Adventures of Recycle Boy

This video was mainly a learning experience. I'd like to start making environmental videos regularly.

Not much to say here, other than that I spend a lot of time recycling everything I can. I often wonder if I'm making a difference when so few people actually recycle and so few people even care. Whether or not it's a "guilt reliever" is beside the point, since myself and others who recycle are doing good.

Recycling is also a great intro for getting people interested in environmentalism. And yes, it does make you feel good, and I make no apologies for that.

-- Todd

Hellbound

Ahhh, I should have paid my credit card bill on time!!!!

I simply do not have the ability to believe in anything that cannot be proven. I lost my faith at age 21 and I spent the next 16 years trying to FORCE myself to believe, but it wore me out and I just couldn't do it.

For that, Christians tell me that I'm going to hell. Yes, they've told me right to my face.

It is odd to me that God only wants people who can put faith over reason in His Heaven. I can't even question that, for I am told that I shouldn't question God.

My Life

I am told that everyone must go to Hell because we have sinned, but that God will put us in this beautiful, nice place called Heaven if we "ask for forgiveness."

I don't claim to be perfect. I know that "lust" is a sin, but not sure how it is defined. I'm guessing it means having sexual desires for another man's wife. Well, I'm sure that I've done that before, so I have lusted. I do enjoy looking at pretty women. I do like talking to them and making them laugh. I am sunk. Of course, if I "lust" the same sex, that is even a WORSE sin.

I do remember stealing once, but it wasn't really intentional. At one of my early jobs at age 20 I had some work tools that my boss told me to keep in my car trunk (because theft was so high at our workplace). When he left, I didn't know who to return them to.

I am not claiming to be a saint or trying to be righteous, I'm just saying that I'm not sure what sin is getting me into hell. I really try to be a good person according to my own, personal standards. I try not to hurt anyone. I try to avoid killing an insect when possible. I have never struck my pets or any person.

Not Fair

I do remember the story of Ted Bundy, the serial killer of 30 young women, who was led to Christ prior to his execution by James Dobson from Focus on the Family fame. Now, my question is, why does God want all these sicko murders in Heaven? And why does Ted Bundy get in and I don't, just because I require proof?

Furthermore, I am told that Jews and Muslims won't get into heaven unless they "accept Christ." Now, let's be frank -- the chances of a Jew or Muslim converting to Christianity are about the same as a Christian converting to one of their religions.

And not to mention all those poor, primitive tribesmen. You know, the ones that the missionaries never found. They will be in Hell too.

There is the chance that Hitler could have said the "three sentence prayer" before blowing his brains out in his bunker. Sick and scary, but you never know.

A Strange Place

So, Heaven will be full of people with blind faith, serial killers, and mostly people of European descent. For the most part, Christians segregate themselves by sect and race, so I imagine Heaven will be the same way. I am told by Baptists that not even Catholics can get into Heaven unless they say "the three sentence prayer" and that is not part of their belief. Oh, well.

Let's face it, if you are BORN into a Christian home your chances of becoming a Christian are massively increased. If you are born into one of the world's hundreds of other religions, you are likely screwed.

For the Unfortunates

For the poor folks like me, I am assured that I will face billions of years of torture. I'll be in a "lake of fire" where I will feel the pain but won't actually burn up. That really sucks. I know I shouldn't have looked at that pretty woman at the grocery store yesterday. That was a sin, and for that I shall be eternally punished. And "eternal" is forever. Wow, bummer.

The Myths of Environmentalism

So, is environmentalism the religion of the liberal intelligentsia? I don't see a lot of Bubba NASCAR types or conservative Christians showing any interest in the environment, so I would venture to say, "YES."

But environmentalism is NOT a religion, rather I see it as being visionary. Someone once described environmentalists as over-educated people with too much time on their hands. First of all, it is impossible to be "over educated," although the Establishment doesn't like smart people because they challenge the status quo of "consume and destroy for maximum profit."

It is safe to say that highly educated people are more self-aware, and typically more environmentally aware. Just like anywhere, the intelligentsia are disliked by the common masses, and thus the commoners dislike all their "green talk" as well.

