Donald, One of the things I’ve learned to do since Laura and I’ve both been working from home is to listen to music using my ear buds when she’s either teaching her class or in zoom meetings. Previously I wasn’t one to listen to music while working, but it turns out that it’s really helpful … Continue reading May we stop accepting half-measures
Income inequality
One very messed up three-ring circus
To: The Evil Ring Master Blessed be, we’re finally within spitting distance of 2021 and will soon be officially putting 2020 in the rearview mirror along with the previous three years of your reign of terror. I can’t hold my breath until tomorrow midnight and live to tell the tale (let alone until noon EST … Continue reading One very messed up three-ring circus
Boxing Day and Kwanzaa ~ compare and contrast
To: The Lame Duck Earth Scorcher Sometimes I think I’ve been living under a rock most all my life or that I’m about as incurious as they come. For years I’ve known that the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day and until about 1 minute ago I didn’t even wonder what it was referring … Continue reading Boxing Day and Kwanzaa ~ compare and contrast
All children are deserving — not just the sweet-tempered ones
To: His Highness Who Simply Can’t be Bothered with US I so wish I could genuinely say that I hope that you and your family had a good Christmas, that you enjoyed one another’s company and had fun teasing each other about silly old family stories featuring one or another of you doing something goofy. … Continue reading All children are deserving — not just the sweet-tempered ones
Kick-ass activist women clean House
To: The Most Prominent Symbol of a Dying Breed I’m just trying this on – not necessarily to buy or lease – but I’m realizing that one of the major arguments against the “burn it all down” position is that those who are already the most marginalized would almost certainly be the most vulnerable during … Continue reading Kick-ass activist women clean House
Maybe the bones aren’t so good after all
To: The Wrecking Ball This morning our good friend sent me of Maggie Smith’s wonderful, hard, sobering poem “Good Bones” in response to yesterday’s letter. Here’s a link to the poem on her blog: http://waxwingmag.org/items/Issue9/28_Smith-Good-Bones.php. I’m 99% sure I’ve told you about this poem before, but it was a long time ago so I’ll remind … Continue reading Maybe the bones aren’t so good after all
Here we all are. Still.
To: Psychopath President The last couple of weeks I’ve been seeing fewer and fewer antiracism signs in people’s yards and windows. On the block just south of us that I take most mornings when I head out for my walks it was especially noticeable how many fewer such signs there were. I found myself bracing … Continue reading Here we all are. Still.
So many types of fancy houses and so little diversity
To: The Big League Champion of White Privilege Since I’m finding that however it is that I decide to greet you ends up driving what I write about, I’m going to jump in to the stuff that’s been on my mind – and heart – the last few days and will circle back later to … Continue reading So many types of fancy houses and so little diversity
Vulnerability shouldn’t be a luxury
To: The Sorest, Most Messed-Up Loser Ever Yesterday our intern chaplain preached and near the end of her sermon our senior minister said in the chat that she thought it was one of the best sermons ever. It was a truly wonderful sermon on an incredibly challenging portion of the lectionary – Mathew 25: 14-30, … Continue reading Vulnerability shouldn’t be a luxury
God save the data! Or else.
President* Trump, It took me three days, but last night I finally made it all the way through the HP’s long (long) report on the myriad ways your administration has undermined, thwarted, hacked, misrepresented, and disappeared, the data that the US government needs to do its jobs properly (https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/article/disappearing-data/index.html#credits). It was a huge effort (5 … Continue reading God save the data! Or else.