Jumping the Hurdle

A thanks to my friend Snaildarter for slapping some sense back into me. He said all we have to do is rise above our animalism. Here is his quote:

I agree mostly, but we have become technologically advanced enough to step out of the animal mode and move toward achieving our mis-named name homo sapien "wise man" or "thinking man."

I'm really feeling like an ATHEIST tonight because I'm realizing that life is not such a miracle after all. As the Earth was forming there were trillions of little experiments going on at once. And these trillions of experiments took place for a couple of billion years, so it's no surprise that eventually mass would form into complex formations and make that leap into "life." And once that one little spark was finally created there was no turning back - life began to explode, develop, and become more complex. Humans are the inevitable result of evolution. It was only a matter of time before one creature would evolve to the point where it could begin controlling the world around it.

I mean, it's really amazing to think that things like eyes and memory could evolve from a pool of primordial stew. Evolution inevitably creates more and more complex life formations. This process continues until a formation is so complex that it has the ability to destroy its surrounding life support systems. No, not intentionally, but the destruction is simply the result of the increased complexity.

Out of the trillions of planets that are likely in the Universe, I'm guessing there are only a handful of worlds that could support life, for carbon-based life is a fragile and sensitive. Life is a force that can only exist within narrow parameters -- you need water, warmth, light, stability, protection from radiation, etc...

Of the few worlds that can support life, life may never happen because of absent minerals, unfavorable climate, or other factors. So, I'm betting that life is very, very rare in the Universe. But, somewhere out there I'm guessing that some life form has been able to get pass its self-destruction stage and flourish. And yes, I don't doubt for a moment that space travel is possible -- but right now it seems extremely difficult.

The odds of the human creatures on Earth being the lucky ones to surpass the Age of Self Destruct is highly unlikely, but it is possible. I keep hoping that both humans and the Earth will survive, and even if humans fail there is a good chance that Earth will recover from the relatively brief era of humanity.

God bless all of you, my children.

Goosey

Life is Death

When I was at the Tellus Science Museum today, I had some sort of epiphany, which I'm sharing below:

I think our genetic programming goes back to when the very first cell reproduced, 2.5 billion years ago. After the Earth cooled and began to stabilize, it took a billion years to somehow achieve life. But the day that life reproduced was the beginning of the end.

Sure, life gave us an atmosphere with oxygen, but it also gave us a predisposition to horde. Even the one-celled animals try to get all the resources they can, so that they can reproduce. One-celled animals become larger and more complex because there is an evolutionary advantage for doing so. Dinosaurs grew from lizards because it made them more competitive -- they could now reach higher leaves or become more efficient hunters.

Life is amazing, but also self-destructive. Five million years ago a life form evolved that used tools to suppress its competitors. This same animal is still around today, extracting minerals, raising crops, and creating a highly complex society that simply expands, and can never go back. Even if humans fail to consume the Planet, some other creature will. We flatter ourselves and think we are are special, but we are simply a host for evolving viruses. So, really, it's a race to the bottom between ravenous humans and ever-evolving influenza strains.

And let's put political correctness aside for a moment and talk about soft environmentalism -- you know, the kind that Gore and Kennedy push. The fact is that if we convert to clean energy, that will only pave the way for more human population growth. In reality, Peak Oil is the best thing that could ever happen to Earth, as it will remove one blight, but surely another blight will rise.

So, as for Daniel Quinn, myself, and the many others who would like to "Save the World," well, we are up against the very process of life itself. For life lives, grows, multiplies, and compounds, until there is no life. And if one life form fails in this goal, another steps in to complete the job.

This bare truth may live in the back of our heads, but we bury it with our cultural lies, and our lies become so ingrained that they eventually become our truth. Furthermore, by our early 20s, our lies are hardwired into our brains. It's like my Christian fundamentalist siblings, who try to force science into their archaic religious beliefs, and though they always can, they sound like idiots. For example, my bother tells me that dinosaurs and humans lived together 6,000 years ago. And no amount of logic or evidence will change him, because in his mind, to doubt or question would piss off God, and no one wants to do that.

