The weather is a big story here, too. It's too warm! Pseudo-son, Cam, was in town this weekend, we went to an art opening in Chelsea, walking through the January evening in shirtsleeves. The day-time temps so warm, we've had to close up the windows in our apartment to run the A/C like it was July. Too weird!
Of course, the freakiest thing about it is the unpredictable character. No history of weather patterns applies and the changes could be in any direction. And extreme. Our earth's atmosphere cares little for our comfort or even our viability, it could suddenly be 900F as easily as 90F or - 90F.
New York City flooded with rising ocean levels, that's a given -- whether it's next century, next decade or next year, who can say?
People doubting industrial man's development having an influence, crack me up. "Just a natural cycle". I'm like, "Yeah, as long as you consider human development as an act of nature."
Nature, man, industry, agriculture... I don't have time to do a real review of the book I'm enjoying for a few minutes each work day on my 10 minute commutes, but, it is Ray Kurzweil's, "The Singularity is Near". I will do a thoughtful reaction to the tome when I get through it -- it's big and I read very little. But, for now, I'll just say that the evidence he calls to support his future predictions in nano-technology, genetics and robotics creates a hopeful, if radical, vision of our future. I love that he has an expansive defination of what is human, so that when we soon, as he sees it, "transcend biology", we will expand, not limit human consciousness. We'll make nanobots from excess carbon which will create our energy, clean our environment and even our bloodstreams.
Meanwhile back in the life of little Steve Harlow, I've had a family emergency. The day before Christmas my Dad, who's 87, fell, broke his hip. I flew out to SoCal, saw him through hip-replacement surgery and his transferal to a "Skilled Nursing Facility".
My sister and I did what we could, I got deathly ill for days, stomach virus I thought was food poisoning. Really out of it at an inconvenient time. Recovered enough to make a rough trip back to NYC. Ruth is doing the financial arrangements. My Dad suffers from dementia, is considered incompetent. He's comfortable, responding well to physical therepy, getting good care. We will, most likely, be selling his house so he can afford an extended stay in an assisted living faciality.
My Mother died three years ago on the day before Christmas. Our family is small and dispersed. There's just my sister, who lives near our Dad, her two grown boys, one is out here in NYC and my Nathan in SF.
Meanwhile, I've picked up a new, fun responsibility at work, I'm doing a daily video blog, interviewing our salesmen about what interesting products are available in their departments. Two minutes of talking head video, which I've got to shoot, edit, upload, create linking blog posts and ads -- getting it all done before noon each day. That's my goal, if I can do it, I'll be able to continue this fun and still do my old job in the afternoons. So, far, I've run way late, but, I'm hopeful.
And at home, with Ruth, we're trying to fit into our old art-making schedule, we drew today, preparing our new collaborative painting. She's got a lot of exciting new work at her job and some recent recognition as well. I'm trying to wrap up my dip into the street art scene with a post, Who Owns Public Art? on p0ps blog.
I have lamb shanks braising in the oven, what should be a good winter's dinner seems a little out of place after this sunny day, an hour after sunset, we have the windows open wide, the air is soft, the temp says 47F, but seems warmer. So, that's it, no good blog links, too many subjects -- bad blogger.
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