185 Comments

'I suspect it's going to be busy week.' Suspect! I suspect you know. Beautiful photo Buddy Poland, closer than usual. It surprised me. The tree tops are more like lace than fire. Thank you Heather and Buddy.

The Republicans v. Blacks and Us. I feel their breath getting closer to my neck. They'll get nothing but 'good trouble' from me.

Dreams

Langston Hughes - 1902-1967

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes published by Alfred A. Knopf/Vintage. Copyright © 1994 by the Estate of Langston Hughes. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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Jon Stewart tells CNN that media is too focused on ‘conflict’ stories like ‘the Karen yelling in the store’

(More reporting should be fact-centred and less focused on clicks, argues Stewart)

Onetime The Daily Show host Jon Stewart joined CNN on Sunday to discuss the US political media, and condemned what he called a focus on conflict instead of real reporting and facts.

Speaking with Jake Tapper on State of The Union, Stewart argued that the majority of mainstream news coverage of issues such as mask-wearing and vaccines focused on conflicts and spectacles resulting from the division around those issues rather than the facts that could present helpful knowledge for readers or viewers.

“Like, how many times have you seen stories about ‘the battle over masks’, that’s the ‘Karen’ yelling in the store and the people throwing them out, and how many stories have we seen about the efficacy of masks?” he asked.

“There are some, but the overwhelming majority of stories seek to expose the conflict lines.”

He also singled out Politico for a supposed headline that he said exemplified how the media focused on political consequences rather than real-world issues, referring to a piece he had seen published amid the chaos that occurred as Kabul fell to the Taliban in August.

More: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/jon-stewart-karen-cnn-tapper-b1939930.html

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Heather & Buddy….what a pair. We’re blessed. Lots of heavy weather ahead for all of us; thank you so much for the knowledge, the perspective, the truth, hope and beauty. It surely helps on this part of the journey that none of us could have imagined not too long ago.

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Thank you, Dr. Heather, as always for being our national treasure, and thanks especially for another beautiful image by Buddy. 💜

Yosemite this week was also beautiful, early light snow dusting the area a bit earlier than typical, but despite dropping to high 30s one night, I felt grateful to be able to camp there and grateful for the existence of the National Park Service. I have gone many times since childhood and this week the new Chinese Laundry building/exhibit opened briefly and I learned for the first time that Chinese immigrants dug and toiled to build large portions of two of the major roads in the park.

History is so important and "social studies" needs to be a larger piece of our educational system.

Rest well for we'll all have a busy week ahead. 💜

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Gorgeous! Thank you for being one of my personal national treasures.

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So far, when the next week arrives, it makes the last week in hell look like a romp in the park on a Sunday afternoon. I think I'd like some uninteresting times to live in. Ya got any of those on the menu? Huh?

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This Sunday NYTimes highlighted seven men who face the most serious charges for the 1.6.21 insurrection at the US Capitol. Readers know more about each of these men than each of them would have ever wanted known. None of these men had anything in their history that would point to their fighting police and threatening our democracy. Now, they face the most serious charge

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Here is a poem that has become my 'COVID credo'. I hope it helps.

We must risk delight, we can do without pleasure,

but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have

the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless

furnace of this world.

-Jack Gilbert, "A Brief for the Defense"

Buddy's photo is delightful!

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A thought from Ogden Nash (1902-1971) to suggest why there has been such a stubborn, unexplainable resistance to Covid mitigation factors and common good denigrated to dangerous socialism by the hordes of the former’s supporters. Why there is such violent outrage at the suggestion of democracy guiding the hand of government in this country as has been the practice for now centuries in the United States of America.

A simple visual that clarifies the resistance.

From book “Good Intentions” by Ogden Nash (1942)

“The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.”

This illuminates to me what to do in conversation with an otherwise normal person who can go 0 to 60 with MAGA madness accelerant. I go through the window and push the door from the inside. I usually have to jimmy the lock on the window but I have been known to throw a brick if necessary. You know what they say about “hard times”….

Salud!

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Maine is a state of mind and I miss it since I sold my house on MDI. The Maine coast is a very special place in this world. Bless you for documenting the wonderful coast on your days off...The photographs are so wonderful! You are also a wonderful font and resource. Thank you for all the amazing distillation you perform every evening for our morning consumption and rumination. Huge fan and evangelist! Best, T

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We should not judge administrations, we should judge ourselves.

I find HCR's newsletters very useful in understanding what's developing in other states and in Washington, in order to take action.

But ultimately everything that happens is a reflection on us. What have we done to help Biden accomplish what we want him to accomplish?

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Bodhisattva Prayer for Humanity

"May I be a guard for those who need protection

A guide for those on the path

A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood

May I be a lamp in the darkness

A resting place for the weary

A healing medicine for all who are sick

A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles

And for the boundless multitudes of living beings

May I bring sustenance and awakening

Enduring like the earth and sky

Until all beings are freed from sorrow

And all are awakened."

This prayer was written by Shantideva, a Buddhist monk of the Mahayana tradition who lived around 700 AD. He was a devoted practitioner who authored the Bodhicaryavatara or Bodhisattva Way of Life.

It is said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers this text to be THE source for developing altruism in your character and the "Spirit of Awakening." It is also said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama recites this prayer every morning as part of his waking rituals. So, if you give it a try, you are in good company!

Nick Polizzi

The Sacred Science, LLC

1250 Addison Street. Suite 211-A

Berkeley, California 94530

https://thesacredscience.tumblr.com/

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Thank you for all of the gorgeous pictures you share - in addition to the immensely helpful historical perspective. I am so glad I discovered you through dear, long-time friends.

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Rocky Mtn National Park was also gorgeous 2 weeks ago, and Maroon Bells near Aspen got it’s first snow!

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So beautiful! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and Buddy’s incredible eye!

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And HCR is right about the next week or so. The fate of Democrats at midterms and the Biden presidency might well be determined.

From the AP.

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-joe-biden-business-europe-social-services-4754106687834de9aa1b9ac4dfb429d7

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