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1
Flora Food & Medicine / Dandelions
« on: May 17, 2009, 08:34:41 PM »
Saw this viddy for a dandelion/vinegar infusion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nau4j3v879s&feature=channel_page
(Basically, you fill a jar with the yellow blossoms and cover them with vinegar, ready in a few weeks.)
(Basically, you fill a jar with the yellow blossoms and cover them with vinegar, ready in a few weeks.)
2
Shelter / Rewilding Architecture
« on: April 17, 2009, 01:06:47 AM »
How about habitat restoration as a form of landscape architecture? For example, my alma mater built some new residences a few years ago, and instead of leveling the earth and planting a lawn around them, they kept the slope of the terrain intact and re-introduced prairie grasses native to MN.
3
Grief & Praise / Oh, the things people say...
« on: February 26, 2009, 04:47:35 AM »
Grrrrr. Hiss. Boo.
I was at a restaurant with my partner and his father. It was my big chance to make a good first impression on his dad.
Well at one point he started waxing "poetic" and said something about how we can all do something about problems in the world if we just set aside our differences, put our heads together, and "act like civilized people."
I think my ears started bleeding.
I almost jumped at him but then I remembered that he was my beloved's parental figure.
Even then, it was hard to contain myself. I felt like this:
+ :'( + 
. It was not 
.
I was at a restaurant with my partner and his father. It was my big chance to make a good first impression on his dad.
Well at one point he started waxing "poetic" and said something about how we can all do something about problems in the world if we just set aside our differences, put our heads together, and "act like civilized people."
I think my ears started bleeding.
I almost jumped at him but then I remembered that he was my beloved's parental figure.
Even then, it was hard to contain myself. I felt like this:
+ :'( + . It was not .
4
Rewilding Mind & Heart / Quotations
« on: January 20, 2009, 01:50:46 AM »
Here ye may post quotations for contemplation...
5
Rewilding Mind & Heart / Separating Civ from Self
« on: December 10, 2008, 12:02:31 AM »
When I first started to understand that civilization itself was the root of so many inextricable problems, pain, and destruction, I wanted to throw it out of my life altogether.
But I have learned that it is of no use to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Before I became so critical and mistrustful of civ when I was about 19 or 20, I really loved my life and what I was doing with it. I was really into math, and loved it for its own sake. And I wanted to work "within the system" to change the world in ways that I felt would help stop the pain and destruction; I wanted to go into urban planning. I was easily inspired, made quirky jokes constantly, and felt close to myself; I knew myself well (for the most part).
And... I was thoroughly a part of civ. I would go so far as to say that my life was "set up" (through the kind of family I was raised in) to have a major role in the functioning of civ. My brainpower was being harvested by educational institutions (and later, presumably, would be used in urban design work). I was going to have a "very bright future," I was going to make a contribution... to civilization! And, as a high school/college kid, I accepted that, gladly. Don't get me wrong, I was deeply concerned about the environment, and I was in love (still am) with the land, lakes and forests of my youth, and the thought of something like the North American genocide inspired sadness and anger. BUT I didn't see how anything about the way I intended to live my life had anything to do with those feelings about wild, beautiful things.
When I first got that unshakable impulse to fly in the face of civ, I lost my entire identity. The baby had been dumped with the bathwater... and I couldn't turn to ANYONE for support. It was hard, but I persevered.
And the thing is, sometimes, that old me comes back, and it makes me so emotionally confused. I have a new boyfriend who's in school part time. Recently he took a lot of college math. We had a brief discussion the other day about multi-variable calculus and non-Cartesian coordinate systems, and I realized how much I miss my old mind, how beautiful and poetic math was to me. Math is this whole world that stems from years and years, layers, of CIVILIZED intellectual/philosophical discourse, and it's not useful in rewilding--more than likely, it gets in the way--and I just don't know what to do about that, not to mention so many other things that stake a claim on my life. Whether I want them to influence me or not, they do. And then when I realize that, I get more than a little anxious about it. On one hand, I feel as though those things tether me to civ like sinister black tentacles. On the other hand, they are part of who I am and accepting/submitting to that seems like a healthy thing to do.
