A non-economist's take on the economy

I'm not an economist, nor do I pretend to be one. However, I do want to point out a few practices that I think have contributed to our current financial crisis. Hopefully, with the proper resolve, these problems can be rectified so that this kind of a mess can be avoided in the future.

1) Subprime mortgage lending - If a prospective buyer cannot demonstrate that he has the resources to pay for a home mortgage, don't sell him one. Let him rent a home while he stabilizes himself, and then do business with him. There's really no way around this. Selling him an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), with seductively low interest rates upfront, followed by skyrocketing interest rates down the road is just a setup for disaster.

2) Healthcare costs - The Right wants to keep medical insurance private, while the Left wants to socialize it. Why don't we just let the federal government sell insurance policies to people right along with any other legitimate health insurance agency, but keep the medical system itself private? That way, there would be accountability among payers, insurers, and providers alike. The most common reason people go into credit card debt is having little or no healthcare coverage. Giving people a way to find affordable health insurance is one way to attack this problem.

3) Credit card debt - Americans aren't saving enough, and heavy credit card debt has become widespread. Whether it's because people are using their credit lines as a surrogate for proper health insurance, or just overspending, the interest rates on their balance can be oppressively high. Isn't it shocking that Congress still allows banks to continue gouging people like that? What we're seeing is greed on the part of the credit card companies, and collusion on the part of Congress. Banks think they'll make more money by charging people 20-30% interest on their debt, but really all their doing is weakening their consumer base. If banks charged only, say 2-5% interest, they would be able to retain a lot more people for a lot longer. As it stands now, they rip people off for as much as they can, then negotiate with credit counselors when their customers can no longer pay. If we did that with our agriculture, we'd all starve to death.

4) The failing auto industry - It's sad that the Big Three automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler, in that order) are now on the verge of bankrupty. It's sad because so many people in Michigan rely on these companies for employment. It's sad because their collapse could seriously affect our economy. And it's sad because this whole mess was quite avoidable. Over the past three decades, these companies could have been developing cars that use renewable energy, but instead they've just been making bigger gas guzzlers that people can't afford when fuel is expensive. They could have used their money to create quality, long-lasting cars and equitable work environments. Instead, they've allowed foreign automakers to make often superior cars (and yes, I do drive a Ford myself). While trying to provide for their employees, executives have created what amounts to a cumbersome, inefficient welfare system, even while giving themselves obscene bonuses and perks. And now these people want a $25B loan? Unless there are heavy strings attached for renewable energy and management reform, I think giving it to them would be a very bad idea.

5) War - I'm no pacifist, but I am against unjustified wars ... which just happens to be most of them. Unless a country is defending its borders against an imminent threat, there is no reason to go to war. Or, rather, there is a reason: to plunder the region of interest for its resources, and to make obscene amounts of money selling war machines. The war in Iraq is not only illegal, it has also gone on for too long, and the sooner America withdraws, the better. This country is in a recession, and has just elected a new president, so the economy is on everyone's lips. Everyone is trying to come up with ways to save money right now. Well, I have news for you. The biggest single expense America has is our military-industrial-congressional complex. If reduced responsibly, America will become more prosperous again.

6) Corporate welfare - The amount of money we waste in subsidies and tax credits is ridiculous. Our country is becoming less capitalist and more corporatist all the time. Instead of giving special priveleges to some companies and denying them of others, there should be a level regulatory playing field in which all companies can compete fairly. Then we wouldn't be squandering millions of dollars every year for things our economy neither needs nor wants.

7) Financial sector bailouts - I understand that if banks can't lend, then the economy would stagnate and we would dip into even deeper recession and possibly even a depression. But again, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we wouldn't be in this mess if banks weren't run by greedy, unscrupulous thieves. This crisis is due, in part, to money managers using other peoples' money for risky things, and then facing little or no consequence when things go wrong. Why did AIG throw a couple of big company bashes after being given $85B? Because there is no accountability. They can do whatever they want, and it's okay, because they're the oligarchs, and we're just plebeians. This should not be happening in the United States of America! We don't need massive government bailouts. America is now shelling out $700B of taxpayer money, and the Federal Reserve might lend out an additional $800B beyond that. This is not what we need. What we need is massive monetary reform.

Money represents different things to different people, but one major function of it is to represent resources. That is, a given unit of money represents crops harvested, or space used, or work done. Having a gold standard to back up cash is important, but that gold itself represents something even more basic: the energy we need to live. As such, money may be infinite but it is not limitless, because there's only so much energy to go around at any given time. If we forget that, then we risk making our money worthless.

We should reform the way in which banks hold and loan money. The current system is called the fractional reserve system, in which banks loan out much more than what they actually hold. This means that they are creating money out of nothing, rather than using the actual currency available, which represents the energy in the community. With a full reserve system, banks can only lend as much as they hold, which means there will be no "runs" on the bank during tough economic times, thereby preventing loss of confidence in the market, and the economic collapse that can ensue.

We should also get rid of our central bank, which is the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve's name is misleading, because it is actually a private bank that lends money to the US government at interest. Unlike the Treasury, which is authorized to mint new money, the Fed simply loans us money, which we then have to pay back. Each time the Fed "makes" more money, our national debt increases. Unless we abolish the central bank, we will never pull ourselves out of our financial mess.

So, as you can see, our current financial crisis has been a long time in the making, but without profound reform of our system, all the bailout money in the world is only going to prolong the inevitable, which is economic collapse. The bottom line is, I think, greed. Our country is being ruined by greedy oligarchs who want to take over everything and give us little in return. I think most people don't want to be coddled by a paternalistic government, nor do they want to be saddled with the burden of supporting one. Rather, I think Americans just want to be able to conduct their affairs freely and fairly. Unless we seriously reevaluate how our country does business, these abuses are only going to continue.

The significance of consciousness

Over the years, I have encountered a lot of different approaches to understanding the nature of life. Many people have studied the inanimate world and living things (including us) to figure out what makes them tick, and others have pondered what our existence means in the grand scheme of things. Thus, we see that there are basically two kinds "why" questions to ask when exploring life; one is "how," and the other is "what for." Science and engineering allow us to find out how things work, while philosophy and religion address what life is for, or what our purpose is. In short, science attempts to explain how life works, while philosophy attempts to discern the meaning of life. Many people think the two world views compete with one another, and that one must either be a scientist or a believer, but not both. I disagree. Because science is concerned with physical mechanisms, and religion with metaphysical causation, I think the two complement each other quite nicely.

There are, however, a few areas of overlap, and that's when conflict arises. If people interpret the Bible story to mean that the universe is only about 6,000 years old, they are in for a painful shock. Scientists have shown that the universe is not only some 20 billion years old, but also that the concept of "years" is relative. The question of the universe's age lies in the realm of mechanisms, so it's no wonder that science trumps religion here.

But what happens when science delves into the realm of ultimate causation? Many (but not all) scientists are agnostic or atheist, and have no trouble with the idea that the universe is completely physical, and that any experience of the metaphysical must be illusory. Neuroscientists are making great strides in understanding how the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system work, which helps them treat these organs and tissues when they are damaged. However, has it also given them a false sense of confidence when it comes to understanding the human (and animal) mind as well?

It's true that the physical condition of our brains affect our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. People with organic neurochemical imbalances may suffer from mood disorders or have problems with concentration, and people with gross (i.e. - large, not "disgusting") anatomical aberrations may exhibit behavior quite different from others with more normal brain structure. But from this knowledge, is it safe to leap to the assumption that we will some day completely understand what makes us human (or dog, or cat, or elephant), simply from our biology? I don't think so.

One thing that biology has failed to explain - and I submit will always fail to explain - is consciousness. Why do people, and apparently other intelligent animals as well, have consciousness? Why do we have a subjective experience of life? Why do we think and feel the way we do, instead of just walking around like mindless automatons all day? We are not just organic machines or motile lumps of goo; we are individuals with personalities, goals, and intentions. Why?

Biological theory alone cannot explain this. It's true that we are made of the same stuff as the rest of the universe ("Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"). The physical body does obey certain physicochemical laws, and natural selection has shaped living beings to survive and procreate. But none of these facts explain why we actually experience the world around us the way we do. As a mechanistic theory, science can elucidate certain natural laws that the universe must obey, and it can explain why the physical world - including its organisms - behaves the way it does. But it simply cannot explain why living things actually perceive the world around them.

