LoveLife

Although it is sometimes described as the weak force by physicists, gravity may be evidence of a very different force in the universe. An arguably radical theory advanced by Dr. Melvin Vopson, suggests that gravity acts like a sophisticated software program that compresses matter, reducing the vastness of the galaxies to a manageable data point. Ok, on the surface that sounds a bit, well, wacky, but allow me to go on for a bit and explore this concept. Compression of info

Historical Fiction as a term of art is something I suspect will be familiar to most of us. But a chance mention the other day struck me in a way it had not previously; as an unintentional riff on the capriciousness of what we call history. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that history is the one thing we openly acknowledge is fiction. Some examples come to mind. History is written by the victor ; that certainly acknowledges a lack of

As I was casting about for a topic for my weekly post, a brief scamper down an Internet rabbit hole led me to a thread on persistent conspiracy theories. You know the kind--mostly benign though ludicrous assertions that the earth is flat, lizard eyed aliens are among us or we never went to the moon. There are dozens of these that circulate and behind them possessed individuals who will brook no evidence in contradiction of their beliefs. I am happy to leave them to it, reme

As we arrive at the new year it seems appropriate to think about the expression new leaves. It seems only a few weeks ago that the last tree on our property shed its final batch of beautiful red and gold --the finery of a Japanese maple of towering size and canopy that spends most of the year dressed in somber green. The literal expression reflects this autumnal rite, but in common use it suggests a turning point, the adoption of a new identity or change in our way of life.

Ah yes, as we approach that sacred time of the year, AKA as Giftmas, it is time to reflect on the newly created day most special of all, Black Friday. In much the same way the greeting card industry manufactured Valentine's Day, shopkeepers everywhere have declared the day after Thanksgiving a time for shopping and general retail mayhem. And if one day is good, more are even better so it has now morphed into at least a week and soon I fear it may be the entire month. Enough

Although the title of this post may seem oxymoronic, bear with me while I explain. There are in every endeavor, and especially in fast moving and frequently changeable circumstances moments when one or more individuals seem to possess the uncanny knack of seeing around corners. That is, they seem able to peer into uncertainty and intuit what will come long before the rest of us have even an inkling that change is upon us. I'm not talking about prophets, or simply smart peo

In the past few weeks both of our closest neighbors, those that lived on either side of us let us know they were moving. Yesterday, moving trucks appeared for the first of those families and we bid them goodbye, even though they are only relocating a few miles away. We weren't especially close; in fact none of our neighbors have been, at least not in the way I am accustomed. Growing up, and later in life when I lived in rural New Hampshire, neighbors were integral to our q

Too much of anything is generally not welcome. It is certainly true when it comes to the subject of explanation. We want answers to many of life's mysteries, and sometimes to very ordinary things that are momentarily inexplicable, but we truly wish those who run on ad nauseam offering their precious insights would just be quiet. We even have names for those 'experts' who cannot take a hint and are intent on visiting their superior knowledge upon us. One such type is the m

No one has ever accused me of being too patient--and my guess is that might apply to many others as well. I can't wait for the new grass shoots to appear every fall when I put down seed, am delirious with joy when the leaves stop falling and I can put the yard to bed for the Winter. My impatience does not extend exclusively to the garden but ranges across the landscape of my days with its own peculiar urgency. The novel I am reading urges me onward though I do not wish to s

As important as time is to us you might think we had a better understanding of it. I'm not just speaking about time as a measure, an interval with constants that demarcate seconds, minutes, days and so on, but also relativistic time. When we are waiting on something or someone time seems to drag on, while it is over far too soon when we wish it would linger forever. It is more than a matter of perception, it turns out. Scientists interested in understanding how age change

What's your first memory? Was it at age one, earlier or later? There was a time, I dimly recall, when I could remember as far back as age three--but nearing the other end of my life I no longer know if those memories are real or inventions of my imagination. Perhaps it doesn't matter. In truth what we believe to have been is all that matters; it is what shapes our narrative and for better or worse our personal mythology--or what some call their life history. The only reas

A word of caution. Today's post was inspired by a sermon from a guest preacher at our church, but you don't have to be a Christian, or practice any religion to understand the message. The scripture on which it reflected describes a scene in which ten lepers, quite literally untouchables forced to live apart from the rest of humanity are healed by Jesus. One of the ten, a Samaritan we are told, upon being cleansed of his disfigurement returns and prostrates himself before t

Having recently returned from an extended trip to Italy, and while my memories are still fresh I wanted to talk a bit about the vivid impressions I had of the people and the culture; not to draw a contrast with our world, but to celebrate what I found years ago and have since reaffirmed. But before I do that let me simply say that this post is not intended to suggest that Italy as a country and Italians in general get everything right. They have had their brush with cultism

During my morning workout the other day my play list was interrupted by an ad for an online therapy service. I'll refrain from commenting on the dissonance of yet one more disintermediation of life. Do we really need a virtual therapist to cure our emotional ills, which may include among many other symptomatic behaviors, an addiction to an unreal universe populated by creatures as mad as the hatter? It is worth noting that for those who have crawled down this particular r

For the most part, we humans spend a lot of time and energy --to say nothing of resources - on how we present ourselves. Those who do...

It is a tricky headline that could also read as a question, when were we great? But you get the point I am sure. We've been told ad...

I learned a new aphorism the other day: the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Perhaps you may have heard it before but it...

I want to begin with proper attribution. The title of today's post is taken from a wonderful book by Bill Bryson which recounts his hike...

A dear friend of mine, now sadly departed, once remarked that internet marketing reduced to its common denominator consisted of cute cat...

In response to the sudden and totally unexpected absence of farm workers to harvest Florida's abundant fruit and vegetable crops,...