Stoical Geezer
@stoicalgeezer.bsky.social
🇺🇲🇬🇧🏴 Retired CIO, writer, humanist. Stoic by practice, skeptic by temperament. I write about life, democracy’s cracks, aging with clarity, and the small rituals—pens, journaling, quiet mornings—that keep us steady while the world tilts.
Pinned
My goal here is simple:
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
Brimstone, our magnificent shadow-on-paws, moves with the quiet confidence of a creature who knows the universe revolves around him. Sleek, watchful, and wholly in command, he is equal parts mystery and mischief—a regal feline presence who graces our days with charm and imperious affection.
December 7, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Brimstone, our magnificent shadow-on-paws, moves with the quiet confidence of a creature who knows the universe revolves around him. Sleek, watchful, and wholly in command, he is equal parts mystery and mischief—a regal feline presence who graces our days with charm and imperious affection.
A Federal minimum wage coupled with a UBI raises all manner of serious complexities. Probably easier to argue for a higher minimum wage OR a UBI. I think politically tough (impossible?) to do both.
I'd shoot for:
- M4A
- Universal childcare
- Increased tax on mega-wealthy
- Eliminate tariffs
I'd shoot for:
- M4A
- Universal childcare
- Increased tax on mega-wealthy
- Eliminate tariffs
-Bust up monopolies
-Boost unions
-$20/hr fed minimum wage
-Ban Wall Street from buying homes
-Pass M4A
-Universal childcare
-Get rid of Trump’s tariffs
-Enact UBI
-Tax the rich
These are crucial steps to making America affordable again. Every Democrat must fight for this.
-Boost unions
-$20/hr fed minimum wage
-Ban Wall Street from buying homes
-Pass M4A
-Universal childcare
-Get rid of Trump’s tariffs
-Enact UBI
-Tax the rich
These are crucial steps to making America affordable again. Every Democrat must fight for this.
December 7, 2025 at 3:00 AM
A Federal minimum wage coupled with a UBI raises all manner of serious complexities. Probably easier to argue for a higher minimum wage OR a UBI. I think politically tough (impossible?) to do both.
I'd shoot for:
- M4A
- Universal childcare
- Increased tax on mega-wealthy
- Eliminate tariffs
I'd shoot for:
- M4A
- Universal childcare
- Increased tax on mega-wealthy
- Eliminate tariffs
Perfect: like a quiet reckoning, stripping love of its comforting myths. The line breaks feel like someone exhaling truths they'd rather not voice. It isn’t cynical, just sober—the last two lines landing beautifully, exposing the paradox—how fiercely we cling to the very myth we’ve just dismantled.
The lies we tell
about love-
that it’ll
find you,
that true love
exists,
that love
can be unconditional,
that parents
love their children,
that love,
and only love
Will set us free
# Mpprompt @malformed-poetry.bsky.social #poetry
about love-
that it’ll
find you,
that true love
exists,
that love
can be unconditional,
that parents
love their children,
that love,
and only love
Will set us free
# Mpprompt @malformed-poetry.bsky.social #poetry
December 7, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Perfect: like a quiet reckoning, stripping love of its comforting myths. The line breaks feel like someone exhaling truths they'd rather not voice. It isn’t cynical, just sober—the last two lines landing beautifully, exposing the paradox—how fiercely we cling to the very myth we’ve just dismantled.
#Emoetry prompt for 12/6: #Vigorous
Still moving, still amused—proof that momentum counts as vigor when the years grow long.
#Poetry #FreeVerse #AgingWithHumor #StoicAging #SeptuagenarianLife #EighthDecade
Still moving, still amused—proof that momentum counts as vigor when the years grow long.
#Poetry #FreeVerse #AgingWithHumor #StoicAging #SeptuagenarianLife #EighthDecade
December 6, 2025 at 10:35 PM
#Emoetry prompt for 12/6: #Vigorous
Still moving, still amused—proof that momentum counts as vigor when the years grow long.
#Poetry #FreeVerse #AgingWithHumor #StoicAging #SeptuagenarianLife #EighthDecade
Still moving, still amused—proof that momentum counts as vigor when the years grow long.
