Podcasts about Solarpunk

In episode 36 of Generationship, Rachel Chalmers speaks with Christine Spang about the past, present, and future of enterprise software, with a particular focus on AI. Spang shares her experiences building Nylas and discusses the practical applications of AI in business, as well as the ethical considerations surrounding its use. Lastly, they explore the social and cultural impact of AI, pondering its effects on human connection and the perception of reality.

This ep, CoinOps, Shadowlink, and Xero are joined by the inimitable Dr Sil to discuss Solarpunk, its potential as a response to dystopian genres, and the importance of seeking solutions to existential problems.Links:https://www.neondystopia.com/https://www.patreon.com/neondystopia/https://cyberpunklibrarian.com/https://rss.com/podcasts/l0wl1f3podcast/https://youtube.com/@l0wl1f3pod?feature=shareddiscord.gg/M6fGZERb7Zhttps://blackbirdcoop.com/

Support Night Clerk Radio on PatreonIn this month's new music episode, we're exploring the anxiety/comfort duality in vaporwave as it appears across two amazing albums. Join us as we discuss the wonderfully anxiety-inducing Cursed Mall from AWITW and then go on a soothing cosmic voyage with Blueberries on Mars by 猫 シ Corp.Shout Outsninja tape by 直子coedforeign transmission by JPEGSTRIPESHands United: Echoes of Equality by Utopia DistrictCRYSTAL PEPSI Employee Training Video (1992)"

Today we're talking about February's Next Fest ! Help!!!!!---List of games in order of appearanceSqueakrossIs This Seat Taken?The Art of ReflectionPost TraumaLabyrinth of the Demon KingThe Lightkeeper is GoneWanderstopWaxHeadsHASTE: Broken WorldsCubic OdysseyWordatroReignbreakerKabuto ParkAethermancerUnyielderHypogeaDemon TidesMonster Train 2Another RoundCentumQualiaNeongartenIslands and TrainsKoiraThe BenchPrice of FlightLast ReportNomad IdleA Pizza DeliveryMoon RiverYour HouseInhuman ResourcesSolarpunkRun TavernQuestStellationsThe King is WatchingNITRO GEN OMEGABeat, Heart, BeatMetro GravityGenokids---Visit our website!Support the show on Kofi!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordMusic by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:56) - It's Next Fest baby (07:24) - Squeakross (09:31) - Is This Seat Taken? (11:52) - The Art of Reflection (15:15) - Post Trauma (18:57) - Labyrinth of the Demon King (21:51) - The Light keeper is Gone (25:44) - Wanderstop (33:25) - WaxHeads (34:41) - Haste Broken Worlds (38:45) - Cubic Odyssey (43:23) - Wordatro (45:27) - Reignbreaker (46:05) - Kabuto Park (49:28) - Aethermancer (52:44) - Unyielder (57:10) - Hypogea (59:30) - Demon Tides (01:03:35) - Monster Train 2 (01:06:33) - Another Round (01:09:44) - Centum (01:11:45) - Qualia (01:15:37) - Neongarten (01:19:01) - Islands and Trains (01:20:27) - Koira (01:24:03) - The Bench (01:25:54) - Price of Flight (01:28:28) - Last Report (01:29:47) - Nomad Idle (01:33:10) - A Pizza Delivery (01:36:21) - Moon River (01:38:27) - Your House (01:39:56) - Inhuman Resources (01:42:10) - Solarpunk (01:46:00) - Run TavernQuest (01:48:51) - Stellations (01:53:46) - The King is Watching (01:57:10) - NITRO GEN OMEGA (01:57:32) - Beat, Heart, Beat (01:58:24) - Metro Gravity (01:59:18) - Genokids (02:02:40) - If you start playing all of these games now, you'll be done by next Next Fest

