'Martin Luther King Jr.' quoted: "Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."
Honoring the ancestors who turned hope into freedom. May their resilience and strength continue to fuel our journey toward justice. And may this day of remembrance fill our heart with pride, and may we all work together toward a future where everyone is truly free.
Happiest Juneteenth, everyone! ♥︎✨️
And wishing a wonderful Juneteenth to you too, Alex — who inspires us to fight for a better tomorrow, to make this world a better place for us all. Your endless dedication to messages of humanity and peace helps pave the way for a more just, understanding world.
Thank you, for always lifting others up and reminding us that we are only truly human together. 🤍
Happy Juneteenth, Wifa! Dr. King’s advice is still timely! And the mother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, observed: ‘We’re not free until we’re ALL free.’ That’s what must have sustained her as she walked 1,400 miles to Washington DC from Fort Worth TX at age 89!! Her epic walk finally inspired the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday!! 🫶🏽
‘Dr. King’ taught us the way of love, and ‘Opal Lee’ put those words into triumphant motion — she showed that monumental change requires both visionary endurance and the belief that freedom is a shared, ‘universal right’.
A profound and beautiful legacy of resilience indeed! It calls on each of us to keep walking until true equity is a reality for everyone.
Her courage in the face of adversity magnificently echoes the dreams of Dr. King — proving that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary victories for humanity.
Have a magical Juneteenth, Suzanne! Bunch of thank you. ♥︎
"Mamdani in New York. The Obamas in Chicago. One moment celebrating what a city can build together. The other reminds the country of what it had — and what it can find again. The past and the possible, side by side on the same June day."
This was the inspiration I needed to move forward, against all odds, in the fight for democracy.
"It is a good day to remember that rights declared are not always rights delivered. And that the distance between the announcement and the reality can be very long."
Texas is a place where you can find written reminders of this. Faint but still visible, the words "No colored" on gas station restroom doors. Happy Juneteenth my friends. Love the flower block and pup returning stolen goods 😂
“The pond is the deal. No-bid contract. No expertise. No plan. Hydrogen peroxide from a corner shop. Paint peeling within two weeks. And when it fails, a press conference to explain that, actually, it is going very well and that the algae represent a tremendous achievement.” This is Donald Trump’s presidency in a nutshell.
Now the GOP wants to replace one liar with another. The madness never ends.
Love the ‘stumbles’.
Wonderful day yesterday in Chicago. Congratulations to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
After yesterday’s emotional and, yes, hopefully inspirational celebration at the opening of the OPC, I awoke to your beautifully written MORE. Yes, we lost 47’s “war of choice” and the MOU has been cancelled because our vacuous, delusional president doesn’t “do” diplomacy. The contrast between these administrations couldn’t be more striking. (Mamdani’s own celebration in NYC was another example of what good and competent governance looks like.) Both Obama and Mrs. Obama spoke so eloquently during this time of such a drastic threat to our democracy. You wrote about it so meaningfully that I had to re-read MORE to reassure myself that we must get to work to restore all that 47 has taken from us. Thank you for your tribute to Juneteenth. It’s an important Federal holiday, but there’s more work to be done on that front too. The cute dog returning the stolen items video was priceless 🤣 A great post, Alexander💚
It's extraordinary how the world with the Obama's and the confused Trumpf is. The one couple passionate about their country and the other at odds with each other and the real world.
The peeling pond is allegorical with the present party's state.
The concert sounded wonderful.
Love the partridge patch.
I have noted your instructions to sort Substack and will endeavour to apply it!
Hi Alexander, I really enjoy everything you’re writing and want to subscribe by contributing (finally!). How do I do this for all your content? Is there a way? Beans, more, travel, screen skills..or is each one separate? Can you recommend a path? And did I read correctly there is an App for screen skills? Thank you..
Hi Jude, that’s so kind of you to contribute! There are five separate newsletters, so just pick one you read most. The latest issue of Screen Skills and the next one I’m still working on describe how the Substack app works. I’ll send a DM as well.
I felt happy to see the people, celebrities and just plain citizens, come out and celebrate the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. I miss how it felt with the Obamas in the White House. That just led to sadness with what we are living through today. The contrast is stunning. But your flower block made me smile! Luna! Be careful. Don't fall into that green swamp!
Well there's one good thing to come out of this mess, if you happen to be a mosquito.
Mamdani is showing competent leadership, rallying New Yorkers around the Knicks win, and their own resilience. They are tough, for sure.
