...reports...

THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING vs The Secret

benodell — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:40:38 GMT

the NYTimes piece pasted below got me thinking about our community's dedication to super-optimistic abundance... i think the author is both right and wrong...right to caution people about empty, selfish optimism....wrong to discount the radical power of optimism to help us conceive previously unthinkable possibilities... but i'm still not clear what i believe yet...(in one of my alternate universes, i'd like to go back to school for economics and help re-engineer the whole system)... i've often wondered if our beloved positive manifestation manifestos really could lead to a spiritual utopia...isn't our economy based on pyramid-climbing (taking from those on the bottom, or at least duping them all into making you rich?) what would a 'flat' enlightened economy look like? what happens when all 6 billion of us (or 12 billion by the time it actually happens) are drinking the same positive-thinking-infinite-abundance koolaid? is the universe so infinite that we could all be billionaires? would we all be unhappy then, striving to becoming cosmic overlords instead? i'm definitely a believer in positive, intertwined commerce, and have studied a lot about economic multipliers, community currency, post-singularity/post-scarcity, as well as economic democracy, but... i just wish the path to global peace and justice would open faster... speaking of economic democracy, check out this excerpt from wikipedia: Economic Democracy is a socioeconomic philosophy that suggests transfer of decision-making authority from a small minority of corporate shareholders to the larger majority of public stakeholders. While there is no single definition or approach, all theories and real-world examples of Economic Democracy are based on a core set of fundamental assumptions. Proponents generally agree that modern conditions of economic instability tend to hinder or prevent society from earning enough income to purchase its output production. Centralized corporate monopoly of common resources typically forces conditions of artificial scarcity upon the greater majority, resulting in socio-economic imbalances that restrict workers from access to economic opportunity and diminish consumer purchasing power. Assuming full political rights cannot be won without full economic rights, Economic Democracy suggests a variety of models, theories, and real-world examples for solving problems of economic instability and deficiency of effective demand. Overall, Economic Democracy promotes universal access to common resources that are typically privatized by corporate capitalism and centralized by state socialism. Supporting agendas include democratic cooperatives, fair trade, social credit, and the regionalization of food production and currency. it can get much more sci-fi than co-ops and regonalization... though a technoleap like nanotech could lead to a post-scarcity world, everything i've read leads me to believe that redesigning our monetary system is a much more 'realistic' (though less-likely?) approach... check out Mr. Far-Out-Utopia-Dude PhD at <http://www.ied.info> fascinating primer on economic imperialism, artificial scarcity, and illuminati-style engineering of the world economy... anyway, i certainly hope the current 'meltdown' doesn't stunt people's hope muscles... here's the op-ed piece that spurred this post: ................................................................................ By BARBARA EHRENREICH, from nytimes GREED — and its crafty sibling, speculation — are the designated culprits for the financial crisis. But another, much admired, habit of mind should get its share of the blame: the delusional optimism of mainstream, all-American, positive thinking. As promoted by Oprah Winfrey, scores of megachurch pastors and an endless flow of self-help best sellers, the idea is to firmly believe that you will get what you want, not only because it will make you feel better to do so, but because “visualizing” something — ardently and with concentration — actually makes it happen. You will be able to pay that adjustable-rate mortgage or, at the other end of the transaction, turn thousands of bad mortgages into giga-profits if only you believe that you can. Positive thinking is endemic to American culture — from weight loss programs to cancer support groups — and in the last two decades it has put down deep roots in the corporate world as well. Everyone knows that you won’t get a job paying more than $15 an hour unless you’re a “positive person,” and no one becomes a chief executive by issuing warnings of possible disaster. The tomes in airport bookstores’ business sections warn against “negativity” and advise the reader to be at all times upbeat, optimistic, brimming with confidence. It’s a message companies relentlessly reinforced — treating their white-collar employees to manic motivational speakers and revival-like motivational events, while sending the top guys off to exotic locales to get pumped by the likes of Tony Robbins and other success gurus. Those who failed to get with the program would be subjected to personal “coaching” or shown the door. The once-sober finance industry was not immune. On their Web sites, motivational speakers proudly list companies like Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch among their clients. What’s more, for those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy, all this positive thinking must not have seemed delusional at all. With the rise in executive compensation, bosses could have almost anything they wanted, just by expressing the desire. No one was psychologically prepared for hard times when they hit, because, according to the tenets of positive thinking, even to think of trouble is to bring it on. Americans did not start out as deluded optimists. The original ethos, at least of white Protestant settlers and their descendants, was a grim Calvinism that offered wealth only through hard work and savings, and even then made no promises at all. You might work hard and still fail; you certainly wouldn’t get anywhere by adjusting your attitude or dreamily “visualizing” success. Calvinists thought “negatively,” as we would say today, carrying a weight of guilt and foreboding that sometimes broke their spirits. It was in response to this harsh attitude that positive thinking arose — among mystics, lay healers and transcendentalists — in the 19th century, with its crowd-pleasing message that God, or the universe, is really on your side, that you can actually have whatever you want, if the wanting is focused enough. When it comes to how we think, “negative” is not the only alternative to “positive.” As the case histories of depressives show, consistent pessimism can be just as baseless and deluded as its opposite. The alternative to both is realism — seeing the risks, having the courage to bear bad news and being prepared for famine as well as plenty. We ought to give it a try. Barbara Ehrenreich is the author, most recently, of “This Land Is Their Land: Reports From a Divided Nation.”