As for me, I love environmentalists and feel they are paving the way into the future, and creating a path for all to follow. However, environmentalists also get lost in their noble crusades and often forget the vanity of their endeavors.

The Myths

Some say that "green" is a great guilt reliever. SO WHAT! We self-aware people DO have a lot of guilt because we look around and see how our modern way of life is totally screwing the natural world. We see that our lifestyle, which totally caters around "self-comfort," provides short-term benefits at the expense of the long-term. We realize that we are stealing "life quality" from future generations so that we can indulge ourselves now. Or do we understand that? Maybe, we think that by throwing a can in the recycling bin we are atoning for our gluttony.

So, anyway, on with the myths:

• The Struggle To Save The Environment Can Be Won - This is not likely because we avoid the difficult, controversial issues and focus on the "feel good" issues. For instance, the human population explosion is the main cause behind most of our environmental problems. But this problem is almost always dodged because of its sensitivity, and even the top environmentalists of our day don't touch this issue. The bottom line is that making vast numbers of babies is the only thing we humans are really good at. All these babies will grow up and have a tremendous impact on our already-beaten Earth. Hello, does anyone get that?
  
  
• Alternative Energy Can Replace Fossil Fuels - It's a pipe dream to say that we are going to get rid of coal power and replace it with wind and solar. Renewable energy sources produce only a fraction of the energy that burning oil and coal produce. The only way to make clean energy work is threefold: Reduce our population, increase the efficiency of our power grid and appliances, and use less. These are the three pillars of environmentalism, yet they are typically forgotten.
  
  
• Clean Energy Can Stop Global Warming - I hear a lot of talk about natural gas, which is twice as clean as gasoline. But with human population exploding, any gain will be offset. For instance, we can convert vehicles to natural gas but with the growing population we'll need twice as many of them, so there is no net advantage for the Earth.
  
  
• Wind and Solar Reduce Environmental Impact - The turbines and solar arrays needed to catch the "free" energy must be built by heavy industry. When you factor in the "total life cycle" of these devices, you're not getting much of a savings at all. For instance, think of all the energy it takes to mine and smelt the steel for giant wind turbines. Think of the hundreds of miles of copper wire in a wind turbine. Do you think wind power can provide enough energy to manufacture more wind turbines? Ha!

These are just a few examples of why environmentalism, in its current form, is nothing but another feel-good religion. But I am not criticizing environmentalism at all, I just think it needs a more realistic approach, even though it may be politically incorrect and hurt people's feelings (the nightmare of liberals).

Amazingly, a large percentage of Americans are not worried at all about the environment because they believe they will be whisked into space by a supernatural savior. They believe they will then be taken to Heaven, but they have no idea where it is -- and some have told me it's in another dimension. So, in the fifth dimension there might be mansions and streets of gold, and the ones lucky enough to accept the European religion will be walking right through us poor bastards who have been "Left Behind."

So, in that regard, the liberal intellects definitely have an advantage over delusional religious fanatics. And like I said, they are paving the way for a future, sustainable world. But the way things are now, we will never win the war to save the environment. To do this, we must all get out of our comfort zones, we must all sacrifice, and most importantly, we must say and do the difficult things that are necessary to save our planet.

What Is Truth

I have spent a great portion of my life separating the truth from the lies, and the reality from the illusions.

So, what is truth? I define it as: Making a decision based on a preponderance of evidence.

First of all, the search for truth is never-ending, and you can never truly find it. Understandably, many people prefer things in black and white, and that's why they are so willing to accept a pre-packaged dogma. But truth is always gray, and you can never pin it down.

For instance, once upon a time someone told me that a divine being wrote a book. Well, actually He told various authors, in various countries, over a span of hundreds of years exactly HOW to write it. And now we don't hear from the divine being anymore because everything he needed to say is in the BOOK. You just have to study the BOOK and He talks to you through the BOOK. And, oh yeah, the Torah is incomplete and the Koran is a false book, but, by golly, some people around here have the REAL BOOK.

