Science News has another research article that further narrows the gap between humans and other primates. Apparently rhesus macaque mothers act like human mothers when it comes to nursing their babies. When other monkeys are nearby a mother will indulge her baby’s tantrum more. If she doesn’t, macaque onlookers nearby get irritated and make threatening gestures or worse toward the mother.
Author Archive for carl
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I had a discussion recently with a Christian friend of belief. Personally of course, pondering the process of believing is more curious than the content of any belief. So you won’t find me debating the existence of God, for instance; my question would be rather: How and Why does one believe in a God, or gods? Even more basic questions lurk deeper about the belief-in-words process our mind uses to formulate its belief in God (or any thing else) in the first place.…Continue reading ‘Think what you believe? Believe what you think?’
I settled down in Japan for turn out to be an extended period (5 years all together). This, after years of living a hand to mouth existence in the developing countries around the world. Hand to mouth living habits slowly waned as I began to enjoy the comforts of more wealthy surrounding. For example, I began to treat myself to a weekly can of peaches. After some months this became a biweekly splurge. By years end I’d dropped all limitations. I’d buy a can of peaches anytime I desired. Whoopi!…Continue reading ‘Peaches and Pleasure’
I’ve always encouraged the boys to eat and enjoy as much junk food as possible while they are young enough to enjoy it without …Continue reading ‘Doughnuts for dinner’
Reunion in Sweden. Reconnection lets the good times roll again.(*)
There’s no yin without a yang. Or to put it another way, everything comes with a price. Compassion is no different. As this is a ‘times of yore’ post, I’ll begin with the biographical underpinnings of this observation.
I was traveling through West Africa with my future (now previous) wife to be when I came down with hepatitis. That knocked the wind out of my sails enough to return to California to see my folks. Within the year I had recovered and she had returned to her home in Sweden.
A Pirahã man participates in a new experiment that, researchers say, indicates that his language contains no number words, even for the number one.
Talk about living in the moment! The Piraha people, a tribe in the Amazon, give insight into how innate a ‘taoist’ approach to life may actually be, and that the human mind has just gotten a little sidetracked of late. Of late meaning the last 10,000 years or so. For an overview, read: Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle.
Kiwi on trellis over compost bin
Kiwi is king of all the fruits. Over the years I’ve compared all the fruits with each other and the kiwi always comes out supreme. Even so, fruit has no where near the overall nutritional value of veggies. Mostly, I see fruit as a healthy candy. Although, it’s true that each variety usually wins high honors in a few nutrient categories. The amazing thing about kiwi is how it even surpasses many a veggie on this score(1).
The reactions Trading Spouses evokes is fascinating, especially how intensely it pushes some people’s buttons. There is something awfully threatening about bare feet and a close knit family. I think I know why.
First, look at this CBS video clip of an American family (after a moment of advertising). Take note of the final comments, i.e., “Giving your kids what they need is always harder than giving them what they want. Only when your older can you appreciate those fences”. Decide whether this story shows the American family way ‘evolved’, or just the opposite. If you approve of this approach to family and child rearing, I predict you will have difficulty understanding, let alone appreciating, our family way. Even so, I’ll make the case.
Absolutely… not! Just the other way around has been my observation. Good people make good Christians. Not only that, good people also make good Muslims, Buddhist, and perhaps even good Taoist depending on your definition of ‘good‘.…Continue reading ‘Do Good Christians Make Good People?’
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