Heidi

You are so right. I have a lot of sympathy for Spinoza who turned down the offer of being a professor and chose to remain a lens-grinder and counted that as freedom. After I read Kim Tolley's Professors in the Gig Economy (a collection of really great essays), I had an a-ha moment that it wasn't just me and it wasn't just this town and or that organization -- academia is in its death throes and I would be better off launching my public philosophy series and writing a grant based on its success. This is not hyperbole: A community college adjuct professor in my town earn $750/credit hour or $2,250/course (IF the class doesn't get canceled, in which cse the lion's share of prep work and time commitment has already happened, but the professor gets paid nothing). A Teaching Assistant at my University makes $12,000 a year (and also gets tuition forgiven, but I don't really care about that since I'm nearly in a post-tuition moment). I could easily write a grant for the public philosophy series that is more in line with a TA income than an adjunct professor, and that's the moment that I knew that I would likely never join the academia circus. My long term plans were never about being "an academic," thank goodness. The only reason I'm a grad student now is becuase I have a sense of real urgency about the timeliness and importance of what I'm researching. I am looking forward to going back to having my intellectual investigations be a hobby amongst friends. You know how I love the Raconteurs, especially this album. Have you heard the live version of "Level?" It just blows me away, every time.

DANGIT!! How? How did so much happen in the last few weeks that I thought the challenge was closed and Reflection Week was nearly over? Okay, Universe, I hear you!!!! Anyway, steady is the course for the next ten days as we do the rest of the work that is in front of us. ❤️

Nic helped me put together one of the red bookcases on Sunday evening, and that means that now only have seven items left to assemble. I'd like to have these done over the next couple weeks. I also have a few furniture pieces that have no home, and probably need to get given away. I'd like to play with the arrangement of things once everything is assembled and see if these pieces are useful or need to find a new home. I miss having an herb garden. Just in general, I love having herbs around, but specifically lemon balm (for heat relief) and basil (becuase basil). I have some window box planters that are empty and I think I might set up some herbs in them and place them near the dining table or at the back of the kitchen counter between the sink and the living room space. Happy full moon! It's officially the end of eclipse season! What has been revealed to you or culminated into fruition since March 25th? I can't believe that was only a few weeks ago; it seems like ancient history. I like to go to a favorite farm and pick strawberries at the end of April / beginning of May as a way to put the semester behind me and welcome in summer, and I invited Nic to come with me on Saturday to pick strawberries. I'll likely need to have the afternoon and evening to work on the novel and the legislation spreadsheet, but I'm looking forward to having a whole mess of local strawberries. I wrote another 750 words yesterday on the novel (total is now 11,900; goal is 90,000). Keep watching for word counts, since this is a big project that needs to come into the world. I have an agent at Folio who asked for a full manuscript, and I'd like to deliver it in August or so, definitely by the end of Challenge 6 (September 1). The beginning work of writing always seems impressive (look, another thousand words!!), but that's because it is like starting a campaign with a first level character. Going from level 1 to 2 is a lot different than leveling up from 11 to 12. I had given up on acupuncture, with the Other Acupuncturists not really fitting my needs after My Acupuncturist retired. When I met with my Jedi Council (Quaker small group) yesterday, one of them mentioned a new-to-town acupuncturist that he really likes, so I made an appointment for next week. Fingers crossed. I fell asleep at 8:30 last night and slept until 6. I woke up with a headache (weather changes -- it's downright cold this morning) and read some news before logging in. The president of my university is floating a proposal to absorb the faculty-driven senate into a trustee-driven body, effectively stripping the faculty of any policy voice in what seems to be an obvious power grab. I wrote to my advisor and asked for some time to discuss this next week, since it seems unthinkable to me, and yet it is likely to pass. Academia is broken, and it seems to be crumbling in real time around me. I am very much looking forward to completing my degree. I don't know if I'll continue with the library degree afterwards, though since it's essentially a vocational degree, it seems to be a program that fits well in the new-Academia™ model. The current timeline looks like Qualifying Exam in the summer of 2025, then dissertation the year after, PhD awarded in May 2026. I imagine the academic landscape will look measurably different by then. The weather has mee sleepy and wanting to hunker down under blankets, despite the good rest of last night. I have a much-needed massage later this morning, otherwise I would still be in my flannel nightgown. Chances are good that I'll come home from the appointment and take a shower and be right back into the nightgown-with-tea mode, and I'm looking forward to it.

