Bobby Kennedy Jr., the son of Robert “on to Chicago” Kennedy, is an environmental activist and head of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). This month, hes written an article for Rolling Stone outlining the damage that has been done to the environment during the Bush administration. It is scathing. In it Kennedy calls Bush the worst American President on environmental issues, bar none. In the process, he also does an admirable job of relating environmental movements throughout history, since the dark ages Heres a good quote from the RS article:

The White House has masked its attacks with euphemisms that would have embarrassed George Orwell. George W. Bush’s “Healthy Forests” initiative promotes destructive logging of old-growth forests. His “Clear Skies” program, which repealed key provisions of the Clean Air Act, allows more emissions. The administration uses misleading code words such as streamlining or reforming instead of weakening, and thinning instead of logging. (W)e have 30 major environmental laws that are now being eviscerated. All of the investment we have made in our environmental infrastructure since Earth Day 1970 is now being undermined in a three-year period of astonishing activity.

Today, hes also interviewed in Salon about the RS article. Heres a quote from that interview:

The NRDC Web site lists over 200 environmental rollbacks by the White House in the last two years. If even a fraction of those are actually implemented, we will effectively have no significant federal environmental law left in our country by this time next year. That’s not exaggeration, it’s not hyperbole, it is a fact.

As I say in the Rolling Stone article, many of our laws will remain on the books in one form or another. But we’ll be Mexico, which has these wonderful, even poetic, environmental laws, but nobody knows about them and nobody complies with them because they can’t be enforced

Three of my sons have asthma and I watch them struggle to breathe on bad air days. And it’s just scandalous to me that these polluters can give millions to Bush and suddenly all these environmental regulations are thrown out the window. These guys in Washington are selling huge chunks of America’s natural resources, they have our government up for sale to the highest bidder, and they’re getting away with it scot-free.”

The one encouraging thing that I got from these various Kennedy pieces was a better understanding of Arnold Schwarzeneggers environmental policy. Kennedy says that Arnold will be the best Governor for the environment that the state of California has seen in some time, and, after reading everything he has to say, I believe him. Apparently, Arnold has not only sought Kennedy’s advice in building an environmental team, but he is beginning to put their recommendations into action.

In closing, I would like to say that while Rolling Stone may have its brilliant and timely article by Bobby Kennedy Jr, the next issue of Crimewave USA magazine may very well have an interview with Saved by the Bell star Dustin “Screech” Diamond.

Thank you.

I just sent John McCain an email, asking him to consider running against Bush in the Republican primary. I know it’ll never happen, but I thought it was worth asking. Now I’m worried though. In order to submit my email to McCain’s senate site, I had to give them my contact information. Now I’m thinking that it’s possible that my name could get added to some kind of neo-conservative enemies list.

Let me just say for the record that I support our President wholeheartedly and would never dream of questioning his supreme authority, godliness, or perfection.

Oh, speaking of politics, I got a letter from one of my Senators, Debbie Stabenow, today. She wrote back concerning the letter Id sent on the Energy bill. Heres what she said:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the current Senate energy bill. I share your concerns about this legislation.

I believe that we need a more balanced energy policy. Rather than emphasizing more coal extraction, nuclear production and oil exploration in environmentally sensitive areas, there should be more of a focus on energy efficiency initiatives, conservation, and development of renewable energy. I assure you that I will work to significantly improve this bill while it is being considered.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns with me. I expect that there will be vigorous debate about this energy plan. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance in the future.

I know its a form letter, but I still find it somewhat satisfying. Its nice to know that at least someone in her office reads the email and decides which response to send. The fact that there even was a form letter means that others must have written too. I like that. And I like knowing that my letter was counted along with the others in some kind of daily report. Hopefully, those of us sending in notes against the bill outnumbered the folks who sent letters in favor of the legislation.

