The Green Hills of Earth

I recently read that by the year 2050 or so most of the world’s population (expected to be over 9 billion people by that time) will live in large “Mega-Cities”. This is good news in many ways. First and foremost, I will most likely be lawn fertilizer by 2050. Secondly…. well, to be honest, I’m having trouble thinking of another example of how this is good news.

It’s not that I necessarily dislike cities. If you’re a lover of asphalt, smog, and the smell of human urine in a parking garage, then a large city is the place to be!

These mega-cities will, of course, drain resources from the remaining natural areas of the world. They will produce nothing of their own, only taking from the rest of the world. Well, perhaps that’s not entirely true. A large Mega-city with millions and millions of inhabitants is going to produce a helluva lot of excrement. Now, that’s progress!

And as their inhabitants become more separated from the natural world, they will understand their place in it less and less. They will see animals, plants, air, water, only as resources for their consumption. Such people have always been around, but their numbers are likely to increase in this future of the Mega-city.

The real work of men was hunting meat. The invention of agriculture was a giant step in the wrong direction, leading to serfdom, cities, and empire. From a race of hunters, artists, warriors, and tamers of horses, we degraded ourselves to what we are now: clerks, functionaries, laborers, entertainers, processors of information. – Edward Abbey

As I said, we needn’t wait until 2050 to see people who are separated from the natural world. They are here today and will only grow in numbers as they and their descendants live and die isolated from the beauty of the natural world.

I currently work for a large company in a medium-sized city. The city has started putting up sound-barrier walls along the interstate. This is probably in an effort to soften the sound of traffic for the neighboring communities, but it adds to the feeling that you are driving in a maze. When I get to work, I walk through a different type of maze, this one of cubicles. I sit in meetings, watch my Inbox fill up, and answer phone calls. At the end of an eight-hour day, I reverse my morning commute, spend a few quick hours with my family and prepare to do the same thing again the next day. Is this living? It’s the end of living and the beginning of survival. It’s the end of the human race and the beginning of the bipedal insect people.

Going camping or hiking on the weekend is my escape. Hearing the wind in the trees, feeling the ground under my feet, seeing the look of discovery upon my children’s faces as they see or hear something new – all keep me grounded and capable of dealing with the “unreality” of my weekday existence.

When I describe my weekend experiences to my fellow cubicle inmates some share similar stories, but many stare at me in confusion.

“You slept in a tent on the ground?”

“Didn’t you feel dirty and nasty after awhile?”

“What about all the bugs?”

Many of my fellow cubicle inmates are avid golfers. Over the years, I’ve asked some of them what attracts them to the game. “Well, it’s just a good excuse to get outside and enjoy nature.” Is driving a golf cart, on a well-manicured course, really experiencing nature?

My son and I went rafting on a river in North Carolina recently. (You can read about it by clicking here.) When I describe the adventure to my fellow cubicle inmates and tell them how we did this on our own, without a guide, they stare at me in utter disbelief. They’ve seen things like that on TV or in video games before, but have never experienced such things themselves. For many of them adventure is to be experienced virtually, by watching “reality” TV shows or playing video games.

The environmental movement sometimes gets a bad rap as being elitist. I’m certainly not advocating that at all. I’m saying that nature is necessary for the human spirit and should not be viewed as only a resource for our needs. ALL people should experience the real world and the things it has to teach them.

What I am advocating is to get outside and experience nature. Don’t even finish reading this. Go outside now! If you have kids, get them involved in scouting, cultivate a garden, be part of a group that takes inner-city kids out into nature, join your local hiking club, visit your local farmer’s market. Do anything that connects you to the real world and makes you feel like a human being again.

Maybe then, when these mega-cities are on the scene, they will be made more sustainable and will be better places to live and not just giant ant colonies for the bipedal insect people. Maybe their inhabitants will not just think of a tree as so many pieces of paper, or a river as something to dump sewage into. Maybe instead, they will see nature as something precious and something worth protecting for themselves and their children.

Though men now possess the power to dominate and exploit every corner of the natural world, nothing in that fact implies that they have the right or the need to do so.”–Edward Abbey

Griffy Lake and Nature Preserve – Bloomington Parks and Rec.

Many students probably graduate from Indiana University never realizing that this jewel is just a stone’s throw from campus.

Located just a few miles north-east of the football stadium, Griffy Lake and Nature Preserve is a special place.To me it exudes Bloomington. It has rolling hills, placid water and the scent of patchouli emanating from the boat rental building. Ah, college.

At 109 acres, the lake is small and the surrounding hiking trails aren’t very long. The largest is 1.6 miles. Certainly no big expeditions here, but by combining multiple trails, you can while away a couple of hours in an area rich with flora and fauna.

I am always amazed by the variety of wildlife I find here. Over the years I’ve seen countless geese, ducks, owls, crane, deer, pileated woodpecker, muskrat, turtle, fish and tons and tons of baby frogs, just to name a few.

