The Power of Encouragement

Years ago I took a test to determine my "spiritual gifts." My score rated high in the area of "service." But there's another area where I like to help too and that is "encouragement."

With my family, demanding job, and limited energy, there is only so much time I can devote to helping the Global Sustainability Movement. However, in a way, I can "amplify" my efforts by encouraging others who are doing good work. Other activists I know do not have jobs or children, and can put many more hours into The Cause than I ever could. Others simply have the talent and resources to do things far greater than I.

So, tonight I called a couple of these special people I know and just left a message of encouragement. When I think back on my life, I recall how a few words, a supportive e-mail, or a little recognition did wonders to my will and drive to work harder. I thank the woman in California who recently sent an e-mail of encouragement for my podcast -- that meant so much.

I often think about the amazing story how Russian President Boris Yeltsin was barricaded in the Russian White House during the failed coup attempt in August 1991. By a miracle, President George Bush was able to reach Yeltsin by phone, and he provided encouragement. Later, Yeltsin said that encouragement helped to give him the will to carry on.

Encouragement is free and only takes a few minutes. I encouragement everyone in the environmental and sustainability movement to be encouragers to one another. We are all brothers and sisters in this movement, and it's important that we lift each other up.

And take it a step further -- this life is pretty difficult for most people. You can do a lot to make the world better by encouraging people that you come in contact with whenever you can. A fellow activist said the other day, "I sure do enjoy our mutual admiration society." And yes, I do too. Kind words don't hurt -- they only help.

Let us stand behind, support, and ENCOURAGE the volunteers, activists, and leaders of our movement. It will so much to them, and lifting up our colleagues is a beautiful thing.

Merry Christmas 2006!

On August 18, 1991, a coup against Gorbachev was launched by hard line communists headed by Vladimir Kryuchkov. Gorbachev was held in Crimea while Yeltsin raced to the White House of Russia (residence of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR) in Moscow to defy the coup. The White House was surrounded by the military but the troops defected in the face of mass popular demonstrations. Yeltsin responded to the coup by making a memorable speech from the turret of a tank.

—Wikepedia

Statement on Global Warming

The following is a statement from Albert Allen Bartlett, professor emeritus of physics, University of Colorado. He is one of the great leaders of our movement.

While I appreciate the efforts of Al Gore and others to raise awareness about global warming, they have missed the ball if they fail to mention our exploding global population as a key part of this problem.

As usual, people have this strange, built-in denial about population growth. I'm not sure what the deal is: either they don't want to be viewed as too radical, they fail to make the connection, or they don't think it's politically correct. Who knows.

Anyway, here is Mr. Bartlett's wonderful statement:

A SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH

If any fraction of the observed global warming can be attributed to the activities of humans, then this constitutes positive proof that the human population, living as we do, has exceeded the carrying capacity of the Earth.
THIS SITUATION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE!

AS A CONSEQUENCE,
IT IS AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
THAT ALL PROPOSALS OR EFFORTS TO SLOW GLOBAL WARMING
OR TO MOVE TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
ARE SERIOUS INTELLECTUAL FRAUDS
IF THEY DO NOT ADVOCATE
REDUCING POPULATIONS TO SUSTAINABLE LEVELS
AT THE LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL SCALES.

The Cigarette Test

Cigarettes are perhaps the perfect experiment to see if humans can overcome their own self destruction. Now, I see people smoking EVERYWHERE — in cars, in public, at events, and everywhere they can.

Even though smoking is dangerous to the individual, is a major cause of fires, and endangers the health of other people in the vicinity, millions of people still do it.

The tobacco farmers like it. The senators and congresspersons of tobacco states likes it. And smokers appear to REALLY like it.

I spent a few days last week in Phoenix, AZ, where smokers have one month left to smoke in restaurants before a law goes into effect. As I was having dinner Tuesday night I noticed the smoker people — at the bars and at their booths. They were smoking one white stick after the other.

Why do people do it?

• It's too hard to quit.
• I'm young, I'll quit when I'm older.
• I like it, and what I do is no one else's business. It's my "lifestyle" choice.
• I'll gain weight if I quit.

And the list goes on. The point is that smokers will come up with dozens of excuses and rationalizations to continue their self-destructive habit.

So, if we can't even get people to stop smoking, how will we get humanity to start living sustainably?

Frankly, I don't know the answer. According to the American Heart Association:

In the United States, an estimated 25.5 million men (24.1 percent) and 21.5 million women (19.2 percent) are smokers. These people are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Wow, that's a lot of people. Every day I notice them flicking their nasty butts on sidewalks, out the windows of their cars, etc.. In fact, cigarette butts and packaging are a prime source of litter.

Quite frequently someone ahead of me in traffic will flick their little butt out the window. I often honk at them and give them a dirty look. One day some good 'ol boy is going to whip my butt, but that's okay with me. It really pisses me off when smokers think they have a "right" to litter our Planet. I get resentful when I have to pick up the nasty butts (often with lipstick on them) from my front yard and curb. I mean, why do I have to pick up someone else's life-destroying garbage?

So, when I see smokers out in traffic, puffing in the smoke, blowing the crap out their nose, and throwing their butts, wrappers, and boxes everywhere, I say to myself:

These are NOT the people who will help save the world.

No. Rather they are addicts and prisoners to the greatest corporate marketing scam of all time. They are slaves to the tobacco companies, and all they are able to do is destroy — they destroy their lungs, their heart, their loved ones, and the environment around them. And meanwhile, the farmers and tobacco firms get their money.

Is this a model for sustainability? Nope. Will humanity win the battle against the tobacco cartels and their millions of consumer slaves? I hope so.

I do appreciate the efforts of government and many churches to address this worldwide pandemic. But at the same time, we must come down harder on the murderous corporations that push the tobacco poison, and we must provide more education and rehabilitation to the tobacco victims.

In my vision of the future, humans won't kill themselves with cigarettes. In effect, this is a form of violence to one's self, and it has got to go.

Religion & Lying

This month I've been totally intrigued by the works of a fellow activist that I've recently met. His name is Jack Harich (thwink.org) and he has created an incredible website and written two books and a variety of papers on the topic of global sustainability. I am in the middle of one of his books, and all I can say is that it's awesome. Jack hits the nail on the head — as I'm reading his book I feel it was custom written just for me.

After all these years it is great to see more affirmation that all these crazy observations that I have made about the world have been noticed by others. Now, more lately, I've taken a "systems approach" to our global sustainability challenge. What this means is that I don't get as upset when I hear a politician lie because I realize that it's embedded in the system. When corporations try to manipulate public opinion, push their lies, and try to manipulate government, I don't get so upset anymore because a) I'm guessing this has gone on for thousands of years and b) again, I think it's endemic.

I'm 46 years old and it has taken me most of my life to unravel all the lies that are everywhere in our current, dysfunctional society. One area that seems to be sacred and unchallenged is religion. If we, as humans, are to maintain our integrity as a whole, then we must have the courage to "call a spade a spade" and identify a lie as a LIE. Is religion a package of verifiable facts, myths, superstitions, or beliefs? If something is NOT true, then it must be a LIE, and we must have the courage to say that.

I can't figure out what good it does for humanity to turn lies into truth and then center their lives around them. Maybe the lies provide comfort, or a moral compass (now, that's a paradox!). Maybe people just LIKE the lies so they keep repeating them, transferring them to their children, and playing the game.

I have ALWAYS felt, ever since age 15, that church and religion were simply a game people played. Up until age 37 I tried to play the game as well, but was never good at it. Over the years I finally began to realize that The Game is not harmless, and, rather, it was doing more harm than good. I can't help but think that if humanity stopped playing these religious games, we'd all be better off.

Without a doubt, religion does a lot of good. But at the same time it does a lot of bad because humans use it as a cover for violent and/or self-destructive behavior. Comments like "God will take care of it" or "it's God's will" are actually quite dangerous. Most religions also cast humans as inherently flawed, and this is problem too because it gives them an "excuse" to be dysfunctional. Of greatest concern is that religion makes people act irrationally.

In the sustainable future I envision, I'm not sure it's necessary to get rid of all religions. When that happens, people often just worship something else, like the state, their dictator, or even atheism is a sort of religion. So, I THINK the answer is to reform our current religions. I applaud the Episcopalians, United Church of Christ, and other liberal to moderate denominations that are leading the way in this area. The idea is to remove the bad stuff and adapt our religions to our current world values. For instance, the Bible is very much pro-slavery, yet we now abhor slavery. See, progress is being made.

As for those who cling to their LIES and refuse to at least modify them, these folks are taking humanity on a dangerous path. To people in this group, I ask that you reconsider your course and help us to create a sustainable future.

