Ralph Snyder
@ralphsnyder.bsky.social
270 followers 160 following 3.3K posts
I post and repost about books, philosophy, art, history, photography, random observations, and, sometimes, just silly stuff.
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ralphsnyder.bsky.social
l make distinction between Poltical and political

The Political is akin to Philosophy and Religion. It is about how we understand our relationship to one another, how we navigate our disagreements, how we make decisions together, how we imagine our relationships within the larger social setting.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
In my twenties I ran a bunch of TTRPGs.

In retrospect many of them had the same structure: a gradual peeling away of delusion.

Interestingly, no party peeled back any layer.

I think that means something, but I can't say what.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
I gave them a theater, a cave, and a tree house.

Thirty years later, turns out, I'm still pretty pissed.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
"What if all that was really necessary was imagining and living as if the imagining was already real?"

"That would not be this world," said Narjawan. "Though it is an interesting world to contemplate."
5/5
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
"I wonder," I said. "What if all the rules and traditions that the engineer, the artist, the child follow to make their dreams a reality were unnecessary.

"What if it was all because of an illusion about natural law and causality.
4/5
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
"A child may dream of being this or that and spend decades in pursuit of that goal

"All of it begins with imagination. All that striving is to make the imaginary real."
3/5
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
"Magic is when you use imagination to create reality.

"It happens all the time. An engineer thinks of a machine that can do thus and thus. They might spend years and years working to make it happen.

"An artist may have an inspiration and strive, days, months, years, to realize it.
2/5
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Narjawan came for a visit. Luckily I had just baked up some scones. I put up a pot of tea and found some jam that wasn't too old.

"I once heard," he said. "That a sufficiently advanced technology would seem like magic.

"But it isn't magic, you know." He leaned in conspiricoloritry.
1/5
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
xingwu.bsky.social
Emperor Huizong of the Song (1082–1135) may have faltered as a ruler, but his artistry was unmatched. In his paintings, cats often stalk butterflies, a scene both tender and symbolic.
The word for cat (māo) echoes mào (耄), meaning old age, while butterfly (dié) sounds like dié (耋), 1/2
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
curiousordinary.bsky.social
In #JapaneseFolklore there is a story of a man named Sentaro who did not want to die. He was very wealthy and lived a life of luxury and idleness. However, one day he became preoccupied with the idea of getting sick and dying and could think of nothing else. After hearing the...
#MythologyMonday
1/8
A man sits on top of a giant red origami crane flying over the landscape.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
pabloista.bsky.social
You’ve probably seen it online: “Testosterone levels are falling. Men are getting weaker.”
The right loves this story, but here’s the truth: this isn’t about masculinity, it’s about health, stress, and capitalism. 1/6
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
May you be poor in misfortune,
rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Frogs. Dance parties. Ukulele bands. Stuff that's happening now.

Plus getting the press to notice and report fairly.

But how much provocation can we expect people to withstand?
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
It's provocation. Provocation will follow provocation until there's finally a reaction.

That will be their excuse.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Dante urges us to look up
For the light of the stars
Will spark into flame
The divinity latent within us

But I cannot for all I feel
Is degradation and failure.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Ain't nothing like Ethel and the Muppets.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
For my money, "The Lion and the Unicorn" is the one to read if you're going to read just one.

If you're going to read two: "The Road to Wigan Pier."
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Arbeit macht frei
moodyloner.bsky.social
Oh look, the "work therapy" that RFK Jr wants to replace my antidepressants with
fascistdemtracker.bsky.social
Fun fact about the Salvation Army: they use a form of substance use treatment called work therapy. Oh, and by treatment, I mean they have people who have been convicted of drug charges work for their stores & warehouses in exchange for room, board, around a $1 a week, and minimal actual therapy.
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
The mind is already perfected. What need is there of gods?
ralphsnyder.bsky.social
Is "Equal Rites" an allegory for trans-masculinity?
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
pabloista.bsky.social
New book to listen to, looking forward to this one.
@pierrenovellie.bsky.social very funny guy.
Autism and comedy… now that’s what I call a proper mashup. 🎧
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
pamkeithdc.bsky.social
The niche of my law practice is representing women, minorities and whistleblowers in vindicating their civil rights in employment.

Having done this work for years now, I have come to understand something that I feel like sharing this morning:

White people and Black people have a VERY different
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
ahistoryinart.bsky.social
Looking through online auctions, I'm struck by Carl Moll's masterful exploration of flowers, especially dahlias. In this work from 1920s, Moll has accentuated the texture of the petals with different tonalities of white, cream, yellow, and pink to capture light.