I didn’t realize until after I’d drawn this that the location has a name very similar to a name in our family, the branch that came to the US from Lebanon.

The war in Israel and Gaza is horrific. Here in this country, there is disagreement about what to do. People are staking out positions; to even name the positions is to take a position, because of the way you describe the different positions. I’m not particularly adept at politics, and I feel the proverbial deer … Continue reading "What to do"

Online magazine Atmos takes on the myth that living in space, or on other planets, is going to help us with ecological disaster here on Earth, in their article “Sorry, Billionaires. Space Won’t Be Our Climate Haven”: “…Space is so terrible that in order to be a better option than Earth, one calamity won’t do. … Continue reading "Space is not the answer"

Correspondent Star Bustamonte continues a series of articles exploring how AI and large language models are impacting Pagan publishing. Continue reading AI biases, “hallucinations” and the larger implications at The Wild Hunt.

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” —Nelson Mandela

There is a famous joke about early-20th century U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who was known as a person of few words.

How do you relate to the idea of sin, and/or the idea of atonement?

“Brothers of Healing” is an original song written by CLF member Maverik Storm. Maverik wrote this about the piece: “I hope this can be an anthem for those who are healing, who know brokenness, and those who are committed to advocating for change. I hope that if this song reaches the hearts, minds, and voices […]

The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is a great community of communities made up of people connected and committed to reminding each other that we are more together, that we can take turns at the resistance, that cultivating and growing communal joy is part of what helps us stay stronger and focused on the […]

Side With Love joined Denise Abdul-Rahman from Black Sun Light Sustainability, Shina Robinson from Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo from Environmental and Energy Study Institute for an informative discussion on ways you can turn your faith into action to create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. This was the second session of our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right. Below are resources from the webinar: Video Recording: Hubs of Climate Resilience (1:20, embedded above) Presentation slides Slides from Denise Abdul Rahman, Black Sun Light Sustainability Slides from Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo, Environmental & Energy Study Institute Slides from Shina Robinson, Asian Pacific Environmental Net...

                Eight years ago, Jan & I retired from our respective positions, she as research librarian at the wondrous Perkins School for the Blind, and me as minister of the First Unitarian Church of Providence. We shrunk our worldly goods as best we could, sold our home, and […]

Amanda Udis-Kessler Holy Reconciler, help us make peace with each other. Continue reading "Grace Notes"

I have to admit I am struggling with the theme of Generosity this month. This may come as a surprise, since most of our UUCG family knows that I have a heart of giving to others through my time and … Continue reading →

Sometimes, our reactivity (even anger) is provoked by the lack of clear boundaries in our lives. How do you make your boundaries clear to others? How do you re-establish boundaries that have been crossed?

  The Jefferson Memorial on Washington's Tidal Basin. When Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial eighty four years ago today on November 15, 1939 it was just plain good politics.  He was planning to run for re-election in November for an unprecedented third term which was sure to elicit howls of outrage by Republicans who could hardly stand to utter his name.  The country’s recovery from the Great Depression had not only slowed but had slid backwards as a new recession hit the already shaky economy—a recession brought on in no small part to his agreement with Congress to belt tightening budget cutting after years of stimulating the economy with free spending.  Even Southern Democrats, who by in larg...

While the world weeps over the bloody religious conflict in the Middle East, the smaller conflicts that concern folks stateside might seem trivial in comparison. However, I believe that if we practice cross-religious dialogue in safer, easier settings like a good friendship, we can learn skills that can transfer to higher-stakes situations. Imagine a world […]

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe Just click on a photo to enlarge it   About the reserve Beechwoods was originally planted in the 1840s, and Medieval plough terraces are still visible beneath the trees. The original beech trees are all mature, and beech-bark fungi combined with autumn gales has caused many of them to fall in recent years. Saplings have sprung up in the gaps, and the wood is now developing a more varied structure. West of the old wood, local people planted a new area of broadleaved trees in 1992. These trees will mature to provide a range of habitats to complement the old wood. Beneath the beech trees, delicate white helleborine orchids thrive on the dry chalky soil, pushing up t...

