Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 51

Goldfish, Firelies and 2.4 Million E-mails Every Second

Hmmm, do you remember what happened eight seconds ago?

I heard recently that goldfish have an attention span of nine seconds. Let’s set aside for the moment how you go about measuring a goldfish’s mental faculties. Or why you bother to do so even if you could. And how much R&D grant money went down the drain in the study that arrived at this earth-shattering conclusion.

The relevance of this tidbit of trivia is that a study found that the average consumer has an attention span even shorter than the goldfish – eight seconds, according to the study. Researchers have been monitoring this trait for some time. The figure has dropped precipitously from twelve seconds in the year 2000.

This trend supports my oft made observation that we are living in an attention-deficit society. On the one hand, we have increased our ability to multitask which is a survival skill in the modern workplace. But in the process we have sacrificed our ability to focus. We are like fireflies flitting through each day – our attention indicator light constantly flickering.

It is my contention that this alarming trend is a side effect of the digital era in which we live. We are armed with an ever increasing array of digital devices and subject to a constant bombardment of digital stimuli from them.

E-mail messages have become ubiquitous in our lives. Experts in the field estimated that in 2015 there were 205 billion e-mails sent every day. This translates to 7.4 trillion e-mails every year and 2.4 million every second. Yes, every second. Our brains have been reprogrammed to expect new stimuli every eight seconds.

I cannot help but wonder if this fact underlies some of the disconcerting behaviours I witness. At least once a day, I see someone blasting through a red traffic light. I curse these individuals thinking that they just do not give a damn about my safety. But what if it is more about a constant of distraction such that they do not even notice that the light is red?

This past summer I was driving on a two lane country road on a Saturday. I saw a vehicle coming toward me in the wrong lane at a high rate of speed. I slowed down assuming that he/she would swing back into the proper lane. It did not happen. I had to pull over onto the gravel shoulder of the road to let the vehicle zoom past.

I watched in my rear view mirror. The vehicle went another hundred yards before moving back into the correct lane. Was the driver in such a distracted state that he/she lost all sense of where they were and what they were doing? A frightening thought, indeed.

I am labelling it the firefly metaphor – the constant state of overstimulation we experience that fragments our attention into staccato bursts. Call it the goldfish metaphor if that works better for you. Either way, for better or for worse, it is an alarming sign of the times.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Discontent Trumps Arrogance: Anatomy of the Trump Path to the Presidency

Hmmm, was the startling outcome of the U.S. presidential race more predictable than we realized?

I happened upon an online article last Monday about a giant sinkhole swallowing a downtown street in the city of Fukuoka in Southern Japan. The sinkhole, half the size of an Olympic pool, cut off power, water and gas supplies to parts of the city. I could not help but wonder if it was prophetic given that we were on the eve of election day in the polarizing race for U.S. president.

The day after election day we woke up to the harsh reality that Donald Trump proved all the experts wrong, leaving Hillary Clinton and the Republicans in a massive political sinkhole, as he stormed to victory. So it seems the Japan story was indeed prophetic.

There is a great divide between those who believe this is good news and those who are horrified by it. Let’s set that issue aside for the moment to address the how behind this stunning development. How did Donald Trump pull off the political upset of our generation?

Part of the answer lies in the simple matter of timing. Success in the political arena is at least 50% based on running for the right party at the right time. Catch the wave of cynicism, which inevitably comes after one party has been in power for too long, and you’re on your way.

However, the cynicism has to run very deep for someone as arrogant and crass – and many will argue dangerous – as Donald Trump to carry the day. I myself do not track American politics. But a source of mine, who shall remain nameless, cued me into how deep, wide and festering the discontent has become with the Democratic Party and with Hillary Clinton.

Many of us refused to believe that Donald Trump could ever become president. In any lesser-of-two-evils comparison, we thought he would always come out with the short end of the stick. I wrote a blog post some time back warning that we should not make the mistake of thinking it could not happen. But honestly, I still did not believe it would happen.

All of us in the anybody-but-Trump camp underestimated key factors:

The size of the silent majority in the U.S. and how deep their feelings of abandonment run.

The power of a simple but forceful message, however extremist and however crassly communicated, consistently and unapologetically delivered, to rally those who feel cheated and left behind.

How engrained the better the devil you know school of thought has become. In an era where politicians so often harbour hidden agendas and speak out of both sides of their mouths, Donald’s Trump’s what you see is what you get image has a perverse appeal to many.

We refused to believe it could happen because we so vehemently did not want it to happen. We were naïve and in denial. Our eyes our open now.

