Archive for November, 2006

Reality

Sunday, November 5th, 2006

If you can’t see the forest for the trees, then decision making becomes all but pointless.

For example, hydro-electric power generating plants.

Once, on a small stream near my home there was a proposal to build a micro hydro facility on the stream just downstream. I was opposed, and remain opposed though the proposal is long dead.

Upon recently examining my motives, I realized that at the time I simply didn’t want to see the damage to the stream, and the permanent aesthetic damage, for the construction and maintenance of the facility.

What I didn’t consider was the holistic view, one that encounters energy costs, local and external, energy types, dependencies on non-renewable energy and so on.

Hydro power is ugly, very ugly in the short term and long term. Hydro power is very renewable, very clean and very reliable, in the long term. Here in North Fork CA in fact we derive 80 percent of our power from hydro.

Luckily, the decision I made was correct even when filtered by reality, holistic reality.

Gives one leave, though, to shut up and listen, consider, weigh, move back, way back and look again, then decide.

And ya better have a goal in there somewhere or you are moving towards oblivion.

The Wrong Conversation

Saturday, November 4th, 2006

Reading my favorite blog (last time I want to use that word as a noun, a verb, or anything else) Fit To Print I am reminded of the upcoming US midterm elections.

What little I have seen makes me wonder.

When did we stop talking about relevant issues? Why do we fixate on ridiculous irrelevant personal behaviors? Criminal, lecherous and unethical behavior is one thing, to be exposed, but one’s taste in entertainment? Cheess. Really.

Why don’t we start talking about survival? Why don’t we introduce ourselves to the truth? Why don’t we do unto others as we would have them do unto us? Why don’t we start reading and stop watching like brain dead zombies out of Dawn of the Dead 41? Why do humans have such a penchant for the miscreant behaviors of pedestal posted celebrity politicians to be knocked off like ten pins?

Focusing the conversation onto the truly relevant issues is something which will not likely occur in our existence. Humans will pander to the base lusts of the formidable power of greed and then once the earth is spent, cease to exist.

Good riddance.

The earth however, has until the sun goes red giant.