Kilmar Ábrego García says he was tortured in El Salvadorian prison. Hundreds...
Jul. 3rd, 2025 01:45 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
kottke_org_feedKilmar Ábrego García says he was tortured in El Salvadorian prison. Hundreds of people are still there, sent there from the US by the Trump administration to be tortured, all sanctioned by the Supreme Court and Congress.
Hair And Makeup
Jul. 2nd, 2025 10:02 pmquestionable_content_feed
that's just, like, your opinion, man
Wanna Sit Down? You Gotta Solve The Rubik’s Cube Chair.
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:56 pmkottke_org_feed
If you want to sit in this chair, you have to be able to solve a Rubik’s Cube because the chair is a Rubik’s Cube. (Ok, technically it looks like you only need to place the four leg corners of the chair correctly, but we’re not going to pick nits on this because it is fun and loooorrrrrrrd do we all need some fun right now.)
Oh and I like how the unsolved chair in the last photo looks like it’s striking a break dancing pose. Fresh! (via moss & fog)
Tags: design · furniture · games · Rubik’s Cube
512pixels_feedJoseph Mangin, at The Daily Memphian:
The nonprofit announced plans to install two different models of air-quality sensors in the Memphis area with a focus on the 38109 ZIP code, which includes Boxtown, where the press conference was held.
MCAP’s Wednesday event follows air-quality testing carried out by the City of Memphis. The testing was a response to concerns about pollutants stemming from xAI’s supercomputer.
That testing showed no dangerous pollution, but concerns were raised over the testing protocol used.
Back to Mangin:
He said while the Shelby County Health Department was supporting the initiative, both the city and county governments have yet to provide funds.
This news comes the same that day xAI was granted an air emissions permit (PDF here) for 15 turbines at its first Memphis site, as Samuel Hardiman reports:
The Shelby County Health Department has granted xAI an air emissions permit to operate 15 natural gas turbines as a backup power source for its Southwest Memphis data center.
The health department posted the permit on its website on Wednesday, July 2. The permit is effective as of Wednesday and expires on Jan. 2, 2027.
The air emissions permit was granted despite widespread community opposition to the turbines. The health department received more than 1,000 public comments on the project.
These turbines have been running for over 300 days while xAI waited on the permit.
xAI commented, via a provided statement:
xAI welcomes today’s decision by the Shelby County Health Department. Our onsite power generation will be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control technology, making this facility the lowest emitting of its kind in the country. We look forward to being a valued partner to the Memphis Community for years to come.
There is evidence that more turbines than this 15 are spinning, and that xAI will use additional turbines at its second site. A month ago, the Shelby County Health Department responded to that evidence, which was spearheaded by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). In a letter dated June 2, the department wrote:
The majority of the SELC comments focus primarily on the temporary turbine engines that will soon be removed from the site, not the permanent turbines associated with the air construction permit. SELC asserts in varying degrees that granting the air construction permit will improperly allow the temporary turbine engines on site to continue operating indefinitely. The draft permit under review will ensure that CTC will be authorized to construct and operate only 15 permanent turbines at the facility.
I have asked xAI for any new comment concerning additional turbines beyond the 15 covered by today’s permit, and will report back if they get back with me.
Connected 559: Chart Man
Jul. 2nd, 2025 10:29 pm512pixels_feedThis week on a jam-packed episode of the podcast:
Apple Music is 10 years old, the future of Siri is uncertain, and the A18 Pro may be headed to a Mac. Lastly, the 2024 Ticcilympics are graded.
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history. “Over...
Jul. 2nd, 2025 09:32 pmkottke_org_feedAmerican science to soon face its largest brain drain in history. “Over the first half of 2025, the US has cut science as never before. This disaster for American science may be a gift to the rest of the world.”
Pulling the wings off flies
Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:13 pmasknicola_feedThere are certain people in the world who are so uncaring of others’ needs and feelings that they are untroubled by conscience—they have no conscience. These are the people who as children pulled the wings off flies for fun, just because they could. These are people who, when they have power, kill other people.
Here today, by ‘people’ I am referring specifically to the current US administration. There are literally dozens of decisions the Trump administration and its minions in Congress have made that will kill people at home and abroad. Remember that: dozens.1 I’m going to mention just two as examples, one foreign, one domestic.
Domestically:
According to the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan agency, the OBBB (‘one big beautiful bill’) package just passed by the Senate and now back with the House would increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years. 11.8 million Americans will lose their health insurance in the next decade due to the bill’s changes to Medicaid and the ACA, while more than half Americans will pay fewer taxes.
According to the Yale Budget Lab, after taking into account tax and social safety net changes, the poorest 20% of U.S. households will lose an average of 2.9% of their real income. The real income of the next 20% of households would remain flat. The top 60% of households (those earning over about $36,500 a year) will all benefit—but those in the top 20% (earning over about $120,500) will benefit massively—and just look at how much the top 5% (earning >$265,000) will gain.
At those low incomes, nearly 3% can mean the difference between survival and not: the old, the frail, the ill, the disabled will die—most especially the old, fail, ill and disabled people of colour. Can you spell ‘eugenics’?
Then add in the ballooning deficit, and what they will mean in terms of the value of the dollar and the ability of the US to borrow, and things get virulently worse, very quickly. In the short term, many people in the US will die; in the long term, many many people will die.
