Tired because I woke up about every hour last night, for several reasons.  First, gas induced intestinal pain resulting from a chilli-burger with jalapeños which I ate at Beth’s the night before.  Also because I had a small gout flare-up in my left big toe.  This had started earlier in the day, and I did what I usually do which is to drink cranberry juice and also try to keep myself well hydrated.  Both the pain and the side effect of having kept myself well hydrated woke me up frequently.

Fortunately, both the after effects of the chilli and the gout flare-up have subsided today but left me sleep deprived.  I love seared animal flesh and chilli and jalapeños but sometimes they don’t love me.

And 500 million years from now there likely will not be any more chilli or jalapeños and seared animal flesh is likely to be a short commodity.  Or at least that is what is predicted.  I keep telling myself not to worry about it, neither I, nor likely any of my descendants will be here, still I can’t help but be somewhat emotionally invested.

Thinking about that time, when C3 plants won’t be able to function because it is projected carbon-dioxide levels will drop too low because of the increasing luminosity of the sun speeding up weathering of rocks, maybe they’re wrong.  The same stellar model that predicts an increased luminosity then, also suggested a much lower luminosity several billion years ago, one that even the carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere couldn’t have kept Earth’s temperature warm enough to not be frozen.  Yet, unfrozen for the most part it was.  So maybe they’re wrong.  Or maybe interstellar travel will be possible by then so if humanity survives, we will be less vested in the Earth itself.  Or maybe we’ll still be bombing each other regularly and keep the carbon dioxide levels high.

I am troubled that the powers that be managed to get a war started in Yemen as a means to reduce oil production capacity and drive costs up so the oil companies can pay their loan payments.  At least we’re not in it yet.  Still killing and maiming people for profit doesn’t appeal to me no matter who is doing it or the recipient of it.