smog
when i lived in pasadena we would truck out to joshua tree to get away from school for a while. you know there's smog in la at some level. but when you're in it, you kinda ignore it. cause there's nothing to compare it to. coming back from j-tree though, you can see it. it's literally like a big sickly yellow dome. and you drive into it. and the transition is abrupt. moments ago, clear skies. fresh smelling air. utopia. then yick. gods. thinking back, i can't believe i breathed that stuff for 6 years. anywho, i was reminded of that flying out of chicago recently. we were at altitude. and had been for some time. yet when i looked out the window, there was a sea of that same sickly yellow brown smog. there were other planes flying with us just above the ick. they were easy to find because their downwash of clean upper air was carving long straight lines in the sky. we humans need to wake up. put the sugar down. turn off the electronics. take an honest look at what we're doing to ourselves. and knock it the fuck off.