http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article338830.ece
This guy came up with the original idea in the seventies, that the Earth is more like a single, living organism, than a hunk of rock conveniently littered with a dusting of resources for us to loot. The argument is that there is a fine balance by which She regulates her atmosphere and makeup; any change in the chemistry of the air, oceans, caused by polution, deforesting, etc... are giving her a severe fever from which she will cure herself by a fitful, 100 000 year long coma during which humanity will cling in a primitive remnant to the newly balmy arctic.
Why do I get all dreamy and excited when I think of being part of a return to a scattered, pre-industrial village economy? Probably because in my cyber-era comfort I'm so naively detached from things like mortality, A) to realize the very plausible idea that I would be one of the casualties of such a cataclysmic event, or the petty war-torn chaos of it's aftermath, rather than one of the noble and neo-primeval survivors, and B) to feel shock and horror at the prospect of the literally billions of deaths that would accompany mine. Yay for GenY detachment!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Dugald Christie: modern-day martyr
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/bc.cgi?bc/bccn/0999/robinhood
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/08/01/bc-lawyer.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugald_Christie
How does a hero like this not get major coverage outside of BC? I'm thinking not so much for his own glorification but for the way in which his story could inspire others to follow suit in other provinces and countries, in other fields and professions.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/08/01/bc-lawyer.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugald_Christie
How does a hero like this not get major coverage outside of BC? I'm thinking not so much for his own glorification but for the way in which his story could inspire others to follow suit in other provinces and countries, in other fields and professions.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Adam and Eve (sort of)
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0603/feature2/index.html
Following DNA markers and Y chromosomes scientists have been able to show that modern humans originated in Africa; specifically Ethiopia (Jah Rastafarii!). First central Asia, i.e. Afghanistan, then from that area Europe and Asia, and from Siberia finally, the Americas, were populated by the gradual movements of people pushed further up rivers and along coasts by the growth of their own populations and cultures.
In other words, traditionally scientist have always postulated that that most human of activities, war, was why humans migrated and populated new areas. Whereas this is new evidence that it had more to do with peaceful movements motivated by the search for new hunting grounds and new living space.
Here's the kicker: While none of us carry the exact same genetics, there are patterns: i.e. all white people have certain genes in common, all people of Celtic descent have certain genes in common, all people descended from Brittany in France have certain genes in common. This means that there was a certain person who originated that genetic mutation, who is the grandfather of all Brittany Celts, for example. Well, it seems there was a primordial Eve in East Africa, a woman who had a genetic marker we all share. And roughly a thousand years later, there was a primordial Adam, again with a certain mutation that ended up in all of us.
What I find fascinating about this is that, beyond the obvious and very final refuting of certain racist rhetoric, it would seem to also be sobering news indeed for Nationalists. How can someone cling proudly, for example, to being Irish, with the knowledge that first of all, Celts were almost identical to the Italic and Greco peoples who eventually became Greeks and Romans, and furthermore these Indo Europeans were at one point barely much different from the other Indo Europeans, the Slavs and Indians and Armenians and Persians and Germans, and furthermore all these Indo Europeans were at one point split off genetically from the non-nondescript people who originally left Africa. And other splits went the other way and became Mongols and walked across the land-bridge to the Americas.
In other words, the only true differences between us are purely cultural, and cultural differences are arbitrary: you wear pants, I wear a kilt, you play drums and dance naked, I worship my ancestors, he eats cow eyeballs, she loves democracy, they love hockey, we drink milk.
Following DNA markers and Y chromosomes scientists have been able to show that modern humans originated in Africa; specifically Ethiopia (Jah Rastafarii!). First central Asia, i.e. Afghanistan, then from that area Europe and Asia, and from Siberia finally, the Americas, were populated by the gradual movements of people pushed further up rivers and along coasts by the growth of their own populations and cultures.
In other words, traditionally scientist have always postulated that that most human of activities, war, was why humans migrated and populated new areas. Whereas this is new evidence that it had more to do with peaceful movements motivated by the search for new hunting grounds and new living space.
Here's the kicker: While none of us carry the exact same genetics, there are patterns: i.e. all white people have certain genes in common, all people of Celtic descent have certain genes in common, all people descended from Brittany in France have certain genes in common. This means that there was a certain person who originated that genetic mutation, who is the grandfather of all Brittany Celts, for example. Well, it seems there was a primordial Eve in East Africa, a woman who had a genetic marker we all share. And roughly a thousand years later, there was a primordial Adam, again with a certain mutation that ended up in all of us.
What I find fascinating about this is that, beyond the obvious and very final refuting of certain racist rhetoric, it would seem to also be sobering news indeed for Nationalists. How can someone cling proudly, for example, to being Irish, with the knowledge that first of all, Celts were almost identical to the Italic and Greco peoples who eventually became Greeks and Romans, and furthermore these Indo Europeans were at one point barely much different from the other Indo Europeans, the Slavs and Indians and Armenians and Persians and Germans, and furthermore all these Indo Europeans were at one point split off genetically from the non-nondescript people who originally left Africa. And other splits went the other way and became Mongols and walked across the land-bridge to the Americas.
