The Tenth Greatest Mystery of All Time:  Do Weapons Prevent or Create Violence?

27 Oct 2014 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

peace textGuns don’t kill people, people do!  Obama wants to take our weapons away so the Communists can take over the country.  A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. We have the right to defend ourselves.  What if someone attacked us and we had no means of self-defense?  Ridiculous, you cannot eliminate weapons.  If we did not have guns and missiles, people would kill each other with sticks and stones.  They always have and they always will.  You can’t eliminate violence by taking people’s weapons away!  Or can we?   (Listen to Give Me Love by George Harrison)

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.”  ― John Lennon

There are several paths to take that would help us solve this mystery.  We could look at all the time spent in current and previous wars and compare that to periods of time when the earth was relatively peaceful.  We could look at countries where dollars spent on weapons are high and compare war or violence in those countries to their counterparts where dollars spent on weapons on low.  We could look at the per capita number of weapons in various countries and compare that to crime rates.  Unfortunately, each of these we are warapproaches has been tried and they actually prove very little.  For the most part, it would be a toss-up for each approach.  Those in favor of weapons would argue that without them, there would have been even less peace and those against weapons would argue that the weapons caused the wars, violence and crime in the first place.  They might say “Can you imagine ISIS attacking with flowers and cotton balls?”

“Dad, how do soldiers killing each other solve the world’s problems?”  ― Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995

Looking at the role of weapons in violence actually misdirects us from a more important question. The more important question is how effective are weapons at resolving violence?  While it can be conceded that weapons do not create violence, are they the most effective means of dealing with violence?  It has often been said that “war is a continuation of politics by other means.”  It might even be more true to say that war represents a failure of politics and a resort to violence to solve problems.  So who is right?  Were Gandhi and King right or were Generals Sheridan and Patton right?  There has been some research which might cast light on this second question.

non violenceResearchers Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth show that non-violent movements are twice as effective in achieving their political goals as violent movements. For example, in Timor-Leste, where violent revolution failed, non-violent tactics secured independence and the country now earns a peace score of “high” in the GPI. (Timor-Leste scores 1.95; a score of one is perfectly peaceful.) When people choose non-violent movements they may be improving the structures that support peace in the long run even when governments respond violently in the short run.  http://economicsandpeace.org/

Let’s take a hypothetical case.  Paul and Mohammed are arguing over whose religion is best.  Paul is a Christian and Mohammed is a killed manMuslim.  The argument gets more and more heated until Paul slanders the prophet Mohammed and calls him a pedophile.  Mohammed fires back that Jesus Christ was a fake and not the son of God.  Paul is armed with a concealed carry permit and carries a Glock 36 in a concealment crew neck shirt.  Mohammed is carrying a small 6 inch Jambiya in the waistband of his trousers with a special quick draw holster concealed under his shirt.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”  ― Albert Einstein

Paul throws the first punch at Mohammed who is knocked to the floor.  Mohammed starts to get up and reaches for his Jambiya.  Paul upon seeing the blade being pulled out of Mohammed’s waistband, draws his Glock.  Mohammed (still feeling the effects of Paul’s punch) lurches forward.  Paul aims and fires three times hitting Mohammed in center mass and right arm.   Mohammed dies almost instantly from a hit to the heart.

anger-cycle-3When the police arrive, Paul is very sorry. He did not mean for this to escalate as it did.  The police charge Paul with manslaughter.  Paul goes to court and is found not guilty.  Paul is then charged in a civil lawsuit with a wrongful death claim and found guilty.  The financial costs of Paul’s argument are well over 100 thousand dollars.  The mental and emotional strain to Paul and his family are incalculable as are the losses to Mohammed’s wife and children.

The strongest defenses to a murder charge are provocation and Self-Defense. If the defendant acted completely in self-defense, this fact may relieve the defendant of all criminal liability. If it does not relieve the defendant of all liability, self-defense at least may reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter. Provocation rarely results in complete absolution, but it may reduce the defendant’s criminal liability.

Now let’s rerun the same scenario with a few minor changes.  Paul is not carrying a gun and Mohammed is not carrying a knife.  The same argument ensues and Paul punches Mohammed.  Mohammed rises shakily from the ground and stumbles to his feet.  Mohammed is too disoriented to counter-attack and has no training in hand to hand combat.  He has no knife to rely on.  Instead, Mohammed asks Paul “Why did you hit me?”  Paul, now on the down stage of the Anger Cycle is feeling remorseful and says “I am really sorry.  I don’t know what got over me.  I did not appreciate your calling Jesus a fake.”  Mohammed says “well, you insulted the Prophet but I did not hit you.”  Both men go their own way vowing never to talk to each other again.  No police have been called and the only physical damage is a sore jaw for Mohammed.