On Sunday November 19th, children and youth will attend multigenerational service in the Great Hall with their families. It includes our annual Bread Communion. The nursery opens for children under age 5 at 10:15. No RE sessions, 8/9 OWL, or Youth Group Meeting this week. Next week, November ... read more . The post Religious Education News appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

our correspondent Elyse Welles attends a conference on Victorian mourning practices and notes their relevance in Pagan communities and how they might promote healing during grief. Continue reading Mourning Practices Need a Comeback: Solutions for Modern Society’s Difficulties in Processing Grief at The Wild Hunt.

In the wake of harmful legislation across the country bringing harm to many trans people and their families, join us as we reflect on the many trans lives taken from us in 2023. All are welcome. 2023 UUA TDOR SERVICE ... read more . The post UUA Transgender Day of Remembrance Service Monday Nov. 20, 4 pm (online) appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

On Monday, November 27th, at 6 pm, join in a discussion on Zoom about There, There, a debut novel by Indigenous American author Tommy Orange, a member of both Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. There, There offers stories of twelve characters facing conditions in urban reservations in their struggles ... read more . The post Discussion of There, There, by Indigenous American author Tommy Orange appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

I went to our new Museum of Eureka Springs Art to do a repair on the desk we brought in a few days ago, and found another piece of my earlier work had been delivered to the museum needing repair. This piece is a music stand I made for Crescent Dragonwagon to give to her 6 ft. 5 in. amateur violinist, Ned Shank. After his death, it ended up with John Mitchell, a well known art and antiques dealer in Eureka Springs.  The back leg was broken, so is now being glued back in place, making use of the original mortise and tenon joint. Back in its day Ned had it ornamented with crystals hanging from the  upper ribs. The music stand will  soon be ready to stand once again on its three legs. Make, fix and create...

As we approach the commemoration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we are thrilled to announce that the All Souls Unitarian Church, in collaboration with the All Souls LGBTQ & Allies, has been entrusted with hosting this significant event on November 20th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. It is an immense honor for our church to serve as the host of such a crucial gathering. The post Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance appeared first on BeyondBelief.

One of the advantages of working with solid hardwoods is that furniture made from them can be repaired, while veneered furniture can present greater difficulties. Today I'll do a bit of repair on the office furniture I'd made for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, preparing it for another 20 year's use. In the wood shop I'm making progress on stash boxes.  The first photo shows cutting parts to length last week. The second photo shows the boxes partially sanded and ready for making drawers. Make, fix and create...

Over my lifetime, more than one person has come along with the message that in the midst of conflict or potential conflict, we should presume the best of the other party’s intention. The fact that more than one person has … Continue reading →

Our anger over injustice can be turned into fuel to help us move justice forward.  We can use that anger to say no to oppression and violence wherever it is found. What are you called to say “no” to in our world?

Civilian pilot Eugene Burton Ely at the controls of his Curtis bi-plane. He had been flying for about six months. When a young, self-taught pilot named Eugene Burton Ely left the deck of the U . S . Navy cruiser USS Birmingham in a primitive stick, bailing wire, and canvas winged Curtis pusher biplane on November 14, 1910 he barely escaped with his life and his aircraft intact but raised the curtain on naval aviation . Ely, a 24 year-old Midwesterner from Iowa , may seem like an unlikely aviator .   But in those early days of aviation, he was not untypical of the kind of daydreaming tinkerers and speed enthusiasts who were drawn to the new opportunities in the sky. He was born in the farming community of Williamsburg, Iowa on October 2...

