ActivityPub Viewer

A small tool to view real-world ActivityPub objects as JSON! Enter a URL or username from Mastodon or a similar service below, and we'll send a request with the right Accept header to the server to view the underlying object.

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{ "@context": "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams", "type": "OrderedCollectionPage", "orderedItems": [ { "type": "Create", "actor": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "object": { "type": "Note", "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1162944849540456448", "attributedTo": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "content": "Father Time, part 2<br /><br /><br />Our modern conception of time tends to be rather basic. We focus primarily on the hours and minutes, with some consideration to the week, month and year. This is effectively a 1-dimensional view, and perhaps this is why it is not uncommon to hear people complain about \"time flying by\" or \"losing track of time.\" You'd think, with our ability to track it precisely and access to that information virtually everywhere that we'd be better at managing it; it reveals that there is more going on than we realize.<br /><br />I personally prefer time as conceived of by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks had 3 gods related to time: Aion, Chronos, and Kairos (from whom I get my moniker). They occupied different positions within the pantheon, and were not directly related to one another. They were each seen separate from the others, ruling over different aspects of time itself.<br /><br />Aion is the representation of cyclical time. It is from him we get the words aeon and eon. He represents time in it's infinite, endless form; he was usually pictured with a large ring or ouroboros. He is the personification of the endless march of time, destined to devour everything. Aion is the most difficult, nigh impossible, aspect of time for we humans to conceptualize. We struggle enough with the mere decades of our own existence, let alone epochs and eons. This is reflected currently in the debate about climate change. It is exceptionally difficult for us to make measurements and judgements about changes taking place in this time scale. Evolution is another great example of this property of time, of how gradual minuscule changes become exceptional and dynamic over time. While Aion does not meaningfully impact us directly in our lives, we consider him when we think of posterity, and the legacy we shall be leaving for our children, and their children's children. It is best not to dwell in the realm of the endless for too long, but we should not ignore it outright either.<br /><br />Chronos is the god of time as it is quantified, and is the god that concerns us the most, as I elaborated on in the beginning. There is some debate about this, but I personally believe that the gods Chronos and Cronus are one and the same. Cronus, a.k.a. Kronos, was the father of Zeus and the other Olympians. As his children were born, he would have his wife Rhea bring them to him so he could devour them and prevent his foretold usurpation at the hands of his children (just as he had usurped Uranus). It is an apt metaphor for how time devours that which we create, not just ourselves. He is, of course, usurped by Zeus after Rhea hides him away from his father and allows him to grow up, setting the stage for the rest of the Greek myths and legends.<br /><br />I will still refer to him as Chronos for the sake of simplicity. It is from him that we get the word chronometer, the technical name for a watch. Chronos is the god of how we measure time: the minutes, years, and days of the week. In antiquity and for much of our history, we regarded him with less importance than we do now. We did not possess accurate chronometers, nor was it much of a concern to know the exact time of day. Our daily activities were regulated more by available sunlight and weather, and especially the seasons. In this way we worked more closely with Aion, the cyclical patterns, than with Chronos. However as we advanced technologically, and particularly with the Industrial Revolution onward, the importance of Chronos gained increasing significance. Nowadays, he is incorporated into virtually everything we do. From the little time display on the bottom right of my laptop screen, to the display on the cell phone in my pocket, he is in our face constantly. When you browse Youtube or Netflix, you are keenly aware of video length and make calculations about the \"time\" you have. Whether a video is 10 minutes long or 15 can make the difference between whether you decide to allot the time required to watch it. <br /><br />It is not uncommon for us to wake up to an alarm: an exact time we choose for whatever reason. The ancients would have presumably found this baffling, as should we. There is much to be said about the effect this artificial wakening as upon us, as opposed to letting ourselves wake up naturally. It is as much a sign of the peculiarity of our modern lives as anything else. <br /><br />We make time calculations from the moment we wake up: I woke up late, how much time do I have to shower and get ready? Do I just grab a bagel and go or do I fix myself some eggs real quick? Do I pick something up on the way to work instead? Do I have time on my lunch break to go outside and get some fresh air? It literally never ends, for some people. You spend much of your day juggling time commitments and restraints. For many of us, we are trying to juggle as many balls as we can while figuring out if we can squeeze another one or two in there. As someone with professional juggling experience, I can confirm this is a recipe for dropping balls.<br /><br />Again, in times past this was not as intense. The increased complexity and productivity of our modern era requires this focus on Chronos, and was also birthed from it. I am not suggesting a \"return to simpler times\" as a panacea, although I do think some of that may be in order. Rather we must re-examine our reliance upon Chronos, the need to clutter up our schedules, and our fear of \"wasting\" time among other things. It is one of the silver linings of the pandemic crisis that we have been gifted such an opportunity. We must also remember that there is a 3rd actor in this drama whom I will speak of shortly, and whom I am intentionally saving for last.