#Poetry #FreeVerse #AgingWithHumor #StoicAging #SeptuagenarianLife #EighthDecade
OnThisDay Dec 6, 1865: The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S. Its declaration—ending slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime—marked the Civil War’s most profound constitutional change.
December 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
OnThisDay Dec 6, 1865: The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S. Its declaration—ending slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime—marked the Civil War’s most profound constitutional change.
#OnThisDay December 6, 1921 The Irish Free State was declared, ending a five-year struggle for independence. Though it initially remained in the British Commonwealth under the king, it later cut ties and became Éire—today the Republic of Ireland.
December 6, 2025 at 7:58 PM
#OnThisDay December 6, 1921 The Irish Free State was declared, ending a five-year struggle for independence. Though it initially remained in the British Commonwealth under the king, it later cut ties and became Éire—today the Republic of Ireland.
My goal here is simple:
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
December 6, 2025 at 7:13 PM
My goal here is simple:
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
Observe clearly—seeking clarity, not certainty.
Write honestly—Stoic reflections, free verse, curmudgeonly humor, & the small rituals that keep us grounded: pens, ink, journaling.
Endure with humor.
Enjoy good company and their perspectives.
#Stoicism #Poetry #FountainPens
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
Aristotle reminds us that discipline and consistency shape who we become. Small choices, repeated over time, build mastery. What habit today brings you closer to the person you want to be?
Aristotle reminds us that discipline and consistency shape who we become. Small choices, repeated over time, build mastery. What habit today brings you closer to the person you want to be?
December 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
Aristotle reminds us that discipline and consistency shape who we become. Small choices, repeated over time, build mastery. What habit today brings you closer to the person you want to be?
Aristotle reminds us that discipline and consistency shape who we become. Small choices, repeated over time, build mastery. What habit today brings you closer to the person you want to be?
“Love the life you have while you create the life of your dreams. Don’t think you have to choose one over the other.” — Hal Elrod
We don’t have to choose between today’s joys & tomorrow’s ambitions. Appreciate the present, pursue the future, and let both shape a life that feels whole.
We don’t have to choose between today’s joys & tomorrow’s ambitions. Appreciate the present, pursue the future, and let both shape a life that feels whole.
December 6, 2025 at 5:34 PM
“Love the life you have while you create the life of your dreams. Don’t think you have to choose one over the other.” — Hal Elrod
We don’t have to choose between today’s joys & tomorrow’s ambitions. Appreciate the present, pursue the future, and let both shape a life that feels whole.
We don’t have to choose between today’s joys & tomorrow’s ambitions. Appreciate the present, pursue the future, and let both shape a life that feels whole.
Baklava
Golden layers,
fragile as any promise,
holding together only because
syrup insists they must.
I take a bite
and remember—
the world may be cracked and bitter,
but now and then
it tastes like this.
#FreeVerse #Poetry
Golden layers,
fragile as any promise,
holding together only because
syrup insists they must.
I take a bite
and remember—
the world may be cracked and bitter,
but now and then
it tastes like this.
#FreeVerse #Poetry
December 5, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Baklava
Golden layers,
fragile as any promise,
holding together only because
syrup insists they must.
I take a bite
and remember—
the world may be cracked and bitter,
but now and then
it tastes like this.
#FreeVerse #Poetry
Golden layers,
fragile as any promise,
holding together only because
syrup insists they must.
I take a bite
and remember—
the world may be cracked and bitter,
but now and then
it tastes like this.
#FreeVerse #Poetry
#Emoetry prompt for 12/5/2025: #Unbearable
This world’s so insane, so unstable,
its nonsense is frankly unbearable.
So we pour a cup of tea,
face the chaos with glee,
and endure — because quitting’s unthinkable.
#Limerick #Poetry
This world’s so insane, so unstable,
its nonsense is frankly unbearable.
So we pour a cup of tea,
face the chaos with glee,
and endure — because quitting’s unthinkable.
#Limerick #Poetry
December 5, 2025 at 7:06 PM
#Emoetry prompt for 12/5/2025: #Unbearable
This world’s so insane, so unstable,
its nonsense is frankly unbearable.
So we pour a cup of tea,
face the chaos with glee,
and endure — because quitting’s unthinkable.
#Limerick #Poetry
This world’s so insane, so unstable,
its nonsense is frankly unbearable.