From a purely evolutionary standpoint, the meaning of life is to procreate. That's why we're here, but this is more of a "how come" explanation than a "what for." Ever since Earth's primordial soup of some 4 billion years ago, organic molecules have been replicating themselves, and we are the products of that long, long chain of events. As such, our behavior is an epiphenomenon of natural selection, which is dependent upon chemistry, which is in turn dependent upon physics. That's how the world works, and that's fine.

But none of this explains how it is that we can perceive anything. No amount of neurotransmitter release, neuronal organization, or hormone absorption can explain why we actually feel the emotions of fear, hatred, excitement, or love. They can't explain how it is that we can think about ourselves, those we care about, and the world around us. It seems, therefore, that we are forced to invoke a metaphysical explanation. Whatever life is on a physical level, there must be more to it. In short, the fact that we have consciousness proves that we have souls, and the fact that we have souls proves that life is very significant indeed. Say what you will about the existence or nonexistence of a divine creator; I can prove neither one. The fact that we have souls proves that life is not just some random collection of molecules. Rather, life is precious and sacred. That is the significance of consciousness.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Gaddy Bergmann

Para-scientific research

A colleague of mine has started a blog called the Para-Science Research Organization. The aim of this organization is to study the paranormal phenomena of ghost haunting as objectively as possible. Check it out at:
http://psro.blogspot.com/

Liberty Day

Friday, July 4, 2008

Liberty Day

Independence Day has always been my favorite holiday – partly because of the grandeur of fireworks, of course, but there's so much more to it than that. I have always loved the Fourth of July more than New Year's, Thanksgiving, or the high holidays. Why? Because this holiday is about one of the most basic blessings anyone can have – liberty.

I'm not going to write about the usual patriotic stuff today. I'm not going to write about war, or sacrifice, or our Founding Fathers, as important as these topics are. Instead, I'm just going to say something rather simple, and that is this: liberty is about being at peace.

When I was a small boy, probably about ten or so, I realized something that turned out to be very important. I never verbalized it, but it was a very real observation nonetheless. I realized that America is supposed to be a meritocracy, whereas the Old World hierarchy was based on inheritance, favoritism, and intimidation. As I've gotten older, I've learned that even America is not immune from these vices, but that at least we have safeguards against them. And that's because, at her core, America is about respecting the basic value of all people.

Throughout our history, we have violated this principle. We've had the Salem witch trials, warfare against American Indians, slavery of Blacks, denial of suffrage to women, and the oppression of the working class. All of these things are a blemish on our proud heritage because, unfortunately, America has often emulated the dirtier, nastier habits of her Old World forebears, with the same dreadful result of alienation.

When I was ten, I realized that, in Eurasia, a person inherited nobility from his parents. Thus, the child of a baron became a baron or baroness, and the child of a king became a king or queen. And going further back, the child of an emperor stood to inherit not only the rule of a particular country, but control over an entire region and many diverse peoples as well. As a ten-year-old American child, I was aware that America had no monarchy, and that here, one had to earn distinction for oneself. That was when I semi-consciously resolved to value knowledge and pursue education as far as I could. For the most part, I think I have honored that commitment.

That moment, however, was more about personal achievement and drive, and less about national priorities or philosophical principles. Now, at the age of 32, I look back on that formative experience, and I realize its significance even more concretely, but now in the much wider context of America's value as a country and system of government.

Despite the power struggles in our country's history, we still have no king, queen, or emperor. We have no dukes or barons. We have only elected mayors, governors, congressmen, senators, and presidents. I hope you understand how profoundly important this is. We are a nation of some 300 million people, and we control half of the entire North American landmass. In addition, our influence spans the entire globe. Yet thankfully, we continue to evade the blight so euphemistically known as “nobility.”

Of course, I'm not naive. I know we are controlled by powerful groups who run our country and its cultural empire, and who, through networks and nepotism, keep this power tightly in their grasp. In both the public and private sectors, as well as behind the scenes, there are obscenely wealthy, greedy people pulling the strings of our economy everyday. But at least America still nominally stands for what she's always stood for, and that’s liberty.

What is liberty, and who has it? Is it the freedom to watch TV on the weekend? Yes. Is it the freedom to drive your car whenever you like. Sure. Is it the ability speak your mind and not fear persecution for doing so? Absolutely. But these are all just different manifestations of the same thing, and that is the ability to be at peace with yourself, other people, and the world around you. America was unique in being the first among organized nations to secure this right, and since then, many other nations have thankfully done the same. But in our sophisticated, 21st Century world, it's easy to forget that this was once the norm for simple-living people all over the world.

Let us not forget that the human species is some 100,000 years old, and that for most of that time and even into the modern age, people have lived in small communities consisting of only about 200 individuals. Such people did not have the scientific and historical information available to us, but they knew things about the natural world that we are only now rediscovering. These people were like us – neither angels nor demons – but simply folks trying to live their lives. But unlike us, or at least unlike what we've become, they were content to be themselves and not impose their ways on others.

That's peace. That's liberty. Such people wake up everyday to greet the Earth and her creatures, and welcome each new day with the people who share their lives. Such people are more grounded in reality, and less burdened with worry. Such people are free. There was a time when people all over the world lived like that, in Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas. No, their lives were not perfect, and where such lifestyles persist, they're still not perfect. Nevertheless, this way of life is only natural for people, and we should not be surprised to see how well it works.

America is unique in that it tries to blend the village with the nation state. It tries to give people a voice, even though it encompasses lands far beyond the reach of their own community. Can such a system endure? Yes, but not if we continue down our current path. As Americans, we are very diverse, but we profess our love of liberty, and most of us really mean it. Is our current way of life in line with our ideal? No, because with our current restlessness, we cannot be free. Look at all the ways in which we are not at peace.

On the home front, America is obsessed with consumption. Oil. Plastic. Wood. We have an insatiable desire to erect new structures, build exurban neighborhoods, and buy electronics we don't need. Is this what we want, to build and buy until we're exhausted? Does this make us free? No, it turns us into slaves. Why do we do these things? It can't be because we actually enjoy having nice things, because we're all too despicably busy to enjoy them. It couldn't be because we want to travel and see the world, because we have less vacation time than any other country. It couldn't be because we like fine dining, because most of us touch the keys on our microwaves more often than we touch each other. It couldn't be for the sake of our friends, because Americans spend less time in the company of their friends than ever before. And it couldn’t be for our families, because our divorce rate remains high, and our kids interact with the TV more often than with us. Maybe it's just to keep up with the Joneses, and prove to everyone that we're as good as, if not better than, the next person - whatever that means.

As a country, we seem just as greedy internationally as we do domestically. Is it really so vital to build another fast food restaurant on the other side of the planet? And what's with all this nation building anyway? Do we really need to install yet another puppet dictator in the Middle East? Do we really need to build even more obscenely powerful weapons? You've heard of the military-industrial complex. Well, it's alive and well, and you and I are paying for it every week – and all we get in return is more pollution and more political strife.

For those of you countering that we need these things to protect ourselves from our enemies, I'll grant you that point, but only insofar as we live in the world that we have helped create. Maybe with a little less greed, we'd have a little more peace, and a little more liberty. And for those of you enraged that I would criticize my own country on her birthday, you can relax for two reasons. One, America is not the only country playing this nauseating game of greed and conquest, so we can all be guilty together - and we can all change for the better together, too. And two, this may be trite, but I see just how beautiful America and her principles are, and it hurts me to see us fall so short of what not only we could be, but what we really are. So, here's to you, my beloved America. May you be at peace and free at last!

Gaddy Bergmann
http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Teaser

Reproduced from http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

On Sunday, April 13, 2036, the asteroid Apophis could collide with the
Earth. What might happen if it does?

Three thousand years from now, humanity has survived this collision...but
civilization is gone. One day in the northern Great Plains, a peaceful tribe
is decimated by its warlike neighbors. Only two young men, Blake and
Manosh, survive. They take their dogs and head south, forever leaving
this cold, hostile land behind. Along the way, they come across many
amazing landscapes, creatures, and people. They even meet a young
woman, Lana, who joins them on their migration to the Warmland.

When the trio reach the Warmland, however, they find that it's not quite
what they expected. Far from being a paradise, it has perils all its own.
Blake and his friends must adapt to this new world if they hope to survive.