<br /><br />If any of this was not obvious to you before, it must certainly be now in the wake of the government lock-downs. Although it has certainly happened in the past, this is perhaps the first time in the modern age since WWII that we have witnessed this sort of abrupt stop to normal patterns of living. We have also witnessed it nearly worldwide, in different degrees to be sure but there is nary a corner of the world not at least partially affected by shut-downs at the moment. It is here that our relationship to Chronos has been laid bare.<br /><br />It was not just businesses and schools that got shut-down, but our schedules and routines as well. Suddenly, millions of people everywhere found themselves with nothing to do, and nowhere to go. It soon became clear that your carefully planned year, with all it's business trips and vacation, vanished into thin air. This sudden disruption to our normal routine was exceptionally jarring, and the damage to our mental health significant. We were initially promised a few weeks of lock-down followed by re-opening; the keen among us sensed (correctly) that this was a lie. Thus we have seen, and continue to see the ravages to our health and sanity that such a protracted period of isolation and inaction does to us.<br /><br />We have lost Chronos. The structure and order of our days and weeks, hours and minutes is gone. With it went many of the other habits and rituals that normally compose our daily existence. We see now how vitally important having the structure of Chronos is, and the chaos and discontent that springs up in his absence. Once accustomed to the clock, we begin to lose our minds without it, just as the man accustomed to freedom loses his mind in prison.<br /><br />It is up to us as individuals to take advantage of this time to re-adjust our relationship with Chronos. We see now how unhealthy it is to jam pack our schedules but also to leave them empty. We must re-learn to strike the balance between work and play, effort and relaxation. We must remember to be punctual but not neglect to stop and smell the roses. Balance is key, and going forward our collective health will improve greatly if we maintain it. This will be different for each person, and there are countless \"experts\" who have written books about this and have better advice for this topic than I.<br /><br />I could continue on about Chronos, and may re-visit him in the future, but he is not my primary focus. My focus right now is on the final element of time: Kairos. It is with him that we will discover the answers we seek; the understanding of his concept is necessary to obtaining the knowledge and goals we desire. Despite the sudden loss of Chronos, I believe our greatest deficit continues to lie with Kairos. I shall reveal why I have chosen his name for my moniker, and explore his realm in the next segment.<br /><br />Excelsior!<br />- Kairos", "to": [ "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public" ], "cc": [ "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/followers" ], "tag": [], "url": "https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1162944849540456448", "published": "2020-10-14T02:47:38+00:00", "source": { "content": "Father Time, part 2\n\n\nOur modern conception of time tends to be rather basic. We focus primarily on the hours and minutes, with some consideration to the week, month and year. This is effectively a 1-dimensional view, and perhaps this is why it is not uncommon to hear people complain about \"time flying by\" or \"losing track of time.\" You'd think, with our ability to track it precisely and access to that information virtually everywhere that we'd be better at managing it; it reveals that there is more going on than we realize.\n\nI personally prefer time as conceived of by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks had 3 gods related to time: Aion, Chronos, and Kairos (from whom I get my moniker). They occupied different positions within the pantheon, and were not directly related to one another. They were each seen separate from the others, ruling over different aspects of time itself.\n\nAion is the representation of cyclical time. It is from him we get the words aeon and eon. He represents time in it's infinite, endless form; he was usually pictured with a large ring or ouroboros. He is the personification of the endless march of time, destined to devour everything. Aion is the most difficult, nigh impossible, aspect of time for we humans to conceptualize. We struggle enough with the mere decades of our own existence, let alone epochs and eons. This is reflected currently in the debate about climate change. It is exceptionally difficult for us to make measurements and judgements about changes taking place in this time scale. Evolution is another great example of this property of time, of how gradual minuscule changes become exceptional and dynamic over time. While Aion does not meaningfully impact us directly in our lives, we consider him when we think of posterity, and the legacy we shall be leaving for our children, and their children's children. It is best not to dwell in the realm of the endless for too long, but we should not ignore it outright either.\n\nChronos is the god of time as it is quantified, and is the god that concerns us the most, as I elaborated on in the beginning. There is some debate about this, but I personally believe that the gods Chronos and Cronus are one and the same. Cronus, a.k.a. Kronos, was the father of Zeus and the other Olympians. As his children were born, he would have his wife Rhea bring them to him so he could devour them and prevent his foretold usurpation at the hands of his children (just as he had usurped Uranus). It is an apt metaphor for how time devours that which we create, not just ourselves. He is, of course, usurped by Zeus after Rhea hides him away from his father and allows him to grow up, setting the stage for the rest of the Greek myths and legends.