Exercise log

The first gym visit since the evil cold of evilness. Exercise bike: 12km in 32:30. Benchpress: 3x5 @40kg. Seated row: 3x8 @50kg. Bicep curl: 3x10 @14kg (7kg/arm). Back extensions: 3x10 (those lads hurt). Running: 1.5miles in 19:00, intervals.

Body-mass: 100.4-101kg.

(So I lost weight while I was sick.)

I'm not that much bothered about my mass, but ideally I'd like to get it back down to under 95kg, where it was a few years ago, to put less stress on my joints. Or at least not increase the stress I'm putting on my joints, since arthritis runs in the family and I like being physically active - I'd like to still be physically active when I'm sixty and seventy, should I live so long.

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Now to Plato class, and pain and woe.

Plato, Apology, 30a - 31b start

‘ [30α]ταῦτα καὶ νεωτέρῳ καὶ πρεσβυτέρῳ ὅτῳ ἂν ἐντυγχάνω ποιήσω, καὶ ξένῳ καὶ ἀστῷ, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἀστοῖς, ὅσῳ μου ἐγγυτέρω ἐστὲ γένει. ταῦτα γὰρ κελεύει ὁ θεός, εὖ ἴστε, καὶ ἐγὼ οἴομαι οὐδέν πω ὑμῖν μεῖζον ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι ἐν τῇ πόλει ἢ τὴν ἐμὴν τῷ θεῷ ὑπηρεσίαν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄλλο πράττων ἐγὼ περιέρχομαι ἢ πείθων ὑμῶν καὶ νεωτέρους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους μήτε σωμάτων ’

These things both to the young and to the old - to whoever I chance to meet - I'll do, to both foreigner and to the citizen, and especially to the citizens, so much as you're nearer kin to me. For these things the god commands, you know well, and I consider no greater good yet to belong to you in the city than my service to the god. For I go about practicing nothing else than persuading you both young and aged neither

‘ [30β] ἐπιμελεῖσθαι μήτε χρημάτων πρότερον μηδὲ οὕτω σφόδρα ὡς τῆς ψυχῆς ὅπως ὡς ἀρίστη ἔσται, λέγων ὅτι ‘οὐκ ἐκ χρημάτων ἀρετὴ γίγνεται, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ ἀρετῆς χρήματα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἅπαντα καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ δημοσίᾳ.’ εἰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα λέγων διαφθείρω τοὺς νέους, ταῦτ᾽ ἂν εἴη βλαβερά: εἰ δέ τίς μέ φησιν ἄλλα λέγειν ἢ ταῦτα, οὐδὲν λέγει. πρὸς ταῦτα,’ φαίην ἄν, ‘ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἢ πείθεσθε Ἀνύτῳ ἢ μή, καὶ ἢ ἀφίετέ με ἢ μή, ὡς ἐμοῦ οὐκ ’

to care for bodies nor wealth before neither in this way very much that their soul may be as good as possible, saying that, "Excellence is not born from wealth, but from excellent wealth and all men's other good things [are born] both privately and publicly." So if by saying these things I ruin the young men, these things must be harmful: but if someone says I say other things than these, he says nothing [true]. "Regarding these things," I'd say, "O Athenian men, whether you're persuaded by Anytos or not, you will either release me or not, as

‘ [30ξ] ἂν ποιήσαντος ἄλλα, οὐδ᾽ εἰ μέλλω πολλάκις τεθνάναι.’

μὴ θορυβεῖτε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμμείνατέ μοι οἷς ἐδεήθην ὑμῶν, μὴ θορυβεῖν ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἂν λέγω ἀλλ᾽ ἀκούειν: καὶ γάρ, ὡς ἐγὼ οἶμαι, ὀνήσεσθε ἀκούοντες. μέλλω γὰρ οὖν ἄττα ὑμῖν ἐρεῖν καὶ ἄλλα ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἴσως βοήσεσθε: ἀλλὰ μηδαμῶς ποιεῖτε τοῦτο. εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ἐάν με ἀποκτείνητε τοιοῦτον ὄντα οἷον ἐγὼ λέγω, οὐκ ἐμὲ μείζω βλάψετε ἢ ὑμᾶς αὐτούς: ἐμὲ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἂν βλάψειεν οὔτε Μέλητος οὔτε Ἄνυτος—οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν δύναιτο—οὐ γὰρ οἴομαι θεμιτὸν

for me, I wouldn't do otherwise, not if I am about to die many times."

