So recently, when we were walking the dogs over at a nearby lake, we came across a granite rock that had been placed as a memorial to someone named "Michael Robert Tucker". It turns out he was a Cleveland lawyer who spent more than a decade rock climbing around the world, and he died in a rock climbing accident on April 24, 2010. He was 27 years old. And he died way too soon. As though it's not always too soon...
The memorial had a quote on it from William Stafford... It got to me, as I'm sure it should. I took a picture of the tribute, but I can't seem to get it to the right size for the blog. Here it is nonetheless. I hope it inspires you like it inspired me.
"Tasting all these and letting them have their ways to waken me.
I shiver and resolve: In my life, I will more than live."
Since 2006, the American bee population has plummeted from 4.5 million honey-producing hives to a scant 860,000. Worse, that number is still dropping.
Rampant pesticide use is a major cause of bee deaths. In 2011, the EPA found that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides is both widespread and catastrophic to bee populations. Neonicotinoids are on average 7,000 times more toxic than DDT, which was banned in 1972.
Despite this, the EPA has not banned the manufacture or use of neonicotinoids, choosing instead to put the products "under review" for the next five years.
Conservation biologists report that when the bees begin to die off, their surrounding environments are sure to follow. Tell the EPA to halt the production of deadly neonicotinoids now.
Michael Fishbach narrates his encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Gershon Cohen and he have founded The Great Whale Conservancy to help and protect whales. If you're so inclined, you may visit the link or gwc's facebook page, and join them in helping to save these magnificent beings.
"Mommy, I know what she's doing! She's showing us that she's all free!"
This kills me... Just kills me.
And then, are we SO FUCKING STUPID that we have to have bullshit like the below as headlines?
No, no... Not at all. They love it. They make "art" from it.
Nothing like encouraging ignorance, a-hole.
So, thankfully, the most popular comments on such an inanely named piece were actually quite astute.
Dan said, "The biggest offenders are ocean liners and cruise ships releasing their garbage holds in the oceans. There is literally a highway of garbage that floats for hundreds of miles along these current streams. You can almost walk on it and satellite photos prove it. Also the litter we throw out our car windows eventually winds up in our rivers and into our oceans. Vote Green."
VOTE GREEN, indeed. I'm all about The Green Party. Everyone else can suck it. And does.
And don't tell me my vote will be wasted. It's already been wasted.
Gb replied, "Ocean Garbage Lethal to Marine Life" No kidding!? And rain is wet. Tell us who is doing the dumping and who is paying to clean it up.
And don't forget that root of the problem is GLOBAL OVERPOPULATION - or is that too politically incorrect to discuss?"
Gb. Gb!! Nnooo, you dint. Dang. You done did.
And Sally gave sound advice, "We need to go back to using glass and return for deposit like it use to be."
I agree, Sally. I agree. And it wasn't even that long ago that we did just that.
And Sad Clown wanted to make sure we knew exactly who did this, "Ocean garbage isn't killing whales. HUMAN garbage in the ocean is killing whales. Let's be clear about where the garbage came from."
Sad Clown, I know what you're saying, and you're certainly correct. But, really, do you think we thought a crazy school of tuna were fucking stuff up? Or like some Marlins' tampons were doing all the damage?
And Whosit gets passionate and goes off on a bit of a tangent, "There is too much debris in the ocean. I don't understand why anyone would throw garbage in our oceans. Also, there is too much gum being spit out on our sidewalks. All those little round black globs on the sidewalks is "GUM". There is more of it all the time. Only a pig would spit out their gum on a sidewalk! Get a clue! It has to be sand blasted off to remove it. Be a decent person and put your gum in the garbage!!!!!"
YEAH, FUCKERS!! PUT YOUR GUM IN THE GARBAGE!! Or better yet, don't chew it in the first place. No one is going to tell you this, but after a certain age, let's say 21, you look neurotic and stupid chewing on something that you never swallow. If you need to do it to get over smoking, fine. But, if you need to do it forever, get therapy. And save the rest of us from you chewing like a cow. THEY even swallow what they chew. (I think someone else may have gone off on a tangent...)