My unnamed source believes that Trump’s victory had to happen because the alternative, which those of us north of the border are not fully attuned to, was the greater of the evils. It’s a tough pill to swallow and an exorbitant price to pay.

We can only hope that the ripples of the political sinkhole that has turned the U.S. on its head do not become a tsunami that capsizes all of us who were too naïve to see what was coming. Hold on tight. It is going to be a bumpy ride.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week

Wind Riders, Water Striders and Sedge Hoppers: Portraits of Nature

Phantom Crane Fly

Hmmm, who knew that moving about in the insect world could be so specialized from one species to another?

When I take the time to patiently surf through my collection of nature photos and read the finer details in the field guides, I sometimes learn about unique adaptions. One such example is how insects have evolved special means of getting from point A to point B.

The gangly fellow at the top of this post is called a Phantom Crane Fly. Quite honestly, I do not know what the “phantom” part of its name means. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they are such spindly, unsubstantial things. Or the fact that they are poor flies and rely heavily on riding the wind.

Those checkerboard patterned, stilt legs seems to be amazingly adept at anchoring the Crane Fly to the blades of grass it is straddling. The pose this wind rider struck when I grabbed this photo looks like a complicated gymnastics move worthy of the insect Olympics!

Water Strider

You may have seen groups of this slender bodied insect defying the natural laws of water. This talented creature is called a water strider because of its ability to skate across the surface of ponds and slow moving streams.

The Water Strider’s ability to stride across the water arises from very fine hairs on their legs. My field guide tells me it is very difficult for these hairs to get wet. But if something goes wrong and they do get wet, the Water Strider will sink. Hence, it has a somewhat precarious existence in its natural environment.

Grace Sedge Grasshopper

The striking specimen above is a Graceful Sedge Grasshopper – so named because it feeds on sedges in wet areas. Whoever discovered it and named it, apparently  felt compelled to include “graceful” in the name to do justice to its handsome attire.

Did you know that if humans could jump as far as grasshoppers, we could easily jump the length of a football field? What makes these insects such good jumpers? Their large back legs act as miniature catapults by virtue of a special part of their knee which acts as a spring and stores up energy.

I have a particular fascination with creatures blessed with the ability to fly. But in the drought conditions of these past summer, butterflies and dragonflies were in short supply. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise as it gave me reason to pay closer attention to other creatures and how they are also living metaphors for the diversity of nature.

Riding the wind, striding over water or hopping through the meadows… whatever their mode of transport, I am happy to cross paths with them.

Michael Robert Dyet is the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

Subscribe to Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm at its internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this log: How To” instructions in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once per week.

The Olympic Games: Not the Triumph, But the Struggle

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.

Pierre de Coubertin, 1863 – 1937, French Educator and Historian, Founder of the International Olympic Committee

Hmmm, are the Olympic Games about much more than the race to the finish line and who claims the gold medal?

We are a little over a week into the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has not been the flawless spectacle that we all hope for it to be. The risk of the Zika Virus kept a few athletes from participating. The City of Rio has had its shortcomings as host. Substandard conditions were reported in the athletes’ living quarters a week or two before the Games began.

There have been serious concerns over polluted waterways were some of the rowing competitions take place. Not to mention the mysterious, murky green water in the indoor pool where the diving events occur. Keep your mouth closed has become the mantra of the athletes participating in events at these locations.

But the Olympic Games remain an inspirational event and a symbol of international solidarity at a time when it is sorely needed. The Olympic Creed, set out at the head of this post, is more relevant today than ever before both in the context of the Olympic Hames themselves and in the broader context of the tempestuous times in which we live.

Hardly a week goes by now without an act of shocking violence or terrorism or political upheaval somewhere in the world. Stock markets ride a continuous roller coaster that must be giving stock brokers an ulcer. And, of course, there is the disconcerting possibility that Donald Trump might become president of the United States.

Amateur athletics are not immune to controversy. Doping scandals were an all too common occurrence in the run-up to the Games. Fortunately, a zero tolerance policy on that front weeds out the perpetrators at least temporarily.

The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. This for me is truly what the Olympic Games are all about. Not gold or silver or bronze medals. Not bragging rights on an individual or national level. Not the one-tenth of a second difference between first and second place or Michael Phelps steely-eyed stare before a race.

The Olympic Games are a metaphor for the reality that life has always been and always will be a struggle to discover and live up to our best selves in the most profound sense of that ideal. It is not about winners and losers. It is about a shared commitment to unity, respect and tolerance in the struggle itself.