You'll go on this journey in Migration of the Kamishi and Trials of the
Warmland, the first and second books in the new series, The Feral World,
by author Gaddy Bergmann and published by Flying Pen Press. The
adventure continues in Riders of the Mapinguari, available in September
2008.

The Feral World: Books of The Feral World

Migration of the Kamishi
Join Blake and his friends, the last of the Kamishi tribe, on their quest for a
new homeland 3,000 years from now in the New Days. You'll never look at
North America the same way again. On sale now.

Trials of the Warmland
When Blake and Lana reach their destination, they expect to find
paradise. Instead, they find only people who have no intention of letting
Outlanders infest their precious Warmland. What must Blake and Lana do
to prove themselves worthy of the mysterious Corpushi tribe? Find out in
this second book of The Feral World. Available in February 2008.

Riders of the Mapinguari
Blake and Lana have built a life and a family in Corpus, but the peace is
easily disturbed. One day, a haggard messenger arrives, warning all who
would listen to flee before the Terran army and their Mapinguari. When
the Invaders arrive at last, they soon overpower the regional tribes and
begin to spoil the Warmland. Without a radical new plan, the Corpushi and
their neighbors will lose their way of life forever. Discover what happens
next in this third book of The Feral World. Available in September 2008.

Gaddy's Blog
Check out my home page and blog on MySpace.com at:
http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann.

I also have an author's page on AuthorsDen.com at:
http://www.Authorsden.com/GaddyBergmann.

You can also read my articles about conservation, ethics, education,
religion, and literature on Gather.com at:
http://Gaddy.Gather.com.

Gaddy
http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Book Signing

Reproduced from http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Book signing for Trials of the Warmland

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Well, Trials of the Warmland was released yesterday! Now both the
first and second books of The Feral World are available. I will be
having a book signing at Denver's own Who Else! Books on Sunday,
March 2 at 3 pm. Here's their address and contact information:

Denver Book Mall
32 N. Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
Ph: 303-733-3808

Gaddy Bergmann
http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

And Here's the Mapinguari!

Reproduced from http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

And here's the mapinguari!
Sunday, December 02, 2007

When I attended Denver's MileHiCon in the last weekend of October, I
met fantasy painter and sculptor Jim Humble. I had seen his work
before: beautiful art featuring big cats, dragons, and gargoyles. But I
had something different in mind. I wanted a mapinguari.

If the South American legends are true, and if ecologist David Oren is
right, then the mythical mapinguari of Amazonia is a still-living giant
ground sloth. The legend tells of a big, shaggy, smelly beast with a
fearsome roar that lives deep in the forest. It has long claws, big teeth,
and backward-pointing feet. The creature walks on its hind legs, and its
hide is so thick and strong that arrows and even bullets cannot
penetrate it. Some versions of the legend also say that the mapinguari
has one big eye in the middle of its head and a big mouth in the middle
of its belly. Except for that last part about the eye and the mouth, this
legendary creature is suspiciously suggestive of Mylodon robustus, a
ground sloth about the size of a brown bear, and David Oren intends to
find it. He has attracted the scorn of other scientists, who think he's off
on a wild sloth chase...and that makes me respect him all the more. His
work was featured in Discover magazine, as well as Never Yet Melted
and Texas Big Foot.

Regardless of the veracity of this legend, giant sloths may not have
been the docile browsers we once thought. Megatherium americanum
was one of the two largest sloth species and, like Eremotherium
laurillardii, could have weighed up to 5 tons. Paleontologist Richard
Farina thinks that Megatherium was not only an herbivore but an
omnivore that may have scavenged carcasses or even actively preyed
upon other animals. In a Discover article, Farina explains that, although
Megatherium had slow locomotion, the striking speed of its clawed
forelimbs was probably quite fast. As for its teeth, they may have been
suitable for eating meat after all. Wouldn't that be something, to watch
a 5-ton giant sloth in action? Wow.

In The Feral World, the invading Terrans have an awesome weapon:
an army of mapinguari. But not just Mylodon; these are Megatherium.
And they're not content to eat leaves; they want meat. And they're not
only protected by their naturally thick, bony hides, but also by the
metallic armor that their human keepers have given them. This is the
creature in my story, and this was the sort of sculpture I wanted to
commission from Jim.

To my surprise and delight, when I explained all this, Jim understood
just what I was looking for. In fact, he even knew most of these things
about sloths already. He knew how giant sloths looked, moved, and
acted, and he knew how to go about creating a figure to match. After
first showing me a conceptual sketch, Jim got to work and told me that
within about two months, I would have my sloth.

Now, here we are just one month later, and I've got it! I picked up my
sloth yesterday, and let me tell you, it looks awesome. This thing is
terrifying...but beautiful. I will be bringing my mapinguari with me to
book signings. Just as importantly, though, I am already turning to this
figure for inspiration, ideas, and insight as I write my third novel, Riders
of the Mapinguari. Anyway, without further ado, here he is, the
mapinguari.

Gaddy Bergmann
http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Creating the Feral World

Reproduced from http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Creating The Feral World
Thursday, November 29, 2007

A revised edition of Migration of the Kamishi is coming soon! This book will
have a new cover, more entries in the glossary, and more details in
several scenes. It is set for a simultaneous release with the second book
in The Feral World series, Trials of the Warmland.

I am currently doing final edits for Trials of the Warmland. In addition to
the usual copy editing, I am also adding two more scenes: one in the
middle, and one near the end. This is all very hush-hush, but here's what I
can tell you. In the middle of the story, Blake and Lana encounter
someone from a different culture, who uses far more advanced technology
than they do. And toward the end of the novel, Blake and Lana discover
that the Warmland's weather is not always so mild after all.

Both Trials of the Warmland and the new Migration of the Kamishi will be
available in stores and online in February 2008.

Then, it's back to writing Riders of the Mapinguari! I have already delved
deep into this story as well. The Terran army and their mapinguari have
already attacked Corpus, and it doesn't look good for the Corpushi. I can
hardly wait to get back into that world. But for now, it's still edits, edits,
edits...

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

The Indian Within

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Indian Within

Current mood: contemplative

Category: News and Politics

A remote tribe of Amazonian Indians has been discovered near the border between Brazil and Peru. These people are among the few left in the world who've had no contact whatsoever with modernity. Only a few aerial photographs of them exist, shown here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/sc_nm/brazil_tribe_dc

The photos depict a small village, consisting of several thatched huts in a forest clearing. One particular picture, however, took my breath away from the moment I saw it. It shows three people: two men wearing red body paint, and a woman wearing black body paint. All three of them are looking up at the photographer's helicopter in the sky, and the two men are already aiming their arrows at the perceived threat. Take a look at this amazing picture here:

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Uncontacted-Amazonian-tribe-photographed-Acre-Peru-Handout/ss/events/wl/052908amazontribe/s:/nm/20080529/sc_nm/brazil_tribe_dc

I find this picture touching on many levels. For one thing, I am touched by the bravery of these two warriors. They don't know what the helicopter really is, but they consider it dangerous, and instead of running away from it, they decide to face it and prepare to engage it in battle. And the woman isn't running away, either. Wow. But there's a deeper meaning, I think, to this image, and that is the threat of civilization invading these people's society. It doesn't really matter whether the surrounding urban and agrarian people plan to actually uproot these natives, or whether they just happen to eventually encroach on the land. Either way, the natives are almost sure to lose out, just as natives have lost out in the clash between domestic and wild humans all over the world. Think about it: except, perhaps, for people of Middle Eastern descent (see below), every single one of us comes from some indigenous population that was eventually assimilated into a larger, more powerful culture.

According to authors like Daniel Quinn and his Ishmael series, what we consider civilization began in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East (Mesopotamia), and spread from there as human populations grew larger, hungrier, and more powerful. There is plenty of debate as to what caused people to settle down and form cities in the first place. They could have been forced into it by dwindling food and water sources, or they could have intentionally concentrated themselves due to personal greed, or in order to overpower their enemies. In any case, civilization may have been radiating outward from that point of origin for the past 10,000 years, and it's still going on today. When we read textbooks, we learn about different periods in history, like the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Renaissance, and so on. Those lessons may be instructive, but what they often fail to tell us is that all of these periods exist at the same time in different places all over the world. So, while the West and the Far East are in the midst of the Information Age, many rural areas are still in the Middle Ages, and many remote areas are still in the Stone Age.