Today was my day off for the Veterans Day holiday, and I managed to come down with bronchitis. What a waste of a holiday. I’m ill enough that I can’t do anything fun, but not so ill that I can sleep all day. By mid-afternoon, I got so bored that I was reduced to watching … Continue reading "Guts"

There’s no avoiding it: as soon as I start posting drawings like this and the previous one, some people will evaluate them politically. Am I showing too many images of ___ and not enough of ___? What do I mean by giving attention to ___ instead of ___? Etc. I can’t say these aren’t political. […]

Interdependence is our theme for November, and trust is what allows our interdependence to best function and flourish. Trust. Sissela Bok says:“Whatever matters to human beings, trust is the atmosphere in which it thrives.”Whatever matters, trust is the atmosphere in which it thrives. How is that atmosphere in your life? How is it in our congregation? Maybe it could be better. In the 1992 Disney cartoon movie, Aladdin, there are two moments when Aladdin holds out his hand to Jasmine and asks her, “Do you trust me?” The first time, Aladdin is a street urchin, and Jasmine’s in disguise as a commoner. The second time, he’s in disguise as a prince and she’s in her element as a princess in the palace. Would you trust him? Neithe...

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, NYC has a zodiac display from Dior, Crossings of the Veil, announcements, and Alaska's amazing transparent ice lake. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes Week of November 13, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

Reverend Tina will be speaking about her sabbatical experience at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, Oregon.

Part two of "The Gift of Generosity" -- Our generosity goes hand in hand with our ability to trust others... especially those who benefit from our gifts.

Years ago I heard a Buddhist phrase–“The cup is already broken.” Its intent is for us to meditate on the transient nature of all of our reality. If we think of the cup as “already broken,” we can appreciate the cup now, and not be attached to keeping it in the future. At least, that […]

Presented at the Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois 12 November 202 3 In the traditional wheel of the year, fall is when things come to a conclusion. You can see different aspects of that theme in the season’s two major holidays: Thanksgiving is about harvest, and Halloween is about death. The great UU preacher and author Forrest Church once summed up all of religion as “our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die”. That’s what I want to talk about today. Most of us deal with that challenge, at least in part, by practicing denial. Yes, we’ll die, but let’s not think about that right now. This is the attitude Don Juan cautioned Carlos Castaneda against when he told him to “use Death as an adviso...

Shelley Jackson Denham Gentle darkness, soft and still, bring your quiet to me.

The first service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett this November featured four speakers sharing reflections on generosity in addition to the homily and, though Iparticipated as a speaker, I found myself further inspired by the thoughts of our … Continue reading →

Sometimes, things just make us angry. Sometimes, that anger is intense and hot and needs to burn. We wrongly relegate that hot, hot anger to the list of “negative emotions,” as if there is such a thing. What makes you burn with anger?

A popular British magazine illustration of the police charge on marchers in Trafalgar Square in 1887. There sure are one hell of a lot of Bloody Sundays.   Could make your head spin.   A Wikipedia Disambiguation page lists 18 between 1873 and 1991 and I am not sure the list is definitive.   The first was a Reconstruction Era race riot in Colfax, Louisiana in which White Democrats attacked Black Republicans and Militia members trying to defend the ballot results of an election.   Between 50 and 160 Blacks were killed, most executed after surrendering and their bodies dumped in the river.   The most recent was on January 13, 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania when Soviet troops opened fire on civilians protesting rising prices in newly indepe...

For the most part, we can do what witches and Pagans do to whatever degree we desire. At the same time, we need to pay attention to our environment and be ready if a situation gets out of hand, beginning with seeing things as they really are and taking care of ourselves.

The food was bad, the magic was bad, and both were written by people who had all of this knowledge they forgot to put down on the page. But making food felt like the easier version of reading the grimoires. Troubleshooting instructions, handwriting alterations, and crossing out some steps altogether made me more confident in both the kitchen and the sacred circle. Continue reading The Kitchen Ghost at The Wild Hunt.

Friends, we need to be careful with our language.

