There's an illustration I remember fairly vividly from when I was a kid, but I don't remember whether it was a print or in a book. It depicted tiny dragons, smoke curling from their nostrils, lounging around and/or on a big, beautiful book with cabochons and other jewels either set on or around the book, perhaps with candles and greenery nearby as well. The image shows this from the perspective of slightly above and to one side of the book and dragons, but not from directly above. I don't know whether this was a stand-alone illustration or an illustration in the book, nor whether there was more than one such illustration. it might have been inside the front or back cover. I was really into jewels as a kid, and I remember being entranced by this image and spending some time staring at it. This could have been from the '80s or '90s or earlier. Anyone else remember this?

Two things:

1. Narrow your focus to your sphere of influence, just for now, because in this moment of helplessness and defeat, when we are feeling powerless, it behooves us to remember we do have immense power. Kamala Harris was never going to bring a casserole to your neighbor when their spouse was in the hospital, that's you. Donald Trump cannot steal the laughter from your friends' lips when you tell them a joke, that laughter is entirely in your power. You have the power to choose connection, fellowship, mutual aid, joy, hard work, love, passion, devotion, faith. To me, remembering that I have power is cause for hope.

2. When you're out there using your power to connect with your fellow human beings, look for the helpers. Take heart in their existence, their perseverance. Do everything you can to become one of them.

I work in a women's health clinic that does first-term abortions as one of its services.

We have a comment form on our web site where people who want to volunteer as patient escorts can reach out. Typically, we get about one or two inquiries a week.

Yesterday alone, we got twenty-five.

I'm usually allergic to a lot of the way "find the bright side" kind of things are framed, but this extended quotation from Great Tide Rising by Kathleen Dean Moore came across my Mastodon feed and really resonated with me.

Over the years, college students have often come to my office distraught, unable to think of what they might be able to do to stop the terrible losses caused by an industrial growth economy run amok. So much dying, so much destruction. I tell them about Mount Saint Helens, the volcano that blasted a hole in the Earth in 1980, only a decade before they were born.

Those scientists were so wrong back in 1980, I tell my students. When they first climbed from the helicopters, holding handkerchiefs over their faces to filter ash from the Mount Saint Helens eruption, they did not think they would live long enough to see life restored to the blast zone. Every tree was stripped gray, every ridgeline buried in cinders, every stream clogged with toppled trees and ash. If anything would grow here again, they thought, its spore and seed would have to drift in from the edges of the devastation, long dry miles across a plain of cinders and ash. The scientists could imagine that– spiders on silk parachutes drifting over rubble and plain, a single samara spinning into the shade of a pumice stone. It was harder to imagine the time required for flourishing to return to the mountains – all the dusty centuries.

But here they are today: On the mountain, only thirty-five years later, these same scientists are on their knees, running their hands over beds of moss below lupine in lavish purple bloom. Tracks of mice and fox wander along a stream, and here, beside a ten-foot silver fir, a coyote's twisted scat grows mushrooms. What the scientists know now, but didn't understand then, is that when the mountain blasted ash and rock across the landscape, the devastation passed over some small places hidden in the lee of rocks and trees. Here, a bed of moss and deer fern under a rotting log. There under a boulder, a patch of pearly everlasting and the tunnel to a vole's musty nest. Between stones in a buried stream, a slick of algae and clustered dragonfly larvae. Refugia, they call them: places of safety where life endures. From the refugia, mice and toads emerged blinking onto the blasted plain. Grasses spread, strawberries sent out runners. From a thousand, ten thousand, maybe countless small places of enduring life, forests and meadows returned to the mountain.

I have seen this happen. I have wandered the edge of Mount Saint Helens vernal pools with ecologists brought to unscientific tears by the song of meadowlarks in this place.

My students have been taught, as they deserve to be, that the fossil-fueled industrial growth culture has brought the world to the edge of catastrophe. They don't have to "believe in" climate change to accept this claim. They understand the decimation of plant and animal species, the poisons, the growing deserts and spreading famine, the rising oceans and melting ice. If it's true that we can't destroy our habitats without destroying our lives, as Rachel Carson said, and if it's true that we are in the process of laying waste to the planet, then our ways of living will come to an end – some way or another, sooner or later, gradually or catastrophically – and some new way of life will begin. What are we supposed to do? What is there to hope for at the end of this time? Why brother trying to patch up the world while so many others seem intent on wrecking it?

These are terrifying questions for an old professor; thank god for the volcano's lesson. I tell them about the rotted stump that sheltered spider eggs, about a cupped cliff that saved a fern, about all the other refugia that brought life back so quickly to the mountain. If destructive forces are building under our lives, then our work in this time and place, I tell them, is to create refugia of the imagination. Refugia, places where ideas are sheltered and encouraged to grow.