Car on a Stick...Ecotopia in the Desert

benodell — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:33:26 GMT

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/05/transportation-tuesday-ross-lovegroves-car-on-a-stick/#comment-70930 a fun thought experiment... lightweight free public cars that turn into elevated streetlamps at night...solar/hydrogen powered, of course... just walk up, swipe your ID, and the car lowers, and its GPS guidance system whisks you away... like zipcar meets free google bikes (from burningman)... where could this work? how about in abu dhabi, in norman foster's new eco city! http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/06/plans-unveiled-for-worlds-first-zero-carbon-zero-waste-city-masdar-city/

US Lifestyle Won't Have To Change In CO2 Cut

benodell — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:58:35 GMT

US citizens will not have to drive less or read in the dark to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but they will have to buy more efficient cars and appliances, a report from two business groups said on Thursday. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45696/story.htm and now the icky news: If the warm, wet tropical climate is spreading poleward, the dry subtropic climate may head for the poles too. Those dry subtropical bands could include some of the most heavily populated places on Earth, the scientists said: the Mediterranean, the US Southwest, northern Mexico, southern Australia, southern Africa and parts of South America. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45669/story.htm also... Energy-Hungry India Eyes Role As "Wind Superpower" http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45665/story.htm As Oil Surges, Some In US Tap Biofuel For Heat http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45694/story.htm The yellow furnace in the basement of Richard Grady's Massachusetts home puts the retired engineer at the forefront of an environmental revolution. It's stoked by fuel derived from soybeans Borat goes Eco: Kazakhstan To Adopt Biofuel Law, Plans More Plants http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45700/story.htm and now for something completely different: Mummified Dinosaur Reveals Surprises - Scientists http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45655/story.htm

The Protein-Combining Myth

benodell — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:07:56 GMT

Wow... The rice and beans myth is like a bad chain email about a little girl with cancer who will save sesame street if bill gates forwards his bank account number to the deputy finance minister of a small African nation! Beans, rice, whatever...MOST PLANT FOODS ARE COMPLETE AS THEY ARE! from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_combining "With three important exceptions, there is little danger of protein deficiency in a plant food diet. The exceptions are diets very heavily dependent on [1] fruit or on [2] some tubers, such as sweet potatoes or cassava, or on [3] junk food (refined flours, sugars, and fat). Fortunately, relatively few people in the world try to survive on diets in which these foods are virtually the sole source of calories. In all other diets, if people are getting enough calories, they are virtually certain of getting enough protein." and for more food geeking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_Digestibility_Corrected_Amino_Acid_Score http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_Value http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_efficiency_ratio

Friday at Farmlab Salon:: From BurningMan to Bioneers

benodell — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:06:51 GMT

don't miss cinnamon twyst and co doing a roundup (not the M0ns@nt0 kind) of all the grooviest on the green fringe! http://farmlab.org/2007/07/farmlab-public-salon-judith-lewis.html also, bone up on these reports: bioneers summary http://farmlab.org/2007/10/four-from-farmlab-attend-bioneers.html redesigning open space in LA (will it be creating a new Central Park? or will it be a grass-roots greening of rooftops and alleyways?) http://farmlab.org/2007/11/open-space-summit-draws-observations.html

