Month: May 2007

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see, I told you I would give praise where it was due…

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Today, I am going to write a post PRAISING George W. Bush. That’s right, you heard me correctly. I am going to praise him for something wonderful he has done. Something that is so close to my heart, and my life’s cause, that I can’t let it go by without acknowledgement. Does this mean that I think that this nullifies all of his other fuck ups? No, but it does mean that I can definitely see good where it truly shines; and today, that is in Bush’s recent requests from Congress.

Yesterday, Bush requested that Congress authorize $30 billion dollars to combat AIDS, and to provide medications for those afflicted with the disease. This money would go towards stopping AIDS worldwide, and providing medications for those that cannot afford it, in areas that are too poor to afford outrageous pharmaceutical mark ups. This is in addition to the $15 billion that he asked for back in 2003, and shows a clear and concentrated effort to truly help those afflicted with AIDS worldwide. This is amazing coming from the president, especially when you consider, that Reagan never even said the world AIDS during his presidency. Truly a monumental achievement to have our president focused on such an amazingly humanitarian effort.

I am honestly speechless that this amazingly large support for ending AIDS worldwide comes from a president that still touts abstinence only as the only method we can use in teaching our children how to prevent HIV infection in the states. At least somewhere in him, he realizes that the need for more than that is real, and as such, he is actually working with world leaders to make this a global effort.

There are critics to his plan, that focus on the fact that this is not enough money to truly make the type of dent that is necessary to take control of the epidemic. While I do agree that it is not enough, and while I see where they are coming from, I think that Bush has the right idea; it is important for every nation that can throw money at this thing to throw money at it. It can’t be something that the US does alone; if we want to stop it worldwide, we have got to use the rest of the world to do it with us. I for one, am excited to see what comes out of the upcoming global summit, with regards to what other top nations are going to offer as well. I will also have my attention focused on what Bush says about climate change, but we won’t get into that today, because I want to focus on the positive.

Bush, you have done a great thing. Even if one of your main motivators is giving the US good face, since we have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, it is STILL a good thing. I do, however, find it extremely odd that Christians, and Christian conservatives are so willing to embrace these efforts to help those that need it most in developing nations, when they continue to turn their backs on the people right at their doorsteps. I also find it weird that the focus on ridding the world of AIDS seems to be solely focused on the developing world, when it is still a real problem here in the US. I know that you can’t always have your cake and eat it too, and I certainly don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so these are things that I will just silently ponder; because while they are still important points, I don’t want to shit on the good that is being done with this initiative.

Again, THANK YOU Mr. Bush for showing that you have a compassionate bone in your body. Perhaps, this effort for the US to provide more generosity (even if it is only for the sake of saving face) will spill over into other issues, and we can continue to do more good in the world; perhaps so much, that we can stop doing the bad things, and focus solely on the good things. This is the direction we need to be going in as a nation, and I for one, am glad to see that not only are we capable of doing it, but there is at least some momentum that is going in that direction; even if it is only a little bit. If we want to have a great nation, we have to have it in a great world, and the only way we are going to make that happen, is through leadership, support, and compassion. The only way to make ourselves truly great, is to help those that we can, and do what is right.

(source; for the image too)

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look out! disease!! and I don’t want to admit it but…

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First of all, I want to respond to this picture that greeted me on the cover page of cnn.com this afternoon:

Now, this thing just screams, “run for the hills! Lock yourself in a fallout shelter! Tuberculosis is a’coming, and he is gonna kill your baby!”. Now, I am all for public health and awareness, but this much press to this case of TB is a little bit blown out of proportion. I say this, because even though it is a drug resistant strain of TB, this is what the CDC has to say about TB in the US:

…with increased funding and attention to the TB problem, we have had a steady decline in the number of persons with TB since 1992. But TB is still a problem; more than 14,000 cases were reported in 2003 in the United States.(source)

Now, that means that out of the millions and millions of people that live in the US, chances of getting TB are still pretty low. In fact, even all this press is stressing that those that were closest to the person on the flight were the ones that were most likely exposed; even though that doesn’t mean they were necessarily infected.

My point is, this form of scare tactic public health tends to do more harm than good. I bet those people are freaking out, and in turn freaking their families and friends out. Not only that, they have no way of truly preventing the fact that they have actually been exposed. What they should do, rather than splashing these terrifying images and headlines all over the news, is contact those that have been infected, test them, and move on.

