Friday, December 26, 2014

Instead of funerals and memorials, ...

We could change the whole culture around death, reintegrate death into living. A person either decides it's time or gets a terminal diagnosis or … and before they are weak and in bed, well before, a ceremony is held, all the good things that are said at funerals, the praise, the fond memories, etc etc. Then the person dies and is very quietly buried.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Technology and travel

In the 80's, I used to travel for a few months at a time, to places a bit out of the mainstream. I had a careful packing list - the biggest challenge was taking/finding enough in English to read. Today, posters on slashdot are chatting about being in a remote Himalayan village for a year. One writes: "I'm downloading wikipedia on a usb drive." Another is filling up his Kindle. So much change. I'm a bit speechless, a bit numb with the differences.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Jabir Puar describes Gaza as a laboratory for Israeli maiming, reminding me of how Jews were experimented on by Nazis. Equating Israeli policies to Nazi policies, and Gazans to Jews?

Monday, October 27, 2014

Hobbies

Reading was often noted by my college classmates as a hobby. Hobbies seem to me extras, in addition to. Reading however seems as much a necessity for me as air and water; I would never have considered it as a hobby. I'm pretty purposeful, don't have hobbies, didn't know how to respond to that question. Until yesterday, as I chatted with my sister about turmeric and pain and realized that health is my hobby, alternatives for personal well-being, body work, herbs, meridians, stretches, stillness ...

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Jews

The post-colonial territorial divisions in the middle-east woke Arab nationalism which rallied around herding the Jews into the sea. Israel opened its arms to Jews and prospered. Palestinians sheltered in place and were shunned by other Arabs. People with different allegiances butted for dominance or resolution. Today there is stalemate and much death. Tomorrow is unclear.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

race underpins

It's not culturally acceptable to name these motives explicitly but, just as the war on drugs is a war on race, as is making people without homes criminals, so is the outrage in support of Palestinians part of hating Jews – race, all of it, the other …

Monday, June 9, 2014

Occupy National Gathering

I am not going to Sacramento. The Occupy national gathering next month is in a familiar place. Attending would renew my interest in the movement I say I mourn for. I know the route, well, most of it and I can look up the directions where the signage isn't clear and twice or thrice I went way out of my way. I know the every-hour rest stops. I think I can drive that far. There's an Embassy Suites within walking distance of the meeting park. I have reward points. There is availability. I can visit with Jennifer and Catherine. Well, maybe I can't drive. I can take Amtrak. I can take the over-the-hill bus and Amtrak. I can wheel my suitcase. I can walk to the Santa Cruz stop and I can walk from the Sacramento stop. But it will be 100 in the daytime. I will need my cart for water and what not. I can FedEx my stuff and only take the cart on the bus and train. Meetings will be in the evenings. I will be in bed and miss out. Meetings will be loud and jostling. I will not be heard. Meetings will be recriminatory. I will be sad. There will be oppression. Maybe danger. Will there be vision? Will there be hope? I will punish myself for caring and organizing to go with the disappointment if there are not results and connections. The hardships outweigh the maybes. I am not going to Sacramento.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

the residue from coercion

After force came fear, then sharp, now subtle. Fear of acting boldly, fear of sharing sadness, fear of thinking oddly. Who might have been, lost chances to dare and fail; who became, found self as advocacy example. Now, old, fear of insistent elder care. A residue of distrust.

Friday, March 28, 2014

$160

I have several times now seen on TV an AT&T phone plan ad, up to four family members, for $160 a month. Only $160 says the gentle female ad voice. Only. Taxes not mentioned. So likely only $175 a month. I thought 'only' was for offers that end in 99. Vendor tricks. People with so much income that they could take on that much overhead. Only a few thousand dollars a year. For phones.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

In old age the upper beak of an eagle grows gradually longer and more crooked, such that the bird slowly dies of starvation.

Adapting to the sixth extinction

Humans are adapting to living in the midst of the sixth extinction by adapting our relationship to time. We have widened the geographic expansion lens to include building islands in the ocean and inhabiting space while we shorten the time focus. Not only has the value of seven generations back and forward slipped away, all other consequences are seen via short term. 10 years is the longest government plans for. Fast to market with a good-enough product, goods cheaper to replace than repair, … I'm sure you can add lots more examples. Please add them in the comments.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Choosing to die by not drinking or eating

In old age the upper beak of an eagle grows gradually longer and more crooked, such that the bird slowly dies of starvation.