Even now, we can create small pockets of flourishing, and we can make ourselves into overhanging rock ledges to protect life so that the full measure of possibility can spread and reseed the world. Doesn't matter what it is, I tell my students; if it's generous to life, imagine it into existence. Create a bicycle cooperative, a seed-sharing community, a wildlife sanctuary on the hill below the church. Raise butterflies with children. Sing duets to the dying. Tear out the irrigation system and plant native grass. Imagine water pumps. Imagine a community garden in the Kmart parking lot. Study ancient corn. Teach someone to sew. Learn to cook with the full power of the sun at noon.

We don't have to start from scratch. We can restore pockets of flourishing life ways that have been damaged over time. Breach a dam. Plant a riverbank. Vote for schools. Introduce the neighbors to one another's children. Celebrate the solstice. Slow a river course with a fallen log. Tell stories of how indigenous people live on the land. Clear the grocery carts out of the stream.

Maybe most effective of all, we can protect refugia that already exist. They are all around us. Protect the marshy ditch behind the mall. Work to ban poisons from the edges of the road. Save the hedges in your neighborhood. Boycott what you don't believe in. Refuse to participate in what is wrong. There is hope in this: An attention that notices and celebrates thriving where it occurs; a conscience that refuses to destroy it.

From these sheltered pockets of moral imagining, and from the protected pockets of flourishing, new ways of living will spread across the land, across the salt plains and beetle killed forests. Here is how life will start anew. Not from the edges over centuries of invasion; rather from small pockets of good work, shaped by an understanding that all life is interdependent, and driven by the one gift humans have that belongs to no other: practical imagination – the ability to imagine that things can be different from what they are now.

Ella Jones will be sworn in as mayor of Ferguson, Mo., next week, becoming the first black mayor — and the first woman — to lead the city that gained national attention when police killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014. The protests that erupted in response helped establish the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Still, nearly six years after Brown's death, Jones says the protests against police brutality — this time in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis — feel the same. "I don't think they feel any different," Jones tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered . The officers who were involved in the shooting of Brown were not indicted . But his death drew the attention of the federal government and the city entered into a federal consent decree in 2016 that resulted in widespread policing and municipal court reforms. Jones thinks that despite the work Ferguson has done, her city — which has a population that is two-thirds black — still feels like the

Officials in Allentown, Pa., have released a roughly ten-minute surveillance video showing officers subduing and arresting a man in front of a local hospital on Monday evening. The man ends up face-down on the ground, and as two officers pin the man's arm behind his back, a third officer kneels on his neck. The release of the footage by Allentown police came days after activists tweeted a shorter, 26-second video , which has been viewed hundreds of thousand of times. Police say the man was taken into the hospital and, after treatment, was released. His name and medical details were not disclosed. Police also didn't release the names of the officers. Reaction to the video has sparked comparisons to what happened to George Floyd, the Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day. Derek Chauvin, the white officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, has since been fired and faces a second-degree murder charge. Three other officers were also

That's it. Given this terrible, horrible, no good week, I'd like to hang onto some signs of hope. They don't have to be political, anything will do.

How much do you need to be happy? We are storing treasure in Heaven, not just by giving money but also our talents and influence for God. Every day we are storing treasure – by what we talk about, what we do with our resources, time, talents, and influence. To get your treasure in the right place you need your heart in the right place.

so the semi-random tour of europe that i've been doing has gotten me to paris through the 5th and i'd love to hang out with metafilter people here, should there be metafilter people here who'd love to hang out

• ten points to anyone who wants to go to a protest or rally, because it feels
  1. wrong not to do so, given the historical juncture we're at
  2. fun to do so, given the place we're at
• at least two hundred points to anyone who knows of a good punk-adjacent or riot grrl-adjacent concert to go to. other genres considered too
• also probably there's something super fun and weird to do that i'm not thinking of and you're thinking of and in that case let's do that thing
• failing all else it's fun to play board games and consume substances

How much do you need to be happy? We are storing treasure in Heaven, not just by giving money but also our talents and influence for God. Every day we are storing treasure – by what we talk about, what we do with our resources, time, talents, and influence. To get your treasure in the right place you need your heart in the right place.

