December 22, 2013

2013.12.22

advent day 22

One reason I'm wary of Libertarianism: when stuff like the FDA is restricted from doing its thing, stuff like this happens-- the market does not autocorrect to prevent harm to people.
Koi @ Tropiquarium in Ocean Township, NJ

Going through old files (from back in the DOS days, I think) I found this file called "ERASEME" that I am now turning into a prose poem:
Questions:
  1. Who are you?
  2. Do I know you from somewhere?
  3. Why do you care about my feelings
    for the Waltermire's car?
  4. Is there anything wrong with me
    admiring this red Ford?
  5. What are your feelings for this particular car?

Moral of Cinderella: Intentionally leave some of your shit at his place so he'll have to return it.

As a rule, I try to keep my "bucket list" small. I'm all for having extraordinary experiences, but to be irritated or disappointed with yourself on your deathbed because you didn't touch the Taj Mahal or drive a fire engine -- that's no way to live.... err, or to die.

But as a kid, I've always wanted to go to space, to slip these surly bonds of earth and be unencumbered by gravity. The Kid's Whole Future Catalog ( http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/tag/kids-whole-future-catalog ) kind of implied I'd get that chance, but things don't seem to heading that direction. BUT - I did get to "Gravity" in IMAX 3D, and to be honest, I feel like that gave me panorama. And now, for my 40th Birthday in March, I just bought myself a ticket from The Zero G Corporation, https://www.gozerog.com , the folks who fly those "Vomit Comet" flights on parabolic arcs and let civillians have little 20-30 second sips of weightlessness. The price is a bit on the exorbitant side, but hell -- if this soothes my midlife crisis instead of buying an expensive car, I'll practically be SAVING money!

So between Gravity in IMAX 3D (which, to be honest, kind of made me feel safer about not going all the way to Low Earth Orbit) and this, I hope my inner child will see I've done the best I can to experience space, and not done too bad a job of it.