Life On A B-I7

Knowledge Forgotten

States are doomed when
they are unable to distinguish
the good men from the evil.

—Antisthenes

I love her.
She completes me.
That’s not to say I fulfill her.
I don’t know the answer to that.

Perhaps I should wait until she writes a poem that answers that question.

No.
That’s a waste of time.
I will love her as long as she lets me love her.
That is enough.

Concerned

Even though this is an online journal, it doesn’t matter what I say because no one reads it. Even the person closest to me doesn’t read this, and that’s okay, I don’t take it personally. In fact, it’s probably a lot healthier for everyone that way. Journals should only be read posthumously anyway.

I’m very concerned. I’ve been bothered for the last month. I should have started being bothered seven years ago, I’m always the last to the party. Now that we are approaching the most critical election in the history of our country, I’m scared shitless.

The Republican candidate is a deranged idiot. I marvel at how few (at least as far as I can see) people seem to agree with that. For goodness sake, he’s selling limited edition watches to make money for himself, and he’s pitching them in his own voice. If you listen to his adverts, the syntax and grammar is that of a sixth grader. It’s hard to imagine why the Republican Party would stand behind a candidate like this. (That’s another topic entirely.)

I don’t have an answer to that. I’m not smart enough to answer that question. I am smart enough to realize that our country is in grave danger should he be elected to the highest office. There has been a presumption throughout our history that the leader of our country would be a man of conscience. We may not always agree as a people with our approach to problem solving, but the presumption has always been that the leader would be reasonable, intelligent, and responsible. That is not the case with the Republican Candidate.

I cannot bring myself to say his name. For me, that is akin to swearing.

It is poetic and apropos that his opponent is a woman. I’m not surprised that when the outcome is truly hanging in the balance, it is a woman that should rise to the occasion to save our souls. I just hope that is what happens.

A Political Genera

Doves
Surround themselves with doves.

Hawks
Surround themselves with hawks.

Idiots
Surround themselves with sycophants.

Opportunities

The time of life is short!
To spend that shortness basely were too long
If life did not ride upon a dial’s point
Still ending at the arrival of an hour.

—Shakespeare

Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg’s favorite quote.

We’re not here for a long time, so kick ass and take names. I suppose that’s not the best way to look at it, but it gets the message across. Take advantage of the opportunities you receive. If not a lot of opportunities come your way, that’s okay because you should also be making yourself the best person you can while taking advantage of the opportunities you do receive.

The Law

Let me lay this out very simply.

Textualist interpretation of the law is nothing more than an excuse to dictate whatever purpose you see fit in the moment.

That is not a responsible way to interpret the law. That interpretation ignores evolution (cats included). It is an excuse to mask your personal bias (owned or sold). That sort of thinking leads to dire consequences for society.

Sit Down

I told the cat to sit down then I sat down myself…

“Do not explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

—Epictetus

Cats

Cats are probably smarter than we are.

They were left on earth by Aliens milennia ago. Sadly, the Aliens forgot to give them the proper skills needed to communicate with us. That tiny oversight has, sadly enough, prevented the highest evolution of human intelligence from being obtained…

Guitar

If you could do one thing before you die, what would that be? For me most likely… at this point in time… it would be to learn to play the guitar. Why? That is a very good question. I think it is because music is the one thing that can move me to cry. Cry with joy, cry with love for someone, cry just to fucking cry.

Why not learn other things? You should! Never stop learning! It’s a damn shame this life ends. Imagine how smart you might become if you could live for say 500 or 1,000 years? However, that’s not how it works. I sometimes wonder if thinking people (sometimes referred to as intellectuals) didn’t create the concept of god simply to give someone (if not themselves) the opportunity to learn more?

Thank God no one reads this blog…

How to Break a Political Party

How do you get someone to bend to your will?

Feed them what they want to hear, especially things that they already have a desire to listen to. If you can master that technique, you can rule the world.

How do you do the right thing when it comes to life?

Always work to educate yourself as well as others. Don’t insist that people believe what you do, convince them with facts and examples of what the potential consequences might be.

