Texans Store Gasoline

Haven't WE had Enough?

Texans, another "things you can do" reminder.  Today, I checked with several local gas stations in northeast Austin near where I live.  None of them had back-up generators or plans to obtain one.  So when the water runs out and the electrical power with it, few if any gas stations will be able to pump fuel.  There aren't enough short term generators on retailers inventories to supply the gas stations, and there will be fierce competition for those available. Therefore they will have to shipped from out of state, a process that will take 1-3 weeks minimum.  Within a week or two every generator in the country will be bought by Texans, and there will still be a tremendous demand.  Keep in mind there will be 26 million Texans with no water, electricity and and a dramatic shortage of gasoline.  Ironic, since Houston refines 60% of the nations gasoline.  We've got enough for 250 million people but we can't use it ourselves.  That's not a joke but laugh anyway.  What else can you do in the face of such preposterous circumstances. And our government, whom we elect and pay to serve us has not mentioned the catastrophic consequences of running out of water. And from all appearances, they have no plans to do so.  Aren't you glad we elected a governor who doesn't believe government has any business in public service.  He's already announced his plan to get rid of Medicaid.  Not to worry Rick, 80% of the population will be forced to leave, so in a couple of years you will preside over a ghost state.  That's a joke.

So, keep your car tanks full and store all the gasoline that you possibly can.  Don't forget to put preservatives in every container or it will "spoil" and be useless for your car or generator if you have had the foresight to get one before the panic.  I purchase the top of the line Honda generator a month ago.  Texans, get one while you can. Be sure and tell the sales staff why you are purchasing the generator.  If sales increase dramatically, perhaps the retail vendors will figure out what is happening and increase their stock.

Not an Advertisement A
Visual Reminder

Since, Perry has declared in writing to retail customers via the water districts that "there is not water problem, and no further conservation measures will be necessary", and he rejected the seasoned advice that he didn't want to here from the Texas Water Commission, who had a long history of managing water problems in this state for over a decade, "immediate drastic cut backs be made in our usage fo power and water on June 29th when our reservoirs hit a "trigger point" low matching the record low of 1951.  Perry blocked those actions which are routinely followed by utility districts,  The last Friday it was announced that he fired the entire Commission and replaced them with allies form the real estate and financial sectors, not a single one of which has any experience in managing the complexities of water resource management.  Not a scientist on the new commission.  Just "yes" people incompetent to assess the situation and ploitically biased against against conservation of any type. 

So the die is cast; Perry will watch us run dry without even a warning to the public of the severity of the problem.  A simple calculation: water on hand divided by the usage rate, both public information indicates that our reservoirs will be bone dry by the first week in February.  Unless of course something changes.  Unlikely that our usage will change since Perry opposes it and the public simply refuses to stop stop watering their lawns (25% of our total usage).  So Travis County and other areas in south Texas will be very ugly very suddenly around Feb 1st.  Residents will have no water or power.  Gas will be unavailable because gas can't be pumped without power.  All retail, including supermarkets will be closed according to current standarts.  The EMT and medical facilities will be completely overwhelmed beyond capacity.  Evacuate a large portion of 1.7 million people? How, the freeways will become parking lots, virtually frozen.  What would DFWand Houston do with this migrants if the got there?  Those cities have more water in their reservoirs that we do, but certainly not enough for millions of people.  And shelter, recall how few Katrina victims Texas absorbed after great delay.  

Certainly, the event, running out of water will stimulate stage 2 of Kubler-Rosses universally accepted pattern of how humanity deals with loss: anger.  Food riots are certainly a possibility. Any ugly thing you can think of with probably will happen to one degree or another.  I'm sure Gov Perry will be several continents away, as whatever miracle he believed in that was going to save us did not occur.

