Category Archives: art and humor

In a hard essay in this month’s Orion, Derrick Jensen argues forcefully against hope. But no matter what environmentalists do, our best efforts are insufficient. We’re losing badly, on every front. Those in power are hell-bent on destroying the planet, and most people don’t care. Frankly, I don’t have much hope. But I think that’sContinue reading “For and Against Hope”

While shaking off the jet lag, I haven’t posted much, in hopes of making sense when I do, but here’s an item that’s just irresistible. Last week New Orleans hosted the annual Tennessee Williams festival, as usual, which includes a competition. According to the story in Variety by Richard Ouzounian (safely locked away behind aContinue reading “FEEEE-MA!”

We’re off to see the witch of melancholy in Berlin, as well–more importantly–our daughter in Paris. Guess I must be crazy to search her out. But hey; I’m not alone. In Paris for this exhibit at the Grand Palais, people stood in line for three hours. In Berlin, at the Neue Nationalgalerie, one hour. It’sContinue reading “Off to See the Witch”

Like many others, including Dave  Roberts at Gristmill, I’ve been trying to compile a list of top ten global warming hits. I’ve come up with one or two, but haven’t found that knock-out song that nobody’s heard of yet. I begin to think maybe it hadn’t been written.  Until now. Check out "Tables and Chairs"Continue reading “Top Ten Global Warming Hit”

"You know, I’ve heard people say, "Oh, you know, he’s just kind of optimistic for the sake of optimism." President Bush, on March 21st, via PBS. Or, as Tom Toles Toles puts it:

Cold and starry have been the nights down here in March 2006, which reminded me of clear Sierra nights and the talented Tom Killion’s woodcut prints. Killion grew up in my home town, Mill Valley, but has gone on to make quite a name for himself, both as an artist and a scholar. His bookContinue reading “Cold and Starry”

According to a transcript helpfully provided by the Chicago Tribune’s political blog, known as The Swamp, Barack Obama is funny. Really! Here’s just a couple of lines from his speech at the annual Gridiron Club roast. The target this year was Dick Cheney, of course. Word has it that the Big Veep was laughing soContinue reading “Big News: Obama is a Crack-Up!”

BIN LADEN TRIED TO WARN BUSH ABOUT KATRINA

In Newly Released Teleconference,
Madman
Expressed Concern About Levees

(see the full story from Andy Borowitz, below the virtual fold)

As someone whose property was torn up by the floods of January 05 in California and applied for a loan for repairs from FEMA, I can attest in some small measure to exactly how screwed up this agency is. It’s really worse than a joke. Many months after we gave up hope for the overpricedContinue reading “FEMA Makes Changes”

Two interesting perspectives on story-telling about the environment came out this weekend. In Orion, editor and novelist Kelpie Wilson contrasts the mythic approach to environmental disaster apparent in the Bible story of Noah’s ark and other accounts of the floods of 7600 years ago…with our present, science-based method of story-telling: How ironic then, that aContinue reading “The Way the Story Is Told”