Journal Entry - Monday, June 23, 2025



Room On The Porch


There’s room on the porch for everyone. If you don’t see that, you lack love and compassion.



Stoic Thought of the Day

There’s a long way and a short way to get to your goals. It’s a matter of asking yourself, what are my goals. Once you’ve identified them, you have to ask the next question which is, _why_ do I want that goal. The answer to that question usually comes down to some very simple propositions. So simple in fact that it is really just a matter of choice. Those things you seek are often attained simply by making the right choice, not necessarily by following a complicated path.

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Entry #1,277


Journal Entry - Sunday, June 22, 2025



Books


I love books. I love holding them in my hands. I love bending them so they are easy to hold, but the thing I love most are the words on the pages. One after another. Each word fashioning a string that takes me on a journey to a new place. A place I couldn’t go unless the book took me there.



Stoic Thought of the Day

The definition of insanity is doing the wrong thing over and over again and expecting different results. That notion is not new. I don’t know how many times I have heard that said, or how many times I have found myself doing that very thing. Stop doing that. Take a different path instead.

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Entry #1,276


Journal Entry - Saturday, June 21, 2025



Delusion


Don’t delude yourself, Trump is not defending democracy overseas. He is behaving like a dictator both at home and abroad. Taking a cynical view of his actions abroad (some might argue realistic view) one would conclude that his reason for seeking peace by dropping bombs in the Middle East is so he can build luxury hotels in Gaza. Hotels you and I could never afford to stay at, nor the people that live there. His Republican benefactors certainly could.



Stoic Thought of the Day

When you are faced with adversity or confusion, or you simply can’t make up your mind, take a walk. Breathe deeply while doing so. Your mind will benefit with clarity and new resolve.

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Entry #1,275


Journal Entry - Friday, June 20, 2025



My Strength


My strength is I let people be themselves. My weakness is I let people be themselves.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Navy SEALs say to one another: “Calm is contagious.” If you present calmness it will benefit you and those around you. This is done by example not by command. You want to be the person that tells everyone around you to take a deep breath, and demonstrates that.

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Entry #1,274


Journal Entry - Thursday, June 19, 2025



Toilets


If the toilet is still flushing when someone walks out of the bathroom, don’t shake hands with them. I think that probably qualifies as practical advice.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Focus on the here and now, the details of what you need to be doing. Don’t look ahead, and by all means, don’t look ahead and dwell on the obstacles in your path or what could go wrong with your plan. Stay on task. Perform each step of your plan with intention and precision to the best of your ability. Don’t look at the big picture, just look at what is in front of you.

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Entry #1,273


Journal Entry - Wednesday, June 18, 2025



Drinking


The more I drink, the mellower I get. That’s a good thing. I try not to drink to the point where I do stupid things.. But, stupid is relative, and I’ve been known to fail that test.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Correct your own faults and not the faults of others. Tempting fate and railing against it gains nothing, it only places more obstacles in your path.

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Entry #1,272


Journal Entry - Tuesday, June 17, 2025



What Is A Tyrant?


What follows is a list of incidents when the National Guard was deployed to maintain peace on city streets. These deployments were done with the consent of local authorities. Any deployment not explicitly authorized by local authorities is a violation of a state’s sovereignty.

1929 after the stock market crash under President Herbert Hoover.

1967 in the Detroit riots.

1967 during the Newark riots.

1968 during the riots following the assignation of Dr Martin. Luther King.

1992 during riots in Los Angeles sparked by the beating of Rodney King.

There is a long history in America of identifying tyrants as those leaders that use their military against citizens to stifle and suppress political dissent. American Presidents have avoided the use of military against citizens… until now. The current President has no compunction against using this deplorable tactic. When a President stoops to this level they place themselves precisely in the category of tyrant. In so doing, they give up the right to represent the people of America.



Stoic Thought of the Day

You needn’t constantly be on the offense. Playing defense can be a strategic move and even lead to a higher level of happiness. Those who go on the offensive their entire life often end up unhappy and falling short of their desired goal. This for me is the beauty of Tai Chi. Equal emphasis is given to both strategies.

