I've been thinking about my last few blogs and the last few weeks. One might think that I was detached. I often come across that way. My nature is to flow. I can fight and do when I think the time is right. I do, however, ask myself if its worth it. I avoid unwinnable battles. I lose when it is expedient. I have my own form of sentimentality and although it might be expedient, I will never pretend to be something I'm not or fake an expression of emotion.
I find myself recently reunited with old demons. They have been weakened with each incarnation and now must rely on steallth, but the end result is the same. A spiral of self destruction... Escapism... Failing to dedicate time and energy to the things that matter.
The path seems less dangerous now. That is how it can manage to achieve its goal. The road looks slightly different and so I travel down it.
The good news is that I know the destination. I have seen it and walked away a dozen times. I will do so again. I have managed to avoid stepping too close to the edge. I do not anticippate getting anywhere near it this time. I have too much to lose.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Because my mind drifts...
Strangely enough, I found myself thinking of evolution today. I was biting in to an apple and thought about the design. Actually built to fall to the ground when ripe. A complicated process of germination requiring several levels.
Some of the insane will simply indicate that this is indicative of a designer. They have never studied random number patterns. What I thought is that these are new. The forests of the Jurassic had no apples. There weren't grasses either. The very plants that allowed the rise of mammals came along with us. They and we adapted together. Could a human survive on ferns and meat? Possibly. But we would not thrive. Man do not cultivate plants in jungles. 65 million years ago, a freak accident changed the game. The plants and animals that could hibernate survived. Although nature would again dance in the sun, it hid in the cave and burrow first.
So, the next time you imagine walking with dinosaurs, think of the jungles of our current world. Imagine the prisons the French built that didn't require walls.... just to be surrounded by jungle. Think of the things that do live there now.... the snakes and bugs.... Everything was far bigger, but the end result is the same. We are not designed for it. We would be the only thing sweating. We could be tracked for miles and although we could find sustenance, it would be meager.
Apples exist because mammals exist and vice versa. The bird large enough to eat an apple or spread the seeds would be a raptor. If a niche arose would something fill it... yes. However, that assumes that apple trees stay around that long and that something else doesn't arise to replace them.
We generally assume that plant life is static and animals adapt to it. We sometimes forget that flowers may have existed without bees, but they wouldn't thrive. They would be one of those rare accidents that have made our planet what it is. The wind would spread pollen as would contact with other animals, but neither of these would be all that effective. And flowering plants are not very resilient. By definition, an ecosystem is interdependent. The bees need the flowers and vice versa. Would there be similar things replace them? Maybe. The niches do seem to produce similar forms. However, assuming a niche will always be there is a mistake. There is nothing constant. There are no rules. We are just one species on one planet. We change the world every day.
And it changes us.
Some of the insane will simply indicate that this is indicative of a designer. They have never studied random number patterns. What I thought is that these are new. The forests of the Jurassic had no apples. There weren't grasses either. The very plants that allowed the rise of mammals came along with us. They and we adapted together. Could a human survive on ferns and meat? Possibly. But we would not thrive. Man do not cultivate plants in jungles. 65 million years ago, a freak accident changed the game. The plants and animals that could hibernate survived. Although nature would again dance in the sun, it hid in the cave and burrow first.
So, the next time you imagine walking with dinosaurs, think of the jungles of our current world. Imagine the prisons the French built that didn't require walls.... just to be surrounded by jungle. Think of the things that do live there now.... the snakes and bugs.... Everything was far bigger, but the end result is the same. We are not designed for it. We would be the only thing sweating. We could be tracked for miles and although we could find sustenance, it would be meager.
Apples exist because mammals exist and vice versa. The bird large enough to eat an apple or spread the seeds would be a raptor. If a niche arose would something fill it... yes. However, that assumes that apple trees stay around that long and that something else doesn't arise to replace them.
We generally assume that plant life is static and animals adapt to it. We sometimes forget that flowers may have existed without bees, but they wouldn't thrive. They would be one of those rare accidents that have made our planet what it is. The wind would spread pollen as would contact with other animals, but neither of these would be all that effective. And flowering plants are not very resilient. By definition, an ecosystem is interdependent. The bees need the flowers and vice versa. Would there be similar things replace them? Maybe. The niches do seem to produce similar forms. However, assuming a niche will always be there is a mistake. There is nothing constant. There are no rules. We are just one species on one planet. We change the world every day.
And it changes us.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
That time of year...
I felt it in the winds this morning. The rains have come. To those unfamiliar with weather on the Northeast seaboard, during the autumn months a slow drizzle becomes the norm. Cold November rain is a cliche here. Rain is common through December. Snow will begin in January. Philadelphia is a beautiful place to watch the seasons pass. Although the inhabitants may disagree, we do not suffer the summers of our Southern neighbors or the winters of our Northern. Very often the city itself lies right on the frost line and although the thousand mirrors do form a pocket of heat, the surrounding area finds itself topping off in the 80s rather than the 90s. I have experienced an August or two that were horrid and a month wherein the temperature did not go above 20 (Fahrenheit) but there are always exceptions.
The end result is a few million people that have multiple umbrellas. We don't have block heaters. Central air is still uncommon. First frost brings panic, while by March people will consider snow as a daily part of their lives.
For now, I just settle in and don sweaters. The rains have come. They bring cold with them. The sun wanes. Nature prepares to sleep.
The end result is a few million people that have multiple umbrellas. We don't have block heaters. Central air is still uncommon. First frost brings panic, while by March people will consider snow as a daily part of their lives.
For now, I just settle in and don sweaters. The rains have come. They bring cold with them. The sun wanes. Nature prepares to sleep.
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