It's so easy for us in the developed world to look down on simpler people and say, "Ha! They are primitive, and we are advanced. They are fools, and the sooner they realize what they're missing, they'll jump onto our bandwagon." Indeed, some rural or remote people do want to join the developing or developed world, and they should be free to do so if they wish. However, shouldn't they be free to decline if they wish to do that, too? You might be surprised to find that many small communities all over the world wish to stay small, and vehemently resist modern forces that would affect their way of life. It's not just the Amazonian Indians or the !Kung Bushman of Africa's Kalahari Desert, although these people's animist cultures are among the oldest on the planet. No, there are plenty of other groups, too. There's the Amish of Pennsylvania, and the Orthodox Jews of Mea Shearim. There are Israeli kibbutzes and Hippie communes. There are mountain villages in Europe and Asia that have changed very little over the centuries. One might consider the affluent gated communities in America along this continuum, or even the polygynous religious sects of the Western United States (although I'll leave the discussion of these sects' morality and legality for another day).

But why? Why do people continually segregate themselves, isolate themselves, remove themselves from the hustle and bustle of big city life. The reason is that big city life is alien to us. Young people may find cities exciting, party-goers may like to frequent bars, and tourists may like to visit exotic locales when they can. But in general, few people can live in the city for long, and we shouldn't be surprised at that. For the past 100,000 years, anatomically modern people have been living in small communities of only a couple hundred people. Aggregations any bigger than that are stressful to us (and other creatures), and force us to confront issues for which we are not naturally equipped. In short, we don't belong in cities, and despite their economic, scientific, and recreational value, people will continue to flee from them because they are too stressful and too dangerous.

Are these the words of an anarchist? To some extent, yes. I'm no hippie, but I'm no industrialist, either, and I recognize a problem when I see one. As the Earth's population nudges closer to 7 billion human beings, the appeal of the small community becomes ever greater. No, small communities are not perfect; nothing is. But at least they are reassuring, and at least people can understand where they fit in them. In a small setting, people can spend time with family and friends, know their neighbors, and contribute to and benefit from their community. I realize my message my seem a bit hypocritical, or at least ironic, given that it's written on a computer and published on the internet. True, but just as it would be foolish to ignore real-world problems, it would be just as foolish to become quixotic and try to ignore real-world changes, too. Energy use is an important and related issue, but right now, let's focus on the structure of society first. God forbid we should have another Unabomber-type who shuns society, hermit-like, only to attack it and victimize his fellows. No, this is a criticism of the hecticness of modern life, and not an attack on modern people themselves.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Gaddy, cities are good because they create wealth, and villages are bad because they are poor." If you believe that, then you're only half-right. What cities really do is create plenty for an "elite" few, some prosperity for a few more, and a whole lot of work and strife for countless more people who just can't seem to get a big enough piece of the pie. Villages, on the other hand - and I mean real, self-sufficient villages - are neither poor nor rich. They just are. They are places where humans live their lives, often appreciating their place in the world, and living in the present. True, civilized life does have its perks: medicine, communication, transportation, and knowledge. But we lack something that our untamed cousins still have: context. Tribal peoples don't collect data the way modern scientists do, but they have just as much information on the elements and creatures of their world, and produce only a fraction of the pollution we do to get it.

No, I am not claiming that villages are ideal or worry-free, because they have their problems, too. But at least they give people room to breathe, time to think, and space to live. Let's face it: the human evolved to live in the village, not the city. Come to think of it, no other creatures are really adapted to city life, either. So, when I look at this photo of three forest Indians staring up at a helicopter, and the men brandishing their bows and arrows, I am impressed. These people may not comprehend what they're really facing, but at least they know that what they have is worth protecting. Heck, it's one of the most important things anyone has ever had: a sense of belonging. I am impressed that somewhere, somehow, somebody still cares enough about their community and their land to actual try to defend it against such a mighty threat as Modernity. So Godspeed, cousins - may you never lose this fight.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Locos en Duelo

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Locos en Duelo has arrived!

Current mood: amused

Wanna hear some wonderfully weird, Spanish-style novelty music? Then check out the new MySpace website for "Locos en Duelo" here:

http://www.myspace.com/locosenduelo

I'm rather partial to this band myself. Mostly because I know them very well. How well? Well, let's just say my relationship to one of them is the same relationship that Obi Wan Kenobi had to old Ben Kenobi.

Buen fin de semana,

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Down With the Riders

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Friday, April 25, 2008

Down with the Riders

Current mood: sleepy

Well, my third novel is coming along very well. Not fast, but well. The two main characters, Blake and Lana, continue to surprise me. It's amazing: I created them, and yet they have a life of their own. I guess that's a good sign. Anyway, I love trying to keep up with them.

I came up with the Feral World many years ago, and now I find that my attitude toward it has changed; I'm sure that's a good sign, too. I used to think of the Feral World as a utopia, an idealistic neverland that we should still strive for somehow. But the longer I live, the more I realize why the real world is not the Feral World, and the reasons for that are both understandable and abominable at the same time.

So, in this third book, Riders of the Mapinguari, Blake and his people experience an entirely new threat to their way of life: the Terran Invaders from beyond the Gulf. The effects of this Invasion on the Warmland will be felt for generations...and that, I suppose, is why our own world is the way it is, too.

I wish I could tell you more, really I do, but I wouldn't dream of cheating you out of your own experience of exploring the Feral World. Exploration can be such a rare and precious thing. Real journeys - whether physical travels or journeys of the mind - are such wonderful, memorable experiences. I hope my stories take you on such a journey, inspire to strike out on one, at least remind you of one from your own past.

Suffice it to say, for now, that the mapinguari are some of the most fascinating creatures I've ever explored. My only regret is that I will never see one with my own eyes, unless, of course, they actually turn up someday, much like the gorilla and okapi did many decades ago. Well, a guy can dream.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Asteroid Collision

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Asteroid collision even more likely than suspected

Current mood: worried

Well, it now looks as if Apophis is even more likely to strike us than previously thought. In an article yesterday, science website Physorg.com reported that a 13-year-old schoolboy correctly amended NASA's calculations on the likelihood of Apophis striking the Earth:

http://www.physorg.com/news127499715.html

NASA had originally estimated the odds at 1 in 45,000, but the new estimate is a whopping 1 in 450. Those are pretty high odds.

The asteroid is expected to come close to the Earth, without touching it, on Friday, April 13, 2029 (how appropriate). Depending on the trajectory, it could then miss us completely, or swing around again exactly seven years later on Sunday, April 13, 2036 - this time for a direct hit. Wow, that's exactly 28 years from now. In that event, Apophis would slam into the Atlantic Ocean, creating huge tsunami waves that would devastate coastal areas all over the Atlantic basin.

Despite the near-doomsday scenario depicted in my series, The Feral World, Apophis is not as big as some other infamous asteroids in Earth's history. The one that probably killed the dinosaurs and left the giant Chicxulub crater in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico was a whole 6 miles long - about the size of Mt. Everest. In contrast, Apophis is "only" about 1/5th of a mile long, so it might not cause as much devastation as the one from 65 million years ago, but if it does hit us, it'll be sure to pack quite a punch.

So what to do? Well, by 2029 or 2036, space agencies may be able to nudge Apophis off course a bit with strategically placed nuclear explosions. That would be a big relief. However, in case they can't, it might be a good idea to stock up on canned foods...and to stay away from the beach. This thing would make Jaws look like a goldfish.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Movie Review: *10,000 BC*

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Review of 10,000 BC

Current mood: inquisitive

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Last night, I saw the new film, 10,000 BC, which stars Steven Strait as D’Leh, Cliff Curtis as Tic-Tic, Camilla Belle as Evolet, Mona Hammond as Old Mother, Joel Virgel as Nakudu, and Nathanael Baring as Baku, with Omar Sharif as the narrator. It’s the story of a revolt by many small, hunter-gatherer societies against a larger, oppressive, agrarian one in Egypt.

I was very excited about this film, and on the whole, I was pleased with it. Like a lot of prehistoric, historical, and science fiction films and books, this one does take some liberties with the setting. However, 10,000 BC seems to make a more earnest attempt at telling a tale that is both believable and captivating.

