A walk in the woods

I have rediscovered the joys of walking in the woods. Good for the body and soul. After the snowstorm ended this morning, I was the first on the Fortier trail. The only tracks I saw were animals'...

Abe's Wisdom Transcriptions

My dear friend Abe took his spirituality seriously. Here's one small example: three images covering six pages in a little brocade book where he transcribed prayers and writings from Tibetan Buddhism. I hope you like them as images... I tried typing the words, but it didn't do justice to the depth of Abe's devotion, God rest his soul.

A decade full of hypocrisy

Frank Rich reviews the hypocrisy of the millennium's opening decade. What's a person to do? Perhaps think locally, act neighborly...

What's more important than food?

On today's Fresh Air, Michael Pollan makes a persuasive argument for sanity in food policy. Like changing subsidy priorities so fast food isn't cheaper than good food.

unbiasd.com

Taylor Barstow and Adrian Mott have launched unbiasd.com, a hot news site that provides articles selected to provide a spectrum of left-to-right bias.

After opening an article, the next navigation pulls up an easy-to-complete rating form. The first time it's opened, the reader simply enters their e-mail address, and they're ready to go.

It's a great idea that will hopefully help readers become more familiar with the "other" side of opinion, rather than simply judging it from afar.

Songs about Barack

As joy has exploded in the process of electing Barack Obama, one expression has been new songs, dedicated to him and the vision we share through him. With thanks to Kari Njiiri, who played these on his Jazz Safari show last night, here are a few:

• Will Galison sings "Taking it Back with Barack, Jack" (Swing)
• "Oui, on peut -- Yes we can!" (Zydeco)
• will.i.am sings "Yes We Can"
• Cocoa Tea sings "Barack"
• Samba Mapangala w/Fanaka Ndeg: "Obama Ubarikiwe Remix"
• Docta Musica WashiWara sings "Barack Obama"
• The Mighty Sparrow sings "Barack The Magnificent"
• Jose conde sings "Respondele A Obama"
• Brenda Fassie sings "Black President"
  

Alice Walker's Advice to Barack

Alice Walker celebrates her election joy through advice to Barack, centering on the need "to cultivate happiness in your own life." Thanks to Lisa for tagging this.

Poem: The Only Sermon

by Andrea Ayvazian, pastor of the Haydenville (MA) Congregational Church

if we dug a huge grave miles wide, miles deep
and buried every rifle, pistol, knife, bullet, bomb, bayonet,
if we jumped upon fleets of tanks and fighter jets
with tool boxes, torches
unwelded them dismantled them turned them into scrap metal
if every light-skinned man in a silk tie said
to every dark-skinned man in a turban
I vow not to kill your children
and heard the same vow in return
if every elected leader agreed to stop lying
if every child was fed as well as racehorses bred to win derbies
if every person with a second home gave it to a person with no home
if every mother buried her parents not her sons and daughters
if every person who has enough said out loud I have enough
if every person violent in the name of God were to find God
we would grow silent, still for a moment, a lifetime
we would hear infants nursing at the breast
hummingbirds hovering in flight
we would touch a canyon wall and feel the earth vibrate
we would hear two lovers sigh across the ocean
we would watch old wounds grow new flesh and jagged scars disappear
as time was layered upon time would slowly be ready
to begin