Mountain Minutes

“Did you see when LeBron James made that shot last night? Or did you see when Tiger Woods made that hole in one?” “Well, yeah! It was all over SportsCenter the next day!” Philosophical Engineering “What most people overlook is the boring routine of hitting hundreds of balls every day for many hours at the practice range. Or the boring one hundred free throws long after the practice was over. Spectators might think those athletes Read more…

Recently I have been receiving messages and emails from people who have read the book The Impression of a Good Life: Philosophical Engineering or who have just begun reading, and their initial reaction is, “this is not what I expected! This is really good!” The element of surprise is in the fact that I did not intentionally set out to write anything in the traditional sense of “philosophy” or “engineering”. So as people quickly discover, Read more…

I HAD ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT the true American dream was to sing and dance on the big stage one day (maybe perform my dance on the treadmill, put the cheese out in front of me at work and watch me go!)—that we all envisioned ourselves on TV, strolling down the red carpet, our lives made into the next reality TV show. The “top” was to be a celebrity. But what I realized was that I Read more…

Intelligence they say is about making connections, seeing patterns. If athletes practice specific play patterns to make connections during important games, why wouldn’t we strive towards the same goal in our lives? Instead of throwing a football or shooting a basketball, there are many skills we can be practicing everyday at work, at home, and even the gym. Sure I’m no professional athlete, but I’m puzzled because a good life to an athlete is them Read more…

There are many different kinds of music to listen to today, lyrics to sing along to, feelings to be felt, dances to be danced. But there is always a certain kind of personal music, a certain set of values that just hits those right notes in us. Philosophical Engineering Your vibrations of thought are the values that resonate and are harmonious with you. They might be your needs in life or your desires. They might Read more…

fritzbooks: ~ concerning Crutzen’s “Geology of Mankind,” which coined the term “Anthropocene”

When I was given an assignment in my college history class to write about the values in Frederick Douglass’s life, a prominent abolitionist figure in American history, I remember reading one distinct passage in the text book. A young man once asked the great Mr. Douglass, who at the time was working hard to speak out against slavery, what he should do with himself when he grew up. Philosophical Engineering Mr. Douglass replied to the Read more…

In recent discussions in the Cleveland Heights philosophy group, there has been a growing concern for what is discussed, “what to do next?” We talk about concepts that aren’t frequently talked about at work or at home, but seem to be on people’s minds. But the question gets raised, what practical value is there from these discussions? Philosophical Engineering During my days of competitive golf, I realized that in order to do well, it was necessary Read more…

fritzbooks: After hiking the Western Wood, 2.29.16 Presence is to presentism as sex is to sexism.  The sexist avoids experiencing the body, how the body is unique and free. Similarly, the presentist avoids experiencing time, how time is generation and a chance. The sexist doesn’t understand the body.  The presentist doesn’t understand time. When we enjoy each other’s bodies, we love better and open up intimacy.  We truly deepen sex.  In becoming bodies in freedom, Read more…