Reading and Writing

I haven't felt much like reading or writing lately. I'm really not sure why.
Some of it may have to do with being away from home and what is familiar, but honestly, I was in this funk before we left. 

I have a couple of non-fiction books that I am slowly working my way through. They are not the kind of books that you need to hurry through and can really be read chapter by chapter, or a few pages at a time. I decided against the epic The Odyssey after a short time. It was interesting and well translated, but I wasn't going to stick to it, so...
After a really good start for the year, I am going to have to get busy if I plan to make my 50 book goal. Honestly, it's not that big of a deal.

I recently added some more non-fiction to my Kindle -- The Books of Enoch (there are three).
They have been on my radar for some time and I think they will be interesting. I am certain that they will give some perspective on some of the religious and theological questions that I have considered. 
There are other non-canonized books that I may take on in the coming year. 

My perspective about the books of The Bible has changed. I wonder if some of the books left out are similar to the banned books that school boards and communities have -- a group of people "in authority" just decided we don't like what they have to say.
Don't come after me for that. I get it. There were certain criteria that were created for inclusion -- even some of that was contentious. (The Catholics include 11 books that are not in the Protestant Bible).
Regardless, I think I may peruse some of those rejected books.

My current plan is to work on finishing the two books that I've started and have been slowly reading. 
I'll pick up a few easy read fiction action or fantasy books to make my goal of 50 for the year, and then begin to tackle some more serious educational reading.

What are you reading?

John

Mountain weather

It's a cool and damp day in the mountains just west of Denver. 
It is foggy this morning with occasional light rain expected throughout the early part of the afternoon. The rain is supposed to turn to light snow for a short time later this afternoon. The temperature will still be above freezing (until tonight) so I don't think there will be any accumulation.

The high temperature here today might not make it to 40f (4c).
Meanwhile, back at home they set a record high for yesterday's date at 93f (34c) and the latest date to have a 90+ degree day.
It looks like we will have a couple of cold days and freezing nights before returning to more seasonable temps for the weekend and into next week.
All-in-all, life is still pretty good.

These are my charges for our time here in the mountains. I think it's plain to see why I prefer to use wolf-watching to dog-sitting. Not only does it sound way cooler, but it also fits the animals quite well. The two wolfers are well suited to mountain winters; the pittie -- not so much. It can be challenging to get him to go outside to take care of business when it's cold and wet out. 
They're good dogs, and I think they are beginning to realize they are stuck with me for the time being.

Rain or shine, I hope you have a wonderful day.

John

Coffee

Morning coffee is a little different these days. The kids have a pretty fancy coffee maker -- especially when compared to my simple pour over coffee system at home. A double cup and an extra shot of espresso seems to be the sweet spot. I've been adding a bit of heavy cream to make an exceptional morning brew.

While I can't justify the cost of one of these fancy machines for myself, I may consider using my stovetop espresso maker (moka pot) on occasion for some variety in my daily routine. I originally bought it because an Americano (espresso and hot water) is my typical coffee shop order and I thought --Why not have that at home?

It has been a long time since I have had a traditional drip coffee maker at home. Between the moka pot, a French press, and my pour over pot, I manage to enjoy coffee with pretty low tech simplicity. The electric grinder with something like 16 settings is the most advanced part of my morning brew. 
I should probably have a hand grinder available just in case of a power outage or the inevitable breakdown of the aging electrical piece of the process. 

It is as easy to feel isolated (in a good way) in the mountains of Colorado as it is in our rural home in Southwest Missouri. It almost seems wrong to be considering how to brew and enjoy a cup of coffee when there are wars, government approved murders and kidnappings, and a social structure that ignores or makes jokes about sexual assault and the social value of women.
I have little faith in the voters of the US and will be surprised if anything meaningful comes about as a result of our midterm elections. Finding some peace in a cup of coffee is one way to maintain some sanity in an extremely crazy world.

How do you brew your coffee?
And where do you find a little peace during your day?

Be well, my friends.

John

Settling for less

I wonder ...

The highest court in the land is made up of just nine justices.
They were nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and appointed -- not elected -- to the bench.
Nine.

