Over and over I run through this in my mind, and still I come to the same conclusion. The green movement should be embraced by all who consider themselves conservatives. Think about it. Conservative. Conservation. Say those words a few dozen times and you'll notice that there is at least some small similarity, like maybe somehow they might share a uh..whats that thing called...Oh yeah, a root word! Now I'm not sure about you, but I usually take that to mean the two words are SIMILAR!! Lets go a bit deeper.
Lets start with the energy issues involved. We as Americans currently import roughly a shit-ton (I think it's Metric) of oil annually to power our lives. Of that shit-ton, a whole ass-load of this oil is used to help produce electricity to power our buildings (Buildings account for a large majority of the American energy use). Now, lets just pretend for a moment that every building in the country provided 1/10th of it's power from solar panels on their roofs. If my math is correct, that would add up to a grip of oil that we as Americans wouldn't have to buy from some other country. The other effects of this would be: Job creation from installation and servicing of the solar panels, More cash in each Americans pocket, some security from price fluctuations, and lastly a dramatic increase is self sufficiency. All of these effects stand right in line with conservative values.
Next, lets discuss environmental protections. Often,environmental regulations are considered costly and non-business friendly. While for many companies this is true, there is an entire industries based around building and operating equipment that helps other businesses operate in a cleaner fashion. Imagine the economic impact of shutting these guys down. In the coming years, environmental stewardship will foster large quantities of well paying jobs that will be difficult to outsource. This form of economic stimulation is real, and could help keep our country running for a long time.
Finally, lets discuss the food that we eat. Fresh food is healthier. Period. By growing food locally and organically, we as individual communities empower ourselves with the ability to choose what goes into our food. We create a stronger local economy, and we reduce the amount of fuel needed to ship produce (I read that on average, you're food travels 1500-2000 miles to get to you). This independence is both economic and social, creating a stronger, more capable citizenry. Who could argue that that is not a conservative value?
Conserve. Conservative. Hmmmmm....
This page will be a running record of what goes on in my head. Most of it will be gibberish with no value whatsoever, and the rest will be garbage with no value whatsoever.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
The dream
Hearing a strange noise, I turn and walk down a hallway, followed by others I cannot identify. Coming to a door that rests slightly ajar, I push the door open slowly. In shock I stand stock still as the door moves to reveal a man hanging by his neck. This appears to be a recent occurance, I note, as the body is still swinging.
Slowly the body spins, bringing the mans face toward us, revealing a pair of black holes where his eyes should have been. Unlike the hanging, this is definately not recent, because the color is not that of a recently exposed eye socket (why do I know that?)The man wears a horrible grimace, and the dark pits that should have been eyes seem to stare at me accusingly.
Suddenly I realize that I'm waking up, but I cant decide if this is a dream...Or a memory.
Slowly the body spins, bringing the mans face toward us, revealing a pair of black holes where his eyes should have been. Unlike the hanging, this is definately not recent, because the color is not that of a recently exposed eye socket (why do I know that?)The man wears a horrible grimace, and the dark pits that should have been eyes seem to stare at me accusingly.
Suddenly I realize that I'm waking up, but I cant decide if this is a dream...Or a memory.
Rambling..
Troubles with my mind are causing me to start new writings, get a few pages into them, then delete them entirely. I find myself frustrated over the lack of perfect wording, or suitable metaphore. Maybe i will just write, and see what comes out. Fuckin free for all.
Recently, I have found myself in deep thought over the poor and homeless in my country. I find that my mind has a very difficult time accepting the situation as hopeless,rather, I see an issue that is dying for new tactics, ideas, and movements. I have been collecting coats as a warm-up for further actions. Once this drive is wrapped up, I will gather those who took part, and conduct a "lessons learned" meeting, so that the next event will benifit from the knowlege gained in this one. If an attept is made at continual, intentional evolution....I dunno, maybe something great could come of it. i am avoiding the recipt of advice from any who have done this before, in an attempt to try an maximize the potential "out of the box' thinking that I tend to be capable of.
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Recently, I have found myself in deep thought over the poor and homeless in my country. I find that my mind has a very difficult time accepting the situation as hopeless,rather, I see an issue that is dying for new tactics, ideas, and movements. I have been collecting coats as a warm-up for further actions. Once this drive is wrapped up, I will gather those who took part, and conduct a "lessons learned" meeting, so that the next event will benifit from the knowlege gained in this one. If an attept is made at continual, intentional evolution....I dunno, maybe something great could come of it. i am avoiding the recipt of advice from any who have done this before, in an attempt to try an maximize the potential "out of the box' thinking that I tend to be capable of.
