I’ve been sick this past week and worked to get better for work to do and two events Thursday and Saturday.

I was fortunate to draw for an assisted living facility Thursday. As always, i hear so many wonderful stories. Here are a few and their stories….

A note of the photographs: Had something fading out most all I took. Sorry about that.

Kathryn long hauled bananas for a couple decades back when few women were on the road in a cab by themselves for days on end. These days she crochets.

Gloria’s family goes back, far, far back in Florida history. Family owns or lives on the islands in the Suwanee River. She isn’t able to get back into the Florida wilds she loves and misses fishing. These days she likes to play the organ.

Jessie is a Scottish lassie who loves cards and clowning around. Even her brightly colored attire reflects her playful fun.

Earl is full Cherokee. He mentioned his displeasure with how things have turned out for the Cherokee. Otehrwise, Earl struggles with what to say and his memory. I have him in the early 1800s in Tennessee approaching an American Army encampment.

Debbie has a number of things she likes to do, like reading romances. She also loves watching old western TV programs, like Maverick, Laramie, Tales of the Wells Fargo, etc.

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Intellect: Mind over Matter by Mortimer J. Adler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All that ‘Intellect’ presents has come more true since it’s first publication. Instead of reasoned conclusions, imaginary fantasy is creating laws and warping mindset. Mortimer Adler would be considered very un-P.C. today. Likely why his name seems to have disappeared during the Great Ideas conferences he developed at the Aspen Institute. I’m almost gald he is not still with us today to asee what has happened in the world. Though I would LOVE to hear what he would say about it.

This volume lays out Adler’s reasoned view of the elements of intellect: the brain and the mind, and why the two are separate. Adler breaks down his view and argues just about every angle. It’s all reasonable and logical. He also addresses counter arguments to his view and lays out why those are wrong.

As was Adler’s goal, the writing is not overly complicated. For those of us that read a lot of philosophy, his writing is too simple. Some philosopher’s have tagged Adler as a Pop Philosopher for spurning academia and writing for the general public and not to justify college tenures. As Adler introduced his simpler approach to writing philosophy, he couldn’t have known how even his approach is overly complicated for today’s American population.

He addresses his concerns about technology and what it could do to the intellect. His concerns, writing almost 40 years ago, are very mild to what has happened so far. I remember reading these views of Adler’s decades ago and thinking the ideas sounded extreme. An iPhone came into human’s lives and made concerns horrors.

Something else that has solidly entered human’s lives is the introduction to the panicky view of being healthy. To most all that means eating well and exercising. To Adler it is only involving reasoning. If you use your brain and mind, the grape-nuts & track run are obvious conclusions. But without the thinking part, it’s just a fad without commitment & dedication.

I found Adler’s arguments that language and communication being the same wanting. His argument is flimsy if that and his “natural & “nurture” arguments. Both chapters are short and he later in the book writes that those are his shallowest views. I agree.

Overall, this should be required reading for anyone wanting to be motivated to greater reasoning skills of the brain and mind.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 9 out of 10 points.

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This is the penciling. Much more to do. then inking. Then adding color.

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Been in meetings all day with pals Tom Orr and John Horrighs talking politics, later with new friends Cody Phillips & Gina LaBruno talking south Central Florida water issues and then the monthly Silver Springs Alliance meeting talking even more water issues. All the while – I drew puppies.

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Then on to the old Osceola County courthouse. Leslie, of the guardian ad litem program partly housed in the building, was very kind to give me a tour through this fascinating building. There are more photos of the courthouse over at my Swampy’s Florida page.

After leaving Kissimmee, i did some poking around for books, that I usually like to do on my birthday. I found some wonder books! And quite a few for friends!