The War Against Education

Okay, the article in yesterday's newspaper ties into what I've been thinking a lot about lately. The other day on another discussion list I said that "education is the great antidote of fundamentalism."

Well, this has become evident by a newspaper article titled, "New Taliban Rules Target Teachers, Aid Workers, Schools." So, the point being is that the religious fundamentalist types are killing teachers. Why? Because education is a threat to their stupid and ridiculous dogma.

"The Taliban gunmen who killed two teachers in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday were only following their rules: Teachers receive a warning, then a beating, and if they continue to teach must be killed."

Yep. Apparently the Taliban have put out a list of 30 rules that must be followed, and killing teachers is one of them. Some of the other rules include no smoking, and no use of jihad equipment for personal use. Yep, MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME!

"Taliban militants early Saturday broke into a house in the eastern province of Kunar, killing a family of five, including two sisters who were teachers."

Of course, teachers are also getting killed in Iraq. Usually it's religious freaks who try to kill teachers, but other times its rouge governments as well. For instance, the old Khmer Rouge regime of Cambodia put teachers on their lengthy killing list.

"Hundreds of thousands of the new people, and later the depositees, were taken out, shackled, to dig their own mass graves. Then the Khmer Rouge soldiers beat them to death with iron bars and hoes or buried them alive. A Khmer Rouge extermination prison directive ordered, "Bullets are not to be wasted."

So, killing teachers is a nice strategy for two of our powerful institutions -- Religion and Government. But what about Corporations?

It's quite a problem in the Western world because Corporations need smart, educated people, but the religious fundamentalists and politicians would prefer to keep everyone dumbed down. The solution? Selective education.

In the U.S., The Machine wants you to be smart to serve the Corporate Masters, but they don't want you to be too political or scientific -- because then you could be a threat to the status quo.

A few years ago an industrialist I was talking to was blaming environmentalists for the brownouts in California. "The problem is that California has too many over educated people with too much time on their hands," he said.

Even three years later, this statement continues to piss me off. From the eyes of The Machine, an environmentalist is merely a troublemaker. But from my eyes, these are progressive individuals who are fighting for justice.

Let's examine this twisted statement:

"Too many over educated people" -- Well, who else is going to take on the corrupt, money-grubbing, air polluting power companies? People with no education? Nope, it's the EDUCATED people that Corporations need, but at the same time, they despise.

"With too much time on their hands" -- Again, who's going to take on these coal-burning, greedy companies? The people who are just trying to exist from day-to-day? The poor people flipping burgers? Nope. It's the enlightened and progressive people that are going to take on corporate polluters. Yes, those "bad" people.

So, in conclusion, education is one of the best tools for fighting The Machine and its supporting institutions. Education is critical to long-term sustainability, and that's what this blog is all about.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Saving Ourselves, the Animals, and Planet

I think the first step in healing our dysfunctional humanity is to admit that we are a species. Once we do that, everything begins to fall into place. I am proud to be an animal, and I do not see myself as one bit better than my two dogs. Now this statement may freak out a lot of traditional religious type and neocons, but I happen to like being an animal.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention -- since we are the Big Brained species that learned to fight with our wits instead of our strength or claws, we do have some added responsibility. My dogs are like me -- in the wild it would be hard for all of us survive. We take care of each other -- my dogs look out for me and I look out for them. That's the way it should be with all animals -- we have an added responsibility to take care of God's creatures.

Right now our human population is exploding so vastly that it is hard to protect and respect hundreds of other species because we are simply squeezing them out, and/or killing them with our chemical waste products. We Big Brains are wiping out other species, and I consider this a horrible and serious crime. We Big Brainers have a RESPONSIBILITY to stabilize our population, lest we destroy other species.

Next ...

Now, for the second step in our recovery. We need to stop acting like we are flawed and accept the fact that nothing is wrong with us. Nearly all religions, even the farout ones, teach that there is something wrong with us, and we need to reach for salvation, enlightenment, or whatever the religion-of-the-week tells us. SURPRISE!!! We are not flawed at all. Look at your dogs, look at the birds in your yard -- is there anything flawed about them? Nope!

In the history of evolution, the really freaky creatures never made it out of the ocean. Some are bizarre looking, but are they flawed? Heck no, because they've survived for millions of years.

We Humans are neither bad nor good -- we are just Humans. We just do our own thing. The problem is that when we think we are FLAWED, it gives us an EXCUSE to be dysfunctional.

Still Evolving?

Are Humans still evolving? Heck yes. We are getting smarter and more attractive with each generation because the not-so-smart may not have the sense to make it to reproduction age, or their parents may not be smart enough to get their young to reproduction age. As a result, our species continues to get more robust. Are we going to evolve into another creature? Maybe not, unless the Earth's climate changes drastically (aka global warming).

Actually, the way we NEED to evolve now is in different ways -- socially, intellectually, mentally, etc... My hope is that we will somehow evolve beyond violence. I also hope we will evolve beyond the point where we destroy our own environment for immediate self-fulfillment.

We still have a LOT of work ahead of us. See, the traits that kept us alive in our caveman days -- like being selfish, hording resources, being aggressive, etc. -- these are the same things that may kill us now. So far, we are not adapting well to the way we've radically re-shaped our global environment in such a short period of time. Within a few generations we've totally saturated our Big Blue Marble with PEOPLE, and this has created all sorts of new problems.

The most important thing we need to do is stabilize our population. Right now we are suffering from species stress as competition continues to increase for resources (food, fresh water, jobs, land, etc..). Things MIGHT get very ugly before they get better. I hope that's not the case. My sincere hope is that people begin to WAKE UP. Humans need to throw all their self-destructive dogma and hangups out the window, and we need to START PROTECTING THE ANIMALS, THE PLANET, AND OUR FUTURE. That's all I ask.

The Goose

Just Blow'em Away

First the Russian journalist and then the former KGB agent. How does the power structure of Russia handle dissent? They just murder the people who speak out -- this has a chilling effect on those who would LIKE to speak out. The fear spreads, and the people of the land just learn to keep their mouth shut. This is probably a preview for how the entire world will soon be.

In Iraq, well, the insurgents and religious fanatics simply kill everyone, especially academic professionals. Yes, in Iraq everyone is a target -- it's a free-for-all blood bath. Perhaps this is another preview of how the world will soon be.

Once again, this all goes back to The Machine -- you know, the people with the power. You know, the Colombian drug lords, or the warlords of the Sudan, or whatever. To keep your power you use fear, intimidation, and ruthless violence. It's such a handy tactic.

All of this thuggery will continue until the people of the world stand up and say "enough." For instance, the citizens of Russia need to show outrage for all the brutal killings of dissenters.

Free speech is a beautiful thing and a key to our future sustainability. Those power mongrels who try to muffle speech, through murder, fear, and intimidation, do not really have power.

In the United States, they use more humane methods to keep you quiet. When you speak out, you are accused of being "unpatriotic" or "providing comfort to the enemy." The idea is to make you out to be a BAD person so that you will shut up, and the hope is that maybe others will be intimidated into shutting up as well.

Tonight, I salute the Dixie Chicks. They gave up a LOT to speak out and tell the truth. Now, all the hick country stations won't play their songs. This sends a signal to other artists -- you speak out and we'll hurt your career, your finances, and whatever.

The message: Don't challenge The Machine, for if you do, you shall pay a price. I can only say one thing to that: Screw The Machine!!!!

Another Swing

I'm a pragmatic bastard, so I understand that it's only a matter of time before The Machine takes me out. But I'm okay with that. In Iraq, Russia, and in other dangerous nations, the Evil Ones love to go after journalists — yes, they like to murder them. This has a chilling effect on the press. The Evil Ones also love to go after the academians and intellectuals. The poor intellectuals catch it from both ends — neither the lower class nor the upper elite like people who can actually think. Hell, The Machine doesn't like anyone who thinks — it just prefers those who follow an agenda without questioning. That's what the Killing Fields were for — to take care of chaps like me.

So, anyway, being the cynical Goose that I am, I have long said that I only have one goal in life: To get a few good swings in before I die. Well, I don't believe in violence, so what I mean is that I just want to stand up against injustice and challenge The Machine.

I have a special disgust for those people who rape and sell out the environment and our future to make a quick buck. The soul-less people who engage in this practice will naturally hire spin doctors and create phony "think tanks" and "foundations" to justify their crimes. Among the most disgusting of these groups is the road-building industry. These asphalt monkeys want to pave every square inch of Mother America to make a buck, and have no mercy for the environment or the hapless and naive humans who are caught in their trap. They fight to sabotage mass transit alternatives, and instead send their pigeon-toed lobbyist thugs to the legislature to lobby for more black, petroleum-based crap. Yeah, asphalt.

