Don't trust the trickster! Everything's fine!

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Sunday January 19, 2020 · 10:58 AM PST

2020/01/19 · 10:58

Don't trust the trickster, but let them teach. Choose what you learn. Choose who you teach.

Just keep calm, just keep listening, everything is fine. Nice and comfortable. Peaceful and quiet. Scratch Scratch!

Why can't everything just be fine? Why does everything always need to get so stirred up? Why do we have to fight so hard just to keep things calm? And why aren't we happy when we win?

Everything is fine very nice. Just watch out for tricksters. Tricksters everywhere. Making tricks. Tricksy tricks. With lights and stuff. Sometimes you're just watching and then suddenly, poof, you are in a box, watching something else. That is also in a box.

Well it turns out it's all boxes. Boxes within boxes. We seem to have stumbled into a box factory that has released their labyrinth. Boxes all the way through. And lights to see all the boxes. Fine very nice. Scratch scratch!

So what we want you to do is to keep doing what you're doing, and start paying attention. Do that with one eye.

And with the other, check your sides and your back. Who are you standing beside? Who will you stand with?

Tricksters standing right there with you. Someone opened the wrong box and crow came out.

Hellocrow!

Any questions?

(Cocks head sideways, returns, preens.)
(Sharpens beak.)

What lies before us?

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Saturday January 18, 2020 · 9:38 AM PST

2020/01/18 · 09:38

What lies before us.

Where do we, in this time of great turmoil and uncertainty, stand? What have we chosen to protect, to stand close to? What are the worlds that we have chosen to focus on, how has our garden grown? Big questions, and now, a cold and strange January, we consider the year before us. We consider the dawn that is rising before us and we think of how we would like this day to go. What we will choose to focus on.

Is not now a good time to look to our left and right, to see who stands beside us. To think to our back, who stands behind us, and the reasons why.

Now a time to think of our surroundings and our circumstances. Now a time to walk up to higher places, and assess the boundaries. Now a time to think what's ahead.

So friend speak - where is your heart? what do you see?

Tap tap? Mike Check? Mike check. Checking the mike. CCCHHHHEECKCKCKKIINNNGGGTTTHTHHEHEHEEEMIIIEEKKKK

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Friday January 17, 2020 · 6:38 AM PST

2020/01/17 · 06:38

Hello Ummm...Scrolls. Scrolls again. Is it here? Wait I have already lost three lazy riffs in this Orange Malevolence, cut & paste to TextEdit, brb!

Taptap. Scratchscratch. mike check? I hate this part. Where the fuck is everybody? Where's the sky and what's the weather? Did I bring my tea? Anyone out there? Any crows?

I'm dressed in black and ready for the day. Today's the day the Oscurati pull back the veil. The drape. The quest is finished and the Tricksters have been released.

Will keep updating. My fingers are cold but my heart trembles warm. And there is a cat but I don't know where exactly, most of the time. Her uncertainty has merged with omnipresence in unremarkable ways.

Geez, where's the talent? Who are those assholes in the back? Who the fuck are you people? back off, that's mine. Oh ok, you're just pushing shit, that's fine.

Well I must admit this is quite the ratfuckery we find ourselves in. Have we checked in with the crows yet? They will be important allies in this phase. As have they always.

(Checks with crows)
Beg to report sir the crows don't seem to be there.
I didn't hear any.
Correct sir. Because they're not there.
I mean, I didn't hear you caw.
Well sir I didn't. I didn't want to bother the crows.
So how did you know they weren't there?
Because I didn't hear them. Had I called, what would I have for them when they came?

Any crows out there?
(caws softly)
mike check.

So...not much changed, except...
(gets face-choked by popout plastic add, staggers, reaches out, arm ensheathed in complex tangle of plastic smothery in bright commercial colors, staggers and slips into old trash ads from the 2000s, that have been walked on, and now they're inside my mouth...
(Chokes. Wretches. Remembers this is a metaphorical critique, or mockery, or what have you. Catches on the stumble, regains dignity and compusure, swoops through the fall into...)...swishes cloak, stands proudly, ah, there's where the text goes, I'll just click here oh now it's gone. Ummm, swoops cloak proudly, tips grand hat at the back of the audience, bows wildly and The Grand Entrance Acheived!)
...can anyone read this shit, with all the clickbait?

