it's better to burn out than to fade away

just got back from a trip to los angeles. it's a such a crazy, tangled mess of a city, but i really do love it. on friday, i went to the griffith observatory with a couple friends just as the sun was setting and lights were flickering on all across the valley.

inside the observatory, there's a foucault pendulum. basically a huge metal ball is suspended in this lit up well. magnets keep it in constant motion without actually affecting the direction of the swing. the whole idea is that the pendulum stays in place as the earth revolves below it. it's strange to think that you're watching the world turn.