March 29, 2008

• I remember this taking place when we were in Sydney last year. We forgot to participate. I think we watched "Borat" instead.
• Such efforts are nugatory; yet I shall use this our hour of darkness to dream of the one thing that can save us now -- a global revival of communism, moral self-discipline and the mandatory consumption of thin gruel only. /Red Eeyore
• I have no problem going along with Earth Hour, but the Earth had better cooperate -- I'm reluctant to do without my furnace at nighttime when we're ten below average daily temperature. DAMN YOU, GAIA! I WANT TO GET RID OF THIS MOTHERFUCKING WINTER COAT!!! I'm not bitter. No. Really. Still. Mother Earth, a bit of green and vitamin D, please? KTHX.
• I heard it snowed in Atlanta a few days ago. Crazy weather. Have you considered growing longer body hair? I'm sure hirsuteness (hirsutity?) would be a great advantage in the Great White North.
• More things to do during Earth Hour... 2. Sing songs recorded by Ray Charles & Stevie Wonder 3. Clean the toilet (I'm scared to approach the thing when I can see it) 4. Go outside and actually SEE the stars 5. If you still can't see the stars, give the evil eye to any neighbors who still have their lights on. 6. Whatever people do when unscheduled blackouts occur.... hoo boy, expect a population spike in December... 7. Sleep. It'll bring a new meaning to "Power Nap".
• It's nice that Nelly Furtado and Fall-Out-Boy are supporting this and all, but I'd have gained better knowledge of my potential in furthering this effort if the time and date had been placed on the front page of the link. I found it, finally (it's Saturday 8-9 pm, right?), but some of us conservationists are on a dial-up. Am in solidarity with those who plan to nap.
• Ooh, I should have put the time in there. Yes, it's 8-9pm in each time zone. Um. We were watching Walk Hard and the time flew by and I may have missed it.
• That freaked me out a little this morning. I thought someone big had died, but then realized it's an Earth Hour awareness thing.
• Oops! Forgot. I was first alerted by the sound. The distant crack of a firework. "Somethings on" I thought. I wandered out to the backyard and stared up at the sky. It had some dark clouds in it. They'd been there all afternoon, but had gathered strength as dusk fell. After a short time, lightshows played on the clouds in the night sky creating an almost biblical, may I say 'heavenly' spectacle. It was like G*d was flicking on–and–off a flashlight upon us from heaven (like, to get our attention [weren't those swimming trials gripping]), and I got the feeling that he was saying "My children, Finally you have grown up and become all that I imagined. I'm off. You're in charge now." The joyous sounds of celebration from the participants of the 'hour without power' were a real 'chin upper'. Like, after the news of G*d leaving us and stuff. I was quite sad for a while and then it all ended. I'll never forget the vibe though… it's all about the vibe man. It was awesome. Sorry I forgot.
• When I first heard about the Lights Out America program, I sent them an email saying “Hey, you should also hold a Lights Out Blogland!” They sent me an email saying basically “Wha?” I explained that there could be a Lights Out Blogland, just as there’s a Lights Out Seattle, Lights Out San Francisco, and so forth. Bloggers could post the banners, and pledge to turn out their lights for an hour at 8PM, wherever they happen to be located. I never heard back from them. I don’t think they grasped the concept. (I'll be turning out the lights anyway.)
• We're doing it tonight! The weather is beautiful and we just got some patio furniture and one of those yuppie fire pit things. Oh, and beer. BEER.
• Recycling is a part of a larger theme of stuff white people like: saving the earth without having to do that much.
• Some people are, as always, opposed to the idea.
• Well, Curieux and I survived, playing cribbage by candlelight. Guess it's the Capt's turn now.
• Saving the earth without having to do that much... A bit of an off base criticism. Change is often incremental. Some of it, when examined closely, largely symbolic. But symbols are important and help to change the culture, and a changed culture demands greater acts.
• Oh, and yes, the plan went off without a hitch. Sat outside by firelight with my mother and mother-in-law and new baby (wife was napping inside.) We drank beer and had a nice time. World saved.
• I was the only one in the neighbourhood with the lights off, eating instant Nasi by candlight. And then doing dishes by candlelight. Which totally doesn't work. Guess saving the Earth is more a Toronto thing.
• Saving the Earth, just like anything else, takes a bit of planning, Capt! I recommend waiting to do the dishes until after you've finished saving the Earth. I also recommend eating a non-crumby dinner while saving the Earth. Last night I did some sketching by candlelight, then ate a bit of crusty french bread with brie. After saving the Earth, I had to vacuum the carpet.
• We thought we were being pretty cool. I turned off the main breaker at 7PM, turned it back on at 8. Wasn't until the next day that we learned we did it an hour early. Oh, well...
• Jesus, RalphTheDog, way to fuck it up for everybody. HEY EVERYBODY, RALPH RUINED CHRISTMAS I MEAN EARTH DAY I MEAN EARTH HOUR
• Earth what? What hour? What what?
• oops... slipped my mind....
• But what were you eating?
• Pictures of Toronto in the dark. Because it's not boring enough.
• And thus the Earth was saved. *joins victory celebration, plants kiss on passing girl*
• This year it's Saturday 28 March 2009 at 8.30pm. (Or this Global site)