I got in 3 hikes this week for a total of 18.3 miles. It included one mountain, not the tallest around, but still a mountain. The fall and the spring are my favorite times to hike. Not too hot like the summer and not too wet like we hope the winters will be. Winter here […]

Don’t let anyone call you lazy. Rest when you need it, and maybe when you want it. Resist the siren call of violent extractive capitalism. You do not need to earn rest–and it is not sloth just because someone else thinks you shouldn’t be resting. Rest when you want to today.

The cast of Dad's Army , Private Godfrey is on the left An address given on Remembrance Sunday 2015 and reposted here on Remembrance Sunday 2023 as I am currently away on a week of leave. READINGS: Ecclesiastes 9:17-18: The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Two passages by William Stafford from Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War : William Stafford, Kim Robert Stafford, Milkweed Editions, 2003: 22 March 1968 The Fallacy of Retrospective Certainty: People can select in the past certain events or persons and ascribe to them a crucial role in what eventuated. Sighting back past a chain of occur...

A month ago, I glanced at the Dollar Store wall calendar tacked next to my desk.   It showed the beginning of the Hindu Festival of Diwali as October 12.   I leaped into action and dusted off a semi regular post about the celebration and put it up on Heretic , Rebel, a Thing to Flout .   Unfortunately, the esteemed Chinese publisher of discount calendars failed to update Diwali for 2023.   There are deep lessons of research and confirmations for the crow-eating Old Man. Other than the date screwup the original post is still a reasonable presentation of the joyous festival.   If you missed it the first time visit   Celebrating the Victory of Light Over Darkness Diwali is a Festival of Light

I get most of my online news from BBC.com. I’m also a regular online reader of Religion News Service, which covers the news beat I’m most interested in, the role of religion in culture. But I’ve put off subscribing to other online news outlets. If I want local news, I’ll go out and buy a … Continue reading "Subscribed"

Please join us on Sunday (12 November 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Breathing In, Breathing Out” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell — 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  71106 if … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (12 November 2023)"

For this Sunday (12 November 2023), our children (Pre-K thru Grade 5) will be using a program adapted from Moral Tales (a Tapestry of Faith curriculum by Alice Anacheka Nasemann and Elisa Davy Pearmain). The lesson for this week is “Courage and Perseverance” (featuring a Buddhist story on the courage to do what is right … Continue reading "Pre-K thru Grade 5 Children’s Religious Education (12 November 2023)"

This class is an exploration of our eight Unitarian Universalist principles through artistic expression. On this Sunday (12 November 2023), we will explore the 6th principle (“the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all”). The All8 curriculum is the creation of Jil Novenski (Director of Religious Education — Community Unitarian Universalist … Continue reading "Middle and High School Youth Religious Education (12 November 2023)"

Please join us on Sunday (12 November 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 continue reading the UUA Common Read for 2023 — On Repentance and Repair … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 12 November 2023"

Our monthly building and grounds work day is usually on the second Saturday of each month. For November, we are moving our building and grounds work day to the third Saturday (18 November 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM We have LA -AID guests staying with us through the second weekend in November and … Continue reading "November 2023 Building and Grounds Work Day Moved to 18 November 2023"

The building will be going on the market sooner than we initially anticipated so the sign will be out front soon. Even knowing this is coming, we did not want you to be blindsided by the sign’s appearance. Board President Sally Wood will be calling congregants to schedule small group meetings to keep everyone updated … Continue reading "Building Sale Update — 11 November 2023"

Archeologists have uncovered a 2700 year old state of a lammasu, an Assyrian guardian deity, near modern Mosul, Iraq. But the story of how an artifact known to scholars since the 1800s was finally excavated shows how archeology and heritage must contend with war, looting, and political turmoil. Continue reading Archeologists uncover an 18 tonne lammasu – for the second time at The Wild Hunt.

An all too brief tribute to my friend Tupak Huehuecoyotl. The post Tupak HuehuecoyotlTupak (1952-2023): Rest in Power appeared first on Colin Bossen.

