So, to make a long explanation, well, nonexistent, I'll say that my company has been forced to cut hours across the board, at least temporarily. Fortunately for me my employers opted for less hours than less pay per hour--the latter choice would have sent me into blind rage.
To be honest, this could work out very well for me. I'm only missing one day a week and able to keep my benefits, which I might not even need after the baby is born. I get a day off which will be devoted to my personal life which, you know by now, is much more valuable to me than the wage I make. It is supposed to be a temporary situation, but I have already posited that the new schedule could be beneficial to me as a permanent solution in that it could mitigate the cost of daycare once our baby is born. Instead of working to pay for daycare, I'd be daycare for at least a day... Not sure if my boss will buy into it once finances start picking back up, but I think I'll be sticking by that option.
Anyway, I'm not stressed, just a little weirded out, if not partially relieved that something really bad was avoided...
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
February 8, 2010
February 1, 2010
Kickstand Ramp: now charging
Today on Facebook I saw that Kickstand Pub was starting to charge $5 to skate their mini ramp. That's all I know--no idea what the exact reason is, who is affected, but I'm assuming the worst and I'm really disappointed. It's been open for 3 weeks, with no fee; why start now?
Once you start charging admission to skate, it's about business, not fun. Well, it is about fun--for the people who have connections and get to skate for free. After attendance starts dropping (which I expect), I won't be surprised if 90% of the people who are skating at any given time are people who aren't paying to skate (or drink for that matter). But for someone like me, to them, it's about money. I mean, if I can stop and reason for a second, I can ask myself why shouldn't I pay? It would be like buying a share in something of which I could have only dreamed, taking ownership and responsibility, like a food co-op. Perhaps the problem is that yesterday when I was there to skate, 8 out of 10 skaters were underage. Unfortunately Kickstand doesn't sell food, so at best they are only collecting money for beer from those over 21. For minors, not even that. And then you are only profiting on the mark-up of the beer. Either way, I would guess that their attendance on Sundays and Mondays has doubled or tripled (which doesn't paint an accurate picture, if you consider who is drinking and who isn't). Should they just charge minors that aren't going to be patrons? Aside from that issue, they are attracting new patrons who--because of the ramp--are establishing loyalties to the bar and, thus, a future patronage. In essence, the ramp could be looked at as an investment in more, future patrons. Think of the ramp like every one of Kickstand's 10 flat-screen TVs... but cheaper. I'm guessing about that number, but let's say each one is $550. Times 10. $5500. Plus the cost of cable. Consider the fact that of the 20 people in the bar at 5:00pm yesterday, 10 were there to skate.
But the fee they're charging isn't to pay for the ramp or its upkeep; there are ways around that: namely, sponsorships in the form of banners or stickers on or around the ramp (currently, they have one giant logo for a Harley Davidson dealership right in the middle). I bet you it's because they didn't realize that the paint was going to chip so bad and that they are going to have to resurface it again, and again, and again; and maybe they can't find sponsors. Bummer.
Maybe I'm just pissed it's going to be a choice between drinking a beer and skating. In past weeks, I would drop $6 for a beer and tip, maybe $12. Now, they are getting $5. Ok, so maybe I stop drinking the Sunday afternoon beers I've started to enjoy. Or just drink a beer at home. I can buy a six pack for less than they charge for 2 pints. I guess that will save me a good bit of money after all. Thanks Kickstand.
Thoughts?
--
Alden says "Hi."
Once you start charging admission to skate, it's about business, not fun. Well, it is about fun--for the people who have connections and get to skate for free. After attendance starts dropping (which I expect), I won't be surprised if 90% of the people who are skating at any given time are people who aren't paying to skate (or drink for that matter). But for someone like me, to them, it's about money. I mean, if I can stop and reason for a second, I can ask myself why shouldn't I pay? It would be like buying a share in something of which I could have only dreamed, taking ownership and responsibility, like a food co-op. Perhaps the problem is that yesterday when I was there to skate, 8 out of 10 skaters were underage. Unfortunately Kickstand doesn't sell food, so at best they are only collecting money for beer from those over 21. For minors, not even that. And then you are only profiting on the mark-up of the beer. Either way, I would guess that their attendance on Sundays and Mondays has doubled or tripled (which doesn't paint an accurate picture, if you consider who is drinking and who isn't). Should they just charge minors that aren't going to be patrons? Aside from that issue, they are attracting new patrons who--because of the ramp--are establishing loyalties to the bar and, thus, a future patronage. In essence, the ramp could be looked at as an investment in more, future patrons. Think of the ramp like every one of Kickstand's 10 flat-screen TVs... but cheaper. I'm guessing about that number, but let's say each one is $550. Times 10. $5500. Plus the cost of cable. Consider the fact that of the 20 people in the bar at 5:00pm yesterday, 10 were there to skate.
