The devastating events of the past week have effected us all. We cannot but be saddened by this event. Take a few moments and grieve for those that have been lost. If oyu can help, do. Then you need to move on.
However, it also brings forth discussions. The normal irrational religious based comments ranging from the non-Christians are being punished for being non-believers and living in sin, to those that believe God is testing their faith on their way to nirvana. There is also at least one ignorant journalist somewhere that has attributed it to the wrath of Mother Nature.
The Earth has no wrath. It is just what it is. A living planet.
We are all creatures sharing this Earth. What appears to be forgotten by most, since we are so removed from daily intimate contact with the true nature of the Earth in our so called civilized cultures, is that the Earth itself is a 'living' entity that we share with all the other creatures that abound. The Earth has a molten core and a moving, ever changing crust. Large land masses move around constantly. We forget that it is a dangerous place we share and have but a short stay to experience it. We cannot control it. Just because you live in a concrete, steel, and glass jungle, far removed from a desert or a forest, does not protect you from the nature of a living Earth. In our sophistication we pretend we are safe, in control and the Earth can be manipulated. That is patently untrue. The events of this week have reminded us that we are just one of the many creators on this Earth that are trying to survive in a dangerous but mostly beautiful place.
Do not forget where you are. Do not forget why you are here. Do not ignore the Earth, it will not ignore you.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Sunday, December 26, 2004
It isn't funny
I got the following list from a like minded friend recently. My note from yesterday proves this is not so funny after all:
Things To Do Before the Inauguration
1. Get that abortion you've always wanted.
2. Drink a nice clean glass of water.
3. Cash your social security check.
4. See a doctor of your own choosing.
5. Spend quality time with your draft age child/grandchild.
6. Visit Syria, or any foreign country for that matter.
7. Get that gas mask you've been putting off buying.
8. Hoard gasoline.
9. Invest in the Peso while you can.
10. Borrow books from library before they're banned - Constitutional law books, Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, Tropic of Cancer, etc.
11. If you have an idea for an art piece involving a crucifix - do it now.
12. Come out - then go back in - HURRY!
13. Jam in all the Alzheimer's stem cell research you can.
14. Stay out late before the curfews start.
15. Go see Bruce Springsteen before he has his "accident."
16. Go see Mount Rushmore before the Reagan addition.
17. Use the phrase -- "you can't do that -- this is America."
18. If you're white -- marry a black person, if you're black -- marry a white person.
19. Take a walk in Yosemite, without being hit by a snowmobile or a base-jumper.
20. Enroll your kid in an accelerated art or music class.
21. Start your school day without a prayer.
22. Pass on the secrets of evolution to future generations.
23. Learn French.
24. Attend a commitment ceremony with your gay friends.
25. Take a factory tour anywhere in the US.
26. Try to take photographs of animals on the endangered species list.
27. Visit Florida before the polar ice caps melt.
28. Visit Nevada before it becomes radioactive.
29. Visit Alaska before "The Big Spill."
30. Visit Massachusetts while it is still a State.
Things To Do Before the Inauguration
1. Get that abortion you've always wanted.
2. Drink a nice clean glass of water.
3. Cash your social security check.
4. See a doctor of your own choosing.
5. Spend quality time with your draft age child/grandchild.
6. Visit Syria, or any foreign country for that matter.
7. Get that gas mask you've been putting off buying.
8. Hoard gasoline.
9. Invest in the Peso while you can.
10. Borrow books from library before they're banned - Constitutional law books, Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, Tropic of Cancer, etc.
11. If you have an idea for an art piece involving a crucifix - do it now.
12. Come out - then go back in - HURRY!
13. Jam in all the Alzheimer's stem cell research you can.
14. Stay out late before the curfews start.
15. Go see Bruce Springsteen before he has his "accident."
16. Go see Mount Rushmore before the Reagan addition.
17. Use the phrase -- "you can't do that -- this is America."
18. If you're white -- marry a black person, if you're black -- marry a white person.
19. Take a walk in Yosemite, without being hit by a snowmobile or a base-jumper.
20. Enroll your kid in an accelerated art or music class.
21. Start your school day without a prayer.
22. Pass on the secrets of evolution to future generations.
23. Learn French.
24. Attend a commitment ceremony with your gay friends.
25. Take a factory tour anywhere in the US.
26. Try to take photographs of animals on the endangered species list.
27. Visit Florida before the polar ice caps melt.
28. Visit Nevada before it becomes radioactive.
29. Visit Alaska before "The Big Spill."
30. Visit Massachusetts while it is still a State.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Bush fells the forests
Some extracts from:
From the New York Time: Administration Overhauls Rules for U.S. ForestsBy FELICITY BARRINGER Published: December 23, 2004
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 - The Bush administration issued broad new rules Wednesday overhauling the guidelines for managing the nation's 155 national forests and making it easier for regional forest managers to decide whether to allow logging, drilling or off-road vehicles.