Al and Codey talk about Sugardew Island Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:53: What Have We Been Up To 00:08:25: Game News 00:13:01: New Games 00:22:02: Sugardew Island 01:09:09: Outro Links Song of the Prairie “1.2” Update Fields of Mistria “2nd Major” Update Outbound Roadmap Elusive People Bug & Seek Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:35) Al: My name is Al and we are here today to talk about cottagecore games. (0:00:36) Codey: - And my name is Cody. (0:00:42) Codey: Oh woo. (0:00:46) Codey: Oh yeah. (0:00:47) Codey: Ow, ow, ow. (0:00:48) Al: All right, this episode, we are going to talk about Sugardew Island because as mentioned (0:00:49) Codey: Gotta do it the right way. (0:00:56) Al: in the last episode, it is not out except if you’re a Kickstarter backer, in which case (0:01:02) Al: it is kind of out. So I was a Kickstarter backer for some reason, so I got my code and (0:01:02) Codey: Mm-hmm, okay (0:01:08) Al: I have been playing it for the past week. So we’re going to talk about that. I’ve got (0:01:13) Al: some thoughts and I’m sure Cody will have some questions. (0:01:18) Codey: Probs. (0:01:19) Al: And then we can never mention the game again. Sound good? (0:01:21) Codey: Wow. (0:01:22) Codey: Yep. (0:01:23) Codey: Sounds good to me. (0:01:24) Codey: I’m sure we’ll have to mention like updates and stuff for news purposes, but (0:01:24) Al: All right. (0:01:26) Al: No. No. No, I don’t think… I mean, we’ll get patches with bug fixes, but it’s not good. (0:01:29) Codey: nah, okay, cool. (0:01:36) Codey: and we’re never not even gonna mention it though. (0:01:37) Al: They’re not going to add in. Well, we don’t tend to mention updates unless they actually (0:01:42) Al: include new stuff. There’s going to be no update including new stuff, let’s be honest. (0:01:46) Codey: OK. (0:01:48) Codey: Sounds good. (0:01:49) Al: We’ll see. We also have a bunch of news to talk about, but first of all, Cody, (0:01:55) Al: what have you been up to? (0:01:56) Codey: I realized the other day that I, this, this is the year that everything has flipped on (0:02:06) Codey: its head because all of the other years, every time I looked at a mobile game for this podcast, (0:02:11) Al: Yeah, I was going to say, Cody, this is a list of four mobile games in your world we’ve (0:02:12) Codey: I was like, I can’t wait to get rid of this game. (0:02:15) Codey: And I now have four different mobile games. (0:02:21) Codey: All of which, all of which I can blame on this podcast. (0:02:21) Al: been up to. (0:02:26) Codey: Even though we didn’t cover Pokemon Pocket, y’all talking about it is why I ended up getting (0:02:34) Codey: it. (0:02:35) Codey: So been playing that every day, got to play at least, you know, like twice a day to get (0:02:38) Codey: my, my stuff. (0:02:41) Codey: Johnny convinced me to play pocket camp. (0:02:43) Codey: So I’m doing that. (0:02:44) Codey: I am now, I think level like 63, I think initially when I talked to him about it, it was 41. (0:02:51) Codey: So you don’t necessarily level up that easy. (0:02:54) Codey: So that’s a yikes for me. (0:02:57) Codey: I would say if people are interested, the like used to be pay paid currency, you get (0:03:03) Codey: it really easily. (0:03:04) Al: Hm. Nice. (0:03:05) Codey: So I currently have like 854 of them and you can use like five of them to like skip things. (0:03:14) Codey: So it’s, it’s easy, like it’s, it’s, it’s good. (0:03:20) Codey: And I opened that and that was a mistake. (0:03:22) Codey: And then honeygrove, I’m still playing that. (0:03:26) Codey: Half of my map unlocks and I’m just kind of still doing the daily quests. (0:03:31) Codey: And then in mini mini farm, I am in the third, the third area now in the third area is like (0:03:33) Al: Minimini. (0:03:37) Al: Oh, nice. (0:03:38) Codey: a desert. (0:03:39) Codey: And then there’s an underground part of the desert where there’s like mushrooms. (0:03:42) Al: Have you got any answers yet? (0:03:46) Codey: So not really, there’s still a lot of like questions about where did the people go? (0:03:51) Codey: And there’s like these weird alien looking machines everywhere. (0:03:55) Codey: kind of like more and more. (0:03:56) Codey: The more you go through the game. (0:03:59) Codey: And in this last one, there is a cactus who that’s moving. (0:04:04) Codey: And as you like, you kind of follow the cactus and then walk into it. (0:04:10) Codey: And it it’s, it’s a person that has been turned into a cactus and they (0:04:13) Al: Oh, oh. (0:04:15) Codey: keep forgetting the conversation. (0:04:17) Codey: And so the conversation has a loop, like where they’re halfway through. (0:04:22) Codey: They’re like, wait, who are you? (0:04:24) Codey: Wait, what’s going on? (0:04:25) Codey: And then it starts back over. (0:04:27) Codey: But yeah, I’m so I’m still very intrigued and I still am playing (0:04:33) Codey: it every day, um, and I have no complaints there. (0:04:37) Codey: So I, and I’ve been wanting to play another game that I will, that (0:04:42) Codey: we will talk about later. (0:04:43) Codey: I just have to, I say, I have to convince myself to buy it. (0:04:47) Codey: It’s more that I have to move the money that I need for it into, (0:04:51) Codey: out of my savings account because I want, I know I want it. (0:04:53) Al: fair enough uh yeah i’ve been buying pocket as well uh just kind of chugging along open (0:04:56) Codey: Yeah. (0:04:57) Codey: What about you? (0:04:58) Codey: Well, what about you? (0:05:05) Al: impacts planes and battles um I have also been continuing to play harvest me home sweet home (0:05:10) Al: I am very close to finishing the story in that game um i’m in chat no i’ve just been playing a (0:05:13) Codey: Oh wow, okay. Is it because the story is small? (0:05:17) Codey: Okay. (0:05:19) Al: a lot. So I’m in chapter nine of 10. (0:05:20) Codey: Good. (0:05:23) Al: So yeah, we’ll see how that goes. I think I’ve got one thing. I’m about to get married (0:05:30) Al: and I think that finishes chapter nine. And so I’ll see how I’ll see what chapter 10 is. (0:05:32) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:05:35) Codey: Very nice probably like babies I would have (0:05:36) Al: So I don’t think this game has babies. We’ll see. (0:05:48) Al: and also, obviously, Shuguju Island. (0:05:51) Al: » Yeah. (0:05:54) Al: Which I’ll talk about more later and I’m currently debating whether to play to go do my home decks for sword and shield, which is the one that I’ve not finished yet because they just released. (0:06:06) Al: The completion reward for that one, but I’m still debating like do I want to do that just now because I do want the shiny keldio and I’d like to get it quickly. (0:06:12) Codey: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Then it sounds like it’s a yes. (0:06:18) Al: But, but, but am I going to burn myself out on Pokemon? (0:06:23) Al: What’s the problem? (0:06:23) Codey: Mm. Have you ever burned yourself out on Pokemon? Oh, wow. Well, then, yeah, there you go. Maybe, (0:06:27) Al: Yes, regularly. (0:06:31) Codey: uh, I mean, I think is it like something that’s only available for a short amount of time? (0:06:36) Al: No. (0:06:36) Codey: No, then just don’t worry about it. (0:06:38) Al: Well, yeah, but what if? (0:06:39) Codey: what if what what if the what if (0:06:42) Codey: uh my country declares war on everyone and nuclear strikes everyone tomorrow like (0:06:48) Al: Well, yeah, but there’s nothing I can do about that, though, is there? (0:06:50) Al: But there is something I can do about this, which is do it. (0:06:53) Codey: okay I was gonna just make a comment of you never know what’s gonna happen so (0:06:58) Al: No, you don’t exactly. (0:06:59) Al: So you have to. (0:07:00) Al: But it’s about balancing which things you can do, (0:07:02) Al: something about it, which things you can’t. (0:07:03) Al: I can’t do anything about nuclear war. (0:07:04) Codey: Yeah, you, you, uh, have you heard the hostile government takeover song? (0:07:06) Al: Other than what I’ve already done, I can do something about this. (0:07:11) Al: Yes. (0:07:12) Codey: I love that song. (0:07:13) Codey: It’s now on Spotify. (0:07:14) Codey: If you, uh, if people want, it’s such a good song. (0:07:19) Codey: Uh, that’s fair. (0:07:21) Codey: I was trying to be devil’s advocate, but no, you’ve convinced me. (0:07:24) Codey: Yeah. (0:07:24) Codey: Why don’t you play it? (0:07:26) Al: Anyway, my point is, I need to do something because I’m not going to continue playing (0:07:26) Codey: Get your fill your home decks. (0:07:32) Al: Suga Jai Island after today. And well, maybe we’ll see. And I think I’m about to finish (0:07:38) Al: Harvest Moon Sweet Home. So I’ll need something else to play. And there’s lots of things to (0:07:45) Al: play. But you know, I do like to fall back into the same things I have played. And I (0:07:54) Codey: big mood as is tradition (0:07:54) Al: need to procrastinate from playing the next. (0:07:56) Al: game for the podcast I’m going to be playing as well. (0:07:58) Al: well. Yeah, this is true. (0:08:05) Codey: except for the like very rare once a year ones that we’ve been waiting for forever that (0:08:10) Al: Yeah, yeah. I definitely managed to do enough Sugardew Island, I didn’t (0:08:12) Codey: we play immediately so (0:08:16) Al: procrastinate with that too much, I managed to get what I needed done in the (0:08:19) Al: last week, so. Well, nor should you. So let’s talk about the news then. Up first (0:08:20) Codey: which is good because I did not play it. (0:08:23) Codey: So, uh, (0:08:29) Al: we have Song of the Prairie, they have released their 1.2 update which (0:08:35) Al: Which includes the story for year 3 in the game. (0:08:40) Al: A praying festival. (0:08:42) Codey: yeah which they said is like you send lanterns up into the sky (0:08:47) Codey: um to pray for people or love or something I don’t know it’s a thing people do but it (0:08:53) Codey: sounds like it’s gonna it looks really pretty because it’s just like a bunch of lanterns (0:08:58) Al: They’ve also added Oakcroft as their new crop, and they have announced that they (0:09:06) Al: are releasing a bottom-of-the-screen version of their game, Rusties-like, if (0:09:12) Al: you will, called Song of the Prairie Wonderland. Is it (0:09:13) Codey: a rusty like yup oh gosh that would who knows but because does it say on (0:09:20) Al: Song of the Prairie Wonderland on desktop? (0:09:29) Codey: desktop in capitals in this though they’re they’re English is definitely (0:09:30) Al: in this, it’s in the, yeah. (0:09:36) Codey: not their first language in the in the that show note not show notes why do I (0:09:43) Codey: go with what this is called release okay interesting that is a choice (0:09:44) Al: Oh, yeah, no, it’s yeah, it’s called Wonderland on Desktop. (0:09:49) Al: I just noticed they have a Steam page up for it. (0:09:53) Al: Interestingly, it doesn’t have Song of the Prairie in the name on Steam. (0:09:56) Codey: not not a not on laptop just desktop it’s probably on it (0:09:57) Al: It’s just called Wonderland on Desktop. (0:10:02) Al: I think it’s like your virtual desktop. (0:10:06) Al: Like the back, like that’s like the home screen. (0:10:10) Codey: Oh, okay, my brain is potato today I apologize that makes I mean (0:10:11) Al: It’s called the desktop, right? (0:10:15) Al: It says no missions, no target, no other requirements, (0:10:18) Al: just all kinds of crops, as it says, corpse. (0:10:22) Al: But I’m pretty sure that’s meant to be crops, (0:10:25) Al: because that’s a very different game, an undeveloped land. (0:10:26) Codey: all kinds of courses. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. I’m here for it, man. I am so excited that (0:10:31) Al: Hmm, interesting. (0:10:33) Al: Continuing that genre. (0:10:40) Codey: to continue the bottom of the screen. I’m not going to get this, but I love to see it. (0:10:44) Al: Yeah, very. Next, we have Fields of Mistria have announced that their second major update, (0:10:53) Al: which we talked about in a previous episode, is coming on the 10th of March. (0:10:58) Codey: Al, are you ready for that sweet, sweet automation? (0:11:01) Al: Always. This comes out three days after Sugardew Island, so you need to decide, are you playing (0:11:02) Codey: That sweet, sweet sprinkler and the auto-petter? (0:11:06) Codey: Heavy. (0:11:09) Al: Sugardew Island or the Fields of Mistria update? (0:11:12) Codey: That is a difficult decision. (0:11:15) Al: There is a correct answer here. (0:11:15) Codey: Sarcasm. (0:11:19) Codey: Yeah. (0:11:20) Codey: And just a reminder, this update includes so many different (0:11:23) Codey: things, including a new festival, new quests, monsters, (0:11:26) Codey: Pets. (0:11:28) Codey: Uh, that sprinkler that I mentioned, different cosmetic options for you and (0:11:31) Codey: your pets, um, lots of different things coming out. (0:11:33) Codey: And again, this is a game that people really love. (0:11:35) Codey: So, uh, if you have been loving it, uh, keep loving it with more things. (0:11:42) Al: And Outbound have released their roadmap for the game, so this is the Campervan game. They (0:11:54) Al: have said that they’re planning for their release in the first half of 2026, their alpha (0:12:01) Al: coming in April this year, and the beta coming in the second half of this year. That is their (0:12:06) Codey: Yeah, and they’re still aiming to have multiplayer out in the alpha, so that would be in mark h1 wait April in April (0:12:06) Al: current roadmap. (0:12:18) Codey: so that people can play test that but they really just are needing a lot of play testers and (0:12:25) Codey: They have they show a couple things they’ve been developing (0:12:29) Codey: That look kind of cool, but so if you’re interested in that check the show now (0:12:36) Al: Yeah, it’s good. They had originally said the alpha would come out in the first half of the (0:12:41) Al: year and so coming out in April is encouraging based on that, right? They’re not just sneaking (0:12:45) Codey: It’s also, it’s accurate too. (0:12:47) Al: in at the end of the first half. (0:12:50) Codey: Yeah, that is part of the first half of the year. (0:12:52) Codey: We love accuracy. (0:12:53) Codey: We stand accuracy here, (0:12:55) Codey: specifically scientific accuracy. (0:12:58) Codey: We believe in science. (0:13:00) Codey: I just hate my government so much. (0:13:03) Codey: We have a couple of new games. (0:13:04) Al: don’t we all. Yes, so the first one is technically not a new game but I’m going to treat it like (0:13:11) Al: a new game because when they first announced it they announced basically nothing about it. (0:13:16) Al: So this is what was announced three years ago. It’s a new, the upcoming Chibig game. (0:13:22) Al: It was announced in the Chibig Direct three years ago as Illusive People. It’s now just (0:13:27) Al: called Illusive and they’ve actually given us some information about it other than just, (0:13:34) Al: all we knew was like oh you’re tiny. That was it. That’s all they had. So they’ve got (0:13:39) Al: the Kickstarter coming soon and they’ve got a bunch of information on the Kickstarter. (0:13:44) Al: It is, they are describing it as an adventure and exploration game with Metroidvania elements. (0:13:55) Al: Which I mean just a quick thought about that. I’m a bit confused as to how you can have (0:14:01) Al: metroidvania elements because it is my own (0:14:04) Al: understanding that the point of a metroidvania is to have a large sprawling map which requires (0:14:09) Al: upgrades and backtracking to finish. And I’m not sure how you kind of have that like you either (0:14:13) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah, I think it’s probably just a semantics thing because I agree like, (0:14:17) Al: are that or not. (0:14:23) Codey: like my brain thinking when you say Metroidvania antics, I think platforming and I think like (0:14:29) Codey: you’re saying like, there’s things that are locked at first, and then you have to go back once you (0:14:33) Codey: acquire a certain thing. And then once you have, I mean, I don’t see how a game could have that (0:14:38) Codey: type of mechanic and not have it be like a major part of the genre. (0:14:43) Codey: Or like the defining genre of the game and therefore just be called a Metroidvania. (0:14:49) Codey: But who knows? Maybe they’ll make it happen. Maybe we’ll be shocked. But yeah. (0:14:50) Al: the illusives are tiny creatures that live in our homes hiding from us and borrowing whatever (0:14:59) Al: they need. Is this the Borrowers? Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how much of that actually (0:15:03) Codey: It’s the borrowers people. (0:15:04) Codey: I am shocked that this hasn’t been a game yet, honestly. (0:15:07) Codey: Like. (0:15:12) Al: affects anything. I mean it clearly is like you are in a house rather than like a cave system, (0:15:16) Al: So I guess that is the bit that makes it. (0:15:20) Al: Just a tiny person, rather than you’re just a person. (0:15:24) Codey: My brain thought I’m trying to think of like ways that the house could be locked to you and I just imagined like, because they mentioned there’s a cat. (0:15:34) Codey: I just imagined that like there’s a cat and that part way through the game you learn how to like make the cat like you. So then you can get past the cat. I think that’d be really cute. (0:15:44) Codey: But who knows. I mean, we’re gonna play it. It’s a chibi game. Come on. (0:15:48) Al: Yeah, for sure. I’ve bookmarked the Kickstarter like I’m backing at day one. Let’s not pretend (0:15:56) Al: anything here. They’ll presumably have some information about it when they launch the (0:15:56) Codey: Yeah. No, no news on when that’s launching, but it’s just launching soon. Um, do we. (0:16:04) Al: Kickstarter because they have to give an estimated date. If I had to predict, I would say next year. (0:16:08) Codey: Well, yeah. I mean the, the Kickstarter though, (0:16:12) Codey: like we don’t know when that is launching. It just says soon to you. (0:16:13) Al: Oh, right. Okay. Okay. The Kickstarter. Yeah. Yeah. It’ll probably be in the next month or so. (0:16:19) Codey: I’m going to say that it will be fully backed within nine hours. (0:16:27) Codey: Like between eight to nine hours. That’s my guess. Three hours. Wow. You’re going for it. (0:16:28) Al: Yeah. Three errors. (0:16:35) Codey: You’re going to personally back it so that it gets done in three hours. (0:16:38) Al: Yeah, I’m gonna bankroll it. Imagine if I had that. Imagine having that kind of money, (0:16:42) Codey: I need, I need to. Right. (0:16:44) Al: that’d be amazing. Just go, “Yes, make your game.” (0:16:48) Al: » [LAUGH] (0:16:49) Codey: Uh, the other notable thing was on the, like, they have a picture of physical editions already. (0:16:57) Codey: Um, and they below that they have switch one and two steam PlayStation five and Xbox series X. (0:17:02) Al: Yeah, so yeah, so there’s two, obviously there’s the Nintendo Switch 2 thing, right? (0:17:13) Al: Fine, a little bit presumptuous, but I’m sure whatever, like if they release a Nintendo Switch (0:17:18) Al: version and it’s backwards compatible on the two, then technically they can say they’ve (0:17:21) Al: released on Switch 2. Fine, whatever, it doesn’t really matter. It’s interesting they don’t mention (0:17:27) Al: Xbox Series S, because it is my understanding that you’re not allowed to release a game just (0:17:32) Al: on the X. It has to release on the S as well, because that has been like a sticking point for (0:17:35) Codey: » Yeah, I don’t know. (0:17:39) Al: a few people I’m releasing on Xbox. They’re like, oh, it’s a bit underpowered. I can’t quite get my (0:17:43) Al: game to work on it. And they’re like, we’ll talk. (0:17:46) Codey: Yeah, I don’t know ‘cause they don’t, (0:17:48) Codey: they specifically leave it out. (0:17:51) Codey: So I don’t know if they struck a deal (0:17:53) Codey: or if they just, it was an oopsie daisy (0:17:56) Codey: and it will come out on that, but we’ll keep that updated. (0:17:59) Al: “Can I be a little bit pedantic and say it doesn’t say Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. It says Nintendo Switch 1-2.” (0:18:04) Al: » Thank you. (0:18:04) Codey: Oh my gosh, there’s an intermediate switch switch switch one version to switch 1.2. I don’t know. (0:18:15) Codey: Yep, you’re right. (0:18:18) Al: Anyway, yep, looking forward to that, we will keep you updated. (0:18:21) Codey: Oh, but yeah, but not a woo because there’s one more game. So this is a game that I don’t even I think it was just like on Instagram. Instagram knows my algorithm really well. (0:18:22) Al: And there’s another game that Cody found. (0:18:34) Codey: And it was like, you should play this game. And it’s called bug and seek. And so this is a game that’s already out. I just we just hadn’t talked about it. At least I didn’t find it in anything it’s 1499 on steam and it can be Mac or PC and on switch and the blurb is blurb catch 200 plus real life bugs in this chill eight bit cozy creature collector. (0:18:58) Codey: You’ve bought the local bug zoo abandoned after a mysterious robbery catch bugs. (0:19:04) Codey: So this is a game that I’m probably immediately after this going to go move money into my out of my savings account into my regular accounts like buy it because I need to play this game. (0:19:21) Al: - What? (0:19:21) Codey: It just looks really cute. Like you’re going around catching bugs the bug like pages look really cute because it has like the scientists. (0:19:34) Codey: It has a specific name and the common name and it’s got like a lot of really cool facts and the idea of having a bug zoo. I mean we have an insect zoo for the entomology department here at my university and I’m the person who takes care of the critters. (0:19:49) Codey: The idea of just like moving into a town and becoming the muse, the bug zoo person is just chef’s kiss like I love that idea and you get to like build it up however you want so you get to like buy a terrarium (0:20:04) Codey: and then put that wherever you want in the in the space and kind of make it your own instead of just filling an already curated museum. (0:20:14) Codey: So I think it’s super cute and on Steam it’s part of a bundle called the creature. Oh my gosh. I need to double check this because I had it up and then I got rid of it but it was like the creature or something. (0:20:31) Codey: Create celebrate bugs bundle. (0:20:35) Codey: The celebrate bugs bundle. (0:20:40) Codey: Yeah. Oh, and they have an isopods DLC and a weevils DLC. And yeah, what more could you need, but it’s in that bundle and that bundle includes bug and seek a pico and webbed, which is a super cute game where you’re a jumper jumping spider. (0:20:59) Codey: One of the peacock jumpers, I think, or maybe you run into a peacock jumper, but you basically swing (0:21:04) Codey: Spider-Man style throughout the world and just adventure. (0:21:08) Codey: And I remember seeing this up this game and freaking out. (0:21:11) Codey: It is regrettably not available on Mac. (0:21:15) Codey: And I already have Apeco, but if you do not have any of these games and you’ve been wanting any (0:21:19) Codey: of them, why not get all of them for $38 and 22 cents and save 15%. (0:21:26) Codey: Are you going to play bug and seek? (0:21:28) Al: probably not. But I’m excited. I’m excited for you. Apparently this came out in 2013. (0:21:29) Codey: Okay. Well, listeners tell us who should. (0:21:35) Codey: Be on the podcast episode with me about bug and seek. (0:21:40) Codey: What’s I have released it 2023. (0:21:41) Al: That’s what I said. Did I? I meant to say 2023. (0:21:45) Codey: You said 2013. (0:21:49) Codey: Yeah, 2023 wild. (0:21:51) Codey: I don’t know how this has not been on my radar until now. (0:21:55) Codey: No idea, but I’m excited. (0:21:57) Al: Well, now you know. (0:22:00) Al: All right, that is the news. (0:22:03) Al: So we are now going to talk about the game of the moment. (0:22:07) Al: Game of the Year, lol. (0:22:10) Codey: No, redacted. (0:22:11) Al: Sugardew Island, I’m sure it will be mentioned in the Game (0:22:16) Al: of the Year episode. (0:22:20) Al: Because I list all the games that come out in the air. (0:22:22) Al: And yeah. (0:22:24) Codey: Mm-hmm. You played it. I didn’t. (0:22:24) Al: So. Oh, boy, did I. (0:22:27) Al: Play this game. Right. (0:22:28) Al: So where do I start with this? (0:22:33) Al: Oh, OK. (0:22:34) Al: Cody’s just posted the blog post of the blurb. (0:22:37) Al: So apparently that’s where I’m starting in this code in this cozy farming game. (0:22:38) Codey: you don’t have to if you don’t. (0:22:41) Al: You have to run your own farm shop, take care of your animals and your farm. (0:22:45) Al: So your goods to the cute forest folk upgrade the island and fulfill small (0:22:50) Al: orders from the Harmony Tree to fill the island with life again. (0:22:54) Al: And let me tell you, that is all technically (0:22:57) Al: true. (0:22:58) Codey: Wow okay. Not the… there are no lies but not maybe the main part of the game. (0:23:00) Al: There are no lies there. (0:23:06) Al: No, no, no, it’s it’s this. (0:23:07) Codey: Okay. (0:23:09) Al: OK, right. Well, it’s I think it’s hard for me to give a good (0:23:10) Codey: Let’s dive into it. (0:23:14) Al: overview without just kind of going into the details. (0:23:16) Codey: Okay. (0:23:18) Al: But essentially, yeah, you have this island (0:23:21) Al: which it calls five, no, six different islands, but it’s not because they’re all (0:23:27) Al: island. They’re connected by land. (0:23:30) Al: There is there’s no bridges between them. (0:23:32) Al: There’s no water between. (0:23:33) Al: This is one island, right? (0:23:34) Al: I don’t know why it calls it multiple islands. (0:23:36) Al: Whatever doesn’t matter. (0:23:38) Al: You have Farm Island. (0:23:40) Al: I think that’s what they call the main one. (0:23:42) Al: And then you have let me get the exact (0:23:44) Al: names of these different islands for you because you need to hear them. (0:23:49) Al: We have so. (0:23:51) Al: Yeah, Farm Island. (0:23:53) Al: So technically this Seven Islands, because it’s Farm Island, (0:23:57) Al: forest island, bunny island, piggy island, deer island, ferret