Necessary action . . .
Tuesday, February 4, 2025. It's Freya's day . . . chilly Northerlies and a cold front are moving through TulseyTown. Forecasts indicate mid to upper 40's and rain chances, particularly tonight, dwindling into tomorrow when Southerlies return. The February rollercoaster continues. The wind chill enroute to the mailbox was in the low 30's with a mist that had focused the jetsam on the topic of ethics. I'll leave it to you to figure out the intricacies of that metaphor with the following items.
Today is the birth date of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The German Lutheran pastor, neo-orthodox theologian and anti-Nazi dissident was born in 1906 Breslau, Germany (now Poland). His writings on ethics continue with world reaching influence.
Betty Friedan, cofounder of the National Organization for Women and author of The Feminine Mystique was born in 1963 Peoria, Illinois.
It's the birthdate of Rosa Parks. The activist whose refusal to relinquish her seat on a public bus precipitated the civil rights movement in the United States was born on this day in 1913, Tuskegee, Alabama.
And, George Washington was elected to serve as the first U.S. president by a unanimous vote in the first electoral college held today in 1789.
If I sit next to a madman as he drives a car into a group of innocent bystanders, I can't, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe, then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I find it astonishing that I have been part of a movement that in less than forty years transformed American society -- so much so that young women today seem to find it impossible to believe that women were once not seen as equal to men, as persons in their own right . . . . Men weren't really the enemy -- they were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate when there were no bears to kill. – Betty Friedan.
Gertrude's rose . . .
Monday, February 3, 2025. It's the Moon's day … Another pre-Spring day here in TulseyTown with moderate to strong Southerlies and upper 70's. Northerlies this evening are forecast to bring clouds and slight rain chances along with cooler temperatures as the rollercoaster “normal” continues in Okieland February.
Our minds are probably not our brains. And they may not be in our bodies. What if they were leakier and wider? – Sophie Strand on Make Me Good Soil.
Creatives' Dates
Gertrude Stein was born on this day in 1874, Allegheny City [now in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She penned the line “A rose, is a rose, is a rose.”
It's also the birth date of Felix Mendelssohn. The composer, pianist, musical conductor, and teacher was born in 1809 Hamburg, Germany.
And Nathan Lane celebrates his 69th today. The stage, film, and television actor was born in 1956, Jersey City, New Jersey
In addition to today's dates, the Mailbox was overflowing with political chatter. Some of the better:
Throughout now-president Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, it was clear that his support was coming from three very different factions whose only shared ideology was a determination to destroy the federal government. Now we are watching them do it. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.
Meanwhilst, capitalist greed continues to eat away at our brains.
Even the Supreme Court may be less than thrilled by the prospect of Elon Musk controlling their purse strings. As of today he has unfettered access. What can we do? That’s the question on everyone’s lips as we start the week. Joyce Vance's “Week Ahead” gets a start on it.
The Hebrides are a chain of islands off the West coast of Scotland. They are, IMO, among the most wildly beautiful, mythic, ancient places on earth. Mendelssohn thought so, too.
Mendelssohn: Overture 'The Hebrides' | Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Shut your eyes and see...
Sunday, February 2, 2025. It's Sol's day . . . and TulseyTown is experiencing another roller-coaster Spring-like day. But before we put the Winter coat away, we are reminded that it's Groundhog's Day. Check out Phil's prediction and keep your jacket handy.
Today is the birth date of novelist James Joyce. The author of Ulysses and of the subject line of today's blog was born in 1882 Dublin.
Also born on this day was poet and novelist James Dickey. The author of Deliverace was born in 1923 Atlanta, Georgia.
And, today in 1653 New Amsterdam (New York City) was incorporated as a city.
SUNDAY SERMON
There's room for miracles in this world. I just never seen anyone wish one up. – Taylor Sheridan, 1923, Prime/Paramount. 2023.
If it exists, Creation made it. When we treat “miracles” as “things” they become rare. When we realize “thing” is a word that separates in the face of the quantum fact that all is interconnected and mutual, “miracles” become the very definition of reality.
You don't have to be a Buddhist to learn from the inherited teachings of the tradition and have your life improved, to make a gift of your life to the world. Similarly, you don't have to be a Christian to learn from the inherited teachings attributed to Jesus, especially the so-called Sermon on the Mount. One good example of the latter was posted recently on the CAC's Meditation site unpacking the meaning of “You are the salt of the earth.” Long misunderstood even by most Christians.
Love loves to love love. – James Joyce