For years, the likes of Al Gore and other 'tree-hugging, dirt worshipers', as the popular bumper-sticker so aptly phrases it, have been extolling to us the virtues of 'going green', that is, living in a more environmentally conscious manner. The word 'green' itself has long since been hijacked and raped of its once simple, yet far-reaching, significance. We now see the phrase employed more often in General Electric and Walmart commercials than anywhere else. Like many other issues in our society, the true facts have been muddled by corporate greed, eager to profit from a formerly burgeoning social consciousness.
Out of frustration and a propensity for passive-aggressive behavior, I've so far abstained from jumping head-first into the 'green revolution', fearing (1) the social ostracism that might occur from delving too deeply into an alternative lifestyle, (2) that such an effort might be a wasted exercise in the face of ever-evolving debate over what exactly is good for our environment, and (3) a general lack of education concerning what changes I might make to my lifestyle.
But from here on out, I'm resolving to undertake the experiment, and am making an attempt to document my efforts, so that I might better understand my failures once they inevitably occur, due to lack of will, excess substance abuse (the former being a frequent result of the later), or a lack of money to pull off certain endeavors. My true goal, however, is to separate the neat, packaged 'green' lifestyle currently being sold by corporations, from the natural, logical manner in which one can live more consciously, without necessarily buying those new expensive light bulbs, or the organic meat at Whole Foods that costs twice as much as the meat on sale at Shaw's or Stop & Shop.
Undoubtedly the truths and myths about a 'green' lifestyle will not be easy to separate, as I imagine the situation as more of a Venn diagram, with certain overlaps, rather than a boxing ring with Corporate Greed in one corner and 'True' Environmentalism in another. I do not doubt that many working at GE truly care that their products become environmentally friendly, just as I am confident of the fact that many 'Green' institutions have bills to pay and money to be made. My hope is simply to find the middle ground where their good intentions overlap.
My 'experiment' will begin on June 1st, 2008 - the day I move into my new house in the Bonnet Shores district of Narragansett, RI. This fresh start will hopefully be conducive to establishing new habits more in line with an ecologically-conscious lifestyle. I suppose a brief synopsis of the living situation is in order, so all my imaginary readers will know what I'm up against...
The 5-bedroom, 2-story (plus an unfinished basement) house that we (who 'we' is will be discussed later) are moving into has been described as a 'modern cape', whatever that's supposed to mean. Its got 2 bedrooms and a 3/4 bath upstairs, 2 bedrooms and a full bath on the main floor, and then a new 5th bedroom that's being finished in the basement. It's got a sizable kitchen, living room, and deck, as well as ample room in the basement for all kinds of shenanigans. It has oil-based heat and an electric water heater.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Ivory Hut: Curse of Higher Education
I haven't posted in 6 weeks, due largely in part to my re-enrollment as an undergraduate at URI. Only this time around, instead of conquering the Liberal Arts (which is akin to a grappling contest with a quadriplegic), I'm mercilessly punishing myself with an array of 'hard sciences'. Apparently, these sort of subjects don't allow you to bullshit, expect you to study regularly, and worst of all, there are no essay questions. I owe so many apologies to my former roommate, one Michael Alice, for the years of torment I caused him while he dutifully chizzled his way through a bedrock of Physics homework, while I, often under the influence of some not-so-foreign substance, attempted to relieve him of his work and replace it with drinking games.
Bravo, Mike Alice, for graduating in spite of me. I'm not sure how you did it.
Should I ever emerge from this semester, I'll find some time to write something thats worth my imaginary audience reading.
Bravo, Mike Alice, for graduating in spite of me. I'm not sure how you did it.
Should I ever emerge from this semester, I'll find some time to write something thats worth my imaginary audience reading.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Three Fourteen: Traveler IQ Challenge
This is awesome, if you're a geography nerd like myself...
http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq
Getting all the way to Level 12 is a challenge. I've made it a couple of times. My current Traveler IQ is 127.
http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq
Getting all the way to Level 12 is a challenge. I've made it a couple of times. My current Traveler IQ is 127.
Notes
I had an awesome dream last night, or rather this morning, as the only reason I actually remember it is because I woke up in the middle of it.
From what I can remember, myself and 3 of my companions, 2 girls and 1 guy, though I don't remember who they were or anything about them, had stumbled onto the fact that through a series of hidden, transdimensional elevators, we could enter other worlds. The only part I remember clearly was when one of the elevator doors opened and we walked out into some sort of underground system of tunnels. The rock that formed the walls was reddish, and the tunnels were large, 20 feet high perhaps. They were well lit, though there were no lights. The elevator door opened out of a rock face at the top of a larger chamber, with a series of steps leading down to the chamber carved out of the red rock. The only thing in the chamber was a large, unfinished wooden table. It was slightly ornate, but nothing special.