island and owl island. (0:24:04) Al: And it’s kind of shaped like an animal’s paw. (0:24:08) Codey: Oh, okay. (0:24:09) Al: On the map with like Farm Island at the bottom, that is, can you guess what’s there? (0:24:13) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:24:14) Codey: A farm. (0:24:15) Al: That’s your farm. (0:24:17) Al: And then in the middle is forest island. (0:24:19) Al: Can you guess what’s there? (0:24:19) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:24:21) Codey: Um, the desert, the forest. (0:24:24) Al: No. (0:24:25) Al: There’s actually not many trees there. (0:24:27) Al: But one big tree. (0:24:28) Codey: Oh, so it’s a, it’s a. (0:24:30) Al: There are more trees on my farm than there are in the forest. (0:24:33) Al: And then spreading out like the toes of the paw or the bunny island, (0:24:38) Al: piggy island, deer island, ferret island and owl island. (0:24:42) Al: And those all have animals on them. (0:24:45) Codey: Yeah. (0:24:48) Al: So you start off with, I think, one island having one animal on it. (0:24:53) Al: I think you have one bunny unlocked to start with. (0:24:55) Al: and then as you progress through the game. (0:24:57) Al: You unlock more animals on the islands up to, I think five on each. (0:25:02) Al: And these animals give you seeds that you can use to farm free seeds. (0:25:07) Al: You go up to one and it will go like, Oh, here, here you go. (0:25:09) Al: Here’s some carrot seeds, um, stuff like that. (0:25:14) Al: And, uh, when you unlock one of the animals, you also get like an upgrade to something. (0:25:20) Al: So, uh, examples of the upgrades would be you can now get pumpkin seeds or you can now (0:25:27) Al: upgrade your, your tools. (0:25:29) Al: You can now upgrade your shop stuff like that. (0:25:32) Al: So there’s, it’s a, it’s the pro that’s the kind of main progress through the game. (0:25:38) Al: And how do you unlock these things? (0:25:40) Al: You ask, well, you get a currency called Harmony. (0:25:44) Al: There’s only one way to get this currency and that is by selling things at the shop. (0:25:48) Al: So you cannot, you can get the other currency, which is called sugar dew, (0:25:53) Al: which is like the actual currency that you use to buy things. (0:25:56) Al: things. (0:25:57) Al: You can get that two other ways, you can sell to, like there’s one guy who sells you seeds, (0:26:02) Al: you can sell him stuff, but you don’t get the harmony that way. Or you can do, as it mentioned (0:26:07) Al: in the blurb, these small orders from the harmony tree. Those are the harvest sprites will ask for (0:26:18) Al: certain things and you can give them certain things and that will get you sugared you as well. Those (0:26:22) Al: tend to be like higher value things, so what would normally sell for? (0:26:25) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:26:27) Al: We’ll get to the shop later, because I have a lot to talk about about that, but let’s (0:26:44) Codey: Okay, I was gonna ask about this okay, okay (0:26:48) Al: get through this. (0:26:49) Al: So that’s the Island Unlocking, the main point of it is to get the unlocks so you can do (0:26:56) Al: other things. (0:26:57) Al: your tools and get different kinds of seeds and stuff like that. But it also unlocks more of these (0:27:02) Al: animals that you can go in and get seeds. And you seem to be able to get them basically infinitely. (0:27:07) Al: Right? Like if you walk between two islands, they’ll almost always have a seed for you. So you can (0:27:13) Al: like just constantly be getting free seeds, which I think is actually, yeah, which I think is really (0:27:13) Codey: Okay. Just go back and forth. (0:27:17) Al: good early on. It allows you to get a lot more seeds than you would otherwise be able to get. (0:27:24) Al: But I’ve hit the point where I’m like, this is just so much effort, I’m just. (0:27:27) Al: going to buy seeds, right? Because I’m now, you know, doing like 45 seeds a day. I’m not walking (0:27:33) Al: around the islands and interacting with the animals 45 times every single day, you know. (0:27:36) Codey: - Yeah. (0:27:40) Codey: Yeah. (0:27:41) Al: So there’s that. Farming wise, it’s pretty standard. But everything, it almost feels like (0:27:50) Al: it’s missed the last like 10 years of quality of life improvements in farming games. (0:27:56) Al: But it’s fine. (0:27:58) Al: What I will say is that your bag has two different buckets. (0:28:03) Al: I like having the tools in a different bucket because it doesn’t take up (0:28:06) Al: space to other things with it. (0:28:08) Al: So I will say that’s a good thing. (0:28:09) Al: I like that. (0:28:11) Al: That’s a thing. (0:28:14) Al: I don’t know what to say about the farming because it’s literally you (0:28:17) Al: till the land, you plant the seed, you water, it grows, you harvest it, right? (0:28:23) Al: It’s like standard farming. (0:28:24) Codey: That’s, that’s so innovative. (0:28:27) Codey: Uh, like how many types of seeds are there? (0:28:28) Al: So I have encountered maybe like 12. There’s a decent selection. It’s not humongous, but it’s a decent. I will say there don’t seem to be any seasons. (0:28:40) Al: So I’m on day 46 and I have not noticed any changes. It does have weather. I’ve noticed like three different weathers. So there’s rain, there’s sun, and then there’s wind. (0:28:54) Al: I don’t think wind does anything, it’s not like the storms and star- (0:28:57) Al: where sometimes you can’t go out the house, or it does something else, it’s just you see some wind. (0:29:02) Al: So I’m not really sure what that does, but yeah, the rain is good, it waters your plants standard. (0:29:10) Codey: love that. How is the, like, are the crops, like, well, not displayed, but like the visuals (0:29:19) Codey: of it really decent or are they pretty basic? (0:29:22) Al: I think if you like how the game looks you’ll like that. It is very much a choice how it (0:29:31) Al: looks. I’m not a huge fan, but yeah it’s not like you just see the crop up here on the (0:29:37) Al: ground or anything. They do have growth and they slowly grow and then you’ve got it on (0:29:42) Al: its plant and then you see the corn come off the plant, that sort of stuff. Interestingly (0:29:49) Al: I will say lots of the seeds look exactly (0:29:52) Al: the same. I’ve seen maybe three different kinds of seeds, so that can be a little bit (0:29:54) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:29:56) Al: weird. But the actual plants, they’re all unique and look so that’s fine, I guess. (0:30:00) Codey: Okay. (0:30:04) Codey: I suppose. (0:30:08) Al: Well, let me put it this way. Nothing excites me in this game. (0:30:13) Al: What else about the farming? You seem, I think, you upgrade like being able to (0:30:20) Al: So the seeds. (0:30:22) Al: So I’ve upgraded to the second watering can, which gives me a three by one instead of a one by one. (0:30:28) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:30:30) Al: And I can now sow seeds three by one as well. (0:30:34) Al: So I like that because some farming games forget that that that sewing seeds takes a long time. (0:30:34) Codey: Okay. (0:30:38) Al: And please give me an upgrade for that as well. (0:30:39) Codey: Yeah. (0:30:40) Al: So so that’s that’s good. (0:30:42) Al: I don’t think there’s anything really much to say about the farming. (0:30:46) Al: You get. Oh, yes, here’s one. You get three crops for every seed you plant. (0:30:50) Al: So if you plan, if you plant 10. (0:30:50) Codey: The benefit of the crops, is it just for selling or in your shop? (0:30:52) Al: And as far as I can see, you can only get it by buying it from the seed man. (0:31:00) Codey: Is there any cooking at all? (0:31:19) Al: I have not figured out a way to be able to. (0:31:22) Al: And I’ve not seen anything in the list of upgrades that would imply that you can unlock that later, which, if you can, feels weird that you can’t do it. (0:31:30) Al: Because I feel like I am maybe like halfway through the game, right? (0:31:34) Al: Like I’ve unlocked each of the islands to at least level three, and I’ve done two of them, one of them to level four, and I’m working on another one to level four, right? (0:31:43) Al: And that’s out of five. (0:31:44) Al: So I feel like I’m like I don’t think I could play this for another 10 hours and not have the. (0:31:52) Al: I’m all unlocked, so it would be weird if there was cooking and I just hadn’t unlocked it. (0:31:59) Codey: That is a choice, because I feel like people that farm are the ones that usually cook as well. (0:32:09) Codey: They’re more prone to cooking their own meals with their own food, but… (0:32:14) Codey: Mhmm. (0:32:14) Al: Well, and cooking is sometimes the only thing that gets you through the early stages of (0:32:18) Al: these farming games, right? (0:32:19) Al: Because you’re like, “I can’t do everything I want to do.” (0:32:20) Codey: Mhmm. (0:32:22) Al: And so you use some of your crops for energy instead. (0:32:24) Codey: Mhmm. (0:32:27) Al: Like that’s a pretty standard thing, and it does feel like a weird, especially with something (0:32:32) Al: at the shop, which I’ll get to in a minute. (0:32:34) Al: Let’s quickly talk about the animals. (0:32:34) Codey: Mhmm. Okay. Okay. Are these the animals on the islands or like farm animals on your (0:32:37) Al: The animals are fine. (0:32:40) Al: You buy an animal, you give it some food, it gives you some crops. (0:32:44) Al: Not crops, some produce. (0:32:48) Al: No, so these are farm animals, farm animals. (0:32:50) Codey: farm? Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. (0:32:52) Al: So I’ve got cows and chickens so far, and I believe you can get goats and ducks at least (0:32:57) Al: as well. (0:32:58) Al: I’ve seen them on the upgrade tree. (0:33:01) Al: I don’t know if there’s anything else. (0:33:04) Al: But yeah, they’re fine. (0:33:06) Al: One thing that is nice that some farming games do and some don’t is that as you upgrade the (0:33:11) Al: friendship to give you multiple produce in one day. (0:33:13) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:33:15) Al: So, and the produce is worth more than most of the crops, so you can invest a lot of money into (0:33:23) Al: the animals and get a lot of money that way, I think. Wheat, just wheat, which you can farm (0:33:28) Codey: What do the animals eat? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Is there quality to their products or is it just amount? (0:33:32) Al: yourself, so there is that. All right. No, no, it’s just, it’s just crops. (0:33:44) Al: There are two kinds of fertilizer. There is wet fertilizer and dry fertilizer. (0:33:49) Al: Yep, I don’t know why they chose the word wet. I do not enjoy that. (0:33:55) Al: Dry fertilizer speeds up the growing. Wet fertilizer keeps it watered. (0:34:00) Codey: That’s the choice. Are these things that you get from the animals? (0:34:04) Al: No, so you craft them from weeds. Oh yeah, let’s talk about, let’s talk about, so around your farm, (0:34:11) Al: obviously you have weeds and stones and trees and these things come back. (0:34:14) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:34:14) Al: They come back super quickly, like, oh, my word, rocks, rocks, I got rid of all the rocks from one, like, what is that like a 15 by 10 section I got rid of all the rocks from there, and then the next day I have nine rocks, nine rocks spawning in this small section in a day, it is so hard. (0:34:19) Codey: Hey, that’s that’s realistic, I mean maybe not like the rocks no (0:34:42) Codey: Nature is healing. (0:34:44) Al: To get rid of all this stuff and it’s like you have to like basically concrete over your farm if you don’t want these things to spawn. There’s so many of them. (0:34:52) Codey: I mean, it’s the rocks are plentiful in this spit a land, you know, they just love each other and (0:34:59) Codey: they’re making their rock babies. Yeah. What are you using like the rocks and the all that for? (0:35:02) Al: It’s just it’s not I feel like you could half it and it would still feel like a lot (0:35:11) Al: Very little there’s like some crafting things, but it’s like path like I’m I’m using the stone to create path (0:35:19) Al: to stop stone spawning (0:35:22) Al: In my in my crafting thing I can see like I can use the stone for some path (0:35:27) Al: I can use the WID for some path. I can use the WID… (0:35:32) Al: …for fences and that’s it. You do use the stone in the WID for house upgrades, but I do not care about it. Why would I care about house upgrades? (0:35:38) Codey: Mm hmm. Because you want a bigger house. (0:35:44) Al: Why? It doesn’t do anything. I never spend any time in my house. You can’t put anything there. (0:35:48) Codey: Doesn’t matter. When after a good hard day’s work, you want to come home to things. (0:35:56) Codey: Merica. Yeah, I don’t know. It sounds like this game is like half-baked. Okay. Okay. (0:35:59) Al: Yeah, so it’s bizarre. Oh, for sure, for sure. Speaking of half-baked, let’s talk about the shop. (0:36:07) Al: Oh, this is the worst part of the game. I just noticed I did the groan and I typed, (0:36:16) Al: that was apparently my top bullet point on this list. That was accidental. (0:36:18) Codey: What is the, how do you say that, the way that you typed it, ugh, okay. (0:36:26) Al: So, first of all, you have to… (0:36:29) Al: Use up stamina to sell things in the shop, which, considering you cannot replenish your (0:36:36) Al: stamina with your crops, you have to buy energy things. That is such a weird choice, especially (0:36:42) Al: as you don’t use up stamina to do anything to do with your animals. To milk your cows, (0:36:46) Codey: I will say my animals give me life every day, so that coming out net pause net. (0:36:48) Al: pet your cows, feed your cows, no stamina loss. Sewing seeds does not have stamina. (0:36:58) Codey: Okay, that’s a lie. (0:36:59) Al: But selling at the shop does? (0:37:00) Codey: Maybe, maybe they’re introverted. (0:37:04) Codey: Social interaction is hard. (0:37:07) Al: It’s not fun. Let me put it that way, right? (0:37:10) Codey: Social interaction is hard. (0:37:15) Al: I’m at the point in my farm where I have so many crops that I can only ever go to my shop (0:37:20) Al: on a rainy day. Because I run out of stamina by the end of my farming. (0:37:26) Codey: - Yeah, is there, wait, my brain is potato. (0:37:29) Codey: Can you upgrade your stamina? (0:37:30) Codey: Like increase your, the amount of? (0:37:31) Al: I don’t know, because there’s no number on it, there’s just a bar. And it does say that I’m (0:37:38) Al: upgrading my level, but I don’t know if that upgrades my stamina or not. Hard to know, (0:37:44) Al: because there’s no transparency there. Okay, so you go in and you say you have like four counters, (0:37:55) Al: you can put one stack of items on each counter. And then you go, right, I’m opening the shop now, (0:38:00) Al: You can do it once per day. (0:38:01) Al: You can spend as much time as you want doing things and then you go to your shop and you open the shop and when your shop closes, it’s night time. (0:38:16) Al: That is how this works, which I think is an interesting way of doing things. (0:38:20) Al: It has not been implemented particularly well here. It’s not particularly interesting in this game, but it is an interesting idea. (0:38:27) Al: That is what I will say. (0:38:28) Codey: OK, props for the idea, not for the execution. (0:38:29) Al: Sorry. (0:38:32) Al: Yes, so you open your shop and then these random village creatures who you never see at any other point in the game. (0:38:41) Codey: Yeah, I was gonna that was my next question. (0:38:42) Al: They come in. Where do they come from? I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Don’t question it. (0:38:49) Al: So they pop into the shop and you can have like an infinite line of these creatures coming in as long as you still have stamina and you still have items on the counter. (0:39:01) Al: And they will go, they’ll wander around and they’ll pick something up, some number of one of your items and they will take it to you and they will either be like, “I want to buy this.” (0:39:10) Al: Or they’ll be like, “I maybe want to buy this.” If they want to buy it, you click the button, you sell it. Great. (0:39:17) Al: If they’re not sure, you get to convince them. And what you can do is you can either say, like, you can choose one of three things. You can either do like the middle one. (0:39:27) Al: one, and if it’s more likely. (0:39:31) Al: Or is the normal likelihood of them selling, and you get the normal amount of money? (0:39:36) Al: If you choose the higher one, there is less likelihood of them buying, (0:39:40) Al: but you get more money, and if you choose the lower one, you get less money, (0:39:44) Al: and there’s a higher chance of them getting it. (0:39:46) Codey: Does it sound like that’s how it works? (0:39:47) Al: Sounds like an interesting idea, right? (0:39:50) Al: Except… (0:39:53) Al: Just sell it the next day. (0:39:55) Al: Why would I ever choose anything other than the top one? (0:39:59) Al: Because I have a chance of getting more money. (0:40:01) Al: And if I don’t sell it, I will sell it the next day. (0:40:02) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:04) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:06) Al: There is no reason whatsoever to ever choose the lower one. (0:40:08) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:11) Al: I can just sell it the next day. (0:40:12) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:14) Al: This is not a problem. (0:40:16) Al: I don’t understand. (0:40:17) Al: This is the most half-baked idea for a shop I have ever, ever seen. (0:40:22) Al: I don’t, I don’t understand it. (0:40:22) Codey: Also, just imagining, just imagining like being in a shop (0:40:27) Codey: in the real and having someone look at the price tag and they (0:40:30) Codey: come up and they’re like, I don’t know. I don’t know if I (0:40:31) Al: So, well, the lower behind it is they say, “Oh, you’re right, here’s a tip.” (0:40:34) Codey: want this. How in the hell are you convincing them to spend (0:40:37) Codey: more money on it in the end? (0:40:45) Codey: Oh, (0:40:47) Al: That is the lower behind this. (0:40:48) Codey: Okay. Okay, and then. (0:40:50) Al: But also like all of the dialogue options are bad, right? (0:40:53) Al: Because what they’ll do is they’ll say like, “Oh, I have, I kid you not, this is the exact (0:40:57) Al: wording.” (0:40:58) Al: They’ll come up and they’ll say, “I thought I wanted…” (0:41:01) Al: It’s such, it’s just like, and I know that it’s probably just like, oh, they’re not native English speakers, but it’s just like, just remove the three times, right? (0:41:05) Codey: Well, yeah, the three times carrot at a home is like awful. (0:41:29) Al: and it would sound so much less bad. (0:41:31) Codey: Yeah (0:41:31) Al: It’s like, “Oh, you can never have too many carrots.” (0:41:33) Al: Rather than, “Oh, you can never have too many three-times-carrot.” (0:41:34) Codey: Yeah (0:41:37) Codey: I mean, but yeah that I mean even that like you can never have too many carrots like at a certain point (0:41:43) Al: I mean, it’s not true, but you know that there will be people saying that, right? (0:41:44) Codey: That’s you can (0:41:49) Al: Like, you can absolutely believe someone’s saying that in a shop. (0:41:52) Al: You can never have too many carrots. (0:41:52) Codey: I, I, I’m going to start saying that just to spite you. Okay, sausage. (0:41:54) Al: Nobody’s saying, “You can never have too many three-times-carrot.” (0:42:03) Al: Sausage roll thrice. (0:42:08) Codey: I want a quartet of sausage, please. (0:42:09) Al: Carrot thrice, please. (0:42:13) Codey: Thrice. Okay, the we’re gonna dial it back a little bit because a village creatures. (0:42:21) Al: I don’t know who they are! They’re humanoid, but like, short. They’re almost… (0:42:22) Codey: Are they’re human? (0:42:29) Codey: Okay, but short people are people too, Elle. (0:42:34) Al: I didn’t call them creatures, the game did. (0:42:36) Codey: Okay, okay, wait, what, what, what? (0:42:40) Al: I don’t know. It’s weird. Possibly, possibly. I think they’re meant to be like Harvest Sprites, (0:42:43) Codey: Is that maybe just a translation issue? (0:42:48) Al: Because, ironically, the game can… (0:42:51) Al: Characters in the game that are actually harvest sprites are like your size. (0:42:56) Al: And the characters that aren’t harvest sprites are harvest sprites size. (0:43:02) Codey: This is upside down world, opposite land. (0:43:05) Al: On so many levels, um, yeah. (0:43:08) Codey: Okay. (0:43:09) Codey: And are these the like, (0:43:12) Codey: okay, but you said you never see them elsewhere. (0:43:14) Codey: Like you don’t, there’s no village (0:43:16) Al: No (0:43:17) Codey: or they’re never wandering around Ferret Island. (0:43:19) Al: No, no, I have never seen them and I’ve played I’ve at least ten errors in it (0:43:26) Codey: Is the game, is there a mystery (0:43:29) Codey: as to why you don’t know where they are? (0:43:32) Al: It does not frame it like that, no. (0:43:33) Codey: Okay. (0:43:35) Codey: That was a choice. (0:43:37) Al: I don’t know where they’re coming from, nobody ever (0:43:39) Al: questions where they’re coming from, they just are. And there’s (0:43:43) Al: so many of them and you never see a single one until the minute (0:43:46) Al: you open the shop and there’s like a stream of them coming (0:43:49) Al: until you run out of stamina or items. (0:43:52) Codey: Mm-hmm. That does, that mechanic reminds me of garden paws because you did have a (0:43:58) Codey: shop in garden paws. There was no like haggling or whatever, but, um, in garden (0:44:04) Codey: paws, like it was just a line of thi-, of people that come until your shop closes. (0:44:08) Al: Yeah. It just keeps convincing me that I don’t think there is a good way to make a shop game. (0:44:15) Al: I just don’t think it’s possible. (0:44:17) Codey: That’s fair. (0:44:18) Codey: Oh, they also… (0:44:18) Al: Mineko got the closest and it only works because it’s like once a week and it’s super short and (0:44:23) Al: super quick. I don’t remember there being a shop where you’re selling stuff in that. (0:44:25) Codey: They also did spells and secrets (0:44:31) Codey: No, no, no, I’m just saying there I was looking to see what other games they’ve done and that is on their list (0:44:35) Al: Oh, okay. Yeah, so Roca play their their (0:44:38) Al: publisher. (0:44:39) Codey: Yeah, oh well why does (0:44:40) Al: They’re not developer. (0:44:40) Al: Oh, well, I think they have been a developer, but not for most games that you they’re linked (0:44:45) Al: to. (0:44:46) Codey: Okay (0:44:47) Al: They’re mostly a publisher. (0:44:48) Codey: They are the developer of this game though (0:44:49) Al: Oh, they are, are they? (0:44:52) Codey: Of this one specifically (0:44:53) Al: Okay. (0:44:54) Al: Right. (0:44:55) Al: So they are. (0:44:56) Codey: Okay (0:44:58) Al: They were there. (0:44:59) Al: They’re the second listed developer for spells and secrets. (0:45:02) Al: So probably not really. (0:45:04) Codey: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:45:06) Al: They also published the new game. (0:45:08) Al: It’s called A Game About Digging A Hole, which seems to be getting a lot of traction, (0:45:12) Al: but they didn’t develop that either. (0:45:14) Codey: The game about digging a hole. (0:45:14) Al: It’s all over the internet just now. (0:45:20) Al: It’s just interesting how hit and miss they seem to be. (0:45:23) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:45:24) Al: They’re publishing Solarpunk as well, which looks really good. (0:45:27) Codey: The game about digging a hole. (0:45:28) Al: Have you not seen this yet? (0:45:30) Codey: Oh, it’s literally called a game about digging a hole. (0:45:33) Al: It’s called A Game About Digging A Hole. (0:45:34) Codey: Oh, okay, keep going. (0:45:36) Al: It’s got very positive reviews on Steam. (0:45:39) Al: Six days ago, and it has nearly 4,000 reviews on Steam. (0:45:43) Al: It’s like blowing up. (0:45:43) Codey: Oh my god, I see it. This is… I would do that. I want to play this. (0:45:50) Al: It looks really good and people seem to really like it. They don’t seem to have a bar quality (0:45:53) Codey: Yeah. They’re just the publisher though. (0:45:58) Al: for their publishing, like some of them are great and some of them are SugarGee Island. (0:46:04) Codey: Specifically. (0:46:05) Al: Sorry, this is sounding really harsh. It’s fine. It’s not a terrible game, but I do not know why (0:46:09) Codey: They’re not batting a thousand. (0:46:13) Al: I would play this ahead of any farming game ever. That’s the thing. Why would I play this instead of (0:46:19) Al: of stargy. (0:46:20) Al: I would not play this instead of Coral Island. (0:46:23) Al: Why would I play this instead of Fields of Mistria? (0:46:26) Al: I wouldn’t. (0:46:26) Codey: - Mm-hmm, that’s fair. (0:46:29) Al: When I backed this on Kickstarter, I literally backed it saying, “I guess I’m going to cover (0:46:33) Al: this on the podcast,” like I’m not hating my time playing it, but I’m not like I must (0:46:38) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I was really. I was really shocked that you’re still playing that when (0:46:39) Al: be playing it, which weirdly I am doing with Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home. (0:46:45) Al: That’s what territory we’re in. (0:46:46) Al: I want to play Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home. (0:46:48) Al: I don’t want to play Shuku-jiu Island! (0:46:50) Al: I can’t stop, Cody! (0:46:55) Codey: I saw it on your thing. Well, you’re almost done. It’s okay. Okay, so these harvest sprites. (0:47:04) Codey: Never see them except for when they’re buying from you. (0:47:06) Al: No, so that’s the the harvest sprites are different. (0:47:10) Al: So these are the what do they call them? (0:47:12) Al: Forest folk are the ones that buy from your shop. (0:47:16) Al: The harvest sprites are the ones that you sell stuff to with the like random requests. (0:47:22) Codey: Okay. (0:47:23) Al: They’ll be like, oh, I want these things and you can sell it and get more money for (0:47:26) Al: them, but no harmony. (0:

