The heat wave has finally broken in Manhattan -- for a few days, at least, we can expect more moderate temperatures, less humidity, and what may yet become an enjoyable late summer.  While there is no greater city in the world than New York (IMHO), this city can be miserable when it gets too hot.  And we've had our share of miserable days this year, to be sure.

"It's not the heat," the old saying goes, "it's the humidity."  And according to the National Weather Service, there is most certainly a link between humidity and discomfort.  Today in Manhattan, for example, we had a high temperature of 89^o F.  And the humidity was around 42%.  So the heat index says it felt more like 91^o F  -- not significant, but slightly higher.

But notice what happens when the humidity gets to say 60% at the same temperature.  All of a sudden it feels like a 100^o F day, and we've moved from Caution to Extreme Caution.  This year we've seen many mid-90^o F days in Manhattan, with humidity ranging from 50% to as high as 75% -- Danger, to be sure.  People die in weather like that -- as they have in North America this year.  As they do every year.  People die due to too much heat.  And it seems to me that things have been most definitely getting worse when it comes to summer heat in North America.  Isn't it past time we took aggressive steps to curb global emissions of hydrocarbons, the source of most green house gases?  Well past time?

It's America that consumes (per capita and in sum) the vast majority of energy on the planet, and thus produces the most in the way of emissions.  That simply fact cannot be denied.  So it can be said that we are experiencing global warming precisely because of  "the American Way," that mindset that says we have a fundamental right to drive big cars, heat and cool big houses, raise big families (at least that has changed) and live big lives.

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We starting shooting the film tomorrow.  I'm quite excited about it, to be sure.  But not so excited that I won't focus on the task at hand, which means I'll forget about everything else and simply focus on the now moment.  Luckily,  I had a call-back for another film today to take my mind off the Hawthorne piece.  This new film is a modern piece, a dark comedy about corporate America -- something I know a little about.  So it felt quite natural, the obtuse but tragically hip executive part I was reading  -- I think I've known a few of those in my career.  Hubris from circumstances that are much more easily explained by dumb luck than by skill or merit.  And yet, we are all victims.  In the end, we're all victims and all antagonists.  It's simply a question of perspective.

Speaking of antagonists, that iconoclastic symbol of greed and techno-control freak extrordinaire of our age (do I need to mention his name?) has once again stated, or rather his father stated, that our favorite geek-cum-CEO/world's wealthiest man "plans
to donate the bulk of his holdings to the charity within his lifetime."  Right.  And I've heard ducks fart under water before.  Haven't we heard this tune too many times now?

I can't remember the first time I heard the story that Bill Gates was going to give away his fortune.  I distinctly remember a rumor to that end -- that Gates would give most of it away once he hit the age of 40.  Well, 40 came and went, and his wealth continues to grow.  And the last time I checked, Micro$oft is the most profitable organization on the planet, with their last earnings report (which crashes Netscape, wouldn't you know),
touting an embarrassing net income of nearly 40% on almost $20 billion in annual revenue.  To put some perspective on that, IBM is about an $80 billion company in annual revenue with a net income of around 8-10%, depending on the quarter.  In other words, Micro$oft made more more in profits than did IBM in the past year -- on one quarter the revenue!

Granted, it's like comparing apples and horse manure.  But it should give us pause -- does Micro$oft really add that much more value to the world than does IBM?  I seriously doubt it.  It's their business practices, pure and simple.  Micro$oft is a pariah from a business ethics perspective, placing winning above everything else.  And I suppose, in the end, that too is the American way.  

I love my country.  I really do.  But I find it profoundly saddening that we are responsible for so much darkness when the ideals of liberty and justice for all are so pure.  I like to think that it is only the shortsighted actions of greedy men that have led us to dire straights as global warming, runaway profits and material decay....but some days, I'm just not quite so sure.

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On the bright side, today is the birthday of a young woman with whom I have recently found fancy.  Where there is love, there is hope.  And I have both.   Happy Birthday, Liz!