Notices by Beardy Star Stuff (dennyhenke@social.coop), page 2

@WarnerCrocker I'm glad you opened that door. I usually don't go there with folks because I'm not sure they're interested! Agreed with you completely! Too many years ago I majored in anthropology and sociology and around 1990 discovered Murray Bookchin's Social Ecology. In particular his book "The Ecology of Freedom" which goes deep into the origin of human hierarchies, the earliest, most basic forms of domination, which he proposed were the foundation of our social ecological problems.

@WarnerCrocker It actually fits very well with the title of your blog post in that he suggested the earliest forms of human hierarchies were based in age and the emergence of shamanism which he proposed was a kind of defense used by the oldest in a tribe during times of scarcity. Simply stated, accumulated knowledge used as leverage, expressed as power over others. From there a myriad forms of social power-over other develop and become institutional systems from religion to nation states.

@WarnerCrocker Great post Warner. I would only add that the whole process, the whole system is a farce long ago corrupted by capitalism. In fact, though few have the stomach for it any honest reckoning, the truth is to be found in the historical foundations and design. Generations since have just gone along for the ride. We've only ever attempted to paper over the deep problems. Not just the mess of electoral politics and legislation, but the foundational violence of genocide and slavery.

How the rich talk about us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmBdADq00xc

Federico is rediscovering the joy of using the iPad: https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-12-19.html

@WarnerCrocker As of January his newsletter goes paid only, I won't pay for it. No doubt, all the big-name pundits will and we'll have to listen to them go on and on about it. Yuck.

I love the iPad because it's durable. A foldable form factor just seems to add a possible breakpoint. Benefit is it fits in a pocket or, if larger, a huge screen can be folded to fit a backpack? But, realistically, who's going to buy that given the weight? Seems like a very niche product.

@WarnerCrocker Yeah, I had the exact same thing in the same spot that you highlighted in your post. I ended up rewinding it and it worked without changing settings.

"This is not who we are."

Let's get this out of the way right off: what we have right now is exactly who we are and who we've been since the first days of Europeans setting foot on the Americas. From day one we subjugated a population of people that lived here first.

Stop and consider that, don't move past it. Don't pretend that it's ancient history that is not relevant. Don't pretend there is an expiration date for land theft and genocide..."

https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-11-13.html

In 1995 I volunteered with a literacy agency in Memphis TN and learned then that the adult illiteracy rate in the US was around this same rate. It's been awhile so I don't remember the exact number but this is close enough that I think it's fair to say it hasn't changed in nearly 30 years. Same for the number on sixth grade reading levels.

It says a lot about our cultural and political priorities that we've not been able to improve these numbers. https://mstdn.social/@DemocracyMattersALot/113467910852523422

Have we finished our mourning? Because we need to move onto community defense organizing. Don't be a "Good German". We can't be "Good Americans". Now is not the time to keep your head down.

A lot of liberal folks spent the past few months warning of coming fascism or authoritarianism. I hope that they understand what that means and that it is coming. Fascists do not share power via elections. If you're holding onto "get through the next 4 years" drop that delusion now.
#BuildCommunityDefense

@WarnerCrocker I did.

It's not enough to oppose autocracy.

"Okay, let's look at this fundamental problem. The US is not actually a democracy. It's a system of white privilege initally designed by wealthy white men for their benefit but with the appearance of input from "the people". Hey, we're throwing off the yoke of tyranny! A government of and by the people, yeah! But it wasn't and isn't. Not really. We know this but we're very good at pretending. Who's this we that's pretending?"

https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-10-28.html

@WarnerCrocker ❤️😍🥰

The outlandish proclamations of the tech press

What is it with the common practice of the tech press publishing stories that are more breathless opinion than actual substantive analysis? The coverage of the Orion glasses already has many of them excited about the replacement of smart phones with these devices that do not exist in a sellable form. Where is the critical thinking in this coverage? And why is it alway that one device has to replace another or even...

https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-09-30.html

Browsing open tabs this morning I read through Mandy Brown's "What are we making together? "Where she discusses a retreat from social media timelines and the structure and patterns of those timelines.

I think this is what some of us are looking for when we talk about weaving a social web experience with personal sites that link freely and often. Not so much spiders in search of a meal but frogs in a pond visiting one another's lilli pads to share a croak.

#SmolWeb
https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-09-29.html

@WarnerCrocker @dmoren Yep, I continue to have issues with this. For awhile now all my devices have worked with Continuity except the Mac which I really just use as a file server. So, in my case it's not been an issue but I'd guess it is for the many folks that do use their Mac more actively and expect it to work. I just checked, still not working after getting all my devices updated. 😆

Old man yelling at clouds https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-09-23-2.html

Using devices as they were NOT intended (also, a bug rescue!)

Reading a few blogs and having morning coffee I thought I’d post a photo of my current iPad set-up because it illustrates something I’ve noticed I do a lot which is use things in ways they were not designed to be used. This is most notable in the many ways I experiment with different iPad arrangements. Today has two accessories being used in ways not intended.

https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-09-18.html

My goodness. Look at this website. Just look at it! How did I not know about this? Old, beautiful books in the public domain, digitally scanned and available to all. At this moment the featured book at the top of the home page is The Conchological Ilustrations and oh my is it beautiful. This is the internet at its best.

https://www.hathitrust.org/

Begin Again

I'm not sure how well this will work out, this experimental next phase for my website and blog. This is the first time in a very long time that I've decided to return to an entirely manual blog. In a way it feels like returning home. My first websites were built back in the late 90s. Good times! I built Liberated Existence as the online version of our neighborhood resource center in late 1990s Memphis.

#SmallWeb #SmolWeb #Blog

https://beardystarstuff.net/posts/2024-09-03.html