Global What?

I'm one of the many people not completely convinced that cyclic climatic changes can or should be attributed solely to human intervention. I have written about this at length, and somewhat cynically, here, and here, and probably ten other places, too.

Of course I believe we have an obligation to safeguard our environment through protection of natural resources, responsible industrialization and development of new energy sources. If the trendy "green movement" manages to make that happen quicker than it would have otherwise, well, yay.

I sometimes feel, though, that the greenies are dancing a strange manic dance, echoing some ancient ritual of sacrifice to the weather gods. The past two centuries of scientific knowledge and technological advances have allowed us to become incredibly arrogant. Where once we stood in awe of the unknown, we now think we understand most complexities of the natural world, and worse, we labor under the delusion that we can exert significant control over it.

A friend and faithful reader of this blog, who lives in spotted owl country north of me, forwarded the following article by Oregon geologist Rauno Perttu, which was published in a local newspaper. Mr. Perttu was kind enough to permit me to link to it HERE. I'm offering it without comment -- it speaks for itself. (After linking, use the "View Full Screen" option at the top of the page, next to the title.)

Nuttier and Nuttier

The above video clip came today from the selection of delectable snippets AOL offers on it's "Welcome" screen under the guise of news. HERE is the story that details the video. In summary, the chick in the clip (Justine Ezarik) received her first bill from AT&T for her iPhone service, with the details of the bill covering 300 printed pages that were delivered to her in a box.

To quote from the story, "The iPhone, which launched in June, costs $499 or $599, and service plans range from $59.99 to $99.99 monthly. Ezarik — a heavy user of text-messaging — says her first bill was for $275."

$275? For the convenience of the internet in your pocket and music in your head 24/7? I guess we spent at least that much in the 70's and 80's to stay "wired," but it seems like a lot of money to me to stay wireless today.

I don't know about you, but I resist with all my might the bombardment of "news" and information from all sources -- mostly because of the high price paid of the constant commercials that accompany EVERYTHING.

I run every TV program I want to watch through my DVR so I can fast-forward through the 12 minutes of commercials per 30-minute show.

I watch a minimum of TV news not only because of the lack of objectivity and truth or that everything I hear is so damned depressing---but because of the countless commercials. I may not be as informed as some, but my sanity is still somewhat intact.

I don't care how many coupons and "special offers" I receive through spam email or through snail mail flyers... it all gets deleted and discarded without reading. I may be spending a little more money here and there, but Shirley the value of my time wading through that stuff balances it out.

The junk mail the postal carrier brings me is appalling. You know those file storage boxes that you need to be a genius in spatial logic to fold -- the ones you save your bills and taxes in? Because I a) own a home, b) use a credit card, c) have a business, d) exist and breathe, I get (seriously) TWO BOXES FULL of junk mail every two weeks. I know this for sure because it fills half of my recycle container for the trash pickup.... doesn't leave a lot for the empty Lean Cuisine and cereal boxes, does it.

Bored? Looking for a new hobby? HERE is an article on how you can spend most of your spare time opting out of junk mail. HERE is a link to a service that purports to do the leg work for you, although details are sketchy and I'm certainly not endorsing this company.

I find it completely ironic that so much is made of the efforts to stop spam and prosecute the spammers when, to my mind, the real problem is the wasted resources of paper-printed, in your home mailbox advertising. You can delete electronic spam with a couple of keystrokes (good mail services will segregate it for you), but it takes a lot more effort AND trees to get rid of the junk brought to your mailbox daily. What am I missing here? Why is spam evil and printed crap not?

I'll admit that I haven't seen Gore's little movie and that I think the jury is still out on industrialization causing global warming... but has he talked about printed junk mail and information overload?

And, as long as I'm ranting, has Gore (or anyone) addressed the gross misuse of energy in the summer caused by restaurants and movie theaters keeping inside temps down to 45 degrees just because it's 85 outside? I feel so silly carrying my winter coat going out to dinner or to a movie.... and doesn't that make my carbon assprint just a little too big?

Is it just me, or does ANY OF THIS make any sense?

Happy Birthday, U.S. of A.

