jerseymurmurs

“Butterfly Effect”: the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago. Or a butterfly flapping its wings in New Jersey might change the hearts and minds of those in DC…

…he didn’t stop speaking and held the Senate floor for over 25 straight hours. I’ve been emailing Senator Booker frequently in the past weeks. And I thank him for letting us know that someone is listening — and responding. May we all have the courage to speak up.

Booker said: “These are not normal times in our nation, and they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”

At a Women’s History Month event held at the White House on March 26th, trump called himself the ‘fertilization president’: "We're gonna have tremendous goodies in the bag for women too. The women, between the fertilization and all the other things we're talking about, it's gonna be great. Fertilization. I'm still very proud of it, I don't care. I'll be known as the fertilization president and that's okay." 

Note from my Wordbook Dictionary: ‘Fertilizer as a euphemism for “manure” is from 1846.’

When did we become a country that disappears people… ▪️ Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Fulbright scholar from Turkey with a valid student visa, working on a PhD in child study and human development at Tufts University was ambushed and abducted off the street in Somerville, Massachusetts by masked men on Tuesday — apparently for co-writing an essay that objected to the killing of children.

“In dictatorships, they call this ‘a disappearance.’” (Senator Chris Murphy)▪️Our government wants to silence and deport Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful, permanent resident, Columbia University student, and vocal advocate for the human rights of the Palestinian people who calls on us to “stop enabling violence against Palestinians.” ▪️ Anas Baba reports from Gaza for NPR ▪️

The current administration ordered the removal of a long list of specific words — including the words “women” and “female” but not “men” or “male” — from public-facing websites and other materials and advised federal agency managers caution in using them or flagged grant proposals and contracts that used the words.

Let us try to help repair the part of the world that we can see and touch▪️stepping into Bowie Flight Suit mode with scissors, needle, thread…

The world lost another beautiful soul with the recent passing of Roberta Flack. In 1972 she had a hit duet with Donny Hathaway — “Where is the Love”. The song, with its call-and-response question, was all over the radio all the time back then and in my head I can still hear my father — in a falsetto voice — and little brother joyfully singing the “where is the love?” refrain.▪️ She wrote an autobiographical children’s book “The Green Piano, how little me found music” that Kirkus Reviews said was: “A moving testimonial to the effects of instilling a love of live music in childhood.” ▪️ “For me drawing is the way to see what I’m thinking. All one needs is something to make a mark and a surface to make the mark on.” (Artist Mel Bochner) ▪️

An impassioned argument for empathy: “…We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future, one that is beckoning, welcoming…there will still be love, there will still be love, there will still be beauty, and there will be an ocean of truth to swim in. Let’s make it so.” — Jane Fonda in her SAG Life Achievement Award acceptance speech February 23, 2025 ♦ “Your enthusiasm makes this seem, I don’t know, less like a late twilight of my life and more like a ‘Go girl, kick ass,'” the 87-year-old actress and activist told the crowd. “Which is good, because I’m not done.” ♦

The positive power of a compliment — for both the giver and receiver. “You have the poise of an apex predator, but the eyes of a kindly woodland creature. It’s a devastating combination.” (British comedian Milo McCabe has created a character — ‘Troy Hawke’ — who excels at handing out complements including this one.) ♦ The background photo is from “The Gates” — a temporary site-specific work of art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude @christojeanneclaude  ◊ In February 2005, steel gates were installed along 23 miles of pathways in New York City’s Central Park, each hung with a panel of saffron-colored fabric ◊ @centralparknyc ♦ On my visit to The Gates I was carrying a cross-body bag that I had designed, knitted, and felted; a woman stopped me and asked me if I had made the bag  — that compliment was the frosting on the cake of a magical day. ♦

Peacebuilding ♦ “Instead of cutting foreign aid, the U.S. should increase spending on diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and economic development, funded by cuts to unsustainable military spending. A more peaceful and secure world can be realized through diplomacy, direct engagement, joint ventures, and support for addressing global needs. By lifting up others, we will also lift up ourselves. This is how the U.S. could create real safety and live up to the values that it says it holds dear.“ — American Friends Service Committee @afsc_org ♦ the background “mural” was an experiment in textures, shapes, and layers ♦

“Artists showcase the range of life’s emotions — the loftiest heights of joy and the depths of grievous despair. They hold a mirror up to the world — reflecting who we are and echoing our stories. The work of artists doesn’t always make us feel comfortable, but it sheds light on the truth. Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected. It is not a passive endeavor; indeed, there is no clearer sign of American democracy at work than our artists...” — Deborah Rutter, in a statement Wednesday [rump fired Rutter as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — the national cultural center of the United States located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. — and arranged for himself to be appointed chairman] ♦ the background “mural” on graph paper was an experiment in making an art deco design ♦

High Priestess says Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection beats miserly hate and spiteful meanness any day of the week. ♦ T-shirt artwork by @theeddyiconic ["Eitligi Iolair Eitlilt" = "Fly Eagles Fly" in Gaelic] ♦

The colorful motifs are taken from a wooden candleholder (that artist’s signature is in bottom left corner), painted in the traditional folk art style (“Petrykivka”; featuring flower patterns and natural elements), that a dear one brought back from Ukraine.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was created in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy to partner with countries around the world to implement long-term development efforts and work together with individuals, communities, countries to improve everyday lives. Recent projects include aiding famine-stricken regions in Sudan, providing textbooks for displaced schoolchildren in Ukraine, and training healthcare workers in Rwanda. [020225 News Headline: “Trump moves to wrest control of USAID as Musk says, ‘We’re shutting it down’” — WaPo]