Commentary
We are a catalogue of billions of bits of data
July 29, 2026 · 0 Comments
Everything we do or think is produced by the human brain. Sitting on our shoulders is the most complicated, and mysterious object in the universe. And I have to wonder why it’s so extraordinary, operating in rather ordinary human beings.
Listening to the ‘silence,’ my old friend
As I sat enjoying my morning coffee I closed my eyes and let the sun kiss me on my cheeks. I closed my eyes and was struck by the unusual quiet, the silence of it all. No wind to rustle the leaves, no animal sounds, no whir of residential a/c units.
Resilience is one of humankind’s strengths
Some say that resilience is much more than survival; it’s endurance with direction. Yet how often are we mere mortals lost, without a map or compass to guide us? When every rock, tree and fork in the road looks the same, what is it that keeps us moving? Resilience, and of course, persistence.
Will our collective end be just a ‘whimper?’
T.S. Eliot once predicted that the world will end with a whimper, not a bang; that society will quietly, pathetically fade into nothingness. Now, his bleak 1925 poem was a commentary on the world’s post-war despair and cultural collapse. But that’s not true today is it?
Summer is the best time to enjoy the grill
The one smell associated with summer is BBQ. Backyard cooks, who hit the grill with gusto, help make summer an experience. I happen to be a meat-lover – no excuses. My German mother created some amazing, traditional dishes over the years, and most, if not all, included meat.
What is really valuable to you in this world?
I pondered the term “value,” and came to some interesting conclusions. Value – the amount of money something is worth, relative worth, utility, or importance – seems to be an arbitrary creation. Similarly, “worth” not only means monetary value, but the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it’s held. Merit and excellence are also examples of worth.
Everything in the universe is destined to die
We live, only to one day perish. Seems a bit crappy no? And yet, everything we know – here on earth and in the cosmos – is destined to dwindle, decay and die out.
With such abundance, why is there food insecurity?
Anne Frank observed that hunger is an “obscenity.” She suggested there is no reason to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. If you think about it, food is everything – it’s national security, economy, employment, energy and more. In our advanced society, we can see there’s more than enough on this planet for everyone’s needs. If it where not for everyone’s greed.
Life is fragile and unpredictable
t’s been said that “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” although the original Robert Burns poem has a more Scottish flair to it. His 1785 poem points to the vulnerability of all living things to unpredictable circumstances. Specifically, the narrator of this piece destroys a mouse’s winter nest, making the mouse keenly aware that most carefully laid plans can be ruined by outside forces.
A sense of humour is what keeps us going
Life is funny, in every sense of the word. My trusty lexicon defines funny as “causing light mirth and laughter … amusing … seeking or intended to amuse …”
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