I say this, because even CDC doesn’t use these scare tactics; that is all from the lovely media. More from the CDC website on TB:

In the United States, 49 cases of XDR TB have been reported between 1993 and 2006. (source)

This potentially makes this guy #50. Not too many people at risk here, so why the scare? Oh yeah, because he was on a plane. But wait, this is what CDC says about air travel and this specific strain of drug-resistant TB:

Air travel itself carries a relatively low risk of infection with TB of any kind.(source)

Well damn, there is pretty low risk, even to those people that were exposed to it. Again, why the media circus? Because, fear is what the media uses to manipulate us. It makes us feel less safe, and as such, gives them something to stir up. I just hate when it uses public health to do it; especially in cases like this that really don’t deserve the amount of attention this is getting. Sigh… I guess that is just part of living in this country; scared to death of everything, just because the media makes it seem that it is a direct threat to me, and may kill me. I mean, shit, TB is bad enough, but one they can’t cure!? I’ll never fly again! Well, that’s not true, but that is the kind of feeling they are going for. Shame on you “liberal” media, for twisting this story into something more grandiose than it really is.

Also… here’s the thing that I don’t want to admit: James and I have been shopping at Walmart recently. I feel so ashamed. I feel like I have given in to that deep down red neck side of me that still lives down in there somewhere. I mean, there’s nothing more ghetto-red neck fabulous than Walmart. But they have great prices! Damn, it is so hard to forget about how they rape their employees by preventing them from having company sponsored health care, so I won’t go often. Yeah… that will work. But I saved money! The humanity of it all. Damn you Walmart and your seductive prices!! Seriously though, I feel bad about it, but I guess not bad enough to never go back. I will just have to stay away from that side of the highway. That will make it a little better, I suppose.

Hope everyone’s hump day is humptastic! Thanks again for the support on the letter from yesterday, it was much appreciated.

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an important note from the editor

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I have been giving a lot of thought as to what has been going on here for the past couple of days, as well as what has transpired over the past few weeks, and I have to say, I am getting quite fed up with feeling like I have to constantly defend myself with everything that I say. Point being, that I have made some decisions regarding this blog, as well as decisions regarding what I am willing to put up with in the future. I have made these decisions, because before a couple of months ago, I actually enjoyed blogging, and now it has become a complete and utter nuisance, because I know, that no matter what I say, there will be someone who feels like it is their right to come around here and fuck it all up.

Now, I know that I can ignore those people, and go about my business as usual, but honestly, I don’t think that I should have to. I am the one that pays for the hosting service and the domain name duanemoody.com. I am the one that uploaded wordpress, and tweaked the style to be how I like it. I am the one that wrote all of the content, including the “non-blog” stuff. So, as far as I can tell, this is my space on the internet. This is my home. And, I am sick and tired of letting people come over to my home and shit on the floor. I am not going to continue yelling at these people for shitting on the floor; I am going to kick them the fuck out of my house, and clean up the shit and move on.

If you don’t like what I have to say, fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The opinion represented here is mine. It is what I think. It is based on facts that I have discovered, my worldview, and my knowledge. I am fine with people disagreeing with me, and again, I welcome arguments and debate. But, what I will no longer tolerate, is fucking assholes who think that they have the right to just come in my home and do whatever they want, which over the past few weeks, has focused on belittling me, striving to get a rise out of me, and only seeking to piss me off for the sake of fulfilling their own sick pleasure. If you want to debate about something that I have said, debate it. Don’t go round and round talking shit about me and everything that I believe. If you do, you might as well stay outside, and walk to someone else’s house, because you are no longer welcome here. Additionally, along the same vein, it would be in your best interest to focus on debating what I am talking about if you want a response from me, because continually using broad issues and things that aren’t related to what I am talking about as a retort will fall on deaf ears. I will simply point out that you are not talking about the issue, and will move on. If the debate does steer in that direction, fine, but don’t expect me to just listen to constant generalizations and all or nothing arguments. It has gotten old.