But the fee they're charging isn't to pay for the ramp or its upkeep; there are ways around that: namely, sponsorships in the form of banners or stickers on or around the ramp (currently, they have one giant logo for a Harley Davidson dealership right in the middle). I bet you it's because they didn't realize that the paint was going to chip so bad and that they are going to have to resurface it again, and again, and again; and maybe they can't find sponsors. Bummer.
Maybe I'm just pissed it's going to be a choice between drinking a beer and skating. In past weeks, I would drop $6 for a beer and tip, maybe $12. Now, they are getting $5. Ok, so maybe I stop drinking the Sunday afternoon beers I've started to enjoy. Or just drink a beer at home. I can buy a six pack for less than they charge for 2 pints. I guess that will save me a good bit of money after all. Thanks Kickstand.
Thoughts?
--
Alden says "Hi."
January 29, 2010
Ready for the weekend!
...Since Monday morning I have been. That's not a great way to live life, eh? It's not that bad. I just love my home life and can enjoy it more when I get closer to 72 consecutive hours of it...
Getting excited about our baby girl. She's been moving like crazy. My cousin Emily had her baby girl this morning (or last night?), and about a month early I think. Craziness. Last night C and I started into an art project for the baby's room. I always get stressed when making art. It's my M.O. Not fun for anyone else. That's why I couldn't be an artist for a living. I'd kill somebody. But when I do create something I like, I'm on top of the world.
Life is pretty great, though, right now. Been skateboarding a little bit; doing small projects around the house: art; organizing; purging unneeded stuff...
Bought a new bag, which will be my diaper bag of choice and will replace 2 backpacks I should get rid of... Timbuk2. Hope it's all I expect it to be... Also bought some skate shoes from the local shop for $25. Too damn small. That's the second time I've done that. I might look at it as a donation to support a small local buisness... I do stupid stuff sometimes...
Had a great lunch meeting with an associate today. Gyro with chips and a... beverage... one that counter-acted the coffee that made me so jittery until then. That's a great way to end a week. Didn't affect me at all, but I felt guilty, so prob won't do that again... Might have landed some more work though in the process, and it was his treat too.
Good music today, trying to run up the rest of my 40 hours of allotted free streaming I get each month from Pandora. What a shame.
Anyway, work is boring and I'm ready to enjoy my home life...
Love and skateboards
Getting excited about our baby girl. She's been moving like crazy. My cousin Emily had her baby girl this morning (or last night?), and about a month early I think. Craziness. Last night C and I started into an art project for the baby's room. I always get stressed when making art. It's my M.O. Not fun for anyone else. That's why I couldn't be an artist for a living. I'd kill somebody. But when I do create something I like, I'm on top of the world.
Life is pretty great, though, right now. Been skateboarding a little bit; doing small projects around the house: art; organizing; purging unneeded stuff...
Bought a new bag, which will be my diaper bag of choice and will replace 2 backpacks I should get rid of... Timbuk2. Hope it's all I expect it to be... Also bought some skate shoes from the local shop for $25. Too damn small. That's the second time I've done that. I might look at it as a donation to support a small local buisness... I do stupid stuff sometimes...
Had a great lunch meeting with an associate today. Gyro with chips and a... beverage... one that counter-acted the coffee that made me so jittery until then. That's a great way to end a week. Didn't affect me at all, but I felt guilty, so prob won't do that again... Might have landed some more work though in the process, and it was his treat too.
Good music today, trying to run up the rest of my 40 hours of allotted free streaming I get each month from Pandora. What a shame.
Anyway, work is boring and I'm ready to enjoy my home life...
Love and skateboards
January 28, 2010
Education - Math & Science v. Humanities
Here's a pretty powerful quote from an article sent from a friend this afternoon:
The real problem, he explains, is the SAT writing exam, which “hardly resembles the kinds of writing people encounter in business or academic settings.” An accountant, he argues, needs to write “about content related to the company and the work in which she’s steeped.” It’s unlikely that she’ll “need to drop everything and give the boss 25 minutes on the Peloponnesian War or her most meaningful quotation.”
