PG&E lost power to around 375K customers today for about 5 hrs. There were reported fights for public telephone access around the failed subway system terminals and when the power finally came back on this afternoon in downtown SF....the ATM's everywhere had lines 20 people deep.....people's access to their lifeblood...CASH.....had been denied for a mere 5 hrs!

How many wake up calls do we need?

-- J Amphlett (vacajohn@pacbell.net), December 08, 1998

Answers

J, see the thread "Power OUT In San Francisco" for further details. Actually people did really well in the "crisis."

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 08, 1998.

Folks, please take 15 seconds to see if your question is already being discussed on another thread, the forum's getting kinda cluttered (like my mind)

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), December 08, 1998.

I like this one better. My arm gets tired scrolling through 10 miles of crap. Here's a novel idea- how about not uploading half of the g**damn internet into the threads! (diane!) A few choice links and an brief synopsis will suffice, if you really don't like CLUTTER!!!

-- lester (suggester@molester.com), December 08, 1998.

lester, it was not Diane but me, Leska, who puts Internet articles on these pages. The reason is that many news articles disappear within a day or two from the URLs and are therefore lost. The choice links no longer work. These threads will stand for the next year as people come to this Forum looking for vital information.

You have unfairly singled Diane out for inapplicable abuse. Diane has performed an altruistic, useful, and valuable service to all of us by watching the news, taking profuse accurate notes, and then very concisely summarizing that news for those of us who could not get the information any other way. The loss of electricity is pertinent to Y2K, where the cascading failures of electricity and all that entails are the primary starting points for our preparations.

Sorry your arm gets tired scrolling through such interesting and important information. Normally all one needs to do is finger-pulse the mouse. Sounds like you need to upgrade your mouse, computer, understanding, brain, and temper, not to mention your musculature flaccidity.

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, who are enriched by Diane's posts, and who know the value of watching power failures, coping techniques, and human reactions as they prepare for the Y2K BlackOut.

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 08, 1998.

J, Just talked to a friend of mine who knows a guy that was working on that crew. Boy are they pissed! They had re-routed the supply source through another channel so they could replace one of the old units with non-compliant chips. They hooked up the new unit and switched the source power back through it. He said that sonfabitch must not have been rated to handle that much juice cause she just fried. Now he's pissed cause the President of PG&E is telling the news that they grounded it out. I don't think changing all of those parts is going to be as easy as they think.

-- z (z@z.com), December 08, 1998.

Leska,

NEWSFLASH!!! NEWSFLASH!!!

Relevant Y2K links do not "disappear", in fact most of them will be there till after 2000!!! "Finger pulsing" a damn mouse for 15 years is the reason I had to have carpal-tunnel surgery. So don't start insulting me - the only reason you don't print your frickin articles is that you're too lazy to get off your FAT ass and feed the frickin printer.

-- (lester@biteme.com), December 08, 1998.

Oooh Diane, you've made it to the top on this forum now. The trolls are after you! You're up there with Deedah! Slap me a high five! ;)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 08, 1998.

lester, if I were to only feed my own printer, I would be depriving other readers of these articles for future reference. I am being considerate and far-sighted towards the needs of others. I do not understand how or why the link URLs disappear and change, but I know from experience that often all that comes up after a day or two is a "Not Found" message or a completely non-related article. Hopefully somebody with technical knowledge of this can explain why articles disappear. If there is a way to "cement" them to the URL for at least two years, I would prefer to just post the URL.

I am sorry you have experienced carpal tunnel surgery. I hear that is a painful and frustratingly limiting condition and you have my sincere sympathy. Perhaps if you just grab the scroll box and bring it down to the bottom you can rest your hand more. After all, to read the original article, one has to scroll down that also, often even longer because it is sandwiched in between ads. This forum is easy to read, visually.

I hope you find a way to channel your anger more appropriately. Preparing for Y2K helps take the edge off. And thinking of others and actively working to help them bring a peace and blessing.

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, who are never upset at seeing an article

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 08, 1998.

Hit the "end" key, it will take your rude ass right to the end of the thread, and save wear and tear on your wussy assed limp wrist.

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), December 08, 1998.

You idiots don't seem to realize that it wasn't I who brought up the issue of CLUTTER it was your head-up-his-ass superstar Uncle DEEDAH!!

-- (lester@blowme.com), December 09, 1998.

