Halfway along roads Not meant for human travail. The mind's eyes reflect. Daily Stoic: Bodies can be hijacked. Minds can remain free. It is possible that a mind can be subverted, today's advances in psychology offer myriad ingenious and diabolical means to convince people of things which are either not the case or which, on more clear reflection, a person might understand is not in their desires or best interests. My job is to keep my mind focused on the task at hand: do the right thing, be a good person, follow Nature, help others. If I can do that, I will not be overthrown, regardless of what they do to me physically. Today's Meditation: Today's Music: 'Au fond du temple saint' - 'At the back of the holy temple' from The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet Daily Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra , Act 4 Scene 17

Hey my friend come over here quick The time for action is near. There's buried treasure behind Mrs. Anderson's garage About a half a block from here. But we must be ready for war, Cause it won't be easy to find. But we'll do it again 'Cause we've done it before Bring your weapons should we get in a bind. My mind makes a rifle From this stick on the ground. And I won't let the stormtroopers shoot me down. If I wanna stop being myself for awhile And I don't wanna do it alone You can be Luke Skywalker and I'll be Indiana Jones . Daily Stoic: Though I have a thousand millions, I may never be satisfied. But give me a grape (one only), and a glass of water (no, clear), and half a macaroon I can get by. Today's Meditation: Today's Music: And the Bridge is Love by Howard Goodall Daily Shakespeare: The Rape of Lucrece , ll. 1016-22

Hyde and seek and play Critters dodging through the surf,  Up and down and out.  Daily Stoic: If I find it onerous, I'm am weighed down. If I count myself unharmed, I am untouched.  Distinction is our blessing — knowing that we control only our judgment of things.  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: Membra Jesu nostri 2: 'Ad genua' by Dietrich Buxtehude 

I find you in the morning After dreams of distant signs You pour yourself over me Like the sun through the blinds. Daily Stoic: I must train my mind to act as I want during crises.  If I force myself to remain calm, to assess rationally, then I will be more likely to act that way in the future.   Habits foretell behaviors.  Not precisely, but close enough that if you hum a few bars I can fake it .... Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: Romance in E flat major, op. 11 by Gerald Finzi Daily Shakespeare: The Winter's Tale , Act 1 Scene 2

We can't let it be 'Cause we live in a time of make-believe We both can't agree That we're reachin' the point of Nothing burns like the cold air, air Daily Stoic: Wasted time isn't always wasted.  Sometimes I need the break from . . . well . . . everything and will just veg out for a while. But doing this too much, day after day with nothing to show for it, becomes repetitive and unsatisfying.  Better to find a way to relax and improve myself at the same time. Meditating on Stoic thoughts works well for me.  I have dozens or philosophical texts in my Kindle app.  And more when it comes to physical books at home.  I always  have an option for what to read.  Some bit will catch my eye and that's where I'll head for the day. Maybe it's Marcus, maybe it's Nietzsche, maybe it's Beauvoir or the Ancient Greeks or Philosophy of Mind or Nozick or the Upanishads or Ward Farnsworth or who knows.  But something will be enough to capture my in

Whether it's rock and or old soul ,  It don' matter.  Disco, calypso,  It don' matter.  Suit and tie or tie-dye,  It is don' matter.  Snakeskins or Timberlands,  It don' matter.  Tight fade or long braid,  It don' matter.  Red head or brunette,  It don' matter.  Breakdance, slamdance It don' matter.  Do the jerk until it hurts.  Ain't nothin' wrong wi' that!   Daily Stoic: I'm a slave to.... What?  Caffeine. I drink way too much. I can live without it, but rarely do.  Facebook. I spent too much time on there. Stopped about a week ago. Checked a few things (because FB was the only place to find the info I needed), but nowhere near the hours I'd spend on it before. And other things I'll keep to myself.... The question is "How much time / how much effort / how many resources do I waste chasing these personal vices?"  Another question, "What am I going to do about it?" And another, "What am I missi

Run wild .  I gotta mission and I won't stop. No destination but it's worth a shot.  You gotta let me go.  You gotta let me go.  Daily Stoic: Premeditatio malorum. Anticipate realistic troubles and mentally prepare for them.  If I know X may happen, it's to my advantage to rehearse in my imagination how I would handle it.  When my coworker was dismissed yesterday, I was reminded of this maxim.  I thought long and hard about how I would react to being fired.  What would I say to my family and friends?  What practical steps would I take?  Would I look into entrepreneurship or tradecraft?   Search for another traditional job?  How would I handle it psychologically?  What resources do I have at hand to allow for some deliberation rather than haste?  It's a complicated question which can I better answer if I consider it ahead of time.  Today's Meditation: (Nicest way I've ever heard of saying, "Just shut up.")  Today's Music: Les

