Creating the Na'Vi lifestyle

Started by MOUNTAINBANSHEE, December 26, 2009, 02:09:58 AM

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Coyote

I think the first step is simutaneously both the easiest (in that it takes no physical resources) and the hardest (in that it takes serious mental steps): think globally and act locally. I tried to think of some other catchy, cool way to say it but that really sums up quite a lot in a simple phrase.

I don't eat fast food because they promote slash & burn cropping in rainforsts, for example. If you can avoid driving, do so, and if possible, bike or walk to work/school, or take public transportation. Live communally-- maybe not hundreds of you and your closest friends in a big tree, but pick a place to live where residence is higher-density. A medium-density townhouse or high-rise apartment can pack dozens or even hundreds on the "footprint" of a couple regular houses (I am horrible at this; I live in a suburb). Buy organic and cruelty-free animal products; eat less meat (we don't need as much meat as the advertisers say we do).

Respect the world as it is. 
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!


VIDEO LOG DAY 8:
Attempted to pee on Viperwolf to test reaction. Please see attached medical file.
WARNING: Attached medical file exceeds gigabyte limit. System failure.

Roiki

Now we just have to develop antimatter power and matter replicators so we don't have to take our raw materials from nature.

Seriously though, going back to nature just isn't a possibility anymore, you can try to make yourself feel good and "guiltfree" but it won't change the world. If you want to respect nature, hunt your own meat, the feeling you get from eating something that you killed yourself is indescribable.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Toruk Makto

Quote from: wisnij on December 27, 2009, 12:41:39 AM
Well, let's not fetishize the noble savage too strongly here.  Real-life native societies often involved oppressive social structures, bloody intertribal warfare, slash-and-burn agriculture, and other fun things.

Thank you for saying that. It is easy to see only the parts of a culture or lifestyle you want and to be blind to the rest. It is similar to the problem depicted in the film, but from the opposite viewpoint.

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Coyote

#23
Well, I mentioned in the "philosophy" thread that with the Omaticaya we seem to have the luxury of a tribe that doesn't have the millstone of imperialism around its own neck as the victims. The Conquistadors were bastards, but at the same time that doesn't mean that the Aztecs were cuddly, lovey guys themselves-- they had considerable blood on their hands as well; you don't get to be an "empire" by selling Amway.

The first time Neytiri sees Jake's Avatar she's about to put a neurotoxin-dipped arrow through his spine, and IIRC there was a shoot-on-sight order for all the "dream walkers" approaching the village.

But in truth, a lot of these types of movies give us "conveniently unencumbered" protagonists. It makes the story go down a lot easier, but it is worth bearing in mind.

In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!


VIDEO LOG DAY 8:
Attempted to pee on Viperwolf to test reaction. Please see attached medical file.
WARNING: Attached medical file exceeds gigabyte limit. System failure.

Toruk Makto

  Of course we are missing almost all of the history of the Na'vi, but in the film, there are many clans that were apparently fairly easy to call gather into a unified army. Maybe the Na'vi are not "peaceful" in the sense of '70's pacifist hippie culture, but one could theorize that they reasonably get along with each other. Their actions against the ayuniltìranyu could be classed with protecting the clan against a perceived mortal threat. The conveniently unencumbered protagonist is an artifact of keeping the film to a reasonable length. ;)

On a related note, see my message at http://forum.learnnavi.org/index.php?topic=192.msg3462#msg3462 for my thoughts on what may drive the mindset of the Omatikaya and why I am a fan of Avatar.


Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Ioang

Quote from: Roiki on December 30, 2009, 12:18:35 PM
If you want to respect nature, hunt your own meat, the feeling you get from eating something that you killed yourself is indescribable.

I've actually been considering this. I'm opposed to the large commercial meat industry (for a variety of reasons) and would like to replace a larger portion of this with venison. (And before everyone get's all offended at the concept of eating Bambi, now that there are no natural predators by us the deer population has swelled too high. If people didn't hunt them they would cause further damage to the ecosystem.) That being said I haven't done it before so it would take some time. (I'm also not a huge fan of "trophy" hunting. And  would probably only use a bow.)
Learn Na'vi's resident orc.

