The Question Behind the Question

I have learned to take EVERYTHING I hear with a grain of salt. When someone tells you something or you read a report in the media, question it, research it, and give it some thought. Don't ever just "drink the Kool-Aid" unless you're sure that your drink doesn't contain poison.

Also, like your car side mirror says, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Or, better said, "objects are NOT as they appear." Whenever there is a major issue in the news I encourage you to "ask the question behind the question" and examine root causes.

Syrian Civil War

Okay, let me give a random example. The violence in Syria has dominated the news for months now. We are led to believe that the common people are trying to overthrow their tyrant leader, the monster known as Bashar al-Assad.

More confusion is added to the mix because we are told that Muslim extremists and Al-Qaeda may take over the country and make things even worse.

But what we're not told is the following:

• Global climate change is real, and is responsible for extreme drought conditions in parts of the world, including Syria.
• The human population of Syria, just like other Middle Eastern nations, has skyrocketed.

What we are really seeing in Syria is a habitat collapse, followed by extreme social unrest. It is a precursor for things to come in other nations, including the United States.

And for the record, Al-Qaeda is an extremist, violent splinter group of Islam, which is trying to force order into chaos. If life was more tolerable and sustainable in the Middle East, and if young men had jobs, and if young women had opportunities, then I believe the influence of Al-Qaeda would be nominal.

Okay, let's get back to the two bullet points above. The drought makes it impossible to successfully farm in the countryside. Desperate people move to the cities to find work. These cities are already burdened with Iraqi refugees. So, what you have is crowded, urban areas, with lots of young men who have no jobs and nothing to do. The government does little to help. What you have are the ingredients for a disaster.

The Syrian conflict is NOT a simple civil war. It is a fight for resources and survival.

By 2010, roughly one million Syrian farmers, herders and their families were forced off the land into already overpopulated and underserved cities. These climate refugees were crowded together with one million Iraqi war refugees. The Assad regime failed to effectively help any of them, so when the Arab awakenings erupted in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian democrats followed suit and quickly found many willing recruits from all those dislocated by the drought.
— Thomas Friedman, NY Times

So, what are the answers to Syria's crisis? The answers are the same as what I've been blogging about for years:

• Universal access to contraceptives.
• Complete social and legal parity between men and women.
• Cease and desist burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere.

These are huge goals but we have to do them, or we will continue to see weaker states like Syria wobble out of orbit, crash and burn, and disintegrate.

In addition, we need to work with the Syrian people to teach them sustainable agriculture. We need to provide whatever infrastructure we can and educate them about surviving in drought-plagued environments.

One Monster For Another

In regards for the recent call of keeping the Assad monster in power because he is a better monster than the militant Islamists, I say HELL NO. We must always push for democracy, for without democracy there is not freedom. Freedom is one of the things I value most in life, and without freedom I don't think you can ever achieve true sustainability. As a Sierra Club leader once said, "If it's not fun it's not sustainable." And if someone has to live under the yoke of an evil, power-hungry tyrant, then that can NEVER be sustainable. So, to add to my bullet points above, we need to promote democratic reforms in Syria. While there are some bad groups on the rebel side, there are some good groups too, and these individuals need positive support.

Last May 9, The Times of Israel quoted Israeli geographer Arnon Soffer as observing that in the past 60 years, the population in the Middle East has twice doubled. “There is no example of this anywhere else on earth.”

And, finally, one more point. If the world's more stable nations like the United States are constantly dealing with extreme weather events caused by climate change, like Superstorm Sandy, how can we ever help our less stable fellow humans in nations like Syria.

“In the future, who will help a country like Syria when it gets devastated by its next drought if we are in a world where everyone is dealing with something like a Superstorm Sandy,” which alone cost the U.S. $60 billion to clean up? asks Joe Romm, founder of ClimateProgress.org.

Summary

Right now Iran and Saudi Arabia are throwing money in Syria to create a nice little proxy war between the Sunni and Shiite/Alawite sects of Islam. But, as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman says, "All I can say is that you're fighting for control of a potential human/ecological disaster zone. You need to be working together to rebuild Syria's resiliency, and its commons, not destroying it. I know that in saying this I am shouting into a dust storm. But there is nothing else worth saying."

Well, Mr. Friedman, you are sounding exactly like me. Maybe this is why I'm a huge fan of your columns and books. No one listens to me when I rattle off this crap, but maybe they'll listen to you. I'm just a lowly blogger from a small suburban town in Georgia. What the heck would I know. I mean, really....

Sources

WikiLeaks, Drought, and Syria, Thomas Friedman

Syria Demographics, Wikipedia

Photo credit: Foter.com / Public Domain Mark 1.0

Pondering Humanity

As I grow older, human society seems crazier and crazier to me. I'm wondering if I'm changing, or becoming more aware, or if people are just becoming more dysfunctional.

The biggest and saddest comedy act is the U.S. Congress. I like the idea of democracy, but our elected officials have shown us that it's all a facade, a big joke, and an idealist's pipe dream. Has our government always been so broken and corrupt? I know that in the old days people like Teddy Roosevelt actually fought the greedy political bosses, but now everyone's in the same bed.

Then there is the total brain-screwing on climate change. The Big Oil-funded think tanks have done a splendid job of confusing the public and throwing doubt in people's minds. In reality (whatever THAT is these days) the evidence that humans are warming the Planet is overwhelming. But every time there is a cold snap people start screaming, "Global warming is a hoax."

Food Supply

I have this theory that our weakening food supply is what is melting down the brains of our elected leaders and the general public. Instead of eating nuts, veggies, fruits, and wild meat like our ancestors, people today are stuffing Little Debbie's in their mouths. We are becoming a nation of giant people who spend countless hours watching reality TV and reading gossip tabloids. Our brains are weakening, and our test scores are falling. At least the Romans could blame it on incest and lead in their pipes, but for Americans we have nothing to blame except for our laziness and lack of discipline. As the nutritional quality of our food weakens, so do we. And so does our will.

Gay Marriage

The Christian fundamentalist surge seems to be weakening, foaming, and receding back into the sea. Gay marriage laws are being passed around the country. I am delighted. It shows that all the pew hoppers aren't jumping much any more. I thank Westboro Baptist Church, the Rev. Harold Camp, the Rev. Terry Jones, and all the other nuts for showing us what religion really is — just absolutely nuts. Of course, if you're nuts and rich, you can be a Scientologist, which will increase your "cool factor" in Hollywood.

Trash

The other thing that's nuts is our throwaway society. We absolutely can't be throwing all the trash and plastic in the landfills indefinitely. It's a simply unsustainable practice. If all that plastic you throw away takes 500 years to deteriorate, people 500 years from now are going to hate you. There is going to be plastic buried everywhere by then. And as that stuff does slowly rot away, do you think it just disappears? Nope. It turns into methane gas and rises into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. Every plastic cup you toss makes the Planet a little warmer, and a little nastier. At least recycle the damn thing.

