(I pulled the picture that appears to the right off the internet. This is Manhatten Beach which is about 2 miles from my hotel. Notice the ugly refinery right on the beach. )
On the heels of our vacation, which is probably as close as you can get to primeval wilderness in the lower 48, I had my first week on my new job, located in Los Angeles.
Wow.
The contrast is so striking in fact, that it is unsettling. I am still reading the books I purchased on my trip. So I spend my evenings reading Edward Abbey and during the day I have to walk past laser guided nuclear missiles to get a damned cup of coffee. I suppose there is no longer any denying that I am cog in the wheel of the military industrial complex. *sigh*
The good news is that I finally finished Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. It is such a great book. I must confess that I have a weakness for the likes of Abbey. His book The Monkey Wrench Gang is one of my all time favorites and it forever put a soft spot in my heart for environmentalists (which contrasts nicely with my day job.)
I've moved on to reading Cadillac Desert which is a book that deals with the history of the West with regards to water. Another fascinating (environmentally themed) book. One area that the book concentrates heavily on is the place where I will often find myself reading it, Los Angeles. Learning about the history of Los Angeles while I'm actually there is kind of a neat experience. I will admit that until picking up the book, I had no earthly idea who Mulholland was(of the famed Mulholland Dr.) I know now. Although as an Arizona resident I certainly know who John Wesley Powell is, but I didn't know much about his writings. This book devotes a whole chapter to Powell (and one to Mulholland). And if what the book says is true, Powell would probably be horrified to learn that "Lake" Powell was named in his honor. If there was ever a case of "ignorance is bliss" this is certainly it. This book will , like the last book, continually remind me of things I don't want to think about. I live in Phoenix, a city that is completely reliant on unreliable sources of water. Los Angeles is on similarly tenuous ground. I'm not even half way through the book yet, but I can see where the discussion is likely pointing; the confluence of continued agriculture, population growth and a good long hard drought could turn the entire west into a ghost town. I just hope I'm long gone before it happens. This book is confirming what I have been saying privately to friends and family since I have arrived in Phoenix: this desert, with it's snakes and scorpions, and 116 degree days is not fit for human habitation.
On that happy note I will leave off for today. I go back to work on Monday, only this week I will be working in Dallas. Hope you are having a fun summer!
Wow.
The contrast is so striking in fact, that it is unsettling. I am still reading the books I purchased on my trip. So I spend my evenings reading Edward Abbey and during the day I have to walk past laser guided nuclear missiles to get a damned cup of coffee. I suppose there is no longer any denying that I am cog in the wheel of the military industrial complex. *sigh*
The good news is that I finally finished Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. It is such a great book. I must confess that I have a weakness for the likes of Abbey. His book The Monkey Wrench Gang is one of my all time favorites and it forever put a soft spot in my heart for environmentalists (which contrasts nicely with my day job.)
I've moved on to reading Cadillac Desert which is a book that deals with the history of the West with regards to water. Another fascinating (environmentally themed) book. One area that the book concentrates heavily on is the place where I will often find myself reading it, Los Angeles. Learning about the history of Los Angeles while I'm actually there is kind of a neat experience. I will admit that until picking up the book, I had no earthly idea who Mulholland was(of the famed Mulholland Dr.) I know now. Although as an Arizona resident I certainly know who John Wesley Powell is, but I didn't know much about his writings. This book devotes a whole chapter to Powell (and one to Mulholland). And if what the book says is true, Powell would probably be horrified to learn that "Lake" Powell was named in his honor. If there was ever a case of "ignorance is bliss" this is certainly it. This book will , like the last book, continually remind me of things I don't want to think about. I live in Phoenix, a city that is completely reliant on unreliable sources of water. Los Angeles is on similarly tenuous ground. I'm not even half way through the book yet, but I can see where the discussion is likely pointing; the confluence of continued agriculture, population growth and a good long hard drought could turn the entire west into a ghost town. I just hope I'm long gone before it happens. This book is confirming what I have been saying privately to friends and family since I have arrived in Phoenix: this desert, with it's snakes and scorpions, and 116 degree days is not fit for human habitation.
On that happy note I will leave off for today. I go back to work on Monday, only this week I will be working in Dallas. Hope you are having a fun summer!
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