Category Archives: World Events

Sometimes the Monsters are Real – Ebola

Ebola, Health Issues, Opinion, World Events, , , ,

hot-zone-bk

I have said before that I think the world is a scary place. There’s a lot of bad shit going on right now. The largest EBOLA outbreak in history, happening in West Africa, has caused me some alarm.

Now I first learned about Ebola back in 1994 when I read “The Hot Zone,” written by Richard Preston. This is an incredibly compelling, horrifying read. I started the book one evening after putting my daughter to bed, and stayed up until about 4:00 a.m. to finish it because I literally could not put it down – I found it to be absolutely riveting. This would be some of the best horror/science fiction ever written, except for the fact that it is real. If you haven’t read it, you might want to just to be enlightened (or scared shitless!).

With global travel what it is, and the ways AIDS spread, I have always worried about Ebola and Marburg viruses. Except for a case back in 1989, involving monkeys, I don’t believe Ebola has ever been reported in the U.S. – though I could be wrong about that.

Several U.S. national labs have samples of the Ebola virus and are working to create a vaccination. Yesterday they flew one of two American health care workers who have gotten the virus to Atlanta, Georgia. That hasn’t gone over to well with many Americans. I have pretty mixed feelings about it myself, because quite frankly, IT FREAKS ME OUT!! This is a nasty, and I mean nasty disease and a horrifying way to die. Not trying to be a fear-monger like the mainstream media usually is, all the time freaking people out to go and do – translate BUY – something, but this is some frightening shit.

I do believe they would get better treatment here in the states and I know the hospital in Atlanta has planned and trained for this exact mission, or one similar. (Isn’t that the saying – plan, train, fly?) And I am sure this exposure will provide many opportunities for many things – good and bad. Yeah, I’m a realist. They can study, dissect/DNA map/etc., and try to find a vaccination, maybe even discover something to help cure those who have it. They can also use this experience to intermingle this new strain with the samples they have, I’m assuming. They could do a lot of things with that – lots of research. I’m not a healthcare professional, but I do find all things medical fascinating.

I think the virus has up to a 21-day incubation period. I worry someone is going to expose others, maybe not even anyone working at the Emory University Hospital, but a healthcare worker from that part of the world traveling to other parts. Those in charge seem to think they can contain the virus and prevent the risk of the virus spreading. I hope they are right, because it only takes one unidentified infected person to spread this virus globally, and under the right conditions this is a ticking time bomb – especially in highly and densely populated areas.

I don’t know – there are a lot of worrisome things going on right now. I wonder, has it always been this bad and scary out there and I just wasn’t paying attention, OR is it really worse . . . or both I would imagine . . .

Anyway, what do you think about this Ebola crisis? Have you read the book I mentioned? Does a disease that can, for lack of a better term, liquefy organs and cause one to bleed out from various orifices in their body cause you any alarm? Damn, am I overreacting?

Just something I was thinking about . . .

Catching Up On a Few Things

China, Current Events, Life, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, NASA, North Korea, Opinion, World Events, , , , , , , ,

Owls in tree
Baby owls in my tree – look closely, there are 5 sets of eyes!

The world really freaks me out – I mean like frightens me, especially for my kids and grandbabies. I heard that North Korea is really incensed about some movie scheduled to come out in October, with Seth Rogen and James Franco. It’s called “The Interview.” The movie is about a plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un. He is pissed and feeling completely disrespected and has said if this movie is released it will be considered an “act of war that we will never tolerate.” Seriously, we are going to have a war with North Korea over a movie . . .

This is from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28014069:

The North Korea [foreign ministry] spokesman was quoted by the state KCNA news agency as saying: “Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated.”

He added that the “reckless US provocative insanity” of mobilising a “gangster filmmaker” to challenge the North’s leadership was triggering “a gust of hatred and rage” among North Korean people and soldiers.

“If the US administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless counter-measure will be taken,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.

What can you say about that? I certainly believe in free speech, but at what cost? Is this particular movie and article of free speech worth poking this crazy frickin’ bear? What do you think?