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Entry #1,271


Journal Entry - Monday, June 16, 2025



Let’s Talk


If Boomers could find a way to talk to GenX and GenZ then maybe Republicans and Democrats could find a way to talk to one another? I’m an optimist I suppose.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. None of us were born with all the skills necessary to solve every problem. Our friends and family often hold the key to overcoming what is troubling us. If you need help, ask.

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Entry #1,270


Journal Entry - Sunday, June 15, 2025



Bad News


I think I’ve had enough bad news for one night. This is happening with greater frequency than ever since, oh, November of ’24… Our country is going insane and the news media is not doing it’s job reporting how tragic all of the decisions coming out of the Administration and the Supreme Court actually are and where all of this is leading us.



Stoic Thought of the Day

“The reason why we have two ears and one mouth is so we might listen more and talk less.” —Zeno. Talking doesn’t always help. It hurts more often than it helps. Only give feedback when it is requested, or you might just make matters worse. Listening allows us to hear solutions. Talking creates noise that stifles our ability to hear the solution.

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Entry #1,269


Journal Entry - Saturday, June 14, 2025



The North Rim


I’m sitting on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Well, to be precise, I’m sitting in my overland trailer after a magnificent day and magnificent sunset. It wasn’t easy getting out here. There are three of us. Two well equipped Tacomas and a stock Ram Winnebago (a rental). We were going to go to go a bit further out, but, since our friend in the Winnebago is driving a rental, this is going to have to do. That said, this place if amazing. I mean, it’s hard to describe just how spectacular this is. Where am I going with this? Let me answer by saying: When you are with friends there is no place to remote, too beautiful, to difficult to get to that that does not provide a reward any better than this.

(Update 7/16: The Grand Lodge on the North Rim burned to the ground this last weekend. It was caught in a huge wildfire that unexpectedly grew out of control last Friday. I’m so happy I got to visit the lodge on this trip)



Stoic Thought of the Day

There are two sides to every problem. The side that perpetuates the problem and the side that allows us to break out and attack the problem differently. Think of them as two handles, on that doesn’t give us the leverage to lift and one that does. Some might think of this as perspective. It comes down to looking at the problem through new eyes and finding the solution that you have been overlooking.

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Entry #1,268


Journal Entry - Friday, June 13, 2025



My (New) Favorite Author


I have a new favorite author… Fredrik Backman. He’s wirtten nine fiction titles and one nonfiction title. I plan to read them all.

I read Beartown first. I enjoyed it enough to go for round two. I’m now on My Friends. I’m blown away. I can think of a few authors in my life that have thrilled me. Frank Herbert, Ayn Rand, Douglas Adams, Haruki Murakami, to name a few. What Backman is doing for me is different. He is making me feel emotions. In the book My Friends I feel like I am on a journey with the characters in the book. I don’t know exactly how Backman does it, I think in a large part, it’s his use of dialogue. The narrative is “dialogue heavy,” by that I mean: Through the character’s dialogue, both spoken and internal, he makes me feel like I am experiencing what they are experiencing. He is also very quippy. I normally don’t go in for work that leans on that technique, but Backman integrates this beautifully with his dialogue heavy approach. He uses writing in the third person to help the reader better understand the characters thoughts, what is happening to them and how they are feeling. The way he uses the combination of all three is very enjoyable.

Yes, when you read good fiction you are supposed to feel like you are part of the story. That hasn’t always been the case for me, but Backman is able to make that happen for me.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Do not forget that life is a struggle both with forces outside our bodies and with forces inside our bodies. The best way to survive and prosper is to remember the virtues that keep us on track and moving forward: discipline, fortitude, clearheadedness and sacrifice.

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Entry #1,267


Journal Entry - Thursday, June 12, 2025



Separation of Power


A few days ago I wrote about the Department of Justice and the rule of law in America. (You can read that here).

That entry sounded a bit somber, I’ll admit (although I think it is largely spot-on). What I failed to mention on the positive side is the fact that the lower Federal Courts, District Courts in particular, are doing a very good job of upholding the constitutional order. While there are justices on the Supreme Court, one in particular, that think they are the only body that can properly interpret the Constitution they are sadly mistaken. Without the jurisprudence and precedent of cases at the District level, the Constitution would rest on the whims of a small handful of men and women, when in fact it should rest in the hands of many justices with a multitude of backgrounds and viewpoints. It’s called precedent and consensus.