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Sunday, August 19, 2007
A fathers pride
"C'mon, stand up! Find a good place for your feet,and stand up! You got it, dont worry so much about your hands, watch your feet!" I say excitedly, as I have with so many others, as they begin their rock climbing lives with me as something of a mentor. "Just trust your feet, and remember that I've got you!"
Like just about everyone else I have put on a rope for the first time, I see the fear in his movements as I shout encouragement upward,with my head craning back to a point just beyond uncomfortable.
In so many ways, he is like everyone else with whom I have shared my passion. Scared, excited, and a little clumsy. But he is very different. He is different, because he's my son, and he has never known life without climbing. Only now it's me looking up at him as he climbs steadily higher,not only facing the challenges....But persuing them. Life is good, and I am proud.
Like just about everyone else I have put on a rope for the first time, I see the fear in his movements as I shout encouragement upward,with my head craning back to a point just beyond uncomfortable.
In so many ways, he is like everyone else with whom I have shared my passion. Scared, excited, and a little clumsy. But he is very different. He is different, because he's my son, and he has never known life without climbing. Only now it's me looking up at him as he climbs steadily higher,not only facing the challenges....But persuing them. Life is good, and I am proud.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Love of money
Who among us hasn't, at some time in our lives, uttered the words "I don't really care about money" or something with a similar point? I know that I have made statements like this dozens of times throughout my twenties, and even more often in adolescence. Well, I would like to go on record ,officially, that I now care about money, and I'd like to explain why.
POWER
Money is, above all other things to me, about power. The greater the financial resources of an individual, the greater the power held by said person. With that said, allow me to discuss power for a moment. If you are struggling to make ends meet and your child falls ill, you have only a limited number of resources at your disposal with which to work. With money, however, you are blessed with more power, in the form of the quantity of resources available to you and your family.
Humanitarianism is another avenue in which ones power is directly proportional to ones wealth. While, indeed, many people have done great things without the greatest funding, money can allow even the most ordinary person to make extra-ordinary contributions to society and mankind in general.
Time is without a doubt, our most valuable resource. Just think of all the time we spend away from the people and activities that make our lives richer and fuller, just so we can earn enough money to pay our bills, and continue with the "Money isn't really important to me" line. Now imagine if you had the kind of money that would allow you to double the amount of time you spend doing the things you truly enjoy. Now that's power!
FREEDOM
When asked about my long term goals, I have a long standing habit of answering first with, "freedom." Recently, I came to the realization that this was probably a little vague, so I decided to explain it, in writing, in a way that will make sense.
The first thing that comes to mind when I speak of freedom, is the freedom from a job. I hope to someday stop working, and the more money I have, the longer it will take for me to gain that freedom.
The second thing I think of, is freedom to relax. With poverty comes an intense level of stress over whether or not the bills will be paid, or how to fund Christmas. While people with money obviously still stress about things,the fundamental survival of their family isn't quite as heavy a burden as it is for the poor.
The third idea of freedom is the freedom to be yourself. We have all heard of the eccentricities of the wealthy, but how do we know they aren't just doing the things we'd all like to do, if only we didn't have to maintain our status in society. Think about it, a wealthy woman who wears strange clothing and behaves unusually is called eccentric, and is generally tolerated, and often adored. Take away that woman's money, and she is just weird, and generally ostracised.
To summarise, I think that every out there who says they don't really care about money, or that money cant buy happiness, should think a little harder. Money can give you time to spend with your family and Friends. Money can allow you to help people. Money can free you from many of life's burdens, and allow you to more fully enjoy this, the only chance you have at living this life.
POWER
Money is, above all other things to me, about power. The greater the financial resources of an individual, the greater the power held by said person. With that said, allow me to discuss power for a moment. If you are struggling to make ends meet and your child falls ill, you have only a limited number of resources at your disposal with which to work. With money, however, you are blessed with more power, in the form of the quantity of resources available to you and your family.
Humanitarianism is another avenue in which ones power is directly proportional to ones wealth. While, indeed, many people have done great things without the greatest funding, money can allow even the most ordinary person to make extra-ordinary contributions to society and mankind in general.