WOOHOO!

Thank you. I'm thinking that we need to watch all of Drumhead and have a conversation about it. It's an excellent episode, and dense with ideals. And timely.

Hi, friend. I'm getting squirrely about the debts and taxes and things. I've decided to throw some leads out to the Universe to see if there's a part-time remote job that I can work along with the regular job over summer. There will not be any non-remote work in my life, but perhaps the universe can help me find something that will slay the debt-dragon a bit. I'm doing okay, actually, but the debt-load is starting to wreck my sleep, which makes everything worse.

Thinking about what worked this challenge, and thinking about what's coming for the next round, starting on Sunday (or more likely Monday, becuase that's when I usually start). Here's a bit of whiteboard space (spoilered because it's a lot of moving parts). Skill 24.03 2024.04 Focus Activity May 6th - June 9th, 2024 Reflection Week Jun10-16 Constitution 12 Carry forward: Walking: 2+ miles a day New goal: WATER (drink it; log it) Stretch goal: Sauna? Look for a walk to the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays, daily walks on purpose, and overall increase to activities that happen to involve walking. I’d like to be more mindful and intentional about drinking water and eating salads. Getting back to the sauna would likely do wonders for my sleep and my sense of presence. Strength 15 Carry Forward: Going to work Stretch goal: Second job? New Goal: Lift - anything that weighs more than a loaf of bread If I can find something to add to the cash generation, it’ll go directly to the debts. I’m doing just fine, of course, but I’ve noticed that the debt tally is taking a toll on my sleep, so if I can find a remote temp job for a few hours a day over the summer while I don’t have classes, this would be some Wisdom as well as some strength. I’m hesitant to increase this to 16 while I still have the debt-millstone around my neck. Intelligence 16 Carry Forward: Philosopher James 2x/week New Goal: Work on the novel. 1,000 words a day. Stretch goal: One Sheets and Fliers for upcoming Philosophy Sessions. I still have a massive Legislation Spreadsheet to finish on Sunday (stay tuned!) and a final paper (also Sunday) and final post (Wednesday) this week for Research Class, with some interviews along the week to use for the paper. Philosophy with James is going well, and we've stayed the course even as real life has tried to play cat-and-mouse with the schedule. This is good; this is the Way. I'm always hesitant to increase beyond 16, but there's some real proficiency being wrought. Dexterity 18 Emotional Balance and Mental health Schedules & Calendars Marching Band Camp Summer Visitation Football Calendar Counseling sessions Wisdom 18 Stretch Goal: Spending Fast Continue forward: Aggressive Car Loan payments New Goal: Sort out the taxes mess Pay off the car aggressively -- 2 extra payments Charisma 16 Alliances Continue: Time with Nic, Emily, Erica, (Kathi & Tim ?) New Goal: Women's Pinball League Summer (June 10-August 5) New Goal: Star Trek & Philosophy Sessions May 17, June 14 Continue: Home-making: Assemble furniture, Finish Vivian's Room SOPHIA Roanoke Make the Star Trek flier Make the SOPHIA Roanoke web page Choose the calendar for the coming session; schedule the Parrot Room for June 14, July 19, August 23. Consider writing a grant proposal for the Rice Room at the Jefferson Center and running the sessions. [If we move to the Jefferson Center, make it Philosophy Fridays at Four. Serve Tea. Consider an informal dinner location after the event.) Belles & Chimes Post Calendar on website Finalize Summer League Dates with IFPA? Maybe not necessary Website Login Spreadsheet for scores Out & Abouting Shakespeare Community Concert Coffee House Mornings Farmer’s Market Pick your own strawberries (Saturday! 🍓 🍓 ) Stamina 7 Continue: Rest, Healing New goal: Resume Acupuncture Stretch Goal: yoga? Good sleep schedule, once again Yoga on Friday morning? A friend recommended a new-to-town acupuncturist, and I made an appointment for next week. Fingers crossed that it’s a good solution.

