Coyote brokers peace deal between Moses and Pharaoh
It is possible, possible, possible. It must
Be possible.
Wallace Stevens, Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction
Bob Schwartz
April 7, 2025
April 6, 2025
Triality
Triality
Singing birds on the left
Clattering dishes on the right
Silent cushion in between
Not three
© 2025 by Bob Schwartz
April 4, 2025
Penguins are subject to Trump tariffs. At least some of them have sweaters.
From The Guardian:
‘Nowhere on Earth is safe’: Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited islands near Antarctica
Australian prime minister surprised after external territories – including tiny Norfolk Island and remote islands home to penguins – targeted by US president
A group of barren, uninhabited volcanic islands near Antarctica, covered in glaciers and home to penguins, have been swept up in Donald Trump’s trade war, as the US president hit them with a 10% tariff on goods.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which form an external territory of Australia, are among the remotest places on Earth, accessible only via a two-week boat voyage from Perth on Australia’s west coast. They are completely uninhabited, with the last visit from people believed to be nearly 10 years ago.
Nevertheless, Heard and McDonald islands featured in a list released by the White House of “countries” that would have new trade tariffs imposed.
We don’t think the penguins have heard about the tariffs. It will not affect them anyway, since they have nothing but fish, and they don’t trade that. They might be able to bribe Trump though, since it is reported that he is a fan of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Like the penguins, he loves to eat.
While researching this, I came across the Penguin Foundation in Australia, which focuses on the Little Penguins on similar islands.
An oil spill led the Penguin Foundation to promote knitting sweaters (jumpers) for the Little Penguins of Phillip Island, to keep them from preening their feathers coated in toxic oil. (The knitting pattern is available on their site.)
Knitters have knitted enough sweaters for the current penguins and those that may be harmed in the future. Now the Penguin Foundation is asking knitters to knit sweaters for plush penguin toys to wear, which toys are being sold to raise money for the foundation.
Two reasons to mention all this here. One is that placing tariffs on “countries” inhabited by penguins is idiotic. Two is that thinking about penguins and particularly thinking about penguins wearing hand-knitted sweaters, even if meant to protect them from toxic oil spills, makes us smile. You do want a reason to smile right now—any reason—don’t you?
April 1, 2025
Musk to send Trump to Moon and Mars to buy real estate
“His plan is to drive the housing prices so high the lower-class Martians will be forced to sell out and move to Pluto.”
April 1, 2025
Coyote talks about the Day of Fools and the tarot
Coyote:
Today is the Day of Fools and I want to talk about the tarot.
Some say I am wise, some say I am a fool. I do not care what they say about me. I am both.
I do know something about fools. For example, above you see the first card of the tarot deck, The Fool. It is so basic that in some decks, such as Rider-Waite, it has no number. It is just zero.
The card shows The Fool at the edge of a cliff. This may remind you of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, who ends up at the edge of a cliff while chasing Road Runner.
This chase results in Coyote running beyond the cliff and crashing at the bottom of a ravine. I am not a fan of that character. It makes me look like an idiot, which I am not. In many cultures I am considered one of the most significant figures in all of creation. Roadrunner, the interesting bird who I do like and respect, is represented in the cartoon as much more clever than me. It is not.
I will also mention that The Fool is traveling with a little dog. I will admit that coyotes have been known from time to time to attack and eat small dogs. Very rarely. Coyotes can and will eat almost anything, so there is almost always something else to eat besides a dog in a backyard.
The Fool is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph.
According to an expert:
The Fool is the innocent adventurer, about to begin an important journey. With a head full of hope, he is idealistic rather than practical; he is certainly not dressed for travel. The little dog at his heels tries to warn him of impending peril, but the Fool is blissfully ignorant of the risk he takes in stepping off a cliff. He is about to encounter danger, but how else can he make his way in the world?
We all begin life as a zero, a tiny egg of potential. The Fool is the cosmic egg, symbolized by the shape of his number, 0. As he journeys through the major arcana sequence, he is a part of every card, but he also stands outside the sequence, without a formal value. An absolute beginner, he is about to explore the world, gain experience, and leave behind his status as a zero, a no-being. He will travel lightly, without the baggage of commitment. The Fool is the dreamer, lead only by his needs and desires.
The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean
Today, the Day of Fools, be kind to everyone, the foolish and the wise.
© 2025 by Bob Schwartz
March 31, 2025
Total Orchid=6 (Patience)
A few weeks ago I wrote about an orchid plant (When I wasn’t looking an orchid bloomed). A few more posts about it followed.
The last orchid lagged. Last night it opened a little.
This morning it bloomed. They are all in bloom. Where once there were none, then five, now there are six.
Patience.
March 26, 2025
Coyote at the signing of the U.S. Constitution (1787)
FAQ
Q: Why this series of pictures of Coyote in various settings?
A: Coyote was and is everywhere.
Q: Why this picture of Coyote at the signing of the U.S. Constitution, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, September 17, 1787?
A: Coyote was there, and the U.S. Constitution is immeasurably important these days in America.
Note that Coyote has a special relationship with Philadelphia, having attended the University of Pennsylvania, America’s first university, before this signing. Penn has a history that dates back to 1740. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin. If you look carefully, you will see Franklin looking over at Coyote. Franklin may be silently repeating the motto of his university: Leges sine moribus vanae. Laws without morals are useless.
Q: Should I read and study the U.S. Constitution?
A: Every American should read and study the U.S. Constitution. Don’t just accept easy overviews and subjective interpretations. This is especially important when the Constitution is being ignored or breached. Coyote recalls the fierce arguments that erupted at the Constitutional Convention before the signing. The final document was and is imperfect, and has been subject to amendment, but it remains an evolving example government by the people in the face of government by a person.
March 24, 2025
Gautama Buddha, the Beggar Prince (1944)
March 24, 2025
Coyote consults I Ching today: Country in harmony
37
Jia Ren • Household
The image of the gua is Wind above, Fire below. The wind springs forth from the fire. This gua symbolizes that the wind of harmony is fed by the flames of love….
The ancient sages always applied the principle of managing a household to governing a country. In their view, a country was simply a big household. With the spirit of sincerity and mutual love, one is able to create a harmonious situation anywhere, in any circumstance.
Master Alfred Huang, The Complete I Ching
Bob Schwartz 