99% Invisible (Podcast), "Towers of Silence", 23 April 2024.

Same topic, different medium.

It hurts my heart to think that there's so much negative self-talk and so few avenues for human interaction available to humans, regardless of age. Misanthropy toward oneself invariably leads to the same hate projected onto others.

Misogyny has developed into something of a sport in the current frame. There are so many forms of misogyny that it's getting difficult to keep track:

• "how dare they seek equal status as men" — in educational, economical, or authoritative power.

• "how dare the deny a man access" — for ogling, groping, or raping.

• "how dare they speak among men" — communicating, captivating, and commanding in the domain of ideas.

• "how dare they take control" — of their own bodies, of their own thoughts and feelings, and of their own roles in society.

• "how dare they make any demand" — for justice, for peace, for sustainability, or for care in the community.

• "how dare they corrupt our culture" — one that relegated women to the nursery, the laundry, the kitchen, and the boudoir in service of men.

Some people immerse themselves in hate and are, primarily, driven by the motivating clarity of hate. The statistics bear it out. It is primarily men who violently inflict hate.

Sure, there's therapy, but what sense is there in having one, 50 minute safe space per week or month — for those who can afford it — against a relentless tide of destructive ideation? In the chauvinistic "West," advertisers, marketers, television executives, filmmakers, pornographers, and politicians all drive the singular narrative — be better. You still won't be good enough. People have limitless access to shit that will make them feel worse and few outlets to make them feel better. For some youth, the Incel subculture is going to get pretty crowded. The world is often a sickening, imbalanced, thoughtless, and uncaring place.

It is also a place capable of inspiring wonder, exhibiting grace, and delivering monumental challenges. The ability to see the world differently is governed, often, by the other ideas and perspectives we encounter. Isolation is the enemy.

If you are a person who has a man such as this in your circle, if you uncover this type of torment, or if you see a pattern of behaviour forming, and — most importantly — if you are yourself resources enough to do so, intervene. Be a friend, a neighbour, a confidant, a coffee companion, a gaming buddy — build positive relations. Help that person to short circuit the destructive pathways. Show them another way is possible.

Inequivocal yes! Grew up with Batman:TAS.

Legit question. Wasn't that episode 1?

e. Indeed, it was, and Newsweek was talking about last New Year's.

I have never ridden a horse.

That my parents knew what they were doing, made good choices, and were reasonable people.

No, no, ... and no.

That I'd grow up to eat candy, collect baseball cards, play video games, and read comic books.

No (type II diabetes runs in my family), no (wtf is a baseball card anyway), no (video games were replaced with homework permanently), and — well, actually — yes.

I love a good comic book, graphic novel, and/or animated series.

Here is the full text of the letter that Obama left 45. I'd never thought to read it.

Dear Mr. President -

Congratulations on a remarkable run. Millions have placed their hopes in you, and allof us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.

This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don’t know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.

First, we’ve both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune. Not everyone is so lucky. It’s up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that’s willing to work hard.

Second, American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It’s up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order that’s expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend.

Third, we are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions – like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties – that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it’s up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.

And finally, take time, in the rush of events and responsibilities, for friends and family. They’ll get you through the inevitable rough patches.

Michelle and I wish you and Melania the very best as you embark on this great adventure, and know that we stand ready to help in any ways which we can.

Good luck and Godspeed,

BO

A few notes:

Obama forecast 45s disregard for "rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties". He KNEW 45 would fuck that up.

The role all Presidents, since Reagan, have played in "sustain[ing] the international order that’s expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend" is a warning about fomenting or courting instability. It is also a tacit admission of the Military-Industrial complex and its attendant supports in entertainment, energy, and finance that projects American values and superiority worldwide. He KNEW 45 would fuck that up, too.

Finally, and from the start of the letter, "we’ve both been blessed... Not everyone is so lucky" is a reminder that the office is meant to support the less fortunate. We all KNEW 45 would fuck that up.

By the same token, and I consider these a different category, headlamps. Camping got a whole lot better with a solid headlamp setup. The red light is crucial.

Heliocentric model.

Cosmic distance and time. Light speed as a limit.

The geological age of the Earth.

Dinosaurs.

Evolutionary theory.

Continental drift.

The periodic table of the elements.

Quantum theory, including wave-particle duality.

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Black holes.

Soil farming.

I sh!t you not, we need this. Topsoil in many parts of the world is leached of nutrients, or packed with chemical by-products of insecticide, herbicide, and fertilizers, or the topsoil has eroded away. Or, it's buried under concrete, asphalt, glass, and steel.

Soil farming for vertical farms, indoor cultivation at home, and replacing some other food growth options just makes good sense.

3D-Printed Houses

Hear me out. Right now, they're small and ugly as f*ck; but that's a design issue. Getting the materials and designs right can encourage mass adoption of sustainable design, waste sequestration, and abundant housing.

I've given this a re-watch.

The opening credits were great.

The settings and costumes were good even if the actors weren't. If you want to see Dane DeHaan in his element, see Chronicle. Cara Delevigne ... um...

Except Clive Owen. He's a treasure. Any actor who can convincingly win a gunfight with a carrot has got the chops.

The attack over planet Mül was objectively well done and the crash scene was impressive.

It's a good bit of fun in much the same way as The Fifth Element.

Lilo and Stitch is the best Disney movie.

Many, many spoilers below. But, seriously, this movie is 21 years old. Get over yourselves.

Check it: a young girl adopts an illegal alien (killing machine from deep space) and protects him from the U.S. (and galactic) government (Military-Industrial complexes), while keeping her incredibly depressed sister (slices both ways) from giving up completely as they keep their Indigenous Hawaiian family together in their co-opted homeland. One sister works a series of dead-end tourism jobs; the other has anger issues. The hate each other and love each other fiercely, though they are about 12 years apart in age.

Oh, yeah, and their parents are dead.

Meanwhile, the alien is a political refugee and freedom fighter fleeing from his own people who want him dead for —get this— existing. A lab-grown, indestructible terrorist, he seeks asylum on an island — but he can't swim.

He does learn to surf.

The only downside to this film is that Disney produced it. And Elvis.

"Ohana means family. Nobody gets left behind or forgotten."