I'm totally tired. I've been blogging now for nine years, almost to the day. I've written about 380 some entries. Think of them as my gift to future generations and my contribution to society. One day people will read my posts and say, "Wow, the Green Goose really had his head screwed on nicely." But, then again, maybe not. I'm convinced that no one really cares about anything, except maybe their little pet causes. Where's the love, baby?

Photo credit: seanmcgrath / Foter.com / CC BY

Christmas 2012

Not that I'm a Grinch, but I've always seen Christmas as environmental genocide. People pack the stores to buy imported Asian junk, which they give to their friends and loved ones. It's usually stuff they don't need, and ends up in drawers, closets, or landfills. Once in the landfills, the junk deteriorates, gives off methane gas, and further warms the planet. However, the good part about Christmas is getting to be with loved ones.

As I look back on this past year, there's plenty to be happy about. I love the positive things I'm seeing:

• Trend toward "buy local," humane, and organic farming.
• More solar panels and wind turbines.
• Advances in gay rights.

On the downside, I'm saddened by:

• Continued extreme violence everywhere.
• Our dysfunctional and impotent U.S. Congress.

My hope for 2013 is that we all muster the political will to fix our broken Congress. We can start with:

• Term limits.
• Removing the "personhood" from corporations.
• Removing the lie that cash is "free speech."
• Stopping the gerrymandering.

One ongoing problem in our society is the domination of cults, which promote irrational thinking. The religious cults are perhaps the worst, and should always be met with facts and reason. Most cults have doomsday scenarios, but my future will always be one of hope. I know that people have within them the ability to do the right thing. It's just a matter of shaking off all the stupid memes and cultural baggage, and having the courage to think rationally, even when it flows against the grain.

What entertains me about cultists is that they are so confident that what they believe is "the one right way" that they don't even question it. Perhaps the one positive thing I can do in life is to put cracks in their hard-held beliefs. Just letting them know that everyone doesn't agree with them serves a purpose.

Hurray for the two states that passed gay marriage laws in November. This is a sign of hope. The entire War Against Gays is completely made up from nothing. When people cherry pick verses from the Old Testament to justify their war and hatred, I simply retort by saying, "You either have to accept all of the Old Testament or none of it. God don't like cherry pickers." That would mean you can't eat shrimp and would have to put adulterers to death, plus dozens of other dumb rules.

To all humans, if Christmas means "hope," then I'm all for it. Let us hope for peace, social advancement, and environmental sustainability. 

Photo credit: ~jjjohn~ / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Post Industrialism

Brandon Christopher Warren / Foter / CC BY-NC

Even if we stopped polluting the Earth today, the artificial poisons we've placed into our air, soil, and water will haunt us for milleniums. Our planet is a rare, pristine jewel, floating through space, and we've already fouled it, perhaps forever.

So, no wonder I go through life melancholy. I have to live with the guilt that I'm part of the problem. Although I've tried to become part of the solution, I'm sucked into and enslaved by this industrial world and I can't seem to escape it.

I think about all the shampoo, household cleaners, and other chemicals that are going down my septic tank and straight into the soil. Yes, I do try to buy plant-based cleaners instead of petroleum-based products, so maybe I'm helping a little. But then there's shaving cream, face cleanser, and dozens of other products we all use — going down the drain where many of the artificially made chemicals will remain forever.

Do the Evolution Dance, Baby

Since I began my blog in 2004 the dominant theme has been environmental sustainability, but lately I've expanded it to the topic of social evolution. The subject fascinates me.

First and formost, I see religion, the turning of mythology into hard beliefs, as some sort of odd byproduct of our evolution. Somewhere in our early development religion must have provided some evolutionary advantage. For instance, maybe the social order provided by religion provided tribes with a stronger hierarchy and gave them an edge in war or general survival.

But the great irony of religion is that while it helped us get through the early years of our development it's now on the verge of destroying us. This is quite possibly why our radar satellites are not picking up intelligent life in the Universe. For, the religion that evolves us and leads us to intelligence ultimately kills us.

The daily newspaper is full of articles about religious violence. The Big Three religions fight one another, and even factions within the same religion, such as Shiites and Sunnis, kill one another. Religion is synonymous with violence, but then I have had Christians and Muslims look me straight in the eye and say they follow a religion of peace. What the fuck? Our only hope is to eradicate this destructive social disease from our culture.

New Beginnings

I'm hopeful that with the election behind us we can begin focusing on our environmental problems like global climate change. Reducing our carbon emissions will require a major realignment in the way we live. We simply arrived to where we are at today through a sort of industrial evolution, with no plan or thought for how we would impact the future. We just started driving cars in the 1890s with no worries that there would be billions of them 120 years later. We had no idea that our global population would jump from 2 billion to 7 billion in just a handful of decades. It all just happened. We didn't think it out. And now we live in a totally unsustainable world. There is NO WAY we can continue dumping all sorts of crap into the trash, flushing chemicals down the toilet, and then expect to live like this indefinitely.

It will be exciting as we re-engineer our lives and find a way to live peacefully with each other and our world in the post-industrial age. I envision a slower, quieter world with lots of small, local farms, solar panels, and wind turbines. People will get out and start walking again. Right now, the obesity epidemic should tell us something is deeply wrong with our society. I hope I don't offend too many folks by saying this, but I'm tired of looking at fat people — they are a living symbol of a society gone totally bad. In the new, green world people will again be walking and working with their hands. And they'll be eating healthier.

And as for the end of Hostess Twinkies -- good riddance! The old age of obesity, laziness, and stuffing whatever tastes good into your mouth is going away. And a new, healthier, happier age is arriving.

Vanity

I've been obsessed with watching WWII documentaries and clips on YouTube. The German army particularly interests me. They had all the training, political indoctrination, cool uniforms, and best equipment. Yet, they were fighting a war on three fronts and were simply swarmed by the greater numbers of their enemies. Their factories were simply outproduced by the factories of their opponents.

First of all, during my Christian upbringing I was told several times that the Nazis lost because they were evil. But I have been fascinated with WWII nearly all my life and have studied it since age 12. The fact is that the Nazis won battles and lost battles. Ultimately, they lost due to poor strategic decisions. I can't say that they lost due to "luck" because both the Allies and Axis had good and bad "luck," as well as unintended surprises during their campaigns. In key campaigns, both sides often failed to think far enough ahead, and in war, it's simply impossible to factor in every conceivable contingency. So, God didn't have to help beat the Nazis at all. Their own mistakes and the vast industrial capacity of their enemies defeated them. It's all about the matériel that you can bring up to the front line for a given battle — that is ultimately the bottom line.