 It’s just over three years since the podcast associated with this blog began and so, as a little celebration of that, and to say thank you to all of you who take the time to listen, here's the theme tune to the podcast. I wrote this piece of music many years ago as a birthday present for my wife, Susanna, without whom very little would be possible.  It’s been played live a fair few times in various bands I’ve worked with, but for a long time it remained unrecorded. Then, in 2017, the opportunity arose to record it in the midst of a session that, alas, never got released.  Hey ho . . . but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I doubt it will ever get a proper release, so this mini-release here will have to do. I hope you will enj...

Yesterday I drove to Jacksonville, Arkansas to pick up furniture that I'd made years ago that's being donated to the new Museum of Eureka Springs Art. I had made the furniture for Paul Harvel, then director of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce for his office in their new building in downtown Little Rock. The office overlooks the Arkansas River.When Paul retired from the State Chamber, the furniture went with and was used in his offices at Chambers of Commerce in Fort Smith, Russelville, and Jacksonville, and for a time was loaned as the office furniture for the director of the largest advertising firm in the state.  You can see that it was well traveled before arriving back here in Eureka Springs. Today we'll be setting it up in it...

“I draw on the power of houseplants, candlelight, laughter, and dreaming to reclaim the rest that will heal me. In defiance of white supremacy, ableism, and patriarchy, I refuse to light the other end of my candle. I will boldly protect my softness, defend my sleep, and liberate all of my unassigned minutes, hours, and … Continue reading Softness

  Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, First Sea Lord, and Marshal Ferdinand Foch (standing), the French leader of the Allied forces,  accept the German surrender ending fighting in the Great War. Note:   A return of a semi-regular post.   But it will be new and news to some of you. 11/11/11 .  That’s how Americans remembered the Armistice that went into effect on November 11 , 1918 at 11 a.m. local time in France ending hostilities on the Western Front in what was up to that time the most catastrophically bloody war in history.  The German High Command signed the armistice just two days after revolutionaries in Berlin overthrew Kaiser Wilhelm and proclaimed a Republic. The shooting part of the Great War was over.  It would not officiall...

There are any number of quotes from Terry Pratchett’s books that moved me and shaped the way I thought of the world. But the one I always come back to, the one that shaped my magical practice - that was Granny Weatherwax. Continue reading Mourning Granny Weatherwax at The Wild Hunt.

Maybe Amazon has the lowest online prices (maybe), but odds are that if you shop from Amazon you’ll pay more than you should. Legal scholars from Boston University have been researching Amazon’s anti-competitive practices. They have documented how Amazon manipulates buyers into paying 29% more, on average, than they should be paying: “As one of … Continue reading "On average, Amazon charges you 29% more than they should"

As peaceful protestor are harrassed with inflated criminal charges, here are 4 ways you can help the Stop Cop City campaign.

By Leigh Patel | As child in elementary school, I distinctly remember being excited every time my teacher passed around the Scholastic Magazine. The paper of the magazine was thin, like newsprint. I’d fold the corners of the pages that had books I was interested in. Many times, I didn’t see anything and folded zero corners of the pages. It would be some time before I came to understand and question the power of a large corporation and its selection of what books it deemed worthy, in essence, to sell to young readers, teachers, and schools.

This is a resurrection an old chestnut that I first read as a Chalice Lighting to open services at the old Congregational Unitarian Congregation in Woodstock, Illinois about 2000.   I read it subsequently when the congregation moved and was renamed the Tree of Life UU Congregation in McHenry.   It was included in my 2004 Skinner House collection, We Build Temples in the Heart. It was based on the memories of a boy from Cheyenne in the 1950s.   Reviewing it now, I am struck that the World War II is fast fading away.   In not too many years the last of them will be gone, just as I remember the passing of the last World War I vet at the age of 110 in 2011.   The cohort of their children, the so-called Baby Boomers are fast aging as wel...

