Young George Eastman around 1880. Until George Eastman came along photography was a cumbersome process with bulky equipment which required as much skill at chemistry as on focusing the lens .   It was reserved for professionals and very wealthy amateur dilettantes .   Although the process fascinated the public, each individual print image was expensive.   An individual or family might sit once or twice in their lifetimes for a stiff portrait which became an instant priceless family heirloom .   Eastman changed all of that on September 4, 1888 when he was granted a patent for a box camera that used the revolutionary roll film that he had developed and patented in 1884.   The same day he...

Labor Day has come again — at least, the United States version of Labor Day. Everywhere else in the world, Labor Day is celebrated on May 1. But not in the United States. May 1, 1886, was the date of a general strike throughout the United States for the right to an eight hour day: … Continue reading "Happy Labor Day"

I have lived 20 years in the Bay Area and 13 in San Francisco, all of them as a leftist, without seeing a performance of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Until today! We went to Dolores Park to see their Labor Day performance, and enjoyed a packed lunch, the always-gorgeous weather of these three square […]

There are moments, when I’m in a Zoom meeting especially, when I cannot help but express my feelings on my face. Sometimes those are not things I wanted other people to see. I have been told in private chats to “fix my face,” and yet, sometimes expressing those things is healthier than bottling them up. … Continue reading Fix Your Face

I want to love the world. I really, truly do. But it’s hard, you know? There is so much division, exclusion, judgement… Where do we begin doing the work of welcoming that honors our interconnectedness and the understanding that our … Continue reading →

Sunday, September 10 is Homecoming Sunday, and we’re ready to welcome you back with a fun day of fellowship, free hotdogs (while they last) and a message on this month’s theme of Faith from Rev. Marlin Lavanhar. In advance of Homecoming Sunday in 2019, Rev. Lavanhar wrote: It seems as if humanity is at a spiritual crossroads in which one fork leads to more fear and division and the other leads to more love and greater cooperation. In an effort to grow love and cooperation All Souls has discovered that in a pluralistic society different spiritual languages and styles of […] The post Be. Here. Now. appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Classic American Labor Day image--flag waving but inclusive. Note —This is an updated version of an almost annual holiday blog post. Today is officially Labor Day in the United States, a Federal Holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September since 1894.   For most people it is just the last hurrah of summer, an occasion for one last cookout and the gateway to fall and football season.   In most cities and towns, the labor movement is not even perfunctorily acknowledged.   The press mostly uses the occasion to annually either write the obituary of unions or to denounce them as powerful and greedy bullies, depending on the political inclination of the outlet. While most of us working schlumps are grateful for the day off (if we g...

A few months ago, one of my audiobook apps suggested the book Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The American Art of Decluttering Before You Die. The author, who calls her(?)self Messie Condo, is very funny, straight-shooting, and potty-mouthed. I really enjoyed it, and she has already had a significant effect on my approach to, well, my […]

Carol and I have been doing as little as possible over this holiday weekend. We talked about driving somewhere, but driving is always a nightmare on Labor Day weekend. So, we’ve been sleeping late and doing some desultory housecleaning. And I took a couple of walks at nearby conservation areas. On Friday, I went to … Continue reading "Labor Day weekend"

I had a great class with the Woodworkers Guild of Georgia and will be headed home in the morning.  I ws too busy to take photos Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning likewise.

The Smithsonian Institution will begin repatriating a collection of human brains collected unethically and with the intent of proving white superiority. Continue reading The repatriation and grisly history of the Smithsonian’s ‘racial brain’ collection at The Wild Hunt.

Sometimes, what is needed to begin the repair of a relationship is a true apology. An apology that admits that one did wrong and that seeks to heal the harm done. An apology that makes it clear that one understands how to do better next time. When have you experienced the power of an apology?

