When all the stars align in our favor, we tend to feel a sense of self-satisfaction that the universe has fallen into place for us. But instead, maybe we should feel a sense of humbling recognition that among the field of all possibilities, we have fallen into place within the universe. After all ... "... the field of all possibilities is … [Read more...]
Would Your Ideal Americans be — Honest, Kind, Strong, and Responsible?
These days, it is kind of hard not to believe the great American divide is all around us. As proof we are bombarded daily with endless examples of a society divided by class, race, gender, politics, finances… And not to dispute the many deep divisions that do exist, but -- could it not also be true that we tend to see what we focus on? Could all … [Read more...]
Book Review: PECULIAR SAVAGE BEAUTY by Jessica McCann
In Jessica McCann's PECULIAR SAVAGE BEAUTY you get a front-row view of the horrors of the American Dust Bowl. Your skin will sting with torrents of dust, your eyes will burn from the grit, your heart will race. Yes, you will feel for the jackrabbits escaping the biting dirt, and the birds falling from the sky. And, you will fall in love with RJ, … [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 granted or never gave much thought about its function in our daily lives. So of … [Read more...]
Pondering The Possibilities: Male Cat Birthing Coach
The idea of a male cat birthing coach seems to go against everything we think we know or have been taught to think about the nature of human vs animal behavior. Humanity -- 1) compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition: the quality or state of being humane; 2) the quality or state of being human Synonyms: bigheartedness, … [Read more...]
Series Review: THE GOOD PLACE
Every now and then a tv show surprises me in an unexpectedly good way. A recent Netflix binge brought me, happily, to THE GOOD PLACE! While our lives often seem like a twisted series of moral dilemmas (and then we die), most people would rather talk about death than mention the E (ethics) and M (morals) words in polite company. And, while we … [Read more...]
With Only 8.6 Percent Of The Sun …
A total solar eclipse happens about every 18 months, but rarely in the U.S. And, yet, we didn’t join the masses traveling to the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017. We stayed home. A place, according to eclipsewise.com, that would have an eclipse obscuration of .914 — meaning 91.4% of the sun would be covered by the moon … [Read more...]
Book Review: THE SPORT OF KINGS by C.E. Morgan
What I’ve come to learn about myself as a reader is that I am patient enough (who knew?) to enjoy epic novels that span generations (This one was 545 pages). And I’m nerdy enough to enjoy puzzling out long, beautiful literary sentences that may ramble (This book does include some of those). I also enjoy gently-paced, character-driven stories with … [Read more...]
For The Joy Of Animals: Bald Eagle-Hawklet Day
Happy Bald Eagle-Hawklet Day! The Mayor of Sidney, Canada has proclaimed Sunday August 6th, 2017 as Bald Eagle-Hawklet Day in recognition and celebration of the incredible events that took place this summer in an eagles’ nest high above Roberts Bay — a baby red-tailed hawk was raised by bald eagles. Why, you wonder, is this deserving of … [Read more...]
Reclaiming Creativity
Creativity is how we reframe and redefine our world. It is how we express our joys, fears, interests, hates, passions, frustrations… It is how we feed our curiosity, learning, understanding, artistry, craftsmanship, resiliency, social connections… It is a profound part of our conscious and unconscious being. It is an everyday part of our … [Read more...]
Pondering The Possibility: A Tease of Orange Blossoms
I'm a sucker for trivia questions that ask what a group of a particular type of animal is called? The fun being when the names are distinctive and not what one would expect. Yeah, a pride of lions, a parliament of owls, a memory of elephants have a certain logic to them, but who would ever guess a nursery of raccoons or a skulk of foxes? A quick … [Read more...]
Pondering The Possibilities: Dinosaur Webs
Dinosaur webs? When we think of what is possible... we tend to be limited — by our knowledge by our perspective by our experiences by our curiosity and by our imagination. So why ponder dinosaur webs? It was something I saw in a web comic... As far as I know, no one has found any dinosaur webs -- yet. But take a look at the fang-like … [Read more...]
Words: T.S. Elliot “…When We Do Not Know Enough…”
We can never know everything. But, when we do not know ...when we have moments of doubt or confusion ...or when we simply do not know enough -- Do we ignore the unknown? Or, do we pause to wonder? Do we assume we know? Or, do we take a moment to question? Do we guess the answers? Or, do we stop to ask? And do we recognize -- in that moment … [Read more...]
Pondering The Possibilities: The Bat-Candy-Halloween Connection
Have you ever wondered how the bat-candy-halloween connection got started? Well, I think I might have the answer. Okay, it is pure speculation on my part, but the evidence seems pretty convincing me. It is all because of fruit. Does that sound far fetched? Well, would you want to go up against one of these creatures every time you wanted a … [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, music, or words; whether it is couched in persuasion, humor, aggression or demand -- every story is an invitation to … [Read more...]