"We Could Re-Green the Middle East..."

benodell — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:31:11 GMT

Salted, Dead Soil Transformed to Living Gaian Flesh, Rich with Nutrients and Life! See how it was done on one farm in Jordan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk The techniques in this video are very similar to the techniques used on Essential Living Foods farm in Topara, Peru... http://www.essentiallivingfoods.com There, instead of using swales, they have cachement reservoirs built into the hillsides surrounding the valley...the entire farm is watered using gravity alone! Every year, the farm expands further into the desert, literally bringing the soil to life... We are so blessed to have this knowledge...now let's put it to use!

grand opening SUSTAINABLE SUPERFOOD SUPERSTORE...in SANTA MONICA SATURDAY!!!

benodell — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:55:29 GMT

Dear Friends of Pure, Living Organic Food, The time has come!!! This Saturday, October 13th, from 9 am until 4pm, we’re opening the doors to our Santa Monica warehouse for the official Grand Opening of the Essential Living Foods Buyer’s Club! For the first time ever, you will have access to the planet’s purest Organic superfoods...at near wholesale prices! Peruse our bulk-sized selection of the finest foods Earth has to offer: Raw Cacao, Goji Berries, Goldenberries, True Blue Agave Nectar, Exquisite Peruvian Olives, Pristine Tropical Fruit Slices, Super-Potent Maca, Luxurious Cacao Butter, and more! (See Complete List at End of Message) Come explore our ecologically-designed warehouse space - a (r)evolutionary hybrid of a farmer’s market and outlet store, spiced with an eco-fabulous twist! Be among the first to join the club and enjoy FREE SAMPLES of our exquisite selection of superfoods, exotic organics, and delicious super-nutrient snacks. Refresh yourself with exquisite elixirs, uplifting smoothies, and decadent raw chocolate treats made fresh for you by the angels at our in-store Bliss Bar. Not only will you be getting the highest quality superfoods at the lowest prices imaginable, you’re also supporting our planet and the ecological farmers who care for it! That’s our mission: healthy food, healthy communities, and a healthy planet! So bring your appetite, bring a friend or two, and come ready to stock up your kitchen! October 13th, 9am-4pm at 922 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA, 90401. Looking forward to welcoming you… Warmly, Everyone at Essential Living Foods AMAZING ORGANIC PRODUCTS AVAILABLE: Cacao Nibs Cacao Powder Cacao Paste Cocoa Butter Cacao Nibs - Chocolate covered Goldenberries - Chocolate covered Goji Berries Goldenberries Mango Slices (Seasonal) Maca Powder Mesquite Powder Brazil Nut Protein Powder Lucama Powder Purple Corn Kernels Brazil Nuts Almonds Apricots Dates Walnuts Pistacchios Cashews Macadamia Nuts Milk Thistle Pecan Halves Living Virgin Olive Oil Virgin Coconut Oil Black Botija Dehydrated Olives w/Aji or Herbs Black Botija Dehydrated Pitted Olives Jumbo Green Olives in Brine Jumbo Green Olives w/ Spices in Brine Green Olives in Brine Black Olives in Brine Black Botija Olive Paste True Blue Agave - RAW

algae fuels and cleanup of the salton sea

benodell — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:28:53 GMT

>>>>> http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GAFCCAB.php Isaac Berzin, a rocket scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is using algae to clean up power-plant exhaust, saving greenhouse gas emissions and satisfying energy needs. The idea occurred to him three years ago, although it is not exactly new (see later). He bolted onto the exhaust stacks of a 20 MW power plant rows of clear tubes with green algae soup inside. The algae grew happily, gobbling up 40 percent of the carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and as a bonus, 86 percent of the nitrous oxide as well, resulting in a much cleaner exhaust.... ...Algae are prolific and can produce 15 000 gallons of biodiesel per acre, compared to just 60 gallons from soybean. ...Researchers also suggested using algae to clean up Salton Sea in Southern California [7], into which more than 10 000 tons of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers are discharged annually. The idea was to use some 1 000 ha of pond system to grow algae such as Spirulina with the sea water, harvest the algae biomass and convert that into fuels, while the residual sludge could be recycled to agriculture for its fertilizer value. An estimate suggests that such a process could mitigate several hundred thousand tons of CO2 emissions at below $10/ton CO2 equivalent. But it is perhaps the algae’s potential for carbon-capture that makes them most attractive, and it is as yet almost untapped. >>>>>

carbon NEGATIVE fuel that replenishes soils?

