I love you. I'm pulling the cord HARD right now. And I read that Sagan quote to my two best friends when I impromptu married them outside of a Hindu temple under a Banyan tree in Hawaii. Me, a not-so-much-anymore-what-even-am-I? Christian woman, my atheist butterfly and bird loving besties, and my agnostic husband. And Ganesha. And the tree. On the pale blue dot. We can do this, you know? We humans can love each other through so many differences. That brings me hope. And you. You bring me hope. xoxo
I love that you read that quote, because it’s everything. I don’t know why this is so confusing for so many people. It feels obvious. You walk outside and look at a tree. Or you feel the RAIN. Or birds chirping. It doesn’t take much. Let alone WHALES. And people show up here and grow up here and decide they’re going to spend their time killing people. Owning things. Staking a claim lol. It’s not yours. You’re gonna die. Whatever, I know I am preaching while we are both singing our hearts out in the best choir. You give me hope, too. I will never give up. But I sure hope we can shift the tides soon, this ride is not the ride. Hugs and love ❤️
This has been the most disorienting season of at least my life. It’s absolutely insane and sad and hopelessness-inducing. It is such an anchor to have you express the inexpressible despair that threatens our sanity every day. My only push back is that I think we could use a little Neanderthal morality, if ongoing archaeological and anthropological studies are any indication. I’m not so sure we haven’t regressed since then.
Yes so funny you say that because I was like…hmmm. Do I want to say Neanderthals or meerkats? I almost went with meerkats but felt like I’d need to explain how murderous they are and my word count was high 🤣
I keep asking myself if things were this bad in Canada would I be out on the streets. I think I would be. The damage this man has done is beyond comprehension and beyond repair in my lifetime. And almost 40% still support him.
You get no news about Canada in the USA. You are our largest trading partner. Not pretty. I think I need a Xanax or something.
No, we have to go looking for news about Canada and all our friends. So much of the news here is no longer reliable and thank god for independent journalism not owned by billionaires. Smh. The destruction this man is causing not just to our country, but to our longtime alliances breaks my heart, Alice. And no amount of resistance feels like enough. I am also SO disappointed in any kind of opposition leadership. I know Dems tried to pass a war powers resolution today, but this has been going on so long now. Usually we get impassioned speeches on Instagram from someone’s couch. I’m over it. Get your asses to DC when there’s a 5-alarm fire and hold your own damn Town Hall on the steps of the Capitol and talk to the American people and lead. FFS. Anyway. Thank you for being here, Alice. I appreciate you so much.
These are people who speak of doing “Biblical” level of damage to others. They do not understand what that truly means. When you level a country, committed and vow to commit more war crimes, disregard treaties and laws- all the guns and bombs you used will proportionally be aimed right back at you. Yes, you greatest so called country on Earth. You are now the bad guy. Your allies are no longer going to help. They now view you as part of an axis of evil kind of club. You are now subject to financial consequences and constraints in ways that only billionaires can really make money off of- but not anyone else. You are a bigger target for terrorism. You are unraveling and other new “buddies” will only help when $$$ or losing power is on the line for them. The bully made everyone hate them with their shitty behavior and then have the audacity to be surprised when they have no one to help them when they are in trouble or getting their ass handed to them by another more experienced bully. This is the US now. They speak in extremes and invite the extreme to happen. FAFO.
Starve people, make healthcare and housing unaffordable- feed your Biblical death cult visions with more $ for bombs and bullets and find out what Biblical really means.
The French Revolution was biblical in its scope. They speak of what they truly do not know. Ask people who lived through Pinochet, Pol Pot, Mussolini, etc- THAT is biblical and echoes to this day and beyond for those countries.
Old Testament violence is NOT generally merciful. It is brutal, genocidal, even the children and the animals were ordered to be slaughtered in many wars mentioned. Drought, starvation, diseases, natural disasters, and they casually bat around the verbiage of “ending civilizations.” They speak of annihilating others, but their speech reflects their own self annihilating behaviors- their hubris, thinking they have dominion over a living Earth, their lack of empathy, their inability to understand how important cooperation is for the HUMAN species to survive, etc.
