Pope Destroys Earth

OH NO, GOOSE ... YOU CAN'T SAY THAT. The Pope is a sensitive issue. You are not supposed to talk about the Pope. Now, you're going to get people mad at you.

And the Goose replies ...

Nothing personal, man. I think all religion is inherently destructive. The whole idea of forcing highly intelligent monkeys to believe non-provable facts (called faith) is flawed.

But, in regards to the Pope ....

I applaud him for the good things he has said and done, and I think Pope Benedict XVI is an outstanding human with a good heart.

BUT ....

The Vatican's staunch position against artificial birth control has done massive damage to the Planet and has brought incredible suffering to humans around the world. In fact, a case could be made that the Holy Fathers that head the Roman Catholic Church are perhaps the greatest criminals who have ever lived, and who have harmed humanity far worse than Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot combined. Of course, it wouldn't be nice to say that, so I won't say it.

While the Roman Catholic Church and the many other Christian denominations around the world are feeding the hungry, sheltering orphans, and doing other good deeds, the ban on contraception is encouraging massive and unsustainable population growth throughout the developing world. Mothers suffer from exhaustion, diseases spread, and villages explode in size to the point where resources are stretched thin. While good deeds may help some immediate suffering, the next generation only grows larger and more desperate.

From The Catholic Faith website:

Contraception is wrong because it’s a deliberate violation of the design God built into the human race, often referred to as "natural law." The natural law purpose of sex is procreation. The pleasure that sexual intercourse provides is an additional blessing from God, intended to offer the possibility of new life while strengthening the bond of intimacy, respect, and love between husband and wife. The loving environment this bond creates is the perfect setting for nurturing children.

But sexual pleasure within marriage becomes unnatural, and even harmful to the spouses, when it is used in a way that deliberately excludes the basic purpose of sex, which is procreation. God’s gift of the sex act, along with its pleasure and intimacy, must not be abused by deliberately frustrating its natural end—procreation.

HOGWASH, the Goose says ...

First, there is no law that says humans must procreate until extinction. Part of understanding nature is recognizing its limits. Every habitat has a carrying capacity, and Earth is a giant habitat for people. What the Catholic Church is saying is that we must follow "nature." Try this simple test — allow a handful of rats to multiply in a cage and see what happens. Keep the rat's food and water at the same level, and then see what happens. It's nature, man, so don't be afraid to look after a few months.

Secondly, we are supposed to be really smart monkeys, so we should be able to recognize the inevitable consequences of overbreeding without diseases and predators to maintain balance. What will happen is that humans will breed to the extent of our food supply, and then there will come an unpleasant adjustment. Maybe we can prevent this disaster by using our brains and making contraceptives easily accessible. We can voluntarily avert disaster.

Thirdly, nature ALSO includes millions of other animal species that we share the Planet with. Shouldn't we honor and respect our fellow creatures, or should we push them all to extinction by adding endless billions of people?

Fourth, the Roman Catholic Church is courting a global disaster. Doesn't anyone in the Vatican know that rapid population growth causes environmental damage and social disruption? How about wars over resources? How about malnutrition? How about a woman having the right to just have a rest from child bearing if she wants one? We are adding 80+ million people to the Planet each year. No ecosystem or species can handle such massive and rapid change without major impacts and consequences. What the hell are you thinking, your Holiness?

Fifth, let's not play games or look the other way. Climate change, war, terrorism, water and food shortages, fished out oceans, and destoyed habitats are just SOME of the side effects of rapid population growth. Every person with a moral conscious has an obligation to pressure the Vatican for a change in this policy.

There is an excellent organization that is working to bring positive reform to the irrational and archiac thinking of the Roman Catholic leadership. It's called Catholics for Choice. I used to always display their literature at tabling events, and in fact, I still have a supply of brochures. Whether or not you are Catholic, I encourage you to support this excellent organization.

ACTION ITEM: Ask Pope Benedict XVI to Lift the Ridiculus Ban on Condoms and please support the Condoms4Life campaign!!!


Supporting Source: International Debate Education Association (IDEA) - Catholic Chruch's Contraception Policy

Two True Heroes

The key conspirators who plotted against Hitler.

Yesterday was a day of double inspiration. First, I saw the new movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise. This movie is about the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Adolph Hitler's life. In the movie, Cruise plays the role of the key conspirator, Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg. I have read articles and watched documentaries on this plot before, and it has always inspired me.

A few observations:

• There were military officers and politicians committed to removing Hitler, but they did not seem to have the wherewithal or courage to do the job.
• Staffenberg learned that if you want something done in life, you have to do it yourself, and that's exactly what he did.

What Stauffenberg and his colleagues did was incredibly brave. They likely knew their plan was a big gamble, and they knew for certain that failure would mean certain death. Sure enough, the key conspirators were executed that very night, and many others were killed in the following months.

Stauffenberg sacrificed his life on a long-shot coup against Hitler. If anything, it showed the world that not every German agreed with Hitler, and maybe that alone was a good enough reason to die.

It reminds me today of the journalists and activists who stand up against Muslim extremists, Russian mobsters, corporate plunderers, and other destructive forces, even if it means giving up one's own life. There are people like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King who bravely stood up against an entrenched system and put themselves and families at great personal risk. These individuals are the greatest of the great.

We only have one life to live and maybe sometimes it is best to give up our existence to oppose an incredible injustice, so that others may have a better life. Stauffenberg, it appears, simply wanted to stop the killing, dying, and mass destruction of Europe. Had things gone just a little differently with his bomb plot, he might have succeeded. May Stuaffenberg always be remembered, and may we never forget his courage and example.

The Sea Shepherds

Then, last night I watched a documentary on the Sea Shepherds, a wonderful organization that works to protect

whales. One of their noble causes is to disrupt and harrass a Japanese whaling fleet, which goes to the South Antarctic each year to slaughter hundreds of whales. The Sea Shepherds actually follow the fleet in a ship and use a variety of tactics to disrupt the Japanese murder expedition.

I greatly applaud the group's leader, Capt. Paul Watson. A former director of the Sierra Club, I've exchanged emails with him before, and I've met members of his organization. He is very direct and consistent with his message, and he does not compromise. I really admire the guy.

In a world where there is little courage and conviction, both of these men set a great example for all of us. If nothing is done, nothing happens. If no risks are taken, nothing is accomplished.

Human Nature v. Going Green

I'm tired, but I will ramble out a few thoughts ...

It is human nature to follow the path of least resistance. Going green typically takes extra effort and more expense. Most people are in the mindset of doing things in the most expedient way, without regard to how it impacts other people, nature, or the future of their children. And thus, for the most part humans are little selfish rats.

When the economy sinks it's a mixed blessing for the environment. There is less greenspace getting slaughtered in the name of holy growth. But when money is tight, individuals, government, and companies are less likely or unable to "do the right thing," and focus, instead, on survival. It's like the extremely poor people of Haiti who move into the national parks of the neighboring Dominican Republic, and they damage the parks so that they can have firewood and farmland. While the individuals survive in the short term, the environment is knocked another notch down.

What can we do, oh great Goose?