Chris, high five back.

I post the long article versions, for the record, since many of the threads "do" disappear. Often at newsmedia websites, they are available in full-text versions for one to two weeks, then found in summary form through the search engines, for a fee. This is the Yourdon global Y2K research project, and as such copyright issues are different. It's important to reference source, provide links, and not reuse for commercial gain without publishers/authors permission.

Uncle, was merely remarking that original thread posters could help us all out, by not posting duplicate topics, at least within close proximity to one another. It was a plea for topic consolidation.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.

SO! That's why it's so dark! (pop) There we go, that's better.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), December 09, 1998.

Sorry about your carpal tunnel, Lester. I feel your pain, literally. My incipient, recurring tendonitis is what prevents me from contributing as fully as I'd like to this forum as well as others.

My medical limitation is also why I prefer to read an article posted here, as opposed to having to flail my mouse all over the screen following URLs, not to mention the time spent waiting for them to load. I won't even mention those irritating ads.

Thank you all who spend the time and take the effort to post full articles in this space. I, for one, really appreciate it.

Hallyx

"I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated." ---Poul Anderson

-- Hallyx (Hallyx@aol.com), December 09, 1998.

Leska, articles don't just disapear, the webmasters change the URL to archive them in some other directory on their server after a certain period of time to make place for newer articles on that directory, which contains current news. Diane probably understood this and so saw the need to cut/paste entire articles to "archive" them right here.

Dieter, ROFLMAO!!!

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 09, 1998.

Actually, to be a little more gentle about it than lester, I tend to get a little annoyed by entire articles posted to a thread also. "The year 2000 problem started because programmers in the 1960's and 1970's decided to save storage space by..." How many times do we need to skip over that paragraph?

Also, I tend to not even read anything posted by Diane that has quotation marks. Chances are I read it already somewhere else, and I don't want to be bothered sifting through three pages of junk to get that one paragraph of gold.

I would suggest that if you have the time to read an article and cut and paste it into a thread here, that you also have the time to edit it so that we can get the point, and you have the time to link the original. I'm sure that if one can't read every article on the web, it's not a big tragedy...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), December 09, 1998.

PSHANNON, Right on! You seem to be the only sign of intelligent life amongst this brat pack.

DEEDAH, Do the world a favor - check yourself into an asylum where you belong and don't come out until you get a grip on something which at least resembles reality.

DIETER, In case you didn't notice, I didn't become a "rude ass" until after I was personally insulted by "lovely Leska" :

"you need to upgrade your mouse, computer, understanding, brain, and temper, not to mention your musculature flaccidity."

Just post your location right here right now. I'd like to show you who the "wussy" is when I use my "limp wrist" to tear you a new asshole - FAGGOT!!

CATSY, Kiss my ass bitch. You don't have the guts to have a mind of your own so you applaud everyone else's attacks. Go fuck yourself sideways.

-- (lester@eatmyshit.com), December 09, 1998.

Correction: See lester's post way above where he is mistakenly rude to Diane, before anybody tried to help him with his scrolling/trolling problems.

What Uncle Deedah meant by "clutter" may be new threads that repeated a recently discussed topic. Correct me nicely if I misinterpreted your remark above, Uncle Deedah :)

Anyway, I went to the SanFran BB that Diane recommended, and read the posts, which were quite amusing. The complaints were usually trivial and centered around bad driving and lack of hot coffee. Diane gave this Forum's URL to the BB. Our slant may surprise those who migrate here curious about Y2K. They may get the impression that hot coffee will soon be the least of their problems. And then, for the first time, I was locked out of here by "Busy Server" for several hours. Diane, I think maybe they took your bait :) xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 09, 1998.

Hope so Leska, we've got a whole world to wake up!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.

I agree Lester, you're right about me.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 09, 1998.

Diane, Leska, Deedah, hi! Boy it's cold up here.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 09, 1998.

PHRATZ!!!!!!

DAMN KIDS!!!!

"FIGHT NICE, NOW!!"

c

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 10, 1998.

Chris, I'll work on lighting a global campfire. Who brings the chocolate, marshmellows and graham crackers? What songs do we sing?

Diane, who as a kid learned the valuable GS lesson "Be Prepared." (It's also warmer and cozier that way).

