Adrianna TanFor me, the most pressing issue of these times is how to avoid nihilism, build community, love people. I know it sounds woo woo but I’m frankly out of other ideas.
Andrew Benedict-Nelson@skinnylatte I think you are right on. It’s a kind of spiritual survivalism.
Erik Johnson@skinnylatte I think that's really it, and I don't think it sounds woo-woo at all.
In my mind those are foundational components of real solidarity, so aside from it being a kinder and better way to live life, it's also an effective political strategy important in building the kind of movement needed to push complacent Democrats and resist Trump.
@skinnylatte We really have departed from a society where people give a shit about their neighbors, not necessarily intentionally but because so many aspects of our daily life support and reinforce rugged individualism.
I think there are pockets of community emphasis around the country, but en masse, it's "worry about yourself" for most.
This is how to get us back on track.
Hawkslight@distractal @skinnylatte It is intentional, but not from those immersed in the culture -- from those creating the culture in the first place. The "rugged individualism" lie has always supported the wealthy with the pretense that they "earned and deserve" their obscene lucre. The system was designed to make people not care about each other. See also: the lunatics demonizing empathy.
Michael Kohlman@skinnylatte “Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
I know that Heinlein is not everyone's cup-of-tea, but IMHO these are still words to live by.
D2@skinnylatte a few black friends, who’re used to this sort of capricious evil, demonization, & violence / abuse, say community and mutual support has been their way for more than a century.
What we’re in now is, from that lens, ‘same shit, different day’. Which served as a hella eye-opener for this white guy.
Itoshi no FoxyDonuts 🏳️⚧️@cascheranno @skinnylatte right there with you on all of this, coming to grips with it and trying to learn from folks who have had to exist this way forever
Chris Csont@skinnylatte I think you're spot on. There is nothing more punk rock than helping each other and believing a better community/world/life is possible.
😀🚲@skinnylatte between (lack of) education & culture, we're mostly clueless about how to make decisions as a group. Besides other tools like participatory budgeting and sortition, learning to count everyone's opinion can be part of building community. Instead of accepting our common but very flawed voting methods / throwing your vote away, we could actually just count everyone's opinions equally https://bettervoting.com/ use it to decide on a movie or book club, https://starbestfit.com/ for when.
Jay@skinnylatte Stay safe please. I am not liking what I am reading in online journals about what Hegseth is doing.
mahadevank@skinnylatte we should. The best part is that though things are bleak, its never been more easier to connect.
I"m up for a Google(or Jitsi) meet, if anyone is organizing
I'm not in the same geography, but maybe that makes it better, who knows
@mahadevank I do have a calendar going!
It’s in my time but if that doesn’t work I can find other times
Adrianna Tan (@[email protected])
I'm doing it again! For the next few weeks, I will talk to anyone who wants to talk to me for 30 min. I didn't have a fun pun for it last year but now I'm calling it #PennePals Do you want to be my penne pal? https://calendar.app.google/nKj8hUaeC7E2CHvb6
@skinnylatte cool! picked a slot
@mahadevank see you!
Bytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱
Ellie@skinnylatte that actually sounds plausible
Shotgun Seamstress@skinnylatte no, you’re right. Ppl think the battle is right vs left but there’s another group of ppl who aren’t just “politically disenfranchised” but just want to burn it all down. I understand where this impulse comes from, but it’s frightening!
Mx Verda@shotgunseamstress @skinnylatte hrm. I suppose it depends on the context or nuance, or it can do, anyway.
I don't know the exact details of what you're referring to, so I might be talking out my ass on this one. Nevertheless *and then I verbal car collision myself*.
No, uh, but yeah.
I feel like e.g. for the NHS, 14 years of tóraí budget-strangling have made these "interconnected" health care [sic] systems not fit for purpose, to use their own damn phrasing. I've worked in it, used it, needed it, been refused care, been delayed care, then had complications from refusals and delays. The starting point was "omg this NHS badge is like my own silver millennium crystal" and the end point was ... possibly mild psychosis? Unsure (because, ofc, I did not get tested or diagnosed) but the result was Vivid Intent To Cause Pointless Destruction and Property "Violence".
But again, even "burn it all down and start from scratch" would mean something very different for UK health "care" compared to other countries', or non-health topics at all.
