By Dick Hill
The other day Bill Maher spoke of new theories that link the disappearance of bees with microwaves from cell phone usage, or some such thing. With no bees, plant life disappears. Guess who’s next. He quoted Albert Einstein, the great forward thinker, who said that if the bees died, mankind would follow within four years. Mahr then opined that if this theory proves correct, he still didn’t believe our society would surrender their phones. Sadly, I guess I have to agree with him.
There’s ample evidence that our wanton consumption of fossil fuels is threatening the way humans live on this planet. Indeed, if we will continue to live at all. Yet we seem incapable of recognizing this global threat and rising to its challenge. Americans, in particular, seem so committed to dangerous foolhardy behavior……..ecologically, politically, personally. Unable to see beyond the comfort of the status quo. Is there a leader who could make clear the dangers of how we live. Our disregard for the long term, for our neighbors, the poor, the underserved? Call for a national effort, a national sacrifice on the scale of our great national effort in the last World War, when it became a point of pride to support the effort? And if such a leader appeared, would we have the resolve, the strength of character to follow? Days like this one I doubt it. I doubt myself. Give up cell phones? Unlikely.
Unseen waves of death.
As the bees go, so do we.
The call is vital.
I think I’ll go trade these dark thoughts for a bar of dark, 70% cocoa, imported chocolate. I’m prediabetic, but what the hell does THAT mean anyway. I don’t feel any different than I did before the doc saw those blood sugar levels. Maybe I’ll call Dial-A-Joke. Would it be such a loss if mankind were to disappear anyway? We’re just part of the big cosmic expression of the ONE, aren’t we? Maybe that’s how we make it to the next level, the true realization of the Universal Self. Then again, I may be fulla’ shit. Often am.
—Dick Hill
7 Comments, Comment or Ping
David Niall Wilson
It is funny, in a dark sort of way. They immediately started figuring what frequency they could change the phones to - never considering giving them up. The same thing came up (differently) a while back when they said they needed long-term tests to see how much all of that cell phone transmission radiation might disrupt human health…people with cell phones don’t give a rats ass…
Hope the chocolate was good…
Dave
Apr 29th, 2007
Janet Berliner
“Would it be such a loss if mankind were to disappear anyway?” I think not and have the same thoughts.
You eat the chocolate, I’ll have a fresh baguette. In
the end, our end, it matters not a whit. –Janet
Apr 30th, 2007
Richard
This is such a cheery place this morning.
Apr 30th, 2007
Elizabeth Massie
I heard that about the cell phones and bees, too. Very sobering. I’m ready to give up my cell phone…lived with it more than I’ve lived without it. But I can’t imagine a lot of people feeling the same way; when I see a flock of teenagers walking down the street and four of the five are on the cell phone with someone else, I know it’s ingrained. It’s as much a part of them as their clothing, hairstyles, and food they choose to eat. How do you excise that? You might as well tell them you are going to cut off an arm. Of course, I’m sure there are things I’d struggle with losing, but I’d like to think I could bend a bit to help save our *FREAKIN’ PLANET!!!* Does it take someone with popularity, clout, or money to spearhead a new way of thinking, or can ordinary people help bring on a major change in attitude in the population as a whole? Perhaps it could be an ordinary writer with a flare for words on paper?
Just musing….
Beth
Apr 30th, 2007
John B. Rosenman
Naw, Dick, you ain’t full of shit. You are spot on. Americans (and others) don’t want to give up their cells, and they basically don’t care a rip about the Universal Self. What we want are spoiled, indulgent pleasures. Hell, I still can’t get used to bottled water being a major industry.
Yeah, your piece is gloomy, all right. But it’s still darn good and relevant. Alas, the pen might be mightier than the sword, but I’m afraid all the eloquent, impassioned scribblers in the world wouldn’t convince anyone to give up their cell or anything else. Not for long anyway.
Reminds me of King’s CELL. Hmm, maybe the world won’t end with a whimper but with a dial tone.
Apr 30th, 2007
Anonymous
Elizabeth & co.,
Re the bee thing, before you get your bees in a bonnet (sorry, couldn’t resist), check out this link. Apparently there’s a natural reason for the bee reduction.
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/3862972.html
Just an FYI.
Best,
Jeff P.
May 1st, 2007
Elizabeth Massie
Well, if Jadczak is right, then we can keep on phonin’ to our hearts’ contents! I’m sure more study will clarify what’s up with the poor bees, but moving them around being a major stressor makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for the link.
Beth
May 1st, 2007
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