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Blog postThe January 6 attack on the US Capitol gives us a lesson in the futility of violence.
Human beings have a terrifying tendency to kill each other over horseshit (to use a technical term). Violence typically rests upon a delusion. The bigger the lie, the worse the violence.
Religious and ideological warfare are extreme cases. Terrorism and cult violence routinely occur: with Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate, Aum Shinrikyo, the Manson Family, in Waco with Dav -
Blog postFresno Bee, January 10, 2021
The mob’s attack on the Capitol was a juvenile outburst of rebellion doomed to fail.
What we witnessed on Wednesday was a juvenile outburst of rebellion. A motley mob stormed the Capitol without a plan or strategy. The violence was disorganized. This was a desultory insurgency instigated by a leader who lives in a fantasy world, where ranting and raving masquerade as thinking.
The image of Shakespeare’s King Lear comes to mind. As -
Blog postSelf-care is a common theme for 2021. One wellness website said: “focus on yourself this New Year’s Eve” and “indulge in these self-care strategies as you enter 2021.” The article recommended “allowing yourself to indulge in a night of luxurious me-time.”
This is not a bad idea. A little self-care is fine from time to time. But self-indulgence is occasional. It is not a way of life. We need something larger and less transitory. Self-care shoul -
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Blog postFresno Bee, December 27, 2020
On the longest night of the year, we drove through the fog looking for starlight. Other people had the same idea of driving uphill to see the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. In a parking lot in Prather, carloads of masked stargazers emerged from the fog and looked toward the heavens, seeking the Christmas star.
We are all looking for inspiration these days. If you rise above the fog, there are wonders to be found.
The last tim -
Blog postTime magazine declared 2020 “the worst year ever.” That’s obviously not true. In the 1850’s, millions were held in slavery. In the 1860’s, over 600,000 Americans died in the war that freed those slaves. One hundred years ago, the Spanish flu killed 675,000 Americans, while women struggled to gain the right to vote. Our current troubles are minor in comparison.
Time magazine’s hyperbolic headline can be forgiven as a ploy to sell magazines.&nb -
Blog postFresno Bee, December 13, 2020
Democracy is like Santa Claus. It only exists if we believe it does. Many Americans would like to say, “Yes Virginia, there was a legitimate election.” But the Scrooges are saying, “Bah, humbug.”
A number of Americans believe that the election was stolen. One poll reports that half of Republicans believe Trump “rightfully won” the election. Another poll found that 62% of Republicans say it’s “very likely” that the election was stolen by Democrats. -
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Blog postWhy do snake-oil salesmen and con men succeed?
Because human beings have a great appetite for horseshit.
Horseshit is a term that I learned from my grandfather, who was one of the world’s great artists of profanity. My grandfather taught me a lot of interesting things, for example, that H. was Jesus’s middle name. Like other men of his generation, grandpa distinguished horseshit from ordinary bullshit.
Kurt Vonnegut said that we prefer useful and comf -
Blog postFresno Bee, November 29, 2020
Last week, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno gave an ethical warning about COVID-19 vaccines. In a video message, he said that if a vaccine were “developed with material from stem cells that were derived from a baby that was aborted, or material that was cast off from artificial insemination of a human embryo, that’s morally unacceptable.”
The bishop warned that the Pfizer vaccine may be morally suspect. In response to -
Blog postCovid-19 has transformed Thanksgiving. This year we should shelter within our bubbles and stay close to home. Rather than complaining about a downsized holiday, let’s use this as an opportunity to rediscover the wisdom of living modestly and being thankful.
Ancient wisdom celebrates gratitude and simplicity. Ancient sages teach us to be grateful for simple things and to celebrate abundance without extravagance.
Thanksgiving has strayed far from this idea.&nbs -
Blog postFresno Bee, November 15, 2020
The political news reminds us of the wisdom of graceful exits. Businesses need succession plans. Individuals ought to prepare advance medical directives. It is wise to learn to depart with dignity. That means not clinging or lingering until the bitter end.
In show business they say, “leave them wanting more.” It is better for the show to end with an empty spotlight than to offer another encore to a
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