Do what you can to prepare.  Organize anyone willing to step out of denial that a catastrophe is coming, and pray.  If you feel like you need to leave, do it soon, because the last few weeks  before the last drop of water is gone, escape will be profoundly difficult.  Simply, put, how are you going to drive out this giant state without refilling your gas tank, is wishful thinking.  And it's not as if your fuel problems end when you cross the State line, nature does not honor these imaginary lines.  New Mexico has minimal services which will be overwhelmed immediatiely.  The desert and drought continue to the Pacific Ocean.  Colorado has it's own set of environmental emergencies.  The midwest has dried up all the way to southern Minnesota.  That leaves, East through one of the poorist areas of the country, but virtually no capacity to absorb a flood of migrating Texans.  Bottom, line, you are faced with a 1000 mile journey at a snails pace , 5 mph, with the constant stress of finding food and water; and little chance of ever sleeping in a motel.  Look at the numbers, our current weather pattern which is going on 6 years with no signs of change, puts Texas with an annual rainfall similar to New Mexico, and that supports a population density at the most optimistic projections, that when applied to Texas which is twice the size, projects a sustainable population of 5 million maximum.

That means of our current 26.5 million, will have to shrink by over 20 million over a short period of time.  Once urban areas go dry this winter, the reservoir system for all practical purposes is permanently broken because it will take decades for the reservoirs to refill to a useable level.  The urban populations will dead or gone way before that.  It is ironic that the urban areas, currently with far more resources than rural areas, are vastly more vulnerable in this situation, and will have almost no choice but to migrate.  If you accept that 80% of the population must leave over a short 2 year period (and unless something miraculous happens in the next six months---how is anyone going to wait 2 years before leaving?).  But, for the sake of this theoretical model whose purpose is to expose the unanticipated risks of migrating, that add 20,000 cars to our already congested freeways.  And they will all be going one direction East or Northeast.  That folks is one Siberian sized parking lot. How will the local people deal with wrecks, brake downs, running our of gas, medical emergencies?  Simple put if you have a serious medical problem, chances are you die in your car.  The very young and very old will be very vulnerable to heat and or cold stress.  Ever tried to keep your car remotely comfortable while idling for 10 hours?  Can't be done; especially when you need to turn your engine off as much as possible to conserve fuel.  I'll stop now; but continue to think of the myriad of difficulties and how you would have to deal with them.

I think it will take an organized and spirited national effort to avoid millions of deaths.  But maybe that is what America needs right now to jump start a desperate need for unity and community. Having a clear purpose, saving people that can't help them selves, with a simple set of tasks (moving food and water around and giving it grateful people) is a vastly more fulfilling life than our usual "worries" like what color the new car should be, what TV show are we watching tonight, or what am I going to wear to work tomorrow.  We have become a nation of consumers, valuing only money and void of any fulfilling activities.  Spoiled physically and so disconnected with nature, the average citizen does not any details of where our water comes from and why it comes out of the tap.  I was shocked when I first stared talking to people here in Austin, the capital of the "the energy State" that few knew that electricity generation is dependent on vast quantities of water, or that gas wouldn't come out of the pump with electricity.  We've taken too much for granted for far too long.  Perhaps, the hidden blessing in this Climate Change driven disaster, will be that it wll shock us back into an appreciation for the necessities of life that we have taken for granted for long it has rendered us nearly helpless when stressed by weather change.  And as World Climactic Weather Changes go, this current one is just a small interdictory test.  At this point we are failing the test.  But we have choices.  We have the freedom to make them. And we have both the hard wired (genetic) spirit, toughness, and dogged determination to turn that around.  But there is no time to waste on bickering, political or otherwise.  We must immediately do what obviously needs to be done and put our differences aside.

Revision of September 19, 2012
This situation has solidified: Gov. Perry who doesn't believe in World Climactic Change had firmly decided that there will be no cut backs in use of water or power, which was recommended with urgency by the highly competent Texas Water Commission headed by Professor of Biology and Wildlife Preservation, Neil Wilkins, on June 29th, immediate and dramatic cutbacks in our use of power and water, which Perry blocked.  Wilkins a brilliant man with an impeccable pedigree and unmatched experience in water and forest management, has left for a job at a private wildlife reservation in Corpus.  Perry, replaced the entire commission with "yes men", loyal to him and all from the real estate financial sectors.  Not a one of them has any training or experience with water management.  Not a scientist among them.  So the new Texas Water Commission know only one thing about water, how to waste it.  So with our water on hand clearly defined (measured and posted daily), and our usage rate unlikely to reduce (residents and business have refused to conserve since this drought began, I divided the water on hand by the usage rate (likely to go up since our population continues to grow wildly (26,000 new residents of travis County in 2011, the hottest driest year on record), this 8th grade algebra calculation revealed that we have 5.22 months until we ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF WARER IN TRAVIS COUNTY.  Even a level 5 hurricane making a direct hit on the south gulf coast would only push this date a couple of months.  Our only hope lies in our own effort.