I'm so confused. What am I missing here? I need some kind of clue, or perspective. Surely I can rewild without demolishing myself in the process!
Does anyone else ever feel this way?
But I have learned that it is of no use to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Before I became so critical and mistrustful of civ when I was about 19 or 20, I really loved my life and what I was doing with it. I was really into math, and loved it for its own sake. And I wanted to work "within the system" to change the world in ways that I felt would help stop the pain and destruction; I wanted to go into urban planning. I was easily inspired, made quirky jokes constantly, and felt close to myself; I knew myself well (for the most part).
And... I was thoroughly a part of civ. I would go so far as to say that my life was "set up" (through the kind of family I was raised in) to have a major role in the functioning of civ. My brainpower was being harvested by educational institutions (and later, presumably, would be used in urban design work). I was going to have a "very bright future," I was going to make a contribution... to civilization! And, as a high school/college kid, I accepted that, gladly. Don't get me wrong, I was deeply concerned about the environment, and I was in love (still am) with the land, lakes and forests of my youth, and the thought of something like the North American genocide inspired sadness and anger. BUT I didn't see how anything about the way I intended to live my life had anything to do with those feelings about wild, beautiful things.
When I first got that unshakable impulse to fly in the face of civ, I lost my entire identity. The baby had been dumped with the bathwater... and I couldn't turn to ANYONE for support. It was hard, but I persevered.
And the thing is, sometimes, that old me comes back, and it makes me so emotionally confused. I have a new boyfriend who's in school part time. Recently he took a lot of college math. We had a brief discussion the other day about multi-variable calculus and non-Cartesian coordinate systems, and I realized how much I miss my old mind, how beautiful and poetic math was to me. Math is this whole world that stems from years and years, layers, of CIVILIZED intellectual/philosophical discourse, and it's not useful in rewilding--more than likely, it gets in the way--and I just don't know what to do about that, not to mention so many other things that stake a claim on my life. Whether I want them to influence me or not, they do. And then when I realize that, I get more than a little anxious about it. On one hand, I feel as though those things tether me to civ like sinister black tentacles. On the other hand, they are part of who I am and accepting/submitting to that seems like a healthy thing to do.
I'm so confused. What am I missing here? I need some kind of clue, or perspective. Surely I can rewild without demolishing myself in the process!
Does anyone else ever feel this way?
6
Common Misconceptions / Misconception: Rewilders are Racist
« on: December 09, 2008, 11:25:50 PM »
Man, I get this all the time from other anarchists/anti-authoritarians.
It's like, "Anti-civ? Sure, that's fine. Hating the society you're enmeshed in is fine. But actually trying to get out of it by learning from people who live(d) differently? You're f*ing racist, you must be appropriating from non-whites because you want to look cool." When the truth is, I am usually quite hesitant to learn about indigenous traditions. But people make that assumption anyway.
Also, when I say things like, "Tribal societies have so many self-sustaining qualities and attend to human needs more efficiently," people look at me like I'm a) idealizing and b) talking outside of my jurisdiction as a white person. But I don't believe indigenous tribes live in some kind of utopia, for pete's sake. And when I talk about tribal society's merits, I talk about it in a social-organization sense, as a political theory, not in an indiscriminate, starry-eyed, appropriative way. In Quinn's "Beyond Civilization," he describes how traveling circuses were tribally organized, and that model is as much in my mind as any other tribal model when I analyze/comment on social organization.
But it's a lot to explain to people; it's very frustrating!
Anyone else have similar experiences?
It's like, "Anti-civ? Sure, that's fine. Hating the society you're enmeshed in is fine. But actually trying to get out of it by learning from people who live(d) differently? You're f*ing racist, you must be appropriating from non-whites because you want to look cool." When the truth is, I am usually quite hesitant to learn about indigenous traditions. But people make that assumption anyway.
