NPJ: /private/9702/

12:02 pm - Cafe Registration Form

Hi Daryl,

Thank you for sending your Cafe Registration form by FAX yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, the credit card number that you wrote on the form isn't being accepted. I'm certain that I can read all the digits clearly, however you may want to take a moment to check and see that you copied it down correctly.

Please send me another fax, or if you wish you can call me toll free at 1-888-429-2233 and give me the corrected information. I have some errands to run in a while, so if I do not answer, please feel welcome to leave me a message on the voice mail. :)

Thank you, and I hope to have you as a guest of The Cafe soon!

Nathan Johansen

12:02 pm - Re: Renewal Error?

At 01:14 PM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Nathan Johansen:
>
>My customer number is ## and my username is ---.
>
>On Feb. 21 I happily renewed my Cafe membership for a year, for US$35. I
>quickly received an e-mail confirmation with the Order Number
>##.
>
>A few minutes later I received two more confirmations, with the Order
>Numbers ## and ##.
>
>I fear it would be tempting the Fates to sign up for three years at a
>whack. But I would like to show my faith in your admirable enterprise by
>signing on for an extra year. So my renewal Friday should be for two
>years instead of one.
>
>Please ask the Cafe Computer to charge me an additional amount to cover
>the second year, and then to credit my card with whatever sum is left
>over. Thanks and regards.

Hi John,

I actually noticed the error shortly after it occurred, and voided the duplicate transactions then adjusted the time on your account. If, however, you notice that all three $35.00 charges show up on your credit card statement, please let me know and I'll correct it. :) Otherwise, your account should be all set for the one year membership.

Typically these things happen when you get really excited and punch that "SUBMIT" button more than once instead of waiting for it to finish and provide your receipt. Patience is a virtue.

Additionally, I've added some extra Cafe Coins to say thank you for the offer of signing you up for another year, but I'll leave that up to you in 1998. Enjoy,

Nathan Johansen

5:06 pm - Re: (3/8) Nathan's Coming Out Letter

At 02:36 PM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>give me a break - you're eight and I'm Queen Elizabeth...
>
>This is the most bizare pedophile fantasy I've ever read.
>
>You need to get a grip, buddy...

Perhaps you should read the entire story. It's my coming out letter, and this is the third page -- I imagine that you've just read about about what I was doing when I was eight with the 15 year old brother of my babysitter. :)

I'm 21 now, and can assure you that I'm far from a pedophile. Context is important to any discussion, and I'm certain that you're lacking it at the moment.

Thank you for taking a moment to write.

Nathan Johansen

5:36 pm - They Wrote!

Afternoon guys,

Just wanted to let you know that to my great amazement, a letter showed up in my mailbox from the Human Rights Campaign this afternoon inviting me to join up. I'm sending some money to get myself started.

Also, my incoming e-mail wasn't working over the weekend, so if there is something that you sent which I didn't reply to, I'd be appreciative if it could be re-sent. I think I have everything, but I wanted to mention it to be sure.

Some day soon I aspire to see my name listed on the HRC board of directors, which means that I'll have a wealth of great experiences and people to cherish along the way. Thanks for starting something new and interesting in my life. :)

Nathan

p.s. Tim, I had lunch by myself at the mexican restaurant La Loma today and was thinking about you ... I've finally figured out how to eat vegetarian without starving! =) The results are great, I feel wonderful, and I've lost about 10 pounds over the past five months to weigh in at 155. Now to keep from being distracted from going to the gym, where Kim is at now, she's always going there -- did I mention that she moved in with me? My high school dream date (she was the most attractive girl around, and as a result quite unattainable, so I couldn't get in trouble going after her and getting turned down) now she does my laundry on weekends and makes me coffee in the morning. It's pretty neat I suppose. My Mom is supportive of the change in diet, but my Dad can't seem to accept it yet. I'm happy with it, and were it not for you and Will Pierce, I think that I'd still be getting fat and lazy off of dead animal flesh. Ewewewew. =)

p.s.s. Andy, Business is looking up at the moment, so I may visit Manhattan soon after all. I still need to get my taxes finished, however, so that's the kicker. I'll keep you posted. The article on Zero Population Growth was interesting today, but even though the human species is growing at a rapid pace, doesn't it make sense that this is possible because the quality of life is such that there is an abundance of the things that we need to enjoy it? I mean, were common industrial necessities like food, water, jobs, innovations in medicine, private property, and a respect for the personal freedoms of other people not already well established and plentiful, then how could the population ever grow like it has? Granted, I agree that it would be sad to have people stuck together like a pile of red ants, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Wait until we start to live in the oceans and under the ground ... who knows what resort activities will become popular on the sea floor. :p

5:37 pm - Where are you?

