The marvels of meditation
Today (Dec. 21) is UN World Meditation Day. Today I used some of the meditation skills that I have practiced over the years to quiet my heart and mind so that my concerns about having a new landlord in the context of my lessening abilities to care for my lot space did not steal the day.
With my heart thus quieted, my mind became much more free to think clearly. I then was able to call Pullman Community Council on Aging and start the process of engaging their Senior Chore Service to help me become a better neighbor where I live.
I did so while being well aware of the very good example of Thich Nhat Hanh’s student Sister True Dedication. When she learned that several of her friends had been murdered, she took ten breaths without thinking a thought. She reports that it was extremely hard to do so, that it took her about an hour to accomplish, and that it left her relived and drained. Her next thought was “What was the problem again?” She then expressed great compassion for the soldiers who were ordered to do the act. You can find more details in their book “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet.”
Tod Merley
Pullman
Silver and Gold Elegy
I had a dream
They got a good coach
He built a good team
They were fun to watch
Hopes rose
Like drones over eastern skies
Winning wasn’t uncommon anymore
The marching band wasn’t the only reason to go anymore
The coach’s son was way better than before
The Big Sky was bright
With a large, Brave and Bold Presence
On the Silver and Gold sideline
People did abound
In the seats all around
Our season ticket spot
The team was hot
Playoffs were the annual lot
Instead of never and not
A chance in hell
The fight song was loud
Record numbers in the crowd
Folks were so, so proud
No false Phoenix,
What arose from former faux football ashes
Were thrilling touchdown dashes
And epic clashes
Reviving old rivalries
With pomp and due revelry
“That’s good for another first down!”
And many folks from out of town
Who could shop at Home Depot
If it weren’t so far to go
But wait!
What’s that I hear?!
A pack of lonesome, losing Lobos
Howling from afar in my ear!
A siren call, I fear
’Twill be answered from here
By the Presence
From the Silver and Gold sideline
Our former Presence
Their new Present
Their Christmas cheer
Their winning hand
For the next several years
Trading Silver and Gold
For silver and cherry
And something so merry
As a pot of that stuff
From the end of the rainbow
The Hajj has begun
For it’s not just one
Who’s en route
In just one day
Eight others were out
And no triage can slow
The inexorable flow
As we watch our pigskin hopes go
South
Into the mouth
Of the Chihuahuan Desert
Greg Cain
Moscow
Donate blood: an easy way to volunteer
The easiest and quickest way to really give of your time and resources is to donate blood to the American Red Cross. The average amount of time to complete a blood donation is 6 to 8 minutes. Young and old, all cross sections of our communities participate with this worthwhile program.
To meet your goal of donating blood in 2025, sign up for the Jan. 2, 2025, Red Cross Blood Drive at my church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse, Second and Van Buren streets in Moscow.
Donating my blood has been a noteworthy part of my full adult life. I have the universal blood type, O negative. But everyone has blood that can save a vehicular victim’s life, a new mom as she is in her ob surgery, or friends having organ transplants. I just earned my 16-gallon pin! And, I am only 5 foot tall.
Please, go and sign up at the website for the American Red Cross blood drives, to register for my Jan. 2 event!
Pamela Arborgreen
Pullman
King of incompetence
I will never stop pointing out Trump’s deep incompetence and his demand of loyalty over the Constitution, aka nationalism — patriotism be damned, dammit!
According to the Tennessee Holler and many others, Texas Rep., supposedly educated, Troy Nehls said — “If Trump says jump 3 feet and scratch your head. That’s it.” Nehl’s statement “represents” the epitome of incompetence.
Trump Christians, your king of incompetence said, “Jesus rose in three days, I would have done it faster.” This is a president selling Bibles, his name before God, for crying out loud! Plus, golden tennis shoes and 10k watches! Oh, my Christian friends, what hast thou rot?
In review — he named a grossly inexperienced, womanizing alcoholic for defense secretary; a Russian and Syrian asset with serious national security issues as “intelligence” director; plus disgustingly underqualifed acolytes Kash Patel and RFK Jr., each having absolutely zero experience for critically important positions as FBI and HHS secretaries. Oh, my duped Always Trumpers, what have you brought?
Jim Roach
Moscow
Did Electoral College suppress voter turnout
President-elect Donald Trump is claiming a special mandate by winning the popular vote, though only by a little over 2 million (1.5%; and getting below 50% of total popular vote) compared to President Joe Biden’s winning margin of about 7 million (4%; 51%) over Trump in 2020.
If the Electoral College had already been scrapped, would the popular vote have been significantly changed by the candidates campaigning in all states, not just battleground ones?
Why did Washington state have its lowest turnout in 28 years? Why was California’s historically low (California’s voter turnout sank in 2024, Public Policy Institute of California, Nov. 18)? With the Electoral College in force, did Democrats who vote only in presidential elections, historically more numerous than their Republican counterparts, stay home in reliably blue Washington — and other such states like California? Notably, California supplied most of Hillary Clinton’s almost 3 million popular vote margin over Trump in 2016.
Constitutional amendment is one avenue to scrapping the Electoral College but isn’t the only one. Some states have already passed legislation triggering all of their presidential electoral votes going to the national popular vote winner once enough states totaling at least 270 electoral votes passes this legislation. States not yet on board totaling at least 61 more electoral votes are needed. Washington and California have already passed this. States considered most likely to join anew are Virginia, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina (Map shows where effort to replace Electoral College stands, CBS News, Oct. 2).
Norm Luther
Spokane