Teio

On the note of eating what you kill...I live in Alaska, and hunting seems to be a big thing here. It is a different feeling to eat something you killed, and to know you killed it cleanly. I have issues with modern factory farming, and to know that an animal was killed as painlessly as possible is a great comfort to me. It also gives one a feeling of self-reliance. I grew up with a father who hunted. He was raised Christian, but whenever he killed an animal he would bury its heart and eat a small portion of the meat raw out of respect. Does anyone know what culture he may have taken these customs from?

Txon Taronyu

kaltxi
I think we should be like the aborigines of australia
live with out material posetions in the wilderness
Join the real life Na'vi tribe here  (And yes, it will be a real tribe in the real world, NOT a role play tribe!)

Swok Txon

living like a Na'vi would be great fun and a wonderful experience

to bad society today is so critical

Na'rìng

Quote from: Roiki on December 30, 2009, 12:18:35 PM
Now we just have to develop antimatter power and matter replicators so we don't have to take our raw materials from nature.

Seriously though, going back to nature just isn't a possibility anymore, you can try to make yourself feel good and "guiltfree" but it won't change the world. If you want to respect nature, hunt your own meat, the feeling you get from eating something that you killed yourself is indescribable.

Well considering matter is just energy in a solid state (see quantum mechanics), and from what I know the energy is either solid light, or the Aether energy. Now if matter is light, and the light can be 'trapped' or shot together of which it stops it's infinite path, it would become matter. I think a strong enough electromagnetic hollowed sphere may do the trick. Also note that light = electromagnetism = matter. I mean, turbines produces electricity (flow of electrons, on of the three basic parts of an atom) through agitation within a magnetic field, so it is theoretically plausible, right?

And science believes perpetual energy is impossible (the Law of Conservation comes to mind). But I have a thought that may contradict that scientifical law. For when I prove to science that is possible to generate more power then it needs to support itself! As soon as I get a patent on it I will gladly share it with you guys!
Eywa ngahu ma smukan.
Eywa'evengä yawne lu oeru.


It kraon. XD!!! (Speak it the Na'vi way)

tsmukan ftu Eywa

I also want to say something. Regardless of being blind of the rest of what happens, the killing, murder, and very unpleasant torturous deaths that are involved in every day life. You can look strongly at everything good but you have to see the bad in the best too.
^^ just throwing that out
NEYTIRI
      I am with you now, Jake. We are mated for
      life.

            JAKE
      We are?

            NEYTIRI
      Yes. It is our way.
         (innocently)
      Oh. I forgot to tell?

Toruk Makto

Quote from: Na'rìng on January 17, 2010, 10:58:03 PM
Well considering matter is just energy in a solid state (see quantum mechanics), and from what I know the energy is either solid light, or the Aether energy. Now if matter is light, and the light can be 'trapped' or shot together of which it stops it's infinite path, it would become matter. I think a strong enough electromagnetic hollowed sphere may do the trick. Also note that light = electromagnetism = matter. I mean, turbines produces electricity (flow of electrons, on of the three basic parts of an atom) through agitation within a magnetic field, so it is theoretically plausible, right?

And science believes perpetual energy is impossible (the Law of Conservation comes to mind). But I have a thought that may contradict that scientifical law. For when I prove to science that is possible to generate more power then it needs to support itself! As soon as I get a patent on it I will gladly share it with you guys!

Would love to discuss this more, but it's a bit off-topic for this thread.

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Toruk Makto

Quote from: tsmukan ftu Eywa on January 18, 2010, 09:11:25 AM
I also want to say something. Regardless of being blind of the rest of what happens, the killing, murder, and very unpleasant torturous deaths that are involved in every day life. You can look strongly at everything good but you have to see the bad in the best too.
^^ just throwing that out

Absolutely! Given the complexity of human social order and interaction, it is imperative to consider all aspects. Otherwise, nothing is learned. Advancement almost always results from adversity.

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Eywayä Kato

On the topic of ecology, there's two interesting videos at Story of Stuff.  If you want to fix a problem you need to understand the problem and what causes it - Story of Stuff is a good start.