I feel I must address this, because I know there are several all or nothing arguers out there, so here it is: While I don’t believe in censorship, I do believe in limits. Since this website is MINE, and only mine, then I don’t have to put up with bullshit anymore. And quite frankly, I can’t believe that I did for so long. Any challenges as to why I have made these decisions, and the subsequent steps mentioned above, will be met with the utmost contempt. If you find any action that I take to prevent something I enjoy doing in my own home from becoming fodder for someone else to attack, belittle, or demean, then you are completely missing the point of this statement, and my actions. I will not silence the voice of anyone that disagrees with me, but I reserve the right to completely eliminate the presence of someone that uses hateful, demeaning, continually negative, and downright inflammatory comments to try and “prove me wrong” or to simply provoke a response from me. If you could actually prove me wrong, I wouldn’t need to retort, because I would be convinced by the facts. Please keep this in mind when commenting in the future. And just to note, I have only deleted 2 comments EVER from this blog, and both were deleted last week. I don’t foresee many more comments being deleted, so long as everyone can abide by my simple principle of treating me with respect, and not being an asshole while you are in my online home.

If you want to continue to be invited into my home, come to play. Come to have a great time. Come to laugh. Come to debate. Come to share your opinions. But don’t come in, shit on my floor, and not expect me to kick your ass to the curb. Because if you are expecting me to look the other way, and yell at your over and over as I have done in the past, you might as well stay away. This is pretty much the only warning I feel to be necessary at this point, so know that this policy is in effect from here on out.

This is the only way that I can see to prevent me from quitting blogging all together, but I honestly wouldn’t want want to give up something I enjoy, just because a few people are assholes to me. I have also noticed that it is those few that tend to drive away other readers and commenters, and that is something that I have taken into consideration in this mandate. I am not going to stand for that anymore, either. I do hope that everyone has a great afternoon, and I hope to see you soon; but please remember the new policy is actively in effect. I appreciate your time and attention on this matter.

near and dear, show the love

reflections on memorial day

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To date, there have been 3455 (source) men and women that have died during this war. Today, I think of them, their families, and those whose lives have been changed by their deaths. We must all remember these that have died, especially on today. I for one, hope that this number becomes locked, and that no more are added, and that we can bring the rest of our troops home safe and sound. That is also what I hope most on this memorial day.

While today is designated as a day of memorial, I think that attention should also be paid to those that didn’t die, but were wounded in this war. To date, there have been 23549 (source) men and women that have been wounded, many of which are without limbs, genitalia, faces, ears, etc. This number does not account for those that have returned, and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, and other consequences of fighting in Iraq. I have a friend that was among that number, who was seriously injured when a mortar attack struck near his base. He received shrapnel to the stomach, and underwent serious surgery, and a month of recuperation, before being redeployed. My friend is okay today, but I know that there are others that are apart of all of our lives that need to be thanked immensely for their sacrifice and the pain they endured. Additionally, I want him, and all those wounded, to know that I sincerely appreciate everything that you sacrificed for us, even though I don’t agree with the war, I do fully and wholeheartedly support you for doing what you were told would protect us.

Thank you. Today, and everyday, you will be in my thoughts, prayers, and you will continue to shape my politics regarding this war. I personally want to thank all of those that have sacrificed, as well as those families that have been affected.

Today shouldn’t be about hot dogs, burgers, and flying the flag; it should be about respect, honor, memory, and gratitude; and I for one am focusing on the latter. Hope that your memorial day has a similar level of perspective and graciousness. Additionally, let it be known, that because I focus on the current deaths and injuries of our military, that it does not mean I belittle or neglect those that have died and been injured in the past. I hope that all those that have served, and have been affected by their service, receive the attention, gratitude, and love that they deserve, especially today. Today is your day.

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Shiny Toy Guns @ The Loft ATL 5/25/07

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Shiny Toy Guns @ The Loft ATL 5/25/07, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

So, as I mentioned yesterday afternoon, we had the pleasure of seeing the fantastical Shiny Toy Guns, live, at The Loft, last night.

First of all, if you haven’t been to the Loft, it is really tiny, and it is actually a kind of cool place to see a band, because you can literally get right up front if you want. I managed to find a great spot right over on the right side of the stage, and I stayed there all night.

I took tons of pictures, all of which you can see on my flickr page. If you click the picture above, it will take you to the flickr page for that picture, and then you should see a set over on the right. If you want to see all of them, I suggest you check it out. I managed to get some pictures I really liked.

