I am looking forward to reading a new book I got, Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications, edited by Paul Gilbert and Gregoris Simos.
It is a book title I came across while I was renewing one of my licenses (my LMFT license). It does seem like the book offers something that has been missing from contemporary therapies.
I'm looking forward to digging into the book.
***
A good book is Solitude: A Return to Self, by Anthony Storr. I read it a number of years back and sometimes pick it again just to read well-written passages. Here are some phrases I found particularly pleasing:"
--"the uses of solitude"
--"religion dismissed as superstition"
--"A silver haze shimmered and trembled over" (Bernard Berenson)
--"Call no man happy till he dies." (Solon)
--"this is a disposition akin to madness" (Erich Heller)
--"the yearning for a lost paradise" (David Aberbach)
--"This is characteristic of the mystic vision..."
--"unexpected juxtapositions of themes, and unpredictable interruptions"
--"For years his whole existence had perforce been one of inert and idle submission to circumstances." (David Cecil on William Cowper).
***
I have been wondering if supplements will become more popular as the Baby Boomers age. I would think so. Yet I have really not read on the topic. Especially since people as they age don't seem to eat much better than when they were younger, I would think supplements would look quite good.
I hope to do some reading on the topic in the near future and to report back.
***
I have made myself a sort of bipedal guinea pig. I have been taking a number of different supplements over the last year. I have taken the ones that seem to have a number of studies to back up them up.
Hopefully I don't go overboard.
***
I was reading a book I believe I have mentioned in a past post. And the book, on vitamins, minerals, and herbs, had a shockingly large number of amino acids, herbs, and foods that play a part in limiting hunger and therefore possibly limiting weight gain.
And aside from just a few that have been in the news, most of them are not known by most people. I hope to write on some of them in upcoming posts.
***
I came across a theory that I had never heard of--Protein Leverage Theory. It says that the body is designed to eat a certain amount of protein and if that body/person does not get that amount, the person will keep eating (i.e., fats and carbs) until the amount is reached.
And the authors of this theory suggest because our Western diet is made up primarily of ultra-processed foods, and there is little protein in those type of foods, the body will continue eating until the proper level of protein is reached. Consequently, that is why there is an obesity epidemic.
I hope to read more about this theory. It sounds intriguing.
***
I knew, and no doubt many others did too, that at some point Trump would be challenged in the same manner he has treated his opponents.
The one who has stepped into that position is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This was recently seen in the news and I think Trump will not be able to use the same tactics he did in his first run for president. He has made too many enemies in the interim.
***
I read recently that silicon is the second most common element in the world. I read that and thought it had to be wrong. But by "in the world," the article meant "in the earth." Yet, in the recesses of my mind, I interpreted it to mean "in the atmosphere."
So, I was surprised I misread it and I was surprised that silicon is the second most common element in the earth. Two surprises in a miniscule amount of time.
***
It seems like the news tells us that the 99% is getting tired of the status quo. With the Great Resignation, the Rent Revolt, and the uprising of unions, there is evidence galore.
It will be interesting to see if this tide continues. I surmise the working out the answer to this is complex, but I sense a lot has to do simply with the two-part question, "Are the masses just getting tired of the same old and are things slowly getting worse?"
We shall see.
***
Today I was reading about the six subtypes of flavonoids. I hear flavonoids mentioned in the news or in magazine articles periodically, but usually not much is said about them.
The article I read stated that the six subtypes were the following: flavanols, flavan-3-ols, flavones, flavanones, isoflavones, and anthocyanins.
The main thing I took away from the article is that nearly all flavonoids are found in fruits and vegetables and that most flavonoids are rich in antioxidants.
Some of the foods mentioned that are the high in flavonoids are onions, berries, grapes, peaches, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, green tea, white tea, apples, parsley, red peppers, lemons, limes, and oranges.
Fruits and vegetables in the spotlight again!
***
I didn't know what to write about today. So I am writing about that. But also I'm writing about the perplexing and curious times we live.