For those who genuinely believe they'd curl up and die if they had to give up phones and internet and other modern conveniences, most people wouldn't miss them nearly as much as they think if they actually had the rich and fulfilling lifestyle of the Na'vi.  If you had the kind of full and active community that the Na'vi have, we wouldn't need to go on-line to seek some small piece of human company.  If our lives were actually dynamic and we did things that we actually felt were worth doing (rather than how most of us feel about school and work we are more or less required to do), we would be less inclined to seek out fantasy in TV and film.

I'm not saying that living like the Na'vi would completely rid you of all desire for modern convenience, just that you may find that many of them are not nearly as good as what the Na'vi lifestyle would offer us.


We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines but less healthiness.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble in crossing the street to meet our new neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more copies than ever,
But have less real communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall mean but short characters;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window
But nothing in the room.
— His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Coyote

I found the book I Mentioned back when this was it's own thread--

"BACK TO BASICS" by Abigail R. Gehring.

Billed as "A complete guide to Traditional Skills" it covers such topics as Buying and working land; generating your own electricity; raising livestock; enjoying your harvest; household skills and crafts and "more".

Everything from making your own moccasins to dehydrating fruit is covered.
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!


VIDEO LOG DAY 8:
Attempted to pee on Viperwolf to test reaction. Please see attached medical file.
WARNING: Attached medical file exceeds gigabyte limit. System failure.

Zalorticus

That book seems very interesting. I plan on getting a copy now.
Failure is the mother of success.
Soon, we will no longer be the leaves on the wind, but the wind itself.
You don't have to be a scholar to be a leader.
Join the real life Na'vi tribe here  (And yes, it will be a real tribe in the real world, NOT a role play tribe!)

Txontaw

Quote from: Coyote on January 21, 2010, 06:40:07 PM
I found the book I Mentioned back when this was it's own thread--

"BACK TO BASICS" by Abigail R. Gehring.

Billed as "A complete guide to Traditional Skills" it covers such topics as Buying and working land; generating your own electricity; raising livestock; enjoying your harvest; household skills and crafts and "more".

Everything from making your own moccasins to dehydrating fruit is covered.

Imma put that on my b-day list.
"You're not in Kansas anymore. You're on Pandora, Ladies and Gentlemen." - Colonel Quaritch


bagget00

sounds like that would be a treasure out in the wilderness.
"meoauniaea" (meh-oh-ah-oo-nee-ah-eh-ah). "Don't ask me what it means - I haven't assigned a meaning yet. But I love the word!" Frommer said.

"Latin and Zombies. Technically dead, but still influencing society."

Author of http://forum.learnnavi.org/fiction-fanfiction/displayed/

Rain

Quote from: Ptxèrra on December 28, 2009, 09:42:28 AM
just stop using oil, recycle, learn how to make fire the ancient way (instead of gas lighter, remember that ancient fire making is fun), buy fresh meat from a farmer, dont go to a supermarket or something else.

get an bicycle, get solar pannels / windmill eat insects instead of beef.

ENOUGh to change aint it?

This is EXACTLY the kind of thinking I'd like to start on this forum! An eco-movement that takes the bond we all have through speaking Na'vi and turning it into something bigger and with a greater purpose: to extend the life of THIS planet and return it back to a cleaner state. I've been posting in several other threads, trying to have some others listen to some thoughts. What would it take to start such a thread or sub-group here? It seems like Learn Na'vi already has a few environmentally-minded people, so why not HARNESS that and spread it?

If this is something that many on this thread would be interested in, help me start the thread/group/movement by messaging our moderators and asking them to consider giving us our own space, and spread the ideas you've all come up with. Help me help the Earth, and 'Ivong Na'vi!
"If there are self-made purgatories, then we shall all have to live in them."
-Spock, "This Side of Paradise"

"The greatest danger about Pandora is that you may come to love it too much." ~Grace Augustine

Peacewithnavi

#39
I would give up all my possessions to become a na'vi for a week :) (except my pets, that would be sad  :'() i would love the flying though  :)