And "Whosit"? I don't think many people are literally throwing garbage in the ocean. Well, wait a minute. I guess they are. In mass amounts.
Whypolitics.com said, "Huge mounds of trash floating in our oceans? This is disgusting, and for what? So some CEO of some company can afford an extra Porsche, or a politician gets an extra kick back and new summer home?
I am not for regulations that restrict freedoms unnecessarily, but I am all for regulations that protect might rights and freedoms, like being able to enjoy clean natural resources!"
Exactly. The CEOs are the ones who think regulations are a bad thing. And they've led the sheep going to slaughter, to agree.
Mercury said, "Most species understand that you dont %%$%# where you eat... Apparently, humanites intelligence isnt as far advanced as we would like to think."
Mr. Freddie Mercury, apparently you're correct. And just for the record, I really try not to %%$%# where I eat. I get indigestion from all those symbols. And sometimes they're not fun coming out...
(Okay, so they can't ALL be funny, people! Such a tough crowd...)
And Todd said, "Everything humans use should be recycled, EVERYTHING! If it can't be recycled it shouldn't be allowed to be made!"
Now, Todd, THAT'S a novel idea. Imagine...
And OohAah said, "The problem of sea trash and its devastating effects on the ocean environment has been know for years... decades, even. But, as usual, nothing is done until the devastation is of such magnitude that it has become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to rectify. We humans are slowly killing ourselves."
"OohAah"... You couldn't be more correct... HhooHummUugh.
And "Yahoo" said, "Ingestion of plastic bags is known as one of the biggest killers of sea-turtles who ingest the bags mistaking them for their favorite prey food, which is jellyfish. The bags constipate and kill them. Also beach development is killing off sea-turtles as they run out of wild beach areas to lay eggs......and of course lost fishing nets also kill-off sea turtles. Fishing nets should be required by law to have GPS locating chips in them for retrieval."
Thank you, Miss Yahoo, I like when people don't just bitch and actually have some ideas as well. So, tell me more about these locating "chips". Are they fresh baked? And what about salsa? Don't you think salsa would be healthier for the fish?
(Okay, Okay! Not funny again!! I've got to try, people!)
Two Hands said, "Industry has the power to stop this plastic pollution at the source by introducing litter free sytems and product designs.. for example how many Coke bottles would end up as litter if Coke used refillable bottle systems with a 50 cent bottle refund in place?"
"Two Hands" are totally better than one. Now, get over here!
Bru Diggity said, "This is just a small sample of what's to come with plastic-based refuse pollution. PLEASE recycle your plastic. I take mine to the neighboring municipality. Think globally, act locally."
Bru Diggity? I like the way you work it. I got my mind made up.
And "Choice" ironically said, "Man"...a virus on the Face of the Earth."
And while that sobering statement might very well be true, so is the ironic part... "Choice". We still have that. And that's what it boils down to, right?
The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…
Don't forget what thrill there is in living. Because there's a distinct difference between being alive and actually living. And whatever that means to you, BREATHE that. Consume it... And be it.
I'm not about to go base jumping off of Half Dome, but this weekend I WILL dance. As it's been far too long... So, baile... baile más rápido!
"Processed foods will keep us sick. Keeping us sick will keep us on Rx's... And... See the cycle? A plant based diet is where it's at."
Thank you for this, Holly! And Holly went on to say, "I've toyed with becoming vegan for years now. But, after loosing my second loved one to cancer (literally seeing them die) in 10 yrs - I couldn't do that to my family, or myself. If you haven't read The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell PhD, you should. It will open your eyes."
And another friend, Rachel, chimed in, "Exactly!!! And the China Study is a must reading for anyone who honestly cares about their health."
Thanks, you two.
