Uncommon Courtesy
Yes, that is a photo of me from around 100 years ago. Back then, there was something referred to as "common courtesy" as in, "Don't stick your tongue out at that little boy. Show some common courtesy." I often wonder where common courtesy, or any courtesy, has disappeared to. When did it become the norm to conduct a discussion in loud, argumentative tones? Have we become so accustomed to conversing digitally we have forgotten the art of conversation? It seems like a quaint i
Philosophy and Coq au Vin
Those of you interested in the philosophical portion of this blog, keep reading. If you are only interested in the Coq au Vin recipe, scroll to the bottom now! There is a huge market in this country for anything that brands itself as self-improvement, self-empowerment, self-help, self-anything. I believe all of these concepts are misleading. Why? Because there is no self. Humans don't exist in isolation. We are entangled with everything in the universe. This cosmic connection
Looking for Inspiration? Get Moving
I believe humans are nomadic by nature. There is some debate on this topic but, there is no debating the fact we were nomads for around 99% of our time on the planet. We are not designed to spend endless hours sitting in front of a screen. Nor are we designed to spend our entire lives in one place, never traveling more than 50 miles from our home base. We need to experience diversity. Without diversity systems collapse. We need to see places entirely different from the ones i
Writing is Cure for Writer's Block
The painting to the left is of a New Orleans cottage. I liked it when I created it, and I still do. When I began it, I had no clear idea of how it was going to turn out. I just started drawing and let my imagination go. My first published novel is titled Oceans Ending. The published version has very little in common with the first draft of the book. What's the point you ask? Whether you are writing or painting or cooking or pursuing any other creative endeavor, you'll never f
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