As an aside, my cat takes no convincing, he hangs on my every word. The number of people that take no convincing are few and far between…

Lady Liberty

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” Those words, spoken by Thomas Paine united the country behind the idea that freedom and democracy were worth fighting for. Today we face a different sort of trying times, a time when the founders vision of Democracy has been largely forgotten, or at least largely ignored.

Despite this chaos, there can be found reassuring ideas and images. I’m in New York and I had the opportunity to see Lady Liberty first hand yesterday. It reminds me that I must not give up hope that the American people will see their way through to keeping the flame of democracy burning, despite the efforts of many, now in positions of responsibility, to do the opposite.

2025 Reading List

Not too long ago I posted my 2025 reading list. The list consisted of a number of the best translations of classical texts of literature and philosophy. I’ve decided to replace that list with one that focuses on commentary and scholarly analysis of ancient literature, philosophy and society. I think this will be a more entertaining approach to a year of studying ancient history.

Polis: A New History of the Ancient Greek City-State from the Early Iron Age to the End of Antiquity —John Ma

A definitive new history of the origins, evolution, and scope of the ancient Greek city-state

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated —Eric H Cline

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse

Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World —Colin Elliott

A wide-ranging and dramatic account of the Antonine plague, the mysterious disease that struck the Roman Empire at its pinnacle

Pliny’s Roman Economy: Natural History, Innovation, and Growth —Ricard Saller

The first comprehensive study of Pliny the Elder’s economic thought—and its implications for understanding the Roman Empire’s constrained innovation and economic growth

Rome’s Patron: The Lives and Afterlives of Maecenas —Emily Gowers

The story of Maecenas and his role in the evolution and continuing legacy of ancient Roman poetry and culture

Gods and Mortals: Ancient Greek Myths for Modern Readers —Sarah Iles Johnston

An entrancing new telling of ancient Greek myths

The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China —Christopher I Beckwith

A rich, discovery-filled history that tells how a forgotten empire transformed the ancient world

Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism —Shadi Bartsch

The surprising story of how Greek classics are being pressed into use in contemporary China to support the regime’s political agenda

Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture —Jennifer T. Roberts

A sweeping new account of ancient Greek culture and its remarkable diversity

Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern —Mary Beard

The fascinating story of how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for more than 2,000 years

Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political —Melissa Lane

A constitutionalist reading of Plato’s political thought

The Roman Republic of Letters: Scholarship, Philosophy, and Politics in the Age of Cicero and Caesar —Katharina Volk

An intellectual history of the late Roman Republic—and the senators who fought both scholarly debates and a civil war

Reading the Odyssey: A Guide to Homer’s Narrative —Jonas Grethlein

A fresh and original introduction to the Odyssey—and how it continues to shape literature, film, art and even the ways we make sense of our lives

Encounters with Euclid: How an Ancient Greek Geometry Text Shaped the World —Benjamin Wardhaugh

A sweeping cultural history of one of the most influential mathematical books ever written

The Folds of Olympus: Mountains in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture —Jason König

A cultural and literary history of mountains in classical antiquity

Rehearsals of Manhood: Athenian Drama as Social Practice —John J. Winkler

A bold re-conception of ancient Greek drama by one of the most brilliant and original classical scholars of his generation

The First Amendment

People make a lot of noise about the First Amendment, but it is surprising how often people are willing to look the other way when it’s convenient to do so.

I recently had a conversation with someone that argued Michalel Cohen should have a “gag order” placed on him. The specific grievance was, “Why is Trump gagged when Cohen isn’t?” I found that interesting. In response, I explained that Cohen is not currently on trial, whereas Trump is currently on trial.

It’s important to point out that when a defendant is on trial, it as legal and necessary to insure that defendant doesn’t influence the jurors empaneled to hear the case and render a verdict. This is not only to provide impartial justice, it is also for the protection of the jurors. This is part of the legal system we all hold in high esteem. If a person is not on trial, there is no legal process to place a “gag order” them. That is what the First Amendment is all about.

B-RAD

My hat is causing a bit of confusion at Starbucks this morning…

My Americano came out under the name “Brad,” but my bagel came out under the name “Rad.” Neither of which is a correct translation of my true essence…

Mother’s Day

A quick visit to RNC Headquarters on Mother’s Day…

Here are some conspiracy theories I can get behind!