And for those of you who might be interested:
And due out soon:
Will and I haven't completely cut meat out of our diet. But, we have greatly reduced our intake of much of it. We no longer eat pork (as much as I love it). And we rarely eat red meat (as much as I love it). We're trying to increase our consumption of vegetables and fruit. And we still eat chicken, turkey and fish. And you'll probably have to pull cheese and eggs from my cold, dead hands. But, I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm trying to stay informed, while doing what I can. And reducing my meat intake, for the sake of my health and that of the environment, and animals' rights as well, it's at least doing something, which is always better than doing nothing.
LOVE this. In France, where artists and writers are highly respected, they're never asked anything cynical about how one makes a living - they're not really interested in salaries. They're interested in ideas and concepts. They're interested in depth.
Here in North America, with a bitter tongue, and a narrow-minded intellect focused on $$$ (as though that ever made anyone "happy"), when people meet artists here, they immediately ask the question of how one makes a living, or "Oh yeah? What restaurant do you work at?"
Beyond the crass, hopelessness of making an obscene amount of money, beyond those wild and frantic shores, there's poetry. And music. And theatre and literature and dance and art... This desperate, pathetic capitalist society doesn't appreciate it or value it. Because currently, this society IS so desperate and delusional... Grasping at ghosts. And it's starving and malnourished because of it. But to me, what feeds the spirit and the mind, is art. What makes the unbearable, bearable is art in and of itself. It's what lifts us up off our knuckles into something divine. It's what sets us apart...
And really, let's be honest, any rodent can hoard food.
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* Photographed over three years from all over the world... A self portrait.
(Thank you for this video contribution, Don. It sounds a bit familiar...)
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"Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them... he cried, ‘Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?’... God said, ‘I did do something. I made you.’"
~ Sufi Teaching
Oh my god... Is EVERYONE FRICKING RETARDED??? Don't answer that. I can't believe we have to "study" obesity and subject innocent creatures to our delusion. To actually find out that a pregnant mother's diet affects her unborn children... That a terrible diet and inactivity will make you obese and will cause diabetes as well as social, psychological and emotional problems. Are you telling me we didn't know this? That we DON'T KNOW THIS? WHO DOESN'T KNOW THIS??? This country is turning into a bunch of fat, dumb cows. And that's actually insulting to cows.
I'm so fucking pissed right now I want to pepper spray Cynthia McFadden and kick her right in her cooch.
Okay, so part of me was expecting the cat to get chomped. Not really, but it did cross my mind. And of course, I'm glad that it didn't. Get chomped, that is. And then, I was all "THAT DAMN CAT IS SCRATCHING THAT POOR DOLPHIN! ASSHOLE CAT!" But, I think all is good in the hood.
This is so damn cute I can't stand it...
And when I think about those fricking incredible creatures in the ocean... and what we're doing to it... literally to their home... and they have no choice or say in the matter... I could just crumble and blow away with the wind.
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(Thank you for this amazing video contribution, Lissy.)
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And you must trust me on this... It's undoubtedly the most brilliant slide show I've ever seen (Sorry, I can't embed it for you, otherwise I would):
Audio slideshow: Human Planet (And I would suggest watching it with "Show Captions" - it's worth it.)
We humans... We're a part of such a beautiful cast of characters on this crazy blue marble whirling through space. We're all threads woven in some massive, exuberant tapestry. And we're capable of such incredible things...
We should really start acting like it.
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(Thank you for the heads-up on this incredible series, Brian!)
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Obama’s ratings sink to new lows
Oh my god... Is EVERYONE FRICKING RETARDED??? Don't answer that. I can't believe we have to "study" obesity and subject innocent creatures to our delusion. To actually find out that a pregnant mother's diet affects her unborn children... That a terrible diet and inactivity will make you obese and will cause diabetes as well as social, psychological and emotional problems. Are you telling me we didn't know this? That we DON'T KNOW THIS? WHO DOESN'T KNOW THIS??? This country is turning into a bunch of fat, dumb cows. And that's actually insulting to cows.