In humble response to that, I must confide that my cat is an alien space probe. I know this as a fact because she follows me like a shadow around the house and she ALWAYS has to watch what I'm doing, whether I'm eating or going to the bathroom. My cat is definitely a space probe, and you can't prove that it isn't.

But, hey, the evidence and what I know about cats tells me that, well, maybe she's just a cat.

Information

Seven years ago it became apparent that Religion, Corporations, and Government are the three powerful forces always trying to control me. Each of them provide their own dogmas, and if you simply accept them without questioning, you've simply bit the bait and you won't find truth. Thus, you must QUESTION the dogma that your institutions feed you.

Don't get all your information from one source, like an obese drug addict or a college dropout radio personality. Always get your information from multiple sources, and then draw your own conclusion.

Don't accept a party platform, religious dogma, or TV ad without questioning. Read alternative news sources, talk to people, and get all sides of an issue. Then make your own determination as to what you think is TRUTH.

Multiple Sources

In 2003, the more I read about my religion, the more I realized that it lacked scientific, archeological, and historical evidence. On the other hand, the more I read about evolution, the more I realized that there is a MASSIVE amount of evidence to back it. Like others, I had outdated or incorrect notions about evolution, and when I really studied it I realized that it's completely real. So, the point being, get information from different sources to shape your world view.

Political persuasion

I've been called a liberal, Republican, socialist, and more. The fact is that I can't be pinned down politically because I'm all over the map. That's because I take every issue and weigh it on its own merits, and I don't let some talking head or political party sway me. Yes, I proudly lean left, but on occasion I'll actually agree with the righties.

Culture Food

Sadly, the vast majority of people where I live simply play the role that the Dominant Culture creates for them. For example, they go to church and are "religious," but at the same time they like nice cars, big houses, and are materialistic. Now, based on the teachings and life of Jesus, he was CLEARLY NOT materialistic. But, ho hum, who cares. The Yuppie rich Christians will simply ignore the parts of the Bible that inconvenience them, and continue running over slow possums with their SUVs. They never question what TRUTH is -- they just accept what they are told it is.

Parting Thought

The most beautiful gift I have in life is my open mind. Even as a kid I enjoyed looking at all sides of an issue, and often taking an unpopular side. I don't try to be righteous about it, I just don't let anyone or anything sway my opinions. I am pro-gay, anti-war, but fiscally conservative. I am pro-life and pro-science. I make no apologies for my positions, and at the same time, I don't push them on anyone. I simply believe what I believe to be true, based on looking at all sides of an issue, and trying to think it out.

Welcome To Crazyland

My biggest shock lately is how irrational people are. I've had a few cases in my life lately where people are engaged in risky activity, and when I talk to them about it their reaction is to simply get furious with me. I'm not sure what to do, but their behavior is affecting their safety, health, appearance, and, in one case, the safety of their children. Their reaction is to:

• Deny it.
• Rationalize it.
• Get furious with me in an attempt to intimidate me from bringing it up again.
• Blame the problem on everyone and everything else.

So, I've lost a lot of respect for these individuals who engage in these destructive behaviors, but I really care about them and don't know what to do. If I say or do anything I will be the "bad" guy and I will be the one attacked.

The World

On a global scale I also see extreme irrationality. Most amazingly, people are born into a belief system and they just accept it, and never question it, no matter how destructive it is. People tend to just adapt to their culture without thinking twice. In fact, that vast majority of humanity is trapped in some sort of belief system that cannot be proven and almost always does more harm than good. For instance, religion causes self-righteousness and indifference, yet people keep inhaling the holy white powder as our society and environment continue to collapse. As things crumble, instead of accepting responsibility and taking action, they simply inhale more lines of holy powder.

The Flaw

I just turned 50 and I continue to sail through life, continually looking around, and saying, "What the ....." because to me, society is a madhouse. I exist in a controlled nuclear reaction where it's just a matter of time before the roof blows off.