What is a Bee City? Why become a Bee City? What does it take for Los Alamos to become one? What are some of the common concerns? Contrary to popular news media hype about declining bee population from colony collapse syndrome, honey bees, which are introduced from Europe, are not in danger of extinction, but some of our native bees are. To say we need to “save the bees” by raising more honey bees is like saying we need to save bald eagles from extinction by raising more chickens. What can we do to help save our native bees? Come find out more.

Advocates of the slow travel movement seek out opportunities to add thematically inspired stops to their journeys. House of Rain by Craig Childs tracks the dispersion of the Chaco civilization across the southwest. Ancient Ruins and Rock Art of the Southwest by David Grant Noble provides a guide to archaeological sites. These books inspired and directed my side trips to some very interesting Native American sites in 2023.

I spent part of the last week in Yosemite. The picture above is from the trail around Mirror Lake and has a partial side view of the iconic Half Dome. It looks different depending on the angle and where you are standing. It also depends on who you are in that moment. As a child, […]

Note:   It was my privilege to be asked to speak—and to host one year—from 2015 to 2019 at the annual Labor Day Event on Woodstock Square sponsored by McHenry County Progressives.   Today we will look back at the meat of my talk in 2016—a Presidential election year that turned out to have disastrous results.   Specifics about that race are now dated, but the themes they represent remain.   My remarks on the working class virtue of solidarity were adapted from earlier material, including one of my Labor Day sermons at the old Congregational Unitarian Church in Woodstock. The Old Man explaining the Working Class Virtue of Solidarity at the 2016 Labor Day event in Woodstock Square. We gathered here last year [2015] for the first t...

My talks with Gaia and our walks about her territory on a regular basis inspired me, terrified me, and reminded me that our Earth, our planet, is a precious gift that many, myself included, take for granted far too often. Continue reading On the Road to The Goddess Speaks: One Witch’s Experience at The Wild Hunt.

Humans have harmed the planet and disrupted the ecosystems in which we live. And yet, repair of our planet is possible, since living systems are able to heal if we let them. How can you contribute to healing our planet today?

Please join us on Sunday (3 September 2023) at 11:00 AM for “From You I Receive” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.  Members of the All Souls Choir will sing. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (3 September 2023)"

During the summer, our children and youth participate in various fun artistic and creative activities. On this Sunday, the children and youth will make backpack charms to be given out next Sunday at our Blessing of the Backpacks (which will also be the first Sunday of the 2023-24 Religious Education year at All Souls).

Please join us on Sunday (3 September 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. We will be discussing an article by Washington Post columnist Christine Emba — “Men Are … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 3 September 2023"

We will have our monthly building and ground work day on Saturday (9 September 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We will have tasks for all ages and abilities — indoor and outside. Check back on our website and our Facebook page for additional details as we get closer to 9 September 2023.

Each month we dedicate all of our non-pledge income to an organization doing the work that best embodies our Unitarian Universalist principles and values. For the month of September 2023, we choose Compassion for Lives. Compassion for Lives is an organization dedicated to helping individuals reintegrate into the community after incarceration. They also work with … Continue reading "Compassion for Lives — September 2023 Give-Away-The-Plate Recipient"

                                      John Ronald Reuel Tolkien died on this day, the 2nd of September, 1973. He was 81. Today at the Birmingham Oratory, the church where he recieved his first communion and confirmation in 1903, celebrated a requiem […]

Our semi-dwarf apple tree is bearing fruit for the first time this year, and we are excited for the dozen or so apples that will be ripe soon. How naive I was when I first decided to plant an orchard in our back yard. We started with two dwarf cherry trees in 2017, of the […]

Please join us on Saturday (2 September 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (2 September 2023)"

東京帰一教會 Tokyo Unitarian Church 日本自由宗教連盟所属 Affiliated with the Japan Free Religion Association A short  “ thought for the day” was offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece)   —o0o— So, greetings to you all, especially if you are reading or listening to “Making Footprints not Blueprints” for the first time here at the start of Series 7. It’s particularly important to begin the thought for the day which follows with a brief note for those of you who will read or listen to this without knowing first-hand the context in which it was offered. This context is vitally im...