On Wednesday I stood up to the asphalt monkeys by getting a really good Letter to the Editor published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Did it feel good? Heck yeah, it felt great. One little Goose stood up against the system.

As far as I'm concerned, the tobacco pushers and asphalt monkeys can all go to hell. It is the visionaries and stewards of the Earth who will lead us into the future. The money grubbers will simply fall aside in a ditch, clinging desperately to their wads of money.

I DEFY YOU, I DEFY YOU

And to the conservative Christian collaborators who hold the coats as the asphalt monkeys and all the Earth-Destroyers do their dirty deeds, YOU WILL FACE JUDGEMENT. You shall, my friends.

Disgust

I just go through life getting more and more disgusted -- to the point where I don't know how to feel normal. What is irking me today is this pathetic excuse we have for a U.S. Congress. I'm glad we saw a mild rebellion during last Tuesday's elections, but the GOP continues to have far too much power. The anti-environment attitude of some hard-right Republicans makes me sick. I have no respect for a man or woman who does not honor the environment. This gets into the whole subject of Daniel Quinn and his Ishmael series books, where he talks about how humans feel they are separate from nature. Not true. NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!

If Only Humans Could "Stop At Two"

I constantly think about this all the time: If only humans had the sense to "stop at two children," many of the nightmares we are facing or are about to face could be avoided.

As an environmentalist specializing in population, one of my hobbies is to link our various world problems back to population growth. I believe that nearly all of our current environmental and social ills can be traced to our exploding global population. Yet, most people still don't get it -- they want to have a large family for various reasons, with zero regard for how their decision impacts the Planet and our future. This disconnect has become the great puzzlement of my life.

I have read several articles that link overpopulation to terrorism, but in today's newspaper I read a new connection. Yes, it startled me.

"The spread of nuclear technology is expected to accelerate as nations redouble their reliance on atomic power to cope with growing populations, dwindling oil supplies, and fears that the combustion of fossil fuels is warming the planet."

And there's more:

"Development of civilian projects will give more countries the ability to make reactor fuel, or with the same equipment and a little more effort, bomb fuel."

Okay, let's think about this:

• Massive population growth is helping to quickly dry up the world's oil supplies.
  
  
• Nations must now find new ways to provide power for their exploding populations.
  
  
• When nations learn to develop nuclear power for peaceful energy needs, they are only a few steps away from the ability to make nuclear fuel for bombs.
  

I would like to add one point to the newspaper quote:

Increased world population will result in more competition over resources, such as the remaining oil supplies, water, land, etc... With more countries having nukes, or the ability to produce them, the liklihood is increased that sooner or later someone will use one.

Welcome to the second nuclear arms race. By ignoring the horrible problem of human overpopulation, you are, in effect, putting your five children in harm's way. You helped to create this problem. Yes, I know, the Bible says that this is the end of the world and that this is all part of God's plan. Well, I think it's a sucky plan, and we shall see.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/15/06, Section A: "Many Nations May Have Nuclear Arms Capability."

Exploitation and Violence Against Women

On top of all the other things that trouble me, I am getting more and more concerned about the violence and exploitation against women. It seems that there are just more whacko males willing to murder innocent females. There has been a whole string of crimes like this. First there was the sexual assault and murder of a women on the bike trail near my house. And now the brutal murder of the Amish girls by a deranged man. Why all this violence? Can it all be traced to some sexual issue? Are men just more prone to act out their mental problems through violence?

Then there is the case of all the exploitation of women. I have heard stories of how women are lured into, trapped, and exploited in the pornography industry. The best way to stop this multi-billion dollar business is to boycott. It's just that simple.

And then I hear stories of boys luring girls to have sex with them, and then dumping them. They seize on girls who are naive, maybe lonely, and just want a boyfriend. But what these girls get is just a milder version of a sexual predator.

It's all really sick. Women should be treated with respect. Men need to get over their endless obsession with sex. I think the sex craze comes with all the free time and less harder labor. In the old days, after working 10 hours on the farm, men were too kaput to engage in such folly.

I know these problems I am raising have probably been going on for hundreds of years, but that doesn't make it right. Men need to get a grip and keep it in their pants. The selfishness and immaturity I see with the male gender is pathetic.

I don't say these things just because I have daughters. I am saying them because the mistreatment of women is wrong. And it is also wrong to treat them anything less than 100% equals -- no exceptions. This is a conviction I've had since age 13 (I'm 46 now). It has always bothered me.

If we started showing the respect that the 51% of the world's population deserves, maybe our species would not be so dysfunctional. And, yes, all religions must give women 100% equality as well -- I demand it. This stuff about a woman can't hold a senior leadership in a church is a bunch of crap, yet a lot of churches disrespect women in this way, and other churches, denominations, and religions do far worse.

And a note to you women -- you do not have to take any of this crap. Don't buy into this lie about "it's my role to be submissive." The word "submissive" is simply a euphemism for "exploited." You do not have to take it. Do not take any crap from any man or organization that doesn't offer you 100% respect. Now that doesn't mean you have to be an over-sensitive militant feminist. I try to be thick skinned and you should be too. You know what is innocent and ignorant, and what is intentional. So, you be the judge.

In regards to the tragedy of the Amish girls, it reminds me of a passage I once wrote in one of my short stories:

"I started crying for everything that was wrong in this world, and I cried and cried. Then I started to laugh because I knew it was impossible to cry for all the pain and suffering in this world."

I guess that's why I try to make jokes, and that's why I try to cheer up my fellow activists. I don't know. Right now I just think the world is nuts, more than ever.

Perpetual Anger

I often think about those folks in the Mideast who suffer from permanent rage -- it must be horrible for their blood pressure. I pretty much stay angry all the time too; it's just that I don't let it out by beheading people and destroy other people's property. I don't believe in that. I always try to funnel my anger into action, or righteous indignation.

So, these last few days I've been thinking about what makes me the angriest. It came to me last night as I was watching yet another frightening documentary on global warming.

What makes me the angriest are this huge group of fundamentalist Christians who will never do anything about global warming. Instead of driving less or planting trees, they will frame this pending disaster into their religious dogma. All the symptoms of global climate change will be "signs" that the Lord is coming soon. All the bad things that happen will be "punishment" for allowing gay marriages, or whatever. As the waters rise over south Florida, they will say it is because of their SINS!

Even more moderate Christians tell me that global issues are in the hands of God, that it is "all part of God's plan."

So, that's what makes me angry. On Sunday morning millions of people will be sitting in churches as some preachers screams at them about saving more souls ... because the world is coming to an end. Then, they will hop in their gas guzzling autos and well, help the world come to an end.

It's freakin' crazy. This whole world is crazy. The daily newspaper absolutely depresses me. If I didn't need it for my volunteer work, I would not open the paper. It is actually more fun to live in lala land, or to be like church people who somehow think that singing off key or participating in church socials somehow makes God happy. Yeah, right. I think what makes God happy are people dedicated to service, who are not afraid to take responsibility for the Planet, and are out on the front lines making this world better, instead of in some little building playing church.

I am doing what I can to reduce my carbon emissions, but I know there is a lot more that I can do. To the church people, I urge you to join me to help reduce all the carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. I know you think your purpose in life is to "save souls" by getting people to say a three sentence prayer. While that makes absolutely no sense, I know that you think it's right, so that's okay. But it's going to be hard to save people who are sick, hungry, dying, or dead. And global warming is going to cause a lot of that, I believe. Not to mention the human population explosion, the mass slaughter of our Planet's greenspace, and the fouling of our water. So, go ahead, put on your little suit and tie, sit in the back of your little church, and enjoy your 40 minutes of piety, as the preacher up front lambasts you for not attending the Wednesday and Sunday night services, and for not putting enough in the plate.

Give me a break. I've really had enough. I just wish more people would start doing things that really make a difference instead of playing games. I'm 46 years old and I've watched the game playing all my life. There is only one game I know, and that is called Reality. I wish more people would play it.

The Goose

Fourth Reich

As I read more and more about the "religious wars" I simply get more disgusted with religion. Oh, the latest is that the Pope pissed off the Muslims in one of his speeches. The Muslims do, indeed, appear to be one of the more violent religions on the Planet. People use their faith to justify beheading, torturing, and honor killings, when in reality, there is NO DAMN EXCUSE for killing people in the name of ... whatever. What if I started killing people in the name of Oscar Meyers? Does that justify it? Hell no.

