The emperor wears no clothes . . .
Thursday, January 29, 2026. It's Thor's day . . . another cold front is in the forecasts for TulseyTown with Northerlies, clouds and mid 40's by afternoon. Clouds and colder tomorrow and Saturday.
The king cannot lie repeatedly and nakedly and demand to be believed. One can conclude only that if his lips are moving he is lieing. After that comes the deposing.
Speaking of royalty: Oprah Winfrey is 71 today. She was born in 1954, Kosciusko, Mississippi.
And Germaine Greer was born on this date in 1939, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Today in 1845 Edgar Allan Poe's poem “The Raven” was first published, appearing in the New York Mirror.
The Russian playwriter Anton Chekhov was born today in 1860, Taganrog, Russia.
And one of America's greatest comedians, W.C. Fields, was born today in 1880, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Birdfoot scruitinized the rain . . .
Wednesday, January 28, 2026. It's Odin's day . . . Forecasts for TulseyTown indicate thawing continuing this afternoon with moderate Southerlies and mid 40's. There could be some black ice tomorrow morning until Noon due to the wet conditions from the thaw refreezing overnight. That morning pattern could continue for some time until the snow pack disappears. Jus' sayin' …
Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced. –James Baldwin, “As Much Truth as One Can Bear.” Essay in The New York Times Magazine, 1.14.1962
The murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday morning at the hands of federal agents has put wind in the sails of those trying to rein in the Trump administration and has changed the course of national politics. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.
ICE is getting the scrutiny it deserves … but will it last? – Joyce Vance, in Civil Discourse
The abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock was born today in 1912, Cody, Wyoming.
It’s the birthday of the novelist Colette. The author (Gigi), actress, and journalist was born in 1873 Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye in the Burgundy region of France.
And, Alan Alda is 90 today. The multiple laureate actor, writer, director was born in 1936, New York City.
Birdfoot's Grampa
The old man must have stopped our car
two dozen times to climb out
and gather into his hands
the small toads blinded
by our lights and leaping,
live drops of rain.
The rain was falling,
a mist about his white hair
and I kept saying
you can’t save them all, accept it,
get back in we’ve got places to go.
But, leathery hands
full of wet brown life,
knee deep in the summer
roadside grass,
he just smiled and said
they have places go to
too.
– Joseph Bruchac, “Birdfoot's Grampa,” as Poetry Postcard No. 28, Cold Mountain Press, Austin Texas, 1975.
The good light . . .
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 The good light . . .
It's Tiw's day . . . A three-day thaw is in the forecasts for TulseyTown. Light breezes bring a few clouds to otherwise sunny skies and this afternoon with upper 30's.
At least once a day: Stop. Be still for a moment. Look. See without labeling what your vision brings.
On this day in 1945 the Red Army entered the gates of Auschwitz in horrified awe of what they encountered.
On the same day in 1944 the Soviet Red Army ousted German and Finnish forces from Leningrad (what is today St. Petersburg), concluding an 872-day siege.
Today is the birthdate of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was born in 1756, Salzburg, Austria.
Mikhail Baryshnikov is 77 today. born in 1948, Riga, Latvia, U.S.S.R.
It’s the birthday of Lewis Carroll. The author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, was born in 1832, Daresbury, Cheshire, England.
How Can We Fix America's Corruption Problem. – video from The Brennan Center for Justice.
Finding the light of America. – Robert Reich, Tipping Point, online for 1.27.26
Colorado poet laureate Andrea Gibson and fellow poet partner Megan Falley are the subjects of the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, recently posted on Apple+ and which I watched last night with a box of tissues. The film documents their marriage and how they dealt with Gibson's terminal cancer diagnosis and impending death. She died soon after the film’s production ended. Searing emotionally and gently radiant, the film was directed by Ryan White and produced by comedian Tig Notaro, it won the Festival Film Favorite Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and has been nominated for this year's Academy Award.
Two lines from the film to nudge you into seeing this wonderfully moving film experience:
“You can't take your gender with you to the other side. So consider: how hard are you holding on?”
“ Everything you are experiencing: Name it love. Everything you are feeling: Name it love.”
. . . I could wear my heart
on my sleeve and never grow
out of that shirt.
. . . every falling leaf is a tiny kite
with a string too small to see, held
by the part of me in charge
of making beauty
out of grief.
– Andrea Gibson, “How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best.” From You Better Be Lightning. Button Poetry, 2021.