Spam, not the annoying email, but rather the cultural icon and mystery meat concoction some claim features ham was introduced on this day in 1937. I remember it as a ubiquitous part of my childhood, and associate it with poverty. And in many circles it continues to be considered “poor people’s food.” Although I am pleased in some strange part of my heart to learn that it appears to be wildly popular in Hawaii, where it has been called the... Read more

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It has been recently announced that the Blogisattva awards, Buddhist blogging awards established by blogger Tom Armstrong. Tom has moved on to other things, but a new crew has taken on the job. Now, they’ve generated some controversy around the web for various reasons. Personally I like such things. So long as one doesn’t make too much of them, they can acknowledge good work, and as long as they throw the net wide, can point out new or more obscure... Read more

I’d not heard of Peter Mayer or his work before attending the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Minneapolis this past week. I was quite taken with his “Holy Now,” which I thought of as a Zen Buddhist hymn… Everything is a miracle! Thank you, Erik, for the pointer! Read more

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On this day in 1860, some seven months after Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published, John Draper of the New York University delivered a talk on the intellectual development of Europe in the light of Darwin’s theory. People don’t talk about the paper & from what one can glean of the subject matter addressed, and the justly earned ill repute of “social Darwinism,” that may all be for the best. What is remembered is what is now... Read more

Beliefnet has been sold. At one time Beliefnet aspired to be the premier spiritual portal on the web. And gave that aspiration a pretty good run. But it’s had hard times for a while now. In fact not all that long ago it was purchased by the media dark lord himself, Rupert Murdoch. And so having a new overlord is hardly surprising. ‘Tis the way of all flesh. And apparently websites… Frankly, my only concern about this is that they... Read more

This was the second year that our church had a “float,” a decked out pickup truck for children and those for whom the walk was difficult at the Providence Gay Pride parade. This is one part of a big deal in our congregation, the celebration of our GBLTQ members, and part of our public stance in favor of full civil rights for all, symbolized, actually more than symbolized by the quest for marriage equality. The Gay Pride parades that happen... Read more

Julian the so-called apostate was by some calculations murdered on this day in 363. As the planter of a reformed pagan faith that could possibly withstand the Christian winds blowing ever stronger, but killed before the faith could take firm root, Julian’s untimely death becomes one of the great what if moments in world history. Read more

On this day in 1963 John F. Kennedy gave his great speech speaking of human dignity and freedom. Four months later he would be murdered in Dallas. I must admit while I have no love for communism, I’m not much more a fan of capitalism. The human heart calls for freedom and responsibility, for the individual and the communal, and any system of human relationship must account for both. The problem with both communism and capitalism is how each ignores... Read more