As we begin Year Two of the pandemic, why are we continuing to use a failed pandemic strategy when we know it doesn’t work?
Looking back at the first month of Joe Biden‘s pandemic response, I recently realized that although he is taking more action than Trump, making important changes at the federal level, and talking about listening to science, underneath all of this Biden is actually still using Trump’s failed pandemic strategy. Biden is still using a “suppression” strategy to address the pandemic.
But there is another strategy he could be using: “elimination.” This is also known as a No COVID or Zero COVID strategy, but don’t let that name confuse you, it’s not a fantasy about eradicating the virus. …
Planet Soul
One of the most amazing things about outer space is that we’re already there
Do you think about space as someplace out there? As something in the future, somewhere you will never go? One of the most amazing things about outer space is that we’re already there. In this guided meditation, I’d like to invite you to experience the interconnections of your everyday life with outer space, the interbeing of our lives in the cosmos.
You might want to start by getting comfortable, in a chair or on a cushion, anywhere you won’t be disturbed. You can sit in a meditation position with your back upright and shoulders relaxed, scanning through your body and…
In this guided meditation, I invite you to experience the interconnections of your everyday life with outer space, the interbeing of our lives in the cosmos.
Also see the written version “A Guided Meditation for Connecting to the Cosmos” in the publication Human Parts.
May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos. Even in the darkest spots, living beings are able to hear it clearly, so that all suffering in them ceases, understanding comes to their heart, and they transcend the path of sorrow and death. — Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh
Thank you for supporting my work!
🌍 ko-fi.com/omanreagan
🪐 cash.app/$MichaelOmanReagan
🛸 patreon.com/SpaceFutures
So you want to stop Trump. We all do. Consider starting by taking down the walls that we’ve built between ourselves and our potential allies by blocking so many people on social media.
We know that to stop Trump we have to build a coalition of primary voters, and also a mass movement to win the general election campaign. But how many people did you block in 2016, and the years since? How many Bernie supporters have you blocked? Clinton supporters, Green Party voters, or people who didn’t vote at all? …
The first time I remember being politically angry was in high school. As I’ve thought about all my activism since I realize that when it comes to social justice issues I’ve been angry ever since. But the last few years all I see are people fighting on social media all day, yelling at each other, blocking each other, cancelling each other, trying to ruin each other, even when they’re allies. And this anger isn’t achieving our goals. But what is the alternative?
In high school in the 90s, a right-wing group called the Oregon Citizen’s Alliance (OCA) tried to pass…
A list of space, futures, and tech related papers, panels, and roundtables, at the joint meeting of the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) and the American Anthropological Assocation (AAA), in Vancouver BC, 20–24 Nov., 2019. This list leans toward space, futures, and science fiction with some tech. Samuel Collins published a list of futures and sci-fi oriented panels, those are included here. See his post for an analysis of keywords and more.
November 20th
PAPER: When Ground is Not Earth and Earth is not Ground
(David Valentine, in panel “Anthropologies of Ground” Wednesday, November 20, 12:00–13:45, Vancouver CC WEST, Room 206): “Ground” is an earthly phenomenon, whether as a metaphor for seriousness or rootedness…
The data privacy discussion is missing a key factor. There is no need for data privacy, except under capitalism.
Capitalism maintains the illusion there isn’t enough to go around. This illusion of scarcity ensures some people have a lot but most have very little. The illusion of scarcity makes it seem necessary to organize people into hierarchies, some more deserving, some less. Under capitalism, these hierarchies make certain that some have power but most don’t.
In this capitalist system of artificial scarcity and hierarchies we all produce, collect, and track many kinds of data. Your home address, workplace, telephone number…
History matters when explaining why we should fund NASA’s science. A junk tent with broken exhibits doesn’t tell that story.
If you’ve never been to the NASA Ames Visitor Center you might imagine a state of the art museum showcasing NASA’s achievements — from planetary and earth science, to astronomy, astrobiology and groundbreaking space exploration. But if you were expecting a state of the art museum or visitor center you’d be mistaken. In fact, the NASA Ames Visitor Center is a sad sort of tent/warehouse in the middle of a parking lot.
H.Res.109 — Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that —
(1) it is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal —
(A) to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers;
(B) to create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States;
(C )to invest in the infrastructure and industry of the United States to sustainably meet the challenges of the…
The way anthropologists write and speak to each other about our work is a lot like memes.
By memes I mean those bits of text and image used across online social media to enframe an editorial position within a standardized, familiar, and accepted mode of performing one’s “take” — often a hot take. As in “what’s your take on that?” — and “here’s my take.”
Memes in social media range from simple abbreviated or initialized phrases like “TFW” (meaning “that feeling when”) or the recent “Infinity War crossover meme” to complex image-based memes filled with pop and sub cultural references…
