Back to the Future - Part Two...

...people dealing with concerns about energy.

BUSKIRK, N.Y. — A few years ago, Kathleen Breault was just another suburban grandma, driving countless hours every week, stopping for lunch at McDonald's, buying clothes at the mall, watching TV in the evenings.

That was before Breault heard an author talk about the bleak future of the world's oil supply. Now, she's preparing for the world as we know it to disappear.

Breault cut her driving time in half. She switched to a diet of locally grown foods near her upstate New York home and lost 70 pounds. She sliced up her credit cards, banished her television and swore off plane travel. She began relying on a wood-burning stove.

First of all, I am surprised at her response. Most of the time when people are terrified and panic stricken as this article paints her, they freak out and bury their heads in the sand. They don't get energetic and make these kinds of changes in their lives. On that, I am impressed.

Second, many,if not most, of the changes she made could certainly be taken as positive. I would generally be interested to hear her talk about quality of life at this point, were it not for the motivation behind the changes.

Mostly, I am reminded that a lot of people did similar things in the 1970's.

However, our food and energy supplies were not nearly as centralized then as they are now. One way or another, change is clearly coming. I don't think it will be as dramatic as these folks think. But before it is all over, it could be pretty big.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones & the Crystal Skull

We went to see the movie yesteday.
Rotten Tomatoes liked it and I certainly enjoyed it. And evidently, I am not alone. But some of the comments, though positive, are not very:

It doesn't hold a candle to Raiders of the Lost Ark, or even Last Crusade, but it isn't Temple of Doom, either. If you can fathom third place in the series, there lies Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

and

As much joy as it would give me to praise Kingdom of the Crystal Skull unreservedly, there are some noticeable defects.

Others appear to damn with very faint praise.

Crystal Skull is a fun ride, but if we have to wait 19 years for the next one, that's OK by me.

My own complaint, this was not the world's clearest story, which bugs me. But this couple of hours with Indiana Jones was not wasted.

Bottow line - I will watch this one again on DVD.

Back to the Future...

...or "When the Amish Ruled the Earth"

MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. — High gas prices have driven a Warren County farmer and his sons to hitch a tractor rake to a pair of mules to gather hay from their fields.

"This fuel's so high, you can't afford it," he said. "We can feed these mules cheaper than we can buy fuel. That's the truth."

I expect to see a lot more articles like this in the near future and not just in the "Strange" section of the newspaper. LOTS more to say about this, but that will have to be later.

Movie Review: Juno

Rotten Tomatoes really liked it.

"...coming-of-age meets coming-to-term, in a film that is refreshingly frank about sex and love, pokes fun at the clashes between age and class, and, even more subversively...celebrates the pregnant possibilities of the non-nuclear family."

I liked it too, but not quite that much. Really did enjoy the "smart, stylishly rude, tangy teen dialogue." And I am going to look for Ellen Page in the future.

Here he is...

...a man after my own heart.

If skydiving doesn't quite do it for you, you could always strap a jet engine to your chest. That's what Bob Maddox did until discretion got the better of him and he decided a jet-powered bicycle might be a little safer.

What is not to like? Besides, I think I actually remember these kind of jet engines from a jet-powered helicopter that I saw a drawing of when I was much younger.

At any rate, I definitely would not ride one without a heavy duty helmet and racing pads and leathers.

The Round Table

Another family meeting scheduled for today.
A couple of folks have asked about topics for the Round Table meetings. So far, they have had to do with chores, were the kids going to 4-H camp, and the like. Mostly, we just want to provide the forum for any kind of discussion that needs to take place. None of my children are shy, but the sitting in one place for brunch is extremely pleasant and, I think, valuable.

Two terrifyingly productive days...

...in a row!
On Friday, after two days out of the office, I was able to spend the whole day whittling down the mountain of stuff on my desk. Fortunately, I was able to make a pretty good dent - good enough that I am not going in to the office this weekend!

It helps that I have a pretty light day scheduled Monday, so I should be able to kill even more stuff.

Then yesterday, I had an even more productive day in terms of 'around the house' stuff. The lawn got mowed. Various and sundry outdoor projects were done. Laundry was folded and put away. The house was cleaned. - I am actually physically sore, but in a good way.

Today is largely about goofing off, by the way.

Just got back.

Been out of town for the last two days at a continuing legal education seminar in Lawrence. Beautiful place, but it has changed dramatically since I graduated from school there almost 18 years ago.

Good seminar with lots of useful info. But I am glad to be home.

Hunting Monster Squirrels in Zimbabwe...

...or just clever use of GI Joe Action Figures?

You decide.

Mother's Day...

...went off without a hitch.
At least, as far as I am aware. Took good care of The Missus today. Got some yardwork and a family bike ride in. Got a sunburn. Even managed to take apart and successfully fix the dryer today.

We are trying to have family meetings on a weekly basis. This week at our second, we decided to call them meetings of The Round Table. I am not sure why, but that was what won the vote.

A good end to a good weekend.

In praise of The Missus

Many if not most of you know The Missus. She is a woman of much intelligence and many talents (which begs the question of how she ended up with me - but let's not get off track, shall we?)

Of the many things that she does, perhaps the one she does the best is care for our children. We have made a decision to give that some priority in our lives, but she is the one who is primarily responsible for implementation of that decision on a daily basis.

And seeing the people that my children are growing up to be, I can tell you that she is doing a heck of a job. You are the gold standard, baby.

The power of...

...positive perspective

But, I suppose that there are limits...

Saturday - 5/10/08

A good day.
The Missus and I started out by doing a bit of running around - getting some items from the CSA farm we are involved with and sneaking out to the farmer's market.

Then, we had a quality visit from my family.

Finished it off with fast food. Interestingly, nearly everyone in my family likes different kinds of fast food. So we stopped at Taco Bell for Munchkin Girl #2, Arby's for Munchkin Girl #1, Burger King for the Missus, and Sonic for Little Boy and I.

And then early to bed.

Good Morning.

One of the things that I like about posting on this blog is that I can put links to whatever I want. So here is your link for this morning.

I call it - "Adventures in Getting Dressed"

Nothing says fun like getting dressed with the help of some friends!


And your bonus 80's music for today...

Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew with The Show. Happy Saturday, folks.