How do you mootify (v. – To render moot) democracy? Take a maniacal president whose power is already in question, put him in the running against a luke-warm bowl of soup, and then provide the voting public with example after example after example of totally ineffective voting machines. What are you doing in November?
P. S. – there are plenty of examples!
Michelle is having me watch Crossroads (a CMT show) with her. It’s Dolly Parton and Melissa Ethridge. Its really good, and it brings back memories from elementary school. You know, the joking on the playground about finding part of a voit rubber ball and joking about it being part of a her boob.
Anyway, this was the first time I actually listened to the words of 9 to 5, and I was reminded that life is pretty much the same. Here we are in 2004, still working 9 to 5 lining someone’s wallet. It was odd timing considering the events of the weekend included the passing of former president Ronald Reagan.
I really don’t have very many memories of President Reagan. I remember the Challenger speech, which still brings me to tears, but that’s about it. Most of what I know about the man’s presidency I learned after the fact from music and anecdotal books. So it strikes me as far too ironic that I’m listening to Dolly and wondering what we learned. The amazing thing is we’re still at it.
During lunch I picked up NRDC’s OnEarth magazine because there was an article about John McCain and Global Warming. I find that I’m often in agreement with John McCain on very general terms, and he’s a very intelligent and humorous interviewee. I was pleased to read that he’s introducing a new global warming bill, even more aggressive than Lieberman’s recent failed bill. That’s quite a feat – especially for a Republican. But he’s up to the challenge, and knows it won’t be easy.
The article alludes to a strong Teddy Roosevelt connection, which is fine by me. TR left quite a legacy, and I’m quite fond of him. I’m all for McCain as the future of the Republican party. Hell, with comments like “it’s the No Lobbyist Left Behind Act” in reference to his own party’s Energy Bill, I hope he’s the future.
Oh, and there was some information on getting off junk-mail (postal, not e- ) lists:
http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglistdave
Scientific American has a letter from the editors about the Bush White House and its man-handling of scientific data in its decision making. Many have already pointed out the lack of, well, credibility of recent EPA, White House, Defense, Agricultural, (on and on) decisions and announcements of late, but they lacked a poignant parallel story. The editors point out Lysenkoism, a distorted theory forwarded by the Soviet Union, and how the adoption of the theory for ideological reasons essentially retarded scientific advancement in agriculture for decades.
This ideologically biased selection is what drives things like the Clear Skies initiative, which lowers environmental protections despite thorough studies that show its effects upon human and environmental health.
I would prefer that the administration would simply say – “look, we don’t give a shit about your children, the apocalypse is coming, so it won’t matter. Just let us make our money at the temporary expense of you and your family.”
Ironically, it’ll be quite difficult for them to enter heaven if I remember my camel through the eye of a needle parable correctly. But then again, I suppose you can buy your own heaven. One without all those asthma patients.
Happy Earth Day 2004. I’ve recreated the logo I have on a t-shirt from Campmor. I’ve had it a long time. I really like it. The message is simple, and I do not consider it blasphemous. Its certainly more appropriate than putting “In God we trust” on money. Two things that really should be separate – one’s relationship with the divine, and one’s relationship with money.
Nature is also divine, but that isn’t enough to save it. The aforementioned connection is quite powerful, which is why we’ve seen the reduction of environmental standards over the years. Many of which are as old as Earth Day itself. Fortunately there are plenty of people who understand the spiritual significance of nature, and are making an effort to remind us why we have environmental protections.
Michelle wanted me to cross-post from Rooftop Brew, but instead I’ll just link to the posting. Its some wise-ass remarks about Peter Coors running for Senator. I hate Coors, by the way.
Washington Gov. Gary Locke vetoed a study to see how feasible it would be to build a road across the pumice field below the crater of Mt. St. Helens.
Proponents of the study were hoping to boost the local economy, and were displeased with the governor’s decision not to fund the flagrant waste of money on an utterly stupid idea. Some felt that the Sierra Club had unduly influenced the governor, department of transportation, forest service, and a number of scientists. You know how closely knit the Sierra Club, U.S. Forest Service and WSDOT are. Regular buddies.
