Author Archives: John Swinburn

Fear is the springboard for hatred.  Even hatred that emerges from bravado is a response to deep, uncontrollable fear. Racism and homophobia are but two examples of fear-based hatred. The terror that gives rise to such hatred is evidence of extraordinary feelings … Continue reading →

The world whispers about all its secrets. Only those who listen intently hear them.

I suspect that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, life forms will be capable of changing as quickly as the technologies created by humankind.  For example, the evolution of exceptionally efficient biological filters might take place to replace the already extraordinary, … Continue reading →

The effort required to present a positive facade can drain what little energy is left. A tank of gas, a power bar and a thermos full of coffee can restore that lost spark.

Let’s suppose a celebrated trio of well-known scientists—a psychiatrist, a sociologist, and a physicist—jointly create a spectacularly powerful substance that, when administered to humans in aerosol form, makes people extremely susceptible to suggestion. Let’s further suppose this trio develops a … Continue reading →

Much is said about symmetry, but little about the divide between symmetry and satisfaction. We need a little chaos in our lives to appreciate perfect circles and dodecahedrons. That having been said, I was mesmerized yesterday when I stumbled across an … Continue reading →

When the decision is reached, heads bow and children whimper. “This is the end times, my friends,” the old man proclaims, “the end of days as prophesied in the Bible.” Granger, the multi-lingual bullfrog, watches it play out with a … Continue reading →

Some words you spoke to someone who found themselves in a dark, painful place erased the worst of the pain and made bearable that person’s next moments. You may not remember what those words were, nor to whom they were spoken. … Continue reading →

Distant thunder is a secretive sound. It hides its location, but warns me with its powerful growl, like a protective dog baring its teeth if I get too close.

If you wake up each day and require yourself to express appreciation for people you don’t know, it won’t be long before you start actually appreciating them. And it can go on from there.

Sharing the person you are, way down deep, is fraught with danger. Once you reveal that hidden man with all his flaws, you cannot undo the revelation. So, be careful. Flaws can sharpen claws and give justification to the unjustified.

Today is a good day. It’s my wife’s birthday, a day to celebrate! And we shall.