The BobboSphere: Don't believe everything you think.

In biology class I learned that carbon is the element that gives us life. It's unique ability to chain with other elements into wondrously complex arrays is why we are here today.

Yet this week it was hard to think of carbon as the element of life. There were simply too many deaths resulting from our mad addiction to the carbon that lies buried in the ground.

Whether in the form of hard rock or slippery goo, we'll kill for it with precious little mercy  or regret. Miners in Utah and China...soldiers and civilians in Iraq...all part of a sudden-death overtime of greed and folly.

And the people who walk away with the riches from Number 6 on the Periodic Table? I would  guess that none of them were entombed deep under the earth or blown to bits while going about their daily business.

Oh...they do venture out of their air conditioned offices to mingle with the media or wth anxious families, but it's an empty ritual. Everyone knows it is scripted and directed by skillful PR firms  with the object of soothing our grief and anger...and then turning those into dark despair and pitiful powerlessness.

In the late 20th century a shaggy rock group called the Fugs used to sing a song called 'Kill for Peace." I'm waiting for their successors to pen an update, "Kill for Carbon".

The element of life? Yeah, right.........