\n\nI will still refer to him as Chronos for the sake of simplicity. It is from him that we get the word chronometer, the technical name for a watch. Chronos is the god of how we measure time: the minutes, years, and days of the week. In antiquity and for much of our history, we regarded him with less importance than we do now. We did not possess accurate chronometers, nor was it much of a concern to know the exact time of day. Our daily activities were regulated more by available sunlight and weather, and especially the seasons. In this way we worked more closely with Aion, the cyclical patterns, than with Chronos. However as we advanced technologically, and particularly with the Industrial Revolution onward, the importance of Chronos gained increasing significance. Nowadays, he is incorporated into virtually everything we do. From the little time display on the bottom right of my laptop screen, to the display on the cell phone in my pocket, he is in our face constantly. When you browse Youtube or Netflix, you are keenly aware of video length and make calculations about the \"time\" you have. Whether a video is 10 minutes long or 15 can make the difference between whether you decide to allot the time required to watch it. \n\nIt is not uncommon for us to wake up to an alarm: an exact time we choose for whatever reason. The ancients would have presumably found this baffling, as should we. There is much to be said about the effect this artificial wakening as upon us, as opposed to letting ourselves wake up naturally. It is as much a sign of the peculiarity of our modern lives as anything else. \n\nWe make time calculations from the moment we wake up: I woke up late, how much time do I have to shower and get ready? Do I just grab a bagel and go or do I fix myself some eggs real quick? Do I pick something up on the way to work instead? Do I have time on my lunch break to go outside and get some fresh air? It literally never ends, for some people. You spend much of your day juggling time commitments and restraints. For many of us, we are trying to juggle as many balls as we can while figuring out if we can squeeze another one or two in there. As someone with professional juggling experience, I can confirm this is a recipe for dropping balls.\n\nAgain, in times past this was not as intense. The increased complexity and productivity of our modern era requires this focus on Chronos, and was also birthed from it. I am not suggesting a \"return to simpler times\" as a panacea, although I do think some of that may be in order. Rather we must re-examine our reliance upon Chronos, the need to clutter up our schedules, and our fear of \"wasting\" time among other things. It is one of the silver linings of the pandemic crisis that we have been gifted such an opportunity. We must also remember that there is a 3rd actor in this drama whom I will speak of shortly, and whom I am intentionally saving for last.\n\nIf any of this was not obvious to you before, it must certainly be now in the wake of the government lock-downs. Although it has certainly happened in the past, this is perhaps the first time in the modern age since WWII that we have witnessed this sort of abrupt stop to normal patterns of living. We have also witnessed it nearly worldwide, in different degrees to be sure but there is nary a corner of the world not at least partially affected by shut-downs at the moment. It is here that our relationship to Chronos has been laid bare.\n\nIt was not just businesses and schools that got shut-down, but our schedules and routines as well. Suddenly, millions of people everywhere found themselves with nothing to do, and nowhere to go. It soon became clear that your carefully planned year, with all it's business trips and vacation, vanished into thin air. This sudden disruption to our normal routine was exceptionally jarring, and the damage to our mental health significant. We were initially promised a few weeks of lock-down followed by re-opening; the keen among us sensed (correctly) that this was a lie. Thus we have seen, and continue to see the ravages to our health and sanity that such a protracted period of isolation and inaction does to us.\n\nWe have lost Chronos. The structure and order of our days and weeks, hours and minutes is gone. With it went many of the other habits and rituals that normally compose our daily existence. We see now how vitally important having the structure of Chronos is, and the chaos and discontent that springs up in his absence. Once accustomed to the clock, we begin to lose our minds without it, just as the man accustomed to freedom loses his mind in prison.\n\nIt is up to us as individuals to take advantage of this time to re-adjust our relationship with Chronos. We see now how unhealthy it is to jam pack our schedules but also to leave them empty. We must re-learn to strike the balance between work and play, effort and relaxation. We must remember to be punctual but not neglect to stop and smell the roses. Balance is key, and going forward our collective health will improve greatly if we maintain it. This will be different for each person, and there are countless \"experts\" who have written books about this and have better advice for this topic than I.\n\nI could continue on about Chronos, and may re-visit him in the future, but he is not my primary focus. My focus right now is on the final element of time: Kairos. It is with him that we will discover the answers we seek; the understanding of his concept is necessary to obtaining the knowledge and goals we desire. Despite the sudden loss of Chronos, I believe our greatest deficit continues to lie with Kairos. I shall reveal why I have chosen his name for my moniker, and explore his realm in the next segment.\n\nExcelsior!\n- Kairos", "mediaType": "text/plain" } }, "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1162944849540456448/activity" }, { "type": "Create", "actor": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "object": { "type": "Note", "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1161901769674768384", "attributedTo": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "content": "Father Time, part 1<br /><br /><br />In the previous post I set the stage for the dilemma at hand. That covid-19, and the requisite government response, is a clear and present danger should be obvious to anybody paying attention. With that being a given, we must go back to the basics in order to properly analyze the problem and develop solutions. We must expand our scope beyond the mask over our nose and examine the bigger picture. Upon doing so, we shall come to find that this is not merely a battle for our health and prosperity, but for liberty and our very souls. Likewise, it is not merely a virus and an overreaching government we must overcome; nay, it is something far more tenacious: ourselves.