Greetings from Alison Wiley here in Portland, Oregon. I'm a writer/doer/thinker who lives happily by putting people, nature and God ahead of accumulating more stuff. Read more →
Tomorrow is Columbus Day, in honor of that explorer’s 1492 landing on the shore of what is now the Bahamas. We all studied history in high school — but did those textbooks have the benefit of recent research on North, Central and South American history? Celebrate Columbus Day by taking this short true-false quiz on the Americas that Columbus found more than [...]
Tags: 1491·Charles C. Mann·Charles Mann·Columbus Day·culture·Indians·Native Americans·Tenochtitlan
I’m writing from Chicago, where the BlogHer conference I’m attending will start tomorrow. My run on the lakeshore last night took me to Millenium Park, where I had another of my little ecstatic, falling-in-love experiences, between the gardens, the symphony orchestra playing in the outdoor pavilion, and most of all, the unique fountain and wading [...]
Tags: Bill McKibben·BlogHer conference·carbon footprint·Chicago·chickens·climate change·culture·Deep Economy·Detroit·fun·global warming·happiness·Millenium Park·papalars·urban farming
Brief post today — My first thought when I learned of the death of Michael Jackson was: I hope he finds more peace now than he did in his troubled earth-walk. My second, actually ongoing thought as his life and death fills the airwaves and the front page of the New York Times is: wouldn’t [...]
Tags: celebrity·culture·life·Michael Jackson·New York Times·Portland
This piece of mine was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on Memorial Day, 2003. I have some mixed feelings about Memorial Day. On one hand, I deeply respect people - in this case, soldiers and veterans - who work and struggle for causes larger than themselves, and are willing to die for their cause. [...]
Tags: BL1961·culture·life·Memorial Day·patriotism·war·witches
We have the power to be happy despite the recession we’re in, regardless of our nation’s economic troubles. Who says? Daniel Gilbert, an expert on happiness, in this article. Research shows that it is uncertainty and anxiety about the future, not loss of assets per se, is what brings human happiness down the most. So, [...]
A cool thing about vanpooling is getting to read things I’d never have the time to read otherwise.My latest favorite read is a Newsweek article about compassionate behavior. The big research finding is that emotionally secure people who feel safe in the world are more likely to help others and be kind to them. People [...]
Tags: consumption·culture·life·relationships
I took myself to a movie at the Laurelhurst last night, Monday being my night on my own that I often use to see my girlfriends. I visited Vicki and her sweet but depressed dog Ruby, but then she had to go teach a community college class helping women find jobs in the current economy. [...]
Tags: culture·fun·Laurelhurst Theater·New Deal Pizza·renewable energy·Slumdog Millionaire·Vicki Lind
The new Grist site has an article titled Myth: Using Less Energy = Sacrifice. Its author David Roberts is saying what mainstream culture wants to hear: no discomfort at hand as we deal with global warming. No lifestyle changes needed. I know many progressive people, smart people, who promote this viewpoint. And I understand that [...]
Tags: change·climate change·culture·David Roberts·global warming·Grist·oil
When I was a girl growing up in Southern California, I was horse crazy, absolutely. I saved my allowance to go riding on Sunday afternoons after church. It cost $2.50/hour and of course we always asked for Dusty or Peanuts, the horses that would run. I wished to own a horse of my own, but [...]
Tags: air conditioning·culture·development·economics·environment·global warming·Oregon·Stuck in Customs·Sun Belt
Happy Valentine’s Day! In the spirit of romance and soft-edged things, we have haiku today by my friend Colleen Kaleda, who happens to be a professional journalist. Why are Colleen and I so fond of writing haiku together? Because it’s a process of throwing away frippery and non-essentials (and you know how I feel about [...]
Tags: Colleen Kaleda·culture·fun·Grant Macdonald·haiku·happiness·Honduras·life·love·relationships
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