Peak Oil

I've been reading a bit about Peak Oil, and I have to say, it's pretty damn scary. And being that oil is a finite resource, it's certainly a plausible possibility. But the thing I really don't get is, aside from the few people who are concerned about the catrostrophic effects of running out of oil, why aren't the people who can really have an effect - ie the government and big corporations - doing anything about it?

Another new web site

I just launched a new website, Idealist Cafe. Check it out if you're curious. Keep in mind it's still in it's very infant stage. More to come later.

Good Samaritan Law?

A couple months ago, I woke up one morning to find a bike in my yard. My guess was that someone coming home from the bars stole it, then realized they didn't want it, so they stashed it in my yard. Strangely, it was on the inside of the fence around my yard, leaning up against it, almost as if someone intentionally put it there to hide it and then come get it later... Regardless, I left it there for about a week and no one ever touched it, so I called the police to see what I should do with it. They said they would come get it and keep it where people inquire about stolen property.

Well, the whole point of the blabber is that I got a letter in the mail the other day from the city saying that I could come pick the bike up. Apparently it's a city law that if you turn something into the city, and no one ever claims it, you get to keep it. Funny stuff. Anyone want a small BMX Mongoose bike?

Public Transportation Trouble

If you live in Southern California, you know how great public transportation is. (Read: it sucks) I took the Amtrak to Anaheim this weekend, and as I've said each time in the past I've ridden the train, I love it. I wish it was easier! In fact, I wish I could get rid of my car altogether, but life being what it is, and San Diego being what it is, I guess I'll have to hang onto my car for now.

I don't understand

I don't understand how so many people think and believe that the government, big business, and corporate America have our best interests in mind.

I was just reading some editorials about global warming, and one particular response that denied that Global Warming is happening really struck me as ... well, stupid.

The guy said basically that elite environmentalists are really just looking to bring America down to third world status by perpetuating a myth of Global Warming, and trying to paint a picture of evil presidents and corporations who want to ruin our way of life.

I don't understand how it can possibly be suggested that someone who simply wants to preserve the beauty of nature and take care of the Earth so it can be passed down to future generations for all to enjoy can possibly be pegged as someone evil. Let me take a quick look here... A guy who wants to preserve the forest vs. a company with $300 billion at stake... Hmm.. who might have an agenda? A lady who enjoys taking walks in the forest who fights to keep them from being clear cut vs. a goverment that is time and time again caught lying to the public and constantly surrounded by scandal, and has opened up prisitine forests for logging and oil drilling... Hmm, who could have the hidden agenda? (and it goes on and on)

Also, to suggest that in no way can raping the Earth for money, sucking trillions of gallons of oil out of the ground only to burn it and send it to the sky, cutting down forests the size of small countries only to send it halfway around the world, burying waste that takes thousands of years to degrade, polluting a body of water which covers 2/3 of the planet, (and it goes on and on) could not possibly have ANY effect on the natural course of the world is ABSOLUTELY INGNORANT!

I don't know, maybe it's just me. Although the destruction of the earth makes me fume inside, sometimes I think the worse case scenarios of Global Warming might just serve us right for being so goddamned stupid.

Been doing some thinking

So I've been doing some thinking lately, and as usual, I don't think it's gotten me very far. For those of you who follow my blog at all, you know I got a new job recently. And while I like it better than my previous job, it's much more work and more responsibility, but with a smaller and more informal company. I realize now that changing a jobs wasn't a fix to my unhappiness, rather it was just a patch while I look for the cure.

Don't mistake me... I'm not unhappy. I'm actually a very happy person, and well liked at work and valued there (I'm assuming at least). I'm also very happy with my personal life. I think the problem is that I feel restless, like I should be doing more with my life. I see all this bullshit in the news, and deep down inside I just feel like working a job like mine is so superficial. I work for an internet travel company, and while interesting, really it doesn't do a damn thing to change the state of the world. I suppose it's better than working for some massive corporate beast, at least I can trace the path of money through my company. But still, I feel like it's a dead end road.

I have a degree in computer science, and lately I've been thinking that maybe that isn't the right path. I find myself constantly daydreaming about new places and traveling and just plain not working. So I think ultimately I need to find work that fulfills me inside. I need to be able to come home from work and sit down and think, "wow, what a great day, I feel really good about what I did today." I mean now I can come home feeling good about what I accomplished each day, but it doesn't warm me from the inside. Really it's just a means to pay the bills.

Anyone else feel this way? And more importantly, anyone else feel this way and actually done something about it? The reality is at this point in my life I need a steady paycheck of a decent amount. I need a way to combine what I'm good at with what makes me feel good about my place in the world. Ahhhhhh.

Unexplained boom and shaking

At least that's the explanation.

So I was sitting at home this morning (taking a crap) when all of a sudden my apartment started shaking. There was creaking and rattling which lasted for probably 5-10 seconds. I live in San Diego, but am not from California, but was pretty certain that the only thing that could make my home shake would be an earthquake. I was fairly confident that I had just experienced a quake.

So I headed off to work, and was listening to the radio, and during one of the news blurbs, they mentioned that people all around San Diego were reporting a boom and shaking, but that there was no seismic activity in San Diego.

As the day went on I kept checking the local news, and articles were finally posted claiming that they "weren't sure what it was". Huh? So the entire county shakes, it's not an earthquake, but they don't know what it was? Some speculated it was a sonic boom from Miramar Air Force base, but military officials claimed it was not. They said that Camp Pendleton said they they were doing mortar testing, and that could have caused it.

I have to say, I'm a bit suspicious. I live about 50 miles from Camp Pendleton, so whatever they were doing, if it was them, would have to be pretty damn big to shake the entire county of San Diego. I actually just googled to see what exactly a mortar was, and it doesn't exactly seem like something that could shake the ground 50 miles away.

I think someone knows exactly what it was, and I think they are not telling us. Did anyone else in the area feel it?

Update: I just did a search which said mortar fire can be heard up to 50 miles away. So ok, maybe that's what it was. But I'm still suspicous. Why did I only feel one massive shaking if they were doing testing all week?