IDEAS

Peter

Knowing the Unknowable

I used to love driving. In a lifetime I’ve wracked up well over 1,000,000 miles with a few years of commercial driving and a lot of touring. I find it relaxing and meditative. I’ve had some of my best thoughts whilst driving and for many years couldn’t wait for an excuse to get in the car and go, go, go, go anywhere.

Nowadays driving isn’t’ as much fun. One sees way too many stupid acts and reckless risks taken. But A nice drive is still the generator of new thoughts.

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A few days ago we were chatting (you and me) about knowing about God and my mind returned to that topic as we headed west towards our summer place to pick up a few things I realize might be needed in our new house.

For the tiny little creatures we are we have monumental egos. We think we can understand the entire universe but we have a hard time regulating our own personal lives. As a race we have a horrible history of violence and discontent — nationally, regionally, locally, and all the way down to our most intimate personal relationships. After all, look at the mortality rate for marriage.:

The average length of a marriage in the United States varies depending on factors such as whether it is a first, second, or subsequent marriage. In 2018, the median duration of a first marriage was 21 years, while second marriages lasted around 17 years. For those married three or more times, the median duration was 13 years1. The national average marriage length is just under 20 years, but couples in Maine and West Virginia typically have the longest-lasting unions, lasting for 22.3 years2. However, the average length of a marriage prior to divorce is eight years3.

So much for till death do us part!

But considering that we have a hard time getting along with our “closest” partners in life the idea that we can ken the length and breadth of a supernatural being is the height of absurdity. And yet humans have been fascinated by whether there is something beyond this life and if so, what — or who — might be there to share it with.

I know that a great many people want to deny the existence of any “intelligent” “being” or “power” beyond what we can sense. And yet we are blind to much of the light spectrum, we are deaf to sounds beyond our small hearing range, we cannot smell as well as many of the animals we gather around us, our tastebuds aren’t sensitive enough to prevent us from killing ourselves, etc., etc.. We see ourselves as so powerful, even exploring the universe remotely — and yet we are pretty insignificant beings individually.

True, when acting together we can threaten the livability of our giant planet — but that takes the individual actions of millions of us all doing things that aren’t good for ourselves or for the planet and the speed with which we are killing ourselves is guaranteed to cause death and destruction lasting many years for many more millions still to be born.

Worship is something that makes no sense to the human animal.

wor·ship [ˈwərSHəp]. noun

  1. the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity: “the worship of God” · “ancestor worship”

But I guess that’s what gives “worship” its real value. The idea that people with a limited lifespan would take some or all of it and devote it to the adoration of an entity that they can’t see, touch, taste, or hear is the ultimate extravagance. Perhaps that’s why the Christian concept of a God has the power that it has. I can’t speak for other faiths. I don’t understand them, I don’t practice them, I have no significant experience of them. But the idea that a Christian does things, accepts things, and believes things that seem by all human reasoning to have no value to their life — or the lives of others — is the ultimate luxury: a life lived for God and not for self.

A great many people think about heaven and or hell. I suspect that the fact of their thoughts is that they really like what they have here on earth and whatever their concept of anything that may or may not happen after death is pretty much akin to what they know here on earth. It’s hard to imagine what any other form of life might be like — so our idea of utopia or damnation is rooted in experience.

Occasionally humans get glimpses into other realities. Sometimes through art. Sometimes through music. There have been the thinkers who have transported others through actual words or the record of their experiences written down. But the likes of these are hard to find — and yet sometimes those beacons seem to find their way to those who are seeking and illuminate their life in a way that lights a flickering lamp to illuminate others along THEIR pathway.

It’s impossible to understand the unintelligible. We can’t know the unknowable. And yet some of us try. Most of the time the pursuit of God is done silently in private. The lifting of a thought. The tending of a broken heart. A helping hand extended. In thoughts, words, and actions we find ways to reach beyond this present life and touch something immortal, unknowable, too great for our brains to take in entirely.

And at this season we ponder a birth in a manger. A long time ago. We wonder why the promises of that event seem unfulfilled. Some of us give up on hope. Others cling fast. Around the world a sweet incense of devotion arises in a way we cannot sense to a being we know nothing of, really. Some question whether it’s all worth it. Others know that it definitely is. Because Faith IS the evidence of unseen things and the proof of what has not been witnessed.

Merry Christmas to you.

No blog tomorrow. I’ll be back on the 26th. Take care of yourself. Love your family and friends. And lift a glass of good cheer, with our without spirits — but with YOUR spirit.

Peace and love to all.