I believe that the bipedal primates, the ones who invented agriculture and industry, and then used these tools to destroy the Planet in just a few millenniums, are about to play out. I had deeply hoped that our destiny would be to colonize the Universe, but we seem to have our priorities really wrong, and we can't seem to break away from the role that life itself has created for us.

Life is death, for life consumes all resources and brings an end. Evolution is only a temporary anomaly in the Universe that occasionally flares up on planets with stable orbits and plentiful water.

Untitled Post

The narcissistic maniacs are guarding the hen house as the mass majority of Americans go through life in their imaginary stupor. The U.S. mega banks are closing in for the kill, having milked the economy for all its worth. They do not care about the collapse of America, they only care about the golden parachute of today.

The jobs are gone, the economy is in shambles, and crazy people keep saying the government must spend more money to stimulate the economy, even as the economy falls to the ground, buried under tons of debt.

And WE, those of us who can feel, we let our ambers die out as we look into starlit skies and wonder about loves that were lost. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve manipulates the market, all to the glory of huge banks, which have consolidated to become even bigger, and have their powerful lobbyists in Washington, ensuring that the country they bought remains theirs.

And all the while those Third World families keep having six kids, and then those kids have six kids, and the space and resources run out, but the banking cartels only see the opportunity to exploit cheap labor. And even as human population goes into major overshoot, the big fat bankers carry on, manipulating markets, developing clever schemes, bundling mortgages, engaging in subprime lending, and bringing what's left of our nation to the floor.

Meanwhile the Teabaggers march in the streets and the Christian zealots scream "THIS IS THE END," yet no one really knows what the HELL is going on. But the rich get richer, and the poor become shackled tighter in their chains, and all the while, strolling prayer teams from the local Church of God walk through neighborhoods, praying for homes at random, but yet they forget to pray for me.

Oh hail, oh Goose, confused, wondering, and alive -- but only temporarily passing through a mad and crazy humanity that is too dysfunctional to save itself.

And it's because of our love for the "way it's always been" that we shall soon have to deal with the worst of changes. Mother Earth is angry, and she shall get her revenge.

Amen

This Is Why I Don't Take You Seriously

Judges 19:15-30

Okay, this Bible story is really messed up. I'm really tired this evening, but I'll try to paraphrase. If any good religious person out there can explain this story to me, I'd be really grateful.

See, this man was traveling and had a concubine with him to keep him warm. As he was entering a town a citizen invites him to stay the night. The men of the city came to the house and said we want to pong him all night. And the home owner said, sorry, you can't have him because he's my guest. So, shit, the homeowner says, take my daughter and the concubine instead. And they raped the girls all night, and the poor concubine had to come back crawling the next morning. And he ordered the girl to get up on his donkey, and she couldn't. So he got a knife and chopped her into 12 pieces.

Okay, apologists, give me your cutsy interpretation of this story, and why it is so moral. And why the Bible is perfect, so, thus, God had a reason for putting this story in here. Honestly, I want to puke.


Judges 19:15-30
15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

NOT Whipped By Water

I did a tiny bit of activism today, other than my usual culture jamming on Facebook. I wrote a letter to Georgia Trend magazine. It is in response to a column by the publisher, in regards to Georgia's water problems. The column beats on some very tired and antiquated clichés:

1) Growth is good, and is needed to revive the economy.

2) A plentiful supply of fresh water is necessary for an ever-growing economy.

3) No mention of water conservation (such a typical little corporate attitude).

4) A mythical technological fix is proposed, such as desalination plants and miles of piping. But this columnist goes into outer space by suggesting we can FREEZE the water and transport it on trucks from the coast to north Georgia. (So funny!).

