Okay, y'all: it's been a long time since the last post, and you're right to complain. We apologize, but we've been busy. Blog entries with lots of pictures take a lot of time to compose, and frankly, we don't have much energy left at the end of the day. This post will be quick and dirty, because there are a lot of things that need updating.

Firstly, and most important to us, and to you, and to the planet at large, (as the planet is indeed large), is the fact that Barack Obama has just won the presidency. This is big news, nay, huge news, gigantic news, even here. While we were watching his acceptance speech, neighbors were lighting fireworks in celebration. If this is the spirit in New Zealand, we can't imagine what it must be like in the States.

Here's a confession. This is the first time that Gail and I have felt wistful to be back in the United States. Just now. Just to feel the joy, the elation, of our friends and neighbors and family, to feel that the dark times are over. (Apologies to our gentle readers who are Bush fans. But seriously, get used to it, you're practically alone.)

It wasn't much of a race, though. From afar, it seemed to us that McCain didn't really want it. Sure, he followed through with the campaign, because he had backers that needed to be appeased, and financing that needed to be spent. Seriously, though, everything he did seemed lackluster. It's no wonder: the economy is in the toilet, and everyone agrees that there are systemic, national problems that will cause widespread suffering for years to come. Who would want to be president at a time like this?

It is possible that the Neoconservatives recognized that this was not the year to make funny putty out of the election process, as they did in 2000 and 2004. The populace was paying attention, and that makes it hard to play tricks. That, combined with the current president's unpopularity, and the obvious fact that the next president has a very difficult road ahead of him, suggests that they may have simply let this one go. Keep in mind that they still control the voting machines and the corporations that produce the polls, so the outcome can be manipulated as they desire. Watch out in 2012: they'll be back.

But that's too pessimistic for the mood tonight! Good for you, America, for turning out in droves to elect Barack Obama! Good for you, for sending the world reassurance that the United States of America can be respected as a democracy!

Are the dark times really over? God, we hope so. However, as Mr. Obama said tonight, this election was not the change that was needed; it merely ensures the opportunity for change to occur in the future. Only time will tell what will happen, but this is a step in the right direction.


How does this affect us? Are we coming back to the United States, now that the Big Bad Ugly is gone? Sorry to disappoint, but no. We are happy here.

Several things of note (besides the election) have happened in our world in the past week. Our car turned 100,000 km. Kayla turned 20. We received our indefinite Returning Resident Visas, which entitles us to live in New Zealand forever, to come and go as we wish. And -- here's the kicker -- we bought 20 acres of land.

Our new land is very beautiful. Half of it is a rolling hillside, facing the hot sun, just perfect for building our Earthship, growing fruit and grapes and olives. The other half is a wild ravine, with tall, moist grass, shaded by trees and a 45-foot-tall limestone outcropping. The land has views over the surrounding countryside; and, at the top, we can even see the ocean.

With the property, we inherited seven heads of cattle, one of which fed us our dinner tonight. There is also a three-room, ramshackle old hut, which we plan to fix up and use as an office, or maybe as temporary living space while we build our house. This is a glorious adventure, and we are very excited to explore the possibilities.

Pictures will be forthcoming. Please be patient.

In other news, the business continues to grow well, and we always have a backlog of things to do. We are producing environmental instrumentation using the SDI-12 interface, used all over the world. Zim is now working on an ultraviolet dosimeter, which is worn as a button that measures and logs a person's UV exposure.

We have become active participants in the Transition Town movement, which is an international program that helps participating towns and cities abandon the model of a growth economy. The town undergoes a "transition," embracing a new economic model which allows the town to remain prosperous, while reducing its dependency on energy, and simultaneously bolstering its resilience to economic hardship and climate change.

Our lives are full, but we miss our families and friends!

We will be visiting the United States over the Christmas holidays, spending time in Colorado, New Mexico, and California. (We only visit Blue States.) We arrive on December 11, and leave again on January 10. This might be our last trip to the States for a while. Most of our time is set aside for social visits, so please let us know if you would like to get together, and we'll make time for you.

Congratulations, Earth, for a new day dawning!

Peace,
--Zim, Gail, Kayla, and Levi

Alf's Imperial Army saves Oamaru and the Earth

Thanks to all who wrote with their concern; we are all okay. No one in our family was hurt in the battle, although we personally witnessed the now infamous, interstellar conflict that raged on the shores of Oamaru's Friendly Bay. Luckily, I had my camera with me.

When the Martians first arrived, no one suspected that they intended to hurt anyone, although their rather tiresome chanting of "Red planet good, blue planet bad," and "We come in peace, prepare to die!" made some people a tad bit uneasy. Nevertheless, there was hope throughout town that they had truly come in peace and the locals would be able to trade "good Otago lard." It wasn't until the Martians called a meeting with our town's military battalion, Alf's Imperial Army, that their true intentions were made clear.

Shortly after Colonel Catford first approached the leader of the Martians, an argument broke out. It wasn't clear from where I was standing who threw the first insult, but soon the Colonel's short temper was inflamed, and he called for an air strike.


The Martians repelled the attack by using ingenious weaponry, never before seen on this planet: a thin membrane in the form of a spheroid, containing within it a liquid of unspeakable wetness.


Alf's Imperial Army responded in kind, using flour bombs that seemed to counteract the effects of the Martian weapons. Still the onslaught continued.

Soon, the most disgusting weapon ever devised by man was summoned to the battlefront: Horrible Horace the Spaghetti Cannon.

Sensing that they needed reinforcements, Colonel Catford called in the reinforced cardboard reinforcements, and also the Wizard of New Zealand and a small yellow cavalry pony named Binky. A band of pirates joined in the fray.
The Wizard blessed the Army, and issued a curse on the scangey mongrels of mayhem, the Martians.

The courage and stamina of our fearless troops cannot be described.


In the face of such carnage, Alf's Imperial Army gathered the strength to perform the dreaded "Riverdance charge," which unleashed such chaos that the battle seemed surely won.


It probably would have ended there, had it not been three o'clock, time for tea. The officers called for a ten-minute break.
After tea and biscuits, the Martians demanded that the Earthlings bring forth their "champion," to fight the most fearsome, viscious, and cruel-hearted Martian warrior. When our brave champion pulled out the Secret Weapon (notice the fluffy slipper in his right hand,) an intensive bottom-paddling session ensued, until both champions fell to the ground, dead.


This enraged the Martians! They drew their death-ray guns, and the ensuing fight was ridiculously violent.



Before long, all three leaders of the Martians were on the ground. Alf's Imperial Army had prevailed, and the Earth was saved!





"On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place."
--King Arthur, 1975

"I don't know if we should live in this town. It is a silly place."
--Gail, 12/31/2007