Comments on: What I am gonna do in my next life https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:56:17 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9849 Jody Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:25:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9849 I loved that movie...what a hoot. Before I go to them diamond gates...not pearly...I like diamonds better...I would absolutely, without any doubt whatsoever <i><b> LOVE LOVE LOVE</i></b> To get together with the Zoners for a shot o' tequila with a beer chaser and shoot the breeze. Hangin' with the best. I loved that movie…what a hoot.

Before I go to them diamond gates…not pearly…I like diamonds better…I would absolutely, without any doubt whatsoever LOVE LOVE LOVE
To get together with the Zoners for a shot o’ tequila with a beer chaser and shoot the breeze.

Hangin’ with the best.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9845 ER Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:51:06 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9845 We've gone from 4 to 7 billion in less than half a cenury. That may be a long piece of one man's lifetime, but hardly significant in the history of mankind, and we've almost doubled the population! And even if the growth rate is declining somewhat, that has been paid for at a very high cost, by an explosion of growth in <em>per capita</em> consumption of resources. We didn't even know there was a problem at all until the late 1960s. That was only yesterday. That's the day we woke up and found the pond was half covered with lily pads. And even then, the entire idea was riduculed and attacked, doing something about it might be too expensive, it might be bad for the economy, it might be inconvenient, it might negatively affect our standard of living. It might be bad for business. Apocalypses are not that rare for human civilizations but they are rarely noticed except by those forced to participate in them. And they happen with monotonous regularity. Fortunately, up to now, they've all been localized to one country, or one continent. And they are remembered by future generations with a footnote, a few scholars scribbling in garrets. The Black Death? Oh yeah, there was an epidemic at the end of the Middle Ages. No big deal. It happens all the time. There have been many epidemics throughout history. We’ve gone from 4 to 7 billion in less than half a cenury. That may be a long piece of one man’s lifetime, but hardly significant in the history of mankind, and we’ve almost doubled the population! And even if the growth rate is declining somewhat, that has been paid for at a very high cost, by an explosion of growth in per capita consumption of resources.

We didn’t even know there was a problem at all until the late 1960s. That was only yesterday. That’s the day we woke up and found the pond was half covered with lily pads. And even then, the entire idea was riduculed and attacked, doing something about it might be too expensive, it might be bad for the economy, it might be inconvenient, it might negatively affect our standard of living. It might be bad for business.

Apocalypses are not that rare for human civilizations but they are rarely noticed except by those forced to participate in them. And they happen with monotonous regularity. Fortunately, up to now, they’ve all been localized to one country, or one continent. And they are remembered by future generations with a footnote, a few scholars scribbling in garrets. The Black Death? Oh yeah, there was an epidemic at the end of the Middle Ages. No big deal. It happens all the time. There have been many epidemics throughout history.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9835 TB Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:27:34 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9835 <p>True,</p> but back in the late 1960s, we were told that a population of 4 billion would destroy us all. So far, it hasn't, and the current growth rate is declining. True,

but back in the late 1960s, we were told that a population of 4 billion would destroy us all. So far, it hasn’t, and the current growth rate is declining.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9833 podrock Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:19:36 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9833 Of course. Thought about including that aspect in my post, but didn't. Yet, no previous generation included 7,000,000,000 people - a number that erodes my hope. I don't believe in apocalypse, i.e. the final battle, but expect a slow decline. Of course. Thought about including that aspect in my post, but didn’t. Yet, no previous generation included 7,000,000,000 people – a number that erodes my hope.

I don’t believe in apocalypse, i.e. the final battle, but expect a slow decline.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9827 TB Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:47:03 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9827 I suspect many generations felt they were living at the peak of civilization, and things could only go downhill from here. Part of the appeal of "apocalypse thinking" I suppose. I suspect many generations felt they were living at the peak of civilization, and things could only go downhill from here. Part of the appeal of “apocalypse thinking” I suppose.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9825 podrock Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:23:36 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9825 <p>Beautiful Ride</p> I agree. Mrs P and I often comment about living at the height of the oil culture, all that we have that our fathers and grandfathers could not have imagined. I'm cynical enough to believe civilization cannot continue along this path for very much longer, while holding out some hope that it might. Couldn't help but be reminded of the very funny (and profane) satirical film "Walk Hard" and it's final song. It probably will not make sense taken out of context, but I can't resist: [youtube]8t7wsaZqWkM[/youtube] Beautiful Ride

I agree. Mrs P and I often comment about living at the height of the oil culture, all that we have that our fathers and grandfathers could not have imagined. I’m cynical enough to believe civilization cannot continue along this path for very much longer, while holding out some hope that it might.

Couldn’t help but be reminded of the very funny (and profane) satirical film “Walk Hard” and it’s final song. It probably will not make sense taken out of context, but I can’t resist:

[youtube]8t7wsaZqWkM[/youtube]

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9823 RobVG Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:16:45 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9823 I aint leavin' n/t I aint leavin’ n/t

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9814 ER Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:23:47 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9814 Americans have always been good at that. We were mechanics, now we're computer geeks. Same kind of guys, really, Connecticut Yankees in King Arthur's Court. Americans have always been good at that. We were mechanics, now we’re computer geeks. Same kind of guys, really, Connecticut Yankees in King Arthur’s Court.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9813 ER Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:20:09 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9813 You've got that right! We were lucky, caught the wave just right, and it was a beautiful ride. I remember my family talking about the Depression and the War, and I knew the postwar prosperity could not possibly last forever, it was fueled by consumerism and depletion of resources, easy credit and bad debt. Everybody wanted to live in a palace in the country, buy a new car every year, work in an office, send their kids to college. And we were going to conquer the solar system, beat the commies, win the war on poverty, cure cancer and banish racism. Technology, liberal policies, and corporate efficiency were going to make it all happen, solve all our problems. And all you had to do was work hard and follow the rules and all those good things would come to you. My teachers warned me it couldn't be, that it was too good to be true, but they didn't get it quite right either, they underestimated the role greed and stupidity would play in our downfall. Still, we were the lucky ones, the golden generation. It was the best of times. You’ve got that right! We were lucky, caught the wave just right, and it was a beautiful ride. I remember my family talking about the Depression and the War, and I knew the postwar prosperity could not possibly last forever, it was fueled by consumerism and depletion of resources, easy credit and bad debt. Everybody wanted to live in a palace in the country, buy a new car every year, work in an office, send their kids to college. And we were going to conquer the solar system, beat the commies, win the war on poverty, cure cancer and banish racism. Technology, liberal policies, and corporate efficiency were going to make it all happen, solve all our problems. And all you had to do was work hard and follow the rules and all those good things would come to you.

My teachers warned me it couldn’t be, that it was too good to be true, but they didn’t get it quite right either, they underestimated the role greed and stupidity would play in our downfall. Still, we were the lucky ones, the golden generation. It was the best of times.

]]> By: VelociraptorBlade https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/21/what-i-am-gonna-do-in-my-next-life/#comment-9810 VelociraptorBlade Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:50:35 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=6085#comment-9810 Anytime, anywhere, before the 1900s would be a good place for me. Don't know what I'd do, but it'd probably involve science and/or engineering. Ironmaster VelociraptorBlade (or VelociBlade - in fact, let's go with that).... that has a nice ring to it. Anytime, anywhere, before the 1900s would be a good place for me. Don’t know what I’d do, but it’d probably involve science and/or engineering.

Ironmaster VelociraptorBlade (or VelociBlade – in fact, let’s go with that)…. that has a nice ring to it.

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