Karin's Adventures

Really, what are they thinking? I don't consider myself a Republican. Actually, I am not a Democrat either. This kind of "either-or" categories is inadequate to describe my political views. I may be a green liberal conservative socialist.

Today I received this solicitation in the mail, which made me laugh - just a day late to be an April Fool's joke. The Republican National Committee wants me to "renew" my "membership" with them immediately, if not sooner.

They sound really urgent, since we only have 20 months left until the next presidential election. What I didn't quite understand, though, was how I could "renew" a membership that I never had?  

In the light of our recent city water odor episode the discussion about "good" or "bad" reverse osmosis filtered water called for renewed investigation. I've heard both sides of the arguments, but maybe there are new, more recent, studies? Maybe common sense, and my own judgement, can now be proven, or disproven?

Here's what I found, or should I say confirmed, for myself:

Reverse osmosis is the only purification system that can remove the majority of dangerous chemicals and pollutants from our drinking water. Reverse osmosis also removes contaminants that countertop and faucet carbon filters cannot including viruses, bacteria, pesticides, arsenic, fluoride, drugs, cryptosporidium, mercury, nitrates, microbes, heavy metals, all radioactive materials, and many more.

The lack of minerals in your water should not keep you up at night. The increasing amounts of chemicals, drugs and carcinogenic/radioactive materials potentially found in tap water should!

Your calcium, magnesium, and other minerals should come from a healthy, balanced, clean nutritious diet - not from your water. The main concern with water should be over toxicity, not mineral content. Whether water contains 1 or 100ppm (parts per million) calcium doesn't really matter, but the difference between 1 and 100ppm arsenic is of grave importance.

For the past four days our tap water has had an awful, foul, chemical smell to it. It makes me gag when I take a shower.

City officials were quick to tell us that this has a natural reason - it's because of the melting snow. Strange, though, that we've had melting snow every year, but this is the first time I have experienced that kind of a horrific stench coming from the faucets.

City officials also told us, that the odor would dissipate on its own soon. So, hang in there people - just hold your breath when you shower.

In the meantime the mayor and some of his friends and coworkers also appeared on TV, sipping water out of tiny glasses. They were saying that, despite the horrible smell, our tap water was safe to drink.

I believe these are the same kind of people, who are telling us that it is safe to drink a carbonated mix of high-fructose corn syrup, brominated vegetable oil, and yellow 5, out of an aluminum can.

Good thing that we have a reverse osmosis filtration system under our kitchen sink!

Tomorrow I will have a chance to vote again. It's just primary elections, but still - I'll go vote. Primaries may seem a bit confusing, because you don't really vote anybody into any office - yet. You just help one party to decide whom they will put up for their candidate(s) in the next general elections, November 4th this year. 

The technicalities of primary elections vary slightly from one state to another.

According to Ind. Code §§ 3-10- 1-6, 1-9, Indiana holds so called "open primaries". That means voters do not have to declare a party affiliation upon registration. You may choose to vote on either party's ballot during primaries. You have to choose one single ballot for one distinct party, though.

Some other states have what is called "closed primaries". In those states you must declare yourself as affiliated with a specific party when you register to vote, and then consequently can only vote for that party in the primaries.

Whether your state holds open or closed primaries, and whether or not you participate, or what party's ballot you vote on, has no bearing on the next general elections. On general elections' ballots you will get to see all candidates, from all parties, who were pre-selected during primary elections.

Maybe that's why participation in primaries is usually low.

Enough already! Level 149 of this silly time-waster was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I got rid of it. Deleted and uninstalled it. Now I am surprised that it took me over 9 months to realize this game is a huge waste of my time, the world's resources, developers' talent, and even some people's money.

Here's what's wrong with this game:

• King stole it from Albert Ransom, developer of the original Candy Swipe
   
• the only purpose of the game is to get you to spend money on extra moves, extra levels, extra "boosters", extra tries, extra....
  
  
• you don't learn any new skills, you don't practice any old skills
  
  
• you don't gain anything, there is no measureable "progress"
  
  
• after playing for roughly 70 hours, I find the game increasingly boring