Letter To "The Thinking Housewife" Concerning Her Admirable Publication Of A Passage By St. Francis Xavier, And How Francis' Observation Concerning "The Japanese" Squares With Tertullian, Hamlet and J.B.S. Haldane. Oh! And The "Magnum Mysterium"

 

Dear Laura,

You are to be commended for publishing St. Francis Xavier's description ot Japanese goodness. https://thinkinghousewife.com/st-francis-xavier-on-racial-differences/

His description of the Japanese tells me that the Japanese -- even without Jesus -  are, in the main, more virtuous than denizens of Christian nations.

Do you know of Church Father Tertullian's observation, "Anima naturaliter christiana?" https://share.google/aimode/rE7Y8MKuAe1U4J8wm

*****

Food for thought...

To this day, you can leave your bags outside airport bathrooms - right there on the corridor floor - and know they'll be there when you return. 

It's a big world.

Unimaginably big.

As Hamlet commented: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Or as British astrophysicist J.B.S. Haldane observed in the first half of the 20th century: 

https://share.google/aimode/3EAMNZyWcp3PAW8qj

JBS Haldane, Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._B._S._Haldane

Never underestimate the Magnum Mysterium which is, by nature, largely unknowable.

Pax et amor

Alan  

Correspondence With Good Friend Mary - On Tinnitus, The Corrupting Influence Of Capitalism, And The Genius Of Carl Jung

Dear Mary

Thanks for your email.

Yes, I did get over my tinnitus.

Back in the day, my friend Genie Komives, a Harvard-trained general practitioner, informed me that most people get over tinnitus because their brain - over time - learns to ignore it.

It was no more than half a year from the time Genie told me this, that I became ignorant of my tinnitus.

That said, it is also true that if I go "into my head" right now in order to find the ringing-buzzing, I can locate it in no time. And it then takes a few minutes of participation in some other activity to stop hearing it again. 

I am copying Dra. Genie on this email, and want to say: "Thank you, Genie, for your role in freeing me of tinnitus, and also for getting me through the multiple sclerosis scare, before "the specialists" starting filling me up with God knows what unnecessary and perhaps deleterious drugs." I'm sure you're aware of Maria Angell MD's work probing-and-critiquing Big Pharma. In fact it may have been you who brought Angell to my attention. In any event, here is a link that may interest you: 

Facebook Thread About Big Pharma Malfeasance, And The First Ever Woman Editor Of "The New England Journal Of Medicine," Maria Angell's Spot-On Criticism Of The Pharmaceutical Industry

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2021/10/facebook-thread-about-big-pharma.html

Angell MD points a finger at the very heart of American capitalism as it now operates. Unbridled Capitalism has become an impregnable fortress for scoundrels... and worse.

In its current manifestation, unregulated "Cowboy Capitalism" protects and advances the self-seeking greed of "profiteering opportunists," all of them cut from the same cloth as Malignant Messiah.

The Bonus Round

Capitalism Is Coming To The Crunch: Will People "Just Say No," Or Will Capitalism Say "We're Going To F*ck The Biosphere In The Name Of Profits Over People."  (A Great "Media Matters" Podcast From NPR)

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2023/07/capitalism-is-coming-to-crunch-will.html

*****

Back to Leelamma...

I'm sure it doesn't hurt to have a great deal of trust in your caregiver, so that when s/he tells you that it tends to disappear, it's even more likely that one's brain will become as ignorant of tinnitus as 40% of Americans are deliberately ignorant of ANYTHING resembling truth.

I would not tell Leelamma what I'm about to say, but if Leelama gets frustrated waiting for the brain to perform its "know-nothing" magic, she might consider locating a good hypnotist.

Not all people are subject to hypnosis, but a great many are, and if one is susceptible, hypnosis produces real results.

To the extent that Genie's curing me was due to the power of suggestion, it seems that a gifted hypnotist would be "just the ticket" (...as my grandfather, William Arthur Archibald, used to say).

Thanks for the update on Bede Griffiths and for letting me know you're delving into Jung again.

