Yesterday was marked by two events. I initiated and finished cleaning the shower. The necessary and unpleasant biweekly chore was alleviated by my Spotify playlist of music. I use several small fans to ameliorate the noxious fumes of the cleaning agent which removes hard water residue. There’s no need to describe in further detail…
Yesterday I received report of my granddaughter’s visit to the physician. She is a toddler, walking about, exploring, and babbling. I sense that she is on the cusp of language. She understands simple commands and responds with appropriate behavior. She runs about her play area, with obvious excitement, laughing, to point out the…
The world, “reality” can be cruel and dangerous. One ought always to keep that in mind. The United States is a civilized society, relatively “safe” depending on where you happen to be, upon the cash and credit cards you have in your pocket. Nonetheless, this country is a legally and administratively violent society. Today,…
Tuesday evening a few of us “gathered” via virtual video and discussed the role of “awe” or put another way, “wonder” in the scientific enterprise. Science is understood is a method of testing the reliability of a theory, our notions of the way things are/work. This is difficult at best. Scientists, all those who…
A friend asked me via email, “… just wondering why you are terrified of every angel? Even good angels?” The source of the question was the poetic assertion from Rilke, “Every angel’s terrifying” that I chose as a tagline for this blog. Her question came straight, not tongue in cheek, rhetorical. I do not…
In a speech on January 28th at Brussels’ International Privacy Day, Tim Cook CEO of Apple had this to say. Here is an excerpt from his speech: “Technology does not need vast troves of personal data stitched together across dozens of websites and apps in order to succeed. Advertising existed and thrived for decades…
Today I awakened before dawn intent on walking into nearby Almond Marsh before sunrise. I enjoy taking a walk with camera in hand. Predictably the camera is an aid to careful observation. A camera is a mechanical device that records only what the lens captures, without the distractions of a human mind. Are we…
A friend revealed last night that her cousin was dying. She had little to say in terms of the detail, but it was clear that she was emotionally spent. Love means grief over the torturous journey that a beloved must take, aware that debilitating bodily pain, as well as the beloved’s mental suffering cannot…
It is snowing hard. The stone buddha on the hill is shrouded with white. Nature is “what it is.” There is no mask, no screen of projection, a proffered interpretation which Nature offers to the human mind. There is no wrap of culture with regard to Nature, as is the case with human affairs. …
Sunday, a day traditionally reserved for mindful reflection. I awakened early this morning aware of a dream that I was leaving behind. It was an interesting dream, unlike the violent, terror laced dreams that came on occasion during the Trump administration. When you have a bully to contend with, the dreams are of panic. …