They forget we are so small in the vast cosmos- the dot, an ant nest on an endless mountain range. They think if they say the magic, man approved biblical words they can sin and be sorry later, as long as the sin is done in their version of a gods name- murder innocents- all for the “glory of god.” Take land -“it was preordained for it to be ours.” Pollute and destroy the world-“god said he gave us dominion and anyway we’ll get a new Heaven and earth at the coming of our lord.”
I do not think they truly understand the concept of hell on earth. Nor Heaven on earth. One requires very little effort- to be cruel, apathetic and malignant is quite easy, the other is the true divine work most spiritual practices speak of- to live in a harmonious world with each other, caring, cooperating, being curious leads to a better world.
They invoke a wrathful, vengeful god - but do not understand the worst vengeances people have suffered have been as a result of humans thinking they are acting on a god’s behalf. “We can kill, destroy, pollute, etc because we have “god” on our side. “ No, you are on your own side. Or else your god is as capricious and mercurial as the Greek gods were in mythology.
Maybe, as an animist, I see everything in terms of energy, soul, living vibration. We can transform, over time and with a lot of work and understanding, ourselves, our home, and that spreads to each other. Heaven or hell on earth.
We’ve done enough “Biblical” damage already. I’m not a fan of a self annihilating, bored billionaire funded, soulless cult and calling it a religion, let alone mixing that toxin with how we govern ourselves.
I still have hope that hope exists, and that this is a crossroads for the US. We are finally faced with what this country truly is- just look at who is in power, their vile words and actions coming full circle from the worst chapters of our past, do we continue to metastasize and destroy from the inside out(racism, bigotry, colonialism, murder, theft, etc) , or do we try to learn, evolve and become something that rises above? Does the ugliness get worse before it gets better? More repugnant threats from narcissistic sociopaths, more needless deaths and chaos from unnecessary wars? More internal conflict in our own streets?
I put my faith in the long game power of transformation. I’m just hoping it’s happening sooner than later.
I assume nothing, but live like it means everything.
Your essays get me to think of what means everything, Ally.
I love you. I'm pulling the cord HARD right now. And I read that Sagan quote to my two best friends when I impromptu married them outside of a Hindu temple under a Banyan tree in Hawaii. Me, a not-so-much-anymore-what-even-am-I? Christian woman, my atheist butterfly and bird loving besties, and my agnostic husband. And Ganesha. And the tree. On the pale blue dot. We can do this, you know? We humans can love each other through so many differences. That brings me hope. And you. You bring me hope. xoxo
I love that you read that quote, because it’s everything. I don’t know why this is so confusing for so many people. It feels obvious. You walk outside and look at a tree. Or you feel the RAIN. Or birds chirping. It doesn’t take much. Let alone WHALES. And people show up here and grow up here and decide they’re going to spend their time killing people. Owning things. Staking a claim lol. It’s not yours. You’re gonna die. Whatever, I know I am preaching while we are both singing our hearts out in the best choir. You give me hope, too. I will never give up. But I sure hope we can shift the tides soon, this ride is not the ride. Hugs and love ❤️
This has been the most disorienting season of at least my life. It’s absolutely insane and sad and hopelessness-inducing. It is such an anchor to have you express the inexpressible despair that threatens our sanity every day. My only push back is that I think we could use a little Neanderthal morality, if ongoing archaeological and anthropological studies are any indication. I’m not so sure we haven’t regressed since then.
Yes so funny you say that because I was like…hmmm. Do I want to say Neanderthals or meerkats? I almost went with meerkats but felt like I’d need to explain how murderous they are and my word count was high 🤣
🤣😂❤️
I know that episode of the Odd Couple very well.
Funny the things that stick in your head!
Plus Oscar Madisox with Bobby Riggs.
I did read the whole post, Ally.
I keep asking myself if things were this bad in Canada would I be out on the streets. I think I would be. The damage this man has done is beyond comprehension and beyond repair in my lifetime. And almost 40% still support him.
You get no news about Canada in the USA. You are our largest trading partner. Not pretty. I think I need a Xanax or something.