“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”  ― Mahatma Gandhi

Road-RageAt this point, you might be laughing at my scenarios and decrying their likelihood.  However, I have been in many situations where fighting has occurred and the second scenario was the more likely of the two if no weapons were involved.  Put weapons into the mix, add alcohol and I guarantee you will be looking at the first scenario.  Add alcohol san weapons to the second scenario and you will simply have two drunks cursing each other but going home physically sound.

So, what role do weapons have in peace making?  Did the Russians not nuke us because we had a greater nuclear deterrent?  Quite likely this was the case during the Cold War.  However, what if neither side had nuclear weapons, or bombers or aircraft carriers or machine guns or hand grenades or napalm or bio-chemical weapons?  What if diplomacy and persuasion and peaceful non-violent protest were the only weapons to grace each side?  Would the world be more peaceful or simply less violent?  What is the difference you may ask?  A good question.

Peace can be defined:  A state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations.

Non-violence can be defined as:  The policy, practice, or technique of refraining from the use of violence, especially when reacting to or protesting against oppression, injustice, discrimination, or the like.

gun store 047Peace is never likely to exist perpetually.  People, nations, religions, ethnic groups will always have a degree of enmity between them.  Peace will be cyclical as the nature of the world is in most things.  Periods of civility will be interspaced with periods of incivility.  But incivility does not have to turn into violence.  Without weapons of mass destruction, without weapons of mayhem, without weapons of killing, people may be more likely to find non-aggressive means of settling disputes. The disputes will most certainly arise but a focus on peace as opposed to aggression can mean that we minimize violence and decrease the amount of murder and wars that our societies have seen since the first cave-people.  We must substitute non-violence for violence and teach peace and not war.

Time for Questions:

Do you feel peace in your life?  Are you confident in walking the streets at night?  Do you worry about road rage?  Do you carry a concealed weapon?  If so, does it make you safer?  What would it take to make you feel like the world is a safe place?  Do the Army, Navy, Air force and Marines help you to feel safe at night?

Life is just beginning.

“The artist is always beginning.  Any work of art which is not a beginning, an invention, a discovery is of little worth.”  ― Ezra Pound

Grow Old Along with Me

24 May 2014 5 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

We think of growing old and we think of aged people, old people, retired people, elderly people, nursing home people and dying people.  When we think of growing old, we don’t think of babies, teenagers, young people and college students.  Ironic in a way, since everyone from birth to death is growing old or is at least growing older.  Perhaps that is the difference.  Growing old seems to Imagemean aged.  Growing older is a process while growing old denotes a physical condition.    Old means droopy skin, failing health, difficulty walking and a general decline in one’s ability to be mobile.  To some, old is a state of being or as others would say a state of mind.  Call old what you will, but none can deny the physical deterioration that comes with growing older.

In the Velveteen Rabbit, as the stuffed toy rabbit grows older, he becomes more and more worn and raggedy.  Despite his aging, the rabbit becomes more and more loved by the boy who has become his constant companion through the years.  The love of the boy eventually makes the ImageVelveteen Rabbit “real.”  Regardless of the rabbit’s becoming threadbare, torn and disfigured, the Velveteen Rabbit gains a persona that can only be understood by someone who values longevity, companionship and friendship.

Of course, we all value companionship and longevity; many people in our lives are like the Velveteen Rabbit.  Our sisters and brothers, our grandfathers and grandmothers, our mothers and fathers and our good friends and spouses; will all become older and older and older.  Eventually, they all become aged, misshapen, wrinkled and decrepit.  But if they have been good companions through the years, we are blind to their aging process.  We only see the love and caring that they have shown us.  We are blind to their difficulty with hearing and their inability to keep up with us.  We only see the person who was kind and thoughtful to us.  We are blind to their infirmaries and disabilities.  We only see the person who took care of us and helped us in our time of need.

I sometimes look at my spouse Karen who has put on pounds and wrinkles and walks slower than she used to.  Over the years, she has become more and more beautiful.  Looking back, I am not sure Karen was real to me when we were first dating and even married.  It has taken nearly 30 years of togetherness for Imageme to more fully appreciate the person that she is and it is still a process that is evolving.  The commitments that she makes to others often go beyond my understanding.   The kindness and compassion that she shows to those who are in need is more than touching.  The many ways she sacrifices what she wants so that she can help me get what I want have all made Karen real to me.