In the end, no one wins unless we all believe in the universal brotherhood of humanity and make that the gold standard towards which we all strive.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Corner Gas and Dog River: Where Happiness is a Chili Cheese Dog

Hmmm, would you think I am being facetious if I said Brent Leroy is my hero?

I resigned myself some time ago to the fact that I am no longer in the prime demographic that television programming targets. I often surf back and forth through the seemingly endless number of television channels searching for something I consider worth watching.

The current programs I enjoy can be counted on the fingers of one hand. More and more I find myself defaulting to the channels that specialize in rerunning series that are out of production and have been for some time.

One series that I continue to watch whenever the opportunity arises is the quirky Canadian sitcom Corner Gas. The lighthearted look at the residents of the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Reruns continue to ride the airwaves suggesting that I am not the only one who gravitates to it.

I have always considered Corner Gas to be the kinder, gentler, Canadian version of the classic and edgy American sitcom Seinfeld. The two series share the distinction of being a show about nothing – or more accurately, about the small, mundane things that occupy the majority of our lives. Both series poke fun at our many foibles.

Nothing of any consequence ever happens in Dog River and that is part of its charm. In a world where we are forever looking over our shoulder or around the corner for the next act of shocking violence or terrorism, chuckling at the idiosyncrasies of Brent, Hank, Wanda, Emma, Oscar, Davis, Karen and the rest of the gang is a welcome reprieve.

I confess that there are days when I would very much like to be Brent Leroy. Brent is perfectly content to occupy his little corner of the universe which comprises the Corner Gas station and convenience store, the Ruby Diner and surrounding locales. Happiness for Brent is a chili cheese dog for lunch, trading barbs with know-it-all Wanda and humouring hapless Hank.

Have you noticed that, with the exception of Oscar and Emma, all the main characters on Corner Gas are single? They are mostly unencumbered by the challenges of romantic relationships. You can argue that this take on life is unrealistic and even that it sets a poor example.

But the residents of Dog River come across as one big, slightly dysfunctional family who collectively meet each other’s needs. All the news they need is what appears in the Dog RiverHowler or gets talked about over beers at the Dog River Hotel. Some days that seems like utopia to me.

Corner Gas  succeeded as a sitcom, and lives on in continuous reruns, because it is a fictional metaphor for what so many of us crave these days – simplicity in its purest form and an out of the way place that leaves behind the stresses and dangers of the big, bad world.

I confess that Brent Leroy is my hero. Who else could go on vacation and travel the world without ever leaving his comfortable lawn chair in the middle of a vacant field in front of Corner Gas?

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

RIVER REVERIE

NOTE: I had intended to add another “nature portraits” post with photos today. But my WordPress software is being finicky and will not let me post photos. So I am rerunning the 2009 debut post from my blog while I try to sort out the technical problems.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Norman Maclean

Hmmm, is it just me? I am the only one who has these little post-it notes of memory stuck in my mind from years or even decades ago? They are small, gift-wrapped minutia of life which I periodically take out and examine like an old photograph.

Here’s one – a hazy, blurred-at-the-edges, childhood memory of going fishing one night on the Grand River. There were five of us – my father and grandfather, my uncle and his son, and I. Three generations linked by the rising anticipation of that tug on the line and the thrill of the catch.

But what was special about this particular outing was that we went after dark. We picked our way across stepping-stone rocks to a small island just off the shoreline. One by one we cast our lines into the silent, black water of the Grand.

You need to know that the Grand River at Caledonia is an impressive sight in the daylight. A couple of football fields wide, knee shallow in some places and drowning deep in others. But after dark it took on a different character – mysterious and mystical with a spine tingling grace and the echo of hundreds of years of history.

Honestly I don’t remember if we caught anything. On that particular occasion, it didn’t seem to matter. Being there in the nighttime embrace of the Grand was all I needed.

Why did this unremarkable event grow to be a gemstone in my memory?

Could it be that rivers are a part of our collective unconscious? Or, perhaps, an icon in our psychic mythology?  I believe that in them we sense a metaphor for the ebb and flow, the rise and fall, the pulse and the pause of life itself.

“Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour, and is not reminded of the flux of all things? Throw a stone into the stream, and the circles that propagate themselves are the beautiful type of all influence.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

A river will always take you somewhere but is never in a hurry to get you there. It winds and meanders through the landscape with a mind quite its own.

Rivers teach us to slow down and trust the current. They remind us that it is not the destination that matters but rather what you learn on the journey.

I seldom see the Grand River these days. But when I do come upon it I am transported back to that precocious night when the river whispered to me: Be still. Be silent. I was here before you were conceived. I will be here after you are dust. I am eternal. I am unchanging. I am the River.