But that is not the point of today's post. I'm not worried about a few Islamic headhunters. What really scares me is what is going on in this country. But it's nothing new. I call it the intertwining of religion and patriotism to instill the willingness to die in the hearts of little boys -- and to instill in mothers the willingness to give up their sons. The Machine needs the cannon fodder as it now sets its sites on Iran -- a staging area for the final battle with China. Little boys are being raised in little conservative churches where God and flag become one. They tell you to honor the flag because your country gives you the freedom to worship. But what they don't tell you is that they are trying to implant a sort of perverted God and country connection, where to die for your country is to honor God. Even, though, really, Jesus doesn't mention this, but that's okay. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, including the blood of your only son!!!!

What made me write this is all the churches I've been noticing lately that fly the American flag out front. Churches are about power and control, and that is what the state desperately needs to fight its adventuristic and opportunistic wars. Willing little boys who think that "God and Country" are actually one. Program the fools, and send them off to die!

Of course, a draft would be difficult because the liberals would oppose the draft. Nope! Actually, a draft would be impossible because the slick Willies in the Board Room don't want their children to be bothered with the dirty unpleasantries of war. This is the role of the underclass. Brainwash them, program them, pump them up with this garbage about patriotism, and then send them off to attack nations that pose no real threat to us. Send them to DIE for King Bush and Master Cheney, and the Royal Neocons who gladly sacrifice the children of others for their dreams of conquest, power, and domination. Be a good little Christian and send your son off to DIE!!! And then give some stupid little speech about how he died fighting for freedom. But what is freedom? It is something you have lost because you have been programmed by The Machine.

Patriotism and religion are not one and the same. Nice try, folks.

Introducing My Podcast

Well, I completed my sixth podcast tonight and I must say that it really feels good "getting it all out." So, I'm not sure if I have any subscribers yet, other than some guy named "Jon" in the U.K. But, for so long I've read and heard things and I wished so bad that I could have a rebuttal, and now I finally can. Maybe by now I have one or two subscribers. Maybe one day I'll have a 1,000 subscribers.

Anyway, catch my show at http://www.goosed.org. The sole topic is global sustainability, and I include peacemaking as a part of sustainability. Yeah, I'm one of those left wing, liberal, progressive types that want peace, social justice, and environmental justice. Yes, I am a LIBERAL, and I am very proud of that. However, I am a switcher -- most of my life I was a right wing Republican, until I had my Great Awakening in 1997. So, I am a CONSERVATIVE too, but less proud of that because the current "conservatives" really don't follow true conservative principals at all. Rather, they've completely sold out to corporate dollars and religious hard-liners. But, in the purest sense, I support conservative values. My favorite is "individual responsibility." Yeah, whatever happened to that?

So, join me for my weekly show. The best way to hear it is to subscribe from iTunes (http://www.itunes.com). Join me in my quest to study sustainability and saving the world.

Well, I suppose I'll be blogging less now that I'm podcasting, but I plan to continue both. By late next year I would love to start getting into movies, and writing an online book. Who knows, maybe someone will publish it and I'll get rich. Just kidding! Materialism means nothing to me, honest. However, a good computer that can edit video would be nice.

Okay, that's it for now. Keep hugging those trees!

Labor, Babies, and More...

Hello, is anyone listening out there? Does anyone really care? Even today as I was driving home I found myself trying to rationalize all the clear-cutting in my area. I say to myself, 'See Goose, there are still some trees over there, and some over there too. It's going to be okay. Those naughty humans surely won't take EVERY tree!"

Like a friend of mine says, there is just something special about those trees and greenspace. They do more than anything to put me in touch with nature, and to put me in touch with God. SO WHY ARE WE SO FUCKING DETERMINED TO CUT DOWN EVERY LAST TREE AS FAST AS WE CAN?

Because we humans are, well, stupid. We are stupid as dirt. We have lost our connection with nature, and we have lost our love for nature. The natural land of the Earth is for the sole use of humans, who feel they have an absolute right to have all the children they want, who, in turn, grow up, buy cars, buy houses, and contribute to the slaughter of more nature.

"BUT THAT'S GROWTH, GOOSEY, AND THAT'S GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY!!!"

It's only good for getting more wealth to a lucky few who are already rich. In the meantime, a giant underclass is growing. The income gap between the rich and the poor is growing in the U.S. Those five kids you just had to have only dulute the cost of labor. The "MACHINE" uses your children as cheap labor, and then spits them out when done. If we had less kids, we would be in control. The corporate structure would have to pay us more and treat us better because they would be competing for a limited labor pool. But right now, we give them all the labor units they want. Reproduction is the one thing humans are good at, and even though our global population is skyrocketing, many, many people continue to have 4-10 kids.

Okay, I know this is a complex issue, and I know a lot of people will scream "immigration reform," but I see this as a world problem. I do not recognize political boundaries -- we are all one people. So, it's really us against the massive institutions that exploit us because of our own stupidity.

Stand up, oh human, and join me in the global Sustainability Movement. The first step in joining is to limit your family size. This is the best thing you can do to help the environment and avoid feeding our incredibly destructive world economy. Starve them of the cheap labor that the corporate stooges so long for. Cheat them of their quick buck. Defy them!

The Troubled Goose

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is???

Does Anyone Really Care?

I'm starting to get really frustrated because when I try to talk to people about the serious problems our world faces, I get accused of being "doom and gloom." A famous podcaster named Eric even suggested that I am an Eeyore. This is yet another bizarre defense mechanism that people have. They just don't want to hear your bad news -- they just cut you off. They don't want to deal with it.

It's like you know something's really wrong with you, maybe a freaky mole growing on your body, but you refuse to go to the doctor. By ignoring it, people must figure, it will somehow go away.

So, when I discuss global warming, human overpopulation, and other serious environmental ills, people just see me as a negative, pessimistic person. So, HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO EDUCATE AND WARN PEOPLE IN A HAPPY SORT OF WAY?

"Hehe, the polar caps are melting. Hey, at least now we can farm in northern Canada!"

Easter Island Syndrome

Another thing that continues to haunt me is Easter Island. First off, the whole place is freaky to begin with. How did people get there? Exactly how did the civilization die? Jared Diamond's book on the subject, titled "Collapse," offered a lot of insight. And I've been thinking about it even more. It seems the island was broken into rival feifdoms and that each "lord" was competing to build the biggest and best statue to the gods. In so doing, they cut down all the trees to use for transporting the stone statues. They also seemed so obsessed with building the statues that they let other things go. In other words, it was probably THEIR RELIGION that killed them. This is just a theory, but we are sure seeing a repeat today, only on a more global scale.


"The population of Easter Island reached its peak at perhaps more than 10,000, far exceeding the capabilities of the small island's ecosystem. Resources became scarce, and the once lush palm forests were destroyed - cleared for agriculture and moving the massive stone Moai. In this regard, Easter Island has become, for many, a metaphor for ecological disaster."

Grand Oil Party

Today it was hot as hell and it makes me furious that the U.S. Congress still doesn't get it. What a pathetic joke they are. I hate having to send my taxes to a bunch of nobodies in Washington who do nothing but vote themselves raises. During the few times they actually pass major legislations, they get the lobbyists to write it for them. For the most part, Congress is made up of vast numbers of unprincipled nothingness. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part the Georgia delegation is a group of nothingness, well, at least all the Republicans (whoops, sorry). Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss are both nothingness who have made absolutely no contribution to our future.

The point is, just how many plagues does Congress need to see before they do something about global warming? My god, the Senate just passed a bill to allow drilling in the Gulf, but the idea of encouraging conservation doesn't enter their minds. Very few Senators and Representatives are willing to take a stand on perhaps the greatest issue facing our Planet in 45 million years. It is so much more convenient to deny, dispute, or just ignore the problem.

I really see the United States as the nation that can be a great leader and role model for this World, but instead we act selfishly and stupidly on every front. We were the nation that refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol because it would "hurt the economy." But the path my sorry government has chosen to take is all about putting off the long-term in favor of short-term comfort and laziness. We live in a so-called "Christian" nation where it's all about "me," and I see a major conflict with these two values.

So, in closing, I applaud the members of Congress who are standing up and speaking out about global warming. Hurray to the Democrats and moderate Republicans who actually give a damn. "BOOO" to the arch conservatives who continue to sling excuses at this issue.

Really, whether you are a Congressperson or some poor person living in an unairconditioned apartment, you still have to deal with this hot nightmare. This is a horrible crime being committed against our children, and I hold the U.S. Congress accountable for this great crime of neglect.

DNA and Doggies

I am blessed with two beautiful, adopted dogs. One is a little Terrier mutt and the other one is a Labrador mutt. I have been fascinated by just watching them and studying their behavior. With my new understanding of evolution, I now see them as fellow mammals that just happened to branch off in a different direction.