And here is the freakin' article: "Whipped by Water?" by Neely Young.

You know, every time I fire off a letter like this it makes me feel better. It makes me feel like I've got a good swing in at the Earth Destroyers. Yeah, I know, violence is bad, but I am trying to defend a big rock floating through space that can't defend itself. Yes, maybe I'm flipping.

Here is my letter:

Dear Editor,

A recent column by Neely Young on Georgia’s water issues had an interesting title — “Whipped by Water?” I can think of better titles like, “Whipped By Government Incompetence,” “Whipped By Greed,” and “Whipped By Unchecked and Unplanned Growth.”

In his article, once again a member of the business press is singing the old hymn about more growth. Do we really want to turn Georgia into a people-packed nation like Bangladesh? In our quest for eternal growth, won’t we hit diminishing returns at some point? What we should focus on instead is quality of life and a sustainable economy, not reckless overshoot for the benefit of Georgia’s elite.

It is tiring to see Mr. Young and his ilk always reaching for the magic technological fix. The idea of hundreds of ice trucks traversing around Georgia is so preposterous that it staggers the imagination. Wouldn’t it take a tremendous amount of energy to freeze all that water?

Allow me to propose a less dramatic fix: How about if Georgia businesses retrofitted their buildings with water-saving devices? Wouldn’t that be cheaper than desalination plants and hundreds of miles of piping? If we are “whipped” by anything, it’s the stubborn building owners and developers who fight most water conservation efforts, including low-flow toilets.

What we do need in Georgia is a new paradigm that recognizes that there are limits to growth and limits to nature. What we also need is serious sacrifice and commitment, and not more techno fantasies.

Sincerely,

The Goose

Religious Hatred & Graft

What a treat. Two new videos on religion. The first is on religious hatred, and the second is on how public religion is all political, and only benefits the clergy. Oh, and I loved this quote that was in one of the video comments:

Superstitious and magical thinking is a fast and frugal way to handle a complex world.

Enjoy the videos.

The Finest Mammal, Next To Rats

I would say that males, at least, think about sex far more than they would ever admit. And when not thinking about lovemaking, they are thinking about beer and their favorite sport of hobby. And thus, millions of men, and women, drag through the work days, come home tired, and live their little lives. While they may feel a passing concern for others who are less fortunate — such as flood victims — most are too tired and/or drained to care much. So, for the most part it's just beer, sex, and football, and there's not enough time or energy left for saving the planet.

Welcome to the modern world, where people do a lot of drugs, drink a lot, or substitute religion for the former. We humans have spent a lot of effort making our lives comfortable, so how come we are not very happy? And with the comfort only comes the laziness and obesity. No offense to anyone, but when I look around I see SO MANY overweight people. I'm sitting in the parking lot, and I'm just watching these fat people lumber into the store like wharf rats.

Sure, some people are religious, but having gone to church all my life, I can confidently say that most people go to church for the social experience, or out of habit, or to make themselves feel good. Like with any group, there are a few fanatics — these are the ding dongs who pass out Bible tracks in parking lots and stick them on gas pumps.

So, what I'm saying is that in general, humans are a sorry lot, and if most don't even take care of themselves, how can they be expected to care for the Earth? A good portion of them smoke, which is barbaric, and they blow their shit in the air, and flick their butts on the ground. I call this the 1-2-3 — smokers harm themselves, pollute the air, and litter the ground, all in a few moments. There is no such thing as a smoker who is not an idiot (sorry to hurt your feelings).

This is the landscape, man. This is the human animal that we have to work with. Ain't much is it? And I'm not saying I'm any better than any other fart out there. But at least I'm aware (sentient), and at least I've spent the last 12 years trying to make a positive difference. What I've accomplished, I don't know, but maybe I've created a few sparks that will one day grow into a fire.

