Which is it Climate or Weather?

President Trump tweeted in reference to the weather in the Eastern US  "In the East, it could be the coldest new years eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old global warming that our country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle Up!"


The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

When we talk about climate change, we talk about changes in long-term averages of daily weather. Today, children always hear stories from their parents and grandparents about how snow was always piled up to their waists as they trudged off to school. Children today in most areas of the country haven't experienced those kinds of dreadful snow-packed winters, except for the Northeastern U.S. in January 2005. The change in recent winter snows indicate that the climate has changed since their parents were young.

If summers seem hotter lately, then the recent climate may have changed. In various parts of the world, some people have even noticed that springtime comes earlier now than it did 30 years ago. An earlier springtime is indicative of a possible change in the climate.

In addition to long-term climate change, there are shorter term climate variations. This so-called climate variability can be represented by periodic or intermittent changes related to El Niño, La Niña, volcanic eruptions, or other changes in the Earth system.

What Weather Means 
Weather is basically the way the atmosphere is behaving, mainly with respect to its effects upon life and human activities. The difference between weather and climate is that weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure, as in high and low pressure.

In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space. An easy way to remember the difference is that climate is what you expect, like a very hot summer, and weather is what you get, like a hot day with pop-up thunderstorms.


*****How can one be an Ostrich? "We can stick our heads in the sand, just pretend that all is grand and hope that everything for the kids turns out OK."

On Bended Knee

   We'll call you when your six years old, and drag you to the factory. To train your brain for eighteen years with promise of security. But then you're free and for forty years you waste to chase the dollar sign. So you may die in Florida at the pleasant age of sixty nine.
   The water's getting hard to drink, we've mangled up the countryside. The air will choke you when you breathe, we're all commiting sucide. But it's alright, it's progress folks,  keep pushin' till your body rots. Will strip the earth of all it's green, and then divide her into condos and parking lots.
   Your free to speak your mind my friend, as long as you agree with me. Don't criticize the fatherland
or those who shape your destiny. Cause if you do, you'll lose your job, your mind, and all the friends you knew. We'll send out all our boys in blue, they'll find a way to silence you.
 
   But there's nothing you and I can do, you and I are only two. What's right and wrong is hard to say, forget about it for today.
   We'll stick our heads into the sand.
   Just pretend that all is grand.
   Then hope that everything turns out OK!

Alice

  Bury me softly in this womb, I give this part of me for you, sand rains down and here I sit. Holding rare flowers in a tomb in bloom. Down in hole and I don't know if I can be saved. See my heart I decorate like a grave, oh, you don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be, Look at me now I'm a man who won't let himself be. Down in hole feeling so small, losing my soul. I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied. They've put all the stones in their place, I've eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of the taste. I've been guilty of kicking myself in the teeth, I will speak no more of my feelings beneath.
   Whatsoever I've feared has come to life, whatsoever I've fought off became my life. Just when everyday seemed to greet me with a smile, sunspots have faded and now I'm doing time. Whomever I've cured, I've sickened now, and whomever I've cradled, I've put down. I'm a search light soul they say, but I can't see the night. I'm only faking when I get it right, cause I fell on black days.
   Ain't found a way to kill me yet, eyes burn with stinging sweat. seems every path leads me to nowhere. Wife and kids, household pet, army green was no safe bet, the bullets scream at me from somewhere. They've come to snuff the rooster.

Love Never Faileth

Interesting enough, Death is just a shadow on the path to heaven. We all have friends, family someone that dies everyday, guess you could say we die to ourselves. Afterlife, also is a figment of some's imagination, others a philosophy, theology, or just a notion. Graveyards are a place people are dying to get in to. Usually after the Lamp race I head to Kempner, there's a graveyard up the farm to market road that has the other side of my family's  tombstones. Nevertheless when I arrived I was amazed at how the family tree had new arrivals and grown. Yes sure enough life is fleeting, and grabbing for the gusto depends on a state of mind. One thing for sure, twenty five years from now we'll never know the difference. Happy running!

Rick's Run

Mister J has done a great job of keeping Rick's memorial run alive. So when he suggested the 10K up the road it was almost unanimously accepted, except for one who remarked it inappropriate for no other reason than to be contentious. It was a tough hilly road deal with very rudimentary mgmt. mistakes. But whatever, it provided for all of us to walk away with something, a memory, a place medal, a red spirit shirt, a communion. Maybe next year I'll need a walker as Hero foretold, or maybe I'll get a sherpa to push me in a ricksha. Happy Hot July!

Going Long

Got all sixteen drops bags packed, had to stay up till 2am to get it together right. Drop bags have always been a tough job. Now in the morning since the run mgmt doesn't bring out your bags I'll shuffle through the course dropping them off every half mile, hope I didn't forget anything. Everyone put their shirt size on their entry form but here the race director goes emailing everyone for their shirt size, and to top it all off a runner is highly angry and agressive they are not having misters on the course. Wow! I don't even think they have aid stations with water, oh well, I packed a 5 gal jug with all my bags. See how it all stacks up tomorrow. No EMS?

Heaven... Can It Wait?

A friend remarked that hopefully it wasn't to late for heaven. Knowing their stance on spiritual issues it was odd, and figuring there was no discussion to be had as any time before, I remarked " Well that's  up to you". Let's approach it from a place I know, myself. Heaven is there but you just don't get to go there, like most things in this world it requires a few preambles. If I just didn't believe in the Heaven concept, making myself either agnostic, which is nothing more than a fence sitter who really is too lazy to make up their mind or content with their lukewarm life, or an atheist. Either way if that was me I would begin the Mardi Gras state of mind everyday of my life, and why not, after all this would be it right? All my friends and family that have died, are no better than below the earth, never to be seen again, and truthfully in that believe that is exactly where I would be headed. Time to just do whatever I wanted. Then you might ask what is heaven, to me it represents the reunion of friendship and love for one another, it will require a relationship. A state of being that isn't interrupted by a bad connection, free from loneliness and want. If it wasn't why bother. But that is the deal, you have to have friendship and it is forever, a relationship that you've put a little work in too. That is how you get in, you actually leave introversion and go beyond into union. As I said before " Well that's up to you".

