I heard a new term the other day. In the eras of the Earth there are names for the vast expanses of time. Jurassic, Cretaceous, Mesozoic. These are huge expanses of time to describe the way the Earth is during that time. Mesozoic Era is 252-65 million BC. That boggles the mind. That one era covers 187,000,000 years.
The Anthropocene Era was named recently. In 2011 if Wikipedia is to be trusted. It is the era where man's actions have effected the world's climate. This era has no precise start date, but some have placed it around the start of the industrial revolution which was the 1800s. Some link it to the rise of agriculture around 12,000 BC. So the era where man has impacted the planet to such a degree that we are changing the climate is as little as 200 years old or maybe as much as 14,000.
Um... Fuck. Let's just say that in 200 years we have thrown up so much CO2 into the atmosphere that the Earth is getting warmer. And despite what climate deniers say, it's warmer. I was in Norway a few years back and I was talking to a woman in her 60s. She told me that the weather is not as harsh in the winter time as it was when she was young. In Norway where they have crazy amounts of snow and cold, warming is probably more noticeable than in Los Angeles.
A climactic milestone was reached this month. 400 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere. That is the supposed tipping point for climate change. There has not been a concentration in the atmosphere like this for millions of years. CO2 traps heat. So this could cause a chain reaction of hotter and hotter temperatures. It will be slow, but could have been reversed.
The Jurassic period was 56,000,000 years. Man changed the planet in a scant 200.
Go Man! To Mars. It's closest.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Couldn't Do That If I Tried
There are occurrences which happen quite often I put in the category of "I couldn't do that if I tried." It is the little things. Not accidents per se, but the probability of being able to replicate the same thing on purpose would be difficult if not a huge waste of time.
Examples are: a paper tag from a tea bag falls off the string and lands perfectly perched on the handle of the kitchen drawer below it. Balanced freakishly but impossible to do again if you intended to do so.
Having a rope wrap around a chain as you pull up an chain motor in such a knot that you have to drop the motor back into the ground so someone can fix it. Granted most people don't end up on an I beam pulling up chain motors, but it has happened to me on occasion.
It's usually something small, the fall of a piece of paper, or the toss of an object which lands in some unlikely way. When it happens I always say to myself either out loud or in my head,
I couldn't have done that if I tried.
Examples are: a paper tag from a tea bag falls off the string and lands perfectly perched on the handle of the kitchen drawer below it. Balanced freakishly but impossible to do again if you intended to do so.
Having a rope wrap around a chain as you pull up an chain motor in such a knot that you have to drop the motor back into the ground so someone can fix it. Granted most people don't end up on an I beam pulling up chain motors, but it has happened to me on occasion.
It's usually something small, the fall of a piece of paper, or the toss of an object which lands in some unlikely way. When it happens I always say to myself either out loud or in my head,
I couldn't have done that if I tried.
Monday, May 13, 2013
DRIVE!!!
As I drive around LA I am paying attention to the task at hand. Driving safely.
When I'm behind someone I can tell when they are looking at the road and when they are looking at a device like a phone. It is obvious in the lag time between things they should be paying attention to and their reaction time to act. Their head is turned slightly to the side so they can look at a phone or pad. The number of people holding a phone to their heads is staggering. There's a law against it, but people don't care.
It pisses me off that people cannot put down the phone long enough to drive from place to place. When I was in Vegas last week, i kept having people run inot me because they were walking and looking at their phone. A woman who bumped into me said "Excuse you!" I replied. "I'm paying attention. You're the one not looking where you are going." She was shocked. But I was angry and she backed away.
Now imagine that disconnection with your surroundings and add a couple thousand pounds of steel and momentum.
Hands free doesn't mean holding the phone away from your head while driving. There should be a feature on the phone where it will not function if it is moving faster than walking speed without a bluetooth activated.
When I'm behind someone I can tell when they are looking at the road and when they are looking at a device like a phone. It is obvious in the lag time between things they should be paying attention to and their reaction time to act. Their head is turned slightly to the side so they can look at a phone or pad. The number of people holding a phone to their heads is staggering. There's a law against it, but people don't care.
It pisses me off that people cannot put down the phone long enough to drive from place to place. When I was in Vegas last week, i kept having people run inot me because they were walking and looking at their phone. A woman who bumped into me said "Excuse you!" I replied. "I'm paying attention. You're the one not looking where you are going." She was shocked. But I was angry and she backed away.
Now imagine that disconnection with your surroundings and add a couple thousand pounds of steel and momentum.
