It's a stinking hot day at Falling Downs. Too hot to work. The chores pile up. Need to focus on getting wood in for the winter. That job is way behind. The bat cave needs attention. Way too hot up there today. There'll be a rainy day soon. Good day for idle speculation, quiet rumination.
I'll be keeping an eye on the NASCAR race in New Hampshire. I love New Hampshire. Live free or die. Very liberal place. Back in the seventies it was one of the few states you could drive through in a Subaru without getting beat up. I still appreciate them for that. No Subarus in NASCAR yet, but Toyota's a pretty big deal, so who knows? Ya gotta love NASCAR. Orgiastic celebration of late capitalism. The high-banked oval is to the American empire what the Colosseum was to the Roman empire. Disconcerting to see so many empty seats at the big events. Hard times for the masses. Still, I'm rootin' for Mark Martin. He's the old guy. I pretty much cheer for the old guy in any of the manly arts these days. Speaking of manly arts, waydago Rocketman for beating that Grand Jury nonsense. Roger might be a bit of a tool in many ways, but he knows how to throw a ball, and both Congress and grand juries should have lots better things to do with their time and the taxpayers money.
But I digress. Engagement. Why do we care about the things we care about? A while back there was a big old snapping turtle digging herself a nest on the shoulder of the road right here in front of Falling Downs. It took her hours. Total engagement. You could have walked up to her and hit her with a bat, she wouldn't have noticed. Coulda drove over her with the truck; she woulda kept digging. Total 100% engagement in her work. Next morning there's a raccoon there digging up the turtle eggs. Again, total engagement. You coulda walked up to it and hit it with a bat, which I did. Then I ran over it with the truck. I was rooting for the turtle. Ironically, both the turtles and the raccoons will be thriving here at Falling Downs long after the nuke plant down the road does a Fukushima and vaporizes all the bipeds for 1000 miles around.
Which brings me to George Monbiot. Monbiot writes here and there about environmental issues. He's committed, he's passionate, he is super-engaged. I don't know why he cares about the environment, but I have no doubt that he does. Yet, this super-engaged super-environmentalist, writing shortly after the Fukushima melt-down, came to the conclusion that this disaster proves the need for more nuclear power!!!
Now, I'm not a particularly flaming big-time greenie, but I am an environmental pragmatist, and I was enraged. How is it possible, long before the radioactive dust has settled, to declare that the melt-down of one nuclear power station proves the need for more nuclear power stations? This beggars comprehension. This is a full-throttle power-slide down Stupid Street.
On reflection I have concluded that for all his environmentalist cred, deep down Monbiot believes in progress. And isn't that the modern way? Lets rush into stuff we know next to nothing about. There's not a moment to lose. There are billions of dollars to be made. Times a'wastin'... Goldman Sachs will put together a construction finance package for us... yesiree... go go go.... There's recoverable oil in them thar tar sands? 500 years worth? Quick -let's dig it all up in a generation. Frac gas? Let's get it all! NOW!!!
What's up with this attitude? It's gonna kill us. Where is the long-term view? Here at Falling Downs nothing is Round-up Ready. The apples and pears don't get sprayed. The cows walk around eating grass that's never been treated with anything. There'll never be anything genetically modified planted here as long as I have anything to say about it. Why? Because I want my descendants 100, 500, or 1000 years from now to have the opportunity to farm land that hasn't been ruined by the maximize-returns-at-all-costs mentality. Or somebody else's descendants. Doesn't matter. The point is we need to save the land.
Speaking of progress, gullibility, greed and willful stupidity, I found this howler in a column by Azam Ahmed in the NYT, "Banks like Goldman Sachs are marketing tools engineered to protect investors". Hmmm... of course they are, Azam! By the way, how would you like to be an altar boy, Azzie? It's ok - I'm a priest. Trust me. If you're good maybe I'll let you see my sceptre...
Mark Martin is back from two laps down running 14 seconds behind the leaders. Thirty to go.
Engage. Enrage. Stay tuned.
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