Morris Creedon-McVean. D.O.

Drought in Texas, What Can I Do? Part 2

Keep a Months Supply of Food and Water

Focus on skills:
Every adult and child above the age of 10 should take an Medical First Aid class.
If you haven't had a CPR course in 3 years take a refresher course.
Have a basic First Aid Kit for home and car.
If you are not established with a primary care physician, make an appointment.  If things get hectic a doctor that has a relationship with you has a greater obligation to see you under urgent conditions than someone they have never seen before.  Emergency rooms will not be an option unless you are dying, so you need an office based Dr.  If you need specialty care he/she can arrange it for you much easier that you can for yourself.  In addition, if they have been in practice for a few years, they will know the best specialists to send you to.


Have on hand a variety of ordinary tools and a book on how to make simple repairs to household appliances, plumbing, electrical.
Be sure you have back-up power at least to connect to the internet.  Battery backups with protection against power surges and electronic noise.  APC products are very reliable; I have been using them for 20 years.
Have an emergency radio that requires no power, you supply the power by turning a crank.
Have lots of flash lights and spare batteries. "Enoloop" rechargeables are by far the best on the market; the hold 90% of a full charge for 2 years and cost no more than other NiMH rechargables; available from Amazon.  LED lights give the most light for the least power by far.  Have several for the house and a couple for the car.


For the car, road services may not be available so carry tools and equipment to be able to help yourself and other.  Long 12" heavy duty jumper cables.  A tire pump that works of of your car battery.  A can of that stop leak stuff; it works.  Be sure your spare is aired up and holds air.  A basic tool kit.  A couple o blankets.  A quart of oil.  A gallon of antifreeze.  Non perishable food for a couple of days.  A couple of gallons of water.  Be sure you have a jack that will work on your car.  Women:  if you have never changed a tire; do it at least once in your own driveway with someone experienced watching that can give you instructions if you get stuck.  Doing it at least once with lessen the fear factor if it happens when you are on the road.  There is so much metal debris ANY tire can go flat these days, so don't be fooled into thinking that if you new expensive tires you can't have a flat; it is just plain wrong.  Everyone who drives a car should be able to change a tire, no excuses unless you are disabled.  So practice in a safe place with an experienced person.  Know where your car's guide book is.  Some cars jacks go in odd places and it is hard to figure out without the manual.  Accept the fact that you and your clothes are going to get grimey in the process.  It is not the time to be prissey about the procedure.


Keep your car 3/4 full of gas.  Learn to check the oil and coolant levels and do it at least once a month and before any car trip of any distance.  The idiot lights can, and often are, wrong.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012

Drought in Texas, What Can I Do?

The Texas Gas Crisis Will Dilute Traffic Jams 

No theory or explanations on this post.  That information can be found on other posts on this blog.  Here are some practical suggestions as too what you can do when we run out of water.


Store a months worth of necessities.  Water, or other drinkable liquids; medically 2 gallons per person per day as a minimum.  Food, that requires very little water, if any to prepare, like ramen noodles.  Food items that need refrigeration are near useless because the power grid will not be restored for a couple of years (the time it will take to build giant power lines to distant cities that have extra capacity that they can sell to us.).  Gasoline.  Pumping gas takes electricity, and few gas stations have back-up generators, and the few that do are for temporary use 2-3 days.  When the water and power goes out (at the same time) it may be impossible to obtain gas, even though this state has plenty of it.  So, even if you have a generator it will be worthless without a steady diet of gasoline.  If you have a generator, check to see if it is designed to run continuously, or how long will it run without risk of damaging the machine.  You might want to upgrade, and if so do it ASAP. because after we run out of water and electricity, there will none available in this state.  In fact, there are probably not enough generators in stock in the entire country to supply the demand from Texas alone. If you don't have one, when the crisis starts, you won't be able to get one for months.  So you, ideally need enough gas stored for your most fuel efficient car and generator.  That will be a lot of 2 gallon cans of gas and a challenge to store, but it's the only option you have to get to the store and or work. Don't forget to put an additive in each storage container, or the gas will go bad in a couple of months.  Rotate your stock of gasoline.


