Staying up with coffee, thinking

Yes, I am simply blogging what is going on right now. Twittering old school. I can't sleep right now (and didn't even try!), so I am typing with my ouchy fingers (due to cutting my nails too damn short).

I am thinking the following thoughts:

1. should I talk about my giving up a bunch of bad habits in my blog
1. call me if you want to actually know which ones
   
2. is it okay to be happy and not to show it outwardly?
1. yes it is
   
3. is "enlightenment" really the final obstacle to enlightenment?
1. duh
   
4. every time you take a hot shower, consider it a baptism, and remember how freaking lucky you are to get a) a shower stall that is your own b) water that you can freaking drink c) HOT water. There's more, but holy crap that's plenty to be thankful for.
1. seriously. People praise {∞} for food all the time, but best be thanking your Stars you can take hot showers, people.
   
5. lately all the proverbial wisdom I thought "someday I hope to understand that stuff" is actually making some sense (one day at a time, let go and let {∞}, a stitch in time saves nine, go with the flow, etc.)
1. okay, the stitch one I still don't get.
   
6. my idea for {∞} will have a hard time taking off since I have to hit so many keys to type it out!
1. but it's still a great idea. Seriously. Who else (lately) has a Grand Unified Theory in physics that includes religion, love, and community, but also has its own icon? Send me their links!
   
7. lists of things seem easier to read than huge bungly paragraphs?
1. I know, bungly isn't a word. Yes, lists are boss. Outline format for blogging? Super-Boss.
   
8. single parents are mostly heros, it's friggin hard to parent a baby by yourself, even for a few hours!
1. I love my wife and daughter for reals, and appreciate my wife a snick-ton.
   
9. I missed Green Fest 08, but my wife was sick. I was glad to stay home, actually, because I got a chance to take my baby out for two walks in the neighborhood, soaking up the excellent warm sunshine.
1. I'm planning on meeting the people I wanted to meet at Green Fest, only in person and for more than 2 minutes.
   
10. my life is going stupendously, and always has been. With or without my knowledge, things were unfolding as they should.
1. it really is. I'm technically drowning in blessings again. Call me for more details, or text my iPhone, yo. Crap. Did I just say that?
1. yes, you did.
   
1. What the heck is wrong with this outline formatting? Every new indentation gives me a #1? Double Crap.
1. It's not even a Roman numeral! I'll get over it.
1. Love is all you need.
   

Science on hold?

Perhaps this is the ultimate in my secular/humanist heresy, but I think we need to put expensive particle science on hold until we FEED THE PLANET.

That's right, and no more space shuttle launches. For a year. We can do the major research, but hold back on the Large Hadron Collider, things like that.

In addition, of course to STOPPING THE WAR IN IRAQ AND IRAN. That's a given.

The price of rice in Africa has on average doubled this year (between 20-80% more expensive). We cannot in good conscience continue to spend like we're not in a global crisis with water, energy, and food.

This is all (not surprisingly) tied together.

The current push for expanding our military muscle around the globe actually makes the need for that muscle even graver. We must divert money from war to environmental protection and distributing resources for self-sufficiency.

For my part, I'm working on getting the USA on a path to increased energy efficiency and decreased waste of water resources. That's what my work is about, that's what I am here for.

If we can stop wasting so much household energy and water, we can help reduce the global devastation caused by skyrocketing oil prices and drought. All our power needs to shift into the real present catastophes of the developing world.

If we can as science-loving people put our expensive research projects on hold for a bit, we can show the world we have a conscience and the willpower to use it for peace.

Sent from my iPhone

"Third Eye" videos for people on bed-rest

It occurred to me that if you don't have a person in your life that can tell you stories about the world outside while you are sick or disabled and cannot leave your bed, you should by rights have access to the world outside nevertheless.

TV is a pretty stock version of this, quite incomplete, rarely localized, and full of advertisements. Video footage, on the other hand, can be targeted, localized and is blissfully ad-free.

Perhaps a crew of digital video tapers could be employed to help bed or home-confined people see their own world outside. They could get directions via text, email or phone, and of course in person. The service would be like seeing eye dogs but for the seeing.

The footage could be loaded to an online server so the recipient can see it again and again but leave the videotaper free to make more videos.

Think of it, footage of your grandchildren, children or spouse. Footage of an event you missed. Footage of your local neighborhood in spring bloom. A window to the world.