Author Archives: John Swinburn

Extraneous sounds. Barely audible shreds of irrelevant noise. Scraps of imaginary whispered debris—the only remaining evidence of the eerily silent echoes that once competed for limited space in the boundless emptiness of his mind. But was it really his mind? … Continue reading →

We do not know what we are looking for; only that we are looking for something that will become apparent when we find it. But the explanation of the target of our search will be far too convoluted for us … Continue reading →

My thoughts are far from profound this morning. They are merely mundane remnants of incomplete ideas—poorly-formed notions left withering in the absence of fuel to keep them alive and growing. Thinking back on what once almost seemed flashes of near-brilliance, … Continue reading →

Trust and hope are built on evidence—not on empty promises and blind confidence. The most successful con-artists, though, create believability by openly challenging their own lies. Using masterful and brazen manipulation, the most skillful schemers offer absolute assurances comprising nothing … Continue reading →

No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory … Continue reading →

A short set of radiology treatments for me is in the planning stages. As soon as the radiologist completes the necessary calculations, etc., they will begin a 2-week (two consecutive 5-day sessions) series of treatments in an effort to eliminate … Continue reading →

“If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit our lives are fictions, narrative yarns we spin from experiences as we witness them, not necessarily as they are. We write the stories of our lives on the fly, stitching together … Continue reading →

As a child, I learned that sounds arise from vibrations of an object that disturb the media surrounding the object. These disturbances create variations in pressure that propagate as waves that our brains interpret as sounds upon reaching our ears.  … Continue reading →

I do not look forward to the home-nurse visit today. I’d rather go back to bed. In fact, I do not know whether she will come today, but I suspect she will. I knew better than to get up so … Continue reading →

Finally, after months of wishing and hoping my treadmill would disappear, it happened. We presented it to the guy who maintains our HVAC system…and whose wife visits us regularly to do the housework we are either incapable of doing or … Continue reading →

This page has remained empty until just now, roughly five hours after I awoke—when I began my day with espresso, a banana, and the protein drink I usually mis-label as Essence, instead of calling it by its proper name, Ensure. … Continue reading →

I watched the frequency of reader visits to this blog decline. The stories that rattled around in my head echoed against empty spaces. They were not really “stories,” either. They dissolved into ideas; then, fleeting thoughts. Finally, incomplete prophesies that … Continue reading →

I cannot blame yesterday’s chemo treatment—because the pain began before the treatment started. And I seriously doubt I can legitimately attribute the pain to a previous treatment, the most recent of which took place many weeks ago. In fact, I … Continue reading →

Hoarding cash and precious metals is an act of impotent desperation. Neither symbol of worth fulfills the promise of safety. Neither delivers on assurances of survival. Neither possesses intrinsic value. Their significance comprises false hopes, cobbled together with shreds of … Continue reading →

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein ~ There are no mundane things outside of Buddhism, and there is … Continue reading →

Acts of war committed by my country’s military, at the direction of the country’s political leaders, tend to interfere with my ability to sleep at night. That is not to say that acts of war in which my country plays … Continue reading →

This is one of those relatively rare mornings when I am at a loss for thought. Ideas and images drift through my mind; they are not driven by consciousness. That is, I do not create them; nor do I actively … Continue reading →

The passage of time coincides with the addition of significant amounts of information to humans’ already enormous collective knowledge base. The volume and speed of those additions arguably have grown exponentially over the course of many hundreds of years. Limits … Continue reading →

Guilt is the price of behavior for which atonement is impossible. +++ Yesterday, a Facebook post sponsored by The Atlantic finally convinced me to subscribe to the magazine. I’ve wanted to subscribe for quite some time, thanks to frequently coming … Continue reading →

There is a stark difference between being passionate about one’s principles and exhibiting behavior that suggests such passion. The former flows uncontrollably through one’s veins. The latter may conceal apathy or dishonesty or complex, self-serving motives. The former tends to … Continue reading →

Last night’s entertainment: The Room Next Door, a Spanish film (directed by Pedro Almodóvar, in his English-language film debut), starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, with a small supporting cast including John Turturro. In spite of a few questionable structural … Continue reading →

Valentina Tereshkova was about sixteen years my senior when she became the first female space traveler. I was roughly six months shy of my tenth birthday when she made history on June 16, 1963 with her 71-hour flight. She circled … Continue reading →

Eyesight is remarkable. If you think deeply about it, you have no choice but to come to the conclusion that your eyesight is nothing short of magic. And if you consider the amazing variations of eyesight among other creatures—eagles and … Continue reading →

Emptiness. The fuel that drives missiles and bullets. Dark, sinister emptiness. It propels knives through tender skin. Bones shatter in the presence of emptiness. Emptiness triggers explosions and ignites fuses that transform oil storage tanks into fiery cauldrons of liquid … Continue reading →

Last night’s dinner provided a rare opportunity for social engagement for me. I am advised by medical pros to avoid much contact with people, considering risks to my immune system. But the evening turned into more than a simple social … Continue reading →