i create, you destroy

It feels like a uniquely American capitalist take to assume these traditions will make you completely self sufficient. You need a lot of people, a lot of time, a lot of knowledge across a lot of subjects, and a lot of luck to provide for everyone's nutritional needs.

So should you even bother trying to be more self sufficient with your food? I argue yes. Foraging and gardening are fun and will teach you so much about many things. They are deeply rewarding activities that can supplement your diet. There are herbs I haven't bought in years because I grow my own. There are dishes I can only make with foraged ingredients because I can't get them in stores.

It's all very "rugged individualist" in a way that's both dangerous and unrealistic. For example, the propaganda is that homesteaders did it all themselves, built cities from nothing, etc. etc. Reality is that they had significant support from the federal government. That's before getting into the racism/genocide of it.

Anyway, I love gardening as a hobby. Great way to get outside, be active, etc. It'll help you learn more about food production and your local environment, and plenty of places will also have gardening groups where you can meet friends.

In addition to this, they also had massive trade networks. So not only was it a community level undertaking versus a single individual or family, it was an undertaking between communities.

This reminds me of a story...

In the social media boom of the 2010s, I was a social media professional (a new career thanks to this very tumblr account and a short-lived career because I like my mental health).

Back then, it was obvious what platforms companies needed to be on: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. Becase that’s where their customers and potential customers were.

Then, there came a rumbling through the profession. Our colleagues were told we had to be on Google+, it was going to be the new king social platform.

A lot of social media pros got their companies or clients to jump in with both feet. Some of us, however, took a beat and asked a simple question: “Who told you Google+ was necessary?"

We asked this because it felt like the reverse process of what had come before. Previous platforms grew into something first. No one could have predicted what a cultural juggernaut Tumblr became, the result of a sense of community among the users that formed organically and was fostered by the staff. Twitter started as a place where people dropped clever one-line jokes and became the largest and most critical breaking news outlet in the world (RIP Twitter).

But, in the case of Google+, no one seemed to be rushing to the platform. The user base was nearly non-existent. Yet, the buzz that it would be the next big thing was loud and, for that reason, many comapnies started official accounts and shifted a part of their social strategy to the platform. But still, if the numbers weren’t there, who was saying this?

The source of this new push to join Google+, it turned out, inevitably led back to Google. Yes, upper level Google staff had been telling tech bros, investors, and tastemakers Google+ was the future of social media. That trickled down to us plebes, the ones who would dutifully fulfill the prophecy.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the future of social media. It was a trainwreck that saw its few actual users spend 3-5 seconds per day on the platform compared to the hours per day people spent on Facebook.

Now, the “buyer’s remorse” over AI we’re seeing from all of these corporations feels very similar. It’s not users saying we need AI in every goddamn fucking thing, it’s AI companies. They're pushing a product tech overlords claim is the solution to a host of non-existent problems. And the companies got in line.

The difference this time is two-fold: Us plebes and commoners are fighting back and the companies that bought in are losing money. (At least a Google+ account was free.)

But, the truly shocking revelation is how fucking gullible these big CEOs are. They were told by AI salesmen that their already successful product will only continue to succeed if they bake in AI.

And what happened? One super fun example is how Google touted themselves as the best search engine in the world. Now, the first result on any search is an AI summary, followed with this warning in very small print:

That seems like a pretty clear admission that Google is not a reliable search engine any more.

So, I guess the moral of this story is: If you want to sell something for millions of dollars that no one needs, talk to a CEO.

The counter-argument: Not having UBI is in the interests of those in power who want to do anything to the people they are in power over in order to remain in power.

This is chat gpt trash prompted to “sound Japanese” and it’s based off of racist old movie dialogue. There’s zero correlation here to Japanese grammar and how Japanese translates into English or how a native speaker of Japan uses English. It’s slop. It’s racist ai slop rehashing Western exceptionalism, fantasizing about a Japanese person being in awe of how great the USA is. It’s depressing that people fell for this. I know it feels good to think that other people like us, and sometimes they do, but this only works if you assume Japanese people have extremely limited experience and worldview. It’s mortifying.

A series of pictures depicting issues for those who rely on wheelchairs.

A person with glasses sitting on a wheelchair stares at a door entrance located on a set of stairs.

Did you know... Some of us couldn’t even enter our own homes?

A crowd gathers in front of a bus, with a person on a wheelchair on the back, trying to get other people’s attention.

Please be mindful... Of those who can’t “push” their way around!

A woman with a hijab and glasses sits at a receptionist desk. A person on a wheelchair wearing a kippah is unable to reach the top to get her attention.

Simple things like reception desk height actually matters a lot!

A person on a wheelchair wearing a baseball hat backwards is unable to close the door to the restrooms. Despite this, the sign outside is marked as wheelchair accessible.

It is as if... Some doors aren’t meant to be closed!

A person on a wheelchair is frightened as their wheelchair goes down too fast down a ramp.

Did you know... That wheelchair ramps are steeper than recommended?

A man wearing a kippah is about to enter a temple, but covers his wheelchair wheels with a cover to keep the inside of the temple as clean as possible.

Wheelchairs go everywhere... But we can provide wheel covers for special places.

A picture of a parking lot Two cars are parked, one with most space to allow a disabled person to get on and off. A woman holding crutches is angered at a motorcycle parked in front of her car, which isn’t supposed to be there. A person on a wheelchair nearby notices her anger.

There’s a reason why... Certain space is allocated at disabled parking lots. And no, it’s not for your bike!

Two people stand in front of an automatic door. One is a child attempting to wave their hands to get it to open, and the other is a person on a wheelchair.

Notice that sometimes... Automatic door sensors are a bit short?

A bus is waiting at a stop. A person on a wheelchair is unable to get to the stop due to a steep ledge in front of them.

Are you aware that... Despite the upgraded buses, the bus stops need upgrading too?

A person on a wheelchair is using an ATM machine, which is placed at a lower position so they’re able to reach and use the machine comfortably.

In case you’re wondering... Why the new ATM machine designs are lower and slightly uncomfortable to use while standing up...

Also, folgendes...

Gern geschehn, springinsfeld!