- Published on
I discovered reaction channels during the pandemic. These are channels where newbies to a series watch the series for the first time, and you, the oldie, watch along with them, relishing their reaction to your favorite series, plot twists and discoveries.
Long live vicarious nostalgia.
It's something that comes with age. Wishing you were discovering old loves anew.
Sometimes wonder if it would be better to be a teenager today or back in the 2000s-2010s.
In a way, older millennials (b. pre-1990) are the last generation to experience a childhood away from the Internet.
That's always a bonus.
We're in late stage captalism. Millennials (and especially zoomers) are the children at the end of history. We've peaked as a civilization, and the culture is being decontructed and folded inward, which means nothing is new, exciting, and original anymore. Everything is rehashed and rebooted, and stale.
But the zoomers, and especially Gen Alpha, can create a new world from the ashes of the old-- god help us with these cyborg children and their obsession with hyperreality.
In the meantime, I like seeing these younger people find value in old things.
Read my article: hyperreality and cyborg children
Long live vicarious nostalgia.
It's something that comes with age. Wishing you were discovering old loves anew.
Sometimes wonder if it would be better to be a teenager today or back in the 2000s-2010s.
In a way, older millennials (b. pre-1990) are the last generation to experience a childhood away from the Internet.
That's always a bonus.
We're in late stage captalism. Millennials (and especially zoomers) are the children at the end of history. We've peaked as a civilization, and the culture is being decontructed and folded inward, which means nothing is new, exciting, and original anymore. Everything is rehashed and rebooted, and stale.
But the zoomers, and especially Gen Alpha, can create a new world from the ashes of the old-- god help us with these cyborg children and their obsession with hyperreality.
In the meantime, I like seeing these younger people find value in old things.
Read my article: hyperreality and cyborg children
- Published on
Okay, I am a mess. I've been trying to practice Lagom, a Swedish word that is a fancier way of saying, minimalism--doing just about what is required but not going above or beyond.
I've been failing in every aspect, but still want to keep on trekiking.
I'm stubborn that way.
I'm obsessed with cleaning up my footprints--the real world, the Internet. I
Getting a book published, albeit by a small press means I have dusted off my lagom ways in favor of putting myself out there, and revisiting the past, which means this blog.
Some of what I have blogged in the past aren't too embarrassing, so I'm keeping them. You can see the evolution of my thoughts and beliefs through the brief life of this blog. The only constant is my heterodoxy.
This blog is back, but like most things in my life, I will struggle to maintain it. I tried Youtubing for a while but am not very good at it. I tried podcasting for a while but am not good at it either (face and voice issues, respectively).
Writing has always been my strength, so may that carry me forward. Can't and won't promise consistency, because, you know, energy and time. This is freewheeling--whatever that means.
Anyway, I'm here, Scapers!
P.S. What prompted this remergence or resurgence is not simply my resurrected website, but going down the rabbithole in search of the title of a magical realism novel I read years ago--and I kid you not, as I'm typing this, the title just came to me--The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block. Ha!
Welcome to the Ebonscape!
I've been failing in every aspect, but still want to keep on trekiking.
I'm stubborn that way.
I'm obsessed with cleaning up my footprints--the real world, the Internet. I
Getting a book published, albeit by a small press means I have dusted off my lagom ways in favor of putting myself out there, and revisiting the past, which means this blog.
Some of what I have blogged in the past aren't too embarrassing, so I'm keeping them. You can see the evolution of my thoughts and beliefs through the brief life of this blog. The only constant is my heterodoxy.
This blog is back, but like most things in my life, I will struggle to maintain it. I tried Youtubing for a while but am not very good at it. I tried podcasting for a while but am not good at it either (face and voice issues, respectively).
Writing has always been my strength, so may that carry me forward. Can't and won't promise consistency, because, you know, energy and time. This is freewheeling--whatever that means.
Anyway, I'm here, Scapers!