Here are some of my blog posts concerning Jung that may interest you:

Excellent Collection Of Hyperlinked "Projection" Memes Featuring The Work Of Carl Jung

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2020/07/excellent-collection-of-hyperlinked.html

On The Jungian Personality Profile Known As "The Myers-Briggs Test", "Do You Prefer Justice Or Mercy?" Is The One Question (Of 93 Questions) That Most People Have The Greatest Difficulty Answering

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2021/10/on-jungian-personality-profile-known-as.html

Carl Jung And The New Moral Code Of Nascent Apocalypse

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2020/08/carl-jung-and-new-moral-code-of-nascent.html

And while I'm at it, here is a link about Tielhard de Chardin that may bookend nicely. (This link intersects with Hannah Arendt, a 20th century intellectual titan):

Rev. Pierre Teilhard De Chardin SJ: "Research Is Adoration"

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2020/08/rev-pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-sj.html

Please give Leelamma my best wishes.

Love

Alan

PS We had a lovely spring here, and are having a quite nice summer. A little more heat than I would've liked, but I wouldn't be surprised if we're on the statistical low side of the temperature chart.

On Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 12:06 PM Mary W wrote:

Alan, I remember you said you had suffered from Tinninitis (Sp.?) awhile back.  Did you ever get over it?  If so, how?  Leelamma is having problems with it now.  Also, thanks for sharing the TED talk,  “ My Stroke of Insight” which reminded me a little of Bede Griffiths insight when he experienced a stoke which shut down the side of his brain which was the thinking side (Mechanistic:  rational, analytic, reductionist, linear).  This allowed him to appreciate more the Holistic side:  intuitive, synthesis orientated, integrative and nonlinear.  He called it his feminine side.  I’m finally reading Carl Jung’s “Memories, Dreams and Reflections” which you gave me many years ago.  It comes at a good time and I can identify with him more now than before.  He seems, at a young age, to have discovered the two sides of himself which allowed him to develop his theories of personality.  Hope you are not suffering too much from the heat or the floods all over the place….Love, Mary

 

Jay Pritzker's "Paeon To Love": His 2026 "State Of The State, And FY2027 Budget Speeches"

 

Illinois Governor JB "Jay" Pritzger's Groundbreaking Speech On The Central Importance Of Love

Background to Pritzger's Speech: https://share.google/aimode/O7fIpyr3894treht5

Video Of Pritzger's Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHjr_jFAN4o

JB Pritzger, Wikiquote

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/JB_Pritzker

The Normalization Of Cruelty During Donald Trump's Administration: A Compendium  (Updated July 6, 2025)

http://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-normalization-of-cruelty-during.html

Stock Market Advice For My Son

 

Caribou

I've drawn your attention to VISA before, and will do so again.

It ranks #2 on this list and is cumulatively rated a "strong buy."

Kiplinger Magazine's Advice About Every Stock In The DOW Jones 30:  https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/stocks/blue-chip-stocks/602319/all-30-dow-jones-stocks-ranked-the-pros-weigh-in

But remember that a recession is brewing, and when it arrives, there will be a steep sell-off which, I think, is the time to buy.

Please read this as it is a crucial -- and factual -- underpinning to knowing when it's best to buy stocks if you want to be a "long-term" investor. 

The following article is important for making decisions about "when" to buy -- with the overarching recommendation being to "buy low and sell high," or as Warren Buffett puts it, "buy when others are fearful." (Buffett assumes, of course that you will buy stocks that are good values, NOT just any old stock which is "off its highs."

AI Overview

In the United States, economic recessions last an average of 10 to 11 months, whereas expansions last an average of about 64 months (or 5 to 6 years). Historically tracked by the National Bureau of Economic Research | NBER, business cycles vary significantly in length, meaning individual periods can differ widely from these averages. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

So, in order not to miss "the sell-off opportunity to buy low," I think that half a year into a recession is a good "trigger point" for buying manifestly good stocks that have been beaten down by "overall market sentiment."

AI Overview

"Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful" is a famous maxim by investor Warren Buffett. It means you should practice contrarian investing by buying quality assets during market panics and taking profits or exercising caution when everyone else is blindly rushing in. 

Why It Works

• Capitalizing on Emotion: Market highs are often driven by the fear of missing out, while market crashes are driven by panic selling. This allows calm, disciplined investors to buy solid companies at a discount.
• Intrinsic Value: When emotions cause people to sell portfolios off blindly, the price of an asset drops sharply below its actual value. 

