ON PURELY CHASTE, PRISTINE AND RANDOM THOUGHTS XXV

September 1, 2017

Sorry, but it’s time for another “random ramblings.” Here are two dozen one-liners to celebrate the silver anniversary of the “random ramblings.”

  • Just finished reading Chernow’s  Alexander Hamilton.   I recommend it.
  • Prior to “Hamilton,” I read The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty by Hal Bock. This 2017 book is a must if you are a baseball fan. Incidentally, Hal is an East Williston resident.
  • I really miss Bill O’Reilly. His show was fair, impartial, interesting, informative and entertaining.
  • Defense plays second fiddle to offense in nearly every sport, particularly basketball.
  • I’ve become a fan of TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Can I attribute this to old age?
  • Traveling is no longer fun. Florida is the only place I look forward to going to.
  • Terry Collins (Mets) is unquestionably the worst manager in baseball. Maybe the Mets can lose the rest of their games and management will get wise and fire Collins.
  • The USEPA has thankfully come to its senses about global warming…or is it climate change?
  • A second edition of Basketball Coaching 101 is in the works and it will unveil my umbrella offense.
  • Just returned from our annual Easter visit to Sarasota, Florida. It was our 40th straight year of vacationing at the fabulous Sandcastle Resort. Unfortunately, I fractured a vertebrae slipping in the bathroom.
  • Planned on attending the Annual International Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA) Conference in Pittsburgh in June. It would have been my 50th consecutive year in a row of either presenting a technical paper or giving a seminar, or both. Unfortunately, the fractured vertebrae eliminated my travel plans.
  • Just celebrated Mary’s 50th wedding anniversary. Planned on visiting Ireland again to also celebrate Mary’s family reunion. Unfortunately, Mary fractured her femur which eliminated all travel plans. Not the best of summers for the Theodore clan.
  • Noted sports historian Arthur Lovely celebrated his 89th birthday this past April 23rd at the 4½ star restaurant L’Econtra in Astoria. The party of 8 included handsome (that’s yours truly), the irrepressible Danny Doyle, Ed “The Glider” Charles of the fabulous 1972 Mets, and TV fight analyst/former boxer Tommy Gallagher.
  • The indifference and incompetence of government officials continues to amaze me – particularly here in Nassau County.
  • The indifference and incompetence of government employees also never cease to amaze me; I could write an article on my experience with the USEPA and the Albertson Post Office.
  • I keep preaching that defense is as important as offense in basketball, and all my “expert” friends keep agreeing with me. But do they really? Other than Bill Russell (and possibly Dennis Rodman), name one Hall of Famer in Springfield who was selected for his defensive play.
  • Capitalism (along with democracy) is what has made our nation great. But there are times when capitalism has to be harnessed for the common good.
  • Liberty and freedom? Somehow, there is need to balance these against anarchy and disorder.
  • Manufacturing runs has become a lost art in baseball. Everyone is trying to hit a home run.
  • Every batter who regularly faces the infield “shift” should be required to learn how to hit to the opposite field.
  • Lost another of our gang – Zack Mehale. He was one of the good guys who made us laugh and who everybody loved. We’ve become depleted; there’s only a handful of us left.
  • Visited Saratoga in late August (my 61st straight summer visit) – NYRA’s THE place to be if you want to get ripped off. And what does that say about me?
  • A couple of people complained about my June 1 article titled “On Great Eats.”
  • I hope most of you read Ron Roel’s ACT 2 Page three page feature article about me in Newsday on June 25th. It modestly describes my successes during my illustrious career, more in next month’s posting.

 

Once again, this is the silver anniversary edition of the “random ramblings.” Thanks are due to friends, relatives, colleagues, etc., for their interest and support for this unique category of article; my indebtedness is also extended to those individuals in this group who are currently incarcerated or institutionalized.

 

Visit the author on his Facebook page Basketball Coaching 101

 

NEXT POSTINGS:

OCTOBER:                 On Newsday’s June 25 Act 2 Article

NOVEMBER:             On Barack Hussein Obama (Revisited) VI

DECEMBER:             On 2017-2018 Hofstra Men’s Basketball

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ON THE EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET VOTE

May 1, 2017

May 1, 2017

Here is my opening paragraph from last year’s newsletter on the budget vote:

“East Williston School District (EWSD) residents are annually requested to vote on a school budget and this year is no exception. Each voting member of the community will have an opportunity to either vote for or against the budget. Every parent, every senior, every taxpayer, and every youngster of voting age should consider voting NO on the budget. Why? Two reasons come to mind:  (A) Waste and (B) Senior Citizen Exploitation.”

 

I then proceeded to provide detailed comments on both above reasons which was followed by detailed proposed solutions to both problems. Guess what?  I not only didn’t hear from anyone but I also received no acknowledgements of my proposal. Isn’t this just great? I’m a taxpayer with no voice. You can thank Kamberg and his brood, Kanas, the teachers, the teachers’ union, and, of course, the pitiful PTO, for this sorry state of affairs. And, let’s not forget that it was the Bergtraum (incompetence)/Israel (greed) era that started the EWSD’s decline.

 

In any event, here’s what’s coming down. Per capita student cost is up (>$36,000). Enrollment is down. Hiring is up. School ranking is down. Student performance is down. College choice for students almost certainly is down. Waste has increased. Senior exploitation has increased. Student/parent exploitation has increased. You want proof? Try to FOIL these parasites in control for information. You’ll get what I got…NOTHING! What a wonderful state of affairs.

 

The community should be aware of the EW Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) 3/22/17 report to the EWSD Board of Trustees. I’ll spare you the details but here are the six FAC’s specific spending recommendations.

 

  1. Adapt recommendations to fund Program, Administration & Capital efficiencies
  2. Develop a framework to measure student achievement/investment
  3. Wages: take steps to continue to limit wage growth
  4. Healthcare: Increase employee contributions/eliminate opt-out
  5. Place a moratorium on contractual lifetime healthcare benefits
  6. Review opportunities to increase non-tax revenue

 

But, here’s the key.  Buried early in the report is “The Board has the responsibility and discretion to implement the FAC’s recommendations.”  Translated into simple English: they can, and will, ignore the recommendations as they have done in the past (I’ll comment on their action next year).