General Douglas MacArthur orchestrated the most humiliating surrender possible for the Japanese Empire and it's officer class. One day after six years of war in Europe began the even longer war in Asia and the Pacific officially ended on September 2, 1945.   On that day General Douglas MacArthur , Supreme Commander of the Allied Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) ordered members of the Japanese Government and High Command to assemble to sign the formal documents of unconditional surrender . The Japanese had been at war even longer than their Axis allies, since the 1937 invasion of China or, if you count low grade guerilla resistance, since the 1931 annexation of Manchuria .   For them, particularly the Imperial officer class who had pushed ...

      Noksowist, Bear Going Straight, was a Cheyenne, born in the Indian Territory, now western Oklahoma about 1847. His parents were Sleeping Wolf and Wah Nach. Spirituality seems to have been a driving force in his life. He is believed to have been one of maybe the youngest person to complete the sun […]

"Even after one thousand years of Christian influence and spiritual control, the wealth of ancient religious heritage sites found in this small stretch of countryside acts as a witness to the resilience of the Old Religion." Continue reading Pilgrimages: Searching for a Sanctuary in Norway’s Vestfold at The Wild Hunt.

Unitarian Universalists believe in the power of repair–that no one is beyond the chance to make things right. Come, let us engage in what it means to repair: in relationship with others, within ourselves, and for the world around us. When have you experienced repair in your life?

A repost from October 13, 2014 In 1992, I was arrested with some people that were breaking into cars in Pine Lake.  Seeing that I was on a leave of absence from my family’s first group home, they called my … Continue reading →

Governments participating in the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Jakarta must take coordinated actions to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, human rights groups said in an open letter to government leaders. The 149 organizations called on ASEAN members and dialogue partners, who are meeting in Indonesia September 5 – 7, to ban the Myanmar military’s access […]

This afternoon I fly to Atlanta for two days of classes with the Woodworkers Guild of Georgia. I plan to make two or three boxes in the two day demonstration class with nearly fifty woodworkers attending https://www.wwgofga.com/ I'm also taking a large checked bag with boxes to initiate a discussion of design. At ESSA we're installing a new Harvey dust collector to serve two table saws and a jointer. It has a low profile and will sit between saws allowing a clear line of site for monitoring safety of student work, and being the same height as the tops of the saws will not impede the movement of materials. It's also promised to be quieter for a classroom setting. I'm excited about the new addition. And our setting for this piece of equipm...

A Prayer for Work to Be Love Made Manifest Maker, Imaginer, Caretaker, Lover of Life, help us where we have lost our way, losing track of how to create workplaces rooted in love and nurturing joy in our communities. Turn us away from the need to carve off time for...

Hitler reviewing his Nazi troops on the way to Poland. The exact beginning of the greatest cataclysm in history—so far—is harder to pinpoint than you might imagine.   In the early 1930’s Japan and Italy were honing their war skills and adding to their empires with attacks on, respectively, Manchuria and Abyssinia (Ethiopia.)   The Germans and Italians on one side and to a lesser extent the Soviets on the other used the Spanish Civil War as a kind of laboratory for modern war.   In 1937 Japan opened up war with China . Throughout the late 1930’s Adolph Hitler continued to blatantly re-arm in pretty much open violation of the Versailles Treaty that ended World War I and used that gathering might to cower Britain and France into ...

Last Sunday, during the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, New Jersey’s morning worship service, my mind went to the beach. The Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister, mentioned she finds rest at the shore. She vividly spoke about a bee who paid her a visit landing on her leg. Well, there was more to the sermon […] The post Finding that ‘go to’ place for easy grounding and centering appeared first on Nature's Sacred Journey.

Guest Correspondent Sue Lincoln covers the rise and history of Witchy and Pagan markets in the South including "burn in hell" protests or as one pastor put it, “We aren’t protesting... We’re preaching. Our goal is to glorify God.” Continue reading Witchy Markets are growing across the U.S. South despite “Burn in Hell” protests at The Wild Hunt.