Second, the vanity of the entire war amazes me. All those young German men, in their sharp uniforms, were simply slaughtered on the massive Eastern Front. Their impressive Tiger tanks were simply swarmed by the less expensive and more numerous Soviet T-34 tanks. These men were marching for an evil cause to begin with and were fighting an unwinnable war. I can only imagine the hopelessness that they secretly felt inside.

Such is my life. There is the vainness of seeing the climate behave exactly as climatologists predicted, yet there is little political or public will to do ANYTHING about global warming. There is the vainness of seeing the prophesy-obsessed fundamentalist Christians whoop and hollar about the "last days," as they create their own, self-fulfilling prophesies.

There is the vainness of unrequited love. To love another with passion and ferocity, in a love that's so logical that one is confused when the love is not reciprocated. It is like the knight who loves the damsal, and then gallops off to the next battle to face his death. While the poets call it beautiful, it's not beautiful at all. It is simply vain.

Perhaps all of life is vain, and we simply have a problem admitting it. We fight on, all knowing the inevitable outcome. Despite our nice outfits and neat appearance, despite the smiling, chipper facade we can muster on the surface, we are broken on the inside. Why, because some of us are cursed with too much intelligence and a forever pondering mind, and we've figured out what no one else wants to admit —it's all in vain. 

Untitled

I, the Goose, in my 51st year of life, has concluded that humanity is totally screwed up.

I do have the greatest respect for others like me who are trying to "save the world" each in their own way. I have about a half dozen individuals like that listed on the column at right.

In 1997 I had the same ambition and was at it full speed until April 2003 when I started getting tired of charging into a brick wall. Since then, unfortunately, I've been doing less and less activist work. In 2009 my employer cut staff and I've been working long hours, and just trying to survive since that date.

If I had free time, what would I do? My main interest was human overpopulation, so I guess I'd get back to that. Not that I'm trying to tell anyone what to do -- I just know the world would be healthier if there was universal access to contraception. I still think that this one goal can make the greatest difference in the social and environmental well being of the Planet.

But, today shall not be a discussion on Population, for today is Christmas Day.

Christmas

I no longer think much of this day either way. It's just a fun winter holiday. At the risk of being a Grinch, I'll say it's also environmental carnage. People wrap junk in paper. People rip off the paper and have their momentary high. The paper and tons of packaging are then thrown away. People put lights on their homes, and coal-power electric plants spew a little more carbon into the air to provide electricity for those lights. Then there is the cooking and candy — people stuff themselves with junk. This is how we celebrate the birth of Christ, and we are told this is a Christian holiday, even though it's full of traditions and symbols that date back to Pagan times.

Christopher Hitchens

For some reason, I've been really missing the guy this week. The great service he did to the world was to put cracks in people's belief systems. Whether on the political left or right, this world is full of righteous people who believe their dogma is above reproach. Hitchens challenged a lot of things that are simply accepted in our screwed up world, and things that are often seen as "taboo" to discuss. He just "told it like it is" and challenged social norms. He stirred the pot, and he pissed off a lot of people on both sides of the political spectrum. In his dying days he was honest and open about his struggle with cancer. I liked the guy.

Tom Shadyac

You know what, I really love this guy. His documentary, I Am, is still going through my head. Here is the classic story of the super successful movie director who has a near-death experience, gives away most of his wealth, and moves from his two mansions to a mobile home. He gives up being a movie director to teach at a local community college. His message is that to "save the world" we must learn to work cooperatively instead of independently and competitively.  I like the message a lot. I encourage everyone to see I Am.

Facebook

Facebook is an interesting social experiment that has literally changed the entire world. I shall not be posting links to my blog there any more. Why? Simply because no one cares. Oh, except for some of my relatives who are apparently shocked that I have dared to question religion. Well, at least they read my blog. If anything, it planted some doubt and questions in the minds of people who are so sure they know the One Right Way. Most of what goes on with Facebook is mindless banter. The people who were posting all their personal drama did provide entertainment for a while, but then it got old. On the plus side, Facebook is a good way to feel "connected" with your friends, neighbors, and relatives. I suppose.

Signing off for now...

I Am

Wow, I just finished watching the documentary "I Am." It really joins together and affirms things that I've been thinking all along, and many items that I've blogged about.

The point of this movie is that what is wrong with humanity is that we've adopted a separated, competitive mindset, and we need to live our lives more as cooperative, and as parts of a greater whole.

I really like the narrator in the movie -- he had everything, except for happiness. I applaud him wildly and I've subscribed to his email list.

A thanks to Tom Shadyac for creating this wonderful movie. It gives me a new sense of direction at a time when I've completely stalled out.

Why We're So Screwed Up

In writing about the Penn State scandal, New York Times columnist David Brooks provides another piece of the puzzle as to why humanity is so hopelessly screwed up.

Here are a few excerpts from his column:

Some people suffer from Motivated Blindness; they don't see what is not in their interest to see. Some people don't look at the things that make them uncomfortable. In one experiment, people were shown pictures, some of which contained sexual imagery. Machines tracked their eye movements. The people who were uncomfortable with sex never let their eyes dart over to the uncomfortable parts of the pictures.

As Daniel Goleman wrote in his book "Vital Lies, Simple Truths," "In order to avoid looking, some element of the mind must have known first what the picture contained, so that it knew what to avoid. The mind somehow grasps what is going on and rushes a protective filter into place, thus steering awareness away from what threatens."

And there's more:

People are really good at self-deception. We attend to the facts we like and suppress the ones we don't. 

And he concludes by saying:

The proper question is: How can we ourselves overcome our natural tendency to evade and self-deceive. That was the proper question after Abu Ghraib, Bernie Madoff, the Wall Street follies and a thousand other scandals. But it's a question this society has a hard time asking because the most seductive evasion is the one that leads us to deny the underside of our own nature.

The last sentence is well stated and explains our obsession with myth worship (i.e. religion), climate change denial, and debt crises denial.

On a personal level, I know people who simply deal with things by not dealing with them. This is often the case of families who live with an alcoholic. On a national level, our political leaders are also simply playing the fiddle and not dealing with the obvious, serious problems. This is what we call "ignoring the giant elephant in the room," and, man, we humans are good at that.

Destiny

It's hard to get motivated these days to do my environmental activist work or anything else. I am feeling that our self-denial is leading to our rapid self-destruction, and our fate is now beyond our control. Half of me still has hope, but the other half feels it is time to simply enjoy the present as best I can and accept the fate of my species. No worries, within a few thousand years Mother Earth will have recovered from the short reign of destruction caused by the big-brained apes. Aside from our concrete bridges, there will be little evidence that we ever existed here.

