Going Inkless

We've all heard it's not polite to discuss politics or religion.  If you're trying to avoid conflict, (and it's generally a good thing in polite conversation,) it makes sense.  People have very strong opinions on those subjects, and despite what you hear about the modern trend of political polarization in America, this is nothing new.  People have always been passionate about the subject, and some have started arguments, riots, or wars over political opinion all through history.  The same goes for matters of religion.  Why do you think we developed that rule for polite conversation? The problem is not that people have become more extreme about their positions but that we have become more aware of others' positions.  Without our social media tableaux of opinion, we might blithely go about assuming that our friends, neighbours, or even family must think the way we do.  Because the rules of social media etiquette are less solid than those of conventiona...

      We've been exploring Netflix lately, discovering movies and TV shows we've intended to watch but had forgotten as well as stumbling across things we never heard about before.  It eats up some time, but it's a good use of those spare evenings when the work day has left you unwilling to stray too far from your couch and unable to put your mind to more creative work.  "Veg"ging, it is.  Sure.  But, there's a lot of good stuff out there, and all that input is bound to spark ideas. One show we particularly enjoyed was "Stephen Fry in America," a BBC series that (Surprise!) sent Stephen Fry touring the United States in 2008.  I suppose there may be a few folks who are unfamiliar with Mr. Fry, and if you are one of them, I encourage you to seek out and sample his work.  He is a witty, likeable, British actor- intelligent and from all indications, a genuinely nice guy.  So, knowing this about him and being generally interested in how a s...

     At a certain point early on, a child begins to understand that things happen for reasons.  Before that point, the whole world is magical.  Things just work.  The example I was given of this stage of perception was that young child opening the cabinet each morning and the cereal is just there.  No concept of where it had come from, the store or the farm.  No concept that it might not be there one day.  It just is.      Gradually, understanding comes.  We begin to see the paths that lead to the ends.  As we grow, knowledge of consequences enables us to solve problems or reach our goals.  Still, there is some blindness in each of us.      As adults, we know the fact that everything has an origin.  Whether that was a natural process or human intervention, what is  exists because of what was .   Awareness  of the fact usually requires concious thought that we don't often en...