Virtual Reality in 2012

“The fires are getting worse.”

“Yeah, I saw something about that online this morning. Where are they headed now?”

“Better question is where aren’t they going? It seems like half the damn southwest is on fire some place or another.”

“That’s unbelievable. It’s still only June. I wonder if it’s gonna be worse than last year’s…”

“Well, it is still early, but last year was just a fluke.”

“Didn’t it set some record though?”

“Yeah, something like twenty percent of the woodlands of Texas burned up.”

“Texas has woods?”

“Not as much as it used to.”

“Damn.”

“Eh, it’s all part of the natural cycle of things. The ash replenishes the dirt. It’s better in the long run.”

“Heh, well, try telling that to them global warming nut jobs.”

“Yeah, they’re probably having a ball at the weather channel studio with these wild fires. Ratings must go through the roof for any natural disaster. And it’s even better television for them when they bring on some hack to start in with all that global warming crap.”

“Yeah, I was listening to some guy on the radio today trying to say how it all should really be called ‘global climate change’ or some nonsense like that.”

“Hah, wow, yeah, now they’re backtracking. Like we’re all just idiots who are gonna forget how they’ve been crying about the planet melting for the past thirty goddamn years. Gimme a break.”

“Yeah, it’s out of control. They think they can just drag some elitist scientist whack job in front of a camera and claim this data and that. Like they really know how the weather actually works. Here’s a million dollar forecast for you: fifty percent chance of rain, fifty percent chance of sun – it’ll either rain or it won’t.”

“Haha, yeah, remember last winter? Aspen broke the record snowfall total for the year and low average temperatures for the season. Kinda shoots their melting planet campaign dead.”

“Well, that’s exactly why you hear them flip-flopping now, calling it ‘climate change’ all of the sudden. Of course the goddamn climate’s changing! That why we have summer and winter. It changes every season! It always has.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Well, you know them and their agenda.”

“Yeah, well, it’s all politics, man.”

“Heh, yeah. And money.”

“Yeah, it is hot as hell out there though. I was gonna go golfing with Jack but I just can’t take it out there.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be another warm one.”

“Yeah, they said record temperatures again.”

“Hm, well winter will be here soon enough.”

“Hopefully, as long as we don’t get one like two years ago.”

“Hm?”

“Remember? It was the warmest winter on record.”

“Oh yeah, well all part of the greater cycle, you know?”

“Yeah, true. They said on the radio that the extremes are getting worse now though.”

“Well, we’re just in a bad part of the cycle, and it’s probably a much longer cycle than we know. I mean, when you think about it, they’ve only been talking about the weather really since T.V. was invented.”

“Yeah, but I still wish I could get out there and play at least nine holes. If I end up going home it’s just gonna be: blah blah blah, help with chores.”

“Why don’t you just schedule a late afternoon tee time?”

“I tried to. But all the late afternoon times are taken. Seems like nobody likes playing in this godforsaken heat.”