 

Regarding (1), the word efficiency is not in the Board’s vocabulary.  The teachers and their union have always opposed (2). The teachers and their union, the PTA, the Board, and Superintendent Kanas oppose (3). Obviously, the teachers and their union plus their stooges oppose (4) and (5).  Point (6) is a great recommendation that could be implemented by the brain trust in the FAC, but with teachers and their union, the PTA, Superintendent Kanas, and (in particular) the Board, there resides a group that is clueless on business/financial matters. Obviously, not a good situation since the FAC has wasted its time.

 

Here are my comments on reading the FAC report for the year 2017.

 

  • The District’s reputation is understandably on the decline (see later paragraph).
  • Tenure has created many of the problems. These positions should only last 5-years but can be extended if the individual has continued to demonstrate the freshness and enthusiasm of the early years of teaching. You know the teachers would never embrace this recommendation.
  • Need to spend time on converting thoughtless children to caring and thinking individuals.
  • Generate better relationships with students in order for them to maintain lifelong ties to the EWSD.
  • Teacher/community relations are at an all-time low.
  • I believe the rumors that all school boards have adopted illegal practices to undermine the school tax cap.
  • For goodness sake, do something positive about the WASTE.

 

The landscape has changed. My experience suggests that today’s students leave high school more aware of what they want to do and what they hope to accomplish in the future. Nobody I know feels the EWSD is doing enough to adjust to this change.

 

I’ll close with some general thoughts. The EWSD continues to do damage to our community with both excessive waste (particularly at the administration level) and indifference toward the taxpayer (particularly with seniors). Increasing numbers of incoming high school students are opting out of Wheatley in favor of private schools. This “migration” has gone uncontested by the Board-perhaps for good reason. The mode of delivery of education is changing, and changing at a near exponential rate, at all levels – and the EWSD has not attempted to adopt to these changes. I have been involved with several programs that have reduced or essentially eliminated the need for teachers. There is a need for accountability for not only these upstart programs but also for traditional programs such as at Wheatley. Unfortunately, there is little to no accountability at Wheatley. To further exacerbate this point, the EWSD teachers count has increased despite the drop in enrollment. On the positive side, I believe absenteeism has decreased; although there are more cars in the North Side parking lot, there is less of a reduction of cars on Monday and Friday. Finally, I stand by my earlier statements that at least two members of the Board simply cannot be trusted; the Community should not expect them to act in the best interests of the students and taxpayers.

 

You don’t have to believe me regarding much of the above material.  Here is the 4/25/2017 Newsday headline:  “7 LI Schools in the Top 200.”  Guess who didn’t make the top 200 nationally.  Guess who also didn’t make the top 50 statewide (there were 14 LI schools who did).  We also didn’t make the top 100 STEM schools in the state.  These are the FACTS, and the numbers don’t lie.  And yet, many of the uniformed parents refuse to accept that the self-serving EWSD Board, the teachers, the PTA, etc., have failed and betrayed both the students and the community.

 

 

Remember, it’s OK to vote NO on the budget. A NO vote represents a call for better education for our students, fair and responsible treatment of seniors, a call for new leadership for both the Board and the District, and a rejection of the corrupt self-serving policies currently in place.

 

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com or on his Facebook page at Basketball Coaching 101

 

NEXT POSTINGS:

 

JUNE 1:                      On Great Eats II

JULY 1:                      On Six Months Later

AUGUST 1:                On Purely Chaste, Pristine and Random Thoughts XXV

 


WHAT HAPPENED???

March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

The United States of America, popularly referred to as America, is a federal republic. The total area of the U.S. is over 4 million square miles and it has an enormous variety and quantity of physical and chemical features plus a wide diversity of animal and plant life.

It is also fair to say that the U.S. is blessed with natural resources. The country’s climate is favorable for a diversity of crops and forest products. The Corn Belt, a region stretching from western Ohio to central Nebraska, is the largest expanse of prime farmland in the world. Significant deposits of many important minerals are also present within the country’s borders.

Let’s start with media bias. Bias? Here’s what Webster has to say about this word: “tendency, prejudice, influence, presupposed…” Elsewhere we have: “prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.” The main function of the media – newspapers, radio television, movies, plays, etc. – is to report the news. It is a significant force throughout the world for informed people in helping mold their opinion. Most of the media compete for advertisement (income and readers / viewers). To cope with the competition associated with “instant” news and information, some of the media, e.g., newspapers, have become more analytical by providing background and analysis material on the news. However, the freedom employed by the media has been attacked in recent years because of concerns associated with the aforementioned bias.

What a great nation for anyone to be born into. At least, I always felt that way. But something very negative has occurred since the turn of this century. Here are the two major concerns that now have me worried:

  1. The integrity of elections has now legitimately come into question. But even worse, elected officials have been voting in blocks, not as individuals. This was brought on by Pelosi’s effectively mandating that Democrats ostracize Republicans and vote solely on the Party’s interests (not the electorate’s interests). The Republicans have understandably recently followed suit, producing a polarized state, for which there appears no solution. Thank you, Pelosi. The end result is that the Democrats have put our nation on a very dangerous course.
  2. The media has bought into a new liberal progressive policy that in a very real sense violates not only the intent but also the rule of the Constitution. I read the headlines in the New York Times and Newsday every day and it is disgusting; I occasionally watch some of the progressive TV programs, and I find the presentation sickening. But make no mistake, we are a product of the media. I for one believe what is reported on Fox because of the video replays and because they have been proven right time and time again.

What does all of this mean? Our nation cannot survive without fair elections and / or with a biased media. When was the last time the present Administration and the liberal progressive media had a positive thing to say about Trump? About Republicans? About guys like me? I’ve been labelled un-American, a Nazi, a hater, a racist…you name it. Here’s some of the lies we have experienced over the last 6 years because of the media: obstruction of justice, collusion with the Russians, stealing the election, hatred for minorities, hatred for illegal immigrants, hatred for America (!), exploitation of workers, etc., etc. At the time of the preparation of this article, it was the media’s squelching news on the Biden crime family, Hunter Biden, the President’s mental incompetence, Kamala’s incompetence, the Administration’s incompetence, COVID-19, China’s invasion of our air space, etc. etc. 

