Chernobyl - may good wishes be enough!

And here we go... after I gave the book block for completion two weeks ago and had to wait ever since, the book block finally arrived on Monday after I asked for it. I sat on it for three hours on Tuesday to send it straight back to the publisher. On Wednesday morning, the book block was ready and I was able to upload it. My graphic designer had already adapted the cover on Tuesday, but for some unknown reason it caused us problems again during the upload and cost us time. I am a big fan of digital solutions, if they would work. Unfortunately, nothing ever works on the first try. The tax office cost me a whole week in January, the provision of prescriptions still does not work (although it is been mandatory for a year, my doctors cannot get it right and it is always a surprise when I am at the pharmacy to find out whether anything has been entered on the card at all and, if so, what is the correct dosage? Correct medication? Complete?) - I could go on like this forever, but at least the upload of the cover worked on the fourth attempt with modified files (thanks Henning for your efforts!). Now I am waiting for the first copy to be sent for approval.

However, all this pales in comparison to the potential nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. The sarcophagus is damaged. At least it is still reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency has not measured any increased radiation levels. Unfortunately, I cannot link the information here, because the official website of the authority does not deal with the incident, but with Valentine's Day, see screenshot. No words!

The official account, Friday, 14th of February, posted at 10.00 am!

Chernobyl brings back the worst memories for me and these still have repercussions today. At least one life-threatening cancer disease in my immediate environment, which was only survived with a lot of luck until today, can be traced back to the 1986 accident, according to all the doctors. In other words, the issue is always present in my life and is by no means just a distant memory of being banned from playing outside and not eating fruit and vegetables from affected regions in Germany and Europe for years.  No - the GAU is always an issue.

And all this in the run-up to the security conference in Munich, where we hope facts will finally be established so that this war can come to an end and not drag on forever and claim even more lives.

I make good wishes that the Atomic Energy Authority would continue to measure the values and inform us in the event of a case. And so that they do not forget over the weekend and Valentine's Day!

I make good wishes that there are no radiation levels to report.

And otherwise: Well, I voted with the greatest stomach ache and handed in my voting papers in person at the municipality today. Not in the letterbox outside the building because it is the weekend, I do not know if the box will be emptied before Monday and I also do not know if it might be broken into over the weekend.

These are wild times we live in! Speaking of which, there was another Islamist terrorist attack yesterday in Munich. https://apnews.com/article/germany-munich-car-attack-suspect-extremism-3ca7bd91524aecba67cb8c8f586031bf

What is different from all the previous attacks? This time it is even being called an Islamist terrorist attack!