In einer nahen Zukunft besucht Kerrie ihren Großvater im Reservat. Dystopische Geschichte mit einem Hoffnungsschimmer von Ryek Darkener. Anhören

Support Night Clerk Radio on PatreonIn this episode we're digging into Solarpunk, a multi-media art movement that aims to build a vision of a more optimistic future, free from the crushing doom of environmental collapse. We talk about the movement, some example media, and our thoughts on movements becoming aesthetics. So, come in from your rooftop garden and join us as we take a more hopeful view of the future.Music SampledLight Blending In - Snowy Sunset from Solarpunk: A Possible Future by Various Artists Media DiscussedSolarpunk: A Possible Future by Various Artistsピアノの独り言 by desert sand feels warm at nightSolarpunk: A Container for More Fertile FuturesSolarpunk Futurism Seems Optimistic and Whimsical. But Not Really.Solarpunk as an Optimistic Vision of the Future: An IntroductionSolarpunk: Notes toward a manifestoGames tagged Solarpunk on itch.ioSOLARPUNK – Life in the Future Beyond the Rusted Chrome of YestermorrowDark EcologyMan Living in a Sustainable & Innovative Earthship Home - Full TourEarthship Underground House Tour- Sustainable and Net Zero Living... CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

In this episode, Alan and Diane talk to teacher, author, Solarpunk, and witch, Brightflame. We discuss how Solarpunk relates to witchcraft, second world fantasy, Marion Zimmer Bradley, inspiring art with questionable creators, your shadow self, the Reclaiming Tradition, Witch Camp, how to know if you're doing enough politically, writing a community of characters, stereotypes, and much more. If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

Due to personal issues, Christina couldn't take part in the original interview with Andy Gross about the solarpunk role playing game Fully Automated! that made up S6E2. But she had questions. In this episode, she had a chance to ask them. Before you grab your dice and download the game (for free!) at https://fullyautomatedrpg.com/ have a listen! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is our special holiday gift to you! Happy holidays! In fact, it's all about you. Shi, an energy economist (and an avid Climify fan) was selected amongst many listeners like you to be featured on our program to talk all things Climify and, of course, climate action.Joining Shi and Eric are awesome members of the Climify team (Bhavna and Jacqui) to discuss Shi's climate work and solarpunk dreams. Throughout this forty minute conversation, Shi reflects on her journey from studying oil and gas markets to promoting sustainable living, solar for all, and the role of individual actions in driving systemic change.We hope you all realize how important you are to the success of the show (and the climate movement) and hope to speak with you again in the new year! Happy 2025! Let's keep fighting for climate!

Today I struggle to recall the podcast I listened to interviewing Sara Walker talking about Assembly Theory and the origins of life. So instead talk more about philosophy, Solarpunk, scifi, and the importance of giving alternatives alongside critiques.