One of the saddest things, you hear at funerals, is the comment “I wish I had spent more time with them.”   It is probably inevitable that we feel this way.  Having pondered this comment over many wakes and funerals, I wonder if more time would really have made a difference.  I rather think it would be the “quality” of time we spent with others.  You may think that I am simply citing a cliché “quality of time?”  What is this elusive quality of time?  Some examples from my own life with Karen illustrate this concept for me.  Perhaps for you it will be different:

  • Sharing meals together
  • Going to hospital visits together
  • Sharing back rubs and massages
  • Reading together
  • Traveling together
  • Shopping together
  • Spending quiet time together
  • Being concerned with each other’s work
  • Helping each other whenever we can
  • Checking in each day to see how the other is doing
  • Always hugging and greeting each other when going or coming
  • Taking care of each other when sick

My list might seem trivial to you.  Your list might be very different.  Nevertheless, what if we spent the time with our loved ones that enabled all of us to say when they are no longer with us that:  “I am glad I spent the time with them that I did.”   Is the time we spend watching TV or football or golfing, or fishing so precious that we could not have spent a little more time growing older with our loved ones?

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We are inundated with emails, text messages, advertisements, news, news and more news.  Our minds and brains are saturated with people beseeching us to buy, sell, rent, borrow, donate, loan or vote.  The rest of our time, we are numbed by media depictions of trivia, deprivations and horror.   We are fascinated by Hollywood, Bollywood and royalty.  For many of us, Princess Kate is more real than our own brother or sister.

When Princess Diana was killed, I remember seeing a co-worker who had a shrine in her cubicle for the Princess.   Princess Diana was one of the most popular people in the world.  She was real for many because they lived her life with her.  Recent polls show ImagePrincess Kate is now as popular as Diana once was.  The media is making Kate real for us just as it once did for Diana.  The sad part of this is not that we identify with and make these people real, it is that we fail to make the truly important people in our lives real.  How much do you know about the lives, wishes, hopes, dreams and fears of the really important people in your life?  Do you get as much news about and with them as you get about Princess Kate?

GROW old along with me!   (From Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning)

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:        

Our times are in His hand    

Who saith ‘A whole I planned,                 

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!’

I think we fail to teach our children the value of time.  We teach the value of money, but we neglect to teach the value of time.  It might be argued that money and time are valued according to their scarcity.  To the young, time is plentiful and money is scarce.  To the old, time is scarce and money is (if not plentiful) at least often more abundant.  If this argument is correct, then it would be a waste of time trying to teach the value of either time or money.  Their value is fixed according to age.  I disagree with this argument.

ImageI think if you look closely, many older people have never valued time as much as they still value money.  And many young people fully understand the value of time and would readily put it over the lure of more and more money.  If this is so, then it suggests that the value of each is not fixed by age but by some mental process perhaps not fully understood.  If a mental concept or construct is at work here, it can be modified or changed by reason and logic.   I may be justified in thinking that young children need to be told that time is valuable and that in many cases it is not fungible.  You can never replace or substitute money or goods for the time that you did not spend with your family, friends or loved ones.

Time has every right to be as respected a discipline as the study of money.  In capitalism, money becomes King, money is good. We pervert nature by upending the true value of things. Tangibles become more important than intangibles.  Goods become more important than services.  Greed becomes more important than charity.  Youth becomes more important than experience.

Aristotle was right in his use of the Golden Mean concept to show how to create a balance that was harmonious with the world.  ImageAnything taken to extremes becomes evil or distorted.  Time and money are the pivots upon which the world rotates.  They must be kept in harmony.  We have lost our balance though and let money become the sacred source of happiness and success.  Perhaps the really wealthy people are the ones with more time.  Why wait until retirement to become truly wealthy?

Time for Questions:

Do you have a balance in your life between time and money?  Do you keep the really important things in your life in proper perspective?  Do you value time as much as you value money?  Do you think we need to do more to help have a balance in our country?  Are you willing to share your time with others?  How about your money?

Life is just beginning. 

 

 

The Worlds First Un-Blog: How we can solve all of the worlds problems!