Let's Invade A Country

As an example of our national irrationality, let's take Iraq as an example. In Iraq, we have a nation divided by religious sects, clans, and ethnic groups. Some of these folks engage in extreme violence and still live in the fifth century. Along comes the United States, which says, "We are going to LIBERATE you and bring you DEMOCRACY." It only takes one fast armored division to capture their country, and the next thing you know President Bush is landing on an aircraft carrier and giving what seems like a VICTORY speech. Now, seven years later the Iraqis are still slaughtering one another with a vengeance and we Americans just seem to accept the fact that our invasion troops will be there forever. And even though we killed the Iraqi strongman, another one has just popped up in neighboring Iran. Getting rid of the bad guys is like playing whack-a-mole — others just keep appearing. So, did Mother America really think out the Iraq invasion? Was it really a rational move? Nope. Rather, it is one of our dying nation's greatest disasters.

So ....

If people in my immediate little world are not acting rationally, then I see little hope for the greater whole. Or, maybe I'm the one who is irrational. Maybe it's okay to be an alcoholic, engage in risky driving behavior, or deal with health issues by ignoring them. Maybe it's JUST ME who is crazy. Maybe it's okay to think that the Jews and Muslims are going to hell, just because they don't accept the "correct" religion, you know, the one you just happened to be born in. Maybe I'm IRRATIONAL for questioning that.

Overall, I think this world is completely, totally insane. From the smokers to the obese, to the corrupt politicians and the buffoon oil executives, and from the murdering religious fanatics to the holy ones who condemn everyone else, I now realize that there was no need to build Disneyland because we all live in a giant Disneyland. We are existing in a world of fantasy and illusion, where rationality only exists in the minds of the lunatics, and insanity is the friend of the preachers, poets, and politicians, who ramble on, despite whatever rational argument is presented to them.

It is all crazy, totally crazy.

The Town Idiots

I am traveling in the spaceship in life and am now getting closer to my final destination, which is a jar of ashes.

My observation lately is just how stupid people are. Take, for instance, Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP. I have seen video clips of him saying several pathetically stupid things about the Gulf oil disaster. These corporate robber barons control the world and their lobbyists are forcing us to drink the fossil fuel Kool-aide as long as possible, but when you take the lid off their hive, you find out what idiots they are.

Teabaggers

The Tea Party movement continues to intrigue me. It's about angry white people who want things the way they were. The narrowness and hypocrisy of their movement astounds me. For instance, they want "smaller government," which means less services for the poor, but they completely turn their backs on the out-of-control military-industrial complex that is wasting TRILLIONS of dollar of our money. We are spending a fortune to hunt down rabid desert savages, and frankly, we are making more enemies faster than we can kill them, so it AIN'T WORKING.

I appreciate the idealism of the Teabaggers, but treating the U.S. Constitution like it's a holy document is nonsense. It was written by rich, white slaveholders, and it's all about preserving self interest. Ooops, now I see the parallel.

Facebook

I've been on Facebook since July and find it an interesting social project. I'm now up to 128 "friends" from all areas of life. What I find on Facebook mirrors real life — most people are shallow and trite, and incapable of deep, analytical reasoning. If America is Facebook, then America is doomed. I'm not sure where the social media "revolution" is going to lead us, but it will probably be down the toilet.

Gulf Oil Disaster

Yeah, getting back to the big oil slick. I'm thrilled to have met a couple Teabaggers who are actually concerned about the Gulf oil mess — that gives me a little hope. My observation is that it's the conservative religious people who seem the least concerned about this environmental disaster. Are the Christians really that far gone? Don't they care about anything other than playing their pious, self-righteous mind game? Do they really care about my rotting soul? I doubt it. This group of people have been more mind-fucked than anyone, and they keep the U.S. in a medieval mindset. Religion, in general, is the bane of the Earth because it takes away the individual's ability to think and to care. Religion is a vestige of our caveman heritage, and because it meets certain needs in the innate population, it lives on, continuing to spread its craziness and irrationality. I hate religion. And getting back to the topic, why don't Christians care about all the millions of animals that are dying from the oil disaster? It grieves me, yet I haven't seen any religionists yet who even care.

Summary

This ends my rant for today. I shall now reenter my civilization and embed myself into a population that simply lost its ability to think. It's a nut house out there. Can the handful of people who are sentient actually save civilization, and should they???