Warm Globe Problem

Preface

So I was trying to write this prate for about a week but for some reason it seemed way to difficult to write, so I'm going to stop short and just post it because I really have nothing else to say. I am now heading on vacation to get more Inspiration and get back Jan. 1, 2010 (They'll probably be flying cars by then! Remember those time capsule drawings we did when it was the turn of the millennium? Mine was dead on. I did not draw crazy flying cars, but rather a bunch of 30-somethings on the subway twittering on their Blackberries the funny odor coming from the homeless guy's jacket).

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Ah, so global warming is un-untouchable again! Her invisible shield of 5 years (or was it ten?) has finally been removed and Lo and Behold: do I sense the slightest distrust of our great scientists and wizards? Wait: I am not saying that global warming is not due to man-made effects, however I think there should be a few things that should be clarified before we preceed. Clearly, he who denyeth that Man is responsible for climate change is not equivalent to he who denyeth the Holocaust. No, he is not unscrupulous. In fact, he may have a point, if well-informed and not swayed by the preachers of the church of Toyota, Exxon Mobil and American Airlines.

Most recently, the Copenhagen debacle has done nothing really to hurt the stock of climate change, but it should be realized that putting 193 old men (and women) in a room and asking them to agree to effectively limit their economy may not work as well as planned. Sure, the conference has put climate change in the forefront of the media and at centre stage, and this is good. At this conference, green growth was also promoted as an alternative to our traditional view of the 'healthy trees = hurting economy' approach. I strongly believe that this is the most feasible of the attempts to curb carbon emissions, however I'll skip talking about this for now. However, to reduce 50% of the carbon emissions by 2050 is impossible based on the response of the countries involved, unless major paradigm shift happens (I'm talking along the lines of the-Canadian-oil-sands-and-Saudi-Arabia-have-both-dried-up-on-the-same-day). It's hard to do one-on-one negotiations, but with a 193 way conversation, distrust between countries really stalls the progress. I'm not going to point fingers... except for Mr. Obama and Mr. Wen secretary's secretary (He was too busy to attend himself), because how can you really trust that your greatest economic rival will follow through? Perhaps the solution is not the ultra-national (is that more than multinational?) talks, but rather more regional and bilateral. As for what the future holds, who knows? For most countries climbing out of the recession there's not much incentive to promote green energy but it doesn't have to be all bad. The United States, being the global research giant, will stand to create thousands of jobs in the sectors of green energy and carbon capture technology though research and development. With the other sectors of the economy shrinking ever still, this might be an option US may want to look in to to stay on the top.

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Some interesting links that I wanted to mention but didn't have time (all British for some reason):
http://tinyurl.com/globalwarm1
http://tinyurl.com/globalwarm2
http://tinyurl.com/globalwarm3

Anecdote

My father recently moved back to Calgary from a five year stint in the Cayman Islands, where he met his Jamaican wife Denise. Until she gets her visa they can only talk on the phone, which they do daily. Recently during one such phone call, when Dad asked Denise what she was up to, her answer was fairly typical. "I'm cooking, doing laundry, and the TV's on."
"What are you watching?" he asked.
"Your favourite Canadian sport," she said. Testing her, he followed with:
"My favourite...?"
"Yes, she replied, the one you like to watch where they glide with golf sticks."

Stefano

Gian Stefano Brigidi is an Italian from Rhode Island. He is in the second year of his Ph.D. in neuroscience, which is how he met Kevin and came to live in the palace. He works with rats, and every Tuesday he gets a little glum, because that's the day he has to kill them. Stefano skateboards when the weather is nice, and has a certain smile you'll only see when he's dancing. He usually showers at least twice a day because he says Italians are greasy, so he always smells wonderful. He is an excellent hugger.
Stefano is a master of cuisine. I could write a poem about the way he cooks chicken; the spices, oh and the pasta! A Tuscan dream, the pasta is. He keeps his wooden spatula on his grocery shelf, away from the other, less magical utensils. He keeps special spices in his room upstairs. The best part of all this is that when you compliment him gushingly on his cooking, he will sometimes respond not in words, but in hand gestures. First he will motion towards you or the food, hand outstretched, palm up, as if to say, "well, you know". Then he will kiss his fingers and lift them towards the ceiling, basking in the truth of your words, and in his own culinary artistry. This is something to see.
Stefano also likes the following things to a slightly abnormal degree: the noise city buses make, hummus and pita, white v-necks (he owns thirteen, and a few in other colours), sesame snaps, stories of my many awkward incidents, action movies (we call this man time), and being gangster.

Some choice quotes
Tipsy and reaching for the beer fridge:
Let's get this boat- ...whatever... going.
Later that same night, out of nowhere in no particular context:
We're like ABBA.
Regarding city buses:
You see, the older diesel engined buses, and the newer articulated buses are powered by these massive displacement turbo engines that just sound marvelous. I think the older ones are air-cooled, and so they take on a sound similar to that of old Porsche 911s, raspy, hard, and loud.
After meeting Kevin's girlfriend Jessica for the second time, as she is leaving:
It was nice m- seeing you... again... (looks at his hands in confusion and embarrassment) how...?
Via text message, saying goodbye on the day he goes home for Christmas:
You are a desert flower.

Liam Clancy's Dead

1935-2009




"I have never heard a singer as good as Liam, ever. He was just the best ballad singer I've ever heard in my life."
-Bob Dylan

Respect.

A Snack

One brick extra-firm tofu.
Two large spoonfuls e.v.o.o.
Curry Powder > Red Pepper Flakes > Mint > Ginger > Black Powder > Salt, to taste.
Cube tofu. Add ingredients. Toss ingredients. Bake ingredients: 350 °F, 15 min. Turn halfway.
Enjoy.