I want to be a waiter for a minute. Actually, not just any waiter - but a waiter in the style of the guy in the famous George Best story that he used to tell against (kind of) himself.
If we assume that global warming is a reality and that we have had a significant influence in creating the situation it does beg the question "where did it all go wrong ?" ... at what point on the road to here should we have turned off ?
Personally I love Douglas Adams commentary on this ... "some feel that coming down out of the trees was a mistake - there are even those who claim that the moment we left the oceans we were on a downward spiral" (I paraphrase).
If we retrace our steps was there any point where we could have gone a different direction and avoided this situation.
Is this "naval gazing" a worthwhile exercise ? Only if it helps to inform us for the "decision making" ahead.
It is very difficult to see how. It has been part of human nature to want to get ahead. To do something quicker, or more economically, or with less effort, etc. This is the underlying "force of progress".
It would seem, then, that our only hope of NOT arriving here would have been to deal with the driver that got us here : "progressional force".
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, September 7, 2007
Another "Save the Planet" Oddity
I know less of this topic than most as I tend not to come into much contact with "the media". However, I do listen to the radio to and from work and so get about 1 hr a day of "news".
As is usual with the 4th Estate there is the drive to find a new angle on regular topics. The "new angle" on this one (i.e. the Global Warming Debate) seems to be that it has no basis in reality - or that humanity is having no impact on global warming.
One of the key arguments seems to be that it is just well-orchestrated hype (tautological ??).
For hype to exist on a global scale - such as is in this instance - there must be a strong commercial interest behind it. Who/what is the interest behind the "Oh-we're-all-gonna-die-if-we-don't-stop-sriving-SUVs" brigade ? I can't see it.
On the contrary, the overwhelming majority of commercial interests seems to lie on the side of carbon/fossil fuel industries.
Which seems to be a very strong indicator that the story being told by the other side is, for the most part, an accurate prediction based on empirical evidence :
we are having a direct negative impact on our planets climate.
As is usual with the 4th Estate there is the drive to find a new angle on regular topics. The "new angle" on this one (i.e. the Global Warming Debate) seems to be that it has no basis in reality - or that humanity is having no impact on global warming.
One of the key arguments seems to be that it is just well-orchestrated hype (tautological ??).
For hype to exist on a global scale - such as is in this instance - there must be a strong commercial interest behind it. Who/what is the interest behind the "Oh-we're-all-gonna-die-if-we-don't-stop-sriving-SUVs" brigade ? I can't see it.
On the contrary, the overwhelming majority of commercial interests seems to lie on the side of carbon/fossil fuel industries.
Which seems to be a very strong indicator that the story being told by the other side is, for the most part, an accurate prediction based on empirical evidence :
we are having a direct negative impact on our planets climate.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
How Stupid is the Car Industry
Ok, for the sake of argument, lets just go with the wacky conspiracy theorists that ALL the scientists have got it wrong on Global Warming. Let's just imagine that there is some all-powerful interest behind all the overwhelming evidence that we are contributing to climate change at a more rapid rate than we will be able to deal with.
Even from that position it is obvious that carbon fuel is a diminishing resource.
Now if I was in an industry that was built around the ease-of-portability of oil/gas as a fuel, that relied almost exclusively on it, I would be doing all within my power to reduce the usage of that resource for other energy requirements. I would want to reserve all future oil for the sole purpose of transport. I would DRIVE the "green initiative".
But not the car industry.
No.
They don't see anything wrong with all the industrial, commercial and residential burning of oil.
They don't see that when we reduce our oil bill for heating, lighting, etc that it actually increases the longevity of their products.
DUHHH !
Even from that position it is obvious that carbon fuel is a diminishing resource.
Now if I was in an industry that was built around the ease-of-portability of oil/gas as a fuel, that relied almost exclusively on it, I would be doing all within my power to reduce the usage of that resource for other energy requirements. I would want to reserve all future oil for the sole purpose of transport. I would DRIVE the "green initiative".
But not the car industry.
No.
They don't see anything wrong with all the industrial, commercial and residential burning of oil.
They don't see that when we reduce our oil bill for heating, lighting, etc that it actually increases the longevity of their products.
DUHHH !
