Play Nice Random Chat Thread V

[Sopwiths North]

From the Johns Hopkins Centre For a Livable Future, some thoughts from anti-apartheid activist Jay Naidoo on his hopes for the world post-Covid.

He divides it into 3 Big Lessons: Responsible ecological stewardship is crucial to our survival, as is the need to restore the balance of feminine energy to the masculine, and finally, that we are all connected - to each other, to the Earth, and to all of existence. We are all one.

The stuff he talks about is long overdue, to my mind. But it will happen.

“Ecology has to be at the center of everything we do,” he said. “In 50 years of activism, I missed that point until now.”

With the emergence of the coronavirus, we’ve seen even more clearly that the food system is broken. “There’s no question of that,” he said. “Isn’t Covid a consequence of the way we treat Mother Earth? That the human being is becoming the carrier of so many diseases?”

The need to return to the sacred feminine, he says, is the second Big Lesson he’s learned recently. In the end, trade unions, like all institutions of politics and business, including nonprofit organizations and civil society, are patriarchal and hierarchical. The sacred feminine is about so much more than winning equal pay or putting more women in government. What we need, really, is to become again a matriarchal society, because women put children first, and after that everything else that’s important follows: stewardship of the earth, nutritious food, education, and more. A society presided over by grandmothers is the ideal society.

If we can admit that the model of development adopted post-World War II has failed us miserably, we stand a chance. We must be able to admit that we’ve made terrible mistakes, he says. Everything in life has a cycle of birth, life, and death. “We will die someday,” he said. “Why do we have this stupid notion that some things are meant to be forever? We must be able to re-imagine, re-invent. If we don’t, we stagnate, we rot … we become fossil fuel.”


“Why do we think we want to be extraordinary?” Naidoo asked. “It’s a false notion we have, that we have to prove how great we are. It’s extraordinary to be ordinary. A flower is beautiful and ordinary.”

Naidoo’s third Big Lesson: “I am more than this body.” When we recognize that everything is sacred, we ask ourselves, “How must I behave?” He says that science and spirituality are converging: both fields know that the same energy permeates everything that exists. We are all beings of energy that vibrates, he insists. When we understand our collective humanity, our interconnectedness in relation to the natural environment, to wild animals, to everything in the planet. He referred to an African concept known as Ubuntu: I am because we are.

“While we have material comforts at the press of a button, we are also the most frustrated, angry, depressed, anxious, unhappy generation in humanity’s journey,” he said. “We all long to be somewhere else. Where? At peace. To find joy.”

Full article:
Jay Naidoo on Today’s Challenges: Ecology Must be at the Center - Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (jhsph.edu)

 

[ferball]

From the Johns Hopkins Centre For a Livable Future, some thoughts from anti-apartheid activist Jay Naidoo on his hopes for the world post-Covid.

He divides it into 3 Big Lessons: Responsible ecological stewardship is crucial to our survival, as is the need to restore the balance of feminine energy to the masculine, and finally, that we are all connected - to each other, to the Earth, and to all of existence. We are all one.

The stuff he talks about is long overdue, to my mind. But it will happen.

“Ecology has to be at the center of everything we do,” he said. “In 50 years of activism, I missed that point until now.”

With the emergence of the coronavirus, we’ve seen even more clearly that the food system is broken. “There’s no question of that,” he said. “Isn’t Covid a consequence of the way we treat Mother Earth? That the human being is becoming the carrier of so many diseases?”

The need to return to the sacred feminine, he says, is the second Big Lesson he’s learned recently. In the end, trade unions, like all institutions of politics and business, including nonprofit organizations and civil society, are patriarchal and hierarchical. The sacred feminine is about so much more than winning equal pay or putting more women in government. What we need, really, is to become again a matriarchal society, because women put children first, and after that everything else that’s important follows: stewardship of the earth, nutritious food, education, and more. A society presided over by grandmothers is the ideal society.

If we can admit that the model of development adopted post-World War II has failed us miserably, we stand a chance. We must be able to admit that we’ve made terrible mistakes, he says. Everything in life has a cycle of birth, life, and death. “We will die someday,” he said. “Why do we have this stupid notion that some things are meant to be forever? We must be able to re-imagine, re-invent. If we don’t, we stagnate, we rot … we become fossil fuel.”