In the meantime, a spoiled billionaire egomaniac playboy (who some of us–including yours truly–used to laugh at) somehow overcame insurmountable odds to win a primary, win the 2016 election, and deliver on his promises to the electorate – all despite opposition from unions, liberals, the Democratic party, the Republican party, the cesspool in Washington, some truly crazed women, Hollywood, foreign leaders, sports heroes, idols, etc. And further, and still in the meantime, the corrupt media has mounted nonstop attacks (with no credence) on not only the past president regarding his physical health, mental health, adult sons, daughter, in-laws, younger child, wife, associates, appointments, lying, womanizing, etc., but also your favorite author.

Will we follow the same path as so many other great nations in the past? It’s easy to say yes. After all, Biden has eliminated any chance for energy independence, is content to see gas / home heating oil prices soar, and thanks to the media, successfully blame others for what has happened. At this point in time, however, there is a new kid on the block: a Republican House. The question now is whether the Republicans will follow Pelosi’s gameplan. I hope so, at least for the time being. It’s what is called fair play. Let’s get to the bottom of the Biden crime family, Hunter Biden, the Afghanistan debacle, the COVID-19 debacle, the earlier 574 riots, the southern border debacle, the FBI, the Attorney General, key news not reported by the media, the 2-tiered justice system, etc., etc., and put an end to these relentless attacks on Trump, Fox News, … and those of us who came to love and appreciate what a great nation we were prior to this Administration.

Bottom Line: What will come of our once great country?? What about our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren? Do others not see what has happened? Why are responsible individuals catering to illegals, prisoners, murderers, illiterates, rioters, etc., and not to the working class? And then there is the $64,000 questions – who the hell is running our country and transforming the trajectory of our great nation? Help %&$#?@!

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

APRIL 1:                    On Names and Nicknames II

MAY 1:                      On Its Interview Time

JUNE 1:                      On the Delphi Method

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ON A HYDROGEN ENERGY ECONOMY: AN INSANE IDEA

February 1, 2023

 February 1, 2023

Sorry folks. This is another one that is technical in nature. Why? I’ve just finished up a book (for John Wiley & Sons) titled Hydrogen Energy: Principles and Applications. Why did I write it? Because I was told it was a hot topic, and that it might sell. I say might because all my books have one thing in common: they simply don’t sell.

In the 1847 novel, The Mysterious Island, Jules Verne amazingly envisioned the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. “Yes, my friends, I believe that ordinary water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen, which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light.” Today, Verne’s dream is being taken seriously by many practicing engineers and applied scientists. Hydrogen has the necessary properties and can fulfill the role of an energy carrier that can be derived from either methane or water, but unfortunately, the economics are not there.

Increased stringent regulations and demand for zero-carbon and zero-sulfur fuels has dramatically increased interest in hydrogen as a source of energy. And, hydrogen may well emerge as a very important fuel toward the middle of this century, but your author doesn’t think so. Since hydrogen is not a basic energy resource (except in the sun), it must be supplied by using some other basic energy resource to separate hydrogen from water or other hydrogen-containing chemical compounds (like methane). Unlike carbon-based fuels, hydrogen used directly as a fuel produces only water and no carbon dioxide. Thus, hydrogen fuel is viewed by environmentalists and politicians as an ecologically friendly fuel.

Today, our nation’s energy requirements for producing electricity and heat are primarily derived from fossil fuels (natural gas, oil, and coal) which when burned, produce carbon dioxide, a supposed pollutant, that can impact the climate. This concern with carbon dioxide has created a free-for-all for the technical community in its quest to replace the traditional fossil fuels. Industry is recklessly (from a financial perspective) pouring money into not only research and development (R&D) but also advertising that this as an energy solution. But, ultimately,  the basic laws of engineering and science are untouchable and non-negotiable.

Here’s the insanity with what is going on. Pure hydrogen does not occur naturally; it takes energy to manufacture it. Once manufactured, it is an energy carrier (i.e., a storer for energy first generated by other means). Energy is required to isolate the chemical bound hydrogen. If a fossil fuel is employed for this purpose, it would require depleting an irreplaceable natural resource and produce carbon dioxide. Thus, the production of hydrogen depends on the availability of a source of energy to assist the process. After the hydrogen is produced, there are companion costs associated with storage, transmission, and conversion, which is then followed by its use. If water (H2O) is employed as the source of hydrogen, a significant amount of energy must be employed to initially separate the hydrogen from the oxygen. High energy “losses” occur no matter what the source of hydrogen. Therefore, producing hydrogen by any means simply does not make sense. As I said in the title of this article – it’s INSANE!!

What about a solution to the energy problem? Your author is a believer in geothermal (preferably) and nuclear energy. Geothermal energy refers to the heat stored in the Earth’s crust, i.e., the Earth is hotter the deeper one drills below the surface…and, this energy is limitless. Nuclear energy – unfortunately, much maligned by the uneducated and environmentalists – is energy obtained from the nucleus of an atom where fission energy is liberated when an atom is split. This energy corresponds to the loss in mass that occurs because the fragments are less than the mass of the original form. Nuclear fusion occurs when two or more atoms are fused into one larger one without long-lived radioactive waste. Here’s more on fusion – Livermore Labs announced on December 12 that they produced a nuclear fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain … a monumental breakthrough that is certain to impact all other applications involving energy.

The present fossil fuel energy economy must be replaced. But it has to be done gradually over several decades, and hopefully, with one of the two above sources of energy.

In conclusion, the implementation of a hydrogen energy economy by the government would be an economic disaster and negatively impact capitalism. The many advantages of traditional and other forms of energy are not well understood by the general public, and mercilessly demeaned, particularly by those (politicians are at the top of the list) for their own agenda.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

MARCH 1:                 ZZZABUU VII

APRIL 1:                    On Great Eats VII

MAY 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXVII

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ON THE ULTIMATE QUIZ VII

January 1, 2023

January 1, 2023

You are asked to provide the correct answer to the following 20 questions. Credit 5 points for each correct answer. A grade of 80 indicates that you are brilliant. There are a couple of tough ones in this quiz.