How to Apply the Strategy

• Do Your Research: It is a trigger to look for deals, not an excuse to buy failing companies. Focus on strong balance sheets and the long-term prospects of a business rather than short-term price drops. 
• Avoid Emotional Investing: When you act against the herd, you must override deeply ingrained human psychology and avoid panic selling when your portfolio is temporarily down. 
• Use Market Triggers: Monitor market fear indicators to gauge when to look for buying opportunities. 

---

Further Exploration

• Discuss with the community how this timeless strategy is applied in the modern market on Reddit's Value Investing Thread.
• View and understand the historical wisdom directly from the Goodreads Buffett Quote Page. 

Dman 

https://share.google/aimode/BrTgyRdTIy6vkfiHm

Religion, Perfectionism And The Object Lesson Of Domincan Priest Girolamo Savonarola Who, By Popular Acclaim, Rose To Dictatorial Leadership In 15th Century Florence. 4 Years Later, He Was Burned At The Stake. (This Updated Post Was Originally Written In 2012)

    

Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo

Painted shortly before death at the stake in 1498

Savonarola is the case study par excellence of the suicidal righteousness of religious maniacs.

Savonarola's Wikipedia Entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola

(Savonarola is begging  for a play to be written about his rise and fall, perhaps, along the lines of "A Man For All Seasons." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060665/)

What role did Savonarola play in the development of Florence's Dictatorial Theocracy?

https://share.google/aimode/OBc50So6MlMkcQfLL

The True Believer

by Eric Hoffer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_True_Believer

Free online PDF of The True Believer:

https://www.sustainable.soltechdesigns.com/The_True_Believer_-_Eric_Hoffer.pdf

In my view, Hoffer's brief book on "the blindness of belief" is the most insightful analysis of how True Believers sacrifice everything -- even Reason... perhaps especially Reason -- on the altar of their beliefs, which they don't recognize as beliefs but assert as articles of ABSOLUTE, incontrovertible knowledge.

Under His Malignancy's autocratic boot, the United States has become "an evil government."

The Foul Man disdains kindness, cheapens human life, prizes cruelty, and breeds both ill will and suspicion

Religion, Perfectionism, Savonarola and The Pending Apocalypse of The Republican Party (This Post, Updated On June 12, 2026, Was Originally Published In 2012)

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2020/09/savonarola-and-pending-apocalypse-of.html

Dear Giovanni,

Nothing would be more restorative to The Body Politic than widespread realization that democratic process is intrinsically compromised (and intrinsically compromising) and that all of us -- even "The Most Principled" -- are called to participate in less-than-perfect trade-offs.

Lacking this humility, The Body Politic will hurtle, ever faster, toward terminal decline. China is waiting in the wings, and as Air Force general friend, Arthur Clark, informed me: "China has more honor students than we have students.

Again: "The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander  

Merton: http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/04/merton-best-imposed-as-norm-becomes.html

Merton's Wikipedia page: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton

Life is not about perfection - at least not in the mathematical, geometrical sense that Americans (mistakenly) construe "perfection." ("Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" would be more accurately translated: "Be ye complete as your heavenly Father is complete.")

Life is a muddle. 

And it is our station in life to muddle through to "something better" even if "better" proves (in the near term) nothing more than forfending decline. (In the long run, I envision ongoing Revelation that will bring about the replacement of humankind's "dominance-submission hierarchies" with even-handed enlightenment - social, intellectual, and spiritual. The Savonarolas of our world hold sway but briefly, and then their "too true to be good" preachments crash-and-burn because they are "too true to be good.")

As Italo-latinate cultures well know, our lives are not about mistaken notions of "mathematical" perfection. And when imperfect people insist on perfection, an unusually large load hits "the fan." 

Compendium Of Best Pax Posts On "Too Pure Principles" And The Collapse Of Conservatism

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/02/compendium-of-best-pax-posts-on-too.html

Religion and Perfectionism

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/11/religion-and-perfectionism.html

Read the following cautionary tale of Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola, who - despite his impeccably puritanical life - brought disaster to 15th century Firenze.

Just four years after taking office, Savonarola's "righteous" rule of Florence crashed and burned, another "Bonfire of the Vanities" - this time his own.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola

On May 23, 1498, Savonarola was burned at the stake.