In a way, dogs are dumb, but in a way dogs are smart. One thing they are excellent at is reading my moods — and I can see how my moods affect them. Of course, our moods also affect the people around us, so maybe we need to learn to manage our moods better.

But to the point!

The point is that when Nemo, the black Lab, is going through all the puppy stages that Teddy went through four years ago. The funny thing is that their behaviors are remarkably similar, even though they are different breeds, different sizes, and four years apart.

Right now, I'm on the back deck on a beautiful July night. There are flashes of lightening in the distance and a very cool breeze. Nemo is at my feet playing with his rag toy.

I also work at dog shows to make extra money, and what I'm saying is that aside from some variations, most dogs behave pretty much the same way. They have the same responses to humans, other dogs, danger, etc. They are dogs, and much of their behavior appears to be encoded in them. They are absolutely fascinating animals, and we often take them for granted. At my family reunion today, I learned that two of my cousins rescue dogs. I think that's cool.

But the point, oh yes, the point, is that dogs seemed to be a very pre-programmed species. In effect, they are trapped by their DNA. However, this standardized DNA has allowed them to live and thrive for tens of thousands a year.

So, how much are we humans trapped by our DNA? How much are we controlled by pre-programmed behaviors. It's hard to say. But as I see our current civilization enter its final act, I'm wondering if we are too pre-programmed to break away from our destructive behaviors and start living in a better way.

Are we slaves to our genes? Are we going to behave in the same predictable ways, even though these behaviors are now taking us to self destruction? I hope not.

The good news is that I'm seeing more bloggers, podcasters, religious leaders, and even a few corporate leaders starting to wake up and question the old World Order. This gives me hope. This makes me feel like we are not programmed to destroy our civilization simply by behaving the way we always have. Something tells me that humans are intelligent enough to override their basic behaviors. Maybe, maybe not.

What's Next?

Today I conducted two more interviews for my podcast. It's now just a matter of getting to the editing and begin getting shows produced.

I continue to remain dismayed at this whole Hezbollah-Israeli thing. It is now obvious that the Arabs are not going to let go of the fact that Israel is trespassing on their land. It's funny how all the religious prophesy is coming to pass, like the fact that Israel became a nation again in 1948. But, if Israel is obliterated, then that won't exactly play out like the prophesy says. It's a scary time right now and I'm not sure what will happen next. What I do know is that both the U.S. and Israel are currently engaged in long drawn-out wars that will not end until the invading forces withdraw. Perhaps this is part of a grand plan of our enemies -- to draw the U.S. and Israel into long wars that will gradually wear down both nations. Then the yahoos will launch the next phase of their "Holy War."

So, one time as a kid I was on the bus and this little short kid was threatening to beat the crap out of me, and I said, "Why can't we just be friends?" Like I really wanted to be friends with the guy. Anyway, the guy roughed me up some but didn't finish me off, and once I got off the bus my friends gave me a hard time. "Why didn't you fight?" my friend Brad said. Maybe it was because I valued my teeth. Maybe I just didn't see the point. I really do think violence in all its forms is barbaric. We humans are really primitive and aggressive creatures.

Anyway, back to the Mideast. The Zionists wanted to have a nation again after many centuries. It was a great, romantic dream. The Arabs wish to make this dream a nightmare -- at least make it very costly to live there. The war and violence just doesn't stop. The Palestinian Arabs want their land back, and want to have their own nation in Israel's place. At least, that appears to be their intention. Maybe Israel should withdraw from the West Bank. That would at least be a fair compromise. But a lot of Islamic extremists want more than that -- they won't rest until Israel is destroyed.

So, I can see more terrorism, getting the United States dragged into a second war, and the nightmare goes on. It's a nutty world, man.

The Wall

Okay, you're probably wondering why I have such a strange picture of myself on my blog. Well, I will be glad to answer any questions from the audience.

Question: What is that green spray paint crap behind you?

Answer: That, Johnny, is a piece of the Berlin Wall that I'm standing in front of. When that wall fell, it gave me tremendous hope. These days, I don't have much hope left, but when I look at a picture of that wall, I feel really good again. Knocking down that wall was a big step forward, and knocking down walls is what my blog is all about.

Question: Why do you have such a twisted look on your face?

Answer: Because I took this stupid responsibility pledge and I promised that anything that happened in the world would be my responsibility too. So, now I'm feeling a lot of pain. For instance, all these wars going on in the Middle East right now, well, I can feel that pain. I don't know if I'm just getting more acute as I get older or what. I keep thinking about the African-American journalist in Chicago who committed suicide because she couldn't stand all the misery in the world. I spent most of my career as a journalist, and I've seen a lot of crap too. Man, it really makes my face twist, and it made most of my hair fall out too.

Question: What's your remedy for the violence in the Mideast?

Answer: Oh, come on, man, it's late. But to achieve peace, I think the changes must be foundational. I think there must be a change in attitude. Believe it or not, but America is a HUGE PART of the problem. We supposedly subscribe to these so-called Christian values, but instead of being a gentle, humble, and loving nation, we are an arrogant, aggressive, selfish, and militant country. I think this mass hypocrisy is manifesting itself in many ways throughout the world, including the continued incitement of violence. As you'll see on my profile, my favorite quote is something like, "Communism is an extreme reaction to the excesses of capitalism." Thus, "Religious fanaticism is an extreme reaction to ..." You guessed it folks. I know you don't like to hear it ... I don't even like to hear it.

I looked in the mirror and the enemy was .... Ralph Nader (nope) .... PeeWee Herman .... (nope). The enemy is you! The enemy is all of us.

Whew, I need a glass of water.

The Goose

Kaboom

Yikes, I just read that Pakistan is dramatically expanding its nuclear program. I already have been feeling sick about the whole international scene, and now I feel really sick.

The point being, more and more countries are getting nukes. This is the opposite direction from the way we should be going. Sooner or later one of these things are going off -- it is imminent. Maybe then people will be so abhorred by these weapons that they will raise major hell with governments until they are abolished, once and for all.

One big part of the problem, in my opinion, are the religious fundamentalists of all persuasions. They, I feel, are a major threat to our Planet and future. For instance, the religious conservatives in the U.S. shamelessly align themselves with the GOP (Grand Oil Party). Now, I really do like Republicans because they advocate PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. But, the religionists SHIRK their responsibility by saying, "Oh, God will take care of us. It's all a part of His Plan."

Excuse me!! You, Mr. Righteous, should be working toward peace, love, and harmony on this Planet, instead of rallying behind the neoconservatives. Just how hypocritical are you? Let me tell you emphatically that GOD DOES NOT DO RESCUE MISSIONS. You religious zealots are engineering your own self-fullfilling prophesy, and in your little head you say, "It's not my problem." And, really, what you're thinking is that the sooner someone touches the button, the sooner you get to go up to your heavenly McMansions and pet lions. Come on, please get real. I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are not going to be whisked away to Heaven just as the nukes go off. I assure you, brothers and sisters, that you will have to ride this mother out like the rest of us. You are not getting off on this one. So, I ask you to please join me in building a future, and have the courage to let go of your fables, which you know deep down are all made up anyway.

More and more nukes are being deployed around the world, and here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Righteous, playing games with yourselves, each other, and your minds. "Oh yes, we should take out Iran's nuclear facilities in an airstrike and then ride out the reaction." Come on, man. You know that will never end. Somebody somewhere is going to be building a nuke faster than you can locate it, target it, and bomb it. There are countries all over that want nukes. What better way to dominate an opponent. And as for "assured mutual destruction," that's a small price to pay when you have "right" on your side.

So, what I'm saying is that a Christian fundamentalist, Islamic fundamentalist, or Jewish fundamentalist, or whatever -- they are all the same. They are all helping to unravel our fragile, civilized world. Whether we like it or not, they are preparing humanity for the next phase of our existence. Unfortunately, the transition period will be a little unpleasant.

The Goosed Goose

The Vainness, Oh Vainness

So, I'm about to start my podcast and I'm already thinking about writing a book. Why do I want to do these things? As one famous podcaster said tonight, "When I first started this, I had no idea where it was going to go." A few months a friend was talking about "The Law of Unintended Consequences." The idea is once you take an action, you really can't predict the results. I'm sure terrorists think about this all the time. When they blow up innocent women and children, I'm sure they are hoping that the incident will trigger a series of events that will eventually play in their favor. More specifically, I think one goal of terrorism is to make your enemy so blind mad that he begins to act irrationally -- hopefully to the point where his own anger backfires against him. Hmmm, sort of like what's going on between Israel and Lebanon right now.