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Do you Believe in God
Well, that question is just so deep - and full of nuances and mis-conceptions!
There are many ways in answering that - all valid, correct and yet incomplete.
You are asking me do I believe in God ?
In answer to to your direct question ...
Firstly: of Course I do. To be alive is to believe in God. Life is God and God is life. So much so that I think that at the moment of death is where you "decide" ... or where it is determined what happens in the hereafter. It's kind of like the phenomenon of one's "life flashing in front of ones eyes" is the final calculation of where you want to go based on all your lifes thoughts, words, actions. Not sure about you, but I am not too confident I will measure up well on this love-audit!
Secondly: of course I don't believe in God. Do you honestly think if I believe in God I would live my life the way I do ? I have a house which cost half a mill, we drive two cars, I spend my weekdays on the mammon-chasing treadmill, I smoke, I gossip, I get angry, I could go on like this forever.
[There is a far better (and for me original) "post" of this thought-thread in the wonderful "The way of the pilgrim". If I can digress on that note for a second, I LOVE that book. Whenever I am feeling low or spun-out or washed up, or confused or adrift I just have to start reading it anywhere and it brings me back. I have a really old copy. I am not sure if it is down to the actual writing on it's own or if the love of the previous owners and their positive presence is somehow contained and passed on through it.]
But going back to your original question ... really you are asking me do I think I believe in God or maybe do I want to believe in God ....
... by asking me a question, any question, you are addressing my conscious cerebral self which is just a small part of me. And all that "it" answers is based on it's very limited ability and knowledge. All that it is is the interface between the physical and the spiritual. And unfortunately it has it's own agenda too. And given it's own agenda, it can't really be answerable for the rest of me - the totally honest other two-thirds ... the physical and the spiritual. It's agenda is driven by what turn's it on, what lights its candle, what stimulates it ... what drives the oxygen to the brain.
And of course it has dominated me to the level that I totally identify with that side of me.
So, ask me when I'm open or susceptible to flirting with the attractive gender ... when I am looking at or talking to someone who awakens my sensuality ... then, the thought of reflecting on this persons spirit as opposed to what I would prefer to see them as or think of them being ... well God kind of gets in the way.
Ask me when I am worried about a situation I'm in and my thoughts are tending to an adverserial showdown of some kind, then God gets left to one side.
Ask me when my job nudges me to be more manipulative of others wants and needs to obtain advantage for myself, then I guess I'm embarrassed to say that I turn my back on God.
And yes, I use the physical and spiritual to back me up wherever possible. I do whatever I want to get my way ... always. And in so doing I corrupt these other wonderful aspects of myself.
But more and more, as I become more aware of the wonder that surrounds us I DO want to believe in God. I DO want to let myself go into the mystery.
There are many ways in answering that - all valid, correct and yet incomplete.
You are asking me do I believe in God ?
In answer to to your direct question ...
Firstly: of Course I do. To be alive is to believe in God. Life is God and God is life. So much so that I think that at the moment of death is where you "decide" ... or where it is determined what happens in the hereafter. It's kind of like the phenomenon of one's "life flashing in front of ones eyes" is the final calculation of where you want to go based on all your lifes thoughts, words, actions. Not sure about you, but I am not too confident I will measure up well on this love-audit!
Secondly: of course I don't believe in God. Do you honestly think if I believe in God I would live my life the way I do ? I have a house which cost half a mill, we drive two cars, I spend my weekdays on the mammon-chasing treadmill, I smoke, I gossip, I get angry, I could go on like this forever.
[There is a far better (and for me original) "post" of this thought-thread in the wonderful "The way of the pilgrim". If I can digress on that note for a second, I LOVE that book. Whenever I am feeling low or spun-out or washed up, or confused or adrift I just have to start reading it anywhere and it brings me back. I have a really old copy. I am not sure if it is down to the actual writing on it's own or if the love of the previous owners and their positive presence is somehow contained and passed on through it.]
But going back to your original question ... really you are asking me do I think I believe in God or maybe do I want to believe in God ....
... by asking me a question, any question, you are addressing my conscious cerebral self which is just a small part of me. And all that "it" answers is based on it's very limited ability and knowledge. All that it is is the interface between the physical and the spiritual. And unfortunately it has it's own agenda too. And given it's own agenda, it can't really be answerable for the rest of me - the totally honest other two-thirds ... the physical and the spiritual. It's agenda is driven by what turn's it on, what lights its candle, what stimulates it ... what drives the oxygen to the brain.
