Why didn't Vancouver residents turn off lights for Earth Hour?

Robson Street, Vancouver during Earth Hour 2008

Earth Hour is an idea that started in Australia. The idea is to get people everywhere on the planet Earth thinking about how they use power, and the effect they have on the planet. So last night between 8pm and 9pm local time, people were encouraged to turn off the lights and anything else they could safely turn off to conserve power. The electricity companies would watch the consumption for the hour so they could report the results of these efforts.

The results are still being tallied and reported, but I've heard about reductions in specific places in B.C. that ranged from 3% to 30% power reductions during that hour.

The problem is, as my spouse and I sat on our enclosed balcony with a candle, we read a magazine by the light of Robson Street and the apartments across the alley from us. We had no lack of light. Neon signs, brightly lit restaurants, and neighbors with all of their lights in every room of their apartments glowing with no thoughts at all about the planet lit our magazine.

So did people Not know about Earth Hour? Or did they know about it and not care?

Yesterday we had a freak hail / snow storm in Vancouver and there is still a bit of snow on the ground today. We typically don't get snow in Vancouver, even in the winter – yes, that is odd for the city hosting the next Olympic Winter Games. So yesterday's “weird weather” was perhaps a result of “Global Climate Change” aka “Global Warming” aka “Wake the *** up, you stupid monkeys”. So it's not as if everyone was oblivious to the change in the weather. But many people were oblivious to the need to think about what humans are doing to the planet.

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish...

Why don't ghosts sink through floors?

So perhaps I watch far too much science fiction TV & movies, but it's been bothering me lately. Why can ghosts walk through walls, desks, people, pets, but they don't fall through the floor to the ground? Some of them can even sit in chairs when it's dramatically called for! These aren't ghostly wafting specters that float above the ground, they walk on solid ground just like any other character, and take elevators to get to different floors. They ghostly move through everything except the floor.

Beyond the oddly hopeful fact that no character who dies in a science fiction story actually stays dead - it just means future special guest star appearances - why do story producers ignore the ghostly aspects of the character they so gleefully killed off?

This is almost as noticeably plot-driven action as doors on space ships opening and closing in perfect timing to the emotions of the scene being played. The greatest Star Trek invention wasn't the warp drive, or the medical tricorder, it was the emotion-sensing doors. This provides a frightening look at the future if "reality TV" continues on - just when will the doors decide that the emotions are so high in the room that they slam shut on the game contestants they don't like - won't that kill ratings, everyone loves watching the contestants they hate. Maybe that is why those shows are typically filmed on tropical islands that don't have doors, the fear that doors can already sense emotions. They've been doing it for 40 years or so on the TV, maybe people now believe doors actually open and shut in time to the drama being played out around them.

There are many ghost hunting TV shows now, but as far as I know, none of them have captured a ghost on film. So comparing dramatic ghosts to the real thing is practically impossible, and I admit they could actually walk about like living beings. I have no evidence to the contrary. I actually have no evidence that ghosts even exist. But it does distract from a story when an audience thinks "that can't happen". The thought of “that can't happen” overrides the thought “that's a good story”.

Science fiction allows story creators to create non-existent worlds, but if the worlds coincide with the "real" world, they do need to follow some of the physical laws of the known universe. If ghosts can move through anything... then it's anything, floors included! If they are floating above the ground... then they shouldn't walk like normal living humans on the floor.
 

Does turning 40 really hurt that much?

This blog is inspired by a friend of mine's 40th birthday, which happened last week. He has never liked turning any age. I remember him proclaiming that he was "going backwards" with his birthdays from now on. He explained that he was going to go down a number every year on his birthday. He was in his early 20s at the time... he gave up on that idea a couple of years ago when he realized how close to negative numbers he was getting. Now that he is 40 he is unconsolable.

I'm turning 42 next month, and I'm searching for the ultimate question, to which the answer is 42 according to Douglas Adams (from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). So I will explore this question of turning 40.

So does turning 40 really hurt that much?

Some changes that you notice when you turn 40:

Q1- You are now called "wise". Didn't you used to be called "wise for your age"?

Q2- When did this happen? You don't remember getting "old". Does this mean you missed something?

Q3- The ultimate "bucket" jump: you used to be "35-40" now most quizzes and categorizations have you in the "40-50" bucket, or worse, the "40+" bucket. Is this fair?

Q4- Yes, your youth Has caught up with you. If you haven't been a fit, healthy fitness guru all your life... it's a bit late now. And if you don't try to get going soon... will it be even harder?

But the answers aren't that bad:

A1- Yes, you can now consider yourself "wise". Since you are older now, you won't get the odd looks from people when you demonstrate your wisdom... it saves time in convincing them to listen to you!

A2- Nope, you didn't miss anything because there was nothing to miss! Congratulations, you have achieved age without "getting older". The youthful attitude you have will last forever. Remember there is a difference between "being childish" and "being childlike". People who are childlike have the most fun, and are the most fun to be with!

A3- Buckets are never fair. They are the product of a marketing maniac bent on making you feel old. I say boycott all buckets.

A4- It's never too late to start moving - get up and go for a walk NOW!