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Peter

15 Household Uses for Cornstarch

I like to read labels. It’s not compulsive but….

If you are like me it’s easy to get stuck in the habit of just going out and purchasing the brands and products that you see waved in front of you on TV and over the radio and via social media. But there are a lot of jobs that can be done just as easily and quite a bit cheaper using products we all have at home — or if you are like me — sitting in the pantry waiting for the next time you want to make gravy.

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One such is good old cornstart.

  • Scrub tubs: This works especially well for acrylic tubs and bathroom sinks. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a cup of white vinegar in a glass measuring container. Mix well, then microwave for a couple of minutes. Funnel it into a spray bottle to which you’ve added a couple tablespoons of liquid detergent.
     
  • Clean glass: Cornstarch is a wonderful window cleaner! Add a tablespoon each of white vinegar and cornstarch to two cups of water. Funnel into a spray bottle and use on window or door glass. Your windows and glass will be streak-free!
     
  • Remove stains: Dry or mixed into a thick paste with water, cornstarch can remove many kinds of stains on rugs, furniture, clothing, and other fabric items. Leave the paste on until it dries before brushing or vacuuming. A cornstarch paste even works to remove blood and grease stains. Repeat if a single application doesn’t completely remove the stain.
     
  • Polish silver: Mix cornstarch with a little bit of water to bring out the natural shine in silver objects.
     
  • Freshen grubby fleece hats, mittens, stuffed animals: Pour a cup of cornstarch into a large paper bag, add dirty items, and shake well. Leave a few hours if the items are stained. Remove items from the bag and brush or shake off excess cornstarch.
     
  • Loosen knots in shoelaces, hair, and dog fur: A knot in your shoelaces? Knots in hair or your dog’s fur? Sprinkle knots liberally with cornstarch, then pull and wiggle on the knot until the laces slide out. Sprinkle liberally on matted hair or dog fur and work it in down to the skin to help the matted fur untangle for easier brushing and clipping.
     
  • Deodorize smelly stuff: Dust the insides of smelly shoes or boots, liberally sprinkle over a dog’s coat (avoiding the face) and leave for a few minutes before shaking or brushing out.
     
  • Soothe a bite or sting: A few drops of water in a spoon of cornstarch makes a paste to spread on a fresh insect bite or sting.
     
  • Ease sunburn pain: While it’s better to focus on preventing sunburns in the first place, soothe the pain of one by applying a paste of cornstarch and water to the burned areas. Give it time to dry.
     
  • Prevent athlete’s foot: Renowned for its absorbent qualities, cornstarch sprinkled between your toes and into your socks before putting them on will help keep feet dry and less susceptible to the fungi that cause athlete’s foot.
     
  • Dry-shampoo your hair: Hair looking unkempt and greasy/stringy, but no time or motivation for a wash? Keep a small jar of cornstarch in your bathroom along with a large makeup brush or a small, flexible paintbrush. “Paint” or sprinkle the starch through your hair, working it in until it’s well distributed. Shake your head a bit, then brush the cornstarch out along with the grease and grime. Voila! Smooth, shiny, and fluffed out, you’re ready to go.
     
  • Make a quick deodorant: You can find lots of recipes online for making homemade underarm deodorants, but why bother? Just use a large makeup brush to dust armpits with dry cornstarch. Stand on a towel so the starch that falls won’t get all over the floor. Pat treated underarms with a soft cloth to remove excess.
     
  • Prevent/treat chafing: Many people experience chafing undersides of their arms, inner thighs, and nipple area, especially during vigorous exercise. Rubbing cornstarch over the areas that usually chafe will both lubricate them against chafing, and soothe the irritation that may occur.
     
  • Make a seed tape for planting small herb and vegetable seeds: Small vegetable seeds can be hard to sow evenly across your seedbed, and may result in uneven spacing that wastes seed and increases the need for weeding. Buying pelleted seeds or seed tapes from a seed company can solve this problem, but with a little cornstarch you can make your own. Start by making a cornstarch gel: Mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a saucepan, then stir gently and bring it to a boil for about 5 minutes. Once it thickens, allow it to cool completely. Next, place dabs of the gel onto strips of biodegradable paper at an appropriate spacing for your seeds, then press a seed or two into each dab before folding and pressing the edges of the paper together. Seems onerous, but it doesn’t take much time. It’ll save a lot of seed waste and weeding time.
     
  • Make finger paints: One fun family activity is to make nontoxic homemade finger paints using cornstarch, water, and food coloring. Here’s a recipe: Add half a cup of cornstarch to two cups of water, whisk well, and boil until thick and gelatinous. Then separate into individual small containers such as repurposed yogurt cups, and add food coloring to reach a desired shade. Some folks add packets of Kool Aid as the coloring agent.

