Out Of Darkness
You did it, Deadsplintershadows! The days are getting longer now!
Full disclosure – due to quirks in the angle of the Earth’s axis and other science nerd stuff, sunsets have actually been getting later for a few days up north, while sunrises will not start getting earlier until next month. But today is the first day that the total amount of daylight is growing, not shrinking, since the Summer solstice.
But it’s still dark. So let’s talk about our relationship to artificial light.
Edison, Schmedison
We all know that human-created light preceded Thomas Edison – the guy didn’t even invent the light bulb. So is anyone a big fan of firelight or candlelight? Is cozying up in front a fire your ideal light?
As far as candles, can I talk for a second about a couple of movie tropes that bug me? One is in scenes in the middle ages, people will walk into long empty corridors and big empty rooms and find a million torches burning. Why would anyone light up an empty place? And who is keeping them burning?
The second is romantic scenes where (somebody) lit about a million candles. Again, who has time for this? In theory if it was Louis XV putting the moves on Madame Pompadour, there might have been a team of servants on candle duty, but in your typical rom-com scenario? Doesn’t lighting a hundred matches kill the mood? And how do they all stay lit?
Electric Lights
To be real, most of our artificial light comes from light bulbs. When sunlight is scarce, do you use full spectrum bulbs to try to fend off SAD? How do they compare to braving the cold and getting regular sunlight? Or just turning on a lot of regular lights?
As far as regular light bulbs, are you the kind of person who likes a big batch of full power bright bulbs burning at once to ward off the dark? Or do you prefer fewer, softer amber hues? Do you habitually turn off lights when you leave a room (I do) or do you tend to leave them on?
When you drive at night down empty highways, do you let the high beams fly? Or do you struggle to remember the last time you ever turned on the brights?
It’s still mighty dark out, so let’s talk about the light!
Did you know that the Rural Electrical Administration still exists? I worked with a woman who used to work there. It’s true. Once the Federal government creates a body to solve a problem the bureaucracy never goes away, and neither does the problem. We’ve been fighting the “War on Poverty” for longer than I’ve been alive, and believe me, it’s not like the entire country has been lifted into the productive middle class. But, I will say, it’s better than having people dying in the streets.
The REA was zapped about 30 years ago.
There’s a parallel agency now which mostly focuses on bring broadband to rural communities, and I think they may also do some wastewater treatment grants. I wouldn’t rule out that they do a little dabbling in solar programs or some such.
Maybe she worked for the parallel agency, because I asked her, “What in God’s name is that agency doing nowadays?” and she talked about its origins and something about bringing the Internet to rural communities. And I naively asked, “Why wouldn’t you just sign up with an Internet provider like AOL?” AOL! Lol! This might have been 30 years ago, but I don’t think so. I really should try to track this woman down because I really liked her but she got the axe three or four years before I did and I never kept up.
Because I’m not on social media and my mobility issues I’m like the reclusive Howard Hughes. You good Deadsplinterites are bearing the brunt of my social restlessness.
I have a couple of friends who use the sun lamps to help with SAD. They say they work pretty well for some assistance.
I don’t get cold that easily for the winters St Louis gets, and I tend to get really annoyed at work. So pretty often even in winter I wander outside for a lunch break walk to also get some fresh air and sunlight.
Fun fact! I work up near the Missouri River and I see dozens of gulls flying around this time of year. I suspect they’re ring-billed gulls based on the googles.
Something I learned a few years back is that there are inland pelicans which live in Yellowstone.
That’s amazing! Are they there year round?
It looks like this is the species, and they migrate in the winter.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_white_pelican
Not a big fan of candlelight. Mostly because I lived with an idiot among other housemates in a converted barn in my 4th year of university (hey, the rent was cheap and the cable TV was free). One time she knocked over several of her candles and started a fire that I ended up putting out (one of several times I was the house fireman that year.)
likewise not a fan…..but its because i have idiot cats that try to sniff flames
if that was a one and done kinda deal it wouldnt be an issue…but nope… light a candle and sooner or later im sitting in the smell of burnt hair again every time
i dont mind the dark…and normally dont get SAD…tho…this year… the never ending gray can really go get fucked…is actually starting to bother me some now
cant rain all the time? i am no longer sure thats true
anyways…i typically only run a tail light on my bikes as i can see whats coming just fine….just dont want to get pancaked from behind
and according to the missus i keep the house fairly dimly lit…im not sure how true that is tho…as she uses a daylight lamp for painting and is totally unbothered by it….where as turning it on will gizmo me right the fuck out of the room
BRIGHT LIGHT!