Among the activities you can enjoy are fishing, hiking, canoe/kayak rental and there is a fair amount of bicycle riding across the causeway. This is Bloomington after all, home of the Little 500 bike race.

As I said, the trails are short, so I like to combine them. Usually I start out with the Hiking Trail and then as I come back down the hill I hook up with the Griffy Creek Trail and the Wetlands trail.

To get to the trails, drive across the causeway and turn right into the parking lot. Step out of you car, take a deep breath and be on your way. The beginning and ending of the Hiking Trail are somewhat steep, but the majority of the trail is pretty flat and a very pleasant hike. As you ascend the trail you have some nice views of the lake. About half way up you will come across a small bench. On the day that I last hiked this trail there was a college student sitting on the bench reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She motioned me over and pointed towards some undergrowth. There, nearly hidden in the trees was a young fawn lying on the ground not 10 feet from us. I don’t where mama was, but it made for a pretty idyllic scene.

So, the next time you’re in Bloomington head north on Headley Road and explore this wonderful little jewel.

Jeff’s Mondo, Awesome Burritos

There’s a lot going on in the world right now that I could be writing about, but it’s late and I’ve got to get ready for work tomorrow so…

Let’s talk food! Specifically burritos.

Taking your lunch to work can be a hassle. All the “cool” kids go out everyday and spend $10 or more for lunch by eating at places like Max and Erma’s, Applebees, or someplace similar. I can’t afford to eat out that much and since I’m primarily vegetarian now, my eating-out options are few anyway. So,I’ve been experimenting with quick, inexpensive things I can take to work and heat up in the microwave.

Bring on the burritos! Many times, I’ve bought cheap, frozen burritos and taken them to work. Let’s be honest. These things look like your neighbor’s cat hacked up a hairball into a tortilla… and they don’t taste much better. But no more! I made a batch of these last night and not only are they filling, but they taste great and are pretty low fat.

Here’s the recipe if you want to try it out. I’m not big on measurements, so let’s just say “add to taste.” We’re all adults here, so I’m not going to tell you to use only a certain amount of any ingredient.

First, make a basic Salsa Fresca. Cut up a fresh tomato and onion. Add a few jalapeños (you can leave these out if you don’t want yours too spicy) and fresh cilantro, and you’re good to go.

Steam your tortilla and, when it’s ready, put a big pile of brown rice on top, add black beans, Monterey Jack/Colby Cheese, and your Salsa Fresca. Wrap your burrito according to the directions below and you will have yourself one mondo, awesome burrito! Enjoy!

4, Count ‘em 4

My wife and a few other people I know have been doing this “4 thing”. It’s late on a Saturday night, so…what the Hell?

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Assembly line making Newport cigarettes
2. Axolotl Colony caretaker
3. Bus Driver for Indiana University
4. Manager – Desktop Support (part of the Corporate American collective)

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
2. The Lord of the Rings (Any of them)
3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
4. Harold and Maude

Four places I’ve lived:

1. Our current home in the Indianapolis area
2. Trailer on Vienna Road (childhood home and still my favorite place ever)
3. Various dorms, apartments, and communes while at college
4. Tents, I guess while camping

Four TV shows I love

1. Seinfeld
2. SurvivorMan
3. The Daily Show
4. Heroes

Four places I’ve vacationed:

1. Great Smoky Mountains
2. Gulf coast of Florida
3. Texas. (Austin and Houston primarily)
4. My ancestral stomping grounds in Eastern Kentucky

Four of my favorite dishes

1. A Bo Diddly (A pizza made at Johnny Rockets back in the day. Sausage with garlic on top of garlic, layered with garlic, with a thin sprinkling of garlic to top it off.)
2. Country Breakfast (eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy. To name just a few of the ingredients)
3. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
4. Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. (Turkey, stuffing, broccoli/cheese casserole, sweet potatoes, Burgundy wine)

Four sites I visit daily

1. Yahoo
2. Myspace
3. A View From the Crossroads (My blog)
4. Helpdesk website at work (Damn job.)

Four places I would rather be right now

1. The Appalachian Trail
2. Camping at McCormick’s
Creek State Park with my family
3. The Irish Lion
4. Exploring a new trail I’ve never been on before.

Mustard Gas and Roses: The Life and Works of Kurt Vonnegut

My family and I went to beautiful Bloomington Indiana today to visit the Farmer’s Market and soak in the “vibe” before our schedules are packed full of soccer games and Marching Band contests this Fall.

We drove through campus on our way out of town and I noticed the banner for the Vonnegut exhibit outside the Lilly Library

I didn’t have time to stop in today, but needless to say I will be planning a day off from work before September 8th, so I can check out the exhibit. I’ll make sure to do a thorough write up and post it here.

In the meantime you can click on the link here (Mustard Gas and Roses) to check out the details of the exhibit.