Decisions coming out of our Federal District Courts right now give me great optimism about our eventual return to the rule of law, and in particular respect for the Constitutional powers our founders cherished and worked hard to establish for us, first and foremost, separation of powers.



Stoic Thought of the Day

If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging. Don’g make matters worse by fretting and complaining. Make them better by looking out of the hole and deciding what you need to do to climb your way out. Anger and negative emotion will only make matters worse.

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Entry #1,266


Journal Entry - Wednesday, June 11, 2025



First Tattoo



There isn’t a whole lot to say. She is the love of my life. That’s a bold statement I know. In addition to the woman I speak of, I also have three beautiful daughters that I love with all my heart… I’m lucky no matter which way you look at it.


Stoic Thought of the Day

Life is not cake. If you look at others and say “why not me,” you are playing a zero-sum game. When you look at the accomplishments of others with desire, you should say “I can do that too.”

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Entry #1,265


Journal Entry - Tuesday, June 10, 2025



Words


When I can no longer put words on paper, it will be a sad day. Don’t let that discourage you. It doesn’t discourage me. Let what is left of this work remain as my testimony to who I loved, what I loved and how I lived. With luck, I have a lot more words left in me.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Think of problem solving as a river. Would you rather cross a river at its source or would you go downstream to cross where the waters are wild and dangerous. When you see a problem, don’t wait to take steps to resolve it.

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Entry #1,264


Journal Entry - Monday, June 9, 2025



My Cat


I love my fucking cat. He is bonded to me as closely as a different species can be. Yes, dogs are man’s best friend, but that is because they have an inbred need to please humans. Cats do not. If you have a cat like mine that follows you everywhere, eats when you eat, sleeps when you sleep and begs for attention when you are just hanging-out, you know you have an animal friend that loves you.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Don’t focus on the obstacles in front of you. Focus on what you need to be doing to reach your goal. Focus on the details, the outcome will take care of itself. Not looking at the desired outcome will lead to greater success in the long run.

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Entry #1,263


Journal Entry - Monday, May 26, 2025



Alive


It’s a beautiful 70 degrees at 7pm here in Central Oregon. I took the RE out and I’m cruising. The city is alive tonight. I’m at WRB watching the Mariners and the Astros. The Mariners are playing well…

I miss you Baby. Don’t hold it against me… I can’t wait for you to get back here so I can hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you.

The nice thing about having a website that no one reads is that you can say nice things and no one is the wiser.


For the next 365 days, I will be presenting here a Stoic Thought of the Day. All of the entries are inspired by the book “The Daily Stoic,” by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. I can in no way take credit for these thoughts, for that you have to look to these two authors and the Stoics themselves. What I can take credit for (nominally) is the presentation. I have tried to shape each entry in my own words, and with an eye towards that portion of the author’s work the speaks to me personally.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Stop caring what other people think. Don’t let caring what other people think force you to adopt their views.

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Entry #1,249


Journal Entry - Sunday, June 8, 2025



The Shit Must Go


I’m very close to getting rid of everything I own. Simplify…. It might be the best way to find yourself, and as a consequence, rededicate yourself to the things that matter most…



Stoic Thought of the Day

Don’t focus on the obstacles in front of you. Focus on what you need to be doing to reach your goal. Focus on the details, the outcome will take care of itself. Not looking at the desired outcome will lead to greater success in the long run.

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Entry #1,262


Journal Entry - Saturday, June 7, 2025



My Journal


This website is not my journal. I can’t let you into my journal because to do so would be to expose myself in a way that would be uncomfortable for both of us. That said, the entries in my journal usually end up here in some shape or form, altered as much as possible to protect the innocent, that includes both of us.



Stoic Thought of the Day

We don’t get to choose our parents but we do get to choose our mentors. This includes acquiring the wisdom of those that have come before us, it also includes choosing as associates those that can provide us examples of what we aspire to be.

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Entry #1,261


Journal Entry - Friday, June 6, 2025



How To Write A Novel?


