http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090220/world/us_obama_visit
americans need to become more aware of the place where many who voted for thier new president live.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
environmentalism etc.....
in conversation the other day with a friend of mine`s daughter, she expressed her desire to help save the world in a number of ways. this position is admirable if not misguided, but when espoused by someone who holds themselves out as intelligent, educated and reasonable bothers me for a number of simple reasons.
firstly, the world needs no saving.
it may become incapable of sustaining life as we know it at some point, but there is very little we can do to effect change on this giant cooling ball of molten iron spinning through the vacuum of space.
secondly, she said she wants to build a home that will do less to damage the environment.
i told her not to build a new one at all, but to apply her own strategy and recycle.
buy an old one.....
her ego couldn`t get around that one.
if we stop building new homes and new cars and recycle the old ones, we would do a significant amount to reduce the stress that making things causes.
but we would lose jobs....but that`s a seperate issue.
the girl`s really just another consumer in disguise, needing a high moral position to justify her need to have a new car and a big new (morally sound) home.
thirdly........we are buying bigger cars again because we need safe comfortable trasportation for our families. would you want the wife and kids in a "smart" car racing trucks at 70 mph on the highway?
i didn`t think so.
and how do we reduce the amount of cars on the road.
stop living in suburban ghettos miles from shops and schools.
live closer to things and walk or take the bus.
if you care to reduce the use of things.
otherwise stop fooling yourself into thinking that you want to save the world to justify your consumer choices.
what you really want is a high paying job in the emerging green industry, and you will probably get there once you get your mba and your doctorate in environmental politics.
and one day we`ll have this conversation again.
firstly, the world needs no saving.
it may become incapable of sustaining life as we know it at some point, but there is very little we can do to effect change on this giant cooling ball of molten iron spinning through the vacuum of space.
secondly, she said she wants to build a home that will do less to damage the environment.
i told her not to build a new one at all, but to apply her own strategy and recycle.
buy an old one.....
her ego couldn`t get around that one.
if we stop building new homes and new cars and recycle the old ones, we would do a significant amount to reduce the stress that making things causes.
but we would lose jobs....but that`s a seperate issue.
the girl`s really just another consumer in disguise, needing a high moral position to justify her need to have a new car and a big new (morally sound) home.
thirdly........we are buying bigger cars again because we need safe comfortable trasportation for our families. would you want the wife and kids in a "smart" car racing trucks at 70 mph on the highway?
i didn`t think so.
and how do we reduce the amount of cars on the road.
stop living in suburban ghettos miles from shops and schools.
live closer to things and walk or take the bus.
if you care to reduce the use of things.
otherwise stop fooling yourself into thinking that you want to save the world to justify your consumer choices.
what you really want is a high paying job in the emerging green industry, and you will probably get there once you get your mba and your doctorate in environmental politics.
and one day we`ll have this conversation again.
Monday, February 16, 2009
family day.
here in ontario today we are experiencing family day. it is a day where people are encouraged to stay home and spend time at home with loved ones.
and the shops are shut.
starbucks is shut.
the mall is shut.
so literally we are forced to sit in close quarters with people who are also bored and tired and stressed from an unexpected change in thier routines due to our provincial leader`s gladhanding of the state of the modern family........
....let the games begin.
update;
so we went bowling. glow-in-the-dark bowling. and i learned a few things.
firstly, my children have played this game before. secondly, my girlfeind has played this game before. a lot. and thirdly, though the shoes leave lots to be desired, i had lots of fun.......even though those little pins take all you have and still remain standing.
personally, i don`t need an act of the provincial legislature to know when to spend time with my family, but it was refreshing to be able to have a time set aside specifically for people like myself, who still believe in family and want to do things with them for no reason other than it feels good.
even though we had to wear those shoes.
and the shops are shut.
starbucks is shut.
the mall is shut.
so literally we are forced to sit in close quarters with people who are also bored and tired and stressed from an unexpected change in thier routines due to our provincial leader`s gladhanding of the state of the modern family........
....let the games begin.
update;
so we went bowling. glow-in-the-dark bowling. and i learned a few things.
firstly, my children have played this game before. secondly, my girlfeind has played this game before. a lot. and thirdly, though the shoes leave lots to be desired, i had lots of fun.......even though those little pins take all you have and still remain standing.
personally, i don`t need an act of the provincial legislature to know when to spend time with my family, but it was refreshing to be able to have a time set aside specifically for people like myself, who still believe in family and want to do things with them for no reason other than it feels good.
even though we had to wear those shoes.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
lloyd pye re-visited
http://www.lloydpye.com
an interesting read for those with questions about evolution vs. creationism, and aren`t afraid to actually think for one`s self.
an interesting read for those with questions about evolution vs. creationism, and aren`t afraid to actually think for one`s self.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
