Bob Carlton

Democracy | ‘Whiteness’ Is an Ancient Con. We Can Defeat It. We don’t need “a coalition of humanity that agrees all the time, but one united to save democracy,” Donna Ladd writes.

"We’re at The Game’s precipice again, and now is the second-best time to come together to reject efforts to make bigotry and inhumanity the laws of the land." @donnerkay.bsky.social www.mississippifreepress.org/democracy-wh...

The two-front war on universities is real—research gutted by politics, learning blurred by AI. What’s left? A luxury coming-of-age experience wrapped in a marketing brochure.

If we don’t name what’s happening, we’ll blink and find the core of higher ed replaced by vibes and vibes alone.

Interesting two-front war on universities right now.

On one side, the federal attack on research. On the other, the AI attack on learning.

What’s left? The luxury coming-of-age service, for those who can afford it.

The possibility of these three unbundling was unthinkable even 2 years ago. Now…

Hometown soul food at Mia’s

Today's meditation is Kayaks and Superyachts, on actually doing things. Here are my 3 ahas:

1️⃣ Life is a kayak, not a superyacht—steer with grace, not control.
2️⃣ Don’t obsess over systems; just do the thing, once.
3️⃣ Progress is one imperfect act at a time.

For 4 weeks, I'm reading Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkman. Today’s is called “It’s worse than you think, the liberation of defeat.” My 2 a-has:

Letting Go: When plans collapse, stop fixing. Sit with what’s left.

What’s Next? Suffering comes from chasing a fix. Ask, “What can I do now?”

Summer transforms beyond breaks into a strategic platform for growth, where teens discover passions and develop leadership through purposeful experiences that strengthen college apps.

www.collegematchpoint.com/from-summer-...

It Used to Be One of the Main Ways Men Talked to Each Other. Then Everyone Went Silent. I met some of my closest friends through multiplayer games. Then a strange happening turned everyone (literally) speechless.

Good and sad piece on the impact of hate and harassment in online games going unaddressed for so long: players retreat from speaking and companies, rather than grappling with this complex problem, turn off communication modes.

slate.com/culture/2024...

With Threats on The Horizon, World AIDS Day Is Still a Call to Action Jason Rosenberg reflects on how far we have come in the fight to eradicate AIDS—and what we have to lose.

For #WorldAIDSDay, I wrote for @vogue.com.web.brid.gy about what we’re up against these next four years and how we should refuse to acquiesce. Between persisting inequities and an AIDS denialist nominee, we’ve got our work cut out for us—so let’s get to it. www.vogue.com/article/worl...

ADVENT MEDITATION: Action In Waiting by Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt From Action in Waiting It is Advent again.  We call this time Advent because it reminds us of what comes from God for the creation of his kingdom on Earth.  We who are here have been led in a speci…

I am starting a daily mediation from a book about Advent -- here is today's reading

thevalueofsparrows.wordpress.com/2018/11/24/a...

Today is the first day of Advent, a season about waiting—the in-between kind, where you prepare without knowing when the big moment will happen. It’s tough, especially waiting to see how the next four years in America unfold. But maybe the waiting is the point, shaping us for what’s next. #advent

a frog is laying on a leaf with the words " my plans for black friday " above it ALT: a frog is laying on a leaf with the words " my plans for black friday " above it

Black Friday is the Super Bowl of envy. It’s the day we trade gratitude for doorbuster deals and treat scarcity like a sport. This year, I’m trying to notice the abundance instead. It’s hard—envy is loud and shiny, and abundance is more like the cranberry sauce: understated, but essential.

a woman in a pink dress stands next to a woman in a black hat ALT: a woman in a pink dress stands next to a woman in a black hat

What a fantastic film !

a cartoon of snoopy and woodstock sitting at a picnic table with a turkey on the table . ALT: a cartoon of snoopy and woodstock sitting at a picnic table with a turkey on the table .

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Today, we pause to celebrate gratitude—a practice that transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. Gratitude invites us to notice the abundance in our lives, shifting our focus from what is missing to what is present.

@joshtpm.bsky.social is one of the smartest thinkers I read - this piece is sensational.

Magical place!

What a brilliant show from Michael Schur - we watched and 😢 and 😆

www.npr.org/2024/11/28/1...

Breaking the Brain's Chains How our History Shapes our Sense of Possibility

Our minds deepen their grooves through unnoticed habits, shaping how we see the world. Prat reminds us that our thoughts are not neutral but influenced by the inputs we consume. What if we paused to question these rhythms?

substack.com/home/post/p-...

I hunger for a God of hope, who shows up in the mess. Jonny Baker shared a Michael Mitton poem:
"There is a God whose light shines in every darkness..."
Go read it and let it sink in. It’s a reminder that hope doesn’t erase grief but transforms it into new.

michaelmitton.wixsite.com/michaelmitto...

I am thinking of blogging thru it - I did more than two decades ago.

a sign that says " we 're going to choose hope over fear " ALT: a sign that says " we 're going to choose hope over fear "

Choosing hope over fear isn't a one-time decision. It's not even a daily decision, it's moment by moment, each one small enough to seem insignificant, but somehow adding up to the difference between being alive and actually living.