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ABC packed roughly 107 spots - or more than 45 minutes of commercial and promotional time - into the two-and-a-half-hour Lost series finale, according to our (very unscientific but pretty reliable) count. Just when the finale would unveil a major plot point, a break would occur featuring anywhere from five to 11 ads and/or sneak peeks for fall shows on ABC.
- Lynette Rice, Hollywood Insider
With budgets tight and income reduced, more commercials will be necessary. Maybe more commercials than actual content, for example; 45 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of programming!
Not too long ago there were no oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico. Now there are over 4,000. With the ever increasing appetite for oil in the world, will the number of oil rigs reduce? Or increase to perhaps 8,000, or 100,000, a million!
Since greed has neither conscience nor bounds, when will all of this stop? It will only stop when we stop, because we are the driving force behind everything.
When will we stop? Can we stop? If we can't, then we should not complain about swimming in oil when we visit Florida or sitting through endless commercials when we try to watch a TV show. Until each of us individually stop, we have no footing upon which to complain.
Why can't we stop? We don't have to stop suddenly, all we have to do is cut down a little each day. We can begin by slowly cutting our gasoline purchases. We don't need all that power and prestige we imagine we get when driving a powerful gas guzzling behemoth anymore. We can squeeze into a compact vehicle and cut down on the trips we make.
Many of the wasteful things we do results in plain boredom and wanting action. "Let's get out of the house and drive down to . . ."
Why not stay home and take a walk? The reason we don't is because our minds are not calm, not peaceful, in turmoil 24/7 because we are spiritually immature. Like a bunch of preschool kiddies who can't sit still for more than five minutes, we haven't a clue as to what peace and contentment means.
This is the crux of the problems we face in the ever blossoming fiasco called energy demand. Unless we all take the effort to change our lifestyles, our lifestyles will be changed for us when the world goes to war over oil. I believe that we would rather kill ourselves than conserve, and that's the sad truth.
Until we are forced, kicking an screaming, to cut back on gasoline and purchases, the gas rigs will grow in the oceans and the commercials on the air waves as our quality of life deteriorates into abject environmental poverty. We are incapable of helping ourselves. We are too far gone to even consider cutting back, because we couldn't face the pain of doing without. We are so spoiled.
It's more than that, however. There is a subliminal feeling in our gut that we are too good to cut back, that cutting back is for only losers, underprivileged people, or people of a lower social status. It's just not our cup of tea to cut back on anything. That would be a surrender and acknowledgment that gross consumerism isn't working, that capitalism has somehow failed in its promises of ever increasing wealth for everyone.
So let's get over ourselves. How about it? Let's do something good for humanity rather than just think of ourselves all the time. Start by trading in you vehicles and buying something that uses half the gas. Then cut down on your trips. Cut them in half. Cut your electricity consumption. Turn off the lights, get energy efficient bulbs, turn down the AC and the furnace. Get a nice sweater and wear it during the winter and run around in a bathing suit in the summer. Think everyday how you can cut back on anything you don't absolutely need.
And when the harbingers of "the good times will never end" whisper in your ear, "You're an American, you shouldn't have to live like those heathens in Europe, so spend, consume, and let the good times roll," just remind them that their story is a false one, and that their only concern is the top tier of wealthy that makes money regardless of how badly the middle class suffers, or the earth.
Take back sanity and preserve our earth for not only ourselves but for our kids and their kids. Remember, our kids learn from us, and if all we do is encourage them to be as successful as they can be and make as much money as possible regardless of what harm comes to the earth, that's what the new generation will do, just like we did.
It's not impossible; it just takes a more spiritual view of the world and the interconnectedness of us all. California was able to cut its smog because it took bold action on vehicle emissions even as big business fought the changes tooth and nail. This is what we are faced with in changing the world - changing our own habits first because that's where the power is!
No big business, big oil, or lobbyist can control what we do as individual consumers. They can advertise lies and cajole congress, but they cannot make us continue to buy vehicles that line their pockets. For example an SUV profits an automaker $12,000.00 to $15,000.00 whereas a subcompact profits them only $500.00. And big business cannot force us to buy stupid, needless things just to stay in fashion and keep the wealthy in power. We have control over our lives, and we can bring these environmental terrorists to their knees. No one can really stop us.
His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk.
He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.
E Raymond Rock (anagarika addie) is a meditation teacher at: 