From a friend:

Governments and the media absolutely avoid the topics of overpopulation and species extinction. Do they not see the signs of ecological devastation? Colony Collapse Disorder is wiping out honey bee hives and at the current rate of loss honey bees will be extinct in the US by 2030. Sadly, natural pollinator populations have been beaten down due to pollution and habitat loss so now farmers rely on the transport of honey bees to their fields in order to pollinate the crops. Unless we wish to subsist on a gruel of corn and wheat people better start caring soon. Now a similar syndrome is destroying bat colonies. This has been termed White Nose Syndrome and hibernating bats by the tens of thousands have died. This plague began in the NorthEast and is spreading South and West. Why care? Bats are Mother nature's most important insectivore in that a bat will consume its body weight in insects during the course of a single night.

— Frank

Sentient Beings, Part II

I think we are getting close to the end of the story. Here is a response to the statement that I published in my last post. You know, all my life I've been digging for answers, and now I feel my shovel has hit an iron wall. I'm not sure what is beyond this level, if anything. There is probably nothing ahead but a lot of extreme violence and cannibalism. We will go back to a warlord-type government. Young men will be forced to fight, and old men will be forced to till. And the fate of the women will be determined by the overseers. We will have at least, finally, resorted back to an efficient hierarchical structure.

From Bob in Tampa, FL:

In a nutshell, you got it. Because we understand the dilemma we are the outsiders with numbers too few to be effective even if they did try to hear us. Plus we are strange, we think differently in an age where belief equals mental virture and thinking is suspect. Where did the 60's go? "Don't trust anyone over 30." "Resist authority" "Make love, not war." The only real hope is that things will get so bad so quickly that people rise up and slaughter TPTB right down to their great grandchildren to thin out that evil gene pool and those of us commoners that survive can try to start anew. Any way it goes, the result will be turmoil and great loss of life. Cannot see it working out gradually and peacefully. We passed that window years ago. Peak Oil, Climate Change, Greenland/Antartic Melting, Ocean Warming, Methane Burp, Crop Failures, Nuclear Proliferation, are the headlines of tomorow and all we can do is relocate and make preparations. Einstein had it right. The universe MIGHT be limitless but stupidity is DEFINITELY limitless.

Sentient Beings

I'm continuing to enjoy reading the posts on the WarSocialism discussion forum. I've met some great, like-minded individuals on this list from around the world. To understand this list, you need to first study the Dieoff.org website. I was first introduced to this site 11 years ago by a fellow Sierra Club activist. Okay, it's weird to say that I've "enjoyed" the Dieoff.org website, but I can say it's really opened my mind.

One of the members of the list shared a link to a great movie called "Home." This 90+ minute minute movie is definitely worth watching — it puts the concepts of "life" and "Earth" into perspective. If evolution scares you, don't watch it.

A thanks to another subscriber on WarSocialism who has allowed me to reprint the passage below. This is in response to a movie review on the "Age of Stupid," which was shown at select theaters around the country on Monday. Unfortunately, I was unable to see it here in metro Atlanta because of closed and damaged roads caused by the flood — a flood that was exacerbated by global warming and all the pavement and rooftops. Are we really THAT stupid to create conditions for massive flooding? Oh yes we are!

From a colleague, who wishes to remain anonymous:

Age of the stupid is right. The age of human population overshoot is here. Though no one wants to believe it, let alone acknowledge it. One has to wonder: a minority believes in evolution. Fewer believe in climate change. Fewer still believe that overpopulation is a problem, or that it is critical. Even fewer than that believe that there is a critical energy problem, or have even heard of peak oil. Then there are the few of us here that comprehend the consequences of all of these issues combined.

I am beginning to think that maybe 1% of us actually understand it all and put it all together. I was talking to a very smart lawyer friend of mine a while back, and she was of the opinion that we will solve all these issues and problems... tomorrow. I cannot get it into her head that engineering 'solutions' typically beget more problems than they solve. In other words, save a starving or diseased child today so that he or she reproduces, and then you have to feed and save the set of the starving kid and parent after that.

