Category Archives: Just Thinking

Impromptu posts, maybe with photos, that I want on the blog at the spur of the moment.

Psychic Anesthesia

Psychologists may have a word or a phrase to describe the state of mind—perhaps ‘longing’ is more apt—but I do not know what that word or phrase might be. The longing, if that’s what it is, is a desire to … Continue reading

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State of Mind

For a brief while this morning, the outdoor temperature will be tolerable. At the moment, according to my computer and according to my thermometer, the air temperature is 72F. I can vouch for that; I went outside earlier, where I … Continue reading

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Lonely versus Alone

I feel a need to capture discrete moments, incidents and ideas that grab me by the lapels and slap me in the face. In no particular order: One of my brothers was told by his doctor he has bladder cancer; … Continue reading

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A Stretch of Beach

A long stretch of desolate beach, barely visible in the budding sunrise. Miles of sand, unsullied by tire tracks or footprints. Early in the morning, before the heat of the day causes gusty winds, the stillness of the air is … Continue reading

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Love Letters

I tend to keep personal letters I receive in the mail, whether handwritten or typewritten. Maybe my practice is driven by their rarity. Or perhaps they offer evidence someone thought I was worth the time and energy required to write … Continue reading

Posted in Communication, Just Thinking, Philosophy | 2 Comments

A Short and Cynical Critique of Society

We sometimes fail to see massive changes in society because they occur in response to much smaller—seemingly innocuous—changes. For example, governments at all levels, over time, began to mimic customer service practices originally initiated by businesses. The idea was to … Continue reading

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Witchcraft

I awoke to witchcraft this morning. I witnessed the effects of heat traveling through wires protruding from wounds in the wall. The heat caused water to boil and chickens’ eggs to congeal and harden in response. Heat from another source, … Continue reading

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Ruminations and Conversations with a Madman

The next New Moon will occur on Wednesday this week, coinciding with the next  Black Moon at the same time, 10:11 p.m. Central time. A New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth … Continue reading

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Conversation with Myself

The U.S. Department of Agriculture first printed its “Special Report on Diseases of the Horse” in 1890. It was reprinted in 1896 and later revised and reprinted in 1903, 1908, 1911, and finally in 1916. The 1916 edition, and possibly … Continue reading

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Confusion

Scraps of paper hide the scarred wood of my corner desk. A well-organized person would have placed the sheets of paper in piles, ordered by subject, but I paid no heed to organization. I left each sheet where it fell … Continue reading

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Physics, Philosophy, Phiction, Phriends, and Phiery Phood

Michio Kaku labels himself, and is labeled by his media adherents, as a “theoretical physicist, futurist, and popularizer of science.” From time to time, I see his name or his image, but I haven’t paid much attention. Kaku apparently is … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Just Thinking | 4 Comments

A Question of Identity and Hidden Secrets

I suspect that many people have at least one secret they are unwilling or unable to share with anyone, even the person (or the people) closest to us. Sometimes, I wonder whether we might be unwilling to share it even … Continue reading

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Wine Thinking and Drinking

I’m sipping a Jacob’s Creek Shiraz-Cabernet blend. The wine snobs on Vivino talk trash about it, saying such things as these: “Not a wine to cherish. Pepper and vanilla stood out but a rather generic fruit flavour. Was a little … Continue reading

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Rose-Colored Glasses

Some people see the world through rose-colored glasses. I do not. But, recently, when the phrase came to mind for unknown reason, I decided to explore its origin. Early in my search, I found reference to Labyrinth of the World … Continue reading

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Morphing

We sometimes vent frustrations in ways that make sense only to us. Others look at us as if we’d stopped on the side of the road, spread a tablecloth on the ground, taken out a knife and fork, and dined on … Continue reading

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Revisiting Tired Themes that Just Won’t Go Away

I think—somewhere among the two thousand, three hundred and six posts I have made to this blog since I created it—seeds worthy of sprouting clamor for attention. Yes, I know; I go back and forth between thinking I will always … Continue reading

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Fury

Festering rage. Seething hatred. Scalding fury. Bristling contempt. Loathing amplified by a factor of fifty, ramped up by an exponent equivalent to the temperature of the sun. Hatred with an intensity that would vaporize diamonds and turn a ball of … Continue reading

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Memory Storm

I associate ‘squalls’ with sailing on open water. The word prompts me to think of explosive bursts of wind and rain that put sailboats in danger of capsizing. ‘Squalls’ triggers memories of my teenage years, living just a few blocks … Continue reading

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Diversity

I brined the turkey breast. My favorite wife prepared the broccoli and rice casserole (I chopped the jalapeños). Tomorrow morning, I will fire up the smoker and get to work. Five and one half-hours after I put the fractional bird … Continue reading

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We Know Too Much and Too Little To Understand

We cannot begin to imagine the way communities of ants or seagulls or squirrels function. We assume, if they function in communities at all, they operate according to genetic encoding over which they have no control; they are “animals,” after … Continue reading

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Allegation of Criminality

We sometimes keep meaningless records longer than necessary. Much longer than necessary. As my wife was going through some old papers this morning in preparation for shredding paperwork we no longer need, she came upon a folder with records of … Continue reading

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Monuments…

My wedding anniversary approaches. In a matter of days, my wife and I will have been married for  thirty-seven years. We will have lived together for between thirty-eight and forty years by then (I don’t recall precisely when we began “living in … Continue reading

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Avoidance

Yesterday, I ordered samples of several products that, if their promises hold, could transform the appearance of our fireplace and, perhaps, the look of the brick on our house. As I wrote a few days ago, I was considering putting … Continue reading

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April Launch

Tomorrow is the first day of April. Perhaps that transition will give me the kick in the rear I need. I need to work on the yard, the driveway, the deck, the bathrooms, the roof, the garage, and the workspace … Continue reading

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Before Bed Ramblings

I spent an enjoyable evening at a dinner for eight. My wife and I joined six other people from the Village Unitarian Universalist Church for conversation, camaraderie, and a very nice meal to which all participants contributed. The view from … Continue reading

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