12 May 2014 7 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

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I woke up this morning and told Karen that while she was at church, I was going to write an un-blog.  She looked puzzled and wanted to know if that meant I was not going to write a blog.  I said “Of course, I am going to write a blog but it will be an un-blog.”  “Well,” she said, “What is an un-blog?” I replied that it was like an un-birthday party. I actually did not have the slightest clue what it was or could be but I knew that today I was going to invent an un-blog.  With no templates, I would have to invent it as I went along.  I did not bother to Google “un-blog”, so you will forgive me if I reinvent the wheel.  (Actually after I finished this “un-blog”,  I did Google the term to see if I was a “Johnny come lately” or had really invented something new.)

There are several reasons that I come to the point in my blogging where I now know that I need to write an un-blog.  First of all, many of you are probably tired of my advice, admonitions, critiques, complaints, exhortations, etc. about the state of the world and its many problems.  This week alone, I found over five million problems that needed solving in the pages of CNN, MSN, FOX and BBC news.  My best guess is that the number of problems we face in the world has steadily escalated since I was born.  Thus, despite my efforts and other bloggers like me, the number of problems just seems to keep growing exponentially.

Well, being the strategic planner that I like to think I am, I took out my handy “world problem solving software.” I programmed it to prioritize the “greatest” problems this week that I could solve with my exorbitant ego and unlimited resources of advice and solutions.  I must have had low batteries because my screen suddenly went blank and it started flashing “I quit, I quit, I quit.”  Perhaps it was a virus or some type of Trojan?  I immediately turned it off.  This has now created a dilemma.  How can I pick the single most important world problem to solve, if my software is malfunctioning? Would my many followers (considerably less than George Takei) accept me simply choosing a great big humongous problem and solving if for them and the rest of the world?

No! This would not be fair to you my faithful readers and followers.  You will only accept me going after the biggest baddest problems out there selected scientifically and with great forethought.  You expect me to solve these incredible problems with shrewd insight and analytic ability.  You want me to provide solutions that would make Solomon humble.  You expect me to solve only the most critical problems facing the world.  Simple selection would never do for my followers.  Knowing these facts, I felt lost and confused.  With millions of problems out there and my software on the blink, I was like Garry Kasparov trying to win against Big Blue Computer.  I am only human; the stress is unbearable at times.  Thousands of followers, (well maybe a few hundred) depending on my blog each week for advice and succor!

In truth again (Never trust anyone who says “in truth” or “trust me”) I could not select a single problem this week to tackle.  I am weary of solving all of the problems in the world. The burden has become too great.  Simply perusing my blogs, you will note the number of critical world and USA problems that I have already solved this past year.  To make matters worse, to date, I have not received one penny for my efforts or even an invitation to the White House.  I have not been knighted or given the Profiles in Courage award either. Perhaps, I missed the phone calls from Obama and the Queen.  I must remember to check my voice mail more often or at least my text messages.

It is very frustrating.  No matter how altruistic I am, I crave some simple recognition.  It is a lot like being a superhero but no one knows it.  What is the point of having super-powers if no one is there to applaud idealize and worship you?  I can accept that a few of my miraculous ideas and solutions might have been slightly off mark, but I cannot accept that all of them were.  Furthermore, please go to my first blog site where I have posted over 600 blogs dealing with various and assorted issues affecting the world.  See if some of these blogs don’t bring tears to your eyes or joy to your heart.  (You can find them at www.timeparables.blogspot.com)  All of these issues has led me this week to create the world’s first “un-blog.”

It is my considered but humble opinion that in an un-blog, I (the Blogger) should not solve any problems.  A typical blogger writes their blog either to solve problems or to give opinions and advice. It is not fair, that you the reader (The Bloggee) get all this free advice and give nothing in return.  It is only right that in an “un-blog”, you the reader and faithful follower, should be the ones to solve the problems and give me advice.  It is time to pony up.  How many of my blogs have you commented on?  How many have you disagreed with?  What have you taken a stand on?  What has stopped you from being an “un-blogger?”  It is your turn to pay me back for all the solutions and advice I have so freely and graciously given to you.  Think of your world without my blog.  As the walrus said in “Alice in Wonderland”:

Image

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–
Of cabbages–and kings–
And why the sea is boiling hot–
And whether pigs have wings.”

I would love to hear your take on “What are the biggest problems the world faces.”  I would really like to hear what you think.  (See my questions below.)  Send me an email persico.john@gmail.com or post your replies in the comments section.  Speak out.  Today is your chance to be an un-blogger.  It is your golden opportunity to help solve the many problems facing the world or to at least offer some advice on what you think those problems are.  Perhaps, your brilliance and erudition might be discovered on my blog and you will be invited to the White House.  (Please do not hold your breath.)  If you do get invited, please, please take me along. 

