Traveling Light

There were, I realized just this minute (ok, I’m slow, sometimes) two things that have occurred in recent memory, that point the way to change our world(s). The first was/is the outrage older generations express to “millenials” (ie: everyone younger than them, including their own children and grandchildren) because they are (apparently willfully) “refusing” to buy the expensive things that…

But it isn’t. Believe me when I tell that the darkest hour is right before the dawn. In my teens, we were fighting to end wars, and to see that everyone had equal rights and opportunities. We were in the streets, and in the halls of universities. We were beaten. We were arrested. But we won the battles. Later on, we fought for women to be allowed those rights, too. And bodily autonomy, and we…

It was the worst of times… It might just have been the last good time, in fact.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B8M16YW

A friend and I just had a conversation where he said he didn’t know which of the rw fascists were worse: the True Believers who don’t care what Trump does, they are “with him to the end” and don’t feel there is anything Trump could do that can change their minds and that he’s the only one “standing up for America” OR the cynical supporters who just see an opportunity for them to gain power or…

“Apologetics” is a term used by/for right wing hardline Christians to explain and handwave away the contradictions and problematic bits of the Bible and their stances on various topics and to bolster their own opposition to the growing convictions that many of us hold about things like kindness, generosity, and acceptance.And this meme/Facebook post is a shining example of this…

Look – this isn’t about Judaism. Seriously, it’s not. Israel, despite a half century and more of propaganda, is not synonymous with Judaism. It’s a country, not a religion.I was born a mere 15 years after WW2 ended, and raised to believe that Israel was just this tiny enclave of “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps” scrappy little enclave a of brave freedom fighters. And maybe that was true…

This is a great summer smoothie that is perfect for hot summer days!1/2 frozen banana, cut into chunks 1/2 cup frozen berries or fruit of your choice 5-7 icecubes 1/3 cup (or more, depending on how thick you like your smoothie) unsweetened apple juice Put everything into the blender and go to town on it till everything is – well, you know: smooth. Dump into a glass and enjoy. *Editor’s…

A Word About Your Canadian Pension

Ever since I was 17, people have been telling me that by the time I retired, there would be no pension money left, and that my contributions were just a tax grab. That we were being cheated. Fifty years later, I am collecting a comfortable monthly amount that enables me to live in pretty much the same way I would if I were working. Because that “common-sense/basic economics/entitlements”…

What you really want…

The one thing this last few days of nonstop Queen’s funeral TV coverage has laid bare is this: People in the USA want a monarchy. They see their own system, and *don’t* see themselves. They have deified the office of the president, and mostly, they don’t recognize the problem with that. Oh, sure: they say the politicians “serve” them. They’ll assert that those people are their “employees”.…

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prepper-bunkers-apocalypse-survival-richest-rushkoff?fbclid=IwAR0wunBfjSmsKCxgnn5iwtFPMQJ2MigMNXq39QgeMojB5rLJvvBJXlWRhV8 The rich are getting ready.Rather than even make vague attempts at avoiding the disaster itself, the ultra-wealthy are devising ways to protect themselves from the consequences of the environmental collapse that they…

The ways of war

Last night, a military vet pointed out to me that the postwar insistence on women being passive, that their job was to create a calming, non-aggressive, male centred home environment – for women to not ever challenge the men in their lives’ decisions or actions; all this – was possibly an attempt to deal with the massive cases of PTSD that the former soldiers of WW2 were coming home with. And I…

Setting suns and all that

I know some people are extremely sad about the Queen’s death – that they feel a great sense of loss, and are hurt by posts that point out that not everyone shares their sentiments. They are quick to point out that she had no political power, and so cannot be blamed for any bad things done in her name by the governments at various points during her reign. But this is a kind of handwaving action…

WARNING!!! This applies only to the Canadian Student Loan system. Citizens of other places: YMMV. There’s a myth in Canada that you can’t get rid of your student loan debt by declaring bankruptcy, and it just that – a myth, You totally can, but only after 7 years (or 5 in some exceptional cases subject to some arcane rules I won’t go into here.) But over and above this, there used to be a way…

LOCK THEM ALL UP.

It’s time. There comes a point when “Unity” makes no sense. There’s a point where democracy has to lay it on the line, even if the other side is threatening civil war. Look – it’s all very well to go full-on Pollyanna and say that we need to understand other points of view, and that the only way towards reconciliation is kindness. In a perfect world. This world is demonstrably not…

New Lamps For Old! A dieting post.

The Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet. Keto. When you come right down to it, they are all the same thing: a regime focused on lowering carbohydrates and upping your proteins. “In 1863, William Banting published his Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public, in which he promoted the benefits of a low carb diet for weight loss and optimal health. Banting is now considered to be ‘the father…

“The most popular and best time slot for posting on Twitter looks to be 7am – 9am on a Friday, while Wednesday at 9am is also a popular time, with engagement levels remaining strong throughout the day.” https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/best-time-to-post-on-twitter#:~:text=The%20most%20popular%20and%20best,remaining%20strong%20throughout%20the%20day. I don’t have a Patreon or a Kofi.…