Ampersand Gazette #53
Welcome to the Ampersand Gazette, a metaphysical take on some of the news of the day. If you know others like us, who want to create a world that includes and works for everyone, please feel free to share this newsletter. The sign-up is here. And now, on with the latest …
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The historian-philosopher Lewis Mumford believed that the clock, not the steam engine, was the principal machine of the industrial age because time has a commanding relationship to the expenditure of human energy, and thus to any product itself. From the start, the essence of industry has been that things run on time. Time touches everything in life, even love. The fundamental things apply.…
What if, instead of planning our exercise regimens, we focused our intentions on all that is undesirable in human activity—wars, bigotry, brutality, the despoiling of the earth—and sought to address it. What if instead of making a milquetoast resolution, we made airtight commitments?…
What will you do—right now, this week, this month—to make a better world? … There are so many ways to move this world, right within reach. The great beautiful irony of all this, of course, is that selflessness is not the opposite of self-improvement. Selflessness is self-improvement—the most meaningful and lasting kind.
from a Guest Essay by Roger Rosenblatt in The New York Times
“This Year, Make a Resolution About Something Bigger Than Yourself”
December 26, 2023
Time has been called the great leveler. No matter who you are, we all have the same amount of time in a day, a week, a month, a year. Now, admittedly, different circumstances foretell our differing choices about time, but still, we all have the same amount.
I agree with Mr. Rosenblatt that the clock was a far greater invention than the steam engine. Truth? We’ve been enslaved to it since its invention.
So let’s talk about the metaphysics of time at the dawn of this new year. You have 525,600 minutes, or you did on January 1st— What are you gonna do with it?
Did you make resolutions? A lot of us do, and then when February 1st rolls around, we castigate our lazy selves mercilessly. Usually, resolutions imply lack. What if you skip them this year? Entirely? And do something different?
What if you gauged your self-improvement strategies toward planet-improvement strategies, as Mr. Rosenblatt suggests? That’s one way to leave resolutions behind.
What if you really started to pay attention to your own life? What you’re here to do, and began to practice a commitment to it—even if it’s just five of your precious minutes a day? What if you simply made the choice to be happy every day—no matter your circumstances? What if you decided to become a yearlong Secret Santa, and make someone else happy every day?
Metaphysically speaking, your choice for happiness is the wisest one you can make, the very best use of your time. For you, of course. But also for your family, your neighborhood, your friends, your colleagues, your town, state, country, planet. It sounds so simple, I know, but watch out if you do this!
It’s SO SO SO not easy. Simple, yes. Easy, no. Because we’ve become addicted to negativity—due to the reactive qualities inherent therein. Spend a day counting the gratitudes and compliments you receive; I bet there are more than there are criticisms. When you’re brushing your teeth that night, what goes through your head? Usually (sadly) not the compliments.
Spend the next day giving compliments and gratitudes, and see what reactions you get. It’ll startle you—I guarantee it. We don’t let in the good stuff anymore. Just change that one thing! Take the time, ah, there it is, to appreciate the good stuff, and release the bad stuff.
There’s a world improvement plan for you in a sentence. And, between us, it’s about time.
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To the Editor:
The debate over the value of humanities courses is really a question of value for money—especially when college costs so much. But it’s worth remembering the skills that humanities courses give us.
First: curiosity. None of us know exactly where we are heading; we can shape the journey if we are curious about the unknown. Humanities courses teach us to be flexible and make us question our assumptions.
Second: the power of example. Works of art and literature link our current concerns to those of others. They show us the frightening power of a secret shared, of misplaced trust, of leadership forged by challenges. History is a lively tale of tough decisions, of choices and their consequences.
Third: communication. Google Translate may make language classes seem unnecessary. But learning another language gives you a deeper understanding of what others value. And the art of debate is a skill we all need.
When I went to university, I saw my humanities courses as a foundation. It turns out they were a staircase. I could find and change careers, thrive in my choice and lead in a crisis.
I use my “useless” knowledge all the time. An elected leader in Germany once asked me about globalization and its consequences in America. I found myself talking about the power of community, the role of local government and the consequences of job loss. I cited work by an American playwright to underscore my point. In German.
Turns out, those humanities courses were useful after all.
Robin Quinville
Arlington, Va.
The writer is a former diplomat.
from a Letter to the Editor in The New York Times
“Why the Humanities Are Indeed Worth Teaching”
December 31, 2023
The image of the humanities as a staircase enchanted me.
One of the best, simplest definitions of humanities is the study of human culture.
I have a simple point to make as well: Without the humanities, it’s easy to lose sight of our humanity.
