still alive

Okay, I know it's a famous photo and on every news channel on the net. It's still-- awful.

By this time, I'm sure everybody's heard about the tragedy involving the USS Kraken.

I am in total shock. I *cannot* believe it has happened Here. Fortunately for greater Honolulu, the winds were and are Kona (south) rather than trade (northwest), but I am so paranoid about fallout-- even though I bought 3 bottles of iodine. I know-- Tell it to the survivors of Enewetak. And I keep crying and crying seeing the people who weren't so lucky on TV. (Staying home from work today? No question.) It's also impacted so many people who weren't physically hurt-- Crowds of older people of Japanese heritage are seeing therapists, because of the Hiroshima-related memories flooding up involving their relatives and friends. What A Goddamned Mess, to quote General Stilwell. All the cell phone circuits are dead--overloaded--in addition.

The American Red Cross is taking donations for the victims on Kauai.

I think I can add little to what people have already said. It's just such a human tragedy.

Local rumors circulating:

1. Commander Cereno was seen drinking Zombies heavily in Coconut Willy's less than 3 hours before boarding his sub. Supposedly, he owed incredibly heavy gambling debts to the local underworld.

2. Lieutenant Melville--USS Kraken's Chief of Ordnance--told friends last Sunday that he was upset to the point of buying a gun because he had discovered that his girlfriend, a well-known professional Tahitian hula dancer, was having a liaison with a visiting Scottish golf commentator.

3. Ensign Pulver--the sub's cook--was digging up a rotted miniature palm tree from his back yard and almost failed to make contact with the transport to the sub, but just managed to get aboard, carrying his wife's oxygen canister by mistake in his duffle bag.

Our thanks to Pete Hurrey for standing so bravely on that dock near Poipu Beach with his digital and doing a Richard Feynman and taking the photo, instead of running for dear life. Pete caught a fishing boat to Oahu and is in a Honolulu hospital being monitored, but fortunately so far he shows no signs of radiation sickness. Numerous schoolchildren and business people have sent flowers.

Happy April Fool's Day. You *did* clock the date of this post, didn't you? :-)