For some reason, my brain things “badger” sounds like it should be a bad word.

Badgerbadgerbadger.

Glad I’m not in Wisconsin.

Today’s word is: slurry

As I was half listening to the news this evening, a piece came up that stopped me in my tracks.

The Fukishima nuclear problems have convinced a noted environmentalist that nuclear power is, in fact, a viable alternative.

It was very strange to hear a man delineating all the things I wrote last week about why I was undisturbed by the nuclear reactor problems.

Because as bad as things get, the amount of damage is nowhere near the amount of damage that occurs on a daily basis with coal mining.

As the world stares in abject fascination at the news coming out of Japan, no one outside of WV has heard about Massey Energy being sited for more than eighty (80) safety violations while they still claim that they were not to blame for the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, meanwhile they won a lawsuit over Marsh Fork Elementary. Did you know that a single coal slurry damn breaking has killed twice as many people as all the nuclear reactor disasters ever?

Yet we’re all in a tizzy over Fukishima, while ignoring the numerous deaths due to coal mining. Which is why I was pleased to hear that someone else had sat down and considered the actual dangers and was willing to speak out about where deaths and danger and destruction truly lie.

I ordered a new purse–the one below–in “espresso” (or brown in normal human terms.)

What did I receive? A very pink one.

I hate pink.

I hope they fix this right quick.

ADDENDUM the First:
It’s been 24 hours and I’ve heard nothing. I am annoyed.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from yesterday.

(more…)

I’ve had an awesome day!

You?

