Next week's health issues

Coming next week to a surgery center near you:
- Nasal Septoplasty
- Turbinate Surgery
- Lipoma Excision
- Skin Tag Removal

Gay Marriages

The mayor of San Francisco obviously went berserk (in a good way ;).

In addition to certifying gay marriages, they are now trying to sue the State of California, mentioning civil rights. Arnold, with Bush's blessing, would put a stop to that next week.

God, I hope more gays and lesbians get married before they stop at SF. I was kinda hoping that Chicago would start certifying.

I just don't understand Republicans. You have an almost limitless number of social problems related to this issue: High divorce rates, VDs fueled by drug use and multiple partners, young children having problems with school, drugs, guns, etc.(This is not my list.)

In the middle of all this, you have two people who desperately wants to commit to a life-long marriage, and possibly raise a child they want to adopt. And you say, no to that! I just don't get this type of reasoning.

All this hoopla about gay marriages may very well be the end of Bush government. Why all the commotion anyway? What harm could come from a gay marriage?

Collapsing Building in Konya

Tens of thousands of deaths few years ago wasn't enough obviously. Few weeks ago, we heard about a building that has collapsed in the middle of the night in Selcuklu town of Konya. The 11-storey, 37-flat building was 4 years old.

Number of deaths reached 92 in two weeks.

According to Anotalian Agency, Konya 'criminal court of peace' sent the contractor Vedat Kaya and the subcontractor Ismail Canlier of the building to prison.

Other new agencies indicate that "the collapse has revived fears about the notoriously low standards of the construction sector in a country frequently hit by earthquakes."

Four years after loosing so many lives in Izmit earthquake, local goverment authorities still are not doing their jobs properly. The building collapsed without any external force for God's sake! How low can you go?

I am anxiously waiting to see the results of the trial. Nothing happened to the contractors who have been rounded up after the earthquake; let's see what's going to happen to these guys.

Interview With A.C.Clarke

Here is the link [these never work, do they?] for The Onion's -real- Arthur C. Clarke interview. Recent news, some old, some new ideas.

Home Theater

On not-so-big screen last week:

- Hollywood Homicide
- Freaky Friday

Two regular family movies. Could've done without them...

4 Out of 6 part II

I have received another letter date February 5th, indicating that recently unfrozen sample that has been tested for further HLA (human leukocyte antigen) match.

Apparently, there are some differences -the remaining two markers are no match-, and they won't be needing me.

I wonder if they need another blood donation for future samples.

Evenescence - 1

Went to Evanescence concert at SJSU Event Center last night. Few notes from the concert:

- Atomship was OK. The sound sucked, as it is always the case (first band to play sounds terrible, in almost every concert I have been to). THe songs on their web site were very good, and progressive...

- Default was very good, perfect stage presence. Their performance was pretty good, including a Led Zeppelin song. I am not sure many get the song, despite the fact that the singer mentioned the name 'Led Zeppelin'. I should download, er, _buy_ their last album.

- No metal heads in the audience, few Goths... Most of the clientele were 12-16 year-olds, some with their parents. I have seen many families in full reglia... Is this because the band is associated with Chrisitan music? Some were probably shocked to hear the concert versions of the songs they listen to on the radio. There were loud.

- Evanescense songs have a great deal of second vocal tracks. Also some heavy keyboard action in almost all songs. However, there were no backup singer, nor a keyboard player in the show. I stopped looking for the keyboard player after the second song.

I felt cheated. I understand that they probably has to start touring right away, but we weren't attending a Britney Spears concert, were we? Should have a keyboard player, and a backup singer.

- That said, Amy Lee played and sung few songs with a keyboard, and her performance was very -I mean very- good. In spite of the several effects added to her microphone channel, her voice and technique were good.

- Did I mention that the sound level was very high? It was best while Default was playing. They changed the settings for Evanesence, and we lost some of the vocals and the guitars.

- A miniscule thing, but I hate the fact that singers of the first two bands were not allowed to the extended platform at the middle of the stage. They couldn't bring themselves to cross the while line separating this section from the main stage. It was, of course, designed for Amy. She used that section a lot; with the lighting and all the visual effects. Still, it was a sad note for the evening.