Hi friends,
We changed the clocks and we are already feeling the early sunsets acutely. Luckily, they have been very beautiful.
I’m fond of looking up when things are getting me down. How pleased I was to see the images from the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope.
In spite of all the bad news, there is light.
As part of the expansion, employees and dependents who are on most of the company’s medical plans will be able to see virtual primary care physicians, as well as digestive health and physical therapy specialists. Most of the benefits will be offered at a $0 copay.
Since roughly half of Americans don’t see primary care physicians, this is an important move.
On the heels of the UAW’s successful negotiation for major pay and benefit increases from the Big Three automakers, Toyota has announced wage increases for its manufacturing workers as well as nonunion workers that do logistics. The raises will take effect at the beginning of 2024.
The largest Japanese automaker also said it is cutting the amount of time needed for US production workers to reach top pay to four years from eight years and increasing paid time off.
Currently, people making $684 per week ($35,568 per year) are exempt from overtime pay. The new rule would raise the threshold to more than a thousand dollars per week ($55,068 per year). It’s public comment time!
Tell the US Department of Labor that workers deserve better overtime pay protections. The National Women’s Law Center makes it easy!
The poet Rupi Kaur has turned down an invitation to celebrate Diwali at the White House tomorrow; she made clear that she cannot celebrate the triumph of light over darkness at
“an institution that supports the collective punishment of a trapped civilian population – 50% of whom are children.”
Rupi Kaur was the favorite poet of a student I loved. Here is one of Kaur’s best poems:
to hate
is an easy lazy thing
but to love
takes strength
everyone has
but not all are
willing to practice
After 34 seasons, Homer Simpson acknowledges that he has stopped strangling Bart. If Homer can develop, anyone can.
And on that note, I wish to introduce a new feature of the wiffij, because love does take strength and we sometimes need the strength of others.
My beloved springling sent me a screenshot of a message they received from someone. Lena texted “help please” because I have volunteered to handle micro-aggressions when they need support.
The message they received said:
Regarding they/them, to me the last thing this county needs is yet another group insisting on special treatment. Forcing others to behave in a certain way verges on arrogance. Can’t Joe Q Dope like me just use the person’s name and eliminate pronouns altogether?
Thank you.
So, here’s the new feature. Send the texts and emails you receive that induce rage and I will work to answer when you have no more resources left for responding tactfully and advancing the cause of peace. It’s not that I am always tactful, generous, and loving. It’s that I need to practice, and this is part of my work.
Here was the response I wrote for Lena to send in reply:
I have more faith in your intellect. You’ve learned to use pronouns for male and female people. You might be offended if someone referred to you as her. I’m asking for the same consideration that I show you with respect to your identity.
More than a few friends have pointed out that not every moment is teachable, but I persist. I’m not sure they’re wrong. . . . I’m just not sure they’re right.
There is no requirement or expectation that you use my replies. Maybe it’s just an exercise, and maybe we can figure out how to become more fully human in the process.
with love,
L