Internationally
Again, I’m going to talk about just one decision (of so many, so very many): the shuttering of USAID. I just looked at a new paper in The Lancet: 2
Higher levels of USAID funding—primarily directed toward LMICs, particularly African countries—were associated with a 15% reduction in age-standardised all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0·85, 95% CI 0·78–0·93) and a 32% reduction in under-five mortality (RR 0·68, 0·57–0·80). This finding indicates that 91 839 663 (95% CI 85 690 135–98 291 626) all-age deaths, including 30 391 980 (26 023 132–35 482 636) in children younger than 5 years, were prevented by USAID funding over the 21-year study period. USAID funding was associated with a 65% reduction (RR 0·35, 0·29-0·42) in mortality from HIV/AIDS (representing 25·5 million deaths), 51% (RR 0·49, 0·39–0·61) from malaria (8·0 million deaths), and 50% (RR 0·50, 0·40–0·62) from neglected tropical diseases (8·9 million deaths). Significant decreases were also observed in mortality from tuberculosis, nutritional deficiencies, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, and maternal and perinatal conditions. Forecasting models predicted that the current steep funding cuts could result in more than 14 051 750 (uncertainty interval 8 475 990–19 662 191) additional all-age deaths, including 4 537 157 (3 124 796–5 910 791) in children younger than age 5 years, by 2030.
Which boils down to
- USAID funding saved nearly 92 million lives during the 21 years analyzed
- including over 30 million children under age 5
- as result of o USAID, 14 million people will die within 5 years—14 million preventable deaths
- and 14 is just the average—it could be as many as 19 million
So what’s my point?
Do not try to appeal to the administration or Congress’s better natures. They don’t have one. They understand power. The power we have is our voice and our vote. Use it. Thinks of the tens of millions of people—real people, with real lives—who are dying now and will die in the future because people like us gave those wing-pullers power. Take their power away. Please.
︎Architect David Romero has built several digital models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s...
Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:26 pmkottke_org_feedArchitect David Romero has built several digital models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s unrealized buildings, including a mile-high Chicago skyscraper with 528 floors.
Your Wednesday Watermelon Report
Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:50 pmscalziwhatever_feedWhilst I was perusing the produce section at Kroger last week, I came across a watermelon. Not just any watermelon, though. Private Selection’s “Black Diamond” watermelons. I figured since y’all seemed to enjoy my orange review, you might want the skinny on this here watermelon, as well:
Unlike the Sugar Gem oranges, this watermelon was sweeter than a regular ol’ watermelon. Not only that, but the label boasts a rich, red flesh. I thought it may have been all talk, but lo and behold it was indeed very red! I bought this one for six dollars, which is pretty much the exact same cost as a regular watermelon, and it’s roughly the same size, so I’d say you should go ahead and buy this one over the regular ones if you are someone who prefers a juicier, sweeter watermelon.
I served this watermelon to my parents, both of whom do not particularly care for watermelon, and they made a point of telling me how good this particular watermelon was and ended up eating a good bit of it when normally they probably wouldn’t have opted for any watermelon at all.
With the 4th approaching this weekend, I assume many of y’all will want to pick up a watermelon, and I think if your Kroger has these ones lying around you should give it a try! I’ve been meaning to buy another one because it’s the perfect refreshing snack during this recent heat wave.
It’s nice to try something new and actually have a good experience with it. Those Sugar Gem oranges may have been a bust, but this Black Diamond Watermelon is definitely a winner in my book.
Do you like watermelon? If you don’t, would you be willing to give this one a try based on my parents’ reaction to it? Do you have fun plans for the 4th? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
Operation streamlined / learning about ease & not-ease
Jul. 2nd, 2025 12:14 amfluentself_feed
Reflecting on how much I miss rituals of home, and how I can invent new rituals for where I am right now (moving around)
A breath for these tough times
Sending out extra wishes of Safety & Sanctuary for everyone in the path of the hard things, what a scary time we are in, inhaling and exhaling, for compassion, strength, courage, swift and steady miracles.
Announcement / last chance for Emergency Calming Down Techniques
I’ve been reeling hard lately in some cursed combination of heartache, numbness, political anxiety, winter stuff and some wild panic episodes.
Have been holding on (for dear life) to my Emergency Calm The Hell Down Techniques from a long time ago, and it’s been helping.
I am giving away a copy of these (ebook + audio recordings) to anyone who gives any sum of money to the appreciation funds / discretionary fund in the hopes that we can all keep practicing together, for each other and for the collective, and also for ourselves in these scary times. ❤️
Operation streamlined / learning about ease & not-ease
The most confounding advice
I wrote about this a little bit last week, but basically the situation is this:
Every time I try to consult with any Incoming Selves, aka any slightly future versions of me, they refuse to weigh in on my problems, and just say: It’s easy if you do what you want.
It’s easy if you do what you want.
Is it though?
I mean, come on. I want it to be! But I don’t know…
Havi Gets Prickly!
And then, invariably, predictably, I get a little prickly about this, for two reasons.
First of all, I am very limited in what I can do thanks to a variety of constraints, from financial resources to available options to how much energy I have, so how is it even relevant what I want if I can’t act on it.
Second, what if I don’t know what I want!
Or what if the things I want all seem equally appealing and/or unappealing! And often at the same time! Which seems extra unfair.
What if everything just comes with pros and cons, and considering them is overwhelming, how do I even know which is my yes?
To which my incomings say, you guessed it: It’s easy, if you do what you want.
Exploring
So I have been exploring this concept of It’s Easy If, as well as my own prickliness in response to it.
This exploration has become the theme of Operation Streamlined, which is the name I have given to my summer excursion that resulted from fleeing a fire at my place, without taking anything with me.
Now I am visiting family and friends in Oregon while I wait for some good news, and I am considering what it means to let something be easy. I am learning about Ease and Not-Ease, and how they relate to Streamlined.
And I am learning (a lot) about how much resistance I have to this entire process. Good to know!
