Adrift In Space Druid Cabin

[darkfoxx]

Hello and welcome! 

 

Teleconference on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the (virtual) fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 
 

[Jean]

I need to post this and I don't find a spot for it outside of the guilds so: "Yay for slate blue for the banner on top of the forums for these new challenges! Also, it's probably been there since forever but I've just now noticed the "video walkthrough of doing your first challenge" and yay for old avatars written down in the memory of the world forever!

 

Also, space!

 

Question: how do Teslas drive in the interstellar void?

 

While waiting for the answer, I'll take whatever tea comes recommended by the house. Thanks!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

3 hours ago, Jean said:

I need to post this and I don't find a spot for it outside of the guilds so: "Yay for slate blue for the banner on top of the forums for these new challenges! Also, it's probably been there since forever but I've just now noticed the "video walkthrough of doing your first challenge" and yay for old avatars written down in the memory of the world forever!

 

You can thank @foxinthenorth for pointing out the color contrast issues for accessibility. 

[Scaly Freak]

3 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

You can thank @foxinthenorth for pointing out the color contrast issues for accessibility. 

 

Thank you, @foxinthenorth !

[foxinthenorth]

17 minutes ago, Scalyfreak said:

Thank you, @foxinthenorth !

 

Happy people are happy about it! Thanks @Tanktimus the Encourager for making the change!

[darkfoxx]

@Jean: I feel Tesla’s probably already have a kit available for fuel conversion [emoji38]

As for tea: my latest favorites come from Twining’s Infusions line. Black cherry, mango lime, lemon ginger, chamomile honey.

[Jean]

Thanks @foxinthenorth! I'm a happy space camper!

 

 

On 3/23/2020 at 6:05 AM, darkfoxx said:

@Jean: I feel Tesla’s probably already have a kit available for fuel conversion

You mean it wouldn't be 100% electrically propelled? Blasphemy!

 

 

On 3/23/2020 at 6:05 AM, darkfoxx said:

chamomile honey

My interest is piqued. Can you tell me more? Is it honey made out of chamomile or a mix of both chamomile and honey? What's the taste of this marvel?

[darkfoxx]

@Jean: I think it's crystallized honey mixed in with the chamomile flowers in the teabag. Perfect balance of sweetness, and it ends up being kind of like a hug in a mug. 

[jcmgm]

Hello! Jumpin' in  during these strange times!

[darkfoxx]

On 3/29/2020 at 6:27 PM, jcmgm said:

Hello! Jumpin' in  during these strange times!

Hello and welcome! 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Ooh space.... 

I already find myself going stir-crazy even though I have safish walking paths... Where Spring is coming in annd out. 

 

Figured out living in Space would not be for me, but could enjoy a cup of tea here. 

Found out yesterday 90% of my tea is noncaffiene.... Which is cool, until one needs  a pick me up. 

[darkfoxx]

@Bouncer_the_Lovable that is definitely a hazard of good tea flavor trying! I’ve ended up with mostly decaf in my stash that way. 
 

just added a spicy Moroccan black tea, though, so that should balance things out nicely. 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

10 hours ago, darkfoxx said:

@Bouncer_the_Lovable that is definitely a hazard of good tea flavor trying! I’ve ended up with mostly decaf in my stash that way. 
 

just added a spicy Moroccan black tea, though, so that should balance things out nicely. 

Ooh that sounds good...

 

I think I over did the noncaffiene when trying to stay hydrated in winter months.

Will have to see which teas I find next!

 

 

[jcmgm]

How's everyone coping with?

[darkfoxx]

@jcmgm: Coping well for the most part - using this as an opportunity to focus on the things I want to focus on, and letting the rest drop away as much as possible. Have been even more ruthless than usual with my refusal to engage with most media. I'm paying attention when it's necessary to the CDC & WHO, and keeping abreast of the situation locally - but not much other consumption, unless it sneaks by on my Facebook feed - and even then with an even heftier grain of salt than usual. 

 

Trying to stick to a daily routine - will have to kick my own ass to drink enough water this week; was a failure at it last week and struggle with this when everything is operating normally (or whatever passes for my current "new normal" on any given day). 

 

Reaching out to friends and family that are far away even though I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate being the "caller" and not the "call-ee" (or in this case, the WhatsApp-er). 

[darkfoxx]

Also really liking this infographic and am shooting for the lighter rings:

[Scaly Freak]

5 hours ago, darkfoxx said:

@jcmgm: Coping well for the most part - using this as an opportunity to focus on the things I want to focus on, and letting the rest drop away as much as possible. Have been even more ruthless than usual with my refusal to engage with most media. I'm paying attention when it's necessary to the CDC & WHO, and keeping abreast of the situation locally - but not much other consumption, unless it sneaks by on my Facebook feed - and even then with an even heftier grain of salt than usual. 

 

I found that even trying to do this helps me mental state enormously. Have you made any practical changes to make this easier? (Like uninstalling news apps, etc)

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Am doing better than most. Don't have to worry about job hours, school is easier since big energy projects were cut down(outside being stuck at home with hw). 

Along with the place I live, its easier to have a filter on the news when I just need to look up my main authority figures on finding out what I should do... 

 

Had a hard time with the lonliness.

Universe lined up  from having women to chat with for texting, and at least 2 Zoom events a week to help keep up connectedness. 

I personally never seen myself as very social, but getting a big wake up call on finding those healthy relationship connections to keep one sane during tough times. 

Plus trying to stay engaged in NF always helps!

