Enjoy These Varied and Well-Done Writings
Such a Buffet
As much as we all curse the internet (often with good reason), one has to admit it makes available to us an astounding volume and variety of information, thought, wonder, and amusement. Sure, a lot of what is out there is an embarrassment to our species. But there also is quite a lot worthy of our time and attention.
Allow me to share with you a few I have enjoyed of late. I hope you will as well.
Plants Communicate – A Lot
We have known for some time now that the plant world is no near as inanimate as once thought. Forests especially are hotbeds of links and information flow. One of the better articles I have read lately on this, one that greatly expanded my appreciation of this amazing unseen world, was published in the Conversation last year. Check it out:
How Shall We Choose to Leave This Earth?
People are finding new options to consider in how they wish their remains to be handled upon their death. Cremation has overtaken burials as the most common choice, for some time now. But there is a whole other range of options gaining awareness and popularity.
They mostly serve an ecological theme, the idea of returning to nature in the purest form possible, with the least ecological impact. Bishop Tutu, who died last year chose such a final disposition option. One that is becoming better known involves being composted – returned to a pure form that becomes part of a forest in the most fundamental sense. Much is appealing about this, once you get past the novelty of it. See what you think.
Abortion Options Will Continue to Develop
If you were to have told me 20 years ago that this nation would still be fighting itself over abortion, I would have scoffed. I would, of course, have been wrong. We still have a large group of people – most of them, it seems, old white men in state legislators – that want their definition of moral choices to be forced on everyone. Now they have a Supreme Court poised to join the conspiracy.
But people will fight on and will develop options to keep this decision private and in the hands of the women who must bear the results of such decisions. One most interesting option is an easy to administer drug, one that could be widely available by mail. Read all about it and know that hope springs eternal.
How Would You Like That Steak?
We have talked in this space before about the development of plant-based substitute meat products. Many have come along really well recently, in sales as well as in taste and appearance. The holy grail for these folks is not chicken bits or hamburger substitutes – they have that well in hand. Sausage? Done.
No, the elusive prize has been to create a Fake Steak that meets the standard (meats the standard?). Several companies are at work on this; an Israeli company is often cited as a leader. But there is a new kid on the block with a completely different approach. They make a steak out of thin air – by using recycled carbon dioxide as the key ingredient. Yeah, you read that right. See for yourself (this article also takes the title for the LONGEST link I have ever seen):
Book Banning – Next Step: Book Burning?
I am going to dedicate an entire session shortly on the latest round of proposed (and in some cases, enacted) book bans and curriculum restrictions. Nothing is more stupid, more evil, more undemocratic that this. Such efforts never go well; they always bring out the worst in use. The Atlantic had a good article recently on this. Read on – before magazines get banned for talking about banning. Shame on us, America.
What is Coming Up?
The news of the day might bump some things around but expect in coming issues of this blog to see that discussion on book and curriculum bans, some soul searching and calling out on Afghanistan, the most valuable lessons I learned from two dramatically different sources, and as long as we are doing easy stuff, let’s take on affordable housing and homelessness.
See you soon.
Bill Clontz
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Let’s grow our circle.