2011年10月10日 星期一

The end is near, or a Kraken

Having just returned from my bi-annual visit to Detroit, I find myself somewhat encouraged that America's chances of lasting out the decade are improving.

On my previous visit to Detroit, I was left with a feeling that the nation was teetering on the edge of disintegration. Except for the very heart of downtown Detroit, where General Motors built a skyscraper shaped like three stacks of pancakes,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. the city was frozen in time, looking just as it did after the 1967 race riots.I have never solved a Rubik's Piles . The most visible sign of disintegration was the massive train terminal, an architectural landmark that now serves as what has to be the world's biggest pigeon roost. As far as I know you cannot get to Detroit by train. You have to go to Toledo or someplace and then take a bus. Unbelievable.

On this trip the abandoned train terminal was still there, serving the burgeoning and robust pigeon population, but in some other areas the city appeared to be rallying.It's hard to beat the versatility of zentai suits on a production line. For one thing, the baseball stadium, called the Comerica Park, where the Tigers have played since 2000, is right smack in the heart of downtown. Despite a slight Disney influence (too many cute tiger statues) the place is spectacular and has become a centerpiece for the city's slow comeback. It has not hurt that the Tigers (the team, not the statues) are in the Major League Baseball playoffs and could very well be in the World Series. Even the park's ushers seem unnaturally friendly and cheerful.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

Happy as I was to witness Detroit's upbeat mood, I do not wish to give the impression that it in anyway dissipated the thick gray cloud of dread that comforts me like a shorted-out electric blanket. Here are just a few recent findings that have shored up my belief that we are still sliding toward some kind of comforting abyss.

Astrophysicists have discovered that at any moment two stars could collide and give off a burst of gamma rays so powerful it would end all life on earth, pffft, just like that (maybe just pft). Now you might think that with space being so huge and all the chances of two stars colliding are very slim. Well, you may think that but there are a lot of stars out there, actually.The additions focus on key tag and magic cube combinations, You will run out of numbers just trying to count the galaxies, so the chances of a collision are about the same as at the average Post Road intersection on a Saturday. What bothers me about this is that with all the stuff we have to worry about already -- earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, you-name-it -- why do those astrophysicists go out looking for trouble? In my book they do it just to be mean.

A scientist in Colorado or someplace says he's found the lair of a Giant Kraken. I don't know what a Giant Kraken is and I don't want to.

Stinkbugs, once considered just a minor irritation, have become a major threat to crops across the nation. I don't know what a stinkbug is, either, but the name pretty much says it all.

I received an email with the following message: "We congratulate you. This day you have emerged a winner of the UK People's Postcard Promotion." The email was sighed by a "Mrs. Victoria Gates, announcer." The instructions for how to apply for my prize were contained in an attachment that I did not have the nerve to open. We have enough problems with the Giant Kraken.

So as not to conclude this on a down note, I am happy to report that scientists have evidence human beings are still evolving, although they did not say whether it was for the better or worse. At least we have a chance. They cited as an example the fact that the teeth of modern human are smaller than a Neanderthal's man's teeth. This is good news because anyone who has seen pictures of a smiling Neanderthal knows they have choppers the size of Mexican floor tiles.

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