i was talking with a friend the other day in the monsoon rains of the Cayo. we sat in the rain together, him not noticing and me (the gringo) feeling like i was molting. The talk was what i call "fair weather" (although the opposite was true) until i asked offhandedly what kind of work he was in. Don told me he had been "in" the procurement of uranium business in his home state of Wyoming and after being laid of two years ago decided to come to my adopted country of Belize. He explained that although he had had offers to go and "dig" for this precious payload in Iraq and Afghanistan he felt the ethical tug to stand his ground and not to work in either of those "hot zones" as he put it. I couldn't help but ask him about his take on the Fukushima disaster and how it compares to the disaster in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. "well", he says's there really is no comparison. The Chernobyl incident was just one reactor, where as in Japan you are talking five reactors melting down spewing poison steam and spreading radioactivity all across the pacific rim. The people in Japan will never be the same and generations of Japanese children as they develop in to adult hood will see a dramatic increase in cancers, especially cancers of the thyroid. What really punched me in the gut was his semi-casual comment regarding the Pacific rim. "i think we forget", he said "that the pacific rim denotes the United States as well as Japan. Americans, in particular Angelenos have been found to have particles of radiation attached to there bodies far above the norm".

"The children of Chernobyl"

Don and i talked for an hour about he far reaching implications of earthquakes and tsunamis throughout the globe and my interest in nuclear incidents was piqued. What if's and "how is it possible's occurred to me, so i did a little research on the Chernobyl "incident". Twenty five years after that disaster children are the primary victims. Radioactive dust does not discriminate. It is odorless, colorless and has no taste. The children didn't have a chance. Fast forward from 1986 to today and witness a sort of detente between Nations. Cuba, yes Cuba has taken on the "children of Chernobyl" in an effort to cure or at least lessen the effects of these deadly isotopes on their little bodies. Massive doses of iodine,combined with ultra-light therapies which the beautiful country is rich in help to halt the progression of the cancer cells in to the thyroid gland.although these therapies are deemed "experimental", the children are doing better under the loving hands of their caregivers.

"The ultimate in Political Bi-partisanship"

First lady Betty Ford died last week at the age of 93. A pioneer in 'first lady ship", she was a women with guts and integrity who always spoke her mind no matter the format. Her lasting legacy is of course the Betty Ford treatment center which has not only helped and changed the life of many celebrities, but also saved the lives thousands of us normal folks who just may have a problem with drugs and or alcohol.

Piggish person of the week (prince of darkness)

The "News of the world", other wise known as, "lets bribe, cheat, and steal all the information from any grieving individuals in the U.S., Britain, or assorted countries around world so we can please Rupert and maybe someday be on one of his television news stations", formally and finally got it's comeuppance.The scandal only grows larger as it was disclosed by "reliable sources" in Britain's police force that Murderdoch used "underworld bosses" for some of his intelligence.

BP-The hits keep coming

Victims of the BP oil spell will no longer be receiving any compensation for the "accident that decimated their fishing business...An the rich keep on get-tin richer.

"Tea party entertainment"

Michelle Bachmann is trying to turn gay men straight? No, that's actually her hubby. Dr. Marcus Bachmann who runs a "Christian counseling" clinic whose agenda among other "Christian" things is to talk men out of being gay by telling them things like God wants you to look at womens large breasts. It is your destiny as men!"Dr. Bachman says that "god will forgive men who make the effort to turn straight" (turn straight...mmmmmmm). Be afraid,be very afraid. After all Michele (one e BTW) does has as she quoted this morning a "titanium spine".

Jaycee Dugard Hype

I have never heard in all of my T.V. watching hours so much hype about the abduction, release from captivity and "what Jaycee has to teach us all" from a one Diane Sawyer of ABC news. What i found most unusual about this story was the unbelievable fact that police and welfare type officials went to that home more that sixty times and found nothing unusual!

Guatemala-"A climate of violence"?

5,000 homicides are committed each year in Guatemala city. To put that in perspective Canada has a homicide rate of around 30 per year. Scary? yes, but you would never know it by talking to the beautiful people of that country. Thirty six years of institutionalized state violence has left the country in a self perpetuating cycle of solving problems through violent means. Police officers must catch murders "in the act" in order to have any hope for a conviction. Forensics in what is essentially a rainforest is iffy at best, as the forest tends to contaminate forensic evidence rather quickly. 200,000 people have been killed in over 36 years of violence as small villages continue to hand out their own personal justice.

"Music of the spheres"

Paul Simon-"Rhythm of the Saints"...

Talk at you soon