<br /><br />A great deal that is responsible for our existence goes unnoticed by us, or is inherently imperceptible, this virus being an apt reminder of this principle. Our immune system works tirelessly around the clock, day in and day out, to protect us and ensure proper homeostasis. We are not conscious of it's activities; the sensations of illness are the smoke from the fire. Nevertheless we are none the wiser to the small blazes that break out daily but are usually quickly suppressed, except when we begin to notice the smoke (or, for the highly unfortunate, when the firefighters become confused and being chopping down the forest). I shall elaborate on this concept further in succeeding posts when it is time to discuss ethos.<br /><br />For this post, and as a sufficient starting point for this journey, we shall focus on one particular process that is indispensable to our existence; a process we tend to take for granted but upon re-examination may provide us with key insight into how to solve our current dilemma: Time.<br /><br />That time is not a constant, but rather a multifaceted experience is something that most understand, but tend to give little thought to outside of specific events or until the end of their lives. Our culture and society tend to determine our relationship with it far more than our personal initiative, and I'd argue that is both intentional and regrettable.<br /><br />Particularly in our modern society, we find our relation with time increasingly strained. We now have so much more available to us at the click of a button: endless hours of video and music to enjoy, endless pages of articles and blogs to browse, and we can strike up a conversation, even face to face, with anyone anywhere in the world at anytime (Speaking of blogs, thank you for taking the time to read these words; I understand the value of your time and hope that by the end of this journey you will consider it time well spent).<br /><br />While the demands for our time have only multiplied (on top of the preexisting ones of family, work, children, hobbies etc.), our supply remains the same. We have no more hours in the day, days in the week and weeks in the year than we did in antiquity (that is, of course, not entirely true, but I shall address that later). We are still bound by the procession of the equinoxes and the dichotomy of night and day. Thus the currency of our seconds and minutes is far more valuable than silver and gold, and thus greater the crime when our smartphones steal them from us.<br /><br />This effect is further complicated by our notion of \"spare time.\" Just as we must set aside income and resources for housing, food, bills and other necessities, so too must we set aside time for work, sleep, child rearing and play. Ergo we tend to view the time we have to \"spend\" as being limited compared to the time we actually have, and thus additionally amplify it's perceived scarcity. We constantly feel as though we do not have enough, that we must juggle and sacrifice to \"squeeze everything in.\" It is as if we have a buffet before us, and feel compelled to shovel as much into our mouths as we can before dinner is over; is it any wonder we feel ill much of the time? When we are sated early and find ourselves with \"leftovers,\" the ravenous wolves of media, entertainment and increasingly Big Tech jockey for position to get dibs.<br /><br />If you are familiar with economics, then you should immediately recognize this problem: resource scarcity. I will examine this particular issue in subsequent posts as well, but for now it is only important to understand that despite the popular adage, time is in fact nothing like money at all. Money is merely a store of value, something we are confident can be exchanged for goods and services. It has no intrinsic value in and of itself: we cannot eat it if we are hungry. Similarly, time may seem to be an essential resource like food or water, but this is also incorrect. Time is something wholly different from everything else.<br /><br />Time is simultaneously constant and variable; perceptible and invisible, infinite and evanescent, universal and local. It is foundational to our existence and universally understood in some manner by all cultures, including primitive ones. Throughout human history tribes and cultures everywhere developed lunisolar calendars, marked the procession of the equinoxes and Zodiac, and understood the changing of seasons. Even our nomadic hominid ancestors likely understood these things to a degree. Many take the Gregorian calendar to be the default conception of a year but do not question why, nor are they aware of alternatives. The subject of calendars is an interesting one itself that I may choose to elaborate on in the future, and how the differences in which we count our days can have significant impacts on society itself.<br /><br />Then of course, there is the universal recognition of young and old that all animals possess. Just as the cheetah knows a young gazelle will be easier prey, an old elephant will decide to stand it's ground (despite knowing the futility) and sacrifice itself to the lionesses to protect the herd. Our pets may be surprisingly tolerant of a child tugging at their ears or whiskers, suggesting they understand it to be an infant and incapable of malice. Animals display an inherent understanding of lifespan and mortality, in both themselves and others. Whether our conception of \"dog years\" is accurate; whether the fruit fly's meager hours of existence contain equivalent richness (for them) as our decades of existence do for us is still one of the great mysteries.<br /><br />Time is everywhere and acts upon all indiscriminately, but it is not \"with\" us. We exist within the 3 dimensions, but time is a dimension itself above this. We can experience time, measure time, and conceptualize time, but it remains forever outside of us. Thus it is something we utilize, but do not \"use up.\" It is always available whether we use it or not, and continues to move along at a steady pace whether we notice it or not. While it's passage in the grand scheme of things impacts us, ultimately it's value is based entirely on how we utilize it. How much of it we use, why we use it, and how we use it determines what we get out of it. It is always available to us, disappearing only briefly when we are visited by Hypnos and his sons, the Oneiroi; in this way, it is like no other resource at our disposal.