Philosophy, astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco.
Dr. Watson, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
"The Five Orange Pips"(1892), referring to the limits of Holmes’s knowledge and character.
Well let’s see if Dr. Watson was writing about my background.
Philosophy, astronomy, and politics are marked as 7 (1-10 scale). He has a fair interest in philosophy and a bit more in its subset, theology. However, the thinking, study, and discussion of philosophic ideas, tenets, and assumptions requires a nearly forgotten skill in today’s society. That being the ability to listen. He wonders how one cannot be interested in the Universe. For his PhD at the University of New Mexico, he studied samples of the moon returned by astronauts of the Apollo missions (50+ years ago). The UNM Meteorite Museum has a piece of the Shergotty meteorite, one of the Martian meteorites. Just think of it, he lives on Earth, studied pieces of the Moon, and touched a rock from Mars. Awesome! As for politics , when he , wife and family, lived in Alabama he went to law school, then ran for Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge – County Commission Chairman. He was the Republican candidate and the liberal. This was before all the southern Democrats turned Republican. He was an avid reader of William Buckley, Barry Goldwater, George Will and others. We used to be able to talk principles in politics. Nowadays, what’s a principle? Like Holmes, his biology knowledge is variable, small, but enough to be amazed. There was not a lot of interest until he began teaching historical geology, the evolution of earth and life, at the University of Alabama; later he taught biology as part of the science curriculum at Lummi Nation high school. Biology. Life. Amazing stuff! He obtained a BS and MS in Geology at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP – the Miners). He is a licensed geologist in Washington State. He says that at one time he thought he knew a lot about geology, but now realizes how little he knows. To us who walk on Earth, it is a big place; from the International Space Station, it is a world that takes 90 minutes to revolve; from the moon it is a blue marble in a background of nothingness; from the Voyager Spacecraft it is “a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” [Carl Sagan quote] But it is HOME, we should cherish and care for it. Chemistry - let's call it Science in General - he knows enough to know that he hardly knows anything. Our knowledge has far outpaced our wisdom. Of sensation literature and crime records? For entertaining reading, nothing beats a well-written mystery. Not a violin player, but does have a guitar. It was the first thing he ever purchased on credit. That was 58 years ago and paid five hundred dollars for a Guild guitar. He still would like to learn to play. Boxer and Swordsman? Don’t be silly. Lawyer? Yes., former member of the Alabama Bar and Washington State Bar. Self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco: No on both, but he does hold with alcohol. He advises people to drink “expensive.” There are two big advantages to drinking expensive: One, for most of us, we run out of money before we have too many drinks. Two, it helps one develop a taste for quality over quantity; it helps you savor moments. If you want to discuss politics, do it over a $50 bottle of cabernet, not a case of Bud-light.
About Michael Bersch
About Michael Bersch
Philosophy, astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Dr. Watson, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
"The Five Orange Pips"(1892), referring to the limits of Holmes’s knowledge and character.
Well let’s see if Dr. Watson was writing about my background.
Philosophy, astronomy, and politics are marked as 7 (1-10 scale). He has a fair interest in philosophy and a bit more in its subset, theology. However, the thinking, study, and discussion of philosophic ideas, tenets, and assumptions requires a nearly forgotten skill in today’s society. That being the ability to listen. He wonders how one cannot be interested in the Universe. For hisy PhD at the University of New Mexico I studied samples of the moon returned by astronauts of the Apollo missions (50+ years ago). The Meteorite Museum has a piece of the Shergotty meteorite, one of the Martian meteorites. Just think of it, he live son Earth, studied pieces of the Moon, and touched a rock from Mars. Awesome! When he , wife and family, lived in Alabama he went to law school, then ran for the office of Probate Judge – County Commission Chairman. He was the Republican candidate and was the liberal. This was before all the southern Democrats turned Repulican. He was an avid reader of William Buckley, Barry Goldwater, George Will and others. We used to be able to talk principles in politics; nowadays, what’s a principle? Like Holmes, his biology knowledge is variable, small, but enough to be amazed. There was not a lot of interesst until he began teaching historical geology, the evolution of earth and life, at the University of Alabama; later he taught biology as part of the science curriculum at Lummi Nation school. Biology amazing stuff! He obtained a BS and MS in Geology at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP – the Miners). He is a licensed geologist in Washington State. He says that at one time he thought he knew a lot about geology, but now realizes how little he knows. To us who walk on Earth, it is a big place; from the International Space Station, it is a world that takes 90 minutes to revolve; from the moon it is a blue marble in a black background of nothingness; from the Voyager Spacecraft it is “a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” [Carl Sagan quote] But it is HOME, we should cherish and care for it. Chemistry - let's call it Science in General - he knows enough to know that he hardly know anything. Our knowledge has far outpaced our wisdom. Of sensation literature and crime records, for entertaining reading, nothing beats a well-written mystery. Not a violin player, but does have a guitar. It was the first thing I ever purchased on time (made payments). That was 58 years ago. I paid five hundred dollars for a Guild guitar. I am still trying to learn to play. Boxer and Swordsman? Don’t be silly. Lawyer, Yes., former member of the Alabama Bar and Washington State Bar. Self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco: No on both, but he does hold with alcohol. He advises people to drink “expensive.” There are two big advantages to drinking expensive: One, for most of us, we run out of money before we have too many drinks. Two, it helps one to develop a taste for quality over quantity; it helps you savor moments. If you want to discuss politics, do it over a $50 bottle of cabernet, not a case of Bud-light.
