Monday, July 07, 2025

Five Things

 


Last week I:

1. Visited the chiropractor.

2. Attended a celebration of life for an old friend.

3. Went to the grocery store.

4. Worked on poetry.

5. Had many discussions with my new friends Chad and Sage.



In solidarity with federal workers, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. I don't know if they still have to do that, but I have kept it up since it's a quick way to get something on the blog for Monday. Since I don't have a regular job, it's a fairly mundane list.

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Sunday Stealing



Since it's the 4th of July weekend, we're going to keep this simple. We stole this from a blogger named Idzie, who called this the F.A.B. (film, audio, book) meme.

F.A.B.

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching?

A. We've been watching M*A*S*H* on DVD. 

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

A. At the moment, I am listening to nothing but the hum of the air purifiers.

B. Book: What are you reading?

A. I am listening to a memoir called Ordinary Time, by Annie B. Jones and up next is The Rulebreaker by Susan Page. I am not reading a book at the moment; I am reading The Atlantic.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday, July 05, 2025

Saturday 9: Lady Liberty




. . . because it's 4th of July weekend.

Hear Barbra Streisand sing it here.

1) This song is a Valentine to the Statue of Liberty. Have you ever visited Lady Liberty?

A. I have seen her from afar during a visit to New York City, but I have not seen her up close.

2) When you combine the lady herself and her pedestal, she stands 22 stories high. What's the tallest building you've ever been in?

A. I have been in the 21-story Wells Fargo Building in Roanoke, VA. It was called the Dominion Tower at the time, though.
 
3) Her crown represents universal liberty with seven spikes for the seven seas. Without looking it up, can you name the seven seas?

A. Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Arctic Sea, and I'm not sure any of those are right. Nope, I am only partly right.  Artic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, North Pacific, South Pacific, Southern. That's according to NOAA. But a search also gives me: Black Sea, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. I guess it depends on which 7 you want to pick. 
 
4) The song was written by Desmond Child, a Cuban American from Gainesville, home of the University of Florida. In 1965, a team of UF scientists invented Gatorade. Do you have any Gatorade in your home right now?

A. I do have Gatorade in my house right now.

5) While best known for his work with KISS, Bon Jovi and Cher, Desmond Child was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the Muppets 2003 holiday special. This morning, as we enjoy summer, what's the first Christmas carol that pops into your head?

A. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

6) Desmond wrote this song specifically for Barbra Streisand. Watching her record it was a dream come true and he found himself standing very close to her as she sang. When he asked if he was "hovering," she suggested it might be better if he gave her a little more space. Does it bother you when someone stands very close or reads over your shoulder?

A. Yes.

7) Fireworks were introduced to celebrate the 4th because they represent the "rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air." When did you most recently sing "The Star Spangled Banner?"

A. I can't recall. It is not an easy song to sing.

8) John Adams predicted the 4th would be observed with "pomp and parades." Does your community have a parade in honor of the day?

A. Yes, there are parades here on the 4th of July. When I was in high school, the band used to march in one of them. They would give us salt tablets before we went marching to keep us all from passing out in the street from dehydration.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will/did you dine on this 4th of July?

A. Hot dogs.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday, July 03, 2025

Thursday Thirteen



What If History Had Taken a Different Turn?

History is full of crossroads—moments when a single decision, invention, or accident could have reshaped the world as we know it. As someone who loves exploring the nuance behind historical narratives, I find myself drawn to these “what if” scenarios. They’re not just mental exercises—they reveal how fragile, contingent, and interconnected our past truly is.

Here are 13 historical what-ifs that fascinate me:

1. What if Jesus had written down his own teachings? Would Christianity look radically different if we had a direct written record from him? Perhaps theological disputes over interpretation would have been fewer—or maybe the written word would have been elevated above the relational, lived faith he modeled.

2. What if the Library of Alexandria had never been destroyed? The loss of this ancient knowledge hub set back human progress by centuries. With preserved texts from thinkers like Archimedes and Hypatia, we might have reached the scientific revolution in the Middle Ages instead of the 17th century.