One final note about the show, while Shiny Toy Guns were AMAZING, and totally lived up to my every desire and exceeded every one of my expectations, the bands that opened for them were total shit. I don’t know if they picked them, but the band that went on before them was especially bad. They were called Hourly Radio, and I don’t get why so many people in the audience liked them; I know bad music when I hear it. Oh well, to each their own.

If we didn’t have to sit through the opening bands, the night would have been perfect. I will definitely want to see Shiny Toy Guns again in the future.

Side note: If you are at the Loft, and you want a liquor drink, getting the larger size is only $1 more. Good to know.

Hope everyone is having a kick ass Saturday!

concerts, happenings, mixed media, music musings

tonight: Shiny Toy Guns

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Tonight we get to see the Shiny Toy Guns at the Loft. I am so excited, because I love them. Here are some songs that you should have on your ipod, and be playing a lot, because they are fantastical in every way:
Le Disko:

&
You Are The One:

Now, I hope to get some great pictures of this great band tonight. If you haven’t heard of them before now, it is clear that you aren’t listening, and you need to start! Check them out. You won’t be sorry! Hope your day is going swell!

all about me, mixed media, near and dear, show the love, that is so gay

to my WONDERFUL fans…

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Well, to my one-derful, kind-of-internet-stalker, fan. I wanted to write this post as a symbol of my gratitude, and as a way to bestow a huge THANKS(!1!!!11!!) for his continued love and attention! I am so flattered that I don’t even know where to begin…

Perhaps it could best be described by a monologue, from a scene in the 1981 movie, based on the best-selling memoir of Christina Crawford, titled Mommie Dearest. The scene I speak of, is the one where Joan, after staying home from the awards show, comes out to greet the press and her fans who are waiting outside of her house, to accept the Academy Award for Best Actress she has just won for Mildred Peirce:

I would rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world!
You, all of you here, and everywhere, gave me this award tonight.
And I accept it from you, and only you.
I love all of you!

This is such a wonderful sentiment, that I am clearly speechless, and extremely touched! Now, while, I know that in my case, the award I am receiving isn’t an Academy Award, I do know, that it is as equally flattering and wonderful: my award is constant idolatry and attention, from the one and only atlmalcontent.

I am truly happy to know that even though there are people who are insecure and unhappy with themselves, by distracting themselves in worshiping the rest of us, who are trying our best just to be happy and live our lives, they start to feel a little better inside. I am honestly flattered by the whole thing, to be honest, even though in this case, it has proven to be sort of a love/hate crush (he says he hates me, but his constant attention and obsession proves that he really loves me), that has definitely had its ups and downs in the past. But, from now, and through the future, things will be different. Please don’t mistake this post as sarcasm, ladies and gents, this sort of love doesn’t come around everyday (or does it?), and I for one, am extremely flattered that I could stay so constant in someones mind, that they would literally think of me so much and so often, that I am literally always on the tip of their tongue. I am honestly a bit ashamed that I never acknowledged it on this grand of a scale before now. I don’t want to let my fans think that I don’t appreciate their love; especially not this fan in particular.

Now, I know that I am, according to him, an “easy target”, and you know, I guess he is right. I believe that label really applies to anyone that just lives their lives, trying their best to be happy with what they have been given. It is true; we will always be easy targets to those whose lives are driven by the quest to focus solely on finding what they deem “wrong”, “beneath them”, and somehow “messed up” in the world. Sadly, this continual quest on which they travel, is merely a distraction from what they are ashamed of within themselves, and echoes the true grip their insecurities have on their lives. It is important for this type of person to continually belittle those of us that they deem “easy targets”, because it distracts them, even if it is only for a moment, from the daily misery that they suffer from.

What I feel that I have neglected to truly acknowledge in the past, is how important we easy targets are to these types of people, and how grateful I am, that I can provide some joy and comfort to at least one of them. I, for one, am glad that I can be that light in someones life, that they can turn to, make fun of, and somehow feel better for a moment. I am honestly honored and elated that, by trying to belittle me, poke fun of my opinions and silliness, and through constant and desperate attempts to try and tear me down, that someone can truly make themselves feel better. If I gain nothing other than that feeling of warmth and joy in my heart that comes from knowing that these attempts to portray me as less than themselves, are somehow making them feel better about their own internal misery; I have honestly gained all that I could ever ever hope for: I have gained the ability to make someones life a little bit happier, just by being myself. There are very few that can truly know that they have made a difference in someone else’s life, and even if I am only passively making someones world a brighter place, then I am extremely proud to be a part of the journey (even if the attempts to tear me down are sadly misrepresentative of who I really am).