First off, let’s look at what the film has going for it. The scenic landscapes in which it was filmed are gorgeous, and the costumes seem faithful to the period and quite convincing. In the plot, D’Leh leads numerous other tribes against a hypothetical proto-Egyptian city in order to liberate the slaves, including his own mate. This plot is a true underdog, David vs. Goliath type of story, which I found quite interesting and compelling. I found the characters to be likeable as well. The protagonist from the northern Yagahl tribe, D’Lae, handles his challenges gracefully. At first, his peers look down upon him as the son of a man thought to be a deserter and a coward. This understandably bothers D’Lae, but he remains true to his principles of honesty and loyalty, even passing up an opportunity for glory because it would mean lying.

There are plenty of other interesting characters, too. In the Yagahl tribe, D’Lae’s mentor, Tik-Tik, is widely respected as a great hunter, but he is soft-spoken, farsighted, and dutiful. D’Lae’s love, Evolet, is also someone to look up to. She is considered a prophetic figure because of her blue eyes, which are unique at this time, but like D’Lae and Tik-Tik, she assumes her leadership role with dignity and responsibility. Baku, a Yagahl boy, is enthusiastic, brave, and enduring.

When the Yagahl reach northern Africa, they meet the Naku tribe, and befriend their leader, Nakudu. Nakudu teams up with D’Lae and Tik-Tik, summoning warriors from around the countryside for the revolt. He guides D’Lae, who is a bit out of his element in this new land, and helps him understand local customs and myths, even translating for him so he can communicate with his new army. Nakudu forms a real bond of friendship with D’Lae, and that is always a pleasure to see.

The action in the film was also very well done. In the North, the Yagahl go on an exciting mammoth hunt, and we, the viewers, are right there with them. Seeing D’Lae confront a giant mammoth is just amazing. Then the Yagahl cross the mountains and reach the southern lowlands, where they are attacked by giant predatory, flightless birds. The creatures are never named, but they appear to be terror birds. Their dinosaur-like behavior and hunting tactics are riveting to watch.

Of course, there are also a few shortcomings to this movie. There is an awful trend spreading through Hollywood, causing producers, directors, and editors to make movies filled with blurred, short sequences and fast camera pans. This choppy-editing disease has leaped from music videos to television and film, and it not only caters to, but even perpetuates and aggravates attention deficit disorder. It also afflicts motion sickness and nausea upon millions of unsuspecting victims, including me. Luckily, 10,000 BC was able, for the most part, to buck this trend, although it did succomb in at least one area. The beautiful scenic vistas would have been far more beautiful if only the camera would have slowed down enough to let me actually enjoy them.

There were also several scientific inaccuracies. First of all, real mammoths couldn’t gallop. Mammoths were very similar to today’s African and Asiatic elephants, neither of which can run; being very large, heavy animals, they have to watch their step. What’s more, the mammoths shown in the film are too big to be the wooly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) of the late Pleistocene epoch. They are more like the giant steppe mammoth (M. trogontherii ), which gave rise to the wooly mammoth and was replaced by it. Another problem is the fact that the Yagahl people like to target the "lead bull" when hunting mammoth. However, both African and Asiatic elephants today are lead by cows, not bulls (bulls are either solitary or live in fluid bachelor herds), so mammoths probably lived much the same way. Finally, the proto-Egyptians use these mammoths as beasts of burden, when wooly mammoths, with their thick fur and insulating fat, would be overwhelmed by the Saharan heat. The city dwellers should have used African elephants, which used to be plentiful even in North Africa.

Second, there were no terror birds in Eurasia or Africa. The terror birds (Phorusrhacos and Titanis) lived only in South America and southern North America. Paleoindians almost certainly encountered them, but Paleoeurasians and Paleoafricans did not. In addition, the terror birds in the movie are too big. Real terror birds probably reached 9-10 feet in height, while these monsters are at least 12 feet tall. What’s more, although most of their predatory behavior is portrayed believably, one of them actually climbs a tree in pursuit of Baku, and that’s just not plausible. Real terror birds were a bit like an ostrich with the head of an eagle. Ostriches are great runners, but they can’t climb trees at all. The same should have applied to these creatures in the film.

Third, the sabertooth cat that the Yagahl and Naku people encounter is far too large. Real sabertooth cats, such as Smilodon or Homotherium, were among the largest cats known, but they were not that much bigger than today’s big cats, and about the same size as a large lion or tiger (i.e. - probably from about 500 to 700 pounds). The sabertooth in the film is bear-sized (half a ton or more), and that’s just too big. Its teeth were also too long. The longest canine teeth would have looked like that, but they belonged to Smilodon, which was a New World genus. The teeth of the Old World Homotherium were shorter.

Of course, the titular date of 10,000 BC must be taken as only a gross approximation. Although the first agricultural revolution probably happened at about that time (if not later, maybe around 8,000 BC or so), most of the charismatic megafauna shown in the film would have been gone by then. Terror birds probably died out around 15,000 years ago (13,000 BC). Some populations of sabertooth cats propably persisted as recently as 10,000 years ago, but those were in the Western Hemisphere, not in the Eastern Hemisphere. As for the mammoths, the big ones died out around 12,000 years ago, which barely overlaps with this movie’s timeline. Populations of dwarf mammoths probably survived on St. Paul Island and Wrangel Island until about 6000 BC and 2000 BC, respectively. But again, the mammoths in the film are certainly not dwarfs.

It’s interesting to think about the path of the Yagahl’s journey in 10,000 BC. They start in a mountainous, northern region and go south, crossing the mountain range. They reach a steamy, jungle-like zone, and then pass to a desert region, where they meet the Naku and their neighboring tribes. Finally, they follow a river to a city that is building pyramids. There are several clues that tell us where all this takes place.

For one thing, the Yagahl have relatively light skin. Thus, they could be proto-Indo-Europeans, and the ancestors of the Caucasians. The slaving people from the city are somewhat dark-skinned and have longer, sharper noses. Thus, they could be early Semites. The Naku and their neighbors have the darkest skin, and shorter, broader noses; they are clearly Africans. So, the Yagahl probably live in today’s southern Russia, and the mountains they traverse are probably the Caucasus. Their run-in with the terror birds is probably in an oasis in the Middle East. Then, they probably meet the Naku in Egypt, and finally follow the Nile up to present-day Cairo.

There were three prophecies to keep track of in 10,000 BC. One was the prophecy of the blue-eyed girl (Evolet). Another was that of the man who could speak with the spear-tooth (D’Lae and the sabertooth cat). The third was the proto-Egyptian prophecy of a Mark and a Hunter, which foretold D’Lae’s arrival. All three of these prophecies came true, suggesting that different cultures have different things to say about the same event. That is an interesting idea, and certainly myths, legends, and prophecies have their place in stories about nomadic or early agrarian people. Nevertheless, it seemed as though 10,000 BC relied rather heavily on these legends to motivate its characters.

All in all, 10,000 BC did not disappoint me. Despite a few factual deviations, this movie delivered a fascinating tale of adventure and love. And just as importantly, I got my prehistoric fix for big beasts and cavemen, so I was happy. If you like the prehistoric genre, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Prehistoric Stuff Rules

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Monday, February 25, 2008

Prehistoric stuff rules

Current mood: curious

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

The new film, 10,000 BC will be coming out next Friday, March 7, 2008. To say that I am looking forward to this film would be like saying that Muhammed Ali could "take care of himself," or that sharks can get "kinda nippy," or that George W. Bush isn't exactly "in tune with America." In short, I can hardly wait. I don't remember being this excited about a movie since, well, since Peter Jackson's King Kong came out in 2005. My only hope is that this film is not a big let down, because I just can't take that kind of disappointment.

What is it about prehistoric stories that fascinates people like me? Well, it's probably a combination of two things. One, it's the opportunity to be wowed by huge, amazing animals. And two, it's the opportunity to travel to a time when the world was simpler (if more dangerous).

Based on the previews I'v seen, my only criticism of 10,000 BC so far is this. Despite the awesome terror birds, sabertooth cats, and mammoths, and the apparently smashing CGI special effects, the animators appear to have made their giant animals too agile for their size. The bigger and heavier an animal is, the necessarily more slowly and carefully that animal must move. For all their strength and power, animals like elephants, rhinos, and giraffes simply cannot engage in acrobatics if they hope to remain in one piece. Prehistoric animals no doubt faced the same problem, and it is disappointing to see the filmmakers of otherwise well thought out films forget that.

Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to seeing 10,000 BC, and I really hope it delivers. I'll let you know what I thought of it soon!

Gaddy Bergmann
http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Matt Hoyle's New Book, *Encounters*

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I’m in Matt Hoyle’s new book, *Encounters*

Current mood: excited

Category: Art and Photography

I received a long-anticipated book in the mail yesterday: Matt Hoyle's new photobook, Encounters. What is this book about, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

While in college at the University of Colorado at Boulder, I used to frequent a beautiful wilderness area in the foothills called Chautauqua Park. Late one night, I was there all alone when something very unusual happened. I was standing on a hill overlooking the town below, when I heard something move a few hundred feet away on my right. When I followed the sound, I saw a tall figure sillhouetted against the night sky, but it did not seem human. It had broad shoulders, a short neck, small head, and a vaguely furry outline: apparently, a bigfoot.This figure and I watched each other for a few seconds, and then it ran off into the night. I'll never forget how it ran, though. It was fast, but I doubt if any person could run like that and still maintain that kind of speed. It was kind of a lurch, more like a gallop than a run. And then it was gone. I was scared, so rather than hang around for anything bad to happen, I ran back down the hill and drove home. What an amazing night that was.

Well, I posted my account on the internet a couple years ago. Last year, an assistant to photographer Matt Hoyle contacted me. She said that Matt was traveling across America, interviewing people who claimed to have seen strange creatures, ghosts, or UFO's, and photographing their portraits for a new book. She asked if I would agree to be included in the book, and I said, "yes." So, Matt and his assistant came out here to Denver. They recorded my account, took my picture, and said I'd be hearing from them. Yesterday, I did.

The book looks great! It's full of the accounts of dozens of people from all over the country, all claiming to have seen these odd, inexplicable things. And I'm one of these people. Well, you can say we're odd. You can say we didn't really see what we thought we saw, and maybe that's true. But whatever that creature was that night, it was not a normal person. I think it was a sasquatch, and maybe those other people saw paranormal beings, too.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Denver, Colorado

Currently reading :

Encounters: With the Strange and Unexplained

By Matt Hoyle

Release date: 01 October, 2007

Two New Reviews of My Book

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Two New Reviews of Migration of the Kamishi

Category: Writing and Poetry

Gaddy Bergmann's book Migration of the Kamishi was a wonderfully refreshing read in regard to the post-apocalyptic genres of books. So often I find the age of technology and the dismal imagery of a world none of us wish to live in, but in Bergmann's book I found I wouldn't mind living on through the aftermath.

His writing is a far off dream wavering in the winds of time. His characters are realistic in spite of what seems like a far fetched future. I'm reminded of the nature of life's "full-circle" when I read his work and am able to make peace with the possibility of the future he presents. I found the quietude and joy I search for when wanting a book to take me on a journey . Bergmann transported me to just that place; a world where only a very talented author can take you.

I would highly recommend this book to someone who wants something different by an author who dares to take a different view of what may come of our future world. It was an adventure I'm looking forward to continuing with Bergmann as he releases his second book in the Feral World Series - Trials of the Warmland.~ Reviewed by Kristy Tallman, Psychological Thriller/Horror Author

Set in the future, after an asteroid strike has returned humans to a simpler hunting and gathering culture, Migration of the Kamishi is an extremely readable adventure story. Three resilient young people, on a quest for a better life, bring us a message from a Utopian future where nature is no longer subjugated for man's convenience. This lovely novel can be read as speculative fiction, an adventure story, or as a timely ecological reminder.

The author draws on his background in the sciences, but creates a very human narrative of triumph over adversity.

I would give this trilogy a "Newbee" award--those who haven't read science fiction before would find this a great way to begin.~ Miss Ann Thropic

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Trials of the Warmland Releasing Feb 22!

Current mood: excited

Category: Writing and Poetry

Hello!

Trials of the Warmland, the second book in The Feral World trilogy is almost here! February 22 is the official release date, but if you want to pre-order a copy at the lower, pre-release price, please visit the Flying Pen Press catalog here:

http://flyingpenpress.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=33&osCsid=faha8fd7ukucqo6f07ksrbddg0

After that, both Migration of the Kamishi and Trials of the Warmland will be available through all the usual book outlets.

In addition, the first book signing for Trials of the Warmland will be on Sunday, March 2, 3pm, at the Denver Book Mall, located here:

Who Else! Books

32 N. Broadway

Denver, CO 80203

Ph: 303-733-3808

http://who_else.home.att.net/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

Thank you!

Gaddy

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Review of The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Current mood: contemplative

Category: Food and Restaurants

I just finished reading the nonfiction book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, by journalist Michael Pollan. This book came recommended to me by a coworker, and when I heard the title, I just knew I had to read this book. And I'm glad I did.

The basic idea behind that book as that, eating may be commonplace but it's not simple, and what we eat has all sorts of ramifications not only for the enjoyment of our meal, but for our health, our economy, and our environment. In the words of Pollan, the answer to the question of "What's for dinner?" is actually pretty complicated.

Pollan personally investigates four systems for making food, and then samples a meal from each system. The first system is the modern industrial food chain, exemplified by McDonald's. The second system is the commercial organic system, exemplified by food from Whole Foods. The third system is the local agricultural one, exemplified by meat, dairy, and greens from PolyFace Farms, a small, local grower and distributor of foods in the Northeast. And finally, the fourth system is the hunter-gatherer one, exemplified by food that Pollan and his associates personally hunted and collected where they live in Berkeley, California.

Pollan shows that the McDonald's food not only doesn't really taste all that good (big surprise), but from the perspective of personal nutrition, economic sensibility, animal welfare, and environmental impace, it's absolutely unconscionable. He also shows that the organic food market, although it does not use pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics on its plants and animals, is not that much better because it still greatly disrupts the landscape, and doesn't even necessarily treat the animals that much better.

The local food provider turns out to be the best one. His food is the most delicious and the most nutritious; his animals are treated the most humanely; and the economic and environmental sustainability of his system is the highest. Although not always practical for people who live in the city (at least at this point in our society's development), this system proves to be the most satisfying on most levels.

Finally, Pollan tries his hand at playing the hunter-gatherer. He hunts feral pig, collects wild mushrooms, plucks cherries off the tree, grows his own bread from yeast he easily cultures himself, and then prepares the meal himself, too. Although he admits that this kind of food production is not really practical anymore, it not only tasted good but also did wonders for reminding him and his friends just where the food that sustains us comes from. In short, it helped him be thankful.

I thought this book was great. Not only is Pollan a gifted writer, but he is also adept at exploring the multitude of levels behind deciding what to eat: nutrition, environmentalism, animal welfare, economics, history, politics, and personal contemplation. I'm not a "foodie" myself, but I easily got into this book because it blended the practical and the theoretical so effortlessly and meaningfully.

I think this book is very important, and I even predict that it will go down as one of the more significant books written on the topics of either of cuisine, ecology, or both. It bears similarity to the book Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser; the documentary Supersize Me, by Morgan Spurlock; and even the unique writings on environmental history and ethics by one of my favorite authors, Daniel Quinn. The Omnivore's Dilemma examines the pros and cons of eating different kinds of foods, leading different kinds of lifestyles, and making certain kinds of decisions. It takes something seemingly unimportant and mundane, shows us just how important it really is, asks us to take it seriously, and invites us to make up our own mind. That makes it one of the best kinds of stories out there.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Currently reading :

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

By Michael Pollan

Release date: 28 August, 2007

New Neighbor to the North

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Sunday, December 23, 2007

A New Neighbor to the North

Current mood: thoughtful

A very interesting, but perhaps underreported story, made headlines on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007. The Lakota nation of Indians has withdrawn from 150-year-old treaties it had with the USA. Citing a failure on the part of the US to comply by the treaties, Lakota spokesman and activist Russell Means said that his people are entirely within their rights to withdraw. They now have plans to reorganize their region of America, which includes parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, into a sovereign nation.

I have to say, when I read this, I was happy for the Lakota people. Their betrayal by the American government is legend all over the world, and it's about time their plight was recognized and their cause supported.

Is it treason or sedition to support this decision by the Lakota? No, it's not. True, America did enter the Civil War when the South seceded from the Union. But if the US government did not honor its treaties with the Lakota, then why should the Lakota be expected to honor those treaties? Furthermore, according to Russell Means, this action is entirely legal.

