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8mm wonders from 1976
A school mate from Pennsylvania posted a couple of 8mm transfers to YouTube this week. What a time capsule treasure of fashion and location. In one of them, I found both myself (age 10) and my sister (age 7). I had to watch a few times to be sure that girl on the film was…
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There are no Good Guys
The world is on fire with large-scale hate and intolerance right now. Wikipedia lists 57 ongoing armed conflicts ranging from skirmishes to major wars. Here are some of the bigger conflicts: As far as I can tell, these are all complex wars for territory, resources and political power. In most of them, one side is…
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Starlink train
An otherworldly experience happened last night at 555 with connected magic this morning. Hitomi, Kengo, and their son Kenta, stopped by 555 in the evening. Tod & I were finishing up some little tasks as the sun set, so we got to show them around the house with all the lights on. They hadn’t seen…
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Climate Catastrophe Dissonance
Bill McGuire’s book, Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide, came out this week and a lot of press are turning their attention to climate catastrophe. In the face of yet another summer of extreme heat, floods, drought and fires, it is pretty clear that we are facing the catastrophe in this generation. Right now and maybe for…
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Racism doesn’t belong in Activism.
I don’t share them often in public, but I have opinions, political views, and strong ideas about how things could be better in the world. I am anti-conspiracy, pro-science, anti-racist, feminist, pro-LGBTQ+, and anti-consumerism. I believe there’s beauty in everything. I think we should be good to each other. It’s okay with me if you…
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Temporarily Closed
I am feeling unsettled. I have been getting lax with precautions and it’s time to tighten back down. On Christmas day, Tod & I drove north to suburbia and enjoyed lunch in a shopping mall. We wanted a change of scenery and to mark the holiday, but in the middle of a rising wave of…
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Yoga for Election Uncertainty and Democracy in Action
Yoga is a big part of my life, though I don’t write about it much here. I’ve been leading a daily morning yoga class for more than a year – first in person after the big 2019 typhoon and then on Zoom after the start of the 2020 pandemic. Some days I get creative and…
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Getting a-feared
Up ’til now, the Covid-19 pandemic has stressed me out mostly with data and graphs (damned lies and statistics) that can’t possibly be true because of under-testing, under-reporting, and the chaos of collecting data in-the-moment. I’ve been self-isolating for the sake of other people and the medical system’s capacity to treat its patients. For my…
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Locking down at home til April 5th
I feel like I’ve been an irresponsible citizen by ignoring the COVID-19 drama while hosting a foreign visitor and then taking a 300 km road trip to fulfill a promise to help a friend. Being out in a city filled with people, away from our sparsely populated rural paradise, I felt pretty vulnerable. Even though…
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COVID-19 status posters: quarantine, isolation, all clear
These graphical posters are easy-to-read alerts for your neighbors, delivery people, and others who may come to your door while you are under quarantine or isolation. Or let everyone know that you are healthy and safe to approach. What’s the difference between quarantine and isolation? Quarantine means you have been in contact with someone with…