Stupid human tricks

This video illustrates what happens to people who are too nuts to be fighter pilots. It starts to get good about 50 seconds in as they ride down Broadway through times sq, then down seventh ave.
To explain that there were a few years of my life that I could have easily left these guys behind is as much confession as boast. At seventeen years old the body's senses, reflexes, strength and resilience are more developed than the mind's awareness of mortality. This phenomenon combined with most of my adolescence spent on the seat of a bike either in midtown traffic or the peleton made me really damn fast at riding around Manhattan. I submit this bragging with some embarrassment and lots of gratitude I survived... Columbus circle to alphabet city in less than 10 minutes during rush hour. Try that in anything other than a helicopter to understand just how good I was at dodging, weaving and passing cars, truck, buses, cabs, horses, pedestrians and other bikes all crammed into the countries' busiest city. Or just watch this video in double speed.

Had to look

Well I made it about a day before "accidentally" looking at Saddam's' online hanging video. It's ok though, I saw it on the NY Times site so I can't possibly be accused of simple morbid curiosity - I had to watch the snuff film the Times was airing to really understand the news of the day. After all, they can't get outdone by Murdoch. I usually manage to drive right past car wrecks without looking but this was too damn tempting. What I thought: Barbaric and stupid but kinda interesting.
I'm most amused/frustrated by all the Saddam retrospectives being reported. Somehow the summary of his greatest and worst hits, his list of friends and enemies, always seems to skip right over the happy years he and our government enjoyed. In a time when images are more influential than words why the hell can't this video just be used to sum up the hypocrisy and stupidity of those in the seat of power? Maybe its for the same reason pardoning a criminal of the highest order is suddenly an act of great courage and wisdom.
Now that he's dead (Saddam, not Gerald or James) I think we can declare victory (everywhere) and get on with the work of uniting humanity in the all important quest of identifying meteors. I'm not really kidding, we should be watching the skies.

Doom For All

If the darkened room in which you were standing was suddenly illuminated and it became apparent someone had been throwing rocks in your direction, wouldn't you want to do something about it? Just because we happened to have not personally experienced it, we tend to dismiss the fact that big objects have been slamming into the earth since its formation. Its just dumb luck that humans have not yet been wiped out by one of the many asteroids or comets that regularly cross our orbit. Instead of focusing our collective efforts and resources on saving our asses, we indulge in self gratification and the petty distractions of make believe problems.
Chapter 13 "Bang!" of Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" addresses the issue of cosmic objects colliding with earth... past, present and future. I've been concerned before about the possibility of death by asteroid but I was struck with terror at the prospect as it was presented by Mr. Bryson. He paints a detailed hypothetical picture of the destruction we might expect from collision with one of the many thousands of known asteroids of our solar system that are in potentially earth threatening irregular orbits. He also explains that unexpected instant destruction may not be all that hypothetical since one of the few things astronomers know about the actual numbers of potential earth killers is that there are a lot more of them than they have actually counted. My concerns were only further inflamed by an old New Yorker article on the subject which was just as alarming. Add to my unease a few random television documentaries that were at least as sensational if not as credible as Bryson, the New Yorker and NASA.
The concept of instant, world-wide devastation would be easier for me to live with if I thought there was nothing that could be done about it… there is a point we all have to resign to fate and relax. However, I'm bothered by the possibility that there are resources we are not employing in averting our total destruction. I was somewhat relieved to find that an effort is being made, by those with minds sharper than mine, to find near earth objects that could hit us. Hopefully they are as worried as I am, otherwise there will just not be the necessary motivation to hunt down the enemy. It seems people tend to focus on problems they can take direct action against; global warming, war, famine, and other well known crises. Of course these are all worthy things to struggle against, but no matter the scale, they ultimately deal with individual death and suffering. All other problems pale in comparison to the prospect of a globally catastrophic asteroid impact that could end human civilization. The numerous ways in which my own life could be unexpectedly extinguished aren't nearly as disturbing as the thought of everyone simultaneously biting the dust. For whatever reasons, I'm comforted by the idea of people being left after I go.
Asteroid impact remains the most likely scenario for the dinosaurs' extinction. The difference between us and the dinosaurs is that we, just recently, have started to develop the ability to protect ourselves. The recent asteroid landing was a step in the right direction, as was the Hubble telescope's documenting of the comet Shoemaker/Levey smacking into Jupiter. If continuing our species history of exploration is not enough reason to support the space program, then is just continuing our species history reason enough?