This move is especially relevant when you realize that the Lakota are struggling with great social ills, including high unemployment, high infant mortality, a high suicide rate, and low life expectancy. Why shouldn't the Lakota take steps to rectify their situation? If it means withdrawing from unreliable treaties and forming their own nation, then so be it.

One interesting feature of the new Lakota country would be its national policy. Russell Means says that they would have no taxation, and that they would issue their own driver's licenses and passports. Anyone already living in the five-state region is welcome to join, as long as they renounce their US citizenship. I really wonder how far this movement will go. Will people give up being American to become Lakota? Perhaps the switch would be worth it for many people, Indian and otherwise.

I live in Denver, Colorado, so I am going to follow this story closely in the coming months. This could mean I will have a new neighbor to the north - and one that I would welcome. You can read more about this issue here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317548,00.html

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

The Pictures Are In

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Sunday, December 02, 2007

The Pictures Are In!

Current mood: excited

Category: Art and Photography

Well, the pictures of the mapinguari are in. I took the figure out back for some shots in a natural setting, and they look fantastic! Be sure to take a look in my photos section and check them out. They're amazing! This is the five-ton beast from my story. This is the creature that terrorizes the Warmland under the aegis of the Invaders. This is the monster that makes the Terran army unstoppable. Thanks to Jim Humble for sculptuing such an awesome animal!

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Giant sloth

Reproduced from http://www.myspace.com/GaddyBergmann

Saturday, December 01, 2007

I Got My Giant Sloth!

Current mood: excited

Category: Writing and Poetry

I'm so excited - I finally got my giant sloth today!

Let me explain. At the end of October, I attended the science fiction/fantasy convention, MileHiCon, here in Denver. I appeared on a couple panels, sold a few copies of my novel, Migration of the Kamishi, and met with several authors and fans. While I was there, I met fantasy artist, Jim Humble. I had seen his paintings and statues before, but this time I wanted to talk to him about commissioning a sculpture myself.

You see, the third novel in The Feral World is called Riders of the Mapinguari. What is a mapinguari? Well, strictly speaking, the mapinguari is a legendary beast in Amazonian folklore. Local people have, for centuries, described a creature that is at least as tall as a man and walks upright, has long, shaggy brown hair, and smells awful. They say the beast has long, fearsome claws, sharp teeth, a terrifying roar, and that it preys on other creatures, including humans. They also say that the creatures feet point backwards, that it has one eye in the middle of its head, and that it has a large mouth on its belly.

Now, other than the part about having one big eye and a mouth on the belly, the rest of this legend is highly suggestive of giant sloths.

Giant sloths, which originated in South America, were thought to be extinct ever sicne about 10,000 years ago. There were several types, the biggest of which were South America's Megatherium americanum and North America's Eremotherium laurillardi, both of which may have gotten to be as big as elephants - about 5 tons. The other ground sloths were not quite so huge, but very big nonetheless. One of these was Mylodon robustus, and the description of the mapinguari is suspiciously reminscent of this supposedly extinct mammal.

Ecologist David Oren has been looking for the mapinguari for years now, but he still hasn't found any. Although Oren has attracted the scorn of other scientists for this pursuit, he is still looking for a relict population of Mylodon. If he succeeds, he could win protection for large tracts of rainforest, and I, for one, really admire him for his guts and perseverence.

Paleontologist Richard Farina has made some interesting obsevations on the fossils of Mylodon's bigger cousin, Megatherium. The only sloths living today are tree sloths, which are much smaller - around ten pounds. Tree sloths may eat a few insects, lizards, or carrion (scavenged meat) every now and then, but they mostly eat leaves. The ancient giant sloths appeared to be just as herbivorous, but Farina thinks that Megatherium may have scavenged meat or even hunted its own prey from time to time. If Farina is right, then the image of giant sloths as gentle giants could be quite wrong. They could have been very dangerous animals.

For my novel, Riders of the Mapinguari, I borrowed the legend of the mapinguari, but substituted Megatherium for Mylodon. The Feral World takes place 3,000 years from now after an asteroid has destroyed our civilization. In this world, most people in North America live as nomadic hunter-gatherers, and have very little technological sophistication. Their survival and their enjoyment of life both rely on their resourcefulness and their cooperation with each other. These Riders, however, invade North America from South America. They are more technologically advanced, and they are bent on conquest, not peaceful coexistence, with the Bebelishi of the Warmland they are invading. Their secret weapon - an army of mapinguari trained to squash anyone who gets in their way.

Now, back to my sculpture. I had asked Jim to sculpt a statue of a Megatherium for me. Today, I went to Humble Studios to pick it up, and let me tell you, I was blown away by how awesome it looked.

Jim told me it might take him up to two months to complete the statue; he finished it in only one. Throughout November, he sent me photos via email, showing me the progress on the piece. He asked me if there was anything I wanted him to add or change. I gave him some input, but not much more than that; I didn't have to. He knew exactly how to make the mapinguari look aggressive, but not melodramatic. He made it look dynamic, yet still believable. The statue looked cool in the pictures, but the pictures didn't prepare me for how awesome it would look in person.

From the instant I saw that mapinguari, I just loved it. The thing is incredible; it's terrifying, but not in a horror sort of way. No, to me, it's much better than that. It looks like a big, scary beast, and I love it! The statue stands over one foot tall, and it's in a pose where it's about to slash at the viewer with the long claws of its left hand. The look in its eyes is both warm and intimidating at the same time. This thing is just wonderful.

I took some photos of it tonight after dark, but the flash photography just didn't do it justice. I'm going to take it outside tomorrow or as soon as it gets sunny and get some really nice shots of it. Then I'll share them with you.

I'm going to be bringing this mapinguari along with me when I do book signings and speaking engagements, and I know it's going to be a big hit. The mapinguari is here!

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Evolution vs. Creationism: Much Ado About Nothing?

Reproduced from http://Gaddy.gather.com

Evolution vs. Creation: Much Ado About Nothing?

November 28, 2007 08:00 AM EST (Updated: November 28, 2007 08:09 AM EST)

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was first published in 1859, and ever since then, people have been bickering about its ideas, methods, conclusions, and implications. To some extent, such controversy is to be expected. Many revolutionary scientific ideas are met with disdain, criticism, or even violence.

Galileo Galilei spent his life under house arrest simply for espousing Copernicus’ heliocentric world view that the Earth orbits the Sun. At the time, many people believed that the Earth was at the center of the Universe, and refused to entertain notions to the contrary. One reason for this was biblical verse. In several places, the Bible suggests that the Earth is stationary. Psalm 93:1 and 96:10, and 1 Chronicles 16:30 all state that, “the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” Similarly, Psalm 104:5 says that God “set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” And Ecclesiastes 1:5 states, “The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.” Thus, interpreting the Bible literally, Europeans of the 1600’s believed that the Earth had to be stationary, and the whole Universe had to revolve around it.

There may have been another reason, too. It’s far more flattering to think of ourselves as the greatest things in all Creation than as merely tiny specks in the grand scheme of things. Galileo had the courage to confront this bias. He demonstrated that the Earth and other celestial bodies were in constant motion, and he advocated a figurative rather than literal interpretation of the Bible. Now, of course, everyone except for complete rubes knows that the Earth orbits the Sun, which in turn cycles through the Milky Way galaxy, which is itself part of the Universe’s expansion. But it took a long time for that knowledge to gain formal acceptance. Galileo first showed that orbits exist in 1610, and the Catholic Church did not affirm that theory until 1835 – fully 225 years later!

Darwin’s theory of evolution is much the same. At the time of this writing, about 148 years have passed since Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and their colleagues argued that life forms change over long stretches of time. If the controversy over the heliocentric world view is any indicator, I guess we have about another 77 years to go before this theory is finally recognized as correct. But why is that? Why are so many people offended by the theory of evolution? Well, I think there are three main reasons: tradition, pride, and fear.

Tradition is an easy one. People tend to do what they were taught to do, or what they have been doing for a long time. This applies to everyone, whether scientist, religious observer, or otherwise. So, if one grows up believing that evolution is false and that creationism is true, it is simply much easier to continue doing so. There is, of course, a place for tradition, but how we view the development of life on Earth should not be one of them.

