Ageless in Spirit: Discussions and interests for our times

 November 29, 2020 A Thanksgiving dinner Rebecca and one of our guests continued a discussion regarding Trump, the Soviet Union and history of Russia, and I found this somewhat difficult to put in my two cents but listened to Rebecca and attempted to be aware of my own discomfort and the reasoning and understanding of the two in this issue. I had a similar discussion with one of our hikers who declared that what Trump was complaining about was factual and unfair for him. Though I did comment negatively again I kept my distance and listened after that while Rebecca and he talked. I have read some more of this point of view  ( https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/opinion/thanksgiving-dowd-2020.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage ). Again I'm reminded of a similar conversation in which another fellow hiker vociferously declared her view that Trump was an excellent leader and his policies were very positive for the country while the Democrats and socialists were...

 November 20, 2020 I have had a revealing and interesting journey reading and digesting as best I can Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz. Since my November 12, 2020 blog I'll continue my understanding of wrongology. Should women have the right to vote? What a bizarre question yet pertinent to understanding how our beliefs can be right in one era and then wrong later. For a good film about the Switerland women's movement to obtain the vote finally for national voting in 1971 watch The Divine Order  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/movies/the-divine-order-review.html However the cantons Appenzell Ausserhoden and Innerrhoden did not extend this right until 1989. The men voted through a vote called in person at a building in town with everyone to see who voted in which way. One hold out country so far for the right to vote for women is Saudi Arabia. So our society has an influence on our beliefs determining what is right and wrong. So blind adherence to custom and influence of popula...

  November 15, 2020 Finding my way. While I continue my reading of Being Wrong I came across a poem The Circus Animal's Desertion by  W.B. Yeats a poem I never was exposed to (the link below includes an analysis).   https://poemanalysis.com/william-butler-yeats/the-circus-animals-desertion/ The Circus Animals’ Desertion BY  WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS I I sought a theme and sought for it in vain, I sought it daily for six weeks or so. Maybe at last being but a broken man I must be satisfied with my heart, although Winter and summer till old age began My circus animals were all on show, Those stilted boys, that burnished chariot, Lion and woman and the Lord knows what. II What can I but enumerate old themes, First that sea-rider Oisin led by the nose Through three enchanted islands, allegorical dreams, Vain gaiety, vain battle, vain repose, Themes of the embittered heart, or so it seems, That might adorn old songs or courtly shows; But what cared I that set him on to ri...

 November 12, 2020 I no longer spend half my week in forensic psychiatry. I have experienced a recent crisis (January) in which I could have died from heart failure. I have rehabilitated from being dizzy, out of breath, and weaker to climbing onto the trails of Oahu with smiles and stamina so at the top of the rise I'm looking around rather than more concerned in catching my breath. I continue to play different piano pieces some very challenging just to master the challenge such as Chopin Prelude. Rebecca and I talk about many different subjects from art, epistemology, family matters, poetry, gardening, practical matters concerning finance, politics, and more. Sometimes we play a game such as checkers. We enjoy cooking, watching our favorite shows together, and our hiking twice per week. I develop my pictures and post them.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardsjacobs/ I read novels, poems, and books concerning our minds beauty and flaws. I write this blog to understand more ...

 November 9, 2020 In my previous post I wrote about some of the characteristics of people who support Trump. Now we have election results and interviews abound in the news concerning these characteristics. I have reproduced some graphs from a recent Pew research poll to help in this discussion.  https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/09/10/voters-attitudes-about-race-and-gender-are-even-more-divided-than-in-2016/ SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 VOTERS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT RACE AND GENDER ARE EVEN MORE DIVIDED THAN IN 2016 Sizable differences between Biden and Clinton supporters in views on race; not much change among Trump supporters SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 VOTERS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT RACE AND GENDER ARE EVEN MORE DIVIDED THAN IN 2016 Shifting attitudes, persistent divisions in views on immigration and Islam I suggest the interested reader study further the report from Pew Research. In addition, there have been further studies of Trump supporters that have caught my attention in attempting to unders...