Clarity, a slow and steady drip
So far, some bits of Clarity have landed, and I am going to share them with you.
They might not be the clarity you need for your situations, whatever those may be, but maybe the clarity I received contains some sparks or truth-kernels that can support your own investigations and explorations.
Clarity #1: the caveat to It’s Easy If You Do What You Want
The thing about It’s Easy If You Do What You Want is that first though you gotta do the hard part of admitting to yourself what you want.
I have to be honest with myself, maybe even uncomfortably honest with myself.
More than that, I cannot pretend to myself that I don’t know what I want! And it turns out that I like pretending I don’t know what I want!
Wow, it is so vulnerable to just say it out loud. And yet. Every time I say that I don’t know what I want, it turns out that I do know, and I just don’t want to admit it.
Ease begins with Not-Ease
As my wise and hilarious friend Kathryn put it: Tough news that in order for things to be easy you have to begin with the hardest task in humanity!
Say what you want. To yourself. That’s step one. And it’s a doozy. Or it can be.
It’s easy if you do what you want (but first you gotta name what that is and not hide it from yourself!).
Clarity #2: Acknowledging some ingrained patterns
I found another way to frame this question of how would it be easy to do what I wanted if I knew what I wanted or if I could be honest with myself about what I want…
And that is:
What would I do in a given situation if I weren’t invested in people-pleasing everyone involved in these scenarios???
And what I got from investigating that is that the reason I do so much people-pleasing is because I don’t want to be around the energy of someone feeling resentful about me being in their space.
Some background
I was raised by people who had big moods that were unpredictable, I was married to someone who didn’t like sharing space with me, I’ve had roommate situations with people who wished I didn’t exist, and so on. I have spent a life maneuvering, trying to not stress anyone out with my presence.
So of course I am not taking into consideration what I want because I am primed to worry about what I think everyone else might want.
Or: it turns out that I can’t turn off my accommodating and people pleasing patterns while making considerations, then maybe the answer to what I want right now is to not stress people out because then I have to be around their stress…
And also maybe there is a deeper want that I can access if I’m not trying to accommodate everyone…
Something about conflicting yeses
For example, I want to be somewhere by myself so that I can’t engage in those patterns, but my other True Yes is three minute hugs (outdoor dancing) and seeing friends and connection.
So I am back to diving into this question/mystery of “It’s easy if you do what you want” but hard to admit what you want.
A clue about cards
My wise and wonderful uncle, Svevo, said something about sometimes just saying yes to everything and letting the cards fall as they may.
And he’s not wrong, and also even with that I have to be hyper aware of people pleasing tendencies.
I am thinking about being raised by people whose moods swung rapidly and unpredictably, and how I am trained basically from birth to be hyper-attuned to everyone’s mood, and contorting myself to not be a negative impact on someone’s mood through being in their space.
Something to take to shower-therapy or walking-in-circles therapy, or walk a labyrinth on it.
My comment is more of a question
I thought I had another piece of clarity, but it was more of a question than a comment, or: more of a question than a clarity.
Is the wisdom of “It’s easy if you do what you want” the same as “If it’s not a hell yes it’s a hell no”…
And for me, if that’s the case then everything right now is a hell no, because all my options are in the category of “sure, maybe that would work for me” but nothing is a concrete yes, other than outdoor dancing which is a big yes.
Interview with an Incoming
Havi: Please help me integrate this clarity. I’m still feeling unsure about how to assimilate any of this. Like, I think I understand the basics of [It’s Easy If I Do What I Want], and that first I have to get really honest with myself. But where is the ease exactly?
Incoming self: You are going to do some outdoor partner dancing, after six years of not dancing. Do you remember the secret to dancing with someone?
Havi: Yes, you can’t try to devote yourself to pleasing the lead, because it will just be confusing and exhausting for both of you. You have to move from the earth, and dance your dance, and be beautifully grounded and consistent. Then the lead knows what they are dealing with, and it’s easier for them to dance with you than if you are trying to give them what you think they want.
Incoming self: You get it.
Havi: So it’s like that, but between me and me. Or between me and the situations, or between me and the cosmos. Or am I not getting this?????
Incoming self: It’s easy if you do what you want.
Tell me more
Havi: Tell me more, please. Like what do I do with all these constraints, for example.
Incoming self: Treat the constraints as a gift. The constraints make things easier not harder because they are so clarifying.
Havi: Say more about this.
Incoming self: Constraints are your friend. Constraints are the banks of the river. The constraints show you what you are working with. They narrow things for you in a useful way. Like the structure of a haiku. Sure, you can only do so much, but that also means you have the gift of a form to fill.
What if
Havi: What if I genuinely don’t know what I want?
Incoming self: lololol
Havi: What if I’m scared to say what I want?
Incoming self: Of course you are. That’s why it’s so courageous to choose ease.
Havi: I don’t know what to do with that.
Incoming self: Say what you want.
Havi: I want my passion back, but also I know there is no back, so maybe I want a new passion. I am afraid of burning out again, so I want a new way that prioritizes my well-being. I want to prioritize joy, fun and play. I want to find a new better path or enjoy the one I am on more.
Incoming self: That’s a great start. Good job. Tell me more.
The gentle art of being uncomfortably honest
Havi: I miss teaching, but I don’t want to be at the front of the room.
Incoming self: What if you start by just magic-8-ball-ing some small situations…
Havi: What do you mean?
Incoming self: What do you want today? What do you want this week? What feels like a strong yes as opposed to a maybe? You have the tools to get quiet and tune in, so get quiet and tune in.
Getting quiet and tuning in
We take a break to do a little meditation.
