Discovering exasperation . . .

Saturday, August 1, 2026. It's the Satyr's day . . . At 9 a.m.Moderate Northerlies are bringing a brief respite from the heat to Green Country. Forecasts for TulseyTowh call for Sunny skies and upper 80's with heat indices in the low 90's for the afternoon.

The most important of all voyages of discovery is the crossing of the abyss that separates us from ourselves. – Fr. Thomas Merton.

The first professional woman astronomer in the United States, Maria Mitchell, was born on this day in 1818 New York City.

On this day in 1980, Icelandic teacher and politician Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became president of Iceland; she was the first woman in the world to be elected head of state in a national election.

Today is the birthdate of Herman Melville. The author of “Moby Dick” was born in 1819 New York City.

It's also the birthdate of poet/musician James Dennis “Jim” Carroll. He was born in 1949 Manhattan, New York.

George R.R. Martin published A Game of Thrones today in 1996. It was published simultaneously in the U.K. and the U.S.

Trump is “exasperated” that the Iran war is dragging on and that his advisors can’t agree what to do next. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.

And, I know you wanted to know: MTV debuted just after midnight on August 1, 1981. “Money for nuthin, that’s how ya do it…”’

Good ol' reliable change . . .

Friday, July 31, 2026. It's Freya's day . . . at 9 a.m. Green Country is experiencing scattered rain. Forecasts indicate the showers moving out of the area before noon, giving way to another dangerously hot, humid afternoon. Moderate Westerles, real temperatures in the low 100's with an index forecasted at 112º by late afternoon when everything begins to cool with a major change. A cold front is to bring Northerlies and a mid 70's day tomorrow.

Too busy, not enough time, too stressed out to meditate? All your design. Got ten seconds? Meditate on this mantra for ten seconds: We are love, light and peace. Don't be surprised if your ten seconds become a whole minute … or more.

While Trump's approval ratings fall into record lows, and the Whiplash War continues, Republicans are devoting themselves to serving red meat to their MAGA base, ginning up sound bites for distribution on social media. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.

They lie about the numbers. All of them. All the time. – Miles Taylor, Defiance, 7.30.26

British author J.K. Rowling is 61 today. The creator of the immensely popular Harry Potter series, she was born on this day in 1965 Yate, Gloucestershire, England.

And, today is the birthdate of Mary Harris Jones, or “Mother Jones.” Born to a tenant farmer in 1837 Cork, Ireland she was a firebrand labor leader and child advocate and, of course, changed America for the better.

“I asked a man in prison once how he happened to be there and he said he had stolen a pair of shoes. I said if he had stolen a railroad, he would be a United States Senator.” – Mother Jones. The Autobiography of Mother Jones, Chapter 10, "The March of the Mill Children." First published in 1925 by C.H. Kerr and Company. This edition: Dover Publications, 2012.

Indelibly stamped . . .

Thursday, July 30, 2026 . 9 a.m. It's Thor's Day . . . Slight chances for rain are in the forecasts for Green Country and TulseyTown. 15% today and 50/50 tonight. Moderate Southerlies are to maintain partly cloudy skies and an afternoon heat index of 108º.

Eternity is the indelible stamp of creation.

We, and all beings – as unlikely as this may sometimes seem – are all fully and equally endowed with the same original mind of wisdom, compassion, and virtue. The only difference between the Buddha and us is that we just don’t yet know it.

Today is the birthdate of Emily Brontë . The author of Wuthering Heights was born in 1818 Thornton, Yorkshire, England.

Sculptor Henry Moore was born in 1898, Castleford, Yorkshire, England.

Today in 1863 the industrialist and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford was born. He invented the assembly line, the Model T, and today's Ford Motor Company.

Paul Anka is 85 today.

And, blues man Buddy Guy turns 90 today. He was born in 1936, Lettsworth, Louisiana.

Buddy honors Santana at the 2013 Kennedy.