 

[Jean]

I'm one of the blessed ones: our hospitals have free beds, my job is safe and I enjoy being all alone with myself at home. Currently in darkfoxx' learning zone so there's still room for growth. If anybody feels lonely and needs a chat, I can oblige (though I'm not good at gossip, you have been warned).

 

@jcmgm How are you doing yourself?

[darkfoxx]

On 4/7/2020 at 3:27 PM, Scalyfreak said:

 

I found that even trying to do this helps me mental state enormously. Have you made any practical changes to make this easier? (Like uninstalling news apps, etc)

Nah - I've been distancing myself from "the news" since my college ethics in journalism class pointed out just how few people own what we think of as "the news" - and just how very easy it is to control that narrative. My first instinct is always an eyebrow raise.  #atleastmyjournalismdegreewasgoodforsomething

 

Having said that, I actually find myself engaging more than usual with local news - not the "the sky is falling" bs; more: concrete posts and tweets from the Ministry to see what restrictions are being put in place, and the stark contrasts between how things work in a huge and democracy with lots of disparate voices vs how things work when you have a very small power structure. It's kind of fascinating, and watching the (largely expartiate with iffy job stability) populace's reaction to it is even more interesting. 

[Renate]

On 4/9/2020 at 8:11 AM, darkfoxx said:

college ethics in journalism class

 

Hey there Stopping by for some tea. 

 

So, I have had this idea for a while:

Spoiler

 

While news channels (TV) all have various levels of subjectivity or objectivity, they are all in some form or another, propaganda. 

 

I used to say it to friends that are real into politics, knowing full well I was being provocative.

 

My premise is that every channel has a maximum of 24 hours per day, and even IF they broadcast every single thing objectively,

 

One still has to choose - by some criteria - WHAT is broadcasted. Especially those that cover national news and beyond. 

 

So each channel will have some policy, depending on the message they want to send i.e. (what is according to them) relevant news.

 

Could that be called propaganda (if you assume for arguments' sake that everything is politics)?

 

 

EDIT: Buuut I think I'll post it in the big Non-Fitness thread another time.   The more I think about it, the less it makes sense to ask this question in a nice space cabin filled with tea aroma

[Jean]

Space cabins are like forest cabins in that you spend a lot of time philosophizing around the fire. I'd say it's a perfect place for that.

 

Also:

 

Written news media have these things called "editorials", which are specifically designed to be a place where they show some bias and express their own opinion about things. I'd say each news media has its own editorial line, which can be called a bias, or an agenda, or propaganda. It's fully part of the job, even though some may have a hard time to admit it and some make it their agenda to find the most unbiased way possible to provide news (one of these methods being to show all sides of an argument, another being to try and make it as neutral as possible).

 

 

The way I see it, the world is biased and news media are biased. It's the job of the viewers/listeners/readers to see through those bias and form an educated opinion by consulting different sources of news and putting their own experience to use. The role of society is to expose these readers to sufficiently different views that they can understand that things are inherently biased, learn to see through it and forge their own opinion. It's one of the fundamental things school is meant to teach us, way more than languages and mathematics. If you can do this (surf through ideas and make your own out of it), you can life.

 

[darkfoxx]

I could go on an on about media bias; suffice it to say: yes, it’s absolutely there on an institutional level. It’s widespread and taught in school. What you’re also taught - and it’s up to the individual reporter and/or their editor desk - is that you can only strive for objectivity. Yes, you’re supposed to have it, and yes, most players without obvious political lean try hard and some even mostly succeed - but it’s there, and it’s a fight. 
 

You’re also supposed to practice compassion and not sink too far into the ‘if it bleeds it leads’ mentality, but that shit has flown out the window post 9/11 with the rise of barely news and unqualified sources. And Buzzfeed. Goddamn harbingers of clickbait.

Example here: those images of mass (uptick in number of pauper) graves on Hart Island in NYC would absolutely never have been shown even 5 years ago. There were standards, that’s disrespectful, and it just wasn’t done. Now, that story was shit on factual levels as well - but it’s a gauge of how the media industry is doing. Not well. The 24 hour new cycle has really killed actual good and factual journalism. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once - with newsrooms as understaffed for that amount of news needed to fill the time, it’s no wonder things are the way they are. Even at a local level - with increased news time slots, there’s only so many hours in a day to get the news to present. 
 

And @Jean you’re right: it is all of our duties to suss out the truth in what we consume - which is how it’s always been, there’s just so damn much of it coming at us these days, it’s exhausting. 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

15 hours ago, darkfoxx said:

The 24 hour new cycle has really killed actual good and factual journalism. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once - with newsrooms as understaffed for that amount of news needed to fill the time, it’s no wonder things are the way they are. Even at a local level - with increased news time slots, there’s only so many hours in a day to get the news to present. 

Furthermore, there is never 24 hours worth of news. Even on 9/11 they kept repeating themselves over and over. 

[darkfoxx]

On 4/18/2020 at 11:49 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Furthermore, there is never 24 hours worth of news. Even on 9/11 they kept repeating themselves over and over. 

That, too. There is no way the number of staff the cash flow a news agency can employ can possibly research and cover 24/7 of news. They rely heavily on packets (stories) distributed throughout sister networks, stories from Reuters and the Associated Press (which they always have), and audience submits (which has always been useful to figure out what "news" was out there; but is now that on steroids with sound and video to boot).

 

It would be great to see smaller stories get covered on the local level (or even larger stories that don't fit the day's narrative theme get covered nationally), but that's just not what sells. News is a numbers game. 

 

Aaaaaaaaaand now I'm jazzed for my yoga class 😂