<br /><br />In the sciences there is the ongoing attempt to merge the dimension of time with our own, something referred to as the space-time continuum. Despite how fascinating it is, for the sake of this story we shall not venture into that realm. I have more than enough to waffle on about as it is, and it's not particularly relevant to the subjects I wish to discuss. Speaking of which, it occurs to me that I've gone on at length longer than I projected, so I shall wrap this post up before getting into the meat and potatoes. If this world salad of a first course has been unsatisfying, I promise the main dish will be more succulent.<br /><br />In part 2 I will return to the classical era to establish the baseline definition of time and the framework with which to consider utilizing it. The coronavirus situation has laid bare our damaging disconnect with this vital element, and exposed the subtle illness we experience as a result. It has also provided us with an opportunity to examine and repair that disconnect before the inevitable march of Time resumes. It is my hope that we as individuals, and society at large, can reestablish a healthier relationship with Time going forward. This will be the substance of my next post.<br /><br />Excelsior!<br />- Kairos", "to": [ "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public" ], "cc": [ "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/followers" ], "tag": [], "url": "https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1161901769674768384", "published": "2020-10-11T05:42:48+00:00", "source": { "content": "Father Time, part 1\n\n\nIn the previous post I set the stage for the dilemma at hand. That covid-19, and the requisite government response, is a clear and present danger should be obvious to anybody paying attention. With that being a given, we must go back to the basics in order to properly analyze the problem and develop solutions. We must expand our scope beyond the mask over our nose and examine the bigger picture. Upon doing so, we shall come to find that this is not merely a battle for our health and prosperity, but for liberty and our very souls. Likewise, it is not merely a virus and an overreaching government we must overcome; nay, it is something far more tenacious: ourselves.\n\nA great deal that is responsible for our existence goes unnoticed by us, or is inherently imperceptible, this virus being an apt reminder of this principle. Our immune system works tirelessly around the clock, day in and day out, to protect us and ensure proper homeostasis. We are not conscious of it's activities; the sensations of illness are the smoke from the fire. Nevertheless we are none the wiser to the small blazes that break out daily but are usually quickly suppressed, except when we begin to notice the smoke (or, for the highly unfortunate, when the firefighters become confused and being chopping down the forest). I shall elaborate on this concept further in succeeding posts when it is time to discuss ethos.\n\nFor this post, and as a sufficient starting point for this journey, we shall focus on one particular process that is indispensable to our existence; a process we tend to take for granted but upon re-examination may provide us with key insight into how to solve our current dilemma: Time.\n\nThat time is not a constant, but rather a multifaceted experience is something that most understand, but tend to give little thought to outside of specific events or until the end of their lives. Our culture and society tend to determine our relationship with it far more than our personal initiative, and I'd argue that is both intentional and regrettable.\n\nParticularly in our modern society, we find our relation with time increasingly strained. We now have so much more available to us at the click of a button: endless hours of video and music to enjoy, endless pages of articles and blogs to browse, and we can strike up a conversation, even face to face, with anyone anywhere in the world at anytime (Speaking of blogs, thank you for taking the time to read these words; I understand the value of your time and hope that by the end of this journey you will consider it time well spent).\n\nWhile the demands for our time have only multiplied (on top of the preexisting ones of family, work, children, hobbies etc.), our supply remains the same. We have no more hours in the day, days in the week and weeks in the year than we did in antiquity (that is, of course, not entirely true, but I shall address that later). We are still bound by the procession of the equinoxes and the dichotomy of night and day. Thus the currency of our seconds and minutes is far more valuable than silver and gold, and thus greater the crime when our smartphones steal them from us.\n\nThis effect is further complicated by our notion of \"spare time.\" Just as we must set aside income and resources for housing, food, bills and other necessities, so too must we set aside time for work, sleep, child rearing and play. Ergo we tend to view the time we have to \"spend\" as being limited compared to the time we actually have, and thus additionally amplify it's perceived scarcity. We constantly feel as though we do not have enough, that we must juggle and sacrifice to \"squeeze everything in.\" It is as if we have a buffet before us, and feel compelled to shovel as much into our mouths as we can before dinner is over; is it any wonder we feel ill much of the time? When we are sated early and find ourselves with \"leftovers,\" the ravenous wolves of media, entertainment and increasingly Big Tech jockey for position to get dibs.\n\nIf you are familiar with economics, then you should immediately recognize this problem: resource scarcity. I will examine this particular issue in subsequent posts as well, but for now it is only important to understand that despite the popular adage, time is in fact nothing like money at all. Money is merely a store of value, something we are confident can be exchanged for goods and services. It has no intrinsic value in and of itself: we cannot eat it if we are hungry. Similarly, time may seem to be an essential resource like food or water, but this is also incorrect. Time is something wholly different from everything else.\n\nTime is simultaneously constant and variable; perceptible and invisible, infinite and evanescent, universal and local. It is foundational to our existence and universally understood in some manner by all cultures, including primitive ones. Throughout human history tribes and cultures everywhere developed lunisolar calendars, marked the procession of the equinoxes and Zodiac, and understood the changing of seasons. Even our nomadic hominid ancestors likely understood these things to a degree. Many take the Gregorian calendar to be the default conception of a year but do not question why, nor are they aware of alternatives. The subject of calendars is an interesting one itself that I may choose to elaborate on in the future, and how the differences in which we count our days can have significant impacts on society itself.