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 10, 1998.

but but Chuck...HE started it! (pout) Diane, I'm not sure I want to draw on my Girl Guide experience (Canadian) the pledge was "I promise to do my duty, to God, the Queen and my country". But I make mean s'mores. You start the bonfire! I'm not good at singing, but I have a poem game; you have to guess how it ends. This one is for Lester:

The fleecy cloud may kiss the sky. The rose may kiss the butterfly. The morning dew may kiss the grass. And you my friend may...

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 10, 1998.

lester sez - "PSHANNON, Right on! You seem to be the only sign of intelligent life amongst this brat pack."

for the record, I do not agree, and I do not feel good about this.

the guy's a jerk...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), December 10, 1998.

"Lester (the Molester)",

First let me congratulate you on your choice of psyuedonym--it is entirely appropriate. Since you obviously have an accurate asessment of your own character, I'll not bother with a repetition.

The temporary relief that you give yourself by regurgitating the foulness within the nerve-knot that you are under the impression is a mind, defines clearly for us all what a pathetic, tragic being you must be.

The behavior of cyber-beings is inextricably tied to the physical being behind the modem and is, fortunately for you, limited to words. Were it not so, or should I find myself in a position to reveal my location to you, you would indeed have the opportunity to, "tear" something, although I strongly suspect that it would not be what you expected.

As an alternative, let me suggest that you visit 8th and "I" Street, in Washington, D.C. and express your sentiments and desires. I'm sure that anyone in the building will be able to resolve the issue.

I suspect also, that any further verbal vomitus on your part will continue to elicit genuine sympathy from those gently souls that have it to give and more contempt from those of us who have previously had the unpleasant experience of witnessing the rantings of the culturally and intellectually defective.

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch and, if the unfortunate circumstance arises or has arisen that you should reproduce, may all your offspring visit you often and offer their pity to "Papa Baboso". . .

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), December 10, 1998.

I too am annoyed with long posts. Please just post the URL and don't waste all the space on these threads. I know Diane and Leska have nothing better to do but try getting a life beyond this message board.

Lester, you bad!!!! :) If I had a chainsaw, I'd cut your tougue out! BTW..Have you hugged a tree today?

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 10, 1998.

To Anti-Chainsaw,

Tell me how to preserve the URL for two years, cementing the article to the URL, and I'll be happy to include just the URL.

And while I am posting articles for the developing understanding and knowledge of you and future readers, I am at the same time tending to a dying person right in front of my computer. We are hospice caregivers who provide an intense, hands-on, loving spiritual peaceful escort to a suffering dying person, to the threshold of heaven. Most of our patients are in the last stages of cancer. This is extremely demanding work. We live with our patients 24/7, so we are working, literally, all the time. This computer is our window to the outer world.

We believe Y2K may cause serious disruptions in ppl's lives. Working on a daily basis with those who are grieving at the changes and limitations in their routines, we feel an anticipatory compassion for upcoming suffering. This board is a way to reach out, commiserate, learn, and share with our fellow earthlings. We just got our computer in @ September, love it! and are sad that we may not have this fun and useful tool, the Internet, after 1/1/2000.

BTW, our current patient is reading these threads. The impressions you make will be his last thoughts about the human state. It has already helped him tremendously. He is glad to be escaping Y2K after a very busy, incredible life. He is also glad to get away from a planet that harbors some of the violent, cruel, and destructive lowlifes that he has seen displaying their rudeness occasionally on these threads. He was a prof at MIT and holds many patents on vital inventions to mankind. He thinks Y2K will be a 9, and he is glad to be rocketing out of here shortly.

So we do indeed have a life, ours intricately interweaved with death, and death is what we believe Y2K will bring: an end to our daily routines, to comfortable assumptions that somebody else is taking care of imperative sustenances, the end of the last vestiges of innocence in our techno-dependent world.

We think this bulletin board may provide a historical pinpoint insight into the developing awareness of Y2K and the chain of human reactions leading up to the Day. We feel it is worthwhile. If we are wrong, nothing is lost. Nobody *has* to read any paragraph! Scrolling is easy! Posting is easy, too. I type 120+/wpm, read quickly, and write quickly, although usually in a fog of exhaustion: hospice work is perpetually sleepless, with one ear, eye, 80% adrenalin, and 80% consciousness always attuned to the patient. Cancer patients do not sleep much at night, and when they nap during the daytime, the nurses, therapists, relatives, and visitors are all coming by.

