Atheist Quotes Jesus!

Diary 5/15 to 5/16/22: Birthday party invite; psyllium debacle; short $; the world needs YOU; “Arguments”; discovering Tori Amos; strike a pose to feel confident; psyllium warning.

{5/15/22} Continued.

I’ve looked for philosophy discussion groups on the Internet and found some possibilities. [I’m not excited about what I saw.]

It’s interesting that after whining about isolation, etc., the very same day I get invited to a birthday party, and the honoree desires no presents. It’s been three or four years since I’ve gotten such an invitation, to pretty much anything. Guess this means that I’ll have to do laundry (joke: it was necessary anyway).

Watched a lot of TV today and now it’s almost bedtime. Yesterday I essentially binged on potato chips; actually, it was “a step at a time,” i.e., I measured out one-cup portions and had three before I managed to persuade myself that it was enough. I’ve been eating two or three portions of chips—they’re too good.

Not so good was my first experiment with Now brand “Certified Organic Whole Psyllium Husks.” The attraction is the soluble fiber, which I gather is what makes your intestines work better; I’ve been suffering from constipation, despite taking docusate sodium as a laxative.

I put the psyllium in my morning smoothie, with protein powder, almond milk, half a banana, and half an apple. It came out fairly thick, which was okay, but it continued to thicken until I could no longer suck it up through a fat straw. So after about half of it I flushed the rest down the sink. I guess I’ll have to try another approach, like just mix it with water and drink it down, probably at lunch.

I have less than $100 to get me through the nine days before I get paid again. That’s okay, but unpleasant. Fortunately, next month will see my last payment on back rent; I promised “interest” to my landlord but did not specify the amount, so I’m thinking I’ll pay $200 a month (instead of the $400 I’ve been paying), which will help generally if I don’t get too rambunctious. It’s possible that he won’t even want the interest, but I’ll try not to get my hopes up for that.

The general idea is to start saving for a car, but there are many things I’d like to do as well. But a car would be important if I’m to have any hope of a social life: I could go on Audubon Society and Sierra Club outings and maybe find a way to “get out into nature,” which is the form of exercise I much prefer to any other I’ve found. The thing is that I can walk mountain trails and study botany, watch birds, take pictures…in other words, entertain myself while exercising my legs more than I could any other way. It’s quite possible that gas will be prohibitively expensive—if I even manage to get a car. Another big plus is that grocery shopping and laundry will be vastly easier.

{5/16/22}

If you haven’t gotten the message yet, the world needs you, it really does—if you’re out there loving people regardless of their being assholes. Or at least regardless of race, creed, color, and IQ. Can I practice what I preach? Does it help the world for me to sit in my recliner, “loving people” without being in their presence? Um, probably not. Jesus, whom I rarely quote, having real doubts about his existence, and certainly denying his divinity, told us to love each other, yes? He didn’t say, sit in your recliner and pray for them, or even, go in your closet and pray for them. Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” From some website—I got rid of my bobble, since I never look at it.

Feeling no urge at all to write this morning. Possibly it’s a down mood because of my recent weight gains; three days ago I weighed two pounds less, after seeing very modest progress in the other direction over most of the week.

There’s a thing I would like to do on the blog but perhaps wouldn’t: set up a new menu feature called “Arguments.” The point is to offer viewers reasons for some of the opinions I have. The thing is, these would have to be specially written; I have one already posted that shows the way, called “The Ten Percent Solution.” In three days it has gotten four views and one like, i.e., terrible numbers. However, it could also amount to work towards a “philosophy book.”

Watching a YouTube video, “The Power of Vulnerability | A Woman Unhinged,” about the life and career of Tori Amos. I’ve heard her name for decades but “could not have picked her out of a lineup.” This video is a gripping human drama, which is an advertising cliché, but it’s accurate, at least regarding the first fifteen minutes. I don’t care greatly for her music (at least as presented here, I’ll give her a listen later), but her story is not to be missed. And I’d really like to have a conversation with her father, who also sounds amazing. Her mother gets no attention in the video. It’s 31:46 in length, plus some ads. Highly recommended. [I appreciate her as an artist and a person; I have no idea what her politics are or whether she uses her fame for good.]

Want to feel confident? Stand like Wonder Woman or Superman. From Neuroscience News: “A new meta-analysis study reviews the effects of body posture on positive self-perception, reporting a dominant pose or strong upright posture can help people feel, and behave, more confidently.” My guess in response: “If you think, ‘I’ll feel more confident if I stand like Superman,” you’ll feel more confident even if you don’t change your stance.

A footnote to the psyllium story: my jar has a notice on the lid which I didn’t notice before buying: “California Proposition 65 WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food.” Also:

“Suggested Usage: Vigorously mix 1-2 level tablespoons daily into at least 12 oz. of water or juice and consume immediately. Be sure to drink plenty of additional fluids throughout the day. Start with smaller amounts and gradually increase over several weeks.”

I don’t foresee myself “taking my medicine” like this every day. I am more likely to “start with smaller amounts” and terminate abruptly. There are two more paragraphs on the label which I am not going to copy. I don’t own a tablespoon and refuse to buy one for this. I just bought a kitchen knife for $9. It’s a good knife, or at least it’s very sharp and seems to have an excellent handle, which the card says is “ergonomic.” I “needed” this for cutting up veggies (for the blender) because I didn’t like using the big “slasher” knife.

I need to go to the library today but don’t wanna. Wah! Wah!