Practice living with minimal use of power and water.  Learn how to save and use your gray water. Wash clothes very descriminately.  No "load" of wash for your favorite shirt. Dress codes will have to be loosened because employees will not have the resources for daily bathing and washing.  So what if you wear the same outfit for a week.  Practicing is very valuable, because you learn how much recourses you thoughtlessly waste.  Our family of 3 practiced for a month.  We took sponge baths, didn't water outside at all except for a few potted plants, and only with grey water.  We did flushed our toilets, but with descrimination.  In other words, we didn't feel deprived.  Our water bill was 14 gallons/day/person.  The average in Travis county for the same interval was 168 gallons/per day/per person.  The point is obvious, we waste most of our water needlessly.  Once the water system runs dry, we will have no choice but to change our behavior.

Aging and Glasses, Everyones Fate

Aging and Glasses, We Are All Doomed.

March 30, 2012

My Most Valuable Position

 Those of us who are clearly members of the National Old Farts Club will be able to relate to this.  For 3 days I have not been able to read small type on my sharp laptop screen. I've worn glasses since 9 y/o, due to farsightedness as I had better that 20/15 at distance---I could easily track a baseball from center field and catch it if my slow legs would get me there.  But at school, I had to sit at the BACK of the room to see the blackboard.  And when we went from 3" letters on flash cards to books, I had to hold the book 2" from my nose to make out the letters. Off to the eye doctor I went.  I'll never forget walking out of the optician's office the first time.  I was walking very slowly with my head down. "Slow" was not in my usual repertoire as I had ADD and ran everywhere.  My mother was alarmed at my strange behavior (my mother, the most patient person in the world :a close second to Gandhi) was rarely alarmed at any child's behavior since ,as a first grade teacher ,she observed them intently as 6-7 year olds express themselves in body language since their language skills were limited (and in the '50s the "children are to be seen and not heard"mantrum was still in vogue in the South so they didn't get much practice at home.)  I replied to Mother's urgent need for information about my strange behavior with:  "Mom, I can see the ground!  There's lots of neat stuff down there...my feet sure look funny and look at all these cool rocks (we were in a gravel parking lot).  So with my new best friends on my face I could see >20/15 at any distance.  I didn't even mind the "four eyes" taunts.  I'd just challenge them to a quick contest:  "Oh, you’re a smarty pants.  What does that sign in front of the church say?"  More often than not I could read it and they couldn't.  After they squinted and stared and mumbled a few "Uh's", I would run off shouting my counter taunt: "My four eyes are better than your two".  I also quickly learned that my glasses helped keep a lot of stuff out of my eyes, like dirt and fists.  I never lost a pair.  Broke a few frames rough housing, but my parents never complained; they just got them fixed as fast as possible.  Since I played rough a lot, eventually I got a second pair.

Then, around 40 the far vision faded which it normally does as our bodies dehydrate.  They stamped can't DRIVE WITHOUT CORRECTIVE LENSES on my DL.  But bifocals worked great and I adapted to them in less than a day.  Then around 55 they stopped being totally satisfactory, I couldn't tolerate not being able to see perfectly (I had by then been practicing medicine for 20 years and I knew the jargon and more importantly knew who all the best specialists were. So I strode into my opthalmolgist friend’s office and announced "Bill, I need some trifocals". He began to recite the usual speech about how they were difficult for many people to adjust to, to which I replied:  Bill, I adjusted to bifocals in less than a day".  He thought I was joking, and returned to his warnings speech; and, I quickly interrupted him again (we were good friends): "Bill, I'm not joking I've been using lenses all my life with my glasses, cameras---you've seen my pictures---microscopes, any kind of glass you look through and I've always been good at it."  He got the message: "Well lets check your eyes and see how much they've changed since your last exam."  Exam. He said:"You'll do better with them (trifocals).  At this ,I usually have to spend 15 minutes on a sales pitch, mostly because people hear "You need trifocals" as a pronouncement that they have one foot in the grave.  But, with you, I can clearly skip that speech ".  The trifocals worked fine until my health declined a couple of years ago.  At first it was just eye strain, triggering migraines.  Then I had a drug reaction to Phentenyl when I had a staff infection in my L knee, I get double vision  periodically if I'm tired and driving.  Now THAT is scary.   Staying in my lane takes every bit of my concentration.  Cutting back a little bit on one of my meds seems to have fixed that, but if it happens again, I'm pulling off the road and calling my wife or son to come get me.  To hell with the car if we have to leave it in an undesirable place overnight.  It is insured.  And now, I have to use a magnifying glass most of the time to read my computer screen.  Getting older is just GREAT FUN!