We are up against a cultural, governmental, religious and social wall on these issues. No one wants to even hint at limiting the population, or even leveling it off. Not in any way, shape or form. The opposite is more true; there are armies of fanatical people out there trying to ban all types of birth control and all types of abortion. Seemingly according to 99% of the religious institutions in the U.S. today, it is our DUTY to reproduce. We are evil to even think about abortion and birth control.

Abortion est malum! ...so we must follow the biological path of the lemmings.

The Great Flood of 2009

This is one of the many houses in my hometown of Powder Springs, GA that was damaged by a record-breaking flood that struck my community on September 21.


On September 21, 2009 my community in north Georgia was struck by devastating floods. I would like to make a few remarks about this horrific incident:

• Prayer Power Goes Bizerk: It was only months ago when everyone was praying for rain to end the drought in Georgia. Our governor, Sonny Perdue, even held a prayer service at the state Capitol. Any one who is crazy enough to pray for weather is simply proving that God doesn't include weather in His list of miracles. Because now, our political leaders are saying, "Please pray for the flood victims." Maybe they should have just said, "Don't pray too hard for rain, or God might make it flood." I think this incident proves that the "power of prayer" is simply the wishful thinking of the desperate masses. And if God WAS responding to prayer by adjusting the weather, well, he screwed up. And if God screwed up the "rain prayer," what else has he screwed up? And how can he screw up anything since He is perfect? Of course, the religionists will tell me, "God has his reasons, and who are we to question God?" Well, I question God (stand by for lightening strike - ZAAPPPP).
  
  
• Involuntary Carbon Tax: The evidence for global warming is real and overwhelming. Yet, most people either deny or ignore it. Even as we see the horrible side effects of climate change, people just prefer to respond to symptoms rather than address the cause. It was predicted long ago that global warming would result in more extreme weather events, and with increased frequency. Hurricane Katrina did not provide a wake-up call, and neither has this week's great flood. Most pot-bellied conservatives strongly oppose a carbon tax, yet we are already forcing that tax on the flood victims. It is the victims who are paying for those fellow citizens who insist on driving their Hummer and living in a McMansion.
  
  
• Public Indifference: Because I work from home and live in a small house, I RESENT having to pay the carbon tax, but I did so anyway by making a donation to the Red Cross yesterday. I hate to see the suffering of ANY living creature, and I feel that COMPASSION is one of the greatest attributes a person can have. And while there are a lot of volunteer efforts to assist with flood relief, I also notice that a large portion of the population doesn't really care. Their attitude is, "If it doesn't affect me, then I don't give a damn." I'm sure these were the same people who went to Washington, D.C. last week to protest in the sheet-less Klan rally (also known as the Teabaggers). But, my point is, if a good portion of the population doesn't even care about their fellow citizens who lost everything in a flood, how are they EVER going to care about things like global warming, overpopulation, and environmental degradation? Is it hopeless?
  

Life: Comedy & Tragedy

I stumbled upon this quote — it captures exactly how I'm feeling today:

"Life is a comedy for those who think ... and a tragedy for those who feel." — Horace Walpole

And then a fellow activist made my day by telling me about Old Dog Documentaries, which creates movies that address issues in the developing world. The "About Us" description on their website is DEAD ON:

Anne Macksoud and John Ankele, Filmmakers
We are two “old dogs” who are worried about the state of our world and saddened by the suffering we see all around us. Since 1985, we have produced and directed documentary films about the subtleties of individual human experience and the complexities of our collective challenges. Our work encourages thoughtful responses to the interconnectedness of all life. We hope it inspires viewers to become agents of change, determined to do what it takes to create a more just and peaceful world.

