Without #communication there can be no #resistance.

Communication is what allows isolated #dissidents to join up, understand their situation, and #plan for #action It is what allows a resistance group to break its isolation to become part of a #movement, rooted in larger #society.

#Resisters need to #communicate to #strategize, #analyze, #mobilize, and #act, especially under #repressive #surveillance states. Good communication is a prequisite to successful #recruiting, #fundraising, and movement-building in general.

And conversely, it is the #corporatemedia and other official channels of communication that allow the government to #control the popular #narrative and imagination, to #smear or #deceive resisters, to divide dissidents against each other, even to obscure or #erase struggles for #justice from collective memory. So it's no surprise-with so much at stake that effective resisters fight to reach out and communicate.

Rarely is that as dramatic as the takeover of a TV station in the middle of a parliamentary broadcast. Communication through less fantastic methods (giving #interviews, making #websites, and sharing #pamphlets) is no less important. Effective communication doesn't have to be a spectacle (and the drive to make it a spectacle can be a trap the mass media use to distort movements).

I’m not going to tell you here how to make a zine or write a press release; those practicalities are handled in more detail elsewhere. I'm going to address bigger questions that are discussed less often:

How do resistance movements communicate externally to reach #sympathizers and #supporters?

How do they deal with the power and contradictions of the mass media?

How do they communicate internally to build a shared culture and organize action?

And how do they maintain safe communication - especially in #underground groups-when dealing with repressive states and pervasive surveillance?

Quiet extinctions of invertebrates are largely unnoticed and unmourned

‘This is the way the world ends; not with a bang but a whimper’ TS Eliot, The Hollow Men

"Australian species have become extinct over this 236-year period...We predict that 39–148 species will become extinct in 2024. This is inconsistent with a recent pledge by the Australian government to prevent all extinction...Unless there is a major increase in investment and change in conservation priorities, and more effective control of threats, this rate of extinction will increase. We should not simply maintain the current conservation status quo and let these extinctions happen."

"So long as invertebrate extinctions remain nameless and invisible, this failure cannot be demonstrated, or readily overcome; and efforts will instead be directed towards the less imperilled, but better-known and iconic species."
>>
Woinarski JCZ, Braby MF, Gibb H, et al. This is the way the world ends; not with a bang but a whimper: Estimating the number and ongoing rate of extinctions of Australian non-marine invertebrates. Cambridge Prisms: Extinction. 2024;2:e23. doi:10.1017/ext.2024.26
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-extinction/article/this-is-the-way-the-world-ends-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper-estimating-the-number-and-ongoing-rate-of-extinctions-of-australian-nonmarine-invertebrates/D0DCAA03EBA7ACC25F98F7BF5D87A2A6
#invertebrates #extinction #narrative #QuietExtinctions #ecosystem #biodiversity #HabitatDestruction #habitat #degradation #taxonomy #TaxonomicInequality #biases #cute #iconic #disinterest #BushBlitz #conservation #values

Mexican Artist Chavis Mármol crushes a Tesla .
"Chavis Marmol is a sculptor from Apan, Hidalgo, Mexico. Chavis Marmol’s work is a blend of humor and critique, delving into reflections on contemporary issues. In his Neo-tameme series, he explores our pre-Hispanic past from a Western neocolonial perspective" >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KG22zPXIGo

Storytelling or storyselling?
"Artist Chavis Marmol dropped a nine-tonne replica of the colossal head carvings of the Olmec, the first known Mesoamerican civilisation, onto a blue Tesla 3. The Olmec head landed a year after Tesla announced plans to build a huge factory in northern Mexico."
https://theconversation.com/in-a-time-of-information-overload-enigmatic-philosopher-byung-chul-han-seeks-the-re-enchantment-of-the-world-225176 >>
#Narration #Narrative #storytelling #storyselling #narratology #experience #WorldMaking #SenseMaking #communities #IndigenousPeoples #ArtInstallation #information #InformationSociety #cars #EV #energy

For #Trans #people in #Columbia, a New #Bill Could Be a pathway to a better #future.