But "The Law of Unintended Consquences" can also lead to serendipity (good things). So, I can only hope and pray that the doors I open will somehow lead to a chain of events that will spark The Great Movement.

My brother Gunther said he was hoping for another peristroka. I would love that too, but peristroka was mainly about economic and political reform, and we need far more than that -- we need to change the way people think and view their reality. So, in that regard, maybe some way, some how, I can help.

As always, the biggest challenge to accomplishing my goals is time. With a family, demanding job, and several volunteer jobs, I barely have enough time to breathe. Plus, I need some time to go to the gym, walk my dogs, spend time with my friends and relatives, read, do yardwork, pursue my other hobbies (computers, tennis), and just enjoy life a little. So, there is just no way to do all these things even if I try to stay disciplined and focused. Being too busy is the only way I know to exist. All my life I have done too much volunteer work for church and various organizations. But if a human is NOT giving back through volunteer efforts, then justifying ones existence is difficult. If you just live for yourself, that is a shallow and hollow existence.

So, I must constantly weigh all these factors and try to prioritize. In my one brief moment on this planet, where can I best focus my limited energy? This is something I think about all the time. Should I devote my life to some very specific local issue, or should I spend the rest of my years working for a global cause, knowing full well that I'll hardly put a dent in my issue and that I may never live to see the fruits of my labor?

And how about the vainness of it all? Humans are such complex creatures, but all it takes is one head injury, stroke, or tumor and all that knowledge can be lost. I read the blogs of my colleagues and think, "That is amazing how deep they are. If only such incredible knowledge could be preserved." But it's not like our brains will be kept in a pickle jar full of formaldehyde. When it's over, it's over. But, like I've said before, there is a certain beauty in absolute vainness. I know full well that the Good Lord could take me out at any second, so maybe I'd better start writing my book now. I would like to go out while playing tennis and making my last serve of a set. I would just swing at the ball, roll over, and just keep rolling. Emergency workers would then throw my carcass in a dumpster, and the remaining players would proceed to the next set. How glorious that would be. But knowing my luck, I will probably croak on the pot, while reading my favorite computer magazine. Then all this stuff bouncing around in my brain will just be gone. And that is how it is meant to be.

Goose

Gentleness Toward the Robots

So, I'm driving home tonight from the gym and there's construction all around me, and I'm thinking, "So, here is a more subtle way to destroy ourselves." Do you really think we can keep growing infinitely? Can we REALLY turn the United State and Earth into a giant subdivision? And what is the point of packing billions more people onto the Earth???

In October, U.S. population will hit 300 million. Most people just say, "Yeah, so what?" and go back to their American Idol show, or they sample a few more beers at the local brewery. We humans have a powerful defense mechanism built into us called DENIAL or "I don't want to think about it" or "I'll deal with it later."

If I directly tell someone how overpopulation, global warming, pollution, and other environmental ills are slowly destroying us, people will just say, "Oh LITTLE GOOSE you are SO NEGATIVE." So, to get my message out I have to sweeten it, lighten it, dampen it, or whatever.

Now let's turn to the second theme of my blog, which is the violence. All hell is breaking lose in the Middle East, and yes, it is affecting everyone. There is a somber spirit in the air that I can feel. But still, people prefer to really just ignore the problem. "It ain't me living in there Israel. I don't have to worry about no missile hitting me at night. Burp."

But, it IS your problem -- it's everybody's problem. See, those Republicans taught me this thing about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, and I take this seriously. I take responsibility for the environmental destruction and violence. Of course, I'm not sure exactly what to do about it, but I keep trying.

Oh yes, I did get a letter published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. It was about United Nations Population Day, and the fact that the most important day of the year came and went and hardly anyone noticed or cared. But the Goose cares. And a lot of other people care too.

"To save it, we must destroy it."
-- Author unknown

All Hell Breaketh Loose

So, I can't help but notice that all hell is breaking loose all over the world. Remember that little Axis of Evil that Bush talked about a while back? Well, he took out one of the bastards, but the other three are like bees in our president's bonnet. Yes, evil Syria, Iran, and North Korea are still out there causing trouble. Those naughty kids are testing missiles. Those other bad kids in the Middle East are busy whipping up an anti-Israel war. They just can't get enough of that good ol' violence.

I can't help but think about a line from one of my favorite music groups, A Perfect Circle. In one of their songs they sing about "peace, love, and understanding." I wonder what happened to all that. If we really do live in a Christian nation, where is all the "peace, love, and understanding?" Where is all the peace and love that the Christians are always talking about and that the Muslims sometimes talk about? Every time there is some terrific terrorist event, I always hear, "No, Islam is not like that - they are interpreting our religion all wrong." So, maybe. I dunno.

The point being (I love that phrase) is that we humans can't seem to kick our addiction to violence and I'm absolutely SICK OF IT!

Okay, I was a skinny runt in school, and I was getting beat up all the time. It was usually either by dumb bullies (who are now landscapers) or little short guys who had to prove themselves. After a couple of good fights in grade school, I decided that fighting was crazy and just said "no more." So, I took their abuse, ridicule, and pushing and shoving. They really couldn't hurt my ego because it had already been smooshed into the ground.

Maybe, just MAYBE, there is a better way to deal with these rogue nations. Look at the good things that happened in Libya. Maybe there are ways to really stop these bad boys. Maybe if the peaceful nations showed some real solidarity we could get them to behave peacefully. Maybe if the United States stopped being a hypocrite, we could have the first step toward a lasting peace.

The first thing the U.S. must do is get rid of all nukes. Who are we to scream at Iran about nukes when we still have them coming out our ears? And who are we to fuss at North Korea for testing missiles when we are testing weapons systems all the time? But at the same time, North Korea is being rather provocative, so it's important to find a happy medium between peacemaking and protecting yourself, just in case the peacemaking doesn't work.

So anyway, in junior high kids would fight over who got to beat me up first. I really just wanted to get it over with. If I was lucky I got through it with just a few Indian burns or a titty twist, or maybe a swirlie if there was a toilet nearby. The good thing about that is that it MADE ME HUMBLE! It also made me ashamed to be a white, American male because there is a certain arrogance that goes with that, and it's something I want no part of.

Small Wonder....

After all the crap I went through as a child, it's not surprising that I always side with the minority. I love the African-Americans, immigrants, and gays. Why? Because they have something a lot of those rich, overweight white men don't have -- dignity. And I stand up for Democrats, women's rights, labor, environmentalists, and all those underdogs that the Power Structure likes to marginalize, demonize, abuse, exploit, or whatever else they feel like doing.

Help!

Please forgive me for being trapped in this sorry white Anglo protestant body. I really find it disgusting, and I am truly ashamed. I am sickened by the fact that my ancestors owned slaves and fought for the Rebels. I am sickened by the fact that I once attended churches that refused to put women in senior leadership positions, or went around spreading evil myths about gays -- how they are "immoral." Bullshit. I just met a very clean cut, Christian gay person a few days ago. I would rather have 20 friends like him than to be around one of these so-called Christians who talk about helping the poor and downtrodden, and then turn around and blast immigrants for "invading our country." First of all, people should be able to move wherever they want. Second of all, they are just trying to have a better life, just like these power-monger yuppies who insist on having 20 floodlights shining on their McMansion so everyone can see it at night. What the hell is that all about?

So, maybe tonight I'm just a little angry and disgusted. Oh well. I'm sitting on my back deck and enjoying a wonderful cool breeze. The frogs and crickets are making a lot of beautiful music tonight - I think they feel rain in the air and are happy. It is them I root for too -- that's why I'm an environmentalist.

The Goose

Corporate Power

Wow, that is sad news about Kenneth Lay of Enron fame, who just died yesterday of a heartattack. I had slammed him on my old blog a while back, now I feel bad. The point being is that he cheated his shareholders and employees out of millions, and always maintained his innocence. It's as if he just couldn't bring himself to accept responsibility for any wrongdoing -- which is so typical of corporate executives. It's as if they are soul-less, money-making machines and they are so far removed from reality they forgot that they even have a soul. May Mr. Lay rest in peace.

Republicans are big into "personal responsibility" and this is the one right-wing attribute that I embrace. However, the conservatives use this term selectively. If you are a poor, homeless person living in a box, it's your damn PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to get a job. But if you are some cigar smoking corporate executive who is fouling the environment and making people sick in the name of profits, well, there is no PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY there. Mr. Corporate Two-Shoes has the responsibility to MAKE A PROFIT at the expense of everything else. Let the government pay for the mess that the company makes; let the public pay for it in terms of poorer health and a reduced quality of life.