In other words, the only true differences between us are purely cultural, and cultural differences are arbitrary: you wear pants, I wear a kilt, you play drums and dance naked, I worship my ancestors, he eats cow eyeballs, she loves democracy, they love hockey, we drink milk.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
AAAAAAARGH
If I add up the time (I realize afterwards ) I've spent trying to gather world news, editorials from people who can tell me what to think about the world news, habs news, habs analysis from people who can tell me what to think about the habs, emerging-conversation news, articles by people who can tell me what to think about the emerging-conversation, music-biz news, criticism from writers who can tell me what music to like and dislike, and googling whatever odd periphery is burning my mind with cosmic intensity with the urge to investigate immediately, IT'S A LOT OF TIME.
By contrast if I add up all the moments (I realize afterwards) I feel aggravated, victimized, sorry-for-myself, and generally persecuted because I have neglected to spend time on the individual pursuits I really want to get on with in my life, my paintings, my songs, my writings, getting back into shape, THEY'RE A LOT OF MOMENTS.
And despite the fact that I've acknowledged the fact it recurs.
I am an INFORMATION JUNKY. The internet and news media is my SMACK. It is burying the substantive output of my life, and rendering me the static, non-contributing, unimaginative drone society likes me to be. And it is NOT HEALTHY.
AAAAAARRRRGHHHHHH
By contrast if I add up all the moments (I realize afterwards) I feel aggravated, victimized, sorry-for-myself, and generally persecuted because I have neglected to spend time on the individual pursuits I really want to get on with in my life, my paintings, my songs, my writings, getting back into shape, THEY'RE A LOT OF MOMENTS.
And despite the fact that I've acknowledged the fact it recurs.
I am an INFORMATION JUNKY. The internet and news media is my SMACK. It is burying the substantive output of my life, and rendering me the static, non-contributing, unimaginative drone society likes me to be. And it is NOT HEALTHY.
AAAAAARRRRGHHHHHH
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Not Familiar
When he is spoken to, he has next to no idea what is being said. He hears the voice, he knows something mysterious is being passed along, but he lacks the experience and knowledge to understand it. However, more importantly than understanding on rational basis, it's plainly obvious that he fully understands, and is calmed and reassured by, what is being communicated on an intuitive basis: that the attention and time spent passes along love and a sense of belonging.
I wish that sounded familiar in the way mentioned in my post, "Malachi". I believe it is possible.
?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Nice article in CT
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/february/11.35.html
As roundly concise and clear an overview of what emerging is all about as I've come across, nice smooth read, too.
Check out the first comment under it though, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck...
As roundly concise and clear an overview of what emerging is all about as I've come across, nice smooth read, too.
Check out the first comment under it though, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck...
Malachi
He seems to have only fleeting moments of recognition, a shadow from above, voices, somewhat identifiable, inexplicable highs and lows. Sometimes his cries result in his wish being answered, other times not. Driven by the overwhelming instincts to eat and sleep and be warm and clean, he will soon embark on the challenge of discovering you can't always get what you want. But one way or the other, if you cry, what you need seems to get supplied. Most of the time. And when not there is nothing worse, and no explanation. But he has to choose to trust anyways.
He sounds familiar, right?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
metro convo with enoch
Yesterday on the metro Enoch was musing about the polytheistic nature of our society. For many, YHWH is just one in a pantheon which includes Mithras, Venus, Mars, and many others, consumerism, nationalism, celebrity.... sure, for many Christians he is like a Zeus figure, "in charge"of the other gods and godesses. But for many he is not. How many Christians have Jesus as a kind of lucky charm with which to better procure the real blessings of fortune, success, wealth, pride?
And for the non-spiritual, is the consumerist/ nationalist/ militarist package of the conservatives really worse than the consumerist/ idealist/ reactionary package of the liberals? Aren't Liberal and Conservative just pagan religions worshipping the pantheons listed above?
But our quarrel is more with the Christians, because we name ourselves after the one who's career and effforts were to save from these idle/idol distractions and instead to feed and clothe the needy, while at the same time we fall into the same traps of religion that 10 000 years of (recorded) generations have fallen pray to.
How can I turn my back on religion? I'm pretty involved in the cults of reactionary ideology, of intelectualism/rationalism, I'm a high preist of defensive pride. Where do we find out how to dump these things? I know it's there in Jesus but I'm reading with religion-goggles I don't know how to take off.
Thomas Cahill compares modern religions like Republicanism and Individualistic Hedonism to pagan ancient Greece very succesfully, in Sailing the Wine Dark Seas: Why the Greeks Matter.
And for the non-spiritual, is the consumerist/ nationalist/ militarist package of the conservatives really worse than the consumerist/ idealist/ reactionary package of the liberals? Aren't Liberal and Conservative just pagan religions worshipping the pantheons listed above?
But our quarrel is more with the Christians, because we name ourselves after the one who's career and effforts were to save from these idle/idol distractions and instead to feed and clothe the needy, while at the same time we fall into the same traps of religion that 10 000 years of (recorded) generations have fallen pray to.
How can I turn my back on religion? I'm pretty involved in the cults of reactionary ideology, of intelectualism/rationalism, I'm a high preist of defensive pride. Where do we find out how to dump these things? I know it's there in Jesus but I'm reading with religion-goggles I don't know how to take off.
Thomas Cahill compares modern religions like Republicanism and Individualistic Hedonism to pagan ancient Greece very succesfully, in Sailing the Wine Dark Seas: Why the Greeks Matter.
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