What’s depressing here is that this is precisely the argument heard at parent-teacher meetings across the land. When is the boss ever going to ask my Johnny about the Peloponnesian War? As if Johnny had agreed to have no existence outside his cubicle of choice. As if he wasn’t going to inherit the holy right of gun ownership and the power of the vote.
Get it? It's about the power of learning and understanding of history and current events, arguably called "education," because life shouldn't be about a wage but about human rights; information and awareness; language and activism.
The author goes says this later on:
[T]he problem today is disequilibrium. Why is every Crisis in American Education cast as an economic threat and never a civic one? In part, because we don’t have the language for it. Our focus is on the usual economic indicators. There are no corresponding “civic indicators,” no generally agreed-upon warning signs of political vulnerability, even though the inability of more than two thirds of our college graduates to read a text and draw rational inferences could be seen as the political equivalent of runaway inflation or soaring unemployment.
Original article:"Dehumanized: When Math and Science Rule the School" by Mark Slouka, Harper's Magazine online .
The real problem, he explains, is the SAT writing exam, which “hardly resembles the kinds of writing people encounter in business or academic settings.” An accountant, he argues, needs to write “about content related to the company and the work in which she’s steeped.” It’s unlikely that she’ll “need to drop everything and give the boss 25 minutes on the Peloponnesian War or her most meaningful quotation.”
What’s depressing here is that this is precisely the argument heard at parent-teacher meetings across the land. When is the boss ever going to ask my Johnny about the Peloponnesian War? As if Johnny had agreed to have no existence outside his cubicle of choice. As if he wasn’t going to inherit the holy right of gun ownership and the power of the vote.
Get it? It's about the power of learning and understanding of history and current events, arguably called "education," because life shouldn't be about a wage but about human rights; information and awareness; language and activism.
The author goes says this later on:
[T]he problem today is disequilibrium. Why is every Crisis in American Education cast as an economic threat and never a civic one? In part, because we don’t have the language for it. Our focus is on the usual economic indicators. There are no corresponding “civic indicators,” no generally agreed-upon warning signs of political vulnerability, even though the inability of more than two thirds of our college graduates to read a text and draw rational inferences could be seen as the political equivalent of runaway inflation or soaring unemployment.
Original article:
January 11, 2010
Such great heights: The Bachelor strives to reach new level of misogyny
i'm only writing about this because the scene in question was forced upon my eyes and etched in my brain and cannot be erased due to its intense and atrocious grossness...
So, in a preview for tonight's episode of ABC's The Bachelor the host goes up to The Bachelor and says [I'm paraphrasing here] "I need to tell you something because it's very serious. One of the ladies in the house is having an inappropriate relationship with one of our staff members."
Ok. I'm not going to try to explain the stupid premise behind the stupid show, but I was so blown away by the obvious and horrible hypocrisy behind it, I am ashamed to have a penis right now. So, this douche bag, known to me as The Bachelor, is dating 20 (?) women who are locked up in a house and competing for his attention and "love". Finally one woman has the sense to be like "Yeah, I'm gonna make out with this dude who might actually be Mr. Right," or whatever, and she's having an "inappropriate relationship"?!!?!?!?!?!
So this woman is portrayed as a whore or slut or disloyal harlot, while the poor guy is the dreamy portrait of all that is good and pure. Never mind that the house is set up practically like a brothel...
I hated this show before and I SUPER-hate it now. Nothing spells misogyny like what just happened. Hopefully this sparks a riotous outcry of piss-off'edness.
So, in a preview for tonight's episode of ABC's The Bachelor the host goes up to The Bachelor and says [I'm paraphrasing here] "I need to tell you something because it's very serious. One of the ladies in the house is having an inappropriate relationship with one of our staff members."
Ok. I'm not going to try to explain the stupid premise behind the stupid show, but I was so blown away by the obvious and horrible hypocrisy behind it, I am ashamed to have a penis right now. So, this douche bag, known to me as The Bachelor, is dating 20 (?) women who are locked up in a house and competing for his attention and "love". Finally one woman has the sense to be like "Yeah, I'm gonna make out with this dude who might actually be Mr. Right," or whatever, and she's having an "inappropriate relationship"?!!?!?!?!?!
So this woman is portrayed as a whore or slut or disloyal harlot, while the poor guy is the dreamy portrait of all that is good and pure. Never mind that the house is set up practically like a brothel...
I hated this show before and I SUPER-hate it now. Nothing spells misogyny like what just happened. Hopefully this sparks a riotous outcry of piss-off'edness.