Unfair dismissal Shock, disappoint, embarrass. Did not deserve it. Daily Stoic: Dear ______, You were fired today.  Unjustly, in my eyes, but the fact remains regardless of how we wish it did not.  It was shocking to us both, and you handled yourself well in an exit that should not have taken place. I understand your dismay.  It was a good job, one you excelled at.  And I know that you were counting on this job to solidify and stabilize your home situation. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that you are going through this and that I wish I could do more to help.  I know you won't see this, but I wish you knew that our boss is extremely upset about it and has been jumping up and down in various executive offices all morning.   They're pissed about this. I can only hope you are able to process this mistake in a way which will help you excel from here and not retard your progress. Good luck and godspeed, Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II:

Beware the Jabber! Walk, my son, and find the end Of gossip? Not happ'nin'.  Daily Stoic: Some stress is good. An utterly unstressful life would be dissolute, barren. And many of us know the harmful habits and patterns of an overly stressful life. But  some  stress is good.  Improvement comes from (a proper amount of) stress.  No challenge?  No progress, less creativity, more steady state sedation.  Yes challenge? Build muscle. Build flexibility. Build experience. Build problem solving, mental agility and endurance. Build teams. Build relationships.  I should be a demigod by now.* Today's Meditation: Today's Music: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich - He who gives thanks, praises Me, Cantata BWV 17 Part 2, no. 7 Chorale: 'Wie sich ein Vater erbarmet' - 'As a father has mercy' by Johann Sebastian Bach Daily Shakespeare: The Tempest, Act 4 Scene 1  ============== * /s

Fall down seven times.  — We must assume him happy — Then we fall again.  Daily Stoic: Things happen I don't plan for. Ok.  Fall down. Get up. Get going. Stay calm. Keep my composure. Don't whine.  Bear and forbear.  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Today's Music: Autumn Crocus by Bill Mayerl Daily Shakespeare: Julius Caesar, Act 2 Scene 1 

Sliding, eliding, phrase Mélange of sweet and sorrow,  Music stirs the soul. Daily Stoic: Am I ready?  Can I take it?  Will I persevere through the next adversity life throws my way? I've lived quiet life.  Often sheltered.  Had misfortunes, one major, many smaller. I doubt myself but then pull through.  I never know if it's enough and I'll survive the next wave crashing over me or insufficient and this one will be the one which takes me down. Time to practice resiliency.  But how? Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Today's Music: Violin Concerto in D minor, op. 47, 2: Adagio di molto  (@18:32) by Jean Sibelius

Ring a ding ding! Ring!  Knells kneel, broken ice retreats And candy rains down.  Daily Stoic: "Well when events change, I change my mind. What do you do?" (Paul Samuelson,  Meet the Press , Dec. 20, 1970) I love the saying. And I have a hard time living up to it.  I know I have biases — prejudices and colored-glasses in my reasoning and perception. I have dearly-held beliefs which would hurt to give up. And I have an ego which doesn't like being wrong, especially about Important Things™.  So it's hard to really read The Other Side™ with an open mind and heart. To truly listen to people and be open to their ideas being true and mine being wrong.  At least I know this about myself. And I'm trying.  Doesn't make it easier, though.  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: Ave Maria by Paweł Łukaszewski

Rolling in comfort  Wading in shallows, sinking Unburdened by pain. Daily Stoic: Pain is interesting. I can only remember one time when I experienced pain beyond my limit: a medical issue made my previous kidney stones, my previous 10 on the pain scale, fall to a 4 or 5.  Two doses of morphine and three of dilauded were not enough to dampen its ardor. I wailed.  Other than that, I've been able to control myself through pain, acute or chronic. I hope I can continue this streak.  So many things in my life of which I don't know if I'm tough or untested. Would others experience what I experience and complain and crumble? Or are they actually negligible? Something most people would shrug and ignore?  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: 'Sovvente il sole' - 'Oftentimes the sun' from Andromeda Liberata ('Serenata Veneziana') by Antonio Vivaldi