The reality of paradox . . .
Sunday, August 2, 2026 . It's Sol's day . . . at 8 a.m. Forecasts for Green Country indicate one more day of respite from Sol's heat hammer. Moderate Northerlies continue into TulseyTown with 80's and the afternoon index in the low 90's.
Paradox is the nature of the mystical path. – Mirabai Starr.
Today is the birthdate of James Baldwin, born in 1924 New York City. The essayist, novelist, and playwright was one of the most important voices of the 20th century, and remains relevant today.
Isabel Allende is 84 today. The magical realism Chilean/American author was born on this day in 1942 Lima, Peru.
It's the 62nd birthday for Mary-Louise Parker. The multi-laureate actor was born in 1964 Columbia, South Carolina. Personal note: My son Charlie studied in the same class with Ms. Parker at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
It's Carroll O'Connor's birthdate. The All In The Family actor (Archie Bunker) was born in 1924 Manhattan, New York City
The Academy Award laureate, among many international acting awards( Lawrence of Arabia), actor Peter O’Toole was born in 1932 Leeds,West Yorkshire, England.
Sixty years ago Friday, on July 30, 1966, Medicare and Medicaid went into effect. Heather Cox Richardson posted a reminder of its now historic cornerstone of American society and the greed underlying the present repugnant Republican attack to destroy it.
AI Has Already Entered The ‘Loss Of Control’ Transition – Nathan Gardels, NOËMA, 8.1.26 (contains excellent video interview).
Real Patriotism. – Robert Reich, Sunday Thought.
Saturday Night: a personal reflection from Joyce Vance, in Civil Discourse.
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.