Kitty Purr

I remember when my last cat, Sassy, was dying of feline leukemia. As I held her she was purring and that gave me a feeling that she was getting better. It gave HER a feeling that she was getting better too. I later learned that cats sometimes purr to comfort themselves when they are gravely ill.

Mother America
We are now faced with the global debt issue, global warming, water shortages, and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Oh, and did I mention peak oil?

I have to learn to accept that it's part of our evolution to only react to danger when it's directly in our face. Humans are not good at long-term planning, even though we put our offspring at great risk when we ignore looming threats.

What I'm seeing now in this country is cognitive dissonance, denial, delusions, and lots of religious escapism. I know that most Americans realize that there is something deeply wrong right now in our country, but most people would rather ignore it or rationalize it away.

We LIKE our way of life. We are comfortable. We don't want to think about or deal with the possibility of radical change.

The Scenario
No one intended to bankrupt America but years of deficit spending have caught up with us. When we get to the point where we can't pay our creditors I don't know what will happen, but I can guess that it will create a chilling effect throughout the world economy. Everything will just stop.

Social Security IS a Ponzi scheme. You are correct, Gov. Perry. Thanks for having the guts to say that. There are less and less workers supporting more and more retired people who are living longer. This system is unsustainable and will collapse with a giant thunder.

Medical Malfeasance
Everyone wants to stay alive as long as possible, and at the same time most people I see don't really take care of themselves. They don't even follow the two simple suggestions of eating right and exercising. Worse yet, the medical industry keeps coming out with more machines, drugs, and procedures to keep our ailing population alive longer. This results in a multi billion dollar industry devoted to eliminating physical discomfort and prolonging lifespans. It's a sector of the economy that must be carried on the shoulders of our taxes and commerce. It sucks the economy dry as desperate people deplete their savings and get a second mortgage on their homes so that they can stay alive longer. Medicaid, Medicare, and the prescription drug plan are all spiraling out of control and are UNSUSTAINABLE. My advice to all of you is - stay healthy!

Scenarios
Sooner or later terrorists will detonate a dirty bomb in the U.S. with the power of the Nagasaki atom bomb. The blast will instantly vaporize a square mile in a major city and could kill as many as a million people. The social, psychological, and economic impacts would be so devastating that the outcome is unthinkable.

Or, maybe severe water shortages and pollution will simply make us sick and frail, and we'll all move to places with abundant fresh water, until it's used up. We will suck dry Lake Superior, and we'll keep growing our population and we will desperately try to maintain "business as usual."

The End
Just bringing up these topics makes me "negative" and a "doomsayer." Even I hope that some unexpected development in technology or change in human behavior will save us at the last minute. I know the odds are against this, but I still cling to hope.

I must accept the limits of humankind and the evolutionary mechanisms that are built into us — the desire to extend life, the desire for comfort in the short term at the expense of the long term, and the inability to react to distant dangers. These are the attributes that will make us simply another casualty in the Sixth Great Extinction. The end of one of the most complex creatures to ever evolve in the Universe will actually be a good thing, for it will allow the millions of other species to thrive in a safer, cleaner environment.

I must say, the Goose is starting to get goosebumps.

Goose Visits the Psychologist

This whole thing about the Goose being a prophet wasn't catching on, and finally everyone voted unanimously to send him to the psychologist. Goose kept screaming and swearing he was correct, "I've done all the calculations ... I know, I know, I know!"

The next thing you know Goose is laying on the couch in a room with dark, musty panel. Dr. Snorensky is in a chair writing down notes.

"But I'm not crazy ... it's just that ... well ... peak oil, social unrest, and too many McDonalds. And not to mention Wal-Mart, which will remain open 24 hours even after the economic crash."

"Mr. Goose, calm down, relax."

"Everyone is so self-absorbed in their own little game, and everyone's doing a different thing without seeing the big picture. The television has sucked their intellect out. Then there's these mega churches where they show movie clips and give you 'practical lessons' and send you out the door, and you have just enough time to beat the crowd at Longhorns."

"What???"

"And this Universe is so complex and beautiful, from the big stars down to the cells in our bodies, yet most people don't even think about it or write it off to the 'man in the sky' kind of thing. But, okay, maybe there is a God, but maybe this supernatural being is not a being at all, but rather a force that aids evolution and keeps the Universe in order."

"Are you saying God is dark energy ... dark matter???"

"Yeah, He's that force out there that makes all the atoms work, that makes gravity work, that makes photosynthesis work because, hell, no one has any idea how photosynthesis works, yet half the world is green, except for the parts that were clear-cut."

"Goose, do you need drugs?"

"It's like, I'm laying here now, on a rock that's traveling three times the speed of a bullet, soaring through space. Why can't people understand that just to be alive is a freakin' miracle? Why can't they appreciate this? Let's keep the ancient desert gods out of this. I mean, if you can't see it it ain't real."

"Goose, this is your free introductory session. You're only supposed to answer a few questions, like whether or not you hate your mother and have you ever been a member of the Communist Party."

"It's nuts, I mean, I'm telling people the economy is going to crash, we're going to run out of oil, and all that plastic we dumped at the landfill is going to turn into a creature and come and get us in the night."

"Delirium tremens."

"Who me?"

"No, I just like to say that term. Makes me feel professional."

"Look at all we've learned just in the past 100 years. The question is, can we learn everything there is to know? Does the human brain have limits to understanding? Are we going to blow a circuit breaker when we realize that matter is infinite, time is infinite, space is infinite, and we are just little shits who are addicted to pop culture?"

"Goose, I'm not getting paid enough for this."

"Not that I'm being random, it's just that, I think the world is a beautiful place, with lots of greens and blues, and all we humans know are economic growth and adding more people, to create customers. All we know how to do is consume, and we just keeping wanting more junk because it fills that big gap in our lives, and it makes us less miserable."

"Are you saying????"

"Yeah, we all want more, all do our own things, and eventually the blue marble that we share is going to crap out on us. And it's not fair to the millions of other species that share this place with us."

"Goose, I have to go. Baseball game tonight. Remember, you're just a patient, nothing more. I do this psychology crap to figure out myself, as if THAT'S really helping."

"Let me out. I have to go speak with the people. They need me. They want to hear the Message of the Goose."

"Fine, okay, fine...."

Death of Idealism

I remember when I had hope. I remember when I cared. I remember when I tried to make a difference. When I saw the futility, I'm not sure. It was in 2004 when a hundred puzzle pieces came together and I suddenly could see what I never saw before -- the whole picture of how the world works. How the power structure manipulates the government. How religion is used to herd the masses. How words, communication, and propaganda are used to mold unquestioning puppets.

