Things have gotten more complex in the Middle East, and as a result, here also. Interest rates for mortgages have gone up steadily since February. The price of gasoline and diesel is outrageous. A possible recession is in the future, and not the distant future either.   Thinking about going back to teaching history, only online.   I have concerns about the things that are being excised from our national consciousness. Don’t forget to send a few bucks to NPR and the PBS station in your area. Easter is almost here. Although I don’t celebrate it, there are other things to celebrate like Passover, the spring equinox,  Earth Day, and Beltane.   Only 1,030 days to go but there may not be anything left by then.

Kintgugi  3/27/26

This bears repeating.  The Black Census Project: Rooted in Black Dreams, Built by Black Power is live on March 30. Go  HERE to participate.

I got an email from Netflix today saying, “We’re updating your monthly price to…” Since when did the word update come to mean increase? My understanding of the meaning of update is improve, recondition, upgrade, renovate, or reform. None of those words are defined as making more. So what do I get with this “update”? Better movies? Refurbished movies? 

In February 2026, average mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed loan hovered around 5.87–6.04%, while 15-year fixed rates averaged 5.24–5.45%, marking the lowest levels since 2022. Today, thirty-year mortgage rates hit a six-month high. The current average mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.54%, compared to 6.24% a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Research Center. The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage is 5.76%, up 0.30 percentage points from the previous week.

Writing for the New York Times, Greg Jaffe, Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper, and Adam Entous report, “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is blocking the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals, a highly unusual move that has prompted some senior military officials to question whether the officers are being singled out because of their race or gender. Mr. Buria, Mr. Hegseth’s chief of staff, told Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events, the officials said.” (more)

Have you done a smell check of your living space lately? If you have a pet, or cook, or live, after a while, you become nose-blind to the smells that other folks notice when they come to visit. Here are some things to consider when figuring out how to make your place fresher. 

“You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”
― Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott has recently written, with her husband Neil Allen, a new book, Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences. Like her earlier classic book on writing, Bird by Bird, this is worth the money and the time.

You know it’s spring when Blue Bell launches new seasonal ice cream flavors. I remember when Blue Bell was only made in Brenham, a real Texas product. Now you can get it in lots of places, and they have an additional factory in Alabama or Mississippi, somewhere southern.

When a breaking news event happens, 36% of U.S. adults say they typically turn first to their preferred news organization to get more information, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey from the Pew-Knight Initiative.

My book club read The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, and I recommend it. I wouldn’t have chosen it myself, but I really enjoyed it. Liz Moore is an excellent writer.

Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary,” published in 2021, is a story about humanity’s last-ditch attempt to save Earth from “astrophage,” a fictional, star-eating algae that has infected our sun. The movie came out this past weekend, and did very well. Check it out. Someone asked Neil deGrasse Tyson about the science in the book. Really interesting. 

As a culture critic, Lemieux has spent years pushing back against the stereotypes and stigma that follow single mothers. Her new book blends her own memoir with the stories of 21 other Black women. Listen to her interview with NPR’s Tanya Mosley on Fresh Air below.

What is the SAVE Act trying to save us from? The SAVE Act would require American citizens to present documents such as a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. Our research shows that more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport. Millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate. (more)  According to the US Department of State, a new U.S. adult passport book costs $165 ($130 application fee + $35 execution fee). Renewals cost $130. Additional costs include $35–$60 for expedited service, and ~$15 for photos. The total for a first-time applicant is typically around $165–$200, depending on photo cost and any expedited shipping fees.  If you need a passport to vote, is this a new poll tax?

Key Dates for the 2025 Tax Year (Filed in 2026)

Do you have someone in your life who lives alone or far away?  Are you going on vacation because you need a break from caregiving? (yes) Here are some free ways to help check on them while you’re away:

• https://buddyhelp.org/     Offers free emotional support through volunteer listeners and also provides access to professional online therapy.
• https://www.snugsafe.com/    A free app that sends daily check-in reminders. If you don’t respond, your emergency contacts are notified.
• https://checkinbee.com/     Sends daily text messages asking for a simple reply. If no response, designated contacts are notified.