Shawn,

I know that you said you were going away for a while, but would you please drop me a note to let me know that you're okay?

You may also want to call your sister, as she's quite concerned about you.

I hope that you're enjoying your time lately. You deserved a break. :)

Nathan

6:54 pm - Re: (3/8) Nathan's Coming Out Letter

At 08:15 PM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>oops! sorry...
>
>I may enjoy pissing people off, but I will admit when I'm wrong...

=) Thanks for the reply. I was hoping that you'd see that this was just one piece out of a somewhat thorough story. If you'd like to read the entire thing, visit:

http://www.npj.com/welcome.html

And click on the link for my Letter. Take care,

Nathan

6:54 pm - Cafe Registration Notes

>Notes: "I just got online and was looking for gay things. I like the photo
>gallery. some action, some poses. Has a possitive feel to it. Not so dark
>and licentious like many others that have nudes. What are the coins for? Does
>Nathen actually read these? Concern in making this a possitive thing is very
>healthy and pro-active in a healthy gay mind-set. Congratulations."

Hi Scott,

Yes, I do actually read these things. :) I don't always respond to them however, because most don't require a response. What was it about the site that gave you the impression that it had a positive feel and set it apart from the dark sensation exhibited from other sites? I've always reached for that, and judged whether or not I did it on whether or not I felt comfortable with the look and feel in the end. I'm thrilled that you noticed, and that it influenced you to join up. I appreciate it.

The Cafe Coins are for access to some of the highest-quality exclusively licensed photographs that you can find in Hadrian's Villa and the FoersterMedia Magazine sections. There are some 1,500+ photos in the regular gallery which you're welcome to download as a benefit of your membership. I can't just give away the other photos, since I have to pay royalties on them, and there is a lot of time and work that goes into making them available. My intention, however, is to make them abundant and very inexpensive -- I'm worried about doing this because I know how the attitude of the Internet is a free-for-all theft fest, and these images aren't to be found elsewhere ... I suppose I don't want to supply the world with sexy photos and cut my throat in the process, hence the reason for the Cafe Coins. =)

I hope that you enjoy your account, and if you have any other questions, please feel welcome to write.

Nathan Johansen

7:26 pm - Test nathan@npj.com

NPJ 7:30p

7:44 pm - Watch your kidneys!!!