In this episode of the Book Navigator column, Navarre Bartz reviews a collection of short fiction, a children's fiction series, as well as a lot of nonfiction including: Solarpunk Creatures by World Weaver Press Penelope Rex by Ryan T. Higgins The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow How to Build with Grid Beam  by Phil Jergenson Better Sleep For Overacheivers by Anne Bartolucci

In this episode, we explore Bitcoin's meteoric rise to $100K and its implications through a solarpunk lens. We dive into Bitcoin's history, its role as digital gold, and why it resonates with solarpunk ideals like community-driven governance and decentralized solutions. We discuss the future of crypto in a sustainable world, from its grassroots origins to its integration with micro-mobility and virtual economies. With nods to topics like circular economies and green spaces, this episode unpacks how cryptocurrency fits into a just energy transition and a post-fossil fuel society. Whether you're a Bitcoin newbie, a seasoned investor, or curious about how solarpunk values align with decentralized technologies, this episode is your guide to reimagining the future of finance, freedom, and sustainability.

Support Night Clerk Radio on PatreonAnnouncement: Ross is going on vacation so this will be the only public episode this month. We may also miss one episode in December. Patreon episodes will continue as expected. Thanks for your understanding.In this episode, we're getting back into some crowd-sourced crate digging. We're scrolling back in time through our Patreon Discord and checking out albums suggested by our listeners. Join us as we discuss 13 albums that cover everything from classic vaporwave to dungeon synth ambient to improvisational jazz and hip hop.Albums DiscussedThe first machine by Infinity FrequenciesTempat Angker: Horror Movie OSTs and Sound FX from Indonesia (1971​​​-​​​2015) by VariousQuiet Storms by DoloreBellow by Witch BoltIn Bloom by Dante LeraeThe Theory Of Premonitions by MabisyoCyanide by CyanBlueCool World by Chat PileSUPER RETROID 2049: DNA Resequenced by below the smokeDRUM MACHINE by Arsenal MikebeAll We Do by RADIOHOPInverted Land by Voyage FuturThe Berklee Sessions by Scanner & Neil Leonard CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellRoss on TwitterBirk on TwitterNight Clerk Radio on TwitterNight Clerk Radio on InstagramNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Biopunk, Solarpunk, and punkcetera. What does all of it mean? What makes a genre "punk?" The DRS Crew discusses. Our links: Paul's site:  https://shadowpublications.com Terry's site: https://www.terrymixon.com/ Veronica: http://www.voicesbyveronica.com/ Enjoy the show? Consider becoming a Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee supporter and for as little as $1 a month, you can help keep the podcast free and receive exclusive content. More information at https://patreon.com/drspodcast  and https://buymeacoffee.com/drspodcast.  

My productivity hack: https://magicmind.com/RANDIEPD20Use my code RANDIEPD20 for 20% off #magicmind..Hey y'all,The temptation to roll over and die is . . . well, tempting. But in this Indie Randie details the 4 things keeping her afloat, helping her resist despair, and inspiring her to imagine a better future. Because if Bisan from Gaza can show up, then so will she.Tune in as the shorter half of the BMM podcast shares her feelings on the world around her, the fear she and everyone else is feeling, and the raging determination she has to survive as those who came before her did.In the EP, Randie talks green juices, the Dodo Bird's Youtube channel, her favorite go to app for self-care, and her new found fascination for Solarpunk art, activism, and literature.She hopes you're being extra extra extra extra compassionate towards yourselves. And hopes you're also taking care of your mental, physical, and all the things in between. Why? Because she wants you to survive too.Items Mentioned:→ My productivity hack: https://magicmind.com/RANDIEPD20Use my code RANDIEPD20 for 20% off #magicmind → Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler: https://bookshop.org/p/books/parable-of-the-sower-octavia-e-butler/19767724?ean=9781538732182→ Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, by Tricia Hersey: → https://shorturl.at/F85If → Finch App: https://finchcare.com/Become my friend. Binxie would love to meet you! → Randie's Friend Code: HEB6GN4MLD→ Get the rest of the EP's resources and mentions: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qs5afe3o6nd9mljfv0cup/EP-RESOURCES.pdf?rlkey=rq301e6yc9inkm1mpdaga4ofj&st=4g3zn504&dl=0 Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/black-millennial-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Academics from everywhere experiment, collaborate, and even interpret our stories of "This one time at Burning Man."In this episode, Stuart talks with people from Burning Nerds, an annual gathering of academics in Black Rock City. They keep it light, though; not too many unnecessarily fancy words. Dr Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä shares about the Open Strategy management technique used by Burning Man Project that gives more power to the people. Bryan Yazell and Patricia Wolf of University of Southern Denmark report on using Flash Fiction in BRC to develop a new subgenre of sci-fi called climate fiction (‘cli-fi'), stories that are less dystopian, even less utopian, more protopian (fancy word) about society that improves over time, rather than transcending all it's problems or descending into dysfunction.Professor Matt Zook of University of Kentucky extols the unique aspects of Black Rock City, from materiality to temporality, to being a place apart. He and Stuart explore the interplay between digital and physical spaces, and what about community actually makes it good.Then Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä returns to reveal how the Burning Stories project, now in its 6th year of tracking tales, is now a cultural repository, and is training a gifted AI on how Burners be Burning.jukkapekka.comsdu.dk/en/persons/yazellsdu.dk/en/persons/pawogeography.as.uky.edu/users/zookburningman.org/programs/philosophical-center/academicsregionals.burningman.org/european-leadership-summitburning-stories.comkk.org/thetechnium/protopiasdu.dk/en/paca-at-burning-man-festival-2024 LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

This week on Solarpunk Presents, we're bringing you an interview with Andy Gross, one of the brilliant minds behind Fully Automated! A Solarpunk TableTop RPG (Role-Playing Game). Don't worry, you don't need to know game jargon to follow along for this one - solarpunk storytelling comes in a lot of different forms, and this is yet another kind for people to use to imagine a kinder, greener future that strives towards a utopia … of sorts.RPGs get a reputation for being all about fighting. How does that work if the RPG is solarpunk? Or utopian even? What is an RPG, in the first place? What is the usefulness of a solarpunk RPG? Join us as we discuss these questions and more.Art used in episode cover is by https://patreon.com/seanbodley and...Links:You can find Fully Automated at https://fullyautomatedrpg.com/The Sogorea Te Land Trust: https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/Solarpunk 2050: http://solarpunk2050.de/ Solarpunk Pioneers Fund: http://solarpunk-pioneers.org/ Coyote & Crow: https://coyoteandcrow.net/ Lunar Echos: https://affinity-games.itch.io/ Neon Black: https://notwriting.itch.io/ Legacy: Life Among the Ruins: https://ufopress.co.uk/legacy-life-among-the-ruins/ Fighting for the Future: https://www.android-press.com/product-page/fighting-for-the-future-ebook “Murder in the Tool Library” by AE Marling: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-the-tool-library-a-e-marling/1144354144 “Fully Automated Luxury Communism: A Manifesto” by Aaron Bastani: https://www.versobooks.com/products/476-fully-automated-luxury-communism “Four Futures: Life After Capitalism” by Peter Fraise: https://www.versobooks.com/products/59-four-futures Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Solarpunk Presents Podcast, Ariel chats with Selena Middleton, Publisher and Editor of Stelliform Press, all about publishing eco-fiction. What is eco-horror, and how does it relate to solarpunk fiction? What are the hallmarks of a good solarpunk story, according to Selena? How does history fit into visions of the future, and what does character have to do with it? Join us as we discuss all this and more.Links: Stelliform Press websiteDepart! Depart! by Sim KernAnother Life by Sarena UlibarriGreen Fuse Burning by Tiffany MorrisThe House of Drought by Dennis Mombauer Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, look! It’s episode 105 of Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick, the podcast about making stuff (mostly writing), finding success as we each define it for ourselves, and staying healthy and sane in the process! This is an interview episode, this time featuring the author Juliet Kemp. From their website: Juliet Kemp (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, writer. They live in London by the river, with their partners, kid, and dog. The first book of their fantasy series, The Deep and Shining Dark, was on the Locus 2018 Recommended Reads list; the fourth and final book, The City Revealed, came out in 2023. They have written several novellas, and their short fiction has appeared in venues including Uncanny, Analog, and Cast of Wonders. They were short-listed for the WSFA Small Press Award in 2020 and 2023 and had a story in the anthology Trans-Galactic Bike Ride, which was Lambda Award shortlisted in 2021. When not writing or child-wrangling, Juliet knits, indulges their fountain pen habit, and tries to fit an ever-increasing number of plants into a microscopic back garden. They can be found on Twitter as @julietk, on Mastodon as @juliet@zirk.us, and on Bluesky as @julietk.bsky.social. Listen to hear us muse on fiction writing as a balm for anxiety, the challenges of defining just what sort of fantasy one has written, the validity of “comfort reads,” reaching the right readers, the benefits of working with a small press, procrastination and uncertainty, and why it’s okay to claim your writing as a priority in your life… and just how to go about actually doing that, too… This episode was recorded on August 19, 2024. The conversation with Juliet Kemp was recorded on February 5, 2024. Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode What is Hopepunk? How about Solarpunk? Juliet mentions Greg Egan. I mention “the Killer Bs,” Greg Bear, Greg Benford, and David Brin. An Archive of Our Own is a haven for fan fiction. My Sonitotum episode on how to fix the Amazon bookstore. During the episode, I couldn’t recall the name of a tag-based reading recommendation website. It’s The StoryGraph. Juliet mentions digging the Doctor Who novelizations from the 1980s. I bring up Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan books and the shared world series Wildcards by George R. R. Martin and company. Juliet’s Marek series is published by Elsewhen Press. My oft-recommended choice for a full-screen / no-distractions / plain text editor, Q10, is recommended yet again! Speaking of focus: give Focus At Will a shot. Mechvibes gets another mention. Typewriter sounds for focus and momentum as your write! Big thanks to my Multiversalists patron community, including J. C. Hutchins, Zoë Kohen Ley, Jim Lewinson, Amelia Bowen, Ted Leonhardt, and Charles Anderson! I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my patrons. If Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick brings you joy, become a patron! Every month net earnings from my Multiversalist patron memberships is at least $100, I will donate 10% to 826 National in support of literacy and creative writing advocacy for children. Let’s go! Patron members get the uncut, unedited edition of every episode of Sonitotum. For this episode, that includes seventeen minutes of extra content just for them! This episode has extra content only available for patron members of the Multiversalists community! If you're a patron member at the Bronze level or above, please log in! Click here to learn more about the benefits of membership. This content is by Matthew Wayne Selznick and came from his website.

In the second Solarpunk column of 2024, scientist, engineer, and author Susan Kaye Quinn, explores community and it's importance to humans and Solarpunk.  Topics include working together, the importance of community, how social media and AI keep us from authentic connection, and why human-ness matters.

