the top of the mountain is nothing without the climb
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Hey all.
Oof. Well. I guess, here's my soapbox again.
Protests and signs. Cries of "unmask our children." It's the silliest movement, but also a hugely dangerous one.
Watching folks misuse terms like “tyranny”, “enslavement”, and “oppression” makes me think of how exhausting I must have been when I was 19 years old. Of course, I was 19, which Roget’s Thesaurus lists right next to “dumbass”. These fools, sadly, are largely adults who, frighteningly, are responsible for raising little humans into new adults.
It makes me fear for the future.
OK, how about some happy stuff.
A friend of mine hit a milestone in his dreams recently, making his debut as a professional wrestler and for real killing it.
I had a pleasant dinner out with my grandmother the other night
My return from Alaska has brought a renewed look at life that is pushing me to revise my approach to the world, my community activities, and my creative pursuits. I'm prioritizing, dropping what I don't want or need, that sort of thing. It feels great.
Amazing, amazing music continues to be released. With that in mind, here's your weekly mix:
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Reads of the Week:
Climate change has helped drive a fivefold increase in the number of weather-related disasters in the last 50 years. Climate change means disasters are happening simultaneously, too.
These disasters are getting more severe, too. Weather records are being broken thanks to climate change turning previously impossible occurrences into startling realities.
My allergies and breathing issues agree, not to mention my continuing battle with invasive and toxic plants in the backyard.
Stories like this are exactly why we all (if able) need to be vaccinated and take the appropriate precautions against COVID-19. There is no reason we should still be in this situation. Put aside your political identity and take care of yourself and your fellow humans.
As a garden dude, this got my attention. I loathe lawns and our landscaping culture. It doesn't work for nature or for us. Not to mention it's just ugly. Give me a native flower garden over grass any day.
In my continued worries about the world, I have failed to post enough about the beauties of the universe. So here's this.
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Links and More:
I’ve had this map bookmarked as I watched the slow crawl of red first surround my county (we held it off for a while) and then finally succumb. Look how red that thing is now, people. We didn't have to get here.
Life Kit Podcast- Receiving Feedback Doesn't Have To Be Scary. Here's How You Can Get Most Out Of It
Some facts about me: I struggle with receiving criticism, with putting myself out to the world in ways that make me feel vulnerable. I struggle with confrontation. The tips in this podcast are pretty handy. I'll add one of my own: I continue to force myself into situations where I must feel vulnerable, sometimes through the clever move of committing to something far enough in the future that it doesn't seem that scary, even though I know Future-Justin will be forced to work against his fears to get through it (yeah, sure I'll take the entirely new DJ gig in a few months). It works. This is how a shy kid who still considers himself mostly introverted regularly finds himself on a microphone before a crowd or has found himself interviewing national level artists. What's that line from Angus?
"Superman isn't brave...Superman is indestructible, and you can't be brave if you're indestructible...It's people like you and your mother. People who are different, and can be crushed and know it. Yet they keep on going out there every time."
So, yeah, face those fears, be uncomfortable, listen, and, most importantly, breath.
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WQPM playlists are a collection of ten songs I've been listening to this week, crossing genre, era, and taste. No themes here, just the tunes I've been sticking in my ears lately. The newest Weekly Quick Pick Mix is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
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