Feel the Burn

[BoSoxGal]

Earth to warm 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, studies say

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/31/health/cl ... index.html



I have a theory that all of the morons who don't buy climate change maybe don't think Celsius applies to them?

Anyway, last summer sucked and this one is too damn hot, too - it's even worse out in Montana, so yet another reason I'm grateful to no longer be there.

Shitty world, glad I didn't bring any kids into it. Sad for my nieces and nephews.

[Big RR]

It's always been a shitty world, and always will be, but among the shit are a number of bright spots that make life worth living anyway. Indeed, none of us would be here if this is the criterion our parents used to reproduce. But I hope my kids and their offspring learn how to trudge ahead (and maybe help things) no matter how shitty it gets.

[Sue U]

On the bright side, there's always the possibility that humanity will be wiped out by a meteor or comet.

(The dinosaurs never saw it coming, either.)

[Big RR]

And then the cockroaches will reign supreme.

[Sue U]

They already do (just ask any cockroach).

Also too, our world is plenty Kafka-esque as it is.

[RayThom]

They already do (just ask any cockroach).

[Long Run]

On the bright side, there's always the possibility that humanity will be wiped out by a meteor or comet.

Or maybe some other force will take away the sun, even sooner than that!

Then there was a pause, and a deeper hush, if possible, and a man knelt down at my feet with a blazing torch; the multitude strained forward, gazing, and parting slightly from their seats without knowing it; the monk raised his hands above my head, and his eyes toward the blue sky, and began some words in Latin; in this attitude he droned on and on, a little while, and then stopped. I waited two or three moments; then looked up; he was standing there petrified. With a common impulse the multitude rose slowly up and stared into the sky. I followed their eyes, as sure as guns, there was my eclipse beginning! The life went boiling through my veins; I was a new man! The rim of black spread slowly into the sun’s disk, my heart beat higher and higher, and still the assemblage and the priest stared into the sky, motionless. I knew that this gaze would be turned upon me, next. When it was, I was ready. I was in one of the most grand attitudes I ever struck, with my arm stretched up pointing to the sun. It was a noble effect. You could see the shudder sweep the mass like a wave. Two shouts rang out, one close upon the heels of the other:

“Apply the torch!”

“I forbid it!”

The one was from Merlin, the other from the king. Merlin started from his place—to apply the torch himself, I judged. I said:

“Stay where you are. If any man moves—even the king—before I give him leave, I will blast him with thunder, I will consume him with lightnings!”

The multitude sank meekly into their seats, and I was just expecting they would. Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while. Then he sat down, and I took a good breath; for I knew I was master of the situation now. The king said:

“Be merciful, fair sir, and essay no further in this perilous matter, lest disaster follow. It was reported to us that your powers could not attain unto their full strength until the morrow; but—”

“Your Majesty thinks the report may have been a lie? It was a lie.”

That made an immense effect; up went appealing hands everywhere, and the king was assailed with a storm of supplications that I might be bought off at any price, and the calamity stayed. The king was eager to comply. He said:

“Name any terms, reverend sir, even to the halving of my kingdom; but banish this calamity, spare the sun!”

My fortune was made. I would have taken him up in a minute, but I couldn’t stop an eclipse; the thing was out of the question. So I asked time to consider. The king said:

“How long—ah, how long, good sir? Be merciful; look, it groweth darker, moment by moment. Prithee how long?”

“Not long. Half an hour—maybe an hour.”

There were a thousand pathetic protests, but I couldn’t shorten up any, for I couldn’t remember how long a total eclipse lasts. I was in a puzzled condition, anyway, and wanted to think. Something was wrong about that eclipse, and the fact was very unsettling. If this wasn’t the one I was after, how was I to tell whether this was the sixth century, or nothing but a dream? Dear me, if I could only prove it was the latter! Here was a glad new hope. If the boy was right about the date, and this was surely the 20th, it wasn’t the sixth century. I reached for the monk’s sleeve, in considerable excitement, and asked him what day of the month it was.