Some Washingtonians are now concerned that the governor may not fund studies to commit money to other potential ecological, environmental or geological disasters. But hey, its just a study….
I’ve been expecting to wake from a bad dream, but had no way to express it. Now I have something concrete to write about. My sister called with news of two deaths in the family. Well, actually, one was in the family, the other was practically family growing up in Cody.
My great-grandmother, Golda Stuehrenberg, was 97, and had nearly recovered from a perforated organ (spleen, I believe). Its quite rare among my friends to have 4 living grandparents, but I’ve even had great-grandparents in my life. Golda was always a rambunctious woman, which was evidently a trait passed down to her son (my grandpa) Stan, and his children. Recently, she’d even been dating a gentleman we’d nicknamed Fast Eddy because he drove a canary yellow El Camino with yellow wheels. It was cute as all hell. She’d been relatively healthy until just the last couple months, and I’m so glad that my wife had a chance to meet her last year. We also have a shockingly colorful afghan that was a graduation present. My cousins and I are under strict orders not to use it though.
The other death was B. F. “Pepper” Curry. I don’t recall the exact reason our families became friends, but Helen and Pepper often sat for us when my parents were away. Pepper had an imagination that outpaced that of ours as children, and was the most wonderful person to be around.
Pepper often took me fossil hunting in the dry lake beds around Cody and regaled me with stories of when he and Buffalo Bill used to “hunt Indians.” These stories were fake, and we knew it then, but they were still delightful. Part of what made them so great was that he himself wouldn’t hurt a fly.
The only toy gun I owned as a child was made from a broomstick and pine that Pepper fashioned for me; burying a .22 shell into the stock of authenticity. Pepper made all manner of wood boxes, toys, and puzzles, and loved to share them. He was always playful except when in the wood shop, when he was suddenly serious about safety. My baseball cards are still locked away in a wooden chest he made for me, the top decorated with hand-carved arrowheads.
Both Helen and Pepper’s health has been declining in recent years, and Pepper’s seems to have been worse. Hilary has been corresponding with Helen for some time, and said that Pepper would thank her every day for taking care of him.
Pepper was both like a grandfather and a child-hood friend. I learned so much from him and Helen, and their impact on us is immeasurable. My early exposure to natural history, woodworking and bluegrass were all basically his fault. Thank you.
Up and coming world power China has just amended its constitution allowing for a guarantee of human rights and protection of private property. Most of the chatter around this monumental change focus on the private property aspects. A single line; “The state respects and protects human rights” is simply stated and and seems far to inchoate to be serious. However, its a start, and it will allow for precedent to be set by lawmakers.
The cynic in me cringes at the private property part of the amendment, which seems ultimately self-serving to wealthier members of the party. Sadly, this amendment didn’t happen before Three Gorges, which displaced millions, and will ultimately be an exercise in waste and power-plant envy. One of my previous college professors feels that the Three Gorges will be the downfall of the current dynasty, much in the same way that other gigantic state investments have in the past. Ironically, the other two started with a G, but all I can remember is the Great Wall. The other escapes me.
Anyway, there’s a recent NG article on China’s progression to a market economy and the environmental toll that has and will be paid by both the Chinese, and people everywhere on the planet. Its good to see that the government at least recognizes the problem.
Though our country vehemently denies that there is global warming, and stifles any official reports that suggest it, the Pentagon released a paper that details a near worst case scenario for 2020 given global warming’s affects on the planet.
It really is a worst case scenario, because many biologists, geologists, chemists, nerds in other words, don’t expect a complete melting of the ice caps for several more decades. Seven years ago I saw a rendering of what coastlines would look like around the world if there was a maximum melt. The estimation at the time was for a 33 meter rise in sea level. This would be quite disruptive because so much of the world’s population lives so close to its shorelines. The changes in Europe were quite dramatic, with sea water filling up the major river valleys several hundred miles inland. This may be somewhat hard to visualize, so just think about Manhattan (3+ million people) being submerged. That’s a very small example of the potential disaster. Even a miniscule 1 meter rise would have startling affects.
I suppose that doesn’t concern some people because their ranch outside Crawford, Tx is sitting at 750′ above sea level. It may be self sufficient, but its not an island. I hope he’ll invite us to camp on his land.