All of us need to redirect our values and live a more simple life. We need to stop using "stuff" to fill the voids in our empty lives. We need to kick our addiction to materialism. We need to live a simple life, buy a small home, and eat low on the food chain (i.e. mostly vegetarian). We need to all just chill out, relax, and stopped being so obsessed with junk.

Let's tackle a few myths ...

• If something is old it is bad and needs to be replaced. Wrong, wrong, wrong! There is nothing wrong with having an older car or appliance. There is still great beauty in a 1998 Honda Civic. When your possessions break, repair them and keep on going. Don't bother trying to impress people because there is no one to impress and no one really cares.
  
  
• Don't buy into this prosperity religion, where they tell you that God wants you to be rich. Why would God want you to be rich when over half the world is desperately poor?
  
  
• You must have a big house. NO YOU DON'T. You don't need your bonus room and atrium ceiling. Just be happy with the home you have.

The myth of infinite growth ....

Our entire economy is based on the lie that our economy can grow forever. When the economy is growing, everyone is doing well, except for nature, which gets screwed. We have to switch our economy from an eternal growth model to a sustainability model. To make this work, every individual and company must do their part.

Yeah, yeah, I know. This is all really boring and no one really cares. I guess we'll keep doing what we are doing and slowly resign ourselves to the fact that the decades of rapid growth are over. We'll just have to learn to be poor, at least when the government can't give any more bailouts, and all our taxes are going to pay interest on debt. And, oh, the foreign countries bought all the treasury bonds to provide assistance to our national suicide. Yeah, yeah, right.

Freedom

My friend says the ideal form of government would be an enlightened dictatorship. Nosiree, I don't buy into that because who is going to define the term "enlightened?" Wasn't Hitler and Stalin supposed to be enlightened? At first, maybe? And wasn't that dictator in Tanzania supposed to be enlightened, and now he's sorta mad?

I digress ...

The point being is that democracy is a beautiful thing, and it we can't have a democratic planet, then maybe the human species should just call it quits. For democracy means freedom, and this is a great gift that most people don't have. Around the world, people are shackled by their religions, governments, employers, and cultural traditions. So what's the point? I say shed all that and be free!

In Iran they overthrew the Shah and created a religious state — they just swapped one form of control for another. Come one, the great Persian Empire has a long and great history — is all that CONTROL necessary?

The more free we are, the more human we are. When we are free, we can be happy, inspired, and carefree. We can can explore every dimension of this life, and we can form our own opinions.

Even if democracy stays in a gridlock and moves at a tortise pace, well, again, democracy means FREEDOM, and that is a precious, sacred gift. In the course of history, most people have NOT been free, so we should really be thankful for this RIGHT.

Now, in addition to promoting global democracy, I support free movement and total free trade. Yes, that means I support OPEN BORDERS and have zero interest in immigration restrictions. "But, Goose, won't the United States fill up with people?" Maybe it will, but anyone should have the right to live anywhere they want. The real issue is about the total numbers of people, not their movement. Eventually, as people move around economic homeostatis will be achieved. Maybe all the world's poor people will come here and make us poor too. Maybe that's only fair. All people are equal and nation's that attempt to fortify their borders are only, well, buying time.

I also support total, unrestricted trade. The free trade would actually raise the global standard of living, prompting more people to stay put in their towns and villages. Or, will it?

In the natural world, as well as the free enterprise system, there is a trend towards simplification. In econonimics, this achieved as companies merge, absorb other companies, and grow into massive worldwide congolomerates. For the consumer, this is a good thing because the improved efficiency mean lower prices and usually better service. For the small farmer or shop, global simplification means disaster because the small producer cannot compete with the giants. This phenonomen forces the villagers and small town people into the large cities where the large manufacturing plants are. There, they work long hours with typically poor pay and conditions. Life would have been so much better out in the country, and on the family farm. But now, around the world, MORE PEOPLE LIVE IN CITIES THAN IN RURAL AREAS.

For the environment, this is a win because humans are concentrating, and thus rural habitat is allowed to recover and thrive. Small farms become forests again, well at least until some massive factory farm takes it over.

So, there is a lot to balance here but I do believe that even though freedom may take us down some scary paths, ultimately it is a win for humanity.

In conclusion, I must say that with freedom comes responsibility. We all have the responsibility to not hurt one another and the Planet we live on. Yeah, that's the whole point of my blog. If we can't handle the responsibility that goes with freedom, then maybe we deserve to be herded like goats and kept under the grip of some theocratic, corporatist, fascist state. Yet to understand and to have the moral compass that freedom requires, then we must have an educated and enlighened populace. So, we must educate our children, and we must provide an open educational environment where they can debate and play with new ideas — you know, like an incabator.

Let freedom ring, for without it, I believe that life is quite meaningless. I am thankful to live in a nation that values freedom, although I don't buy into the myth that people have to die for it — usually not. For freedom comes from the heart, and not from the muzzle of a cannon.

Okay, enough.

Zeitgeist: Addendum

I am a huge fan of the Zeitgeist movies, and finally got around to watching the second one last weekend, titled "Zeitgeist: Addendum."

I must say that I'm becoming a huge fan of producer Peter Joseph, and I believe the premise of his movie is right on the money. In fact, MONEY is exactly what this two-hour movie is all about. Zeitgeist: Addendum primarily focuses on the corrupt Federal Reserve Bank and the International Monetary Fund. While the monetary system remains a central theme throughout the movie, Joseph does take some side ventures to take swings at his favorite targets — religion, government, and corporations. His underlying point is that these institutions are CORRUPT!

Unlike the last movie, this time Joseph focuses on positive solutions and he devotes a lot of footage to an organization called "The Venus Project." Admittedly, The Venus Project is a little way out there. These folks want to get rid of money and just provide for everyone's needs using technology. My first impression is that they are just replacing one god with another god, but then I started thinking — maybe we are underestimating the good that technology can do for us. Of course, we've sure as hell seen the bad.

My overall take on the movie is that Joseph is dead on with his assessments of the Big Three — corporations, religion, and corporations. Indeed, I agree that our institutions are corrupt to the core and attempt to control and enslave us in many ways. I think the greatest benefit that the Zeitgeist movies provide is that they will hopefully encourage people to QUESTION their institutions and challenge the status quo.

In both movies Joseph does a superb of putting extremely complex topics into very simple and easy-to-understand terms. I strongly recommend that EVERYONE in the world watch this movie. I think the discussions it spawns will help pave the way for change.

Enjoy the movie!

Pain

The pain is so intense. I try to transfer the pain on my beloved Planet, which is being systematically and thoroughly annihilated by the savage monkeys.

There is the pain of having what you can't have, of being unable to change what you can never change. There is the pain of the little ones that I love so deeply, who are destined for destruction, yet I am powerless to save them. There is the pain of reality — you want it to be a dream, but it's really reality.

I grieve, I go into a deep depression, and I am perplexed on how the pain can be so incredibly brutal, and how it doesn't go away.

I give up on love. It is arrogant of us humans to believe we possess some special emotion, that makes us different from our fellow animals. There is no love on this Planet — only a careful selection process, choosing what benefits us most. We, the selfish monkeys, jockey for position, and try to get the very best of everything that we can, AND WE CALL THIS LOVE!

I am perplexed by my total inability to change what I can't change. If I just shut my eyes and think hard enough about what I want, it will happen, but yet it does not.