Havi: What I want is to prioritize peace and quiet. And there are things I want to teach but through not-exactly-teaching them. And you are right that it’s time to release the people-pleasing.
Incoming self: You know what I’m going to say.
Havi: It’s easy if I do what I want? But first I have to say what I want and make peace with the fact that I want it?
Incoming self: Yes, and you have the right idea on first steps. Get really quiet, go inward, wait it out. Say no to things that get in the way of that. Say yes to experiences that fill you up on joy. Reduce chaos. That is also related to streamlined.
Havi: Anything else?
Incoming self: Try to have more fun. I know these are terrifying times, and also: you are alive. Find the pleasures that feed you.
Where do we go from here?
My plan is to keep exploring.
Which right now involves more getting quiet, more fun, more talking to my incoming selves even if they give me the same advice that I haven’t figured out how to follow yet. More practice following.
Whether that’s following clues, following instinct, following like in dance which is mostly about feeling and trusting and moving from the earth…
Let’s start from quieting, and from fun. And keep asking the question, keep being brave. What do I want?
A breath of thankfulness for the possibility of knowing that I can ask, even if the answers scare me, even if the silence scares me. It’s courageous to wonder and explore and care and keep on keeping on. A thousand points to us for playing.
Come play in the comments, I appreciate the company
Leave a pebble (o) to say you were here, so I know I’m not doing this alone.
Also it feels good to pick up a pebble and place it somewhere, I have noticed.
You are invited to share any related situations or musings of your own if you like, or name any wishes that are in process.
And of course you are welcome to share anything that sparked for you while reading, anything that helped, clues received, or anything on your mind, wish some wishes, process what’s percolating…
I am lighting a candle for us and our beautiful heart-wishes. What a brave thing it is to allow ourselves to want something better for us and for the world.
Or if there’s anything you’d like to explore further or toss into the wishing pot, the healing power of the collective is no small thing, companionship helps.
Whatever comes to mind or heart. Let’s support each other’s hope-sparks…
Housekeeping note: You can subscribe to posts by email again!
If you aren’t seeing these updates in your in your email and want to, you can can solve that here.
This will pop up a new page on Follow.It that lets you subscribe via email, newsletter, or RSS reader. They say “expect 50 stories a week”, and that’s a very imaginary number, once a week is the dream.
I am emailing copies of the Emergency Calming Techniques package!
Anyone who gives to the Discretionary this week (more info below) will get my Emergency Calming Techniques package by email as a pdf. I am only checking email twice a week because I no longer have wifi at my place, long story, so be patient with me but if it doesn’t show up within the week then let me know!
I have some ideas for the next ebook too but if you do too, shoot me an email or share in the comments.
A request!
If you received clues or perspective or want to send appreciation for the writing and work/play we do here, I appreciate it tremendously.
I am accepting support (with joy & gratitude) in the form of Appreciation Money to the Discretionary Fund. Asking is not where my strength resides but Brave & Stalwart is the theme these days, and pattern-rewriting is the work, it all helps with fixing the many broken things.
And if those aren’t options, I get it, you can light a candle for support (or light one in your mind!), share this with someone who loves words, tell people about these techniques, approaches and themes, send them here, it all helps, it’s all welcome, and I appreciate it and you so much. ❤️
Adjacent to the Joy Church, the opposite of over-complicating, and other solstice wishes
Jun. 24th, 2025 10:58 pmfluentself_feed
Reflecting on places I love that have been taken over by fire, and how everything changes and there isn’t anything to do but adapt and hope and wish and find something good
A breath for these tough times
Sending out extra wishes of Safety & Sanctuary for everyone in the path of the hard things, what a scary time we are in, inhaling and exhaling, for compassion, strength, courage, swift and steady miracles.
Announcement / last chance for Emergency Calming Down Techniques
I’ve been reeling hard lately in some cursed combination of heartache, numbness, political anxiety, winter stuff and some wild panic episodes.
Have been holding on (for dear life) to my Emergency Calm The Hell Down Techniques from a long time ago, and it’s been helping.
I am giving away a copy of these (ebook + audio recordings) to anyone who gives any sum of money to the appreciation funds / discretionary fund in the hopes that we can all keep practicing together, for each other and for the collective, and also for ourselves in these scary times. ❤️
Adjacent to the Joy Church
A breath of gratitude, why not just start there (if we can, when we can)
Thank you to everyone who has checked in on me, I appreciate the warm thoughts and the kindness.
I know the world is full of non-stop relentless stressors right now, and who can even keep track of all the scary things going on, so I really appreciate all the care that has been directed towards me while so much else is in a state of upheaval.
My town is still evacuated, going on two weeks now, though this might change soon. The fire is not contained but things do seem to be more under control on my road, and monsoon rains are coming, which is both good and less-good.
Praying for the positive healing effects of moisture without mudslides and flooding, and am just keeping watch from afar while also trying not to check the updates too often.
Thankful for everyone looking out for me, and for your good hearts. I feel loved and cared for and lucky.
A revealing time, a time for revealing
There were several themes I wanted to write about for us this week, but it feels like they are all still percolating, so what if I share with you some of the adventures I have had on the road while trying to distract myself from thinking about my road being on fire!
Maybe we will get to those themes or touch on them in a roundabout way, or maybe something else will be revealed instead.
There have been many wonderful small adventures, and many things have solved themselves without my input, which is my favorite miracle of all.
In the meantime, it seems that my structures are safe, my favorite tree friend is safe, and miracles abound, so I want to remember that there is plentiful good in my life, even if this is a scary and uncomfortable time.
A breath for the many wonderful adventures
A breath for the many wonderful adventures.
A library that was not a library and a farm that is not a farm, a church that is not a church, a problem that is not a problem.