“Play is the exuberant expression of our being. It is at the heart of our creativity, our sexuality, and our most carefree moments of devotion. It helps us live with absurdity, paradox, and mystery. It feeds our joy and wonder. It keeps our search for meaning down to earth.”-Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Do something … Continue reading exuberant

Last night I was trying to explain to Carol about the lingering effects of COVID burnout on the helping professions. She pointed out that many trends that were supposedly caused by COVID were simply existing trends that accelerated during lockdown. But I’m pretty sure that it actually was COVID that contributed to increased burnout in … Continue reading "The ongoing effects"

  Anglo members of the Socialist Party Left Wing and dissident state parties found the CLP on August 31, 1919. On August 31, 1919 at a rump meeting in Chicago of Left Wing members of the fractured Socialist Party, the Communist Labor Party (CLP), a predecessor to the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), was founded.   It was a year of great turmoil.   Long-time Socialist Party leader and presidential candidate Eugene V . Debs was in the Federal prison at Atlanta for giving a speech opposing World War I.   Many socialists and unionists were aflame with passion for the apparently successful Russian Revolution.   Attorney General A . Mitchell Palmer with the enthusiastic assistance of the young leader of the Bureau of Investigation, J . Edgar ...

A repost from September 28, 2014 In the Jewish tradition, the days following Rosh Hashanah are a progression toward Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Atonement is more than simply offering an apology, it is actively working to make right … Continue reading →

                        I am so glad to be able to announce that I will be giving the Reverend Teshin Matthew Sweger Inka Shomei, the final authorization within the lineage I received from Roshi John Tarrant, at the culmination of a week long sesshin which will […]

Our correspondent in the UK, Liz Williams, unleashed the Hounds (again) while we weren't looking! Continue reading Release the Hounds: Tea room witchcraft, thin white horse and a ‘Pagan deity’ at The Wild Hunt.

“We’re gracious and we’re humble, and we play the game a certain way, whether we win or lose.” -Megan Rapinoe How have you learned to be a “good sport?”

Pub Theology Facilitated by:  Caitlin Eaton-Robb Date/Time:  Monthly on 2nd Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Location:  UCMH Courtyard (weather permitting) or Union Hall Cost:  $5 donation requested for building use, BYOB & snacks/dinner   We welcome atheists, agnostics, humanists, people of all faith traditions, and people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” to gather together to   [ … ] The post appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

“It was working men and women who made the 20th century the American century. It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today.” — Barack Obama   No Sunday Service September 3 We wish all of our members and friends a safe and happy holiday weekend! Please mark   [ … ] The post Happy Labor Day! appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Today at the Clear Spring School, I assisted with the Kindergarten woodworking class. I helped to set up the project and guided our new teacher, Thomas, in preparing stock. I also delivered two books that I think will be helpful (in addition to Making Classic Toys that Teach, and the Guide to Woodworking with Kids). The books are From Truths to Tools by Jim Tolpin and George Walker, and Framing Square Math by my friend Joe Youcha. Both are important in developing a hand-centric means of teaching math. Framing Square Math could be used as a step by step classroom curriculum. And I hope it will be. Teachers tend to teach the ways we were taught, and if we observe the numbers of kids who are turned off by math, we might arrive at the  unde...

By Christian Coleman | It’s back-to-school season, and the US is still upset by its own sense of identity. James Baldwin knew all about it. In his “Talk to Teachers,” he said that if we changed the curriculum in all schools so that Black students learned more about themselves and their real contributions to US culture, we’d not only be liberating Black people; we’d be “liberating white people who know nothing about their own history.” The side-eye for FL, TX, and other states is warranted and righteous, because they’re still hell-bent on suppressing Black history or completely whitewashing it.

