Category Archives: apocalypse

An escalator is [not] just an escalator


Donald and Melania Trump were standing on the “up” escalator, which had stopped moving as soon as they stepped on to it. Pretty funny, but Trump wasn’t laughing. “He’s one of them sociopaths,” said my neighbor Swamp Rabbit as we … Continue reading

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Climate deniers, lobbyists pollute COP28


Swamp Rabbit and I were reading news stories about the COP28 summit, where some attendees from around the world are seeking solutions to global warming but many others are just spreading misinformation. I clicked on a NY Times article and … Continue reading

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Holy moly! Climate deniers ignore the pope.


I was telling my neighbor Swamp Rabbit that scientists just sounded a new alarm about ice shelves in the Antarctic. “They’re melting a lot faster than the experts used to think, but nobody seems to care,” I said. “Ice shelves … Continue reading

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No existential catastrophe (author lays 6-to-1 odds)


The heat goes on, breaking records. Time has become a slow-motion blur that flattens everything I say and do. Incidents that should matter are like river flotsam, here one minute, gone the next. But the river, visible from the dirt … Continue reading

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Behold! Seven-headed dragons just up ahead.


I was telling Swamp Rabbit about former VP Al Gore’s recent comments on global warming, which included this one-liner: “Every night the TV news is like taking a nature hike through the Book of Revelation.” “That’s pretty funny,” Swamp Rabbit … Continue reading

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A wake-up call, or just an excuse to zone out?


I forgot to turn off the radio before I left my shack to go to work. My cats, Thoughts and Prayers, were locked in and had to listen all day to scary weather reports on NPR. No wonder they seemed … Continue reading

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DeLillo’s ‘airborne toxic event’ is still unfolding


My neighbor Swamp Rabbit dropped by on Sunday to wish me a happy Father’s Day, but we ended up talking about that strange day earlier this month when the air smelled like burnt toast and the skyline looked like a … Continue reading

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Somebody give me a ($700) cheeseburger!


“My birthday’s comin’ up,” Swamp Rabbit said. “Maybe I’ll go uptown and treat myself to one of them $700 burgers.” He was referring to the beer garden in Philly whose menu reportedly includes “the most expensive burger in America.” Presumably, … Continue reading

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Deep in the heart of Texas, yahoos still rule


Just when it looked like Texas might be prioritizing clean energy over dirty, this happens: The Texas Legislature is moving to erect barriers to clean energy development while providing incentives for fossil fuel production. This would make the task of … Continue reading

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20 years since Shock and Awe? ‘Good God, y’all!’


Swamp Rabbit examined the playlist of protest songs I compiled to acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the Second Persian Gulf War. He played “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and started laughing. “That song came out in 1971, during the Vietnam War,” … Continue reading

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