Texans at the Gas Pump

Update on the Implications of Running Out of Water in Texas
April 19, 2012

Cracks in the Subsoil Uncovered by a D6 Cat Road Building

Fellow Texans, it is an urgent matter that you consider what your government is not telling you. We are on the verge of running out of water. Our negligent state government has not even emphasized the severity of the water shortage. Perhaps, of even greater importance, they have not even mentioned the connection between water shortage and electrical power generation. This is a simple matter. We generate electricity by burning natural gas to produce steam that powers a standard turbine generator. These turbines have been an industry standard for years and they have been perfected. However, inherit in the design is the fact that they frequently overheat over heat, and if not immediately cooled with large amounts of water they explode and destroy the building and all employees in the vicinity. It is simply too dangerous to run these electrical turbines without large amounts of water in reserve. Therefore, when we run out of water we simultaneously run out of electricity. This dreadful combination of the sudden lack of a necessity of life and the energy we rely upon for everything else that we do, will produce a  terrifying panic.


Consider this scenario: you wake up one morning and you have no water, so you decide to drive to the supermarket to buy some water or other  drinkable liquids. But you discover that your car is almost out of gas. So you stop at the convenient gas station and are shocked because the station cannot pump gas because they have no electrical power. You ask where the nearest station is where gasoline is obtainable. You are told that there are no stations with electrical power and therefore none of the stations in the area can pump gas. You panic. But you decide to take the chance and try to make it to the grocery store to buy essential fluids. You make it to the grocery store literally on fumes as the car dies as you enter the parking lot. There are strangely few cars in the parking lot. But some helpful people help push her car out of the way, and while very willing to help their mood is dour. Your anxiety level increases because you sense that something is very wrong. There is a written notice on the supermarket door that says that the Department of Health has closed the store because they sell food to be consumed on the premises and required to have toilets available. And while they have toilets they are not functional because there is no water to flush them. Now, what do you do?


This is a very likely scenario based on current conditions. The health apartment has no plans to loosen their requirements to meet health codes. And as slowly as such bureaucracies move it maybe 2 weeks before they allow the supermarket to reopen. However, human beings can only live for 3 days without water. What do you do now? You have no choice but to walk home, but it is 100° and you have no fluids to drink. You are also starting off on this 5 mile trek in a dehydrated state since you have just awoken and have had no fluids available for rehydration. So, the simple act of walking 5 miles home becomes a life threatening exercise since you have lived in air-conditioning your entire life and have lost your ability to adapt to hot weather. You suddenly become aware that the air is filled with the sounds of sirens merged to medical services are already over well with holes for medical help. You have never seen anything like this and it comes as a big surprise because the possibility of this occurrence has not even been mentioned by the government nor the media. In addition to having no idea as to the best course of action, you feel totally betrayed by the entire society to the point where it seems that this situation could be some sort of plot to destroy Austin, Texas

