Bits and Clips for January 2017

Bits and Clips for January 2017

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Bits and clips is this blog’s monthly feature of the best I saw, read, or heard on the internet in the month. With my New Year’s Resolution prohibiting trolling, I thought this monthly feature might suffer. That was definitely not the case, even though I’ve been diligent about my resolution. There is more here than ever before. Many of them came from you. Thank you for that.

It has been an unusual month. I dearly–emphatically!– want to honor blog readers of every stripe on both sides of the aisle even though I find myself in a position to take a stand, and feel a need for me to do so. However, I respect our differences as well, and I don’t want to offend anyone, nor do I see this blog as a platform on which to argue points of view.

So in these bits and clips– and maybe those going forward– I will split up my “ideas” section below to separate out anything political from those that are not partisan, in an effort to offer perspectives in a way that they can be explored or avoided, as the reader wishes.

In the meantime, I hope we are all involved in the process. To be in touch with your representatives, text your Zip Code to 520-200-2223. You’ll get a text back with the names and numbers of your federal and state reps and senators. This is an easy way to get the numbers into your phone. Then use these numbers and participate as often as you feel the need.

Anyway, I hope there is something here that you find helpful, interesting, enlightening or thought provoking:

Art:

The Science of Van Gogh’s Bedrooms (video)

52 Years Later Simon and Garfunkel perform the Sound of Silence (video)

Paper Marbling (video)

The Impact of the National Endowment of the Arts on American Culture

As Glaciers Literally Crumble Around Him A Pianist Plays an Elegy for the Arctic (video)

Photography:

The 100 Best Photos Ever Taken Without Photoshop

Christian Science Monitor Photos of the Weekend

Spirituality:

Expecting a Long and Joyous Life (podcast)

The Irresistible Effect of doing Good for Others

What Defeats Organized Evil

Getting to the Heart of Peacemaking (podcast)

The Best Place to Be

Dalai Lama: Four Things to Keep in Mind for the Next Four Years

The Prayer of Sacrifice 

Decide to Be Brilliant!

Post Election Blues or Bliss?

Stop Marginalizing Christian Science

Marrianne Williamson: Reflections on this Week’s Events (video)

Ideas (other):

5 Essential Questions, Even so

Don’t Look at Me. I Just Got Here Myself. (Kurt Vonnegut quotes)

Banff Camping Tips

The Christian Science Monitor is Betting Big on Constructive, Non-Depressing (but Paid for) News

The Best Way to Learn Anything: The Feynman Technique

Three Questions You’ll Need to Answer Before You’ll Have the Life You Want

How to Neutralize Dangerous Speech

The Five Craziest Hours in the White House

13 Things You Should Give Up if You Want to Be Successful

Ten Funniest Cartoons About Writing

Ideas (political):

Let the Record Show

Our Next President Brought to You by Big Data

Ann Patchett: Obama Our President of Love

Joe Biden: I Wish to Hell I Kept Saying the Exact Same Thing

Obama’s Farewell Address Speech

Obama Awards Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom (video)

The Bush Sisters Wrote the Obama Girls a Letter

Obama Foundation (video)

Groups Taking Indivisible Action

Gerrymandering (video)

Why Trump’s Inauguration is Not the Beginning of an Era but an End

Dan Rather’s Message to America After Trump’s Inauguration

Trump’s War on Women Begins

Ferrera’s Speech at the Women’s March (video)

What it means to be a Nasty Woman Speech (video)

Women’s March Should Be a Warm Up

Trump’s Executive Order on Ethics Pulls Word for Word from Obama, Clinton

A Clarifying Moment in American History

How to Culture Jam a Populist in Four Easy Steps

The More Trump Hates, the More America Rejects Hatred

An Open Letter to Lamar Alexander About Betsy DeVos

Christian Leaders Denounce Trump’s Plan to Favor Christian Immigrants

You Don’t March for Life

California Strikes a Pose as the Vanguard of the Resistance

Begin the Trump Resistance Before it is too Late

Books:

President Obama on What Books Mean to Him

Every Book Barack Obama Recommended During His Presidency

Build Your Vocabulary the Novel Way

The Simple Plan to Read More

Movies:

Doing the Math: Why Hidden Figures Adds up for Movie Goers

Anatomy of a Scene from Hidden Figures

Mary Tyler Moore Dead at 80

Food:

Cauliflower/Broccoli Recipes

Poetry:

Give Him a Chance

Without Poetry What Omens Does Inauguration Hold?

Mending Wall by Robert Frost

Hope:

France Bans Plastic Cups, Plates, Cutlery

A Heart Full of Grace

Marching

Something Bigger Than Personalities

Starbuck’s Epic Response to Trump’s Executive Order

NY Governor Announces First in Nation Free Tuition Plan

Boston Mayor Defies Trump Immigrant Executive Order (video)

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I work to amplify good wherever I find it. I love color, texture, beauty, great ideas, nature, metaphor, deliciousness, genuine spirituality, and exploring new territory. I encourage authenticity, nurture creativity, champion sustainability, promote peace, and hope to foster a new renaissance where we all are free to be our most fulfilled, multifaceted, and terrific selves. Read more here.

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