  1. The first game played at Yankee Stadium occurred in what year?
  2. What is the age of the Sun?
  3. What was the earlier name (before 1846) of the city now called San Francisco?
  4. True or false: U.S. ground forces invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945.
  5. True or false:  Elvis Presley recorded his first song in 1963.
  6. What was the name of the planet Uranus prior to 100 years ago?
  7. John Glenn orbited what planet?
  8. The Bay of Pigs invasion occurred in what year?
  9. Who played for the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Rangers during the 1950-60 time period?
  10. Who played Samson in Samson and Delilah?
  11. What two New York baseball teams played their last game in New York City in 1954?
  12. Name the author who recently initiated work on a book to be titled Hydrogen Energy.
  13. Name the newly elected Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead.
  14. Who was the star of the movie The Wizard of Oz?
  15. What is the mathematic relationship between °F and °C?
  16. What is thoroughbred horse racing’s showcase race run on the first Saturday in May?
  17. Water boils at what temperature?
  18. What are the chemical symbols for hydrogen and helium?
  19. What Yankee baseballer was called “old reliable?”
  20. What two brothers from Rockaway Beach played basketball for the New York Knicks?

Answers:

  1. 1923.
  2. Approximately 4.5 billion years.
  3. Yerba Buena.
  4. True.
  5. False, it was 1953 and the song was “My Happiness.”
  6. George; it was named after King George by a British astronomer.
  7. Earth on 1949.
  8. 1950.
  • A tough one but a great trivia question. The organist Gladys Gooding.
  • Victor Mature.
  • New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • Yours truly, of course. Naturally, I don’t know anything about the topic.
  • Jennifer DeSena. TNH is now home to your favorite author.
  • Judy Garland.
  • °F = 1.8(°C) + 32
  • The Kentucky Derby.
  • 100°C or 212°F, but only at 1 atmosphere pressure.
  • A Chemistry 101 question. H and He, respectively.
  • Tommy Henrich.
  • Dick and Al McGuire.

I’ll return with VIII later this year.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

or

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

FEBRUARY 1:          On A Hydrogen Energy Economy: An Insane Idea?

MARCH 1:                 ZZZABUU VII

APRIL 1:                    On Great Eats VII

MAY 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXVII

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ON POTABLE WATER / DESALINATION

December 1, 2022

December 1, 2022

The number one global environmental problem carries the label of potable water. I believe it is or will soon be the number one global problem. At a minimum, it will achieve greater significance in the years ahead this century.

The world’s total water supply is enormous compared with the presently conceivable needs of man, yet there is a growing potable water concern. Approximately 98% of the 320 million cubic miles of water in the Earth’s crust is salty and useful neither for irrigation by present techniques nor for the majority of man’s other needs. Precipitation provides many times the world’s annual water needs, but fresh water supplies vary widely not only over the Earth’s surface but also from time to time in a given region. This accounts for what has come to be referred to as the “water problem.”

An obvious way to increase water availability is to recover fresh potable water through desalination from seawater or from some other source. Your favorite author has recently and is currently investigating new processes for producing potable water. This month’s article introduces the reader to the desalination process and reviews the essence of two recent potable water patents.

In the overall desalination process, feed water is introduced to the desalination unit where – following the application of some form of energy – it is separated into (relatively) pure potable water, and a more concentrated brine solution.

Of all of the desalination processes, the only ones which are known to currently be economically feasible are: (1) evaporation, (2) reverse osmosis, and (3) crystallization (freezing). At present, the economic feasibility of all other processes is considered doubtful. Each of these three processes is briefly discussed below.

The oldest and best developed process for saline water conversion is the evaporation method. In many desalination technologies in use or being developed today, desalination began using evaporative processes. These evaporative desalination techniques were recognized over 2,000 years ago when Aristotle wrote in 320 B.C., “saltwater, when it turns into vapor, becomes sweet and the vapor does not form saltwater again when it condenses.” It remains one of the major methods today for commercial production of fresh water from seawater. In principle, seawater is boiled in an evaporator by passing hot steam through an enclosure (a steam chest) where the steam condenses on the inside of the tubes of the chest and is usually returned to a boiler. The vapors rising form the seawater feed are cooled in a condenser and thus converted into pure liquid water which is collected in a storage vessel. The accompanying resulting concentrated brine solution is continuously or intermittently withdrawn from the evaporator.

Electrodialysis was the membrane separation process employed for desalination a century ago. However, in recent years, reverse osmosis (RO) has displaced electrodialysis as the primary membrane separation desalination process, leaving the latter as the choice for medical kidney applications. An RO system consists of an intake, a pre-treatment component, a high-pressure pump, a membrane apparatus, remineralization, and pH adjustment components, as well as a disinfection step. Generally, a pressure of about 1.7 to 6.9 MPa is required to overcome membrane resistance to flow. The aforementioned pressure must be applied to the solvent or water and the membrane must be relatively impermeable to the solute or order to make water pass through the membrane in the desired direction (i.e., away from a concentrated salt solution). The membranes used for RO processes are characterized by a high degree of semi-permeability. These membranes may be configured into a variety of geometries for system operation, including: plate and frame, tubular, spiral wound (composite), and hollow fiber.

Crystallization processes were also employed over 2,000 years ago. Today, these processes are important industrial operations that are often employed in the preparation of a pure product, e.g., sugar, coffee, etc. A crystal usually separates out as a substance of specific composition from a solution of varying composition. There are several different ways that crystallization can occur. The three most often encountered in practice are

  1. Cooling.
  2. Evaporation.
  3. Cooling and evaporation.

Process 1 is the most commonly employed.

World-wide development of potable water techniques in the last half century has been driven out of necessity due both to water scarcity and population growth. The private sector has primarily led the investment in research and development since water has begun to be seen not as a commodity, but as a product to be sold at a profit. With this in mind, your favorite author recently developed two processes that are presently utility patents. The two processes are described below.

1. The WOFF (Water Obtained from Fossil Fuels) Process, Patent #17,579,045:

A process of producing potable water by combining a hydrocarbon-containing fossil fuel with oxygen in a combustion device such as a utility boiler or home heating to produce a flue gas of water vapor and carbon dioxide, and condensing the water vapor in the flue gas to yield potable water. The combustion device can produce heat or electricity. The water vapor can be condensed with one or more heat exchange devices. The source of oxygen can be air, pure oxygen, or nitrogen reduced air. The source of oxygen can be humidified, such as with a non-potable water source , or non-potable water can be added to the flue gas. The carbon dioxide and / or nitrogen in the flue gas can be reduced or removed before the condensation step(s). The pressure of the flue gas can be increased prior to condensation of the water vapor. Natural gas is the preferred fuel.