We proceeded down the flight of stairs and saw that there was a nearly-complete puzzle on the table. It was obviously a puzzle of a map. From what I remember it looked similar to a map of the Earth, but there a lot of obvious differences. It was drawn in that old school style, kind of like a Lord of the Rings map of Middle Earth.
There were maybe only 1/6th of the pieces left to complete the puzzle, so we set to work. I think the idea was that once we completed the puzzle, we'd know what dimension, or world, we were in.
Before we completed the puzzle however, we heard two guards coming down one of the passageways leading to the chamber. I'm not sure how I knew they were guards, but I did. Sensing danger, I immediately told the rest of my companions to sprint back up to the elevator from which we had come. By this time I could see the forms of the guards coming at us rather quickly. I couldn't make out what they were though, they were nearly all black, dressed in black, and seemed to be consumed, or even created out of, a shadowy haze. They had spears and armor, but what was under that armor I couldn't really tell. They were certainly larger and more burly than I was, and I sure didn't have any weapons to confront them with anyways.
We rushed up the stairs and I shoved everyone into the elevator in front of me as the guards began to storm up the staircase at us, making no noise, but moving awfully quickly. I ducked into the door of the elevator as it began to close, just in the nick of time, the guards spears being only a few feet away from my back. At this point I collapsed on the elevator floor, and then I woke up.
I remembered later that at the top of the puzzle, was the title Erüd. I guess that was the name of the land pictured in the puzzle. I'm not sure if the elevator door disappeared into the rock face or what, but the guards didn't seem to be able to follow.
Its been a while since I remembered a dream so vividly. It seems like its got the making for some kind of fantasy novel.
A few other pointless, personal notes:
In the past 24 hours I have...
From what I can remember, myself and 3 of my companions, 2 girls and 1 guy, though I don't remember who they were or anything about them, had stumbled onto the fact that through a series of hidden, transdimensional elevators, we could enter other worlds. The only part I remember clearly was when one of the elevator doors opened and we walked out into some sort of underground system of tunnels. The rock that formed the walls was reddish, and the tunnels were large, 20 feet high perhaps. They were well lit, though there were no lights. The elevator door opened out of a rock face at the top of a larger chamber, with a series of steps leading down to the chamber carved out of the red rock. The only thing in the chamber was a large, unfinished wooden table. It was slightly ornate, but nothing special.
We proceeded down the flight of stairs and saw that there was a nearly-complete puzzle on the table. It was obviously a puzzle of a map. From what I remember it looked similar to a map of the Earth, but there a lot of obvious differences. It was drawn in that old school style, kind of like a Lord of the Rings map of Middle Earth.
There were maybe only 1/6th of the pieces left to complete the puzzle, so we set to work. I think the idea was that once we completed the puzzle, we'd know what dimension, or world, we were in.
Before we completed the puzzle however, we heard two guards coming down one of the passageways leading to the chamber. I'm not sure how I knew they were guards, but I did. Sensing danger, I immediately told the rest of my companions to sprint back up to the elevator from which we had come. By this time I could see the forms of the guards coming at us rather quickly. I couldn't make out what they were though, they were nearly all black, dressed in black, and seemed to be consumed, or even created out of, a shadowy haze. They had spears and armor, but what was under that armor I couldn't really tell. They were certainly larger and more burly than I was, and I sure didn't have any weapons to confront them with anyways.
We rushed up the stairs and I shoved everyone into the elevator in front of me as the guards began to storm up the staircase at us, making no noise, but moving awfully quickly. I ducked into the door of the elevator as it began to close, just in the nick of time, the guards spears being only a few feet away from my back. At this point I collapsed on the elevator floor, and then I woke up.
I remembered later that at the top of the puzzle, was the title Erüd. I guess that was the name of the land pictured in the puzzle. I'm not sure if the elevator door disappeared into the rock face or what, but the guards didn't seem to be able to follow.
Its been a while since I remembered a dream so vividly. It seems like its got the making for some kind of fantasy novel.
A few other pointless, personal notes:
In the past 24 hours I have...
