Doomer Optimism

On this episode of Doomer Optimism, first-time hosts Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool) and Jason Snyder (@cognazor) have a beautiful conversation with the Meta Nomad himself, James Ellis (@meta_nomad). From accelerationism to the very meaning of Doomer Optimism itself, this conversation perfectly encapsulates the Nick Land to Wendell Berry pipeline. About James Ellis James Ellis studied fine art at Norwich University of the Arts, after finishing his degree he completed an M.A. in continental philosophy at Staffordshire University. He blogs at Meta-Nomad and is the host of Hermitix Podcast. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation. About Jason Snyder Metamodern localist | homesteading, permaculture, bioregional regeneration | meditation, self inquiry, embodied cognition | PhD from Michigan State University, faculty Appalachian State University.

14 Jun 20221h 23min

On this episode of Doomer Optimism, first time host Josh Kearns (@HillbillyNarnia) teams up with Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool) to discuss potential low tech futures with Scott Johnson (@Low_Techno), the founder of the Low Tech Institute in Wisconsin. About Scott Johnson Scott has been carrying out research into low tech since tried to build a catapult in 6th grade. He is a jack of all trades, but a master of none, including carpentry, gardening, electric, plumbing, beekeeping, brewing, butchery, baking, and more. His interest in past technologies led to a Ph.D. in anthropology (Tulane University, 2012), focusing on archaeology. He’s taught at universities across the US and Canada and led international field projects funded by the National Science Foundation and National Geographic Society. He is also the author of several books (Translating Maya Hieroglyphs, Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?). Today, he works at the Low Technology Institute and lives in the historic village of Cooksville, Wisconsin (just south of Madison), with his wife, kid, and dog. He enjoys a good cup of tea, aikido, running, and books. He is founder of the Low Tech Institute based in Wisconsin. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation. About Dr. Josh Kearns Josh is a born-n-bred Appalachian and a native of West-By-God-Virginia and damn proud of it. He studied chemistry and environmental engineering at Clemson (BS), biogeochemistry at Berkeley (MS), and environmental engineering at CU-Boulder (PhD). He's spent years bumming around rural and remote communities in Thailand, Burma/Myanmar, India, Nepal, Ladakh, Sri Lanka, and Mexico, and generally tried to make himself useful while doing so. He's the Director of Science for Aqueous Solutions, and the Chief Technical Advisor for Caminos de Agua, grassroots water and health development organizations in Thailand and Mexico, respectively. He taught environmental engineering courses at NC State University for a couple of years before returning to his roots as a freelance renegade scientist and exponent of ecological transition engineering. He lives with his wife Rachael and all their critters on a small mountaintop homestead in southern Appalachia.

10 Jun 20221h 26min

On this episode of Doomer Optimism we're going down south with Magnus Popp and Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool), two Doomer Optimists that are cutting a new path forward in Uruguay. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ashley and Magnus chat about Magnus' past as a researcher in evolutionary biology, and his new life as a free man, homesteader, and self-described "beer brewing control freakish evolutionary biologist." About Magnus Popp Magnus Popp is a PhD in Evolutionary Biology, a Swedish homesteader in Uruguay living with his Argentinean wife Virginia and two kids. He is a self described beer brewing control freakish evolutionary biologist. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation.

7 Jun 20221h 7min

Our 43rd episode of Doomer Optimism sees Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool) having a one on one chat with Rich Bartlett (@RichDecibels), writer, intellectual, and founder of Loomio and The Hum. Conversation ranges from what constitutes a "cult," how to organize effective organizations, and the intersection of community and governance. About Rich Bartlett Richard D. Bartlett is one of those people with a lot of websites. He's the co-founder of Loomio, a platform for small-scale digital democracy inspired by the 2011 Occupy Movement. He's also co-leader of The Hum, a training & consulting company that supports decentralised organisations to work without domination hierarchies. He's also the co-director of the Enspiral Foundation, which is a professional network of friends supporting each other to do more meaningful work in the world. And he's the author of a community-building methodology called Microsolidarity. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation.

