Wishing Safety from Whirling Dervishes and other Natural Disasters

My friend just texted me and told me she's hiding out in her basement. She lives in Kansas City and a tornado threatens yet again. I am worried for her, yet thankful for cellars right now.

I have friends all over the country -- many in tornado alley. In particular, I am thinking of some dear ones in Missouri, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee. I listen to the news and I see their faces. The violent weather that is either destroying or threatening their daily lives is beyond crazy. I wish I had a special power to stop it.

I wonder where the safest place on earth is. Or rather, is there such a place? I'm talking natural disaster rather than crime. A few years back a Forbes article ranked Hawaii among the safest places to live, with Santa Fe and Boise, Idaho close behind.

When I moved to Florida in 2002, I didn't think about weather systems. Hurricanes were not on my mental radar. In September 2004, however, after surviving Frances, but thinking we might not, I was obsessed with them.

With one week till the official launch of hurricane season, I am not raiding the shelves for water and canned goods quite yet. My preparedness style is to pick up a few things here and there. I don't want to get stuck in a panic like I did in 2004. I promise to keep 4 spare gallons of water, a dozen "c" batteries, and to keep my gas tank at least half full.

From my house to yours, wishing you safely through....................

To Sag or Not to Sag

I have always had a small butt. Even when I belt my pants, there is a good chance that throughout the day, they will slip down a little bit here and a little bit there. When I was in middle school, my friend Ike would grab my belt loops and pull up my jeans.

At 47, this problem still exists. I, along with my two daughters, patrol my waistline. I do not flash my underwear purposely, but I know that many people do.

As an underwear admirer and liberal thinker, I am not anti-sag, but I do think saggy pants are inappropriate in certain settings such as school. Seeing a guy with serious sag out on the street actually makes me laugh. As one who likes color and pattern, I also find that colorful drawers can add interest to a pair of jeans. As long as I don't see what's under the briefs, I'm good.

I was reading "Pants No Longer on the Ground." In a nutshell, this article addresses a new school dress code that prohibits indecent or vulgar exposure of body parts and underwear.

I smiled at Domingo's comment, because beyond his typos and lack of apostrophes I could sense his passion:

ITS ABOUT TIME THAT SOMEONE TOOK A STAND ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE WEARING THERE PANTS AND SHOWING THERE UNDERWARES IN PUBLIC AND IN ANY WHERE I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO THE PARENTS DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT IT SHOULD START AT HOME ITS NOT THE GOVERMENTS JOB TO LOOK OUT FOR WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING AND THE WAY THEY DRESS I THINK ITS SICK THE WAY THAT TOMORROWS KIDS ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREETS AND WHAT THEY ARE WEARING I HAVE TWO BOYS AND YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEN WEARING THERE PANTS DOWN AND SHOWING THERE UNDER WARES AT ANY TIME THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

My only question, "Who are tomorrow's kids?"