Nick and Spencer, the queer forces behind the ecological civilization Solarpunk Farms, joins us to chat about sustainability and what kinds of delicious veggies they grow on their farm! But first, the guys discuss Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito's wife, Martha-Ann Alito, and her wild, unfettered contempt for the Pride flag (Brent has a VERY surprising solution by the end). And finally, we gab about the summer of "hot rodent boyfriends," and at least one of us couldn't be happier!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://theapsocietyorg.wordpress.com/news-and-events/suntree-retreat-2024/   Episode from 2022 Suntree: https://thewonderpodcast.podbean.com/e/live-from-suntree-retreat/   ----more----     Mark: Welcome back to The Wonder, Science Based Paganism. I'm your host, Mark, Yucca: And I'm Yucca. Mark: and today we have a really exciting group of people to talk about a really exciting upcoming event, which is the Sun Tree Retreat, which is the second of these retreats that we've held in person for atheopagans from all over the world who can come. Held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it's going to be over Labor Day weekend this summer. So, I'd like to introduce our two panelists here, who were at the last one Rana and Michael. Michael: Hello. Yucca: Rana, we Mark: I can't hear you at all. Rana: Oh, thank you for having us. Yucca: Welcome. And I think both of you've been on the podcast before, right? So, welcome back. Michael: Oh, thanks. Can Yucca: Yeah. Michael: put that Yucca: So let's, let's start with the, some of the details because that's coming up really soon, right? That's Mark: It is, Yucca: two months, which is not very long. Mark: nope, not very long, especially if you have to get plane tickets and that kind of thing, so, Really encourage folks that want to go to get registered and get organized around it, because it's going to be a really good time. So, details. The event is August 30th, which is a Friday starting in the afternoon through noon ish or one o'clock or so 2nd. Registration includes nine meals. As a part of your, your registration fee you also need to register for lodging, which is very affordable and you can find all the information about it by going to the Athe O Pagan Society website, which is the ap society.org, THE ap society.org, Yucca: And the lodging has several diff oh, Michael: notes as well for this Yucca: absolutely, yeah, we'll put that in the show notes so that people can just go ahead and click on it. I was gonna say the lodging has several different options including tent camping, and yurt and Mark: guest house, you're. Yucca: I think it's dry camping, but you could, if you have an RV and you're in the area, you can do an RV too, is that correct? Mark: Yes, there are no hookups, but but there is parking for RVs. We had a couple of people, at least one couple came last time, actually in a school bus, Yucca: was really cool. Mark: was converted. It was really cool. Yucca: Yeah, Mark: So, Michael and Rana we wanted to talk some about why this event was so cool last time and what we're looking forward to going into this next one at the end of this summer. So why don't we start with kind of golden moments. Michael, you want to go ahead? Michael: I wanted to just say beforehand, you mentioned the meals, and one of the high points of it was the options available. Like, every dietary requirement was accommodated, I think. Mark: Yeah, Michael: The catering team there are fantastic, and I think people shouldn't feel concerned about food at all because the options were great the food was really high quality I think everybody felt really good about the food, so that was an important, that was a real high point so just wanted to make sure we got that mentioned. And, Mark: Yeah, great. Thank you. And, and eating together was really a high point for me. Just sitting down for meals, you know, they had these round tables that I think seated eight or ten or something like that, and different combinations of people would sit together for different meals. And so we got to know one another better in those mealtimes. So that was a high point for me. Somebody want to go with another cool thing that they remember from Suntree in 2022? Yucca: well, I remember Robin led these I'm not sure what you would really call it,  Rana: yeah, the meal acknowledgement. We have talked about them in the group, but it was really different being able to experience it together. And it was things like bringing to mind the history of our food or thinking about the systems that brought it to us today or the hands that it passed through. And we've had some discussion in Mihal's full moon. We were doing like a full moon lunch thing for a little while as well where we kind of continued that conversation and, and thinking about that, which is something that I find really enriching and really enjoy. Also want to strongly second the dietary accommodations that they had. I really, really appreciate it because I have a little bit of an odd diet and I felt. Really good and definitely did not lack for good options for food. Mark: Mihal, you want to go? Michael: yeah, what I found really interesting about the, The whole experience was how quickly we created a community in space particularly when we did our Fire Circle get togethers. And the kind of spontaneous sharing that occurred at those events was really amazing. People really just suddenly kind of created this family. in situ and it was it was great to be part of that. Just sometimes if you go to other kind of retreats it can take a while to kind of break down those those barriers we put up. Just as just as being human but it seemed within a just a few hours we'd kind of already started to create a special Sun Tree community and I thought that was fantastic. Mark: Yeah, I really agree with that. I mean, I've been to a whole lot of various kinds of pagan gatherings and retreats of various sorts. And it seemed as though we just kind of got at this visceral level that we were among, you know, people that were of like mind and similar values. And so that we were safe. Right? We were all, we were all going to play nice with one another, and so we could talk about really deep stuff in our, in our lives, and in our, our experience. And I found that really moving throughout the whole long weekend. It was, it was, it came up over and over again. Yucca: I was also really struck just by the immediate level of respect and consent that was just part of the, Everybody had going in. So I had my five year old with me and in a lot of situations in our culture, people you know, will go up and touch five year old's heads and give them hugs and, you know, all of those sorts of things. And I remember it just being great because people automatically were so great with her about asking for her permission. Like, do you want a hug? And would you like to shake hands? And that was just the culture of it. And it was just so refreshing and wonderful to just be in that space, just from the get go. Like Mark: and I mean, we had, we had laid out guidelines around consent and around conduct because, you know, we wanted to be very clear about, you know, what the expectations are, but it seemed like people read them and were like, yeah, that's civilized behavior. That's how I'm going to be. And the subject Honestly, never came up. There was never a situation where somebody felt like they had been inappropriately touched or or somehow invaded in that kind of way. And I thought that was, that was really pretty amazing. Michael: I just wanted to talk about the actual place as well. The Retreat Center is Really, really phenomenal. There's this beautiful forest. You're kind of just on the edge of Colorado Springs, so it's not too far from any stores or anything that you might need. But once you get in there, you suddenly feel like The outside world has disappeared just in this beautiful forest really a fantastic place just to go for walks just to go into the forest by yourself if you want to go for I think one of the big highlights was that we had a lunar eclipse while we were, while we were there, and being able to all, for the whole, all of us to go out there onto this big lawn and just stare up at the, at the moon together, and people howling at the moon, it was It was just a really fantastic experience as well especially just having that, we, we had the the Ponderosa Lodge, which is this big log cabin lodge that we can use for a lot of our activities, for rituals, and for our workshops. And that's a real, that's, that's a really nice space as well, there are different rooms, so you can kind of break off and do different things with people, or you can kind of come to the main room and have a bigger discussion. We had dance parties there, we had the Carnival of Change, which was a chance to kind of take on a different persona, like dress up. be a different version of yourself for the evening. So I think the whole, the whole retreat center just kind of facilitates that. There's a, there's a labyrinth there as well, which we didn't really incorporate too much into any rituals the last time around, but I think we're going to try and bring that in more this time around. Mark: Yeah, it's a beautiful spot. Rano? Rana: Yeah, the, the shared experience of the lunar eclipse was pretty special and it, it just so perfectly aligned with what we were doing. It was the same night as the Carnival of Change and it just felt like great, like the weather cooperated and we got to see this cool celestial event. It wasn't even at a super late time, like it was, it felt like a Yucca: like eight or nine. Yeah, Rana: Yeah, yeah, it felt like started our evening, kind of, or, you know, it didn't, it wasn't, you know, too far on late night or anything. The Carnival of Change itself was really fun, just to be able to play dress up together and listen to some music and, and just have fun. And I also like, like Michael said being able to split off into other little rooms and areas. It And I think for me, something that I really appreciated was the ability to have these just kind of unplanned moments where so much of our online interactions are very scheduled and it, you just show up at a certain time and there's a group of people and that's kind of mostly how it's gone. But, like, I just remember some folks were up later one night just all chatting and hanging out. And I love that feeling of if you're up late and feeling a little bit chatty or sociable, you can just kind of see who's up and just take a seat and hang out for a bit. And that's something that otherwise has felt like not really something we have access to. So it was particularly nice just to be able to connect in a more organic way, depending on how you're feeling. Mark: hmm. Yeah. Nihal? Michael: Yeah I think we, there was a lot of, there's been some learnings from that event as well, and I think there, we were really concerned about accessibility this time around, because there was a lot of movement between different areas. And so this time around we are definitely going to be making it more accessible as well. There's going to be designated drivers, so we want to make sure that everybody feels comfortable and everybody's able to take part in all the different events that we're having. So, I, I know that there's going to be a lot of more accessibility this time around, especially just in terms of shuttling people around the property. Yucca: Because there were a few hills and we were moving from the bottom of the hill back up to the dining room and then back down. Michael: Yes, yes, yeah, but I think we, Mark: and we were at 7, 000 feet. Michael: that was another, yeah  Mark: yeah one of the things that we learned from the Sun Tree Retreat in 2022 is that we had programmed a lot of the time, but some of the most memorable and wonderful moments were the unscripted times. The, the, The break periods when we could just gather together and socialize, or plan what we wanted to do for a rite of passage during the rite of passage period that we had later on, which was one of the most moving things to me. That was really an experience. So this time we've programmed in more free time. There's still plenty of workshops and, and rituals and experiences to have, but we've made it a little bit looser so that people have opportunities just to hang out and experience the place and one another. Michael: yeah, yeah, I just wanted to I might talk about the rites of passage a bit more because that was quite a unique experience. I guess we didn't really know how that was going to go because it's kind of like, it's a make your own ritual event, basically. You, you just DIY it with some help from some friends. So I think people were, they had various things that they wanted to celebrate or commemorate and or mark the end of a period in their life, or the start of a period in their life. And we all came together and celebrated those those events together. And I think what was really amazing was just the creativity that people brought to their rituals. Really very moving and even though they were very personal, I felt that We all kind of, as a community, came together and it became something for all of us. Mark: Yeah. I felt so included in all of those rituals. I felt like my being there mattered. And even if just as a witness and that. You know, that there was room for everyone to have the kind of experience that they wanted to have. And it, and we, we ended the rites of passage with a wedding, which was sweet. It's kind of, you know, the classic act four of the movie, right? And that was really lovely. So, I was, I was super happy with that, and we're doing that rites of passage process again this summer. Michael: Maybe we could talk about some of the workshops that took, that people liked. Mark: Oh, yeah. Michael: I really, I think one of the highlights was the Cosmala workshop, bead workshop, which is basically making a bead necklace that, with each bead representing an important part of, in the life of the universe, or in your own personal life, or just various different events that you want to commemorate. That's, that's kind of right, isn't it? Or was there any Mark: John Cleland Host, who is our friend and a real innovator in the whole realm of naturalistic paganism, one of the earliest people to write about it in its new resurgence. He has this amazing more than a hundred bead string. Of, that all, it starts with the Big Bang and it works all the way until, at least until the Sun Tree Retreat, because he had special beads made for the Sun Tree Retreat that he distributed to people so they could put them on their own cosmola. That was very, very cool. And some of them are signed by people like Starhawk and Jane Goodall and just really a fascinating, wonderful ritual tool and evocative piece of art. Yucca: so there were a lot of different styles of workshops too. There was a, like a history one and there was a John did another one which was like the Wheel of the Year, which he had some really cool handouts for too for that. Mark: We live the year for families, which I thought was really wonderful. You know, a lot of people in our community have families that they're working to build traditions with together, and so, and John has really, you know, pioneered some of that, you know, working with his, with his wife and his sons. And just had a lot of great ideas about different things he could do at different times of the year and was, you know, freely sharing all that stuff. It was great. Rana: There was also a group guided meditation that we did outside overlooking Pikes Peak on their big, expansive, beautiful lawn with all the ponderosa pines, which I'd never, I don't think I'd ever seen them before. I'd never been to Colorado before. And that was really lovely just to kind of take a moment to be there and be present. And there was also a body painting. Which, I appreciated the, like, especially interactive stuff because it's something we're normally restricted about online. And I really loved Mihal's presentation about virtual meals because I think food is just such an integral way to connect with other people and you can infuse it with all this symbolism. And it gave me a lot of ideas. I need to revisit my notes on that and thinking forward to the next one a little bit too, just that ability to share food and those meal acknowledgements really adds to that feeling of making meaning with other people and making community. Michael: Yeah, we had a food altar as well, which was kind of cool. An abundance of food. People brought stuff to share. And I thought that was fantastic as well. Just, uh, one, one person brought some really good kimbap, which I love. So that, if you don't know what that is, it's Korean sushi, basically. And it was just really good. Mark: Yeah, there, there was there was just a vibe of generosity and mutual support. Mutual affirmation. You know, I came away from it feeling like, you know, I've got these amazing, super cool people in my world, and they feel the same about me, and that's just good for my life, generally. Even if I'm not going to see them for a couple of years, except online, just knowing that we shared this experience together just helps me to feel affirmed in who I am and what I do. And I, I, I think I think that was the general vibe that people got out of the event. Yucca: That certainly was, I felt that strongly as well. I was, you know, riding that for several weeks after coming home. Michael: Definitely an afterglow of, kind of like, hard to come down from the high of the event as well. It took a while because it was so special. Mark: yeah, absolutely. So we want to talk a little bit about some of the offerings we're going to have this time. Some of them are repeats from last time, but some of them are new. Let me see if I can pick one. Oh, go ahead. Michael: I was just going to say, maybe everybody's had a chance to look at the program and if you, if there's any particular highlights you want to, that you'd like to talk about that maybe you're looking forward to. Mark: There's so many things. Um,  Michael: Well, should we talk, let's talk about the theme first. Mark: sure, of course. That's a great Michael: we didn't, we didn't have a theme last time, but we do have a theme this, this time. Mark: Which is Solarpunk, a chosen family reunion. The idea being that Solarpunk being a very kind of optimistic movement for the betterment of the world, the betterment of our relationship with nature rather than kind of the doom and gloom that we, that we see everywhere around us now, Solarpunk is a, It's a genre of of writing and of art that is optimistic and looks to the future as, yes, filled with challenges, but also filled with opportunities for us to grow and change and do better. And the chosen family reunion part is I mean, I certainly felt and I think that a lot of us felt at the last Sun Tree Retreat that these, these people were my chosen family. It was, it felt like, oh, wow, all my cousins and uncles and, and nephews and nieces have all shown up and now we're having this great sort of family hoopla together. It was, it was great that way. Yucca: And one of the workshops is going to be on solar punk and atheopaganism more specifically, right? That's Mark: yeah. Michael: Yeah, Hanna is going to be leading that one. Mark: Mm hmm. I'm looking forward to that one as well. And of course we'll have some some elements that will be around, you know, learning how to organize rituals or to you know, to design them. Or you know, kind of learning the observational skills about getting more in touch with the processes of nature around you. Mm hmm. That was something about the, the lunar eclipse last time that it really dovetailed with something that, that Yucca and I talk about on here all the time, which is just about, you know, paying attention, about being present and experiencing the moment and observing what's happening in nature, and That was such a dramatic event. It really, really riveted our attention for about an hour or so. Michael: We're bringing back the Cosmala again, because that was so popular, and I think, I'm sure that new people are going to want to try their hand at making Cosmolas. Mark: I've never made one. I, I'm, it's an oversight. I have to do it now. Going to do a reader's theater. I'm organizing that of a reworking of the myth of Hades and Persephone and Demeter in Greek mythology. Because, even though that's a very popular myth in pagan, kind of modern pagan circles and a lot of different groups have done reenactments of the Eleusinian mysteries that enact that story, it's a pretty terrible story, really. I mean, Hades, Hades captures the innocent daughter Kore, drags her away and makes her his wife. That's terrible. Not so cool in modern, Yucca: way of putting it, Mark: yes, that is a very polite way of putting it, yeah. So, so I rewrote it. I rewrote it to have a different kind of ending and a different set of teachings than the original story did. And we're going to do a reader's theater where people who come to the workshop can pick up a script and take a part and we'll all read it together. And and it'll be fun and hopefully people will enjoy it. So that's another thing we're going to do. Michael: Yeah, we've occasionally done death cafes online which are kind of opportunities to talk about death and, you know, I think our movement's kind of a death positive movement, and we want to kind of honor that, and so something I'm going to be leading is an Irish wake kind of experience, and, you know, at an Irish wake, it's not just mourning the dead, it's kind of celebrating life. And kind of celebrating chaos and causing mayhem. So we're gonna have we're gonna have a bit of an Irish wake experience and I'm, people are gonna be invited to bury the things they want to bury, or remember the things they want to remember. And then we will also cause some mischief as well. Mark: Sounds great. I'm up for all of that. Yucca: And on Saturday, at lunchtime, we're planning to do the same thing that we did last time. to do a live podcast episode, and that may be an opportunity for folks who can't attend in person to zoom in and connect. Yes, Mark: Yes, cross, cross your fingers for the internet connection at the Retreat Center. Yucca: that's why we say May, we're going to try really hard, technology willing, right, Rana? Rana: So, the last time we had Sun Tree, we hadn't yet started our adult salon. Which we recently rebranded as Adult Forum, and I'm really excited to be able to have that in person for the very first time. I've really valued it as a space to connect and share resources and share a little bit about our experiences and our lives. And for folks that might not be as familiar with what it is, it is a peer support space to discuss adult topics openly, and it is, we consider it kind of semi structured. We usually start with a topic just as a starting point of conversation, and then we let things naturally flow depending on what the participants want to talk about, what's on their minds, can go through multiple topics in one session. It is a confidential and non judgmental setting where we're really there to learn from each other's experiences, share our knowledge, especially if you have a range of ages. There's folks that have just lived different lives or experiences that may have things to share feel less alone. In a lot of things that we encounter in life I know. There's a real epidemic of loneliness, especially in America, and it's something I always have felt really deeply about, but don't really know what to do about it, so I appreciate being able to be a part of this space and have this space together in order to continue that kind of connection and We're going to have a way for people to anonymously submit topics or questions while we're at the event so that the people that are there attending are really crafting what it is that we want to talk about and the topics have really ranged in the past and included things like money, relationship styles, aging, death, altered states, sexuality, and more and Yeah, I've just been really looking forward to it. It is an 18 plus event, and I just, I can't wait to have that in, in person. I think it'll be a great version of it, just because we've always had it remote. Mark: Yeah. Michael? Michael: I know there's one of the FAQs we get around this is that you know, is it going to be recorded? Am I going to be able to participate online? And unfortunately, no, it's just for some of the reasons we discussed. First of all, technology, it's not always reliable, so we can't really do live stuff. I think it's possible that some of the workshops will be recorded. That depends on the presenter. And, but we don't want to, we want to also, honor people's confidentiality as well. So it's possible that we can record some of them, but maybe some of them won't be recorded. But that's why we also offer our totally online conference every other year as well. So if you can't make it in person to SunTree, we will be doing our web weaving online conference next year. So that is just a way of bridging that gap where if you can't make it in person, there is still an online space for you to take part in. Mark: Right. Right. And I, and I should point out the adult forum will not be recorded. It's, it's a totally confidential, just live action space for people to, to have discussions about sensitive stuff. So you needn't worry that you're going to find yourself on the internet talking about personal things. Yucca: Right, and for any of the presenters who do choose to have their, their presentation recorded, it would just be of them, not of the audience. So there'll be the private, privacy for the folks in the audience. Mark: Yeah, because, I mean, there are, in our community, there are people who are You know, in various stages of outness in relation to their non theist atheopaganism, right? Some are out as atheists, but not necessarily the pagan part. Some are completely solitary in, in their You know, practice of their path, and we want to be respectful of all of that. So, it's really important to us that people be able to participate without endangering something that, that is important to them. Mijo? Michael: Something that's New this time around, as well, is that we will be kind of having formal vendors. I will be sharing a sign up sheet for people in the coming days, where you, if you want to, if you've got anything you want to sell, or products or services we will have a space for you to do that. So, if you're, it could be anything, you could be selling, selling your own craft, or, I guess, doing Readings or things like this. We'll just sign up and we'll we'll reach out to you if we need, if we have any further questions about the kind of stuff you're going to be sharing with us. Mark: We should say, though, that, that the vending is going to be during a particular window of time at the event, because what we don't want is for a vendor to be there stuck behind a counter, and for the entire event and unable to participate in the various activities, right? Because they're part of the community and we want them in with us doing all the stuff. So we're going to have a marketplace slot in the program, and that's when you can do your vending and, you know, promote your services and all that kind of stuff. So what else should we say about this? I mean, we know because we've been there, it's really cool. Hope that our listeners Yucca: to just put that out there for that part of the world. It's a nice warm time of year. Last time Michael: Will the swimming pool, Yucca: May, which was a little bit iffy, we got really lucky. last Mark: we did. Yucca: I think it started snowing right after we left, Mark: Yeah, something like three days afterwards it started snowing at the retreat center, but that's not going to happen this time, because we're on Labor Day weekend and it should be pretty temperate and nice. Michael: I think there's a swimming pool there as well. Mark: Oh, that's right, it was closed when we were there before, but there is a swimming pool there. Yes, Michael: We should double check if we have access to that, but I think we will, but we should probably double check that. Mark: yes, that's true. Ha ha ha! Michael: I guess you should definitely get booked in quickly if you are intending to come. Because we're, it's coming up fast. I can't believe it's only two months away, so you really need to start thinking about getting your, making your way there and booking your tickets. Mark: Yeah, yeah it's very affordable especially when you consider that it includes nine meals and the lodging for the, the Yurt guest houses is only 75 for the entire event. So it's you know, we, we, we set price points low because we wanted people to be able to access it and we know that there are travel expenses associated. We if you, if you want to come, but there are, you know, financial issues, we have limited scholarship support, so please contact us. You can use the the Wonder Podcast queues at gmail. com, podcast email address to contact us, and we'll get back to you about that. But we'd really encourage our listeners, you know, if you like what you've been hearing on this podcast for the last five years now come and, come and meet us. Come and, and, you know, meet the community and, and check us out. Michael: It was just, I don't know if I expressed how Amazing it was, but it was just such a unique, a singular event and kind of a highlight of my life, I'd really say. It was just spectacular, and I don't know if I, I don't know if I captured that before, but I just thought it was just an amazing thing to be part of. And I think it's going to be just as amazing this time around. Mark: Me too. Yeah. I, I, I can't wait to see you all. And and other folks that, you know, I met two years ago. I'm just, I'm so looking forward to it rana, I Rana: so for me, it, it really felt like coming full circle, like I'd connected with you all, and we spent so much time together during the pandemic. so much. My personal life was also going through some transition and Suntree was actually pretty emotional for me. It was good But I don't know it's a little hard to explain But it just felt like I did a lot of emotional processing while I was there But I very much felt like I was in community I was able to finally meet these people that I had connected with and So now it just feels like I have something to look forward to You going forward knowing that we're gonna do this with some regularity. And for myself as well, it also gave me some more confidence traveling alone because I'm used to traveling with a partner if I go somewhere, especially airplane travel. And so it helped me feel a little bit more adventurous and confident feeling like I went to a state I've never been to before and met up with some people and everything went great. Like, no, no complaints. Mark: really felt that same sense of just really being able to be myself. And I was surprised by that because as one of the organizers last time, I thought I was kind of going to have to be on and sort of be a host. You know, for the whole weekend. And that really wasn't the case at all. I, I, I just felt like, you know, I was, I was welcomed there, warts and all, and there were plenty of other people to help. And it was great. It was just really a good, good time. Well, listen, thank you. Oh, Michael: Hopefully we can do the, the firewalking this time, because last time we couldn't do it because there was a burn ban, but there is potential for doing a firework walk. So people are into that, that might be available. So we'll see what happens. Yucca: Keep our fingers crossed. Mark: that would be exciting. I've never done that, and I'd like to try it. I don't know why I'd like to try it. I, but I would. Michael: That's the ultimate ritual, I guess. And for anybody who's kind of, their ears are pricking up when they hear that the person leading that has got decades of experience. Mark: Yeah. And, you know, very, very careful rules around, you know, everybody having to be absolutely sober, you know, being, you know, a lot of focus, doing this in a really sacred kind of container, so that's that's That's all to the good. Let me see. So, we're gonna put the link to the the event in the show notes. You can go, you can read the program, you can read about the event, you can see a picture of the Ponderosa Lodge and Atheopagan Society website, there's also a gallery of photos that were taken at the last Suntree retreat. So you can take a look at that.  Michael: Could you add in the show notes as well? Could you add the episode we actually recorded? Yucca: Oh yeah, let's link to that because we, yeah, that would be nice to go back and listen to actually. And what was it like in the moment? So that'll be in the show notes too. Mark: yeah, yeah, I just, I just remember we're sitting there and we're talking and people would cruise up to the table glowing and sit down in front of the microphone for a little while and talk about the experience they were having and then toddle off and somebody else would come by. It was just, it was lovely. So listen, folks Sun Tree Retreat, you don't want to miss it. Please come join us, visit with us. We, we would so love to see you. And we will be back next week with another episode of The Wonders of Science Based Paganism. Thank you, Rana and Michael. Thank you for being here. Michael: Thank you.   