It is that very quality, our human-ness—which of late seems so sorely lacking—that leads to the humane choices, words, and actions which will save both the planet and our existence. Without it? That’s a much harder job.
Why is it so lacking? Or, perhaps, we need to ask, is it so lacking or is it so patently blatant that we can no longer ignore human need?
No one has to go to school to study the humanities. You can do it if you’ll lift your face from your device and look around. Humanity and all its cultures are all around us. And well worth our study. Even if only for the sake of deciding which cultures in which to wholeheartedly participate.
And …
“Language is one of the first things that connects us to other people,” she said. With Wordle, “every day is something different, and it connects you with everyone else.”
from an article about Wordle Editor Tracy Bennett in The New York Times
“Tracy Bennett Brings Whimsy to Wordle”
December 31, 2023
If you don’t know, Wordle is a relatively new digital game that is now owned by The New York Times. You get six chances to discover a five-letter word. It’s easy, and it’s fun. It’s also an instant connector.
Language connects you with everyone else, by its nature. Language. So do art and literature.
Wikipedia says the humanities include the studies of foreign languages, history, sociology, philosophy, language arts—literature, writing, oratory, rhetoric, poetry, etc., performing arts—theater, music, dance, etc., and visual arts—painting, sculpture, photography, filmmaking, etc. Arts, really. Any art.
I believe we have lost sight of our connection, our inherent connection, to one another. This is why there’s so much rage, and the rage is what’s fueling global warming. (I know, it’s called climate change these days.) A lot of hot air and fire if you ask me.
Now, it’s true, there are bonds being formed within the rage, but there are a squillion other ways to create bonds. Make the time to notice art of all kinds. Make your own. Enjoy the artistic efforts of others. Read a book. Borrow your child’s fingerpaints. Give a speech. See a show. Watch a dance. Listen to music. Invite a friend to share the experience. All, all, all of these things are connectors.
They can also, like all humanity, be a fast stairway to heaven if we’ll let them in.
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Here’s a universal affirmation. It works every time, for everyone, always and forever …
Mike Dooley
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And in publishing news …
Gemma Eclipsing is in its editor’s capable hands. I expect the MS back by the end of the month. Then, I get to wrestle with the changes, have a meeting about the ones I don’t get or disagree with, and then we proofread it aloud.
I’m going to reach out to the cover designer on Monday, and order my two-volume covers for the previous two books. A friend very kindly pointed out to me, when I got cold feet about the two-volume sets so I could have paperbacks at all, that movies have been dividing books into multiple films for decades. Consider Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, The Hobbit, and the new movie of Wicked. So I’m feeling a little less like a pioneer.
If you have a project that needs some well-deserved editorial support, I cannot recommend Tony Amato enough. Without him, I would never have finished thirty-six books and counting! Find him here.
I’m still researching Jacqueline Retrograde, and it’s getting close to starting time. I think once I’ve gotten my publishing responsibilities covered, then it’ll be time to start writing. I am so delighted at where the story is going. These subversives are determined to have their stories told, and soonish! Plus, I’m missing writing. Already!
The first two of the tetralogy, Jezebel Rising and Jasmine Increscent can be found at these live links, and I’m expecting to publish book three within the first quarter of 2024.
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As for my chakra work, I’m currently working on a chakra playlist as a giveaway for this year.
Listening to different treatments of the same song has been a fascinating process for me. The song is Pachebel’s Canon in D Major, and apparently, it’s one of those you can hear in all kinds of music.
One of the things I’ve noticed over the years about music purporting to support chakras is that most of them don’t, at least not for me. Partially, it’s because I need more grounded sound than that which is found in ambient woo music. Partially it’s because no music ever touches just one chakra at a time. Not only that, but which pieces touch which chakra change all the time! Why not? Chakras change all the time. It only makes sense.
I’m hoping to be able to release the playlist soon. Once I figure out how to make a playlist on Spotify.
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I’ve also started work on a series of tiny courses—ones you can work through in ninety minutes or less—on Energy Leaks.
Having noticed plenty in my own life, and having started to clean them up, and feeling a lot better, I began to mention these to friends and wow! People lit up. Yeah, they said, I want that!
Okay, got the message loud and clear. Look for an announcement here as soon as I get the first one (of six) organized and designed.
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As we’re entering tax season, let us take a deep breath, let go, and feel deeply held by all that is love, shall we? Picture yourself held in love in this vast Cosmos we call home.
I am, without doubt, certain that And is the secret to all we desire.
It’s about time, no?
Until next time,
Be Ampersand.
S.