A, as my daughter would call it, cryball formed in my throat with the final three words of this posting, "Let's do this." It is interesting to me the little things that give me hope and comfort in this strange time we're in. It is the first of those three words, "let's" that I hold in my heart knowing there are humans out there...wherever "there" may be, who, "...have already seen it (the madness), and are utterly done with it, and are reified in finding that other people see the same things that they do."
“Cryball “ is perfect. I’ll also add “tearstab “, that first prick to the back of your eyes that often accompanies the onset of cryball. I have not cried so much in a year as I have this past one over the madness in the world. I too, hang onto hope.
I remember every post that you refer to in this one. They were all quite thought provoking such that I wonder how you chose your favorites. Here's wishing you, Bret and the boys a prosperous and productive 2024.
You are brilliant. Happy to be holding steady in the storm with you and Bret filling the critical role of “Captains” in this superbly novel landscape/ocean. So incredibly thankful I’ve lived my life (and raised my now capable, critically thinking, outdoor loving full grown offspring) closer to the ideals you espouse than the backwards mainstream narrative. Your collective campfire grows, and it matters. It makes a difference.
As a mom to a 3yr old and 1yr old who works full time, I definitely do not have much time free in this phase of life for reading, but I prioritize reading your posts and have since you first launched this substack. Your insights, wisdom, and poetry continually ground me and I look forward to my inbox notifications every week. There are so very very few role models that millennial women such as myself can look up to, and can truly say you fill this role for me. Happy new year Heather to you and your family.
Thank you. I married into a wonderful family and it is interesting to see the dynamic. The parents were deeply involved in teaching, talking, and playing with their kids. They grew up and have interesting lives. They have intelligence and prejudices, experiences and because we are at a certain age, now saying goodbye to parents, friends, and mentors. This is the hard part of life. It is actually the part of life I hate. There are no easy answers and a complex problem isn’t resolved by a simple action or comment.
I know the difference between right and wrong, cowardliness and heroics, man and woman. And I am aware of the lies told to me that endanger, silence, and punch at my mental and physical wellbeing. I do what I can and try to find solace in art, family and friends. It is also interesting in these times to see who your friends truly are. Interesting times, interesting times. I hope next year is less eventful than these year was, but you have to take the good with the bad.
How was Israel caught with its' pants down? Military history is littered with such; Gamelin sketched almost exactly the German's 'Sickle Cut" plan well before it was executed. He was still caught with his pants down. Four years later Ike fell for the same deal. Nevermind it has been the principal attack vector for hostiles out of Germany forever. Airliners as weapons was a Tom Clancy plot device years before 9/11; a rap/hip-hop album was released about the same time as 9/11. Guess what the cover art showed.
Military Intelligence is joked as an oxymoron for very good reason.
Perhaps I read it here, or heard it on the Dark Horse podcast, but it seems worth restating: Mathematics isn't invented; that two plus two equals four wasn't created by humans. This is a property of the physical world, it existed before The Big Bang, and it will exist after the last whimper. Thus, mathematics is observed, mathematics is discovered—mathematics is not invented, it has always existed. Likewise, binary sex in mammals is not created, it has existed in mammals for as long as there have been mammals. Hence binary sex is not created, it is observed, it is discovered. The gender of a newborn child is not assigned, it is observed—sometimes, in vivo—it is discovered. Conversely, 57 flavors, furrys, etc. ... not observed, not observed in nature, not observed in humans or at least not observed in humans before the year 2015 of the common era. Hence all these varieties are created.
Homosexuality on the other hand, observed, but also not genetic. Evidence suggests it is mostly hormonal. Note that homosexual males are predominately the younger males in the family. Homosexuality in cattle, hormonal. Females in season—highly under hormonal control—mount each other, until the bull comes and does his mounting, after that, they're done.
Heather, put all this together in a book please. Every Substack post is a chapter. Thank you for your example, clarity, knowledge, love of nature, love of good food, love of exercise, wisdom, kindness, humanness, honesty, integrity, etc..and just plain common sense.
This is a beautiful collection of insights from 2023. This one in particularly will be a powerful lense in 2024.
"The censors seem to believe that...we now live on a pure spiritual plane."
Calling out censorship as a kind of puritanism knocks it off it's throne and disempowers it. Censorship is pathetic and like intersectionality plays to pathos for it's power.
Reading the snippets of your posts, in succession, was akin to a barrage of "pazzo". If the content wasn't true, I'd think you were a brilliant writer of fiction. As always, thank you for sharing your analysis and dismay over the state of world affairs. This part of our history will not reflect kindly on our collective.
A, as my daughter would call it, cryball formed in my throat with the final three words of this posting, "Let's do this." It is interesting to me the little things that give me hope and comfort in this strange time we're in. It is the first of those three words, "let's" that I hold in my heart knowing there are humans out there...wherever "there" may be, who, "...have already seen it (the madness), and are utterly done with it, and are reified in finding that other people see the same things that they do."