January 6, 2010
Only One Manda reviews the life of Mary Daly
I was exposed to Daly's writing (I think it was Beyond God the Father) in an Intro to Theology course at school, which focused mainly on Liberation Theology. Later I had the privilege of seeing her give a lecture at my college.
Amanda does a great job of laying out her life and philosophies, and I strongly urge you to read it
Taken as a whole, the goal of all of Daly’s work is a lofty one. She seeks to demystify our entire culture, confronting patriarchal thought patterns from a historical context and applying her discoveries to current damaging cultural trends. From there, she seeks transcendence, hoping that a radical change will ensue within human cultural context, leading to an equitable and mindful social order. In so doing, she urges women to leave the patriarchal structure of Christianity and to live an intentionally marginal life, in the hopes not only of realizing our personhood, but also of bringing about this new order. The topics addressed by Daly can be broken up into three loose categories: damaging myths and assumptions, the results of these myths and assumptions and how one might begin to transcend our current social order in the interest of pursuing better possibilities.
Sadly, Amanda ends her article by noting Mary Daly's passing only 3 days ago (Jan. 3, 2010) at the age of 81.
January 4, 2010
Back to Work
So after practically two weeks of vacation I had to drag myself to the office to begin a super long 5-day work week. I even drove my car. Fortunately this afforded me the opportunity to shower and shave this morning which was definitely refreshing. Also, C made cheddar & bacon scones yesterday and that was a great, hearty breakfast for a cold day like today.
So I get to work and realize there's not much to do and my immediate instinct is to surf the internet. What is new and strange is my lack of desire to do that. Having had very limited access to the internet over vacation, and personally restricting my access to Ebay, has helped me realize that there isn't much on the internet that requires much of my time. Of course, adding to this blog is still great and therapeutic and I still like to attend to a few favorite blogs... Really, it's Ebay. That shit was really starting to take over and I would just cruise to find stuff. Granted I was able to find a lot of stuff that is useful (e.g. parts to build a useful bike that is now my main day-to-day transportation and soon-to-be grocery-getting tank). But I would just cruise that site at work because I had nothing better to do. Without it, I read a few blogs, then I'm done. I just can't get sucked in like Ebay does it. Haha.
Anyway, winter is in full-effect and I'm hoping I can get biking for a while longer before temperatures drop to unbearable digits. 2010 is finally here and I feel the need to pick up speed on preparing for Baby Girl's arrival. We found a crib we like, and maybe a dresser. Add a comfy chair (<--this will be a challenge), an overhead lamp, new curtains, a rug, and some wall art and--BAM!--we're done.
So I get to work and realize there's not much to do and my immediate instinct is to surf the internet. What is new and strange is my lack of desire to do that. Having had very limited access to the internet over vacation, and personally restricting my access to Ebay, has helped me realize that there isn't much on the internet that requires much of my time. Of course, adding to this blog is still great and therapeutic and I still like to attend to a few favorite blogs... Really, it's Ebay. That shit was really starting to take over and I would just cruise to find stuff. Granted I was able to find a lot of stuff that is useful (e.g. parts to build a useful bike that is now my main day-to-day transportation and soon-to-be grocery-getting tank). But I would just cruise that site at work because I had nothing better to do. Without it, I read a few blogs, then I'm done. I just can't get sucked in like Ebay does it. Haha.
Anyway, winter is in full-effect and I'm hoping I can get biking for a while longer before temperatures drop to unbearable digits. 2010 is finally here and I feel the need to pick up speed on preparing for Baby Girl's arrival. We found a crib we like, and maybe a dresser. Add a comfy chair (<--this will be a challenge), an overhead lamp, new curtains, a rug, and some wall art and--BAM!--we're done.
December 30, 2009
i dun fell off
computer crashed over a week ago at home. lots of holiday traveling has kept me away from the office, so no computer access for me. it's helped curb my ebay habit at the very least. it's also helped me realize i don't need to check email and blogs so frequently--let's see if i can get any work done today and tomorrow...
i had a great vacation, hanging out with family, eating lots of food, especially sweets and beer... movies: The Hangover (classic), Role Models (super great), 500 Days of Summer (meh), and soon, PaperHeart (?).
2010 is rollin up fast--no resolutions, just hopes for a healthy wife and baby. Maybe less computer. Finish the basement before Baby Girl arrives.... awesome garden that produces all summer long. Less sleep. A tattoo.And no Ebay. Did I just say that? No Ebay. Wowie. Less Ebay, meaning not checking it everyday. Hey, it's not 2010 yet. I still have some time to amend my resolutions... Oh, and at least 800 miles on my bike.
i had a great vacation, hanging out with family, eating lots of food, especially sweets and beer... movies: The Hangover (classic), Role Models (super great), 500 Days of Summer (meh), and soon, PaperHeart (?).