>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 21:48:16 +0000
>Subject: [Fwd: Watch your kidneys!!!]
>
>this is the MOST bizarre thing I have ever heard of, but...
>
>>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 20:50:37 -0500 (EST)
>>Hey folks:
>>
>>This stuff is really real: I cousin of a friend of my brother's
>>girlfriend knew this guy who had this happen to someone who worked at his
>>sister's boyfriend's health club....
>>
>>They're out there!!!
>>
>>G :)
>>
>>PS: The fact that there's several of these makes me think that maybe it
>>happened once... otherwise, X-files meets real life!
>>>
>>> Please think when you drink.
>>>
>>> A friend of mine from UT passed this story onto me from the "Daily
>>> Texan" - the University of Texas newspaper. Apparently it occured
>>> during Fall Premier -- a UT tradition that is a celebration of the end
>>> of midterms. -- Jeff
>>>
>>> "Reason to not party anymore"-
>>>
>>> This guy went out last Saturday night to a party. He was having a
>>> good time, had a couple of beers and some girl seemed to like him and
>>> invited him to go to another party. He quickly agreed and decided to
>>> go along with her. She took him to a party in some apartment and they
>>> continued to drink, and even got involved with some other drugs
>>> (unknown which).
>>>
>>> The next thing he knew, he woke up completely naked in a bathtub
>>> filled with ice. He was still feeling the effects of the drugs, but
>>> looked around to see he was alone.
>>>
>>> He looked down at his chest, which had "CALL 911 OR YOU WILL DIE"
>>> written on it in lipstick. He saw a phone was on a stand next to the
>>> tub, so he picked it up and dialed. He explained to the EMS operator
>>> what the situation was and that he didn't know where he was, what he
>>> took, or why he was really calling. She advised him to get out of the
>>> tub. He did, and she asked him to look himself over in the mirror. He
>>> did, and appeared normal, so she told him to check his back. He did,
>>> only to find two 9 inch slits on his lower back. She told him to get
>>> back in the tub immediately, and they sent a rescue team over.
>>>
>>> Apparently, after being examined, he found out more of what had
>>> happened. His kidneys were stolen. They are worth 10,000 dollars each
>>> on the black market. (I was unaware this even existed.) Several
>>> guesses are in order: The second party was a sham, the people involved
>>> had to be at least medical students, and it was not just recreational
>>> drugs he was given.
>>>
>>> Regardless, he is currently in the hospital on life support,
>>> awaiting a spare kidney. The University of Texas in conjunction with
>>> Baylor University Medical Center is conducting tissue research to match
>>> the sophomore student with a donor.
>>>
>>> Any information leading to the arrest of the individuals may be
>>> forwarded to the University of Texas Campus police, or the Texas
>>> Rangers.
>>>
>>> Kimm
>>>>
>>>> Subject: FW: Travelers Beware !!!
>>>> Date: Monday, February 03, 1997 12:23PM
>>>>
>>>> I don't believe this, but it is interesting none the less.
>>>>
>>>> As I've stated before, I offer no validation or confirmation as to the
>>>> accuracy of reports such as these. This is too bizarre and alarming not
>>>> to pass on, however. Perhaps not taking drinks from strangers should be
>>>> a topic for Safety Day...
>>>
>>> Date: 1/27/97 8:16 AM
>>> Subject: Travellers Beware !!!
>>>
>>> Dear Friends:
>>>
>>> I wish to warn you about a new crime ring that is targeting business
>>> travelers. This ring is well organized, well funded, has very skilled
>>> personnel, and is currently in most major cities and recently very
>>> active in New Orleans. The crime begins when a business traveler goes
>>> to a lounge for a drink at the end of the work day. A person in the bar
>>> walks up as they sit alone and offers to buy them a drink. The last
>>> thing the traveler remembers until they wake up in a hotel room bath
>>> tub, their body submerged to their neck in ice, is sipping that drink.
>>> There is a note taped to the wall instructing them not to move andto
>>> call 911. A phone is on a small table next to the bathtub for them to
>>> call. The business traveler calls 911 who have become quite familiar
>>> with this crime. The business traveler is instructed by the 911
>>> operator to very slowly and carefully reach behind them and feel if
>>> there is a tube protruding from their lower back. The business traveler
>>> finds the tube and answers, "Yes." The 911 operator tells them to
>>> remain still, having already sent paramedics to help. The operator
>>> knows that both of the business traveler's kidneys have been harvested.
>>> This is not a scam or out of a science fiction novel, it is real. It is
>>> documented and confirmable. If you travel or someone close to you
>>> travels, please be careful.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Jerry
>>
>> Yes, this does happen. My sister-in-law works with a lady that this
>> happened to her son's neighbor who lives in Houston. The only "good"
>> thing to his whole story is the fact that the people doing this horrible
>> crime are very in tune to what complications can happen afterwards
>> because of the details precautions they take the time to set up before
>> leaving the room. The word from my sister-in-law is that the hospital
>> in Las Vegas (yes, Vegas) prior to transferring him back to Houston
>> stated that these people know exactly what they are doing. The incision,
>> etc. was exact and clean. They use sterile equipment etc. and the
>> hospital stated that other than the fact that the victim looses a kidney
>> there has not been any reports of other complications due to
>> non-sterile, etc. tactics that were used.
>>
>> Please be careful.
>
> Sadly, this is very true. My husband is a Houston Firefighter/EMT and
> they have received alerts regarding this crime ring. It is to be taken
> very seriously. The daughter of a friend of a fellow firefighter had
> this happen to her. Skilled doctor's are performing these crimes!
> (which, by the way have been highly noted in the Las Vegas area)
> Additionally, the military has received alerts regarding this.

