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Other than dealing with the crises besetting the planet: Writing; reading; drawing; 3-D films; simulator rides; air hockey; theme parks (although, I haven't been to one in some time. I think they're obscenely overpriced--and Disneyland is criminally negligent re: safety. Also, the more I learn about Orange County, the less inclined I am to spend money there); sports (e,g., arm wrestling with women, miniature golf); thrill rides (which I usually do alone).

I'll watch any music video as long as Beavis & Butt-head are commenting on it. (I tend to watch these by myself.)

Interesting...

I wish I heard this as a child (yet, despite the b.s. I was fed about Custer in sixth grade, I sensed something wrong about him).

IMO, this movie is very good to see during the Thankstaking season. Netflix has it. Here are a few scenes--but you should see the whole movie:

I see that National Geographic has done a similar show. Looks great!

I have about 35 hours of Beavis & Butt-Head episodes on tape (which I usually watch alone).

ECOTOPIA by Ernest Callenbach. Appalled by the environmental, economic, and foreign policies of the United States, Oregon, Washington, and Central and Northern California have broken away from the union and formed a new country: Ecotopia. The capital is San Francisco, where rivers once paved over, have been reclaimed and flow through the city. Renewable energy is ubiquitous. Cars are banned--instead, people get around on bicycles, horses, and electric buses. Because the communities are localized, people usually don't have to travel far. But when long commutes are necessary, Ecotopians can take mag-lev trains or electric buses, which have exclusive use of what's left of the freeways. Life in Ecotopia is simpler and more community-oriented. Although Callenbach wrote the book over 30 years ago (and set it in 1999), many of his ideas remain current. Ecotopians publish their own books through a venue similar to the internet. (And when readers print the books out, they have the option of printing them with permanent or temporary ink. The latter would allow the paper to be recycled.) Native Americans have their own societies and are free to live their traditional ways. I just finished reading Ecotopia Emerging, a prequel, which explains how this society came to be. The book is very topical and inspiring. ----------------------ISLAND by Aldous Huxley. In A Brave New World, Huxley depicted both modern and "primitive" societies with skepticism (I seem to disagree with his definition of "primitive"). In Island, he endeavored to present a viable third alternative: Pala, an island in SE Asia, whose inhabitants live relatively simple lives but also embrace science, education, and some technology. The society was cofounded by an atheist doctor from the west and a Buddhist native of Pala. The founders were determined to avoid the problems of western society. Children are tested at an early age to determine whether they have the potential to become "stong men" (a la Joseph Stalin) or "Peter Pans" (a la Hitler). If they are at-risk, they are given medication and psychological treatment. Child-rearing is significantly different; it is similar to the African idea that "it takes a village to raise a child." Children routinely spend time living with families unrelated to them. Thus, both the children and their biological parents get "vacations" from each other. Sex is revered in this society. Tantric sex is practiced, and teenagers are trained individually by sex instructors. Palanese take mushrooms regularly, which gives them glimpses of reality that they can take back to their daily existence. Unfortunately, various countries would like to see a regime change in Pala--a regime that would give the outsiders access to Pala's natural resources.--------------WALT DISNEY AND THE QUEST FOR COMMUNITY by Steve Mannheim. This book goes into detail about Walt Disney's final (and unrealized) dream: an Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow (EPCOT, not to be confused with Epcot the theme park), which would have been built in Florida. The dominant modes of transportation in this model city would have included monorails, PeopleMovers, bicycles, and electric carts. (There would not have been a single traffic light in EPCOT.) Each house-dwelling resident might have had their home connected to an AVAC trash collecting system. Thus their trash would have been sucked through underground pipes to a central processing facility. (Biodegradable waste would have been composted.) This was Disney's solution to noisy, messy garbage trucks. Mail might also have traveled through tubes. Walt Disney's team was also looking into solar power, alternative sewage treatment, and waste water systems. However, before any of these plans could reach fruition, Disney died. Some of these ideas have been implemented to some extent in cities, but monorails and PeopleMovers are still regarded as theme park attractions. EPCOT would have been a practical demonstration of these concepts.---------- TENDING THE WILD by M. Kat Anderson. It's about how California's First People interacted with the land. The concluding portion emphasizes the important role indigenous people should have in preserving and restoring our environment. ----------THE WORLD WITHOUT US by Alan Weisman. Weisman explores what Earth might be like if humans were to suddenly disappear (e.g., by disease, Rapture, mass alien abduction, or whatever) but his intent is to portray what the planet would be like if we humans were more conscious of our impact on the environment and acted accordingly. It's a page-turner.------------WE WILL NOT FORGET: THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF LAVALAS IN HAITI