I cry, I get angry, I take walks, I grieve, ever so deeply. But that changes nothing, because what is, is. And what is not, is not.

It is intensely cold tonight, and I stare into the moon. Maybe that which I love is staring at that same moon at the same time, and maybe that is my connection. I look at the white, bright moon, and I feel that surely in this insane Universe there must be sanity. I don't really know.

And I grieve, and I grieve, and I let the pain pour out. I want to change things, but I can't. I want my dreams to come true, but they don't always do. I want to be with the magic and passion, but they are elusive, and slip again into the night.

The pain, the pain. Please make it go away. It is painful to fail. It is painful to acknowledge the biological realities of this Planet. There are a million things that we can have in this life, and there are a million things we can NEVER have in this life. But yet we still want, for what we long for is our completion and fulfillment. And to never have that really, really hurts, incredibly deeply.

It hurts. Really, man, it does.

Death Wish

Okay, I've had this bumper sticker on my computer desktop for a month and finally decided to use it. I hope no one is offended.

So, I went to a dinner event at my former church last night, which is very CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN. After playing some Christmas songs they put on this strange comedy show that featured a series of skits. One of the skits was about the church "going green" and they proceeded to satirize and make a mockery of the Green Movement.

Now, I have a thick skin and always appreciate a little fun-poking, but there is an irony here — the church and its members likely do NOT CARE LESS about going green. To them, GOING GREEN is the pointless folly of left-wing wackos. If you are a conservative Christian, GOING GREEN is the furthest thing from your mind because you are too busy "finding God." Just as the Hebrews mocked and made fun of Jesus as he was led to his execution, so do the religions conservatives make fun of the environmental movement -- as it is led to ITS execution. As I left the building last night I noticed the parking lot was full of SUVs. No doubt they are holy SUVs given by God to his children, as a gift for their loyalty to the GOP.

So, really, not that I'm pissed or anything. But I do want to bring up something else that's been gnawing me all week — THE WHALES!!! Over the past week I saw a movie and read some articles about whales — THEY ARE BEING PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION! Personally, I think driving other species to extinction is a serious crime against nature, and those responsible should be held accountable. I think species extinction is a LOT more serious than drinking an occasional beer or saying the word "FUCK" when you smash your thumb with a hammer. Really, I do.

This leads me to think about ABORTION, the favorite push-button issue of the Religious Right. Now, I totally agree that abortions are BAD. But let's weigh the gravity of the wrongdoings. Humans are multiplying like rabbits and have hit 6.5 billion people (500 million added in the last 9 years). At the same time, whale populations are already small, and several species are rapidly shrinking. So, when some desperate, low-income female wants to abort a baby she does not want, she is considered a criminal by religious conservatives. But when a Japanese whaling fleet steams to the Antarctic and murders 1,000 whales, the conservative Christians simply say, "Oh, they are reaping God's bounty." So, I'm just saying that there is something really unjust here.

Now, again, I concede that abortions are BAD, but I can assure you that there is NO SHORTAGE of humans. In fact, multiplying is about the only things humans appear good at. Oh, and if there was comprehensive sex education in the U.S., and if there was better access to contraception and emergency contraception, and if American males showed a little decency, respect, and intelligence, then abortions could be practically ELIMINATED!

So, getting back to the bumper sticker .... see I guess conservative Christians want to turn the Earth into Mars or maybe Venus. I'm not sure why, but they just seem to want to. According to their interpretation of their ancient stories, once they help to really, and I mean REALLY, screw the Earth up, then their God will come and whisk them into the clouds.

The moral of the story is that, sure, I'll rot in hell, but when the Christians are gone, I'll get their cars — and I mean a LOT OF REALLY NICE cars. I'll have hundreds of cars. Each heathen, Muslim, Hindu, and other non-compliant person will each be assigned CARS! And then we will get to drive the cars all over rocky Mars. And better YET, we'll all get their shoes, and I mean a LOT of shoes. So, make fun of the environmental movement all you want to because I'm gonna have a lot of cars and shoes. Wow, man.

Perpetual Anger

I constantly go through life angry and cynical. In the past few years I've really gotten into anger rock music, like Rage Against the Machine. I like to play it loud — really loud!

I often wonder why I'm continually angry. Sometimes I wonder if I'm angry and cynical just because I like being that way. Maybe it gives me comfort, in a weird sort of way. People often tell me I'm funny, but my humor has a bitter, cynical, and sarcastic edge to it. I'm a sick puppy.

The reason I'm angry is that I find that people are ambivalent, shallow, petty, and extremely selfish. People, in general, don't care about anything except for things that immediately benefit them. Yeah, I know, that's sick, but true.

What I find unfathomable is that people are so wrapped in their little selfish worlds that they do nothing to prevent their own self-destruction, the destruction of their children, and the destruction of their planet. Humans will deny and rationalize, or they simply won't be interested in the issues. I spend a lot of time randomly visiting other people's blogs and I find the vast majority of people to be petty simpletons.

A fellow activist had me pegged when he said something like:

You seem frustrated by the fact that people just don't get things that appear perfectly obvious to you.

For instance, there are major problems in this world like terrorism, abortion, and mass immigration. Your average Six Pack Joe or Caribou Barbie just wants to address the symptoms of the problem with some harsh measure, and on one ever thinks about the "root causes" of the problem. For example, terrorism is directly related to oil wealth and the dysfunctionalism and corruption in the Middle East. Everyone forgets that it was mainly Saudi nationals who attacked us on 9/11. One of the best ways to fight terrorism is to stop buying oil from nations that do NOT respect human rights or provide equality to women and minorities. This should be a given, yet we totally suck up to the totally dysfunctional royalty of Saudi Arabia. Come on, princes? That's right out of a fairytale book, yet we give these people billions of dollars to buy their black goop.

Or, let's talk about Iraq. We send our finest men and women overseas to be slaughtered so that oil companies can get back the contracts that Saddam Hussein stole from them 30 years ago. Yet, our government wraps up their true motives in lies and rambles on about patriotism and democracy, and the mothers of the U.S. heartland willingly give up their sons for corporate America. And all of this is accepted by the average American, or worse yet, they simply don't care either way.

And then there's all the denial about global warming. The right-wing radio show hacks continue to say global warming is NOT human caused, even though a vast amount of data shows otherwise. Yes, sometimes the Earth's orbit shifts and changes, which affects temperature, but that hasn't happened for 10,000 years. But since 1750 humans have been burning coal and other fuels, and releasing millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, yet right wing talking heads and religious conservatives have the gall to say that global warming is a result of "natural causes." These individuals believe their lies so sincerely that they draw others into believing their lies as well.

I could go on and on and on .....

The point is, humans are given no mandate for survival. It's up to our own intelligence to survive as a group. Right now we are destroying ourselves, which bothers me some. A human being is an endlessly amazing and complex animal -- I love the species. But I am heartbroken that the human animal is not able to use its great intelligence to override "human nature" and save itself. It's just a horrible waste. And what REALLY makes me angry is that when we destroy ourselves, we'll be taking millions of other animal and plant species down with us, and perhaps an incredibly beautiful planet as well.