Don't make a din, O Athenian men, but remain by me with regard to those things which I asked from you, not to make an uproar on account of those things which I'd say but to listen: for also, as I believe, you will have benefit by listening. For, so, I am about - uncles! - to say to you also other things on account of which perhaps you will cry out: but on no account do this. For you know well, if you kill me, being such a person as I say I am, you will not harm me more than you yourselves: for neither Meletos nor Anytos could do me any harm - it is not possible - for I do not suppose it is allowed by god

[30δ] εἶναι ἀμείνονι ἀνδρὶ ὑπὸ χείρονος βλάπτεσθαι. ἀποκτείνειε μεντἂν ἴσως ἢ ἐξελάσειεν ἢ ἀτιμώσειεν: ἀλλὰ ταῦτα οὗτος μὲν ἴσως οἴεται καὶ ἄλλος τίς που μεγάλα κακά, ἐγὼ δ᾽ οὐκ οἴομαι, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον ποιεῖν ἃ οὑτοσὶ νῦν ποιεῖ, ἄνδρα ἀδίκως ἐπιχειρεῖν ἀποκτεινύναι. νῦν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πολλοῦ δέω ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ὥς τις ἂν οἴοιτο, ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, μή τι ἐξαμάρτητε περὶ τὴν τοῦ

for the better man to be harmed by the worse. He may, however, perhaps kill me or drive me out or revoke my citizen-rights: but with respect to these things he, perhaps, believes where someone else [that they are] great evils, but I do not believe so, but [I believe] he does himself greater with respect to those things here which he does now, to put his hand to kill a man unjustly. So now, O Athenian men, so much I need to make defence on behalf of myself, as someone might think, but on behalf of you, lest you do something in error concerning

[30ε] θεοῦ δόσιν ὑμῖν ἐμοῦ καταψηφισάμενοι. ἐὰν γάρ με ἀποκτείνητε, οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἄλλον τοιοῦτον εὑρήσετε, ἀτεχνῶς—εἰ καὶ γελοιότερον εἰπεῖν—προσκείμενον τῇ πόλει ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὥσπερ ἵππῳ μεγάλῳ μὲν καὶ γενναίῳ, ὑπὸ μεγέθους δὲ νωθεστέρῳ καὶ δεομένῳ ἐγείρεσθαι ὑπὸ μύωπός τινος, οἷον δή μοι δοκεῖ ὁ θεὸς ἐμὲ τῇ πόλει προστεθηκέναι τοιοῦτόν τινα, ὃς ὑμᾶς ἐγείρων καὶ πείθων καὶ ὀνειδίζων ἕνα ἕκαστον

the gift of the god to you, by condemning me. For if you kill me, you will not easily find another of this kind, artlessly - if it's funnier to say so - devoted to the city by the god even as a nobleman to a great horse, and under greatness in sluggishness and in wanting be roused by some horsefly, which indeed it seems to me the god bestowed me on the city with respect to something like this, that I stirring and persuading and upbraiding each one of you

[31α] οὐδὲν παύομαι τὴν ἡμέραν ὅλην πανταχοῦ προσκαθίζων. τοιοῦτος οὖν ἄλλος οὐ ῥᾳδίως ὑμῖν γενήσεται, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε, φείσεσθέ μου: ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ἴσως τάχ᾽ ἂν ἀχθόμενοι, ὥσπερ οἱ νυστάζοντες ἐγειρόμενοι, κρούσαντες ἄν με, πειθόμενοι Ἀνύτῳ, ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἀποκτείναιτε, εἶτα τὸν λοιπὸν βίον καθεύδοντες διατελοῖτε ἄν, εἰ μή τινα ἄλλον ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἐπιπέμψειεν κηδόμενος ὑμῶν. ὅτι δ᾽ ἐγὼ τυγχάνω ὢν τοιοῦτος οἷος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ πόλει δεδόσθαι, ἐνθένδε

I won't stop all day everywhere from alighting on you. So another of this kind will not easily be born to you, O men, but if you are persuaded by me, you will spare me: and you perhaps presently by being vexed, just like sleeping men will be aroused, striking me as you're persuaded by Anytos, you'll easily put me to death, then you'd spend the remained of your life sleeping, if the god, being troubled for you, did not send some other. And I happen to be a sort of kind given by the god to the city, from this

[31β] ἂν κατανοήσαιτε:

you may perceive...

Interesting links have opinions.

Genreville on In Praise of the Implausible:

Ng’s orchids are implausible. They’re also beautiful. I think we need more startling beauty in our speculative fiction, more giggling, more wonder. And plausibility is in the eye of the beholder, too; after visiting lush, tropical Singapore, where enormous plants really do grow practically overnight, I find Ng’s imagery only a step or two removed from reality, whereas if I’d never left the northeastern U.S. I would struggle much more with the idea. As Western SF/F publishers become more aware of their diverse audiences, they also need to realize that catering to one culture’s idea of “plausible” is just as restrictive as saying that protagonists need to be white English-speaking men.

Icky sexist "epic fantasy pin-up calendar" organised by Rothfuss &co. The male gaze reigns triumphant, and the female gaze is ignored. Sigh.


Some sadly wrong soul with a blog is wrong about the purpose of book reviews on the internet:

A professionally-written, legitimate review should not feature the reviewer's personal opinions. In fact, I would personally go so far as to say that personal opinion - when it does not address the technical merits of the book that influence reader comprehension - should never enter into it at all. No reader gives a damn - nor should they - what the reviewer thinks about the theme.

A portrait of someone frightened by intellectual integrity and popular/democratic discourse? Someone who thinks the only point of a review is to sell/notsell books? Alas for them.


Have some excellent volcano pictures.


And happy birthday, etumukutenyak.