Flag City

I’m in Flag City U.S.A. Here flags are quite prevalent in the back of pickup trucks. I suspect it is the same in your town. I pulled into the local farm store and next to me was a pickup truck with a 3’ x 5’ flag in the bed of the truck that said:

Trump 2024 No More Bullshit

The first thing that struck me was the sign did not appear to me to be making a statement about the economy, the border crisis, college unrest over genocide in Gaza, or even the public funding of sports stadiums that only wealthy team owners profit from (that last one would be hard to fit on a flag). It’s about perception and perhaps even education.

If you are flying that flag, I believe it says as much about you as it does about your politics. It seems to me you have given up trying to figure out what is going on in society, what your role is, and what you can do to help make society better for all of us. You’ve decided that putting your faith in a self-centered misogynistic, financial fraudster is the best answer you can come up with. Why? Because that’s what he told you to do, and it’s easier to accept that explanation than it is to consider all the alternatives in front of you and make up your mind independently using facts gleaned from multiple sources.

Education is playing a key role in this “flag” crisis. Our education system is failing to instill in people a willingness to ask probing questions and work through the logic of issues, arriving independently at answers. But wait, there’s more.

Authoritarianism and misogyny are being preached on a worldwide scale today by power-hungry leaders and conservative media. This is sinking into the psyche of male voters, but women are not exempt from these arguments. This is a scam being preached by conservative media on all of us to rest power from the many and place it into the hands of the wealthy few. Our founders would be the first to explain this is a strategy employed with the intent to kill democracy. Persons fixated on the acquisition of wealth and power don’t like living in a democracy.

(Another) Bit About Writing

I like to begin my day by writing. It doesn’t particularly matter what I write, it’s more about sitting down and moving my hand. Usually, something of value to me manages to find its way onto the page.

If I don’t write in the morning, the day doesn’t feel like it’s getting started on the right foot. I also enjoy reading, not always in the morning, that tends to happen later in the day. I learn a lot from reading, I find it stimulates my writing by giving me food for thought. Reading lifts my perspective and often my spirits. If I wrote without reading, I would probably find that limited my perspective and make my writing boring.

I think all of this is good for brain health. I’ve mentioned before I would like to become a member of the “100 Plus” Ski Club. I looking forward to that — so I can write about it.

Public Opinion

How can public opinion be shared in ways that support reason and cooperation between all members of society? Democracy requires a reasoned public opinion. When passions rule discourse, discord ensues, and Democracy is jeopardized. The Founders understood this. They believed that the “new media” of their day — newspapers — should play an instrumental role in awakening and facilitating reasoned discussion.

Our history has been one of many crises. It is surprising how many people are not aware of that historical fact. Today is no different in that respect. What is different is the root of today’s crisis. Politicized broadcast media, politicized print media, and most importantly, politicized social media. During the Founder’s era, the newspaper media of the day was no stranger to vitriolic editorializing, it was quite common. The difference today is how fast politicized thought travels. This leaves less time for reflection and calming of emotions. In the founding era, the organization of protest was slow to foment. Today is a different story.

Today’s media allows for the formation of virtualized partisan assemblies. It can occur rapidly and in an extremely coordinated fashion. It can move quickly from “virtualized” to “real.” This is dangerous, to say the least. Why does the media encourage this behavior? The answer to that is simple — monetization. Monetization of passion pays big bucks.

As the French Philosopher, Marquis de Condorcet posited, public opinion is the true governor of the people. Public opinion must be reasoned or the government will lose its capacity to lead and provide for the welfare of its citizens. Time will tell if we can adopt a more reasoned approach to our sharing of political viewpoints or if the current situation devolves into a place where Democracy becomes the victim.