Thank you for this! ❤️ Welcome to Refletion Week, Friends! Let's see how the challenge went, overall: For starters, I put this challenge in boldface on my list, suspecting that it would hold a lot of foundational changes and shifts, and I wasn't wrong. Wellness and Alliances have been in focus all year, and this round really delivered. I feel like the changes are the manifestation of hard work and internal processes that have been slowly building over time, sort of like watching the hour hand move on the clock and hearing the bells chime out across the Land. Rest assured, there's plent of work, as there ever is. but this feels like a new vantage point. The details: Skill 24.02 2024 Focus Activity How it went 24.03 Constitution 12 Walking: 2+ miles a day Cooking of some sort so that Saturday and Sunday don’t require any activity if possible. Walking was really excellent this round. I had nine days total with fewer than 2 miles, and overall the average was impressive: 2.63 miles a day. I took on more walking-on-purpose, and have included some walking-togetherness, which boosted my total dramatically and also increased my sense of connectedness and belonging. I'm not looking to increase my constitution just yet, but it's better than ever. If this level of wellness reamins over the next several challenges, I'll be leveling up for certain. Some notable Constitution highlights: Despite getting sice, I recovred well and was able to meet my daily tasks while in recovery mode. I think this bodes well. 12 Strength 14 Going to work Lift - Oculus or gym or boxes or anything that weighs more than a loaf of bread Oculus and Catan and things. I lifted basic things, and did well with unpacking the last of the book boxes and all but one of Vivian's boxes. Bookcases were built and moved and filled. I went to work. +1 15 Intelligence 16 Finish this term well. Philosopher James 2x/week Schedule Qualifying exams with Neal. I still have a Massive Legislation Spreadsheet to finish on Sunday (stay tuned!) and a final paper and final post this week for Research Class, with some interviews along the week to use for the paper. Philosophy with James is going well, and we've stayed the course even as real life has tried to play cat-and-mouse with the schedule. This is good; this is the Way. I'm always hesitant to increase beyond 16, but there's some real proficiency being wrought. 16 Dexterity 18 Emotional Balance and Mental health Create the Cave in the bedroom Begin family counseling sessions with Vivian. O YEAH. Five stars. 18 Wisdom 18 Debt reduction Aggressive Car Loan and Personal Loan payments Savings File Taxes Debt reduction is happening and there has been some fancy footwork needed with tax weirdness. This will continue into next challenge, and I handled it better than I thought I would, since this is a rael beast for me, emotionally. 18 Charisma 16 Alliances Time with Nic, Emily, Erica, Kathi & Tim Dancing lessons and pinball Home-making Continue world-building our home. Very positive alliances. Erica in the Loft, Emily in the Loft, Kathi in Durham, Nic in the Loft and about town. No dancing lessons, but Eclipse Viewing, Community Concert, and Symphony concert. Worldbuilding the home and community is happening, and women's pinball league is scheduled, as is the launch of Sophia Roanoke's Philosophy and Star Trek. 16 Stamina 6 Rest, Healing Oculus Cardio Rest and healing and love, o my. I'm increasing the stamina to 7, mostly because of the gains made through walking and functional fitness listed above. +1 7

Agreed. One of the reasons this series has taken so long to launch is because I don’t have clips for everything yet, and it always feels like I don’t have enough pieces-and-parts together to make it work.