P.S. What prompted this remergence or resurgence is not simply my resurrected website, but going down the rabbithole in search of the title of a magical realism novel I read years ago--and I kid you not, as I'm typing this, the title just came to me--The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block. Ha!
Welcome to the Ebonscape!
- Published on
In my previous post, I lamented the lack of nuance in everyday society.
Here I am blogging about microagressions--the everyday casualness of racism.
Recently, author Rena Barron on Twitter posted a review of her middle grade story in which the reviewer (clearly white) complimented her book as a good read "for children of African descent."
Imagine the following review--"Harry Potter is a great read for children of European descent." This would never occur. Those with power (people of European heritage) have occupied the position of normal and standard human being and have designated themselves race-less and universal. Their stories are for EVERYONE.
Here I am blogging about microagressions--the everyday casualness of racism.
Recently, author Rena Barron on Twitter posted a review of her middle grade story in which the reviewer (clearly white) complimented her book as a good read "for children of African descent."
Imagine the following review--"Harry Potter is a great read for children of European descent." This would never occur. Those with power (people of European heritage) have occupied the position of normal and standard human being and have designated themselves race-less and universal. Their stories are for EVERYONE.
- Published on
This post is a ramble. To quote Nina Simone, "this is a showtune, but the show hasn't been written for it yet."
I am forever trying to understand my own mind, likes, wants, desires, fears, cares and the whole gestalt of who I am, and what makes me so, and whether I can call myself a good person.
I call myself an empath.
Empathy is intrinsically the base trait of goodness, defined as how we treat/relate to people and living beings around us, even the environment. But, empathy may also leave you vulnerable to abuse, being taken advantage of, being disrespected, and carrying emotional burdens that weigh you down mentally over time.
The moral of this story? Lash out when you're being disrespected, regardless of the consequence.
Over the years, I have worried about the unsaid things that swirl in my mind, what I often refer to as the noumenal locutions that I cannot express, both because I am resentful of needing to do so, and because I simply have difficulty expressing myself, often not being able to find words until well after the fact, and never in the appropriate moment when it matters.
Thoughts and ideas that I struggle to express leave a lacuna between who I am and how i present myself. That Liminal link thins and increasingly makes it hard for me to fully express myself.
Not everyone who claims to be a victim is (and not simply because said person means to deceive-- psychopathy). Sometimes, you can scream and cry that you are right and still not be right.
Lawsuits or tears? Pick your weapon of rightness. We equate tears and cries with victimhood. If you cry, literally or figuritvely, you must be the one worthy of sympathy. But this is not true.
Did Lance Armstrong not sue people who accused him of doping?
As paradoxical as it is, you can like/love a thing and still recognize imperfections and problematic aspects of that thing. I can like Star Trek Discovery, while still admitting that the show has many flaws. Flaws within a thing or person doesn't make them disposable.
I have some thoughts about internet culture, black lives matter, and the frustration of hearing viewpoints dominate the mainstream consciousness that lack , well nuance.
I hate mob mentality.
Internet: you are cancelled.
Me: This is absurd
Internet: Let's get Bill Maher fired
Me: Let's not. He's entitled to his opinions.
Truth: I hate arrogance, vanity, narcissism and phoniness/insincerity. That explains why I hate celebs, which is a generalization (I don't hate all). It explains why I avoid reality show stars, influencers, social media stars, and attention-seekers. And the distaste Prince Harry's wife leaves in my mouth.
Truth: at the end of the day, a person's character matters more than melanin.
My Mind works like this: Nuance
Internet: you're either with us or you're with the terrorist
Me: Here's an analysis of A, B, C, and oh, also, D, E, F, G, H...
Internet: you are blocked/racist.
FACT: Racism exists on a spectrum. You don't have to be a card-carrying Neo-Nazi to be racist or harbor racist sentiment.
Amy Cooper would've voted for Obama a third time if she could.
