The Universe of Endless Surprises

From science and from the

spiritual experience of millions,
we are discovering our capacity
for endless awakenings in the
universe of endless surprises.

~ Marilyn Ferguson
The Aquarian Conspiracy

Of Note: Nuclear energy is the wave of the future, and its discovery constituted one of mankind's most significant advancements. That this potent energy was first used in destruction may have karmic repercussions for humanity, but the good it has done since cannot be measured. Every gift has its problems, and this one is no exception. One of these is what to do with the spent fuel. While spent fuel rods have caused enormous headaches for more than one government entity, it is essentially a political problem more than real. In the United States, the fight over the Yucca Mountain depository has become synonymous with "Not In My Backyard" syndrome. In reality, most of the fuel can be reprocessed and used in medical and other scientific applications or simply used again. France and other countries have whole industries thus dedicated. Other problems include fear of procurement by terrorists or rogue states of nuclear technology, which pushes governments to work in secrecy. The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in the Ukraine circa 1986 was a disaster made worse by the propensity of governments for secrecy. The result in Europe was a clamping down of future nuclear reactors, which may have been an overreaction of fear during the Cold War. The German government is finding that out as every year it extends the deadline for closing the plants. On the flip side, in an effort to make lemonade out of lemons, Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said it plans to open the Chernobyl site to tourists starting this month since the radiation levels around the plant are returning to normal. This presents an economic opportunity it cannot pass up as it prepares for the European soccer championship in 2012 co-hosted with neighboring Poland. Soccer and a side-trip to Chernobyl anyone? Hotels and tourist guides are springing up in anticipation.

Today's Weather Report: A light layer of clouds and a sprinkling of snow are falling. At 7 degrees, small flakes are guaranteed. Snow is good right now to cover that icy layer underneath, which caused so many accidents last week. After working on the aerator for two years with no success, it is gratifying to see it bubbling away this winter. A large area of open water is the result. Because the aerator was placed at the end of the dock, the dock is safe from frozen upheavals as well. So this success was a two-fer. My job last week was to get the large snow blower working. After draining the old gas, replacing it with new and changing the spark plug, the sucker still wouldn't fire up. After thoroughly analyzing the situation, I discovered that turning the gas line back on really helped. Walla, the snow blower started with one push of the electric starter. Miracle of miracles!