No Comprende

There's one particular TV commercial that I simply do not understand. It's for the drug, Valtrex, a medication for sufferers of genital herpes.

According to the ad, the benefit of taking a daily dose of Valtrex is that it will help the infected person not spread the virus to others. On the surface, that sounds like a great benefit and a sure reason to ask one's doctor to prescribe it.

But the disclaimers basically contradict the premise of such benefits. For example, we're told there is no cure for genital herpes, so how does Valtrex help to alleviate the disease?

More importantly, potential users are warned that during an outbreak or if the infected person sees the signs of an impending outbreak, the best way not to spread the virus is to avoid sexual activity. This is good advice. So, what role does Valtrex play?

I mean, if an infected person forgoes sexual activity as suggested, it's immaterial whether or not they take the drug.

What am I missing?

(Hmm. No blog entries for over a month and now two within less than 1 hour.)

Striking Up a Conversation

I should know better than to strike up an innocent conversation with a stranger. Any more, it seems to get me in trouble. I'm just trying to be friendly, but I keep running into people who have agendas...often religious ones.

Take yesterday as an example. My wife & I had just returned home from running errands. I noticed the sound of mowers coming from behind our house. This struck me as a bit odd since no one lives behind us. It turned out that the woman who owns the abandoned turn-of-the century home (catty corner from our back) asked two local guys to keep the yard mowed.

I went out on my deck and yelled to the older fellow, "Have my dogs kept you entertained?" (I asked this innocent question because one of my dogs is an incessant barker. It drives me crazy. We had left the back door open so the two dogs that had stayed home could get out to run around the backyard and handle their "business".)

The guy laughed and said that the black one had been quite animated at their presence. I smiled and was just about to go back into the house to make myself some lunch when the a-g-e-n-d-a arose.

Fellow: Lived here long?
Me: Not real long. My wife & I bought this house about 8 months ago.
Fellow: From around here?
Me: We moved here from Aberdeen and, before that, from Salem, OR.
Fellow: (Drum roll, please) Do you attend a local church?
Me: No.
Fellow: Why not?
Me: Because I'm a Taoist.
Fellow: A what?
Me: A Taoist.
Fellow: What's a Taoist?

I then explained what a Taoist was and thought that would be that. But, oh no, the conversation continued.

Fellow: Have you been a Taoist your whole life?
Me: No. If you must know, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church.
Fellow: What caused you to turn away from God?
Me: I realized that believing in an invisible "father" was wholly irrational and asinine.
Fellow: Sounds to me like you must have had a bad experience with your church.
Me: Not at all. I simply decided that Christianity, like all religions, was nonsensical to me.

I went on to explain that, after my undergraduate studies, I had given serious thought to enter seminary to become a minister. I came to realize though that I really didn't believe in most of the tenets of the Christian belief system, so I became a social worker.

Fellow: So how did you learn about this Tao thing?
Me: One day I was walking by my favorite book store in Salem and noticed one particular book in the window, "The Idiot's Guide to Taoism". Something caused me to go in to buy the book -- maybe it's because I'm idiot. As I read the book, I realized I had been a Taoist my whole life; I just didn't know it.
Fellow: In the ways of God, we're all idiots. My name's (I've already forgotten his name). I'm the Youth Pastor of (one of the local churches). Would you be interested in coming to our church one Sunday?
Me: No.
Fellow: Why not?
Me: Because I'm not a Christian.

At this juncture, Mr. Youth Pastor adopted a weird stance, one that seemed to fly in the face of rationality.

Fellow: Do you have a lot of friends?
Me: I don't know what you define as "a lot". I still don't know that many people here, but I've got a lot of friends all over Washington and Oregon.
Fellow: Well, if you came to our church, I bet you'd have a lot more friends in the area.
Me: That's a very poor reason to go to church. I mean that's not the point. A person should go to church if the particular religion speaks to them in a deep and sacred way.
Fellow: That's true, but if you decided to come, I bet God would make himself known to you.
Me: I don't believe in God, so I think that's highly unlikely.

The conversation lagged on for another 30 minutes because this fellow wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He kept trying different gambits to get me to agree to attend his church. Finally, he started to get the message.

