just for you rindaloo!!

OK back to silly things on the web. Can you type the alphabet? Faster than me?

The End of Suburbia

A few days ago I posted an article about peak oil, or rather, the global denial of the phenomenon.

Since then I saw the documentry - The End Of Suburbia.

One of the scariest movies i've ever seen, ever. And it didn't seem like scare-mongering.

Here's why. According to the film:

• A scientist named Hubbart predicted using all sorts of calculations that oil in the US had reached it's peak in the 70s. After this oil would not run out, but be more difficult and expensive to get. He was laughed at and discredited. And then they realised he was right, and the oil crisis of the 70s occured.
• Now most of the world's oil is in the middle east. And that same scientist has predicted, using the same methods, that the WORLD supply of oil will peak in the next 10 years, if it hasn't peaked already. Enter our next fuel crisis.
• This means no more cheap gas. Gas goes up many many many times the cost it is now - and what else does this mean?
• Living in a suburb, far away from where you work, becomes nonsensical.
• No longer will you see that ceasar salad from california. that 3000 mile salad goes by-by, along with most other distance foods.
• so we eat from local right? the big problem is we've overfarmed our soil, and we produce the volume of crops we do using oil-based fertilizers and oil-based pesticides. And i mean LOTS of the stuff. this does not bode well.
• we will be poorer. recessions and depressions on the horizon. yay.

So why is it not gettng any attention? According to the film, there's really little alternative. There's nothing that matches cheap oil. Electric cars won't save you- in most areas electricity comes from a fossil fuel. Hydrogen cars won't save you. Nuclear is expensive energy. At the moment, with existing technology - there's really nothing we can do, and the best thing to do is pretend it isn't coming.

The film makes other off the cuff predictions like how controling the remaining oil will be paramount, moreso than it is now. In fact, they attribute this imminent oil crisis to the current Iraq adventure. If there will be a world war in the near future, this is why it will be - possibly between the Chinese and the US over control of the last reserves of bubbling crude. Oil that is.

"Afghanistan and Iraq are the two opening engagements in what are bound to be a long series of wars and international contests over the remaining oil in the world, and over 60 percent of that oil is located in places where people don't like us very much," says Kunstler.

ON the plus side, the film predicts we'll be forgetting our green lawns and planting vegitables, putting up solar panels, and windmills. And windmills are pretty.

If we can't save the world - perhaps there's something you and I can do to be that pig in the brick house when the wolf comes to the door. I'm just not sure what that is yet - so please leave a suggestion at the sound of the tone.

.... i think i just had another one....

What made me laugh today > engadget's response to the "Treadmill bike"

"You know, you could also just walk."

Trust engadget to ruin the naked-emperor party.

If there's one thing that kind of frightens me, it's peak oil. Or rather the denial of the phenomenon. Here's a haiku on the subject:

Fingers in our ears
singing "La la la la la!
Oil lasts forever!"

I know it's fashionable to blame America and Bush for everything from the current state of the entire world to the lack of good television - but it does strike me that this problem won't get any attention or priority until there's a president who doesn't come from a huge oil family. Just sayin.

I'm not a big greenpeacer, i'm not a big conservationist, i don't vote for the green party-- i just think that this will affect us in a big way, and, like the 2000 software thing, we could all band together and be ready for it (I'm not a doomsday guy - i'm an optimist!!). Instead we are in blatant denial and continue to whore ourselves to questionable governments in the middle east over this stuff.

Anyhow. The above website talks about it, sponsored by >>> Chevron! This topic interests you you might see this film.

Mmmmm Miss Tessbacker!!! Watch this trailer now, or kneel before Zod!! (Full screen mode fantastic)

Best. Christmas. Lights. Display. Evar. (Don't bother clicking if you don't have sound!!)

iBelieve?

Jodster from JPTH tipped me off to this one - turn your conspicuous consumption into sanctified spending with the iBelieve - turns any iPod shuffle into an icon of faith! Hmmm.....

I still don't think they'll let me listen to it in church.

Star Wars Transformers??? I think i just had a nerd-gasm.

So what ARE the Goonies up to these days? 20 years down the line? Click to find out.

Today is remembrance day - and so in commemoration of that I thought i would include some photos taken by myself and my brother Tom in Normandy, as well as some others from related locations. This is from the Canadian cemetary at Dieppe.

From a trip to a concentration camp 'Terezin' outside prauge, 2003. Entrance

From a trip to a concentration camp 'Terezin' outside prauge, 2003.
Gallows.

From a trip to a concentration camp 'Terezin' outside prauge, 2003.

From a trip to a concentration camp 'Terezin' outside prauge, 2003. "Work makes freedom" - the idea being if you work hard, you will be released.

From a trip to a concentration camp 'Terezin' outside prauge, 2003.

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- German WWI cemetary. Of note is that each cross represents 4 soldiers, not one - there's a name on both sides of each arm. Also there are Jewish stones in there - not many Jewish military stones from WWII belonging to the German side!

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- WWI battlefield Vimmy Ridge. This is now kept by Canadian conservationists - there are shell craters everywhere. See this short video on the subject.

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- "Swimming" DD Tank at Juno Beach.

Mr Paul - Canadian vet who came ashore on D-Day.

One of the most famous cemetaries in the world, near point du hoc, in Normandy.

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- My brother in law Tom stands in a cassement at Juno Beach

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- it reads "Here on the 6th June 1944 Europe was liberated by the heroism of the allied forces"

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- German bunker, overlooking Omaha beach.

From a trip to Normandy in 2003- This is inside a German bunker on the hill above Omaha beach. The graphiti here i would presume would be left by a soldier, although you can't be sure (26th Panzer Division?) Since soldiering involves waiting for hours and hours, graphiti was in most bunkers. One of the most cherished and preserved is in the tunnels under vimmy ridge, where soldiers waited all night to attack. One of the soldiers carved an elaborate maple leaf into the rock, before it was our flag.

"This ... will a good man teach his son..."

Just got back from the Remembrance ceremony in Dundas. I was well impressed.

Many veterans were in a parade that included marching bands, pipers, soldiers, and just at the moment they were marching up the main street into town, a Canadian jet screamed up the main street in perfect alignment with the street - a perfect moment.


































It was a most moving ceremony, I was impressed. People clapped as the veterans walked up. Not cheering, but a solem thank you.

To thier thanks, I add my own. I watched these veterans sing the words "Oh Canada we stand on guard for thee..." and realised that they actually did. Thank you.

More posts on this to follow

The Daily Show

The best show on television right now has got to be The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Now I don't own a television. Correction - i do own a television, but i don't have any reception - I use it only for watching DVD's. So when i want to watch a show, i tend to download it.

The Daily Show goes that one step further by posting all the best bits on the web - no commercials, you don't even have to watch a pre-show trailer. Fantastic. It's even in XML format, if you have an rss feeder.

Daily Show - General Link here....

A home-made AT-AT costume! "The zone has a new king! But you will rule alone!"