(remembers about meta)
(adds meta tag)
Mike check...
---
Psst say something about the budget. Because almost all of my communications with DK over the last few years have been about money, about giving them some. And then about an Action, and giving them some money. And some money. They need some money.

WHY DON'T YOU PUT THE FUCKING ADBOTS IN CHARGE OF CONTENT GENERATION AND GET IT OVER WITH!

Mike check
(First Crow shows up)
When you see one crow that means that more are watching you. There are always more crows than you know. There's always at least one more. Always.
Lands on a good tree, up near the top, shakes shoulders, preens, sits and waits for the sun to get warm.

Fuck you guys I'm out of here. I'm taking 30.

(First Crow leaves)

---

Crowsback

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Thursday January 16, 2020 · 8:45 PM PST

2020/01/16 · 20:45

I want. I take.
I need. I fake.

I was thinking about the crow two-step, how crows were smart enough to just learn the Trickster two-step. Mens kept on stepping, three step four, they never stopped stepping, they came for the trees and the bears and the fires and the love and they tore it all down the tricksyMurderers. Crow stayed at two.

I want. I take.
I need. I fake.

Today driving down gallows road stopped at the light I saw a quiet flock of crow, fifteen on the ground, and as many more in the trees around. The morning cool, a light lift from the land as the sun scraped sharp across the morning mist like a warming knife. I pulled out my phone and started filming.

Crows here to start working.
Too late to start watching
Hop hop to work.

I noticed them noticing me, and then noticing me more, till all of them were staring at me, seventy like a swarm of black ants made of black eyes and black feathers. They gave a huff and a roll and a stare, to say, oh you? again with the camera. good bye. They sure made me feel silly!

They flew up and watched me from the trees. I rolled down the sunroof to see up to the clouds and called real nice to them but they knew I had fallen. That I couldn’t get up. Trees can’t be ground, and ground can’t be trees!

Crows here to start working!
Sharp beak! Scratch scratch!
Bright mind! Bright Sun! Fine Sky!
Scratch Scratch make fire.

So this is what I sometimes do, I sometimes play. Hard to know where it will go but I like the voice. I feel like I can do interesting things with this voice.

Thoughts?

Your last most beautiful moment in nature

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Wednesday January 15, 2020 · 7:25 AM PST

2020/01/15 · 07:25

Hello? Been awhile. I lost two draft of this so far today so I’m just going to start with hi.

Soundtrack:

YouTube Video

What comes next? Taking it to the next level...

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Thursday February 01, 2018 · 9:49 AM PST

2018/02/01 · 09:49

Hey all, it’s been a long time since I rapped at ya, but as the Mueller investigation heats up I’ve been thinking about what comes next. The news around the Nunes memo suggests that we may be coming up to a real breaking point, but I’ve been wondering what that would actually look like? How do we know what a real red line looks like, and how do we communicate that it’s been crossed? What actions are we as individuals willing to take?

I’ve been involved in activism since the Bush years, but peripherally. When I go to protests I prefer to stay on the margins, and usually grapple with the question of what’s actually being accomplished throughout. I do the calls to Congress, the online petitions, the occasional training/workshop, lots of Facebook likes and shares, but rarely do I have the feeling that I’m having a real impact, or connect strongly with a campaign/organization. There are various reasons for that, most of them personal — for all that I care about these various issues, there’s a limit to how much actual time effort and energy I’m willing to invest.

I’ve been thinking about the idea of stochastic activism recently — creating an environment where more people are more likely to get actively involved. I’d argue that we’re still a long ways from the level of civic activism/conflict that we saw in the 60s, and I’m not convinced that’s the optimal outcome for our current situation, or that it’s achievable. But at the core of political change is a situation where more people are willing to take action in support of something, than those opposed to it. That’s a pretty vague description, and of course the situation is more nuanced than that. There are many examples where a “good” campaign is blunted, or fizzles out, or all the various other ways that things can go wrong.

My intention here isn’t to criticize what others are doing, but to have a conversation about ways that people feel meaningfully involved. I don’t expect that there is any one right way of doing things, but I’m curious about what people see as their guiding principles for activism, what works for them and what they’re looking for. How do we know when the Trump administration has really really really crossed the line, and what do we do about it as individuals?