The long-awaited rules relax longstanding provisions on environmental reviews and the protection of wildlife on 191 million acres of national forest and grasslands. They also cut back on requirements for public participation in forest planning decisions.
One of the ways the new rules give forest supervisors more power is that they are allowed to approve plans more quickly for any particular forest use - ranging from recreation to logging to grazing - and to adjust plans with less oversight.
For instance, an existing requirement to keep all fish and wildlife species from becoming threatened or endangered is jettisoned. In its place is a requirement that managers consider the best available science to protect all natural resources when they are making decisions.
Now the carnage will begin. The administration will now open the floodgates to let those who only care about their personal gain and corporate profits into these special areas we managed to protect thus far. Visit them soon. While you still can, while they are still tranquil and actually have trees, animal and bird life and you are not listening to chainsaws felling the last trees and dodging morons drag racing their ATV's across the remaining ruins of what was once a vestige of sanity and a safe haven for those who cannot speak for themselves; plants animals, birds amphibians, insects spiders and more.
Go quickly. Run and see it now. It will be gone soon!
From the New York Time: Administration Overhauls Rules for U.S. ForestsBy FELICITY BARRINGER Published: December 23, 2004
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 - The Bush administration issued broad new rules Wednesday overhauling the guidelines for managing the nation's 155 national forests and making it easier for regional forest managers to decide whether to allow logging, drilling or off-road vehicles.
The long-awaited rules relax longstanding provisions on environmental reviews and the protection of wildlife on 191 million acres of national forest and grasslands. They also cut back on requirements for public participation in forest planning decisions.
One of the ways the new rules give forest supervisors more power is that they are allowed to approve plans more quickly for any particular forest use - ranging from recreation to logging to grazing - and to adjust plans with less oversight.
For instance, an existing requirement to keep all fish and wildlife species from becoming threatened or endangered is jettisoned. In its place is a requirement that managers consider the best available science to protect all natural resources when they are making decisions.
Now the carnage will begin. The administration will now open the floodgates to let those who only care about their personal gain and corporate profits into these special areas we managed to protect thus far. Visit them soon. While you still can, while they are still tranquil and actually have trees, animal and bird life and you are not listening to chainsaws felling the last trees and dodging morons drag racing their ATV's across the remaining ruins of what was once a vestige of sanity and a safe haven for those who cannot speak for themselves; plants animals, birds amphibians, insects spiders and more.
Go quickly. Run and see it now. It will be gone soon!
Enchanted Rock
Last Sunday we visited enchanted Rock in the Hill Country west of Austin. This is an amazing place. Unexpected and rich in texture. Rick in animal life. Rich in history. It is easy to see why various Native American tribes declared it sacred. These unusual outcrops of immense rock formations capture your imagination and draws you in. The day was beautiful. Temperatures in the mid sixties, the sun shining and a light breeze. A perfect day to be walking outside in such a spiritual place. Turkey Vultures circled overhead looking for their next meal. Rats and mice and other small critters scampered away as we approached. Just giving you a glimpse of fur as they scurried away. Silent birds scrubbed in the undergrowth for food. A red cardinal added a flash of color to the autumn background of browns and remaining greens.
This amazing place was there for us to savor and we did. Not many other people were there in the morning when we set off on our walk around the rock. By mid afternoon when we got back there were more people enjoying the enchantment of the place.
I will go back there soon. Spend more time there. This is a place where you can touch the earth and feel it touch you. Soothe you. Put you are peace with yourself. Remind you that it can be good. That we can live in a tranquil place, without war and mindless, pointless death.
Go out and seek your spot. Your spot where you can find tranquility and be at peace with the earth.
This amazing place was there for us to savor and we did. Not many other people were there in the morning when we set off on our walk around the rock. By mid afternoon when we got back there were more people enjoying the enchantment of the place.
