Sunrise, sunset: What’s in a day?

Mornings get off to a a quiet start for me.

At least, they have that appearance.  I think that I look silent and drifting, disengaged and preoccupied, sometimes pausing as I come from the shower to trap an elusive thought or word before it escapes.  I tend to jot points onto a blank sheet of paper, things to do, things to think about, people to call, dates to remember, disconnected plans and priorities across  portfolio of projects.

But in the morning, I am just thinking about things broadly, skimming the fields, netting ideas. 

The prior evening’s movie “Another Year” featured an appealing 50-ish loving  couple that were anchors for the damaged souls around them. But, on morning reflection, they seem like smug dominants, destroying those who turned to them for help. ‘Off to the Guardian for a look at the review:

A division of opinion has emerged among audiences about its two lead characters. Some think they are simply what they seem: sane, nice people, and we could and should simply admire them. But there is an alternative view: namely, that Gerri and Tom are not all that admirable, but subtly complacent and self-satisfied, and we are misunderstanding their parasitism. 

Intellectual vindication.

Evening’s, I’ve been reading Gleick’s Genius, a biography of physicist Richard Feynman.  At one level, as a physics major in the 70’s who struggled with the math and visualization before finally turning to signal processing, it’s a revelatory discourse on what I missed.  On another, I try to understand the nature of Feynman genius.  He had both a unique way of looking at problems and a fearsome ability to solve integrals.

In the morning, I’m off to read articles on Principles of Least Action, reflecting on the smartest people and places I’ve known.  Is Feynman’s practiced ability with mathematics, in fact, intuitive genius?  To what extent did the intellectual hothouse of 1940’s Los Alamos  create him, as Cambridge, Bell Labs, or the Media Lab both inspire and challenge others?

I skim OpenCourseWare.org, alight on Feynman’s appendix to the Challenger report: For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.  Lovely, saved to Pocket  or should I be making a FlipBoard magazine of these? Scratch a note about “curated media”.)

Evenings conclude with a burst of activity for me.

At least, they have that appearance.  I take books to the café, order beer, and study Dutch vocabulary or read technical works.  I hunch over the computer and bang out a review, analysis, blog post, or report.  The telephone rarely falls silent before 9 pm.

The company documents that we need from Stone Bridge Biomedical:  Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Good Standing.

Dutch corporation ( a”BV” in the local language), registered through the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK). Their official record of incorporation is call a Uittreksel, and I went to their offices to pay for a copy today…

What do the documents now say about voting requirements? What if they make an offer that three of us like, but xxx refuses. Can he unilaterally block this deal?

Unanimous means unanimous: Let the games begin...

How do you think you could enrich our diverse and inclusive community, and what are your hopes for your college experience?

I’d suggest that you joined the Air Force five years ago for the opportunity to learn hands-on technical skills in a real-world setting, to develop leadership and team skills, and to get a broader perspective on global cultures and societies.

I have just been informed that the PS493 was shipped from the US yesterday and delivery is expected tomorrow.

Let’s confirm a call to confirm which stabilization method we treat the samples with, how many of the coated (stabilized, functionalized, coated), uncoated (stabilized, functionalized) and untreated samples need to be made, and final supplies and shipping instructions.  Dial-in instructions to follow.

What do you suggest?      Wat stel je voor?

What would you suggest?   Wat zou je voorstellen?

I give up.     Ik geef het op.

I know that my mind evolves from general to specific over the day, and my energy is highest mid-morning, late afternoon, early evening.   I move to a natural rhythm; I don’t feel like I get enough done.  I need more time for people and for thinking.

What is the right balance of necessity and aspiration?

Is a proportionate day the same as a balanced one?

How, how much, and when comes the human connection?