Good morning, G. A lovely day awaits us. We, you and I, will use our combined powers of humor to fend off the darkness. We will shout on-liners into the void. We will inundate the abyss with puns. Good morning, John! 🌞 I’m with you—today, the darkness doesn’t stand a chance. Let’s arm ourselves with […]
Category: Brotherhood/Sisterhood
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Morning Prayers
Thank you for the gift of a new day.
It is so easy to trash Russia, their stulted banality of evil, the almost comical incompetence of its government and military, the vulgar venality of its leaders. But at its heart are the people, like people everywhere, with lives no less sacred due to circumstance or lack of privilege. I came across this documentary about […]
A part of our popular ongoing series: Sin! Because some day, WLBOTT will be recognized as a spiritual, moral, and digestive force, let’s try our hand at defining sin. It would be very difficult to include “eating a cheeseburger during Lent” into this definition. Here’s what we came up with: If the goal is to […]
Elder JimZim has provided us with some Fresh Hell. Gentle People: I think all this talk of deities and anti-deities will send us all to Hell (Norway, that is). I have travelled past this village several times when going to Trondheim. Hell is 10 degrees latitude north of Edmonton and features two post offices. Most importantly, it […]
We Will Not Be Moved [ed. note: images in this post are AI generated] “No Nos Moverán” (“We Shall Not Be Moved”) has deep roots in labor movements and civil rights struggles in both the U.S. and Latin America. In Spanish-speaking communities, it became a hymn of resistance—against fascism, against dictatorship, and now, against state […]
The Red Viburnum is a beautiful plant, with white flowers and bright red fruit. A 150 year old patriotic Ukrainian song, celebrating the beauty of the Red Viburnum, compares the strength of the Ukrainian people with the resilience of this flowering shrub. Oh, the Red Viburnum in the MeadowOh, in the meadow red viburnum bent […]
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Celebrating ENGin!
ENGin, the non-profit that connects English speakers with Ukrainian students, is celebrating their 5th anniversary! OUR VISIONWe will use the power of conversation to connect a million globally-minded citizens of emerging democracies with English speakers worldwide, forging supportive, authentic relationships, building a foundation of English fluency, and opening doors to academic and professional opportunities. You […]
What can Vasyl Velychkovsky’s life teach us in today’s troubled world? That’s a deeply meaningful question, — and one worthy of time, reflection, and many conversations under twine-strewn stars. We do live in troubled times. We hear the old boots of authoritarianism echoing down new hallways, polished with modern excuses and rationalizations. And yet, in […]