Hands free doesn't mean holding the phone away from your head while driving. There should be a feature on the phone where it will not function if it is moving faster than walking speed without a bluetooth activated.
Working in Las Vegas
I was working in Vegas recently and i find that place kind of fascinating. The people watching is amazing.
First off, America as a collective population is FAT. Super fat. I was at a cafe getting dinner one night after working a long day. Since I was sitting alone I looked around at the other people in the cafe. There was a table of 3 people a few feet away. All 3 people, 2 women and one man were morbidly obese. Fat to the point that there was one motorized chair to assist one of them to get around. But which one needed the chair? All were fat and probably have problems walking. But which one used the chair? Do they take turns?
Vegas gets a lot of tourists from all over the world. I could generally guess who was American by their girth. People from other countries are not, well, as fat as we Americans are.
I was working a gig in a big hotel and did a ton of walking. The first day I had a blood blister on one heel and 2 days later I had a regular blister behind a callous on my other foot. It made me slower as I walked from place to place.
The job had some panels. One was "The Future of the Republican Party." Reince Priebus was speaking. There was a sign at the front door which said, "Media not allowed." This was to stop, well, the truth from getting out. The election last year had an explosive "47%" tape get out to the media where Romney told what he really thought. God forbid a politician tell what they really think. I so wanted to go in with my smart phone and use a voice memo ap to tape the session. I stepped into the room for a moment to listen. I heard him say they need to connect with the ___________ ( I don't remember the exact verbage he used to describe the voters.) voters who don't normally vote GOP. I didn't think I would be able to sit quietly and listen to his line of shit. Sorry, the Frank Luntz talking points that seem to be emailed to all GOP politicians I find to be bullshit. I left. I had work to do and needed to earn my paycheck. GOP, you want to appeal to more voters? Stop being a bunch of Ayn Rand acolytes and hating people who aren't rich and white and male.
I stopped at a shop in the hotel to get nail clippers. I was chatting with the sales girl and the subject of hookers came up. I hadn't seen any. She said they don't dress like hookers anymore. But the way to spot them was 3 things. They are constantly on their phones checking for texts; they say "hey" to every guy who might look like they are in town for fun; and they are constantly scanning at the crowd to see who might be looking for them. with this knowledge I was leaving the hotel for the day and saw a number of working girls. Knowledge is power.
I really would like to go to Vegas when I can drink and carouse. After 6 straight days on my feet I was beat.
First off, America as a collective population is FAT. Super fat. I was at a cafe getting dinner one night after working a long day. Since I was sitting alone I looked around at the other people in the cafe. There was a table of 3 people a few feet away. All 3 people, 2 women and one man were morbidly obese. Fat to the point that there was one motorized chair to assist one of them to get around. But which one needed the chair? All were fat and probably have problems walking. But which one used the chair? Do they take turns?
Vegas gets a lot of tourists from all over the world. I could generally guess who was American by their girth. People from other countries are not, well, as fat as we Americans are.
I was working a gig in a big hotel and did a ton of walking. The first day I had a blood blister on one heel and 2 days later I had a regular blister behind a callous on my other foot. It made me slower as I walked from place to place.
The job had some panels. One was "The Future of the Republican Party." Reince Priebus was speaking. There was a sign at the front door which said, "Media not allowed." This was to stop, well, the truth from getting out. The election last year had an explosive "47%" tape get out to the media where Romney told what he really thought. God forbid a politician tell what they really think. I so wanted to go in with my smart phone and use a voice memo ap to tape the session. I stepped into the room for a moment to listen. I heard him say they need to connect with the ___________ ( I don't remember the exact verbage he used to describe the voters.) voters who don't normally vote GOP. I didn't think I would be able to sit quietly and listen to his line of shit. Sorry, the Frank Luntz talking points that seem to be emailed to all GOP politicians I find to be bullshit. I left. I had work to do and needed to earn my paycheck. GOP, you want to appeal to more voters? Stop being a bunch of Ayn Rand acolytes and hating people who aren't rich and white and male.
I stopped at a shop in the hotel to get nail clippers. I was chatting with the sales girl and the subject of hookers came up. I hadn't seen any. She said they don't dress like hookers anymore. But the way to spot them was 3 things. They are constantly on their phones checking for texts; they say "hey" to every guy who might look like they are in town for fun; and they are constantly scanning at the crowd to see who might be looking for them. with this knowledge I was leaving the hotel for the day and saw a number of working girls. Knowledge is power.
I really would like to go to Vegas when I can drink and carouse. After 6 straight days on my feet I was beat.
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