I love Ursula LeGuin to bits (in three languages) - the shelf is (part of the) proof. But I never got the excitement about "The Ones Who Walks Away from Omelas".
I know what the story, the metaphor tries to say. But all that I see is how this is a story about walking away. Not stay and change: be the change, start the change, convince the others that things need to be better. But a story about keeping one's conscience clean and walking away. And the injustice left behind continues.
@vicgrinberg I’ve always liked that story because there are so many narratives about staying and fighting for change. Which is good and important. But sometimes one can’t. It’s good to think about what walking away means.
Just trying to imagine if people a few hundred years ago had been here to witness, in the span of a few weeks, an eclipse, an earthquake, a supernova as bright as the North Star, and an unexpected appearance of the northern lights.
@rysiek you seem to be a bit of a Mastodon ninja. Can you help me find a new server that does not plan to federate with Threads? Where I am now: EU-based, interested in climate, lots of European languages (German, Dutch, French, Spanish...) I pay a little every month. Huge thanks!
@rysiek@alberto_cottica yes, I’ve done this. But I found there is leakage depending on what mobile app I use to access my account. I’ve still seen threads posts, and was told blocking an instance from an account works similarly to muting, not like blocking by an instance. My posts may still be visible; I still may see threads posts.
@markmccaughrean well there goes my afternoon! Amazing. Me in the Us being alerted by an astronomer in the Netherlands to watch rhinos in Namibia. The best of the promise of the internet. I wrote two papers on rhinos during law school and am so pleased to share a planet with them.
@design_law watched the new Donald Glover Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Cannot say if I liked it or not. But it’s really making me think about identity, what one wants from another person, how usually spy stories make you accept these people have super human capabilities and what if they don’t? What if they are dull? So I guess it’s worth while?
I made it to Restaurant Ernst in Berlin today - folks, everything I heard about it got topped by the real experience.
I will not call it best because there is no way to compare Vermeer to Van Gogh or El Greco to Mucha, they are too different - but it's definitely among my absolute recommendations.
I had the full menu (their only option) + the non-alcoholic pairing. Wanna come along?
(P.S. Folks, remember, I block ruthlessly if you poop on my party.)
Well, I don't do cultural studies, but I may have to start. This acknowledgement of the realities of conferencing in our present circumstances is very clear-eyed.
Post a photo or cite example of something simple (an object or an experience) that brings abundance and satisfaction way beyond its face-value simplicity.
Tag it with #frugalAbundance
Boost examples that resonate with you.