Time for Questions: 

What are the biggest problems you face in your life?  What are your solutions?  What do you think we should do to save the world?  How can we deal with apathy and those that do not care?  Where do we start?  Should we have major political changes in our constitution?  How could we get these?  What would you like to see changed in the world or even just in your home town?  What does Persico mean “Life is just beginning?”

Life is just beginning.

I finally broke down and looked up “Un-blog” on Google.  Here is what I found.

  1. un- blog – definition and meaning – Wordnik

https://www.wordnik.com/words/un-%20blog

Sorry, no example sentences found. Related Words. Log in or sign up to add your own related words. Wordmap. (beta). Word visualization. Comments. Log in or …

I think this means that there are no definitions.  I can thus claim the distinction of being the first “un-blogger” on the internet.  Or perhaps my readers and faithful followers who have answered my questions should be the first to receive this distinction.

Here is my definition of an “un-blog.”

“A blog site where the readers post opinions and solve problems and the blogger simply listens and does not weigh in with advice or solutions.  A place of introspection rather than extrospection.” 

The Seven Secrets of Everything: Part 1

26 Jan 2014 16 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

seven secrets cover pageI must apologize.  I know there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of books with “Seven Secrets” that you need to know for love, happiness, wealth, health or whatever.  Over the years, I have been amazed at the sheer volume of memoirs and self-help books that rely on the number seven to dispense their wisdom.  I remember learning in a psychology course, that the average person can remember seven unrelated items with the range being 5 to 9.  Statistically, we could say that five to nine defines a range of three (+/-)standard deviations within which 99.73 percent of a normal population will fall.  Practically speaking, this means that most human beings can remember between five to nine random numbers the ideal or mean being 7.

Thus having phone numbers, car license plates, or anything requiring memory retention based on the number seven makes a great deal of sense.  This also explains why there are so many books and writers who base their theories on the number Seven!  You did not really think that Seven of anything would suffice to provide you with success, wealth and happiness?  Not to mention happy polite children and a health regimen where you could eat whatever you want and not gain weight.  Of course, there is a multitude of “experts” trying to sell you their system who want you to believe that “Seven” is the magic number.

To explore the above hypothesis, I went to Amazon and typed in the following words in parentheses in the books section.  I then queried Google Search and tried them for results.  Below alongside the word pairs are the number of entries:

                                   Amazon Books            Google Search

  • Two secrets:              1,104                    212,000
  • Six secrets:                    597                    204,000
  • Seven secrets:           1,333                    1,090,000
  • Eight secrets:                 291                   43,000
  • Ten secrets:                   714                   211,000

 

You can clearly see that regardless of methods, “Seven Secrets” is by far the preferred theory.  On Google Search Seven Secrets was over 5 to 1 as numerous as any other combination.

Okay, so now that we have established the reason for and the importance of “Seven”, I will give you my list of Seven Secrets.  I call my list the Seven Secrets of Everything for the simple reason that my Seven Secrets will give you all the abilities, skills and talents that you need to know in life.  The other lists will be helpful when it comes to specifics.  However, my Seven Secrets are the keys to unlocking all the other Secrets that those more well-known authors (Covey et. al) and pundits will be trying to sell you.

My secrets are the keys to “Everything.”  Like Tolkien’s “One Ring to Bind them All,” my secrets are the keys to unlocking the power of all the other secrets in the universe.  Whether you are trying to overcome divorce, build a new business, find a life partner, relocate to another climate or simply find the best recipes on the web, my secrets will guide you to Total Personal Satisfaction in whatever you do 100 percent of the time.  And here is the best part of all.

Unlike other authors, writers, philosophers and lecturers, I will give you mine for free and I also promise that you will never be asked for an endorsement or any follow-up purchases.  I also promise not to bombard you with advertisements, send you text messages or spam email.  I also promise that I will not do any product related endorsements to compromise the value of my Seven Secrets of Everything.  You only get a deal like this once in a life-time so read on for the Seven Secrets of Everything.