So, this gets us to morals. I find that the people who gripe most about morals usually only endorse a single and narrow view. It's IMMORAL for people to be gay. Shame! But nothing is said about a polluting chemical plant, or a power company that lobbies politicians so that they don't have to clean up their nasty plants. That's MORAL because they are making profits, and government should leave business alone to do whatever they want. Let the taxpayer subsidize the impact of the polluting company. That's MORAL, and that's the way of the good righteous conservatives. Give me a break! The hypocriscy makes me sick. I mean, really.

The Goosey Goose

The War Against ...

Whew, I'm getting wore out. Our friendly (usually religious) conservatives are just waging too many wars right now: The War Against the Environment, The War Against Immigrants, The War Against Gays, The War Against Liberals, The War Against Iraq, and maybe The War Against Muslims.

But the only war the good conservatives like to talk about is The War Against Terror. Now, after reading all the "wars" above, I'm wondering who is really inflicting all the terror.

What really makes my few remaining hairs curl up is the favorite tactic of the Religious Right: Pretend like you're being attacked as a way to advance your agenda. Hey, man, we're on to you. But really, do we have to make the United States a theocracy like Iran and like the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan? These places suck if you happen to be a women, or worse, if you happen to have an opinion. And if you happen to be the wrong religion you can expect persecution and maybe death.

Finally, as the Right and Left culture wars drag on, I wish both sides could leave Hitler and Nazis out of this. Why does one side have to constantly compare the other to Adolph? Come on, give that worn out cliche a rest.

Respectfully,

THE GOOSE

Do It Over Again?

For some reason, my birthday last week has made me do a lot of reflecting. The question I keep asking myself is, "Would I like to be 20 years younger?" My response is an instant: "NO WAY." I've been trying to figure this world out since I was age 8, and I would hate to go backwards again. I am just a biological animal fulfilling my mission in life in the way that my heart leads, and if I was age 26 again, I'd have to re-learn a ton of crap.

I also think about some of the big mistakes and bad decisions I've made in my life, but I don't really regret them either. Each mistake was a great learning experience that has given me greater clarity and wisdom for the present.

My biggest regret in life is the few people I've hurt. I tried to track down three people that I've hurt in my life and apologize, but could only successfully find one. The worst thing anyone can do is to hurt another human, another creature, or the Earth. I won't get into a discussion on when it is okay or not okay to kill, but all I will say is that the worst kind of hurt is when it is intentional, and when you should no better. This includes the mental pain we often inflict on our fellow humans every day. It is so easy to let out a terse comment that cripples another. Instead of that, we should be saying words of encouragement and find something kind and positive to say in every situation.

I am thankful for all the experiences that I've had, and for all the great people that have been an influence on my life. I think about my several environmentalist friends that have passed away -- how they left a little of themselves in me by merely setting a good example. I try to honor their memories by living up to their high ideals. To Ed, Tom, and Jim, I thank you for your great deeds (some I didn't learn about until after you died). Your missions were successful (and complete), and I can only hope that mine is to. However, I will never be able to fit in any of your shoes.

The Humbled Goose

Podcast In My Future?

I don't know. I just had this crazy idea on Friday that I should go for the Podcast thing. I have a name and everything thought out. But what I really need is a co-host. I have a guy in mind but he lives kind of far away. I'm not sure if he would go for it or not.

I read about a webcast that a couple of women have launched in Buckhead. They are trying to compete with that famous Robot girl in NY. Good luck!

Oh, I turned 46 last Thursday, hurray! On a more somber note, my barber and friend Cindy has a bad case of ovarian cancer, which has made me quite mellow these past few days. I don't pray much anymore, but I definitely pray for cancer victims because that is as worse as it gets and divine intervention is desperately needed. Thus, that is the reason I don't pray much and ask for things -- because nothing else can compare with cancer. But then again, cancer is just evolution at work -- little cells mutating, in a disastrous sort of way.

Then I read all this stuff about Ralph Reed running for Lt. Governor of Georgia and it just scares the poop out of me. The guy is very sinister, and a ruthless manipulator. He's the last thing we need in government.

Finally, I just learned about Unity '08, an Internet political movement -- and I signed up tonight! I often feel that I spend too much time in the virtual world with my writing, blogging, website, discussions boards, etc... I feel that I need to spend more time with live humans, discussing the issues, educating them, or whatever. But then I see examples like Unity '08 and MoveOn.org -- where the virtual world can actually impact the real world. And you hear about things quoted in blogs, emails, Podcasts, and webcasts every day now. People are now like locked onto their computers. In a way, it's a beautiful thing because all these blogs are turning the Internet into a living being with a common consciousness -- just like all us living things on Earth have given the Universe a sort of consciousness.

In 1993 I listened to a presentation on how computers were being used to map deforestation, and I realized that the personal computer rage could be used for great good. Then came the blog rage just a few years ago and it just seems to be a totally positive thing. I know there is bad stuff on the Internet, but the good and positive far outweigh the bad -- the Internet is the world just as it is, no censorship or shading -- just this mass of wired humanity. I like it. It's cool.

Well, I can't release too many details on my Podcast idea, but it's coming together. The biggest challenge will be finding the time and the money for a good microphone. But then again, will anyone listen to it? Yes, because I'm going to make it funny and suspenseful. I've listened to a lot of Podcasts and some are awesome and others fall short. I don't know if I have what it takes or not, but I think I'll try.

The Goose

Stephen Hawking Speaketh

Today I read a great article about my hero Stephen Hawking, who was speaking to a university in Hong Kong. The gist of his talk is that in order to ensure the survival of the human species, we need to start building permanent settlements on the Moon and Mars.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," he was quoted as saying "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers we have not yet thought of."

To add to Hawking's list, I would like to include environmental degradation and an asteroid hit. Yep, the human species is likely going to get toasted, one way or the other. We humans need to start thinking ahead.

Hawking is a fascinating person to me. Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease at a young age, his doctors told him he would not live long. However, he has defied the disease, and though he is greatly incapacitated, he is still going strong at age 64. What a great inspiration to me!

I believe that every once in a while great humans are sent to us to help humanity take its next steps forward. Some of these great thinkers include Leonardo DiVinci, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. The incredible Stephen Hawking definitely fits in with this group of great geniuses. I would even put Benjamin Franklin into this group as well.

If most people said the visionary things that Hawking said, they would be brushed off as crazy. But Hawking holds the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge in England. So when he says these things, most people actually listen. He's no wacko -- he is a genius. Maybe we should all listen to him and start taking action now.

Thank you, Mr. Hawking. You are a very great man.

Environmental Messiah

Zee purpose of this blog is to chart out my thoughts on how to save the World, mainly environmentally, but in terms of world peace as well.

Today we were having a great discussion on one of the population lists I'm on about how stupid humans are. A colleague described humans as cells in a cancerous tumor. Of course, a lot of people don't like it when we talk that way -- and yes, maybe that kind of language is a little too dark.

Anyway, my activist brother Michael shared an idea that I've been thinking about for a while -- what we need is an Environmental Messiah. I know that person won't be me, and I know that's not my role in life. However, it would be an incredible honor to learn that the Green Messiah was someone I encouraged, mentored, or somehow inspired. As silly as it sounds, I feel like this is my main mission in this crazy Game of Life.

So, at the gym tonight I continued listening to the audiobook "Collapse" on my iPod. Tonight while I was working the stair climber and pumping some iron, I enjoyed a great discussion. The author, Jared Diamond, provided a fascinating comparison between Haiti, a land and society on the verge of collapse, and the neighboring Dominican Republic, which has a good chance of actually achieving sustainability one day.

There are many factors that explain how two nations in extremely different situations can share the same island. But what is most noteworthy is that the Dominican Republic has an impressive public park system and a strong environmental tradition. Haiti has hardly anything to compare with this. One country actively planned for its future while its neighbor has destroyed its future out of desperation to survive in the present.

I'm really wondering if the United States will become like Haiti or the Dominican Republic. With the Bush Administration attempting to sell our public land, combined with a long list of other violations against the environment, my firm bet is Haiti. I'm not a pessimist, just a realist, and I'm beginning to better understand human nature. Thus, my bet is that the entire Planet will become a giant Haiti, certainly by the end of this century. But, despite my lingering gut feeling, I have to try to make this world be more like the Dominican Republic.

Whew.

Al Gore Inspireth Me Again

I've been reading articles about Al Gore's great new movie, titled, "An Inconvenient Truth." I just learned that in the past few years, Mr. Gore has been traveling the country giving a simple but eloquent PowerPoint presentation on global warming. What has incredibly inspired me is the fact that he has given his presentation OVER A THOUSAND TIMES!