Vivian had a sore throat when she woke up this morning and her voice was gone. A day of tea and television and rest and plenty of good food did wonders, and she was feeling much better by the time the sun went down. We are currently watching something called My Hero Academia, an animated series based on a Manga of the same name, and I’m digging it more than I thought I would. I took a nap while she took a nap around noon, and now, weirdly, I can’t sleep. There are also a million things on my mind, which never helps, but I feel like it’s a case of basic insomnia calling forth the issues instead of the other way around. I bought tickets for a classical guitar concert tomorrow afternoon, and invited Nic as well, so the three of us will walk to the concert center down the block and have an afternoon of music before Vivian goes home. There’s a huge music festival this weekend that I had totally forgotten about, something called “Down By Downtown,” and apparently it’s the hippest thing since Woodstock (not really, but it’s being touted as such) and the whole of downtown is in a huge crush. I’m very glad we’re doing classical music and that we can walk to the concert hall. All in all it looks like it will be a lovely day. I have a lot of thoughts on things, none of which are probably as big and important as they feel right now, which is another layer of thought that gets thrown over the whole mess. I’m not sure if or when or how I’ll get to sleep tonight. On nights like this, it usually happens when I’m not looking, so I guess this calls for getting up and making a pot of tea and possibly reading some more of Fahrenheit 451. I’m about halfway through, and it’s getting really interesting.