Well, I have a confession to make before we go any further.  On Wednesday of this week, I had Prostate surgery and spent most of Wednesday (Jan 22) and Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.  No, I did not forget the Seven Secrets of Everything, but I am home now spending most of my time in bed.  I noticed while writing this blog, that at the point of sitting for about one hour, I was hurting and tired.  Thus, I have decided to do this blog in two parts.  Next blog, I promise I will share my Seven Secrets of Everything with you and give you some good solid reasons for believing in these secrets.  For now, I will go back to bed, rest and write some more later.  Thanks for your patience.

Time for Questions:

Do you have a favorite list of Secrets?  How many Secrets do you practice or follow?  Why?  Would you share your List of Secrets with us in the comments section?  Can we really reduce life to Seven of anything?  Can these lists be helpful to guide us to more success and happiness?

Life is just beginning.

One of my physicians called me on Friday (Jan 24) to say that the lab results suggest they were able to get most of the cancer and that it had not spread out of my prostate.  Thus, I am minus one prostate, but also minus one cancer.  It was probably a good tradeoff and certainly an apt way to continue living the beginning of my life.

Who Cares About the Sun or How I learned to Love the Sun.

29 Dec 2013 13 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

Here comes the Sun, here comes the Sun —- The Beatles, 1969
And I say it’s all right

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I am somewhat perplexed and sad.  The moon, the stars and the planets all seem to get a great deal of attention but the Sun is neglected.  There are many more songs, poems and stories about the moon and stars but much fewer about the Sun.  Why the moon should take precedence over the Sun is beyond my understanding.  If the moon suddenly left orbit and when sailing off into space, I am sure many of us would be very sad.  I for one would undoubtedly miss the moon.  I enjoy those evenings when there is a harvest moon and it fills the sky with its bright orange and yellow colors.  I also enjoy the full moon and the many phases it goes through weekly to come back to full again.

However, if the Sun flew off its orbit, or left its position, since I think it does not orbit.  (Last I remember reading; most scientists had agreed that the earth rotated around the Sun and not vice versa.)  Although, I think there were some Republicans and Tea Party members who disputed this scientific observation claiming it was a ploy by the Democrats to raise taxes for Sun screen and Sun protection.  Anyway, if the Sun did leave us, it would mean the end of life on earth.  No Sun, no life. No Sun, no photosynthesis. No Sun, no heat. No Sun, no plants.  No Sun, no sunsets. No Sun, no sun rises.

Here comes the Sun, here comes the Sun
And I say it’s all right

I will refrain from boring you with facts about the Sun.  Let’s just summarize with the following “awesome” statistics.  It is very big.  It is very hot.  It is very far away.  On the negative side, it is not very big as stars go and it will eventually burn out.  If you are (like me) concerned with solar burn out, the following remarks describe the death of the Sun or how long it is expected to last.  This material is from:  http://www.universetoday.com/18847/life-of-the-Sun/

In about 6 billion years, the Sun’s core will run out of hydrogen. When this happens, the inert helium ash built up in the core will become unstable and collapse under its own weight. This will cause the core to heat up and get denser. The Sun will grow in size and enter the red giant phase of its evolution. The expanding Sun will consume the orbits of Mercury and Venus, and probably gobble up the Earth as well. Even if the Earth survives, the intense heat from the red Sun will scorch our planet and make it completely impossible for life to survive. 

When the Sun has blasted off its outer layers, all that will remain will be central core of carbon. But it’s no longer generating solar fusion, and so it will slowly cool down until it becomes the same temperature as the rest of the Universe; just a few degrees above absolute zero. This will take about a trillion years to happen. The Sun’s death will be complete.

 Please note that the Sun will outlast the earth.  According to Universe Today, the earth only has about six billion years left before the death of the Sun ends all life on earth. The Sun will then slowly decay for another 994 billion years before finally burning out completely.

If you have been taking the Sun for granted, you might want to rethink those nice days when you stayed inside or those days when the Sun was shining and you passed up the chance to go on a picnic or simply sit on the patio.  Six billion years might seem like a lot of sunshine but if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Wisconsin or Minnesota, you can go for weeks without seeing the Sun.  It really comes down to a lot fewer days of sunshine than six billion.  And of course, as we get older, particularly the baby boomers, six billion could be an irrelevant number, given that our days of sunshine will be considerably more limited than is reflected in this statistic.

Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes
Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes
Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes
Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes
Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes

I would like to issue a warning here: 

“Go outside at your own risk.  This blog is not meant to substitute for sound medical advice concerning your health or the risk of Sun spots or skin cancer.  Please see your physician before going out in the Sun or taking any unnecessary Sun risks.  The author of this blog rejects all claims for liability resulting from heat stroke, Sun exposure, or Sun burn.”

