For me .. Why Stoicism and Epicureanism arose AND why they reverberate now.

I am impressed by Stoicism. I like a philosophy that ... well ... this sums it up well.

Stoicism is a philosophy of self-control and virtue that teaches people to live in accordance with reason and nature, focusing on what is within their control to achieve inner peace and happiness. It emphasizes living a virtuous life through wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance, while accepting events outside of one's control with equanimity. 

I am also impressed by Epicureanism.

Epicureanism is a philosophy that defines happiness as a state of tranquility and freedom from fear, achieved through a life of moderation, simplicity, and friendship. While the modern use of "epicurean" often refers to a love of luxury and fine food, the original philosophy, founded by Epicurus, advocates for finding pleasure in simple things and avoiding unnecessary pain.

The difference is minimal to me, although it was a raging battle in Roman times. The difference would be seen in today's world like this: 

-Followers of Epicureanism would withdraw entirely from the political world. 

-Stoics would likely work within the current system and attempt to mitigate the problems they could with justice and courage. 

As I have vacillated between these two solutions, I get the inherent dichotomy. I don't have the answer, but I get it.

I am thinking about this because I have been reading The Swerve, and one part in particular really stood out to me. It is the idea that these arguments emerged during the early Roman times because beliefs were in flux. The old Gods of the Romans and Greeks were honored, but not really believed in. And the new God of Jesus was yet to arrive on the scene. It was a time of questioning the source and purpose of life.

It reverberates now because we no longer believe in the moral good of Capitalism. Capitalism's worst sides of inequality and unfairness have manifested in a way that cannot be ignored. But Communism is even worse for people's health and happiness. And so I am between the two beliefs as the ancient Romans were. Maybe a new system is rising before our eyes and I am missing it. Or it will not resolve in my lifetime (which is only the next 20 - 30 years at most).

Some of the winners from the Bird Photography

These are some of the Winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2025. Full article here. These are my favorites.

okay, this is funny

A Hybrid Jay

Apparently, Blue Jays and Green Jays separated about 7 million years ago. The Blue Jay resides in temperate climates and is common in the eastern states. Green Jays are tropical birds in Mexico and Central America.

However, as the climate changes, the ranges of these birds have begun to overlap. And here they have found a hybrid. The Blue Jay is expanding west and the Green Jay is expanding north.

This bird has traits of both, hanging with blue jays, and still have the vocalizations of a green jay. FULL STORY

Interesting.

The More We Study Dogs, the More We Learn

 We know that some dogs are very smart - although our dogs have been more "devious" than smart. Anywho, there is an article in sciencenews.org about a new aspect of dog intelligence. ARTICLE

The gist of the article is that some dogs can easily retrieve toys based on either their name or the type of toy: tug of war, keep away, or fetch. 

What they have now discovered is that if given a new toy, but no information on its type, these dogs can identify the toy by type - even if they have never seen it before. While this may seem simple to us, it surpasses what we thought dogs could do. It means they have to visually identify what a toy is used for before it is used. 

Our dogs were able to do the same thing! Of course, they classified everything as something to be killed, but still.

Marbled Murrelets in the Wet Northwest (California - Washington)

There is an article in the New York Times today about the Murrelets. Here is the descriptive paragraph on them:

The marbled murrelet, nicknamed mamu, is the only seabird that nests in the forests of the lower 48 states.

When the urge to breed strikes in the spring or summer, a murrelet flies 30 to 40 miles or more inland. The parents take turns sitting on the single egg. When the chick hatches, they ferry food back and forth, taking turns flying to the ocean to fetch fish for their offspring, up to eight times a day.

I have never heard of these birds. They nest in areas like the Redwood National and State Parks on the California North Coast. (These are the super-tall giant Redwoods, not the super-massive Sequoia Redwoods.) The Murrelet chooses a high tree in an old-growth forest. They like a branch with lots of debris, like needles and bark, that has settled on a high tree branch.

The birds are protected; however, the new rules have been interpreted by this administration to mean you can't catch, kill, or harm them. However, you can reduce their habit in this case by logging. That sucks, but it's no use crying over spilled milk. I suppose the best way to help them is to share their stories.

So here they are.

And here are the Redwood trees growing just outside the Fort Ross State Historic Park in California.

I am going to guess this isn't what the Advent calendar was for....

I saw an ad for an unusual Advent Calendar today (actually, it was a paid post on The Daily Beast). I know generally what an Advent Calendar IS, but not WHY it is. So I checked.

An advent calendar is a special calendar, often with doors or pockets numbered 1-24, that is used to count down the days of Advent, the period leading up to Christmas. Each day, a person opens a new window or pocket to find a small surprise, such as a piece of chocolate or a religious message, building anticipation for Christmas. The tradition originated in Germany in the 19th century as a way for families to prepare for Christmas and remember the spiritual meaning of the season.  

This advent calendar is a unique look at the spiritual meaning of the season (1 Million Moms would not approve).