New Hips and Floods

I'm scheduled to receive the first of two new hips in less than two weeks. I'm not especially overjoyed with the prospect. I worry mainly about infection. If all goes well, I hope to replace the second hip just a few weeks later. 

It's raining like crazy with lots more to come in the next few days...plus the snow level is up to 9000', so there'll be a lot of rapid snowmelt.  The Snoqualmie river is expected to flood and, once again, I may be stuck on this dead end street.

Fallout

With radioactive fallout arriving in my area (Washington State) from Japan, I wonder if we'll ever learn anything. The dangers of radioactive contamination are so great and long-lasting, and scientists (and the rest of us) have been aware of those dangers all along. Why? Why would nuclear power ever have been approved? Why would we have developed nuclear weapons? This is all so incredibly stupid that there aren't any words to justify or explain our behavior. We don't really need all the energy supplied by nuclear reactors. We don't need all the air-conditioning, personal computers, mega-computers, brightly lit cities, electric cars or any of that. We need to face reality and adjust our lifestyles to living within our actual needs. Aside from the fact that there are already too many people in the world, those who are here now must adapt to living sensibly. 

The initial explosions in the Japan nuclear facility released small amounts of radiation. That's what's falling on us now. In fact, it's already reached Europe! Subsequent radiation releases are far greater and that's what we should expect to arrive soon. Where are the government and news media? What are the real facts? They only continue reporting traces of non-lethal radiation but, with a little extra research, it seems these reports are far from the truth. I would like to know just how much radiation is falling on me along with continuous rain today (Sunday, 3/28). 

Now it's Monday and there are reports of radiation in the water in new England. I'm beginning to think this can turn out to be a world-wide catastrophe. And...while all these little news items come out, there are no real details. The New England contamination report includes no actual location, and the fallout in my state of Washington is completely un-reported! 'm such a meaningless pawn!

Temporary Partial Blindness

So...a couple of days ago, I realized I couldn't see. Yes, I could make out larger forms, lights and colors but seeing little things such as numbers and letters on the keyboard...no way. There was an aura of bright lights that moved when I turned my head. There was no difference in either eye, with or without glasses. I splashed some water on my face and poured a glass of wine . Then I was okay again. How odd! The next day, I was trying to recall what might have triggered such an event. All that came to mind was that I had tea instead of coffee in the morning (I was out of coffee). I decided to replicate that and had the same, extremely strong black tea this morning. I fully expected to be somewhat blind as a result but...it didn't happen. I wonder if I was experiencing an odd version of petit mal (which I had the entire time I was growing up). The problem with that is that I had nocturnal petit mal...and this event occurred in the late morning hours. What to do!?

Minor update...in a continuing attempt to find the cause of my temporary blindness, I remembered two, unusual things: One, I had chicken pho the night before and, Two, just before the onset of said, temporary blindness, I was watching an Al Jazeera video about Libya. This morning, I re-watched the same video (the idea being, perhaps the video was encrypted with some mind-altering undertones.) Nope. That wasn't it, I think. Back to the drawing board, eh?

No Fly Zone over Israel

What say the West smartens up and realizes it's time for a no fly zone over Israel to prevent further loss of innocent lives? Oh! Is Israel above the laws of common decency and humanity? I think not.

Libya and Nuclear Emergencies

Isn't it just plain eerie that the US bombs Libya every time there's a nuclear disaster in the world? The previous time was in April, 1986. Chernobyl was in the process of meltdown as US planes bombed Libya. Now, with Japan's reactors in a similar situation, we're bombing Libya all over again...and the enemy is Gaddafi...again! Are we all doomed to keep repeating the bad aspects of history? What say we relive some of the good parts too?

School Buses

I remember, as a smartass little kid back east, riding to school in one of those school buses, careening around corners, up and around narrow streets and hills. I remember bouncing around and having my head smashed against the cold metal ceiling. Why? Why are there no seat belts on school buses or public transportation buses? They're all death traps! Why do local school districts and governments have so little regard for the safety of their own children? Why is it okay to have public service buses rattling around every major US city with people standing and being smashed against each other and the cold metal seat railings? How can it be acceptable to have such strict demands on the auto industry and ignore buses? (Those same buses spew noxious, foul diesel fumes into the air for people like me to inhale.) I suppose it's all about money, eh? There's something very wrong with this system. As to school buses, don't Americans think their children should be transported safely? As to public transportation, don't we deserve to ride on, or in, a safe vehicle without being concerned with suffering severe injury from a minor mishap? It's all about money, eh? I don't ride on buses anymore. 