If I were to ask Google that question, I’m afraid I would come up with an answer that is beyond my skill and ability. The reality is I need to be content with where I am at this very moment, but not loose the vision of where I would like to be. Isn’t that the key to life? Holding onto where we are and looking ahead to where we want to be? I may not possess the skill to be a novelist but that doesn’t mean that someday those skills might not magically appear? That’s a joke… That sort of thing Isn’t magic.

I spent the greater portion of my life as a software developer, not an unrewarding career in terms of personal satisfaction, but where would I be today if I had understood who I was in my twenties as well as I understand who I am today… I say that without regret, rather with amazement.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Choosing a path requires thought and commitment. That does not mean you abandon your path at the earliest sign of resistance. It does mean that you need to constantly evaluate the path you are on and shift if it is clear there is a better way.

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Entry #1,260


Journal Entry - Thursday, June 5, 2025



Love


The thing I love more in life than my partner is writing… and my cat… and my children… and my friend’s children… and my truck… and skiing…

You get the idea. That’s not an all inclusive list, but I’ve tried to prioritize prudently… I should mention along with all of those things… I love life.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Self-pity accomplishes nothing. If you have a problem (we all do) you need to do something about it. To do or not to do, that is our choice.

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Entry #1,259


Journal Entry - Wednesday, June 4, 2025



Good Writing


Good writing and good speaking require three elements.

Ethos: Establish a foundation with your reader by showing them that you have good character. (Don’t be a selfish asshole.)

Logos: Use logic. Make arguments and back them up with facts. Don’t make outrageous statements and imply to your audience that they should accept what you say just because you are saying it. (Don’t be a selfish asshole.)

Pathos: Provide emotion when you argue you point. Don’t just say what you think. Describe how that makes you feel and why your reader or listener might want to feel that too. (Don’t be a selfish asshole.)

Next time you are listening to some person telling you what you should be thinking, ask yourself if they are using ethos, logos, and pathos. (If they aren’t following these rules they are probable a selfish asshole.)



Stoic Thought of the Day

If things get tough, remember that you would not be here if it weren’t for a long line of ancestors that managed to tough-it-out.

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Entry #1,258


Journal Entry - Tuesday, June 3, 2025



News


I can’t watch the news any more. I can’t understand how we have strayed from our values as a nation. I’m not talking about DEI, I’m taking about the denial of basic human rights and caring for those that are the least among us.

Selfishly, I was hoping for a peaceful retirement, now I look out and feel stress every day. Our country is in such turmoil, I feel that I need to do something to put us back on a democratic course where everyone respects one-another and listens to each other’s views. I just don’t know how to do that.

I shouldn’t have majored in Political Science when our nation still had a solid grip on basic values.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Be flexible. If you find the path to your desire blocked, find another path, if that is blocked, try yet another. There is always an opportunity, all we need to do is look for it.

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Entry #1,257


Journal Entry - Monday, June 2, 2025



Writing


One of the things I admire most in life is beautiful writing. To sit with a page of text in front of you and be inspired, to feel in touch with the person speaking to you through pulp and ink, that is a marvel and a revelation.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Remember, the higher you are, the smaller things look. Before talking or engaging with others, imagine yourself flying high above and looking down not only at them, but everything around and concerning them. This will give you a perspective that will make you a better negotiator, person, friend.

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Entry #1,256


Journal Entry - Sunday, June 1, 2025



My Baby


My baby has been gone for a while. I miss her. I doubt there is any way she could know how much I love her. That is the mystery of love. Real love is so very hard to express. There’s music, and of course there is poetry (neither of which I am able to create). Nothing is really able to show someone the connection they have made to your soul beyond saying, “I love you” and holding them as close as you can in your arms. That’s all we can do, so do it with all our heart.



Stoic Thought of the Day

Always have a backup plan. When things go wrong, and they will, determine to make the best out of the situation.

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Entry #1,255


Journal Entry - Saturday, May 31, 2025



Aging


The good thing about being in your 70’s and having a beautiful partner that fulfills your every romantic desire as well as fulfills your social needs…. Is that you don’t have to worry about meeting her parents…



Stoic Thought of the Day

Our primary job on this earth is to be a good human. Look around you, if you see someone that is not being a good human, don’t be like him.

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Entry #1,254