Recent Replies
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@nythai.bsky.social Thanks! I love it! Yes, I use Stage Manager on just the iPad but often also use an external screen when needed and have Stage Manager works very well for me.
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@markavey Loving these galaxy photos! Seems like the Seestar is working out well for you!
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@starrwulfe I'm not hearing them yet. I think these might just be some early risers! I've only seen a few and it's very quiet. I'd guess in another week or two and we'll start to hear them.
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@crossingthethreshold No, not venomous. 😃
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@antonzuiker My what a handsome fella!! Great image!
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@jabel Yeah, it seems many people have a high level of fear with snakes. As much as I've come to appreciate and love them I still sometimes have just a moment upon seeing one, an instinctual reaction that causes just a glimpse of fear. It's as though the brain counters itself, the instinctual hardwiring countered and over-ruled by the rational understanding.
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@fgtech Yeah, it would seem there is some difficulty with the term Zionism. On some level this is to be expected as there are often disagreements in definitions, especially when it comes to social movements. Socialists, anarchists and on and on. When large groups of people become involved in social-political movements there's usually disagreement about goals or even analysis of problems.
I don't know how that gets worked around. At the very least elements within Zionism or what is called Zionism can be pointed to as problematic.
Leave that term aside and just look at the actions and policy of Israel of the past 20 years. The past 50 years. What are the actions carried out by the state of Israel in that time period? Specific to the problems we see now, pro-Palestinian protestors are protesting specific pattens of behavior and in some cases the policy of Israel. Decades of land theft is one example. Another would be intentional fragmentation and systems of control in terms of the public spaces available to Palestinians and how they are allowed to exist in those spaces.
In terms of antisemitism, I've seen many point out that the term is being used against protestors that include Jews as well as Palestinians, both of which are Semitic. It's worth noting that the word Semitic refers to a large group of languages that includes Arabic, Hebrew and others. So even the term anti-Semitic is problematic if it's being used against Palestinians.
But it must be made clear that many supporters of Netanyahu and the Israel government have claimed that the very act of critiquing and protesting of Israel is an expression of antisemitism and that can be given no ground. NONE. No state is above critique and protest and the leadership of Israel (and many supporters) are making a mistake on that point. Worth a watch: m.youtube.com/watch
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@JohnPhilpin Yes, absolutely. I blogged about that recently and will do so again. It's worth rehashing it over and over. We have never reckoned with our own foundational violent settler colonialism, preferring to pretend it never happened. Sadly one of America's great super powers is lying to itself about what it is.
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@heyloura Really loving the new design!
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@JohnPhilpin @manton Agreed John. I think and feel, deep in my core, that we in the US have become so insecure as a function of capitalism in culture as well as in terms of financial security, that we will do anything to avoid rocking the boat, even if it is just a gentle rocking and even if the actual repercussions are low to nonexistent. It is enough that there may be repercussions at all that many often quietly walk away. At least, that's my general observation.
I've often argued that there should be no "activists" because all citizens should be more active, more vocal, more willing to engage, protest and rock the boat. If such activism were more common it would be more normal and perhaps easier for us to converse about the difficult issues. But as it is the culture encourages a more passive, disengaged citizenship in favor of consumerism of cultural capitalism: sports and entertainment being examples of how our energy is channeled into approved, not-political good-for-capitalism "pastimes". Professional sports are a great example of a space where it's okay to yell, wave banners and be quite rowdy.
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@fgtech @manton It's worth mentioning that it's exceptionally rare for sit-ins and occupations to turn violent as, by their nature, the protestors are stationary and so easily arrested and/or otherwise vulnerable. Now, what they may be is illegal which can lead to violence if the police or antagonistic civilians show up. Consider for a moment the Civil Rights movement in the southern US during the 1960s. People peacefully sitting in the wrong section of a bus or going into a white-only establishment to be served. Non-violent but breaking the law. Such protests often turned violent when the police or civilians insisted on removing or otherwise becoming physical, taking action upon someone sitting and/or otherwise attempting to occupy a space.
While the current pro-Palestinian protests are often loud and energetic, most notably when speakers are present, they are peaceful. This only changes when actions are being taken by security forces, the police or counter protestors that move into the space with the intent of physical confrontation. I think it's a dynamic that gets lost in media reporting.
I would also add that it's not just Israel that faces potential destruction. Historically the oposite is true and the US has played into the hands of Israel which has led to the actual destruction of Gaza and Palestine. In making that statement I'm not just talking about the past 8 months and current phase of the conflict but, rather, the long term conflict and violence of 100 years. Many protestors want that long-term history figured into the future - it's essential if a just, inclusive and long-term peace is to be found.
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@MitchW 😂🤣😂
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@anniegreens @rom Agreed. The climate impact is almost never mentioned in the tech press and on the rare occasion that it is it's brief and with little actual discussion.
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@jabel Yes, so good. That album reminds me of a trip I made to Portland, OR in 1999 for the IWW General Assembly and being in a room full of people singing all the old songs. Those moments and memories go deep.
I think I may have seen Harlan County documentary many years ago, adding it to my list to watch.
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@jabel Agreed. Certainly in the US we've gone off the deep end trying to escape the fact that we are animals. It's a bit bonkers how far we will go to separate ourselves from the natural world. Of course, simultaneously we are then sold a clean, controlled vision of "outdoorsy" lifestyle products.
On the specific subject of personal hygiene products though, jeesh, the amount of plastic that comes from that category is off the charts. And it's not even just odor but cleanliness, removal body hair, etc.
I'm not sure where the current science is on this but I recall reading in the past that these tendencies, combined with over processed food is likely the cause of a whole host of health problems. Our bodies are evolved in a natural ecosystem to be covered in and made-up of billions to trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi.
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@samjc I'm going to check it out after sending this message, thanks for mentioning it!
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@ctwardy @jabel I adore frogs! One of my favorite creatures and loved your post about the garden pond. Agreed that they could have showed up because of it but also, if you're paying more attention you're likely to be noticing sounds and critters you may have missed before. But no doubt having the pond there will absolutely bring in new life. It's really amazing that such a small body of water can provide so much habitat. I wish every home garden had one. We can never have enough garden/wildlife habitat.
Here's a gray tree frog for you. Taken a few years back near a little garden pond I put in for my parents.
