smores's recent activity
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Comment on End of Series - Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2026 - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers in ~books
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Comment on End of Series - Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2026 - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers in ~books
smores (edited )Link ParentYeah I think the second book is basically just the second half (or maybe middle third?) of the story. There's some beauty in the brevity of the first book, but it's definitely worth picking up the...Yeah I think the second book is basically just the second half (or maybe middle third?) of the story. There's some beauty in the brevity of the first book, but it's definitely worth picking up the second one if you think you'd want more Monk & Robot!
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Comment on End of Series - Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2026 - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers in ~books
smores LinkAt the recommendation of some others in this group, I read the sequel to this book shortly after reading the first one for book club. Some of what I'm thinking about is only revealed in the second...At the recommendation of some others in this group, I read the sequel to this book shortly after reading the first one for book club. Some of what I'm thinking about is only revealed in the second book, but it's just straightforward information about the society that Sibling Dex lives in. I will try my best to avoid any spoilers (not that these books are really ruined in any way by "spoilers").
As I read these two books, I found myself constantly comparing and contrasting with one of my favorite books, The Dispossessed. Again, trying to avoid any spoilers, the main character in The Dispossessed lives in an anarcho-syndicalist society. A lot of the book is dedicated to describing this society. Quite in contrast to Monk & Robot's Panga, the anarcho-syndicalists in The Dispossessed live on an arid desert moon called Anarres.
In Monk & Robot, how exactly humans are taught to participate so fully and freely and communally in their society is completely elided. It's sort of implied that once such a structure exists, it would be so intrinsically appealing that people would simply continue to perpetuate it. It's a very hopeful (and beautiful) view of humanity at its best.
In The Dispossessed, there are much more deliberate structures dedicated to perpetuating the anarchist principles of their society. Children are reared in collective schooling facilities, spending little time with their biological parents. They're discouraged from any thinking that could be interpreted as possessive ("egoizing"). The society of Anarres sees the kind of family organization that raised Sibling Dex as completely incompatible with their non-hierarchical society.
It's not explicitly stated, but there is a suggestion in The Dispossessed that the barren nature of Anarres contributes to the success of the society. Again, this is sort of taking the opposite stance to Monk & Robot's Panga. The sheer amount of effort that needs to go into keeping their society alive on Anarres seems to encourage a dedication to communal living and volunteerism — everyone can see how quickly they will perish if everyone doesn't do their part.
The societies have a lot in common, though. They both view the not-so-distant past of forced labor (via robots on Panga, via prisons on Anarres/Urras) with a sense of horror and (depending on the generation) even disbelief. They have a level of sexual freedom and celebration of bodies that far surpasses most modern societies. They value labor and communal volunteerism very highly.
I have more thoughts but not more time to write about them at the moment, so I guess I'll post this as is now. Curious if anyone else was thinking about Anarres while they read about Panga, though!
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Comment on End of Series - Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2026 - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers in ~books
smores Link ParentI really loved this quote, and it captures a way of living and seeing the world that I strive toward. I also really appreciated the implication that even in a society that has no currency or...I really loved this quote, and it captures a way of living and seeing the world that I strive toward.
I also really appreciated the implication that even in a society that has no currency or capital, whose resources are shared freely (and seemingly so abundant that essentially no one is ever without), humans still feel the need to be "productive".
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Comment on Ariana Grande is ‘taking a step back from visibility’ after tour as public scrutiny intensifies in ~music
smores Link ParentThere is. And I worry, too, that someone struggling with their own body and food relationships can see this "conversation" and mostly be hearing: "Even Ariana Grande doesn't look good enough for...But also celebs being the jumping off point for bigger conversations isn't entirely unusual either - whether it's about health or domestic violence or any number of things.
But there's still a person under all that.
There is. And I worry, too, that someone struggling with their own body and food relationships can see this "conversation" and mostly be hearing: "Even Ariana Grande doesn't look good enough for them." I mean there's no winning here, people will gleefully deride every single woman's physical appearance.
I've got a daughter now, and myself have struggled with (luckily manageable) body dysmorphia in the past. I used to hate my body for being too skinny and too fat all at the same time, so that was... fun.
My wife and I have started meeting with an intuitive eating nutritionist. She helps us work through strategies for providing a bullwark for our daughter against the kinds of societal pressure to look a particular way that we felt when we were growing up. It's sometimes staggering to confront the sheer scale of anti-fat bias and misogyny leveled at young people every day. Just spending any amount of time around parents of young children, and seeing how many of them (often good-hearted, well-intentioned people!) can't stop themselves from making comments about their children's food intake or limiting their access to foods that they have deemed "bad". Hell, half the parents I know have some app that lets them scan a bar code so they can see whether a food is "bad" or "good". It hurts my soul a little.
We seem very, very far from anything resembling a society-level "healthy relationship with food".