I realize every generation says that many times during their travels (or is that, travails) on planet Earth, but I sense the only other times that might surpass our times is during the world wars (Auden's "Age of Anxiety" for WWII).
Just my oh-so-random thoughts for the day.
***
A friend of mine said he thinks liberalism may be from Satan. I was shocked. As far as politics go, I always saw this friend as a moderate and maybe a bit to the right. But that was years ago. It seems algorithms and Mr. Trump have gotten to him.
It has inspired me to look into the work of Jonathan Haidt, Phd. He has written on the differences between conservatives and liberals and what deeper values each holds dear.
I"m sure both sides would say that times have changed.
***
I was reading a story about Jeffrey Epstein and it talked about how Epstein had evaded getting caught for having sex with multiple teenage girls. He used his great wealth and the legal system as his primary tools.
Finally, of course, he was caught. It made me think of another person who has used his wealth and the legal system to keep the law at bay--former President Donald Trump.
What happened to Epstein, I believe, will happen to Trump. Ultimately he will behind bars. In Trump's case, it's just taking a little longer.
***
Here they are:
--It is the theory that decides what can be observed. Albert Einstein
--Choas often breeds life, when order breeds habit. Henry Adams
--Every dogma has his day. Abraham Rotstein
--Three things are good in little measure and evil in large: yeast, salt and hesitation.
The Talmud
--City life--millions of people being lonesome together. Henry David Thoreau
--The mob has many heads but no brains. Thomas Fuller
--All happy families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Leo Tolstoy
***
Former president Trump is in the headlines again. It seems like the heat keeps getting turned up on him and he is getting more and more agitated with the rising mercury.
I do feel a bit like Nostradamus. I sensed this would happen. And, indeed, I was hoping for it.
I think Dr. Bandy Lee, who has written much about the psychological make-up of the former president, is right when she suggests that Trump will act more chaotically and violently as he is being pinned down. The day is drawing nigh.
***
I just felt like writing down some words and definitions.
1. disport v. To amuse.
2. glossophobia n. Fear of public speaking.
3. lout n. An awkward, foolish person.
4. plutomania n. An excessive pursuit of wealth.
5. gibe n. An aggressive remark directed at someone.
6. salad days n. A period of youth and inexperience.
7. mauve n. A moderate purple.
8. oenology n. The study of winemaking.
9. mitzvah n. A good act done out of religious duty.
10. chalice n. A bowl-shaped cup.
11. Emerald City n. Seattle.
12. vexillology n. The study of flags.
13. raillery n. Good-natured ridicule; banter.
14. sticky wicket n. A difficult, awkward or uncertain situation.
15. iftar n. The meal after a day's fast during Ramadan.
***
I know this has become an obsession for me, but I keep hoping for the former President Trump to get his comeuppance. It appears stealing hundreds of classified documents from the White House may indeed get him into some trouble.
But, as truly the Teflon President, one never knows. We will see.
***
I just felt like posting some inspiring quotes:
The creative mind plays with the objects it loves. Carl Jung
In creating, the only hard thing is to begin... James Russell Lowell
Even from a foe a man [or woman] may learn wisdom. Greek proverb
Whatever is well said by another, is mine. Seneca
Act quickly, think slowly. Greek proverb
Dig a well before you are thirsty. Chinese proverb
Many times the reading of a book has made the future of a man. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Read the best books first, or you may not have the chance to read them at all. Henry David Thoreau
Whatever sentence will bear to be read twice, we may be sure was thought twice. Henry David Thoreau
The greatest thing in style is to have a command of metaphor. Aristotle
Soft words are hard arguments. Thomas Fuller
Words should be weighed and not counted. Yiddish proverb
***
Here are some quotes that readers might finding interesting/thought-provoking.
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it."
Helen Keller
"The best is the enemy of the good."
Voltaire
"He who is outside his door already has a hard part of his journey behind him."
Dutch proverb
"As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more mysterious."
Albert Schweitzer
"There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge."
Bertrand Russell
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old: seek what they sought."
Matsuo Basho
"The natural man has only two primal passions--to get and beget."
