Every gallon of gasoline weighs six pounds. 90% of that gallon is carbon, all of it used in the combustion process. Since an oxygen molecule weighs 1.33 times as much as a carbon molecule, that means each five pounds of carbon in a gallon of gasoline is combined with fourteen pounds of oxygen, to produce… Continue Reading
I BELIEVE
It was impossible for me, throughout most of my life, to reconcile the teachings of my religion and those teachings of my profession. I t was not until after multiple decades of Sunday school urgent discussions, three years of concentrated Bible study, reading some sixty books on religions, and reading through the Koran three… Continue Reading
GRANT
His father was a hard-working, honest man, who was also a bit bombastic. He loved to talk and give his opinion, went through life as a verbal brawler, and was always looking for a way he could swing a better business deal. His aggressive personality served him well in the business world. He began… Continue Reading
DEMISE?
Last month we talked about the accelerating struggle between morality and war in our societies, but left it hanging. This deserves more discussion. I have a good friend, who serves as the City Services Director, and who is a master at compromise. I observed him in action one time, during a meeting of the… Continue Reading
WAR AND MORALITY
From our current perspective on human development, these two expressions of our behavior appear to be mortal enemies. They began together as our hunter-gatherer societies became larger and more settled. They are both gaining in strength and expression. They appear to be as directly opposed as the positron and the negatron in our spooky world… Continue Reading
KISSINGER
Heinz Albert Kissinger was born into a Jewish family living in Germany in 1923. He and his family migrated to America in in 1938, when he was 15, to escape the repression, bigotry and murder of Nazi Germany. He initially had to work part time while going to school and did not complete his… Continue Reading
NIXON
I just finished reading the critical biography of Nixon and Kissinger during their political power years, by Robert Dallek. I found it most disturbing. Both men are characterized as vain, and extremely insecure. Hundreds of examples are given demonstrating that every decision they both made was not based on morality, but based on what would… Continue Reading
UNITY
I like my internist a lot. He is a kind, gentle man, patient and caring, who offers sound advice. I got him by default in the busy multi-physician practice to which I go, when others left or shifted positions. I am grateful for that serendipity. My last visit with him was pretty routine. We… Continue Reading
GRATITUDE
GRATITUDE After finishing a six year residency in surgery at the University of Clncinnati, I stayed on there as an Assistant professor of surgery, and as the Chief of surgery at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital. It was a great job. I loved it. I continued to learn and develop skills, do research, have insights,… Continue Reading
ETHICS AND RELIGIONS
I loved Boy Scout camp. That was the highlight of every summer, once a member of the scouts. We would head down to the Ozark Mountains and spend two weeks having great fun. In the morning we would learn various crafts, making lariats, bracelets, headdresses, moccasins. We were granted two swim sessions a… Continue Reading