02021-12-16 | Lx, Photos, Uncategorized
It’s 0652 and I have been up for a quarter hour, thinking I would go for a nice walk. My body seems to have adjusted to the time zone, although I did wake up about thirty minutes later than I usually do. I just discovered that the sun won’t rise for an hour still and, since I won’t enjoy walking around in a strange city in the dark, I have some time before I shall leave. At 0730 the first light is illuminating the street and I get going.
A few photos from yesterday:
I hadn’t eaten fish in a few years and felt clumsy eating this sole. I am sure I could have learned a lot from any twelve year old local.
The traditional national pastry:
02021-12-10 | Uncategorized
Nocebo is a word I learned today. After listening to his podcast conversation on Sway yesterday morning, I found Rutger Bregman’s latest book Humankind – A Hopeful History at the local library and downloaded the audio version. The prologue alone is worth borrowing the book for. So much of what we learn from the news, from politicians, and from professional pundits is plain wrong.
02021-12-09 | Photos
Yesterday was Rohatsu, Bodhi Day.
02021-12-09 | Uncategorized
I hope Steve doesn’t mind that I highlight his comment here. He quoted part of my post Little Thoughts.
“… I think I am sick of the distraction. Yes, the virus is dangerous… but is it more dangerous than our industrial poisoning of rivers, destruction of forests? Is covid more dangerous than climate change? Why does the press have so much to say about the pandemic and so relatively little about climate change?”
and wrote:
Wow. I have been saying words quite similar to these for most of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, and I either get a look of confusion (as if I have misplaced priorities) or dismissal (as if I am some sort of nutter). It’s nice to know at least ONE other person holds this view.
I don’t believe we are alone in thinking that the pandemic, while serious, is also a massive distraction. So many corporations must love that the pandemic focuses everyone’s gaze on humans and humans alone. Survival brings out self-centeredness in most of us. I see lots of people wearing disposable masks that end up in the landfill. Poisoned drinking water, industrial pollution, and other environmental disasters are all taking a backseat to humans wanting to stay alive.
All it takes is for us to widen our lens a little. Life is a team sport and this team must include everyone, and not just humans of every gender and color. Trees make the air we breathe. At least half of the cells that constitute any human are non-human.
I listened to this podcast on my morning walk today. “Why Humans Aren’t the Worst (Despite, Well, Everything Happening in the World)” is Kara Swisher’s conversation with the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. He has a great perspective and I think you will enjoy listening to them. The link to Bregman’s website is: https://www.rutgerbregman.com
Two things I was very late to adopt, and which I thoroughly enjoy, are… you will laugh:
I bought a microwave oven three years ago.
Around the same time I also started listening to audiobooks.
I think I can listen to some books that I might not finish if I had to read them. I usually listen while I am walking and thus might be more alert than when I am reading while sitting or lying down. It has increased the range of material I can absorb. This year I consumed over 40 books – reading and listening combined.
02021-12-08 | Uncategorized
Do you know the feeling when something you are experiencing, a book, a piece of music, a movie, a work of art, is sad and you can tell it’s going to become even more sad… but you can’t stop now because it’s just so beautiful and well done? You have to take it to the end just so it’s complete, you have to finish it, fully knowing that it’ll sting for a while? “Bewilderment” has been like that for me. Tomorrow I will finish it–enough for today.
