SCARY WEATHER WOES

The Andreas Fault -- we heard about it constantly when we lived in Malibu during the mid nineties.

Pictures of what happened in 1994, because Los Angeles was built on the Andreas Fault, scared us. Based on a barrage of advice from newspapers, TV. and neighbors, we prepared an emergency kit,  and a "What To Do" plan for the "big one."

WHOA! Wait a minute! This past July, The New Yorker, with data to prove it, said Seattle and Portland will be wiped off the map. The northern part of the Andreas Fault that Californians fear, becomes the Cascadia Fault that actually threatens to wipe Portland off the map and make Seattle unlivable.

Michio Kaku, the City College of New York professor and physicist, who is considered a major authority on this subject, announced that this troubling article did not overstate the danger. Kaku said Hollywood has "brainwashed" people into thinking that California is where the next massive earthquake will hit. He stated, "The Cascadia Fault is an earthquake waiting to happen. We know it's going to happen with an energy 30 times the maximum energy of the San Andreas Fault."

He explained that before the mega-quake actually hits, there is a compression wave that is detected by animals. "Animals start to act very strange. We've seen that happen before earthquakes. Then, a minute, two minutes later, boom!" The massive quake, with a magnitude of up to 9.2, would last about four minutes, according to seismologists, with a wall of water following about 15 minutes later. Kaku expressed concern for many of the 70,000 residents in the potential "inundation zone," who have very little knowledge about this risk -- "It barely rates on the radar screen," he said.

When a  reporter asked Kaku whether he would live in the Pacific Northwest if he had children, Kaku said, "I'd think twice," and advised residents to educate their children on emergency preparedness -- "Teach them what to do in case of an earthquake."

Kenneth Murphy, who directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region X -- FEMA's division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska -- has said, "Everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast."
       The area of impact will be about one-hundred-and-forty-thousand square miles, including Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Olympia (the capital of Washington), and in Oregon, Eugene, Salem (the Capital), and some seven million people.

       It will be the worst natural disaster in the history of North America, since three thousand people died in San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake; two thousand died in Hurricane Katrina; three hundred died in Hurricane Sandy.
       FEMA projects that nearly thirteen thousand people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. Twenty-seven thousand will be injured. FEMA will need to provide shelter for a million displaced people, and food and water for another two and a half million.

If you don't live near Region X, when you hear about this looming disaster, you can't help thinking "Whew!" Quietly glad because you aren't living there, you wonder if you lived there, would you move?  Relocate to another area?

I think you turn away, close off, stop speculating, and prepare for the emergency the way Californians have been preparing, the way we did when we lived there, the way our son who lives in North Hollywood has prepared.

Banish fear? Yes. Don't deal with looming disasters? Yes. Believe that things will be okay for you and those whom you love? Yes, go with that feeling. The stronger your sense of survival is, the more likely you are to survive.

Looming disasters such as lightening strikes, devastating fires, terrorist fears, even the madman with a gun fears -- cannot be dealt with. In order to live, you have to live day to day -- with hope, even an inner smile anticipating a better tomorrow.

OUTSMARTING YOUR SMARTPHONE

The smartphone you cherish and utilize every day is cherished  and used by  3.5. billion other guys.

Kevin Maney, a down to earth editor at Newsweek, predicts we are going to rely less on our phones!

Hey, no way Jose.    It's my do-everything assistant

                  
Kevin M, who happens to be an exceptionally knowledgeable journalist, says our attention is already shifting from the screen in our hand, to the sky above. He quotes a December survey that says five years from now we probably won't be using smartphones. People will access apps in more convenient ways. Like cars, for example -- they'll connect to the network, respond to voice commands, display lists and maps on the windshield. Like banks or iTunes -- you’ll just say "pay electric bill," or "play this week's hit song."