I have nine other Star Trek sessions planned: Resistance is not futile In this clip, We see the solidarity of self-determination from within the collective, compassion for an outsider, and defiance of authority (in the form of the chillingly assimilated Picard, who has difficulty with the pronoun I). Also, the choice of "Hugh" is excellent. We are Hugh becomes heard as We are you. https://youtu.be/sRc8EyPoxOU Seminar topic: even if resistance comes to nothing immediately, is it futile? Is resistance its own valuable act? What solidarity do we owe to those who are disadvantaged/oppressed even if we are not? How do we measure resistance? [Bonus points for answering R = V / I.] There Are FOUR lights In this episode, Picard admits that in the end, torture prevailed. He would have been willing to say anything, but, even worse, he had come to see five lights, despite knowing the truth that there were only four. Oppression warps reality and our own ability to perceive the truth. It is the presence of the rescue team that allows him to issue the iconic line. https://youtu.be/jk3EsXgXcyQ What is being offered to Picard is particularly appealing to me: a life of comfort, with time to pursue philosophy. This offer -- and the ability to withhold it-- is what corrupts the lizard brain to comply with the oppressor. While survival may, in fact, be insufficient, it must also be safeguarded at all costs. What does this mean for the creation of a just society? Survival is Insufficient What does it mean to be alive? To thrive? To be free? To be an individual? How does a community differ from a collective? (How) Is the idea of free will important to ethics? https://youtu.be/iFAaLCbRUJw The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few Do the needs of the many always outweigh the needs of the few? Spock’s famous words after sacrificing himself to save the Enterprise in The Wrath of Khan are the heart of perhaps the biggest tear-jerker in Star Trek history. But after dabbing your eyes, you might notice it’s a sentiment that invites a major ethical dilemma: is it really logical for an individual to be sacrificed for others? John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant would answer this question with a resounding yes given their philosophical model of utilitarianism. This, at its most basic level, supposes that people should be working towards the good of the many—each action should be prefaced with one question: “what if everybody did that?” At first, it may sound like a caring model to live by — if any member of The Enterprise crew were willing to die to save everyone then you have a pretty strong crew. However, at its most extreme, utilitarianism could be deeply inhuman. For instance, philosopher Hannah Arendt warned that solely working towards the greater good would lead to a mechanized society where the needs of the individual were completely sacrificed for society. And, of course, such a society exists in Star Trek: The Borg. The scariest of Star Trek baddies are a race of mechanized humanoids that demand individuals give up any personal property, emotions and memories for the benefit of the collective — if one person joins then they help all enjoy immortality and technological advancement. In other words, the needs of the many outweigh the few. So, why shouldn’t we all pack up and join The Borg if it's for the good of everybody? Is resistance to that logic really futile? Are there times when people should be separate from the many? Plato, Sartre, and Guardians of the Galaxy Sartrean angst arises from the weight of responsibility for our choices, a sense of abandonment due to the revelation that God does not necessarily exist and therefore cannot guide, and a sense of despair in that we must act without hope in external intervention by providence. The positive aspect is that man’s destiny is in his own hands. The entire Voyager series is founded on a sense of Sartrean angst. The starship Voyager is almost instantaneously displaced 70,000 light-years away from Earth by alien technology, and the return journey would require at least 75 years by Voyager’s conventional warp drive. Captain Janeway has two options: to investigate and utilize the exotic transportation device and return the ship back to Earth. But this would leave the device in the hands of another set of unscrupulous aliens who would destroy a third set of innocent aliens; or to destroy the device as per Kantian Categorical Imperative and condemn her 200 crew to attempt the long journey back to Earth. Janeway acts as a Platonic guardian, seizes the second option (Star Trek Voyager, “Caretaker”), and spends the rest of the series in angst, wondering whether she made the right choice. Categorical Imperatives and the Prime Directive Is The Prime Directive really ethical? Also known as the Non-Interference Directive, The Prime Directive commands Starfleet ships to follow one golden rule: don’t interfere with other cultures or civilisations. And all captains are supposed to take this VERY seriously — as Kirk says in The Original Series, "A starship captain's most solemn oath is that he will give his life, even his entire crew, rather than violate the Prime Directive." But is such a rigid policy really in the universe’s best interests? If Starfleet has the power to save civilisations — and countless lives — from extinction, shouldn’t it try? Wouldn’t standing by as innocents die make Starfleet a tad, well, evil? Not according to the concept of Westphalian sovereignty, a key political paradigm embodied by Starfleet. Born out of the Peace of Westphalia treaties of 1648, this paradigm not only established modern thinking on nation states and boundaries, but also that intervening across borders would only cause conflict. Such thinking is clearly laid out by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation: "The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules; it is a philosophy... and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilisation, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous." At its inception, this philosophy appeared to have led to peace: the Westphalia treaty halted 80 years of war in Europe. But, as you might have noticed from a couple of near-apocalyptic world wars since then, such a simple idea rarely leads to peace in our intricate universe. And as with every strategy that walks the line between war and peace, the thinking behind the Prime Directive provokes a lot of debate. After all, taken to its extreme, the Directive is a barely-compromising non-interventionist policy, a stance never going to please everyone in every circumstance. Would non-action be the right line to face when threatened by Nazi Germany? Iraq? North Korea? Syria? Or, to take a less politically-charged example, if a wildlife filmmaker comes across a dying zebra, do they have a moral obligation to help it? Would they be responsible for its death by walking away? And what if aiding the animal inadvertently starves a pride of lions that would otherwise have fed on the carcass? Star Trek has handled such sticky non-interventionist predicaments head-on during the show, often with heart-breaking consequences. For instance, in The New Generation episode Pen Pals, android Lt Commander Data receives messages from a little girl whose planet will soon be destroyed by volcanic eruptions. Captain Picard’s response? The Prime Directive must stand. The child must die. Fortunately, Picard reverses his decision in time for Data to save the girl, but at the cost of the Prime Directive. Is it right that he sacrificed this Star Fleet value to save one child? Like most philosophers, the crew are divided. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xefh7W1nVo4 This issue gets more complicated if you consider the spirit in which the show’s United Federation of Planets (UFP) was first formed. In the show, the Vulcans reached out to our planet when they realised humans (specifically one of them, Zefram Cochrane) had invented the warp drive. And after the first contact, The Vulcans shared their technological knowledge, thus helping Earth to rise from its post-atomic horror to become a founding member of the UFP. Yet, if Starfleet was in the same position as the Vulcans, would they have landed on Earth and lent a hand? Would The Prime Directive have saved Earth — a future cornerstone of the UFP — from destruction? Utopia, Villains, and Vigilance The Federation is described as a stabilizing force in “this part of the galaxy [...]. We live in peace with full exercise of individual rights. The need to resort to violence and force has long since passed.” (“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield) As such, the UFP consistently espouses liberty, equality, justice, peace, and universal cooperation as summarized by Picard, “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably. [...] The first time any man’s freedom is trodden on, we’re all damaged.” This episode sees the weaponization of “good aims” and Whorf is duped. Picard reminds him that “"Villains who twirl their mustaches are easily spotted. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camouflaged."(Star Trek Next Generation, “Drumhead”). How do we go about the “vigilance” that Picard recommends to Whorf? How do we best police ourselves and our systems, assuming these systems are the best ones in place? Kobayashi Maru The Kobayashi Maru is an exercise in Starfleet’s training program, designed as a no-win situation that tests ethical decision-making and leadership. During the exercise, a cadet encounters a civilian ship in distress. To save the civilians, the cadet needs to enter the Neutral Zone, violating a treaty. If the cadet honors the treaty, the civilians will be left stranded and at the mercy of the hostile Klingons. If the treaty is broken, the Klingon armies will likely attack and board the ship being commanded by the cadet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScFCIqIiTl8 What would you do faced with the original Kobayashi Maru? What do you think of Kirk’s “success” through cheating? What sorts of ethical decisions are in play as the Kobayashi Maru opens? How do ethical decisions who went before us influence, limit, and shape the (perceived) possibilities of our decisions and leadership today? Do you believe in the existence of no-win situations? (Kirk didn’t.) When faced with a no-win situation, what is the most ethical place from which to proceed? What role does self-interest play in a no-win situation? Is it the only thing that one has any power over at that point? How We Face Death Is At Least As Important as How We Face Life We will gather to watch Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan Khan is a gloomy movie, a pivot from the unadulterated optimism of the first Star Trek film. But for all its gloominess, Khan is an important film that gives voice to the role of death and grief in our lives and how both inform and deepen us, giving us perspective. With perspective, our approach to life becomes more textured and nuanced, less glossy, anything but rote. These are the necessary conditions for a life of meaning, and yet they are the emotions and situations which we most often avoid. What does Kirk learn in this film? Is he changed by the experience? How so, if so? Has Kirk in Trek 2 changed from who he was when he faced the Kobayashi Maru? Why (not)? How? What are the key traits that make Kirk Kirk, and how does he approach his own Web of Belief when it encounters new information? Quine &Ullian present an obligation for iterative testing and re-formation of our systems of belief. Does Kirk display this? Always/sometimes/never? What is gained / lost for Kirk as a person? Still in development, but very much part of my interests, I’d like to have a Philosophy of the City series, where we meet to discuss what it means to be a city, and to discuss current initiatives and issues that are right here in our city, and to talk about the philosophical-ethical aspects of those issues.