                              Joan Blondell--the whole package. She was the brassy blonde who had been there, done that, and lived to tell about it.   A wise cracking working girl with the biggest blue eyes ever , an electric smile, and a plump figure that turned heads and got attention.   She could scheme and connive with good humor.   Underneath the veneer of urban cynicism, though, you just knew she was capable of undying loyalty to lovers and friends alike.   That was the persona Joan Blondell brought to Warner Bros . in 1930 and which sustained a career that spanned 40 years. Rose Joan Blondell was born on August 30, 1906 in Brooklyn to a pair of vaudevillians , comedian Ed Blondell and Kathryn “ Katie ” Ca...

A repost of September 23, 2014 When there isn’t enough compassion being generated (either for ourselves as individuals or in the world in general), we become unbalanced; we suffer from it as we would from a lack of fresh air … Continue reading →

The assault of a Pagan owner of a metaphysical shop in Ohio on Sunday may have been motivated by hate for the LGBTQ+ and derision of Pagan practices. Continue reading Assault on Pagan shop owner a possible hate crime at The Wild Hunt.

It is the end of August, and we are thinking of all of you who have a new school year beginning, transitions at work or in your family, and those who are hoping for some clear, sunny days to enjoy some summer activities before the ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – August 29th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

September 3: Families attend the service together (Worship service: The Cycle of Transition: Ever Repeating Changes) September 10: Families attend the service together (Worship service: Lessons from the June 2023 UU General Assembly) September 17: Multigenerational Ingathering Water Communion Service – be sure to bring a small ... read more . The post Religious Education Calendar for September appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

We’d like to offer RE for each age every Sunday that’s not a multigenerational Sunday. The plan is to offer RE 2 or 3 Sundays a month with multigenerational worship services, plus or multi-age Children’s Chaples or Faithful Fundays other Sundays. That means even with ... read more . The post Plans for Our RE Program for 2023-2024; a new beginning! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

If you aren’t already, start talking to your elected officials about climate justice. As we mobilize to end the era of fossil fuels, the People vs. Fossil Fuels Elected Officials pledge is a great way to connect with city, ... read more . The post Green Sanctuary: Join us in Telling our Elected Officials to End Fossil Fuels! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

                                        I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your […]

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” -John Muir Find some beauty today to feed your soul.

By Heidi Boghosian | A new bill designed to strengthen kids’ privacy online might have the opposite effect. The Kids Online Safety Act of 2022 (KOSA) could expose users to heightened surveillance and data collection while also leading to digital content censorship. Increases in surveillance and content cutbacks will affect not just kids but adults as well.

Tracking Hurricane Idalia threatening Florida and the South East this week. Idalia , the first tropical storm of the season, has been upgraded to a hurricane and should slam into the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm bringing high winds, possibly spawning tornadoes, and most devastatingly causing storm surges along a wide stretch of shore of up to 12 feet.   The storm will track northeast just inland in Georgia and the Carolinas weakening to a Category 1 and then back to a tropical storm before turning east into the Atlantic.   It will bring heavy rains, local flash flooding, and a storm surge along the East coast of up to 4 feet.   Idalia will be a major hurricane causing widespread damage and lengthy power outages...

A repost from September 22, 2014 The ancient myth of the Minotaur and Theseus in the Labyrinth has, apparently, several – if not many – versions.  The stories vary from each other in both minor (was it annually or every … Continue reading →

Foam near the bank downstream from the waterfall Scratchboard, 9″ x 6″

In this weeks Pagan Community Notes, The Hungry Ghost Festival and blue moon are soon upon us, we remember Vitomir Belaj, events, annoucnements and ospreys in Ireland. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of August 28, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

In an opinion piece on the Washington Post website, Percy Bacon, Jr., talks about why he stopped going to a Christian church: “I couldn’t ignore how the word ‘Christian’ was becoming a synonym for rabidly pro-Trump White people who argued that his and their meanness and intolerance were somehow justified and in some ways required … Continue reading "Filling the church-shaped hole"

I have always found something magical about being in the ocean. Standing at the edge and playing in the waves, knowing that the water in front of me stretched out for an almost unfathomable distance and held boundless mysteries. -Michael Tino (CLF) Where do you love to play?