2010 is rollin up fast--no resolutions, just hopes for a healthy wife and baby. Maybe less computer. Finish the basement before Baby Girl arrives.... awesome garden that produces all summer long. Less sleep. A tattoo.
December 15, 2009
Quote: Bike/ city planning
In Copenhagen they make cycling easier for people through city planning, but here we prefer to make cycling easier by quite literally trying to take the effort out of cycling. However, it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that crappy streets are still crappy streets regardless of how much electrical assistance you have, and even someone who can't spell "nonplussed" surely realizes that getting hit by an SUV will suck... Bike Snob NYC
November 25, 2009
finders, losers
i'm developing a theory about how if you find something on the ground, and take it, you'll lose something else. and i've got reason to believe the thing you lose is approximately the same value as the thing you find.
it's happened a few times now: a while back i found an ipod shuffle that had been out in the rain. i took it. maybe as quickly as a week later i lost my cell phone.
more recently i found a beanie on the ground when walking our dog. it was muddy and wet and stretched-out. so i took it. this morning i realized i lost my cycling sunglasses on my ride home last night.
i don't think it happens with finding a dollar, and i can't be sure if you lose something, you'll find something else. but that's my theory anyway. it's karma, i guess. beware.
it's happened a few times now: a while back i found an ipod shuffle that had been out in the rain. i took it. maybe as quickly as a week later i lost my cell phone.
more recently i found a beanie on the ground when walking our dog. it was muddy and wet and stretched-out. so i took it. this morning i realized i lost my cycling sunglasses on my ride home last night.
i don't think it happens with finding a dollar, and i can't be sure if you lose something, you'll find something else. but that's my theory anyway. it's karma, i guess. beware.
November 18, 2009
I'm sure I've said something similar before, but I just realized:
I feel about bikes now as I felt about skateboarding in junior high.
I riffle through bike blogs, virtual page after page, from my office, like I did with skateboard magazines at school--trying to wring out every drop of information about the style, the culture, the best tips, the top gear.
I admire pictures of bikes like I had ogled over skateboard deck graphics from the latest CCS catalog.
I envy the commuters, tourers, messengers, and freestylers artfully photographed alone in a crowded city street; in a pack climbing a curvy mountain road drenched in the light of the rising sun...
I live vicariously through the stories and articles and epic photographic essays from behind my desk, both then and now, waiting, impatiently, to get back on the wheels that allow me to connect to my surroundings, but also brake free from the alternatives that are so pedestrian...
I feel about bikes now as I felt about skateboarding in junior high.
I riffle through bike blogs, virtual page after page, from my office, like I did with skateboard magazines at school--trying to wring out every drop of information about the style, the culture, the best tips, the top gear.
I admire pictures of bikes like I had ogled over skateboard deck graphics from the latest CCS catalog.
I envy the commuters, tourers, messengers, and freestylers artfully photographed alone in a crowded city street; in a pack climbing a curvy mountain road drenched in the light of the rising sun...
I live vicariously through the stories and articles and epic photographic essays from behind my desk, both then and now, waiting, impatiently, to get back on the wheels that allow me to connect to my surroundings, but also brake free from the alternatives that are so pedestrian...
November 10, 2009
November 4, 2009
The religion of environmentalism
On an NPR-broadcast BBC news program yesterday I learned about a British guy who is suing his former employer for philosophical discrimination, based on the legal precedent of religious discrimination. The philosophy in question was centered around Climate Change and his relatively radical environmentalist ethics. Now, I don't know his whole ordeal, and I can't say I support his legal actions, but I was intrigued to think of environmentalist philosophy as a spiritual/religious ethic. The plaintiff said "my belief is underpinned by moral and ethical values comparable to many of the world's religions...it is crucially underpinned by ...overwhelming scientific evidence..."
One listener ("J.R." of Boston) responded to the story to criticize this guy's actions saying environmentalism was in no way similar to any of the world's faith-based "religions" which rely on faith in the unknown, whereas Climate Change has a scientific basis. [This is the best I could do to transcribe what was said:] "Religion is based on blind belief that notions established by others are purported to be the word of a higher being and that your own well-being will be enhanced by following and making offerings to those bringing you the Word. Climate Change is based on scientific evidence. How we are causing damage, how to avoid doing so, and the consequences of not making changes are not a matter of faith..." That is a terrible comparison. I can agree that religion is faith-based, but to deny a spirituality grounded by science is sad. And having to follow and make offerings to the ones bringing (i.e. interpreting) the Word? That statement really narrows it down to the blind leading the blind. [I'm not attacking religion here, but the choices of words used to describe Religion in such a myopic way.]