benodell — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:06:14 GMT

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050307R.shtml

"The Secret" :: Fools and Their Money..? or Breakthrough New Paradigm?

benodell — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:28:04 GMT

Thought I'd finally weigh in with an opinion about "The Secret" after my favorite techno-shamanic jewish-buddhist media-theorist (Douglas Rushkoff) wrote about it on his blog. Surprisingly, Rushkoff (and most of the people commenting on his blog) complain that "The Secret" is the worst sort of superficial, materialistic, manipulative scam. http://www.rushkoff.com/comments.php?2552424350992880285 This is from a guy who frequently talks about chaos magick and creating your own reality! here are my thoughts, taken out of context: these techniques aren't about magic(k)al manifestation, they're about transforming the steady state of your nervous system one could look at 'the secret' as a low-resolution, broad-spectrum trojan-horse-for-good... its simple message appeals to a lot of simple-minded, selfish people (if that's what you want to call them), but by practicing these techniques, their 'selfish' motivations are transformed... the principle is this: "visualize the positive feeling state of satisfaction/fulfillment/peace that you will have once you attain your goal." the 'bait' for this practice is that "these feelings will actually manifest your goal." the result is that you train yourself to maintain basal happiness levels no matter what your external circumstances...in such a steady state of happiness, your previous goals and desires may dissolve, irrelevant to your newfound peace. i.e. EVEN IF YOU DON'T MAGICALLY GET THAT PARKING SPOT, YOUR POSITIVE MINDSET IS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE PARKING SPOT ITSELF... (and you will keep driving around looking for a spot instead of going postal on the other drivers...) these techniques are similar to certain principles used in trauma release therapy. (a friend of mine is a trauma therapist) if you earnestly practice the techniques, they will make you more aware of your chronic thought patterns--pessimism, judgement, jealousy, anhedonic shame, etc--and give you the chance to focus on and generate more positive feelings and ideations. personally, i wouldn't denigrate people for being 'selfish' or 'materialistic.' call them 'hungry' or 'inexperienced' instead....perhaps you could call them 'traumatized' or 'suffering.' even the most selfish, small-minded monster is a hungry soul seeking love and security through 'unskillful' means... these monsters need our compassion rather than our scorn. and what about manifestation via 'the secret?' though i won't discount the possibility that opportunities and windfalls might show up acausally (or 'by magic'), at least we can all agree that a happy, relaxed, non-attached/non-striving person is far more effective and unstoppable than a traumatized, pessimistic, judgemental, jealous, shame-plagued victim. (and to dispell the moralistic judgements once again: this system works just as well for a selfless NGO volunteer as for a greedy parking-spot hunter) one more thing: an earlier poster said something about 'limited resources' and how there is no way for everyone on earth to be wealthy or even comfortable because we have limited resources on the planet. this sort of thinking is totally dispiriting and disempowering. in theory, if a certian resource becomes scarce, human ingenuity (empowered by the accelerated rate of scientific discovery and internet communication) should allow us to develop alternative resources... poverty is not really a problem of resource shortage...it's a problem of undeveloped human capital... Increase education and empower people with communication tools and you'll soon find Bright Green entrepreneurs solving problems in the developing world. as one tiny example, everyone's been projecting that water shortages will be the cause of major new wars in this century, but there are now solar-powered, low-cost de-humidifiers that can provide plenty of clean water for a village... {{those are at islandsky dot net}} there's also the burgeoning alternative fuels industry (including super-abundant algae-derived biodiesel) if you want another inspiring example... are there horrible problems out there? toxic pit mines and dino-fueled smoke stacks? of course there are... but if we only focus on those things, without conceiving of positive alternatives (and the wonderful-feeling futures that go with them) the resulting paralysis actually WILL manifest an eco-apocalypse. onward to the Bright Green future!