2 Jun 20221h 41min

On this episode, first time-host Donald Antenen (@riversofeurope) has an intimate conversation with writer and essayist James Pogue (@jhensonpogue), who is fresh off the release of his powerhouse article in Vanity Fair about the New Right. It's a can't miss conversation! About James Pogue James Pogue is an American essayist and journalist. He is a contributing editor at Harper's Magazine. His pieces have appeared on the covers of Harper's and The American Conservative. He is the author of Chosen Country: A Rebellion in the West, a first-person account of conflict over public lands in the American west. About Donald Antenen Donald Antenen lives with his wife and daughters in the Pacific Northwest. He is translating Genesis: https://bibletranslation.substack.com/

1 Jun 20221h 46min

On this very special Doomer Optimism interlude, we drop in on our intrepid hosts, Ashley Colby and Jason Snyder, as they mix it up with Michael Garfield and the folks at Future Fossils. It was such a tremendous conversation that we figured we should crosslist on both podcasts. So, enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to Future Fossils! Here are the show notes from Future Fossils: Be forewarned: This latest episode is some extremely heady stuff. But thankfully, it's also full of heart and soul... Back in February, Jonathan Rowson posted two clips from his latest in-progress writing to Twitter, where it succeeded in baiting a bunch of the folks with whom I regularly interact as members of the so-called "Liminal Web" into reflecting on the value of partitioning a global boil of loosely-associated "sensemakers," "meta-theorists," and "systems poets" into well-meaning but ultimately dubious cultural taxonomies. I had plenty to say about this from my awkwardly consistent stance of being both enthusiastic and skeptical about apparently everything. But so did numerous other brilliant and inspiring people, including Bonnitta Roy, Stephanie Lepp, Ashley Colby, and Jason Snyder – all of whom I've wanted on the show for a while (with the exception of Stephanie, with whom I had a great chat back on episode 154). So I took it upon myself to press for an on-the-record group discussion about the virtue and folly of putting labels on sociocultural processes and networks that are defined by their liminality: Is this ultimately a good thing, or does it just kill the magic in a foolish servility to economic pressures and the desire to be recognized as A Movement? When we finally met at the end of March for our call, the conversation turned to issues with more urgency and gravitas — namely: Is it even helpful to spend all of our time talking about crises and metacrises when there is so much work to be done? What transpired was easily one of the more profound and inspired conversations I've ever had the good fortune to host on this show, although it was also more beset with insane and infuriating technical problems that getting it ready for release took over thirty hours of excruciating editing. I am so immensely glad I am finally done and can get on with my damn life! But also that I get to share this with you and hear what the rest of our scene(s) have to contribute to this discourse. (Some of the people I'd especially love to hear from include folks we mentioned in this episode and/or were part of the original Twitter discussion, including John Vervaeke, Jeremy Johnson, Daniel Schmachtenberger, Kyle Kowalski, Jim Rutt, John Ash, and Joe Lightfoot, as well as people implied or indicted by Jonathan's prompts, including Nora Bateson and everyone involved with DAOs, GameB, cosmo-localism, meta-modernism, and The Dark Renaissance. So, like, half the people I talk and listen to...)

26 Mai 20221h 36min

On this episode, Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool) has a conversation about Based Momming with Willow (@willlowthewhisp) and Tiger Lily (@Butterrespecter). Health, home birthing, and growing based families. About Tiger Lily Tiger Lily is a wife, mommy, herbalist, birth worker and shitposter. About Willow Willow is a professional social butterfly and mother of a wee babe whom she is raising in the Canadian countryside. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation.

24 Mai 20221h 14min

We're back with a brand new Doomer Optimism! This time, hosts hosts Ashley Colby (@RizomaSchool) and Jason Snyder(@cognazor) settle in around the proverbial campfire for a fascinating conversation with the one and only Empty America (@Empty_America). With interests that range from permaculture to political history, this conversation is as multi-faceted as the three individuals participating. About Empty America Semi-anonymous, Empty America can be found on Twitter and Etsy, where he sells classic outdoorsman's knives and dryland seeds. About Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation. About Jason Snyder Metamodern localist | homesteading, permaculture, bioregional regeneration | meditation, self inquiry, embodied cognition | PhD from Michigan State University, faculty Appalachian State University.

20 Mai 20221h 39min