I'm not sure what we'll destroy us first: weapons of mass destruction or environmental degradation. But what I do know is that humans are capable of great good, yet they are totally hellbent on killing themselves. And this is the reason for my endless anger. And this is the reason for my blog, which is appropriately titled, "Goosed."

Evo-Religion

The argument regularly comes up that humans have an innate desire to worship a god, thus there must be a god.

Sorry, but this logic may be flawed. I believe our desire to worship something comes from evolution. Okay, let's go back to, say, 30,000 years ago when humans were organizing into clans and tribes. A religion provided unity, continuity, and some sense of being for the tribe. This held them together and made them not only more efficient as a fighting force, but they also functioned as a more coherent group. The religion provided other benefits like order, structure, and enabled perpetuation of the group. Those wandering groups of homo sapiens who were not well organized through a religious order simply died out or were wiped out by competitive groups.

The Egyptians became the masters of using religion to create order and structure for their society. For an amazing several thousands of years their society changed little. When progressives pharaohs came along and tried to change the order or the religion, they were erased from history.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were long enamored with Egyptian civilization, and in fact, they both invaded the place. Through the contact with Egypt, their religious concepts and ideas permeated throughout the Mediterranean. Hmmm, controlling and providing order to society by using a deity is a GREAT IDEA!

Best of all, the deity, who can bring pleasure or pain, helps people to override their destructive human nature. If you piss off the deity you'll get punished, and if you make him or her happy, you'll get a reward. And, so, this helped make citizens behave, to an extent.

The Romans caught on quick and adopted Christianity as their official religion. Yeah, that's the religion that the Hebrews ripped from the Egyptians, and then the intellectual Greeks put their New Age spin to it. Yeah, real basic stuff -- if you're an evangelical Christian you just have to say a three sentence prayer and you go up to heaven, where you pet lions and sing hymns to God for a zillion years. If you're a little shit and refuse to say the prayer, you swim in a lake of fire with Hitler and a billion Muslims. Now, I remember when that river in Cleveland caught on fire in the 1970s — I suppose that's what hell will be like, except me and all the other people will be right in the middle of it. Yuck.

But I digress ... the point being is that the Roman Catholic Church is just like ancient Egyptian religion. Its function is to provide order and perpetuation. The purpose of perpetuation is to impose more order on we lawless and generally crappy human beings.

So, getting back to my point, religion evolved in our brains through Natural Selection, and when we stopped evolving, religion continued to evolve socially. A modern example of this are all the mega-churches popping around town. People got bored with traditional church services, with the stale hymns and the lady in the choir who always sang off-key. These new mega-churches provide live praise bands, multi-media, drama presentations, and even pyrotechnics! Yeah, serious. So, the organism, in order to perpetuate itself, has adapted to changing cultural trends. The beast feeds on that evolved desire to worship that some of us still have. And in turn, we feed the beast.

The end.

There's Gotta Be An End

As I look around in my day-to-day life I'm amazed at all the waste we Americans generate every day. Just your average fast food joint is an environmental killing field, with tray after tray of paper wrappers thrown away. And then look all around — plastic bags, product packaging, Happy Meal toys, and the carnage goes on.

Okay, I use my canvas bags at the store and recycle all my cardboard, chipboard, and other packaging material. But even I, the great environmental pariah, goeth through a lot of trash.

Ultimately, this crap ends up in landfills where it is piled high, packed, and covered with dirt. Then, more land is ripped apart for another landfill. Meanwhile, all this crap starts to decay and it generates methane gas, a bad global warming gas that goes into the atmosphere and holds a lot of heat.

All the while, happy American couples continue to make babies because a) sex is pleasurable, and b) babies are cute. So we create thousands and thousands of little super-consumers who, in turn, go through a lot of disposable diapers and throwaway wrappings.

Common sense would tell us that this cycle cannot go on forever. We are throwing more plastic, rubber, plastic foam, and other crap away at a faster rate than it can decay. And when it does decay it puts more global warming gases in the atmosphere, and at the same time we are making more and more children.

My point is that we are living a lifestyle that cannot go on indefinitely. So, the things we are doing to keep ourselves comfortable will, eventually, hurt those little babies we made. The next generation may not get to live as comfortably as us because, well, we've already screwed the place up.

Really, this isn't fair. Throwaway plates and paper items are convenient, but a big waste. Maybe someone will create products that are rapidly biodegradable — then we can just keep on being lazy. I did see a spoon once made of corn syrup -- completely biodegradable and nonharmful to the environment. Very cool.

Todd

"The artist formerly known as Goose"

Staring Into the Past

I have a great fascination with Ancient Egypt. Today I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the opening of the King Tut exhibit in Atlanta. The exhibit included a 3D movie, 130 artifacts, and various pictures and multimedia presentations. It was a fantastic display, and it was incredible for me to view all these incredible art objects that were made 3,000 years ago.

For several thousand years the Egyptian empire existed, and their political and religious system changed very little during that time. In fact, their political and religious system were melded into one system — and it was this system that brought order, structure, and longevity to Egyptian society. This is perhaps why religion remains so popular today — because the rituals and belief systems create order and continuity.

Egyptian society was organized like a beehive, with the pharaoh serving as the queen bee. For an added touch, the pharaoh was turned into a god. This helped to create order and loyalty among the citizens. Obviously, not many people are going to disobey or disrespect a god, because, who knows, you might get cursed. So, the supernatural element helped to keep the citizenry obedient and submissive.

Today also confirmed something I've known for a few years — it was the Egyptians that invited our modern religion. Some of the parallels between Egyptian religion and modern Christianity gave me goosebumps. The Hebrews ripped the religion from the Egyptians, and the Christians are an offshoot of the Hebrews, with a little mix of Greek intellectualism. In other words, Christianity simply evolved in a continuum. And as for the Egyptian religion, they stole it from the early ancients who worshiped celestial bodies.

My final big observation today is the many parallels between Ancient Egyptian and modern Western Culture. No doubt, Ancient Egypt had a huge influence on the Greeks and Romans, who both invaded the nation at different times. In turn, all three of these ancient civilizations partly make us what we are today. Not only in fashion, but also in values and the way we think.

As I stared at the exhibits, I was amazed at the jewelry, furniture, and art objects. Many of these items haven't changed much in three millenniums. Many religious concepts haven't changed either. Wow, what a surprise. In some ways humans have progressed massively, but in other ways we haven't changed much at all.

One of the items that sticks out in my head were the toilet seats. Royal households had indoor plumbing. The only difference is that the poop from ancient royalty fell into a box, which was then removed by some unlucky servant. So, see, we have a lot to be thankful for today. Yeah.

Todd

Fire

The fire burns, and I'm covered in plastic, and I spin and spin. The economy, the environment, atoms, evolution, so much to figure out. But it's all easy to figure out compared to these fires inside me that burn, burn, burn. Cognitive dissonance tears at my soul, day and night, as I trudge through this life, trying to figure it out.

Love, pain, cancer, and the desperation to believe religious lies, that promise to make things better, but never really do.

To quench the fire is to smother the soul, yet the fire burns on and destroys. Paper cups and straws, and landfills packed with garbage, and people who don't recycle, and reliance on the Taker System. Oh, how I kill, and what I kill will one day kill me.

But then the fire burns. The intense joy that turns to pain. The intense confusion. The joy of having it all, but really having nothing. The joy of deception, of illusion.

