The Earth Pope

Big in Japan

The world has strange and unique ways of working to spread the messages of hope and peace.  In the final days of this past fall the forces colluded to get the message of climate protection and poetry to the people of Japan.

It started with an email to the Climate Protection Campaign from Japanese Public Radio NHK, the most listened to radio station in Japan.  They were sending their top radio host to America to put together a story on what this state was doing to address global climate change and were prompted by the recent passage of AB32 in California.  When they looked at the Climate Protection Campaign's website they not only noticed the six national precedents but also the "Climate Haiku" and wanted to have the poets read their haiku on the radio.

Once here they were introduced to the Earth Pope, the spiritual adviser to the Climate Protection Campaign.  Many non-profit organizations operate without the benefit of a spiritual adviser.  This is not something that the Earth Pope recommends because the pressures and stress of working on challenging environmental issues without the benefit of a spiritual component with humorous overtones can be disabling and eventually detrimental to the organization and the people.

But I digress.  The two-man crew arrived and began assembling their sound collage of global warming and climate protection information.  As they arrived at the office to record haiku, they stuck their head in my office and requested one from the Earth Pope.  I told them I would have one for them when they returned at noon.  Here is what they received:

Grazing aimlessly
Cows pull out grass with their lips
Isn't life a gas?

If I get notice of when the show airs in Japan I will be sure to let everyone know.

Get Your Own Space

It's official!  The United States owns all of space.  The Supreme Ruler of the Universe, George Bush, has declared with the signing of the National Space Policy that the United States government can deny access to space if any country is thought to be a threat to us.  So, you know, if the federal government boys (and some girls) don't like a particular country then they aren't allowed to go into space.  Or even send up any satellites because it is all an issue of national security and the United States doesn't want any other country controlling outer space.  You would think the other countries would already know this.  I mean, who invented Star Trek, for crying out loud?

This could put a damper on the plans of Space Adventures, a new company promoting space tours for the ultra rich.  They have launched a couple of of folks with $25 million in pocket change for a ride to the international space station but they are partnering with the Russians.  The recent tourist, Charles Simonyi, a self described "nerd in space" has as his number one goal the advancement of civilian spaceflight.  That means getting more people to take trips into space.

Of course this is a goal that has me torn on whether to support it or not.  On the one hand sending one, two or even three space tourists at a time aboard huge rockets is contributing to global climate instability by dumping enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially at the higher altitudes where it can do the most damage.  On the other hand this could stimulate the development of colonies on the moon and Mars where we can send all of these people who have no interest in staying on Earth and taking care of her. 

That is such a nice thought to have on this cold fall evening, sitting under the stars and imagining all of the technophiles and scientists happily living on the moon, Mars and other planets.  But no, I feel too guilty.  I won't really wish that nightmare on any other planet or even the moon.  Western civilization created this mess and I guess we will just have to deal with it.

Or die trying.

Whistleblowing Sin

How much longer, oh congregation, are we going to allow the powerful plunderers to continue to oppress us all?   How much longer are we going to avoid the reality of what is happening to us as they drain the government coffers, divert the money to the rich and try to sell off all publicly-owned assets?

This week the Supreme Injustices went to new lengths to oppress those who attempt to blow the whistle on potential misconduct in their place of work. By some twist of perversity that only the mentally corrupt can follow the injustices decided that public employees do not have the right to confess the knowing of wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoings in their place of work.  If they do confess to their overseer they can have actions taken against them with no right to protections from demotions, firings or other negative treatment.

What we have here brothers and sisters is a blatant example of making a crime out of confessing! The intense levels of guilt eating into all of us as we continue to witness the causal acceptance of corruption and law breaking must be purged by having courageous, considerate people stand up and say "Enough!"  Without the right to do this simple action we will continue to be consumed by guilt until the body of democracy withers and rots away. 

The majority of the Earth congregation are good people who don't want to participate in illegal or immoral actions just to earn their daily bread.  By outlawing confessions and making it safe for malignant managers to magnify their mistreatment of workers, guilt-ridden wage slaves will be forced to be accomplices in the Apocalypse of America.

Is it any wonder that we can't sleep at night?