... I kinda just wanted to rant about how you can do everything (as) right (as possible), then still have your needs ignored and experience catastrophic rage as a result. Which... isn't really contradictory to (from? By? Fuck, prepositions have lost me) what you said.
Aaaaaaaah. Anyway sometimes there is financial help for pet care and especially neutering. https://www.cats.org.uk/media/osln4slu/neutering.pdf
Scott Francis@skinnylatte this has *always* been The Way
Cat 🐈🥗 (D.Burch) 
@skinnylatte woo woo is good!
Scary Austin@skinnylatte
Look, these days you're a hippie if you're not a Nazi. You can be the stodgiest nerd around (me, formerly) and you're a hippie just because you care about due process and human rights for immigrants. There's nothing for it but to buy some tie dye clothes. 🤷🏼♀️
Look, these days you're a hippie if you're not a Nazi. You can be the stodgiest nerd around (me, formerly) and you're a hippie just because you care about due process and human rights for immigrants. There's nothing for it but to buy some tie dye clothes. 🤷🏼♀️
GinevraCat@skinnylatte It's the only way to sustainable systems. We build systems that perpetuate our values, so we had better make damn sure that loving others and building community is at the core of what we do, or we are just shooting ourselves in the foot and setting up a crueller future for all.
Martijn Faassen@skinnylatte
It's a very human idea. We are a species that can do this.
It's a very human idea. We are a species that can do this.
aneel@skinnylatte At the end of the day, it’s what matters
Ricardo Harvin@skinnylatte This is the way.
Unfortunately, I'm clueless on how to get there.
Erik Ellestad@skinnylatte Been reading a lot of Thich Nhat Hahn.
The Return of Kozeshi@skinnylatte
Sometimes the hardest things to satisfactorily define and enact are the most important and needed.
Sometimes the hardest things to satisfactorily define and enact are the most important and needed.
Pterry@skinnylatte I'd add "be kind"
@Pterry @skinnylatte even if that means "leave it alone" in a certain case. It's not 'cowardly' or 'selfish' to value patience.
You can try again another day AND your future attempts will be affected by what you do when overstretched.
You can try again another day AND your future attempts will be affected by what you do when overstretched.
Oberst Enzian@skinnylatte Any suggestions I’d make would get you sent to CECOT so stick to loving people..
Ciggy Bringer of SmokeWe are getting back to the basics because it doesn't seem like anything can be built up until we do.
Jon A. Cruz@skinnylatte and that's where books like the Murderbot Diaries and Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series kick in. Recentering empathy in the books we read can help pull us back from that edge.
Personally, I think the surprise success of those two is a sign that a lot more people out there are on the right track.
Sheldon@skinnylatte I completely believe in this and it's why I spend all of my spare time photographing and promoting community events. The antithesis of nihilism is culture and building community creates culture.
Sashin@skinnylatte Never stop trying!
@skinnylatte it's important to make life worth living before you can convince anyone it's even possible. (Maybe? Certainly easier when you have anything to point to.)
1 https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/getting-a-cat/taking-care-of-your-cat-during-the-cost-of-living-crisis Money help and advice for keeping a healthy, happy cat. UK specific but some generalities.
Also some charities help with neutering costs for pets (or even strays!) 2 https://www.bluecross.org.uk/veterinary-care/client/eligibility-checker 3 https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/eligibility/
There's prob similar for dogs, but we have kittens so it's kind of imminent.
4 https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/financial-assistance
5 https://www.cats.org.uk/media/bv5b3mpm/neu_140-why-should-i-neuter-my-cat.pdf
"Call our Neutering helpline on 03000 12 12 12 to find out if you’re eligible for a voucher. It’s kinder to neuter." 6 http://cat-kind.org.uk/
7 https://www.cats.org.uk/media/osln4slu/neutering.pdf
Ratboy (reformed dino pirate)
Peace is Not A Fable 
PrinceOfDenmark@skinnylatte That is the whole game right now. Well put.
nackmack@skinnylatte i know this post was made some time ago but i built a lot of community and connections by finding people who were in the benefits cliff and couldn't afford food, and getting everyone to buy one ingredient for a village soup that we would all have shares of.
Irenes (many)@skinnylatte it's super important. any strategy in which nice people win, has this as a key pillar.
Steve Dallape@skinnylatte "When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves." – Antonio D'Angelo.
Often, the simplest solution is the best.