"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion." ~ Thomas Jefferson Rather than complain about the …
Tag: united states
With the catching ends the pleasure of the chase.
I had the wonderful privilege of earning my seaplane rating at the Aero Club Como in Lake Como, Italy. If you haven't had the pleasure of getting to know the region, I can assure you that on first sight you will ask yourself as Longfellow did in his lovely poem Cadenabbia: "Is this a dream? …
Continue reading With the catching ends the pleasure of the chase.
Anacondas, Truth and Envy
I saw two documentaries on the Anaconda, those infamous boas of the genus Eunectes. The first was a nature show that identified the Anaconda as one of the twenty deadliest critters on earth. The second, in stark contrast, featured a husband/wife team of scientists who walk through the swamps of South America (barefoot!) in order …
Shibumi: Subtle Beauty
Shibumi is a Japanese word that refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle and unobtrusive beauty. It can be used to describe a person, place or thing, naturally occurring or man-made. I love to observe and photograph shibumi and below you will find a few of the more spectacular manifestations I have been privileged to witness. …
Labor and Rest
I've observed over the years that people tend to be happiest when they are being productive. That said, the balance between labor and rest is one that strikes me as particularly important. This balance is an elusive one as most people who are productive tend to be "go-getters" or "Type A" personalities, famous for their …
The Way to Freedom
It seems that everyone at some point finds themselves tangled in a web of limitations and oppression. Some are of their own making, some are served by the hand of others and no matter what their provenance, there is only one sustainable way out. To be free from your limitations you must learn to be …
To Life, To Life, L’Chaim!
Speaking of dancing, life and inspiration, I would be remiss were I to fail to mention a fascinating scene from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." Written in the late 1800s and first performed on Broadway in the 1960s, the musical stars Tevye, a poor milkman with five daughters and tells the tale of the …
Don’t give that ghost a body!
Are you afraid of ghosts? If not, maybe you know someone who is. Either way, you should read on. We human beings are endowed with sentience, that is, we have the ability to feel or perceive. Western philosophers call the "raw feels," like the pain of a headache, the taste of a pleasant cheese or …
Epitaph on the World
Epitaph on the World by Henry David Thoreau Here lies the body of this world, Whose soul alas to hell is hurled. This golden youth long since was past, Its silver manhood went as fast, An iron age drew on at last; 'Tis vain its character to tell, The several fates which it befell, What year …
Apathy, Anger and the American Way
I was disappointed yesterday to read in our local paper that only 28.3% of registered voters took the time to vote in yesterday's primary election. The article entitled "Apathy defeats anger in primary election" went on to note that only 14.82% of voters turned out for the 2008 Presidential primary election! The percentages border on embarrassing. …
Gregory Hake 