- Finished a book (1776 by David McCullough)
- Started a book (The Road by Cormac McCarthy)
- Wrote the preceding stream of thought essay
- Had a badass dream (see above)
- Bested my personal Pacman high score. My new record is Level 12, 78130 points
No Title
I wrote this last night, as a stream of consciousness exercise after reading about the murder of 24 year old Meredith Emerson who was abducted and then killed after she went hiking in the Georgia mountains with her dog...
We’re half awake, in a fake empire. Only at moments of peak awareness can we begin to comprehend the endless possibilities before us at all times. Too often our sights are cast downward, on the immediate, the petty, and the futile. All those poor souls whose lives are snatched away without a moments notice, be it from ignorance, neglect, or human malice, likely believed they would go on living until the moment they didn’t. At any moment our lives of invincibility can be shattered by the strangest or most mundane turn of events. A meteorite could one day smash through the roof above your head, bringing your soul back to the heavens from which the instrument of your death came. Or perhaps in gluttonous fashion you will choke to death, alone, slowly, regretting that you failed to appreciate your last meal, as you rushed to eat and move on to more ‘important’ tasks that lay before you. Life is more fragile that we can possibly imagine.
At times I am less than conscious of this fact. However there are moments when I perceive how delicately we must carry life, with the utmost care, with momentous focus. To forget what a delicate gift life is, is to condemn ourselves to a future filled with naught but mediocre accomplishments, half-formed ideas, and worst of all, dreams that were not only never realized, but never dreamt at all.
But to carry this awareness in an acute fashion at all times would be to deny ourselves the joy of living, the fruit of that delicate gift that was undoubtedly bestowed upon us by something greater, a greatness which I do not feel can be comprehended by our limited capacities. It should be enough to appreciate the gift from that greatness, to know that we are born of its essence. A life focused solely on contemplating our delicate situation, our sameness with, yet separation from, that wellspring of power would certainly be a torturous one given to despair and longing. But a life lived in ignorance of our fragility, of our unimaginably miniscule, yet simultaneously momentous, role in creation would be equally torturous once we rejoin that great source and finally see with clarity the preciousness of the gift that we lived in ignorance of all our lives.
We cannot fear whatever end we will one day face. We cannot look to the past to change our fortunes in the present. We can only proceed, from moment to moment, with our delicate gift in hand. We would hope for straight paths, clearly marked, and lighted by an ever-present sun. But we will face storms, and ford rivers, and scale rocks. And sometimes we will fall, and fail. And because human will, when properly employed, is indomitable, we can wrap our gift of life in this will and not fear an end to our gift. And hopefully, as the pain from our failings subsides, and we look up at the sky from our bedraggled and prone position, we can, at least for a moment, appreciate the change in view, and marvel at the clouds and the stars above.
And I would hope for you that once you were on your way again, that the next time you found yourself looking up at the stars from that same position, that at least the constellations had changed.
We’re half awake, in a fake empire. Only at moments of peak awareness can we begin to comprehend the endless possibilities before us at all times. Too often our sights are cast downward, on the immediate, the petty, and the futile. All those poor souls whose lives are snatched away without a moments notice, be it from ignorance, neglect, or human malice, likely believed they would go on living until the moment they didn’t. At any moment our lives of invincibility can be shattered by the strangest or most mundane turn of events. A meteorite could one day smash through the roof above your head, bringing your soul back to the heavens from which the instrument of your death came. Or perhaps in gluttonous fashion you will choke to death, alone, slowly, regretting that you failed to appreciate your last meal, as you rushed to eat and move on to more ‘important’ tasks that lay before you. Life is more fragile that we can possibly imagine.
At times I am less than conscious of this fact. However there are moments when I perceive how delicately we must carry life, with the utmost care, with momentous focus. To forget what a delicate gift life is, is to condemn ourselves to a future filled with naught but mediocre accomplishments, half-formed ideas, and worst of all, dreams that were not only never realized, but never dreamt at all.
But to carry this awareness in an acute fashion at all times would be to deny ourselves the joy of living, the fruit of that delicate gift that was undoubtedly bestowed upon us by something greater, a greatness which I do not feel can be comprehended by our limited capacities. It should be enough to appreciate the gift from that greatness, to know that we are born of its essence. A life focused solely on contemplating our delicate situation, our sameness with, yet separation from, that wellspring of power would certainly be a torturous one given to despair and longing. But a life lived in ignorance of our fragility, of our unimaginably miniscule, yet simultaneously momentous, role in creation would be equally torturous once we rejoin that great source and finally see with clarity the preciousness of the gift that we lived in ignorance of all our lives.