2. The THEOGEO Process (Theodore Geothermal) Patent #17,736,235:

A system and method for converting non-potable water into potable water employing  Geothermal energy. Non-potable water, such as seawater or non-potable ground water, and the like, is fed down a conduit into a deep underground enclosure. Due to its extreme depth, the enclosure is geothermally heated above the boiling point of water at the pressure within the enclosure. The water boils and creates water vapor. The water vapor rises and can be drawn up through a vapor conduit to the surface. The water vapor can be condensed (and further purified, if necessary) into potable water. The steam can be used in a hybrid system where it is condensed after being used for heating purposes or the production of electricity.

Your thoughts on the two patents would be appreciated. I can tell you that no individual or business entity has yet expressed an interest in either patent, both of which have cost me a pretty penny. HELP!

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

or

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

JANUARY 1:             On the Ultimate Quiz VII

FEBRUARY 1:          The 2022-23 College Basketball Season

MARCH 1:                 On That First Job

APRIL 1:                    On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXVII

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ON OHI DAY VI

November 1, 2022

November 1, 2022

This one may be primarily for those readers who refer to themselves as “Greek” or “Greek-American.”

Greeks first started to immigrate to the United State4s in large numbers soon after 1900. The main characteristics of these travelers were their high character, belief in God (most are Greek Orthodox), and their industriousness. My parents fit that description. They successfully managed to pass their traits onto their children…and I believe it applies to me. Today, the children and grandchildren (and great grandchildren?) of the immigrants are our leaders in business, industry, education, and government. The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) reported 13 years ago that Greek Americans rank 2nd in per capita wealth (Jews are first) and first in earned doctorates (Jews are 2nd). Truly a success story that all Americans can be proud of.

My parents emigrated from the Peloponnese region of Greece. It is a legendary place, especially from an historical perspective. This is the peninsula where ancient Sparta was located. Paris of Troy escaped here when he and Helen eloped. The Peloponnese is also where some of the most memorable of Greece’s locations can be found, including ancient Olympia, the site of the original Olympic games, and many others.

On to the main theme of this article. It’s been 3 years since I penned my fifth article on the OHI Day. This is a special day in Greek history as it regards Greece’s heroic involvement in WWII.

My ancestors have a long history of battling and suffering with evil elements and opponents. Unfortunately, history repeated itself in 1939. The 83rd anniversary of the resistance of fascist forces by the Greek Armed Forces was recently celebrated several days ago on October 28. The day came and went without a whimper here in the United States. OHI (an emphatic no in Greek!) was Prime Minister Metaxas’s response to Hitler’s order to peacefully surrender. What followed Metaxas’s response was 219 days of fierce battles. That in turn was followed by intense guerrilla warfare that resulted in a brutal occupation that included executions, sufferings, famine, and severe inflation; 10% of the population died. The rest is now history for some people and all Greeks.

Here are comments from two of the major players immediately following this war.

Winston Churchill: “The word heroism, I’m afraid, does not reflect in the least the Hellenes’ acts of self-sacrifice that were the defining factors of the victorious ending of all the nations’ common struggle during the 2nd WW for human freedom and dignity. If it were not for the bravery of the Hellenes and their courageous hearts, the ending of the 2nd WW would not have been clear.”

Franklin Roosevelt: “When the entire world had lost all hope, the Hellenic people dared to doubt the German monster’s invincibility, fighting back with the proud spirit of freedom. The heroic struggle of the Hellenic people against the German hurricane filled the American hearts with enthusiasm and won their sympathy.”

I dug this from my OHI files – a 11/21/1940 Newsday article.

“In a smashing drive at dawn, Grecian mountain fighters stormed the Italian defenses outside Koritza, drove the fascists back into the town and took over the new line from which they fired into the town…Despite desperate Italian efforts to stem the Grecian advances by flying in fresh reinforcements, Greek shock troops reportedly smashed through the Italian lines on the southern front, making another wide hole near Metyoni…Military observers here are of the opinion that if the present Greek progress continues, the Albanian port of Santa Quaranti itself will be threatened.”

Another reminder of the special day was a paper submitted by our 13-year-old grandson, 3 years ago, for his English class. It was titled VACHOS 1,5. Vachos is a small essentially deserted town build on a rocky terrain halfway up a mountain with no apparent means of sustenance itself. Vachos is located in Mani – the middle member of the Peloponnese peninsula – surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south, the Ionean Sea on the west, and the Aegean Sea on the east, …Here was a part of Elias’s passage… “We had started our journey in Athens, and we were now in Mani, the region of the Peloponnese my great grandfather emigrated from…Excited and curious, my whole family had all been waiting for this part of the trip. As we drove into the hills, the sea disappeared. A sign ‘VACHOS 1,5’ told us to turn right and drive 1.5 kilometers to Vachos…It amazed me that my ancestors left this town for more opportunities in America, but a basketball hoop had traveled in the opposite direction…Nestled into a steep hills, the house was made of stone, most of it still intact, with a dilapidated clay roof. Trees obscured the view of the house so we walked down the hill to see it from another angle. Long, prickly brush scratched against my legs as I surveyed the place my Spartan family had lived in a century before…We wandered into the town cemetery, where we were greeted by marble stones with engravings, vibrant flowers, and food and drinks placed on graves. I share blood with all of these people…”

I talk to Elias nearly every night. He keeps asking me about revisiting Greece. Unfortunately, that kind of travel is no longer in the works for me. But we can always dream. Now a senior, I can’t wait for a follow-up paper, perhaps as a senior project.

Finally, I want the readers to know that as a first-generation Greek-American, I never forget the value of growing up in a country – The U S of A – whose economy is based on capitalism and is both democratic and free.

NEXT POSTINGS:

DECEMBER 1:          On Potable Water / Desalination

JANUARY 1:             On the Ultimate Quiz VII

FEBRUARY 1:          On Zzzabbuu VI

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www.theodorenewsletter.com


On Water Concerns

October 2, 2022

October 1, 2022

This one is not for all of the readers since it is a bit technical.