Fellow: Sounds to me that you're against religion.
Me: Ya think?
Fellow: Why is that?
Me: Taoists don't run around telling other people what and how to believe. They don't nag at complete strangers to attend their meetings. I came out here to be friendly and all I've gotten for my trouble is to be harangued by you for not believing as you do.
Fellow: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you. I just wanted to share the Good News.
Me: If it's Good News for you, fine. You're free to believe how you want, but it's blather to me. I don't find it compelling nor of any interest.

I don't want to make it sound more negative than it truly was. We shook hands and he mentioned that we could pick up the conversation next time he came to mow. That's not very likely as I won't make the mistake of venturing outside when I see him next.

What ever happened to conversations about the weather?

The World By Our Fingertips

A lot can be said about the internet -- both good and bad. On the negative side of the ledger, the internet has pushed people farther apart. While it is true that you can converse with individuals you most likely would never meet (e.g., someone thousands of miles away), this lack of platonic intimacy allows people to write things they would NEVER say to a person's face. It's very unfortunate indeed that a great many people revel in this kind of virtual anonymity by viciously attacking anyone who happens by.

On the plus side, however, the internet has brought libraries home to anyone with an internet connection. Need to find a new recipe for stuffed peppers? Need to look up a phone number or address? Looking for a new pair of socks or jeans? You can find all this and more with a few mouse clicks.

For someone like me -- who loves to do research AND who lives in a small town in a rural county far from a quality library -- my computer and the internet have become the closest of friends! Almost anything I might need (job) or want (interest) to look up, I can find, if I'm patient.

Just yesterday, I watched a documentary on The Weather Channel about the famed "Serum Run of 1925". According to Wikipedia,

During the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the "Great Race of Mercy", 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs relayed diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles (1,085 km) by dog sled across the U.S. territory of Alaska in a record-breaking five and a half days, saving the small city of Nome and the surrounding communities from an incipient epidemic. Both the mushers and their dogs were portrayed as heroes in the newly popular medium of radio, and received headline coverage in newspapers across the United States. Balto, the lead sled dog on the final stretch into Nome, became the most famous canine celebrity of the era after Rin Tin Tin, and his statue is still one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City's Central Park. The publicity also helped spur an inoculation campaign in the U.S. that dramatically reduced the threat of the disease.

After watching the documentary, I wanted to learn more about the one musher who covered more distance than any other, Leonhard Seppala. Among the many facts I learned was that Seppala lived his last years in Ballard, Washington (a section of Seattle). A Norwegian friend of mine lives there now and I emailed her to ask if she ever met the man!

Were it not for the internet and the world wide web, I would have known very little about the Serum Run, other than what I watched on TV. And this is but one example that is representative of many such occurrences.

Knock, Knock Who's There?

As today is the holiest of holy days in Christendom, it got me to thinking about the "rapture". Since, according to the bible, most people of his day didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah back then, why do present day Christians think they will recognize him during the second coming?

By almost all accounts, this Jewish carpenter had a decidedly small following and, even amongst his own followers, many didn't view him as the son of "God" -- He was simply a wise teacher and a sage. Even after the "resurrection", most people still didn't view him as anything divine or special. So I ask again, why do contemporary Christians think they will be any different?

For one thing, whose to say that he hasn't already come and gone? Because so few people recognized him for who he is, he just threw up his hands in frustration!

For another thing -- if you even believe in these fairy tales -- do people think he will send out an advance team to work up a big pr campaign announcing his arrival? Are they expecting the kind of spectacle that one might see on Super Bowl Sunday? Are they expecting the right wing blogosphere to create an internet event of epic proportions?

My guess is that, if the second coming ever came to pass, contemporary right-wing Christian zealots, who chortle incessantly about the impending rapture, wouldn't even bat an eyelash. They would summarily dismiss this obvious crackpot or lunatic. Others would froth at the mouth and mount an extensive "Swift Boat" campaign declaring that this person was not the second coming of the Messiah at all, but the antichrist himself.

No Back and Forth for Me

The other day -- whilst taking a break from a marathon research session -- I was flipping around the TV dial and came upon the movie, Back to the Future. Yes, I know, we're not talking about about an Oscar-winning flick, but it's one I've enjoyed many times...that is, if I don't think about it very deeply.

While the film is a rather whimsical look at "time travel", it suffers from the same fatal flaw that all books and movies of this genre suffer from -- there's one variable not accounted for.

The person who leaves "today" for their trip to past or future can never return again. Of course, their body can return to the appointed time, but their consciousness is forever altered. For example, in Back to the Future, Marty changes some past events by his very presence, yet, when he returns to the "present", his consciousness is not altered.

