January 8th 2026 Influence is power without force Influence is power without force Influence – from the Etymological dictionary. late 14c., an astrological term, “streaming ethereal power from the stars when in certain positions, acting upon character or destiny of men,” from Old French influence “emanation from the stars that acts upon one’s character and destiny” (13c.), also “a flow of water, a flowing in,” from Medieval Latin influentia “a flowing in” Influence is flow versus force. Yet...
1 day ago • 1 min read
January 7th 2026 Modern spell casting Modern spell casting Interpellation – programming ideas into people’s minds by addressing them as if they were already true. For example, if a law enforcement officer calls out urgently – hey, you – there is often an immediate sense of guilt, even when innocent. The myth is written into existence. This is one of the many tools of propaganda. In Australia, as in the USA and UK, the Murdoch press writes ideas into existence every day. We begin to question...
2 days ago • 1 min read
January 6th 2026 Promises made, promises broken Promises made, promises broken For one brief moment, after the horrors of two World Wars, there was a sense of unification through the creation of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and various other global initiatives. None of them was perfect. But they acknowledged that with the nuclear bomb, we had shifted from the age of nation-states to the age of one Spacehip Earth. What happens over...
3 days ago • 1 min read
January 5th 2026 How we grow up How we grow up We hold a view, opinion or perspective. We hold it tight. It informs our beliefs, actions and choices. The stronger the view or opinion holds us, the more fiercely we protect it from being revealed as a lie. Cracks appear. Small at first. Things do not stack up. We deny. Ignore. Smudge over. Cracks persist. They reach a dimension that defies ignorance. We peek into the chasm. The process of confrontation is hard. Brutal. Dreams and stories are...
4 days ago • 1 min read
January 4th 2026 The greater force The greater force The water is calm. The world is ripping apart. Bullies bully. In the current environment, the excuse for bullying is flimsy at best. But it matters not. People get away with their bullying because we let them. It always starts small. That first Little Atrocity. (https://syntropic.world/little-atrocities-the-path-from-integrity-to-self-deception-and-bad-business/)I have been accused, more than once, of being too pedantic, too particular,...
5 days ago • 1 min read
January 3rd 2026 Nothing is forever Nothing is forever Dark and gloomy are the clouds. The ocean is quiet, resting. The cooler temperatures are welcome. Life is tenuous. Yesterday, I had a Clean Communication (https://syntropic.world/clean-communication-living-and-working-light/) conversation with my 92-year-old father. It was complete for me. No residue at all, which means, simply, that I had not a whisker of lingering charge. While there was rage in my words, it felt good to speak them....
6 days ago • 1 min read
January 2nd 2026 Finding good Finding good New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor was sworn in yesterday. I am a fan. Mayor Mamdani said, after winning the election, I also think that we have found exactly the way to defeat organised money, which is organised people. Organised people. That is us. You. Me. People who care for all-human justice. People who have the courage to stand against oppression, exploitation, racism, and bigotry, even at great cost. Valarie Kaur organises...
7 days ago • 1 min read
January 1st 2026 Never perfect Never perfect Nine years ago today, I started writing this daily blog. I made a commitment to write every day for one year. I have missed a few days, here and there. I may miss more going forward. Many times, the articles I hesitated to post are the ones that get the most comments. I have learned to write and publish. Never perfect. I know the power of small steps taken every day. The accumulated effects. Last year, I wrote 102, 028 words. Easily a good-sized...
8 days ago • 2 min read
December 31st 2025 What cleaning legacy do you want to leave What cleaning legacy do you want to leave I am supposed to write something smart on this last day of 2025. But I am out of smarts. Yesterday, my sister, her husband, my daughter and my partner spent a day cleaning the home – if you could call it that – of my 92-year-old father and his recently deceased wife. This on top of three full days of cleaning before this. They were both hoarders and clearly didn’t care enough about cleaning....
9 days ago • 2 min read