                                          Today, the 28th of August, is pretty busy in the Christian calendar. A lot of people are celebrating today as a feast for Augustine of Hippo, bishop and theologian. He was a lovely writer […]

Our next Justice Revival is just around the corner! We want you to join us Wednesday, September 6 from 5 to 8:30 pm in Emerson Hall. You’ll learn how you can get involved in groups like ACTION, the Community Resource Bank (CRB), Partners in Education (PIE) and Voting is Power (VIP), to name just a few. You’ll hear impactful stories from our social justice teams, and learn the “nuts and bolts” of making your team’s program happen. The Justice Revival will feature a keynote address by Rev. Randy Lewis and a closing with Tulsa author and poet Quraysh Ali Lansana […] The post All Souls Justice Revival appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Reposted from October 18, 2014 On the signature line of my work email, I have a quotation from the Persian poet and mystic Rumi:  “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.I’ll meet you there.”  Recently, I … Continue reading →

Dr. Martin Luther King's ringing  I Have a Dream  speech was the highlight and climax of the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington and helped change America, but the March itself was bigger than any one man. Like a lot of people back in ’63 I was glued to t he television for the beginning-to-end coverage provided by CBS News of the March for Jobs and Justice on August 28.   I was a 14 year old in Cheyenne , Wyoming at the time.   I was both thrilled and awestruck.   Listening to Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech literally changed my life. The March was the brain child of labor and Civil Rights leader A. Phillip Randolph. The march originally was the brainchild of an elder of both the labor and Civil Rights movements.   A...

By Charles Euchner | On August 28, the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, we celebrate the power of words. On this day, Martin Luther Dr. King, Jr. delivered his immortal “I Have a Dream” oration before 400,000 souls at the National Mall. Dr. King was joined by countless others whose words should be remembered for the ages. Fred Shuttlesworth charged the throng to “walk together, stand together, sing together, moan together, groan together.”

We were all, in some way, seeking the capital-T Truth - and if we thought we had found it, it made sense to want to share that with others. I hadn’t been sure of the Truth since I was a child, and, for me, that amorphous uncertainty was the point. Having someone, however well-intentioned, try to save me, or convince me - or even to convince themself that I was already saved - felt like the opposite of helping. Continue reading Here and Hereafter: a report from the Parliament of World Religions at The Wild Hunt.

                          Yesterday, the 26th of August marks a momentous day in US history. Not that you would necessarily know, given the scant attention he received in the press. It was on that day, yesterday, in 1920, that Bainbridge Colby, the then American Secretary […]

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson How did you learn how to play?

SERVICE PARTICIPANTS Patrick Webb, Guest Speaker Andrea Determan, Worship Associate Nylea Butler-Moore, Director of Music Elisa Enriquez, vocalist Patrick Webb, Renae Mitchell, Mike Begnaud, Galen Gisler, and Rick Bolton, AV techs WELCOME! New to our church community?  Sign our guestbook and let us know if you’d like to get more connected. If you would like …<p> How Unitarian Universalism Made Me a Better Atheist Read More »

Sometimes a trail is overgrown and you have to go through the weeds to reach your destination. Long pants and sleeves help, but, then, if it is a hot day, you pay for that tick protection. There are always choices, but there aren’t always good ones. Pick your poison. Or, you can do what I […]

The delegates caucus. Note —This first appeared during the 2020 Republican Convention.   The crickets are singing again. This verse erupted after stepping out my back door at 1:30 am on a close, muggy night.   I tried my best to keep from being over-exposed to the Trumpista hate fest, but it kept creeping in on newscasts and social media.   No wonder I was restless.   Surrealism anyone? "Mistah Chairman, I Rise to a point of order!"   The Convention of Crickets August 26, 2020   The Convention of Crickets nominates the Night. The Fireflies and Cicadas             concur. The Night accepts             and blankets all             whether they like it             —or not. Jiminy advises...