3. What if the American Revolution had failed? Had Britain crushed the rebellion, the U.S. might resemble modern-day Canada or even be called Canada. It likely would still be democratic, but with a parliamentary system and a monarch. Slavery might have ended earlier under British rule, but independence movements around the world could have been delayed.

4. What if Martin Luther had been silenced before the Reformation? Without the 95 Theses, the Protestant Reformation might never have taken root. Europe could have remained under Catholic hegemony, delaying religious pluralism, literacy, and the rise of modern nation-states. There may have never been a Renaissance.

5. What if women had been allowed to vote from the founding of the U.S.? Imagine a U.S. Constitution that recognized women’s voices from the start. Policies on education, labor, and healthcare might have evolved decades earlier, and the feminist movement would have taken a very different shape. We might even have had a woman president by now.

6. What if the Black Death hadn’t devastated Europe? The plague killed up to 60% of Europe’s population, but it also dismantled feudalism and empowered the working class. Without it, the Renaissance might have been delayed, and the social order could have remained rigid for centuries.

7. What if Native American nations had formed a unified resistance to colonization? A pan-Indigenous alliance could have changed the trajectory of North America. Unified diplomacy or military resistance might have preserved more land, culture, and sovereignty—and forced European powers to negotiate rather than conquer.

8. What if the Axis powers had won World War II? A chilling thought: fascist regimes dominating Europe and Asia, with democracy extinguished in its cradle. The Holocaust might have continued, and the U.S. could have been partitioned or occupied.

9. What if the Cold War had turned hot? A nuclear war between the U.S. and USSR would have devastated the planet. Even a limited exchange could have triggered a nuclear winter, mass famine, and the collapse of civilization as we know it.

10. What if the internet had been invented in the 19th century? Imagine steam-powered modems and telegram-based memes. Early access to global communication might have accelerated civil rights movements—or enabled authoritarian surveillance long before Orwell imagined it.

11. What if the 9/11 attacks had been foiled? Without that tragedy, the U.S. might have avoided the War on Terror, the Patriot Act, and two decades of foreign conflict. Domestic politics could have remained less polarized, and Islamophobia might not have become so deeply entrenched. Maybe we would not have turned into the nation of hateful idiots that we seem to be now.

12. What if the Equal Rights Amendment had passed in the 1970s? The ERA would have enshrined gender equality in the Constitution, giving courts a stronger basis to strike down discriminatory laws. It might have changed the trajectory of reproductive rights, workplace equity, and LGBTQ+ protections. I wasn't old enough to vote on this, or even really to note that it was taking place and all that it entailed, but I certainly wish it had passed.

13. What if the Great Depression had been averted? Without the crash of 1929, the New Deal might never have happened. Social Security, labor protections, and financial regulations could have been delayed—or never implemented—leaving the U.S. more vulnerable to future economic shocks. The Greatest Generation might not have been so great, after all, and baby boomers may have never been born.

🔍 Why These What-Ifs Matter
These scenarios aren’t just idle speculation—they’re reminders that history is shaped by choices, accidents, and people who dared to challenge the status quo. Reflecting on them helps us better understand the present and imagine a more intentional future.

What historical what-ifs fascinate you?

📚 References
- Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
- Ferguson, Niall. Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals
- Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel
- Tuchman, Barbara. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
- McCullough, David. 1776
- …and other reliable sources, including academic journals, documentaries, and historical archives.

*An AI tool helped me curate this list and find the sources*

_________________


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 914th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Tuesday, July 01, 2025

Flowers


 

Monday, June 30, 2025

Five Things

 

1. We had a week of extreme heat and weather advisories for storms, so I paid attention to the weather and stayed inside. I finished up a couple of books, The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans, and Expiration Dates, by Rebecca Serle.

2. Walked on the treadmill.

3. Went to Target and Home Depot.

4. Drove through Greenfield Industrial Park.

5. Regular chores such as laundry, dishes, changed the bed, etc.



In solidarity with federal workers, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. I don't know if they still have to do that, but I have kept it up since it's a quick way to get something on the blog for Monday. Since I don't have a regular job, it's a fairly mundane list.