is more to the above quote and comment than you might think. But I need to go for a walk so I’ll explore that theme on another occasion.

Let me conclude with a Mark Twain quote that says most of what you need to know about the writing life:

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” ― Mark Twain

#46 / JAN 15: THE UNSETTLING CASE OF THE VANISHING BLOGS

I use Microsoft's Windows Live Writer to write my blogs in—and like it greatly.

It does everything I need, I can insert graphics as required, and it posts easily. However, it has one disconcerting limitation: It limits the number of Draft Titles you can read—at any one time—to 10.

That is normally more than enough. Recently, I was hit with a stronger than usual burst of writing energy and discovered it wasn't. I wrote 12 blogs ahead—and could only find 10. Two were missing!

AAAAAGH! Or some such.

Losing work upsets me more than most things. As I have written elsewhere, ideas are fragile things—and elusive into the bargain. To have them wander off is unsettling. They might be perfectly safe, but if you can't keep tabs on them, you have every reason to be concerned. They might be holed up in a hotel room somewhere. They are not strong on fidelity.

I'm not quite sure why Microsoft impose such limitations on Live Writer, but then I'm far from sure why they do many things. Could it be that they are big and arrogant, and think they know better?

In truth, Windows apart, they are no longer the worst. Mind you, the Windows evolution was so awful, it almost certainly constitutes a Crime Against Humanity.

Be that as it may, I vaguely remembered that even if you couldn't read the title of a draft, that didn't mean it wasn't there. It almost certainly was if you had saved it—and, of course I had saved it! Hadn’t I? 

But how could I make it appear? I knew it could be done, but I had forgotten. I tend to forget things to do with systems and procedures.

Eventually, it occurred to me that if I posted one of the 10 drafts, one of the missing drafts might reveal itself—and so it proved. Break out the champagne and fireworks. Haul in the dancing girls (and boys if you are so inclined).

Drama over until the next time.

I'm now doing my initial drafts in Evernote and pasting them across to Windows Live Writer for a final polish. Will that work? Well, it should certainly allow me to stockpile any quantity of blogs I want—and find them—but will there be formatting issues?

I'll let you know.

I live in hopes Evernote will expand the word and graphic handling side of their software. Given a few changes, I could near live in it— it’s a truly invaluable piece of work.

Microsoft might buy the company. If it does, I shall run screaming into the darkness.