Cosmic Geek

Not really. /yawn

• I have a tendency to click on links in Twitter and then forget where I got them. So uh, I got this link about the future of video games from someone. So I’ll, you know, credit them. If I figure out who that was.
• So if you’re on Klout, you can get a free account on Spotify in the U.S. Do it.
• No really, do it. Particularly if you are one of my Facebook friends. And it’s easy to become my Facebook friend. I’m a Facebook slut. I’ll friend anybody.
• I’m not kidding here, I want to listen to your music and I can’t listen to your music unless you are on Spotify and my Facebook friend.
• It’s all about me.
• I found it! My colleague linked the article. Ok credit given. Whew.
• If you are on Ravelry, my stash has been updated. The Spawn took most of the pictures on the hardwood floor. I’m rather fond of my budding photographer.
• The red, orange and purple Metro lines are all free today and tomorrow due to Carmageddon. Where should we go? That doesn’t cost money? I should probably figure that out.

So. We who live in Los Angeles will have Carmegeddon this weekend. You see, they are shutting down the 405 from the 10 to the 101 for the entire weekend. Though warnings have been issued on all freeways for a month throughout the state of California, there are still people who don’t know. There will be visitors. There will be the oblivious. There will be the forgetful. There will be the “oh it won’t be that bad” — and maybe it won’t. But I for one will be staying in.

You see, we’ve had something similar to this before, though it was unplanned. Back in the 90s we had a series of disasters that affected us adversely. In a 12 month period, we had horrific fires, riots and flooding. Someone who was supposed to do something or other at the Sepulveda Dam, which is right near the 405/101 intersection, didn’t do that thing. And the entire intersection flooded to the point where it had to be closed off. At the same time, there were mudslides on Pacific Coast Highway, shutting down that path. So the only way to get from Los Angeles proper to the valley was via the 5 which is all the way over there /points. And there are spots on the 5 which are throttled on good days, so when this happened — well, people just closed up shop until the mess got cleaned up. Schools closed, businesses closed, etc.

This shutdown is planned, but the 405 is the major north/south artery from the west Los Angeles metropolitan area to the San Fernando Valley. The 101/405 interchange is the busiest and the worst in the world, by some estimations — including mine. The 5 is not a great alternative, not only because it is all the way over there /points, but because of that throttling in spots. There are places where this major freeway is just one lane while it splits off into other free ways. The section from the 134 to the 710 is mindbogglingly laid out to cause the worst traffic jams just for going straight.

I’m probably just blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Here have some bullets:

• This is a lovely story with pretty pictures.
• This makes me giggle.
• Crazy Aunt Purl describes Carmegeddon.
• Honey, what a disaster. HAHAHAHAHAAH sorry. It isn’t a laughing matter.
• You want hope for the future? Google’s got your hope for the future right here.
• This is fascinating article regarding a recent HuffPo scandal. I would just like to state at this time that working for WoW Insider, while officially being under AOL and therefore Ms. Huffington, is nothing at all like any of the horror stories that keep being perpetuated about the “AOL Way” and the Huffington Post. Yes, I’m sure they are all true for the publications for which they are speaking, but my experience wow.joystiq.com has always been and currently is all about quality and professionalism.
• Every Tuesday is Chicken Day because of Popeye’s chicken special. The Spawn wishes everyone a Happy Chicken Day like it’s a weekly holiday.