Maybe

Days of thinking, playing guitar and riding the bike.

Last week on Thursday I went to a 'Hazel Wolfe Environmental Film Night' showing of "WHAT A WAY TO GO: Life at the End of Empire". I won't go into detail there are reviews to be found if you search, but will whole heartily recommend this documentary. If you (like me) felt that "An Inconvenient Truth" was not drastic or honest enough, you will want to see this one. Good interview bits with Daniel Quinn, Derek Jensen, William Catton (who was at the showing- I've been a fan of "Overshoot" for twenty years) and many others. Afterwards spent some time talking in the parking lot with the film makers and a few other cool folks. Good night. Good Crowd.

Friday I went to the Wallingford Meaningful Movies to see "Subdivided" which was basically a look at how and why suburbs suck and how to build community. It was quite good, but not nearly as involving as What A Way To Go. Definitely you get the feeling that the folks who attend these things are well intentioned, and I am sure good people. I had a few interesting talks with folks...I will go on the record here as saying I don't believe technology will 'save us' or the planet. There seems to be a solid assumption that there is a science fix to our (meaning humans, other animals and life on the planets') problems. I think my take on this is tied in to Jerry Mander's ideas that I absorbed via "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television". I would also add that the other great book on technology that is as critical is Avital Ronell's The Telephone Book. That one is why I had no phone for several years.

More on that last point. I really can't see where technology has made us free. At all. Even this blogging- it still is a panacea for all the other disconnects. One of the things that came up at WMM was this idea that via email & such we can 'create' community. Yes, it's a tool. Yes it is cool that I can 'talk' with someone in Massachusetts that I found online. But the whole infrastructure - manufacturing, distribution, power generation, power distribution, issues with ELF from the power lines and such (I wonder if the seemingly crazy guy with blond dreads that hangs around Fremont is crazy because he sleeps next to the substation by the bridge, or if that hum helps him sleep?) pretty clearly ain't worth it.

But nonetheless, I ended up mostly talking with two engineers who wanted to tell me about their plans for free/cheap energy...all seems like pipe dreams to me. No disrespect intended, both seemed substantially smarter than me. I just don't think smart is helping much.

Today I found this delightful article about mutant trees- have a look, and tell me what about this makes sense?

Sunday I got on the ferry to Bainbridge Island, home of the last known address of one of my most-missed missing friends, Gabe Burke. Rode my bike all over the northern part of the island- really, really pretty. If you happen to own a big chunk of property over there (and I'll certainly consider other locations!) and would like a live-in caretaker, drop me a line...Think this coming Sunday I'll go to Vashon. My understanding is that once you get off the ferry at Vashon is is a BIG uphill slog right off the bat. Sounds like a good Sunday project.

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