Exploring a Revitalized Social Justice Program at UUSS Part 3 This is the final part of a three-part Article on reinventing Social Justice at UUSS. If you missed previous parts, CLICK HERE to read all three parts. Last time, we presented the idea of ... read more . The post Exploring a Revitalized Social Justice Program at UUSS Part 3 appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

This is Part 2 of a three-part article on reinventing Social Justice at UUSS. In Part 1, we presented the concept of narrowing and concentrating the focus of social justice work so that we can thoughtfully and strategically maximize our impact on long-standing injustices. An effective plan ... read more . The post Exploring a Revitalized Social Justice Program at UUSS Part 2 appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

I remember very clearly the last time I saw my mom when I knew that would indeed be the LAST TIME I SAW HER.  We were all in the living room waiting for the ambulance to take her to the … Continue reading →

Some of us go slow. Some of us need more rest than others. Some of us have broken free from the judgment that we are being sinful when we are not producing things to fuel our economy. Go slow today. It’s OK.

Focus talk by Susan Nulsen, delivered by Martha Nielsen                                                                     Me and AI What is AI?  Ever since people have been people they have been trying to create artificial intelligence.  You might say it goes back to stories of gods creating artificial life out of clay.  In more modern times people used the art of the clockmaker to make ingenious figures that could, on the hour, come out of a door on a clock and perform a little act.  Mechanical automata entertained thousands of people and still do.  But we wanted to create something that could recreate the mind of a human, in other words, computers that could think like people. Mechanical calcula...

Please join us on Saturday (11 November 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 (11 November 2023)"

Just over a month ago Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli settlers shocking in its brutality. Hundreds including women, children and the elderly were taken hostage as missiles rained down on Israeli cities. Casualties were in the thousands. The following day, Israeli Defense Forces began a bombardment of Gaza that has killed many more thousands, burying civilians with no place to flee beneath the rubble of a ruined city starved for potable water, electricity, food and medical supplies. The cost in suffering has been enormous. The roots of this conflict are ancient, as people of different faiths and ethnicities (Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bahai, and more) struggle to live side by side on a small piece of real e...

Clinical and interpersonal research in psychology has started to look at energy vampirism as a social phenomenon. Continue reading Psychologists take a look at energy vampires at The Wild Hunt.

Jeff Milchen We’re closely watching these cases that affect voting rights, abortion access, and public safety.

Over the years, I'm sure that many of the boxes I've made have been used as "stash boxes," a term used to describe a place to store drug paraphernalia. I've been asked to make box specifically for that use.  These walnut boxes in process are made with finger joints and each will have a drawer. The design is based on one from my book Box Making: Design and Technique. My customer wanted it to be done in a darker wood. I'm also making it slightly larger. in width, length and depth to hold more stuff.  The drawer will provide two levels of storage, so one needs not dig to the bottom to retrieve smaller objects. The larger of the two boxes is sold. The other will be available at a later date. Make, fix and create...

Our FUUNtastic Fall Auction was a huge success and people had a blast! It was the FUUN social event of the season! Click here to read more….

Can one person really make a difference. For me, the sheer amount of hurt and need in the world, our country, and especially our localcommunity can feel overwhelming. My heart is deeply stirred by the temporary and systemicchallenges all around … Continue reading →

Over and over again, we get the message that we do not deserve rest. Rest–allowing our bodies to recharge and recover from the demands of life–becomes an act of resisting those messages. We must re-train our brains to accept rest and not label it laziness. Take the time you need to rest today.

The sleeve of Elvis Presley's RCA single of Hound Dog featured a photo of him singing to a real dog on the Steve Allen show. It was on this date in 1958 that Elvis Presley ’ s version of Hound Dog was certified as selling three million copies in the United States a little more than two years after it had been released on July 12, 1956.   It was only the third record ever to hit that mark and it did it in much shorter time than the others, both Christmas perennials—Bing Crosby ’ s White Christmas and Gene Autry ’ s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer .   If there had ever been any doubt that the landscape of American popular music had been made over by an epic earthquake, there was none anymore. Presley's Gold Record for Hound Dog is...