Maze

A circular maze made of small rocks has sat undisturbed on this remote cliff for at least the two years since I've discovered it for myself. Each time I make my way out there I half expect to find the stones scattered or tossed to the ocean. Its always pleasant surprise to see that no brutes capable of such destruction have been to my cliff but its just a matter of time. I secretly hope to catch someone disturbing the maze so I can deal with them.

Turn the other cheek

Transgression and forgiveness, good topic for Christs' b-day. For anyone with an urge to shake up their worldview, I suggest visiting the Hiroshima Peace Museum. Memories of it have unexpectedly bubbled up today, months after the experience.
People have been doing some amazingly rotten things to one another since before we were actually people and nuclear attack may not even be the worst of it in terms of scale or cruelty. But this is whats so terrifying: An unexpected, instantly devastating flash that leaves a lingering, invisible agent of agonizing death in the form of radiation. That's some nasty shit to do to children, but I guess burning them alive and hacking them up is also pretty bad. I don't want anything to do with any of it, maybe that's why I'm out here, shrouded in fog and hanging off the end of the continent... but that's another story.
The encouraging part about visiting modern Hiroshima is that the tone throughout the museum and memorial, in exhibits, text, and architecture, did not express a hint of bitterness. In its mission to keep this from happening again shock is sometimes used, but never shame - that is naturally occurring. The museum does not point an accusatory finger at America, in fact, it points out that Japan started the war and outlines other atrocities of all types committed by all nations involved. By simply presenting artifacts and photographs with a complete lack of nationalism, the message has great credibility. I wonder if its a "Japanese thing" or such an objective and clear view is granted only to those that have been through such a horror. I would guess its a combination in a very unique situation. This is where the big J comes to mind, supposedly (if he actually even existed), he forgave under the worst of circumstances. What Hiroshima did was not only to forgive, but to acknowledge their own role (however small), and in doing so, provide something much more useful than a martyr.

I don't feel so good.

How about that for an obvious (and soon to be overused) joke in poor taste?

The war on Christmas

I've been bravely fighting this war long before it became popular. Its good to see the enemy finally acknowledging my efforts.

Cave Man

"Things could be worse" is what optimistic people tend to say when a situation turns bad. Assigning your own suffering a low position on a relative scale of horrors is supposed to provide comfort... you find relief looking at all the poor schmucks worse off.
Other people are concerned about how much worse things can be and are determined to take measures to avoid that fate. Fear of failure is incentive to success. This line of thinking would suggest that being worse off is somehow deserved. There must have been something the poor could have done to avoid being in a situation that is not as good as yours. Of course fault for your own suffering should be placed elsewhere.
What about crack babies, dismembered African kids, crippling diseases and other living nighmares? Such folks never had a chance so how can you feel better about your own little mess by looking at them? Its simple: Jesus loves you and not them! Since Jesus knows what he's doing you should'nt worry about it... just be happy your not living in a cave.

Shoot the messenger

I used to think I was paid to point out problems with boats. Unfortunately, it seems many boat owners would rather not know about something like a cracked swage. So, in fact, they are paying me to tell them everything is peachy keen... everything except the twenty five major findings I warn them about. I've learned to hide my enthusiasm when uncovering big problems but folks still get upset that I'm pointing out flaws with their dreamboat. Don't worry about what could go wrong.

All dressed up and no place to go.

Sometimes sailing this boat in SF bay feels like riding a mountain bike around a velodrome. I can live with getting passed by everything afloat but constantly tacking to avoid collision is not always fun in a 20000# full keel cutter. The scenery is nice here but the boat would like to see whats way the hell out in the Pacific. It will get that chance, but first, we will breed some crew.

Guarding the Bay

If I were born 100 years ago my job may have been to man the gun that once sat on this turret. Instead of looking for invaders from the west I sit here to read and watch the pelicans, eagles, hawks, seals, sea lions, dolphins, ships, fog, coyotes, foxes and waves.

RATS!!!

Here I am at an ancient rat burial ground on the lower east side of my homeland. I was driven out by rent increases but the rats stay and continue their cycle of life.

General Complaint

Maybe this sign should be posted at the gates of the Wilderness, the natives seem upset by eye contact. The Wilderness is about 60,500 blocks (ave blocks) west of Madision Square Garden. It takes the sun three extra hours to get over here every morning.