“Why do we think we want to be extraordinary?” Naidoo asked. “It’s a false notion we have, that we have to prove how great we are. It’s extraordinary to be ordinary. A flower is beautiful and ordinary.”

Naidoo’s third Big Lesson: “I am more than this body.” When we recognize that everything is sacred, we ask ourselves, “How must I behave?” He says that science and spirituality are converging: both fields know that the same energy permeates everything that exists. We are all beings of energy that vibrates, he insists. When we understand our collective humanity, our interconnectedness in relation to the natural environment, to wild animals, to everything in the planet. He referred to an African concept known as Ubuntu: I am because we are.

“While we have material comforts at the press of a button, we are also the most frustrated, angry, depressed, anxious, unhappy generation in humanity’s journey,” he said. “We all long to be somewhere else. Where? At peace. To find joy.”

Full article:
Jay Naidoo on Today’s Challenges: Ecology Must be at the Center - Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (jhsph.edu)

It would be nice if this so called "Great reset" went that way instead the way it seems most likely to go, toward ongoing authoritarian surveillance capitalism.

 

[Sopwiths North]

It would be nice if this so called "Great reset" went that way instead the way it seems most likely to go, toward ongoing authoritarian surveillance capitalism.

Yep, you could well be right ferbs. I'm not saying change will happen tomorrow, or that things won't get worse before they get better, but I do feel we're approaching a crossroads as a collective.

The question for me is always, have we learned our lessons yet? Are we ready to now graduate and move on, or do we have to go back and repeat them, because we don't yet understand. And we're not yet ready to let go of egoic-based fears that create lack mentality and cause us to put self before others, and to not understand that we are others. The fear that's been societally hammered into us for generations that we might not get our piece of the pie. When as a collective, collaborating equally, we are infinitely abundant. You just make more pie.

I feel like Covid has exposed a lot to us in the way of lessons that need to be learned, but we haven't really done our work yet. As an example, we're seeing the same problems in care homes happening all over again during our second wave here in Canada. Because we've all gone "oh, that's bad, that needs to be fixed", but we haven't really changed anything. We haven't really altered the value we place on our elders. And so we're repeating the lesson. 10,000 people have now died in aged care homes here from Covid. Will we now learn the lesson and make the changes? It's up to us.

I do absolutely have faith that we will graduate on a collective scale one day, but how soon depends on us. I feel like part of the journey though is to put it out there as an idea that is achievable first, and then decide we can do it. Because the reality is that if we don't, we aren't going to survive. It won't be a world war, or a political crisis. It will be an ecological collapse, which may come in the form of another pandemic, or just severe enough climate change that we can no longer sustain ourselves. Ultimately, we need to find balance, or we will die. I know I keep repeating this, but it's a fundamental law of nature. There is a scientific basis to it all.

I suppose we could also wind up going the Jungian route of ascension through the collapse of prolonged and overstrained tension held between polarities. That might happen, and it would be a lot faster, but it would also come with a great deal more short(ish) term devastation. I feel like the world needs to sink further into more chaos though before we can get squeezed though that birth canal. I suppose if we can't get on top of this pandemic, or if we get another one, things could go that way. I hope not though. It's part of why I post stuff like this on here, just in the hopes that people might consider taking it into their perspective, and create hope for how to go towards a better future. Watch your thoughts - they become words. Watch your words - they become actions. Watch your actions - they become habit. Watch your habits - they become character. Watch your character - it becomes your destiny. We can all become students of change.

 

[Sopwiths North]

I love this picture of the web of an orb weaver spider in Missouri. Talk about mastering your craft.

 

[Sopwiths North]

and on that note....

 

[koshari]

came back from morning peninsula and stopped off at the fisho just out of tooradin to do our bit for the WA cray fishermen, must say he was doing a pretty good trade.

 

[ferball]

I love this picture of the web of an orb weaver spider in Missouri. Talk about mastering your craft.

View attachment 1030524

That looks like the web the bloody spider that does that at my back door every night spins. You'd think it would learn cos every night someone walks thru it at some point. Over the years the others learned to put their webs slightly to the side. This one hasn't.

I like your other post tho. Sometimes we use buckets for that here.