Seattle Earthquake

Doesn't anyone in a decision-making capacity have any ability to learn from history? Imagine a massive earthquake in the Northwest and think of what would happen to the new tunnel. Everyone inside would be either crushed or drowned. Imagine the liquification in the Sodo area...it's just fill dirt there. But the tunnel! The tunnel doesn't exist yet...and never should. Yes, the mayor is aware, in light of the recent Japan earthquake, that the viaduct is a deathtrap. But really!? A tunnel is far worse! Either do a retrofit of the existing viaduct or tear it down and build a nice boulevard along the waterfront. The Seattle area is living on borrowed time and the massive earthquake could be only moments away.

Seattle earthquake

With all the horror in Japan as a result of the earthquake, I wondered about potential damage in my area, Seattle. Five to ten years ago, there was an extensive study to determine expected results from a mere 6.7 earthquake. Among many other awful things, the viaduct would fall, the seawalls would collapse and there would be numerous, minor tsunamis in the Sound. Well...Seattle intends to remove the viaduct and replace it with a tunnel. A tunnel! I can't even imagine how many people are sopping up the profits of such a venture. The tunnel would run right along, parallel to, and lower than the...seawall. That would be the same seawall that just fell into the water, taking all the docks with it. That would be the same Puget Sound that would be generating local tsunamis, swamping houses and businesses along the waterfront. Does anyone think the tunnel, not fifty feet from that same waterfront, would survive? Really?! That's all fill dirt along the waterfront. The tunnel would rupture and fill with water in a mere 6.7 earthquake. What of a more intense earthquake? Even in that 6.7 earthquake, hundreds of vehicles (and humans) could be crushed and/or drowned in this foolish tunnel. The tunnel idea should be abandoned immediately. There should either be a retrofit of the viaduct or it should be replaced by surface streets. This folly can only be the result of a tremendous amount of political scheming and palm-greasing. Stop the tunnel! Now! 

Hip replacement

I just scheduled myself for hip replacement surgery. They refused to do the newest technique on me, which is hip re-surfacing, because they say I'm too old! I need both hips replaced but the soonest they can do the second one is three weeks later. It's gonna be a helluva month or so but I hope to be playing golf, hiking, snowshoeing, roller-blading, biking and just living a more normal lifestyle...sooner rather than later.

Family Radio

May 21, 2011 is the guaranteed Day of Judgment...The Rapture. (Of course, the Family Radio people originally claimed it was September 6, 1994.) In any case, only the Chosen will be saved by the Rapture. The rest of us will suffer until October 21, 2011. Then...the world will end.

My word! How can people be so incredibly stupid? The Mayan calendar ends in 2012, so many others claim the world will end then. Indeed, how can people be so incredibly stupid? I'm curious if the characters running the Family Radio business are cashing in on the gullible few who have walked away from all their worldly possessions. Maybe Family Radio has them sign over all their assets. Maybe they just go in and take everything after the sheep vacate their houses. I say, religion of all kinds has done more harm to humanity throughout history than all the wars, diseases, earthquakes, tornadoes and every other form of catastrophe combined. Some quack claims he calculated this, newest End-date by carefully examining the Bible. I suppose that same quack has a marvelous, radio voice and that's how he's convinced so many weak-willed people to follow him. Maybe they will just have their own version of Jonestown, drink their own Kool-Aid and be done with it. Maybe the quack at Family Radio will go straight to the bank on May 22, 2011. Maybe they won't just "off" themselves but just look around in a daze on May 22, 2011 and wander away in unknown directions, blending back into society. Maybe, on May 22, 2011, Family Radio will come out and say they made a minor mistake and the End is really a couple of years away. Heck, they did the same thing before. What's to prevent them from luring in a few thousand more sheep to bring to the financial slaughterhouse when they announce the next "End of Days." I suppose, in the long run, everyone gets what they deserve.

Seattle Opera

I went to see Don Quixote last night and was very disappointed. I suppose I just don't like operas with no featured sopranos or tenors. They did have a couple of tenors in minor roles but their voices (one, especially) were extremely weak and unimpressive. If I were not sitting in the front row, I probably wouldn't have heard them at all. They also had a couple of sopranos in smaller roles but they were playing male suitors. It was downright silly. The dancing and acting were great, though. Another good thing...it was a short opera.