William Osler
***
This is a weblog, so I should be able to talk about my feelings. I feel confused like last week about the world. But it does seem that in life there can still be many surprises. The world could use a few good surprises.
***
Just a thought: sometimes it doesn't seem like the moral arc of the universe ultimately points toward justice. Yet, a number of wise people believe it does. So I will just have to suspend disbelief for the present time.
I'm trying my best.
***
I have been thinking a lot about private equity. I'm not sure if I've written about it here on this blog, but it's definitely been on my mind and I've surely seen the damage it can do to families.
That's why I'm surprised so little has been written about it. I'm trying to learn as much as I can so I can spread the word on how it aggravates economic inequality.
I'm trying to be patient with myself. To really understand ("to stand under") a topic takes lots of incremental work. I sometimes forget that.
***
I know I go back to this a lot. Okay, maybe maybe even more than a lot. But I do hope to see the day former President Trump gets his due. It seems to be getting closer and there will no doubt be many little blockades put in the way by Mr. Trump and his henchmen.
But just like R. Kelly's accusers just found out, justice deferred doesn't mean justice denied.
***
I just felt like putting down more definitions. I'm always amazed how many words there are in English.
--Tokotoko n. In New Zealand, a ceremonial carved Maori walking stick.
--Tokophobia n. An abnormal fear of giving birth or becoming pregnant.
--Felix Culpa n. An error or disaster that has good consequences.
--Dovecote n. A settled group, especially one of a quiet, conservative nature.
--Jedburgh justice n. Punishment before trial.
--Rosolio n. A cordial flavored with rose petals, cloves, or the like, popular in S. Europe.
--Sommelier n. A waiter who is in charge of wines.
--Salad days n. A period of youth and inexperience.
--Wabi-Sabi n. A Japanese idea that finds beauty in things that are simple, imperfect, and impermanent.
***
I have been listening to some of the Jan. 6th hearings. It is a delight to hear people talk about honesty and doing the right thing.
I am shocked more Republican voters have not censured Trump and his henchmen. It now appears all their talk about Bill Clinton and how he wasn't fit to lead our country in no way applies to Trump.
Amazing.
***
It is amazing how former President Trump appears to be unbothered by the Jan. 6th Commission. Also, too, his henchmen. Yet, I think things will unfold just like they did for the late governor of La., Edwin Edwards. It seemed beyond belief that the justice system would catch up with him. They did.
I wonder if Trump knows the story of Edwards?
***
Here are some more cool writing that I've come across. I am obsessed with copying down any phrase or sentence I like the sound of.
--"from passivity to participation"
--"psychic paralysis"
--"visions of social justice"
--"A distracted and self-focused citizenry"
--"America's cynicism has grown more insidious"
--"to weave a labored web of useless ingenuity" (T.S. Eliot)
--"in a state of near-perpetual surprise"
--"at about the speed of creeping crab grass" (John Aldridge)
--"its august leadership, its diverse membership"
--"an emanation of your own prejudices and self-interests"
--"dullness and diffidence"
--"a breezy, Madison Avenue glibness"
--"still putting cuteness before communication"
--"give themselves permission to sound at ease"
--"need to burned into every writer's brain"
***
It looks like finally Donald Trump is getting his comeuppance. In Georgia recently, big-name GOP politicians were not afraid to stand up to him.
This is good news. These glad tidings have taken awhile to come to fruition, but it is a highly pleasing feeling to me to see truth and justice win out.
Those who have ridden the coattails of this Liar-in-Chief will no doubt start balking and saying we have it all wrong.
I think we had it all right.
***
Here are more words and definitions. I can't seem to ever learn enough words.
1. plutomania n. An excessive pursuit of wealth.
2. mitzvah n. A good act done out of religious duty.
3. titanism n. A spirit of rebelliousness.
4. djellaba n. (jah-LAH-bah) A kind of loose cloak with a hood, worn by men especially in North Africa and the Middle East.
5. zeppole n. A sort of Italian doughnut.
