Ahh – Fresh Air
People underestimate pollution risks in their homes, assuming they’re safe spaces.
Articles & Essays
Memento Mori
When we’re young, we don’t consider death very often, but as the years pass and the people close to us begin to die, we ponder death more. Reflecting on mortality is an ancient practice. Both the Greek and Roman Stoics taught the value of “Memento Mori” (Latin: remember you will die). It doesn’t matter who
Gymnastics of the Will
Becoming is sculpting yourself, and “Gymnastics of the Will” is the hammer that forges disciplined habits and intentional choices.
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Cargo Cult
During World War II, Pacific Islanders observed Allied forces receiving supplies from aircraft and mimicked their behaviors—building runways, wearing uniforms, and performing drills—believing these rituals would summon more cargo. The rituals were symbolic, a misunderstanding of the systems behind the cargo being delivered, as if by magic from the sky. Mass consumerism shares striking similarities
Tree Day
We love trees; we’ve always loved trees. Interestingly, we live on the High Plains now, where trees are few and far between. This makes us appreciate them all the more, and we often journey great distances to get a hug from one. When I was a young boy back on Walnut Street in Humptown, we
Discipline vs Consistency
Good habits and consistency are the currency that pays the bills when you advance into your Golden Years.
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Mastering Patience
Patience is a virtue I’m still pursuing. I’ve made an effort, but I haven’t come close to mastering it. I excel at slowing down, enjoying myself, and not taking life too seriously, but I get easily agitated in situations involving others that are beyond my control. I try to laugh off people’s quirks, flaws, and
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The Death of Liberalism
During the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s and 70s, I was a liberal in favor of individual freedom and civil liberties. We respected and accepted opinions different from our own and were open to new ideas. On second thought, I was probably a Libertarian, but since they weren’t allowed in the partisan, two-party system, being
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Vernal Equinox
The “Vernal Equinox’ marks the sun’s crossing of the celestial equator. The term “equinox” comes from the Latin “aequus,” meaning equal, and “nox,” meaning night. All around the Great Wide World, on the first day of Spring, night and day are the same length. The Northern Hemisphere’s, “Long night” season is finally over, and we
Time for a Change
Daylight Saving Time (DST) started yesterday at 2:00 AM. The original intent of DST was to save energy by extending the time of day around sunset. Silly, right? I suppose they might have burned less whale oil in the 18th century when Ben Franklin proposed daylight saving time, but it doesn’t make much sense today.
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
We borrowed the title for this article from a Jimmy Buffett song. The chorus always floats around in my mind as we travel south towards Galveston Bay. These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudesNothing remains quite the sameThrough all of the islands and all of the highlandsIf we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane
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Chaos & Order
In nature, Chaos and Order perform an intricate dance. Opposing forces coalesce to create balance and harmony. Chaos is the primordial stew from which creativity emerges, and Order is the stabilizing force that reins it in. Cycles and seasons corral the serendipitous dance. “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” ~ Maya Angelou
The Insanity of War
The depravity and insanity of the neocons have been off the charts lately, the cacophony of their war drums deafening. How confused and insane do you have to be to think that more war, death, and destruction are the way forward? Thankfully, a few of the sane leaders in our world sat down recently in
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