Also, when I say things like, "Tribal societies have so many self-sustaining qualities and attend to human needs more efficiently," people look at me like I'm a) idealizing and b) talking outside of my jurisdiction as a white person. But I don't believe indigenous tribes live in some kind of utopia, for pete's sake. And when I talk about tribal society's merits, I talk about it in a social-organization sense, as a political theory, not in an indiscriminate, starry-eyed, appropriative way. In Quinn's "Beyond Civilization," he describes how traveling circuses were tribally organized, and that model is as much in my mind as any other tribal model when I analyze/comment on social organization.
But it's a lot to explain to people; it's very frustrating!
Anyone else have similar experiences?
7
Media Reviews & Recommendations / Evaluation of Endgame from a Christian anarchist perspective
« on: September 20, 2008, 06:14:07 AM »
http://anarchism.jesusradicals.com/primitivism/endgamereview.pdf
This is cool, way way cool, both in general, and for me personally. This, if anything, is the lynchpin that will get my (intelligent, but deluded) parents out of denial.
This is cool, way way cool, both in general, and for me personally. This, if anything, is the lynchpin that will get my (intelligent, but deluded) parents out of denial.
8
Media Reviews & Recommendations / Brave New World (the book)
« on: September 05, 2008, 02:48:17 PM »
I read this book once, "for pleasure," in college. By the time I got to the end, I was devastated. I stayed under the covers for a whole afternoon and wouldn't come out. It had a very large impact on me. I read it around the time I first started showing symptoms of depression, and needless to say, it didn't help matters. I am literally afraid to read it again, for my own health.
A lot of people might react to a book that makes them feel that way by saying they hated it, and then promptly forget about it. But it continues to have a kind of power over me. I don't feel this is a good or a bad thing, I think there are pros and cons to being awake to certain pathological social dynamics.
I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences of reading it.
A lot of people might react to a book that makes them feel that way by saying they hated it, and then promptly forget about it. But it continues to have a kind of power over me. I don't feel this is a good or a bad thing, I think there are pros and cons to being awake to certain pathological social dynamics.
I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences of reading it.
9
Grief & Praise / R. Buckminster Fuller
« on: August 26, 2008, 01:40:01 PM »
I like Bucky Fuller. Or at least, I think I would have liked him if I had ever met him. The guy never quite got around to looking at agriculture or technology in a critical light, but he certainly contributed some ideas to the world that were eye-opening at the time (he was one of the first people to start asking questions about our society's relationship to the Earth).
So with that in mind, I'd like to share this quote from one of his speeches, which is one of my very favorite quotes of all time (and I have a lot of favorites! I am a quotation connoisseur.
So with that in mind, I'd like to share this quote from one of his speeches, which is one of my very favorite quotes of all time (and I have a lot of favorites! I am a quotation connoisseur.
Quote
"When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty.
I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have
finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
10
Rewild Camps, Events & Meet-ups / Online Radio Show
« on: June 15, 2008, 10:05:09 AM »
On Sunday, June 29 at 1 pm PST, Hollow Earth Radio in Seattle will host an hour-long show about rewilding! There will be a guest panel, and listeners can e-mail or IM their questions to the panel. I'm also hoping to put together an in-depth discussion about one topic related to rewilding -- a primitive skill, invisible/social technologies, transition tech, E-prime, etc.
I'm looking for people to help me with any of the following:
1) Would you like to be in a 20-30 minute panel discussion with the show's hosts (Garrett and Amber), as well as fielding listeners' questions? The max number on the panel (a conference call, so you don't have to travel to Seattle or anything) is 5 rewilders. If you are interested, PM me. I'll need your phone number so that we can make the conference call. We also will want to introduce the panel guests, so if you could include a brief bio (like where you live, how you rewild, etc) it would be great. You can be as vague or specific as you'd like. Just a few sentences for Amber or Garrett to introduce and welcome you.
2) Is there anything you have written (on rewild.info, your blog, or elsewhere) that you would like me to share on the radio? Or do you suggest someone else's words for me to read? We're looking for lots of perspectives. I have a few excerpts from published writers that I'd like to read, but I think it would be even better if people submitted ideas to me.