Current Political Situation as of Mid April 2012

Review of current Political Siuuation

April 8, 2012

Our drab alienating cities need more art everywhere; especially art that reminds us that we can CHOOSE to reject this WORK WORK WORK until you drop life that is necessary to support our consumerism- based life style. So much of our work is for unneeded and/or wasteful life style. An urban environment rich with art and music would mean taking a walk would be more interesting than watching TV. As Marshall McLuhan predicted in 1960 in"The Media is the Message", instant electronic information would overwhelm our evolved capacity to process it and respond appropriately. Thus, we would be forced to cut off some of the stimulation. But being unaware of the internal process and the what and why's, we cut off our relationhips,local issues that need action , the infestation of our government with sociopaths who had but one goal: serve their own selfish needs (usually to get rich, now get richer). These self serving people who are born without a necessary brain center that enables a person to empathize and tell right from wrong. They make great liars since they see nothing wrong with doing it. They told us what we wanted to hear, we believed them, and they got elected. As consumerism accelerated (often by creating things we didn't need them convincing us with half-truths and overt lies that we needed them), we worked more to pay for things we didn't need, watched TV more (too tired to do anything else), and ignored our families, schools, and politicians,who stopped even having conversations about "what's best for the American People", at least two decades ago. The only question on Capital Hill was and is, how can we leverage our positions of power to enhance our fortunes. The lobbyists were more than pleased to purchase their votes on any legislation that would help them increase their profits. So, after thirty years of this cycle, we awaken to find we are engaging in an unjustified war because a President allowed a terrorist attack on NYC to get the American people agitated enough not to resist the war. The Congress, who by then was composed almost entirely of sociopaths, didn't oppose it; and, now 11 years later, we are still fighting it. The 1.5 trillion dollar cost almost bankrupted the nation, and what economic strength was remaining was stolen by sociopathic bankers. We discover we have been lied to about all of the nefarious activities, the perpetrators of which were not only not accused of a crime, not punished, but richly rewarded, merely going to another bank. Now, we are fighting to take back control of our government, and return to following the constitution with a couple of needed ammendments. We, the people, will triumpth. The big question is: can this revolution be accomplished without violence.

The best chance we have is for a wholesale turnover of incumbants in the November elections.

Mitt Romney: The Most Dangerous Man in America

Response to an Analysis of Mitt Romney’s 2010 Tax Return

April 17, 2012                              Revised April 19,2012

Weathered Phone Book in a Trash Pile

Since Romney will not release his 2011 tax return for a variety of excuses, some of them clearly planned we can learn a lot from his past returns.  Here are a few comments on what is revealed in the 2010 return.  Since tax returns vary little from year to year, especially when complex deductions are involved, the 2010 return can give us a very idea of what to expect from the 2011 return.

Since Romney as High Priest of the Mormon has complete power over the organization, which is run in a fascist manner, he makes the rules and everyone else obeys them. A "charitable donation" to the Mormon "church" is essential a donation to himself.  How the IRS allows this deduction is either incompetence or corruption.  And he has been getting away with this for years.  He doesn't donate anything to charities that benefit the non-Mormon American people.  These tax return shows his true colors: primary allegiance is to his "church" which he has total control, a tax evader of the highest order, a billionaire who pays 1/3 of the tax rate of the American middle class and cheats to accomplish that, "A selfish me first" sociopathic personality type,  will lie about anything to gain an advantage for himself.  There are so many facts in this return that prove he is a liar and a criminal, and so far from living the life expected of a good American, that it is a national embarrassment that he even has received consideration as a presidential candidate.  He is worse that my own state's Rick Perry, which I didn't think was possible.  And the tax return doesn't include the major issue of the Mormon mission statement ,which is to take over the US  Government and convert our country to a Mormon Theocracy.  Yes, the changed the wording or their mission statement and the operational strategies to avoid prosecution as traitors, but changing a few words doesn't change their beliefs or their behavior.  Mitt Romney is the most dangerous person in this country.  GOP members who will vote for him just to get Obama out of office, are making a mistake that has unfathomable repercussions.  He will try to run this country the way he runs his church, like a fascist dictator.  He reminds me of Mussolini.  He has no allegiance to the Republican Party or the People of the United States of America.

Morris Creedon-McVean

Subtle Warning

Drought Driven Catastrophe in Texas

Update on the Drought Driven Catastrophe in Texas

April 4, 2012

Which Way Do We Go?