I wonder what shed say if I wrote another letter, this time telling her that I was supporting the Energy bill. I wonder if the response would be worded in such a way that I thought that she agreed with me. Youll notice in her letter above that she doesnt say how she plans to vote, just that she wasnt pleased by it.

Now Im thinking about sending in a letter saying I love the Energy bill, but Im afraid that in so doing, I might throw off the days count.

And what if I cant stop sending letters in? What if I become addicted to democracy?

This is the kind of letter you get when you have a friend who is a Doctor of Religion and you ask a question about Jesus carpentry skills on your blog

Mark-

I don’t have a definitive answer; however, in some non-canonical infancy gospels, when Joseph mismeasures, Jesus lengthens the too-short piece of wood. The first quotation indicates that Joseph made plows and yokes.

XIII. 1 Now his father was a carpenter and made at that time ploughs and yokes. And there was required of him a bed by a certain rich man, that he should make it for him. And whereas one beam, that which is called the shifting one was too short and Joseph knew not what to do, the young child Jesus said to his father Joseph: Lay down the two pieces of wood and make them even at the end next unto thee (MSS. at the middle part). And Joseph did as the young child said unto him. And Jesus stood at the other end and took hold upon the shorter beam and stretched it and made it equal with the other. And his father Joseph saw it and marvelled: and he embraced the young child and kissed him, saying: Happy am I for that God hath given me this young child. (link)

Similarly:
XI. 1 And when he came to the eighth year of his age Joseph was required by a certain rich man to build him a bed, for he was a carpenter. And he went forth into the field to gather wood, and Jesus also went with him. And he cut two beams of wood and wrought them with the axe, and set one beside the other and measured and found it too short; and when he saw that he was vexed and sought to find another. 2 But Jesus seeing it saith unto him: Set these two together so that the ends of both be even. And Joseph, though he was perplexed concerning this, what the child should mean, did that which was commanded. And he saith again unto him: Take firm hold of the short beam. And Joseph took hold on it, marvelling. Then Jesus also took hold of the other end and pulled the [other] end thereof and made it also equal to the other beam, and saith unto Joseph: Be no more vexed, but do thy work without hindrance. And he when he saw it was exceedingly amazed and said within himself: Blessed am I for that God hath given me such a son. 3 And when they departed into the city Joseph told it to Mary, and she when she heard and saw the wonderful mighty works of her son rejoiced, glorifying him with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and for ever and world without end. Amen. (link)

This version upgrades the item in question from a bed to a throne:
39. Now, on a certain day, the king of Jerusalem sent for him, and said: I wish thee, Joseph, to make for me a throne to fit that place in which I usually sit. Joseph obeyed, and began the work immediately, and remained in the palace two years, until he finished the work of that throne. And when he had it carried to its place, he perceived that each side wanted two spans of the prescribed measure. And the king, seeing this, was angry with Joseph; and Joseph, being in great fear of the king, spent the night without supper, nor did he taste anything at all. Then, being asked by the Lord Jesus why he was afraid, Joseph said: Because I have spoiled all the work that I have been two years at. And the Lord Jesus said to him: Fear not, and do not lose heart; but do thou take hold of one side of the throne; I shall take the other; and we shall put that to rights. And Joseph, having done as the Lord Jesus had said and each having drawn by his own side, the throne was put to rights, and brought to the exact measure of the place. And those that stood by and saw this miracle were struck with astonishment, and praised God. And the woods used in that throne were of those which are celebrated in the time of Solomon the son of David; that is, woods of many and various kinds. (link)

By the way, if you put these on your blog, please don’t imply that I vouched for the accuracy of these translations; I just googled them.

If I recall correctly, in the film version of The Last Temptation of Christ, Jesus makes crosses.

Now, if you were a religion scholar who somehow had befriended a simple-minded blogger, this is the kind of response that you might expect:

-Jim

Lots of men can lengthen their wood. It just takes concentration.

Did I just successfully debunk Christianity? Is the world going to end now?