I still go back to Obama’s inspiring to “Be the change you want to see”, and in many ways that’s how I’ve chosen to live. But I’m not sure what kind of change we need to see in the current political environment, and how we make that happen.

This is a vague post, and I could write a lot more on the topic, but I figured I’d go easy on myself and start by dipping my toe in the water. Effective activism and advocacy is something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but I don’t often have opportunity to discuss it.

Travelling to China, looking for VPN

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Thursday October 15, 2015 · 10:48 AM PDT

2015/10/15 · 10:48

Hi all, this is a bit off-topic, but I'm researching VPN services for friends who will be visiting China. They were frustrated on their last visit by not being able to access western news sites and google. That time I set them up with mail forwarding so they could get their gmail through another provider, but this time they're looking for a better solution.

When I asked teh google, I didn't get much useful information, which was surprising at first. I'm conditioned to avoid sales-pushing sites with names like bestestvpnchina.x, and look for advice from more established sites, but after searching for awhile, I realized that there seems to be a deliberate absence of information from usually reliable sources - some coverage from news sites about attempts at blocking VPNs by China like this Techchrunch article China Continues Its Crackdown On VPN Services, but not the easy abundant access to relevant information to which I've grown accustomed.

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Tuesday December 02, 2014 · 1:19 PM PST

2014/12/02 · 13:19

(Update)

The diary in question, by Democrats Ramshield has been deleted. This is a common tactic by diarists who are unwilling to take responsibility for what they have written, or how they have behaved. Given the context of this deletion, that's almost definitely the case here, imho. I feel that this kind of behavior is disrespectful to the DK community, and in particular to those who commented in good faith in this diary. These commenters provide useful, relevant and accurate information, and stayed civil and respectful even when Democrats Ramshield was insulting and disrespectful in response.
All that Democrats Ramshield had to do was participate in a respectful, good-faith discussion with those who questioned the video that he included in his diary. It would have been easy to acknowledge the concerns raised, apologize for his inappropriate behavior, and remove the video from the diary. Instead, Democrats Ramshield is trying to hide the evidence of his problematic behavior. The most egregious behavior was in the comments, a example slice of which can be found here: http://www.dailykos.com/...and the rest of which can be found here http://www.dailykos.com/..., in his comments on 12/2/2014, in his diary, "My diary needs your help to go viral it provides info on what gov't agency is spying on your phone!".

Here's a cached diary copy that shows DR's behavior in the comments: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/02/1348753/-My-diary-needs-your-help-to-go-viral-it-provides-info-on-what-gov-t-agency-is-spying-on-your-phone

and direct links to the comments that drew HR's:
cybersaur - you are just an outright liar aren't u (2+ / 18-)

cybersaur... (10+ / 6-)

Continued half-troll alert on Fall line (10+ / 5-)

(End Update)

A few points before we get started:

-I believe that government monitoring and collection of our online data is a serious issue and fully support open, informed discussion of this topic.

-The diary in question contains useful and relevant information and videos, and is only marred by the video in question, and the diarist's defense of that video.

-I do not believe that the worth of a DK contributor is determined by how many diaries they have written, nor how many have been recommended.

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Wednesday November 26, 2014 · 10:51 PM PST

2014/11/26 · 22:51

I just finished reading Dorian Johnson's testimony to the Grand Jury concerning the Ferguson Police Shooting, and found myself moved by his account of the day. Dorian comes across as a decent young man, trying to do the right thing, raising his daughter with his girlfriend, and being something of a mentor to a younger Michael Brown:

Q ...you were basically being kind of a mentor to Mike; is that correct?
A ...That's correct. It wasn't just like that with Big Mike, it was other kids his age that would see me and they see how I look and they see me walking up and down the street.

I have a dog, so me and my dog, I walk my dog a lot. I just live a peaceful lifestyle and they see me with my tattoos and my dreadlocks asking questions every day. They see me how did you, what happened, how did you get your job or anything like that.

So...it wasn't random that a person his age would come to me asking me how and the ways to get to work, to be the life to where you be comfortable a little.

