Not Dead Yet

I'm just writing this to quell any rumors that perhaps I may have already died (prematurely, of course) and gone to hell. I have not. I hope you can accept this as proof. (That is not me in the photo - take my word for it.) 

Accidents

According to one very reliable source, these things happen in America every single day: 

240 people die as a result of medical errors 

144 people die as a result of an accident at home 

130 people die as a result of a traffic accident 

110 people die as a result of accidental poisoning 

62 people die as a result of a fall 

49 people die victims of a homicide 

28 people die victims of a drunk driver 

9 people die as a result of drowning 

Maybe we can learn something from these numbers. They say that doctors bury their mistakes so maybe that is still true? Perhaps people should really watch where they are going to avoid being victims of accidents? People should learn how to swim or wear life jackets always? Don't hang around people who might kill you? Don't put strange stuff in your mouth and maybe, just maybe, you won't poison yourself? Nobody dies as a result of starvation so I guess that's a good thing. 

Getting Old is BAD

Don't listen to anyone who says old age can be fun. It is absolutely not true. They should not be called the golden years - they should be called the rusted years. Even if you're in good health, at age 75, you always know in the back of your mind that as soon as you're gone, no matter how GREAT you were, NOBODY will remember anything you did.  Of all the billions of people who ever lived, not even one tenth of one tenth of one tenth of one tenth of one percent are still regularly talked about - perhaps one hundred historical figures in various fields: science, art, politics. You cannot enjoy anything when you're dead and you KNOW you'll be dead soon. People treat you with respect but only out of respect, not genuine interest. You are basically shoved aside. You become obsolete in front of your very eyes. You also look horrible - wrinkly and crooked. If you get sick, things are only worse. You spend a lot of time just worrying about whether you'll get sicker. You get depressed easily. You spend too much time with doctors, looking for a cure for the incurable. The only good thing about growing really old is that you might get to see a lot of your friends die before you do. That's it. Then, it's your turn. Death is NOT normal and it is never fun. Old people know all of this but they just pretend things are ok and that they are fine with old age. They are NOT. Getting old is bad - really bad. Let us not pretend otherwise. It is a CURSE but people just insist on looking on the bright side.  In this case, there isn't any. hahaha

Odyssey Marine

A judge has ordered the return of half a million dollars worth of gold coins to Spain. A company named Odyssey Marine Exploration found the coins in a sunken ship. The ship had been carrying the loot to Spain from Peru when it was sunk in the 1800s. If the Spaniards wanted the treasure, why didn't they look for it? Now that someone else has done the hard work, they start whining. The Spaniards are famous for looting other countries. To this day, nobody knows what they did with all the gold that arrived safely from Mexico, the Carribean, and South America. Finders keepers I say or return it to Peru. Maybe we should ask this topless woman - she might know a couple of things about gold.

Music and Art

“Dave Brubeck, left, performs with Tony Bennett at George Wein's Carefusion Jazz Festival 55 in Newport, R.I. on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009. Brubeck and Bennett performed 'That Old Black Magic,' a number they last did together for President Kennedy at the White House.” Brubeck is 88 and Tony Bennett is 83. I’ve never played with Brubeck but I have performed with Bennett. So, I ask myself, why should a life this good have to end? It does not seem fair, but you figure it out. I know nothing.

Drugs and other treats

This is a short list of the drugs Michael Jackson was supposedly taking recently (all at once): Demerol, Vicodin, Soma, Xanax, Dilaudid, Zoloft, Paxil, and (of course) Prilosec. If this cocktail doesn't kill you, nothing will. What were they thinking?

My friend on the left knows nothing of this. She is an innocent bystander. French (I think.) She gave me permission to use her photo. I cannot give you her name but she is on Facebook.