There's no particular against-the-odds moment that stands out for me. Everything I am now is a defiance of the odds. For ages I searched for a grain of truth in a vast desert of lies, found it, grasped it, shook the dust off my feet, and took the road less traveled. It has made all the difference.
Planting flowers for wildlife is such a good and kind thing to do. They're lovely to look at too. The prairies are in full summer bloom here, and the bees are very happy.
Animals are a higher life form than humans, in my opinion.
"No one and I mean no one has the right to sit in judgement of whose American enough."
Words to live by coming out of the Southside. Words Americans haven't heard in a long time. We know it, believe it in our hearts and to hear it spoken for all the world to hear is comforting. It is comforting to hear and see class, culture, compassion and music over the hateful noise of the Trump Regime. And she never spoke his name.
Trump's MO is to spend money that is not his, to plaster his name on buildings he did not build, to over promise, under deliver and change the subject. From his Iran MOU to the reflecting pool, his incompetence is staggering and his ethics and morality are putrid. The Supreme Leader of Iran said he made this deal "out of desperation." He is desperate.
And desperate is how I sometimes feel. But oh, when I hear Springsteen sing, "Meet me in a land of hope and dreams", something changes. I listen and I hear truth and justice, my heart softens; it is then I go back to "Hope is a choice", an action verb. It is the one thing that will save us. So, on this Juneteenth Day of Freedom, when so many who were and always will be "American enough" got the news of freedom, let's all join in their song. A song you sing well.
The algae itself isn't necessarily proof of corruption or incompetence. The Reflecting Pool has a long history of algae problems. After a major $30+ million reconstruction completed in 2012, the pool also experienced severe algae blooms within weeks. Experts note that the pool's shallow, warm water makes it naturally prone to algae growth. Also, Images and videos show workers using containers of hydrogen peroxide, but reporting does not establish that they were literally using standard 3% drugstore bottles bought off a pharmacy shelf.
'Martin Luther King Jr.' quoted: "Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."
Honoring the ancestors who turned hope into freedom. May their resilience and strength continue to fuel our journey toward justice. And may this day of remembrance fill our heart with pride, and may we all work together toward a future where everyone is truly free.
Happiest Juneteenth, everyone! ♥︎✨️
And wishing a wonderful Juneteenth to you too, Alex — who inspires us to fight for a better tomorrow, to make this world a better place for us all. Your endless dedication to messages of humanity and peace helps pave the way for a more just, understanding world.
Thank you, for always lifting others up and reminding us that we are only truly human together. 🤍
Beautiful, Wifa 🤍
Happy Juneteenth, Wifa! Dr. King’s advice is still timely! And the mother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, observed: ‘We’re not free until we’re ALL free.’ That’s what must have sustained her as she walked 1,400 miles to Washington DC from Fort Worth TX at age 89!! Her epic walk finally inspired the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday!! 🫶🏽
RESILIENCE.
Beautifully put, Suzanne! ✨️
‘Dr. King’ taught us the way of love, and ‘Opal Lee’ put those words into triumphant motion — she showed that monumental change requires both visionary endurance and the belief that freedom is a shared, ‘universal right’.
A profound and beautiful legacy of resilience indeed! It calls on each of us to keep walking until true equity is a reality for everyone.
Her courage in the face of adversity magnificently echoes the dreams of Dr. King — proving that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary victories for humanity.
Have a magical Juneteenth, Suzanne! Bunch of thank you. ♥︎
So loving to the 'Zeeland's sprawling carpet' of 'a flower block' — kinda a true stunningly-friendly wilderness. 🤍
Hope it is still stretched out there and always be. 🇳🇱🍀
"Mamdani in New York. The Obamas in Chicago. One moment celebrating what a city can build together. The other reminds the country of what it had — and what it can find again. The past and the possible, side by side on the same June day."
This was the inspiration I needed to move forward, against all odds, in the fight for democracy.
"It is a good day to remember that rights declared are not always rights delivered. And that the distance between the announcement and the reality can be very long."
Texas is a place where you can find written reminders of this. Faint but still visible, the words "No colored" on gas station restroom doors. Happy Juneteenth my friends. Love the flower block and pup returning stolen goods 😂
Love Morning Compass 🧭
Have a lovely Juneteenth, my love. Stay well. Stay blessed. 🤍
“The pond is the deal. No-bid contract. No expertise. No plan. Hydrogen peroxide from a corner shop. Paint peeling within two weeks. And when it fails, a press conference to explain that, actually, it is going very well and that the algae represent a tremendous achievement.” This is Donald Trump’s presidency in a nutshell.
Now the GOP wants to replace one liar with another. The madness never ends.