A dog, a cat, a heart opening, a tree, a bridge, a pilgrimage, everything that solves itself, a clue and then another clue.
What a thing it is to be alive
What a thing it is to be alive.
The fires sent me here and I have had some beautiful moments of appreciating ALIVENESS, which is a good antidote to worrying about my home.
Aliveness is the answer, and the questions are maybe not as complicated as I thought they were.
Let’s rejoice in the clues.
A dog
I found a yoga class in a tiny town in Nevada, it takes place in an empty defunct library that looks abandoned. Everything about this seemed very unlikely, and yet there it was and there I was.
The doors and windows were open, and there was a lovely breeze.
The class came with a yoga dog; an affectionate, easy-going, twenty year old dog who circled the room before we started, napped through class and then came over to snuggle after shavasana.
A cat
I found myself at a tiny side of the road gas station in nowhere, Oregon, which was also a miracle because according to my phone there was no gas station to be found on my way unless I drove an hour out of my way.
The gas station came with three in-house cats, and one of them, Greta, took a liking to me so we hung out for a spell while I chatted with Dale, the owner of the place who moved out there in the early 90s.
You should be a cat owner, Dale told me, while I petted Greta and we communed over the countertop.
But probably the thing I have thought about most while fleeing the fires is that I am very glad I do not have to take care of anyone or anything other than myself.
Greta is seventeen, so it was a big week for meeting pet elders who were in good spirits with a calming presence, and maybe that is a clue for me too. Can I also be a source of calming presence?
A heart opening, part I
The yoga teacher in small town Nevada had done her training nearly twenty years ago with someone I took a three day workshop from even farther into the past than that. We bonded over that.
I liked how her class mirrored what I remembered of him, everything heart-centered and heart-centric, but not in a lip service way. A real TUNING IN to heart space. Moving from the heart, both physically and metaphorically. It felt like when you suddenly understand the truth behind a cliche.
Somewhere familiar that I have never been
Mainly thought it just felt so wonderful to be there, somewhere familiar that I have never been.
And I mean that about the class, and about hanging out in the depths of my own heartspace in that specific way.
And about having stumbled into something magical, seemingly by accident but not at all.
A heart opening, part II
In class, my new yoga teacher friend asked us to set an intention.
Lately in my own morning practice, my intention has been [I am powerful], but when I tried to say to myself, “I am powerful”, what came up instead was: I am joyful, and my heart is healed.
I am joyful and my heart is healed.
Let’s combine those: I am powerful. I am joyful. And my heart is healed.
Also, there is a lot of power within being joyful and knowing my heart is healing, so each of these answers the wish of the other ones.
Teardrop heart
She had us do this beautiful breathing exercise that I loved: a round teardrop breath, starting from third eye and inhaling down the right side to the heart center, exhaling back up the left side from heart to third eye.
I never really thought about how beautiful a teardrop shape is, and how it also mimics a heart shape but upside down.
And at the end of class, she gave us essential oil massage and did singing bowl stuff which usually I don’t like, but it was completely magical, and I really truly felt it in my heart: I AM A JOYFUL BEING AND MY HEART IS HEALING, HEALED, AND WHOLE.
And then after class, I saw that my ex had called me, so that was interesting.
Sweetness
Everyone in the class was so sweet, and they all hugged me and said they would pray for my house and that I need to come back on my way back from Oregon.
Everyone I have encountered has been so kind.
Miracles
My favorite tree is safe from the fires. I am on my way to make a pilgrimage to my favorite bridge. I went for a ninety minute walk down a dirt road and saw magnificent boulders.
Next week there is outdoor dancing and masked dancing and I will dance again for the first time in over five years, if it all works out, god willing, etc.
Everything is solving itself.
My friend whose parents mysteriously own a defunct llama farm put me up for a week in their guest house.
I have almost nothing with me but somehow I still have exactly what I need. What good fortune. What treasure.
It solves itself
I was worried about not having any warm clothing for this trip, because I left from my aunt’s place in Tucson where it was 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius), and all I had with me was yoga clothes.
But then I stayed with my friend Em in Sedona, and she gave me a sweatshirt and a warm flannel.
I was second-guessing myself about jewelry because right before I left my tiny house, I had a strong feeling that I should take my favorite earrings with me. But I didn’t because of the high heat and the long drive, and then when I found out about the evacuation orders, I was even more sad about not having earrings.
But then a friend had the perfect pair of earrings that they weren’t using, and now I am wearing them. It solved itself.
Warm clothes, earrings, animal friends, a spontaneous heart healing, a safe place to stay, what else can beautifully solve itself?
It’s easy if you do what you want
This is something Incoming Me always says when I ask for counsel, and I always bristle at it because a) I often hide from myself what I want, and b) it never seems easy, and c) there are so many conflicting factors.
But I think what they mean by this is that I need to stop over-complicating everything by trying to be overly accommodating. And instead I need to just get quiet and clear about what feels like a yes for me.
This is related to letting things solve themselves instead of trying to force solutions, but it is also related to staying attuned to heart space and letting myself have fun.
The Joy Church
On the way to where I was going, I passed a sign that said This Way To The Joy Church.
I still don’t know where or what the joy church is, but I like the idea of being joy church adjacent, I like the idea that there is a sanctuary of joy in my heart.
What if I’m not fleeing a fire and instead I am following joy?
What if my solstice wishes are not about recovery and healing like I think they are but actually about letting myself follow joy? Or, what if recovery and healing are served by following joy?!
What if some of the wisdom of STREAMLINED, the big theme of this trip so far, is actually about letting myself say yes to joy?