Everything around him is changed. His parents have different personae as do his two siblings. The bully of his father's youth is now dad's gofer. Yet, for all these critical changes, Marty is the same. His consciousness basically is unchanged from the time he left.

As Taoism teaches and commonsense reveals, every action taken creates a ripple effect. It spreads out from the original point in ways we are unable to fathom. This is the prime lesson in the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life, in which George Bailey gets to see what life would be like had he never have been born.

Returning to Back to the Future, if Marty McFly's parents had tread a different path, the Marty that returned to the future wouldn't have been the same Marty that left for the past!

Moving beyond the fantasy of film, this same principle applies to real life. I don't know how many times I've heard a friend ask the question, What if s/he had done such and such a thing at a critical point in life instead of the path that was chosen? The friend then tells you how they imagine their life would be so different.

Unlike most people, I don't spend a lot of time looking back. What has been done was done and, rightly or wrong, it's led me to the present point. I realize intuitively that had I chosen a different path, I wouldn't be in the same place right now and, thus, could not even entertain the question.

For me, this is why second guessing our life's choices is an utter waste of time. If we had chosen a different path at any point -- whether we deem it significant or not -- our lives may have gone off in an entirely different direction and none of us would have even the tiniest inkling what that direction might be.

So, I try to embrace the present without spending too much time thinking about the past or future. I can't change my past and I can only influence the future when it becomes the present.

I Love A Rainy Day

Over the past several days we've received about an inch or more of rain each day. At times, it comes in torrents. At other times, it just comes and comes and comes. I'm not suggesting this is abnormal -- it's typical winter weather here on the south Washington coast.

What strikes me as interesting is that the environment here just soaks it up like a sponge. In order for this area to have flooding problems, we've got to be hit by week long monsoons, one right after the other.

Compare this to other parts of the U.S. If my friend Carlotta saw this much rain, she'd be flooded out of her house for sure. Carlotta lives in suburban Phoenix and rain is not something they see all that often.

About 13 years ago, my wife Della & I lived in Pendleton, OR. That region averages about 12 inches of precipitation per annum, most of it in the form of snow. I can remember a time or two when an inch or so fell over a 24 hour period. You would have thought we were living in biblical times and we should head for the ark!

Even in the Midwest, the copious amount of rain we've received thus far this calendar year (probably about 15-20 inches in 5 weeks) would be causing a lot of concern. People would be eying the nearest levy and, possibly, filling lots of sandbags.

It just goes to show that every place is different. What would strain one area is perfectly natural for another. It's a lesson we humans should really embrace.

Everything has its time and everything has its place.

Out of Time

While time itself is a human construct, this human is having difficulty with finding the time to do several things. My life keeps changing in dramatic ways, though this isn't saying much since change is the way of the world.

When I started this blog, I had a lot of time on my hands. I needed something to keep me engaged with the world around me. In essence, I needed a vehicle that provided me with a mechanism to climb outside my own head. So, most days, I dutifully wrote at least one entry.

In the past 6 months, however, time has been at a premium for me. I've added two part-time jobs and my income has tripled (not that this says much -- I'm still poor). So, I now have 3 jobs plus all my various volunteer duties as State Treasurer of the Green Party of Washington State. It leaves little time to share my thoughts here.

It's not that I don't still have thoughts to share with the world! There are many blog entries swirling in my head almost every day and, on many days, I've planned to pen an entry. It usually ends up, though, that I run out of time and mental energy.

So, on the one hand, I could decide to shutdown The Rambling Taoist. Blogs come and go daily. The world wouldn't stop spinning if there was no TRT. But I realize that each aspect of our lives has its OWN time and TRT may have its time again. So, it will remain here and I will share my thoughts on it as time allows.

One of my new jobs is with the Green Institute. I'm the Researcher for GreenPRO. It's the kind of job I think most people would find mundane, but, for a research maven like me, it's a dream job! I spend hours each day trolling the web for progressive local policies, programs, resolutions and ordinances to add to our ever-growing online database. By the end of today, we should have over 800 entries!!

So, if you wanted to know where most of my blog entry energy has gone, check out GreenPRO.

Hum, Hum, Humming Along

I'm sitting in front of my TV earlier this week and one commercial catches my eye. The voice over tells us of heroic citizens risking their own necks to help others during "natural disasters", specifically Hurricane Katrina. Faded headlines of calamity fill the screen and then we view damaging winds and rising flood waters.