Water is one of the lightest of those molecules that are most abundant on Earth. In addition, being made of only three atoms, H-O-H or H2O, it has a simple configuration, one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms (at an angle of 104.5° to each other). This simple molecule has several exceptional properties that are all the result of the fact that one large oxygen atom forms a bond with two very small hydrogen atoms, the smallest atom that exists. Oxygen is the dominant partner and attracts the hydrogen electrons, which leads to the unusually strong polarity of the water molecule, which has definite positive and negative poles. The strength of the polarity of a molecule is expressed in the relative dielectric constant. Of all the natural substances, water has the largest dielectric constant. This, together with the small size of the water molecule, is the reason why water is the best known so-called “natural” solvent. It has also been referred to as the “universal” solvent because it is capable of dissolving many substances. This property of water arises from the aforementioned dipolar nature of water molecules. Water molecules effectively surround positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions), which serve to prevent them from precipitating as a solid. This means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through one’s body, it carries with it various solutes such as dissolved minerals, nutrients, organics, and heavy metals.

Interestingly, the aforementioned hydrogen bonds are responsible for an additional physical property of water that is important for the Earth system: water’s extremely high heat capacity and high vaporization and fusion temperatures. Large amounts of heat are needed to melt or vaporize water and are stored in the water molecule. This high capacity for heat storage is important, not just in nature, but it is also used by humans, e.g., to cool machinery. To melt ice, 146 BTU/lb. (340 J/g) are needed and released by condensation or freezing, respectively. (It is this significant difference in energy level during a phase change that provides crystallization with an advantage over evaporation for desalination processes, a topic to be discussed in a later article.)

The story is a little different here at home in the USA. The USEPA (EPA), in partnership with state and local governments, is responsible for improving and maintaining water quality. These efforts are centered around one theme: maintaining the quality of drinking water. This is addressed by monitoring and treating drinking water prior to consumption and by minimizing the contamination of surface waters and protecting against contamination of ground water needed for human consumption.

The most severe and acute public health effects from contaminated drinking water, such as cholera and typhoid, have been eliminated in America. However, some less acute and immediate hazards remain in the nation’s tap water. These hazards are associated with a number of specific contaminants in drinking water. Contaminants of special concern to the EPA are lead, radionuclides, microbiological contaminants, and disinfection byproducts. These are detailed below.

The primary source of lead in drinking water is corrosion of plumbing materials, such as lead service lines and lead solders, in water distribution systems, and in houses and larger buildings. Virtually all public water systems serve households with lead solders of varying ages; and most faucets are made of materials that can contribute some lead to drinking water.

Radionuclides are radioactive isotopes that emit radiation as they decay. The most significant radionuclides in drinking water are radium, uranium, and radon, all of which occur naturally in nature. While radium and uranium enter the body by ingestion, radon is usually inhaled after being released into the air during showers, baths, and other activities such as washing clothes or dishes. Radionuclides in drinking water occur primarily in those systems that use ground water. Naturally occurring radionuclides seldom are found in surface waters (such as rivers, lakes, and streams). Water contains also many microbes – bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Although some organisms are harmless, others can cause disease. Contamination continues to be a national concern because contaminated drinking water systems can rapidly spread disease.

Half of all Americans and 95 percent of rural Americans use ground water for drinking water This includes residents of Long Island; in effect, this includes the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn plus the counties of Nassau and Suffolk. Pollutants were found in drinking water through testing water in different locations at different times.  Several public water supplies using ground water exceeded EPA’s drinking water standards for inorganic substances (fluorides and nitrates). Major problems were reported from toxic organics in some wells in almost all states east of the Mississippi River. Trichloroethylene, a suspected carcinogen, was the most frequent contaminant found. The .EPA’s Ground Water .Supply Survey showed that 20 percent of all public water supply wells (29 percent in urban areas) had detectable levels of at least one volatile organic. Furthermore, at least thirteen organic chemicals that are confirmed animal or human carcinogens have been detected in drinking water wells.

The reader should also note that water is the original renewable resource. Although the total amount of water on the surface of the Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules carry with them a rich history. The water molecules contained in the fruit one ate yesterday may have fallen as rain last year in a distant place or could have been used decades, centuries, or even millennia ago by one’s ancestors.

Water is always in motion, and the hydrologic cycle describes this movement from place to place. The vast majority of solar energy heats water at the surface of the ocean, and some of it evaporates to form water vapor. Air currents take the vapor up into the atmosphere along with water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil. The cooler temperatures in the atmosphere cause the vapor to condense into clouds. Clouds move around the world until the moisture capacity of the cloud is exceeded, and the water falls as precipitation. Most precipitation in warm climates falls back into the oceans or onto land where the water flows over the ground as surface runoff. Runoff can enter rivers and streams, which transport the water to the oceans, accumulate and be stored as freshwater in lakes, or soak into the ground as infiltration. Some of this water may infiltrate deep into the ground and replenish aquifers which store huge amounts of freshwater for long periods of time. In cold climates, precipitation falls as snow and can accumulate as ice caps and glaciers which can store water for thousands of years. Throughout this cycle, water picks up contaminants originating from both naturally occurring and anthropogenic sources. Depending upon the type and amount of contaminant present, water present in rivers, lakes, and streams or beneath the ground may become unsafe for use.

The reality is that our nation really does not have a water problem at this time. However, the world needs to prepare for an insufficient and potentially depleted water supply. In terms of conservation, one method of reducing a building’s water consumption is through the use of low volume toilets. The standard toilet uses as much as 5 gallons of water per flush, whereas some water-saving models use as little as 2 quarts. This can lead to substantial water savings, especially in public and commercial buildings. Another major source of water consumption is the irrigation of landscaped areas. This consumption may be reduced through the careful selection of landscape materials. Although conservation is here for the present, desalination (a topic to be addressed two months from now), disinfection, and nanoparticle-related treatment appear to be the major growth areas for the future. In any event, water will achieve a greater significance in the coming years and probably impact society in ways not presently imagined.

I close with a quote from my memoirs. “Water has always fascinated me; where it comes from, how we use it, … etc. I recently convinced myself that there is a viscous water cycle on planet Earth. What an unbelievable resource that – get this – is automatically recycled. It’s a shame nature didn’t bother to do the same with our other resources.”