Now, that is unbelievable to me, and just so cool. I give my population presentation about four times a year and I think I'm doing good. Well, Al Gore's example has given me incentive to get more bookings.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG

So, I'm thinking today that blogging is a waste of time and utter futility. Having blogged since 2004 I find that I rarely go back to read what I wrote, so what's the point? Some folks say blogging helps you to organize and structure your thoughts. That's true, but I can get plenty of practice doing that on the many discussion lists that I'm subscribed on. So, really, what is the point of blogging? All I'm doing is taking time from myself that could be better spent doing something productive.

Maybe the utter futility of blogging is what makes it so appealing to so many people. There are a lot of special interest blogs that I read because they are often written by an "expert" or "insider" in a given field. I also like to randomly visit blogs. There are SO MANY fellow people like me, just going through life and trying to figure it all out. I can't help but think that some good will come from the current blog rage -- it's as if all of us are creating some sort of collective energy. The only problem is that we humans can't agree on anything, but maybe there's a beauty in that too.

Muslims Taking Over Europe?

A close friend of mine (stop laughing, I do have friends, well, maybe a couple) sent me a book review on a new titled called: "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West From Within" by Bruce Bawer.

The review, written by an Andre Zantonavitch was posted on the Amazon website. Andre uses a lot of fear to make you think that Muslims are in a systematic campaign to take over Europe by 2030.

An excerpt:

"While Europe Slept argues that while Europe is currently only about ten percent Islamic—vs. two percent for America—if present trends continue it will only take a generation or two for Muslims to become the majority. The once-noble Continent will become what intellectual fellow-traveler Bat Ye’or in 2005 called 'Eurabia.' The shocking claim by Bruce Bawer is that well before 2050, most of Europe is likely to become an outpost of Islamdom governed by Sharia. Europe will be alien to Western culture and an enemy of Western Civilization."

Rather than being an organized campaign, I feel this problem is just another side-effect of treating women like crap. This is one of the Goose Pillars of Sustainability — that every female on the Planet must be treated 100% equal to a male. There are no exceptions to this rule and it is nonnegotiable. When women are provided equality, opportunity, and respect, fertility rates are no longer a problem. This is the one commonality around the world. Religion and culture can NEVER be used as an excuse for treating women like subhumans. Believe me, there are REASONS that men use religion and culture to control women. The reasons go back thousands of years, and are no longer valid now. It was, I suppose, once a matter of survival for women to be strictly subjugated to their reproductive roles. Today, with our global population exploding, it's time to hang up all the cheesy control crap.

Even in America, many evangelical religions attemptsubtlytley control women by saying, "You cannot hold a senior leadership position in the church." That's one of the big reasons I stopped attending my current church. I do not accept this stuff about, "Well, someone HAS to be in charge, and this is the way it was set up by God." NO, this is the way it was set up by men. It's all about power and CONTROL.

Anyway, getting back to the Muslim women in Europe who are having the huge families: I believe that the tools for adjusting our human population are already built into us. When women are subjugated and treated like property, yes, they tend to have large families. When women are respected and given the option of education and a career, a society has an excellent chance of becoming healthy, sustainable, and vibrant.

Someone once asked me if I took this position because I have daughters. Even if I had sons, I would feel the same way. In fact, I have felt this way since age 13 when the Equal Rights Amendment debate was raging in the U.S. I remember sitting in class one day looking at the girl behind me, and the girls around me, and thinking, "There is not one single reason why a girl should be treated any less than a boy." Well, it didn't result in more dates, but the idea has festered in my head all my life. As I began to research the issue during my late 30s, I realized that COMPLETE EQUALITY FOR WOMEN IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND HARMONY ON THIS PLANET.

Figuring Out Life

Wow, what a puzzle it has been since I began trying to "figure out life" in 1997. Life is like an onion, and the more I peel away the more layers I find.

Lately, I've been giving a lot of thought about evolution, and how it may provide more answers than we realize. In my opinion, evolution was the theory that literally turned the world upside down. Once the Theory of Evolution came out, people started talking about Social Evolution, Economic Evolution, and to this I add Religious Evolution. It seems like everything evolves, often in ways we cannot predict. But what I do believe is that everything must follow Darwin's evolutionary laws, such as Natural Selection, Survival of the Fittest, Mutation, etc...

Thus, what I'm thinking today is that the whole secret to understanding our future might be understanding our past. By understanding how and why we evolved with certain characteristics, we can better understand ourselves, and, perhaps, where we are heading.

I just watched another documentary last night on cavemen, and the life our ancestors led was incredibly difficult. Perhaps this is why modern humans value comfort so much today. I also learned that all of us were once black, but the group that left Africa to settle in Europe changed both in skin pigment, culturally, and in other ways as well. Maybe that connects to the poor way that the whites have treated the blacks throughout history -- maybe we are seeing ourselves in a mirror and we don't like what we see.

As for believing in the Theory of Evolution, this took a lot of time, reading, watching the History Channel, and even having chats with a couple of scientists that I met. To me, Evolution is now as natural and as much of a fact as anything else in nature. I have a renewed interest in animal life because, well, I'm related to them. I love to observe all other life forms, and I am finding that other animals really aren't different than ourselves. Maybe if we saw the animal kingdom as relatives, maybe we would respect them more. This is not an argument for vegetarianism, but rather an argument for not driving other species to extinction.

If we saw ourselves as simply cave people with a few modern conveniences, if we saw ourselves as a part of nature instead of the exploiters of nature, and if we viewed animals more as equals, we might start changing the destructive way we live.

Oh, yes, and by the way, this is the entire purpose of my blog and website -- to explore all aspects of long term sustainability. Particularly, I am interested in studying human behavior, for unless our current behavior changes, I believe we will destroy ourselves. This really doesn't bother me, but I do believe that it's quite possible for us to do irreparable damage to the Earth, and that worries me.

Parking Lots Reflect American Psyche

Okay, some pet peeves here. First, it drives me NUTS when people leave shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot. Either the carts roll and ding someone's car or someone hits them. WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE CONSIDERATE? It is part of the American mentality — once you have fulfilled your need, the heck with everything else, including your fellow humans. It's the "all about my convenience" attitude.

Second, it drives me CRAZY when people will waste a tank of gas trying to get a parking spot a few spaces closer to the store. They go up and down the rows, they idle and wait for another car to pull out, and they just sit there WASTING GAS. Come on, don't you realize that walking those few extra steps is actually GOOD for you? I mean, it might be your only exercise for the week. Please! Just park your car in the back and WALK to the store. Honest, it won't kill you.

Okay, enough pet peeves for now. The point is that people should be more thoughtful and more willing to get out of their cars and WALK (frightening concept for an American). And I won't even mention those sweet mothers who throw dirty diapers out in the parking lot — that is definitely for a later post.

The Goose

The Canary Becomes the Goose

I, the Yellow Canary, have officially become The Goose. My blog has been moved to:

http://goosed-log.blogspot.com/

You are welcome to read through my nearly 150 old entries in the Yellow Canary Blog, which range from May 2004 to April 2006.

Why the transformation? The Yellow Canary is all about warning people — just like the birds that miners would take down into a mine shaft. When the bird died, the miners knew the air was bad and that it was time to get out of there. I've given up trying to warn people because no one is listening and few people care. The Goose is a better reflection of what I really am — cynical, disillusioned, and disgusted. But, the Goose still has hope and is determined to carry on. Why the name "Goosed?" Because I feel like I've been goosed, and that the whole world has been goosed. Everything is goosed, yet it is still our responsibility for each one of us to try and make things better. The Goose keeps flying despite the storm. Yep, he sure does.

What is Goose Log?

I actually have no idea. This is a continuation of my old blog, The Yellow Canary. I am switching to Blogger because a) It's prettier, b) Maybe someone might actually read it here, and c) I can now blog remotely.

The purpose of my blog? For the last 10 months I've just felt disgusted with the world — not depressed anymore, but just DISGUSTED. I am just absolutely amazed how people "just don't get it" in regards to the future of our country and world. Either people are in a form ofpsychoticc denial or else they are amazingly ignorant and shallow.

The United States is going deeper into debt, and our population is exploding. The rest of the world is faring no better. Really, the whole place is goosed.

But, I am an idealist and I have hope that there will soon come a Great Awakening and the birth of a new, worldwide movement — the Sustainability Movement. I know that I am a lowly bricklayer and foundation layer for this movement. I know that I ain't no charismatic leader. But I know that leaders will come, and I will do my best to encourage and support both leaders and followers.

So, pig out at your Mickey D's, play ping pong in your McMansion, and have fun driving your SUV all over the place. As for me, I'm going to at least try to make a little difference. Most people in this world are just existing, but you will never live until you try to make things better.

The Goose