So, dear elite WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT? You've taken everything, and you give the people just enough breadcrumbs to keep them from rioting in the streets.

You squeeze dry the environment, and when anyone dares to question you scream JOBS as the saliva drools down your face. You hire information jammers to throw doubt and questions into the global warming debate. Yes, Barney Foofoo at the community state college was paid millions by Big Oil to say global warming is a myth. Let's all believe Barney Foofoo.

Let's never question our religion, and when someone does let's call them little back-slidden heathens. Let's have a prayer rally in Texas -- we already know that's where God lives. Yes, God is punishing America because we gave gays rights and we murdered trillions of babies (i.e. the Supreme Court felt it an invasion of personal privacy to force desperate women to have their unwanted child -- hell, let's spin that one baby. Let's use this as a "talking point" to energize the foot soldiers for corporate America! Yeah!)

Let's gather up all those Muslims, gays, and immigrants, and put them in a rocket ship and shoot them to the moon. Let's not try to figure out why God gave those Muslims so much oil. Let's just pray our brains out, even though any good thing or bad thing that happens is only chance. But if you spin it enough it becomes a miracle. And, besides, there is a picture of Jesus in my French toast, not to mention that cloud shape of God, and then there was that tree in Conyers, GA.

So, at what point did I snap? After all, the world is perfectly sane. After all, I see my elected leaders spend weeks fighting like dogs over moving ONE DECK CHAIR on the Titanic. They agreed to move that deck chair, well, next to the rail, and now they are boasting about how great they are. Guys, guys, guys, I'm sorry but it's too late. I'm still paying for Father Reagan's deficit budgets, and I'm still waiting for His trickle down economics to bring me wealth, and, well, it hasn't hit me yet. Oh, and by the way, I suggest that every highway, airport, and government building named Ronald Reagan be renamed Che Guevara. I just think it has a better ring.

Easter Island is a mecca. The Holocaust didn't happen. The 9/11 thing was an inside job. And President Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya, or is it Indonesia? Just depends on what the Fox News guy had for breakfast.

I can't believe I'd give up all my precious ideals, throw my hands up, and say, "Okay, folks, tried to warn you."

But, Goose, you are no prophet. You are just a guy that is not fitting into the dominant culture. Everyone knows if you touch the pants of a Tea Party officer your warts will instantly heal. Why are you questioning that, Goose? Shall we have the Department of Homeland Security send you to waterboard school? Maybe one of the those friendly countries like Morocco where they torture in exchange for port privileges and a bag of money?

There are 7 billion ants running around in 7 billion little directions. As the Somalians starve, yet again, and as the dictator of Syria picks out a new suit, and as the Israelis tell us they are noble and as the Palestinians tells they are noble, and as Italy and Spain beg for money from the European Union, well our little brains get overloaded and fried. Or maybe it's all the video games and fast food? Or maybe all that reality TV and pop culture. Or maybe it's the fear of questioning the righteousness of Rupert Murdoch and all those Godly mega church pastors in Texas.

So, I slide, slide, still wondering when the asteroid is going hit us or when the Seven Horsemen are going to ride through my backyard, followed by the Pentecostals, and seeing Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix resurrected. I mean, finally, what took so long? And to think that drugs can mess you up -- they just put you down for a while.

And, if you think I'm blabbering, try watching one of those Sunday morning political shows, or to see some serious blabber, go to a "conservative style" Baptist church, where the pastor screams, "If you die in a car wreck on the way home today, do you know where you're going?" Hmmm, fertilizer for a few surrounding plants, maybe? I know, not a lot of pizzazz with that response, so let's steal a religion from the ancient Egyptians and make people feel guilty if they don't follow it. Yeah, I know.

So, it was on this cold, winter day, when the leaves were blowing around, and I just stood there watching this plastic bag, whipping around like in the movie American Beauty. Yeah, that's when I lost my idealism because people are producing way too much plastic, and it's going to take 500 years to rot, and all the while it's going to be letting out hot methane, which will cook the world, and all the billions of people will become billions of bubbles.

And it was then, just then at that moment, that I lost my idealism. I stopped fighting. I stopped caring. I decided to just step back and watch this human freak show and let it end, the way that I knew all along, way deep down, how it WOULD end.

To my children, I am so, so sorry. To my pets, I am so, so sorry. To the cat I ran over in 1980, I am so VERY sorry. To the beautiful planet that I have had the honor of living on, I am so, so, sorry. I really did try for a while. I really, really did.

Sincerely,

The Goose

Talking Donkeys and White Sticks

I haven't written a blog entry in five months. Mainly, because I now see that humanity is on an unpleasant course and there's little I can do about it. As our world economic system melts down and as our environment disintegrates, I now see that people will cling to their flags, crosses, or other icons and hold onto them tightly as humanity is flushed down the toilet.

What we are witnessing in this world is both a breakdown of our civilization and the loss of our ability to THINK. The partisanship that now rules in Washington is sickening. Every politician babbles what he or she thinks their constituency wants to hear, with little regard for the spirit of communal living and mutual survival. The Tea Party, in particular, is this goal-less, mindless rancor of nothingness — the rantings of angry people who do not want change. Yet change is rolling over them like a bulldozer.

We live in the age where people watch newscasts that are designed to tell them what they WANT to hear. The mindless masses which "reality" TV that is masterfully staged and scripted. And this forms the basis of the New America, where the Truthers, Birthers, Holocaust Deniers and other conspiracy theorists make themselves believe whatever they want, no matter now ludicrous.

Now, you can pick up the Holy Bible, turn to Numbers 22:31-33 and read about a talking ass, I mean, yeah, a donkey that talks. And people don't even question that, and I feel like I'm the only person who is going "what the heck?" And then I'm sitting in traffic and counting all the people who put white sticks to their mouth and voluntarily inhale toxic smoke into their lungs. And I'm thinking, "Are these people just totally insane, or is it just me?"

Thus, my point is that religious fanatics and cigarette smokers are the two groups of people that depress me the most because they show just how far gone our civilization is. How can we ever have a chance of saving ourselves if a large portion of the population accepts that donkeys can talk and that it's okay to suck smoke into your lungs? Is the world just that zonked out? Mentally fried? I mean, "hello," is anyone home?

Tragedy of the Commons

In addition to the total breakdown of critical thinking the second force that is destroying us is what ecologist Garret Hardin calls "The Tragedy of the Commons." In a nutshell, a tragedy of the commons occurs when people share a common resource and ultimately deplete or destroy it. No one really intends or even wants to destroy it, but they ultimately do so because short term selfish interests ultimately outweigh long-term communal interests. This is exactly the phenomenon we are seeing with global climate change and the fouling of our oceans.