One might think, that if I were truly “whiny, self-absorbed, ill-informed, materialistic[,] and uncultured” (as atlmalcontent, says that I am), the very person that believed these things to be true about me, wouldn’t bother with paying so much attention to me. But, it has become clear to me, now more than ever, that it is his belief that I am what he says that I am, and that this is the reason he continues to fixate on me. I think that by trying to characterize me as these things, he somehow feels better about who he is, or perhaps more importantly(?), who he is not. By convincing himself that I am what he says, and that I am somehow beneath him, he becomes (even if falsely) elevated to a place where he can feel better about himself. Knowing that this is why he tries to tear me down with constant misrepresentations, allows me gain a new perspective, and to truly appreciate, these attempts to bring some joy into his life. I am honored that I can be the one to provide that joy for him, and, even it is if only briefly, relieve him from some of his internal misery and crippling insecurity.

I am glad to know that anything and everything that I can say or do, as well as the simple fact that I am who I am, causes one to become fixated on the need to bring me (and others like me) down; even if it is only an effort to make themselves feel better. I am honestly honored and deeply touched, that I could continually bring this sort of positive energy into one’s life.

And it is this knowledge, that compels me to say thank you, atlmalcontent, thank you from the bottom of my heart, for giving me such a meaningful purpose, by bringing true moments of happiness to those like you.

I am literally grinning from ear to ear this morning from all of the love that you, atlmalcontent, continually bestow upon me. I am truly flattered, and that is why I wanted to write this little thank you post to you, my one-derful, devoted fan. Thank you again, buddy! I hope that you have an amazing day, a truly glorious weekend, and an amazing year; because you deserve it. I really mean that, I want you to be happy. I know what it is like to be plagued with insecurity and self hate, and if I can make you feel better about your own, just knowing that makes me feel good. I promise that I will do my best to bring you more “stupid” writing, and more “hilariously uncultured” quips for you to flock to, in your attempts to bring me down for your own distraction and well being. We all want to be happy, and if I can be a part of making you feel better about yourself, I am deeply honored, and want to do everything I can in making the world a better place for those like you. Luckily, all that is required of me, is my presence. Here’s to joy!

hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, venting, well?, wtf?!

wait a second… but I thought?

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Yesterday, our amazingly astute, president said that bin Laden was trying to set up terrorist camps and attack sites in Iraq, and as such, is the main reason why the war on “terror” in Iraq is so essential. But Mr. President… didn’t you say this about bin Laden just a few years ago(?):

Deep in my heart I know the man is on the run, if he’s alive at all. Who knows if he’s hiding in some cave or not; we haven’t heard from him in a long time. And the idea of focusing on one person is — really indicates to me people don’t understand the scope of the mission.

Terror is bigger than one person. And he’s just — he’s a person who’s now been marginalized. His network, his host government has been destroyed. He’s the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match. He is — as I mentioned in my speech, I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death and he, himself, tries to hide — if, in fact, he’s hiding at all.

So I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. I’m more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well-supplied; that the strategy is clear; that the coalition is strong; that when we find enemy bunched up like we did in Shahikot Mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did. (source)

So let me get this straight: the very man that we shouldn’t be focusing on, because he is, after all, just one man (per your words), is THE reason why the war in Iraq is so essential? Humnia humina huh? That sounds like, the complete and total opposite of what you have been telling us for years! It sounds like he has been the real threat all along, yet, you have told us time and again that we shouldn’t be focused on him, because even you don’t spend that much time on him.

I think someone has a case of “I don’t know what the fuck is going on” syndrome, with an unhealthy case of “I am sure that they won’t remember that I said the exact opposite a few years ago” addiction. Point is, if bin Laden is such a threat, why aren’t we going after him? He isn’t in Iraq, is he? And if he is, why aren’t we killing the shit out of him? Perhaps if we would have been focused on him all along, we might not even need to be in Iraq today. If the intelligence was there in 2001, and we knew that he was a threat, why didn’t we go after him? Now, you are saying, in 2007, that bin Laden is the problem, based on info you found in 2005. (!!??!?!) That confuses me, because it sounds to me, like he has always been the problem, yet for almost 5 years now, you have told us he isn’t worth our resources. (Again… ?!?!??!!!??)