Love the ‘stumbles’.
Wonderful day yesterday in Chicago. Congratulations to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Happy Juneteenth!
Thank you, Alexander. The contrast between the two versions of the United States is searing.
After yesterday’s emotional and, yes, hopefully inspirational celebration at the opening of the OPC, I awoke to your beautifully written MORE. Yes, we lost 47’s “war of choice” and the MOU has been cancelled because our vacuous, delusional president doesn’t “do” diplomacy. The contrast between these administrations couldn’t be more striking. (Mamdani’s own celebration in NYC was another example of what good and competent governance looks like.) Both Obama and Mrs. Obama spoke so eloquently during this time of such a drastic threat to our democracy. You wrote about it so meaningfully that I had to re-read MORE to reassure myself that we must get to work to restore all that 47 has taken from us. Thank you for your tribute to Juneteenth. It’s an important Federal holiday, but there’s more work to be done on that front too. The cute dog returning the stolen items video was priceless 🤣 A great post, Alexander💚
The reflecting pool situation looks like another Pantone color for 2026: “No-bid Blue”
😂
It's extraordinary how the world with the Obama's and the confused Trumpf is. The one couple passionate about their country and the other at odds with each other and the real world.
The peeling pond is allegorical with the present party's state.
The concert sounded wonderful.
Love the partridge patch.
I have noted your instructions to sort Substack and will endeavour to apply it!
Thank you.
Hi Alexander, I really enjoy everything you’re writing and want to subscribe by contributing (finally!). How do I do this for all your content? Is there a way? Beans, more, travel, screen skills..or is each one separate? Can you recommend a path? And did I read correctly there is an App for screen skills? Thank you..
Hi Jude, that’s so kind of you to contribute! There are five separate newsletters, so just pick one you read most. The latest issue of Screen Skills and the next one I’m still working on describe how the Substack app works. I’ll send a DM as well.
I felt happy to see the people, celebrities and just plain citizens, come out and celebrate the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. I miss how it felt with the Obamas in the White House. That just led to sadness with what we are living through today. The contrast is stunning. But your flower block made me smile! Luna! Be careful. Don't fall into that green swamp!
Well there's one good thing to come out of this mess, if you happen to be a mosquito.
Mamdani is showing competent leadership, rallying New Yorkers around the Knicks win, and their own resilience. They are tough, for sure.
There's no particular against-the-odds moment that stands out for me. Everything I am now is a defiance of the odds. For ages I searched for a grain of truth in a vast desert of lies, found it, grasped it, shook the dust off my feet, and took the road less traveled. It has made all the difference.
Planting flowers for wildlife is such a good and kind thing to do. They're lovely to look at too. The prairies are in full summer bloom here, and the bees are very happy.
Animals are a higher life form than humans, in my opinion.
"No one and I mean no one has the right to sit in judgement of whose American enough."
Words to live by coming out of the Southside. Words Americans haven't heard in a long time. We know it, believe it in our hearts and to hear it spoken for all the world to hear is comforting. It is comforting to hear and see class, culture, compassion and music over the hateful noise of the Trump Regime. And she never spoke his name.
Trump's MO is to spend money that is not his, to plaster his name on buildings he did not build, to over promise, under deliver and change the subject. From his Iran MOU to the reflecting pool, his incompetence is staggering and his ethics and morality are putrid. The Supreme Leader of Iran said he made this deal "out of desperation." He is desperate.
And desperate is how I sometimes feel. But oh, when I hear Springsteen sing, "Meet me in a land of hope and dreams", something changes. I listen and I hear truth and justice, my heart softens; it is then I go back to "Hope is a choice", an action verb. It is the one thing that will save us. So, on this Juneteenth Day of Freedom, when so many who were and always will be "American enough" got the news of freedom, let's all join in their song. A song you sing well.
Deja que la paloma blanca cante. Thank you, Alex.
it is all ‘divine retribution’.
The algae itself isn't necessarily proof of corruption or incompetence. The Reflecting Pool has a long history of algae problems. After a major $30+ million reconstruction completed in 2012, the pool also experienced severe algae blooms within weeks. Experts note that the pool's shallow, warm water makes it naturally prone to algae growth. Also, Images and videos show workers using containers of hydrogen peroxide, but reporting does not establish that they were literally using standard 3% drugstore bottles bought off a pharmacy shelf.
Even in small ponds, when the weather is warm, and the pond is open to sunlight, the algae problem persists.
One museum I like to visit has a beautiful reflecting pool/ courtyard - at the Clark Art Museum situated in Williamstown, MA