Happy New Year from Lightning Rod

photo: Jeanie Valentine

Scene from New Year's Eve 2008 Ball at Lapwai Lane Shredders Club

Happy New Year to everyone from College Park. Here's wishing you and yours all the best in 2008. We (Paul Lyons and myself) raised a toast to all our College Park friends last night.

I well realize you may not agree with my outlook on the environment. You might even think I'm calling you an idiot from the tone of some of the recent posts. You might think a series of posts between community members about the environment is out of place.

You might (or might not) be a complete idiot, which for the purposes of this post I'm defining as a mute spectator to the drama unfolding around us. Feel free to define idiot as you wish. I'm not posting to make any individual who reads this page bad and wrong as individuals. I'm here to have civil conversations with people whose company and fellowship I enjoy and whose opinions I basically respect and value.

To reach for and surface common understanding, talk about the problems and solutions, to ask what's working for you, tell you what's working for me, etc. That's what people who form a community do. When we stop communicating, there is no community. Somebody in the community is yelling "fire" and wondering where the support to fight that fire is!

You may agree with some of the doomsday observations; and I might be selling myself short thinking the whole CP community really is in steadfast denial of our sitch on Mother Earth. It might not be entertainment you like, but at least I'm showing up to the party. Something beats nothing every time!

The point of this page is to provide a living context to keep some of our lifelong relationships alive and thriving year-round. Not just one weekend every couple years. We have the technology...do we have the mental capacity and heart remaining in our aging selves? Why rule out any conversation that "might cause" some discomfort? Isn't there much more at stake today than one's comfort level?

Idiots, unfortunately, can't have conversations. But people can. Will we begin to talk without guile or suspicion or judgement about what matters to all of us without taking things too personally or get into pissing contests and water everything down to mere opinions that have no bearing on the truth?

What about the truth we share but struggle to describe and abide by? Isn't that the promised land?

Hopefully in spite of our differences we all agree on one thing: We're living in interesting times that are fraught with no small amount of peril and uncertainty, as well as some significant opportunity to do good things to address our problems. Or not. But why take a chance. This is the world and the human race we're playing with. Who knows what's coming or from what direction...from the economy to the environment?

Care to conjecture on what's coming in 2008? Please take a moment every now and then this coming year to convert your thoughts into text and post something.

Here's hoping you'll show up to the party that never ends. Just like in the days of the College Park Community Center, if you don't like the topic of the moment you're welcome to bring up a new one.

Back on track

Yes, my friends, I definitely feel that we as a people have ignored how our selfish lifestyles affects this earth's delicate balance. I do applaud you for voicing your opinions, but I must remind you that this site is to share memories of College Park, whether these memories be recent or from our childhood.

Soon we will be posting information for the upcoming reunion happening Memorial Day 2008.

So may I make a suggestion to have an offshoot from this blog to post concerns, whether they be politial or environmental? We all would love to hear of the concrete efforts that each of us are making to live greener.

Seasoned Greetings from Al Gore's Zombies

I'm Sorry

I'll quit posting and restore balance to the universe.I do like this one though.
http://weihsin.wwwts.au.edu.tw/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=PT07040009&Category=102311+

Truth: She's a Bitch

Faith, her cousin Belief, and all their adherents won't help humans address global warming or own up to what is causing it. Neither will hiding behind a skirt of denial and war mongering to keep the consumerist life simple and uninterrupted for as long as possible.

Truth, well, she's the fugly bitch perched on the fantail of the Titanic watching us rearrange the deck chairs and swap jokes. She's talking but nobody's interested in working that hard because their vacations have become permanent.

You've read what Al Gore says about inconvenient truth. "Inconvenient" is a weasel word for those who can't handle the truth of our times and steadfastly deny their role in spite of the evidence. While clearly playing a part.

Here's the rest of this article.

Change

In my early teen days I had an occasion to stop behind the Lowther's house on the cut-thru to talk w/ Dan where he taught me the valuable lesson of an "eye for an eye". Before I'd left he'd managed to at point blank put a pellet in my foot. I rode off swearing and crying feeling wronged and when I got home my dad "taught me a lesson" for not giving up the name. He was not going to pay for the hospital to extract that pellet. That was the day I quit believing in God. With a capital "G". It wasn't until after my 29th birthday I learned the lesson of don't lie, don't cheat and don't steal, which started me on a life of simplicity. Basic stuff that rules all for me. It wasn't until after delivering my son did I really accepted God back . I still believe you don't have to believe in God to get to heaven. What do you have to do??????? Don't lie, don't cheat and don't steal. If my kids don't learn anything from me you can bet they 've learned the simplest form of happiness. So if you feel I've cheated you J by describing you as a Socialist/liar I will schedule a time next spring for you to "teach me a lesson". But....remember it was you who looked me in the eye and said;" I will lie ,cheat or steal to get my point across or achieve my goals concerning the enviroment" or was that someone else. Merry Christmas to All