3) Would anyone like to do a short (10-minute) verbal "how-to" presentation? (Examples: how to make/use a bowdrill, how to tan a hide, how to make a solar oven, build a shelter, etc.) Let me know. The two hosts and myself will probably ask questions along the way, so it won't be a total monologue.
4) We may do a couple of "song breaks." Please suggest some music!
5) Do you have any suggestions for additional features on the show?
Please discuss it here, or PM me if necessary.
Here's the info on the show in a more condensed format:
Online radio show @ Hollow Earth Radio (http://www.hollowearthradio.com)
To listen, go to http://loudcity.com/stations/hollow-earth-radio/files/show/listen.html
June 29 (Sunday)
1:00-2:00 PM PST
To send an e-mail to the panel: hollowearthradiodj@gmail.com
To send an IM to the panel: hollowearthradio on AOL instant messenger
Their technology does not allow phone calls to be patched in to a conference call (i.e. the panel). HOWEVER, you can call in when the panel is NOT in session. The phone number is 206-905-1250.
I'm looking for people to help me with any of the following:
1) Would you like to be in a 20-30 minute panel discussion with the show's hosts (Garrett and Amber), as well as fielding listeners' questions? The max number on the panel (a conference call, so you don't have to travel to Seattle or anything) is 5 rewilders. If you are interested, PM me. I'll need your phone number so that we can make the conference call. We also will want to introduce the panel guests, so if you could include a brief bio (like where you live, how you rewild, etc) it would be great. You can be as vague or specific as you'd like. Just a few sentences for Amber or Garrett to introduce and welcome you.
2) Is there anything you have written (on rewild.info, your blog, or elsewhere) that you would like me to share on the radio? Or do you suggest someone else's words for me to read? We're looking for lots of perspectives. I have a few excerpts from published writers that I'd like to read, but I think it would be even better if people submitted ideas to me.
3) Would anyone like to do a short (10-minute) verbal "how-to" presentation? (Examples: how to make/use a bowdrill, how to tan a hide, how to make a solar oven, build a shelter, etc.) Let me know. The two hosts and myself will probably ask questions along the way, so it won't be a total monologue.
4) We may do a couple of "song breaks." Please suggest some music!
5) Do you have any suggestions for additional features on the show?
Please discuss it here, or PM me if necessary.
Here's the info on the show in a more condensed format:
Online radio show @ Hollow Earth Radio (http://www.hollowearthradio.com)
To listen, go to http://loudcity.com/stations/hollow-earth-radio/files/show/listen.html
June 29 (Sunday)
1:00-2:00 PM PST
To send an e-mail to the panel: hollowearthradiodj@gmail.com
To send an IM to the panel: hollowearthradio on AOL instant messenger
Their technology does not allow phone calls to be patched in to a conference call (i.e. the panel). HOWEVER, you can call in when the panel is NOT in session. The phone number is 206-905-1250.
12
Common Misconceptions / MOVED: pullingforwildflowers.org
« on: June 12, 2008, 02:56:44 PM »
A little mod housekeeping here... I'm moving this topic out of "Common Misconceptions" to "Communities of Rewilding." If you question the new location, please direct those questions to me.
This topic has been moved to Communities of Rewilding.
http://www.rewild.info/conversations/index.php?topic=938.0
This topic has been moved to Communities of Rewilding.
http://www.rewild.info/conversations/index.php?topic=938.0
13
Rewilding Mind & Heart / "Normal"??
« on: June 10, 2008, 02:57:00 PM »
So I've said it before: I have a psycho-therapist. And by and large, she buys into civilization.
She has helped me with a few things (drawing my attention to co-dependent behavior, for example), but when it comes to rewilding I've learned I can't rely on her.
I don't plan on keeping her much longer. I think she's done all she can for me.
At one point she said something to me which seemed pretty acceptible, but now I'm starting to question it. It's an idea that I'd like to bring to the table here.
I was telling her about contradiction and paradox. How I've learned to live a life that is the opposite of my intention.
