Shake 'em up baby

There is a really scary volcano, El Hierro, in Spain's Canary Islands that lately threatens to dump a large mountain into the ocean, setting off tsunamis that could wreak havoc in various places, including, possible, the U.S. East Coast. Jó Frímann, an Icelander I believe, runs a great volcano blog if you don't have enough miscellaneous worry in your life. Take a peek. A really big natural disaster should take people's minds off the economy; might even shut up the presidential aspirants.

Quick grin

From an agricultural cousin of herself, this funny vid.

On finality

You get to a certain point and you start to think about check-out time, not necessarily morbidly but with some close attention. Everyone I know of a certain age will tell you that the desideratum is not to avoid dying but to avoid dying slowly and miserably in the grasp of doctors and hospitals. If you've ever wondered how doctors feel about shuffling off, an essay in Zócalo Public Square by a doctor, Ken Murray, enlightens and maybe suggests a good idea for that next tattoo should maybe be 'NO CODE' across your sternum.

Years ago, Charlie, a highly respected orthopedist and a mentor of mine, found a lump in his stomach. He had a surgeon explore the area, and the diagnosis was pancreatic cancer. This surgeon was one of the best in the country. He had even invented a new procedure for this exact cancer that could triple a patient’s five-year-survival odds—from 5 percent to 15 percent—albeit with a poor quality of life. Charlie was uninterested. He went home the next day, closed his practice, and never set foot in a hospital again. He focused on spending time with family and feeling as good as possible. Several months later, he died at home. He got no chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical treatment. Medicare didn’t spend much on him.

Read all here. It's really interesting.

Election season

Looks like a long, painful year for citizens of the republic, what's with the intensifying of the interminable presidential election. The two candidates are so annoying that the one I like least is always the last one I saw on TV. Obama's little back-door immigration stunt was a cheap play that particularly irritated. Mexico is in a presidential election now, but no matter who wins down there, the next Mexican president will continue unwonted meddling in American immigration policy. An engineer friend sends along an interesting vid on a border tactic with possibilities.

1K

I just noticed that this is Post #1000. Whoda thought it was gonna go on that long? Anyhow, this video tickled me inordinately; in a world of ugly, stupid public exhibitions, it's a lovely thing.

More crossdressing

Not up there with the lovely Miss Bayrat, a rather unattractive professor in Georgia has been popped for trying to peddle his wares – rather cheaply – while dressed up all girlie. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 'A highly acclaimed University of Georgia German professor was arrested Thursday for prostituting himself for $60, authorities said.' Read it all here and pipe the pic. Guy's got tenure; they probably can't do anything to him.

Water Safari

The first boat in, #314, came across the choppy bay to arrive at 11:30 p.m., Sunday night. Number 314 was a chalk bet if you could've found anybody to fade the action. Two of the paddlers are pro paddlers from Belize, the brothers Cruz, on the near end of the group pic. They are so well conditioned that one year I was down there, they were kicking a soccer ball around on the grass of the bayfront after they dragged the boat up the steps. Always an entertaining thing, watching the first boat come in. Guess we've had about all the excitement we can stand until next year. Had a small chat with the official photographer of the Water Safari, a nice girl from Austin. She isn't paid for the job but can sell pix if she gets buyers. Just the job for somebody with, maybe, student loans. She is married to a musician … a perfect Austin story if only the guy were her boyfriend and not her husband and not just a musician but a drummer.