This is an excellent, excellent post by Donny. The Jonah Goldberg piece he links to is also worth your time. What we need is some sympathetic imagination. Maybe it’s too soon to ask for it, but we’ll need to get around to it quickly. The lack of it is one of the sources of our present troubles.


I could go on a rant about these crap junction boxes, which we tried to work on at my mom’s house today. Suffice it to say that it’s yet another example of building with no regard to future repairability. It’s mind boggling, especially when a simple 2x4 instead of that metal bar would be far better.


Worth your time: An hourlong documentary covering four seasons in the life of a 76 year old horse logger. That channel has several good videos on traditional skills, if you have an interest in that.


There’s nothing like having your preferred candidate unexpectedly trounced for making you re-evaluate your news sources. Some recent posts from people doing such a re-evaluation:

I already don’t consume a lot of news and I don’t plan to start now. It’s tempting to have my employer pay for an Economist subscription under the guise of keeping up to date on financial news–but I doubt I would read it. But if you’re looking to take the periodicity route, don’t forget your local library. I stopped in at mine this morning to see what newspapers and magazines they have available. Of the ones I have any interest in, they only had The Atlantic. Still, it’s a small town library; yours may have more options.


Don’t miss @dwalbert’s woodcarving sale from now until November 17. Some truly beautiful work available.


Worth your time: “The Abandoned Americans” by Peter Savodnik.


I am not fragile.

I am one of a species evolved over millennia to be survivors. We have survived every climate and government. We have survived famines and fools. We are adaptable.

I live in a time of rapid change and rampant anxiety. Yet I get up every day and do what must be done. Perhaps through stress and uncertainty and fear, but done nonetheless. I have faced difficult times and yet here I am.

I am a shard of the living cosmos. I am the cosmos conscious, carrying the light forward. I am a light bearing witness to other lights and experiencing darkness.

I may be many things, good and bad, but I am not fragile.


Came across this in my mom’s basement. I think everyone around here had this painting. Rachel’s family also had it and (when she was very young) she thought it was her deceased grandpa.


A few folks have been talking about Dougald Hine’s book here recently so I looked back to see what I had posted while reading it. Of continuing interest:

  1. A timely bit about voting
  2. Our necromantic power

Watched Heartland (1979) this morning. Wanted something slow and calm, and this fit the bill. Definitely worth your time. Though, be warned, there are a couple of scenes I don’t think the Humane Society would have cleared. But it’s a film about ranching, after all.