#230 – The mythology of the bear, and Bryon gets apocalyptic

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4V23wwGV82kf7OKYWIDPNl?si=b2a84d32123c4c91

An episode from 5/18/26: Tonight I read about the bear in folklore and mythology from two books everybody should have on their shelves: the Taschen Book of Symbols and the Penguin Dictionary of Symbols. Browsing through either puts you in contact with our best stories and, with the Taschen book, some of our best artwork.

Next, I read Lord Byron’s (1788-1824) apocalyptic poem Darkness from 1816. You can read more about the volcanic eruption that inspired poem, and produced the “year without summer,” here.

Finally, I read a few passages on revelation and the religious experience from the rabbi, theologian and civil rights activist Abraham Joshua Heshel’s (1907-1962) God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism.

The best way to support the podcast is by leaving a review on Apple or Spotify, sharing it with others, or sending me a note on what you think. You can also order any of my books: Time and the River: From Columbine to the Invention of Fire, Notes from the Grid, To the House of the Sun, The Lonely Young & the Lonely Old, and Bone Antler Stone. I’ve also edited a handful of books in the S4N Pocket Poems series. I also have a YouTube channel where I share poems and excerpts from these books, mostly as YouTube shorts.

Email me at [email protected].

#229 – Mother Earth and myths of mining and agriculture

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EPWiaXRg2ns5NlY3bZMZS?si=988d1102da1b4bf4

An episode from 5/11/26: Tonight, I read passages on what the discoveries of agriculture and metallurgy meant for human beings, as reflected in the mythologies and rituals and stories that grew up around them. These passages are taken from sections 12 and 15 of Mircea Eliade’s History of Religious Ideas, Volume 1: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries.

After Eliade’s rich catalogue of stories and beliefs that came out metallurgy, I read a few passages from the Hebrew Bible—Isaiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, Proverbs, and finally Job—where metallurgy is discussed literally and as metaphor. Here, metallurgy becomes a symbol of transformation imposed by God on backsliding humanity, as well as enduring symbol of wisdom and understanding.

The best way to support the podcast is by leaving a review on Apple or Spotify, sharing it with others, or sending me a note on what you think. You can also order any of my books: Time and the River: From Columbine to the Invention of Fire, Notes from the Grid, To the House of the Sun, The Lonely Young & the Lonely Old, and Bone Antler Stone. I’ve also edited a handful of books in the S4N Pocket Poems series. I also have a YouTube channel where I share poems and excerpts from these books, mostly as YouTube shorts.

Email me at [email protected].

#228 – What Ted Bundy did on July 14, 1974

https://open.spotify.com/episode/41G3UDRcedPq1hKReFQMxF?si=4cb82d7bf25e4cc0

An episode from 5/4/26: Tonight, I read the story of the French journalist Jean-Paul Kauffmann and his capture and three year captivity at the hands of Hezbollah. While held prisoner, he was given many books to read to pass the time, and what I share comes from the spy novelist John le Carré’s memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life.

Next, I read from Caroline Fraser’s Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers. As I say, ever since listening to the audiobook I’ve come to think that there are true crime books, and then there is Fraser’s book: for those who can stomach this kind of material, it is essential. I read the pages describing Ted Bundy’s kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of Janice Ott and Denise Naslund on the same day—July 14, 1974—from Lake Sammamish State Park in Washington.

The best way to support the podcast is by leaving a review on Apple or Spotify, sharing it with others, or sending me a note on what you think. You can also order any of my books: Time and the River: From Columbine to the Invention of Fire, Notes from the Grid, To the House of the Sun, The Lonely Young & the Lonely Old, and Bone Antler Stone. I’ve also edited a handful of books in the S4N Pocket Poems series. I also have a YouTube channel where I share poems and excerpts from these books, mostly as YouTube shorts.

Email me at [email protected].  

#腾讯 公司正在试图删除 #反审查 项目 #FreeWeChat

腾讯公司的法律代表Group-IB指控FreeWeChat侵犯商标和版权，并于6月12日向FreeWeChat的托管服务提供商提交了删除投诉。

托管服务提供商遵从要求，删除了该网站的一个实例。FreeWeChat的所有者 #GreatFire 表示，不会遵从删除命令，并正在寻求法律援助和技术支持，以确保网站保持在线。

FreeWeChat于2016年推出，旨在挑战中国日益严重的审查制度。该网站存档并重新发布来自官方微信账号的公共帖子，使用户能够查看被审查的内容，包括因政治敏感性而从腾讯拥有的平台上删除的帖子。

https://hongkongfp.com/2025/07/17/chinese-tech-firm-tencent-seeks-removal-of-anti-censorship-archive-freewechat-watchdog-says/

"Looks like Mother Nature wanted a renovation in Spokane! Time to rebuild bigger and better than ever 🔥💪 #GreatFire #SpokaneStrong" - Mayor of Spokane

Aug 04, 1889 - The Great Fire of Spokane, Washington destroys some 32 blocks of the city, prompting a mass rebuilding project.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Spokane_Fire