Ah, what would the Internet be without morbid humor? =)

7:58 pm - Re: new registration

At 09:53 PM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>--
>Matt

Hi Matt,

I created your account as a six-month $30 registration, but just send the $10 instead. :) Enjoy,

Nathan

10:16 pm - Re: Sailing this summer

At 10:04 PM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>My boat (yes, I had no idea what a DEC 5000 was), is a 38 foot racer/cruiser
>sailboat. This means that it is fast enough to race competitively, but also
>comfortable enough to do overnight trips. The cabin layout is as follows,
>up forward is the Master stateroom with a big queen-size bed, just aft of
>that is the shower and head, aft of that is the main salon (basicly the
>living room) settees (couches) on both sides with a fold down table. Aft of
>that is the galley (kitchen) and navigation station (desk). Aft of all that
>is the aft stateroom (usually where I like to sleep) with a queen-sized bed.
>
>Its lots of fun and you can get some sun while we travel the seas.
>
>Let me know dude!!

Wow, what color is it?? :) I think I'm stuck in Colorado until at least mid-March, then I am either sticking around some more, or heading off to the east coast (Rhode Island and Manhattan, then Washington, D.C. and over to Frankfurt for a week, and back to Denver). Finishing my taxes and getting some other things taken care of have to take priority right now ... :(

I was last in P-Town in (hell, I've forgot) August?? Or late July?? It was the end of summer last year -- all I remember is that swimming in the Ocean near Race Point was COLD!! (or some beach around the tip of Cape Cod, there are several, and my memory isn't doing well enough at the moment to remember which one, in part because of my evening Merlot and my concentration on a note regarding the fear of global overpopulation.) When does the damn water heat up around there, and that's when I'll try to visit. :)

Nathan

10:16 pm - Star Wars Parallel

Luke: "You fought in the clone wars."

Ben: "I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father."

Luke: "My father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a
space freighter."

Ben: "That's what your Uncle told you. He didn't hold with your
father's ideals. He thought he should stay home. Not gotten
involved."

Luke: "I wish I had known him."

Ben: "He was a cunning warrior, and the best star pilot in the
galaxy. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And
he was a good friend. For over a thousand years the Jedi Knight
protected the galaxy. Before the dark times. Before the Empire"

Luke: "How did my father die?"

Ben: "A young Jedi Knight named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of
mine until he turned to evil, helped the Emporer hunt down and destroy
the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Vader was
seduced by the Dark Side of the Force."

Luke: "The Force?"

Ben: "Yes, the Force is what gives a Jedi Knight his power.
It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us.
Penetrates us. Binds the galaxy together. Which reminds me. Your
father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your
Uncle wouldn't allow. He thought you'd follow Obi-Wan on some
idealistic crusade."

Luke: "What is it?"

Ben: "It a lightsaber. The weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as random
or clumsy as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

**************************
Now another interpretation
**************************

Luke: "You were in the Greek System?"

Ben: "I was once a Frat Guy, the same as your father."

Luke: "My father didn't belong to a frat. He was a tool, an RA in
the dorms for four years."

Ben: "That's what your mother told you. She didn't hold with your
father's ideals. She thought he should stay home. Not drink until
four in the morning and then piss on things."

Luke: "I wish I had known him, when he could drink."

Ben: "He was a cunning partier, and the best boat-racer in the house.
And he was a good bro. I understand you've become quite a booze
hound yourself.. For over five years he got so curbed he could hardly
function. Before the dark times. Before, his skirt."

Luke: "How did my father become a lame ass?"

Ben: "A young chick namely your mother, who was pretty cool herself
until she turned to evil, helped other women hunt down and destroy the
coolness in men. She civilized and murdered the bro who was once your
father. Your mother was pissed off by the dark side of Beer"

Luke: "Beer?"

Ben: [smiles] "Yes, Beer is what gives a frat guy his power. It's a
beverage created by hops and barley.. and shit like that. It fucks us
up. Gives us beer goggles. And lets us yell stuff like "penis" in
bars everywhere. Which reminds me. Your father wanted you to have
this when you were old enough, but your Mother wouldn't allow it. He
thought you'd follow some Frat Brother on some binge drinking
crusade."

Luke: "What is it?"

Ben: "Your father's beer-bong. The weapon of a Frat Guy. Not as
random or clumsy as a shot glass. An elegant weapon for a less
civilized age ..."

Herewith more humor. NPJ

11:14 pm - Re: They Wrote!