In an entire nation, we have just nine Supreme Court Justices.

In my head, we should have nine people of impeccable character. If any doubts about character or integrity are encountered in the examination process, that should lead to an immediate disqualification. 
Impeccable character.

Of course, if character doesn't really matter anymore (and apparently it doesn't), then we can have justices that have dubious reputations or past issues. In a culture that seems to be okay with sexual assault and rape, it is okay to have justices, even presidents or other elected officials that have been credibly accused of, or even found guilty of, sexual misconduct.

Why do we tolerate such behavior from the people that are supposed to maintain order and justice for our national society?
Completely ignoring political ideologies, poor character is still poor character. 
Why doesn't that matter anymore?

I remember the outrage over Bill Clinton's affair. 
Today such a thing might not even make the news.
The current character of the men and women in charge of such things won't even allow for the court ordered Epstein files to be released, because protecting the pedophiles and their power is more important than justice for the victims.

Is our current SCOTUS and DOJ the best we can do?
Do we have to keep electing people of questionable character that in turn appoint people of questionable character?
Why are we willing to settle for such pieces of shit people to govern our states and country?

If you haven't noticed, I am frustrated by the injustices that are making the news.
I haven't even mentioned the war in Iran, the rising prices of everything, or the dumb shit that spews from our president's mouth on a regular basis. It will take some effort to maintain some self control and not continually post about the madness, but I am sure that I need the outlet so you will see some posts on occasion.
Feel free to scroll on or share as you see fit.

Personally, I am tired of settling for less in our elected officials and the people they appoint to serve us.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It's late in the day, but I thought I'd throw out this gem for a Wednesday Wisdom post.

As I've said before -- If you ask me what I'm doing on Friday and I tell you nothing, it doesn't mean I'm available to do something with you or for you. It means I am purposefully choosing to do nothing.

John

Mountain mornings

This is my view on this Wednesday morning.

Sunrise through the Ponderosa pines of Colorado.
It is a brisk 49 (10 C) degrees on the deck of the kids' place, but the day will warm up nicely. The mountain setting is a little deceiving because it really looks peaceful and serene, but there is a pretty busy highway just a very short distance away and the noise is quite an invasion into the otherwise calming atmosphere. 
I suppose that if the deer, bears, and foxes that are frequent visitors to the kids' place can tolerate it, so can I.

Nights and early mornings are pretty brisk at 8700 ft (2650 m) in early October. I'm in sweat pants and a heavy sweater (still barefooted), but the morning sun feels warm and encouraging. This will be my home for the next few weeks.

I started to write a very different post this morning. I really am having a difficult time processing the culture that enables the assault that took place at Cornell a few years ago, the entitlement and privilege that swept it under the rug, and the people that don't seemed bothered by it or only seem bothered that it has now come under scrutiny.
I will write that post at some point. Today I am frustrated that character no longer matters in our society and we would rather make excuses and cover up for sexual predators that to defend their victims.

WTF is wrong with people?

sigh

Today I am going to pet dogs, visit with the kids, enjoy the mountain air and the energy of the pines. I am going to find some peace in nature.
I am not going to ignore the injustices of the world, but I honestly don't know how to best give a voice to the oppressed. I'm not sure that I believe that the pen is mightier than the sword. Maybe it is just that there are too few people willing to write freely and fairly about injustice and to drag oppressors into the light where the sun will fry them for the life sucking vampires that they are.

John

Without honor

This is what we've become, or are becoming -- a people that takes what we can, when we can, regardless of who it may harm. 
We are without honor.

Yes, while this post is inspired by the news of the Cornell 7 (or 57), it goes even deeper into a culture that doesn't care about anyone that isn't a part of our group, club, family, whatever.
From something minor like porch pirating, to the raping of women (conscious or not) we are becoming a society that teaches that personal integrity and honor are less important and less valuable than just taking whatever we want and think we deserve.
We are teaching that accountability is only for the puny, poor, and powerless.
And accountability only comes into play if you get caught.

What happened to us?
When did we stop calling out the bad behavior of others?
When did we start electing and appointing people that allow such heinous behavior?
and Why do we continue to allow the injustices to continue?