So we pour a cup of tea,
face the chaos with glee,
and endure — because quitting’s unthinkable.
#Limerick #Poetry
“What gets measured gets managed.” — Peter Drucker
Drucker reminds us that what we track, we can guide. The Stoics add this: choose metrics that reflect virtue, not vanity. Count what strengthens discipline, clarity, and character. If you’re measuring wisely, you’re already managing your life well.
Drucker reminds us that what we track, we can guide. The Stoics add this: choose metrics that reflect virtue, not vanity. Count what strengthens discipline, clarity, and character. If you’re measuring wisely, you’re already managing your life well.
December 5, 2025 at 6:21 PM
“What gets measured gets managed.” — Peter Drucker
Drucker reminds us that what we track, we can guide. The Stoics add this: choose metrics that reflect virtue, not vanity. Count what strengthens discipline, clarity, and character. If you’re measuring wisely, you’re already managing your life well.
Drucker reminds us that what we track, we can guide. The Stoics add this: choose metrics that reflect virtue, not vanity. Count what strengthens discipline, clarity, and character. If you’re measuring wisely, you’re already managing your life well.
Decades have taught me this: most chaos isn’t worth raising my blood pressure over. I’ve traded anxiety for acceptance and urgency for a slow cup of coffee. If I can’t control it, I won’t worry about it. Aging turns out to be the ultimate life hack—realizing most of it never really mattered.
☕️🤷♂️
☕️🤷♂️
December 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Decades have taught me this: most chaos isn’t worth raising my blood pressure over. I’ve traded anxiety for acceptance and urgency for a slow cup of coffee. If I can’t control it, I won’t worry about it. Aging turns out to be the ultimate life hack—realizing most of it never really mattered.
☕️🤷♂️
☕️🤷♂️
Tonight’s Super Moon glows like a gold lantern over the mountains, bright against the deepening blue. It hangs steady above the tangle of red lights and traffic, serene and unhurried—a small, perfect reminder that even in the evening rush, the world can still offer wonder.
December 5, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Tonight’s Super Moon glows like a gold lantern over the mountains, bright against the deepening blue. It hangs steady above the tangle of red lights and traffic, serene and unhurried—a small, perfect reminder that even in the evening rush, the world can still offer wonder.
December 4, 2025 at 6:02 PM
A leader’s true measure is the standards they hold themselves to—self-discipline, integrity, and consistency speak louder than authority. Leadership isn’t command; it’s example.
So what does that say of our “leaders” in 2025?
There's not a damn thing worth looking up to!
So what does that say of our “leaders” in 2025?
There's not a damn thing worth looking up to!
December 3, 2025 at 11:05 PM
A leader’s true measure is the standards they hold themselves to—self-discipline, integrity, and consistency speak louder than authority. Leadership isn’t command; it’s example.
So what does that say of our “leaders” in 2025?
There's not a damn thing worth looking up to!
So what does that say of our “leaders” in 2025?
There's not a damn thing worth looking up to!
Control isn’t about avoidance—it’s about balance. Temperance means choosing what to allow, not shutting life out. When we engage with pleasures and challenges in moderation, we stay free from excess and act with intention. True control is saying “yes” wisely, not “no” fearfully.
#Stoicism
#Stoicism
December 3, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Control isn’t about avoidance—it’s about balance. Temperance means choosing what to allow, not shutting life out. When we engage with pleasures and challenges in moderation, we stay free from excess and act with intention. True control is saying “yes” wisely, not “no” fearfully.
#Stoicism
#Stoicism
Reposted by Stoical Geezer
The Pew Research 2025 poll on Social Media use of adults in the US is out - Bluesky is up, in-between Threads and Truth Social, while Mastodon does not exist at all 😅
November 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
The Pew Research 2025 poll on Social Media use of adults in the US is out - Bluesky is up, in-between Threads and Truth Social, while Mastodon does not exist at all 😅
Not only that—also economists e.g. Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Paul Krugman, Milton Friedman, & Jagdish Bhagwati
Why?— Tariffs raise prices, distort markets, hurt consumers, and reduce overall wealth. Free trade lets each nation specialize, boosting efficiency, innovation, and long-term prosperity.