And who are these private citizens? Owners of Hummers!

The underlying message is crystal clear -- "Own a Hummer and you can drive through most any of the ever-increasing climatic events".

There's just one itsy bitsy problem with this faux altruistic theme: Hummers (and all other gas guzzling monstrosities) are helping to create climate change!

It's our John Wayne attitude of rugged individualism and our "Come hell or high water" mentality regarding our pollutant-spewing transportation culture that is leading us down the road toward planetary ruin. In reality, Hummers are NOT part of the solution; they're part of the problem!

It's a problem that won't get much play with any of the front running Republicratic presidential candidates. And this sad fact, more than any other, is why we each need to work hard this coming year to support a strong Green presidential ticket. We need to get this topic front and center on the national political radar screen.

If not, future generations will look back in time to lament the shortsightedness of the current generation -- the one that destroyed their chance for survival. Do we really want THAT as our legacy?

The Rite Two Bare Arms

I am not a gun owner. As a teenager, I fired a .22 caliber rifle a few times and it didn't make me giddy in the least. In fact, though I only shot at a few crows and stationary targets, I found the whole exercise a bit discombobulating. I realized at a young age that guns are dangerous and, placed in the wrong hands (people with evil motives or anyone in a foul mood), could easily become implements of death and destruction.

Of course, I realize I'm in the vast minority. Most families have at least one gun and some people own personal arsenals. Any suggestion from folks of my ilk that the world would be better off if we rounded up all the guns in private hands -- and melted 'em down -- is met with cries of "It's my damn constitutional right!"

Technically speaking, this assertion isn't altogether true. The U.S. Constitution only guarantees the right to "bear arms". "Arms" are weapons and a gun is only one of many arms.

We already have a few laws in place that limit what types of armament a private citizen can own or possess. The average person is forbidden from owning/possessing tanks, flamethrowers, land mines, cruise missile, nuclear weapons and a few specific types of guns.

With this in mind, why not outlaw the private ownership of all guns? Remove them from all the Wal-Marts of the world!

To stay in line with our constitution, we'd allow citizens the right to own/possess knives, billy clubs and bows 'n arrows, to name a few. If nothing else, I bet it would greatly reduce our murder rate!

Ever heard of a drive-by knifing?

Falling Down

I've discovered something about myself. I should never attempt to get on AND ride a bicycle at the same time! I attempted this feat today with disastrous results -- I fell off my bike.

I'm certain that almost everyone who has ridden a bicycle (or attempted to) has fallen at some point. Back in my youth, I accomplished this act several times. The main difference between then and now is that my body is far older (50 years and counting) and it doesn't take to falling down as well.

But don't despair! After I picked myself up off the ground, I did something I've never done before. I rode my bicycle from Raymond to South Bend (about 5 miles). There's a lovely bike path that follows the Willapa River and, the pain notwithstanding, I enjoyed the ride immensely.

Of course, I'm now reaping the "rewards" of my spill. My right elbow is swollen and both of my knees are banged up. My neck is also a bit stiff. And I'm fairly certain I'm going to feel a lot worse come morning!!

This is my first entry in almost one month. Though I've had a lot on my mind recently, I simply haven't had the time nor energy to post anything on this blog. I've added two paying gigs to my already busy schedule, so postings here will be sporadic, at best.

I'd write more now, but I need to go find an icepack.

It's Raining Again

The turn of the seasons from summer to autumn means different things depending on where one lives. In the Midwest, the transition is from searing hot temperatures with life-sapping high humidity to a more temperate climate. In the South, it means cooler nights and fewer violent thunderstorms. On the Pacific Northwest coast, it means rain...copious amounts of rain.

In fact, rain defines everything about this area. It explains why we don't enjoy more tourism here. Most people want to visit the beach with warm temperatures and sunny skies, not gale force winds and sheets of rain.

As I was sitting in one of my upstairs rooms this morning -- watching the latest torrent flow from the heavens -- it got me to thinking about all the various songs that have the word "Rain" in their title. The one I finally fixated on, Rain on the Scarecrow by John Mellencamp, really isn't about rain at all; it uses rain as a metaphor.

To view the entire lyrics, go here. Here's the last verse and chorus:

Well there's ninety-seven crosses planted in the courthouse yard.
Ninety-seven families who lost ninety-seven farms.
I think about my grandpa and my neighbors and my name
And some nights I feel like dyin like that scarecrow in the rain!

