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Author Archives: John Swinburn
Big Jim: Loss of a Good Man
This post will mean something only to one person, my good friend who is an occasional reader. That is fine; it’s written entirely for him and his family. My friend, I was so very sorry to learn of your father’s death. … Continue reading
Posted in Death, Friendship, Memories
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December 27: Thoughts for the Day
Words harbor such innuendo. Hunger, thirst, passion. Innocuous words, yet barely concealing the boiling cauldron of lust upon which they rest.
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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It’s the Write Thing to Do
I’ve been awake for several hours, but the usual routine of writing just after I got up eluded me. Even the basic stuff like the thoughts for the day seemed akin to pushing a boulder up a long, wet, mud … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
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Afraid at the Station
The poet sits late at night, in the shadow of his own creation. Reciting a love poem in an abandoned railway station, no one hearing but the pigeons and the poet. The poet could be satisfied with the pigeons if only … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry
2 Comments
An Ego in a Bag of Skin?
For quite some time, I’ve been reading bits and pieces about Alan Watts, the British philosopher and writer whose most popular book, I think, is The Way of Zen. I’ve not read the book, but I want to. But first, … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy
2 Comments
Feeling Good
Yesterday, we took a brief walk on a short trail, the Lake Coronado Boat Ramp Trail, an ultra-short one, measuring only about a third of a mile. Then, we wandered around the Village a bit, noting locations of other trail-heads for … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness
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December 26: Thoughts for the Day
Whether sitting alone, but in need of companionship—or sitting among other people, but in need of privacy—arguments that those needs harbor selfishness are specious.
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Arising from Madness
Private thoughts that cannot be—must not be, can never be—public. Hidden longings that one dare not reveal. Throbbing desire that racks the brain and the body, concealed beneath a diaphanous facade of self-control. Barely restrained joy at something as simple as … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
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Finding Happiness in the Moment
Where and when does happiness reside? Is it in a distant city or state, across town, perhaps in a different country? Will it come later today, tomorrow, next year? How and when can one be happy? If now is not the … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking
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December 25: Thoughts for the Day
Regardless of one’s personal religious beliefs, or lack thereof, today of all days is a perfectly fine day for giving everyone a break; let people believe what they want to believe without ostracism or criticism. Let them enjoy their personal … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Brunch, Tamales, Chile con Queso, and Family
Tonight, my lovely wife and her beautiful sister and I will share a tradition that goes back as far as I can remember in my family. We’ll eat tamales, dressed with chile con queso that I made last night, and … Continue reading
Posted in Family, Tradition
3 Comments
Fire
A couple of nights ago, while my wife was in the room she calls the library (and I call her nest), watching recorded television programs, I listened to music for a while, then started a fire in the fireplace. The … Continue reading
Posted in Dreams, Just Thinking
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December 24: Thoughts for the Day
I am convinced that some writers of fiction and philosophy and poetry have frangible hearts. Their sensitivities to the world can dash them against the rocks of emotion; that susceptibility to heartbreak shows in their writing. Other writers are just keen observers, people who … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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The St. Francis Prayer
Yesterday, a friend (thank you, Tara) posted something on her Facebook page and her blog that struck a chord with me (I recommend her blog, by the way). Though neither she nor I are “believers,” we seem to share a good … Continue reading
Posted in Religion, Secular morality
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December 23: Thoughts for the Day
Personal revolutions are best planned during periods of quiet reflection. Inside, where the fear resides, is where the explosions start. I was saddened to hear, yesterday, that Joe Cocker died. His duet with Jennifer Warnes, singing “Up Where We Belong,” was spectacular. … Continue reading
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From Congee to Habanero, Seaside
Despite the absence of some of the ingredients, I’m in the process of making congee again. The first time I made it, I used chicken broth to cook the rice; when it was throughly cooked and broken down, I added … Continue reading
Posted in Food
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Feeding on Fusion
A few days ago, as I was skimming through some old posts on this blog, portions of a screed I posted on Christmas Day last year caught my attention. I don’t know how I could have let the ideas I proffered … Continue reading
December 22: Thoughts for the Day
Smiling at the demons is an act of defiance. But it guarantees nothing, doesn’t assure safety or freedom or periods without pain. It just shows defiance. Defiance is the only remaining weapon in a war that can’t be won, a war whose loss can … Continue reading
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Winter Solstice
The winter solstice will take place today—Sunday, December 21, 2014—at 5:03 p.m. Central Standard Time. During the December Solstice, the Sun is directly overhead of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. The Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches … Continue reading
December 21: Thoughts for the Day
It’s so nice being around some people that it makes one giddy. That’s a good feeling. Giddiness, that is.
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Rambling on About Appearances
Entire industries exist to help people hide who they really are. No, not to hide their identities (though those exist, too), but to hide how they look. Cosmetics have one primary function: to cover up the person who resides beneath … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion, Just Thinking
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December 20: Thoughts for the Day
Billy Preston, the only musician to be credited alongside the Beatles on a Beatles recording, is also credited as the originator of the expression, “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” There’s an odd … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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About Last Night and Tomorrow
Our next door neighbors invited us to dinner last night, along with a couple up the street (at whose house my wife plays cards on Tuesday nights) and my wife’s sister. It was an early event, beginning at four o’clock … Continue reading
Posted in Depression, Friendship
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Recovering from Wounds
I understand pouring alcohol on a wound can help prevent it from becoming infected. It doesn’t matter whether it’s bourbon or gin, vodka or scotch; it may hurt at first, but the pain will subside. If the problem is a … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking
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December 19: Thoughts for the Day
Some of the rules really were meant to be broken. Only by breaking those rules does one’s fundamental nature as a good human being truly surface. The hard question, of course, is which rules demand breakage; harder still, is why the … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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