My thoughts? How cool it is that the ethics of environmentalism have a proof-driven, scientific basis! And it could be argued that there is plenty of unscientific faith and sublime wonderment in nature and environmentalism. For example, compassion toward animals is purely an ethical thing. A stance against pollution is comparable to a stance against murder or, more generally, a stance against Evil. I love the thought of environmentalism as a spiritual, religious movement. It makes perfect sense. Everything one does to benefit the environment is a religious act; going on a hike (or a bike ride) is a pilgrimage...
One listener ("J.R." of Boston) responded to the story to criticize this guy's actions saying environmentalism was in no way similar to any of the world's faith-based "religions" which rely on faith in the unknown, whereas Climate Change has a scientific basis. [This is the best I could do to transcribe what was said:] "Religion is based on blind belief that notions established by others are purported to be the word of a higher being and that your own well-being will be enhanced by following and making offerings to those bringing you the Word. Climate Change is based on scientific evidence. How we are causing damage, how to avoid doing so, and the consequences of not making changes are not a matter of faith..." That is a terrible comparison. I can agree that religion is faith-based, but to deny a spirituality grounded by science is sad. And having to follow and make offerings to the ones bringing (i.e. interpreting) the Word? That statement really narrows it down to the blind leading the blind. [I'm not attacking religion here, but the choices of words used to describe Religion in such a myopic way.]
My thoughts? How cool it is that the ethics of environmentalism have a proof-driven, scientific basis! And it could be argued that there is plenty of unscientific faith and sublime wonderment in nature and environmentalism. For example, compassion toward animals is purely an ethical thing. A stance against pollution is comparable to a stance against murder or, more generally, a stance against Evil. I love the thought of environmentalism as a spiritual, religious movement. It makes perfect sense. Everything one does to benefit the environment is a religious act; going on a hike (or a bike ride) is a pilgrimage...
A BBC article on the story can be found here
The radio "programme" that includes the quotes above can be heard
October 20, 2009
Interesting: 9 years without spending money
Daniel Suelo wasn't poor, a victim of bad luck, mentally ill, or even uneducated. He just decided that he wanted to have nothing to do with money. So he gave up consumer culture altogether, and for the last 9 years, he's survived by living in a cave in Utah, and dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and occasionally hunting for food. He spends his time in the great outdoors--and in the public library, where he blogs about it all.
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.
(source:treehugger.com article )
Seulo's blogLiving Without Money
--
Response to FAQ #14: "You say you don't use money, yet aren't you using products of the money system & relying on the hard-earned money of others? [Revised October 10, 2009]"
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.
(source:
Seulo's blog
--
September 23, 2009
September 8, 2009
"Out Your Backdoor"
Just stumbled upon this website: OYB (or "Out Your Backdoor "). It's a DIY outdoor adventurer site, a collection of resources and philosophies to promote independent action culture and social creativity. Here's what OYB says about itself:
For now, I'll be posting OYB in the "Good Stuff" link list... Enjoy.
What is OYB? -- An HQ for Indie Outdoor Action
Hi, I'm Jeff Potter and I herd the cats here. OYB has been celebrating thrifty independent action culture since 1991, offering 1000+ hard-to-find stories, links, books and goodies (luggage, too!) that offer the Vision Thing that anyone can afford.
Hard times aren't new. They're the base condition for folk culture and social creativity. They can even be voluntary or not noticed. Doing without some consumer "necessities" can be freeing. What's hard for one is just right for another. Simplicity encourages hands-on culture, integration and versatility. Which makes us want to share and celebrate what we've found. But where? Here!
These efforts can sometimes be lonely. Also, it's easy to lose our bearings. So, again, OYB is a place to share what it's like for you and show how we can make it all work together.
Then, too, indie culture is a great good source of sustainable creative reality for anyone, no matter what their situation. Flush times, lean times, it works.
Hi, I'm Jeff Potter and I herd the cats here. OYB has been celebrating thrifty independent action culture since 1991, offering 1000+ hard-to-find stories, links, books and goodies (luggage, too!) that offer the Vision Thing that anyone can afford.