I will go back there soon. Spend more time there. This is a place where you can touch the earth and feel it touch you. Soothe you. Put you are peace with yourself. Remind you that it can be good. That we can live in a tranquil place, without war and mindless, pointless death.
Go out and seek your spot. Your spot where you can find tranquility and be at peace with the earth.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Turd Blossom
In a recent TV spot dubja's right hand man was being interviewed. During this interview we discovered why the US is in the crapper. Dubja is getting all his advice from a Turd Blossom!
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Going to the zoo
Last weekend was a very conflicted one. We visited the San Antonio Zoo and then Hamilton Pool. Both should have been uplifting and fun experiences. Unfortunately they were not.
San Antonio Zoo is advertised as one of the better, if not one of the top 5 zoos in the country. Well all I can say I hope the ones that are better, are a lot better. SA Zoo has a reasonable collection of birds, reptiles and mammals. My issue is with the condition that many are kept. I though many of the birds were in cages that were too small for the bird in question. Similarly most of the mammals are in bare concrete and rock enclosures. No sign of soil or plant live anywhere near them. So I was not surprised to see that a significant number of the enclosures have signs up saying that the animals were currently under medical treatment in the enclosure or in a more confined area. I should declare here that I grew up in Africa and have had the privilege of seeing many of these animals in the wild and in some zoos that have more expansive and more realistic enclosures.
However, that does not make the state of the many of these poor animals any better. The elephant, grizzly, lion and other big cats generally appeared very lethargic, and as is to be expected, bored out of their skulls. The ones that were not, were generally pacing around almost with agitation. The larger of 2 white rhinos was continually chasing and attacking the younger and smaller rhino in the same enclosure. (At least they had some mud to wallow in).
I am sure the zoo keepers have the best intentions, and are doing what they can with limited resources. I am also sure that they are having some success with breeding programs. However, this looks like a clear case of having a smaller more focused population would allow them to offer the animals a truly better life and probably more success in a smaller number of focused breeding programs.
Now to the one that was fun. Hamilton pool is a small valley and waterfall with a medium sized pool near Austin. We have recently had exceptional amounts of rain with flooding and the like. So the waterfall at Hamilton pool was spectacular. The good news for us was we were the only people there. The bad news is that so few people are getting to see and experience the spectacle in their midst. It is amazing how few people even know it exists, and despite actually being on the local evening TV news recently, so few people care to see it. I presume watching football or playing a mindless computer game has become more interesting to most folks. Sad that is. Very sad.
San Antonio Zoo is advertised as one of the better, if not one of the top 5 zoos in the country. Well all I can say I hope the ones that are better, are a lot better. SA Zoo has a reasonable collection of birds, reptiles and mammals. My issue is with the condition that many are kept. I though many of the birds were in cages that were too small for the bird in question. Similarly most of the mammals are in bare concrete and rock enclosures. No sign of soil or plant live anywhere near them. So I was not surprised to see that a significant number of the enclosures have signs up saying that the animals were currently under medical treatment in the enclosure or in a more confined area. I should declare here that I grew up in Africa and have had the privilege of seeing many of these animals in the wild and in some zoos that have more expansive and more realistic enclosures.
However, that does not make the state of the many of these poor animals any better. The elephant, grizzly, lion and other big cats generally appeared very lethargic, and as is to be expected, bored out of their skulls. The ones that were not, were generally pacing around almost with agitation. The larger of 2 white rhinos was continually chasing and attacking the younger and smaller rhino in the same enclosure. (At least they had some mud to wallow in).
I am sure the zoo keepers have the best intentions, and are doing what they can with limited resources. I am also sure that they are having some success with breeding programs. However, this looks like a clear case of having a smaller more focused population would allow them to offer the animals a truly better life and probably more success in a smaller number of focused breeding programs.
Now to the one that was fun. Hamilton pool is a small valley and waterfall with a medium sized pool near Austin. We have recently had exceptional amounts of rain with flooding and the like. So the waterfall at Hamilton pool was spectacular. The good news for us was we were the only people there. The bad news is that so few people are getting to see and experience the spectacle in their midst. It is amazing how few people even know it exists, and despite actually being on the local evening TV news recently, so few people care to see it. I presume watching football or playing a mindless computer game has become more interesting to most folks. Sad that is. Very sad.
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