Michael G. D’Aversa

Are you happy? To hell with all the circumstances going on around you and what people are posting about it. Are you happy. I’m asking.
#happiness #innerjoy #howareyou

I think @rahmemanuel.bsky.social brought up some excellent points on @smerconish.bsky.social’s program this morning (CNN), regarding the young male crisis in America. I’m not convinced that deep-seated societal problem can be fixed with government programs, but society must acknowledge this issue.

Except for work-related screen time, I’ve reduced my time on social media substantially — not entirely but enough to spend the better part of my day unplugged. It’s a great way to step away from the meaningless toxicity and to wake up to one’s self and one’s surroundings. To heal.
#healing

All book authors, I can’t wait to see your responses to this one:
Paid reviews, yes or no? Why or why not? Please share your experiences with the rest of us!
#writingcommunity #authors #writing #publishing #bookmarketing

Why do so many not get it? He feeds on the frenzy. His greatest punishment wouldn’t be to die in office, or even in a prison, but to die in obscurity. That would be his hell.
#endthecycle #bethechange

When public media disappears, so do the stories that bring us together.

With federal funding eliminated, millions may lose their last trusted source of news and connection.

If that matters to you, now’s the time to act. Donate: n.pr/458sOhq

She fights a battle
that most don’t notice
incessantly raging
in the theater
of her small mind
to appease a demon
she serves unaware
Poor oblivious soul

#poetry #freeverse #poems #poetrycommunity #poetsofbluesky

How feasible would it be for pro-NPR-and-PBS Americans to replace the funding... Congress is moving to eliminate nearly $1.1 billion in funding over two years for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the crucial conduit for...

Can Private Giving Replace Lost Public Funding for NPR and PBS?
I have to believe I'm not the only one wondering this, so I put the question to Perplexity AI. It would take a sustained effort by a lot of people and organizations. Not impossible but certainly challenging.

A sensory thing I posted elsewhere five years ago.
#visualisation

And furthermore, I am beyond humbled, and so grateful, to see that somebody actually has the volume checked out. This means as much to me as any monetary sales transaction.

I'm a little choked up at the moment to see that my public library, who has a standing policy of supporting local authors, and who readily accepted my book into their local authors collection, has listed A Year in Love: Daily Glimpses of Life’s Most Worthwhile Virtue in their online card catalog.

trickle down economics
trickle down economic
trickle down economi
trickle down econom
trickle down econo
trickle down econ
trickle down eco
trickle down ec
trickle down e
trickle down
trickle dow
trickle do
trickle d
trickle
trickl
trick

I know firsthand that it’s easier said than done to observe all the chaos and toxicity without absorbing it, but it can be done. And it doesn’t mean that you don’t care about what’s going on. In fact, the inner peace empowers you to do even more about it.
#toxicity #selfcare

I guess we can all
have down days
Just please don’t
stay down there
day after day
for weeks on end
That’s no place
for a soul like you
to hang out
You don’t belong
down there

It's all over the news this morning that Israel is planning to strike Iran's nuclear sites. This information seems way too sensitive to be blasted across mainstream media. Wouldn't such information be more appropriately shared in a group chat? 🤔

People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies Marriages and families are falling apart as people are sucked into fantasy worlds of spiritual prophecy by AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT

This seems… dangerous.

Scoop: White House launches Drudge-style website to promote Trump The site represents the administration's latest effort to circumvent the mainstream media and present itself in a positive light.

The intent seems clear enough, but I doubt that it will move the needle on public opinion in the long term.

Something I wrote a couple of years ago, while reflecting on a recent birthday.
#purpose #passion #poetry

Nice one.

#NationalPoetryMonth #someday #youareenough

YouTube video by Michael Smerconish Michael celebrates Festivus for Larry David & Bill Maher

My wife and I did not agree on Smerconish’s opening commentary this morning. I found this one interesting, whether I agreed with all of it or not, because Michael raised points that I hadn’t thought of before, and that doesn’t happen often. Worth the eleven or so minutes to watch, I think.

Today I asked Perplexity ai a question and it began its response with “Great question!” Then I asked another question and it began its reply with “Great follow-up!” I don’t think I’ve ever been buttered up by a machine before.

#NationalPoetryMonth #selfesteem #believeinyourself #love #writingcommunity #readingcommunity

Some Nights

Some nights
I go screaming
into the abyss
just screaming
for all I’m worth
Thinking of all
the things I hadn’t done
but should have and
the things I
might have done
but didn’t
No matter
No matter

#poems #poetry

Very much not a love poem. I wrote this one after I had finished writing most of the raw material for my Year in Love collection. I guess writing this was the equivalent of eating sorbet to clear the palate.

You know, there’s something beautiful about one human being doing something nice for another human being, especially when they don’t even know each other.
#humancondition #kindness #commongood

I reached 300 followers last night. Thank you, all, even the bots!

This is something I wrote in 2023 and it seems applicable for the times we’re going through.

Happy #NationalPoetryMonth to all!

This is from a couple of years ago.