The proposed #law represents more than just #legal #recognition for #Colombia’s #trans #community: It constitutes an #opportunity for the entire #country to transmute its #narrative of #violence into one of #healing and #renewal.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #SouthAmerica #Columbia #Politics #Progress #Representation #Culture

https://atmos.earth/for-trans-colombians-a-new-bill-could-be-a-portal-to-a-new-reality/

Once Alive Review: A Narrative Adventure Worth Playing

I was sent a free copy of Once Alive [store.steampowered.com] to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

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[ i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/w…] [i0.wp.com]

What is Once Alive?

After a deadly virus nearly wipes out humanity, the remaining survivors struggle with adapting to the new unforgiving world. Survivors must hunt for limited resources, fend off against increasingly hostile wildlife, and cope with the loneliness of survival. James and his brother lived in isolation until they received a message about a settlement. James is weary of the invitation, but his brother rushes ahead without him, hoping this settlement means a fresh start for humanity.

Play as James as he ventures into the lonely world in search of his brother. What secrets will he uncover in the ruins of the old world? Will he be able to find his brother, or will they become another casualty in this cruel apocalypse?

Gameplay

Once Alive is effectively a first person simulator. As James, players explore the abandoned village of HaustVille, looking for clues about what happened to its citizens. As players explore the village, they collect written notes, sit through memories of past residents, and piece together the strange and ominous narrative. The game does have a few quick time events to keep players on their toes. The game also offers enough bread crumbs to keep players on track. It takes about two hours to complete Once Alive, but you can do it quicker if you don’t explore every nook and cranny like I did.

Review

[ i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/w…] [i0.wp.com]

Once Alive [store.steampowered.com] is the most impressive narrative game I’ve played all year, but it does have its issues. The animation in this game can be wonky at times. I noticed a few stutters during some pans and the talking animation looks scary. The writing has a few grammatical issues and a few times where the wrong word is used. There are also bits of exposition that are too on the nose. That said, this game is fantastic, and you should play through it at least once.

While there are issues with the animation at times, you’re mostly walking through a very cool isolated village. The developer does a phenomenal job of building a world worth exploring full of fantastic flavor. While the writing isn’t perfect, I love the attention to detail and general story beats that had me at the edge of my seat. I loved reading some random note in a house and then having it pop up in a natural way later in the story.

Once Alive [store.steampowered.com] is a fantastic horror game that effectively uses its world-building to create an ominous atmosphere. It is the sense of isolation and mystery that propels the player through the story, and it is powerful storytelling that makes this a great game. If you’re looking for a good horror game, Once Alive is a short one you need to have in your library. It is an impressive project by a clearly passionate developer that deserves a lot more attention.

You can pick up Once Alive on Steam for $11.99.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VUZ8P-aKoE&ab_channel=IGN

#2024 #blog #blogger #blogging #entertainment #fiction #gameReview #gaming #gamingBlog #horror #indi #indie #indieGame #media #narrative #review #Reviews #story #videoGame #videoGameReview #watch

No Stone Unturned is a quirky and unique piece of interactive fiction that I didn't know I needed. Go check out the demo today!

#gaming #game #fiction #noir #narrative #steam #pc #indie #indiegame #quirky #cute #videogame #blog #review

https://churapereviews.com/2024/11/21/no-stone-unturned-demo-review-a-unique-noir-adventure/

Several #Democratic #Senators #Rebuke #Scapegoating of #Trans #People After #Election.

A growing number of #leaders in the #DemocraticParty are #pushingback on the #narrative that they must #sacrifice #transgender #people's #rights in order to #win #elections.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #DemocraticParty #Allies #Representation #Culture

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/several-democratic-senators-rebuke

I think that it doesn't get repeated often enough:

#ClimateChange protests can get people's attention, but cannot sustain it.

Only new narratives and visions of sustainable futures on societal scale can make people think about alternatives for a longer while. Consider them possible.

Like #solarpunk .

We need to make a sustainable, just world imaginable, otherwise each new protest, no matter how loud, will just fizzle out and be forgotten.