\n\nThen of course, there is the universal recognition of young and old that all animals possess. Just as the cheetah knows a young gazelle will be easier prey, an old elephant will decide to stand it's ground (despite knowing the futility) and sacrifice itself to the lionesses to protect the herd. Our pets may be surprisingly tolerant of a child tugging at their ears or whiskers, suggesting they understand it to be an infant and incapable of malice. Animals display an inherent understanding of lifespan and mortality, in both themselves and others. Whether our conception of \"dog years\" is accurate; whether the fruit fly's meager hours of existence contain equivalent richness (for them) as our decades of existence do for us is still one of the great mysteries.\n\nTime is everywhere and acts upon all indiscriminately, but it is not \"with\" us. We exist within the 3 dimensions, but time is a dimension itself above this. We can experience time, measure time, and conceptualize time, but it remains forever outside of us. Thus it is something we utilize, but do not \"use up.\" It is always available whether we use it or not, and continues to move along at a steady pace whether we notice it or not. While it's passage in the grand scheme of things impacts us, ultimately it's value is based entirely on how we utilize it. How much of it we use, why we use it, and how we use it determines what we get out of it. It is always available to us, disappearing only briefly when we are visited by Hypnos and his sons, the Oneiroi; in this way, it is like no other resource at our disposal.\n\nIn the sciences there is the ongoing attempt to merge the dimension of time with our own, something referred to as the space-time continuum. Despite how fascinating it is, for the sake of this story we shall not venture into that realm. I have more than enough to waffle on about as it is, and it's not particularly relevant to the subjects I wish to discuss. Speaking of which, it occurs to me that I've gone on at length longer than I projected, so I shall wrap this post up before getting into the meat and potatoes. If this world salad of a first course has been unsatisfying, I promise the main dish will be more succulent.\n\nIn part 2 I will return to the classical era to establish the baseline definition of time and the framework with which to consider utilizing it. The coronavirus situation has laid bare our damaging disconnect with this vital element, and exposed the subtle illness we experience as a result. It has also provided us with an opportunity to examine and repair that disconnect before the inevitable march of Time resumes. It is my hope that we as individuals, and society at large, can reestablish a healthier relationship with Time going forward. This will be the substance of my next post.\n\nExcelsior!\n- Kairos", "mediaType": "text/plain" } }, "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1161901769674768384/activity" }, { "type": "Create", "actor": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "object": { "type": "Note", "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1160469999371329536", "attributedTo": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074", "content": "A City, silenced<br /><br /><br />This is the first of what I hope to be a long succession of commentary and exploration of the pressing issues of our current age: The Long Peace, also known as the Pax Americana. In more ways than one we are facing the coming of a new age; despite the dire warnings and obvious signs all around us, I firmly believe that whether this coming age is Golden or Dark is still something we have the power to decide. It is with the determination to walk towards the light that I begin this journey.<br /><br />The problems facing humanity are of all manner and scale: from how we view ourselves and process information, to how our personal interactions and decisions create ripples that eventually become tsunamis. The scale is universal, not just in application but scope; from viruses and DNA to the Universe itself, and everything in-between.<br /><br />This mountain we must climb is daunting and perilous, and the peak is imperceptible. When faced with such a challenge, it is normal to hesitate and worry. Trying to calculate the steps and envision the journey is overwhelming, but also unnecessary. As long as we commit to putting one foot in front of the other, we will get there; the first step is always the hardest. My goal is to provide a place to begin and guidance for taking those critical first few steps. At some point I will step back; no one can lead us the entire way on their own. We may wish for one, but there may not be a messiah to save us this time. We will have to take turns stepping up and leading the way, and encouraging us all to continue following. We will get there together, or not at all.<br /><br />A proper beginning would be to introduce myself, but first I want to begin with a snapshot. I find that when facing a seemingly insurmountable problem, it helps to center oneself and reflect upon the present surroundings and immediate situation. So we shall start with where I live, and what I call home.<br /><br />I live in a city in the Sonoran desert of the American southwest. I was not born here; I first came to town shortly after exiting my military service to visit my best friend (who had recently moved here). At the time I was a wanderer with no attachments or obligations, and nowhere to go. Upon arriving in the desert, I was immediately taken aback by it's subtle majesty. The mountains surrounding the town (4 separate ranges) were unlike anything I'd ever seen, and I spent more time in the first few months living in them than in town. Suffice to say I fell in love with the desert and stayed. I have lived here on and off for roughly 15 years now, and have seen both the city and desert change.<br /><br />I have had many ups and downs in this town, from working in restaurants and hip businesses downtown to living on the outskirts with rattlesnakes and javelina as my neighbors. I have been both in the thick of the significantly intertwined social scenes and a complete outcast. I have lived and breathed enough of it to understand the local culture and the life cycle of the city itself. The pulse of desert life was steady until earlier this year, when virtually overnight the city (and the nation at large) suffered cardiac arrest, and has since remained on life support.