At bottom, Savonarola evoked catastrophe -- political, personal and theological -- by being "too true to be good." (No typo.)

You can only "bang the bible" so long - and so hard - before it becomes a weapon. (Catholic abbot Dom Aelred Graham said - and rightly so, I believe - that "the bible is the world's most over-rated book," not to mention its perennial use to justify -- and even mandate -- murder and mayhem.)

As night follows day, bibliolatry lays waste to the First Commandment (and, in turn, all the rest of them).

.... if only by getting them into bed with Donald Trump, whom they elected not just once, but twice!!! 

... the second time after having lived with The Grotesquerie for four years!

I believe all judgments made by people who are willing and eager - to "sleep" with Donald Trump are unreliable. 

Such destructive ideologues are unable to make fundamentally sound judgments about ANY philosophical or theological issue.

The prissiness, presumption, and unfailing self-righteousness of Christian conservatives make them at least as dangerous as militant Islamists to whom they bear striking resemblance.

Christian Pharisees might wisely contemplate "The Woe Passages" - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023:%2013-39&version=NIV

Compendium: Christian Conservatism, Biblical Literalism And The Unique Hatred Of Yahweh's Command That ALL Men In Any Town Where Rebellious Children Live, MUST Stone Them To Death

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2024/02/compendium-christian-conservatism.html

"All" My Blog Posts Containing The Word "Jesus," Or The Word "Christ" -- Plus "A Theology In Memes"

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2025/09/all-my-blog-posts-containing-word-jesus.html

Pax on both houses

Alan

Fr. Thomas Merton Explains -- In 16 Words -- Why "Christian" "Conservatives" Are Always Wrong
https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2020/08/fr-thomas-merton-explains-in-16-words.html

"The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  

"Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Trappist monk, Father Thomas Merton

"The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil."

More Merton Quotes

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/04/merton-best-imposed-as-norm-becomes.html

A Letter To Karen, My Perverse, Mistaken Christian Nationalist Friend In Which I Probe The Error Of Her Ways

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-letter-to-karen-my-perverse-mistaken.html

"Commonweal," America's Premier Catholic Magazine (Owned And Edited By Catholic Lay People): "A Presidential Smash And Grab - The Most Corrupt President In U.S. History" (By Multiple Orders Of Magnitude)

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2026/05/commonweal-americas-premier-catholic.html

Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) Cuts To The Quick: Trump Followers Are Fundamentally Unhappy, Joyless People Because They Harbor Core Beliefs That Are False. (And Although Of Less Importance, They Are, In Consequence, Desperate To Fault Anyone But Themselves)

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2025/10/archie-bunker-carroll-oconnor-cuts-to.html

Everything Jesus (And The Apostles) Had To Say About Rich People And Poor People

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2025/04/everything-jesus-and-apostles-had-to.html

The two links below present the Red Letter Bible.

By highlighting (in red) every word Jesus is purported to have spoken, we often have a necessary antidote to Gospel interpretations that can get lost in the narrative commentary.

So... 

While it can be helpful and enlightening to focus on the actual words ascribed to Jesus, there is no proof that Jesus' words have not been altered by oral tradition, scribal "insertions," and transcription error.

Please use "red letter editions" of the New Testament for the real benefits they make available.

But do not get carried away.

Perspective, proportion and deep contextualization are all indispensably important.

If God were actually supervising the literal transmission of "Inerrant Truth" in the original writing of bible texts, why did he not just "inscribe" the Literal Truth in the hearts of men. 

Notably, The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (whence our English word, "jeremiad" meaning a righteous tirade) has this to say in Chapter 31, verse 33: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts."

The Origins of the Red-Letter Bible

https://www.crossway.org/articles/red-letter-origin/?srsltid=AfmBOoqXcEDNRXMyYf7mfiB18GJ1UlTidM61fy_EujsMVCy7tAgQotIs

A Red Letter Version Of The King James Bible

https://wn.elib.com/Library/Religious/KJV/NR/NewTrl_index.html

A final counsel...

No understanding of the bible can even aspire to represent "the fullness of truth" without examining the writings of recently-retired, UNC-Chapel Hill Bible Studies professor Bart Ehrman.

Professor Bart Ehrman's Wikipedia Page

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_D._Ehrman