Articles

There Is a Future, and You Are It

Originally published Oct. 26, 2017 Dear Friend and Reader: So, it’s been a year since we heard, and experienced, the fell news about the supposed election of an insane person to the United States presidency. And as that year has gone on, day by day, the news in the public sphere has been of disaster … Read more

A Story of Mercury and the Milky Way

Originally published Nov. 30, 2017 | Link to original Dear Friend and Reader: If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably noticed things getting exponentially more insane by the day. Everything seems to be out of control. And if you follow astrology, you may be wondering what the holy heck is going on. I’m here … Read more

Small Wheel Turns by the Fire and Rod, Big Wheel Turns by the Grace of God

Originally published Nov. 22, 2017 | Link to original Dear Friend and Reader: (And every time that wheel goes ’round, you’re bound to cover just a little more ground.) Last month at this time, I introduced the idea that late 2017 through 2018 brings a new era astrologically. While things are constantly changing in the … Read more

Notes on the Dereliction of Dharma

Dear Friend and Reader: As Mercury works its way retrograde in Scorpio, it’s exciting to see the impeachment of Donald Trump gain momentum. I am not saying this as a partisan of any political party. If someone robbed a bank, committed fraud or assaulted someone, I would not be asking what political party they belonged … Read more

Listening to the World Go By

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Dear Friend and Reader:

One of my journalistic hobbies is listening to the scanner. All I have to do is unmute Channel 1 on my soundboard, and it comes through my speakers. I can then eavesdrop on the chatter of government. I hear some law enforcement, but mainly what comes across are medical calls, fire calls and stuff like road maintenance.

Planet Waves — My basic audio setup includes a Uniden scanner (device right under the candle, made in Sugarloaf), so I can listen to public service activity in my community. I make no secret of the fact that I monitor; I discuss events and procedures with local leaders. Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.

For me this is like a civics meditation. I don’t actively cover local news. When I hear something newsworthy, I will text the city editor at the Daily Freeman, which does not have the time to monitor. But that’s not my main reason for listening. I just find it interesting, and also, I feel reassured to hear that society is functioning.

One of my favorite items happens on the hour, when the toll plazas along the New York State Thruway check in with the temperature and road conditions. I can hear this because they’re on a relay system that broadcasts all the interchanges on one local channel. There is nothing special about this; what I love is hearing routine business, and also the sense of space as the toll plazas announce the weather in their immediate area, spanning hundreds of miles.