Hard times aren't new. They're the base condition for folk culture and social creativity. They can even be voluntary or not noticed. Doing without some consumer "necessities" can be freeing. What's hard for one is just right for another. Simplicity encourages hands-on culture, integration and versatility. Which makes us want to share and celebrate what we've found. But where? Here!
These efforts can sometimes be lonely. Also, it's easy to lose our bearings. So, again, OYB is a place to share what it's like for you and show how we can make it all work together.
Then, too, indie culture is a great good source of sustainable creative reality for anyone, no matter what their situation. Flush times, lean times, it works.
For now, I'll be posting OYB in the "Good Stuff" link list... Enjoy.
August 19, 2009
Health, science
I haven't had much to say lately. I read all "my blogs" (kinda like watching "my stories"), which have actually become a bit boring. I even scan through the blog-rolls of those blogs. I flip through the lists of bikes on Craigslists between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Sometimes I peek at Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.
Otherwise, work has been pretty busy lately and will continue to be busy for the rest of the summer. Allergy season has begun and I already feel the start of a sinus infection. Dammit.
Meanwhile, the one thing that has been fluttering around my headspace has been health care reform. What a nightmare. Right when I think I understand what's going on, I realize I have no clue. Meanwhile, I've managed to absorb some of the noise from the far-right Republicans, and insofar as I associate with leftish Democrats, I tend to let it really bother me. I've got this tendency to take shit so personally and get bent out of shape about stupid things. And usually it's just stupid, petty, trivialities.
The big stuff? I just don't get it. Policies and economics aren't my forte. That's why I dove into science and biology. It's all about facts. Facts and laws of nature. Indisputable (I guess, theoretically, haha). For the most part, opinions are left out of it. Of course, you can use it to justify opinions about stuff like climate change and vegetarianism. Overall, I deal really well with science and it makes beautiful, harmonious sense in my head.
So, I guess until I feel like I understand political theories and economic philosophy, I'll try to avoid it and be cautious to form opinions.
As for now, I'm assuming universal, public-option health care sounds pretty respectable, reform seems essential, and people worried about government spending should focus attention on ending our wars [tip of the hat toOnly One Manda for making that point]. In the meantime I'll try to follow what's going on, beneath the shouting and soundbites. If there's one thing I don't trust, it is the lot of insurance companies. I've heard enough horror stories about getting shafted or getting dropped at times when insurance should step up.
Otherwise, work has been pretty busy lately and will continue to be busy for the rest of the summer. Allergy season has begun and I already feel the start of a sinus infection. Dammit.
Meanwhile, the one thing that has been fluttering around my headspace has been health care reform. What a nightmare. Right when I think I understand what's going on, I realize I have no clue. Meanwhile, I've managed to absorb some of the noise from the far-right Republicans, and insofar as I associate with leftish Democrats, I tend to let it really bother me. I've got this tendency to take shit so personally and get bent out of shape about stupid things. And usually it's just stupid, petty, trivialities.
The big stuff? I just don't get it. Policies and economics aren't my forte. That's why I dove into science and biology. It's all about facts. Facts and laws of nature. Indisputable (I guess, theoretically, haha). For the most part, opinions are left out of it. Of course, you can use it to justify opinions about stuff like climate change and vegetarianism. Overall, I deal really well with science and it makes beautiful, harmonious sense in my head.
So, I guess until I feel like I understand political theories and economic philosophy, I'll try to avoid it and be cautious to form opinions.
As for now, I'm assuming universal, public-option health care sounds pretty respectable, reform seems essential, and people worried about government spending should focus attention on ending our wars [tip of the hat to
June 18, 2009
Bugs, Animals, Compassion
I've been seeing small praying mantises around the garden lately when I've been pulling weeds. Pretty awesome.
Besides the fact that mantises are (1) great insect control and (2) amazing in appearance, they are believed to be good omens, harbingers of luck. On that first note, I should clarify, while they will prey on unwanted insects like mosquitoes, they will also feed on beneficial garden insects too...
While I'm on the subject of "bugs," I almost stepped on this buddy today: a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia).
I feel bad for disrupting him so much--In transit back to my office I realize I caused many of the powdery scales to fall off his wing tips (Moths are from the taxonomic order Lepidoptera--which also includes butterflies; lepido- means scales and -ptera means wings). As far as I understand, this could hinder his ability to fly. Ever again. Crap.