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com or on his Facebook page at Basketball Coaching 101

NEXT POSTINGS

NOVEMBER 1:         On the OHI Day V

DECEMBER 1:          On My Two Patents

JANUARY 1:             On the Ultimate Quiz V

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ON INFLATION

September 1, 2022

September 1, 2022

Inflation! You have been hearing a lot about it since President Biden took office. Here is my take on this controversial issue.

Let’s start with what Webster has to say on inflation: “increase in the amount of money in circulation, resulting in a relatively sharp and sudden fall in its value and rise in prices.” The opposite is deflation, which is defined as “a lessening of the amount of money in circulation resulting in a relatively sharp and sudden rise in its value and fall in prices.” Thus, inflation and deflation are terms used to describe a decline or an increase, respectively, in the value of money and in relation to the goods and services it will buy.

Since inflation is the continuous rise in prices in goods and services, these price increases erode the purchasing power of money and other financial assets with fixed values, creating serious economic concerns. Repeated price increases were historically unique and often directly linked to wars, poor harvests, political upheavals, etc.

Effects? Inflation initially increases  business profits, as wages and other costs lag behind price increases, leading to more capital investment and payments of dividends and interest. Despite this temporary gain, however, inflation eventually disrupts normal economic activities, particularly if the pace fluctuates. Interest rates typically include the anticipated pace of inflation that increases business costs, discourages consumer spending, and depresses the value of stocks and bonds Higher mortgage interest rates and rapidly escalating prices for homes discourage housing construction. As noted above, inflation also erodes the real purchasing power of current incomes and accumulated financial assets, resulting in reduced consumption, particularly if consumers are unwilling to draw on their savings and increase personal debts. Business investment suffers as overall economic activity declines, and profits are restricted as employees will demand immediate relief through some form of automatic cost-of-living escalator clauses. It is fair to say that inflation is a major element in the prevailing pattern of booms and recessions that cause unwanted price and employment distortions and widespread economic uncertainty.

Impact? The impact of inflation on individuals depends on many variables. People with relatively fixed incomes, particularly those in the low-income groups, suffer during accelerating inflation, while those with flexible bargaining power may keep pace with or even benefit from inflation. Those dependent on assets with fixed nominal values, such as savings accounts and pensions, suffer erosion of real wealth. Borrowers usually benefit while lenders suffer, because all forms of loans are paid with money that loses purchasing power over time and interest rates tend to lag behind the average rate of price increases.

Stabilization measures? I have no answer since I am not an economist. However, it seems to me that any serious anti-inflation effort will be difficult.

I close with these thoughts:

  1. Politicians like to spend money because it gets them votes and power. They spend more than what is raised by taxes so they have to seek money elsewhere. They turn to printing money and / or borrowing money. Money is borrowed from government trust funds such as Social Security and Medicare and from the open market via Treasury Bonds. This assumes that the government can always borrow money without consequences. It also assumes that interest payments can also be borrowed. Elected officials know they must be right because this scheme has worked out pretty well since 1964 with the start of the Great Society and the War on Poverty. But now,  it appears that a day of reckoning may be fast approaching.
  2. The question of money always arises in inflation discussions. A nation can only create money of value when there are businesses creating useful goods at a profit. With these conditions, it is then a function of government to print money to facilitate commerce. As businesses prosper and trade increases, then governments, of necessity, print more money, However, if government prints money faster than the increase in business activity, then excess money will begin to chase the supply of goods available and prices will rise. Enter inflation.
  3. Our nation is blessed with an economic system which is very productive and efficient. It is able to take materials of low cost and make them into very valuable products. (The productivity of workers today is orders of magnitude higher than in those days of handcrafting.) As a result, workers are paid salaries that allow them to save money. These savings are a result of goods that have been made. If businesses borrow savings, it is usually to create more production and more money of value, and that is good. However, government spending rarely creates useful goods at a profit which would result in new money creation. In fact, the opposite happens. Most government spending destroys the value of money since government spending can result in the earlier statement of too much money chasing after a limited supply of goods. Once again, enter inflation.
  4. Treasury debt now exceeds 30 billion dollars and is still rising rapidly. Ouch!!

Note: Thanks are due to fellow Cooperite, colleague and friend Dick Graven for providing some of his thoughts on this controversial topic.

NEXT POSTINGS

OCTOBER 1:             On Water

NOVEMBER 1:         The OHI Day V

DECEMBER 1:          On My Two Patents

 


On The Constitution

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The above quote is the preamble to the Constitution of the United States. Every American, particularly those who vote, should read it (at least once). It is the basic instrument of our government and the law of the land.

In terms of history, the Constitution was drafted by/at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and ratified by 2/3 of the states (as provided in the Constitution and became effective in 1789). The Constitution provided for a national government of three independent branches: executive, judicial, and legislature. One of the conflicts that arose at that time concerned the makeup of the legislature. The dispute was resolved by the so-called Great Compromise, establishing the present arrangement whereby the states are equally represented in the Senate while the House of Representatives is represented in proportion to their populations.

The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates (a great trivia question). I recognized only four signatures: Ben Franklin (PA), Alexander Hamilton (NY), James Madison (VA), and George Washington (VA). The ratification process brought on intense debate and conflict. This was resolved when it was agreed to amend the Constitution with the inclusion of a Bill of Rights. A total of 42 amendments were proposed but were subsequently reduced to 12. Two (2) failed ratification and the remaining became the first 10 amendments, today referred to as the aforementioned Bill of Rights. Unquestionably, these were major and significant additions to prevent government abridgement and to insure the fundamental rights of individuals.

Here is what I would consider some of the key amendments. Read #10 carefully.

Amendment 2:

“…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Amendment 10:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

Amendment 13 (1865):

“Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”

Amendment 14 (1968):

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State      wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States …”

Amendment 15 (1870):

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

Amendment 16 (1913):

“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes from whatever source derived …” Ouch!!

Amendment 18 (1919):

“…the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States…for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.”

Amendment 19 (1920):

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Amendment 21 (1933):

“The 18th article of the amendment to the Constitution is hereby repealed.”