Apple's Siri, Google Now, and Amazon’s Echo are already heading in that direction -- no phone is needed. The tech is still rudimentary, but The Cloud and artificial intelligence will soon enable us to use other devices -- smartwatch, eyeglasses, touch-screen kitchen counter, car-- or Nest, Fitbit, Occulus Rift, or a gizmo implanted under your skin that responds to voice commands. No more user names or passwords -- your ID is your voice, face, or fingerprint.

A top Google executive said, "We won't use apps the way we do now.  The goal has to be to 'de-silo' -- unbundle apps, so Google, Siri, or Echo can mix and match app services to do the task you requested. What will you carry around? Some small gadget -- pocket screen for watching videos, news stories, and taking pictures -- it'll merely be an adjunct -- you won't need a smartphone."

Gee, -- no more looking down at a little screen?  We'll see real people?  We'll sit next to a person on a  bench,  and say "hello," "how are you today," or "nice weather" and chat?

Have a conversation? ? ? ? ?

Well ... It'll could be ...  an adventure, learning to connect to folks and relate to other guys with words you actually, out loud, into the air  S P E A K.

Hmmm...

it might be ... interesting ... exciting...                
                                                      ...fun...                   

(VIDEO) FREE TIME DOINGS

What does John Cullum do when he has 'free" time?

Along with two music-writing projects, fixing things around the house, seeing and doing readings for new plays, John's real passion is tennis. He also loves to read.

Knowing that he used to love to play tennis, Emily gets her husband to explain why he reads, reads, reads, reads.

THE BLACK-WHITE LADY

Oh boy, Rachel Dolezal -- what a topic.

In that face, the look of ...what...  dishonesty? No. But friendliness, kindness? Yes.

She's  37, and was president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter in Spokane, Washington, from 2014  until June 15, 2015, when she resigned following allegations that she had lied about her racial identity and other aspects of her biography. (She said her father was black and one of her adopted black siblings, 21-year-old Izaiah, was her son.).

Famous people lying about their background has always bothered us, but because of Bryan Williams' exaggerations, and Lance Armstrong's blatant lies, it's become a bigger than ever no-no. Also, because of the many falsities in the way we present ourselves -- in the clothes we wear and the things we do to improve the way we look -- we tend to be much more skeptical nowadays.

Anyhow, I understand why she had to resign. But I like the look of her, and am sorry that she can no longer do the good things that she has been doing for blacks.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said it, in Time Magazine, wonderfully better than I could say it. "Let Rachel Dolezal be as black as she wants to be." (That's a link to the article.)

He said:  "I am not tall. Although I've been claiming to be 7ft.2in. for many decades, the truth is that I am 5 ft. 8in. when I get out of bed in the morning."

Yes, Kareem is joking, but he explains why he lies, why people lie, and finally, outrageously tells us "I am Spartacus" -- reminding us how we cried at the end of that wonderful movie. The men who loved Spartacus, and fought for what Spartacus believed in, were telling the truth when they cried out "I am Spartacus" as the film ended.

Abdul-Jabbar points out that Al Jolson performed in blackface, and actually told the world that he sang better when he was in blackface; Kareem reminds us that Dr. King said we should be judged by the content of our skin -- even though Rachel lied to her employer and the public, the fight for equality is too important to lose.

Strongly, Abdul-Jabber states that Rachel, who has already accomplished so much for the blacks, was just standing up for what she believes in, and saying I am Spartacus.

I say yay for Rachel -- I am echoing -- delighting in what Kareem said: "Let’s give her a Bill Clinton Get Out of Jail Free card on this one (Ididnothavesex) and let her get back to doing what she clearly does exceptionally well --making America more American."

Hey guys, I'm a Jew who is not Jewish in my work or private life; my eye on our culture is not the eye of an accredited college graduate -- I'm just passionate average woman who writes a blog. The tall, 7.2, Abdul Jabbar has given me the courage to also say, “I am Spartacus. All 5’3” inches of me.”

I hope Rachel Dolezal gets back to work, doing what she has been doing wonderfully well for the blacks, and for all minorities throughout the world.