Via a photographer named Matthew Jensen, a site/exhibition called Nowhere in Manhattan includes pictures of verdant, lonely camping spots in and around one of the most populated lands on the planet. Reminds me of seeing the poet Gary Snyder a few years back, at a reading in Santa Monica of his collection No Nature,Continue reading “Camping in Manhattan”
Category Archives: thinking out loud
Agnosticism: Sweeping the Nation
Well, maybe not the nation, but agnosticism does seem to be sweeping the Internet. Maud Newton, a leading book blogger, a novelist, and probably something else in her spare time for money, agrees with me that agnosticism has gotten a horrifically bad rap, from atheists and believers alike, and in Book Forum writes a defense.Continue reading “Agnosticism: Sweeping the Nation”
Weeping for What Does Not Matter
The long-winded but extra-smart Sharon Asytyk ruminates on the meaning of Michael Jackson's death: Michael Jackson is not Michael Jackson the pop star, or Michael Jackson the boy from the silly Jackson Five, or Michael Jackson the child abuser – he’s simply an empty space of fame into which we can pour our need forContinue reading “Weeping for What Does Not Matter”
Everything Is Either Enlightening or Toxic
At the recent Festival of Books in Los Angeles, the world-class essayist Rebecca Solnit, chairing a panel on sustainable living, mused out loud on "the organic movement," and had a Great Thought. She said: The organic movement has created a picture of a black or white world: You eat it [something organic] and you seeContinue reading “Everything Is Either Enlightening or Toxic”
Hell is the Truth Understood Too Late
The decision we as a species face on climate is so overwhelming it's understandable that we cannot seem to open our eyes to it. But for the same overwhelming reasons, we must. Here's a quote that might help us see. The late Israeli reporter and writer Amos Elon warned his people in l967 that theyContinue reading “Hell is the Truth Understood Too Late”
Trying to Figure Out the Shape of the World
I'm not a big fan of talks on the Internet, but I have to admit, I liked this one from Mythbusters, whatever that is…by Adam Savage, a delightful art director, on how much he learned from his colossal failures. No transcript, unfortunately, but he concludes with a lovely line, in which he talks about kidsContinue reading “Trying to Figure Out the Shape of the World”
Why Can’t Agnosticism Get a Break? Part II
Why can't agnosticism get a break? Is it our culture's insistence on certainty, either pro or con? Who knows, but here's another example of the obnoxiousness of so many atheists. As Charlotte Harris writes for the Los Angeles Times, atheists all too often turn off those they claim to want to convince with the obnoxiousnessContinue reading “Why Can’t Agnosticism Get a Break? Part II”
Why Can’t Agnostics Get Any Respect?
Most people lump atheists and agnostics together, which is just plain dumb, as simple-minded as lumping together Christians and Muslims, because they both believe in one God. Knowing there is no God and not knowing if there is a God are two completely different beliefs. Why is that so difficult for so many people toContinue reading “Why Can’t Agnostics Get Any Respect?”
The Upside of the Economic Downslide
Less traffic. According to the WSJ: Rush-hour congestion — defined as moving slower than free-flowing traffic — in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan markets fell 29% in 2008 versus 2007, said Rick Schuman, a vice president at Inrix, a Washington company that measures traffic patterns. It fell an additional 7% in this year's first quarter.…TheContinue reading “The Upside of the Economic Downslide”
The Smell of a Serial Killer
A young woman reporter from Vancouver known as raincoaster recounts her all-too-close encounter with Canada's worst serial killer. What she remembers best about pig farmer Robert Pickton is the way he smells: My family has farms, I know what pigs and pig farming smell like, and I know what a shower can do for that.Continue reading “The Smell of a Serial Killer”
Kit Stolz 