6. Midas-eared adj. Having poor judgment.
7. anacampersote n. A plant thought to restore lost love.
8. donkey's years n. A very long time.
9. hypnagogic adj. Causing one to sleep.
10. missish adj. (MIS-ish) Prudish.
***
I'm just taking some interesting facts from a book about interesting facts. The name of the book is Who Knew? Things You Didn't Know About Things You Know Well, by David Hoffman.
Here are some of them.
--Most American currency contains microprinted messages to prevent counterfeiting. On the one-dollar bill, there is an owl in the upper left-hand corner of the "1" and a spider hidden at the upper right.
--Despite its 216-minute running time, Lawrence of Arabia has no women in speaking roles.
--The ostrich cannot fly, but it can outrun a racehorse.
--Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
--In most TV commercials and print advertisements, the hands on a watch are set at 10:10 because that arrangement draws attention to the logo and frames the manufacturer's name.
--Barbie's last name is Roberts.
--The fifty-two playing cars in a typical deck represent the fifty-two weeks in a year; the four suits, the four seasons.
--On the average, we forget 80 percent of what we learn on any given day.
***
That's what I've been thinking--sundry thoughts. And wondering where the world is heading. Anytime one is "wondering where the world is headed," it probably means you are getting older.
That's not the typical thing one is concerned with when young. Being young has other concerns.
***
I have been trying to learn more about climate change. There does seem a lot to learn but I sense the basics are not that difficult to get under one's belt.
Here are some things I took from a short monograph, "Climate Crisis 101":
--It defines "climate change" as "the changes scientists have seen in long-term temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns, thanks to higher levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere" (p.3).
--"Carbon dioxide is the chief culprit, but other gases like methane also play a dangerous role. These gases upset the natural systems that regulate our climate and lead to more extreme weather" (p. 6).
--"Just as the tobacco industry once attempted to confuse the public about the link between smoking and cancer, Big Polluters like oil and coal companies have spent decades running well-funded campaigns to mislead and deceive the public about what's really happening to the planet" (p.8).
--We need to ultimately shift to clean energy technologies like solar and wind. (p. 6)
It was a well-written and easy-to-read article. I'm sure big oil doesn't care for it.
***
It was heartwarming to read another story about late bloomers in the career search. It is about the Australian writer, Bryce Courtenay.
Here is a quote about him from the book, Writing is a Verb, by Bill O'Hanlon:
Courtenay says that since he didn't start writing until he was in his fifties and he has so many books to write, he writes eight months of the year and works twelve hours a day, six days a week until he finishes the book he's working on.
That can be a prod to many of us in our 50s, 60s, or later.
***
I have been fascinated reading about unions. I think the decline of unions--and the aggressive campaign to limit unions by many businesses and the 1%--is one of the main reasons we have such economic inequality in the U.S. Not the only reason, but one of the main reasons.
It does seem like the tide is changing. And the younger generations have played a big part in that--and that bodes well for the future.
***
I'm continuing to read about unions and their great importance in mitigating inequality. I guess I knew this intuitively, but now I know viscerally the good that unions have done for America.
I am thankful there finally is a union at an Amazon store (on Staten Island). Maybe the arc of history does indeed bend toward justice.
***
Here is a quote that reminds us of something most of us intuitively know:
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (1847-1922).
I watched part of a show recently about Vladimir Putin. The show was "Frontline." The amazing thing to me is how much he has been involved in numerous atrocities, yet, American news has publicized little of it.
I realize presenting this material may not fit well in 20-second news clips, but it seems a bit more could have been given as context to news about Putin, Russia, and Ukraine.
I hope to watch the whole show and to learn more of history.
***
I just feel like griping about the exorbitant price of auto insurance in Louisiana. It seems obscene.
Part of me wants to study the topic further, but I think it will just make me angrier and I will cease and desist from further activity.
Maybe there's a way out of this conundrum. I don't know.
***
I came across this helpful information
many years back*. Some of you may find it useful.