Hang him, he said it was the twenty-first ! It made me turn cold to hear him. I begged him not to make any mistake about it; but he was sure; he knew it was the 21st. So, that feather-headed boy had botched things again! The time of the day was right for the eclipse; I had seen that for myself, in the beginning, by the dial that was near by. Yes, I was in King Arthur’s court, and I might as well make the most out of it I could.

The darkness was steadily growing, the people becoming more and more distressed. I now said:

“I have reflected, Sir King. For a lesson, I will let this darkness proceed, and spread night in the world; but whether I blot out the sun for good, or restore it, shall rest with you. These are the terms, to wit: You shall remain king over all your dominions, and receive all the glories and honors that belong to the kingship; but you shall appoint me your perpetual minister and executive, and give me for my services one per cent of such actual increase of revenue over and above its present amount as I may succeed in creating for the state. If I can’t live on that, I sha’n’t ask anybody to give me a lift. Is it satisfactory?”

There was a prodigious roar of applause, and out of the midst of it the king’s voice rose, saying:

“Away with his bonds, and set him free! and do him homage, high and low, rich and poor, for he is become the king’s right hand, is clothed with power and authority, and his seat is upon the highest step of the throne! Now sweep away this creeping night, and bring the light and cheer again, that all the world may bless thee.”

But I said:

“That a common man should be shamed before the world, is nothing; but it were dishonor to the king if any that saw his minister naked should not also see him delivered from his shame. If I might ask that my clothes be brought again—”

“They are not meet,” the king broke in. “Fetch raiment of another sort; clothe him like a prince!”

My idea worked. I wanted to keep things as they were till the eclipse was total, otherwise they would be trying again to get me to dismiss the darkness, and of course I couldn’t do it. Sending for the clothes gained some delay, but not enough. So I had to make another excuse. I said it would be but natural if the king should change his mind and repent to some extent of what he had done under excitement; therefore I would let the darkness grow a while, and if at the end of a reasonable time the king had kept his mind the same, the darkness should be dismissed. Neither the king nor anybody else was satisfied with that arrangement, but I had to stick to my point.

It grew darker and darker and blacker and blacker, while I struggled with those awkward sixth-century clothes. It got to be pitch dark, at last, and the multitude groaned with horror to feel the cold uncanny night breezes fan through the place and see the stars come out and twinkle in the sky. At last the eclipse was total, and I was very glad of it, but everybody else was in misery; which was quite natural. I said:

“The king, by his silence, still stands to the terms.” Then I lifted up my hands—stood just so a moment—then I said, with the most awful solemnity: “Let the enchantment dissolve and pass harmless away!”

There was no response, for a moment, in that deep darkness and that graveyard hush. But when the silver rim of the sun pushed itself out, a moment or two later, the assemblage broke loose with a vast shout and came pouring down like a deluge to smother me with blessings and gratitude; and Clarence was not the last of the wash, to be sure.

[rubato]

Ah, the good Sir Boss, lately of Connecticut.

yrs,
rubato

[Guinevere]

The Boss is from New Jersey.

[BoSoxGal]

Today is Earth Overshoot Day - we've used more resources by this date than the earth can replenish in a year. You can calculate your own overshoot here: http://www.overshootday.org/

[Sue U]

The Boss is from New Jersey.

Yes I am.

[RayThom]

Overshoot Day Results:

Your personal Earth Overshoot Day is: Apr 26
If everyone lived like you, we would need 3.1 Earths

Is drinking milk on a daily basis my downfall? If anyone else takes this test let me know if you managed to live within just one earth.

Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey, and yellow, white,
but we decide which is right,
and which is an illusion.

[BoSoxGal]

Your personal Earth Overshoot Day is:
Jun 12
If everyone lived like you, we would need
2.3 Earths


This makes me sad, but I can't help it - I'm an American. I have a very old car which I rarely use but still, just having one and living in a house with electricity and running water makes a big footprint. I'm only able to get about 1/4 of my food locally grown, so even being vegan doesn't make a big dent. I need to not have a car anymore when this one dies, which I've been considering for a while anyway. Don't think I can live without electricity and running water though - I'm too spoiled.

[Lord Jim]

Don't think I can live without electricity and running water though - I'm too spoiled.

Yeah, I don't think I could live without those lavish extravagances either...

Ted Kaczynski would have done great on this test...