Top
Advertisement

The Ramblings of an Astute Observer - #1

A meteor the size of Texas is discovered to be on a collision course with the earth.  With a three-week countdown, the world has little choice but to sit back and hope NASA can formulate a last minute plan of attack.  In a surprising turn of events, a group of seasoned and charismatic deep-sea oil drillers find themselves on two prototype spacecraft sling-shotting around the moon with the intent of landing on the asteroid.  Once on the surface they will operate a veritable home depot of untested field equipment with the intent of digging an 800-meter hole for a nuclear bomb.  This bomb hopefully will break the asteroid into two even pieces that should just barely miss the earth.

 

The vast majority of the developed world did not receive this news well.  Accepting their almost certain imminent death, all civil order disappears and governments crumble.  The two ships carrying our wayward travelers are destroyed almost immediately upon entering the massive debris field trailing the asteroid.  Pandemonium and anarchy consume the planet as all hope for survival is extinguished. 

 

On a lighter note, not all societies on earth viewed the coming extinction as a horrible concept.  A small South American tribe residing deep in the remote jungles of Brazil had recently encountered a large number of bushes ripe with tasty berries.  This would prove to be a significant discovery as their perception of the berry God coincidentally looked like a small sun.  Right up to the very end, the Kwahutee people carried on picking berries as they happily observed the speedy approach of their generous deity.

 

I am assuming you are confused as to the point of that little story, and to be honest there really isnt one.  Get used to it :). 

 

It amazes me that, despite all of the dire predictions and media attention, we still arent doing nearly enough to combat global climate change.  My generation and the generations after are going to be the ones paying the price.  This sentiment may be overused, but that doesnt make it any less true.  We bail out banks, we bail out auto manufacturers, and we have poured trillions into two wars and a bloated mysterious defense department (where the fuck does our tax money go, I mean seriously, where the fuck?).  While there are justifications for each of these, how about a measly 500 billion for an environmental bailout?

 

The scientific community cant convey the seriousness of our current predicament any more than they already have.  Too bad less than 10 members of congress have a background in science.  Most of the others dont give their science advisors the time of day.  I wont preach about politics, because I will sound like just another egocentric, ranting asshole.  I just hope that we arent sealing our doom with an ineffective government run by politicians who, in many cases, divide their time between campaign strategies and doing the bidding of that 1% we keep hearing about.  Watch The Ides of March if you want to get an understanding as to how the political system can slowly corrupt anybody.  The film isnt necessarily accurate in a number of areas, but it gives you a good idea of how good can slowly turn bad.

 

It isnt breaking news that money and power are closely linked.  The puppet strings controlling Washingtons actions are not always in the hands of the general public.  We may never fully understand just how much influence the richest of the rich (or dum da dum the interests of BIG OIL) hold over what actually happens on Capital Hill.

 

But you know what?  The reality is I can bitch and moan for the rest of my life. All that will get me is a tendency towards depression and a cynical outlook on pretty much everything.  Shit happens and then you die, deal with it.  Instead I will just live the best life I can, and if Im lucky, maybe lead a career that contributes in some way to the betterment of society.  The world is filled with good people, and our country has a pretty definitive history of surmounting the supposedly insurmountable.  Innovation and advancement is in our blood, and I refuse to believe we wont overcome any challenges we might face in the future.

 

 

Random Good Thing:  Central air.

 

Random Bad Thing:  Anybody standing on any street corner anywhere in the world soliciting anything.

 

Quote of the Day:  "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) expressing concern during a congressional hearing that the presence of a large number of American soldiers might upend the island of Guam.

 

Word of the Day:  Syzygy - A kind of unity, namely an alignment of three celestial bodies (for example, the Sun, Earth, and Moon) such that one body is directly between the other two, such as occurs at an eclipse.

 

Song of the Day:  Hotel California by The Eagles (unplugged)

 

Random Anecdote

 

So Im standing in the living room of my apartment, and for some reason I cant remember we start talking about roundhouse kicking people in the face.  Mind you, I am very adamant that I can kick someone in the head.  My roommates do not believe this, so I of course have to prove them wrong.  I stand up and, with every ounce of effort I can muster, attempt to demonstrate my talent.  It does not cross my mind that I am in socks on a wood floor. 

 

End result?  My elbows and tailbone took the worst of it, and my friends came fairly close to laughing themselves to an early grave.  I swear if this shit had been caught on camera, it would have gone viral in a week.  Still cant believe that one, considering Im an engineer and intimately understand the laws of physics.

 

Daily Fun Fact:  Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

4
Ratings
  • 223 Views
  • 1 Comments
  • 0 Favorites
  • Flag
  • Flip
  • Pin It

1 Comments

  • Advertisement