There, now I feel safe from any liability claims or medical malpractice claims.  I have not heard of anyone being sued because of loving the Sun, but I suppose there is always a first time.

I want to tell you a story about the Sun.  There are the famous ones which you all know. The Sun and The Wind story is probably the most famous.  My story is a little different.  It begins with a confession. I confess I love rainy days.  This might seem strange to many if not most people.  Certainly, my wife Karen thinks it is very strange.   How did I come across this love for the damp cold drizzly days where the Sun is nowhere to be seen?  This was not an easy question to answer.

A psychologist that I was seeing a number of years ago taught me a technique to “unlearn” some old hidden childhood messages.  Through a form of mediation, I was taught how to replay some mental tapes that I had assimilated in child hood.  We all assimilate different messages and these messages can continue to dictate our behaviors in later life.  Sometimes these behaviors are very counterproductive.

The results from this technique were to me somewhat astonishing.  Why would  anyone love cold rainy damp overcast days?  Here was my tape:  Father:  “Get your butt outside, it’s too nice to be indoors.”  Now imagine this tape played over and over again a thousand times.  Never once could I stay inside if the Sun was out.  I had to be doing, doing and doing.  Since, I loved reading above every other activity in life, my reading life was relegated to those cold miserable damp days when even my father relented and allowed me to remain in doors.  Thus, a hundred years later and I still feel like I must go outside and play on a nice Sunny day.  I don’t know what or who to play with, but play I must do.  I feel like the police in the Pirates of Penzance:

Father
Then do not stay.

John 
Tarantara!

Father 
Then why this delay?

John 
All right, I go.

Mother/Sisters 
Yes, forward out the door!
Yes, forward out the door!

Father
Yes, but you don’t go!

John
I go, I go

Mother/Sisters 
Yes, forward out the door!
Yes, forward out the door!

Father
Yes, but you don’t go!

John
I go, I go

Mother/Sisters
At last he goes!
At last he really goes!

Yes, I left and when he was not looking, I snuck down to the library to find a good book to read until the Sun finally went down and I could return home.

Here comes the Sun, here comes the Sun
And I say it’s all right
Here comes the Sun, here comes the Sun
It’s all right, it’s all right

Yes, now it is truly all right. I can stay in or go out. I can enjoy the Sun or enjoy the rain.  My affection for the Sun has grown over the years.  My appreciation of the limited amount of time that it has left to shine on and my limited time left to appreciate its shine has enabled me to embrace the Sun and truly appreciate its ups and downs. I only hope that my fellow baby boomers can welcome the Sunrises and Sunsets with the same eagerness and enjoyment that I now have for them.  I suppose it will be difficult in heaven to decide whether the weather is going to be Sunny or rainy.  I will be outnumbered if it comes to voting or majority rule.  Do you suppose there will be a heaven for people who love rainy damp dreary days?  If so, I will periodically pay a visit to all the other people in the Sunshine heaven.  I can now appreciate the joys of both.

Time for Questions:

When was the last time you watched a beautiful sunset or a sunrise?  How do you feel when you are watching such a beautiful experience?  How many more sunsets or sunrises do you think you will have time for in your life?  What if you could never see another sunset or sunrise?  How can you make more time to simply watch the sun rise and set?  Is your life too busy?

Life is just beginning.

 

Searching for Truth- Inquisitio Veritatis

06 Aug 2013 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

The Truth will set you free!  I am the way, the light and the Truth!  Do you promise to tell the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth?  The Truth, you couldn’t handle the Truth.

Why are we searching for the Truth?  Are we really searching for the Truth or is this a lie we perpetuate so that we can sound noble?  Or are we deceiving ourselves like the fools that we send on a “snipe” hunt, looking for a mythical being that does not exist.  Is this thing called Truth the Holy Grail or is it an illusion, a phantasmagoria that so called wise men have set over us to keep us mystified and confused.   Does anyone really know what the Truth is?  Does anyone really care?

Perhaps we can find the Truth by using some examples and working backwards from them to discern what this esteemed creature we call Truth really is?

Let’s start with a mathematical truth.   2+2=4.  

