Al Gore's New Book: "I am your shepherd, you sheep must follow"

The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools

So ends Gore's untitled poem at the conclusion of the 1st chapter of "Our Choice, his new book.
Vanity Fair has published a review of the book and poetry. Of course, the writer is in awe and fawns over the book and Al's intellect.

In his almost 30 years of crusading against global warming, Al Gore has worn a variety of hats. In roughly chronological order these include: congressman, senator, author, vice president, traveling evangelist, filmmaker, investment adviser, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Now, with the publication of his new book, Our Choice, Gore has unveiled a fresh and most unexpected talent: the book’s opening chapter of concludes with a poem he wrote—21 lines of verse that are equal parts beautiful, evocative, and disturbing.

Al Gore - The Poet Laureate of Climate Change

Yeah, but shepherd? Isn't that pretty blatant, if unintentional?

Maybe other critics have seen and understod the message: 'you are my sheep, I will lead you to salvation.'

It’s odd that none of the reviews of Our Choice have mentioned this poem. Even my old friend Bill McKibben, the dean of America’s climate journalists, didn’t see fit to mention it, though Bill himself wrote a column a couple of years ago pleading for poets, musicians, and other artists to bring their talents to bear in the climate fight. Reviews of Our Choice have instead focused on the meat and potatoes of the book—its exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) survey of the best available solutions, technological and political, to the climate crisis.
...
Gore wrote it, I’m told, because his editor nixed his request to include a separate chapter on the impacts of climate change. After all, Our Choice is supposed to be about solutions, not gloom and doom. (The most common criticism of An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary that won Gore an Oscar in 2007, was that it was silent on what to do about global warming.) Undeterred by his editor’s ruling, Gore re-imagined his impacts chapter in poetic form.

Despite Vanity Fair's paean to Gore and his poetic skill, the comments to the story include some hilarious alternatives:

"The gravy train has dried up, The data cooked like overboiled couscous into yellow science mush: Hide the decline. Get a life."

"I read his crap he needs a slap Then we will know why the shepherd cries."

"The alarums sound And the frightened creatures Run to higher ground Across the skies Silver eagles soar Trailing clouds of smoke In their wake Foregathering in their sacred aerie They make their plans To gather all the sheep together In the valley of the shadow Of pretended death Calling out To the lambs who huddle in every corner of the world They promise the protection of eagles While preparing for the feast"

Take it for what it's worth.

jw

[edit on 7-12-2009 by jdub297]

Originally posted by jdub297
...traveling evangelist,...

OMG my side is hurting from laughing so damn hard! Scenes from the movie "Leap of Faith", starring Steve Martin, flooded my brain. "traveling evangelist". That is just about the funniest piece of drivel I've heard from these crackpots, ever!

Thanks JW!

[edit on 7-12-2009 by WTFover]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/58d3cdeaf11e.jpg[/atsimg]

Just a quick photoshop!

reply to post by WTFover

It would be even funnier if it weren't true!

Who would've expected such frank honesty from Al Gore?

I couldn't believe my eyes.

jw

reply to post by endisnighe
Where did you get the alternative cover of "Our Choice?"

I thought they were reserving that for the 'signed' copies and paperback.

Excellent work, though.

jw

Oh, The photo shop and poem took me so over the edge!!!!!!!!!!!




I can't take it!

Oh the Irony!

The problem with Shepherds, is that they have the unfortunate habit of leading their 'sheep' to the slaughter......after fleecing them first, of course.

So Al is saying what about himself?

Another thread with misleading title... Too many of these lately and almost enough to make me

Gore didn't say he was the shepherd... Read the poem already

[edit on 7-12-2009 by buddhasystem]

Regardless, Al Gore is a completely discredited tool, and there is plenty of fun to be poked at him. He owes us as much for his unwarranted and uninvited appearances in my living room while trying to enjoy Saturday night live. I will be eagerly anticipating South Park's next installment of ManBearPig. Excelsior!!!!!! I'm totally serial!!!!

Originally posted by Elliot
Oh the irony!
The problem with Shepherds, is that they have the unfortunate habit of leading their 'sheep' to the slaughter......after fleecing them first, of course.

So Al is saying what about himself?

Ever hear of a "Judas goat? A trained animal that leads the herd to slaughter, but which is itself spared to do the "trick" again for the next batch of "faithful."

Ironic as hell.

jw

Originally posted by buddhasystem
Another thread with misleading title... Too many of these lately and almost enough to make me barf

Gore didn't say he was the shepherd... Read the poem already duh

Did you read the article? The poem is a substitute for a chapter Gore wanted to add about his vision for future efforts to combat AGW.

Gore wrote it, I’m told, because his editor nixed his request to include a separate chapter on the impacts of climate change. After all, Our Choice is supposed to be about solutions, not gloom and doom. ... Undeterred by his editor’s ruling, Gore re-imagined his impacts chapter in poetic form.

"The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools"

Now, if Gore is providing the "tools" in "Our Choice" to fight AGW, then it is easy to see that he is "the shepherd" crying out to his flock that the time has come to pick a solution.

Or, to put it another way so you can understand: Baaa.

Deny ignorance.

jw