Category: Uncategorized

Pissing innsmouth off: Hunters & Gatherers, revisited

Schizophrenia in less developed nations not as much of a problem and An article by the author whose book, guns, germs, and steel, hated without having read. 😉

Since I’m about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through Collapse, by Jared Diamond (the aforementioned author); it was interesting to read the summary article up above.

Note, I’m not denying the frequency of infant mortality among hunters and gatherers, or their other medical deficits. I’m not saying that modern technology does not directly enhance quality of life. I’m asking about the costs.

We’re working longer hours than hunters and gatherers did. We’re less socially connected, and only recently (say, past 100 years?) have any but the absolute most advantaged in the world had a more varied diet, and even that is debatable, given the vast numbers of species humans have destroyed or displaced over the millenia.

And just what do you think quality of life is for the median human on the planet? Consider India, Africa, and Asia. Think about the folks ekeing out a living on pennies per day so that we can have cheap clothes. If I had a choice between being a median hunter-gatherer (who made it to 20) and a median human alive today (in terms of quality of life), I’d probably go with the h-g. This is not a choice I have.

Despite this, I am an optimist. While I don’t believe we’re currently in a situation where the average or median individual is better off, I do believe it is possible for us to produce such a situation, but we can’t trust in universal forces, like “the invisible hand of the market” to take us there. It requires great effort and care to improve QoL on an aggregate basis. I only hope we consciously adopt that goal at some point, and hopefully some point soon.

Regardless, I find Diamond’s closing point with the article very interesting:Hunter-gatherers practiced the most successful and logest-lasting life style in human history. In contrast, we’re still struggling with the mess into which agriculture has tumbled us, and it’s unclear whether we can solve it. Suppose that an archaeologist who had visited from outer space were trying to explain human history to his fellow spacelings. He might illustrate the results of his digs by a 24-hour clock on which one hour represents 100,000 years of real past time. If the history of the human race began at midnight, then we would now be almost at the end of our first day. We lived as hunter-gatherers for nearly the whole of that day, from midnight through dawn, noon, and sunset. Finally, at 11:54 p. m. we adopted agriculture. As our second midnight approaches, will the plight of famine-stricken peasants gradually spread to engulf us all? Or will we somehow achieve those seductive blessings that we imagine behind agriculture’s glittering façade, and that have so far eluded us?

Political thoughts

So, Rove is viciously misrepresenting democrats, and the democratic response is again, what? Oh, right, calling on him to take it back.

Bullies are hard to deal with. They make us mad. There are a few ways to take this anger.

Get steamed at the bully and demand that they take it back. This generally gets one nowhere by itself. Picture the nerdy kid trying to ask the bully if he could talk to him in private or saying, “would you pretty please stop beating me up?” That’s the course the democratic party is by and large taking.

Then there’s “the high road”, or passivity. Rein in the anger, and do nothing. It’s a course I’m well familiar with, and one I don’t generally recommend. It changes nothing. Unless you’re relying on independent witnesses to stop it (schoolyard monitors/an independent media/a skeptical or compassionate population), that won’t change anything either. And even if there is a protective agent, when the cat’s away the mice will play.

In the democratic case, calling for Rove to apologize is like the nerdy kid asking the school bully to apologize without any authority likely to intervene. I’d say, instead of pretending he’s playing a fair game, denouncing him is about the only shot the democrats have for any short term progress. Not calling for an apology, but saying he’s full of shit. That he makes shit up, has nothing backing up his words. Take a position of power. Define him. Call him a bully. Call him a liar. Use strong language (I’m not talking profanity, but ‘asking’ and ‘apology’ are not strong words). Delegitimize him in the public view. Otherwise the dems will keep on losing.

Ties in pretty nicely with the article posted about democrats and dean a few days back. Dean seems to be the most influential person in the party playing this role, and most of the current holders of power are more fearful or rocking the boat than seeing what might result, so they’re directing all their criticism at Dean. Brilliant. *sigh*

Lonely in DC

Well, I haven’t made arrangements to see my sister & spouse, , or anyone else I know or even e-know in the district. No wonder I’m bored. I’ll be in town tonight, too. Any natives interested in livening up my evening, drop me a comment. I’ll also be in town in two weeks, either tuesday and wednesday or monday through wednesday. For those of you for whom this is unclear, I’m requesting pants-on entertainment. =)

Pride summary

Saturday: Gymnastics, Howl’s Moving Castle (good for disney, somewhat disappointing for Miyazaki) with , Mexican also with Robbie, CGMC concert with where I spotted , Seth, and Wayne. (well, Seth spotted me). The concert was somewhere between okay and good. The summer practice period is pretty short, and they usually team up with another concert for it. This year, they did not, and it showed. While the staging, costumes, and coreography were impressive, the music was less so.

Afterwards, and I walked to the pick me up. Much food was had. informed me of a great deal of the inner workings of lj’ers of which I’d previously been unaware. Fascinating.

Home & bed.

Next day, big-ass, nasty tasting, tequila rich margarita in a plastic cup and bad chili with straight coworker to start the pride parade. Watching the parade with the straight coworkers from the neighborhood. Counting the protesters. (there were 7 of them). The marching band played “jesus loves me” for them. Then off to ‘s party. Wildness ensued, though I took little part in it. I had a drink or two. I remember a beer and a fruity malt beverage while surrounded by bears. I met (and may I say, christian, nice catch) and the cute, sweet, self-proclaimed slumlord, from austin. Dinner at mamacita’s where someone who doesn’t speak english so good apparently had a problem understanding both “no cheese” and “sin queso”. *sigh*. Hugs & home.

Sleep.

Up at 3:30am on a monday packing for a trip to DC. Drug Information Association annual meeting. Another waitperson with english troubles, who also understood neither “sin queso” nor “no cheese”. I miss san fran. Or maybe just El Sombrero in Berkeley.

If I do get and take a position with the gao, odds are good I will try to get a rotation through San Fran’s field office, working for the Natural Resources and the Environment team. I’d try to liver in the lower Haight. Mmmm, axum. Mmm, punky lookin’ guys.

I’m now slightly tipsy after having visited Halo (sadly asocially) and taken advantage of their second drink free happy hour special. And chatting with gay men, while in a bed & breakfast in dupont circle. I was also singing a bit of Sarah McLachlan to myself on the way back from the bar. (over and over again). I don’t think it gets much gayer without another guy being involved. *wistful sigh*

“Hey your glass is empty. It’s a hell of a long way home. Why don’t you let me take you? It’s no good to go alone.”

eminent domain

I’m not as bothered as I probably should be by the recent supreme court ruling on the subject of eminent domain. It will, of course, be used predominantly against the people who are disadvantaged, and strongly attached to their property. I sincerely doubt it will burn me especially badly, as I won’t be owning for several years, and I have a pretty mobile lifestyle as is. I think I’m less sympathetic because I don’t get the mindset. Give me 5-10 and I’ll share the outrage, most likely.

Though I still think the right thing to do is to develop and implement city plans that allow people to know what to expect when buying a home.