Nerves Function by SOUND not ELECTRICITY!!!!!!

benodell — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:53:07 GMT

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070307075703.htm some physicists and biologists have toppled the age-old model of our nerves as electric circuits... (if they used electricity, they say, nerves would generate heat...which is apparently not the case) instead they (seem to) have proven that nerves function by some lipid-conducted acoustics! ...so what does this say about communal dance rituals in immersive bass environments? ...or using non-verbal emotional release techniques to clear blocked energy from the nervous system? hmmm....

the dream of connecting to a land base

benodell — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:45:46 GMT

ah, to have roots of spirit and biomass, erotic tethering to the heart of the earth... ah, to plug butt into ground and dissolve into serene green expanse of hills-embracing-sky, to quiver with ecstasy as wind ripples through your leaves... ah, to breathe in eternity, contented belly full of soil-soul. In such a world, the watcher smiles as the distant thought sparkle becomes a ticklesome delight...

Brilliant Design for Portable Homeless Shelter

benodell — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:07:01 GMT

why didn't anyone think of it before?! http://www.designboom.com/contest/view.php?contest_pk=10&item_pk=6530&p=1 it's a bicycle taxi/food cart/sleeping canopy/lock box the genius of it: not only is it a cheap shelter, it's a BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! homeless people lack the infrastructure for employment (whether it's actual material infrastructure or educational infrastructure)... the shame and aimlessness of a homeless existence is solved in one fell swoop!

Biodiesel in LA...yes it IS here...

benodell — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 06:07:36 GMT

Just perusing the excellent WorldChanging website and team blog, and found this misleading LA-based blog post... http://www.worldchanging.com/local/losangeles/archives/005411.html "While biodiesel has taken off in the midwest, thanks to generous tax-incentives that reflect the agriculturally-based economy of states like Iowa, biodiesel is not yet established in Southern California...." "If Green Depot is able to raise enough interest in biodiesel, and advances are made in limiting the NOx emissions of the fuel, perhaps we will see the day when the waste oil of LA's plentiful restaurants is converted to automobile fuel!" There are actually two stations in LA and many more up and down the coast... http://www.sustainableoptions.com/socalbug-info.html http://www.geocities.com/mr1spike/Biodiesel/California/buyfuel.html

Natural Piercing After-Care: Lavender Oil: No Bactine!

benodell — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:44:45 GMT

was suspicious of the aftercare leaflets they give out saying not to use neosporine, but to use bactine... quick google "natural piercing care skin toxic" yielded this: http://www.navelring.com/information/generalpiercingaftercare.htm well, not only is neosporin bad (because of the petrochemicals and inability for piercing to breathe) but the recomended bactine is gnarly too. even natural ointments (like vitamin E oil) are no good bc the piercing can't breathe... however, lavender oil seems to be the clear winner (amazing healing/soothing properties)...with salt water also looking good (rinse afterwards!)... everything else mentioned here is not exactly "natural" below is a product designed for piercing care, made of dead sea minerals and neem oil: http://www.bodyartpro.com/store/simple-care-spray-p-153.html and here's an 'organic' jewelry store: http://www.organicjewelry.com/index.html

Transferring Sustainable Energy Technology to Third World Countries

benodell — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 09:13:50 GMT

recently asked if it would be possible for the third world to "grow" and "develop" without having to become a big american-style CO2 machine...well...very easy to educate oneself these days... just googled "assumptions third world growth co2 technology sustainable green" as i sort through the mountain of info, i'll be editing this post (i have a truck load of stuff to sift through) here's the first of it: here's a study that seems to indicate how the economists and statisticians who analyze this stuff don't even CONSIDER green energy in their estimates: http://scholar.google.com/url?sa=U&q=http://econ.massey.ac.nz/publications/discuss/dp02-08.pdf "....This article provides review of the literature on potential SET transfer as a means of mitigating GHG emission, and preserving sustainable development within the rural community of the developing countries, such as Bangladesh. A global concern about the rate of increase of GHG emission in the atmosphere makes it evident that it could be reduced through the use of SET rather than fossil fuel. Though SET is available in the global market, it is yet far from the reach of developing countries, which necessitates SET transfer from the developed to the developing countries. However, there is a gap between reality and the ways and means of SET transfer suggested and discussed in the earlier studies. This write up attempts to fill that gap. ....World Bank/UNDP (1982), and to some extent, GOB, BEPP (1985f,g) also argued that, due to the Bangladesh need to develop its economy at a faster rate than the population growth, it needs rapid industrial growth, and renewable energy sources cannot meet its heavy industrial energy demands. Hence the necessity to import liquid fuel. In fact, these studies either misunderstood the concept of renewable energy or simply ignored it. Indeed, the potential for using renewable energy in Bangladesh is very large. "

hilarious parody video: multi-level-marketing cult

benodell — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 03:40:52 GMT

the video is from an actual MLM company...the audio was added by the guy at "where's my jetpack?" pitch-perfect writing and voiceover... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1520408543900193824&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en

