“I am always puzzled by how people who claim to be followers of the Jesus I read about in the Bible can be political conservatives.”
“I am always puzzled by how people who claim to be followers of the Jesus I read about in the Bible can be political conservatives.”
When I lived in a townhouse community of nine units, I volunteered lots of time in the shared gardens behind our homes. I was accused of giving special attention to the flowers near my back door because the plants there were always the most vibrant and beautiful.
Those near the door of the people who intended to grab, and keep, the power, in whatever ways they deemed necessary, had the worst plants near theirs–scrawny and often in the process of dying, or barely holding on. The man and his wife were the ones who screamed loudest about my failing to give much attention to
the gardens near them.
It didn’t seem to phase them th at
I was volunteering. The truth of the matter–that plants just didn’t do well near them–totally escaped their notice.
One of my psychic friends visited and said she saw all sorts of nature spirits, especially around
my unit, because they loved my energy and knew how much I appreciated the green world. That certainly has been true all my life.
I come from a family of homesteaders, explorers, rancher-farmers, and educators.
Even at my new home, neighbors say I “have the touch.” Although I’ ve ne
ver seen them, I’ve long been inviting nature spirits, as I call them, to dwell here and help take care of my things.
I’ve never had bees disappear, as so many people have. They feed on my flowers.
And the wasps, birds, squirrels, racco ons, and foxes, feast
on my raspberries, blackberries, grapes, apples, plums, pears, cherries, peaches. Neighbors marvel that I’ve never been stung. I just reach in past the wasps and bees and pick.
I don’t threaten them. I don’t swat at them. Nor do they scare me.
Whatever paradigm one uses, I believe it’s obvious that those who care about the green world, and learn to nurture and care for it, produce far better results overall than those who care little.
“The financial crisis has unveiled a new set of public villains—corrupt corporate capitalists who leveraged their connections in government for their own personal profit.
During the Clinton and Bush administrations, many of these schemers were worshiped as geniuses, heroes or icons of American progress.
But today we know these opportunists for what they are . . . ”
I’ m afraid I would now agree.
I would have been more doubtful about such condemnation until recently.
“Noam Chomsky discusses his forthcoming book, the hypocrisy of neoliberalism and where he feels hopeful about democracy despite U.S. terrorism.”
Read article.
“A new study published on Sunday in the journal Nature Methods has concluded mice make facial expressions when they’re in pain.”
Shouldn’t surprise any of us who know and love animals.
“Foods like broccoli, soybeans and carrots don’t just reduce the risk of cancer; they actually interact with your body in a positive way.”
“A gaping loophole in a 37-year-old federal law allows makers of perfumes, colognes and body sprays to conceal the chemicals that comprise the fragrances — and some of those unidentified odor creators may be harmful to public health, two advocacy groups say.”
“A series of studies find that activism brings pleasant emotions, greater life satisfaction, and more experiences of freedom, competence, and connection to others.”
“[A] Swedish documentary might have you thinking twice before buying more down-filled products.
Undercover investigators found birds being plucked alive, instead of the traditional method of cultivating down and feathers: collecting them after the birds are already dead.”
I hate to stop buying down, but this is disgusting.
” Both resistance training and cardio exercise can help.
For weight training to benefit your blood sugar, though, you need to get an adequate amount of protein in
your diet. How much do you need?”
Thomas Ramey Watson is an affiliate faculty member of Regis University's College of Professional Studies. He has served as an Episcopal chaplain (lay), trained as a psychotherapist, done postdoctoral work at Cambridge University, and was named a Research Fellow at Yale University.
In addition to his scholarly writings, he is a published author of poetry and fiction.