I've always believed

Man is the most wasteful and biggest polluter in existence. Never would I deny any other position. Never. Let's look at the chart..lovely isn't it. It clearly show an advancement of more than 2000/ billionths. Impressive increase.
Carbon is measured in millionths so therefore 2000/billionths is equal to... 2/millionth. (represented as man's influence for 100 years. I think)
Carbon represents 380/millionths in the PPM : parts per million (highest during industral period measured)
This displayed on a football field would represent 1.25 inches, 30 yards wide on a 100 yard football field.
So no I don't believe man's 2/millionth influence can affect global warming,cooling or distribution of wealth. No matter what operating system you use.
Wonderful chart.

How It All Ends (Is Up To You)

"Facts are silly things." - Ronald Reagan

IN A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Ashat Inc. in the name of smoothing the water over will sponsor in the name of Jay Toups and his Socialist buddy Prof. Saul Alinsky, who didn't coin the phrase but champions it meaning, " you can tell a lie to the masses (you people) repeatedly and eventually they will believe it." www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17388372/ will plant 100 GWO (great white oak) carbon scrubbers and follow their development pictorially for CPCC. @ no charge. I extend the hand of peace.

THE GLOBAL WARMING TEST

Here's a test for us simple-mind few that can still read. Stop and take the test. Especially you people gobbling up 9 planets. www.heartland.org/
....and a direct route www.globalwarmingheartland.org/GWQuiz/Testindex.html. Thanks

I MUST APOLOGIZE

I seem to have upset Mr. Socialist and must apologize for doing so. Surely it's not the planting of trees for people. "TELL THE TRUTH " Jay , it's the actual "money" part right. Or......what's missing.

....the flag

America's Stinking Cap

Don't Buy The Bull. Get The Facts.

One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year. One tree removes about 1 ton of CO₂ per year. Planting 30 trees per person will offset each person's carbon debt for the year.

The average American consumes the resource equivalent of 9 earths. If you jerk your head out of where it's parked, you'll notice that we still only have one planet.

Our Yankee heads are so far up our asses we think it's sunshine and roses and there's always going to be a chicken in every pot. And that planting trees will save the day in a spectacular Hail Mary. Not.

This environmental stuff is not a laughing matter or a topic to be mocked. Or ignored, lurkers. Every form of refuge has its price.

The average American consumes 46,414 pounds of materials a year. This includes coal (7,400 lbs), oil (6,420 lbs – the weight of 1,069 gallons of gasoline), natural gas (3,240 lbs – the weight of 72,000 cu. ft.), cement (902 lbs), iron ore (440 lbs), and clays (290 lbs). This is about 7 times the weight of the food eaten (2200 lbs).

http://www.energybulletin.net/14143.html

The American Revolution is still happening in spite of all that. We are still changing, still learning. If some of us were not constantly tearing away at what others of us think we know, we would all still think the earth flat.

New available and groundbreaking technology.

Available to you first and exclusively this opportunity to invest in your Grandchild's', grandchildren. For the low, low price of 10 cents apiece I will send you a certified certificate stating authenticity of the carbon credit/scrubber from this magnificent 125 year-old Southern White Oak. Orders are in 1000 per package and are guaranteed 99.99% propagation. This Southern White has a girth of 136 inches and height approx. 60 feet. It alone erases my carbon footprint for all my family for generations into the future.

Here is your opportunity for a small investment to secure "future" family members with carbon credit/scrubbers purchased today. What foresight, what humanity a legacy your off-spring will remember you for generations to come. Shipped to your address or for a small fee I will go one step further and plant this carbon credit, after it's 1st birthday, with a tag listing your name and date of purchase, on public land with GPS location. Again minimum shipment is 1000 per package and 1st year planting is 100 minimum @ $100 each. Your satisfaction guaranteed and with annual maintenance fees can request pictorial updates and progression pictures via e-mail. This is a new a virgin industry so don't miss getting in on the ground floor. It's a small investment for your future's future. AShat INC.

Carbon scrubber

Comes in Maple too.

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