In the distance I see the shadows on the horizon, as my mind dances aimlessly about in my skull. Trying to figure it all out, but never able to. To hear the preachers scream and the philosophers ponder, and the teachers lecturing, and the moms screaming at their children. Everyone dances to a beat but no one recognizes the song.

And then there's that fire. That fire that wants to make the phone ring. That fire that makes you see what you can't see, that makes you want to have what you can never have, that makes you want to be with what you can never be with.

The timbers fall and Mother America grasps for straws as she slowly dies, and all this time I hold on to this misconception that it is better to only live for the present than to think about the future.

Burn, fire, burn. But what makes you burn? What fuels your flame? What fuels me? I do not know, and I cannot explain these feelings inside. My heart consumes my spirit, which consumes my soul. And my mind sits idly by, unable to control the powerful forces within.

Todd

Insanity

Having been on this planet for 48 years now, I've come to the conclusion that human society is totally and completely insane. Every day I just observe people, watch the media, and just sit back and say, "My gosh, humanity has fallen off its rocking horse.

First off there is religion. Come on folks, the gig is up. It's NOT REAL. It's all made up. You know it is — stop playing the game. Bottom line: When you die you rot like everyone else. So, my liberal Christian friends talk about religion as some abstract "spiritual experience," but even that's no good. Again, all religions are created by MEN (sorry, the male gender actually did invent them).

Next, there is this blind obsession with junk. People gotta have their junk. They just have to go buy junk and then more junk. This whole country is overflowing with junk. People gotta buy THINGS because it makes them happy, and then they drive to church in their Hummer, slap some backs and say a prayer or two, and then it's off to Longhorns for their Sunday afternoon dinner.

Thirdly, people live for the present and immediate gratification. The future be damned. Children be damned. This whole fucking life is about getting what you can, and getting it now, and getting LOTS of it, whatever "it" may be. People just want EVERYTHING, while 1/6 of the global population is poor and undernourished.

More crazy are the games people play, the egos, the self-deception, the denial, the rationalization, etc.. Human beings are a nutty species. I am endlessly fascinated by human animals and I like them. But the fact is, they are still NUTS. Humans are totally, completely, coconuts. Just sit in any Wal-mart for a while and observe people.

So, as the American empire begins to collapse and die, I now just want to laugh and have a good time. I just want to crack jokes and enjoy my last years in this totally crazy, insane society.

Coo coo,

Ze Gooster

Rain Barrel Project

All of us must do what we can to conserve resources and reduce our footprint on Earth. I made a small baby step in that direction yesterday by purchasing a rain barrel kit. More detailed instructions can be downloaded from the Cobb County, GA Water Department, which is the county where I live.

I was so excited that as soon as I got home I began work immediately. In following the instructions I wish to share two lessons learned:

• Make sure you get all the plastic shavings out from the drilling. Otherwise they may clog the faucet.
• When you put the screen mesh over the drain cover, make sure you leave plenty of extra overlap. Otherwise the screen will come out of the zip tie when you try to put the assembly in the hole.

Once installed in my backyard, I tested the rain barrel by spraying water on the roof. Viola! It worked. However, I quickly had a big surprise — as the rain barrel begin filling it started leaning forward and almost fell. I remedied the problem by adding another brick near the front.

The drain plug (the little black thing at the bottom) allows you to drain out all the gook at the bottom on occasion. This is stuff that settles below the faucet.

This is perfect for my garden, which is downhill from the rain barrel. All I need to do is hook up a hose and I can easily irrigate my vegetables.

Below are instructions:

Obtain the following materials:

• a sturdy barrel
• mesh screen
• plastic faucet
• steel washer
• o-ring
• long zip tie
• plastic elbow
• plastic drain cover
• down spout flex elbow
• #1 or #2 plug

Tools/Equipment needed:

• drill
• 7/8” paddle bit
• 5/8” paddle bit
• jig saw
• scissors
• channel lock

Step 1. Cut an opening in the top of the barrel the size of the drain cover.

Step 2. Cut a piece of mesh screen slightly larger than the drain cover. Secure the mesh screen
to the drain cover with the zip tie. Insert the drain cover into the opening on top of the
barrel.

Step 3. Drill one hole at the bottom to drain the barrel. Put the plug in the bottom hole.

Step 4. Drill a hole for the faucet, approximately 6 inches from the bottom.

Step 5. Placing a large steel washer over the faucet threads. Slide an o-ring over the faucet
threads. Place the faucet into the hole in the barrel and screw a plastic elbow onto the
assembly from the inside of the barrel.

Step 6. Cut the downspout to just above the rain barrel. Attach the downspout flex elbow to the downspout.

Step 7. Slide the rain barrel under the spout lining up the mesh screen opening with the spout. Spray water on the roof and check to make sure the rain barrel and mesh opening are in
the right location.

Step 8. Optional: paint your rainbarrel using Krylon Fusion paint.

Step 9. Use water collected with rain barrel for gardening purposes.

Rep. Chris Smith - The Egg Saving Zealot

I have one of the most difficult jobs in the environmental movement — working on the population issue. Domestically, I work on five issues:

• Comprehensive sex ed instead of abstinence only programs.
• Contraceptive insurance coverage for women.
• Universal access to emergency contraception.
• Title X - Low-income access to family planning services.
• Male Responsibility - An almost forgotten issue these days.
  

Yes, I am pro-choice, but I would much rather see abortions eliminated through better prevention (i.e. the items above). However, the conservative Christian community obviously loves abortions because they do all they can to oppose the items listed above.

Leading these righteous religious folks is Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Every year when we push for adequate funding of both domestic and international family planning programs, Rep. Smith vigorously fights against us. He is a man with a mission. If you are a woman, Rep. Smith not only wants to throw you in jail for having an abortion, he wants you arrested for even using birth control!

The United States, as well as most of the world, is exploding in population. We are already seeing the hundreds of detrimental side effects of adding 80+ million people to the Earth every year. Why is the price of gas going up? BECAUSE OF INCREASED DEMAND!

People like Rep. Smith want to pull the plugs and allow our population to explode even faster. He defies the laws of nature, which says that there are limits to growth. That's because he believes that God will take care of everything. Hmm, I seem to be missing that part.

The video below is made by a candidate running against him for U.S. Congress. The clips of Smith talking are quite revealing, and shows everyone what this guy is really about. He is a man with a mission. I guess he'll want to arrest couples for early withdrawal as well, or for using the rhythm system, or does God approve of those methods, compared with condoms or birth control pills? Rep. Smith has really wandered into a complex moral quandary. He's really trying to play God in his own little way, or maybe he is trying to BE GOD. I'm not sure.

Enjoy the video...

Nobody Cares

One of the biggest shockers in life is how no one really seems to care about anything. This is a strange oddity of human nature, but it's true: People just get locked in their little worlds and they just live their own little narcissistic lives.

Considering that voter turnout was in the teens in the last election, it's obvious that few people care about democracy. Many people I've met simply don't care about the environment because it's an INCONVENIENCE to them. They don't WANT to pay more for recycled paper. They don't WANT to raise the air condition thermostat, even if it means burning less coal.