Back in the 1960s, a young John Hartford recorded a fragment of a song called “Self Made Man” (it was released in 2019 in a posthumous album). Then in 1971, Hartford made a nice arrangement for it and recorded the song on his album “Radio John.” It’s a witty satire of those rich men who … Continue reading "“Self Made Man”"

Here is the lesson. Without positive action, comparative mythology is (at best) a dry academic amusement and (at worst) an exercise in colonialist cultural appropriation. Rather than taking from Hinduism and calling it Heathenry, I suggest that we learn from a closely related tradition that has much to teach us. Continue reading Ásatrú and Hinduism: Art and Practice at The Wild Hunt.

Please join us on Sunday (27 August 2023) at 11:00 AM for “What Do Facts Have to Do with the Truth?” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.  Members of the All Souls Choir will sing. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (27 August 2023)"

During the summer, our children and youth participate in various fun artistic and creative activities. On this Sunday, our children and youth will continue their exploration of the interdependent web by observing patterns in nature and creating art to reflect them.

Please join us on Sunday (27 August 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. We will cover “The Colfax Massacre:  The Beginning of the End of Reconstruction.” We will … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 27 August 2023"

Please join us next Tuesday (29 August 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is going dual-platform — join us from home using Zoom or in person in the social hall. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Playfulness is something that my spouse and I have been committed to for our entire relationship. Few days go by where we don’t make each other laugh or chuckle. Humor is one of the ways we use to deescalate and then we can have more meaningful conversations. Here is a joke of theirs I can … Continue reading deeper

This year one volunteer sunflower plant came up next to the patio, starting small. Now it has expanded into this multi-branched extravagantly flowering giant! Doing a little research, it seems to be a native wild sunflower, because of its branching habit and the size of its flowers, and its continuing blooms. It is still one […]

“In the university of life there is no graduation”—Imaoka Shin’ichirō (1881-1988)    —o0o— Click this link to download a pdf copy of the Order of Service —o0o— At some point in the autumn of 2023 (probably October),  I’ll be starting regular meetings of this group, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly . In the first instance, they will be held online through Zoom. However, should a local interest develop it would be possible to hold some meetings in-person at the Cambridge Unitarian Church .    If, in the meantime, you stumble across this and want to know more, please be in touch via the contact form on this page. —o0o— ORDER OF SERVICE A short moment of silence followed  by the lighting of a candle Opening words  ( ...

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe   Just click on the photo to enlarge it.

A Women's Equality Day banner celebrating the centennial of the certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 2020. Alice Paul , the Feminist and Suffragist whose steely nerves and militancy did much to finally secure passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey on January 11, 1885.   Her father was a wealthy and successful banker who raised his family at Paulsdale , a gentleman ’ s farm.   The family were devout Hicksite Quakers who lived simply, if comfortably and who valued social responsibility and gender equality.   Paul later credited her family and upbringing for the strength to dedicate her life to the cause of women’s equality.   She said that her mother tau...

Please join us on Saturday (26 August 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. Please note that this group is still meeting via Zoom.  You will need … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (26 August 2023)"

To be clear, the primary factor in that review was the frustration and anger I directed at myself because “I should be able to do all the things.” Well, guess what, chickens? Should is a four-letter word. Continue reading What’s the Story, Morning Glory? at The Wild Hunt.

August 25 marks six years since the Burmese military launched a deadly and inhumane assault against the Rohingya people. The injustice is still ongoing.

Taken with a Fuji X-T2 (with a SMC Pentax-M 1:1.7 50mm lens) using Mark G. Adams’ MGA Leica M10 Monochrom (V1) recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge it

The great showman P. T. Barnum knew the value of free publicity. He told many stories about himself to demonstrate that, and indeed his entire autobiography is an exercise in self-promotion and advertisement. In his book The Art of Getting Money, Barnum addressed this point with a statement that seems eeriely relevant in today’s political … Continue reading "Publicity"