Why?— Tariffs raise prices, distort markets, hurt consumers, and reduce overall wealth. Free trade lets each nation specialize, boosting efficiency, innovation, and long-term prosperity.
It’s not just companies that oppose Trump’s tariffs—American opposition is rising too. A year ago, 52% of Americans favored the tariffs. Today, it’s just 38%, with 62% opposing them.
December 3, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Not only that—also economists e.g. Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Paul Krugman, Milton Friedman, & Jagdish Bhagwati
Why?— Tariffs raise prices, distort markets, hurt consumers, and reduce overall wealth. Free trade lets each nation specialize, boosting efficiency, innovation, and long-term prosperity.
Why?— Tariffs raise prices, distort markets, hurt consumers, and reduce overall wealth. Free trade lets each nation specialize, boosting efficiency, innovation, and long-term prosperity.
Today's lunch from this Old Geezer's kitchen — wild Alaskan salmon with balsamic, roast eggplant and potatoes, variety of steamed carrots.
#HomeCooking #Septuagenarian
#HomeCooking #Septuagenarian
December 3, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Today's lunch from this Old Geezer's kitchen — wild Alaskan salmon with balsamic, roast eggplant and potatoes, variety of steamed carrots.
#HomeCooking #Septuagenarian
#HomeCooking #Septuagenarian
This article captures exactly why I love to write—especially with pen and ink. Writing doesn’t just express thoughts; it reshapes the mind, builds resilience, and helps us face life with greater clarity, calm, and strength.
#Writing #FountainPens #Journaling
theconversation.com/writing-buil...
#Writing #FountainPens #Journaling
theconversation.com/writing-buil...
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Resilience is often presented as feats of bravery and endurance. But everyday practices like journaling, drafting a text or even writing a to-do list are manifestations of a capacity to adapt.
theconversation.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:27 PM
This article captures exactly why I love to write—especially with pen and ink. Writing doesn’t just express thoughts; it reshapes the mind, builds resilience, and helps us face life with greater clarity, calm, and strength.
#Writing #FountainPens #Journaling
theconversation.com/writing-buil...
#Writing #FountainPens #Journaling
theconversation.com/writing-buil...
“Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.” Will Rogers
I must’ve crossed that threshold long ago; these miles are hard-earned and worth every bit of bragging!
I must’ve crossed that threshold long ago; these miles are hard-earned and worth every bit of bragging!
December 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
“Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.” Will Rogers
I must’ve crossed that threshold long ago; these miles are hard-earned and worth every bit of bragging!
I must’ve crossed that threshold long ago; these miles are hard-earned and worth every bit of bragging!
#Emoetry prompt 12/3 "Scared"
“Fear is not the enemy; indifference is.” — Elie Wiesel
"We’re scared because we’re paying attention. That’s the beginning of courage, not the end of hope." — Stoical Geezer
#FreeVerse #Poetry
“Fear is not the enemy; indifference is.” — Elie Wiesel
"We’re scared because we’re paying attention. That’s the beginning of courage, not the end of hope." — Stoical Geezer
#FreeVerse #Poetry
December 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
#Emoetry prompt 12/3 "Scared"
“Fear is not the enemy; indifference is.” — Elie Wiesel
"We’re scared because we’re paying attention. That’s the beginning of courage, not the end of hope." — Stoical Geezer
#FreeVerse #Poetry
“Fear is not the enemy; indifference is.” — Elie Wiesel
"We’re scared because we’re paying attention. That’s the beginning of courage, not the end of hope." — Stoical Geezer
#FreeVerse #Poetry
Quick and simple supper from this Old Geezer's kitchen: white rice, onion, corn, peas, tomato, egg, and for added flavor a little TJ's corn salsa.
#HomeCooking
#HomeCooking
December 3, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Quick and simple supper from this Old Geezer's kitchen: white rice, onion, corn, peas, tomato, egg, and for added flavor a little TJ's corn salsa.
#HomeCooking
#HomeCooking
Another interesting piece by Garrett Graff. Well worth the 13 minutes reading time.
It’s time to talk about Donald Trump’s health (again)
The most consequential topic in the world is the simple question: Is the President mentally fit to serve?
www.doomsdayscenario.co
December 2, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Another interesting piece by Garrett Graff. Well worth the 13 minutes reading time.