A perfect example of "Tragedy of the Commons" is our U.S. Congress. On one side, you have a group of politicians who want to provide more rights for labor, more social services for the poor, and more environmental protection. The other dominant political party wants a strong military and a favorable climate for Big Business. Both parties load the federal budget up with giveaways, tax cuts, and subsidies for their favorite causes. In the end, the budget never balances and the nation sinks into greater debt. We've now reached the point where most of our tax money is going to pay interest on loans, instead of back into the economy where it could create jobs. Our decades of greed have made the federal government sick, and the economy is ailing as well. We are now slithering around in our own feces, and our elected officials continue to scream the same, pointless rhetoric like "cut taxes," "create more jobs, " etc... And even though the same old strategies are known to fail, every politician is afraid to step out of the box, for fear of losing the next election. This, my friend, is the "tragedy of the Congress."

Ishmael

I shall end my post with a quotation from my favorite book, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. The point is, we are trapped inside an elaborate cultural system that gives us comfort at the expense of destroying the world for future generations. Already, our children will not enjoy a world that was as good as ours. Where is our GUILT???? Where is our SHAME??? Most people have none. They simply deflect reality with some story contrived by an ancient goat herder, go into denial, adopt a conspiracy theory, or simply just get lost in front a television. And, thus, we die a slow death by our own, lazy hand.

Chapter 1-6:

... Ishmael thought for a moment, "Among the people of your culture, which want to destroy the world?"

"Which want to destroy it? As far as I know, no one specifically wants to destroy the world."

"And yet you do destroy it, each of you. Each of you contributes daily to the destruction of the world."

"Yes, that's so."

"Why don't you stop?"

I shrugged, "Frankly, we don't know how."

"You're captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live."

"Yes, that's the way it seems."

Roadblock

I haven't blogged much lately. Last month I learned that my comments on religion were offending some family members. So, what's a poor goose to do?

My only point is that if you start believing things on "faith" rather than "fact," that's nice, but it puts you on a slippery slope. The problem is that you have to start discerning what you blindly accept and what is factual. When you start blindly accepting things that can't be proven, you begin losing your grasp of the factual. You drift into a netherworld were "truth" and wishful thoughts intermix.

My one and only religion is called "reality." I admit that it stinks. No flaming chariot is going to whisk me away to Beulah Land. I do not have a mansion waiting for me, and I won't be walking on a street of gold. There is zero scientific evidence of a Heaven or Hell. I've heard people say that these places are in another dimension or behind the sun. Well, please show me any evidence and I'm on board.

The problem becomes serious when "faith" in unproven phenomenon is carried into the public policy arena. When lawmakers make decisions based on their "faith," rather than what is logical and best for the citizenry, humanity takes a step backwards. In fact, ANYTIME that religion and politics get in the way of science, the human race loses.

Manifestations

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, you also have people making decisions based on "faith." If a woman commits adultery, some men may throw battery acid on her face, permanently disfiguring her. Or maybe honor kill her by stoning or strangling. These people have "faith" that they are making their god happy. In the western world, "faith" usually does not lead to such atrocities, but it does lead to many illogical decisions.

In the U.S. there have been cases of mothers suffocating their babies because they "had demons in them." And, in the U.S., a president banned stem cell research based on reasons that stem from "faith."

I do not think "faith" is good at all, and can only cause irrational behavior. If you only act on what you can prove, you are likely to behave more rationally.

Critical Times

We are now at the most critical juncture in all of human history. The decisions we make as a collective whole will determine our survival. The social and environmental problems that we face are massive. We can have "faith" that our deity will come to rescue us or we can start addressing our challenges.

Our society totally lacks critical thinking skills, and this is a result of both poor education and religious indoctrination. We tend not to take responsibility for the world around us because we have "faith" that it's all a part of God's plan. But this type of thinking is simply a lazy cop-out and a shirking of responsibility.

Faith & Science

The Muslim world is fanatical in their religion and devout in their "faith." However, "faith" flies in the face of science. What contributions have Muslim nations made to modern technology? None. The greatest advances come from nations that embrace science. Centuries ago, western Europeans were also devout in their faith, and put their imaginary beliefs above all reason. We call that period of history the Dark Ages. It was the Renaissance that pulled western civilization out of the darkness and into the modern age.

"Faith" is the opposite of the scientific method. Science does not make judgments and only knows what CAN BE KNOWN through systematic testing. Truth is not an absolute, but one can take the preponderance of evidence to make a strong assumption.

Leprosy

Leviticus 14 of the Holy Bible provides a detailed ritual for the healing of leprosy. Well, guess what? It doesn't work at all. Is that simply because the people going through the ritual don't have enough faith? Fortunately, thanks to modern science, this disease is easily curable. Does that mean people who take drugs to cure leprosy have more faith? The logic is absurd, yet this is the sort of thinking that "faith" promotes.

Conclusion

Now, let's get back to a main goal of my blog, which is to promote sustainability. We have terrorism, drug cartels, human overpopulation, rising food prices, social unrest, crime, and the list goes on and on. Do we just ignore these problems because we "believe" it's all part of a grand plan, or do we roll our sleeves and get involved in some cause? I suggest the later.

Believe me, I spent most of my life in church and held a variety of leadership positions. While there are some "practical life lessons" given in church, for the most part I realized I was accomplishing nothing. I've come to think of organized religion as similar to Wall Street, which moves a lot of paper around but doesn't produce anything that is of use to society. Wall Street produces wealth from debt, and religion produces warm fuzzies from faith. But reality is inescapable, and sooner or later it catches up to us.

So, if I am offending people just because I am unable to believe in things that can't be proven, please forgive me. I realize religion is a sensitive and emotional issue, and that for the most part it is taboo to challenge it. I am not pushing my opinion on anyone — I am only stating that "faith" causes irrationality and I see it as a roadblock to a peaceful and sustainable future. Our future must be governed by logic and reason, and if it isn't we will likely nuke ourselves or do irreversible environmental harm to our planet. Does anyone really want that?

— Gooseboy

Visionaring Through the Dust

The progressives will march forward, despite the push-back from the world's two great fundamentalist nations — Iran and the United States.

Our first challenge is to transfer our energy system from burning dead plants to capturing energy from our Sun. Meanwhile, the Second Amendment guardians will ensure that psychos have access to the most deadliest and effective killing weapons, so that the slaughter of politicians and innocent people can continue.

Next, our challenge is to get rid of highly polluting aircraft and create a system of bullet trains around the nation. During this time, the GOP will simply undo all the progressive actions of the Democrats, and call that "progress."

We must also learn to manage our consumption and exploding population growth. We must learn to protect our oceans, lakes, and forests. All the while, Fox News and other millionaire-backed propaganda machines will divide our country and sow seeds of hate and mistrust, all in the name of ratings and personal agendas.

