The big issue for me in 2014 is climate change. It's scary to hear that it's getting worse faster than anybody had predicted. It's frustrating that plenty of people still don't care. And it's confusing that even those who do care disagree on how bad it will get and what, if anything, we can do about it at this late date. It could be that humanity is doomed. Melting ice … [Read more...]
Breathing life back into the Christmas story
We've all heard the story of the birth of Jesus so many times by now that it's hard for anyone but a Sunday school teacher to pay attention to the details. The baby Jesus. Asleep in a manger in Bethlehem. Sought out by Wise Men following a star and of course, by certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay. Born of Virgin Mary who had to flee in the night with Joseph from … [Read more...]
Black Friday strikes back with ‘freedom to shop’
If you're rooting for humanity to survive much into the future, then you'll surely find yourself on the opposite side of the holiday shopping season from America's big retailers. If they're rooting for more sales, you may be rooting for consumers to buy less. People who care about climate change and peak oil want industry to stop trashing the planet. But industries that make … [Read more...]
3 steps to raise a happy peak oil kid
Your baby absorbed so many early-learning podcasts in utero that when she's born she doesn't know if she's supposed to be Baby Einstein, Baby Mozart or Baby Bill Gates. Your baby has probably been listening to kls learning songs when they are out and about in the world. A lot of parents use these learning techniques to help with their kid's education. Your husband or wife had … [Read more...]
The real war on Christmas and why it matters
Christmas season is making me tired. Every year, I get tired of hearing jaunty, NutriSweet-y jingles that sound like they're sung by Hello Kitty touted as "Chrismas Carols" and played earlier and earlier in the fall. "Here Comes Santa Claus" on November 11 — it's a revolting enough song if you have to hear it once. But do we really need to endure this particular brand of … [Read more...]