I guess this points me in the direction of a post I had been contemplating for a while now which is about how my dog Alden is inspiring a compassion in me towards all non-human animals that is more profound than ever before. I mean, this compassion is strongly directed toward mammals, but certainly includes those other members of the Animal Kingdom. A few weeks ago I was hiking up a steep slope in the woods, up from a stream (it's my job!), and noticed that a few feet above me a TINY fawn was curled up in a ball as if to hide from approaching danger. All you could see was a fuzzy brown ball with white spots and two pointy ears poking up from the head that was tucked into its body that was hardly hiding in the few forbs of the forest floor. I could see its ears were twitching and alert and the fawn must have been terrified and unsure about what to do. What amazed me was that this baby deer was no bigger than my 23-pound puppy. I just wanted to pick it up and let it rest in my lap like Alden does, and console it: let it know we weren't going to harm it; that it was safe.
Alden can be a huge jerk. A lot. Like, he acts out--and it's probably just play. But sometimes I get mad. But to think about him getting hurt and in the times when he is sick, I feel such pain inside--it breaks my heart. The bond I've formed with Alden is as strong as the closest ones that I've formed with any other person and it's pretty amazing. And the fact that he is a (non-human) animal has inspired me to translate that compassion, like I said, to other animals. So I get sappy over plump little songbirds that bop around on our deck; or a young calf that follows its mother through the field; or the... whatever. And I get really bummed out when I see a beautiful creature that is hurt or killed, like theCedar Waxwing that died in front of our bank, probably because it crashed into the window thinking it was sparring with another male that was really just its own reflection.
So, what was going to be a couple sentences about praying mantises turned out to be this longer rant about compassion. Back to work!
Besides the fact that mantises are (1) great insect control and (2) amazing in appearance, they are believed to be good omens, harbingers of luck. On that first note, I should clarify, while they will prey on unwanted insects like mosquitoes, they will also feed on beneficial garden insects too...
While I'm on the subject of "bugs," I almost stepped on this buddy today: a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia).
I feel bad for disrupting him so much--In transit back to my office I realize I caused many of the powdery scales to fall off his wing tips (Moths are from the taxonomic order Lepidoptera--which also includes butterflies; lepido- means scales and -ptera means wings). As far as I understand, this could hinder his ability to fly. Ever again. Crap.I guess this points me in the direction of a post I had been contemplating for a while now which is about how my dog Alden is inspiring a compassion in me towards all non-human animals that is more profound than ever before. I mean, this compassion is strongly directed toward mammals, but certainly includes those other members of the Animal Kingdom. A few weeks ago I was hiking up a steep slope in the woods, up from a stream (it's my job!), and noticed that a few feet above me a TINY fawn was curled up in a ball as if to hide from approaching danger. All you could see was a fuzzy brown ball with white spots and two pointy ears poking up from the head that was tucked into its body that was hardly hiding in the few forbs of the forest floor. I could see its ears were twitching and alert and the fawn must have been terrified and unsure about what to do. What amazed me was that this baby deer was no bigger than my 23-pound puppy. I just wanted to pick it up and let it rest in my lap like Alden does, and console it: let it know we weren't going to harm it; that it was safe.
Alden can be a huge jerk. A lot. Like, he acts out--and it's probably just play. But sometimes I get mad. But to think about him getting hurt and in the times when he is sick, I feel such pain inside--it breaks my heart. The bond I've formed with Alden is as strong as the closest ones that I've formed with any other person and it's pretty amazing. And the fact that he is a (non-human) animal has inspired me to translate that compassion, like I said, to other animals. So I get sappy over plump little songbirds that bop around on our deck; or a young calf that follows its mother through the field; or the... whatever. And I get really bummed out when I see a beautiful creature that is hurt or killed, like the
So, what was going to be a couple sentences about praying mantises turned out to be this longer rant about compassion. Back to work!
June 4, 2009
Old Old-School
I was thinking about how some of the stuff that I think is cool is basically just regressive and nostalgic in essence. You know? I don't mean like mustaches or aviator sunglasses or popped collars or whatever. I mean like bigger scale, not-ironic kind-of stuff. For example, organic agriculture and small, family farms: like I said before, these are throw-backs to pre-War farming methods. What else? Cycling: essentially unchanged since it's invention in the 1800's (unlike the automobile which was developed around the same time). Environmentalism: basically a way of life before Industrialism. Whole foods: came before mass-production, processing, and packaging.
Strangely, all these things tend to connect, I guess under the umbrella of pre-Industrialism environmentalism. Straight up conservatism. 'Ism for shizzim.
Strangely, all these things tend to connect, I guess under the umbrella of pre-Industrialism environmentalism. Straight up conservatism. 'Ism for shizzim.
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