And then I heard Iran, Iraq, and Syria want help from the U.S. in the form of air strikes to help them fight against ISIS. The world just keeps getting stranger. Not sure what I think about the request – could be advantageous later, but then again, it seems whenever we get involved in this type of conflict, especially in that part of the world,  those we go to help seem to turn on us later. I don’t know, I just can’t help but think if we ever have another civil war here, the United States would not tolerate any other country stepping in, in any way, shape, or form. I understand about needing a peacekeeper/peacemaker/mediator sometimes, but who appointed the U.S. government in that role?

They still haven’t found the plane and I am beginning to think they never will. I don’t know, maybe aliens did snatch that baby right up, or maybe Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went through an area like the Bermuda Triangle. I remember growing up, we all talked about the Bermuda Triangle and whether it was weather-related, pirate-related, alien-related, or a series of coincidences  – we weren’t savvy enough at the time to think any government might be involved. Now that I am older and with the advent of cable TV and the Internet, I don’t hear much about the infamous triangle anymore. Maybe it’s lost its appeal, with everybody paying attention to Lindsey Lohan, Justin Bieber, that icy blue-eyed criminal and zombies and other useless kind of stuff.

Speaking of that icy blue-eyed criminal  – his mugshot finally hit over 100,000 likes on the Stockton Police Dept.’s Facebook page. The noise on him has definitely quieted down a bit. I can tell you some of the comments are on that page are just stranger than fiction. REALLY!

Russia has hinted they may pull out of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020, as opposed to getting the full life out of it, manning it until 2024 or 2028. They want to re-allocate Russian ISS funding to work on projects with China and India. It sounds like Russia wants a piece of the moon, if you ask me. Anyone paying attention to NASA lately had to have seen that one coming . . . I did. I see lots more to come on that regard, and I can promise it will be interesting to say the least. NASA has high hopes the amicable international partnership of the ISS will continue. I hope they are right.

There’s a new Planet of the Apes movie coming out – that just scares the shit out of me . . . really LOL!! Like the world isn’t a scary enough place, without thinking about apes being in control 😉

On a joyful note, I did find out there are at least five owl babies!! I don’t believe the nest is in my fig tree, but is in in one the trees in that little corner thicket, maybe in one of the cedar trees. Haven’t seen them in over a week now, so maybe they got big enough to fly away. Sure hope they come back next year!

Just some things I was thinking about . . .

I’m Confused – to say the least

Current Events, Opinion, Politics, Thinking Independently, World Events, , , , , ,

I have no idea what to make of this Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl situation. Let me start by saying as a human being and a mother and sister, I am very happy they were able to bring him home. I am also a firm believer in leave NO man behind.

Now having said that, as the ever-questioning cynic and realist that I am, what is going on here? Why would we ever exchange FIVE Taliban commanders for one sergeant, especially after all this time? What has changed? Who is this Sgt. Bergdahl and what does he know? What has he been exposed to?

What do these Al-Qaeda guys know? Have they been given lobotomies? Have they been implanted with tracking devices so invasive that removal would cause death? (Just curious WHY we would release them if they are Taliban commanders.)

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to insinuate in any way that Sgt. Bergdahl’s life isn’t worth saving – I just don’t understand why it was done – it doesn’t make sense. What precedent does this set? This is not our government’s normal protocol, as best I can tell. Maybe I am misinformed, or maybe I don’t understand how things are done. I’ll admit, I have never been in the service, nor in a war zone.

Now I am hearing Bergdahl  was a deserter, and possibly a traitor – and that this was known by those making decisions to barter his release. It was negotiated, but it was bartering just the same. Not sure what to make of that, though I am totally just thinking aloud here, as I write. Is this just a small cog in a larger machine, or is this just a simple confused young man who ended up getting lucky after all – or something in between? Yeah, I know, I should write fiction with the way my mind works 😉

I am sure there will be many new developments as time passes. In the meantime, I am off to read more about all the hoopla surrounding the execution drugs used by the U.S.

Anyway – just something I was thinking about . . .

What Will Happen to the International Space Station?

