Sitting under the maple tree, in front of the old Kane County courthouse built in 1892, it has the architectural look and feel of another time. Many that constructed the edifice remembered the War Between the States, and likely served in the Grand Army of the Republic. That explains the impressive sculpture, imposing, on…
The New York Times Magazine dedicated an entire issue to a photo exploration of hunger in America. As you would assume the victims are predominately Black, Hispanic, women and children. The photographs taken by Brenda Ann Kenneally in the course of a three month journey from Oneida, New York to San Diego, California moved…
Is it not interesting how we label time? A week ago I made the mistake of assuming it was the Labor Day weekend — a week early. I arrived at that conclusion despite evidence to the contrary. The joke was on me. Emotionally, my internal reality began to anticipate the three day weekend,– and…
The Socrates Café group met last night. As with the protocol for the last few sessions, a Go-To-Meeting video link was used. There were six images of participants, in a double line across the screen. For many reasons a digital representation of a human being lacks the vibrancy of physical presence. We are at…
Today is Sunday. I remember when growing up in North Carolina, Sunday was referred to as “the day of rest.” That meant that it was customary to spend a portion of the morning in attendance at a church “worship” service. Worship meant minimally that respect was shown for a shared tradition of stories and…
The term is used often by Nietzsche in his writings. I have quoted often, a few longish passages from The Anti-Christ. There is no need for additional quotation here. Nietzsche, living in the late 19th century saw clearly the precursors of Wiemar Republic, the Nazi cultic ideology and war that shortly followed. In his…
I watched a 1972 Bob Fosse movie Cabaret last night with my wife. I don’t usually prefer musicals. I confess to a negligible background in music which constrains my appreciation of many varieties of musical expression. This movie impressed me as a layered, complex piece of story telling. The musical pieces, served to show…
Saturday! Here I am at my desk with conflicting emotions of gratitude (I made it to the weekend) and trepidation. Challenges remain ahead. I am sad, feel empathy for those in northern California who are in the vise of climate warming. They watch as the land around them is scorched by wildfires. How awful…
Yesterday, we watched as an old willow tree was removed from the back of our property. The tree was just over our property line, and belonged to the Park District. A neighbor said she remembered when the tree was planted. The top of the giant willow was broken by a wind storm. A crane…
The pressure of circumstances forces choices. Those “choices” are less free than I formerly believed. Free will!? I doubt it. I am aware of the juxtaposition of the impress of past events and encounters within my psyche. Does not the mind reflexively select to act upon the factors offering the best chances of survival? …
