Book Review Beep by Bill Roorbach

Poignant, hilarious, psychedelic and deeply rooted in other-than-human #intelligence. Read it and laugh, then cry for all we stand to lose if bright, intelligent non-human #animals no longer live alongside us. #monkey BookReview #books #BillRoorbach #quote

Imaginary philanthropy

If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to? Today’s thought-provoking question about who you would donate to if you had 1 million dollars reveals a lot about what people care about. There’s a lot of injustice and state-sponsored violence going on in the world. I would give 1Continue reading “Imaginary philanthropy”

The end of endless growth

What are you most excited about for the future? Endless growth is the mantra of wealth funds, publicly listed companies and well-to-do boomers and aspirational designer clothing wearing millennials. It’s the catchcry of neoliberal flavours of capitalism. The only problem – and it’s a significant one – is that we live in a natural worldContinue reading “The end of endless growth”

Book Review: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

I didn’t expect much from this book and was delightfully surprised by its immense depth and foresight. ‘How to Do Nothing’ is a profound and glittering jewel about the big topics of politics, internet culture, consumerism, capitalism and consciousness. It takes well-worn assumptions about how you spend your time and the tyrannical monopoly of banal “stuff” on your attention – and then rearranges your brain forever!

Ancient Word of the Day: Adsum

From Latin: “Adsum” – be here now

The life, in a form, that we all live. Adsum abandons hopelessness and blind hope and even rational hope.

Hope is that virtue by which we take responsibility for the future and a quality that gives our actions special urgency.

Ancient Word of the Day: Humus

From the word ‘Humus’ come many of the words for being human and humility. For millennia and across many cultures, walking with your bare feet in the earth has been a sign of humility.

Powerful Thought: The dead bird urges you to write

Rachel Carson was urged to write ‘Silent Spring’ by the dead birds she held in her hands who called her to write.

She could not live, knowing what she had learned about DDT, without speaking, without – her gift – lifting her pen to write.

Ancient Fable: St. Francis of Assisi and the injured wolf

13th century Italian saint, St Francis of Assisi never understood earth as being a garden of resources over which we have dominion. Instead, he saw the earth as a mother or a sister who governs us.

Comforting Thought: Eccentricity

“To live rooted on a changing earth is to create a new story. There are so few voices left that speak for wild nature first. It’s time to clasp hands (paws, fins, feathers, branches) and know where we stand.” Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Comforting Thought: Wild hearts breed protection of a wild earth

“We enter as pilgrims, as wayfarers knowing there is something we are seeking. Something nameless, beautiful, waiting and wanting.” ~ Lyanda Lynn Haupt