In Texas, ironically an” energy state,”  has had a severe prolonged drought, for 6 years. There is no end in sight; and, when we run out of water, we can no longer generate electricity.  The standard steam turbine generator cannot operate without massive amounts of water.  Normally, 25% of our water is used in the generation of electricity.  But 25% of nothing is Zero.  So, as is predicted by everyone who studies weather ,Texas will run out of water sometime in 2012; suddenly leaving 25 million people without water and electricity.  There are no quick fixes for either shortage.  Texas is not connected to the national power grid, so massive power lines would have to be built for hundreds of miles: a 2 year project.  There is no water supply anywhere close to the state.  NO ONE has any idea how to solve that problem.  Therefore, our population density will have to decrease to something like New Mexico/Arizona, which in the most optimistic scenario, means 5 or 6 million people.  We have almost 26 million.  Those numbers don't match up, so about 20 million people will have to migrate out of Texas.  To make matters even worse, most will have to go by car; and, it is at least 1000 miles to regions that have the water and housing to accommodate any of them. This is a logistical nightmare.  If 20 million leave over a three year period, that adds 20,000 vehicles per DAY to our already congested interstates.  That means that all highways going north and east from Texas will resemble parking lots for >1000 miles and become useless to the people in other states that normally use them.  This will disrupt all shipping by trucks going east or north for the entire center of the country east and north of Texas.  Thus, this catastrophic drought will trigger the largest migration ever in the industrialized world .

End of the Road

The impact will be so massive that our respect for the coming era of more violent weather and climactic change the Weather Modelers and tree huggers have been screaming about for over two decades, will rise to an appropriate level.  All the corporate and Right Wing resistance to the ecological movement and the environmentalists will cease.  It will be crystal clear to everyone that we learn how to adapt to nature or we will perish.  There is no room for greed or any abuse of the environment in this necessary adaptation.  Finally, we are still the most wasteful nation in the world (we are 5% of the world's population and we still use 30% of the energy resources). This has gone unchanged in 20 years of public knowledge that this is the situation.  Lots of  talk and no improvement in 20 years is pathetic.  I believe there are several reasons for this disgusting failure.  We are inexplicabley attached to stupid, needless and useless aspects of our consumerism lifestyle, like big powerful cars and trucks (come on that's teenager stuff---you don't need 350 HP to drive to work or carry a couple of 4x8 pieces of plywood do you ???); lighting our homes and cities like it’s the middle of the day all night long ; insisting on a perfect 70 degree indoor climate 24/7 regardless of the outdoor conditions in our homes and work places (how about wearing a couple of sweaters or wear shorts and T-shirts ? Dress codes are idiotic. Open windows. Build facilities where the temperature can be controlled by simple mechanical means).  Then there is our obsession with lawns (we waste 25% of our water on grass; I think it comes from a fantasy about the British Aristocracy---those stunning estates with the wide perfect grass---but guess what, you don't need to water grass in that climate).  So let's give up all the childish obsessions, so we can survive.

Prejudice Against Aging and Disease

Discussion of Prejudice Against Aging and Disease

April 4, 2012                                            

Homeless Man

 With 30 years in medicine, I have refined my skill at helping people adapt to their health limitations because there are many diseases we cannot cure or even lessen the symptoms very much.  The diseases of aging, like the degenerative arthritis that I have that has rendered me "totally permanently disabled" by Social Security is one example. However, there is nothing wrong with my mind that would impair my ability to make good medical decisions.  Rather the opposite, I am at the peak of my game.  The wealth of experience combined with a superb understanding of the human organism, especially the "mental" aspect and psychiatric illnesses combined with potent instincts about the level of sickness in a patient (both physical and mental) means I can out perform 99% of general medical physicians.  But, by not being flexible regarding sitting positions and computer data entry (trivial issues, they aren't paying me to be a secretary; but, my value, any physicians value resides in his or her JUDGEMENT.   But I am tossed aside because I have chronic pain and can't sit in an ordinary chair.  Thus, I am having to adapt by finding other ways to be helpful to mankind, including finding other ways of expressing myself.  Photography helps fill that gap; and, has become both artistically more sophisticated and more political for me, as well as becoming a social commentary at the same time.  I have learned a lot  about how to use symbolism and abstraction to achieve these goals  There exists an  idiotic social prejudice  in our society against "sick people".  Prejudice against illness is the last prejudice we have yet to confront.  We have addressed racial, ethnic, gender, sexual preference (to some extent); but, age and illness, which come together at times, we have yet to confront .  Part of the reason is that historically we have never had a large percentage of the population reach "old age";so there was really nothing age-related to be concerned about from a demographic view point.  As recently as 1900, the average life span in the US was 50.  For the first 99.99% of the existence of homo sapiens, the life span was 35.  Thus, we have gone from 35 to 80 (for women) in about 4 centuries.  I guess our society simply can’t  culturally adapt to that rapid a change in the demographics !