It’s a new day
My friend Marisa says:
It is a new day! Things are hard but we are so resilient! We will solve problems!
Yes. We will solve problems and we will let problems solve themselves.
Or can we let the problems not be problems in the same way that a library was not a library and a farm was not a farm? It might look like a problem but maybe it’s an adventure.
What else, speaking of solstice wishes?
I’ve been making so many wonderful friends on this road trip, so I want to keep being someone who just makes friends everywhere I go, what fun. It’s not really like me, since I generally keep to myself but I am enjoying it.
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, healing, healing, healing, healing, healing. And those in combination
Every pet owner I met thought I was a pet owner and thinks I should be one, but really I think I just need to be spiritually friends with a mountain lion or something.
The opposite of low regard. What is that? Higher standards? Raising the bar? Staying playful.
Something about cockiness
Someone I know but not very well said to me, about me:
”Seems like you are exactly where you want to be. That’s a big deal. Happiness is so sexy. You have this kinda cocky attitude happiness. I’m not sure I have seen that before in someone. I kinda like your I don’t need nothing from nobody vibe.”
So yeah, okay, I have joy and I have a spirit of adventure and I have warm clothes now. Let’s go, HOT COCKY COWPOKE HIGH REGARD SUMMER.
More importantly, I have some hope. Maybe that is also a form of cockiness, I’m not sure. It feels very new but I am liking it.
What else is like that?
Keeping the faith.
Another yoga teacher friend said: “Faith and optimism are great to have right now”
I’ve got plenty of both to go around right now. Usually I don’t but for whatever reason, I do right now. Maybe that is also related to the solstice wishes, to staying rooted in gratitude, to bravery.
I AM A JOYFUL BEING AND MY HEART IS HEALING AND WHOLE. Holding this for and with you too.
In the dream
In the dream, my car did a complete flip in the air and returned to upright, and I was okay but my car was not, and a mother and her son stopped to check on me and invited me to stay with them.
Something about how everything is tumult and turmoil and yet things keep working out somehow. People are so kind. We connect in mysterious ways and share joy or moments of joy, a spark of magic, that oomph of ALIVENESS that is so hard to describe or qualify.
It wasn’t a bad dream or a good dream, it was just mirroring how everything feels lately. A little chaotic, a little magical. Can I stay rooted in gratitude within the chaos, and keep tuning into heart space and hope?
Maybe that is my solstice wish too. Let’s keep practicing and playing and checking on each other. Here’s to the glow sparks of good things coming.
Come play in the comments, I appreciate the company
Leave a pebble (o) to say you were here, so I know I’m not doing this alone.
Also it feels good to pick up a pebble and place it somewhere, I have noticed.
You are invited to share any related situations or musings of your own if you like, or name any wishes that are in process.
And of course you are welcome to share anything that sparked for you while reading, anything that helped, clues received, or anything on your mind, wish some wishes, process what’s percolating…
I am lighting a candle for us and our beautiful heart-wishes. What a brave thing it is to allow ourselves to want something better for us and for the world.
Or if there’s anything you’d like to explore further or toss into the wishing pot, the healing power of the collective is no small thing, companionship helps.
Whatever comes to mind or heart. Let’s support each other’s hope-sparks…
Housekeeping note: You can subscribe to posts by email again!
If you aren’t seeing these updates in your in your email and want to, you can can solve that here.
This will pop up a new page on Follow.It that lets you subscribe via email, newsletter, or RSS reader. They say “expect 50 stories a week”, and that’s a very imaginary number, once a week is the dream.
I am emailing copies of the Emergency Calming Techniques package!
Anyone who gives to the Discretionary this week (more info below) will get my Emergency Calming Techniques package by email as a pdf. I am only checking email twice a week because I no longer have wifi at my place, long story, so be patient with me but if it doesn’t show up within the week then let me know!
I have some ideas for the next ebook too but if you do too, shoot me an email or share in the comments.
A request!
If you received clues or perspective or want to send appreciation for the writing and work/play we do here, I appreciate it tremendously.
I am accepting support (with joy & gratitude) in the form of Appreciation Money to the Discretionary Fund. Asking is not where my strength resides but Brave & Stalwart is the theme these days, and pattern-rewriting is the work, it all helps with fixing the many broken things.
And if those aren’t options, I get it, you can light a candle for support (or light one in your mind!), share this with someone who loves words, tell people about these techniques, approaches and themes, send them here, it all helps, it’s all welcome, and I appreciate it and you so much. ❤️
kottke_org_feed8 Forgotten Figures From the American Revolution, including Margaret Corbin, Joseph Brant, James Armistead Lafayette, and Joseph Plumb Martin.
You MUST listen to RFC 2119
Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:58 pmjwz_org_feed
It turns out you can just pay people to do things.
I found a voice actor and hired them with the task of "Reading this very dry technical document in the most over-the-top sarcastic, passive-aggressive, condescending way possible. Like, if you think it's too much, take that feeling, ignore it, and crank things up one more notch."
RFC 2119
the move concierge, the peacock with his own heated house, and other unusual work perks
Jul. 2nd, 2025 05:59 pmaskamanager_feedLast month we talked about unusual work perks and here are some of my favorites that you shared.
1. The peacock
At the factory I used to work at, we had a peacock. He just turned up one day in the carpark. We tried to find his owners and simply couldn’t… so we kept him. He had a little heated house, we would all go and eat lunch with him and he became a real mascot. He eventually died of old age – RIP Boris!
2. The move concierge
One job offered a move concierge. A couple of days before you were due to move, you gave him your keys and he packed all your stuff, emptied the apartment, cleaned it, took any final meter readings, returned the keys to the landlord and handled inspections, then drove to your new place, picked up the keys, cleaned, unpacked, and restocked your fridge. For £20 he would also make all the phone calls to transfer your utilities to the new place. The company would then put you up in a corporate apartment for the couple of nights he was moving you. Bliss.
