Guilty

 Donald Trump is guilty. On all 34 counts, even though he had the resources to hire the best lawyers. Republican sycophants call the judge corrupt and the trial shameful, a travesty of justice. These people don’t realize they are giving a slap in the face to the American justice system and to the 12 ordinary citizens who, by all counts, did an admirable job under demanding circumstances. Whoever would vote for Trump needs to do some careful reckoning.

New words

 Still 10 more new words

ploverasty
whorvenate
zingle
quothering
prangle
winkubate
whadobe
braddle
clouster
xergenic

NCAA

 The NCAA has already approved NIL payments to athletes. These can amount to surprisingly large amounts of money. Athletes get scholarships, housing, meals, training and medical care for the work they do. Now the NCAA has approved payment to athletes for their performance.

This is a crass cave-in to the influence of money. If this were a matter of fairness and principle, student dancers, musicians, actors, singers and filmmakers would be paid too. They represent their colleges and universities and perform before paying audiences.
But this is only s
Step 1 for the NCAA.
Step 2: Assure that all players’ salaries are tax-deductible.
Step 3: Provide pensions for the athletes.
Step 4: Not require athletes to pursue a degree.

Love/hate

 Hate exploits our differences and never finds our shared humanity.

Love builds on our shared humanity and is blind to our differences.

10 new words

 Here are 10 new words. Use them as you like.

yugly
thirth
zorgasm
panthem
quinch
wadieu
plostrich
spurethra
baxle
troleander

full attention

 When is the last time you gave your full attention to something? Full attention is a kind of intimacy, and intimacy is rare in this age of demanding work, family commitments and social media. The world needs your attention more than ever.

Wisdom

 The reward for full attention to life is wisdom.

Care

 In our true humanity, we are all connected. But if we can’t care about one another enough to avoid war, we will never care enough about one another to avoid climate disaster. We must accept this failure of human beings to reach their full potential.

Nature

When we are born, we are nature, a consequence of how nature evolved. As we grow, we develop our own individual relationships to nature. Live in it, research its structure and processes, ignore it, manipulate and transform it, cram it into yards, parks and zoos. Sadly, we have the power to bring evolution’s creations to extinction—including ourselves. We already have.

No matter what choices we make, nature will sustain itself in it, ever-evolving.  

Reality

 It’s impossible to squeeze the reality of the world into your reality. The world is always in flux in its richness, complexity and connectedness and wonder. But it is possible to have the curiosity, courage and will to change your reality as the world’s changes. Not to do this is intellectual death.

Head