Over the Hill

He gets up before the dawn, grabs his pack and shoots down his coffee. It's Western 100 race day as he's climbing devil's thumb down to another canyon. Those burning rays are wearing down his body. The 100 miler's bucket is worth the price of gold, always a struggle that never goes easy. But he's still holding on. He just takes the trail another round, climbing up and going down the other side of the mountain, and sends up another prayer. He say's Lord, I never complain, I never ask why, please don't let my dreams run dry, underneath this ultrarunning sky. That Leadville DNF back in 01 sure did a toll on his vision. But he stayed strong and carried on. The very next year he slammed, not just 4 but all 5, and stayed stealth in the shadows. On his knees every night he prays please let my friends and me keep running, cause that's all we've ever known.
He just takes the trail another round, watching ridge and valley passing by running towards the beautiful distance, and sends up another pray. He always says, Lord I never complain, I never ask why, please don't let my dreams run dry, underneath that ultra running sky.

Eat A Bullet Cause The Hole Can't Be Filled!

The world is a vampire, sent to drain
Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames
And what do I get for all my pain?
Betrayed desires and a piece of the game
Even though I know I suppose I'll show
All my cool and cold like old Job
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage!!!!!

Pick Up On My Mojo

This turned out to be a kicking and pitching fit type marathon, but once I bought the farm turning on the divide for the half and the full, Boodini was in for the full tilt, 5:56 later it was in the books. Now go claim the jacket in the distance challenge. I could claim the humidity and warm condition did more than soak my shit, but the bottom line is that you shouldn't play outside with nothing but your junk. It was a testament to perseverance and determination to count off the miles step by step, or better shuffle by shuffle. Oddly enough I didn't feel crushed by fellow runners I knew like J&J because they were not too far ahead of me at the finish. So just maybe it was a tough weather road day. I wonder how you might feel starting a noon race in August? It's now off to the ultra trail world with a few good ole spring and summer outings. Run for joy!

Through This Fist Style

It was windy as hell, but most of it was a sidewinder, while some was in your face and at your back. Never have run 3M with any training, and this was no different, 5 miles a week average is very pathetic for a half marathon. But somehow this race is a real kick in the pants. They call it the "Downhill to Downtown". Years ago I ran the thing in 1:41, this year 2:13, ouch I know! But if you keep doing the same thing over and over nothing is going to change. There is the One Pin in the Lane now to knock down in the challenge, Austin Marathon. Then you get the jacket. I've got 7 hours, 16 minute miles,  can I do it? Maybe. Got four weeks leading up to Feb. 19th, will I work it with that time or lay around with Boodini, probably the latter. LMAO! Thank you very much! Keep you posted. Now go run with Joy!

The Throne of Woes

Just into  2017 and all those resolutions have been placed neatly in the bucket list. Well if I could just find that list. Now it seems Boodini is sandwiched between a real fine raspberry, that should be chafing away. But outside of working, I do not have to be overwhelmed with this or that, and fret about it not happening. I am the master of wait and see. As I wait I see a garage littered with years of this experience, a door falling off it's hinges, disarray here and there. Yes, a master of the throne looking over one's domain completely out of control. No worries! Day's gone by with unanswered hopes and dreams, goals unfulfilled. Most die of a broken heart from shattered dreams or the bitch that left them, no not this pesky critter. If it was really important it would have become or been made into a reality, forces from the Incas, maybe Russia, or some such could have a hand in it? Humbug, probably the only word worth repeating over and over again, or praying constantly.  Research into accomplishing goals or doing at least something is relatively easy. We have the technology, certainly we don't lack a wealth of verbal or written self help dialogue. With this apparatus we can forge ahead now and even though we have not arrived, I am positive from our chair of iniquity we can find direction into this new year already passing. Out of the way, don't try to stop me now, get your own wag on! Boodini limps along!

The Post

Tuesday has arrived, and "Let's start where we left off". We've heard this all to often. But it is the best reference point to what we know has passed. We holidayed and had the happy times and the hope of promises to come. Celebrating the spirit of what we personally knew Christmas to be, and excited with what it could mean and be shared with each other. We are faced now with the afterburner, and wonder is it over already? Down with the lights, ornaments, trees, and out with the wrappings and refuse of the gifts, pondering the kind and generous words which we gave to one another. The great expectations are they really faced with even bigger disappointments? The unfinished work that still sits before us, the same old job, from shootings and everyone mad and hateful, do these things to come leave the grim perspective that the upside down world gets closer daily to our very front door? We check the list of the resolutions and goals, that we know in the past New Years we never kept anyway. Maybe this time around we don't even have a list, because we don't need the Humbug. Hope, from the point where we left off, the high and low points, all were accomplished by the faithfulness and constancy of the small doings. The starts and stops, the lukewarmness left from the zealous efforts, all fail us, and is that such an amazing fact? One small step for mankind forward, by each of us, we move forward and gain the ground of accomplishment we dream of, all be it slowly. Be anonymous. Lighten up, give yourself some room to smell the roses. At the end of the day, it is up to us to make our world right side up. Twenty five years from now we'll still not know the difference.
Drive the winter away with your warmth and good nature!