 

[ChoppyGun]

That looks like the web the bloody spider that does that at my back door every night spins. You'd think it would learn cos every night someone walks thru it at some point. Over the years the others learned to put their webs slightly to the side. This one hasn't.

Have you thought about sitting the spider down and express your feelings mate?

 

[Mr_Nyah]

Anyone else had the word “campaigner” ruined for them? Even when I hear it in a legitimate context now I can’t help but think it’s calling someone a see you next Tuesday.

 

[ferball]

Yep, you could well be right ferbs. I'm not saying change will happen tomorrow, or that things won't get worse before they get better, but I do feel we're approaching a crossroads as a collective.

The question for me is always, have we learned our lessons yet? Are we ready to now graduate and move on, or do we have to go back and repeat them, because we don't yet understand. And we're not yet ready to let go of egoic-based fears that create lack mentality and cause us to put self before others, and to not understand that we are others. The fear that's been societally hammered into us for generations that we might not get our piece of the pie. When as a collective, collaborating equally, we are infinitely abundant. You just make more pie.

I feel like Covid has exposed a lot to us in the way of lessons that need to be learned, but we haven't really done our work yet. As an example, we're seeing the same problems in care homes happening all over again during our second wave here in Canada. Because we've all gone "oh, that's bad, that needs to be fixed", but we haven't really changed anything. We haven't really altered the value we place on our elders. And so we're repeating the lesson. 10,000 people have now died in aged care homes here from Covid. Will we now learn the lesson and make the changes? It's up to us.

I do absolutely have faith that we will graduate on a collective scale one day, but how soon depends on us. I feel like part of the journey though is to put it out there as an idea that is achievable first, and then decide we can do it. Because the reality is that if we don't, we aren't going to survive. It won't be a world war, or a political crisis. It will be an ecological collapse, which may come in the form of another pandemic, or just severe enough climate change that we can no longer sustain ourselves. Ultimately, we need to find balance, or we will die. I know I keep repeating this, but it's a fundamental law of nature. There is a scientific basis to it all.

I suppose we could also wind up going the Jungian route of ascension through the collapse of prolonged and overstrained tension held between polarities. That might happen, and it would be a lot faster, but it would also come with a great deal more short(ish) term devastation. I feel like the world needs to sink further into more chaos though before we can get squeezed though that birth canal. I suppose if we can't get on top of this pandemic, or if we get another one, things could go that way. I hope not though. It's part of why I post stuff like this on here, just in the hopes that people might consider taking it into their perspective, and create hope for how to go towards a better future. Watch your thoughts - they become words. Watch your words - they become actions. Watch your actions - they become habit. Watch your habits - they become character. Watch your character - it becomes your destiny. We can all become students of change.

Reading the World Economic Forum website what they say sounds great in theory. Things will probably get worse before they get better even if they have changed direction already simply cos these things lag.

If things don't change we will have another fire season like last year in 10 or 20 years, except in the areas that are so devastated they haven't recovered properly. We'll get enough mismanagement, rain and growth to create a massive fuel load again and sure enough we'll get a hot, dry drought and it'll be on again.

Alot of what society does is crap. We have a bloated managerial class and we do **** all in the way of productive economic activity. We have mandated underemployment (5% unemployment is considered desirable to keep inflation down apparently.) But we still have this puritannical arbeit macht frei attitude to dole bludgers that comes from some devil makes work for idle hands protestant ruling class propaganda to justify sending kids down coal mines.

In Australia we need the government to bite the bullet send a bunch of cash into the economy via massive public works to transform the economy. Its obvious that old neo liberal economic stuff is bullshit cos otherwise the worlds economy should have collapsed in a steaming pile. And this is the sort of crisis that should provide the opportunity and even necessity to start with this stuff.

 

[ferball]

Have you thought about sitting the spider down and express your feelings mate?

That is very similar to what often happens. It gets down and I express my feelings.

I can usually avoid it, unless I'm home late and a little under the weather.

 

[ferball]

Anyone else had the word “campaigner” ruined for them? Even when I hear it in a legitimate context now I can’t help but think it’s calling someone a see you next Tuesday.

Only since I joined.

Here's a conspiracy theory. How many times do you hear the AFL media use the term "tough, old campaigner"? They know man!!! They know!!

 

[ChoppyGun]

A good movie imo. Cage was great in The Rock too.