VERY FUNNY PERFORMANCE. WATCH. WATCH. LIKEY. LIKEY.

benodell — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:06:49 GMT

I just watched this stuff again... you watch, yes? i like! "Flight of the Conchords." Genius folk rap guitar parody. Imagine Beck cross bred with early Adam Sandler and Smoothed out with wholesome Kiwi vibes... the classics: Jenny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYkIJVguCU&mode=related&search= rhymenocerous vs hiphopapottomus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbxA8a_M_s&NR itz bizniz thyme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOuDBoxxVJQ&NR what's wrong with the world today? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eum-W589NIs&mode=related&search= albi the racist dragon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-jVAHAuiS4&NR she's so hot boom! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJmGS-QMJA&mode=related&search= fascinating to see them doing the same material, but earlier, while still developing their timing very funny, new songs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWrU2NValU phone commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WheT71sFW0U&mode=related&search= eh... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9seLY7mHlo&mode=related&search= iffy version of hiphopapottomus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie1q8pKKhh0&mode=related&search= clever little commercials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6tuSHyCXkU&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wx5eSqkTIc&NR oh, and here's a fansite with extensive mp3s... http://www.whatthefolk.net/out.htm

World's forests making a comeback!!

benodell — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:51:02 GMT

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/13/news/FOREST.php "From the new data, it seems possible that we could reverse a global trend that many people thought was irreversible," Twenty years ago, most scientists believed that deforestation was an inexorable result of industrialization and that the Earth would be denuded of trees. "This is the first time we have documented that many countries have turned the corner - that gradually forests are coming back,"

Economic "Growth" vs. CO2 Reduction?

benodell — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:45:13 GMT

the following discussion on economics vs. kyoto is tantalizing to me... it gets so close to the important questions, but never reaches a definitive answer... http://illconsidered.blogspot.com/2006/02/action-on-global-warming-is-suicide.html in the long run, does economic development improve access to education and health care and give humans the wealth and leisure time necessary to focus on improving their environment and developing new green technologies? sure. Is it possible that Kyoto-style CO2 restrictions could inhibit this process in developing countries? Are western countries actually wealthier (in real, human health and security terms) now than in previous decades? i'm familiar with Lomborg's arguments (The Skeptical Environmentalist) but can't seem to get a definitive answer about whether he's right....

THE FOUNTAIN: Sneak Peek

benodell — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:55:27 GMT

so...yeah...i saw it....and the Q+A afterwards... If you're eagerly awaiting this one...you'll be happy...Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL to behold... Some of my companions said it was all head, no heart... they never FELT the love between the leads...said the drama was forced, diagramatic...Well, compared to pi and requiem, this was much more deeply felt...it's his best one by far... But, looking back on it, i s'pose i see their point, but it didn't matter to my experience of the movie... I was captivated by the transcendent, shamanic, bardo-like dreamplot... it was filled with deep, timeless archetypes, and he wove them together into a seemless crescendo of spiritual redemption... Even if he never really put flesh-and-blood characters on the screen, i still felt all the emotions of the story DEEPLY... longing, desperation, hope, burning with purpose, transcendent love and devotion... I was immersed in textures, sensual experiences of light and touch... and every moment seemed to be a lesson about attachment, fear, divine longing for atman, and transcendent union... i was amazed... so in the Q+A i asked, "Were the metaphysics of the story pre-conceived? Or did the lessons of the story emerge as you wrote and shot?" Basically, he said he has no spiritual faith or experience. He loves Joseph Campbell and the concept of the hero's journey Most of the images and ideas came to him in the creative process... ...and later, doing research on elements of the story (like Mayan cosmology) he found out that many of his original images were actually major archetypes in ancient spiritual traditions! (e.g. the 'flower scene' is straight out of the mayan myth of creation) call it the collective unconscious... call it the universe working through someone unawares... or call it meaningless monkey mind genetics... (just choose the one that's most empowering and uplifting...) So where did the deep spiritual wisdom in this movie COME FROM if not from the auter? Was it the universe working through him? Well, it seems that there WERE some outside influences... He and the actors did a lot of research at hospices and found that plenty of people who are dying discover a deep peace, a sense that all is right in this eternally unfolding moment...they really do experience "eternity in an hour" and the universe in a grain of sand... Unfortunately, they also found, most dying people's families miss this awakening, continuing to resist the process of death, urging the dying to 'fight.' this research gave birth to some of the most powerful moments in the film... with the help of an uncomprehending messenger, the wisdom of the dying (who glimpse the other side) has made its way to the screen... ENJOY!