Andy,

Ha ha ha, :) Reading this was like being held down and tickled until I couldn't breathe. Okay ... here goes with my response:

Civilizations succeed when they envision the world as a place where improvement is possible and growth inevitable. The cultural system that evolves is based around the concept of progress. Progress is the core value of the Western civilization, and it allows us to set the conditions which make it possible to dominate the globe and nature itself. When you imply that places such as Bangladesh or Mexico City serve as proof of the effects overpopulation brings, you are forgetting that the cultural system of these regions are not suited for late 20th Century growth. By that I mean that they are in decline because of a failure to grow, both materially and intellectually, even though they're presently enjoying some of the benefits of our highly industrial society. If their society chooses not to grow (i.e. to understand what it took to get where we are now, what is required to maintain it, and in what way it is necessary to advance it, since growth contains the solutions to the problems that it creates), then they will decline and possibly disappear either through internal disintegration or absorption by another group of people.

Geographic locations that are experiencing these problems have failed to actively plan for their future or understand the technology that has been given to them by. Granted, we never know where the future will take us, but once we discover new capacities, we are able to cross boundaries into frontiers that we never thought existed. Imagine where we would be now were it not for the Industrial Revolution, the Spanish exploration of the New World, or the explosion of Greek knowledge during the sixth century BC? These were successively built on each other, and it was essential that a proper foundation be maintained. Understanding the roots of these accomplishments and how they are linked together becomes even more critical given the complexity of today's leading civilizations.

In this flood of claims about the risks of technological growth and its impact on the ecosystem, we have decided not to consider what harm the full pursuance of zero growth (or the absence of growth all together) might inflict on our society. Take the Clean Air Act of 1990, which has an enormous potential to demonstrate how tampering with our social and technological way of life can force that system to disassemble (like Mexico City, or Bangladesh, but not like Singapore or Indonesia.) This Act was supposed to close loopholes in the 1970 Clean Air Act, and increase penalties for noncompliance, one of which is for the use of cleaner-burning fuels and low-emission automobiles. Consider that the Act requires employers with more than 100 employees at a given physical location to increase the number of people arriving by car pool some 25 percent. This means that your boss gets to meddle with the way you get to work (unless, you're a "high resource consuming human" who works for himself and stays at home all day.) So, now where you live becomes an issue of concern if you are to car pool. Car traffic in general will be reduced because driving will cease to be a source of individual freedom and expression but rather a burden that you're punished for trying to maintain. Some people will be pressured to bicycle to work so that the employer can meet the national clean air standards. I can already envision people arriving fatigued and overstressed as a result of that. They may not find relief in the office, either, since the Clean Air Act mandates that states reduce the use of chloroflurocarbons -- so common air conditioning will be restricted. In today's world, when the air conditioning malfunctions, workers are sent home. In the world of the Clean Air Act, the warm office will be seen as a normal working condition.

A financial comparison of zero growth to fast paced progress ... How intelligent would it be to plan for your future retirement by following a strategy of miserly conservation versus enthusiastic growth? Let's suppose that of two guys in their late teens, one was content to stay at an income level of $18,000 a year, move back in with his parents, eat creamed spinach or tuna sandwiches every other day, and keep his expenses low enough that some of that $18,000 could be put away in the local bank savings account; while the other one thrived on his career progress, making more money each year (let's say, $100,000) with which to invest substantially more over time in a nice group of no-load mutual funds ... which one would you expect to produce a better retirement package after forty years?

I made the decision to give up the path of the first person, because that was me three years ago. You can guess where I'm at now (Disclaimer: Mr. Humility and I have agreed that, because of my thoughts and actions, I can no longer enjoy the privilege of his company in my life.) <grin> To me, my success is evidence that the world isn't going to come crashing down over our heads, that we won't stand to live like people in Mexico City (someone should really tell them that The U.S. Virgin Islands are only a few hours away by jet airplane), and that these alarmist views of overpopulation are only good for sucking money out of the paranoid folks who don't believe in human ability anymore while our youth are growing up uneducated and unprepared to deal with the complex civilization that has made their existence possible in the first place!!

How much did you say a place at the 30th Anniversary dinner on the 13th of November will set me back? :) I'd love to be in attendance.

