<one> The time I spent in the civil rights struggle for Black voting rights in 1965 was a very important part of my life. And the time I spent working for the Postal Service (USPS), beginning twenty years later in 1985, was important too. But the two experiences were very different, so different I couldn’t … Continue reading Karmic Collision – I: The Post Office, Voting Rights & Me. Dog Days Reading.
This just in: a lawsuit filed against Friends Central School (FCS) in Philadelphia in 2017 by two teachers who were fired after a Palestinian speaker they invited in February 2017 was disinvited by school officials. The order of settlement is below. (More text follows.) The speaker, Sa’ed Atshan, teaches at Swarthmore College. FCS Students protested, … Continue reading Breaking: Friends Central School, Fired teachers, Settle lawsuit.
Operator: Hello, this is Theology 911. What is your theological emergency? Aunt Mabel: Oh, thank heaven. OMG it’s so awful! Operator: Yes, ma’am. Please ma’am, are you in danger? Aunt Mabel: I sure am, sonny. It’s the guns. And it’s not just me. Please send a SWAT team to my house right away, or it … Continue reading A Theological Emergency that’s part real & part satire. Can you tell the difference?
LATER UPDATE: Wednesday afternoon (July 1) Guilford College posted a statement confirming our report of extensive job cuts. Here it is in full: Guilford College President Jane K. Fernandes announced today that the College will reduce its personnel as part of cost-cutting measures following reduced revenues this summer. “This is a hard step to take,” … Continue reading Breaking: Axe is Falling at Guilford (Updated)
My situation now became precarious to the last degree: two very large [alligators] attacked me closely, at the same instant, rushing up with their heads and part of their bodies above the water, roaring terribly and belching floods of water over me. They struck their jaws together so close to my ears, as almost to stun me, and I expected every moment to be dragged out of the boat and instantly devoured.
But I applied my weapons so effectually about me, though at random, that I was so successful as to beat them off a little; when, finding that they designed to renew the battle, I made for the shore, as the only means left me for my preservation, for, by keeping close to it, I should have my enemies on one side of me only, whereas I was before surrounded by them, and there was a probability, if pushed to the last extremity, of saving myself, by jumping out of the canoe on shore, as it is easy to outwalk them on land, although comparatively [they were] as swift as lightning in the water.
I found this last expedient alone could fully answer my expectations, for as soon as I gained the shore they drew off and kept aloof. This was a happy relief, as my confidence was, in some degree, recovered by it. On recollecting myself, I discovered that I had almost reached the entrance of the lagoon, and determined to venture in, if possible to take a few fish and then return to my harbour, while day-light continued; for I could now, with caution and resolution, make my way with safety along shore, and indeed there was no other way to regain my camp, without leaving my boat and making my retreat through the marshes and reeds, which, if I could even effect, would have been in a manner throwing myself away, for then there would have been no hopes of ever recovering my bark, and returning in safety to any settlements of men. I accordingly proceeded and made good my entrance into the lagoon, though not without opposition from the alligators, who formed a line across the entrance, but did not pursue me into it, nor was I molested by any there, though there were some very large ones in a cove at the upper end.