d&f 8/21/22
Happy Sunday! Again the skies in Oakland are bright, blue, and warming. I’ve never liked summer much growing up, outside of the time off from school, but this year’s mild temperatures and cool evenings have really won me over. Riding up a mountain with the sun on my back is tough, but winding my way down the other side through redwoods and shade makes it all better. It’s easy sometimes to overlook the drought and massive global warming destroying towns and think, “hey, nice weather”, but it is just that: nice weather.
Lately I’ve read a lot about how to re-wild and otherwise play an active role in undoing man-made destruction on our planet, and I loved this interview on mini-forests. Projects like this feel imminently achievable, and knowing that within a few years the forest will live on indefinitely as its own ecosystem is fantastic. Every empty lot or vacant, condemned home I see during my bike rides, I imagine planting a verdant little forest. Something I find very charming in Japan is the various shrines around the country, filled with flora and old wooden buildings in honor of the spirits around us and Shinto. Despite the unfortunate nationalist connections, I wish our churches were more nature and less dull boxy building. For me, even the most grand cathedral can’t compare to a massive gnarled tree, stretching its shade over any creature or plant nearby. There’s something to say about the inclusion and invitation of a forest versus the stark demarcation of a building, I think.
This article is pretty technical, but also a bit hilarious: for years locations and data have erroneously been attributed to 0∘ latitude and 0∘ longitude . Despite being the “incorrect” location, these coordinates very often help people locate all sorts of secrets. Human error is one of the more fascinating things in computing, consistently; whether it’s mistaken entry in a spreadsheet, or typos that lead to decades of policy, I love it. In a more actively broken vein is this article on Chinese state hackers called “Space Pirates,” which obviously sounds cool as hell. I’m pretty sure every nation-state participates in espionage and hacking, so it’s mostly just a matter of who has the most-easily duped bureaucrats and least-thoughtful countermeasures—which is yet another reason the Trump presidency was scary as fuck.
Fuck Puritanism. As I’ve gotten older and being queer or trans becomes more palatable for more people, there’s a growing specter of conservative, puritanical gay folks out there doing all they can to tone-down, mollify, and co-opt the the radical queer movement and life of their peers. It’s gross, and can start so simply.
We have sacrificed a focus on material betterment for moral purity.
Also,
To realize that one’s desire is not for social change, but to reify a kind of conservative Christian morality, would be to shake the foundations of one’s own identity, one’s own life and purpose.
It is easier to live in a morally clear world in which no actual change happens, as long as you have moral authority in that world, than it is to commit to the messiness of true radicalism.
I could quote most of the article, all the while sadly nodding, but instead I implore you to give it a read and consider the ways in which this regressive attitude pervades our conversations and communities.
Links
- This short bike ride with the mayor of my town made me appreciate where I live even more:
- Imagine being the archaeologist or museum worker that gifted the world with this masterpiece:
Closing
After an unexpectedly social weekend, I’m spent! After hitting send on this missive, I’m planning a two hour bike ride at a casual pace, Japanese class, and then a movie and some dinner at home. I’ve really enjoyed the past few weeks of bike rides with other cool ladies, but having a weekly social event has made me guard my other nights even more jealously so I can keep up with my reading, and lazy times with Snorri. In 2020 I had this slim hope that people would take COVID seriously and in so doing discover the joy of smaller gatherings and quieter times with chosen family, but in 2022 it seems like all bets are off and the big parties are back. Fortunately for me, I still live alone, and get to bicycle solo most days.
Whether you pine for more solitude, or welcome the pre-COVID bustle, I hope you’re enjoying your August. Stay cool, plant something green, and savor every sip of your favorite drink, space cowgirls~