happy christmas

however, you celebrate the holiday, or don't celebrate it, might we all try to have a little peace & good will toward each other, boils & ghouls.  it was 50 years ago today that we got to look at our earth from the orbit of the Apollo 8 mission.  the photograph, called Earthrise, taken by astronaut bill anders is arguably the most influential & important photo ever taken.  for it shows both our utter insignificance in the universe & how vital, crucial & critical the earth is for all of its creatures.  we are, after all, one species, the human being, on this little blue pale dot, to use the phrase of carl sagan who coined that phrase within the context of another important photograph of our earth.  so it is so fucking important that we be kind to each other.  at any rate, from this old atheist poet who inhabits his own very little iota of a speck on this pale blue dot, among every human, & living thing on this planet, be good, practice lovingkindness, happy christmas, & rock out to these holiday surf sounds by the Surfrajettes.