Rain on the scarecrow blood on the plow.
This land fed a nation this land made me proud.
And son I'm just sorry they're just memories for you now.
Rain on the scarecrow blood on the plow.
Rain on the scarecrow blood on the plow.

Bomb Them Back to the Stone Age

I'm always perplexed when people devise beliefs that run counter to human nature. They look at some global issue and treat it as if sterile robots are the main players. They somehow forget -- or ignore -- the fact that people don't behave in such and such a manner during the routine episodes and encounters of our lives.

One such example is encapsulated in a phrase I hear all too often: The way we're going to achieve peace in the Middle East is to bomb the "terrorists" back to the Stone Age.

Violence and strong arm tactics never achieve a LASTING peace. To be certain, one can achieve the illusion of peace, but resentment, revenge and hatred are almost always seething just below the surface. These volatile emotions may not come bubbling up in the present generation, but, sooner or later, they WILL see the light of day.

If you don't believe the above assertion, I ask that you step back to take a look at the routine emotions and behaviors displayed by you and others in the course of daily life. Here are but two examples.

• You and a colleague are both trying to secure the same promotion. Your colleague, not you, gets tabbed for the position. More often than not, most of us will believe it's because our colleague manipulated the system to his/her advantage and we didn't get a fair shake. A lot of people in this situation will develop a grudge against the promoted colleague and will go out of their way to undermine and embarrass them.

• Two or more people offer an idea or strategy for their group to follow (church, social club, nonprofit advocacy organization, business, etc.) All of these individuals compete against each other to curry the favor of the majority or the key decision-makers. Typically, one person is more aggressive than the others and so it's their idea or strategy that wins out. The "losers" tend to bear a grudge and wait for the day when they can put so-and -so in his/her place.

Both of the examples cited above clearly illustrate that most of us don't take kindly to being strong-armed. When we believe others have been overly-aggressive or mean and vengeful toward us, a natural response is to want to pay them back in spades. We look for every opportunity possible to get our revenge.

If we then extrapolate everyday experience to the world of foreign policy, it becomes quite clear that bombing our adversaries "back to the Stone Age" will not net the ultimate result our "leaders" so desire. All it really does is create more determined enemies; people whose sole purpose in life is to ensure we pay in blood ten times over.

Far worse, it creates a perpetual cycle. Each time one side strikes, the other feels victimized and so plots out their revenge. They strike and now the other side views themselves as the victims and plots out their revenge. And it just goes on and on and on...

Flyswatters

I have moved to an area that has a lot of flying insects: gnats, flies, mosquitoes and several other insects that I can't name. It's not prevalent throughout South Bend, but seems to exist in pockets. Our neighborhood on the hill appears to be the victim of a stagnant pond located below us on Weyerhaeuser property. As if I didn't have enough reasons to despise Weyerhaeuser anyway...

The mosquitoes, in particular, have taken up residence in our 2 bathrooms. This is not surprising since mosquitoes need moisture to survive. Be that as it may, it's quite annoying to climb into the shower and have to swat mosquitoes.

As our weather is slowly turning cooler (night temps are now falling into the low to mid 40s), the blood-sucking insects seem a bit slower and less able to dodge my hands. I've actually become quite adept at smashing them between my index finger and thumb. If that fails, I flatten them against the wall in the shower.

Of course, the act of killing these insects -- who simply are doing what they must do to survive -- does cause me to take pause from time to time. I sometimes ask myself what right I have to decide these life and death issues. Though I'm certainly cognizant of the threat of West Nile Virus and the more benign irritant of itching, I still sometimes feel a bit unsettled about the path of insect murder.

I mean, here's a mosquito simply minding its own business and then WHACK -- it's now nothing more than a tiny red smear on the wall.

So, I was pondering about this predicament the other day and it dawned on me that we are all subject to the flyswatter of nature. We humans often die far too young and under interesting circumstances. Of course, we have coined words to describe these instances: accident, illness, war, crime, tragedy, holocaust, etc.

It's like we're flitting around in the mundane routine of life and then WHACK -- we're dead.

Just like a mosquito.

Acceptance

Everyone wants to a feel a sense of belonging; to be accepted for who they are. A lot of people spend a great deal of their lives trying to force acceptance through unnatural means. They pretend to be someone else so others will like them. They behave in ways that runs counter to their internal nature in the hope of finding a dock on which they can tether their boat.

