Ageless in Spirit: Discussions and interests for our times

 August 28, 2024     I write this blog mainly to think and write about about subjects that am interested in, want to learn more about, have an opinion that requires more thought, and wanting to share with others. This last goal is somewhat unrealistic since I have few followers and interested readers. Some of my posts have been to write about science, physics, cosmology, alternative ways to view what we know and believe. I suppose this may be boring to some unless they have similar interests.       In my January 14,2024 blog I wrote about Israel as a Zionistic state versus a democracy. I’ll continue with this posting ( https://mindandconnection.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-14-2024-my-opinions-concerning.html ).     I read an article concerning the Israeli government, the settlers in the West Bank aspirations, violent behaviors toward Palestinians, right wing Jewish movements aspirations and successes in controlling the government and investigations by the Israeli government confirming

  April 29, 2024     Yesterday, I had a discussion with my friend and wife concerning the October 7 massacre, rape, and kidnapping of Jewish residents near the Gaza border. The Israeli responses to find the hostages and free them, and eliminate any future attack against Israeli citizens is still ongoing with now concentration of attention at the Gazan city of Rafah. The millions of Gazan civilians, non combatants, women, children, elderly, infirm, and family members have had to move from various parts of Gaza with some warning and direction from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while the IDF bombed, bulldozed, and attempted to root out the estimated 40,000 Hamas fighters and free the hostages. The controversies concerning this strategy in part relate to the injury of non combatant Palestinian Gazan people, the destruction of healthcare and hospital facilities and injury of health care and refugee personnel, and the reported dire starvation issues these civilians face.      The Netanyah

 April 20,2024     I just finished walking 3.4 miles in under two hours from my home to the post office and back to mail a birthday card to my granddaughter. I wanted her to get the card before her birthday, I wanted to get exercise to keep my body including my heart healthy and  maintain my better body weight, and be out with sunlight and mild breeze. As I walked on the streets, parks, and stores to the post office I obeyed the crosswalk directions and signals, kept to the side walks and paths, and did deposit the birthday card at the post office. Earlier I greeted a friend who comes every few years to fix my computer which he did and we talked about his new job, his wife's job, some background about his parents and Rebecca shared some interests in jewelry making which his wife enjoys. His wife teaches at La Pietra Girl's school and I commented that we hiked with another art teacher from this school in the past and that the school had some horseback riding classes. He shared s

 March 21, 2024     When studying history one approach is to look at the culture, group, tribe, city, and state to see if they endorse basic freedoms. Firstly the freedom of an individual to move from one location to another. Secondly, the freedom to disobey some person, group, or authority, and the third is the freedom to create or transform social relationships. Included in these freedoms is the ability to make promises in these relationships (the third freedom) and the the freedom to run away from a difficult situation is related to the first freedom. A slave cannot make promises since they have no rights. According to Roman law during the classical period, slaves could be mutilated and killed by the owner without repercussions. The family members under the patriarchal system were subject to the head of the households direction and could be abused, restrained, and beaten without repercussions to the perpetrator. In certain cultures throughout history monarchs became vessels from the

 January 31, 2024     My adventures in hiking are less intense and much less risky due to age, health changes including cardiac pacemaker, atrial fibrillation, past heart attack surgeries and stents, torn achilles tendon, peripheral neuropathy, loss of vision especially in left eye with macular hole treatments ongoing, etc. Tomorrow I'll hike up from Hawaii Kai up Hahaione Ridge towards Kuliouou Trail. Here the elevation gain is over 900 feet in four + miles on a secure trail without ropes or severe narrow drop-offs. I'm missing the Kahekili Trail hike with the Solemates and Rusties Group. Here's why  https://the-wanderlust.com/2015/01/kahekili-manamana/  and  https://www.google.com/search?q=Kahekili+Trail+in+Ka%27a%27awa&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lpg=cid:CgIgAQ%3D%3D,ik:CAoSLEFGMVFpcFB2RUFzOFk4cndCaE1TcEVkRnZ6QUdKQXlrSzRfNjNKb3FPcEw0     I show you this 1827 feet climb in less than three miles round trip because I would like to go but at this stage in my life it'

January 14, 2024     My opinions concerning Israel's foundation as a Jewish state accepting most anyone as potential citizens who have Jewish birth heritage are mixed and ambivalent. Israel describes itself as a democracy but critiques of its lack of democratic practices and and antidemocratic pronouncements mostly point out that non Jewish citizens are often marginalized and have less protections. The label Palestinian also becomes a point of contention since the Palestinian can often describe a history of repression, an identity which has aspects of being a lower cast, and discrimination in education and economic advancement. Yet to some Jewish citizens and Jewish advocates of Israel, Palestinian is associated with anti-Jewish hatred, suicide bombers detonating themselves in marketplaces, terroristic attacks and extreme mistrust.      For example, Palestinians may use the history of Zionism, the settlements history since 1920, the history of the partition conflicts and wars and t