"I and all that I have are yours." What if we said this to Christ every hour, every day ? "I and all that I have are yours." All of my doubts Lord, all of my desires. All of my will and all of my worst. All of my obedience and all of my best, Lord. "I and all that I have are yours." Maybe then, we could be true representatives of Christ wherever He sends us, to the familiar or to the unfamiliar. We could flourish in foreign environments, wherever, somewhere among strangers, through the grace and power of Christ. Tune in and study with us to learn about more. We'll learn about the meaning of total surrender, about grace and we'll learn how to pray more effectively. Worry not; "Christ will hear you, for He never yet refused to heed the cry of a poor sin-sick soul," (C.H.S.). 1.- Is God preparing us for a significant event ? 2.- Why did Peter cut off the ear of Malchus when he knew that Jesus was able to heal people ? 3.- Are dinosaurs real ? 4.- What is the best explanation of Colossians 2 verse 16 ? 5.- How can we trust denominational writings, such as those by Ellen White ? 6.- In Acts 23 verse 6, it says Paul’s parents were both Jews but it also says he was born a pharisee. Can you please explain this ? 7.- If our names are written in the Book of Life, are we protected from worshipping the Beast ? 8.- Did the priests have to remove their shoes in the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place ? 9.- What does total surrender mean ? 10.- What will the world be like after probation closes ? 11.- Is boxing an acceptable form of self-defense ? 12.- Did the angel of the Lord really stir the pool of Bethesda ? 13.- What is the best way to answer the common belief that we are not under the law but under grace ? 14.- Why was Jesus afraid to die when He knew he was going to come back ? 15.- What is the significance of turning water into wine ? 16.- What does the Bible mean when it states that very few will make it through the eye of a needle ? 17.- Is the Papacy the only antichrist ? or can there be several antichrists as mentioned in 1 John 2 verse 18 ? 18.- In Luke 17 verses 26 through 30 the days of Lot and Noah are referenced. Does this have any significance for us today, or in the future ? 19.- Why are Revelation 13 verses 3 and 5 not in chronological order ? 20.- Did Satan not know who Jesus was when he was trying to tempt Him ? 21.- How can I pray more effectively ? 22.- Is there Biblical guidance for participating in competitive sports ? 23.- Regarding Mark 7 verse 19, the NASB Bible says something different than the KJV. Why is this not in the original translation ? 24.- In Deuteronomy 14:26 god seems to endorse drinking alcohol. Is this understanding accurate ? 25.- Can you please explain the sequence of events of Armageddon ? 26.- How many prophecies still need to be fulfilled before the seven last plagues can start ?

What's inside the box? Pain. What's inside this week's Free Thread? Your happy place. Come tell us about it, if you feel so inclined.

Special guest Michael Simmons joins the show. Topics include the release of iOS 14, widgets and home screen customization, pricing models for indie apps in the App Store era, and, of course, flying robot cameras.

It’s been a year since veteran labor strategists Rand Wilson and Pete Olney discussed the chances of a “labor movement moment” on the Heartland Labor Forum. This week we’ll ask […]

The post Where Does the Labor Movement Go from Here? and Labor Leader Series: CWA Local 6327’s Tanya Holmes appeared first on KKFI.

Daniela Gesundheit is part of indie band Snowblink, and a cantor, the person who leads people in singing and prayer in a synagogue. But while Gesundheit kept those two worlds separate, she felt there were conversations happening within the Jewish tradition that were too big to be confined.

Strange Heart tells the story of a woman who, since receiving a heart transplant six years ago, reports that she hasn’t felt emotion and hasn’t experienced love in quite the same way. And Windhorse follows a couple in Nova Scotia as they give back the land they bought 30 years ago to Indigenous communities.

The luggage ad started in the zoo and ended in the permanent collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art. But do you remember which brand was behind it?

Minimum wage is going up in some provinces across the country, but is it enough to combat rising inflation?

Electro trio travels further from the dancefloor, picking up new tricks as they go.

The local list of the polling places in the Federal seat of Werriwa. Voting opens at 8am on Saturday.

The list of the polling places in the Federal seat of Hume. Voting opens at 8am on Saturday.

LINDSAY Liberal MP Fiona Scott has yet to concede defeat in the Federal Election, but her office has been closed all week and she has closed her MP Facebook account.

Find out where to vote on election day in the seats of Banks, Barton, Watson and Blaxland. There are also a couple of election day stalls, where you can buy a snag or two

Leaders differentiate themselves from other companies in six ways: They focus on core business processes and support functions, seeking to deploy AI for productivity, to reshape processes and functions, and to invent new revenue streams. They are more ambitious, setting big targets ($1 billion in productivity improvements at a financial institution, for example, or $1 billion in combined revenue increases and cost reductions at a biopharma firm) and investing in AI and workforce enablement. They invest strategically in a few high-priority opportunities to scale and maximize AI’s value. They integrate AI in both cost reduction and revenue generation efforts. They focus their efforts on people and processes over technology and algorithms. They have moved quickly to focus on GenAI, which opens opportunities in content creation, qualitative reasoning, and connecting other tools and platforms.

