Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

Power blackouts are a waste of time. Thanks to CT (and his phone) for being around to let me know someone hadn't detonated an EMP over NYC. Other than that momentary worry it was mostly just the annoyance of pushing my already over-full and behind schedule back another 18 hours or whatever.

When the power went out yesterday, I was working on the new column. As a point of amusement, here is what I was reading exactly when the power went down (I have everything here on UPSs so I didn't lose anything at least):

The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. They have greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in “advanced” countries, but they have destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human beings to indignities, have led to widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical suffering as well) and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. It will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict greater damage on the natural world, it will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological suffering, and it may lead to increased physical suffering even in “advanced” countries.

If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to break down it had best break down sooner rather than later.

If it's not obvious that's an excerpt from mathematician and terrorist Ted Kaczynski's Unabomber Manifesto… Who I believe time will exonerate (well, he'll still be a murderer, but no more of a murderer than any soldier that's ever killed another in a “justified” war). Well, I'm off to the gym.

Well, if you're a student at many schools in Australia there'll be no more reading BME, which was just added as “banned” due to being “Tasteless/Gross”. Interesting coindence that it was allowed for eight years, and then gets banned right after my article on the education system is posted!

Rachel and I (and a couple from Chicago that we met here) sailed out to the west end of the island today to a shipwreck in about thirty feet of water — the bow and stern were just barely cresting. As we sailed there we passed through immense schools of blue jelly fish… While we were snorkling we weren't in the school any more, but it was really neat to watching the few solitary ones around the wreck swimming (if that's the right word for what they do). I have to admit that Rachel's fear of being stung, and my pathological fear of a Deep Star Six-like monster meant we spent more time on the deck of the Windsplitter, but it was a really nice day.

I think my favorite thing so far though has been visiting the volcano… Honestly, if it wasn't for Rachel saying “there's no way you're making me live on an island predicted not to exist in a few years”, I'd totally love to live under the shadow of the guts of the earth!

My only complaint I think is that it's been really hard to find vegan food down here, which actually kind of surprised me — since Rastafarian culture is vegetarian I'd mistakenly assumed that there'd be an awareness of such issues. I know everyone knows that I initially started eating vegan because of concerns for water usage and other environmental factors, but I think what's kept me vegan is the spiritual factor… As more time passes I become more and more aware of the lifeforce in everything and my place in it, and I just can't bring myself to “consume pain”. I'm sure that probably makes sense to the 150 or so vegans on IAM, but must sound totally kooky to others (I know I wouldn't have taken such a claim seriously in the past).

Anyway, tomorrow around noon we're heading to the airport and will be back on the mainland by evening. I don't know if I'll be able to get “proper” computer access on Sunday, but as soon as I do, expect lots and lots of photos!