Now, what about pride? As I mentioned above, it is far more comfortable to believe that Earth is God’s favorite place, and the people are God’s favorite critters. It just comes naturally to us to think of ourselves as important. In fact, a certain amount of this is probably necessary for psychological well-being. But when it comes to understanding how the physical world is put together, our feelings are more or less irrelevant. Either the Earth orbits the sun, or it doesn’t. Either all life evolved from single-celled organisms, or it didn’t. That’s it. It doesn’t really matter whether we approve of these phenomena or not. Believing or not believing in them does not change the facts. We must objectively show whether they are true or false. If true, we should believe in them, and if false, we should reject them. We will continue to be who and what we are, but we will be enlightened with new information about how the world works. Hopefully, we will use that information to benefit one another. That’s all there is to it.

And now the last reason – fear. Why do I think people are fearful of evolution? The answer may surprise you. I don’t think it actually has anything to do with evolution itself. Rather, I think it has to do with people’s attitudes toward things they perceive as disruptive, dangerous, or even evil. Everybody knows that bad things happen. We know that people and animals suffer everyday. We know that individuals are sickened, injured, abused, or killed all the time. And unless we are either numb or deranged, we are disturbed by this knowledge. Nobody wants anyone to suffer, but we all do. That’s just the way it goes. But there’s always something we can do to combat this evil, and we can always somehow help each other out. We can console each other. We can build shelters, treat illnesses, and punish the wicked. That’s what normal, health people try to do.

Then along comes the theory of evolution. At it’s core, evolution simply states that life forms change over time. There’s nothing too inflammatory about that; life just changes. Now, as I mentioned above, some people’s pride may be hurt by that theory, because they do not want to think of themselves as descended from apes. But again, people can gradually accept even unpalatable scientific facts, so even the knowledge that we come from simpler creatures may not seem so bad after all, as long as we appreciate our current state of development. But how does evolution work? Aha! There’s the evil part! Evolution operates via survival of the fit. That is, the strong go on to reproduce, while the weak die off and disappear. Can there be a more disturbing thought? Apparently not.

Human societies are based on resisting natural selection. If we embraced natural selection, we would simply say, “All of you who are weak, go ahead and die.” Although we may express this sentiment to some degree or other, on the whole, people everywhere shun the notion of abandoning the weak. Our instincts tell us to help one another. Our religions tell us to be kind and generous to each other. Our governments have programs to care for the needy, and our businesses function provide goods and services where they are wanted. People would become wicked if they literally embraced the maxim of “survival of the fittest,” and societies would literally fall apart.

It is this worst case scenario that Creationists are afraid of, and it is this very thing that they are opposing when they oppose education and research in evolution. It actually has nothing to do with evolution itself, and it is unrelated to the question of whether life forms change over time or not. Rather, these people are worried about the moral decay of society, turning away from God and tradition, and opening ourselves up to the destructive forces of apathy, nihilism, and mindless greed.

Actually, I do not blame Creationists for fearing such things, nor would I blame anyone for that. We all worry, to some degree or other, about where our society is heading and what we can do to thwart negative influences. But education and research into evolution are not about adopting the theory of “survival of the fittest” as a maxim or moral compass. Rather, people who study biology simply want to understand how the world works, just like astronomers, chemists, or any other scientists. If our pride gets bruised in the process, well, that’s okay. But let us not fear the implications of the theory of evolution, because no one can tell us to ignore our consciences or turn our backs on our humanity.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com

Asia Must Stop Trafficking in Wildlife

Reproduced from http://Gaddy.gather.com

Asia Must Stop Trafficking in Wildlife

by Gaddy Bergmann

November 15, 2007 01:22 AM EST (Updated: November 15, 2007 08:35 PM EST)

On Monday, November 12, 2007, FOXNews.com reported that Thai officials confiscated over a hundred pangolins (an armored, insect-eating mammal) destined for sale in southwest China. To these smugglers, each pangolin is worth thousands of dollars because they are eaten as delicacies and their scales are used in traditional “medicine.” (See http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,310620,00.html)

I am so sick of hearing about this cruel, illegal, and senseless trafficking of animals for food and “medicine” in the Far East. It’s been going on for centuries, and over the past several decades it has intensified and expanded. There’s no excuse for it, and it must stop now.

Why are people still chopping up animals in this wasteful way? There are plenty of other foods available, and there are plenty of real medicines out there that actually help treat real ailments. And yet, the slaughter continues. Elephants, rhinos, and hippos are still being poached in huge numbers. Why? So that that merchants can turn their tusks or horns into a powder and sell it as an aphrodisiac. Tigers are also being hunted for a similar reason. They’re penises are likewise lopped off, ground up and sold as “virility enhancers.” Shark populations have plummeted worldwide due to overfishing, and the cruel practice of slicing off their fins before tossing them back into the ocean continues. Horribly wounded and unable to swim, these sharks sink and die by the thousands. And in China, bears are kept in cruel, tiny cages, where their keepers slice a hole in their gut to continuously harvest bile from their gall bladders for the duration of their wretched lives. Why? You guessed it: “medicine.” Thankfully, the World Wildlife Fund and other organizations are working on this problem and making progress, but the problem persists. And now, we learn that pangolins are also on death row for their precious scales and delicate flesh.

This trafficking in wildlife is despicable. If these animals’ bodies were at least being put to some kind of good use, then I could see some room for compromise. If people really had to eat pangolins or else starve to death, or if consuming the pulverized phalli of charismatic megafauna really did help treat ailments, then perhaps some kind of sustainable harvest could be arranged. But neither applies. These animals are being slaughtered for no other reason than tickling the finicky palates of the ignorant, apathetic rich, or offering completely worthless placebos to the gullible masses.

Let’s tackle the matter of food first. Asia does have an overpopulation problem, and people there really do need sustainable sources of food. But exotic wildlife is not it. These animals are not commonly available, nor do they reproduce frequently, nor are they easy to find or farm. In fact, that’s the whole point. That’s why the wealthy are willing to pay thousands of dollars for the meat of pangolins, sharks, or countless other victims of human greed.

Now, as for the matter of traditional “medicine.” Volumes have been written on the relative merits and shortcomings of Eastern and Western medicine alike, and I did not write this article to build up or take down either one. What I did write this article for, however, was to clearly state that traditional concoctions that use animal horns or genitalia as aphrodisiacs are complete baloney.

First of all, let’s look at this from the customer’s perspective. Some person walks into a traditional “medicine” shop wanting to buy some kind of aphrodisiac made from some kind of animal. The merchant sells him a powder, tells him how to use it, and takes his money. The customer then leaves, eager to try out his new “treatment.” What the customer doesn’t know, is that these powders are frequently counterfeits. The consumer thinks he’s buying ground up tiger penis, rhino horn, or hippo tooth, but what he’s really getting is a fake. He’s just thrown his money away. So, from a consumer advocacy standpoint, people are often just wasting their money at many of these traditional “medicine” shops.

Turns out, though, that even if they were getting their money’s worth, they still wouldn’t be getting their money’s worth. Ground up animal parts have no therapeutic value whatsoever. They’re a waste of people’s time and money, and they’re a waste of an animal's life, because they don’t do anything. They’re complete placebos. If you really want to help yourself with a placebo, take a sugar pill. They’re cheaper and probably taste better. The horns and teeth of big, impressive animals are chemically useless to people. The only reason traditionalists put them in “medicines” in the first place is because of the naïve notion that, if you consume something from a powerful animal, then that animal’s power will be transmitted to you. Psychologically there may be some truth to that, but that kind of spiritual energy can be obtained just as easily by admiring a photograph or observing the magnificent, living creature itself, as it can be by destroying the very thing you want to emulate so much.

These powders and concoctions are not medicines, and I am sick of hearing people refer to them as such. Medicines come either from detailed research in a scientific or clinical setting, or from careful observation in a traditional setting. Most drugs, therefore, come from plants or minerals, and not from the flesh of animals. Flesh offers us protein, which is why we need some meat in our diet. But flesh does not provide us with medicine, and no concoction made from mutilated animals changes that.

The simple truth is that ignorance and greed are perpetuating the animal trafficking business. I don’t think we’ll put a stop to human greed anytime soon. However, we are pretty good at combating ignorance with information and education. The more people know that animal parts are not medicinal, the better we’ll be able to protect wildlife.

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com