My wife and others in my life have little interest in my concerns. When I go on a rant about how people simply don't CARE she tells me to get off my soapbox. No one wants to hear my concerns for this world — I just need to shut-up and accept things the way they are, like everyone else. We must SHUT-UP so the robber barons can continue to rob us blind, so that our corrupt government can continue to cater to big industry, so that the rich can continue to fine tune their labor and environmental exploitation machine, called the U.S. government.

For the last two days I've really been thinking about Sophie Scholl, who was beheaded in 1943 by the Nazis for leading a student resistance group called the White Rose. She was enjoying a decent life as a university student, and she could have just kept quiet and continued on with her life. BUT SHE DIDN'T — she risked her life and eventually lost her head for standing up to an evil regime.

The utterly profound and sad thing is that she went to her execution sincerely believing that her martyrdom would cause an uprising among German students and the community. But it didn't. The vast majority of Germans did not oppose the incredible insanity going on around them. They did NOTHING — they just let the evil happen.

Prior to their deaths, several members of the White Rose believed that their execution would stir university students and other anti-war citizens into a rallying activism against Hitler and the war. Accounts suggest, however, that university students continued their studies as usual, citizens mentioned nothing, many regarding the movement as anti-national. Their actions were mostly dismissed...

What is the moral of this story? A young girl stands up against the Nazis and is executed by the Gestapo. The young girl cared. The girl spoke out. The young girl had courage. Where is our caring today? Where is our courage? I don't really know.

Confusica

Every day I wake up and never know what to expect. Some days bring wonderful joy, other days bring pain, but most days are just mundane. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm just a collection of a trillion living cells that somehow rose to a collection, not over billions, but trillions of years -- not in this Universe, but in another. I have to remind myself that time is infinite and size is infinite -- both small and large. And here I am caught in this single dimension, on a single spot in an endless continuum, and now I am spending my whole life trying to unravel just who I am and what I'm supposed to do.

I am a carbon-based, highly evolved animal with a powerful intelligence that is able to introspect, reason, and question. Yet I am also tied to this fragile, temporary body that will soon wither and fade. According to evolution, my only purpose is to reproduce and then get my children to reproduction age. That's it, man. But then there is the evolution of the mind and soul, and suddenly I feel a responsibility to do more than simply put a couple of kids in the world. There must be some sort of Universal destiny, and maybe what I do while on Earth can somehow make it easier for the next generation to approach the ultimate objective, whatever that may be.

I feel pain — deep pain that tears at my soul. I watch my friends and relatives die, have strokes, and suffer. But I feel great joy — the joy of a once-in-a-lifetime encounter when you make a special connection with someone. But then you have to march on into the battle because perhaps life isn't suppose to be that fun and wonderful. Maybe the essential goal in life is not to pursue happiness, but to fulfill the mission.

Alternating forces tear me apart as I stand on a planet that is whirling through space. At any time as asteroid could hit and smash my world apart. But no worries because humans have turned nuclear power into weapons, so every day we are not glowing is a miracle in itself.

The point is, each of us must make the decision to either follow our heart or our soul. What seems so unexpected seems so real now, and what once was distant now seems so close.

So, one day when the myths are unraveled and the lies are all debased, we'll be sitting on the ground exhausted from our hard work. We'll stare at that proverbial sunset and we'll feel alive — more alive than we've ever felt before. And there will be hope, and there will be a future, and suddenly a trillion little cells will have a purpose.

War and Violence ... It Goes On and On

I knew it ... I knew that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would set a bad precedent for the world. Now Russia invades Georgia. Next Iran will try some military action. Yeah, the United States did it, so can we. And the United States has nukes but we are telling Iran to get rid of theirs? We are all big hypocrites, baby.

There are creative ways to gain objectives without resorting to war. So, yes, we can justify the Russian invasion by saying they were coming to the aid of their friends, the South Ossetia separatists. Of course, the U.S. could say we wanted to liberate Iraq from an evil dictator. There is always justification for war, but it takes real maturity and creativity to pursue peace. Peace is the MORE DIFFICULT option.

I'm not a pacifist and believe that war is moral in two cases: self defense and the defense of a friend. But both of these are gray areas. For instance, did one side provoke the other? Did one side stage an incident? It happens, man.

The best solution is to always, ALWAYS work for peace. Yeah, call me a whimp. I got into a good fistfight at age 10, but then started backing down from them. Why? Because I thought that fighting was senseless. Okay, I decked a guy at age 15 because he was harassing a girl I liked. I warned him repeatedly before giving him a bloody nose. That was my last act of violence, although I spanked my oldest child, and now I regret that.

Violence begets violence, and pretty soon one nation is nuking another nation, and then one day every nation will let loose their salvos and this beautiful planet, along with its billions of people and wonderful wildlife, will become a dark cinder, floating through space.

And while I'm at it, I oppose the death penalty too. It's still hard for me to say that, and there are plenty of human monsters who DESERVE to die, but the cycle of endless violence must stop somewhere. The state represents the collective conscience of the people and must be held to the highest levels. The state must not lower itself by engaging in violence.

As for the evil, rabid people out there who commit the heinous crimes, maybe that could be minimized if parents spent more time with their kids, or if people started doing more loving and caring for one another, or if someone actually took the time to talk to some alienated outcast. Crime is simply a side effect of our sick, dysfunctional society. And the gut reaction is to just stomp and kill what is bad. However, it takes a lot more work to get to the root of what makes people evil. I am not excusing anyone for their actions by any means — I'm a strong believer in personal choices and responsibility. I'm just saying we need to take a holistic look at crime and violence.

So, in conclusion, I dear say that war is our primitive side coming out to play. Will our rational, logical side ever rise above it? Is it that much fun to play with our life size warplanes and tanks? Is war necessary to purge the violent genes still gushing in our gene pool? Do we need to kill off more aggressive young men before they reach reproductive age, lest they pass on their warrior genes to another generation?

Uuugh, I'm too tired to think about it.

Todd

When Brains Collide

Why are humans so selfish, even at the expense of their young and future wellbeing? Why are humans so technically advanced, yet so primitively violent? While doing research this week I came across the quote below. According to the following theory, it appears that our poor brains have become cross-wired between our ancient ancestors and our REALLY ancient ancestors.

I have long felt that the better we understand our evolutionary roots the better we can deal with our behavior in the modern world. Now that we have the ability to destroy our species at the touch of a button,
it remains to be seen whether our intellectual side can override our
violent side.

Here's what one researcher has to say:

"..... The Phylogenetic Regression-Progression Theory, which is based on 50 years of research by Paul D. MacLean, goes a long way to explain why humans can be devils as well as angels: Our brains are the result of an evolution that incorporates both the instinctive behavior of 200 million years ago with the emotional mammalian addition approximately 100 million years ago and the cognitive capacity that first developed in the neocortex of the great apes approximately 5 million years ago. Depending on our genetic and epigenetic (environmental) makeup, we tend to regress towards our ancient brain or progress to our modern brain. In most cases the direction is under our control."

Source: "Human Paleopsychology: Application to Aggression and Pathological Processes," (Lawrence Erlbaum, 1987) by Professor Emeritus Kent G. Bailey at the Dept. of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

Maria, You Will Bounce Back!