The following 146 people lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

Leone, Kate, 14
Maltese, Rosaria, 14
Brodsky, Ida, 15
Mehl, Rose, 15
Viviano, Bessie, 15
Altman, Anna, 16
Billota, Vincenza, 16
Cooper, Sarah, 16
Franco, Jenne, 16
Grasso, Rosie, 16
Koppelman, Beckie, 16
Kupferschmidt, Tillie, 16
L’Abbate, Annie, 16
Midolo, Gaetana, 16
Miller, Annie, 16
Pasqualicchio, Antonietta, 16
Stellino, Jennie, 16
Brenman, Sarah, 17
Brunetti, Laura, 17
Cammarata, Josephine, 17
Caputo, Francesca, 17
Eisenberg, Celia, 17
Gerstein, Molly, 17
Gitlin, Celia, 17
Rosen, Israel, 17
Sabasowitz, Sarah, 17
Shapiro, Rosie, 17
Tortorelli, Isabella, 17
Weintraub, Sarah, 17
Wisotsky, Sonia, 17
Berger, Yetta, 18
Brooks, Ada, 18
Cirrito, Rosina, 18
Evans, Dora, 18
Fichtenholtz, Yetta, 18
Friedman, Rose, 18
Gerjuoy, Diana, 18
Goldstein, Mary, 18
Grossman, Rachel, 18
Hollander, Fannie, 18
Kanowitz, Ida, 18
Kaplan, Tessie, 18
Lehrer, Max, 18
Maiale, Bettina, 18
Nicholas, Annie, 18
Nussbaum, Sadie, 18
Pack, Annie, 18
Pildescu, Jennie, 18
Reines, Beckie, 18
Schiffman, Gussie, 18
Sorkin, Rose, 18
Stein, Jennie, 18
Wendorff, Bertha, 18
Bernstein, Essie, 19
Bernstein, Morris, 19
Dockman, Clara, 19
Horowitz, Pauline, 19
Jukofsky, Ida, 19
Kessler, Beckie, 19
Kula, Bertha, 19
Kurtz, Benjamin, 19
Lehrer, Sam, 19
Levin, Jennie, 19
Levine, Pauline, 19
Liermark, Rose, 19
Meyers, Yetta, 19
Neubauer, Beckie, 19
Oberstein, Julia, 19
Oringer, Rose, 19
Schpunt, Golda, 19
Caruso, Albina, 20
Feibisch, Rebecca, 20
Goldstein, Esther, 20
Goldstein, Yetta, 20
Maltese, Lucia, 20
Ostrovsky , Beckie, 20
Pearl, Ida, 20
Saracino, Teresina, 20
Schneider, Ethel, 20
Taback, Sam, 20
Velakofsky, Frieda, 20
Weiner, Rosie, 20
Brodsky, Sarah, 21
Del Castillo, Josie, 21
Hochfeld, Esther, 21
Lansner, Fannie, 21
Lederman, Jennie, 21
Maiale, Frances, 21
Nicolosi, Michelina, 21
Prato, Emilia, 21
Rosen, Fannie, 21
Rosenberg, Jennie, 21
Rosenthal, Nettie, 21
Schochet, Violet, 21
Weisner, Tessie, 21
Welfowitz, Dora, 21
Benanti, Vincenza, 22
Bierman, Gussie, 22
Giannattasio, Catherine, 22
Goldstein, Lena, 22
Leventhal, Mary, 22
Mankofsky, Rose, 22
Prestifilippo, Concetta, 22
Rosenbaum, Yetta, 22
Rosenfeld, Gussie, 22
Rothstein, Emma, 22
Rotner, Theodore, 22
Stiglitz, Jennie, 22
Terranova, Clotilde, 22
Uzzo, Catherine, 22
Wilson, Joseph, 22
Brenman, Rosie, 23
Florin, Max, 23
Klein, Jacob, 23
Liebowitz, Nettie, 23
Utal, Meyer, 23
Adler, Lizzie, 24
Donick, Kalman, 24
Salemi, Santina, 24
Schwartz, Margaret, 24
Ardito, Annina, 25
Cohen, Anna, 25
Cordiano , Michelina, 25
Dashefsky, Bessie, 25
Greb, Bertha, 25
Saracino, Sarafina, 25
Sklover, Ben, 25
Fitze, Daisy Lopez, 26
Floresta, Mary, 26
Manaria, Maria, 27
Binowitz, Abraham, 30
Colletti, Annie, 30
Pinelli, Vincenza, 30
Starr, Annie, 30
Bassino, Rose, 31
Carlisi, Josephine, 31
Schmidt, Theresa, 32
Lauletti, Maria Giuseppa, 33
Rosen (Loeb), Louis, 33
Seltzer, Jacob, 33
Rosen, Julia, 35
Ciminello, Annie, 36
Bernstein, Jacob, 38
Maltese, Catherine, 39
Herman, Mary, 40
Panno, Provindenza, 43

Photos from the Cornell memorial site.

Photos from the NY Times.

I’ve been mulling over this for awhile, as I’ve been listening to everyone and their monkey freak out over the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident. I am simply not the slightest bit stressed out about this, or, to be honest, very upset.

I’m not saying this isn’t a serious problem, because it is. What I’m saying is that what we’ve got going otherwise for power is a whole lot more deadly.

Total deaths from nuclear power reactor accidents, all time: 56

Deaths from mine accidents in the US only, last year: 31

Deaths from mine accidents in West Virginia since 2000: 46

Reported deaths from mine accidents in China in 2009: 2,631

That’s 56 deaths, ever, from nuclear reactor disasters, compared to 46 deaths, just in West Virginia, just in the past decade.

But wait! You cry, that doesn’t count deaths from cancer that happened later! Nope. It doesn’t. But it also doesn’t count deaths from black lung, and I’m pretty sure that number is a whole lot higher, just for WV.

But what about the environmental concerns and problems from radiation? Don’t make me laugh.

So like I said, I’m having a hard time getting worked up over and accident whose ramifications pale in comparison to what my state has gone through for more than a century.

See this site for some further comparisons of the human costs of different forms of energy.

(more…)

And in between the storms we had sunshine.

(more…)

And if THAT wasn’t a complete non-sequitur, I don’t know what is.

Today’s word is: crocus

(more…)

It was pretty earlier in the day–not so much by the time I walked home.

Daffodils are almost ready to bloom. Almost.
(more…)

(more…)