practical immortality

Magnificent debut last night for Ken Burns' latest tour de force, The National Parks. Loved the Muir look-alike historian's closing quote: "This," immersion in, identification with the natural world, "is true freedom. A good, practical sort of immortality." Looking for something larger than yourself to connect with? You could do lots worse than Nature. Episode 2 is on right now. That's reality TV.

Meanwhile, on another practical immortality front it's reported that longevity science is gaining new credibility. "Low-calorie diets and drugs that mimic their effects were all the rage at a Harvard Medical School conference on aging..." Did they find Democritus' secret?

I still think Muir's version is more promising. Paige's, too.

Satch

The Cards are stuck on 1, the Rockies rallied and the Cubbies rocked. (Gotta love baseball poetry! Annie Dillard went on about that once, repeating "Terwilliger bunts one" until it turned the language to goo. Good writing does that sometimes.)

Sticking to the baseball theme...

Satchel Paige's Rules for Longevity

1. Avoid fried meats, which angry up the blood.

2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.

3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.

4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social rumble ain't restful.

5. Avoid running at all times.

6. Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.