On July 7 my long-time friend and fellow activist Maria Wilson suffered a serious stroke. She has been in ICU for over a month now and is still not able to see many visitors. At this point she is very sick, but I remain hopeful that the old Maria will be back soon.

Over the past 10 years we've worked together on many environmental efforts and campaigns through our local Sierra Club Group. Maria has a special calling to care for the Earth, and for that I have the deepest respect and admiration for her. We have tabled together, demonstrated together, worked in political campaigns, and have fought for the same worthy ideals.

When I think of her, there are so many memories that come to mind. Maria, when you get better I'd like to share with you just a few of the ways you touched my life. Here are some things that immediately come to mind:

1) When you presented me with that beautiful plaque after my term ended as Sierra Club Group Chair. I still have that plaque and it's one of the things that truly mean a lot to me.

2) When you saw me bringing refreshments to all the Sierra Club meetings and you took the initiative to organize and coordinate the refreshments each month. I was so thankful to have the help.

3) When you attended a couple of the population workshops I organized. Just having you there was a great show of support and it meant a lot to me.

4) When we demonstrated against Saxby Chambliss and you were talking to the cops, no doubt saving us from getting arrested.

5) When I organized the first Earth Day tablings in 1998 I was at one of the tabling sites and was afraid that no volunteers would show up to staff our booth, but then you and Roger showed up — I was so glad to see you, and so grateful.

I have a special respect and love for anyone who volunteers and "gives back" to this world. But I have the deepest respect for those who help the environment and future generations. Chances are you may never see a return on your investment of time because the rewards are far into the future, yet you keep giving and giving, and serving and serving. This is remarkable.

Thank you very much for inspiring me. Thank you for reminding me that humans are for the most part wonderful, and that it is the most dedicated ones among us who will be the ones that will ultimately save the community of life.

You will be reading this soon, Maria. I know you will.

Todd

Lazolution

Okay, I was talking to a colleague tonight and he shared with me some interesting insight:

Why Americans Are Lazy

Back in prehistoric days, the individuals and tribes with the most food, most efficient organization, and best weapons were the winners. Those who could not compete were weeded out by evolution.

The problem is that these successful humans tended to be selfish, horded resources, and became lazy. Ta da, they have now evolved into Americans.

Unfortunately, our success in the caves of Europe 20,000 years ago may now lead to our failure in the good ol' USA. We have become like the Roman Empire in its last days — obsessed with good food, entertainment, sports, narcissism, and self-indulgence, and not really about the Earth or future generations.

Then there is the problem with all these big modern "tribes" that try to compete with one another for dominance. For instance, today we see Islam and Christianity competing with one another. One way these "tribes" try to overpower the other is by mass breeding. Growing the human population is never really a good solution, because all those humans require more resources and make a greater impact on the Earth.

I'm not sure how this will all end, but I am certain of one thing: We are all prisoners of our genetic coding, much more than we can ever imagine. So much of our behavior can be traced to those early days in our evolution. The problem is that what once suited us back in caveman days is not likely going to work well in our modern, global economy.

TD

A thanks to brother Steve in Maine for sharing his insight.

Brainwaves of Humanity

Okay, I've spent the last few days looking at dozens of blogs on the Web. I've seen a lot of interesting blogs about travel, pets, raising kids, etc.. But what I'm not seeing is a lot of deep thought. What I see is a focus on the trivial. I don't know, I'm not feeling good about this whole "save the Earth" thing.

My problem is that I spend WAY too much time thinking. In the second grade my teacher called me the "Absent Minded Professor" because I was constantly daydreaming and zoned out. When I got my first real job at Dairy Queen at age 17, I almost got fired because my mind was a million miles away.

Most of my mental energy is spent on figuring ways to help our dying species and Planet. A reader of my blog once told me that I seemed frustrated because no one else seemed to "get it." That describes me in a nutshell. I always try to keep an open mind, but I get so frustrated with conservative religious people that I don't even want to have a discussion with them, in fact, I don't even want to be around them.

What amazes me most is how people can hold totally conflicting values, find a way to justify their contradictions, and seem to have no problem with that. For example, guns, war, and Christianity ARE NOT A PRETTY MATCH, but Right Wing folks seem to have no problem with their opposing values. Or Christians and the Republican Party — religious evangelicals appear to have no problem aligning themselves with big corporate predators that ruthlessly exploit the environment and labor. Or Christians who scream about "private property rights" and "my rights" — sounds selfish to me, and contradicts the communal living style described in the Book of Acts.

So, I spend a lot of time wondering if humanity is worth saving or can be saved. Every day I see things, read things, and hear about things, and I am just amazed at how utterly insane this world is. As a coworker once said to me, "Everybody's just trippin', man." Indeed they are.

Todd

Desiderata

In 1978 I was on my high school yearbook staff and someone had the idea of making the poem below our theme. I remember that a girl passed out a handout of the poem to all of us staff members. This week I was clearing junk out of my mom's attic and came across the poem -- 30 years later. I now realize that a lot of this has stuck in my head through the years -- it has actually had an influence on my life.

Todd

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

To My Brother, I Say Farewell

Ed Arnold, an extraordinary activist and human being.


On Saturday I lost a great brother -- Ed Arnold, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Georgia Chapter. Like myself, and like the purpose of this blog, Ed focused on the environment and world peace.

An amazing activist, Ed was into so many causes, including health issues and nuclear proliferation. I regularly ran into him at events around Atlanta.

He always thought it was interesting that I was a Southern Baptist turned environmental activist. Ed's story was similar -- he was once a Presbyterian. Both of us, one day, had an awakening.

Ed died of leukemia at age 69. The last time I saw him was last December, when I was giving a population presentation at his church. Whenever we ran into each other, he was always glad to see me, and always had something positive to say to me. He knew exactly where I was coming from — he could see straight into my heart.

I thank Ed for inspiring me, and I mean REALLY inspiring me. I only wish that I could better deal with the depression that constantly haunts me -- it is this constant grief, jadedness, and cynicism that will prevent me from ever being half the activist that Ed was. I'm not sure how Ed managed the negative side of the work we do, but he did, and he kept on going until the very end.

Ed, you were the greatest of activists and the greatest of humans. I will ALWAYS remember you. You taught me and led all of us by your faithful example. You NEVER gave up.

Sincerely,

Todd

Change From Within

Well, this letter to the editor has been hanging on my bulletin for months. I checked out the name of the author and she's an anti-war activist in North Georgia. She's an older lady with a lot of kick.

Anyway, the letter, which was published in the Atlanta newspaper, has stuck in my mind these past five months. So, here it is:

Want Change? Start Actively Looking Within

Thank you for the op-ed article about unrecognized attitudes that lurk in the subconscious ("We don't know what we think," @issue, Jan. 23) I have been a citizen activist for many years. When I first becamse involved in public policy, I thought problems should be addressed from the top down. That is, lobby Congress and the administration. However, after writing letters, attending hearings, lobbying my representatives in Washington and seeing little if any change, I realized we have to work form the bottom up. We have to change ourselves.

Humanity seems to have an infinite capacity for self-delusion. We pray for peace and vote for war. We do more than allow our leaders to manipulate us; we encourage it.