Although we've had many offers, we have consciously chosen not to have a different life. We love doing our hospice mission. This is our 26th year working-in and making a huge difference to each patient's passing. For 17 years we also worked other jobs and spelled each other, but nursing, like everything else, has become more complicated, and hospice requires vigilance. The overwhelming gratitude of the families also keeps us feeling useful.

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, who are thankful when other posters include the articles in their posts

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 10, 1998.

Emotions are raging on thread ILy
Too much info is making them cry
Web pages are often times going away
More details are needed, right here and today
So filter the fluff, just let it go by.

-- Jon (jonmiles@pacbell.net), December 10, 1998.

My vote? Not that anybody asked. If there's relevent info in the whole thing - and most of the time it is the small "oh by the way" or off-the wall comment as background that gives me most of the insights _hidden behind_ their words - then add the article. Takes 15-30 seconds to read, everything is in one place.

takes longer than that to call the other article, if still present, as you indicated. Bottom line. Give the poster the respect to decide what's important. But - if it irritates you - let 'em know, but have the judgement to make your recommendation effective by not flaming the person you are trying to convince.

Thought that was a common complaint about Milne.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 10, 1998.

"I am at the same time tending to a dying person right in front of my computer. "

Beats hugging a tree anyday. I admire your patience Leska. Taking the time to type and explain so much to such dull brains.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 10, 1998.

Leska, post your way, for the record.

Thank you for being such a loving, giving soul, clearly walking your talk!

Please tell your MIT professor he's about to embark on a wonderful adventure, and don't forget the rest of us here on this side of the "great divide." We can use all the help we can get now. Hug an angel for me too! And if there's anything he can do, when he passes over, to help organize every individual's spirit guides or guardian angels to let their human know, they are not alone, I'd greatly apprecaite it. Onward great messenger!!!

For the rest, I will continue to post the long form, however I will also attempt to, at the top of the article post, place a KEY QUOTES SUMMARY for those who choose to bypass the full-text. Others, myself include, prefer to gleen additional nuances, from the complete article, here.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 10, 1998.

Thank you, Chris, Robert, Jon, and all else who have reasonably answered, your words buoy. I feel guilty posting articles and not posting articles.

I am a total newbie on the posting front and appreciate any clear advice on how to make posts better. Haven't got the HTML thing down yet, but Jon's tutorial is excellent. Thanks! One of the reasons this BB attracts me is the predominance of techie types who can teach us all.

Patience is the first attribute needed for nursing. It is not something I was born with. What has startled me is the absolute importance of each breath. At the end, when every breath is a war and struggle, it hits home. We take breathing for granted, but when it stops, it's over. Watching long deaths, many years, encourages respect for the littlest things.

I would love to have more time to be able to hug trees! I hate cutting of trees or bushes. We need the green stuff, which oxygenates the earth, and makes the earth lovely and life-giving. We moved to the Pacific Northwest expressly to be surrounded by trees. I too am anti-chainsaw.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 10, 1998.

Thank you, Diane! We have had patients come back to us after their passing. We have one that visits us still, which has surprised us because she did not like us while alive. But it seems for the most part, after about two months, these souls are busy in their new life and do not visit as often.

We do tell our patients what can await them, and they are very curious. Some have already started having experiences of finding themselves above their bodies, looking down, and being able to travel through air. Many see their long-gone relatives coming to talk to them. It can get truly hair-raising for us at times! And many see, hear, and feel nothing. Lately we have stopped asking our patients to pull strings for us on the other side. We had one man who had such integrity, such a will to keep his promise and pact to let us know what happens, that it caused an amazing event, and since then we feel assured enough not to ask this. Actually, we're slightly spooked asking anything anymore.

We have seen the Angel of Death and have a close relationship with Him; He is aware of us, and it is not a warm fuzzy feeling, but rather a bit terrifying, and commands respect. This Angel is not exactly huggable, but fiercely concentrated and awe inspiring and we certainly do our best because we know He is watching. It is God Himself who brings the utter solace, the soaring spiritual joy, the opening of heaven, the all-trembling bliss, the tears and trance of ecstasy, on the heels of the Angel of Death. It is God's love and mercy that makes it possible for us to continue working under the Angel of Death.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 10, 1998.