Homes will be built "green," and we will conserve electrical power using smart grid systems. Meanwhile, drooling pastors will rebuke companies who tell their customers, "Happy Holidays."

Electric cars will take over the roads. More funds will be devoted to education and public transportation, and less money will go to the U.S. war machine, which now garrisons troops in 140 countries, with the ultimate motive of securing the supply of dead plant oil.

The Tea Partiers will scream on about "getting back to the Constitution" while marching on in the name of division, elitism, and xenophobia. And during this time, more efficient and cheaper solar and wind systems will be built. We'll also increase the efficiency of our appliances.

As almost every religious denomination in America continues to shrink, the visionaries of a sustainable society will march forward. The white religious crowd will remind us how moral we were in the 1950s, but they will forget to mention the Jim Crow laws.

Some will wait and do nothing, saying that their divine entity will come to rescue them. Others will deny global warming, as if simply denying it will make it go away. They will listen to the Exxon-Mobile puppets, who tell us that the Earth is actually getting colder. Hell, that sure beats doing something.

Oil prices and food costs will soar, Mother America will crumble under the weight of her military budget, and little birds will drop from the polluted sky onto the polluted Earth.

The moderates will be labeled as liberals and promptly shot. And, God knows, we can't dare say that the rabid talk show and TV show entertainers created a hostile environment. For that might hurt someone's feelings. It's simply better to let people take a few bullets now and then, rather than to, well, piss off the NRA.

So, in our totally dysfunctional, screwed up society, I believe that the progressives will win. The secret is to not get lost in all the disoriented, conflicting, hypocritical God-Gun culture. And rather, we must all focus on the goal of making the world better.

The detractors will brand us, persecute us, and even try to destroy us. For we bring change and new ideas, which may financially harm those who benefit from the status quo. And those with the status quo have the money, and can afford to hire PR agencies to twist and distort reality, until the gullible American public is marching in lockstep behind them.

But we will move on. We are the progressives and the ones who dare to dream. Sorry if my story doesn't match your story. I really don't give a damn.

— The Goose

Closure

If everything is going so right, why do I feel so empty? Who are these demons inside my body who continually torment me? Where do I get this sense of restlessness and uneasiness from?

Billions of little impulses bounce around in my mind as I try to make sense of it all. I have everything, yet I have nothing. I have joy, yet I have misery. Whenever there is sunlight, there is darkness that lurks underneath. Life is a stage, and I am but an actor. We all play our games, and many strive for wealth, but in the end, no one wins.

A 35-year-old thought that never leaves my head: Why would we try to containerize God with some man made religion? Doesn't that undermine his greatness? Why can't all the religious people in the world give up their fabricated religions so that we could all just worship God, in harmony?

Back On Track

After much soul searching for the past few months, I've decided that the best course I can take to save the world is to simply "stay the course." I am on the state board of a nonprofit environmental organization. I now see that my calling is to simply give this position my best. I also do other volunteer work and I have a demanding job, so, I'm really doing all that I can do.

Warned Out

I know what's going to happen to the Earth and our civilization. I've posted warnings on this blog and on Facebook, and few people take notice. What bothers me the most are the people who are so religiously indoctrinated that their minds are completely closed — they represent the sad part of humanity.

I realize that few people are going to listen to me, and I've noticed that most people are self-absorbed in their own "thing" and often only listen to others out of politeness. I mean, I find, the entire human interaction thing fascinating.

The religious and pro-business zealots will just keep doing their thing, and they'll get angry (thus, the Tea Party) and they'll get depressed (Prozac), and in the end, their fragile bodies will wither away just as easily as those of the liberals, and socialists, and commies. We will all arrive at the same place, and it won't be the Sheraton, and it won't be a golden mansion. It will simply be nothingness and peace, and in some crazy way, that is fine with me.

I know I should do more for the environmental cause, but I would be pushing myself to "stress out" levels again, and I'll just get burnt out and bitter again. So, I'm thinking that doing less but remaining steady is the answer.

I now see that I am addicted to "passion" because it gives me a sort of high, happiness, and fulfillment. Yet, passion is vain because you always want more, and you always want it more intense, and soon you find yourself lost in your own mythological world searching for more .... well, passion. I now wonder if passion is simply the "high" I obtain for pursuing and/or longing for things I can never have. If I can have it, secure it, own it, capture it ... then there is no longer passion.

End of Sermon

To those who flick their cigarette butts out the window, or walk around extremely obese, or pickle your liver with alcohol, I salute you. For you are the vanguard and representatives of a shallow, dysfunctional, and lost civilization. You represent the excesses of a defiled society, and for that I owe you a certain admiration. God bless America, and God bless God, and God bless the ancient Egyptians for defining him so well, and God bless the Hebrews for plagiarizing, and God bless that salvationist splinter group, which was adopted by a dying empire, to hold it together. God bless the pope, for he represents the Roman Emperors who could not give up, and simply found a more creative way to achieve immortality.

And, most importantly, God bless America, as well as its 500 overseas military installations, which keep the defense contractors rich and pour trillions into our economy, and the economies of other nations.

And God bless the corporations, who make us slaves, who cheat us from our retirement savings, and then kick us out on the streets. The people who built these organizations are hard-working Americans, who represent all that is good in our great country, and when they hit the top, they find that they can save money by paying children in Indonesia or Malaysia to do the same job that an adult once did in Indiana. And so goes the American dream, although the patriots are wrapped in their flag too tightly to breathe, much less think.

The New World

In the new world I envision there will be peace. Capitalism will live, but people will have a sense of working for the greater good.

Logic will prevail, and people will be rational. Religion will be put in its proper place, next to Santa Claus and Zeus.

There will be no borders, and people will move freely about the planet. Poverty will be eliminated because every nation will disband their military, and there will be more resources to assist all.

We will mature as a species, and learn tolerance and open-mindedness. We will learn to LISTEN to one another. We will learn sensitivity and compassion.

There won't be smokers, and people won't fling their cigarette butts and trash out their windows.

People will work together to keep our planet clean and green. We will respect the Earth and our fellow animal species.

We will learn to love one another, instead of being divisive. We will understand that we can accomplish more as a collective team rather than individually.

There will be one world government, but it will be run by the people instead of corporations and special interest groups. Each nation will become a state. The government will be a democracy, and people will understand that for democracy to work, we must each participate.

Government will serve the people, and not control them. Corporations will be a place where we work to earn a living, not living entities that manipulate global policy.

Are you dreaming, Goose?

Yeah, I'm dreaming, sure. But I see hopeful signs each day. I see real progress in ending the War Against Gays, and that's encouraging. I see more people and companies becoming environmentally aware.