While seeking acceptance from the external world consumes so much of our time and energy, the greatest journey in our lives is seeking acceptance from the being closest to us -- ourselves.

If you think that family members, friends, bosses and colleagues can be hard on you, the harshest critic in most people's lives is the one you see in the mirror. Because we each know the most intimate emotions and secrets of our own lives, these are the ones we examine, re-examine, rehash and pull our hair out over.

Why did I say such and such to him or her? Why did I behave in this or that way? Why do I feel empty? Why do I always thwart myself? Why am I not the person I set out to be?

I don't care who you are, how many friends you have, how much money graces your bank account or how much fame you've acquired in your lifetime. Each one of us struggles under the yoke of self-doubt. It's part and parcel of this journey we call life. From a Taoist perspective, each of us gains a measure of wisdom when we can slay the dragon of self-doubt and learn to accept ourselves -- with all our imperfections -- as we truly are.

I have been fettered with the chains of self-doubt during most of my life. It was particularly acute in my teens, 20s and 30s. I knew from an early age that I was different from most all of my contemporaries. I felt like the proverbial duck out of water.

My school years were extremely difficult in that I was NEVER a part of a clique or group. In fact, it was so bad that even the outcasts -- the dregs of the teenage hierarchy -- shunned me. You know, it's a bad state of affairs when even the nerds hold you at arm's length!

As I look back now, I think it's fairly easy to see why I never fit in. Even at a very young age, I was a very principled and philosophic sort. I simply was not motivated nor interested in any of the chic trappings of adolescence. While my contemporaries seemed all caught up in superficial appearances, I was far more concerned with what lay beneath the surface -- a facet of my personality that continues unabated today.

Though I was never a member of a group, a funny thing happened during my senior year in high school. The facets of my personality that had, for so long, made me a social outcast, all of a sudden thrust me into the limelight of popularity. Everyone seemed to like me and wanted me around. So, while I remained unattached from any of the cliques and groupings, I was one of the few people in my school who could move fluidly through and among any group I desired.

This new station in life carried through college and beyond. While it was certainly more favorable than being shunned, it still filled me with a sense of isolation and loneliness. I was now able to connect with a wide variety of people, but the connection didn't go very deep. People still viewed me as being very strange indeed, albeit in a benign way.

Always feeling like I was on the outside looking in is what fueled the bonfire of my self-doubt. And, at times, this bonfire almost consumed me. At times, I tried desperately to fit in, but I'd always fail clumsily because I wasn't being me.

I can't pinpoint when the break came, but, somewhere over the past decade, I came to accept myself for who and what I am. Put in the popular vernacular, I'm a philosopher and philosophers went out fashion a few centuries ago.

I no longer struggle with all encompassing self-doubt. To be certain, there are fleeting moments of it tied to particular circumstances or situations, but it no longer defines my existence. I still feel isolated from most of society, but it no longer rips at my soul. I've come to realize that we all tread different paths in this life and, for better or worse, this is my path. So, I've learned to accept it for what it is and to embrace it as my own.

The Ultimate Pollutant

As the world's scientists tell us that we're edging ever closer to environmental catastrophe, it's become chic to argue about which variables are the biggest culprits. For some, it's our dependence on oil. For others, it's the combination of coal and nuclear power that we use to heat/cool our homes and keep the lights burning. Still others will tell us it's styrofoam, aerosol cans or dioxin.

Personally, I think they're all wrong to varying degrees. From my perspective, the greatest pollutant of all is humanity!

This is not to say that humans as biological entities are more dangerous to our planet's survival than any other species, but our consciousness and ability to manipulate the environment on a grand scale is what makes each of us the most dangerous.

While other species take the natural world as it is and meld their lives into its fabric, we take the world as it is and reconfigure it to meet our needs, wants and desires. And, far too often, it is this process of reconfiguration that wreaks havoc on the laws of nature.

We drive cars and fly in planes because we want to get to wherever faster than we naturally can. We eat foods that come from far away continents rather than accept what are local environs have to offer. We communicate via telephone and computer because it's much easier than visiting each person's house.

