living in the past

Ya know, I never thought, all those years ago, that I’d turn out to be this guy (NSFW warning: language):

I don’t think anybody ever plans for that sort of thing, ya know?

Anyway. I recently discovered a fantastic source of concert recordings at Wolfgang’s Vault. Since I work at a desk all day, it’s easy for me to plug in headphones and listen to various shows.

Couple of observations: Thirty years ago, 5,000 people was a good turnout for a concert. And many of these artists that we might take for granted now used to play two shows a night (many of the concerts are “early show” or “late show” and still give it 110%. it’s cool to listen to Zeppelin when they were an opening act, ya know? Jimmy Buffett used to fly coach. James Taylor had hair. It was $8.00 to see a live show.

Now, I’m trying to figure out why I’m so fascinated by this site. Aside from the obvious “I like their music,” I think it also throws me back to a time when I still had hope of becoming something, someone. It lets me forget fore a few minutes about being a failure as a dad and husband, or a mediocre employee (on a good day), and remember the glory days of standing on a folding chair, hoisting a lighter, and screaming for an encore.

Play Freebird, y’all.

oh, how big!

A million seconds is 13 days.
A billion seconds is 31 years.
A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.

A million minutes ago was – 1 year, 329 days, 10 hours and 40 minute ago.
A billion minutes ago was just after the time of Christ.

A million hours ago was in 1885.
A billion hours ago man had not yet walked on earth.

A million dollars ago was five (5) seconds ago at the U.S. Treasury.
A billion dollars ago was late yesterday afternoon at the U.S. Treasury.

A trillion dollars is so large a number that only politicians can use the term in conversation… probably because they seldom think about what they are really saying. I’ve read that mathematicians do not even use the term trillion!

Here is some perspective on TRILLION:

Trillion = 1,000,000,000,000.
The country has not existed for a trillion seconds.
Western civilization has not been around a trillion seconds.
One trillion seconds ago – 31,688 years – Neanderthals stalked the plains of Europe.

Million: 1,000,000
Billion: 1,000,000,000
Trillion: 1,000,000,000,000
Quintillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
Sextillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Nonillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Centillion: 1 followed by 303 zeros

I wrote this yesterday but didn’t want anyone thinking it was an April Fools joke. Think of this comparison next time a politician starts wagging his or her lips.