Not much in the way of distance today, as the Spring Rains have come. Looking forward to some distance this weekend, though, and definitely looking forward to walking down to the Farmer’s Market every Thursday starting in May to pick up my weekly bag of vegetables, bread, fruit, and locally made pantry items (like butter and jams and things).

No walk yet today, since I had so much to do during WorkadayFriday, and this was planned, but also I'm missing the idea of walking across my bridge on one of its last remaining days, so I might go out and walk down to the coffee house in a bit if the rain holds off. I have to meet with the Tax Prep guy this afternoon to gather some additional information for my tax return this year. Everything seems like such a convoluted project, and scary to boot! But no matter, it will get done and then be in the rear view. Speaking of finalizing things, I completed my last Reading Annotations for the term, and this feels good, and then I posted a video discussion about the readings. There's one video discussion left, and one paper left, and BOOM, then we're done. I scheduled the Parrot Meeting Room (in which there are, sadly, no parrots) for mid-May to officially relaunch SOPHIA Roanoke. Our topic will be "Our Duty to the Truth," and will be the first in the Philosophy & Star Trek offerings. It's built around the lecture that Picard gives Wesley. I'm working on a flier for the event, and also have scheduled a workshop of the One Sheet with James. I'll be spending some time retooling what I have to make it more in line with what I want. I'm planning on using the iconic "engage" photo of Picard, with a big, bold Star Trek & Philosophy: Our Duty to the Truth banner at the top (suggestions are welcome and actively solicited!!) I'd like the flier to be about a helf sheet, 5.5x8 or so, large enough to be seen, but small enough to go up on a wall. If anyone wants to workshop the flier with me, give a shout. Once I get it finished, I'll send it to Kinko's to get a few dozen printed and start distributing them around town. BOOM.

I'm here to ask this too! I hope you are enjoying your day with Dave before working tomorrow and that all the fugg from the Doldrums has blown away. Nothing but blue skies ahead, Beautiful Friend. ❤️

Some pictures of the street art on the bridge https://www.heidichronicles.net/2024/04/what-good-bridge-youve-been.html