If the Home, End, Arrow keys, and PageDn/PageUp are not adequate, use intellimouse.

After comparing, using and overusing a dozen or more different kinds of pointing devices, I recommend the Intellimouse from Microsoft or the Intellimouse Trackball if you like trackballs.

These each have a small rubber wheel that has 18 position detents and is itself a click switch. For any Windows window, rolling the rubber wheel scrolls the window content by several lines. By pushing the rubber wheel down until it clicks and let go, a reference point is marked on the window area and moving the pointer above or below it starts a smooth scrolling process in the direction of offset from the reference mark, and at a speed proportional to the distance from the pointer arrowtip to the reference mark. Turning the rubber wheel in this mode will speed up or slow down the smooth scrolling rate.

Also after comparing many wrist rests, by far the best one is the Gel Wrist Rest from Fellowes. They are a softer gel than any of the others. The wrist rests come in a keyboard version and a mousepad version. Get one of each for each computer you use. These are Must- Have for ergonomic and health reasons.

Good xmas presents.

-- Jon (jonmiles@pacbell.net), December 10, 1998.

Jon, thank you! You win the prize for level-headed, practical helpful posting. Along with your poetic, astute side. If I were building a Y2K survival commune, I would have already sent you a priority invitation. Thank you.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 10, 1998.

Leska,

Whenever you feel a bit "overshadowed" just call on Archangel Michael and his blue glowing sword. Awesome assistance provided to those who ask.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 10, 1998.

Hardliner

I think those nice folks at '8th and I' would help our molester see the error of his ways pronto ;)

Ever read any W.E.B Griffin? Me like.

Pops was a Jarhead too, and did a lot of social work in the Pacific a few years ago, places with funny sounding names and lots of caves. Sure wish I'd had more time with him and heard more stories, as I was a pup when he was called for other duties.

:'''(

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), December 10, 1998.

Jon -

You forgot the biggest ergometric advantage (i.e. lazy way of doing something) w/r the Intelimouse.

The wheel (if pushed down) acts as an alternative, re-assignable extra button. So assign it (via the little mouse controls dialog box, or control Panel -> mouse -> Mouse Properties) as a double click.

This will save your hand and index finger 2000-4500 extra clicks per day, regardless of which program you are using.

For what its worth - I use the largest mouse from the "Contour" company that I could find. The curved shape fits my hand better than any conventional mouse. (However, no mouse will help check your typing nor, add anything to your typing speed, but it has a central button that works the same way as the scroll on the Intellimouse, and is much more comfortable.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 10, 1998.

The "odometer" in the mouse control box was 235,000 "clicks" since July 18. Assume 25% ? were double clicks that were avoided by using the middle mouse button instead of the "two left clicks".

Adds up to less wear and tear on your hand.

For you old guys - get a pair of reading glasses preset to the screen distance - this is a little further than "book" or "desktop" reading distances. (Different from outdoors glasses - indoor reading glasses don't need the "line" of complex regular bifocals. Also don't need the "tint" for outdoor light and glare. reduces expense.) Reading glasses reduces neck strain (from bifocals) and reduces eyestrain and effort.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 10, 1998.

Robert, I have Windows98 set up for single-click links (in folder options) anyway so there isn't much double-clicking these days on my desktop. I use the auto smooth scrolling often (have to choose one or the other in this case), I adjust the rate to match reading or skimming rate and it's also good for working on large pics at high magnification, since the scrolling is two-dimensional. My next pointer will be an IR or RF mouse. I have found a good source for remote control peripherals at www.smarthome.com where they have RC components and the catalog has 60 pages of X10 components. Fun stuff!

-- Jon (jonmiles@pacbell.net), December 10, 1998.

Chris said,

"Beats hugging a tree anyday. I admire your patience Leska. Taking the time to type and explain so much to such dull brains."

Perhaps if we had hugged more trees and paid more attention to our envrionment, there wouldn't be as many people in need of Leska's attention. Can you say pollution, Chris??

Thanks Leska for what you are doing. HospiceCare looked after my father-in-law before he died. They were the finest people I have ever met.

Anti-Chainsaw

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 11, 1998.

Leska;

As a Paramedic, my relationship with your darker friend is somewhat different. I know a number of my associates who have gone toe to toe with him and the score whenever I have asked is pretty much tied. Sometimes he backs off and sometimes not.