Since we're expecting a sunny, 100-degree Fourth of July today, I'm going to be celebrating our nation's birthday in air-conditioned bliss, with a sugar-free, fat-free, flavor-free, low-calorie salad. In honor of the day I'll stick a candle in the middle, scrunch up my face like a three-year-old and make a few wishes for this 231st birthday. (Thank goodness I don't have to worry about how these wishes come true...the practicalities are up to the birthday fairy.)

• I wish Congress, holding true to the self-serving spirit in which it always operates, would declare a four-year holiday for each member and then just go home. We need a break from their (as mom would have said) shenanigans. They are legislators, and certainly we have reached the saturation point on the number of laws that can be levied, the number of investigations that are held and the self-aggrandizing bombast we can endure. Taking a liberty or two with Macbeath:

  Congress is but a walking shadow, a poor player
  That struts and frets its hour upon the stage
  And then is heard no more: it is a tale
  Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
  Signifying nothing.

• I wish the scientific community would, without coercion, exercise their considerable intellectual power and come up with definitive proof that global warming is indeed a fact, either a natural occurrence in Earth's cycle or one that's exacerbated by technopollution, or a combination of both. Despite being the darling of the media and the favorite catchphrase of every liberal on the planet, the jury is not in on this critical question. Heavyweights in the field stand opposed to the popular consensus, yet legitimate dissenters are rarely heard. "To pretend that this is settled is bizarre." says Richard S. Lindzen, Professor of Meteorology Massachusetts. Here is one example of the contrarian's viewpoint -- which you would never, ever see in the mainstream media.
  
• In communications from the Administration, I wish truth held a higher priority than spin. I find it insulting and demeaning that what we're told from every official source is carefully crafted with words they think we want to hear (through polls, focus groups, yada, yada, yada). We're adults, many of us can think and form opinions, and most of us pay taxes that fund the Washington circus -- please, we deserve the truth every time, all the time.
  
• Oh, before Congress takes it's four-year vacation, I wish it would pass serious reforms that would diminish or eliminate lobbyists' access and power, institute a line-item veto, require a balanced budget, enact serious gun control laws AND incorporate a greatly simplified tax code. (Hey, these are my wishes... I can type whatever I want.)
• I wish life in America were a little harder for many of us. It's a truism that only adversity forges character, that discipline and hardship make one strong. Yes, the country is stratified economically and we have seriously disadvantaged poor.... but you have to admit that many millions of Americans have things just too damn easy. While we may struggle in our personal lives, overall we've lost the grit and the strengthening that have built our nation's character in the past. It's said that to find where one's heart is, look at where one's money is spent. Maybe our priorities need tweaking... Here's just one example of prosperity run amok: ABC News reports: According to MarketResearch.com, sales of pet products other than food reached $8.5 billion last year. That's more than the $6.2 billion spent on babycare products. Bob Vetere, Amer. Pet Products Manufacturers Assoc.: "In fact, if you see a trend in a human product you can almost guarantee that there will be the similar trend for pet products." An old friend said once that America had become "fat, dumb and happy" and that it would result in our eventual downfall. I'm not sure she was wrong.
  
• I wish the military and military families who have given so much -- the ultimate in too many cases -- would understand that those of us who oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq do not in any way denigrate their sacrifice or efforts. Bringing home every person alive, intact, is the best "support" that I can think of and the most positive way to honor our military.
  
• I wish that we could harness our American innovation and imagination and devise real solutions to the immigration and health care problems we face. Other countries seem to have both of these issues well under control -- maybe we could drop our arrogance just for a time and do some comparison shopping? The financial costs and the human costs of each issue are staggering. In my opinion, it's both defeatist and ridiculous to think we have to continue with the status quo.
  
• Finally, I wish the political differences between Democrat and Republican, which have become a chasm preventing, it seems, any solution to any problem, be dissolved in the realization (quoting The West Wing) that the things that unite us are greater than those that divide us. I wish and hope that we will nominate two candidates of great moral and intellectual stature, each with the experience, creativity, humility and humanity necessary to lead a unified nation to the greatness that its beginnings promised 231 years ago.
  
• Happy Birthday, United States Of America!