Current Events, Future Generations, NASA, Opinion, Politics, Thinking Independently, World Events, , , , , , , , 

iss imageThis photo of the International Space Station was snapped by an STS-133 crew member on the space shuttle Discovery on March 7, 2011. Image Credit: NASA

It’s started. Not quite three years since the last shuttle flew, the Russian government has threatened to pull support from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020. NASA has hoped that the ISS could operate through 2024, possibly even as far out as 2028 – which extends its original lifespan, which I believe was 15-20 years.

The Russian government has also decided to block the U.S. from using Russian NK-33 and RD-180 rockets to launch U.S. military satellites due to the growing tensions between the two resulting from U.S. sanctions in response to the upset in Ukraine, as well as U.S. plans to deny export licenses for high-technology items to Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has decided to really spice things up by saying the U.S. could use a trampoline to get our astronauts to the station. He also implied the Russian Space Agency may continue to utilize the station alone, as the U.S. segment cannot function without the Russian segment, though the Russian segment can function without the U.S. segment. The thrusters on the Russian segment keep the ISS in orbit and at the proper attitude.

NASA issued a statement saying they have not received any formal word from the Russian government regarding this proposed change in space exploration cooperation. The $100 billion space station is the result of the work and cooperation of 15 nations, predominantly the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe.  I am pretty sure we have covered a pretty huge dent in the costs, in one way or another.

This raises so many questions. Why did President Bush decide to cancel the shuttle program before there was another option in place? Why was this aspect (replacement for the shuttle i.e. human spaceflight) so short-sighted in thought and forward planning? Though the space shuttles were becoming outdated, NASA was in the process of upgrading them. Why does our government continue to cut our space exploration legs out from under us by cutting funding?

Why does our government seem to have a problem with strategic long-term planning support in this area? Often NASA makes plans, gets funding, starts work, and then whichever administration is in power loses patience and interest. I would love to see a complete list of all NASA (and other government) programs that were funded, worked on, and then scrapped, and why they were scrapped.

Asking these questions will not change what has happened, but I think examining some of these disconnects might help going forward. Space and politics aren’t really my thing, but even I am smart enough to understand the implications of the U.S. not having a prominent place and role in manned space exploration.

Well at least the Russians aren’t threatening our seats on the Soyuz just yet. And maybe this is just all bluster on Rogozin’s part. There is still a lot of knowledge to be gained from the space station, not counting the amount of money that has been invested. It only seems right to get as much out of it as possible for all parties involved.

What a way for the greatest engineering achievement ever embarked upon and completed successfully to end. What a way for one of the most auspicious global collaborations in cooperation of shared visions to come to a close.

Just something I was thinking about . . .

You Best Be Paying Attention ‘Cause Shift Happens


Many years ago I watched a video called “Shift Happens” – a real eye-opener on the world we now live in. Since then it has been updated a few times and has changed a bit. I found several out there, but this revision is by one of the the original creators and I found the info presented here, as far as numbers go, is the same used in the 2013 and 2014 versions. (Plus, I am not entirely sure who actually updated those with additional info.)

I can’t say I hope you enjoy the video, as it is not for pleasure, more as it is for pause, consideration, education, and maybe even enlightenment. The world is so different from the one I grew up in, and is even different from the one my kids grew up in. People born in the last decade have had just about every move they have made digitally tracked in some form or fashion. (That’s another topic for another day!)

We are not the greatest country in the world anymore (yes, we Americans often think that!) – if nothing else because our “natural” resources are lacking . . . our human resource is not only out-numbered, but out-educated, and possibly even out-motivated, it seems. Taking these things into consideration, maybe we need to start thinking about “re-inventing the wheel” as it pertains to our future or the United States may find it quite difficult to keep up or even compete.

I don’t know  – just something I was thinking about . . .

What do you think?

Dangerous winds are blowing . . .

Current Events, Opinion, World Events, , , , , , , ,

I’ve noticed lately, often I hear about the news on Facebook before anywhere else. Today a post came up pointing to an article on USA Today.  I included the link below, in the event you haven’t read it yet. It is very disturbing indeed. With the uncertainties with Russia already, this newest proclamation is straight out of World War II and the Third Reich. I have to say, I am more cynical than ever regarding our future – as a nation and as a world. Who knows where this is going to lead . . .

USA Today – Jews ordered to register in East Ukraine

Just something I was thinking about . . . right now ☮