Adventures in Everyday Madness Continuing
"You know," a friend confessed, "my writing was much better when I was suffering." We were talking about breakdowns. The terrible journey we had taken from the staright path of normality. Some years back, we had both hit our walls. We were both in professions that indicated our public spirit and quests to improve things.... Continue Reading →
We tended to do most of our shared work after the sun had fallen. Old Leather seems to like it that way. It’s amazing what can evade notice in such a place as this. Imagine, if you will, a corpse strolling along any major high-street in any town or city in the UK, and then... Continue Reading →
GERMANY OPENS 62-MILE BICYCLE HIGHWAY THAT'S COMPLETELY CAR-FREE Germany has opened the first three-mile stretch of a bicycle highway that will eventually span over 62 miles, connecting 10 western cities including Duisburg, Bochum, and Hamm, as well as four universities. And this highway is an entirely separate roadway that will remain completely car-free. Like a... Continue Reading →
The world is full of inspirational stories; ones that make you feel humble and ones that force you to count your blessings. It’s good advice, but please forgive me for not letting it lead my life. In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king. I don’t wish to be king and... Continue Reading →
I was reading a little about Seneca this morning. More to the point, I was reading about his enforced suicide. From another angle, can suicide be suicide if you are forced to do it? Suppose it can be if you are a stoic. Anyway, apart from his death, Seneca had quite a take on the... Continue Reading →
"Now, let somebody else have their say." There is a time when you just have to shut up and let somebody else speak, even though you, and people like you, have been accustomed to speaking and getting your own way for eons. "It's not fair," many are saying. "I'm a middle-aged white man and nobody... Continue Reading →
A 2014 study of 243 people born into poverty found that children who received "sensitive caregiving" in their first three years not only did better in academic tests in childhood, but had healthier relationships and greater academic attainment in their 30s. Parents who are sensitive caregivers "respond to their child's signals promptly and appropriately" and "provide... Continue Reading →
We hold democracy as highly as we prize freedom. Both go together like that old Grease song in which Socrates is played by John Travolta and decisions are made through a communal dance. Those with the most votes, win. For Socrates, this was a death warrant. He took it well, showing a philosophical pair of... Continue Reading →
Purposeful hand use enhances well-being in a technologically saturated culture. Research has shown that creating or tending things by hand enhances our mental health and makes us happy. Dr. Kelly Lambert (bertlab.com) explored the relationship between hand use, current cultural habits, and mood. She found that hands-on work satisfies our primal need to make things... Continue Reading →