Amendment 26 (1971):

“The right of citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older to vote shall not be denied or abridged…”

Exit the objectivity of the above material. Enter my take on the Constitution. I believe the intent of the framers was to protect the rights of the people, and not the government and/or elected officials. Unfortunately, most officials and some of the Justices have chosen to ignore the intent and instead reinterpret many of the laws of the land. The framers obviously were concerned that an expanded government would encroach upon the rights of individuals. An objective review of the Constitution clearly indicates their concern that government expansion would adversely affect the rights of individuals.

How lucky we are to be Americans. As I noted at the top, everyone should take the time to read our Constitution. It is a brilliant document that has fortunately and understandably withstood the test of time.

Note:   I have decided to discontinue the closeout note for these articles on offensive or defensive basketball suggestions since work on the second edition of “BASKETBALL Coaching 101” is now in full swing.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

or

Basketball Coaching 101 (Facebook)

NEXT POSTINGS

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Aging

OCTOBER 1:             On Water

NOVEMBER 1:         The OHI Day V

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ON GREAT EATS V: PASTRAMI

July 1, 2022

July 1, 2022

Over seven years ago (2015), I wrote my first article concerned with GREAT EATS. Since then the newsletter has addressed food topics concerned with diners, steakhouses, Greek restaurants, and Italian restaurants, and there has been some feedback on each.

After much deliberation, it was decided to follow-up these articles with one concerned with pastrami sandwiches. Why pastrami? Because it is part of the New York city landscape. There are only three recommendations to follow since any contact with restaurants / delis have been limited. In any event, here goes.

  1. BEN’S. Not my favorite but Mary loves going there. Their pastrami sandwiches have gotten smaller and the pastrami tougher and fattier. Of course, order your sandwich on rye. Ask for extra sour pickles, two additional slices of rye bread. The french fries are good, but don’t taste well the next day. The coleslaw that comes with the sandwich is fair, the mustard excellent, and the Russian dressing is excellent. We normally order (and split) the pea soup which is good (I think their soups are devoid of salt). I try to go with specials or on our birthdays.
  2. LIDO KOSHER DELI. Similar to Ben’s but the sandwiches a little bigger. Their hotdogs and knishes are excellent. One of our favorites when we visit Long Beach. The service is also similar to Ben’s. No specials here which detracts. It’s rumored that it smokes, cures, and steams their pastrami at the location.
  3. SUPERMARKET PASTRAMI. I regularly purchase pastrami from the North Shore Supermarket in Mineola but any supermarket would do. I usually heat it up in the toaster oven and then prepare a sandwich. The pastrami is leaner, less tough, and, of course, the price is right (the price of a deli pastrami sandwich usually ranges from $12-$15): and, there is no 20 plus percent tip. I often do the same thing with corned beef. The meat lasts for nearly two weeks. This is my favorite approach to pastrami sandwiches.

There are a host of deli locations in not only Queens and Brooklyn but also Nassau County. I suggest trying some to find out for yourself. The three that come with some positive recommendations include Pastrami Plus, Pastrami and Friends, and Pastrami King. Happy hunting.

I return next year with GREAT EATS VI.

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www.theodorenewsletter.com

or

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NEXT POSTINGS

AUGUST 1:                On the Constitution

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Aging

OCTOBER 1:             On Water

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Here are this month’s three defensive suggestions from the upcoming second edition of my “BASKETBALL COACHING 101” book.

  1. Coaches should stress the importance of helping each other on defense at all times.
  2. Defensive drills should include one-on-one practices against various types of offensive players.
  3. Practice what to do if the offense is planning to miss a foul shot at the end of a game.

ON PURELY CHASTE, PRISTINE, AND RANDOM THOUGHTS XXXVI

June 1, 2022

June 1, 2022

Back to another one of our four favorites…here are 20 comments that may (or may not) tickle your fancy.

  • The recent baseball strike can best be described by one word: greed. Both parties were guilty but the players more so.
  • My virology book is finally in publication, due out in late November. Hopefully, this one will sell.
  • I may go forward with a book on hydrogen energy – a hot topic.
  • The recent March Madness tournament was but another reminder on the level of NCAA corruption.
  • I’ve now lost almost all of the players of my basketball team of the 1955-65 era. Unfortunately, death continues to pay us a visit.
  • Can the Mets finally do it??? Let’s go Mets!
  • It was 80 years ago at this time that 76,000 American were subjected to the 60-mile death march by the Japanese invaders in the Philippines.
  • COVID-19 and the Ukrainian war are beginning to take a toll on my mental state.
  • I keep asking colleagues, friends, foes, relatives, etc., about the $20 they owe me…to no avail.
  • My files continue to mount. I’m going to have to get rid of them one of these days.
  • I really believe potable water is the major problem facing society. Unfortunately, my book and two patents on water have yet to be favorably received. I’ve modestly titled one of the patents, “The THEOGEO Process.”
  • I often think about the millions of people our nation has saved.
  • I continue to feel that no group of people have impacted civilization more than the Greeks (my forefathers).
  • I’m making fewer and fewer trips to Astoria, Queens (my earlier abode) which is home to some of the best Greek restaurants.
  • My earlier years in Hell’s Kitchen during the Great Depression is slowly becoming a fleeting memory.
  • Recently returned from Florida after a one-week vacation (our 48th) at the beautiful Sandcastle Resort in Sarasota, Florida.
  • Taking a beating in the stock market – invested in Draftking’s (ugh!). Thankfully, I’ve only a few thousand invested.
  • Finished reading the 2020 book “The Henna Artist” by Alka Josi. This is a must read for those from India, particularly women.
  • I’m unfortunately looking forward to the visit to Saratoga Springs for the races for the 77th (straight) year this August.
  • Both the winters and summers seem milder than what it was nearly a century ago.

I return early next year with another “rambling” article.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

or

Basketball Coaching 101 (Facebook)

NEXT POSTINGS

JULY 1:                      On Great Eats V: Pastrami

AUGUST 1:                On the Constitution

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Aging

OCTOBER 1:             On Water

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Here are this month’s three offensive suggestions from the upcoming second edition of my “BASKETBALL COACHING 101” book.

  1. Try to avoid inbounding the ball in the corner if the opposing team is pressing.
  2. Try to avoid dribbling or passing toward one of the forecourt corners when the opposing team is pressing.
  3. Players should practice their offensive skills whenever and wherever possible.