3. The slide
My office has a slide! I’m not working for a big tech company at all, we are at most 40 and located in France. The ground floor is an open space. The floor above is smaller, so there is enough place to have a slide to go down. And it’s regularly used!
4. The Day of Pudding
One summer in college, I temped at the headquarters of a large food distribution company. About once a week, they would have some type of quality testing where they’d get a large delivery of some sort of food and they’d open it up, cook it if needed, and lay out all the different options and permutations and flavors that the food came in, and then invite all the staff to come in to the kitchen and sample it. It was such a great perk! I remember it was the first time I tried jalapeño poppers – multiple iterations of jalapeño poppers, in fact!
But the best day ever was the Day of Pudding. There were 30 or 40 different vats of pudding. Containers of pudding that were bigger than a child! So many different brands and flavors, filling the room with puddingy goodness. Everybody grabbed a bowl and spooned in multiple flavors. Have you ever taste-tested and compared five types of chocolate pudding in one sitting? I think I went back for fourths. The office was on a sugar high that day!
5. The bee hives
My company has bee hives (for environmental reasons). The honey is available only to employees as part of an annual charity raffle that takes place on World Bee Day (no, I didn’t know either). It comes in nice jars and tastes good too.
6. The car detailing
I’ve recently started a wonderful new admin job with an electrical contractor. We have a few semi-normal perks that I’ve never had – snacks, drinks, beer fridge, flexible hours, some WFH, etc. The one that I love the most is that we can have our vehicles detailed each Friday if needed/wanted (we drive in a good bit of gravel lol).
7. The Christmas Elves
I worked in a multinational organization for a number of years, and they had what I called The Christmas Elves.
Basically, it was traditional for every representative from each country to send Christmas gifts to their counterparts from other countries. It very much became a matter of national pride, an opportunity to show off the best your country has to offer. A whole smoked salmon, a flat of local chocolate, a bottle of obscure Eastern European liqueur that could burn your chest hair off, a (full-size) bottle of whiskey, an entire smoked ham, etc.
There was literally so much of it going on that, basically for the entire month of December, “elves” would go around the entire building, delivering mail carts worth of gifts to each office. Given the number of countries represented, you’d wind up with 30-40 gifts per year.
It also spawned a bustling after-market trade, where we’d trade amongst ourselves (I, for one, am not a pork eater, so the ham usually went for 2-3 bottles of wine).
8. The cruise of your choice
At the holiday party, they draw names and send a person and their chosen plus one on a cruise of the person’s choice. You can only win it once during your tenure at the company, and you have to have worked there for a full year to be eligible, but it’s super cool.
9. The on-site nurse
Long ago I worked for a small agency with an occupational nurse on-site. Headache? She’s got you. Feel something coming on? Her drug cocktail would kill anything (one Allegra, two Sudafed, two Motrin, and a shot of Robitussin; it’ll cure what ails you!). She would also close an exam room, turn off the lights, give you a blankie, and set a timer for a catnap if you just needed a little snooze to get you over the 3:00 slump.
International travelers needed immunizations, so she’d regularly offer the leftover doses. “I’ve got two doses of yellow fever; schedule an appointment if you want one.” I worked there during the tetanus vaccine shortage and was able to get a shot after an all-staff email went out, “Who needs tetanus?”
10. The pinball machines
I worked at a place where the CEO’s hobby is pinball. He started collecting, repairing, and restoring pinball machines as a teen. As a result, he has hundreds. There are many scattered throughout the facility. All are either free, or there is a bowl of pennies on the machine to turn it on. The company has a lot of pinball experts as a result.
11. The bespoke shoes
I did some work for an Italian fashion brand, who decided that we needed to truly understand their craft. So boss lady and I got to spend a weekend at their (top secret) shoe workshop learning about their process and came away with a beautiful pair of designer heels handcrafted to fit my feet. No sky-high stiletto has ever been so comfortable – I could wear those all day at work and still chase down a cab at the end of the night.
12. The baby cougars
I used to work for the local zoo (summer day camp for grade school children) and the zookeepers would give the camp counselors lists of planned enrichment for the different animals in case we wanted to watch. I remember dragging my campers to the Pacific Northwest exhibit first thing in the morning, and they were all groggy and grumpy that we were pushing back snack time, but they all shut up as soon as the keepers announced we were about to see the baby cougars get their first carcass. There was growling, playfighting, tug of war, and even purring. One cub climbed up in a tree with their food and dropped it on their sibling.
We got to see at least one cool enrichment every week, but this one was probably my favorite.
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The Dark Eye MEGA (June 2023) – revived through Wed 23 July
Jul. 2nd, 2025 05:55 pmbeyondthebundle_feed
Through Wednesday, July 23 we revive the June 2023 Dark Eye Megabundle featuring the English-language edition of from Ulisses Spiele of the leading German RPG of heroic fantasy, The Dark Eye. In continuous publication since 1984, The Dark Eye is Germany’s premier FRPG. As a virtuous knight, elven ranger, or erudite mage, you’ll rebuild the war-weary Middenrealm, marvel at the Lands of the Tulamydes, discover lost ruins in steaming jungle, or drive back the evil of the Shadowlands. Rescue innocent victims from cults of the Nameless One – navigate labyrinthine intrigues at the Court of the Empress – or defend border cities from the Orc Storm.
