Monthly Archives: March 2013

Chatter

Posted on March 31, 2013 by John Swinburn

We had a good time yesterday and today.  My brother, the one who’s retired in Mexico, came through and stayed the night with us.  He left this afternoon, bound for Paris where he’ll join his wife and, after a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food, Music | Leave a comment

A Place…A Real Place

Posted on March 29, 2013 by John Swinburn

Lest you get the wrong idea…The Third Place is not my original idea.  It was first proffered by Ray Oldenburg around 1989. But even then the concept was old.  Oldenburg was simply the first one to successfully identify and promote … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Third Place | 2 Comments

The Third Place

Posted on March 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

There is a place in the world that is welcoming.  There is a place in the world that calls out to you in a way that no place else can. There is love and solace in your home.  There are … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Third Place | 1 Comment

An Antonymic View of The World

Posted on March 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

The world is a reflection of itself, an inverse expression of who or what it is. Land versus water. Matter versus void.  Certainty versus doubt.  Truth versus deception. Love versus hate. My view of the world says these opposites are … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Leave a comment

Foreign Service

Posted on March 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

Over dinner tonight (my wife’s wonderful Osso Bucco with rice and green beans and a superb salad), I mentioned to my wife that I had read some interesting comments on an online forum. I subscribe to a Quora feed on … Continue reading →

Posted in Government | Leave a comment

The Legacies of Bigotry

Posted on March 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

As I watched the video presented below, I was struck by the fact that there have been so very many lives lost and ruined by bigotry in all its many forms. Stop, think what bigotry means: big·ot·ry /ˈbɪgətri/ noun, plural … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Secular morality, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Working on It

Posted on March 21, 2013 by John Swinburn

Last night, I allowed myself to react to comments left on an online posting about Gawker’s release of George Bush’s telephone number.  I loathe George Bush and hold him personally responsible for launching an illegal and devastating war in Iraq, … Continue reading →

Posted in Serenity | 4 Comments

It Pays to Call Foul

Posted on March 20, 2013 by John Swinburn

Tom Thumb Pharmacy reacted to my complaint about the cost of a prescription.  I had complained about paying about $75 for a 30-day supply of a prescription drug, only to find I could get a 30-day for $11 (or $28 … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | 1 Comment

Bad Poetry

Posted on March 20, 2013 by John Swinburn

Bad poetry smothers empathy with a pillow of ill-formed phrases. Bad poetry digests the imagination the way a snake eats a rat. Bad poetry causes people to drown tires and slash kittens. Bad poetry leads to spiritual poverty and financial ruin. Bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 1 Comment

Be It Resolved…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by John Swinburn

I was thinking today, as I sometimes do, about various things of major and lesser import.  Among those things was this: I made no New Year’s resolutions for 2013.  Not that it’s unusual for me; I rarely make New Year’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Resolutions | 7 Comments

A Breather

Posted on March 17, 2013 by John Swinburn

The music and lyrics to a tune from my youth, A Place in the Sun by Pablo Cruise, have been on my mind lately; I can’t get them out of my mind. Well everybody’s heart needs a holiday, some time … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Serenity | 3 Comments

Serenity

Posted on March 16, 2013 by John Swinburn

It’s not an infatuation with the Buddha, it’s an infatuation with the concept of serenity. That’s what draws me to these images. That’s why I bought the wooden wall hanging. That’s why I’d like to have the large  cast concrete … Continue reading →

Posted in Serenity | 1 Comment

The Best Laid Plans

Posted on March 13, 2013 by John Swinburn

A huge number of bricks was the first acquisition of my evolving plan to do some work to my backyard, with the intent of turning it into a wonderful oasis of stress relief and happiness. I paid $12 for what … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Sticks and stones | Leave a comment

Raw Emotion

Posted on March 12, 2013 by John Swinburn

It’s late, for me. Just after 11:30 pm. That’s late for me. But I’m not ready to go to sleep. I’m listening to music. Music has captured my soul this evening. I’m not sure just why, but it has. Tonight, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

A Renaissance of Sardines

Posted on March 10, 2013 by John Swinburn

A recent conversation with my wife led me to discover a wonderful new way to enjoy one of my favorite foods: canned sardines. She asked, innocently enough, if I’d ever had a sardine sandwich.  Perhaps she wondered about it because … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Wannabe’s Block

Posted on March 7, 2013 by John Swinburn

These last few days, my attempts to put nascent thoughts into writing withered and crept into corners to die.  Like the slime trail of a snail, they leave unpleasant evidence.  Follow the trail and, at the end, their corpses litter the … Continue reading →

Posted in Change | 3 Comments

Last Tears

Posted on March 6, 2013 by John Swinburn

You think you’ve seen and felt the pain of loneliness?  No, you haven’t. Real loneliness can be felt only at that very last moment, the breath that won’t be taken again.  It’s only then that mortality becomes real.  And by … Continue reading →

Posted in Wisdom | Leave a comment

The Old Sculptor

Posted on March 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

Each time the heavy hammer hit the stone, sharp shards of splintered rock and dust erupted from the strike point. With each swing, he adjusted his stance and the direction of the hammer’s blow ever so slightly.  That tiny adjustment … Continue reading →

Posted in Art | Leave a comment

I Forgot I Didn’t Have Amnesia…But…the Dream

Posted on March 3, 2013 by John Swinburn

UPDATE: After my wife woke up, I told her about what I had written. Her memory is better than mine.  My comments at the end reflect the original version; the revised and corrected information in the body of the post … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Insomnia, Language | Leave a comment

A Cheery Socio-Political Diatribe

Posted on March 1, 2013 by John Swinburn

I have long since abandoned the misconception that world governments and the media are sources of reliable information.   Instead, I have come to the conclusion that public statements from each of those two elements of “civilized society” are far … Continue reading →

Posted in Lies/disinformation, Politics | Leave a comment