Starting 2020 off with a bang

[Gandalf]

Totally arson. Trees do not spontaneously combust all that often. Australia has a lot of irresponsible youngsters. Very few forest fires here because it is a perverse way to get your kicks. Littering is more common though and it gets right on my tits.

[TitoFan]

Everything else aside (please), the crisis in Australia is of epic proportions. You've got to feel for the many thousands of Australians who have been forced to flee for their lives, leaving everything behind and losing everything in the process. It's unimaginable the scale of these fires. Makes you wonder how long it's going to take for nature to get back to its original state. From previous experiences, I'd feel rather optimistic in that regard. After our major hurricanes down here, no matter to what extent the vegetation is roughed up, it usually comes back i pretty short order. Still..... it's depressing to see the daily news coming out of Australia. It's truly, truly sad.

Meanwhile, the earthquakes here have had a huge effect on us here in Puerto Rico. It's something we're not used to. Hurricanes, sure. Many people are still suffering the aftereffects of Maria from back in September 2017. Now to deal with this, which is something we're totally unprepared for, is devastating. Thank goodness me and my family have not been too severely affected, as most of us live in the NE corner of the island, and the quakes have all been centered right off the SW corner of the island. Still, to see buildings and houses crumble is heart-wrenching. People living outside either because their houses have been destroyed, or they're afraid to sleep inside for fear that their already damaged homes could come tumbling down in the middle of the night. My wife and I were rudely awakened by the 6.4 quake which was felt across the island. We live in a two-story home, totally sturdy by hurricane standards. But earthquakes take no prisoners. At 4 am my wife and I were ready to go running down the stairs had the quake been a little more severe. Now the power grid, which was less than optimal to begin with, has suffered damages again. There again we've been lucky. We were without power from 4 am to about 9 pm on the 7th..... but at least we got it back. Many thousands don't even have power, and some don't have water. Mother Nature can be a bitch when she gets pissed off.

Some years start off rather meekly... but 2020 has started off with a bang (hence the thread title). What with the politics (don't want to go into that)..... the hostilities threatening even more hostilities.... and the natural disasters happening around the globe (I know there has been significant seismic activity elsewhere as well)...... we certainly can't complain about being bored.

Here's hoping and praying things settle down in all aspects.

[El Kabong]

I saw Punta Ventana collapsed because of the quake....that sucks to lose a beautiful bit of nature like that, but this is life on Earth.


What next for you TitoFan?

[Dark Lord Al]

The year started with a big bang for this vermin.
All that aside its new year so lets give him a big hand.

[El Kabong]

Nice looking ring that fellow has there....waaaaaait a second

[Dark Lord Al]

Nice looking ring that fellow has there....waaaaaait a second

Yes Rot in Pieces shithead , was my first thought.
It is a lesson to us all , don't play goalkeeper to a guided missile .

[Spicoli]

This thread went a little random gumbo for a sec . Absolute horror of permanence that is upon Australia. I’ve been stuck in rolling canyon fires that look like an errant ember compared. Good luck with the rumbling hills in Puerto Rico Tito

[TitoFan]

I saw Punta Ventana collapsed because of the quake....that sucks to lose a beautiful bit of nature like that, but this is life on Earth.


What next for you TitoFan?

Well... not a lot to do, Lyle. Basically just hope we don't get slammed by any more big earthquakes. Also hoping the government gets to work in the long, tedious (but necessary) process of strengthening the electrical infrastructure, which seems to be knocked to the mat every time we have a natural disaster.

Yeah... the loss of Punta Ventana was sad to see. Still shaking my head at the newness of it all, though fully aware we actually live in an active seismic region.