By Jonathan Rosenblum | There’s a whole truckload of things to celebrate in the new tentative agreements won by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors (GM). The deals were wrested from the Big Three companies after 46 days of expanding strike action—what new UAW President Shawn Fain dubbed the “Stand Up Strike,” in which workers incrementally extended picket lines to more plants, slowing turning the vise tighter on the companies. By the time the last holdout, GM, settled this past weekend, close to 50,000 of the UAW’s 146,000 autoworker members had walked off the job.

Correspondent Sean little describes the research connecting the domestication of horses to the spread of languages. Continue reading The connection between horses and language at The Wild Hunt.

Sleep when sleep comesCry when tears come, Carve peace signs into every candleWeave mercy into every prayer Dance when Spirit says danceBake when Spirit says bake – Grieve.Rest.Pray.Rinse.Repeat . Until the work is done orUntil you are too emptyto keep trying –whichevercomesfirst. (But I thinkYou’ll keeptrying. I’llKeeptryingToo.)

Seanan R. Holland We did what humans frequently do: we created a ritual. Continue reading "Proof of Attention"

Tuesdays are Ask Isabel days! In today’s column, a teenager wonders how to negotiate the gap between praying parents and an atheist friend. I hope you like it.

Old Ways Won’t Open New Doors There is a hard truth that I think we all know, but that we, or at least I, spend a fair amount of time denying.  Change is inevitable.  Change is inevitable and at times it is profoundly uncomfortable.  My observation is that most people want to believe they are […] The post Old Ways Won’t Open New Doors first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post Old Ways Won’t Open New Doors appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

I used to read this story by Shel Silverstein to my students and never got through the book without tearing up.  The story of that tree giving all of itself to that child, who even at the end of their … Continue reading →

An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians“Learn to do right; seek justice; defend the oppressed” (Isa 1:17).We, at the undersigned Palestinian Christian institutions and grassroots movements, grieve and lament the renewed cycle of violence in our land. As we were about to publish this open letter, some of us lost dear friends and family members in the atrocious Israeli bombardment of innocent

 

Photo from the Gender Spectrum Collection. “We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings. But, once recognized, those which do not enhance our future lose their power and can be altered. The fear of our desires keeps them suspect and indiscriminately powerful, for to suppress any truth is to give … Continue reading Yes

                                           Jesús García in a photo taken just days before his death. Both the United States and Mexico have national folk heroes who were real railroaders . They were even near contemporaries.   James Luther “ Casey ” Jones of poetry and song was an engineer on the Illinois Central Railroad who was killed in 1900 when his speeding locomotive rammed a sitting freight train.   The accident was entirely Jones’s fault who was trying to keep up a reputation for “always bringing her in on time” despite weather related delays.   But what Jesús García did seven years later in the state of Senora will shock and amaze you. Jesús García y Corona was born on November 13, 18...

Tuesdays are Ask Isabel days! In today’s column, a teenager wonders how to negotiate the gap between praying parents and an atheist friend. I hope you like it.

Springtide Research Institute recently published a study of Gen Z titled “The State of Religion and Young People 2023: Exploring the Sacred.” They charge twenty-two bucks for the full report, so you might want to check out Religion News Service’s excellent summary. A key finding, in my opinion: Gen Z are quite willing to find … Continue reading "Finding the sacred for Gen Z"

  Taken with an Fuji X100V using a recipe based on the the Czech film, Fomapan 400 Just click on the photo to enlarge it

The text of my sermon discussing the proposed revisions to Article II of the UUA's bylaws. The post Liberating Love: ARticle II appeared first on Colin Bossen.

The Pagan community in Pueblo, Colorado makes a statement against a conservative Christian group with political domination ambitions. Continue reading Pagans organize to resist Christian conservative political action in Colorado at The Wild Hunt.