The Yin Blog

Just like one "Star Trek" episode . . . without the white gorilla creature

So, the Russians are going to arm one side in Syria, and we're going to arm the other side. For some reason, that sounds familiar . . . . Say, there was a Star Trek episode about that, where Capt. Kirk discovers that the Klingons have been arming one tribe on a semi-primitive planet, thereby gaining an upper hand on another tribe (which Kirk had surveyed years ago). Kirk evens things up by arming his side with exactly the same level of firepower, no more, no less.

"Jim, that means you're condemning this whole planet to a war that may never end! It could go on for year after year! Massacre after massacre!"

- McCoy, shocked at Kirk's plan to arm the Hill People

"A balance of power. The trickiest, most difficult, dirtiest game of them all, but the only one that preserves both sides."

- Kirk, justifying his plan to McCoy

"Well, war isn't a good life, but it's life."

- Kirk, telling McCoy the bitter realities of war

(quotes taken from the Memory Alpha wiki)

I'm no expert on Syria, but I'm pretty sure there are no mugatus there:

 

Can you imagine seeing me on "American Ninja Warrior"? (Answer: No)

My 9-year-old son thinks I should run less and spend that time training for "American Ninja Warrior." But apart from the fact that I'm built like a distance runner, not a gymnast, after seeing one dude press so hard against the apparatus that HE POPPED HIS FREAKING SHOULDER OUT OF ITS SOCKET, I have very little interest in trying that kind of stuff. (Fortunately for that competitor, one of the other competitors happened to be an emergency room doctor, who came over and popped the shoulder back into place.)

Well, there's also the fact that I'm a fortysomething now. But that excuse won't hold any water, considering that there's a guy nicknamed "Grandpa Ninja" who's 54!!! Of course, that guy is amazingly ripped for being 54. Or even if he were 35. He doesn't look like a distance runner.

I'll stick to running and chasing a sub-20 minute 5K. And then resetting that goal to sub-19 minutes, etc.