August 2, 2025 a thought for today, Evil condoned is evil consented. Mexican Proverb

One of yesterday’s uploads was another of the “my choice” uploads. This one is the first from my series of “still life”. I am getting ideas to try from other images I have see. In the one I saw similar to this was set in a nest. Mine is set on pine needles. 

The nest upload is “edited/unedited”. I am not thrilled with the results of my work on this one but “you can’t win them all”. In the editing there was just a change in the background. 

The last upload is “under my feet”. This one was taken on my front porch as I was starting own the steps. 

Life today. The weather has cooled considerably in the past two days. I am sure the heat will be back in a day or two, summer has a third of its time to go. It has been good to have the AC off and the windows open, perfect summer day. 

This Saturday began like most others. I got the visits online done early as usual. Then took some time to get the letter started before Sweet Pea and I took off for the curbside pick up. After the pick up we drove around the mall lot for a bit looking for photo ops. I had noticed a dog parking from one of the cars. So I went by to check it out. He was in the parked car alone and had been for at least fifteen minutes. The windows were down about half way so I don’t think he would get over heated. I think he was missing his friend and was lonely or frightened about being alone. 

After we got home I began putting things away and getting started on Sweet Pea’s hamburger meals for the week. Then a start on some chili for dinner.

The first upload for today is “a quiet joy”. For me sitting in the lounge chair reading a good book. 

With that out of the way I got back to the computer. About that time Lowell stopped by with a few pavers for the bottom of the deck. He was gone too quickly, only here about twenty minutes.

I don’t have a lot on today’s agenda. I have been on line looking for a “fence” for one side of the deck. Since Sue and I are petite we want something shorter than the seemingly standard 36 inch tall fencing. So now I am looking at pet fencing where I can get a structure at 20 to 24 feet tall. Will let you know later what I come up with. 

The next upload for today is “your most unique image”. This would be one of them for me. I took with one of the tallest building in our city when I was working downtown, in the shadow, so to speak, of this magnificent architecture. 

The word today is exposed.  I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it. Thomas Jefferson.  One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety is always on their guard. Publilius Syrus.  A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit. Thomas Jefferson.  Do I live as carelessly and worldly as unbelievers while professing to be a follower of Jesus? Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile to due contempt. Isaac Barrow.

This last upload is a simple challenge, “hamburger”. I took a shot of my cheeseburger, one of the round beef after it had been fried and this one, the hamburger just starting to cook. This was Sweet Peas dinners without the added pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, green beans, oats and rice. 

Article: Another bit of history. This one of a not so ordinary kind. Maybe a hint in the differences of false hoods and truth. What may happen with third party stories. The article title “From printing presses to Facebook feeds: What yesterday’s witch hunts have in common with today’s misinformation crisis”. The article opened with relating that “between 1400 and 1780, an estimated 100,000 people, mostly women, were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe”, half of that number executed. It goes on to say that those events happened due to a “constellation of beliefs about women, truth, evil and magic” and couldn’t have happened without “media machinery”. The author goes on to say that the printed material of that time used stories of religious, social, economic and philosophical phases of the witch hunts. The author also discuses the “ethics of digital technologies” in this time in history, saying that there are “parallels” in the spread of false information. The printing press was invented around 1440 and “revolutionized how information spread”. In 1486 “two Dominican friars had published the “Malleus Maleficarum,” or “Hammer of Witches,” being central in the witch hunts. The publications described morally weak persons, likely to be witches, and hinted of “witchcraft with sexuality”. As the article went on it describes that witchcraft “involves a pact with the devil”. As the article moves on it shares that not everyone believe in the stories about witches. In 1563 “voices emerged” in arguing whether witches were real or not, this also led to the questions about the “methods used to identify and prosecute them”. In time witchcraft was connected with a melancholia diagnosis and those affected were treated with “hellebore rather than hemlock”: medicine rather than poison”. In the 1700s witch hunts faded away. It was concluded about that time that “accused “witches” may have been suffering from delusion”. Further in history “modern skeptics” mentioned that “certain people are more vulnerable to believing extraordinary claims”. In that period, the 17th century, a philosopher said “that our imaginations have enormous power to convince us of things that are not true”. The more stories are told the more the more imagination is seen and repetition sereds as “false confirmation”.  As the article went on it shares that researchers are finding that there are “similar patterns in how misinformation and disinformation” manipulates people as it spreads online. Things that are repeated often become “familiar” and are more apt to be believed. I read here that in digital media “algorithms are designed to maximize engagement” the more views the more likely there will be a feeling of confirmation. The article went on to say that 54 percent of American adults get their news from social media. The stories of witch craft show that “delusion and misinformation are recurring features of human society”. The article ended by relating that “understanding how previous societies dealt with similar challenges isn’t just academic – it’s essential.”

I think it will be chili for dinner tonight. 

Joy

                        nature and some of its neighbors