Why do people pay to chop down so many trees for pagan-based rituals? I mean, I know the answer is tradition, even if the tradition is opposite to what they purport to believe, but when will their consciences kick in, or their intelligence or compassion? I have nothing against any of the religions involved, Christianity, paganism, capitalism, patriotism, etc, but I have a lot for sustaining an environment that can[…] Keep reading →

What images might represent our time best? Here are some images I’ve thought of while considering the cover for my book. Just ideas. Not sure how likely I go with any. Still, I think they represent our times well. References: Planet of the Apes’ final scene: Hudson River School paintings: Babies drinking from bottles that could be labelled Coca-Cola, Oxycontin, heroin, or Exxon: Rosie the Riveter: A four-legged stool that[…] Keep reading →

Since people are asking me since the Daily Show segment See the Daily Show’s segment on me: “Is it Possible to Live “Off the Grid” in Manhattan?” how I live, I’m posting some of what I do. Keep in mind the number one most important start is a mindset shift, then continual improvement. When you have an attitude that you can do it, you figure the technology out. It took[…] Keep reading →

I contend that my floor is as clean as any you’ll find. One of my sidchas (maybe standard operating procedure) is that I clean it every six days as part of my six-day exercise cycle. I used to clean it before lifting, but realized I get on the floor more for my Turkish Get-ups so clean before it. I’ve gotten complements on my floor’s cleanliness, which comes despite how much[…] Keep reading →

The BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) found that wine glasses hold seven times more volume today than 300 years ago. Do we enjoy wine more or just more wine? I see people plow through volumes of food and doof without appreciating it. I contend we can attain as much enjoyment with the smaller amount. Not just wine, the whole Thanksgiving dinner. How? Expect to drink less but to appreciate the[…] Keep reading →

We’re entering Christmas season, when Christians in the U.S. celebrate with a clearly pagan ritual of celebrating a birth in Bethlehem with chopping down fir trees. Presumably this tradition began in northern Europe, unrelated to the middle east. I propose instead of celebrating birth with death and mixing paganism in with Christianity, recognizing that cutting down trees was not likely ever appropriate, but not now. Look at this mess from[…] Keep reading →

Before I was born, the image of Earth from space changed not just a generation, but forever how humans saw the Earth and ourselves. It’s hard for me to imagine how seeing that image affected people seeing it for the first time. Here’s one: Here’s another: Projected images after sea-level rise Can you imagine how we’ll feel about the Earth and ourselves after more sea-level rise? I’m sure you’ve seen[…] Keep reading →