Joan O. King
Sautee, GA, USA

Changing Culture

You can jam the culture, you can conform to the culture, and you can attack the culture but you won't succeed. What we must do is LEAD the culture.

It it incumbent upon each of us to redirect our course to a path of peace, harmony, and long-term sustainability. I believe the evolutionary tools are already built into us. For instance, if every woman in the world were given 100% equal rights, empowerment, and education, I firmly believe that world population would stabilize. To achieve this goal, we must challenge the isms, memes, delusions, fairy tails, lies, and myths that are preprogrammed into our culture to achieve short-term, self-serving objectives.

Each of us, must lead in the way we are called to lead -- authors, poets, movie producers, politicians, educators, tree-huggers, company presidents, etc... We must acknowledge that what we know in our hearts is our destiny -- we must listen to our DNA and do what we are genetically programmed to do -- to be alphas and LEAD the human packs.

If we have children, nieces, or nephews, etc... we must educate, empower, and inspire our young people to be leaders. We must equip them with the education, experiences, exposure, and perspective they need to make wise decisions.

We must also battle the demons inside us -- cynicism, depression, and the feeling of hopelessness. We carry on even in the face of long odds.

We must also inspire, encourage, and be bold. Look at the example of Interface Corp. -- someone turned founder Ray Anderson onto Daniel Quinn and Paul Hawken, and now this is a super-green company that is setting an example for ALL COMPANIES around the world.

Or think of the great work that Southface is going! They are providing a future road map for zero footprint homes and businesses. Right now our country is wasting $200 billion a year on a pointless war in Iraq. Imagine if those funds were rediverted to home insulation programs or energy efficiency research, or solar panel credits.

But to get back on my bandwagon ...

Everything we do or say in life may positively influence someone else in a totally unexpected but wonderful way. Thus, we must follow what Ishmael taught us, and we must teach others with gentleness, patience, and without judging.

Believe me, I would rather not lead -- I would rather hide under my desk in my fetal position. But to do nothing is the easy way out. To declare hopelessness is too convenient. To fight for our planet's honor and dignity is hard -- perhaps the hardest thing we will ever do. But in the end we will have peace knowing that we tried to do what we were put here on this Earth to do.

Yes, world population may grow to 10 billion (it's 6.7 billion now). And when it costs more to extract the oil than the energy the oil produces, yeah, the worldwide crash will come down big and hard. But it will be absolutely beautiful because humanity will enter a new era. Maybe a slower, quieter, more loving era where we live in little huts surrounded by nature. Maybe we will realize that technology is just another illusion that enslaves us. Maybe we can still have our laptops and hydrogen powered cars -- but there just needs to be a lot less of us and more room for nature to flourish. We just need to eat lighter and we each need to have our own solar station to produce our own hydrogen. We just need to have one or two kids tops. We need to redirect our lust for materialism and redefine what happiness is -- perhaps it is a spiritual awakening or a realization that we are happier when we are a servant to nature, rather than a master.

Sincerely,

The Goose

Carbon-based mammal born 1960 - Human number 3,020,353,734

The Destiny of the Righteous

Here we are, a lonely band of over-educated, idealist, intellectuals who are trying to save the world. Opposing us are those who wish to destroy us. It's war, man — it's a war between the righteous and the unscrupulous.

And here I am, just standing here in utter amazement over the fact that humanity has chosen to self-destruct. For every good righteous soul, there are 100 lazy, self-centered slobs who care about nothing but themselves. So, I say, "kill us. KILL US ALL!" Throw the baby out with the bathwater.

So, I go down with my principles intact. So, I crash and burn with my soul, my dignity, honor, and righteousness all INTACT. So WHAT? Who cares. I am writing a blog that can be seen by the whole world, yet know one reads it or cares. I am writing in an empty room and I have no way to call out to the millions of people around me because I don't know how.

People hold on to their delusions, their fairy tales, their myths, their stories ... and I can't reach out to them because I don't know what to say. Burn the fossil fuels people, burn it!

Those sitting in their white churches with their pretty steeples are sending all the gays, Muslims, and hippies to hell. But why go to the trouble when you can just create your hell right here? Maybe that's just what you're doing as your Hummer idles at the McDonalds drive-thru.

Maybe, YOU, my fellow American are the one who is nuts. Maybe your destiny is not to lead, but to follow.

Oh hail the righteous ... and why do you hate us so? WHY?

The Beauty in the World

All my life I've been in total awe of the beauty of nature. All my life I have been perplexed on why humans are so anxious to destroy it.

All my life I've seen the beauty in other people. All my life I have seen humans destroy what is good in other humans, both physically and mentally.

All my life I've seen the good destroyed by the bad. What little beauty remains in this world is slowly being destroyed.

So, I know I am supposed to be happy and whistle, and I know I'm suppose to kick a few rocks as I make my way to the fishing hole, with my fishing pole over my shoulder. But I am not.

I've read and studied the story of Easter Island. That story, from what can be pieced together, tells about competing lords and how religion created irrationality — even to the point of self destruction. Nothing has changed today — we are simply seeing a repeat on a grander schedule.

Sometimes I see beauty in the form of a little bug crawling across my desk. I stop what I'm doing and grab a magnifying glass. I watch the little creature continue on its way, and I am amazed by it. What makes this little animal be alive? What is it doing? Where is it going? What is its purpose?

I see sunsets that are so beautiful, which explode into an array of beautiful colors. I hear geese "honk" as they fly overhead. When I hear them I run outside and look up to see their "V" formation high in the sky. I am AMAZED. I am truly amazed at these birds flying over my head. It is in them that I see beauty.

I see beauty in the hearts of young children. They are totally innocent and they are put on Earth under so many difficult situations. Suddenly, they are on this planet and they must learn to survive like the rest of us. Their innocence, pureness, and inquisitive all makes them beautiful.

Yet, the children, the geese, and the little bugs are all under assault by this strangely beautiful yet violent and ever growing species called humans. We deceive ourselves, rationalize away all logic, and then we continue destroying that which is beautiful in a hundred million little ways.

Why?

The Goose

Columbine

I remember attending my big church in 1999 shortly after the Columbine massacre. A guest band was performing on stage. The lead singer told us that at the time of the murders they were performing at the National Rifle Association convention in Denver.

The lead singer said that at an NRA prayer breakfast, "They just held each other's hands and prayed for the victims."

Hello, you idiot, CAN'T YOU SEE THE IRONY?

If I had to do it over again I would have stood up and disrupted the service. I would have screamed, "ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS?"

It is the NRA that ensures that guns are easily accessible to any wacko who wants to slaughter people. And they hold prayer breakfasts at their conventions? And they pray for the people that their lobbying efforts help to slaughter???

Let me just say that this is a sick, twisted country -- where a "loving Christ" is so beautifully intertwined with the violence and evil of guns.

It is to the point that when I read about a multiple shooting in the newspaper, I don't even care any more. This is what Americans want! This is what the NRA wants! It is apparently what God wants!

So, let the murders, slaughter, and violence continue as the Sunday worshipers pick the lint off their suits and dresses .... and go to church to learn about the beautiful love of God ... and then come home and clean their weapons. Oh, to feel that smooth, cold, barrel, which can help to fling a slug of lead into a human's flesh at great speed, doing massive damage to human body tissue. Oh, it must be the love of God.