We cannot fear whatever end we will one day face. We cannot look to the past to change our fortunes in the present. We can only proceed, from moment to moment, with our delicate gift in hand. We would hope for straight paths, clearly marked, and lighted by an ever-present sun. But we will face storms, and ford rivers, and scale rocks. And sometimes we will fall, and fail. And because human will, when properly employed, is indomitable, we can wrap our gift of life in this will and not fear an end to our gift. And hopefully, as the pain from our failings subsides, and we look up at the sky from our bedraggled and prone position, we can, at least for a moment, appreciate the change in view, and marvel at the clouds and the stars above.
And I would hope for you that once you were on your way again, that the next time you found yourself looking up at the stars from that same position, that at least the constellations had changed.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Three Fourteen: SpaceTime
You should probably check this out. They don't have a version for Mac OS X yet. But they will...
Essentially it takes Google and other searches and displays the results in 3D picture format... similar to the way you can flip through album covers on your iPod.
Super Tuesday: Where You Frum?
Tonight on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Stewart interviewed David Frum, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, and author of "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again". Aside from the fact that Frum has a slightly distracting stutter, and looks frighteningly like Chris Kattan, it was actually interesting to hear what he had to say. His message is basically that Republicans need to quit bullshitting people and denying that there are problems with health care and pushing tax cuts that don't help the middle class. Somewhat refreshing. Unfortunately he's advising Giuliani. Take note that an earlier portion of the show focused on the borderline insane amount of times Giuliani invokes the phrase '9/11'. Including during his response to questions about Hillary Clinton's supposed 'breakdown'. Here's a few lines from the interview:
Stewart: Who are you advising in this campaign?
Frum: I'm giving advice to Rudy Giuliani.
Stewart: Ok, I'm Giuliani. You're my guy, I come to you and say 'the old conservatism, that's not working. What do I believe?'
Frum: You believe that the Republicans are the party of the great American middle. The party of national security. They are the party that believes in responding to the concerns that people have, which are that their health care system is broken, income is not rising, the tax cuts that we offer don't make a difference to people in the middle, and that a lot of our national security ideas have not delivered the national security that people need.
Stewart: So when he hears that, does he say to you, 'da...uh... 9/11!'.
Another gem from later in the interview, when the discussion turns to Mike Huckabee's success, and the Republican's fear of him winning the primaries...
Stewart: Is this cynical by the Republican party? They use the evangelical bloc to kinda put them over the top... its almost like... do you watch the Simpsons?
Frum: I'm afraid to say, yes.
Stewart: Ned Flanders. Yeah thats great, you like having him around because he'll do all the leg work, but when it comes down to it you want President Homer.
Frum: I don't think we want President Homer.
Stewart: We have President Homer.
Other important notes:
Stewart: Who are you advising in this campaign?
Frum: I'm giving advice to Rudy Giuliani.
Stewart: Ok, I'm Giuliani. You're my guy, I come to you and say 'the old conservatism, that's not working. What do I believe?'
Frum: You believe that the Republicans are the party of the great American middle. The party of national security. They are the party that believes in responding to the concerns that people have, which are that their health care system is broken, income is not rising, the tax cuts that we offer don't make a difference to people in the middle, and that a lot of our national security ideas have not delivered the national security that people need.
Stewart: So when he hears that, does he say to you, 'da...uh... 9/11!'.
Another gem from later in the interview, when the discussion turns to Mike Huckabee's success, and the Republican's fear of him winning the primaries...
Stewart: Is this cynical by the Republican party? They use the evangelical bloc to kinda put them over the top... its almost like... do you watch the Simpsons?
Frum: I'm afraid to say, yes.
Stewart: Ned Flanders. Yeah thats great, you like having him around because he'll do all the leg work, but when it comes down to it you want President Homer.
Frum: I don't think we want President Homer.
Stewart: We have President Homer.
Other important notes:
- After her defeat in Iowa, Clinton bounced back to beat out Obama in the New Hampshire primaries 39% to 36%. Fuck New Hampshire. At least they picked McCain over Romney.
- I'm convinced Romney would engage in human trafficking if he thought it might benefit his campaign somehow.
- If Edwards wins South Carolina, Super Tuesday is going to be really interesting.
- Arthur told me at work that someone needs to start a national interest group for people who live solely off their physical or mental labor. Imagine giving low and middle income tax brackets a voice as powerful as the NRA or AARP.
- I watch too much Futurama, as evidenced by the fact that I ordered a Futurama poster online today.
- Do a search for David Frum on YouTube. Its kind of scary.
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