<br /><br />The lockdown was somewhat voluntary, at first. The mayor of our city, a Democrat, wanted to impose strict measures while our governor wanted to keep things light (like many of his fellow Republicans). In the end, due to media fearmongering and political pressure, the governor caved in despite relatively low case and death totals. I will discuss the virus in-depth properly, but that is a subject for the near future and will likely require at least 2 posts. For now we remain in an indefinite state of paralysis, hiding our faces from each other, with no indication of when we can resume breathing normally.<br /><br />Never in my life did I ever think I would end up living in a ghost town. That's certainly what it feels like most days. The city is awkwardly silent, with mere whispers floating from the struggling bars and restaurants instead of the exuberant din; establishments that, with a quick glance, are clearly not doing enough business to pay their bills and rent, and have not for months. According to some experts and reports, up to 90% of commercial businesses have not been able to pay their rent. The amount of debt being created to try and bandage the hemorrhaging is astronomical, and the bankers count loans instead of sheep to fall asleep.<br /><br />The grocery stores and other corporate monoliths have unsurprisingly fared the best, although even amongst the winners there is still substantial loss. I know a manager at one of the McDonald's, and she told me months ago they were only making 40% of their usual sales. I suspect they're one of the lucky ones.<br /><br />The only people who seem to be working steadily are government workers and the contractors they hire. In fact there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of both, so much so that I am seeing city workers increasingly given meaningless busywork (something which, being a military veteran, I am exceptionally familiar with). Contractors are mostly construction but also security; the former seem likewise preoccupied with their own version of busywork and the latter have increased in number dramatically despite reduced need.<br /><br />At first I found this puzzling, since surely the State and city were struggling financially. Especially considering the uncertainty, why expand? It became clear after observing the lunch rush (now but a trickle) while sitting outside the downtown library. The only patrons the cafés and eateries (some of which have already shuttered) had were city workers. The city was trying to stay alive off of it's own fat, a measure that only temporarily staves off starvation.<br /><br />This city is a college town. It also has a strategic air base that contributes, but the bulk of the town's economy is based on the university students and their California money. There is a major trade show early in the year that brings in a slew of international vendors and visitors from around the country, and this constitutes the vast majority of revenue not generated by the college. I was unsure how many students would be willing or able to come back to campus this semester, but by the looks of it it's a skeleton crew. Where normally the paths and walkways of the college would be swarming with bodies mid-day, there are now almost more regular citizens walking their dogs than actual students.<br /><br />This has obviously been devastating to the local economy, but just like a viral infection the signs of distress do not appear until the problem is cascading. The events that lead to the stock market crash of '29, the dot-com burst of '01 and the Great Recession of '08 all began months and years before the climax of the collapse. Just like a virus, we don't realize we're infected until it's too late. Our financial system has never truly recovered from those prior events, only managing to prolong the inevitable. Now the government boot, with a covid mask, has stomped out the fire of the market; a flame is not always easy to re-kindle, and we may be out of wood this time.<br /><br />As the light from the fire fades, we shall find ourselves growing ever colder in the encroaching darkness. We cannot hunker down indefinitely and pray for the coming of light: we must march forward unto dawn. The night may be dark and full of terrors, but we must navigate it nonetheless.<br /><br />Now that the story is set, in my next installment I will introduce myself more properly and take the first step in the journey. We shall begin by exploring the father of all beginning: time.<br /><br />Excelsior!<br />- Kairos", "to": [ "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public" ], "cc": [ "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/followers" ], "tag": [], "url": "https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1160469999371329536", "published": "2020-10-07T06:53:28+00:00", "source": { "content": "A City, silenced\n\n\nThis is the first of what I hope to be a long succession of commentary and exploration of the pressing issues of our current age: The Long Peace, also known as the Pax Americana. In more ways than one we are facing the coming of a new age; despite the dire warnings and obvious signs all around us, I firmly believe that whether this coming age is Golden or Dark is still something we have the power to decide. It is with the determination to walk towards the light that I begin this journey.\n\nThe problems facing humanity are of all manner and scale: from how we view ourselves and process information, to how our personal interactions and decisions create ripples that eventually become tsunamis. The scale is universal, not just in application but scope; from viruses and DNA to the Universe itself, and everything in-between.\n\nThis mountain we must climb is daunting and perilous, and the peak is imperceptible. When faced with such a challenge, it is normal to hesitate and worry. Trying to calculate the steps and envision the journey is overwhelming, but also unnecessary. As long as we commit to putting one foot in front of the other, we will get there; the first step is always the hardest. My goal is to provide a place to begin and guidance for taking those critical first few steps. At some point I will step back; no one can lead us the entire way on their own. We may wish for one, but there may not be a messiah to save us this time. We will have to take turns stepping up and leading the way, and encouraging us all to continue following. We will get there together, or not at all.