***Please note that the font on WordPress doesn’t always display web links very well. Click where it says(Mustard Gas and Roses) and you’ll be taken to the Lilly Library web site.

And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim at some point, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”
- Kurt Vonnegut

***** Post Visit Update. September 7th 2007*****

With just one day left in the exhibit, I finally made the trip back to Bloomington today.

The first thing to greet you as you enter the exhibit is a display with copies of Slaughterhouse 5 in 30 or more languages. This was very interesting and shows the universal appeal of Vonnegut’s work, but the overall impression I took away from the exhibit was the simple lesson to “never give up”. Vonnegut was always open about how difficult it was for him to write Slaughterhouse 5. That is apparent by the 9 different first drafts of Chapter 1 that are displayed. Each draft is typed and has notes scribbled throughout. For the most part each draft is also very different from the other. (The published version is on display too, so you can compare it with all the drafts.)

There is an entire display case holding many of the rejection letters he received during the 1940s and 50s. You could have wallpapered a room with all the rejection letters, yet you could have wallpapered a city block with all the fan letters by the end of his career. Imagine how different the world would be if after the 10th or 20th rejection he had decided to quit writing and just keep working at GE. Never give up…

One curious thing was a number of scrolls. When working on The Sirens of Titan Vonnegut would staple the pages together vertically and roll them into scrolls.

There are also many fans letters, several from other acclaimed writers; John Updike, Herman Wouk, Günter Grass, and John Irving. The letter from Irving was of particular interest. It was dated shortly after Kurt’s 60^th birthday and Mr. Irving was explaining his shyness at Kurt’s birthday party. He explains how in awe he was of Vonnegut and all of his friends. Irving was particularly taken back by seeing the real Bernard V. O’Hare in person.

There are also several sweet fan letters from a 5^th grade class in LA written in 2006. Kurt actually wrote them back and a small correspondence seemed to be going on for awhile. The letters from the children were quite moving. I’m paraphrasing here, but they told Mr. Vonnegut not to be sad, because they were the future generation and they had listened to him and would do the right thing when they were in charge. I’ve badly paraphrased what the letter says, but think I’ve captured the sentiment pretty well.

One not- so- nice letter was from an individual claiming to be the failed writer that Kilgore Trout was based on. The letter accuses Vonnegut of getting rich at his expense and that he is going to was sue Vonnegut. There is also a letter from Vonnegut to his publisher dated a couple of weeks later where he explains the situation to them and assures them that he created Trout and has never heard of the man with the lawsuit.

I hope my little write-up helps those of you who aren’t in Indiana get a feel for what the exhibit was like. How wonderful that Kurt Vonnegut entrusted all of this material to the Lilly library, in his and my home state. I feel privileged and honored to have such easy access in my own “backyard”.  Hi-Ho!

Keep America Beautiful

As a young boy in the 1970s I was very moved whenever I saw the “Keep America Beautiful” commercials starring actor Iron Eyes Cody. Yes, I know he wasn’t really Native American, but how could anyone watch him paddling that canoe through all that pollution and NOT be moved to clean up their act?

Today I took my two younger sons to the Morgan/Monroe State Forest just south of Indianapolis. I packed a picnic lunch for us and we had a great time watching dragon flies buzzing around Cherry Lake while we ate.

After we were finished eating, we decided to do some hiking on the Tecumseh trail. (I’ll do a full write up on the trail after I finish hiking all of it.) Today though, we were just exploring, and I was especially interested in hiking through the designated “Back Country” section of the forest. I’ve been wanting to check out this area for a number of years, but for one reason or another it has never happened. So today, we crossed the bridge and entered the back country.

We hiked along for a short time and came across the first back country campsite. I had made an assumption that only backpackers would be on this trail, so I was absolutely floored when I saw the amount of trash at this site. There were a half-dozen or more broken beer bottles, two lighters, at least a dozen soft drink cans, and odds and ends of other types of trash. We shook our heads and kept on hiking. After another 100 yards or so, we came to a 2nd site and it was just as bad, if not worse. There were 4 large Styrofoam cups, a broken lawn chair, an old tarp, more lighters, an empty margarita mix bottle, and odds and ends of other things. I started to realize that because of the parking lot at the trail head, backpackers were probably not the people using these camp sites, but car campers were, and they were “trashing the joint”.

We hiked in for a mile before we came to a clean campsite. When we eventually got back to the car, I got the closest thing I could find to a trash bag, and we went back to clean up as much of the trash as we could.

My son pointed out that it took us all of 15 minutes to clean up those two sites. The people who made those messes could have cleaned them up in even less time.

“People Start Pollution. People can stop it”, “give a hoot – don’t pollute”, “leave no trace”, “pack in in – pack it out”. Pick your favorite slogan and just do it people! There is just no excuse for this kind of behavior. You’re in the outdoors because you supposedly love them. Stop trashing the joint!