Nathan

p.s. My mention of "living underground" or playing in resorts on the sea floor were based on the idea of reshaping the Earth. We're close to doing things like creating artificial islands, building transatlantic tunnels (look at the EuroStar train running under the English Channel -- which I've ridden on, and found to be spectacular), and constructing a subterranean metropolis. Do the Pyramids of ancient Egypt come to mind, as do the Romans' aqueducts and continental roadway system? What's the benefit of doing stuff like this in our modern age? Look at Japan. They have little available real estate. There are some 120 million people living in an area the size of Montana. An underground city would be less vulnerable to destruction from their frequent earthquakes (the ground is more stable below the surface than above). The near-constant natural temperature underground makes living more energy efficient, helping reduce dependency on foreign energy supplies. Not that this will be a problem once we realize how important a cheap and abundant supply of electricity is to the operation of the world and someone provides a snappy solution. Then, I suppose, you'll be able to have all the genuine artificial sunlight that you want. Hell, maybe it'll be something similar to an open air fusion park filled with balls of fire rather than trees. What if old Prometheus were to drop in and deliver them himself? I wonder what the gods would think of this??

<grin> Thanks for the opportunity to blab on for an hour. NPJ

At 09:48 PM 2/26/97 EST, you wrote:
>Gosh, Nathan. I'm not sure I *want* to live under the ground. But I guess
>with enough artificial light one could adapt.

I anticipate that Jay Leno and his Dorito commercials' phrase could be adapted to, "Live where you want, we'll build more!" As if the skyscrapers of Manhattan were even thought possible by home builders in the late 1700's. So too will come a similar surprise when the structures that we live in fifty years from now occupy the landscape.

>You consume about 20 times as much resources and energy, and pollute about
>20 times as much, as the average human. (Number is *very* rough, but
>ballpark.) So if we stuck with the current population (which would grow to
>about 10 billion even if from now on all women had just 2.1 children), I
>guess you'd have to multiply the current strain on the earth by more than
>30 or so for everyone to live as nicely as you.

Okay, so I consume more resources and energy than the average human, but I'll be willing to bet that I also produce more than they do, too. Like the saying, "It takes money to make money," this is an instance where I consume more because I produce more ... if I didn't produce more, then I wouldn't have an abundance of resources available to me to consume, and neither would anyone else in America. Some sort of pollution is a natural effect of any consumption, what would Newton think if you tried to believe otherwise (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?) Almost makes as much sense as getting irked when the waiter asks how your meal is when you're in the middle of chewing. As if your goal in dining out is NOT to be eating something most of the time.

>So let's assume that's a snap -- the earth could easily absorb 30 times the
>call on its resources and clean air. (Been to Bangla Desh? Mexico City?)

It's not a snap, but it also doesn't happen by curling under and declining the struggle to work towards a future where an abundance of resources can be won as the result of our efforts.

>But women are NOT just gaving 2.1 children apiece.

So, here's another good argument for being gay and childless.

>Anyway, you may be right, and this may not be an issue. Hope so! But what
>if you're wrong?

If I'm wrong, then we'll both be around to see the end of the Renaissance that started four or five centuries ago in Europe, which is still going on today. Besides, humans trying to stop other humans from being human won't keep civilization in equilibrium for very long -- even if they do succeed and we *were* able to live without progress for any reasonable amount of time. Let's see, the last time this happened on a major scale was from the fall of the Roman empire in the middle of the fifth century AD to roughly the year 1000, or more commonly referred to as the Dark Ages -- that's some 450 years that the world would have to last without CNN or the Wall Street Journal, not to mention MTV. At least we'd be able to fall back on our roots of musical folklore, colorful smoke signals, and short hand inscribed notes on clay tablets delivered by trained carrier pigeons, oops, I forgot ... we only know how to use the telephone and e-mail for stuff like that anymore. Looks like we'd be screwed.

A Zero Growth policy isn't the answer, the opposite is. No matter how much they happen to conserve and save up, sooner or later the time will come when they'll have to start consuming their loot to survive. Who will be there to put it back when they've killed off the entire social structure and predominant ideas of civilization that made it possible (much less worthwhile) for them to save anything produced by other people in the first place? Why the hell did we even crawl out of the cave with the hope of escaping the day-to-day (literal) fight for survival if we're just going to turn around and try and return to it fifty thousand years later for fear that things like McDonalds, NASA, Coca-Cola, United Airlines, 24-hour ATM banking, the Internet, and late 20th Century medical science are achievements too great to maintain?

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Last updated: 15:02 MST 3/1/97
Nathan Johansen - nathan@npj.com