Time is without a doubt, our most valuable resource. Just think of all the time we spend away from the people and activities that make our lives richer and fuller, just so we can earn enough money to pay our bills, and continue with the "Money isn't really important to me" line. Now imagine if you had the kind of money that would allow you to double the amount of time you spend doing the things you truly enjoy. Now that's power!
FREEDOM
When asked about my long term goals, I have a long standing habit of answering first with, "freedom." Recently, I came to the realization that this was probably a little vague, so I decided to explain it, in writing, in a way that will make sense.
The first thing that comes to mind when I speak of freedom, is the freedom from a job. I hope to someday stop working, and the more money I have, the longer it will take for me to gain that freedom.
The second thing I think of, is freedom to relax. With poverty comes an intense level of stress over whether or not the bills will be paid, or how to fund Christmas. While people with money obviously still stress about things,the fundamental survival of their family isn't quite as heavy a burden as it is for the poor.
The third idea of freedom is the freedom to be yourself. We have all heard of the eccentricities of the wealthy, but how do we know they aren't just doing the things we'd all like to do, if only we didn't have to maintain our status in society. Think about it, a wealthy woman who wears strange clothing and behaves unusually is called eccentric, and is generally tolerated, and often adored. Take away that woman's money, and she is just weird, and generally ostracised.
To summarise, I think that every out there who says they don't really care about money, or that money cant buy happiness, should think a little harder. Money can give you time to spend with your family and Friends. Money can allow you to help people. Money can free you from many of life's burdens, and allow you to more fully enjoy this, the only chance you have at living this life.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Memorial day road trip, Part 1
This Memorial Day, my family and I joined the masses and took a road trip for the long weekend. After looking into a few different areas, we decided on the Colorado National Monument, just West of Gran Junction in Western Colorado.
Having experienced a couple of National Parks, we were prepared for the crowds that were sure to block our every attempt at solitude. What we found, however, was a delightful surprise. Pulling into the ranger station, we were told that the campground rarely filled up, and that large crowds were pretty unusual here in this park. Thrilled by this news, we began the drive into the park.
As an avid rock climber, I immediately noticed the size and variety of the rock walls that formed the rim of the canyon. This was unlike any place I had seen. Hundreds of feet tall, with the reddish color that we Coloradans have become so familiar with, these rocks stood everywhere. The farther we drove into the park, the louder our “oohs” and “ahhs” became as every corner we turned revealed another majestic view with increasingly large rocks. After a few minutes of driving, we came upon the campground, and turned in its direction.
We decided to see what each loop had to offer before we decided on a space, and so we began the drive around each of the three loops. After going around loops A and B, we entered loop C with no expectation of what we were about to find. After spotting a couple good spots, we turned a corner and discovered the lookout over Monument Valley. Before us stood towers of sandstone that stood alone, hundreds of feet tall like some strange reminder of the giant dinosaurs that once roamed this area.
After we managed to pick our jaws up off the ground, we went back around and set up camp, as near the overlook as we could get, in anticipation of the next mornings sunrise photo-shoot we had planned. Within moments of our arrival in camp, we were greeted by a lizard that managed to show up and entertain us several times throughout the trip. Seeming to have no fear of us, it posed for photos, and did a strange dance for us, providing us with hours of entertainment
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Things I learned as an adult, about the things I learned as a kid
I have recently found myself questioning some of the things that I have considered true, based on lessons and experiences of my childhood and adolescence. This got me to thinking about all the other beliefs I once held, and have chanced since I entered the adult world.
Childhood belief #1 - Cops are assholes.
Adult perspective – So are many firefighters, doctors, carpenters and beggars. A person’s vocation has nothing to do with their personality. While many people say that cops often act too aggressively, I ask, wouldn’t you? If every person I encountered in my daily life was a potential enemy, I would be a little aggressive also.
Childhood belief #2 - The rich are greedy.
Adult perspective- So are the poor! In fact, I say the poor are even greedier. Most wealth in this country is first generation, meaning the rich guy made his own money. No matter if they made their fortunes with an idea, a business, or a novel, they had to compete with other ideas, businesses, or novels. In order to make their fortunes, their money making vehicle had to serve an ever increasing pool of people, or they would stop making money.
