Longer Step: Ideas for Justice and Sustainability

Watching " Outer Range" triggered these thoughts: Some of us watch a show as spectators...we watch and are entertained. But others watch and participate -- we are drawn in and play 'what if' we were a part of that world. It's not a psychosis...it's not delusional. But it is a deeper level of imagination and interaction. It is like we (imagine that we) project ourselves into the story, and see what we can feel, what we can learn, from that perspective. I think this is an important way to perceive any story. The Greeks perfected comedy and tragedy, in order to allow spectators to project themselves into a portrayal of the story, in order to feel as if the story was happening, or could happen, to them. It allows an emotional catharsis, a cleansing or reboot of the soul. Storytelling, whether it is Greek plays or fiction books or movies, is virtual reality. It is a way to expand your mind by imagining yourself in a different sort of life. Maybe the Metaverse wil

April 12, 2002 :  This is a great time to support worthy causes. The economy is running hot, with low unemployment, and thus many of us have the means to help, yet there are so many needs. We've recently volunteered at the Vancouver Food Bank, and also donated to Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, which is feeding refugees from Ukraine.    Until we can figure out a better way for our governments to care for everyone and everything, using tax dollars, we all need to do what we can to help private efforts meet that need. Our friends are each, in their own way, helping others. Whether in dollars or in service, it's a great gift! Service (providing time, skill, or knowledge) is amazing: We have teachers who present their knowledge to us, so that we don't have to invent calculus, or discover sentence structure, or learn how to think, by ourselves. You might shovel snow from your elderly neighbor's sidewalk. We have doctors and nurses who can help us learn to care f