Translucent Concrete

benodell — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:54:09 GMT

i want my biomorphic spaceship house to be built from this stuff, with micro-glyphic etchings that trace the movement of sun and moon...yeah... <http://www.boingboing.net/2004/07/08/clear_concrete.html> <http://www.innovationlab.net/sw22811.asp>

OUT OF IRAQ?

benodell — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:48:56 GMT

i read this in harper's recently... mcgovern's plan to swiftly disengage while repairing the country on many different levels... sounds great... summary: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0609/S00444.htm full text: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15430.htm makes sense to me... is it political insanity? or genius?

Classic Infocom Text Adventures ONLINE!

benodell — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:45:34 GMT

if you ever played the old text adventures in the 80s, you will be pleased to know that they have been preserved! they were addictive: clever writing, engaging plots and puzzles... i found myself weeping at the end of one game, having bonded with the characters so much and arrived at a thoroughly satisfying conclusion... check out Zork, Planetfall, or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy if you have a moment... some other amazing games here too...like wacky-retro-dimension-hopping 'leather godesses of phobos' http://www.xs4all.nl/~pot/infocom/ when you start a game, click in the text window to get your cursor going...then you can type instructions... if it says "more" you hit "return" to scroll to next page basic movements: n, s, e, w, ne, se, sw, nw are the directions...or you can type "go northwest" basic language works "open the mailbox" "get the leaflet" "eat the leaflet" "read the leaflet" "put magnet in bag" "examine scrollwork" etc i is inventory l is look 'wait' is useful too HAVE FUN!

is walmart actually that evil?

benodell — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 09:31:19 GMT

a friend recently quit her job when she found out that her company was going to partner with walmart... which i can understand, but i wonder... i've been reading lately that walmart is massively overhauling their shipping practices to reduse waste and carbon impact: http://www.terrapass.com/terrablog/posts/2006/10/walmart-we-see-ourselves-as-an-aggregator-of-carbon.html "A key to Wal-Mart’s success has always been an ability to use its vast scale to drive efficiencies througout the entire supply chain, and the same dynamic is now playing out on the energy realm. Just one example: an internal Wal-Mart lighting team went to a supplier and quickly executed an efficiency plan that cut the suppliers’ utility bill by a whopping 60%." http://www.epa.gov/Region1/pr/2005/nov/dd051101.html >walmart outlaws delivery truck idling at all of its locations, reducing millions of gallons of burned diesel.... and they're also starting to carry lots of organic products... they're the biggest supplier of organic milk in the country! this boosts a lot of positive organic companies that supply them with food and cotton.... but this could also be a problem... the following article raises concerns about wal-mart's price pressure on suppliers... but then it shifts to a happy note at the end...without really assessing the full picture: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/mar2006/nf20060329_6971.htm all of the other articles and blogs i found (in a quick search) shrug their shoulders in the end... there's a nice long reader debate (which i have no time to read right now) after this Grist article: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/5/12/63314/8910 my sense is that, yes, there is the potential for wal-mart to drive down organic prices and push smaller, more responsible suppliers out of business...and there is the potential for the big corporations to gut organic standards--as has already begun to happen: http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm and there's the problem that all this organic food is being shipped (and grown) using fossil fuels.... but this is a snapshot.... radical shifts in energy inputs could happen at any time...whether peak oil or overnight breakthroughs in hydrogen or other alternative fuels... heck, enough biodiesel to fuel the entire country could be made in the salton sea using special algae that remediates runoff from the surrounding mega-farms: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=biodiesel+algae+salton+sea&btnG=Search and since walmart is such a huge entity, it can make MASSIVE positive changes overnight!!! perhaps they aren't an enemy, but a potential ally? they've already made a huge environmental pledge... * To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy. * To create zero waste. * To sell products that sustain our resources and environment. it's just a matter of holding them to it: http://walmartwatch.com/environment all this is to say "Nothing IS evil if it has the capacity to change..."