Natural Wonder Fellowship

Some states are re-opening far too soon. The efforts undertaken by most of society to prevent further spread of the disease (covid-19) caused by the virus (CoV-2) are having an effect. The number of new cases each day is not increasing as fast as it was. It's not going down in many places, but at least it's not increasing as fast. Opening too soon may well set us all back to the beginning stages of this pandemic. How dire can the need for a haircut possibly be? Listen to the scientists; stay home. Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian, has more on this concept.  In spite of federal claims to the contrary, states do not have test kits, and the supplies and personnel to perform them, and the labs to process them. A shortage in any of these areas means testing cannot be completed. States do not have the data to make intelligent choices regarding proactive measures to prevent spread of any outbreaks that may occur. States do not have data to know when it is actually saf...

While wandering around YouTube, I came across this video  https://youtu.be/m08i8oXpFB0 on making baguettes. I've never been that much on baking (box cake mix, refrigerator tube biscuits, occasionally, cookie dough in a roll). This bread recipe didn't seem too involved, not for the payoff. Who doesn't like fresh baked bread? The recipe calls for 'bread' flour -- I've never heard of such a thing. Swell, research -- what is it, do I need it? Found this video  https://youtu.be/z6FUSo8Lyw4 and decided that the flour I knew was in the cabinet would be fine. Also got another, easier bread recipe from the second video -- a win all around.  Off to the cabinet. Grabbed the yeast package strips that have been in the way of the oatmeal all winter. Oh swell, research again. How long after the 'use by' date is instant yeast good for? Ugh, *that's* not promising (12-18 months). How do you know if instant yeast is still good? Aha! It's still good. It's m...

A bit of self pampering... prepare a serving tray with your beverage of choice and required accompaniments (ice, sugar, whatever) and accoutrements  (spoon, tongs, whatever, cup and saucer or glass)... Put near your comfy chair. Prepare a generous size not too deep pan with goodly warm water a bit of lavender EO, a bit of myrrh EO, a spot of liquid soap -- place on towel on floor in front of comfy chair -- enjoy a foot soak. Watch the birds and cuddle a cat as you listen to music, or read the comics or a good book, or watch video; rub your feet against each other, wriggle, wiggle, and stretch your toes -- sip your tea and relax. Use the pumice stone, freshen your tea, and soak some more. Blot dry especially around your nails and between your toes; feel the texture of the towel on your skin; trim your toe nails and soak again. Dry, especially between and under your toes, and that skin right against your toenails. Finish with massaged-in [scented] lotion. Relax a few more minutes. Aa...

Good day, every day. I don't understand people being bored in their own homes. There is so much you can do that you maybe have never done. Evaluate you -- really think about who and what you are. Start a journal. Write all you imagine, hope, or dream for; all you've done but regretted; all you've accomplished and are proud of; what would you tell your younger self; what do you want to tell your future self. You can say or write anything... this is a private journey for you only. No one will see or judge you. Only you will. This is for your benefit, no one else's. You can shred or burn each page as you've finished if you like. Take time to re-read, think about, evaluate what you've written first though. This thought clearing exercise has helped me for many years.  Watch the sun rise or set, or both. Watch the colors of the sky, the shadows on your surroundings change; sketch, draw, color it; you only need pencil and paper to sketch. I wonder how it looks from...

Facts matter. All the thoughts and prayers in the world is not going to solve this problem. All the dodge and deflect from our elected leaders is not going to solve this. Demand action. Where are the tests and supplies, personnel and PPE to keep workers safe? Why are some people willing to risk everyone's well-being with their selfish desire to attend a [whatever] ball game or religious service? We don't need a cheer leader, we need a true leader. We need a force, not a farce.  And, what of other animals? We've destroyed their habitat, trapped them for entertainment and education; don't we owe it to them to at least feed and care for them?   https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/18/836499991/zoos-look-for-ways-to-offset-an-elephant-sized-plunge-in-revenues  AND   https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/04/17/these-apes-monkeys-escaped-poaching-trafficking-now-they-must-battle-pandemic/  Several other links are below the W...

Well, Happy New Year! We're into 2020 now. I have been a bit busy, so I apologize for the pause in posts. It wasn't planned, it just worked out that way. You know how that goes. I found Project Gutenberg a goodly while ago. It has created e-books of many publications that are hard to find or even no longer in print.  As I'm very interested in mythology and stories, I stumbled upon this site:  http://digital.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=3623 where I found an early 1920s abridged version of his earlier work, The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer (e-text by David Reed).  I've been reading it for a couple months now, off and on. I'm only about one-third of the way through it. A bit pretentious and wordy, and by no means currently accepted socially aware terminology, I am much enjoying his descriptions and explanations. Author lays out a logical, believable path from primitive man's belief in magic and superstition to philosophy and r...

The many "versions" of the Bible tell sort of, mostly, kind of the same story but in quite different "flavors". A few days ago, I accidentally got BibleGateway away from my standard reference KJV to ESV while looking at Ezekial 23 (parable of a pair of sisters as stand-ins for 2 towns). I've apparently been using a very plain vanilla flavor -- when I've previously read this, I only took it as another of the jealous god, 'you're gonna pay for not worshiping and praising only me, me, me enough' stories. I never thought of it quite the way some versions present it. This pretty much absolutely convinces me the words are written by men, for men. No one else is that obsessed with their own genitalia and sexual performance. How dare she lust for someone better hung (or more skilled) than I! Male insecurity writ large (claiming to be 'the word of the Lord'). This is verse 20.  KJV - For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the fle...