\n\nA proper beginning would be to introduce myself, but first I want to begin with a snapshot. I find that when facing a seemingly insurmountable problem, it helps to center oneself and reflect upon the present surroundings and immediate situation. So we shall start with where I live, and what I call home.\n\nI live in a city in the Sonoran desert of the American southwest. I was not born here; I first came to town shortly after exiting my military service to visit my best friend (who had recently moved here). At the time I was a wanderer with no attachments or obligations, and nowhere to go. Upon arriving in the desert, I was immediately taken aback by it's subtle majesty. The mountains surrounding the town (4 separate ranges) were unlike anything I'd ever seen, and I spent more time in the first few months living in them than in town. Suffice to say I fell in love with the desert and stayed. I have lived here on and off for roughly 15 years now, and have seen both the city and desert change.\n\nI have had many ups and downs in this town, from working in restaurants and hip businesses downtown to living on the outskirts with rattlesnakes and javelina as my neighbors. I have been both in the thick of the significantly intertwined social scenes and a complete outcast. I have lived and breathed enough of it to understand the local culture and the life cycle of the city itself. The pulse of desert life was steady until earlier this year, when virtually overnight the city (and the nation at large) suffered cardiac arrest, and has since remained on life support.\n\nThe lockdown was somewhat voluntary, at first. The mayor of our city, a Democrat, wanted to impose strict measures while our governor wanted to keep things light (like many of his fellow Republicans). In the end, due to media fearmongering and political pressure, the governor caved in despite relatively low case and death totals. I will discuss the virus in-depth properly, but that is a subject for the near future and will likely require at least 2 posts. For now we remain in an indefinite state of paralysis, hiding our faces from each other, with no indication of when we can resume breathing normally.\n\nNever in my life did I ever think I would end up living in a ghost town. That's certainly what it feels like most days. The city is awkwardly silent, with mere whispers floating from the struggling bars and restaurants instead of the exuberant din; establishments that, with a quick glance, are clearly not doing enough business to pay their bills and rent, and have not for months. According to some experts and reports, up to 90% of commercial businesses have not been able to pay their rent. The amount of debt being created to try and bandage the hemorrhaging is astronomical, and the bankers count loans instead of sheep to fall asleep.\n\nThe grocery stores and other corporate monoliths have unsurprisingly fared the best, although even amongst the winners there is still substantial loss. I know a manager at one of the McDonald's, and she told me months ago they were only making 40% of their usual sales. I suspect they're one of the lucky ones.\n\nThe only people who seem to be working steadily are government workers and the contractors they hire. In fact there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of both, so much so that I am seeing city workers increasingly given meaningless busywork (something which, being a military veteran, I am exceptionally familiar with). Contractors are mostly construction but also security; the former seem likewise preoccupied with their own version of busywork and the latter have increased in number dramatically despite reduced need.\n\nAt first I found this puzzling, since surely the State and city were struggling financially. Especially considering the uncertainty, why expand? It became clear after observing the lunch rush (now but a trickle) while sitting outside the downtown library. The only patrons the cafés and eateries (some of which have already shuttered) had were city workers. The city was trying to stay alive off of it's own fat, a measure that only temporarily staves off starvation.\n\nThis city is a college town. It also has a strategic air base that contributes, but the bulk of the town's economy is based on the university students and their California money. There is a major trade show early in the year that brings in a slew of international vendors and visitors from around the country, and this constitutes the vast majority of revenue not generated by the college. I was unsure how many students would be willing or able to come back to campus this semester, but by the looks of it it's a skeleton crew. Where normally the paths and walkways of the college would be swarming with bodies mid-day, there are now almost more regular citizens walking their dogs than actual students.\n\nThis has obviously been devastating to the local economy, but just like a viral infection the signs of distress do not appear until the problem is cascading. The events that lead to the stock market crash of '29, the dot-com burst of '01 and the Great Recession of '08 all began months and years before the climax of the collapse. Just like a virus, we don't realize we're infected until it's too late. Our financial system has never truly recovered from those prior events, only managing to prolong the inevitable. Now the government boot, with a covid mask, has stomped out the fire of the market; a flame is not always easy to re-kindle, and we may be out of wood this time.\n\nAs the light from the fire fades, we shall find ourselves growing ever colder in the encroaching darkness. We cannot hunker down indefinitely and pray for the coming of light: we must march forward unto dawn. The night may be dark and full of terrors, but we must navigate it nonetheless.\n\nNow that the story is set, in my next installment I will introduce myself more properly and take the first step in the journey. We shall begin by exploring the father of all beginning: time.\n\nExcelsior!\n- Kairos", "mediaType": "text/plain" } }, "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/entities/urn:activity:1160469999371329536/activity" } ], "id": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/outbox", "partOf": "https://www.minds.com/api/activitypub/users/1160011794748547074/outboxoutbox" }