Episode 41: In this episode we chat with Izzy, fashion genius behind Isaboko, about sustainability, Catholic school, queerness, identity, and solar-punk.Izzy shares their journey of reconciling their Catholic faith with their queer identity, highlighting their experiences with inclusive Christian communities and their passion for sustainable fashion. The conversation delves into topics of optimism, humanity's inherent goodness, and the Solarpunk movement's vision for an eco-friendly and inclusive world.To support this project and to unlock our full back catalog of episodes, check out our Patreon at patreon.com/ineedgod (you can join for free).This episode is brought to you by our merch store, i-need-god.com. Listen to full episodes at patreon.com/ineedgod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I propose that everything that occurs between the decision to plant a tree and the full expression of its canopy is short-term thinking. Full Show Notes: https://www.thejaymo.net/2024/05/18/2409-short-term-thinking/ Support the show!  Subscribe to my zine Watch on Youtube Permanently moved is a personal podcast 301 seconds in length, written and recorded by @thejaymo

In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the methodical Benjamin von Wong, a world-class multi-disciplinary artist and climate activist, shares his journey from a mining engineer to a renowned photographer. Upon discovering his passion for photography as a hobby, Benjamin quickly gained widespread recognition with an underwater shipwreck shoot in Bali. Despite commercial success, he experienced emptiness and briefly contemplated quitting photography. Benjamin soon found renewed purpose by focusing on projects with social impact. As an environmental activist, he highlights art as a catalyst of hope and imagination for a Solarpunk future, where humanity lives in harmony with nature, prioritizes sustainability, and thrives through the use of renewable energy and eco-friendly technologies.How did a former mining engineer who bought his first camera at age 21 become a world-class photographer and artist? Well, tune in to this genuine conversation & find out. For detailed transcript and show notes, please visit TheFounderSpirit.com.Also follow us on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheFounderSpiritInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheFounderSpiritYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFounderSpiritFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFounderSpiritX: https://twitter.com/founder_spiritIf this podcast has been beneficial or valuable to you, feel free to become a patron and support us on Patreon.com, that is P-A-T-R-E-O-N.com/TheFounderSpirit.As always, you can find us on Apple, Google, Amazon and Spotify, as well as social media and our website at TheFounderSpirit.com.The Founder Spirit podcast is proud to be a partner of the Villars Institute, a non-profit foundation focused on accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy and restoring planetary health.About This Podcast:Whether you are an entrepreneur, a mid-career professional or someone who's just starting out in life, The Founder Spirit podcast is for you!In this podcast series, we'll be interviewing exceptional individuals from all over the world with the founder spirit, ranging from social entrepreneurs, tech founders, to philanthropists, elite athletes, and more. Together, we'll uncover not only how they manage to succeed in face of multiple challenges, but also who they are as people and their human story.So TUNE IN & be inspired by stories from their life journey!

How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we're going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We're going to hear about a way of telling stories – that could be fiction to help people understand circular solutions, or it might be stories to help them imagine how circular products and services work in real life, helping them see how that's more fulfilling than buying yet more stuff and adding to the problems of waste and pollution. Alex Holland is the Founder of SolarPunk Stories, and has worked as a journalist in the UK, Venezuela and India. Alex has an MA in Leadership for Sustainable Development and created the world's first Tea Pub which was also Crowdcube's most-shared startup. SolarPunk is a much more optimistic genre than dystopian fiction – it's more like the Thrutopian concept set out by Professor Rupert Read in an article for the Huffington Post, a few years ago. Utopias are too fantastical, whereas dystopias can be useless, even dangerously doom-mongering. Instead, we can create thrutopias: stories that help us see a way through the challenges we face, that help us build a vision for the future we want to be part of: a regenerative, fair and inclusive future that we can be proud of. Stories that help us to imagine, to feel what it would be like, and to design the political and economic systems to get us through.

In the first Solarpunk column of 2024, engineer, Youtuber, and blogger, Navarre Bartz, explores the practicalities of what Solarpunk kids might look like, as well as the current state of childhood. Topics include schooling, parenting, bussing, and more.

Kevin Richard⁠⁠ is a strategist, critical thinking and design leader. Also, a regular guest on the podcast with whom we dive into industry intricacies and specific hot topics. In this episode, we will revisit sustainable futures, in particular, the Solarpunk as an upcoming design trend. We will also chat about the vanishing UX industry and often problematic positioning of design in businesses.

Optimistic futures, climate disasters, and punk attitudes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by writers and editors Phoebe Wagner and Sarena Ulibarri for a wide ranging discussion about Solarpunk. Together, they explore the roots of the genre, where the “punk” fits into the form, the politics of climate change and extinction, and […]

In today's fast-paced world, the urgency of transitioning towards renewable energies is more apparent than ever. The latest report from the International Energy Agency reveals a staggering surge in renewable electricity capacity with solar leading the charge. This data underscores the imperative driving this global shift—a necessity rooted in hard data and undeniable momentum. But amidst these groundbreaking advancements, one question remains: How can we make these innovations accessible and affordable for all? Today, we'll explore a solution that not only addresses this challenge but also offers a compelling path towards a sustainable future. Our guest today, Dean Spaccavento, co-founder of Reposit Power, has pioneered a solution that proves it's cheaper to save the world than to ruin it. Reposit Power's innovative approach integrates solar power, batteries, and a shared network of energy, providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to power up homes and communities. In my conversation with Dean, we unlock his determination to shed light on the urgency of addressing climate change. We delve into the historical evolution of electricity and the remarkable progress made in embracing renewable energy sources. Dean explains how Reposit Power's groundbreaking technology moves electricity efficiently across time and space, meeting consumer needs while transforming communities on a global scale. But we don't stop there. Dean shares insights on the role of renewable energy in underprivileged areas, the challenges and opportunities of solar energy adoption, and the transformative potential of skipping centralised infrastructure. We also explore the changing sentiments towards the climate crisis, entrepreneurship's vital space between and social impact, the future of electric cars, and venture into the cutting edge of emerging technologies shaping the energy industry's future. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Purpose 03:30 Personal Journey and Purpose 09:19 Historical Evolution of Electricity 16:10 Progress in Embracing Renewable Energy 24:30 Technical Aspects and Benefits of Reposit Power 27:10 Shared Network and Community Power 28:48 Global Potential of Reposit Power 29:08 Access to Power in Underprivileged Areas 30:19 The Inconvenience of Solar Energy 31:13 Opportunity to Skip Centralized Infrastructure 32:11 The Role of Technology in Helping Economies Catch Up 33:18 Changing Sentiments in Relation to the Climate Crisis 34:19 The Need for Leadership and Incentives to Address Climate Change 35:50 Finding the Space In Between in Entrepreneurship 38:37 The Role of Reposit Power in EV Charging Infrastructure 42:46 Collaboration Between Reposit Power and Car Manufacturers 44:52 Emerging Technologies and Trends in the Energy Industry 47:45 Reposit Power's Goals and Milestones 51:54 The Importance of Recognizing New Technology 53:43Creating Certainty in Energy SolutionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Step into the vibrant world of cryptocurrency and become a vital part of our dynamic community, where dreams become reality. Whether you're captivated by the transparent ethos of Solar Punks or Lunar Punks who cherish privacy, there's a place for you here. Together we are harnessing the transformative power of blockchain technology to challenge the… The post Solarpunk and Lunarpunk: Shaping the Future of Cryptocurrency Together [VIDEO] appeared first on The Crypto Vigilante.

