What a Beautiful Day!

Today is dreary and rainy. Overnight the temperature dropped from 70 to 45. My body feels like someone has spent the night sticking hot ice picks into my joints. I'll probably watch movies or read all day while Rocky keeps his legs crossed waiting to go out.
So why, you ask, is this a beautiful day?

This is a beautiful day because I don't live in Far Rockaway in New York City.

I just read a story about two elderly people, one of which needs constant care, who have gone a week without food, water or medicine. If that happened to me and I couldn't get my pain and psych medication I would be a basket case. And so should they.

This story revels two things-
One is how fragile our society is. Our whole life is just a few days from complete breakdown. And for New York it is even less.

And two- it shows just how resilient people can be. They are still alive. The woman has carried water, I don't know how many floors, and she is in her 80's. A rescue team finally arrived, fortunately not too late. For several others, it was too late.

Ah, the rain has started pouring down and the wind has picked up. What a beautiful day.

I guess your getting the rain we had over night. nice and sunny here now.

Your right about our situations. back during the ice storm a few years back without power for 9 days. I was prepared but neighbors were not.

During an ice storm two years ago I went without power for 7 days. I used a lot of candles, put dry ice in the refrigerator and kept my laptop charged at my landlord's so that I could watch movies. I survived.

Another story concerns hurricane Eloise that came ashore while I was living in Fort Walton Beach. I got lots of water and filled the bathtub. I stocked up on nonperishable food and had lamps that operated on batteries. At the time I was managing a 10 room motel situated in a compound. After the hurricane I went around checking out the area. I found one family huddled in a corner and brought them to my apartment. We had light, water and food, and even entertainment thanks to one of my tenants who played guitar. In a world of darkness and devastation my place seemed like an oasis.

That reminds me, I need to get oil for my lamps.

19&41 wrote:That reminds me, I need to get oil for my lamps.

And batteries-LOTS of batteries.

A person does not have to look long to find someone in worse shape than they are. Thanks for the reminder.

WC

It is sad that when mother nature unleashes its wrath, people are crippled.
But, a lot of it has to do with dependancy, and taking things for granted.
It's human nature...

Being less dependant, or less reliant on others, or things, is a way to improve survival in cases of tragedy.
Some can do it, others simply cannot.

I blame marketing and hype for a lot of the weaknesses created within human society.

I won't go any further because it'll become political, and I won't go there.

repairtech wrote:It is sad that when mother nature unleashes its wrath, people are crippled.
But, a lot of it has to do with dependancy, and taking things for granted.
It's human nature...

Being less dependant, or less reliant on others, or things, is a way to improve survival in cases of tragedy.
Some can do it, others simply cannot.

I blame marketing and hype for a lot of the weaknesses created within human society.

I won't go any further because it'll become political, and I won't go there.

It's not political to say we have created a society that is so fragile that a solar storm wipes out electricity in the whole northeast. Or that in our ego we've built cities where history shows us it is untenable, such as delicate shorelines, sides of volcanoes or avalanche territory. Mankind historically sets itself up for devastation from destruction. Mt. ST. Helens shouldn't have been a surprise because it had been showing signs for weeks.

And the most fragile infrastructure is the one we depend on worldwide the most- computers and the internet. One huge plasma wave from the sun and we would be sent back to horses and the pony express.

terrydec wrote:

repairtech wrote:It is sad that when mother nature unleashes its wrath, people are crippled.
But, a lot of it has to do with dependancy, and taking things for granted.
It's human nature...

Being less dependant, or less reliant on others, or things, is a way to improve survival in cases of tragedy.
Some can do it, others simply cannot.

I blame marketing and hype for a lot of the weaknesses created within human society.

I won't go any further because it'll become political, and I won't go there.

It's not political to say we have created a society that is so fragile that a solar storm wipes out electricity in the whole northeast. Or that in our ego we've built cities where history shows us it is untenable, such as delicate shorelines, sides of volcanoes or avalanche territory. Mankind historically sets itself up for devastation from destruction. Mt. ST. Helens shouldn't have been a surprise because it had been showing signs for weeks.

And the most fragile infrastructure is the one we depend on worldwide the most- computers and the internet. One huge plasma wave from the sun and we would be sent back to horses and the pony express.

Indeed, Terrence, society shows its weaknesses in decision-making.
That's obvious.
If you choose to live near the coast - so be it, but understand the consequences.
And if you choose the coast, or at the foot of a volcano - keep in mind your vulnerabilities - if you're smart, you'll have a game plan - if you're not, you'll join the host of whiners during the aftermath...
I might sound heartless, but hell, if you wanna live near those types of places, you go ahead.
I'm not a fish needing the ocean near me.

Being less dependant, or less reliant on others, or things, is a way to improve survival in cases of tragedy.
Some can do it, others simply cannot.

I live in a rural farming community and being prepared for anything is a way of life!

I'll bet we could compete with some of the Doomsday Preppers.

Terrence- I like that, makes me feel important.

Actually I was named after Terry of "Terry and the Pirates", a popular comic strip of the 40's. Supposedly my great-grandmother, the matriarch of the family, would read the funnies out loud-don't ask me why.

My middle name is Eugene, after Eugene O'Neil, (and if you tell anybody I'll deny it) . All his life my father wanted to be a writer and was especially impressed by O'Neil. We even moved to Long Island for awhile so that he could be closer to New York. When I was older I read some of his plays, both O'Neil and my father's. I wasn't that impressed with either one. After many years he finally did get some articles published.

I guess he would be proud of me. Not only am I a writer, but I've also been a pirate.