Ethicist: Should this be the last generation?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/should-this-be-the-last-generation/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Go ahead. Read it. I can't tell if this guy is one of those environmental extremists that believe all humans should die, or if he's just so darn depressed about his own crappy childhood and adulthood that he thinks no human should ever again have children.

It seems to me that this is the direction the environmentalists are going. They are so depressed that they are practically suicidal. They simply can't go outside and enjoy the birds and trees, or enjoy digging in the dirt to plant their organic garden. They hate themselves and all of humanity so much they just want themselves, and the rest of us, to just die.

Trust me, this is a psychosis caused by the recent parenting phenom known as "children must be happy all the time". Parents and teachers, rather than expecting the child to behave, find ways to make and keep them "happy". And this crap is even filtering into the psychology of teachers and caregivers.

Hey, guys....the only people in my life who have ever been happy 24/7 were pot-smokers...and that is a big no-no. And what happens is a nervous, severly depressed adult who can't handle even the minor disappointments. They often end up on anti-depressents, self-medicating with illicit substances, or having an adult temper tantrum that turns dangerous. Or, they simply pretend to have a moral superiority over the rest of us and believe that we should all simply die to save the planet.

Well, to this group, I have one thing to say. Okay, but you first.

Amish Farmers Face Government Scrutiny

link to original article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/science/earth/09amish.html

The E.P.A. has declared that the Amish version of farming (that is, using manure instead of synthetic fertilizers) is causing an environmental disaster, as it runs off into waterways.

But lets look at this from an angle the E.P.A. doesn't seem to have...common sense.

Long before mankind ever started farming....back when we were hunter-gatherers....animals created dookie. Ducks, geese, and swans poo. Deer poo. Rabbits poo. Raccoons and beaver poo. Yes, even lizards and amphibians poo. Guess what....fish poo, too. And that poo was more than likely to end up in the streams, rivers, lakes, and eventually the ocean. (Remember...sharks and whales poo, too.) Its a symbiotic relationship...animals eat the plants and breath the oxygen the plants create...in return, the animals create the carbon dioxide the plants themselves breath, and their poo in turn fertilizes the ground for the next generation of plants.

When mankind actually began farming, he realized that poo was good farming. Now, originally, this was done the cheap way....semi-nomadic herders were given the right to allow their animals to graze in fields after the grains were cut down. And, naturally, as animals poo while they are grazing, the field was fertilized.

The practice continued with crop rotation....traditional farmers would switch their fields around, and a field where animals grazed (and fertilized the ground) would be included...and the next year, the field would be wonderful for planting crops.

If you did take the time to read the article, you will notice that it is ADMITTED that synthetic fertilizers run off into the waterways as well. And yet, the E.P.A. has decided that its the ancient practice of fertilizing with manure that is causing the more recent problems.

So one has to wonder....is the E.P.A. scared of big chemical agro-business? Or are they in bed with them, and are simply trying to drive the small organic farmer out of business? Or is this just a part of the recent psychotic environmentalism that wants all humans and animals (yes, even the bunny in the forest and the dolphin in the ocean) to simply roll over and die?

I don't know. You decide for yourself.

And another urban myth floating around....

Another urban myth floating around is the belief that Census workers can enter your apartment you aren't there to count how many toothbrushes there are. Of course, people are upset about this because they fear their property being taken.

I've got good news for you....this rumor is another one that is quite simply wrong.

The specific law states that apartment managers and owners cannot prevent Census workers from going door to door in the complex (even where the law allows them to prevent door to door soliciting). If the Census workers are unable after many visits to contact the residents of the apartment, they do have the right to walk into the office and demand to see the paperwork that states who is suppose to be living there. However, they are NOT allowed to enter your apartment without your express permission. In fact, they shouldn't be "entering" your apartment at all.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not all cuddly about the Census. This is our third Census year...the previous two we had Census workers knock on our door to fill out the long form despite the fact that we had already filled out and sent in the short form as we were asked to by Big Brother. And frankly, I'll be really ticked if they knock on my door again (because they aren't suppose to be bothering those who have already fulfilled the obligation).

I'm just saying that we need to calm down and think about things before we go blabbing these urban myths...kay?

HOPI 2012 prophecy...a false prophecy?

To those who know me, I know I don't look it, but I am part First Nation (I tend to resemble my Norse and Celtic ancestors). But even before it was confirmed that I had a Cree ancestress, I had done extensive study on the Native American People before the arrival of whites from Europe. Of course, I also did the same for my Celtic and Norse ancestors before the arrival of the Romans, and I greatly enjoy the comparison and contrast between the cultures of both continents.

There was always one thing that stuck out in the contrast, though...as much alike as my Celtic and American ancestors were at varying degrees and levels, the Native Americans had no knowledge of metal.

Recently I came across a supposed Hopi prophecy about 2012. Well, I can tell you right now it is a FALSE prophecy with a modern author. How can I tell you this for certain? Because the prophecy speaks of "Snakes of Iron", meaning of course train tracks.

The Hopi people would have had NO IDEA what iron was until AFTER the arrival of whites from Spain, who would have also brought with them guns, cattle, and wheeled vehicles...other things that are mentioned in this so-called "prophecy".

My guess is that this prophecy was written in modern times. My guess is that it was written by some well-meaning white person who sees all white people as greedy, mean, and evil, and all brown people as angelic. Why do I say this? Well, with all of the nasty talk about the greedy white man in this prophecy, it gives a pass to any white person who grows their hair long and picks up aspects of the Native American culture. Convenient for the long-haired hippy white boy, eh?

Side Note: Trust me...human failings are universal. After all, it was the African Kings who sold their own people into slavery to the Dutch and English slavers, and it was Native American chiefs who sold their people's land thinking they were snookering the whites because they thought no one could own the land. (And no, I don't discount the human failing of the whites involved in these instances either. My point is that human failings trascend all races and creeds.) The only sweet and angelic people are the rest of us schmucks, of all races and creeds, going about our daily lives who end up getting injurred by the failings of others.

But the human failing where it concerns this prophecy is that well meaning people whose hearts are in the right place keep passing it on without using their God-given brains to even consider the fact that it is not a real prophecy. Just as with the wheel of life, the heart and mind also cannot work without one another.

For the sake of everything, people, use your frackin' heads!