Here it would appear we have found one Truth.  We can demonstrate this, we can replicate this and it is the same in China as it is in Honduras.  It is even useful.  Based on such a simple Truth we can build computers or balance a budget or send a human being to the moon.  So if we have found Truth, why are we still searching?  What is it humans need to know that mathematics is not good for?  “An easy answer, this is I think” says Yoda.  We want to know who murdered the butler.  When will it rain next?  What is the meaning of life?  Will I marry a rich man or a poor man?  What career field should I go into?  The list of questions that cannot be answered by mathematics is legion, thus we continue to seek Truth to other questions that the mathematicians cannot solve.

In our quest for Truth, we turn to philosophy, religion, sociology, history, anthropology, psychology and even astrology.   But all are found wanting.  Ministers, gurus, professors, liars, cheats and management consultants all are willing to tell us the Truth for a price, a fee, a commission or a donation, but their answers still leave us searching for the Truth.  Why?  Is it simply a question of bad methods or bad teachers?  The human race has been searching for the Truth since before Diogenes started searching for an honest man and still we find humans searching, searching, searching.  From sweat lodges, to Zen Centers, to religious revival meetings, to a large bottle of brandy, we find a plethora of means to find Truth.  But the next day, Truth seems to have fled.  Few of us have ever captured Truth for more than a fleeting moment.  Let’s try another example of Truth that I have heard quoted many times.

“What wisdom is there that is greater than kindness?” — J. J. Rousseau

In this moving quote, Rousseau suggests that human emotions are more powerful that wisdom, knowledge and facts about the world.  The person who wins at Trivia Pursuit may lose at life.  The person who achieves vast stores of diamonds, gold and jewels may be the most impoverished person on earth without the touch of a human heart.  The most powerful ruler on earth is powerless when confronted by a human tear.  Kindness is a universal that moves the world.  Progress is made by kindness not by wisdom.  But is this the Truth we are all seeking?  Is this Truth enough to guide the world?  Judging by the dearth of kindness in so many of us, it would seem to be a difficult truth to hold onto.  And a Truth should be absolute, no exceptions, something we can all agree on.  This quote, despite being quite profound, would not seem to meet the criteria we need for the Truth.   Let’s try another example.

 “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another”.  – Thomas Merton

Merton, a noted Jesuit theologian reflects the Christian belief in the importance of love in our lives.  Love yourself.  Love your neighbor.  Love one another.  Love your enemy.  Love those you do not even know.  Love is the single most important commandment of God and Jesus.  If you love others, your soul will be saved.  Love is the most important element of Christianity.  Such a simple Truth!  Why then are so many still seeking.  The Truth seems to be staring us in the face or is love like a diet?  Most people start on a diet only to lose a little weight and then gain it back again.  So we love a neighbor for a while and then go back to being greedy, selfish and mean-spirited?   Then we start seeking again for a new diet or a new path to love?  Perhaps a new person or a new job or a new place will help us find love?  Truth becomes an eternal search for love and not a set of absolute values that we can never lose.  Like the next diet, we are continually searching for something that we cannot hold onto, but everyone tells us is good for us.

So, is Truth an eternal infinite concept that permeates the universe and our humble lives and one we still have not found?  Or is Truth just a process.  The eternal search for something that we cannot hold onto; an elusive idea that just as soon as we think we have it, we inevitably begin to lose.  And so our search for Truth starts all over again.

I ponder the many mysteries of existence.  I quake at the problems in life I cannot solve.  I stress over the mundane trivial issues that confront me daily.  Then deep in the recesses of my mind, I start thinking about Truth.  What is Truth?  Where will I find it?  How long must I seek?  Can I find a shortcut?  Is anyone out there who really knows the Truth?  What will I do with it, if and when I find it?

In a short while, it’s time to watch a movie and forget about my search for Truth.  It will rear its head again all too shortly.  The local news will play it on endless reruns, lawyers on TV will adamantly declare that they have found it, Radio talking-heads will proclaim it nightly to their rapt and conscientious listeners, Wall Street brokers will sell it to you for a price and Madison Avenue pitchman will give you exclusive rights for no money down and low monthly payments.  Search no further, Truth is yours to be had for the right fee.  It won’t matter if you don’t know what it is, it’s cheap and disposable.  Tomorrow you can go out and get some more Truth.

“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”  — Mark Twain

Time for Questions:

What does Truth mean to you?  Do you always tell the Truth?  What Truth is most important to you?  Have you found Truth or lost it?  Do you search for Truth or is Truth irrelevant to you?  When is it relevant?  Why?  Do you see a world with an abundance of Truth or a scarcity of Truth?  Do we need more Truth?

Life is just beginning.

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