Ulisses funded English translations of much of The Dark Eye line in a May 2016 Kickstarter campaign. This revived June 2023 Megabundle, especially useful for players new to The Dark Eye, gives you everything you need to start exploring Aventuria, a rich and believable setting inspired by Europe’s medieval lore, forbidding landscapes, and fairy tale castles.
Pay just US$24.95 to get all ten titles in this revived offer’s Player Collection (retail value $116) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the complete The Dark Eye Core Rulebook, plus the Character Sheets Pack, Figure Flats, Deluxe Character Sheets, and the free Quickstart Rules; the Aventuria Armory and Armory of the Warring Kingdoms; the Magic of Aventuria sourcebook, the Aventuria Almanac, and the Aventuria Map Set; and the introductory solitaire adventure Conspiracy of Mages.
And if you pay more than the threshold (average) price, which is set at $39.95 to start, you’ll level up and also get this revival’s entire Game Master Collection with twelve more titles worth an additional $137.50, including the invaluable Aventuria Compendium and its Compendium Figure Flats; the Aventuria Bestiary and Gods of Aventuria sourcebooks; all six colorful scenarios in the 392-page Theater Knights campaign – Theater Knights I White Lake, II Blue Tome, III The Black Forest, IV Green Platoon, V Silver Guard, VI Red Choir, plus the companion sourcebook Legacy of the Theater Knights; and The Dark Eye GM Screen with its Inns & Taverns booklet.
Note: No German-language versions are included in this offer.
Get this revived June 2023 Dark Eye Megabundle before its occult lid closes again Wednesday, July 23.
On global homogenetic culture. “GHC is Trader Joe’s bags outside of the...
Jul. 2nd, 2025 05:33 pmkottke_org_feedOn global homogenetic culture. “GHC is Trader Joe’s bags outside of the States. GHC is people en masse wearing the same exact outfits on accident in public. GHC is adult dorms. GHC is a Louis Vuitton in every city. GHC is Shake Shake going global.”
updates: the sleep clinic, the aggressively red wall, and more
Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:29 pmaskamanager_feedHere are four updates from past letter-writers.
1. I work in a sleep clinic and some patients want to sleep naked
I’ve been sitting on this reply to you because my experience as a brand new sleep tech student trainee went horribly awry. It was such a hostile and abusive work environment I felt forced to leave/pushed out. It was so bad I was advised by a third party to pursue a court case against my employer, but at the time I did not have the spoons or funds to do so (they’re a world-renowned health and learning institution).
My formal request for hospital gowns was denied by the manager. Some of the more senior level techs vocally supported my request at the team meeting, but one senior-level tech invoked the ol “Back in my day…” speech which completely dismissed my concerns of sexual harassment by patients. However, a newly hired supervisor, who is much younger than our senior techs and more understanding of the problem, was able to procure a package of robes from the hospital for us to use, and they were used.
As of this moment, I am at a crossroads of sorts. I get anxiety when I think about working in a hospital again. I drove by the building the other day and my entire body went stiff. The problem wasn’t the patients or the scope of the work itself, it was the people I was forced to work with for 12-hour night shifts. They were so mean and downright nasty, and none of it was necessary. I did request a change to day shift or move to another office, but HR just made everything worse.
I paid a significant amount of money for schooling to change careers, and I put in an incredible amount of work to get comfortable working with patients- I absolutely loved working with my patients (and I was good at it for the most part). It would be a shame to abandon all of that training due to some emotionally immature, poorly trained, and abusive people. I’m lucky enough to have a good group of techs who will provide recommendations for me, but the anxiety is REAL. I’ve been gritting my teeth while writing this email. I really don’t want to give up.
2. Coworkers are very concerned that I’m not wearing a coat
This became less of a problem as the weather got warmer, but I did take your advice and start mentioning to my well-meaning colleagues that I run hot and the comments tapered off. It was really helpful to me to reframe their concern as something that they would express to everyone. I’ve also tried to take my age in stride in the workplace and offer perspectives that my older coworkers maybe haven’t thought about and I’ve been really thriving since I wrote to you in January! My youth comes into play quite often in my job as I am a youth services librarian — something I didn’t mention in my original letter since I guess part of me already knew that my proximity to kids probably also made me seem younger than I am to my coworkers.
I was in the comments section briefly the day my letter was published, and I do live in an area of the U.S. that tends to get snow in winter and drop to chilly temperatures after sunset, so I do keep a spare coat in my car that I don’t touch, haha. Thank you commenters for your kind words!
3. How can I push for a standard fee that wasn’t in a contract? (#5 at the link)
I’m the writer who asked about trying to get my cancellation fee from an organization who didn’t use contracts.
The update is short and sweet — they paid me! I replied to them and simply said, “You’re likely aware that [old org] has not historically executed contracts. Instead they create agreements with speakers according to their own internal system, which I’m assuming you all intend to honor.”
They said yes, and a while later the check came. Fast forward to a few weeks prior to the conference, and about a third of their line up withdrew, citing ethical concerns over the board’s handling of the previous President’s misconduct. I was grateful to already be done with them before needing to do the same.
4. Can I ask to have the red wall in my new office repainted? (#4 at the link)
The red wall lives on in my office, despite my best efforts. I’ve done what I can to cover it up — strategic furniture placement, art, giant bulletin boards — but it still makes its presence known.
I have students dropping by daily and they always mention how comfortable the space makes them feel … and then immediately add, “Well, except for that giant red wall.” Thankfully, they quickly add that they can tell I didn’t pick it because it doesn’t fit my ‘vibe.’
So, for now, the wall remains — an aggressively bold and unwelcome conversation piece.
Nothing short of an in-person inspection can convey how truly terrible corporate chili pepper looks when it’s looming over your desk like a hostile deadline.
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