Also, as a Paramedic, I have nothing but stunned admiration when I meet someone with your ministry/calling or career. It takes a VERY special person to do what you do. I KNOW that I do not have what it takes to do that!!

The Lord TRULY holds you in His hand, and shelters you from the winds.

Chuck, bowing and repeating "I'm not worthy" as I exit!

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 11, 1998.

Anti-Chainsaw, you're just looking for an arguement :-P So I'll go for the bait.

I said that because tree huggers are full of words, while Leska is actually doing something. And because of your snooty attitude. Plus, people live twice longer now even with polution because of medical advances and people like Leska who tend to them.

There :-P

Chuck, Anti-Chainsaw is picking his nose! Stop him!

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 11, 1998.

All our jobs are worthy and necessary to keep our civilization ticking. It is a sobering, perplexing thought, that in a year we might have to totally alter our means of usefulness and lightning- learn new skill sets, because our lives will depend on it. At least none of us will suffer boredom!

Chuck, you have done so many things, you have a good chance of surviving, and you are able and tempered to deal with crisis and fast-changing emergencies. I could never be a paramedic, don't have the stamina, reaction times, spatial or blood 'n guts navigation. The EMTs are true heroes!

Personally, I believe those who work to save the environment are most important. The environment's patient is Mother Earth, whose health we should hold paramount. We're living astride her, and if she's sick, so are we. It's the bigger picture which affects those 6 Billion people.

Perhaps if Y2K is as bad as we're thinking it will be, we will all be forced to put on different job and role hats, and that in the long run will increase tolerance and understanding amongst people, not to mention our dear readers here ;) Many times I have righteously held uppity thoughts, only to find in aghast humiliation before God just how mistaken I was. So I try to let Him be the judge, makes life much easier. Of course He expects us all to develop discriminative wisdom, with love toward our fellows.

About pollution, there is such an increase in cancer, Parkinson's, etc. that by now ppl must realize pollution is harmful. But ppl continue to smoke and pollute their own lungs! Death by COPD or lung cancer is horrible. Suffocation anxiety. These little "white" addictions we so fondly harbor are deadly.

Chris, when I read the article about Butterfly that Diane pointed us to, I was so impressed. There is someone who perches her chirp and is accomplishing a mission critical to the earth. I cannot even conceive of the fortitude she has. And this was after her body was wrecked! Amongst us dwell rare angels, mysterious beings in the flesh.

One little point I need to make, a very sensitive issue -- a hospice caregiver runs for cover if anybody implies the patient "lives twice longer" because of the caregiver's attendance. Why? Because should the caregiver be perceived as prolonging or extending life, all hell breaks loose; the family is furious, thinking their money is being spent needlessly, their inheritance is being drained, the suffering is being prolonged, etc. Money makes things ugly. People do not want to pay for care, sickness, death. Oh, the stories I could tell. I won't :) A hospice worker provides comfort care until that time which God deems right to re-call that soul.

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia
xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 11, 1998.

Leska, A hospice worker posting here, provides comfort and care until that time which God/Divine deems it right to remind all of us, to re- call, to remember our souls.

Thank you for being you.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 11, 1998.

Leska, you have a knack for turning things back to serious ;)

Ok, I'll be serious. I'm an RN myself, and I agree completely with what you said. Except that I might add though, that if you live long enough, you'll get cancer too. Everyone would eventually get cancer. Ofcourse there are new polutants that cause and speed cancer, but in the old days bacterial/viral diseases took most people's lives before they could get cancer. If it was not a bug, it was their gall bladder or child birth. You get the drift.

BTW,I've worked 3 years with Alzheimers patients, in all stages, begining to end stage. I haven't come across family members complaining about the money issue, but many complained about prolonging their loved one's life with too agressive medical care, i.e. blood transfusions, enteral feeding when they stoped eating etc. I myself thought many times that the care was too agressive, and wondered what right we have, or doctors have to prolong the life of a 90 year old person afflicted with Alzheimer at its end-stage. When I started asking myself that question too often, I quit working there. It's not my place as an employee to question my work, not in matters of life and death. But it's my place as a civilian to question, and I still do.

hmm..I just reliased what thread we're on...amazing how some threads evolve eh? I'll exit this one graciously for the last time, I don't like the way it started ;)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 11, 1998.