Best Of
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
@Lionduck said:
Researchers have discovered that at least one species of whale has a complex learned language similar in character to Chinese. That is to say, tonal. The otherwhale species may also have their own complex language. However, only one has enough data to confirm so.
The early attempts to monitor whales using networks of acoustical receivers and a database fed into an AI related to what they use for the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence radio monitoring program is very promising.
Jeroen
Re: All things Penguin
Podcast/rantcast 5 minutes about my latest efforts to create a server to host Mastodon using EasyOS Linux
https://defcon.social/@lobster/116690832066665256
It is taking me time and effort. Good thing I can still work towards something worthwhile...
lobster
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
After fielding some questions on another forum why I remain so interested in the whole question of which films enduringly changed some aspect of my self, I think it is because the question invites you to explore yourself and your growing up through the lens of cinema. It is self knowledge, and having an understanding of which films triggered in you the concerns of depth.
For example, earlier I spoke a little about the film The Exorcist. It caused a big furore on its release, people queueing at the cinema, not being able to take it and leaving halfway through, and then being interviewed by the press once outside. For me, seeing the most scary scenes at age 11 was shocking. It gave me a lasting dislike of horror. And it’s only now that I can say, horror is the exploration of fear and shock, and to take into your own mind other people’s dreams of fear and shock is psychologically unhealthy.
Take as a contrast Buddhist films. They are filled with respect for elders, meditation, ideas of wisdom, the circular patterns of life. As an example take Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring (available on YouTube here). It’s a beautiful movie which doesn’t rely on violence to get its point across. But these kinds of films are much closer to real life than a horror film, although it takes a certain maturity to realise it. I think horror films are what you get when an immature mind explores fear and shock, and it’s only as you get older that you can start to discern what is real and what is illusion in life.
Perhaps that is why I love Hayao Miyazaki’s films so much. His movies are animated masterpieces talking about spirits, bathhouses, dragons, gods and moving castles on giant legs, so fantasies, but on an emotional level they are pure gold, each one is the expression of multiple life’s lessons about friendship, openness, courage, connection — real emotional truth. Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle and Ponyo are among my favourites of his.
Jeroen
Re: Buddhist Economics
I miss cycling. Pity bicycles are so overpriced here (Canary Islands is not very friendly if you want second hand items). Nevertheless, from home to work is a nice 40minute walk 
Kotishka
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
It’s the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth today, I just noticed.
Jeroen
Re: Buddhist Economics
Well, here are a few things I do to support the planet…
- I don’t own a car (public transport is pretty good here)
- I don’t have kids (too many people on the planet already)
- I don’t eat meat (but I do eat fish and eggs and cheese)
- I try to buy durable things (Apple computers, a new bed built to last 30 years, no cheap clothing)
- I buy only what I need (my iPhone lasts six years for instance)
- I try to buy organic vegetables and fruit
- I stay away from mainstream social media (Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram)
- I drink very little alcohol (the occasional Trappist beer)
- I separate my garbage (plastic, cardboard, compostable and remainder)
- I recycle my drinks containers (glass, plastic, cans)
- I give stuff I don’t need to the recycling shops (circular economy)
- I donate to Wikipedia regularly
And Kotishka, iPads stay good to use quite a long time, I’m still using an iPad from 2019 regularly, and it still gets another year of regular security updates. I’ve found even without security updates Apple devices have very few problems beyond the usual end-of-life.
Jeroen
Buddhist Economics
I believe that, while no one necessarily needs to follow the socially engaged Buddhist path, not supporting certain companies or trends is a good way to deepen one’s practice, or what I associate with being Buddhist.
Unfortunately, this comes with many inconveniences. For example, refusing to support Meta means not being able to engage on Instagram, a place where you can sometimes thrive and develop your business or online image. As a mental health professional, I have always found social media controversial, but I have inevitably come to find it increasingly disruptive. It is like giving a 15-year-old a 1000cc bike to start with rather than following the usual progression of 50cc, 100cc, and so on.
Regarding other sectors, @Shoshin1 once shared a video about chocolate that made me change my purchasing habits in favour of a much more ecological and tastier option. The same should apply to products that support tyrannical regimes or destructive companies. But to what extent can one maintain this without switching off completely? I mean, what alternative does my iPad have? So far, my Buddhist economic approach has been to ensure that I use it appropriately and take good care of it so that it lasts for as long as possible.
I was reading a book called Small Is Beautiful, and it discussed how what is good for the developed world is not necessarily good for the developing world. The argument was that developing countries should not aim for exactly the same technology and comforts as us, but rather for the level of “intermediate technology” that is actually necessary. I understand the point because, if everyone aimed to own an iPad, I do not know whether that would be sustainable. Or perhaps what is truly unsustainable is not the existence of iPads themselves, but our constant drive to produce new models every year rather than focusing on durable and functional ones.
The technological revolution has brought tremendous advances, but also a great deal of noise and waste. It has also made me reflect on some of the decisions I have made in order to survive a weakening euro and the constant struggle to support myself as housing has become increasingly inaccessible, even in small towns here in Spain.
What are your Buddhist economics?
Kotishka