Almost every routine action we take on any given day is polluting something. This statement is just as true for the fat cat who eschews the notion of global warming as it is for the most steadfast environmentalist! As Janisse Ray writes today at AlterNet, "Can Environmentalists Live up to Their Own Standards?", the choir isn't all it's cracked up to be. Here's a sobering excerpt:

Many times I have attended some gathering or other to speak about environmental issues, and when the final word has been delivered, the final question debated, refreshments are served on plastic plates and in plastic cups. I prepare my remarks. I take a deep breath, step in front of the crowd. I rant, I rave, I weep and open my heart. I preach fire and brimstone, and the punch is served in plastic cups. I cannot tell you the horrible feeling that envelops me.

We each rationalize our decisions in terms of our impact on the planet. For every positive or beneficial action we take, we concurrently take far too many others that are based on crass desires, not simple needs.

In the end, none of us fully embrace the natural world that we are but a small part of, the Tao. It's this rampant disharmony that most threatens our planet and ourselves.

I'm a Sentimental Sap

Back when I was growing up, it was sort of understood that boys and men don't cry or, if you did, you didn't allow anyone else to see it. While the male gender has made some strides in the past few decades, too many men still cling to the vestiges of the "unemotional rock of humanity".

Of course, I've never come close to this stereotype. I wear my heart on my sleeve. If I'm happy, you know it. If I'm sad, you know that too.

Truth be known, I'm what you might call a sentimental sap. I've never had a problem with crying. Tears can pop up in my eyes at any time for numerous reasons.

Dramatic music often leads me to tears. I don't mean I start bawling, but they easily drip down my cheeks. Two pieces that come to mind are Tchaiskovsky's 1812 Overture and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah. The latter has had this affect on me since I was young and it's even more pronounced now since it was played at my mother's funeral (my choice).

Movies also are prone to lead me to tears. Though I've watched Dances with Wolves numerous times, the last scene ALWAYS chokes me up. There are two different parts of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial that are guaranteed to open my tear ducts and I'm certain to go mushy watching The Wizard of Oz, Brian's Song or Titanic.

One movie that really gets me going -- and I'm sure it will surprise most of you -- is Harry & the Henderson's. I know it's not a top-rated film and the story is kind of hokey, but the emotions of separation still tug at my heartstrings. I just finished watching it on HBO and I had a good, healthy cry!

One of the things I really like about the latter movie is that -- like ET & Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- it turns the human tendency of the fear of the unknown on its head. We don't refer to the folk legend of a being in Loch Ness as an animal but as a "monster". In this same vein, the folk legends of Bigfoot, Sasquatch and Yetis tend to depict evil ape-like monsters ready to kill and dismember unfortunate humans.

Do I believe that Sasquatch genuinely exists? I'm highly skeptical. But do I want to believe it? Yes, yes I do. And that's what this sentimental sap holds on to.

From Small to Tiny

This has been a most interesting -- and stressful -- summer. When it began, my wife & I lived in Aberdeen (Grays Harbor County) and as it winds down we now live in South Bend (Pacific County). We've gone from a small city with most routine services to a little hamlet with few services.

For example, I've been to both grocery stores in the area -- one here in South Bend and the other in Raymond. Neither store carries ANY organic produce. None. Zilch. Nada. They also don't carry frozen yogurt nor fresh bagels -- not even at the progressive bakery in town.

There is no curbside recycling. In fact, there's very little emphasis on recycling at all. The two local recycling centers -- places with giant bins -- listed on the county website aren't there anymore. The two have been consolidated into one location that isn't even listed.

And the meager recycling available is nothing to write home about! There's no place to take greyboard nor mixed paper (i.e., junk mail).

Far worse than the above inconveniences, I've learned that the largest owner of property in Pacific County -- owning almost 80% of privately-held land -- is none other than the mighty Weyerhaeuser timber barons. They've spent the last century destroying the fragile Willapa basin!

This rural county is interesting as it has only 2 major highways (other than on the Long Beach spit) -- US 101 that skirts the northern and western edges and State Highway 6 that goes east to Chehalis. On a typical map, it looks like the vast majority of the county is undisturbed wilderness.

Aah, but general maps can be so deceiving!! It turns out that this county is carved up with roads -- logging roads. They cover hundreds of miles, winding hither to yonder. And what might we find near many of these such roads -- clearcuts!

Yes, the proverbial clearcut is alive and well here. It seems to be the preferred method for "harvesting" trees. There's one fresh clearcut that can be seen across the Willapa River from our little downtown area. It's hanging there on the side of a hill directly above the road that leads to Tokeland & North Cove. It's a landslide waiting to happen.

