Monday, March 8, 2010

DIGITAL WONDERS

Or, how to see the back of your own ear. I seem to have a knack for unusual injuries. A couple of weeks ago I managed to slide off my chair and cut a bit of a gash on my forehead. Cliff picked me up, and after putting on some antiseptic, bandaged it. Then a couple of days ago I pulled the same silly stunt, except this time I managed a cut on the back side of my left ear. (Repeat emergency procedures as before.) Ever try to see the back of your ear? Maybe a series of mirrors would do it, but I had a better idea. I had Cliff take a picture of it with my digital camera. Oh! There it is. Looks ok.

But what really had me puzzled was why I was sliding onto the floor. Finally figured that out. Bear with me. I sit in swivel chairs both in the dining room and den. My brain injury of long ago affected the left side of my body. And when I swivel to the left, I have to pick up my left leg. Otherwise my left foot refuses to move, and instead rolls over. See photo. And pulls me right out of the chair. Plop! Well, at least now I should know better.



Humor, maybe -
The following is either very funny, or quite terrifying. This is from a book review in this Sunday’s paper. The book is entitled “Country Driving -- A Journey Through China From Farm to Factory” by Peter Hessler. The headline for the review reads: THE CRAZY DRIVERS OF THE NEW CHINA. Here are excerpts from the review:

“Hessler makes the delightful case that perhaps no other people take such a joy in driving badly”.

“The Chinese rarely use turn signals or windshield wipers, or seatbelts, or headlights. They tailgate and honk like mad. People pass on hills; they pass on turns; they pass in tunnels. If they get passed themselves, they immediately try to pass the other vehicle back, as if it were a game. Traffic lights are occasionally mistimed, showing green in all directions. Highway patrols are so rare that officials put fiberglass statues of police officers at some intersections to function as traffic-calming human scarecrows.”

Well, you get the idea. Funny or horrifying?

3 comments:

  1. I read that article about China, and went wow. Institute driver's ed, fer cryin' out loud!

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  2. Mystery solved. It's not Col. Mustard with the candlestick in the library but rather Lt Foot, with the loafer in the dining room. And you have the picture to prove it.

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  3. I love the idea of traffic cop scarecrows.
    I don't find it either funny or terrifying, but I am not going to drive in China, either.

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