If you believe that this president is capable of doing anything more advanced that opening a bag of potato chips, then please stay clear of me, I am terrified of people that will blindly back a person that clearly lacks a basic level of intelligence. It is blaringly clear that this administration is grasping at steadily disappearing straws, trying to come up with reason after reason to justify the needless war on “terror”. Continually using fear tactics, and talking ad nauseam about “the killers” that want to “attack us here”, only to say that you don’t spend any time on the very one that was responsible for ACTUALLY attacking us here, is not only irresponsible, it is sadistic and sociopathic; not to mention bordering on insane.

I am sick and tired of the bullshit. Kill bin Laden. Don’t kill bin Laden. Either way, he isn’t in Iraq, and continuing a war on the people of Iraq is genocide. There is so much blood on our hands, we will never be able to wash it clean, and I for one, want us to at least stop adding fuel to the fire. That will require a president that is able to comprehend basic intelligence, which, unfortunately, we don’t have. January 2009 cannot come soon enough.

Anyone else want to move to another country? Because I am about ready to jump this sinking ship.

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who, what, when, where, why…

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So, I am kind of “out of it” today, and I wanted to open up the floor to you guys. Ask me a question. Any question. I will try my best to give you an accurate and factual answer. While there are no “restrictions”, let’s place nice, okay? Don’t make me have to get the hose, because I will.

Now, to quote the fabulous Pat Benatar, “Hit me with your best shot!”.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, politics, venting, well?

a few gripes, I guess…

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First of all, gas prices still continue to rise, and there apparently is no end in sight. In fact, they are making historically high records, consistently. This is scary, because I know that I can’t afford $4 a gallon for gas, and I just wonder what people with tighter budgets are going through. Also, I find it interesting that they don’t ever mention premium gas when they talk about how high it is… I have to use premium, and the price difference is significant. I know I am feeling it a little more than the regular users out there. This is the first time I am wishing I would have gone with the Prius instead of the Acura. If it gets bad enough, maybe they will let us telecommute or something… something has to give. And do you people still believe that the Iraq war has nothing to do with this? Yeah… moving on.

This just bothers me. Not that a rich congressman lost his PB&J, but that this is the reality for tons of people, and I can’t believe that people continue to believe that “taking advantage of the system” is the norm. I can’t believe that people are expected to get by with just $3 for food a day. $3. A. Day. That is inexcusable. And worst of all, most of these people have families to feed, as well as themselves on that $3 a day. If we don’t start focusing on our own citizens, we are doomed as a society. Things are getting so far out of perspective, that it just seems that turning our backs on those that weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouths is becoming acceptable. I think that it is pretty clear that we love shooting ourselves in the foot, but it seems to me that we have almost shot our feet off, and we are certainly not going to be able to walk away when the shit really hits the fan. I think we need to spend more time focusing on rebuilding our own nation, rather than nation building half way across the world. I mean, it is all about a little bit of perspective, right? The worst part, is that this burgeoning war on the middle class is forcing more and more people into these impoverished situations. This is enough to stress anyone out; I guess I just worry more than some others do, and so, I worry about this a lot.

I saw a story about this on discovery HD a few nights ago, and while I find the phenomena fascinating, I can’t believe that people still live in areas like this. Take for instance Pompeii. I mean, there are thousands of people that live right next to an active volcano that could seriously go ballistic like it did back in the day, and we would have an even worse modern disaster. The government even offers people money for them to relocate, yet people remain. While I know that the lake Nyos situation was slightly different (they didn’t know it would do what it did with the CO2), I can bet that people still live right around that area, much like Pompeii and other dangerous areas. I just wonder what the motivation is to live in areas that an imminent threat that could kill you and everyone around you at a moment’s notice. Like, I know for sure, that I would never want to live in tornado alley, nor do I think I could live comfortably on the San Andreas fault. I don’t even like living in a hurricane zone. I need to live somewhere that doesn’t pose imminent threat to my life, you know? Maybe that’s just me, but I just think that it is common sense not to want to live somewhere you couldn’t escape death if something completely unstable and out of your control is just outside your back door. But, apparently, there are plenty of people that live in those places and don’t seem to lose sleep over it. Perhaps I just worry too much…

I guess that is a three-fer, for this Tuesday, eh? Give me your thoughts, folks. Hope you are well, kids.