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.” Winnie the Pooh

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

11,000 Secret Lives in the Leaf Litter at Our Feet

Mystery Moth

Hmmm, is there a whole other dimension of life beneath the leaf litter we shuffle through?

In over a decade of nature study, I have tracked down pretty much all the commonly occurring butterflies, and quite a few of the uncommon ones, in my stomping grounds. Periodically, I encounter a day-flying moth that attracts my interest and toy with the idea of adding moths to my repertoire of identification skills. But each time I venture into that arena I quickly think better.

You may well ask why? (Okay, humour me. Pretend that it matters to you!) Quite frankly, it is too daunting a task even for a self-professed nature geek such as me. There are over 11,000 species of moths in North America. And to make matters worse, the visual differences between many of them are frustratingly subtle. Nonetheless, I do find them intriguing.

I spotted the strange looking moth at the top of this post a few weeks ago. In the days since, I have page surfed through a field guide trying to identify it. It could very well be a Gold-spotted Ghost Moth. But then again, it is a rather close match for a Canadian Owlet. But wait, it also quite resembles a Hologram Moth – and a dozen other moth species. You see the problem.

But I am quite taken by the strange shape of this moth and by its miniature horns or tusks. Does it not look rather prehistoric? Increase it in size by a factor of 500,000 and it could be a velociraptor cruising the skies when dinosaurs ruled the earth.

Engrailed Moth

I believe that the moth in the above photo is one of the 100 or so species of Engrailed Moths. These species are masters of camouflage as you can see. I suspect I have passed by dozens of them without noticing.

Case in point. A few years ago, I noticed what a first glance appeared to be a small imperfection on a tree trunk. Upon closer examination, I realized it was an Engrailed Moth perfectly camouflaged in its environment.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

I can definitively say that the large species above is a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth – so named because they look like a Hummingbird when they go buzzing past. Clearwings are chunky moths with an impressive two inch wingspan. The lesson here is that moths come in all shapes and sizes and range from drab in appearance to quite striking

I sometimes tell myself that when I retire, and have more time on my hands, I will crack the code on moth identification. But I doubt that I will ever be able to summon the patience.

In the meantime, I will admire them when they come my way and wonder about the secret lives they carry out in the leaf litter at our feet while we remain oblivious to their existence. And, of course, consider them as yet one more winged metaphor for the incredible diversity of nature.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Pursuing the Uncommon Children of Mother Nature

Hmmm, is it worth hiking countless miles and stumbling over the occasional hidden tree root to track down the more uncommon among Mother Nature’s winged wonders?

 

Gray Comma

 I am particularly partial to the Comma group of butterflies – so named because they display a white comma-shaped mark on the dead leaf pattern of the outer wing. The Gray Comma hangs out in mixed or deciduous woodlands and is considered uncommon.

The Gray Comma pictured above, which for whimsical reasons of its own decided to perch upside down, was an exceptionally good sighting as – based on its colouration and flawless markings – it had clearly only recently emerged. It would reveal elegant inner wings coloured in a rich palette of brown, orange and yellow if it was inclined to spread its wings.

Acadian Hairstreak

 

Any outing that produces a Hairstreak butterfly is a red letter day – particularly when it is Acadian Hairstreak which once again falls into the uncommon category.

The Acadian Hairstreak in this post is another example of a newly emerged specimen. In this case, its pristine condition showcased its bright orange spot band against the gray, speckled wing. This Acadian actually came looking for me – fluttering into a bush six feet in front of me as I sat on a rock eating my lunch.

Delta-spotted Spiketail

 

My field guide says that Delta-spotted Spiketail dragonflies are rare. I find that a bit of a miscalculation. But they are certainly uncommon and always exciting to spot. The Delta-spotted shown above perched obligingly on a tree trunk to show off its bright yellow, twinned abdomen markings and translucent wings.

Black-tipped Darner

 

Darner dragonflies can be a challenge to identify because they fly far more often than they perch. But fortunately for me, the Black-tipped Darner you see above was catching some rest time while perched on a small branch in a shaded area of a woodland trail.

Black-tipped Darners, also considered uncommon, are part of the lookalike “Blue Darner” aka “Mosaic Darner” complex which must be identified primarily by the shape and colour of their two thorax stripes. I tripped over a tree root as I jockeyed myself into position to get this photo!

I regard each of these uncommon children of Mother Nature as living metaphors for the sometimes elusive joy she has to offer. It takes patience and persistence, and a bit of luck, to find them making the reward for the effort that much greater.