The employees of these companies, on the other hand, often expect to see their salaries increase regularly, often for no increase in productivity! In other words, while the business owner must constantly find a way to serve more of his product to more people for a more competitive price, the employee asks for more money while the change in their productivity often goes unchanged. I’ll bet the business owner would like to increase his income without increasing his output! So who’s really the greedy one?
Childhood belief #3 - I’m basically an adult.
Adult perspective- This might have been the dumbest thing I ever said. Ever. At 16 or 17, I thought that having a job, paying some bills, and making some rudimentary decisions on my own somehow signified adulthood.
Marriage, fatherhood, car payments, career decisions and a mortgage have all served to open my eyes to the reality of adulthood. This status of maturity is not as simple the ability to perform some basic requirements. The weight of your decisions increases significantly when the consequences of your actions begin to affect not just you, but your family, home, and future. I read somewhere that in ancient Jewish cultures, a man could not be a judge until he fathered at least two children. This was because only in fatherhood and marriage could one gain the maturity, empathy and compassion necessary to judge other people.
Childhood belief #4 – My friends are my family.
Adult perspective- No, they’re not. While indeed, some friendships may last a lifetime and grow continuously richer and more fulfilling, this is the exception. For the most part, as you grow older, your friends will slowly fade away, being replaced by new relationships in the form of romantic interests, professional associations, and new friendships based upon things more relevant to your adult life. The simple fact is, people change. With that change in our personalities often comes a resistance to the changes in others’ lives and perceptions. Eventually this leads to a decline in the regularity of communication, which further widens the gap between what were once very close friendships. Often when this gap grows too wide, it will sever the relationship entirely.
Obviously, these views are mine, and they probably don’t apply to you’re life. I think we all undergo so many changes in the course of our lives that we are often different people from one phase of our lives to the next. What do you think?
Childhood belief #1 - Cops are assholes.
Adult perspective – So are many firefighters, doctors, carpenters and beggars. A person’s vocation has nothing to do with their personality. While many people say that cops often act too aggressively, I ask, wouldn’t you? If every person I encountered in my daily life was a potential enemy, I would be a little aggressive also.
Childhood belief #2 - The rich are greedy.
Adult perspective- So are the poor! In fact, I say the poor are even greedier. Most wealth in this country is first generation, meaning the rich guy made his own money. No matter if they made their fortunes with an idea, a business, or a novel, they had to compete with other ideas, businesses, or novels. In order to make their fortunes, their money making vehicle had to serve an ever increasing pool of people, or they would stop making money.
The employees of these companies, on the other hand, often expect to see their salaries increase regularly, often for no increase in productivity! In other words, while the business owner must constantly find a way to serve more of his product to more people for a more competitive price, the employee asks for more money while the change in their productivity often goes unchanged. I’ll bet the business owner would like to increase his income without increasing his output! So who’s really the greedy one?
Childhood belief #3 - I’m basically an adult.
Adult perspective- This might have been the dumbest thing I ever said. Ever. At 16 or 17, I thought that having a job, paying some bills, and making some rudimentary decisions on my own somehow signified adulthood.
Marriage, fatherhood, car payments, career decisions and a mortgage have all served to open my eyes to the reality of adulthood. This status of maturity is not as simple the ability to perform some basic requirements. The weight of your decisions increases significantly when the consequences of your actions begin to affect not just you, but your family, home, and future. I read somewhere that in ancient Jewish cultures, a man could not be a judge until he fathered at least two children. This was because only in fatherhood and marriage could one gain the maturity, empathy and compassion necessary to judge other people.
Childhood belief #4 – My friends are my family.
Adult perspective- No, they’re not. While indeed, some friendships may last a lifetime and grow continuously richer and more fulfilling, this is the exception. For the most part, as you grow older, your friends will slowly fade away, being replaced by new relationships in the form of romantic interests, professional associations, and new friendships based upon things more relevant to your adult life. The simple fact is, people change. With that change in our personalities often comes a resistance to the changes in others’ lives and perceptions. Eventually this leads to a decline in the regularity of communication, which further widens the gap between what were once very close friendships. Often when this gap grows too wide, it will sever the relationship entirely.
Obviously, these views are mine, and they probably don’t apply to you’re life. I think we all undergo so many changes in the course of our lives that we are often different people from one phase of our lives to the next. What do you think?
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