Pipeology - The Fine Art of Pipe Smoking and Thought

 I write a day or two ahead.  It still might be a Revolution.  Most of you weren't around in the 60's, but both my wife and I come out of the revolution of the 60's.  But instead of drugs, sex, Rock and Roll, and the anti-establishment movement of the 60's, there was another kind of Revolution that was about the Jesus Freaks of the 60's.  I've been a part of that my entire life and maybe mote now than I was in the previous 50 years.  I can relax now in my own brand of Spirituality.   But essentially, I have been anti-establishment my entire life.  But where does this come from?  I have my own explanation, but we're not alone.  The Crystal children of the 60's are now retired, if not close to it.  But many of us are still around.   We're still anti-establishnent without dropping out with drugs, sex, Rock and Roll, and anti- establishment ideals.  We're still different.   Some of us have had careers, but ...

 I watch a lot of videos by SciMan Dan, who debunks the flat earthers.  Okay, maybe I am just naive, but I believe in a round earth, a round moon, round planets, and the universe is at least some 14 billion years old, if not older, or infinite as some have suggested.  Why do I believe all this?  Because to me, a flat earth theory just does not make sense. But SciMan Dan goes further debunking every flat earther theory.  Why does he even bother?  He's a man on a mission.  Some people believe some things that are like perpetual fingernails on a chalkboard.  Some people are greatly bothered by non-scientifuc beliefs of others.  One of my professors said once said there are things one goes to the wall for, and some things don't matter. Frankly flat earthers don't bother me.  Beliefs are just that.  A flat earthers beliefs don't bother me, unless they are teaching our kids falsehoods.  And I guess some are teachers.  Maybe....

 I'm not really sure how science knows that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second.  But there is a formula for this that would take a long time to explain.  Einstein's famous formula of E=MC(squared) can be explained, but his life was devoted to the formula.  I once had a retired English professor as a close friend who once said if something has to be explained one is better off not explaining.  One of my professors once said a reason is often an excuse. I thought I might be able to explain why my pipe is a part of my Spirituality, but I might be better off just saying that it is, instead of explaining why I smoke a pipe.  It is ritualistic.  If I had to explain my pipe, I would end up explaining more than I have room and time for an explanation.  And it's just easier for me to say I am a Spiritual person than for me to go into detail to explain how it is that I am. Explanations take a lot of time and work.  Philosophy classes are ta...