1/4 Rheinhold Niebuhr Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope.

I feel ambivalent about the equinox. Today is not too long, but not too short either.

Someone just sent me this from the Wayback Machine. Former Alaska Governor Jay Hammond did a television thing later in his life, earlier in mine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ND...

I think I just saw Ernie Shackleton and some guys drag a lifeboat across my field singing Hernando's Hideaway

On our last day the skies of Norway gave us a send off like no other.

Needing a break from Vermont's balmy January weather I'm spending the week a couple hundred miles north of the arctic circle on the Lyngen Fiord of Norway. This is an unenhanced photo of the northern lights the other night. 23 years in Alaska and I never saw lights like this.

⚠️ Spoiler Alert ⚠️ Prior to today's #WaitWait, there have only been 13 three-way ties at the end of Lightning Fill In The Blank. This is the 2nd time that @tombodett.bsky.social and Helen Hong have finished in a three-way tie (separate shows) and the 1st time for Adam Burke. #WaitWaitDontTellMe

The madness has to stop. We all forget people's names and we all feel sick about it when we do. Henceforth it is unacceptable to take offense when someone forgets your name, and you are forbidden to lie "I am terrible with names" when you forget theirs. You are normal with names. We all are.

If you're talking about a healthier diet and exercise, I agree. Brutal.

The biggest problem facing Vermont and many states in our region is the aging population. We HAVE to stop aging. I'm game. Who's in?

I cut this clipping from a newspaper 40 years. This quote from novelist EL Doctorow has hung over my desk ever since. It has pulled me out of many a writing mud hole.

When Stephen Miller hijacks the Major League Baseball social media account

I've been in airports and planes all day and things went smoothly. I thanked every TSA person I saw for coming into work today without pay. They appreciated it.

labor.vermont.gov/vee/leaving-... HatchSpace is working hard to help people work hard! Oh what fun we have.

In August of 1984 Susan Stamberg introduced my first radio commentary for All Things Considered. I thought for sure my life had peaked. I still think it might have. She was already a legend then.

Everyone says their exes are narcissists. We're all exes of somebody. I don't know about the rest of you, but they're wrong about me.

Thanks Linh -- Glad to know you're still keeping score!

This seems right

A Common Snapping Turtle laid her eggs alongside our driveway today. That is not common. Must be good luck.

50 yrs ago today I had a near death journey from an electrical accident. It changed my life and saved it. I told the story on The Moth a few years ago themoth.org/stories/insi... Today, even in my second life, I qualify for AARP membership.

Give me your tired, your poor, Your leopard print masses learning to market themselves.

Around Mothers Day I'm always reminded that none of us would have lasted 3 days had someone not been there with us the whole time. Not to mention the following 5000 or so days before most of us became minimally "viable". Whoever that person was for you - that's your mom. Here's mine.

Today would have been my dad's 100th birthday. He saw 85 years of it and I think he would agree that was enough. Happy Birthday, Dad.

As a grateful welcome the week's spring weather I exchanged some of the glass panels on our porch with screens. This was stupid of me. I sincerely apologize to the people of New England for the weekend cold front and gusty winds. I would like to say this will not happen again, but it will.

I've had my American Red Cross Certificate of Completion of training for First Aid/CPR/AED with Life-Threatening Bleeding for 6 hrs and still no action. To keep my skills sharp it looks like I'll have to push somebody down.

The Gelded Age

Marriages change over time. We wink and say, "let's see if we can nap in every room in the house."

I love spring in Vermont

I have 30 times as many followers on X as I do on BlueSky and this post received twice as many reactions here. I want to keep eating lunch at this table.

Physics is hilarious- Heisenberg and Schrödinger get stopped by a police officer who says,“Did you know you were driving at 75 mph?” Heisenberg sighs, “Oh great, now we’re lost.” The officer checks the car’s trunk and asks “Why is there a dead cat in here?” Schrödinger grumbles, “Well, there is NOW!

After the Civil War former CSA Gen.Longstreet admitted to his old friend US Grant, "The mistake we made was giving up the stars and stripes." There is real power in it. A Simple Act of American Dignity open.substack.com/pub/mikebroc...

Celebrating my 33rd sobriety birthday today. Woodworking changed my life. Probably saved it too. www.hatchspace.org/news/l1do7ly...

A glop of strawberry jam on my keyboard as disabled t e " " key. " " as it turns out, is a very useful letter. I wonder if t is is w ere the term "jammed" comes from?

Come spend Leaf Season in Vermont while learning how to work wood! www.hatchspace.org/intensive

with the yankees rescinding their facial hair policy their players have gone from looking like cops to looking like undercover cops

I want to add Jeffery Goldberg to my WhatsApp chat group and he's not responding. Anyone seen him?

Move Slow & Make Things www.hatchspace.org

From the All May Not Be Lost After All Department: Today was the day I had to activate my Social Security and sign up for Medicare. It worked. To quote the great Gracie Allen - you could have knocked me over with a fender.

It's easier to drive on icy roads than it is to explain how to drive on icy roads.

Every January I try to remove dead people from my contacts. They are stubborn and I give up after one or two. It seems indecent and, worse yet, like bad luck.

It's taken me a long time to notice this -- clocks are very judgmental.

It's almost 3 years since my friend PJ passed. His wise counsel endures. We will win an election when all the seats in the House and Senate and the chair behind the desk in the Oval Office and the whole bench of the Supreme Court are filled with people who wish they weren't there. P. J. O'Rourke

The HatchSpace winter market is open until December 24th. If you're anywhere near southern Vermont, it's worth the trip to Brattleboro for quality handmade wooden gifts from our members and students. www.hatchspace.org

In spite of it all it is Sunday and calm and sunny and the woods is not on fire. Sheenagh Pugh says it best --

strattonmagazine.com/local/recove... This is a dream made true. I want to see this everywhere!

strattonmagazine.com/good-works/b... Some nice local ink

Over 35 years our back to school list evolved from Ninja Turtles backpacks to mini-fridges and cell phones. And I still love this time of year.

How many would join me if I organized a People With Achy Backs for Harris call?

Looking back at my seven published works, they were all better before I started on them. This might explain the price point.

I have one last question to answer before I throw my hat in the ring for President - Which hat?