The Ear of the Universe

The ear of the Universe is listening
Everything you say is being heard
Think carefully about your thoughts
Before you give them voice

A Bit of Help

There are times when I sit down to write and nothing worth writing comes to mind. Occasionally there are times when you get help that can’t be turned down. Today is one of those times…

As I write this, three big Labrador dogs are lying at my feet. No, they are not mine, well, at least they are for a few days. Anyway, they are making it almost impossible to think this morning because of the disagreeable aroma they are producing. My cat wandered into the room just as I was pondering what I would like to write. He immediately jumped up on the desk and walked across the keyboard. I’m not exactly sure how he was able to type so rapidly, perhaps I am a slower typist than I thought, this is what he said — in so many keystrokes:

Cat farts are not nearly as bad as dog farts.

Notes on Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations

A Sonnet by Jeffrey Rosen¹

Four habits of thought to erase from your mind:
This thought is unnecessary or destructive
This isn’t what you truly think; you find
Your mortal makes your divine part unproductive

Work for three things: proper understanding;
Unselfish action and truthful speech
And if you find yourself in a crash landing
Accept it calmly, as the sages teach

Do the work with patience and industry
Find fulfillment in what you’re doing now
Free from fear or hope of publicity
Your life will be happy if all your words are true

Life is short, and that’s all there is to say
Unrestrained moderation: the only way

This speaks to me. To me, it is a reminder to avoid distracting thoughts, prize the truth, and always contemplate the divine.² Be unselfish and truthful. If adversity befalls you accept it calmly. Be patient and always humble. Telling the truth brings happiness. Maintain moderation in speech and action at all times.

I would do well to read this every day, of course, I never read what I write, and that’s probably not a good thing. I might learn to write better if I did…

Closing Day at Sun Valley

On closing day at Sun Valley a lot of classic ski wear comes out of the closet. This fellow was sporting a 70’s era “Ski Team” sweater. He was kind enough to let me snap this photo. I voted him the best-dressed closing-day skier on the mountain.

2025 Writing Project

A Year Pursuing Happiness

Each year I come up with a special writing project. The project has a topic that the entries revolve around. Past projects have also had a goal for the frequency of posting. All of this would be separate from normal journal entries like this one. Quite out of the blue this afternoon it struck me that reading influential texts on political and philosophical thought would be a worthwhile endeavor. To that end, I am going to propose (I’m speaking to myself now) that the following reading list would make an excellent goal. The inspiration for this project came from reading Jeffrey Rosen’s book “The Pursuit of Happiness.” It is a detailed yet readable presentation of the political and philosophical thought that guided the Founding Fathers. Rosen presents a list of the most cited books from the Founding Era. I propose to use this as the reading list for my project.

1. Cicero, Tusculan Disputations
2. Cicero, On Duties
3. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
4. Seneca’s Essays
5. Epictetus’s Enchiridion
6. Plutarch’s Lives
7. Xenophon’s Memorabilia of Socrates
8. Hume’s Essays
9. Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws
10. Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
11. Locke’s Treatises on Government
12. Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments

I recognize this would be a significant undertaking, kind of like riding a bike across the country — I plan to do that as well. I won’t be able to do this alone. I’m not a scholar. I will need to consult supplemental sources to even understand most of the thoughts contained in these books, but that will be part of the challenge. I do have a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but I don’t expect that to be of much help since I spent almost my entire working life programming computers. The irony of that does not escape me. I credit Jeffery Rosen for the inspiration. “The Pursuit of Happiness” is a book I think every thoughtful person should read — at least once.

Imagination

“Even as a man imagines himself to be, such he is, and he is also that which he imagines.”

— Paracelsus (1493-1521)

Our imagination has power. The trick is to tap into it. If we can do that, we can become much more than we might otherwise. By using our imagination we can shape our thoughts which in turn can lead down new roads.

Federalist Paper #51

James Madison, whom I admire greatly, as much for his role in the establishment of our country as for his sheer brilliance, stated in the Federalist Paper #51 (the following is my paraphrasing) that when a government is formed the first priority is to give that government the tools to control the governed. It seems to me he is talking about laws. The second priority, and possibly most important, is to give the government the structure required to control itself.

The United States has come closer than any predecessor Democracy in achieving “a more perfect form of government.” We can and should learn from our ongoing experience. There may be no “perfect form,” but perhaps we should consider that life appointment to the Supreme Court is not ideal in practice. Might it not be better if appointments were made by a consortium composed of equally represented party membership taken from those persons elected to the Senate?