Thank you for your replies, as well!
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Comment on Ariana Grande is ‘taking a step back from visibility’ after tour as public scrutiny intensifies in ~music
smores Link ParentI don't disagree. That doesn't really seem like the shape that this current moment is taking though, I think. Instead, it looks like just another version of that exact same system that you're...There is some space for societal concern about this trend returning, worsened by access to things like ozempic.
I don't disagree. That doesn't really seem like the shape that this current moment is taking though, I think. Instead, it looks like just another version of that exact same system that you're identifying from the previous era. People have been remarking that Ariana Grande is too thin for the better part of a decade now. I'm sure that before that (maybe even during it!) there were also people remarking about her being too fat. There's precisely one — mostly imaginary — shape that women are allowed to be in public, and I think that criticizing women for being too thin is probably feeding the same mysoginystic beast that gets fed when women are critized for being too fat.
Also, if what folks are looking for is a grounding example for a conversation about how modern society goes out of its way to induce eating disorders in women, there's really no need for that conversation to involve speculating about whether Ariana Grande has an eating disorder. Dozens of celebrities have had public conversations about their experiences with eating disorders. Here's Sophie Turner:
"When you’re bulimic, your face tends to bloat. So when I finally did get better in my early 20s, my face went back to normal. Then, suddenly, all the comments were about whether I’d had buccal fat removal or not,” she told British Vogue in 2024. “So yeah, you can never win.”
This shit is absolutely miserable, in my opinion. Plenty good fodder for social concern about this trend returning (or, more accurately I think, never having really gone away at all, just navigated more "politely").
Anyway, I think that you and I don't really disagree on this, thank you for allowing me some space to rant a bit.
And this is why nothing about celebrity is particularly healthy, or positive for society IMO.
Indeed.
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Comment on Ariana Grande is ‘taking a step back from visibility’ after tour as public scrutiny intensifies in ~music
smores Link ParentDefinitely agree. It's abysmally shitty that anyone's response to a suspicion that someone might have an eating disorder or body dysmorphia is to publicly call them out on it. If she does have a...Definitely agree. It's abysmally shitty that anyone's response to a suspicion that someone might have an eating disorder or body dysmorphia is to publicly call them out on it. If she does have a body-dysmorphia-driven eating disorder, thousands of public comments by strangers about her appearance certainly isn't going to fucking help. Ugh.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
smores LinkThe Punch Brothers have a new album: The Unsung Adventures of the Punch Brothers. It's their first all instrumental album (get it?). It's very good, as usual! Also been listening to the new Shakey...The Punch Brothers have a new album: The Unsung Adventures of the Punch Brothers. It's their first all instrumental album (get it?). It's very good, as usual!
Also been listening to the new Shakey Graves album, [Unkown Album], which I think is brilliant.
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Comment on Pretty sure I’ve been drinking mold for the past month (or longer) in ~talk
smores Link ParentYup, this is exactly it, as I understand it! And let me tell you, that approved threshold allows enough salt for water to taste really salty. I'm very happy with our 6 TDS from our new RO system hahaYup, this is exactly it, as I understand it! And let me tell you, that approved threshold allows enough salt for water to taste really salty. I'm very happy with our 6 TDS from our new RO system haha
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Comment on Pretty sure I’ve been drinking mold for the past month (or longer) in ~talk
smores Link ParentYeah we have one of these as well and it's pretty amazing. We got it when it became clear that our water was just going to taste like salt every winter as the road salt seeped into the water...Yeah we have one of these as well and it's pretty amazing. We got it when it became clear that our water was just going to taste like salt every winter as the road salt seeped into the water (apparently this is "fine"?? Not sure I believe you, American Water).
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Comment on What self-help / personal development books did you find valuable? in ~books
smores LinkHm. This is not a self-help book, per se — nominally it's a parenting book. But the book Parenting Beyond Power by Jen Lumanlan has completely transformed the way I view nearly every relationship...Hm. This is not a self-help book, per se — nominally it's a parenting book. But the book Parenting Beyond Power by Jen Lumanlan has completely transformed the way I view nearly every relationship and interpersonal conflict in my life. Two years after first reading it, I still think about it at least once a week (admittedly this is at least in part because I now have a young child). I found it to be a really useful and practical dissection of how systemic power dynamics shape our relationships, and what alternatives we have for engaging with the people around us.
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Comment on Silicon Valley has a science fiction problem in ~tech
smores Link ParentSeconding The Dispossessed, that's one of my favorites!Seconding The Dispossessed, that's one of my favorites!
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Comment on Who cleans up after the vibe-coding party? in ~tech
smores Link ParentMarijn Haverbeke, creator of CodeMirror and ProseMirror (two rather fundamental libraries for code and rich text editing on the web) just announced that for Wordgard, his successor to ProseMirror,...Marijn Haverbeke, creator of CodeMirror and ProseMirror (two rather fundamental libraries for code and rich text editing on the web) just announced that for Wordgard, his successor to ProseMirror, he won't be accepting community contributions specifically to avoid coding agents.