I'm sure I'll be reporting on a landslide there this winter when the rains return.

Heading South

When my wife and I realized our dream of living closer to the ocean -- by moving to Aberdeen & Grays Harbor County in December 2005 -- we thought we had set down permanent roots. We didn't expect to move to a different community. However, the rhythms of Tao don't always flow in the direction one expects!

This Friday we will close on a our new home in South Bend, the county seat of Pacific County. While the Aberdeen area is small by urban standards, it's a metropolis compared to South Bend. More people reside in the Aberdeen-Hoquiam-Cosmopolis area (about 26,000) than in the entire 600 square miles of Pacific County (21,000). South Bend has 1,800 residents and no stoplights.

Over the next month or so -- after we get this move finished -- I'll tell you about our ordeal in trying to find a home to purchase and why we ended up buying a home 27 miles south of Aberdeen. For now, you'll just need to Google "Pacific County".

When Encountering a Bear, Your Silence Will Not Protect You

If you're out hiking in the wilderness and you encounter a bear at a close range, wildlife experts have a few words of advice for you. First, avoid direct eye contact with the bear as this might elicit a charge. Second, make yourself seem larger than you are by waving your arms or, if wearing a coat or jacket, pull the sides of the garment to the fullest extent on each side. Third, make a lot of noise by talking and yelling -- In this instance, your silence will not protect you. Fourth, if the bear attacks you, fight back aggressively. Finally, do NOT run from the bear as this will cause it to chase you and bears are a lot faster than you might think.

While pondering this information the other day, it dawned on me that this guide describes the current political landscape in our dear nation very well. In essence, the entire country has become a vast ideological wilderness. The Bush administration is a giant bear and the Democratic-controlled Congress represents a team of intrepid hikers.

These hikers keep running into the beast and they aren't following the advice of experts. Every time the bear bluffs a charge, they take off running, ceding more and more territory to the bear. After awhile, they stand their ground timidly and make a little noise, only to take off running again. In time, the bear will corner them and, when that happens, there won't be many options left.

Coming at this scenario from a different direction, we can also liken the American public to the hikers. We too keep crossing paths with the bear. Far too many of us -- like our elected representatives -- aren't heeding the tried and true advice of wildlife experts. We stand before the bear frozen in fear, arguing about what to do next. Instead of making ourselves appear as large as we truly are, we hunker down so as to appear smaller. Instead of screaming and yelling, some talk in a normal tone, while others whisper. And, far too many of us are ready to run at the first hint of danger.

The bear has become more and more emboldened because of our conjoined silence. If we ever hope to scare the bear away, we as a group must find the courage to yell and scream at the top of our lungs at this hairy beast. At that point, the bear may well realize that we're too great of an adversary and decide he will be better served to go off and eat berries.

As our nation is under assault by forces from within; silence will not protect us.

If I Was Running for President in '08

If I was running for the office of President of the United States, my campaign platform would look far different than the ones being touted by the many candidates vying for the Democratic and Republican Party nominations. Here are some of the planks.

• Immediate withdrawal of US troops from both Afghanistan & Iraq.

• I'd go to the United Nations, with hat in hand, to apologize for US-led aggression and work with the nations of the world to place a team of peacekeepers in both countries. The US, of course, would supply troops for both missions, BUT they would be under the control of the UN, not the US.

• I would work with Congressional leaders to develop a reparations package to both nations to aid in reconstructing their countries.
  

• I would go before the UN and the citizens of the US to declare that our nation does not believe in preemptive military aggression nor the use of torture.

• I would immediately shut down Gitmo and send all prisoners currently held there to federal prisons. I would provide each prisoner will full access to legal counsel, including the release of information as to why each person was arrested in the first place.

• I would also immediately shut down the School of the Americas in Athens, Georgia and pardon anyone who was/had been charged with a crime for protesting at the site.

• I would submit a budget to Congress that reduced military spending by 25% and would use some of the savings to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace.

• I would scuttle the Department of Homeland Security.

• I would work with Congressional leaders to introduce legislation to broaden the Endangered Species Act, develop universal health care, end all subsidies to the oil and nuclear power industries and use these savings to better fund research into alternative energy sources.

• I would promote the use of Instant Runoff Voting and would encourage states to move away from paperless electronic voting systems.

• I would encourage Congress to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act and NAFTA.

These are but a few of the planks of what my platform might be. What would your platform look like?