davidaolson

[davidaolson]

Where Went the Wise?

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.~Seneca the Younger It is amazing that words uttered when years could still be written with two digits are a laser light exposing reality 2,000 years after the fact. It is a perfect example of Santayana’s maxim that the past is repeated by those who can’t remember (or read) it. None of us were in…

[davidaolson]

The Ultimate Insanity

Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he’s destroying is the God he’s worshipping.~Hubert Reeves In some cases, familiarity brings a measure of acceptance. In others, familiarity brings about contempt. Ubiquity becomes first invisible before transforming into a constant grating on the nerves at its everpresent…

[davidaolson]

One > Sum

As amazing as it is to see a convocation of eagles, seeing a solitary eagle in sharp focus is greater than the sum.

[davidaolson]

A Convocation of Eagles II

Not sure where they come up with these odd names for groups of animals. Eagle group names include; Convocation, Soar, or a Tower of Eagles. No matter what they are called, seeing them grouped by the dozens or hundreds is breathtaking.

[davidaolson]

Lies, Lies, Lies?

I told my therapist that I let some things slide that bother me to keep the peace and he told me that sounds nice, but you’re keeping the peace around you….what about the peace in you.~@Solyrical Everything you are about to read is bullshit, complete and utter nonsense better attributed to a person locked in a padded cell and restrained by a four-point harness than an educated scientist steeped…

[davidaolson]

A Convocation of Eagles

Not sure where they come up with these odd names for groups of animals. Eagle group names include; Convocation, Soar, or a Tower of Eagles. No matter what they are called, seeing them grouped by the dozens or hundreds is breathtaking.

[davidaolson]

Ancestors

Biologically, we are all descendants of those first tribes who climbed out of the trees in Africa to dominate the plains then every niche on planet earth.

[davidaolson]

The Guardians

Tres Hombres guarding the world from evil-doers lest they become the evil they wish vanquish

[davidaolson]

A Soul Divided

He tried to weigh his soul to see if it was a poet’s soul. ~James Joyce For decades, I have coveted a poet’s soul to balance the strictness of my Engineer’s mind to help me break free of constricting squares whose corners harbor demons allowing me to immerse in the freedom of circles without beginning or end. It is a struggle. Half of me wants to elucidate exquisite reality while the other half…

[davidaolson]

Illogical Fallacies

Prejudices, which degrade man from rational being to beast, which completely stifle the power of judgment between true and false, which seem, in fact, carefully fostered for the purpose of extinguishing the last spark of reason!~Benedict de Spinoza Humans are attuned to patterns. It was a necessary evolutionary nuance for the hairless ape to survive the descent from the trees to the plains in…

[davidaolson]

Dancing With Moonlit Knights

Some of the earliest identified rock art were depictions of hands inside caves. They were made by placing the hands against the wall and spitting dye leaving the outline of the person’s hands. To me, these say, “I Am.” I prefer not to have a mouthful of acrylic paint so used the toothbrush method to spray the turquoise paint then brushed some of the globs forming blue patches.

[davidaolson]

Balancing Words

There will be a clarity in his description such that it will seem he is laying slivers of clear glass on black velvet in the afternoon sun. ~Barry Hultson Lopez I find it challenging to write with enough clarity that a piece accurately and adequately expresses my ideas so there are minimal holes in understanding my thoughts with my poet’s soul desiring to say the most possible in the fewest…

[davidaolson]

The Highest Honor

Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine who, perhaps paradoxically, regarded religion as an insult to god.~Christopher Hitchens Imagine, if you will, a football (real football) match between the Premier and World Champion Manchester United (I know, a current fantasy) and a team of U9 players with the match played on a regulation pitch bounded by 45-minute halves. Besides being a joke to both the…

[davidaolson]

Dancing With Moonlit Knights

Finding balance while worshipping the moon

[davidaolson]

Moondance

Finding balance while worshipping the moon

[davidaolson]

A Learning Conspiracy

Most of all, differences of opinion are opportunities for learning.~Terry Tempest Williams I fondly remember from days of yore when differences of opinion would result in deep, logic-based, fact-centered debate, sometimes heated by passion’s flame resulting either in agreement with one or both parties shifting their understanding, or termination in agreement to disagree respectfully with the…

[davidaolson]

Sweet or Sour Kisses

In one kiss, you’ll know all I haven’t said.~Pablo Neruda In the halcyon days of my youth, a female acquaintance informed me that kissing is considered so intimate that ladies of the night refrain from lip-to-lip action with their clients while having no qualms about letting a man otherwise ravage their bodies. As far as I know, this woman never worked in the world’s oldest profession so I have…