Which has very little to do with the topic of this post. Whatever that is. The Lemming had something in mind a minute ago. It can't have gone far - - - aha! Got it.
The Lemming's household had some pleasant breaks in routine, more-or-less over the weekend. The son-in-law and #2 daughter visiting from Thursday to Saturday was one, then the Lemming's father-in-law stopped in for a chat Sunday afternoon - and stayed for supper.
The Lemming got the Sauk Centre Journal's weekly entry done:
- "Candles That aren't Candles; Candles With a New Twist, and a '50s Diner"
Sauk Centre Journal Blog (June 26, 2011)
The Lemming seems to have slipped from Hamlet (more or less) into Battle Hymn of the Republic, by way of Tennyson's Ulysses. Not the James Joyce one, and that's another topic.
Come to think of it, that bit sounded a bit like Joyce's contribution to incomprehensibility as a literary affectation. And that is yet again another topic.
Briefly, the Lemming decided to wash the dishes, instead of writing a post for this blog. On reflection, that still seems like a prudent choice.
However, there's still one post to do for today - and the Lemming would just as soon have something to show for what you may, or may not, have expected to see yesterday.
Eco-Tourism and Complimentary Snack Trays
Yes, now you, too, can "Escape to the natural beauty and wild majesty of the Amazon Rainforest... Nestled in a canopy of trees above the Amazon River..." at "... the only hotel resort built completely at tree top level in the Jungle."
"Experience the ultimate in eco-tourism ... " while feeling guilty about breathing in oxygen and selfishly exhaling carbon dioxide - that only encourages wasteful growth by those plants over there. Oh, wait. They're plants: so it's okay if they grow.
Actually, staying at that treetop hotel looks like fun, and the monkeys seem to enjoy hanging around the complimentary snack trays.
Wait a Minute: What If Those Weren't Always Monkeys?
At least, the Lemming assumes that those are monkeys in the photo. Which brings up the question - by all that is sane, why is a major section of Downtown Disney called "Pleasure Island?!" They're re-imagining the area (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/pleasure-island/, as of June 27, 2011) - but apparently keeping the name. Doesn't anybody watch Pinocchio any more? Remember what line of work the Coachman was in?Oh, well: appreciation of metaphor and symbolism doesn't seem to be one of contemporary American culture's major strengths. And that is definitely another topic. Topics.
"Green" Doesn't Have to be Goofy
At this rate, the Lemming isn't going to get around to The Vermont Country Store, which isn't particularly near Manaus, or anywhere else in Brazil.The Lemming remembers the first Earth Day. It was groovy.
The Lemming still lives on Earth, so what happens on this planet is of personal interest. Which may be why the Lemming is so annoyed when wackadoo fanatics make 'environmental awareness' sound like a psychiatric condition. Aside from practical concerns, the Lemming thinks that not pouring raw sewage in the well is a moral issue. Which may not mean what you think it does:
- "Lemming Tracks: Bird Poop, Animal Carcasses, and Dumping 8,000,000 Gallons of Drinking Water"
(June 21, 2011) - "Charity Demands Environmental Awareness (and God Doesn't Make Junk)"
A Catholic Citizen in America (April 12, 2011)
The High Cost of Relevance?
The Lemming tried to discover just how much it costs to stay at the "Largest Treetop Hotel in the World" - and didn't find a price list. Which may mean that 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it.' Particularly since one of the vacation packages is called the "Berkeley Repertory Theatre Package."All of which is okay - the Lemming made decisions that pretty much guaranteed a lifetime of not vacationing on Côte d'Azur, with a little 79-room cottage overlooking Kathmandu for seasons when (other) nouveau riche sully the pristine beaches. The Lemming isn't likely to see the inside of cruise ship, when it comes to that. So far, the tradeoffs have been excellent.1
Encouraging folks with substantial disposable incomes to dispose of some of the 'extra' in around Manaus probably makes sense. Particularly for folks living in or around Manaus. The city is an industrial center, and Brazil as a whole isn't even close to being the poorest country in the world.2 Still, folks with jobs at eco-resorts buy groceries and pay rent - and that's getting into economics. Also common sense. And yet another topic.
Which isn't saying that Brazil is a veritable Earthly Eden, where the Age of Aquarius really happened. More topics.
Bottom line? The Lemming figures that if folks with money to spend want to spend it in a few nights at a four-star tree house, where watching monkeys will help them feel good - well, there are worse ways to spend money. Much worse. Yet still more topics.
And the Lemming has got to stop writing - or this 'Monday' post won't be finished until Tuesday. If then.
Not-entirely-unrelated posts:
- "Endeavor's Last Flight, Orbital Hotels, and Spaceports"
(June 1, 2011) - "Last Trip for Space Shuttle Endeavour; and Reaching for the Stars"
(May 16, 2011)
Particularly - "Japan, Cherry Blossoms, and 'a Limit to Extreme Self-Restraint' "
(http://apatheticlemming.blogspot.com/2011/03/chefs-table-not-workbench-not-in.html) - "Chef's Table: Not a Workbench; Not in McDonald's"
(March 3, 2011) - "Boeing 747-8: Big Can be 'Green' "
(February 12, 2011)
1 The Lemming lived on the low side of the economic spectrum by choice:
- "Lemming Tracks: Lower Middle Class and Loving It"
(December 14, 2009)
2 comments:
There's a word missing near the end: "substantial disposable incomes to dispose of some in around" Specifically between the last two words.
The Friendly Neighborhood Proofreader
Brigid,
Right. I changed that. Oddly, in the dialect I speak - using an implied phrase like that works. When the sentence is spoken. In writing - not so much.
Thanks!
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