How timely was AMERICA WAS HARD TO FIND? It was published on May 14, 2019 and the 50TH anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission was July 20, 1969. One of the main characters is a fictitious NASA astronaut who took … Read more...
Book Review: AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins
I am SO fortunate to have gotten my hands on AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins in advance of publication (thanks to my book angel). It was THE way to wind down the reading year: to be totally absorbed in a … Read more...
Happy Labor Day’s 125th Anniversary
As a national holiday, Labor Day turns 125 years old in the US this year.
There was already a legal holiday in September commemorating Labor day in 23 states when President Grover Cleveland signed the national Labor Day legislation into … Read more...
Words: “The World Of The Individual Person…”
Recently, Pew Research asked thousands of Americans where they find meaning in life. Instead of presenting group responses, they highlighted the wonderful responses and stories from the world of the individual person. It reminded me that:
Everything of value … Read more...
Then The Giant Wasps Came
The odds were running high against the young Kohlrabi plants from the start. They were an impulse buy spurred on by my childhood memories of eating them raw and fresh peeled from my grandmother’s garden. I love Kohlrabi’s sweet cabbagey … Read more...
Forget Their Shoes — Ask and Listen!
The often quoted standard procedure for gaining empathy and understanding is to imagine ourselves in another person’s shoes. But recent research by Tal Eyal, Mary Steffel, & Nicholas Epley (2018) suggests that stepping into another’s shoes and taking their perspective … Read more...
Here’s To Your Liberty And Mine
While your liberty and mine can take many different forms, may we ever embrace and strive towards an ideal of liberty where all people have the right, the power, and the ability to choose…
… Read more...“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according
Words To Live By: “Nature Brings Solace In All Troubles”
Within her diary, first published as THE SECRET ANNEX and later published as THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, Anne Frank expresses her belief in the healing power of nature — “amidst the simple beauty of nature…will always be comfort … Read more...
Pondering The Possibilities: Repeal of Whopper Neutrality
Have you heard of “Net Neutrality”? What about “Whopper Neutrality”?
Back in December of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn regulations mandating net neutrality. Net Neutrality was one of those things that too many of us took for … Read more...
Book Review: THE FIRE BY NIGHT by Teresa Messineo
There is something about THE FIRE BY NIGHT by Teresa Messineo that packs a big punch. Perhaps it’s the reality of nurses who volunteered to serve during the war and who were put into the same horrific, life-threatening predicaments as … Read more...
Words: “… The Doctrine Of The Manyness Of Reality”
We all agree that truth matters, but how do we become honest critics of truth? How do we create meaningful change without a full and honest view of the problem? How do we reach consensus for meaningful action if we … Read more...
Lost & Found News: Galaxies, Whale Dung, Unicorns, & Wild Horses
Lost: Carl Sagan’s Billions; Earth’s Little Blue Orb
Found: The Universe Has Two Trillion Galaxies
Back in the 1980’s, Carl Sagan captured the publics imagination with his talk of the Universe’s Billions. Now, based on images collected over 20 years … Read more...
Words: “I Am Not Simply A Story-teller …”
One of my goals in starting BELOW THE SALT NEWS was to explore the power and possibilities of stories and storytellers to create change.
Whether the story is based in fact or fantasy; whether it is told through art, invention, … Read more...
Book: FALLEN LAND by Taylor Brown
"big-in-heart debut novel... poetic and evocative"
If you appreciate a sense of place and lush descriptions of the natural world (and, in this case, its devastating destruction by men in battle), FALLEN LAND by Taylor Brown is for you. I … Read more...
Book: ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS INTO AIR by Darragh McKeon
Wow. ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS INTO AIR by Darragh McKeon was an incredible read: lush, lyrical prose on a sentence-by-sentence level, with breathtaking imagery and description. The stories of the four main characters were introduced separately but woven together … Read more...
Words: “The Greatest Lessons You Teach Us…”
“Education” has almost become a byword for all that is wrong in the U.S. While most people agree our education system is broken, we can’t seem to agree on the “real” problems or what to do to fix them. So … Read more...
Pet Owners Against Daylight Saving Time — Unite!
In all the discussions about the pros and cons of Daylight Saving Time, I have yet to hear anyone address the most compelling reason of all for getting rid of Daylight Saving Time — our pets.
In the U.S. alone, … Read more...
President Lincoln, Inventor and Proponent of Wind Power
In 1849, Abraham Lincoln conceived of and successfully patented a system of air chambers and bellows to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river. As a U.S. Congressman (House of Representatives 1847-1849), Lincoln was a frequent boat traveler … Read more...
Words: “Trust is the conduit for influence …”
Amy Cuddy is famous for her research recognizing how our body language sends messages not just to others, but to ourselves. “Power posing” in private for 5 minutes changes our body chemistry and can do more to boost … Read more...
Small Acts of Kindness
As a law enforcement officer, I was constantly aware of my surroundings. Hidden dangers could mean life or death. A year after retirement, I’m still alert. But it’s not danger I’m spotting. It’s small acts of kindness.
Thank you for
… Read more...Book: THE HOURS COUNT by Jillian Cantor
“skillful weaving of fact and fiction… A roller-coaster ride of emotion and adrenaline”
THE HOURS COUNT by Jillian Cantor is a quiet but impactful story about the only two civilians (the married couple Julius and Ethel Rosenberg) who were executed … Read more...
In The Flint Water Debacle – A Story of Successful Activism
We tell a story with everything we do.
- A story of our priorities — by what we give our attention to and spend our time on.
- A story of our fears — by what we lie about and with whom
The World War II Women Knew
The stories of World War II have been told many times through a multitude of male perspectives and usually with only enough women included to companionably pad the edges. Rarely has an effort been made to focus entirely on presenting … Read more...
Book: THE ENCHANTED by Rene Denfeld
"Stunning ... a darkly beautiful, moving book"
THE ENCHANTED by Rene Denfeld in one word: stunning!
Of course, I can’t stop at a one-word description for what is, without a doubt, my favorite read this year. This book also makes … Read more...
Women Are Fundraising Their Way To The Big Political Table
Hillary Clinton’s first quarter fundraising total of $45 million revealed that women comprised more than 60% of her donor base. Regardless of Party, this kind of financial participation is essential if women want to be treated as more than one … Read more...