I heard the late Christopher Hitchens recite, kinda sing, this off the cuff at a presentation several years ago. I think credit goes to Monty Python, but may be another group. Either way, I found it hilarious. Apparently, philosophers of the past really liked their drink. Immanuel Kant was a real pissant Who was very rarely stable Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar Who could think you under the table David Hume could out-consume Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel And Wittgenstein was a beery swine Who was just as schloshed as Schlegel There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya 'bout the raising of the wrist Socrates, himself, was permanently pissed John Stuart Mill, of his own free will On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill Plato, they say, could stick it away Half a crate of whiskey every day Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle And Hobbes was fond of his dram And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart ...

So, good day! It's been a while. Hope all is well with you and yours. People sometimes ask me why I don't believe in their, or anyone else's, god, gods, or goddesses. The simple answer is I see no evidence for any god. I see no evidence for any demon either. Humans can do evil things, sometimes individually but often in groups. That is the action of the people involved, not supernatural beings of any sort. Those wicked (or evil) actions are very often done in the name of some religious doctrine or god though. The Hindu pantheon of gods somehow justifies India's persecution of the Muslims, Buddhists, and others in that country. I am more familiar with the Abrahamic god (the so-called One God) and will limit my discussion to it. It's been said that rulers find religion useful for keeping the population under control. I believe that is indeed the case. As a social species, most of us want to belong to a group. This may be an evolutionary trait, safety in numbers and ...

This coming Monday, November 11th is a big day!  A transit of Mercury in the morning; and it is Veterans' Day. Thanks to all who've served. Send a card, a care package, make a phone call, take someone to lunch maybe? Mercury's transit "across" the sun coverage at NASA site. Veterans Day is coming up. what are your plans? pic.twitter.com/OlgKcdhN79 — MAAF Official (@militaryatheist) November 7, 2019

First of all, why are the gods so interested in what you eat,  or when you eat it? I vaguely remember as a child that we weren't supposed to eat meat on Friday, but fish was okay. I don't know why our house (sort of) followed what I think was a Catholic dietary rule, since we were supposedly Lutheran. I don't know why the Catholic rule existed (or still exists). Mentioning seafood reminded me that the Abrahamic gods either don't like pork or certain birds, and require halal meat (but not donkeys, horses, some others) (Allah), or prohibit non-finned "fish" or non-kosher meat (Yahweh/Spirit), or prohibit meat on Friday (God/Jesus/Ghost; possibly only a specific sect's rule). The Baha'i (monotheistic personal god) are mostly vegetarian (and denounce cruelty to animals). The Hindus (Brahma, Vishnu, Krishna, many others) do not eat beef (cows are considered sacred, hence the "no sacred cows" idiom in the US). The Sikhs (Allah, via gurus) are mostl...

The below sample set (from a single source, in a limited time period) is aside from the graft and embezzlement (April, 2018) on the part of many of the mega church leaders. Examples also do not mention any of the clergy child abuse and pedophilia scandals involving numerous denominations of Christianity in the west. The Sweet Jesus Ice Cream ad seems to have brought out some of the whiniest of the U.S. Christians a while back (April, 2018). I haven't looked to see how the ice cream chain is doing. It's within the airport facility in Baltimore. I need to try it the next time I fly. The blog piece and comments cracked me up though. In a country with a secular constitution, how can the predominant religion that has forced its symbols, beliefs, and iconography into our schools, our courts, and our government complain about being mocked? The U.S. is not supposed to have a tyranny of the majority. The U.K. is predominantly Anglican Christian, and still has the head of that church...

I've been seeing recently people claiming that atheism is a religion! Needless to say I find this confusing after years of being called heathen, devil worshiper, and more, now suddenly atheism is a religion? Memes are popping up "Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color", "Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby", and others along the same vein. To be clear, theism is a belief in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe. Atheism is a lack of such belief. A gnostic claims knowledge that a god or gods exist; an agnostic makes no such knowledge claim. The word "secular" means not related to religion, so a non-believer is secular; a believer is non-secular.  That's it, that's all there is to it.   I think the confusion originated with "state of religion" type surveys (Pew and others asking respondents to self identify their religion). As "nothing in particul...

Several interesting things have been going on. Troubling environmental news on several fronts. The Amazon rain forest is burning at the worst rate in years, and driest of the dry season has not even arrived. When Notre Dame Cathedral burned there was a hue and cry from all corners. That structure can be re-built. The rain forest cannot be replaced. It produces about 20% of the oxygen in, and removes a significant amount of carbon dioxide from, our atmosphere. Who's even trying to address that issue? Certainly not the current White House occupant. The fires have been raging for over 3weeks now. I recently read that Brazil (maybe) was going to send some army troops to fight the fires. Are military personnel trained to fight wild fires? It is something, at least.  A while back I received my DNA results from Ancestry. I've been working on my "tree" there for about 3-4 years or so. I'm running my parents, my deceased first husband's parents, and my current hu...