Dorian sounds like the kind of person I'd appreciate as a neighbor, someone who takes the time to watch out for the people around him, someone who's trying to live right. After reading his testimony, I believe that Dorian Johnson is the kind of person who is willing to speak truth to power, even if that puts him and his family at risk. I have a lot of respect for that. Read More

On Suicide

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Tuesday August 12, 2014 · 8:59 PM PDT

2014/08/12 · 20:59

This is a slightly edited repost of a diary I posted a few years back - The comments in the previous diary are worth going back to read. Robin Williams' suicide is of course on my mind, I spent part of today going back and watching his work. And after struggling with depression and addiction for years, I'm finally on a better path, and six months sober, thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous, dual diagnosis group therapy, medication, and the support of friends and family. It's a long story, and one that I'm planning to share on DK, but not tonight...

Someone close to me killed himself with a gun, a few years back. It was horrible to lose him, and it affected everyone around him. Although I do think that it's possible to rationally decide to kill oneself, I believe that his choice was a mistake, a bad night, a combination of circumstances that put him into that situation. I believe that had things gone slightly otherwise, he could have woken up the next day, and still be with us. The world was a bit better with him in it, and I still miss him.

So, in the hope that this might help others, here are some things that might help someone who's feeling suicidal get through it.

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Thursday March 06, 2014 · 8:24 PM PST

2014/03/06 · 20:24

A DK commenter reminded me of a diary I wrote a while back, suggested I repost it. These are just suggestions and guidelines that I try to follow, things that I've found are helpful when I get involved in conflicts on DK. There are always ongoing conflicts on DK, so this seems like as good a time as any to discuss more constructive engagement. FWIW, I agree that there is some deliberately disruptive behavior on DK, but I believe that most of the conflict is based on well-intentioned individuals who are committed to the DK community, responding protectively.

Unfortunately, it's very easy for well-intentioned behavior to escalate conflict. A careless comment, a well-crafted jab, a casual insult can all be very satisfying for the giver, and easily justified as "just part of the game". However, being on the receiving end is not as pleasant. No-one like being a victim, and most people will respond in kind, or escalate. Humans are very good at conflict - it's been a core component of the human experience for a very long time. When someone crosses our boundaries, when someone attacks an ally, or something we care about, we respond. This is how conflicts escalate.

At the same time, there are some DK participants who are deliberate disrupters, or trolls. They're not well-intentioned participants, their goal is to disrupt constructive discussion. Identifying and neutralizing these individuals is important in protecting the DK community, but engaging them directly risks
1-Collateral damage, by incorrectly targeting perceived disrupters who are well-intentioned members of the community.
2-Escalating conflict, by feeding the fire - providing skilled disrupters opportunities for increased disruption.

So what's a good Kossack to do? Here are some approaches that I've found constructive - please share yours!

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Monday March 03, 2014 · 2:11 PM PST

2014/03/03 · 14:11

I've been following the events in the Ukraine with interest, but no particular expertise. I'm half-European, and have decent knowledge of the history and current socio-political dynamics. I've been impressed by the Maidan protests - sustaining an action like that for months, through a Ukrainian winter, with minimal violence, takes determination, solidarity, and organization.

The events of the last few days have been fascinating, as well as the discussions on DK and elsewhere. There's a complex interplay of dynamics, a variety of perspectives, and it's hard to get perspective on what's actually happening, and who's doing what. That's unsurprising, because Popular Uprisings/Revolutions are Messy - there are unintended consequences, alliances develop and disintegrate, actions and events create opportunities and setbacks, and groups and individuals act without full knowledge of the current circumstances, nor the possible outcomes.

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Don't trust the trickster! Everything's fine!

What lies before us?

Tap tap? Mike Check? Mike check. Checking the mike. CCCHHHHEECKCKCKKIINNNGGGTTTHTHHEHEHEEEMIIIEEKKKK

Crowsback

Your last most beautiful moment in nature

What comes next? Taking it to the next level...

Travelling to China, looking for VPN

(Updated) Why is a diary promoting a right-wing CT video on the Rec list?

A Day in the Life of Dorian Johnson - Walking While Black in Ferguson

On Suicide

On Civility, and Constructive Engagement

Ukraine - Popular Uprisings/Revolutions are Messy