And now the signs are everywhere that the corporate media have turned the corner into irrelevance…

The post Nolte: Signs of the Collapse of Corporate Media Influence Are Everywhere appeared first on Breitbart.

The first dispensary chain founded by Alex Levine, Andy Levine and Lisa Leder is preparing to cease operations in Colorado, three years after they sold it.

Quebec City melodic punk rockers Drop It First (ft. members of Our Darkest Days) release video for debut single 'Where The Wind Blows',

One of the top issues on the minds of Colorado voters this election is the cost of living, with about 15% in the ongoing Voter Voices survey by media outlets across the state.

Colorado's eight collared wolves remaining in the wild stayed in the north-central mountains and plains over the last month, according to a monthly tracking map released Wednesday.

If the Broncos flushed Russell Wilson and beaucoup bucks after only 30 starts in a Denver uniform, how long does Sean Payton get to prove that his let-’em-eat-cake approach wins football games?

Mona Scott-Young gives us the scoop female emcees.

The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs is getting set to host a screening of Where the Whales Sing at 6pm on Thursday [Nov 13] at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI]. The screening is part of the department’s Historical Heartbeats Lecture Series. Andrew Stevenson started his research on humpbacks in 2007. His visual and […]

REVIEW – It’s a punch-to-the-gut, sinking, black hole feeling to reach into a pocket, pack, or purse and find your missing wallet. Adding a SwitchBot Wallet Finder is a remedy to a common problem that fits the pocketbook – pun intended!  ???? What is it? The SwitchBot Wallet Finder card is a Bluetooth device that […]

Weeks before the new fiscal year, Congress still hasn't finalized NASA's 2025 budget.

A detailed assessment of the hurricane damage to Tropicana Field concludes that the home of the Rays is structurally sound and can be repaired in time for the 2026 season, but not by 2025 Opening Day.

WHERE'S THE MOM? I don't see here any where--OMG...

While we would love for election season to be over right about now, we've gotta admit that the resulting political memes have been top-notch. The internet has been loving this particular dank meme, which shows Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ripping up Donald Trump's State of the Union speech.

Donald Trump’s election victory has catapulted US stocks to fresh records and pushed the dollar to a two-year high. It’s anything but good news for the rest of the world. Most Read from Bloomberg Equities excluding the US are tumbling, with an MSCI gauge at its lowest in three months. An index of…

Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio – January 1, 1993

Following Joel Schumacher’s death earlier this week, there was the inevitable return of one of nerddom’s longest-living arguments, namely the quality of the two Batman films he directed. Granted, the man directed all sorts of other movies, including at least two undeniably great ones (The Lost Boys and Tigerland), and one fascinating and questionable one […]

Social media users alleged bias against former President Donald Trump when a Google search on Election Day for “where to vote” returned an interactive map to find a person’s polling station when including the word “Harris” but not “Trump.” The reason is because “Harris” is a county in Texas, whereas “Trump” is not a location.

The post Google’s ‘Where to Vote’ Search Result Reflects Quirk of Candidate Surname, Not Bias appeared first on FactCheck.org.

If you’re an avid coffee connoisseur and celebrity-spotter, you’re in for a treat. There are coffee shops globally frequented by stars who enjoy a good cup of joe. Let’s explore 12 coffee shops where you might bump into your favorite celebrity. 1. Alfred Coffee, Los Angeles LA is the home of Hollywood stars, and one ... Read more

The post 12 Coffee Shops Where You Might Just Spot a Celebrity appeared first on Star Two.

Where is God in a disaster? I do not believe God sends storms and other disasters to punish or teach

Read More

The post Where is God? appeared first on Women of the ELCA.

We have great news for you! RSS Ground team is about to add a new set of tools to its arsenal. Our next big milestone is to implement integration with platforms that provide cross-service automation such as IFTTT, Zapier and Integrately. You will be able to connect to hundreds of online service providers and make […]

The post Quality Content From Everywhere To Anywhere appeared first on RSSground.com.

Not so long ago, RSS Ground became “compatible” with automation platforms such as Zapier, IFTTT, and Pabbly Connect. You can use RSS Ground Posting Campaigns and Personal Feeds as “triggers,” and utilize Personal Feeds as “actions.” But many of our customers have been inquiring about compatibility with other automation platforms or even their proprietary software, […]

The post Automate posting to anywhere via webhooks appeared first on RSSground.com.

To combat climate change, scientists are working to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.