“Cryball “ is perfect. I’ll also add “tearstab “, that first prick to the back of your eyes that often accompanies the onset of cryball. I have not cried so much in a year as I have this past one over the madness in the world. I too, hang onto hope.
I try real hard to not be a gushing fan of anyone. But I just can't help myself with Heather. Keep it up, and Thank You!
Same❤️
I remember every post that you refer to in this one. They were all quite thought provoking such that I wonder how you chose your favorites. Here's wishing you, Bret and the boys a prosperous and productive 2024.
You are brilliant. Happy to be holding steady in the storm with you and Bret filling the critical role of “Captains” in this superbly novel landscape/ocean. So incredibly thankful I’ve lived my life (and raised my now capable, critically thinking, outdoor loving full grown offspring) closer to the ideals you espouse than the backwards mainstream narrative. Your collective campfire grows, and it matters. It makes a difference.
Thank you.
As a mom to a 3yr old and 1yr old who works full time, I definitely do not have much time free in this phase of life for reading, but I prioritize reading your posts and have since you first launched this substack. Your insights, wisdom, and poetry continually ground me and I look forward to my inbox notifications every week. There are so very very few role models that millennial women such as myself can look up to, and can truly say you fill this role for me. Happy new year Heather to you and your family.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Tara. And happy new year to you and yours.
Thank you. I married into a wonderful family and it is interesting to see the dynamic. The parents were deeply involved in teaching, talking, and playing with their kids. They grew up and have interesting lives. They have intelligence and prejudices, experiences and because we are at a certain age, now saying goodbye to parents, friends, and mentors. This is the hard part of life. It is actually the part of life I hate. There are no easy answers and a complex problem isn’t resolved by a simple action or comment.
I know the difference between right and wrong, cowardliness and heroics, man and woman. And I am aware of the lies told to me that endanger, silence, and punch at my mental and physical wellbeing. I do what I can and try to find solace in art, family and friends. It is also interesting in these times to see who your friends truly are. Interesting times, interesting times. I hope next year is less eventful than these year was, but you have to take the good with the bad.
Thank you, Heather. Your work is much appreciated. Happy New Year. Ch
Looking forward to another year of Natural Selections, Heather. Happy New Year Everyone!
How was Israel caught with its' pants down? Military history is littered with such; Gamelin sketched almost exactly the German's 'Sickle Cut" plan well before it was executed. He was still caught with his pants down. Four years later Ike fell for the same deal. Nevermind it has been the principal attack vector for hostiles out of Germany forever. Airliners as weapons was a Tom Clancy plot device years before 9/11; a rap/hip-hop album was released about the same time as 9/11. Guess what the cover art showed.
Military Intelligence is joked as an oxymoron for very good reason.
Perhaps I read it here, or heard it on the Dark Horse podcast, but it seems worth restating: Mathematics isn't invented; that two plus two equals four wasn't created by humans. This is a property of the physical world, it existed before The Big Bang, and it will exist after the last whimper. Thus, mathematics is observed, mathematics is discovered—mathematics is not invented, it has always existed. Likewise, binary sex in mammals is not created, it has existed in mammals for as long as there have been mammals. Hence binary sex is not created, it is observed, it is discovered. The gender of a newborn child is not assigned, it is observed—sometimes, in vivo—it is discovered. Conversely, 57 flavors, furrys, etc. ... not observed, not observed in nature, not observed in humans or at least not observed in humans before the year 2015 of the common era. Hence all these varieties are created.
Homosexuality on the other hand, observed, but also not genetic. Evidence suggests it is mostly hormonal. Note that homosexual males are predominately the younger males in the family. Homosexuality in cattle, hormonal. Females in season—highly under hormonal control—mount each other, until the bull comes and does his mounting, after that, they're done.
Heather, put all this together in a book please. Every Substack post is a chapter. Thank you for your example, clarity, knowledge, love of nature, love of good food, love of exercise, wisdom, kindness, humanness, honesty, integrity, etc..and just plain common sense.
I'm late to this- behind on my reading. Thank you for a year of wonderfully articulate and thought-provoking posts.
This is a beautiful collection of insights from 2023. This one in particularly will be a powerful lense in 2024.
"The censors seem to believe that...we now live on a pure spiritual plane."
Calling out censorship as a kind of puritanism knocks it off it's throne and disempowers it. Censorship is pathetic and like intersectionality plays to pathos for it's power.
I love reading your thought provoking insights. Always right on target. Thank you for being a beacon of light in this crazy world.
Reading the snippets of your posts, in succession, was akin to a barrage of "pazzo". If the content wasn't true, I'd think you were a brilliant writer of fiction. As always, thank you for sharing your analysis and dismay over the state of world affairs. This part of our history will not reflect kindly on our collective.