Her response: "That's normal." (Said not dismissively or off-handedly, but emphatically and supportively.)
Normal? Really? Do native people go through life doubting their intentions, then their actions, then back to their intentions again, in a demonic two-step frenzy? I really have to wonder.
(After writing this, I'm pretty damn sure I now know where I stand on the issue.... but chime in anyway if you want!)
Cheers. You guys are great.
She has helped me with a few things (drawing my attention to co-dependent behavior, for example), but when it comes to rewilding I've learned I can't rely on her.
I don't plan on keeping her much longer. I think she's done all she can for me.
At one point she said something to me which seemed pretty acceptible, but now I'm starting to question it. It's an idea that I'd like to bring to the table here.
I was telling her about contradiction and paradox. How I've learned to live a life that is the opposite of my intention.
Her response: "That's normal." (Said not dismissively or off-handedly, but emphatically and supportively.)
Normal? Really? Do native people go through life doubting their intentions, then their actions, then back to their intentions again, in a demonic two-step frenzy? I really have to wonder.
(After writing this, I'm pretty damn sure I now know where I stand on the issue.... but chime in anyway if you want!)
Cheers. You guys are great.
14
Social Technology / MOVED: music
« on: May 26, 2008, 11:56:57 AM »
OK, Chase! It has a new home now.
15
Rewilding Mind & Heart / Working towards goals
« on: May 16, 2008, 10:51:12 PM »
I found this image today while reading one of my new favorite blogs, Modern Forager (about paleo- and paleo-ish diets):
...And it got me thinking about how people can rewild their conception of setting and achieving goals. What does it mean to set and achieve a goal? What would the process look like?
I thought the idea of a target and bulls-eye was a really interesting way of thinking about goals, and something that I want to try.
I don't know about you guys, but in civ I didn't learn to think about goals this way. My mental picture of a goal has looked something more like this:
I went and brainstormed a chart that makes distinctions between these two ways of thinking about goals:
Staircase / Bulls-eye
linear / center of circle
bipolar (up and down) / multidirectional
hierarchy / anarchy
result oriented / process oriented
("where do I rank?") ("how do I get there from here?")
position along an axis/line / position in an environment
quantitative measurement / qualitative measurement
-->(# of stairs from top) -->(relationship to center)
places goal above person / places person around/next to goal
exertion, force / focus, intent
must come at goal along / can come at goal from any direction
predetermined trajectory or set of conditions
-->object outside of self -->inclusive of self, inter-subjective
"raising" activity / "centering" activity
(escalating) (grounding)
-->stakes increase -->self-knowledge increases
as you get closer as you get closer
-->puts a distance / puts a direction (subject to
between you & what your own condition) between you
you want & what you want
examining your status / examining your condition
"I want to lift 200 lb" / "I want to optimize my health while building strength"
...And it got me thinking about how people can rewild their conception of setting and achieving goals. What does it mean to set and achieve a goal? What would the process look like?
I thought the idea of a target and bulls-eye was a really interesting way of thinking about goals, and something that I want to try.
I don't know about you guys, but in civ I didn't learn to think about goals this way. My mental picture of a goal has looked something more like this:
I went and brainstormed a chart that makes distinctions between these two ways of thinking about goals:
Staircase / Bulls-eye
linear / center of circle
bipolar (up and down) / multidirectional
hierarchy / anarchy
result oriented / process oriented
("where do I rank?") ("how do I get there from here?")
position along an axis/line / position in an environment
quantitative measurement / qualitative measurement
-->(# of stairs from top) -->(relationship to center)
places goal above person / places person around/next to goal
exertion, force / focus, intent
must come at goal along / can come at goal from any direction
predetermined trajectory or set of conditions
-->object outside of self -->inclusive of self, inter-subjective
"raising" activity / "centering" activity
(escalating) (grounding)
-->stakes increase -->self-knowledge increases
as you get closer as you get closer
-->puts a distance / puts a direction (subject to
between you & what your own condition) between you
you want & what you want
examining your status / examining your condition
"I want to lift 200 lb" / "I want to optimize my health while building strength"
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