Internet: only conservatives can be racist
Me: I don't give a damn about your political affiliation
Internet: you give a pass to Justin Trudeau for blackface
Me: I have no power over what Justin Trudeau does/gets
My mind works like this:
Me: Is Lea Michele guilty of racism or bullying/diva antics?
Internet: it does't matter. Her victim is black.
My mind works like this.
Internet: Sasha Exeter is a victim of Jessica Mulroney's white privilege
Me: who's Sasha Exeter?
Internet: Influencer
Me: nevermind.
Internet: self-hater
Internet: Tomi Lahren is racist
Me: I don't care about this person and don't like you putting this person in my consciousness.
Internet: Tomi, Tomi, Tomi
Me: silent pouts, shuts down, shut off device
I am forever trying to understand my own mind, likes, wants, desires, fears, cares and the whole gestalt of who I am, and what makes me so, and whether I can call myself a good person.
I call myself an empath.
Empathy is intrinsically the base trait of goodness, defined as how we treat/relate to people and living beings around us, even the environment. But, empathy may also leave you vulnerable to abuse, being taken advantage of, being disrespected, and carrying emotional burdens that weigh you down mentally over time.
The moral of this story? Lash out when you're being disrespected, regardless of the consequence.
Over the years, I have worried about the unsaid things that swirl in my mind, what I often refer to as the noumenal locutions that I cannot express, both because I am resentful of needing to do so, and because I simply have difficulty expressing myself, often not being able to find words until well after the fact, and never in the appropriate moment when it matters.
Thoughts and ideas that I struggle to express leave a lacuna between who I am and how i present myself. That Liminal link thins and increasingly makes it hard for me to fully express myself.
Not everyone who claims to be a victim is (and not simply because said person means to deceive-- psychopathy). Sometimes, you can scream and cry that you are right and still not be right.
Lawsuits or tears? Pick your weapon of rightness. We equate tears and cries with victimhood. If you cry, literally or figuritvely, you must be the one worthy of sympathy. But this is not true.
Did Lance Armstrong not sue people who accused him of doping?
As paradoxical as it is, you can like/love a thing and still recognize imperfections and problematic aspects of that thing. I can like Star Trek Discovery, while still admitting that the show has many flaws. Flaws within a thing or person doesn't make them disposable.
I have some thoughts about internet culture, black lives matter, and the frustration of hearing viewpoints dominate the mainstream consciousness that lack , well nuance.
I hate mob mentality.
Internet: you are cancelled.
Me: This is absurd
Internet: Let's get Bill Maher fired
Me: Let's not. He's entitled to his opinions.
Truth: I hate arrogance, vanity, narcissism and phoniness/insincerity. That explains why I hate celebs, which is a generalization (I don't hate all). It explains why I avoid reality show stars, influencers, social media stars, and attention-seekers. And the distaste Prince Harry's wife leaves in my mouth.
Truth: at the end of the day, a person's character matters more than melanin.
My Mind works like this: Nuance
Internet: you're either with us or you're with the terrorist
Me: Here's an analysis of A, B, C, and oh, also, D, E, F, G, H...
Internet: you are blocked/racist.
FACT: Racism exists on a spectrum. You don't have to be a card-carrying Neo-Nazi to be racist or harbor racist sentiment.
Amy Cooper would've voted for Obama a third time if she could.
Internet: only conservatives can be racist
Me: I don't give a damn about your political affiliation
Internet: you give a pass to Justin Trudeau for blackface
Me: I have no power over what Justin Trudeau does/gets
My mind works like this:
Me: Is Lea Michele guilty of racism or bullying/diva antics?
Internet: it does't matter. Her victim is black.
My mind works like this.
Internet: Sasha Exeter is a victim of Jessica Mulroney's white privilege
Me: who's Sasha Exeter?
Internet: Influencer
Me: nevermind.
Internet: self-hater
Internet: Tomi Lahren is racist
Me: I don't care about this person and don't like you putting this person in my consciousness.
Internet: Tomi, Tomi, Tomi
Me: silent pouts, shuts down, shut off device