 

[koshari]

final episode of season 2 Mandalorian was good.

 

[D23D]

That looks like the web the bloody spider that does that at my back door every night spins. You'd think it would learn cos every night someone walks thru it at some point. Over the years the others learned to put their webs slightly to the side. This one hasn't.

I like your other post tho. Sometimes we use buckets for that here.

A mate got a pic of this up Melany way whilst weed clearing
(Real weeds) he reckons it’s a funnel web but not as lethal as the Sydney type.
I didn’t argue the toss about whether funnel webs are in qld or not. Doesn’t matter, I’d keep a wide berth of that blue bastard anyway!

 

[ChoppyGun]

View attachment 1030712

A mate got a pic of this up Melany way whilst weed clearing
(Real weeds) he reckons it’s a funnel web but not as lethal as the Sydney type.
I didn’t argue the toss about whether funnel webs are in qld or not. Doesn’t matter, I’d keep a wide berth of that blue bastard anyway!

How big? Photos hard to pick up.

 

[rickety]

came back from morning peninsula and stopped off at the fisho just out of tooradin to do our bit for the WA cray fishermen, must say he was doing a pretty good trade.

Did you grab some donuts?

 

[ferball]

View attachment 1030712

A mate got a pic of this up Melany way whilst weed clearing
(Real weeds) he reckons it’s a funnel web but not as lethal as the Sydney type.
I didn’t argue the toss about whether funnel webs are in qld or not. Doesn’t matter, I’d keep a wide berth of that blue bastard anyway!

Lol real ones hey...

Anyway about the spider...

Its a funnel web all right. I think its its what is known as the Northern Rivers Funnel Web and its range stretches from the Central Coast in NSW to the Sunshine Coast. They are freaky looking ****ers.

There are other funnel webs beside the Sydney one as well. So it could be the Darling Downs one which looks very similar but I reckon its the Northern Rivers one, they have that shiney look to them. The NR one is sposed to be a tree dweller but it seems to pop up on the ground all the time. I've found them clearing weeds and in mulch. And if it is the NR don't be blase about the bite. Its more toxic than the Sydney funnel web and may deliver more venom per bite cos its bigger. But it doesn't seem as aggressive.

 

[D23D]

How big? Photos hard to pick up.

He said it was a big @#$%er. Doesn't look as big as one of those huge huntsmen but, what it loses out in length, it makes up in girth!

Lol real ones hey...

Anyway about the spider...

Its a funnel web all right. I think its its what is known as the Northern Rivers Funnel Web and its range stretches from the Central Coast in NSW to the Sunshine Coast. They are freaky looking f***ers.

There are other funnel webs beside the Sydney one as well. So it could be the Darling Downs one which looks very similar but I reckon its the Northern Rivers one, they have that shiney look to them. The NR one is sposed to be a tree dweller but it seems to pop up on the ground all the time. I've found them clearing weeds and in mulch. And if it is the NR don't be blase about the bite. Its more toxic than the Sydney funnel web and may deliver more venom per bite cos its bigger. But it doesn't seem as aggressive.

I knew you'd know this ferbs! Thanks for the info, and you're right, it was not aggressive

 

[Themanbun]

View attachment 1030712

A mate got a pic of this up Melany way whilst weed clearing
(Real weeds) he reckons it’s a funnel web but not as lethal as the Sydney type.
I didn’t argue the toss about whether funnel webs are in qld or not. Doesn’t matter, I’d keep a wide berth of that blue bastard anyway!

Could be a mouse spider? Females live in burrows and the males wander.

 

[D23D]

Could be a mouse spider? Females live in burrows and the males wander.

i thought mouse spiders were hairy bastards??

 

[Themanbun]

i thought mouse spiders were hairy bastards??

The ones out my way are glossy with fine hairs on their legs. Hard to see from the above pic but they usually have super fat boxing glove fang holders (I have no idea what the term for the part that houses the fangs is) compared to funnel webs.

 

[Gasometer]

Anyone else had the word “campaigner” ruined for them? Even when I hear it in a legitimate context now I can’t help but think it’s calling someone a see you next Tuesday.

Pffft

What about lubbbb?

 

[Gasometer]

Lub

 

[Gasometer]

Ha, still there lub....lubb