Magazine Posts

I was a police officer for nearly ten years and I was a bastard. We all were.

This essay has been kicking around in my head for years now and I’ve never felt confident enough to write it. Read more

I'm not afraid and yet,
I fear for all children
and what we have beget.

What kind of World, will this be,
if all citizens are not free?
Where must they go
to be treated with equality?

Stay the course,
all you marching masses,
for cultural change,
moves like Molasses.
Peaceful protests,
for the change we need,
continue marching,
until you succeed.
No matter what
is said in all the chatter,
for all the World
Black Lives Matter.

* Should the role of the Police be redefined?  Read: A talk with Alex S. Vitale, author of the 2017 book The End of Policing || by Leah Donnella ~ NPR

* The J1 Visa. A State Department "cultural exchange program" with little oversight that amounts to a privatized guest-worker program — one in which the worker pays to obtain a job. Read: She Paid Thousands for a Visa to Work in the U.S. Then She Got Laid Off. Now, She’s Trapped. || by Bernice Yeung ~ ProPublica

* History Will Judge the Complicit || by Anne Applebaum - The Atlantic             

* Trump began the day with a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin || by Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865) The 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in April 1865

Home gardening has taken root and spread across the nation. In a world without theaters, sports events, concerts, and theme parks, tending a garden is the perfect home-based activity for all ages. Whether you’re a furloughed worker, a parent with small children, or a housebound senior, gardening can benefit your body, mind, and soul.

With temperatures getting milder and days getting longer, now is the ideal time to start. And it’s a great way to support local businesses, with garden centers deemed as “essential” by most states. Whether you’re a farmer or a florist at heart, nursery staff are happy to advise what to plant in your local climate and conditions.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of gardening is getting us outside at a time when we’re all feeling cooped up indoors. Gardening promotes physical health by exposing us to fresh air, sunlight, and a healthy dose of vitamin D. Weeding, digging, and planting burns calories and strengthens the heart; in fact, the CDC says that one hour of gardening can burn 330 calories. The activities of gardening provide a whole-body workout, by using many different muscles and increasing strength, flexibility, and stamina—all without a gym membership.

Case studies show that gardening also improves our mental outlook, by reconnecting us with nature and providing a respite from the challenges of everyday life. The predictable rhythms of gardening can be comforting in uncertain times, and green environments can decrease levels of cortisol, the hormone linked to stress. In turn, gardening activities prompt the release of endorphins, the hormones that help us feel relaxed and content. And inhaling the healthy soil bacteria M. vaccae can increase serotonin, known as the “happiness hormone”—giving a whole new meaning to “a breath of fresh air”!

If that’s not enough to get you digging, consider that gardening rewards us for our efforts, whether it’s the beauty of flowers, the symmetry of a manicured hedge, or the bounty of fresh produce. As the old saying goes, “Gardening is cheaper than therapy—and you get tomatoes.”

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, gardening fosters a sense of faith in the future. Indeed, planting a seed or a sapling is a hopeful thing to do. And what better time for hope?

Newly Released Transcripts Show Michael Flynn Betrayed the United States by David Corn || Mother Jones

What the arrest of a black CNN journalist on air taught us by Francine Prose || The Guardian

Leque Island is located between the city of Stanwood and Camano Island, WA. The area is going through a process of restoration. Water from Skagit and Port Susan bays and the Stillaguamish River flowed into Leque Island for the first time in 100 years on Oct. 14, 2019 - opening 250 acres to the tide, young salmon and crab.The natural marsh vegetation will slowly return to tidal marshland as it reseeds with natural vegetation. Learn more about the Restoration Project 

America feels completely chaotic today. Protesters are marching in major cities, sometimes looting; police appear to be attacking them and the journalists covering the protests. Rather than calming the situation, the president has thrown gasoline on the fire, which escalated yesterday’s fight with Twitter. Trump launched a blistering verbal attack on China and announced that the United States is withdrawing from the World Health Organization in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Meanwhile, new information suggests that the Trump administration did, indeed, collude with Russia...............Read more