Thursday, November 22, 2018

The Turkey Day Unrap


Thanksgiving Vegan Quiche 

Thank you thank you
The season is here
Bird got some history
Bird out in the woods
Hunting down grubs
Hunted by cubs 
Flying up high to roost
Keeping watch on the woods
Gobble Galoot

Thank you thank you
Seasoning is here
Bird got itself caged
Bird got bred for abuse
Pale zombies imprisoned
Pails of poultry blood
Fly into the oven to roast
Keep plowing down the woods
Gobble groot

Thank you thank you
Seasons to come
Bird peeled from its brain
Bird meat sheets and no pain
Paleo flesh fricassee 
Paltry cultured cells
Fly back to the wild
Turkeys run free
Gobble salute


This Thanksgiving let us give thanks for the wild places and wildlife that we share our planet with. The last 40 years have continued to decimate wildlife numbers and habitat space. Let us do better in generations to come. 

Friday, November 16, 2018

The Skeptic's Dilemma



Being a skeptic means observing the world with integrity, allowing honest observation and science to build an honest world view. Although the world boasts more humans living better lives than ever, objectively our collective negative behavior is driving global changes for the worse.  Environmental degradation, animal abuse, cultural tribalism, political nationalism, religious myth and pseudo-scientific misinformation, to name but a handful, are prolific. 

As a whole it's understandable why a skeptic who responds with reason and compassion to effect change might become dispirited, depressed or even cynical. What one person can do to shift the balance is minimal. Recycling to conserve resources, bicycling to reduce emissions, going vegan to decrease environmental and animal impacts, are all well and good, but if only 1 person, let alone 1 billion of 7.5 billion make these changes, the global situation will shift very little.

And yet the prevailing credo remains "live and let live." Which for all intents an purposes implies let every human do what they like to the world as long as it doesn't directly hurt another human. With a societal mindset like that there is a lot of inertia to overcome.

Bringing the best science and focused resources available to confront these issues is our best bet to contend with the problems at hand. Alas we are emotional creatures as well, and merely educating oneself about the world's problems and acting alone can be insufficient alone to build up a positive attitude. To accomplish that feat we need to employ a number of tricks to outsmart our evolutionary predispositions.


Indeed, encouraging the joyful skeptic inside is challenging. To be sure, it starts with doing the best we can do for ourselves and those immediately around us, but does not stop there. We must become active in our communities, not just for positive policy change but for the selfish joy of forging positive relationships. Our society has become uniquely segregated by the very social networking technology that has amplified our virtual connections at the cost of our real ones.

As skeptics, adopting an attitude that sings "always look on the bright side of life" can bring a dramatic pressure relief to personal bitterness. Strategically, wielding a sense of humor alongside our reason and compassion is another method to maintain sanity in an insane world. If we are to combat the world's problems, both daily and long-term, we must not only be good skeptics, but we must remains steadfast, healthy minded humans so as to live our lives with integrity and sell a hopeful message to the world effectively.

Indeed the dilemma is real, but we must rise to the challenge.


Monday, November 5, 2018

You Can Choose Not to Choose...



...but you still should get out and vote!

Today I choose to share a Rush song...or more accurately a Geddy Lee song...that is particularly fitting on the eve of Election Day. Feel the groove, suss the lyrical core and by all means vote tomorrow with reason and compassion, always knowing that each and every day is our personal election day!



Runaway Train (listen)

Nothing blooms
In a loveless room
You've got to want it
You've got to want it
Who's the fool
Where apathy rules
You've got to want it
You've got to want it
If you don't want it
It remains the same
It's a heart of darkness
That wants to play that game
If there's no defiance
It remains insane
If it's all compliance
It's a runaway train
Nothing so cruel
Where malevolence rules
You've got to want it
You've got to want it
There is no defence
Against pointed arrogance
You've got to want it
You've got to want it
If you don't want it
It remains the same
It's a heart of darkness
That wants to play that game
It can be surprising
When you lose the shame
And the sun starts rising
Another day to tame
If you're heart is aching
Just remove the shame
You've got to want it
Give your soul a shaking
And refuse the blame
You've got to want it
Who's the fool
Where apathy rules
You've got to want it
You've got to want it
If you don't want it
It remains the same
It's a heart of darkness
That wants to play that game
If there's no defiance
It remains insane
If it's all compliance
It's a runaway train
It's a runaway train