“Experiments by University of British
Columbia researcher Peter Suedfeld and his colleagues show that renewal comes
not only from rest, but from REST—Restricted Environmental Stimulation
Therapy. Suedfeld knew from earlier studies of sensory restriction that
being alone in a monotonous environment heightens a person’s sensitivity to any
sort of stimuli, whether external or internal. So he offered hundreds of people
a chance to tune more deeply into themselves through a literal day of REST,
during which they would do nothing but lie quietly on a comfortable bed in the
isolation of a dark soundproof room. Food, water, and a chemical toilet were
available, and communication was possible over an intercom through which brief
persuasive messages could be transmitted.
“The day
of REST has been notably successful in helping people who want to increase their
self-control—to gain or lose weight, reduce alcohol intake, improve speech fluency,
reduce hypertension, overcome irrational fears, boost self-confidence, or stop
smoking.”
Anyone can experience this (REST) for
themselves through places that offer “sensory deprivation tanks.” Though to
experience a whole day of this technique is extremely expensive, but good
results have been found with just an hour or two.
*The Pursuit of Happiness: Discovering
the Pathway to Fulfillment, Well-Being, and Enduring Personal Joy, by David
G. Myers, PhD.
Take care.
Mark
Nothing in particular to mention, but the idea, again, of inequality popped up in my mind. There has always been economic inequality, with the worst times being during the Gilded Era (late 1800s) and during the Great Depression. The thing that surprises me is that few people seem to care about it. That is, people on the whole know about it, but it seems number 42 on the list of societal needs.
This is puzzling. But one thing is not puzzling, and that is that the wealthy have done a good job of presenting it as a needed evil we all have to deal with because of the "free market." In fact, they haven't done a good job, they've done a great job.
***
I've probably mentioned this book in the blog before, but in any case, I'll do it again. The book deserves to be mentioned again. It's titled, The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future, by Joseph E. Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics.
Simply put, it talks about what has caused the severe economic inequality in the U.S. and the effects of that inequality. It's written clearly, it's thorough, and it's persuasive.
It's great to have a great book on dire topic.
***
An excellent book that I'm rereading is Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally, by Marcus J. Borg.
The book is basically a response to fundamentalist Christians. He sees the Bible not as "literal-factual," but as "historical-metaphorical." I was in the fundamentalist Christian movement when I was a teenager and it made sense to me then. But what I didn't know was that much of one's belief has to do with what presuppositions you start with.
As a fundamentalist, we started off with the presupposition that the Bible is basically dictated from God, therefore it can by definition contain no errors in it. I just found that couldn't stand up against what was thrown at it.
***
It seems like society is getting its comeuppance. There has been a sharp increase recently in COVID cases. The omicron variant is the culprit. I am still shocked at how a worldwide health issue has become intertwined with politics. It does show the power of propaganda and the ease in which Americans succumb to it.
This will be an interesting chapter in history.
***
I've written a few times about stellar writing. Here is a short selection, which I may have already written on my blog, I really love by Thomas Cahill. It's from his book Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus:
The Axial Age was over. It had lasted three hundred years--from the late seventh century B.C. to the late fourth--a very long time. In Confucian China, it had seen the burgeoning of reasonableness and courtly moderation, as well as the mystical depths uncovered by the Tao of Lao-Tsu. In India, the great age had produced the ineffable example of Gautama Buddha, reforming the chaos of more ancient systems and revealing the steps to personal peace. In Iran, the priest Zarathustra had spoken to the Persians, who carried the fire ceremony and the Zoroastrian vision of a cosmic battle between good and evil beyond the borders of Mesopotamia, situated between the legendary Tigris and Euphrates in the fertile delta where civilization had first shown itself. Just west of Mesopotamia, in the tiny, unstable kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the Hebrew prophets rose, giving to the bizarre monotheism of their singular people an ethical foundation so profound that the Jews could never entirely forsake it.
***
I have continued to draw gag cartoons, send them off to magazines, and get consistently rejected. Has it got me down? Yes. Though it will not stop me from continuing.
It does help to read about cartoonists who didn't give up even after years of rejection. I hope I am in that category.
***