If you have not already figured it out, the answer to the question I posed at the top of this post is an emphatic Yes! Go ahead and call me a nature geek. I dare you. I consider it to be a compliment.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

The Juno Space Probe: Science, Myth and Metaphor in the Dust Clouds of Jupiter

Hmmm, will the wonders unveiled by the historic voyage of the Juno space probe be as much allegorical in nature as scientific?

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on August 5, 2011? I wish I could say that I do. But my memory is nowhere near that good. Why do I ask? Because that is the day NASA’s Juno space probe launched for what would be an epic, five year, 2.8 billion kilometre journey to Jupiter.

The solar powered Juno probe had to be sling-shot around the earth to gather the necessary speed for the marathon journey. The science behind that manoeuvre is far beyond my comprehension. But I rather like the image and the metaphorical possibilities it conjures.

The cost of the Juno mission is a whopping $1.1 billion. What makes that figure all the more significant is that the success of the mission hinged on a delicate manoeuvre when the probe finally reached the giant planet. NASA engineers had to guide Juno through a metaphorical keyhole to avoid the worst of Jupiter’s radiation belt and a field of space rocks.

If that does not sound challenging enough, consider that it takes 48 minutes for light – and therefore communications – to get from earth to Jupiter. NASA therefore had to program the manoeuvre ahead of time with no opportunity for last minute adjustments

As a spinner of tales and crafter of metaphors, I could not resist exploring the mythology around the probe’s name and mission. Let’s start with Jupiter itself. Jupiter was the mythological god of the sky and thunder and the king of the gods.

Greco Roman mythology tells us that Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief. But his wife, the goddess Juno – protector and counsellor of the state, was able to peer through the clouds and see Jupiter’s true nature.

Back to the science. Juno’s mission is now to orbit Jupiter for up to twenty months to learn everything possible about its interior and atmosphere including its swirling clouds and northern and southern lights. At the end of that period, it will succumb to Jupiter’s inhospitable environment and be directed to dive into Jupiter’s crushing centre and be destroyed.

The case can be made, by those of us more oriented to myth and metaphor, that Juno’s mission – aside from its scientific mandate – is to be a billion dollar metaphor playing out the myth of the king of the gods and his all-seeing goddess wife.

Science and myth, fact and fiction, technology and metaphor will mirror each other’s orbit for twenty fascinating months around the largest of the planets in our solar system. A journey of discovery in more ways than one.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

The NHL Food Chain: Great Whites, Hammerheads and Feeder Fish

Hmmm, is success in the game of hockey played out more off the ice than on it?

The NHL wrapped up the 2015/16 season a few weeks ago when Pittsburgh knocked off San Jose to hoist the Stanley Cup. But the biggest hockey headlines are often reserved for the offseason when NHL teams make blockbuster trades or resign high-priced free agents.

Just a few examples of the headlines from the last few days:

Montreal Canadians and Nashville Predators lit up social media when they swapped superstar defencemen PK Subban and Shea Weber. The trade was banner headline news because of the status of the players involved.

But the salary of the players involved is the story behind the story. Subban is two years into an eight year contract worth $72 million. Shea is four years into a 14 year contract worth $110 million. That is a lot of ka-chings.

On the same day, hockey experts in the know reported that:

Superstar forward Steven Stamkos would end months of speculation and resign with Tampa Bay Lightning for eight years and $68 million.

Columbus Blue Jackets had resigned defenceman Seth Jones to a six year deal worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of $30 million.

Let’s do the math on those contracts. Collectively, the four players involved have commitments from their teams for $280 million in salary. It gives me a headache trying to envision that many zeros.

Now for some historical perspective. The highest single season salary earned by hockey legend Gordie Howe, who recently passed away at the age of 88, was $100,000.

Yes, over forty years have passed since Mr. Hockey hung up his skates. But I am quite confident in asserting that the jump from $100,000 to $9 million per year (Subban) over 40 years exceeds the rate of inflation by no small percentage.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that PK Subban and his foundation made a $10 million donation to Montreal Children’s Hospital last year. Kudos to him for sharing his wealth.

But the fact remains that professional athletes in this era earn what most of us Average Joes consider outrageous amounts of money. Note: The big market team owners have very deep pockets and certainly do not need our sympathy.

In the NHL food chain, there are the Great White Sharks who always feed first, the second tier Hammerhead Sharks who still get a belly full, and the feeder fish who migrate from team to another as the law of supply and demand dictates.

As great a game as it is, when all is said and done it is a business like any other. Success originates as much from the boardrooms as it does from the arena on game night.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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