September 11, 1973

In perusing the archives of Counterpunch, this article
"The Other 9/11" by Paul Cantor bears reading:
http://www.counterpunch.org/cantor09112008.html

Farewell Fukuoka san

Masanobu Fukuoka, pioneer in the movement towards sustainable farming passes away August 16, 2008. The news hurt when I finally heard it myself. I had never met Fukuoka San, but during the last few months of a beautiful life devoted to improving quality of life for people everywhere, I got to learn a hands on approach to the use of his techniques to practice his radical method of farming. I posted information earlier in this blog, around April of 2008. To learn even one bit of the most sustainable method of farming became tremendously empowering. The beauty of Fukuoka's methodology is that the poorest farmers in the world can be empowered through using his methods, since his methods require no machines, and not even that significant an amount of labor.

The farm, five acres of land in Lancaster county, the only 'natural farm' in Lancaster this author can report on at this time (would love to hear of any others!)

For more information on Fukuoka's methods, I'll refer you to this site:
http://fukuokafarmingol.info/fover.html

America is not number 1!

I love America too, and I want America to be #1 in health care, literacy, freedom of the press, education, clean power generation and more. How can America be the best? we have a great knowledge base, the resources and the will power to do it. Americans themselves can be agents of great change by turning off the latest pundit-spew and getting out, and trying to create change themselves. Democrat? Republican? we all breath the same air, have many of the same concerns and share many of the same needs. Yet we allow ourselves so much divisiveness to tear us apart. Both sides are guilty, but both sides can change.

wow, a new post

The celestial bodies are in the Virgo phase. One several generations of my family shares.

In two years of owning bikes, I never thought much of leaving them in the backyard. That is until the theft of my most recent bike, a Miyata 310 sport-touring bike.
Devastated at the loss of what was the best bike I ever owned, I am only confident I'll never see it again.

I've tried thinking positively about this whole incident. I cannot find it easy to forgive whoever stole it, yet the great joy the bike brought me as I rode around Lancaster for hours on end is something no thief could ever take from me.

Starting yet another semester of school. I know I'll like Advanced Comp, and the other three classes should be fun and interesting in their own right. Though the overall enthusiasm about being back at school has been on the wane since 2005.

Mi birthday, numero 25, is a week away. I think about it once in a while, but it's not a big issue for me.

I have, sort of, gone car free. I drove the Oldsmobile back to VA for the last time about two weeks ago. I do not truly need my own car now; so far I have not felt like my mobility is significantly compromised. Excellent friends give me rides when I give advanced notice, and offer to chip in for gas, plus my mom still has a car.

Just some random thoughts for now...
Alvis Sherpa III

The Hummer brand, facing lagging sales, is being considered for discontinuation.
Good riddance! I don't feel one bit sorry for GM feeling like they must discontinue a vehicle that appeals to selfish, vain, insecure people who feel they need a big vehicle to compensate for other shortcomings in their life. They made the decision to spend their money on such monstrosities that only symbolize so much that is wrong with America.

The HUMMER ad that should have been: "Small 'ego' putting you down? Move into a Hummer!"

I don't mind big vehicles, farmers, construction workers need big powerful vehicles Rescue workers and surveyors need capable off-road vehicles...but the Hummer brand does neither of those things, it's just a vain symbol of overconsumption. Why buy such a silly vehicle? sure they have image. A politically incorrect one, which for some reason American's flock too. "Oh look, it pollutes more then many vehicles, thanks to it's voracious gas consumption, and it looks ugly to boot! let's buy it people will think we are so cool!"

Check out the other connotations of "Hummer" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hummer

weekend happenings

Friday: 180-miles from Lancaster to Warrenton VA.
Saturday 125-miles to Williamsburg VA to see an old dear friend be wed.
About 180-miles back.
The wedding was lovely, I'm always so happy to see my friends get married. Always.

Gas for the weekend all together, about $90. I hate paying high gas prices as much as anyone, yet I am in the camp that thinks that if it spurns serious conservation, and helps America reduce it's oil addiction, that'd be awesome. Yet I have to be realistic, we're stuck in an auto-centered culture for a number of years, whether we like it or not.

I try to hyper-mile every mile I drive. That should have helped, some. Though what's the best way to save gas? not driving does nothing but save gas, though that's easier said then done.

My final grades were an A- and an A, which is great, cumulative GPA is now a 3.4. Quite respectable.

the tired blogger writeth
the last day of my spring semester. Nicely it proceeded, cramming the cranium with another brand of academic jargon, writing well, without burying leads, burning sources, you know causing trouble.