Mark Rainer

Just picked up Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn's Half the Sky, a nonfiction account of oppression and opportunity for women. Though the book is described as a global work in terms of it concerns and scope, it mainly focuses on the ways in which women experience and opportunity in the "developing world." It would have thus been nice to see more about the different set of structural arrangements that constitute oppression for women in the "developed world." Nonetheless, this is very eye-opening.

Just picked up Indra Sinha's Animal's People. Just twenty-odd pages in, and it's quite thought-provoking. Reminds me a little of Brave New World, but the similarities are not that distinct. Looking forward to the weekend so I can hopefully finish reading this one.

It's been a long while. I've stayed off the internet these last few months; was a lot harder than I thought. Really need to reacquaint myself with the art of killing time. I've been skyping with my nephew and sister lately, and we all decided to read together. Mainly as encouragement to my nephew. We zeroed in on William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Didn't know Golding was Cornish until I picked this up; I just plainly assumed he was British. Seems like so many dystopian novels were written during the mid- to late -twentieth century, including Lord of the Flies, of course. And many enjoyed mainstream publication and attention as well. Hard to think of anyone writing dystopian works today - that seems to have become film/cinema's forte now--television included. Nonetheless, reading this, I can't help but wonder what a post-AI, post-nuclear dystopian novel or film would be like.

Thank you for sharing this. I've been receiving plenty of editing assignments that have to do with the physical sciences and math. Not my areas of expertise at all. I've been reaching out to some of my friends who were homeschooled and some of my tutor friends to collate 101-level resources for myself. Just to get a hang of things, so I can at least look more closely at an assignment before rejecting it. Which means, over time, I can put together a list of things I need to learn about to be able to do a basic copy edit.

Ancestry k12 looks interesting, though it doesn't--understandably--help me with phy sciences or math. Nonetheless, if anybody's interested here are a couple of resources I've been using for a while now.

1. JSTOR - a terrific research database. Helps me look up cited papers and papers related to the cited ones. A must-have for professional researchers or editors. It's not free, but it's really worth it. Not as commercial-minded as Wiley or Springer.

2. BTB's concept explainers (these are free). I'm currently perusing a 101 account of conic sections to help myself navigate an editing assignment. It's aimed at the high school population, so most of it is lucid and easy to understand. Explainers can be found for other subjects, too--if I'm not mistaken.

Just thought I'd share these here. Hope they help

Hi, guys! I'm logging in after forever. I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe.

I've been working from home for the past 3 years, so not many changes to my life during this pandemic. Was pleasantly surprised to see this thread on NVC. Part of my Master's thesis was on non-violent resistance, and its growing relevance in the contemporary world. Most political theorists who advocated non-violence drew substantially from Buddhism and Jainism, even from Gandhi's works. I find it deeply interesting that non-violence is the one thing that really bridges the gap between "civilization" and "spirituality," the latter almost always being used to signify a Luddite-like, backward-looking sensibility.

Civilization, with its focus on gentle persuasion, dialog, and civility can only benefit from NV. A great thing to cultivate!

Judith Browning wrote:

Mark Rainer wrote:It's been so long since I logged in, and it's amazing that I found this thread. It's a great initiative, no doubt. However, like many have pointed out, this is no simple task.
Homelessness is perhaps the hardest issue to understand, let alone to try to alleviate. In fact, the trouble lies with the fact that there is no consensus about what it means to "alleviate" homelessness. Interestingly, sociologists are arguing that "homes" or things that constitute a "home" may not be the answer. Home, they suggest, is an abstract concept, whereas "housing" is more rooted in material and political realities (Source: Sociology: The Essentials). It is so difficult to identify exactly what sort of infrastructure and policies will alleviate homelessness, especially when there is also such a thing as voluntary homelessness. Very few issues seem more complex!

Mark, what you say is so true!

The problem is huge and seemingly insurmountable sometimes and that is why I like seeing someone focusing on one part of the problem and finding at least an improvement if not a perfect solution.

Hypodermic needles, unwanted clothing and general trash are bound to make it into the containers

The reasons for being homeless are varied...it's another area where I think it's a mistake to stereotype.
I think many people, not all, rise to the level of another person's confidence in their ability to do better.

So, any ideas for portable composting systems for the homeless camps?  How to keep trash out?

Very true what you say about approaching it from one particular perspective. The positive impacts of well-meaning efforts certainly cannot be discounted. I think any ethical action really is better than my "armchair observer" perspective.

It's been so long since I logged in, and it's amazing that I found this thread. It's a great initiative, no doubt. However, like many have pointed out, this is no simple task.
Homelessness is perhaps the hardest issue to understand, let alone to try to alleviate. In fact, the trouble lies with the fact that there is no consensus about what it means to "alleviate" homelessness. Interestingly, sociologists are arguing that "homes" or things that constitute a "home" may not be the answer. Home, they suggest, is an abstract concept, whereas "housing" is more rooted in material and political realities (Source: Sociology: The Essentials). It is so difficult to identify exactly what sort of infrastructure and policies will alleviate homelessness, especially when there is also such a thing as voluntary homelessness. Very few issues seem more complex!

I use gram flour for both skin and hair. I made the shift to gram flour only because I have really dry skin, and using gram flour keeps my skin more moist. Now I realize the benefits of foregoing soaps and shampoos--not just the personal benefits, but also the environmental benefits. There is also a fledgling movement urging toothpaste manufacturers to stop using plastic cartons for the tubes. It's a very good call; the plastic cartons are absolutely useless in this context.

Similarly, I've stopped purchasing upgraded textbooks. I donate old versions if I can find free soft copies of new editions online, and if I really do need a textbook for editing, I check if I can borrow it online. I use Bartleby if I'm looking solely for academic titles. For almost every other kind of book, there's Google Books, of course. Although I find Google's money minting policy too crass and invasive, G Books I think is a good resource. It's not free, though.

Additionally, I think we should all carry a small cotton towel or a handkerchief wherever we go. This way can avoid using paper towels and napkins.

@Joseph

Thanks!

Being unable to run as much as one would like is truly depressing, so I understand what it must be like to miss or crave the "runner's high." It is such a nice feeling--face red with good blood circulation and exhaustion and the feeling of contentment after a good cool down!

I am refraining from training barefoot on pavements--at least for another 3 months. But I must certainly--and I want to--do it. Ive been imagining what a barefoot trail run must be like. That's also something I'd like to try.

And 2 years to acclimatize to barefoot living? Wow! How much do we take for granted?! Take away footwear and it necessitates a lifestyle change. Uff! Congrats on the sustained barefooting!