Copacabana

Sensory extremes

The Washington Times is reporting that World leaders are embracing Bush's statement about slashing gasoline consumption because they believe "climate change poses the most serious threat to the planet."

To the planet? Really?

I'm reposting a speech Michael Crichton gave back in Nov. 2005 that deals with the cult of environmentalism. I'm not saying that humanity shouldn't take pains to protect the planet -- it'd be like neglecting to fix your roof if there's a leak -- but I still think that checking the collective ego and realizing, as George Carlin so succinctly puts it, that the Earth will one day shake us off and she'll still be kicking around in space, probably developing new life forms from her primordial muck that can survive nuclear winters and dangerous levels of UV rays. In other words, we're just not powerful enough to destroy something as magnificent and miraculous as a planet. We can, however, destroy ourselves. And I think that's what this is really all about, don't you?

I saw this movie yesterday -- it was beautiful and fascinating and brutal and upsetting. I like to live most of my days without the reminder that there are times in history and places in the world where children are shot and left to die. For 2 hours Sunday, I was reminded what a delusion that really is. Difficult to watch -- but probably important, too. Best line = "To obey without question ... that is something, Captain, that only people like you can do..."



And, just because he, along with my mother, is one reason that I cannot exist without music in my life, here's a new song my Dad shared this past weekend. He's been going to New Orleans a lot lately. It shows. If you can't listen to it, go out and find it -- Doc Watson's version of St. James' Infirmary. Stirring.

posted by Lola @ 10:58 AM