In episode 146, we're excited to welcome Utkarsh Patel, Founder of Earth Coin, a digital currency backed by real world climate solutions, ecosystem services and solarpunk values. We discuss how Earth Coin aims to address the massive climate finance gap, the benefits of tokenized climate solutions, Web3 as a powerful force for climate coordination, and much more.--Three Key Takeaways--Climate change can be overwhelming for the average individual, as they may feel that they don't have the means to contribute to positive climate action. As such, it's important to build solutions that make it easy for the average person to get involved in climate action, including the ability to passively support climate solutions through their investment decisions.One of the challenges with our current economic system is that it only values economic output, and not the other positive externalities associated with economic activities. For example, when it comes to regenerative agriculture, value is attributed to the economic output – food, but not the positive externalities that are associated with it such as healthy soil, clean water, and more sustainable land for future generations. It is important that we shift are thinking to ensure these positive externalities are valued as much as the direct economic output.6There is currently a $150 trillion gap in climate financing needed to achieve a net-zero world by 2050. The problem isn't a lack of capital, but a lack of proper incentivization and coordination mechanisms. To close this gap, we need to radically reimagine incentive structures to align climate action and rewards.--Full shownotes with links available at--https://www.cryptoaltruism.org/blog/crypto-altruism-podcast-episode-146-earth-redesigning-money-to-power-the-solarpunk-revolutionPlease note: The Founder of Crypto Altruism previously received Earth Coin as a supporter of the movement.--Support us with a Fiat or Crypto contribution--Learn more at cryptoaltruism.org/supportus--DISCLAIMER --While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, please do not take any of this as investment advice, and please make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity, before making an investment. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it's important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More on the disclaimer at cryptoaltruism.org.

Trent McConaghy is the Founder and CTO of Ocean Protocol and BigchainDB, specializing in AI and blockchain technology to democratize data and AI. His work includes advancing decentralized data solutions and ensuring equitable access to AI technologies. McConaghy also contributes to the IPDB Foundation and advises the Estonian E-residency programKey HighlightsMcConaghy presented a solarpunk future, envisioning an optimistic trajectory for humanity. He covered three topics: web3 to sovereign agents, AI to human superintelligence, and defining human goals.He covered topics including AI superintelligence, humanity's goals, and the transition from web3 to sovereign agents.McConaghy emphasized the importance of aiming for an optimistic future beyond mere survival – proposing reshaping the cosmos at a macro scale as a potential human endeavour. However, he highlighted the challenge of interstellar travel, noting the time it takes to reach the nearest star beyond our sun.Discussed established technologies like Bitcoin, decentralized data storage, and decentralized compute platforms like Ethereum; and explored the concept of sovereign agents through smart contracts on Ethereum, emphasizing their autonomous and ungoverned nature.Dive deeper into the session: Full SummaryAbout Foresight InstituteForesight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.Allison DuettmannThe President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. Get Involved with Foresight:Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person WorkshopsDonate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedInNote: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the Solarpunk movement offer the blueprint for a greener, more sustainable future? In this episode of ReFi Podcast, host John Ellison and guest Utkarsh Patel from Solarpunk DAO explore this thought-provoking question. A few weeks ago, Solarpunk DAO unveiled $EARTH coin, a bold initiative designed to transition individuals from petrochemical finances to regenerative, eco-friendly money with just a few clicks.  While explicitly not investment advice, this conversation offers a deep educational journey into Utkarsh's lifelong immersion in nature and his critical examination of the root causes behind climate change, biodiversity loss, topsoil degradation, and more. Utkarsh shares his Solarpunk vision for the future, reflecting on his journey from studying environmental sciences to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur in sustainable development across India and beyond. From their early encounters in Founders Circles, John was struck by Utkarsh's fierce determination to advance his vision.  In this episode, you will: 

Can the Solarpunk movement offer the blueprint for a greener, more sustainable future? In this episode of ReFi Podcast, host John Ellison and guest Utkarsh Patel from Solarpunk DAO explore this thought-provoking question. A few weeks ago, Solarpunk DAO unveiled $EARTH coin, a bold initiative designed to transition individuals from petrochemical finances to regenerative, eco-friendly money with just a few clicks.  While explicitly not investment advice, this conversation offers a deep educational journey into Utkarsh's lifelong immersion in nature and his critical examination of the root causes behind climate change, biodiversity loss, topsoil degradation, and more. Utkarsh shares his Solarpunk vision for the future, reflecting on his journey from studying environmental sciences to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur in sustainable development across India and beyond. From their early encounters in Founders Circles, John was struck by Utkarsh's fierce determination to advance his vision.  In this episode, you will: 

Chamando todas as fãs de Pokémon: a partir da minha paixão de infância, entro no assunto sobre expectativas de filhos e pais. Além disso, falo sobre a estética e idealização de “Solarpunk” e leio um texto sobre as crises que vivemos hoje: moral, social, tecnologia e consumo. | Siga o Podcast Para Tudo no Instagram (@podcastparatudo ) e mande suas reclamações, sugestões e pedidos de ajuda. ♥️ Lorelay Fox é drag queen há 19 anos e está no YouTube para espalhar mensagens de aceitação e empatia, além de conselhos de maquiagem artística e falar sobre coisas da vida! Siga no Instagram: @‌lorelayfox e no http://youtube.com/LorelayFox

Hello!This week, we talk about the big Polyamory article in New York Magazine and the proposition that breaking the bonds of monogamy might be a political statement, one that frees both sides from the constraints of marriage. Are we just reinventing ways to justify selfish behavior? And why does every personal decision in the lives of upper middle class, well-educated people need to turn into some movement that promises nothing? We also continue our ongoing talk about visions of the climate future with a conversation about “Psalm for the Wild Built” by Becky Chambers, which, in turn, led to a longer conversation about surf movies and Tyler's hobby of fishing at 3 AM in a wetsuit in the cold unruly waters of coastal Maine. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

After the 2023 Solarpunk Conference, my fellow panelists and I got together for a follow-up. Our panel, From Capitalist Realism to a Solarpunk Reality, discussed the thought and action necessary to bring solarpunk to life. In this episode, we expand on these ideas and develop connections between our related areas of research. Featuring Joey of The Fire These Times, Ariel of Solarpunk Presents, and Andre of HydroponicTrash.Support Solarpunk Now!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solarpunkcastFor show notes and more info about this episode, click here.Follow me on Twitter: @solarpunkcastMastodon: @solarpunkcast@spore.socialSupport the show

IN CLEAR FOCUS: In the second of two conversations, Julian Bleecker discusses how the Near Future Laboratory helps organizations envision future scenarios using Design Fiction. Julian explains why imagination is essential for solving existential challenges and how it will help us shape the future. We also discuss Solarpunk, regenerative design, the future of work, and how Design Fiction can be applied to enrich marketing and advertising with immersive research and creative storytelling methods.

In our final Solapunk column for 2023, we pull together all our Solapnk columnists for a panel. Alan, Justine Norton-Kertson, Susan Kaye Quinn, and Navarre Bartz discuss Solapunk vibes, how to improve Solarpunk world building, and bringing Solarpunk to a wider community.  Reccomendations: Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanly Robinson The Garbage Queen Unfucking the Planet Dreamforge Magazine How We Survive podcast Green Dreamer podcast Next Economy Now podcast Andrewism (Youtube) Our Changing Climate (Youtube)

This is an episode that Joey recorded a few months ago. We're releasing it now to take a bit of a break from our exploration of Israel-Palestine and because Solarpunk is how at least one of us, Joey, tries to create hope where none exists.  This episode was recorded after the four of us - Joey, Ariel Kroon, Luka Dowell and Andre aka @HydroponicTrash took part in the Solarpunk conference.  Solarpunk has an eye to a better future, but how do we get there? What is necessary for us to do, and how can we think differently, in order to make this better future possible? We focus on the relationship between speculative fiction, dual power, world-building, and political action. Links: https://anarchosolarpunk.substack.com Hydroponic Trash on TikTok Solarpunk Now! Solarpunk Presents

Air Date 12/5/2023 It's important to focus on positive visions and not only get stuck in doom cycles of complaining about what's going wrong. So, we're looking at a variety of positive visions including rethinking human nature, reimagining our relationship with consumerism, considering how design can work with nature instead of against it, and understanding why cooperation is better than individualistic competition from an evolutionary point of view. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What We Get Wrong About Human Nature - Andrewism - Air Date 1-11-23 What does it mean to be human? Join me as I explore the many interpretations of human nature across various philosophies and delve into the true breadth of human possibilities. Ch. 2: Gabor Maté on Illness, Human Nature, Capitalism, and Socialism - Against the Grain - Air Date 5-30-23 North Americans are sick, stressed, and alienated, a state of affairs accentuated in recent years by Covid. Gabor Maté argues that capitalism engenders illness, while the medical system blindly ignores the lives of its patients. Ch. 3: Imagining a Solarpunk Education - Human Restoration Project - Air Date 5-11-23 Do we have the willingness to challenge the predominant social, economic, & political structures & systems that need to be challenged? To change the very nature of humanity's relationship to the planet? What role does education play in all of this? Ch. 4: What science fiction teaches us about imagining a better world - The New Humanitarian - Air Date 1-11-23 Time and again, guests on this season of Rethinking Humanitarianism have called for systemic changes to the humanitarian system and global governance – from alternatives to the UN to revolutionized global climate financing. Ch. 5: Elon Musk Has Become the Very Thing He Hates Most - The New Abnormal - Air Date 11-20-23 A conversation with award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor about her transformational Africanfuturism and the importance of inclusive visions of science fiction. Ch. 6: How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now (ft. @Andrewism) - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 4-20-22 In this Our Changing Climate climate change video essay, I look at ways in which we can build a Solarpunk future right now. Solarpunk envisions a world in which nature and humanity are seamlessly intertwined Ch. 7: The Race to Cooperation - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-2-23 David Sloan Wilson's work shows that humans can and have chosen values like cooperation, altruism and group success – versus individual competition and selfishness MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The Race to Cooperation - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-2-23 VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Geoengineering concerns - Bud from Idaho FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments clarifying some details about using Solar Radiation Management as a geoengineering strategy MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

John Bush delivered a powerful speech, at Solarpunk Summit, on the transformative concept of decentralization and the essential role of the Freedom Cell Network in becoming antifragile. Discover how adversity can serve as a catalyst for positive change, as John reveals that it's the challenges of the world that fuel our motivation and spark our transformation. Embrace the idea that in the face of adversity, we have the power to emerge stronger, smarter, and more resilient, ultimately working together to build a better world. Join the Freedom Cell Network: https://freedomcells.org Want to invest in or live in the community we are building? Sign up here: https://exitandbuildpropertysolutions.com Jon the FREE Live Free Academy Daily Newsletter: https://livefree.academy/email

The Cybertruck of 2035 will be a mundane part of everyday life. Most of the stuff around us today - is going to still be around in a Solarpunk future. To foreshorten the Gibson quote: “The future is already here”. Full Show Notes: https://www.thejaymo.net/2023/10/28/301-2335-solarpunk-cybertruck/ Support the show!  Subscribe to the zine Watch on Youtube Permanently moved is a personal podcast 301 seconds in length, written and recorded by @thejaymo

This week we're sharing a recent interview with Joey Ayoub, host of The Fire These Times podcast to talk a bit about #solarpunk. Joey was on the show with Leila Al-Shami some years ago to speak about revolution and civil war in Syria, uprisings in Lebanon and Iraq. For the hour, we speak about the importance of radical imagination, the artistic genre known as solar punk, technology and it's role in societies based on pleasure and leisure, utopian movements of the past and the decentering of the imperial cores in an anti-imperialist visioning. Sumoud-washing article on Kohl journal Announcement Legal Fees Fundraiser On October 9th, join comrades for a youtube stream to help fundraise for our incarcerated comrade and homie GZ's legal fees. This is a great way to participate in Indigenous Peoples Day from home- the stream content will being centered on connecting between decolonization and abolition, featuring dialogue and performances by artists and MCs including Bigg Villainus and Ant from Savage Fam, as well as FD Signifier, and poetry by GZ. Stay tuned for more info and the full schedule, and please help us boost this and circulate the fundraiser: https://tinyurl.com/gzlegalfund . ... . .. Featured Track: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley from Rock Instrumental Classics, Vol 4: Soul

Eden from Death Sentence (@DeathSentencePC on Twitter) returns to discuss the politics of solarpunk and the importation of politics into science fiction in general. How do science fiction tales recapitaulate reactionary beliefs? How can a work of science escape the tropes that further ingrain such values? When does science fiction become revolutionary? Support the podcast:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/acidhorizonAcid Horizon on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acidhorizonpodcastZer0 Books and Repeater Media Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zer0repeaterMerch: http://www.crit-drip.comOrder 'The Philosopher's Tarot': https://repeaterbooks.com/product/the-philosophers-tarot/Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/169wvvhiHappy Hour at Hippel's (Adam's blog): https://happyhourathippels.wordpress.com​Revolting Bodies (Will's Blog): https://revoltingbodies.com​Split Infinities (Craig's Substack): https://splitinfinities.substack.com/​Music: https://sereptie.bandcamp.com/ and https://thecominginsurrection.bandcamp.com/Support the show

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Dear friends, please pull up a cushion and enjoy a cup of warm herbal tea, freshly picked from the nearby forrest just this morning. Share your troubles with us and we'll lighten them with a story of monk and robit, their journey through the wilds, and there attempts to unravel what humans really need. We start with some delicious worldbuilding and show how that worldbuilding exemplifies the solarpunk mentality, one of the best of all possible ways to approach the future. Drink up! Content: https://www.amazon.com/Psalm-Wild-Built-Monk-Robot/dp/1250236215 Listener Survey: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8ih4oa8ZSUaT0Cq Editing by Luisa Lyons, check out her amazing podcast Filmed Live Musicals: http://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/ Music by Thomas Smith: https://seriouspod.com/ Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/ Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Queersplaining: https://www.queersplaining.com/ Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Recent appearances: Aaron and Callie were recently on The Psychology Podcast to discuss all things trans. Check it out and share it around, we really did try to cover allllll lthe bases: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/aaron-rabinowitz-callie-wright-what-we-get-wrong-about-transgender-people/ Content Preview: Psalm for the Wild-built pt2 and Objects

Less than a week ago I begged for more optimistic content and now I'm delivering with an incredible listener suggestion (and a terrifyingly good algorithm). RESOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolarpunkWATCH: www.youtube.com/juliemericaGET A MONTHLY NOTE FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastThe opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.