By the way, potato starch or arrowroot starch work similarly to cornstarch.

Ok — enough of that for today. Take care of yourself and we can chat tomorrow.

Peter

Doing Nothing

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Yesterday I wrote an entire blog about this graphic. Georgia O’Keefe always had interesting points of view and the quote moved me — a lot. At the time I put it aside to use for a post I was in mid waiting-to-close-and-get-moved mode so my mind was in a very different place than it is now.

I looked over the post and decided to scrap it and post the graphic with very little comment because I realized that the meaning for this particular statement has potential to be extremely different for each person reading it. And so that is what I’m doing today.

Think about the ways we each, individually, have to wait for our own selves to return to being authentically you.

If you need a thought starter I could point you in the direction of the current election cycle. I bet we have all not been quite ourselves because of the ongoing rancor and shenanigans. That said…. I think that we all have had multiple reasons not to be ourselves in the past. Take a moment and ask yourself:

  • what have you done while not being yourself?
  • why have you felt compelled to change?
  • how long has that being going on?
  • is it cyclical or just repetitive (as in “every summer” or “when a certain thing happens”)

Ok. I said I wasn’t going to write a whole post and here I’ve already gotten half way there. So, that’s it for today. I’ll talk with you tomorrow, and keep yourself well until then. 🙂

Peter

It’s the little things

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Whether your viewpoint is mini or macro one thing remains the same. It’s the little things that matter most!

  • Without bees life as we know it would not exist. So much of our food chain is dependent upon pollination accomplished by bees.
  • Without companionship humans shrivel up and die.
  • A smile can make a perfectly miserable day into something quite bearable.

These aren’t mysteries, but they are overlooked — as are millions of other “little things” that we take for granted but literally can’t live without. Or at least we can’t live long without them, or live as nearly an enjoyable life without them.

Our rush, rush, rush lifestyles generate a lot of problems for us, but we are rarely willing to look at the way we are living and consciously make a change in lifestyle. We have been living with a major road reconstruction for the last half year — yes, the place to which we have moved is having the major street through the neighborhood rebuilt — not just paved over, but roadworks busted up, new pipes laid, new curbs installed and eventually new concrete pavement poured. One of the decisions taken regarding traffic flow is the inclusion of bike lanes. That also means that with no way of making the street wider this major traffic-way is actually narrowed from two lanes to one lane and a bike lane.

There don’t seem to be all that many bikes being ridden in our neighborhood — this isn’t Amsterdam. But then maybe it could be. Except during winter. But, wouldn’t you know it, a great many residents are upset about the fact that in their minds their commute to work some 20 or 30 or 40 minutes away is going to be inhibited. It’s never about “Why don’t I live closer to work so I don’t have to commute to the next community.” It’s always about needing to drive ever further and ever faster paying less and less attention to people using other means of transport: like bikes, or heaven forbid even WALKING!

I don’t listen to scanner traffic to know all the ins and out of our emergency responders. But I do subscribe on Facebook to a feed that publishes selected emergency requests for services in our immediate area. I am amazed at how many “person hit by automobile” events there are (way too many). And “bicycle hit by car.” I won’t even get into the number of shootings and vehicular accidents but that’s a topic for another day.

We can talk all we want about Global Warming, but until we are willing to change even the simplest daily routines to accommodate other humans we aren’t going to get very far solving the grand macro problems that exist. We’ll sit here like spectators watching as living conditions worsen and complain about how bad they are but we’ll continue doing all the things that are bringing the changes about — and whine. I’m really disappointed in how little humans actually care about their planet.

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There was a time when I needed to be going, and doing. I was young and I wanted to make some mark on the world. In time I came to realize, along with the ancient sage, that all is vanity. On the grand scale of things we don’t really matter very much. Not individually. But we take ourselves way too seriously and we cause each other way too much grief and harm. I accept that there are individuals, like the owners of massive yachts and multiple multi-million dollar homes who are completely unfazed by the state of the world, or even the state of their own families. I don’t care about them. I have zero influence on them and they don’t care what I think. While I occasionally become aware of something they have done, I am powerless in impact them so I’m not going to lose any sleep about them. When I was younger I might have been a different kind of crusader than I have grown into in this life. Given a slightly different upbringing I might have been a very different person. But this guy, the one I am now, it willing to let all of that go and focus on the little things.