And of course it has dominated me to the level that I totally identify with that side of me.
So, ask me when I'm open or susceptible to flirting with the attractive gender ... when I am looking at or talking to someone who awakens my sensuality ... then, the thought of reflecting on this persons spirit as opposed to what I would prefer to see them as or think of them being ... well God kind of gets in the way.
Ask me when I am worried about a situation I'm in and my thoughts are tending to an adverserial showdown of some kind, then God gets left to one side.
Ask me when my job nudges me to be more manipulative of others wants and needs to obtain advantage for myself, then I guess I'm embarrassed to say that I turn my back on God.
And yes, I use the physical and spiritual to back me up wherever possible. I do whatever I want to get my way ... always. And in so doing I corrupt these other wonderful aspects of myself.
But more and more, as I become more aware of the wonder that surrounds us I DO want to believe in God. I DO want to let myself go into the mystery.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Why am I annoying ?!
I was dropping off our youngest at the childminders today and as I was leaving we were having small talk and my childminder said to my daughter "I find your Daddy annoying".
She is not the first to have said this. I would love to know why some people find me annoying ! I don't find it particularly hurtful or even annoying, it's just that from an academic perspective I'd love to know what it is that I say/do that rubs people up the wrong way.
Of course, I should just ask, but it's very difficult to to see the value of asking. I figure that
She is not the first to have said this. I would love to know why some people find me annoying ! I don't find it particularly hurtful or even annoying, it's just that from an academic perspective I'd love to know what it is that I say/do that rubs people up the wrong way.
Of course, I should just ask, but it's very difficult to to see the value of asking. I figure that
- it's such an off-the-cuff remark that even the "remarker" might not be sure why
- if I was to ask, the remarker might feel it's too hurtful to say why
- I am too shy to challenge someone directly
- by challenging them I might be even MORE annoying
Ho hum ...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
waking up
tailed back with wipers doing double time
a coatless passerby mumbles and blesses himself repeatedly
"what a nutter" i think
as I draw deeply on my third smoke
a coatless passerby mumbles and blesses himself repeatedly
"what a nutter" i think
as I draw deeply on my third smoke
Monday, February 26, 2007
Vista: Microsoft pushing the envelope on acceptability AGAIN
Vista:
1. a whole new way to do VERY similar stuff: more time has been spent in making needless cosmetic changes to justify the hefty price that comes with the product.
WHY ? because they feel that if they didn't make it LOOK different then it would be perceived as not worth buying into.
What they fail to see in these spurious changes are the costs to millions of users in dealing with changes that will bring ZERO return to business.
2. if you are buying from the big guys (e.g. Dell) you are FORCED to have Vista as the OS. But XP was working perfectly for me and my clients.
3. Your older applications which you shelled out €$£'s for a couple of years ago and are working perfectly are no longer usable under Vista : Outlook 2002 will NEVER save your password.
4. The printer you bought only a couple of years ago has no driver that will run under Vista yet. While the manufacturer has stated that one will be ready in April, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do until then.
Please: if you have the option:
1. a whole new way to do VERY similar stuff: more time has been spent in making needless cosmetic changes to justify the hefty price that comes with the product.
WHY ? because they feel that if they didn't make it LOOK different then it would be perceived as not worth buying into.
What they fail to see in these spurious changes are the costs to millions of users in dealing with changes that will bring ZERO return to business.
2. if you are buying from the big guys (e.g. Dell) you are FORCED to have Vista as the OS. But XP was working perfectly for me and my clients.
3. Your older applications which you shelled out €$£'s for a couple of years ago and are working perfectly are no longer usable under Vista : Outlook 2002 will NEVER save your password.
4. The printer you bought only a couple of years ago has no driver that will run under Vista yet. While the manufacturer has stated that one will be ready in April, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do until then.
Please: if you have the option:
- BOYCOTT this product.
- Hold back on any upgrades until absolutely necessary.
- Review the Linux option - if you can absorb the set up cost it will free you for life from this bully-boy marketing.
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