Long, hot summer is the perfect time to explore an active Hawaiian volcano in "Eruption"

I just finished “Eruption” co-written posthumously by Michael Crichton and prehumously by best-selling author James Patterson. It’s a wild ride to the imagined 2025 catastrophic eruption of Hawaii’ s Mauna Loa. I learned so much about volcanoes and about Hawaii. The book includes a map of the big island but I kept a big Hawaii map handy so I could follow the action. I looked at many videos of volcano eruptions around the globe that are mentioned by volcanologists in the book.

I have read some good books on volcanoes. Simon Winchester’s “Krakatoa: The Day the World Ended, Aug. 27, 1883.”  This is a nonfiction thriller about the world’s worst eruption witnessed by humans. Curl your toes it will. “Rising Fire: Volcanoes and our Inner Lives” by Colorado’s John Calderazzo explores the physical and spiritual aspects of volcanoes. He also wrote a companion children’s book. There are dozens of children’s books on the subject. Also, Harry Turtledove writes alternative histories and this one explores a future Yellowstone eruption: “Supervolcano: All Fall Down.” The map on the cover makes it clear that Cheyenne, Wyoming is toast. Thanks, Harry. We have a forest of nukes on one side and a supervolcano on the other. Yellowstone was in the news this week about a dramatic steam eruption not far from Old Faithful. Nobody killed or hurt but it left one hell of a mess.

While the volcano is the center of the action in “Eruption,” a slew of interesting characters move the story along. Dr. John MacGregor  (“just call me Mac”) is the crotchety focus of the story. Mac kind of loses his starring role when army generals show up to manage the toxic weapon cache stored in Mauna Loa’s ice cave. Sorry, this is a bit of a spoiler but a key element of the story.  It’s worth reading the book just to find out what kind of doomsday weapon the U.S. could devise if they had Dr. Strangelove as the designer.

The book is organized into short scenes – there are 109-plus chapters. They are short, punchy chapters. This rhythm kept me reading even though the narrative sometimes got bogged down into arcane details of vulcanology. That’s OK by me but some readers may be tempted to skip over the middle chapters to get to the eruptions.

Almost as interesting as the novel’s proceedings in its back matter. Michael Crichton was just 66 when he died from cancer in 2008. He was an author, screenwriter, and filmmaker who, according to his very long bio was “the only writer in history to have a #1 book, #1 film, and #1 television series at the same time, and he did it twice.” I might be a bit skeptical had I not participated in the reading, moviegoing, and TV watching of Crichton’s work. I read his first novel, “The Andromeda Strain” in 1971, ate up “Jurassic Park,” and now it is 2024 and I have read his last one, or at least the last one to carry his name. He left behind a mountain of research on volcanoes and the people who study them. Also, neat details of Hawaii’s volcano-carved islands. It was up to family members and James Patterson to piece together his notes and plan for the book. “Eruption” the movie is in the works and the web is buzzing with the casting of Keanu Reeves in the lead role. The acting and special effects should be spectacular.

"Red Hawaii" for Wyoming state legislators

Wyoming legislators are off to Hawaii!

I'm not one to begrudge anyone a business trip to the Aloha State. I've been looking for a Hawaii junket for decades but just haven't been in the right place at the right time with the right budget.

This morning's Cheyenne Tribune-Eagle reported that one-third of the state's legislators will be attending the Council of State Governments-West Conference in Hawaii. One-third of 90 is 30. There are 14 Democrats so I estimate that as many as five Dems will accompany 25 Republicans. Let's hope my political party is not being cut out of the surf-sand-and-suds action.

I agree with Rep. Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne, when he says this:

"They are a beneficial way to talk with other state legislators and find out what is happening in their states. You can't do anything in a vacuum."

Sen. Tony Ross, R-Cheyenne, said that out-of-state

"conferences allow state leaders to share ideas, such as successful legislation, and develop regional partnerships."

Attending national gatherings is crucial for people working in a rural state such as Wyoming. We need to compare notes with our peers. They, in turn, often need to hear from us about what works successfully in Wyoming. This exchange of ideas is healthy for everyone. You could also file it under the heading of "professional development." Each job carries with it room for improvement. Judging by the most recent legislative session, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Which brings me to my point. The Governor's office has requested cuts in state employee travel budgets. State employees have been told that in-state travel must be crucial for their jobs. As for out-of-state travel, well, that must be beyond crucial into absolutely g-d necessary. Even then, much paperwork must be submitted and special dispensations requested.

Meanwhile, our state legislators are hitting the beach at Waikiki.

Something doesn't add up.

Merwin poem fitting close to Arizona memorial

University of Arizona President Robert Shelton at Wednesday’s memorial for the Tucson shooting victims:

SHELTON: I know conclude the program tonight by reading a poem that was written by W.S. Merwin who is the current poet laureate of the United States of America. Mister Merwin has a long history with the Poetry Center here at the University of Arizona.

To the New Year

With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is
and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible

W.S. Merwin
from Present Company, Copper Canyon Press

Thanks to Joshua Robbins for posting the poem at http://againstoblivion.blogspot.com

Firedoglake's Mike Stark confronts Birthers

This is too funny. Notice that Republican Mike Coffman from Colorado and Jeff Fortenberry from Nebraska are among the yahoos who won't give straight answers to Mike's simple question. Didn't see Rep. Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming amongst the pursued. Maybe next time. In her favor, she did vote for today's House Resolution that recognized the 50th anniversary of Hawaii's entry as a state in these United States, making the current president, who was born after statehood, a U.S. citizen. But reality-based people already knew that.

Next time, bring tumbleweeds for DNC decor

Note to self: Next convention, bring some Russian Thistle, sagebrush and Indian Paintbrush plants to decorate the delegation sign and official blogger post. Got the idea from the Hawaiian delegation sitting right in front of us. They brought three-foot-tall cuttings of Heliconia and Torch Ginger which they wrapped around their placard. It's pretty, but the greenery and orangery and reddery is now blocking my view of Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi at the podium.
We wouldn't have that problem with the very spare limbs of thistle. At the first sign of the breeze (or a good burst of AC air), the Russian Thistle would go tumbling along and become tumbleweeds.

Driftin' along with the tumblin' tumbleweeds.