Owl & Ibis - A Confluence Of Minds

Photo: Raising Miro: On the Road of Life ( http://www.raisingmiro.com/2011/07/05/i-am-a-global-citizen/ ) “What is a Tribe?” Ligaya Mishan April 13, 2020 The New York Times  T Magazine Some things, the writer of this essay gets right, IMHO. Others, she does not. Writer at large, Ligaya Mishan, declares she is going to rescue "tribe" from "decades of anthropological study that privileged Western civilization." Okay. I guess. But that would be a tall order in a short  New York Times  T Magazine essay. Yes, the British Colonial Office hired anthropologists in the early-mid 20th Century to further colonialism, and help expand the privileges of Westerners beyond Europe. I am not sure what decades of anthropological study the writer wants to rescue "tribe" from. Because later she rightly refers to American anthropologist Marshall Sahlins who objected to the term in the mid-20th century; and who was quickly joined by virtually all ot...

Caesar Augustus (63BC-14AD) Over the past year or so, I have been reading ancient Roman history and biographies of notable Romans of that time. I have done so out of interest and at the recommendation of my doctor, a good friend who insists I need some “mental popcorn” to balance the nonfiction staple of my literary diet. Rather than the fiction he recommends I have opted for the grandeur that was Rome! I finished my most recent book, Augustus , this morning, in my bed. I mention where I was to express how grateful I am to be retired and have the time to read as much as I want, of what I want. Happily, government reports and white papers, emails, congressional inquiries, immigration law books, have not appeared before my eyes since November 2007. With that and having in mind my friends many of whom are also in their good, old age, I offer below some excerpts from the last pages of Augustus. Pages   that focus on his final days, his summing the counts of his personal life a...

From the Unknown into Uncertainty: Essays and Commentary on  the  Origin, Evolution and   Future of Humankind by James E. Lassiter (2020) To purchase this book click the image or title above, or  here . From the Unknown into Uncertainty  is a compilation of my essays and commentaries from 2010 to the present. Most of the material is from my blogs, Facebook (before I jumped ship), and published articles. I revised or rewrote all of the original writings. Much of the material in the essays and commentaries is new. Some essays contain extracts from written communications I have had with a few of you - presented in the book anonymously, of course. Revisions include eliminating run-on sentences and unnecessary jargon, adverbs, and adjectives, curses of my speaking and writing style. This book is not the breezy, catchy read I somewhere in my mind wish it was. There are breezy, sometimes funny passages in it. But it is reall...

Eggshell Beads Made by Hunter-Gatherers 33,000 Years Ago   Used as a Social Network Ashley Strickland CNN March 10, 2020 Above is a link to a good report on recent archaeological evidence about human prehistory. Bel ow are excerpts of key conclusions from that report. These findings are the results of only one of many excavations over many years and at many places around the world. “Modern hunter-gatherer societies, like those in southern Africa's Kalahari Desert, use ostrich eggshell beads to begin and maintain a relationship with other groups. The process is called  hxaro , ‘kindling and cementing bonds within and between communities,’ according to a new study. The word  hxaro  has become synonymous with ‘beadwork’ and ‘gifts.’ “So it stands to reason that the network exchanging them has a time-honored foundation.” ... “‘Humans are just outlandishly social animals, and that goes back to [sharing this] information that would have been useful for...

Long Title You Choose – Continue Satisfying Your Personal Passions or Begin Serving the Greater Needs of All. The First Will Lead to Tyranny and End in Revolution. The Second is Your and Humankind’s Only Possibly Viable, Sustainable Option How Will History Books Remember the 2010s? Politico  Magazine December 27, 2019 In each of the paragraphs in the above linked compilation are descriptions of what Americans (citizens of the U.S.) were and what we have become, and the precarious social, economic and political perch from which we and much of the rest of the world are now embarking into the future. The good news is Humankind’s current problems are now more starkly revealed than ever before. The bad news is the stakes are higher because the decisions Americans and the rest of Humankind make to address these problems are more likely to be catastrophic if we choose to act wrongly, and more difficult to sustain if we decide and act wisely. We, US citizens an...

Kudos to Mona Leiter on her November 12, 2019 Owl & Ibis - A Confluence of Minds presentation, "Taking the Hero's Journey." Mona's take on myths and myth-making based on Joseph Campbell's work, as templates for molding persons and as entertainment, was truly exceptional. For those who missed it please find a PDF copy of her slideshow here , and a PDF resource file of the videos she showed at the meeting and other references here . Again, great job! }:> ~:)