No, we have to go looking for news about Canada and all our friends. So much of the news here is no longer reliable and thank god for independent journalism not owned by billionaires. Smh. The destruction this man is causing not just to our country, but to our longtime alliances breaks my heart, Alice. And no amount of resistance feels like enough. I am also SO disappointed in any kind of opposition leadership. I know Dems tried to pass a war powers resolution today, but this has been going on so long now. Usually we get impassioned speeches on Instagram from someone’s couch. I’m over it. Get your asses to DC when there’s a 5-alarm fire and hold your own damn Town Hall on the steps of the Capitol and talk to the American people and lead. FFS. Anyway. Thank you for being here, Alice. I appreciate you so much.
These are people who speak of doing “Biblical” level of damage to others. They do not understand what that truly means. When you level a country, committed and vow to commit more war crimes, disregard treaties and laws- all the guns and bombs you used will proportionally be aimed right back at you. Yes, you greatest so called country on Earth. You are now the bad guy. Your allies are no longer going to help. They now view you as part of an axis of evil kind of club. You are now subject to financial consequences and constraints in ways that only billionaires can really make money off of- but not anyone else. You are a bigger target for terrorism. You are unraveling and other new “buddies” will only help when $$$ or losing power is on the line for them. The bully made everyone hate them with their shitty behavior and then have the audacity to be surprised when they have no one to help them when they are in trouble or getting their ass handed to them by another more experienced bully. This is the US now. They speak in extremes and invite the extreme to happen. FAFO.
Starve people, make healthcare and housing unaffordable- feed your Biblical death cult visions with more $ for bombs and bullets and find out what Biblical really means.
The French Revolution was biblical in its scope. They speak of what they truly do not know. Ask people who lived through Pinochet, Pol Pot, Mussolini, etc- THAT is biblical and echoes to this day and beyond for those countries.
Old Testament violence is NOT generally merciful. It is brutal, genocidal, even the children and the animals were ordered to be slaughtered in many wars mentioned. Drought, starvation, diseases, natural disasters, and they casually bat around the verbiage of “ending civilizations.” They speak of annihilating others, but their speech reflects their own self annihilating behaviors- their hubris, thinking they have dominion over a living Earth, their lack of empathy, their inability to understand how important cooperation is for the HUMAN species to survive, etc.
They forget we are so small in the vast cosmos- the dot, an ant nest on an endless mountain range. They think if they say the magic, man approved biblical words they can sin and be sorry later, as long as the sin is done in their version of a gods name- murder innocents- all for the “glory of god.” Take land -“it was preordained for it to be ours.” Pollute and destroy the world-“god said he gave us dominion and anyway we’ll get a new Heaven and earth at the coming of our lord.”
I do not think they truly understand the concept of hell on earth. Nor Heaven on earth. One requires very little effort- to be cruel, apathetic and malignant is quite easy, the other is the true divine work most spiritual practices speak of- to live in a harmonious world with each other, caring, cooperating, being curious leads to a better world.
They invoke a wrathful, vengeful god - but do not understand the worst vengeances people have suffered have been as a result of humans thinking they are acting on a god’s behalf. “We can kill, destroy, pollute, etc because we have “god” on our side. “ No, you are on your own side. Or else your god is as capricious and mercurial as the Greek gods were in mythology.
Maybe, as an animist, I see everything in terms of energy, soul, living vibration. We can transform, over time and with a lot of work and understanding, ourselves, our home, and that spreads to each other. Heaven or hell on earth.
We’ve done enough “Biblical” damage already. I’m not a fan of a self annihilating, bored billionaire funded, soulless cult and calling it a religion, let alone mixing that toxin with how we govern ourselves.
I still have hope that hope exists, and that this is a crossroads for the US. We are finally faced with what this country truly is- just look at who is in power, their vile words and actions coming full circle from the worst chapters of our past, do we continue to metastasize and destroy from the inside out(racism, bigotry, colonialism, murder, theft, etc) , or do we try to learn, evolve and become something that rises above? Does the ugliness get worse before it gets better? More repugnant threats from narcissistic sociopaths, more needless deaths and chaos from unnecessary wars? More internal conflict in our own streets?
I put my faith in the long game power of transformation. I’m just hoping it’s happening sooner than later.
I assume nothing, but live like it means everything.
Your essays get me to think of what means everything, Ally.
Sorry so long.