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Comment on Geo-tech? What kind of professional do I call for evaluating safety of a home? in ~life.home_improvement
smores LinkWe did this when we looked at an older home that would have needed a lot of work when we were buying! I think you're just looking for a general contractor. That's who we had join us (this was in...We did this when we looked at an older home that would have needed a lot of work when we were buying! I think you're just looking for a general contractor. That's who we had join us (this was in the US, I don't know if the job titles are the same in Canada). They were very good at giving quick estimates about which problems (there were many) were patchable and which would require completely renovating significant parts of the building.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Have you started A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers? in ~books
smores Link ParentOh yay, thanks for the recs! I'm halfway through Careless People right now. I will almost certainly be looking for something a little more hopeful after that, so will take a look at the Monk and...Oh yay, thanks for the recs! I'm halfway through Careless People right now. I will almost certainly be looking for something a little more hopeful after that, so will take a look at the Monk and Robot sequel for sure. I might take a look at The Galaxy and the Ground, as well!
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Have you started A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers? in ~books
smores LinkI finished it (it's very short!). I won't get too much into it since we're only at the check-in, but I liked it a lot more than I expected! This is my second Becky Chambers book, and I didn't like...I finished it (it's very short!). I won't get too much into it since we're only at the check-in, but I liked it a lot more than I expected! This is my second Becky Chambers book, and I didn't like the first as much (A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet). It wasn't a bad book, it just felt a little... hm. Shallow? I don't know, I don't want to be too critical of it because I genuinely don't think it was a bad book, it just didn't do that much for me.
But I liked Psalm for the Wild-Built quite a lot!
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Comment on Mooneva Cycle: The private period tracker that never sees your data in ~health
smores Link ParentThis is the one my wife has been using, but it got completely messed up by her first pregnancy and now all of its estimates are wildly off. Seems like it's somehow acting as if she actually had a...This is the one my wife has been using, but it got completely messed up by her first pregnancy and now all of its estimates are wildly off. Seems like it's somehow acting as if she actually had a single, mine month long cycle, and there doesn't seem to be any way to correct it!
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Comment on Mooneva Cycle: The private period tracker that never sees your data in ~health
smores Link ParentGenuinely thank you for sharing, @kfwyre! My wife was just complaining about how her current app has never recovered from her not having a cycle while she was pregnant (duh) — it still seems to be...Genuinely thank you for sharing, @kfwyre! My wife was just complaining about how her current app has never recovered from her not having a cycle while she was pregnant (duh) — it still seems to be weighting all of her estimates as if she had a single nine month cycle. But the privacy landscape for these apps is miserable!
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
smores Link ParentRight, I mean, poetry also exists. You can obviously use language abstractly! You can use any expression abstractly if you try hard enough. I was just drawing a contrast between concrete...Right, I mean, poetry also exists. You can obviously use language abstractly! You can use any expression abstractly if you try hard enough. I was just drawing a contrast between concrete communication of concepts like happiness and sadness, which is often done with language ("He felt sad") and abstract communcation of those same concepts via musical arrangement.
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
smores Link ParentI think, at the end of the day, what you're maybe experiencing is that some art just doesn't have you, @preposterous, as you are in July of 2026, as the target audience. Unlike how we consume,...I think, at the end of the day, what you're maybe experiencing is that some art just doesn't have you, @preposterous, as you are in July of 2026, as the target audience. Unlike how we consume, say, music — via channels and streams and playlist segregated by genre and taste — visual art is often experienced in museums, which are aggregators. They tend to aggregate across taste and genre, because... well, there are a lot of reasons, some are interesting and some are silly. But either way, a museum must serve perveyors of very many different preferences for visual arts, and so some of those pieces are, almost by definition, not for you (at least, not right now) — they're for someone else!
I think that's fine? I think it would be sad if museums didn't show monochromes (or, worse, artists didn't create them) because you didn't like them. I do like them (like @Evie mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I was first really introduced to Rothko via the play RED), and so do others. They're there for me!
I think that lots of other art has qualifications like this as well. Industrial metal is extremely dense and unapproachable for many unfamiliar with it — I suspect you would need far more than 15 minutes of background to develop an appreciation for it. Same with Free Jazz, or any number of other genres that are built on extensive iteration on and dissection of specific musical traditions.
I now can't remember if this was actually suggested or if my own use of a pedal-assisted ebike just filled in the gap, but I had assumed that there was a battery-powered/solar-charged motor that assisted the pedaling. Even a very good set of gears would only get you so far pulling all of your possessions up a hill, every if they were very, very light!