But, on the downside, I see a new generation of young people who are apathetic and politically detached. Most of them just wander through life, obsessed with instant gratification and comfort, and totally confused as to why their quality of life isn't as good as their parents'. This is the Nothingness Generation, and I don't think they will be the ones to pull us through. Well, maybe the following generation will get us through.

And, most likely, we'll need a complete economic and civil crash before we wake up and learn that "it's not all about us." We need to learn that it's also about other humans and other creatures.

Maybe, just maybe, one day humans will "get it."

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???

Morality, Part II

What really troubles me is that I have led a moral life, but according to most Christians I must endure trillions of years of torture simply because I can't believe something that cannot be proven. This doesn't seem fair, but those are the rules, so I am screwed.

I blame my fifth grade teachers Mr. Delk and Mr. Copenhagen. They had a huge impact on my life because they taught me to think and question. I blame myself for having an open mind. I blame my early career in journalism where it was MY JOB to question and be skeptical.

Oh great, for all of that I have to swim around in a burning lake — it will be like that river in Cleveland in the 1970s. I'll be wading in the water with Hitler and a billion Muslims going, "Why couldn't I believe???"

Okay, my "new blog" is going to be more personal, so .....

I've ALWAYS lived a moral life so I'm really don't feel like I deserve Hell. I can think of six bad things I've done in my life, and five of them were before the age of 18.

Four of the bad things I did involved conducting "hate campaigns" against two ex-girlfriends and two neighbor kids, when I was a youngster. I'm not sure why I was hateful, but part of it was the "pack" mentality because my friends or cousins joined in or led. I deeply regret this behavior and tried to contact and apologize to three of these individuals — I was only able to find one, my senior prom date, who accepted my apology.

The other bad thing I did as a youth was steal building supplies from a housing development under construction. I did this partly to resist the new subdivision that was replacing a beloved orange grove across the street from my home (I grew up in Florida). It was my first act of radical environmentalism.

The sixth bad thing I've done in my life was get too close to a single mom with small children (and me being married). We did not have sex, so half the people I've polled do not consider this an "affair." However, I did "sneak" to see her many times, so that part was wrong.

I am not saying I'm a saint and I may have forgotten some things, but for the most part I've lived a moral, clean (albeit boring) life.

The visit ...

Recently, two guys from a local church paid me a visit on a Saturday morning. When they found out I didn't believe they basically said I was going to Hell and that they would "pray for me."

I tried to explain to them that the only thing that separated me from them is that I cussed and drank beer occasionally. That's it. I've held the same job for 19 years, I raised two good daughters, I pay taxes, I vote, I give to charity, I do LOTS of volunteer work. So, I'm good too, aren't I? Christians have a way of making me feel rotten. And, funny, because I would venture to guess that Christians aren't perfect either, but, oh yeah, they are forgiven.

So, I hope the ancient desert God of the Bible forgives me for the ratty ass things I've done above. In the conservative Baptist faith I was raised in, I could go out and murder 20 people, but as long as I "ask for forgiveness" and "accept Christ as my savior" I'm in heaven. It's a great deal.

I guess I won't be in heaven with Ted Bundy, the sicko who murdered all those women, but who was then "saved' by James Dobson, of Focus on the Family fame, just prior to his execution. So, yes, you can rape and murder all you want and then just "let Jesus into your heart" before the authorities inject you. Man, what a GREAT DEAL for all of you who are prone to act like brutal criminals.

Anyway, in all seriousness, I think conservative Christianity is totally contradictory, illogical, and nonsensical, and I pay ZERO attention to it. And as for the people I've wronged in my life, I deeply regret some of the things I said and did, and I try to make up for what I did by being more accepting, kind, and loving to others, every day. It has nothing to do with religion, and it has everything to do with my own sense of morality and what I feel is right and just in my heart.

— Todd

Morality

Morality evolved out of the need for cooperation for mutual survival. Or, morality evolved from the need to get a youngster to reproductive age. Pretty cut and dry.

The Big Three religions say that morality comes from a divine being. In Christianity, for instance, people tell me that morals come from the Bible. While the Bible has influence on our modern morals, the fact is that Christians "pick and choose" the morals they want to follow. The Bible says to put adulterers to death and condones slavery. These are "morals" that are not followed in modern society. Christians say that abortion is "immoral" but there is nothing in the Bible that forbids abortion.

I would say that "morals" are an agreed-upon code that keep society's fabric intact. Many of our morals are made into laws, while others are enforced by public opinion. For instance, it's not illegal to cheat on your wife, but breaking trust with your mate is seen as a character flaw, and if you commit this act others will make you feel like a rotten person. I do not think males, by nature, are monogamous animals, yet we must override our urges to gain society's respect. To give into our urges is a sign of weakness.

The problem with Christian morals is that God supposedly put them on paper thousands of years ago and they cannot change or adapt as human society evolves. For instance, the Bible and Koran both take a dim view of women, after all both books were written by chauvinistic men. But in the most modern societies woman are treated as equals, or at least they should be. Thus, there are two conflicting value systems. However, the Bible, for instance, DOES adapt to modern morals. To MAKE the Bible adapt, Christians just cherry pick different scriptures or re-interpret scriptures. SUDDENLY IT IS BAD TO OWN SLAVES AND TREAT WOMEN LIKE LIVESTOCK. Surprise!

Speaking of this, throughout both the Old and New Testaments it is evident that the God of the Holy Bible is definitely anti-gay, and He is also very anti-woman. In the New Testament it is made clear that a woman must be subjugated and she should remain submissive and quiet in church. Now just how convenient is that, you clever male authors .

But now, gays are the favorite target of the Christians, who always need an "enemy" to unite their base. Yet, homosexuality does occur with other animal species. Most notably there are lesbian lizards and gay sheep. Of interest, I recently learned that the whiptale lesbian lizards must be "lesbian" to reproduce. So, if "God hates gays" why did He create those gay lizards in Arizona, or allow them to evolve? Of course, these gay lizards have a big problem because without the mixing of genes they are simply creating clones, which limits their ability to mutate. So, I guess there is a purpose for us guys after all.

In summary, the moral of this story is that humans decide for themselves what their moral code will be, based on where they are with their social evolution. For instance, I have heard the argument many times, "If we allow gays to marry, then the next thing will be bestiality." Naw, I don't think that's coming any time soon. Even liberals are grossed out at the idea of having sex with animals. And, because of our growing respect for animal rights, well, I don't think anyone is going to go for it. But in regards to gay marriage, you have two humans who love each other so much that they want to make a public commitment saying "we want to be together for life." I think that is a very beautiful statement and a good thing. So, yeah, I strongly support gay marriage and I think probably around half of my fellow citizens are with me on this. So, again, our morals are evolving.