Is physical strength or social power or wealth more valuable than simple goodness?
Have we failed to evolve from our tribal roots?
Are personal honor and integrity now worthless things to possess? 

I honestly don't know how to counter the injustices of the world from my quiet home in the Ozarks of SWMO. I am frustrated and very disappointed in the people we have become. Life has become the dystopian movies that we watch where only the strong survive and only the powerful thrive and the rest of us are dehumanized and treated as property or slaves.
We can do better.
We must be better.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It has taken me a long time to get to a place where I am comfortable with this.

The thing that I am still working on is having grace towards those that currently think the way I once did. Allowing people to grow on their own or to choose to stay where they are can be difficult for me.
How are you doing with living with your past?
Have your beliefs changed as your perception and understanding of the world has changed?
Is the God you learned about as a child the same God you know as an adult?
Do you ever ask yourself -- What if there is no God?

Just wondering...

John

Why are we so violent?

I just watched the Masters of the Universe movie.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of the cartoons that I would watch with my son when he was a young boy. I don't remember it being so violent.

Of course there seems to be a violence disconnect when it comes to cartoon characters vs actual people playing the parts. Somehow a cartoon character having an arm ripped off is less gory and bloody, so less violent, right?
A sword wielding cartoon character can slash and stab other cartoon characters and appear to be far less violent than a human actor doing the same thing.
Or maybe we just make an excuse for violence if the good guys win.

I understand the need for strength and that there are times when one might be left with no other choice than to fight back. I get the benefit of a strong military or the deterrent of a big force with big weapons. But when that force is used to intimidate and stoke fear then we are no better than the bullies that we tell our kids not to be.

We justify our love of violence by scripting the good guys as the winners.
In real life, as in the cartoons and movies, we tend to gloss over the losses of life and damage to property. We recognize sacrifice for a moment or observe a day annually, but the injustices and the violence continues as a way of life. Dying for the cause is just a part of living as the victors.

While The Masters of the Universe is a fairly recent film, I also finally got around to watching all four of the movies in The Hunger Games series -- another violent depiction of a dystopian world where the masses have final had enough and rise up and revolt against their oppressors. 
Again -- the good guys win so I guess the manipulation of the heroes and the violence is okay.

Damn
Life is pretty messed up sometimes.

John

Monday Meditation

It has been a long time since I have written a Monday Meditation post, but it feels right as I am sitting here with a light throw over my shoulders and sipping my coffee as the sun rises on this early autumn morning.

It is not the first time that I've contemplated living a life without purpose and I don't really know why I am thinking about that today. Perhaps it is because I see so much striving and stressing as people compete with one another to achieve status or stuff that they are missing the simple joys of just living life. 

I feel as if we have been manipulated into believing that we have to be something or do something in order to be successful at living. 
There is a story that a teacher asked her students what they wanted to be when they grow up, 
John Lennon replied, "Happy."
She said he didn't understand the question.
He said she didn't understand life.

What if we made being happy our purpose in life?
I suppose one might say they need money or power to be happy and so they strive to accumulate wealth or rule over people. I know there are people that really do not care if their own goals cause pain or suffering for others, and I know that many people with wealth and influence do many good things for society in general. 
I guess we all get to choose our "happy."
This morning I am happy to enjoy my coffee and appreciate the present.

I remember when people used the -- Today is the first day of the rest of your life -- quote as an inspirational/motivational tool. 
Some people see today as one more day; some see it as one less.
I suppose both ways give the day value in its own perspective.

Cleaning out flowerbeds in the fall is certainly about hope for the future and a plan for spring flowers. Doing things today as a part of planning for the future or cleaning up the past is just a part of living today. I won't say that working in the garden makes me happy.
Flowers make me happy, but they won't grow well and look beautiful without the work, so...

My purpose for living today is simply to be happy.
I honestly don't expect to do anything to make someone else happy, so you are on your own for that. 
I will just be tending to my little spot in a big world. Maybe I will have an interaction with somebody and an opportunity to make them smile, but it is unlikely. 

I hope that you find value in today.
I hope the day brings you peace.
I hope you find a moment to be happy.

John