One of the great lines last night came from San Antonio mayor Julian Castro. “My mother fought so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone.” I found it so inspiring. Then I read one column that took the mayor to task for demeaning the dignity of holding a mop. I find this sort of comment so off the mark. Well meaning, I’m sure. But so off the mark. Aspiring to something, and being grateful in achieving in... Read more

Driving into the church this morning I heard the most amazing story of Abel Meeropol. As Elizabeth Blair says: “One of Billie Holiday’s most iconic songs is “Strange Fruit,” a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of a lynching. But they might not realize that he’s also tied to another watershed moment in America’s history. The man behind “Strange Fruit” is New York City’s... Read more

On this day in 1927, Walt Disney released Trolley Troubles, the first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon. In a long struggle over rights and most of all money, Disney walked away and soon after came up with a new character, who looked strangely like Oswald. See for yourself… Read more

Zen Liturgy in the West A talk by Professor Stephen Slottow 1 October 4 pm, room MRH (Music Recital Hall) 2.604, University of Texas, Austin abstract of the talk: Zen Buddhism has influenced Japanese traditional forms such as Noh theater and Shakuhachi music, Western composers such as John Cage, jazz musicians such as Keith Jarrett, and New Age and “mood” music, where it is used as a slightly faded exotic synonym for “relaxation.” However, Zen Buddhist practice has, so to... Read more

From today’s Shambhala Sunspace Readers of the Shambhala Sun may recall James Ishmael Ford from his article, “I Want to Be… Peaceful,” which kicked off our July 2012 issue’s special section on Buddhist meditations. Now Ford — who is also a guiding teacher of the rapidly-growing practice network, Boundless Way Zen, has a new book out called If You’re Lucky, Your Heart Will Break: Field Notes from a Zen Life. We’re pleased to share with you here one of that... Read more

Freddy King was born on this day in 1934. Often called the third of the “Three Kings” of the electric blues guitar. Rolling Stone listed him as number fifteen on their list of the one hundred best guitarists of all time. Read more

Bread and Roses A Meditation on the Way of the Wise Heart James Ishmael Ford 2 September 2012 First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day, A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray, Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses, For the people hear us singing: “Bread and roses! Bread and roses!” As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men, For they... Read more

I gather this was first posted on Facebook. It has been making some rounds. If you read it, you can see why. Thanks to my colleague Dennis McCarty for the pointer… An open letter to my daughter and her friends in college. Madeleine and Holly and Sarah and any other young woman who happens to be standing around: Get yourselves registered to vote and then go do so. Did I ask if you felt informed enough? No, I didn’t. Did... Read more

They buried Neil Armstrong yesterday. But dreams of visiting the moon are ancient. Ancient. One small marker on the way before that wondrous actual walk happened on this day in 1902, when Georges Melies’ A Trip to the Moon premiered in France… If you have ten minutes, here it is… Read more

I’m doing a little research on the song Bread and Roses in anticipation of this Sunday’s sermon, the title of which is derived from the poem by James Oppenheimer, written in 1911, and which has become a classic labor song. It was first set to music by Caroline Kohlsaat. The text and setting appears in the current Unitarian Universalist hymnal “Singing the Living Tradition,” listed as “As We Come Marching, Marching.” I was unable to find a Youtube version, and... Read more