It is clear to us that our political leaders cannot solve the problems of our time. They themselves are too beholden to privileged, powerful constituencies to inspire us to think beyond our own self-interest. We believe that change, if it is to come at all, must start with ordinary people around the world who understand the relationships and responsibilities of a global community. We believe that ordinary people have the will, the resourcefulness, the compassion, and the decency to craft new solutions that serve the common good.

We offer our films as catalysts for this kind of awareness— as tools for education and activism in the name of social change. We invite you to watch them at home, show them to your friends, share them with your classes and your community. We are happy to answer questions, provide additional resource materials, and suggest ways of using our films that will support your own efforts to nurture and protect this world that we share.

Thank you,
Anne Macksoud and John Ankele

Foundation for Global Community

I recently presented my population PowerPoint program to
the Foundation for Global Community/Atlanta.
Shown with me is one of the group's leaders, Janet Wells.

I have a small office in my backyard and spend most of my life there, so it's always a treat when I can actually get out and meet people. I call this "going into the atmosphere."

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, I had the honor of giving my population presentation to the Atlanta group of Foundations for Global Community (FGC). This is my fourth population presentation/event this year, and I always love getting out and talking about what I believe is the greatest issue facing humankind.

The group was kind and receptive, and this is one presentation where I gained more new knowledge and insight than the audience. The FGC is an incredible organization that is known for the behind-the-scenes work they did to help end the Cold War.

I thank one of the group's leaders, Janet Wells, for explaining to me what FGC Atlanta is all about, and just listening to her made me excited and hopeful for humanity. One of the things she shared with me is nicely summarized on their website:

It seems to us that the process of dialogue is part of the answer to HOW we are to create a cultural shift in values ... Dialogue involves listening, hearing each other, NOT refuting but HEARING. Everyone has a piece of the truth. If we remain open we might hear it.

When I think about all the rabid arguing and ugly partisanship that I'm currently seeing in the news, especially over the health care issue, it is now more obvious than ever to me that step one for achieving global sustainability is, well, talking. I know this is easier said than done because sometimes the other party is using violence, or else they are so uninformed that it's difficult to have a dialogue. But at least working toward a mutual understanding appears to be the first step in shifting our culture in a positive direction.

The mission statement on their website is so powerful and so beautifully worded, that I'm printing it below in its entirety:

The Foundation for Global Community/Atlanta grew out of the California group, formerly known as Beyond War. The name change, to FGC, reflected a shift in emphasis, from building consensus that WAR IS OBSOLETE (because of nuclear warheads) and that WE ARE ONE, to educating on the more general threat to our species and life system represented by environmental degradation and overpopulation. This crisis results from our behavior, which grows out of our values and beliefs. To change behavior we must create a shift in cultural values.

The power of culture over our lives is pervasive. It influences practically everything we do — from the trivialities of what we eat and how we dress, to the profundities of how we try to achieve meaning and purpose in our lives.

In our culture, the prevailing attitudes, values, and beliefs that guide our collective behavior — from unbridled materialism to rampant individualism — are devastating the life systems and human communities of the planet. The American Dream has become a global nightmare.

But with this crisis comes profound opportunity.

A whole new population — more idealistic and globally oriented — has emerged in the United States in the last decade. These people share a number of attitudes and beliefs: An interest in self actualization and spirituality; a desire to live a simpler lifestyle; a need for society to rebuild communities; a sense of nature and the feminine as sacred; and a concern for the global environment. Attitudes and beliefs like these form the basis of what is called integral culture. A leading study suggests that there are about 44 million North Americans who think this way, presenting a real possibility of positive cultural change. Our mission is to make this possibility a reality.

All culture is ultimately rooted in our understanding of who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. We believe the root of our cultural crises is that our current answers to these age-old questions are obsolete. What information — from science, the wisdom traditions, and contemporary thought — can help us discover more adequate answers?

Wow, this is an incredible statement, and it has really given me a lot to ponder. I thank this group for the work they are doing, and for planting some new seeds in my consciousness.

Sincerely,

The Goose