What's with all the golf?

Hi all. It's been more than a week with no update. I've been busy dealing with my dissertation, my new job, my old job, and the blow job (not in a good way) that is Microsoft. My XBOX 360 died AGAIN. Error message: "hardware failure". Microsoft, you can eat a dick. I'm tired of the bull crap. You know there's a problem with your hardware. Fix it. I've already decided that once I get set up in WA, I'm moving to Linux and dropping Windows. Hopefully I can still use my science programs. If not, I'll install a Windows emulator. If this crap continues with the XBOX, I'm forcing them to give me a refund and I'll move on to the Wii, which had hardware problems but Nintendo fessed up and fixed them. I'm done with M$.

Now to more important things than my operating system. I was in class today and we were discussing the impacts of a warming atmosphere on the hydrologic cycle (that's water cycle for those less scientifically inclined). And I thought, what the fuck is wrong with people? The eleventy billion people living in southern CA live in a desert. Not a true desert, but close enough to not split hairs. Why are they always surprised when water runs short and shit burns down? I've concluded that humans are retarded. Just because we have the ABILITY to reshape an area and make it habitable for millions of people doesn't mean we SHOULD. Only humans could be so arrogant and ignorant as to waltz into an area with limited water supplies and lay down acre upon acre of golf courses, water parks, manicured lawns, and swimming pools. Whoever came up with that plan should be horse whipped.

We've moved whole rivers. Los Angeles has stolen (that's right, STOLEN) water from the Owen's Valley, the Colorado, and northern CA. And we still demand more. Meanwhile, we're dumping the worst quality water you can imagine, salty water even a shark wouldn't piss in, onto some of the most fertile soil in Mexico. That water was clean and productive until we got hold of it. Now it's just another by product of progress and agribusiness. Of course, water everywhere is being ruined. But it's just the worst stupidity to do it in an area that already has little water to begin with.

Oh...and congratulations to Rafael. I found out at 6:30 PM yesterday that he died. And at 10:15 PM I learned that he wasn't dead. So good for him. Any day you don't die is a good day.