Time spent with loved ones. Time spent thinking about the wonders of the world — seeing as actually exploring them with my current body has become a bit more difficult. Opportunities to better the world I live in, in small ways though they are. These are the things that are the sweetest to me right now.

Actually, that highlights the fact that the word “sweet” has become a bigger part of my vocabulary. Not a word I used to use very often as I was rushing around too much to realize that some things really were sweet and I just needed time to savor them.

Ok. That’s enough of a ramble for today. Take care of yourself and we can talk again tomorrow.

Peter

thinking

I sometimes wonder what it takes to get a person to start thinking. I don’t mean functional thinking, of course — we all think enough to feed and clothe ourselves. Rather, to dare thought that exceeds the mundane.

It is not easy for a man to begin to think; but once he has begun he will never leave off. Once a thinker, always a thinker, and the understanding once practised in reflection will never rest.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, or On Education

There is a whole world of un-thought ideas waiting to be released, if only someone will think them. Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, and so many others changed the world because they thought.

But not all thought results in concrete invention. Sometimes it’s an idea or concept; the way we see the world, or perceive it. Impressionist painters caused us to see the composite world of color as none had ever dreamt before.

not all thinking has to be about new ‘stuff’. Sometimes we need to think about what will happen if a certain thing keeps happening — what are the consequences? Or whether what we have been told is true? Or right, or fair, or worthwhile.

once you start thinking there’s never an end; always more to be thought. An eternal fount of ideas.

and yet some are happy with their amusements; prefer them; and never think for themselves.

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it’s not ego.

it’s a cry for companionship.

Peter

WHERE DO WE ACTUALLY LIVE ?

The crust of the earth, the part that is not lava, is about 125 miles thick.

The biosphere, extending from the bottom of the ocean to about 30,000 feet above sea level is 8 miles thick.

Let’s use a model of earth to illustrate this, say a globe the size of a basketball.

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On our globe example, the earth’s crust is about 1/8 inch thick.

The biosphere, where all of life exists, is the thickness of a sheet of paper.

Sort of like living on the scum layer in a pan of hot cocoa. But seriously, this doesn’t make me feel insignificant or vulnerable. It evokes an incredible sense of gratitude and awe. What a privilege to be alive and aware of how rare our earth is. A one in a billion (or trillion) chance to experience life.

Rare Earth – Why Complex Life Is Uncommon In The Universe, by Donald Brownlee and Peter Ward is a great read on this topic.

Peter

a message from 2016

in the days just before Trump took office, Yale historian and Holocaust expert Timothy Snyder shared his thoughts:

Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so. Here are twenty lessons from the twentieth century, adapted to the circumstances of today.

1. Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You’ve already done this, haven’t you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.

2. Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don’t protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning.

3. Recall professional ethics. When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges.

4. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.

5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don’t fall for it.

6. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don’t use the internet before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to read? Perhaps “The Power of the Powerless” by Václav Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev.

7. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.

8. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.

9. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to harm you. Bookmark PropOrNot or other sites that investigate foreign propaganda pushes.

10. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.

11. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.

12. Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.

13. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can.

14. Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good.

15. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks.

16. Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.

17. Watch out for the paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over.

18. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.)

19. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die in unfreedom.

20. Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.

Feel free to share, but please copy & paste the text into your own status or else it will not be viewable to all of your friends.

Quote Peter

How is that OK?

With apologies for not posting an Independence Day blog…

I don’t spend time on the apps in general, but when I do take a peek on there, I’m astonished at what is considered appropriate behavior. Our children and grandchildren are in trouble.

I realize I am of an older generation, but we were taught to always be polite. If you’re not interested, say “no thank you”. Be honest, but be polite. I see people saying “If I’m not interested, I’ll just block you”, or some short comeback like “nope”.

How is this okay? Seems rude to me. 

I don’t get how this is acceptable behavior. I know saying this makes me seem old (I am, but I’m not dead). I don’t see good things for society if people are just “blocked” or impolitely dismissed based on a few pics and a message. I would have been smacked upside the head for treating people that way. No wonder our current state of politics is acceptable to so many.

I know this isn’t the worst thing in the world, but geez, it’s a sign of the increasing crassness of people today. Just have a little class boys. Say hello, and say no thanks if you aren’t into it. You’ll find you will get much farther in life if you just have some decorum. 

I get it. Online behavior is generally bad because the anonymity gives people freedom to be rude. Folks feel free to be asses because there’s zero accountability. But that behavior shouldn’t be okay and I can’t see how it won’t somehow blend into real life. Just my two cents. 

THANK YOU for listening to my rant.