We were on our way to church last night and noticed a lengthy line at the corner station for gas at $2.99 per gallon. Further down the road, we noticed a longer line at a station offering gas at $3.09. Somewhere around two hours later we came back by the same stations, and the higher-priced one was up to $3.19, with a slightly longer line. The cheaper station was still at $2.99, but the line had nearly doubled. Insane.
Apparently it's common in the Charlotte area to hang something white out your window if your car is on the side of the road for one reason or another. I would assume that the car I saw today (complete with mostly white gym sock in place) ran out of gas, but that's just an assumption.
It could have been anything. Does anyone know the significance of something white (either in Charlotte or elsewhere)? I mean if it's important, I'm thinking that I ought to make sure I have something white in the car at all times. Just in case.
Americans love their cars. I don't know about too many other cities, but this is especially true in Charlotte. Charlotte has buses, and we're even building a multi-billion dollar light rail system that no one will ride. This is so we can be World Class, because that's important or something. But we still have our cars, and they still need gas to go.
As you may have surmised, I had to fill up today. I was hoping to avoid it, but the little light had been on for at least 20 miles and the needle was at the bottom of the gauge too. It simply had nowhere to go. It was so close I took a half can of lawnmower gas that is who knows how old with me, just in case. So I risked it, especially since my wife said that the lines weren't that bad. Once I got out there, I found out why.
As reports continue to flood in (pardon the pun), it looks more and more to me like the catastrophe that is New Orleans isn't going to get better anytime soon. While on the road this morning, I heard a report that gunfire was reported in the city, which isn't new information. What was new is that it apparently was focused at rescue helicopters. That makes no sense. Obviously the only hope some of these people have is that the bullets will run out before their lives have ended.
But even so, how can a city go on what is essentially a massive forced lunch break for such a long period of time? Engineers report that the saturated levees are now even more likely to suffer failures than they were before. And they can't get the water out that's in there now! Apparently the pumps that clear the water are barely running, and can't make any headway. The problem is that other pumps that could help need electricity to run. But because 80% or so of the city is now underwater, I don't see electriticy getting to them anytime soon. Sounds like they're in a bit of a pickle.
This isn't meant to make light of the situation - I'm just wondering at what point it happens that New Orleans as a city will have to be written off and rebuilt more inland (if at all). Even if the water should be cleared and the roads, plumbing and power be rebuilt, how many companies that were there are going to be able to recover, because they had a forcibly-imposed 3-month sabbatical? It seems to me that any of those companies that can will be moving their operations elsewhere - so why on earth would they want to move them back just as they get going again?
And perhaps most importantly, will we see Kurt Russell come back to the role of Snake Plissken for part 3 of the Escape series?
I was just handed a note from our older son, who is in the 5th grade in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). This form lists 3 measures that will take effect starting tomorrow, September 2, in order to conserve fuel.
The first measure is that all field trips will be canceled until further notice. The third is that middle school athletic programs are suspended. Both are clear enough. I'm puzzled about number two, however. Perhaps you can help.
I bit the bullet and ordered the chair. It's supposed to be here sometime next week - likely Thursday. I can hardly wait. Who would have thought I could be so excited about a chair? Especially such an expensive one? Yet I am. I can hardly wait for it to arrive.
National Geographic has a video clip about the problem with New Orleans.
In a nutshell, wetlands help defray the effects of the storm surge. Wetlands are being removed at a rapid rate - about 1 acre every 25 minutes, according to the video (presumably by development). This, coupled with the levee system, deprives certain areas of the replenishing effects of the wetlands. The solution? Divert waters of the Mississippi in order to recreate the wetlands.
In other words, demolish them. Then rebuild them, presumably at a higher cost. Nice.
Apparently a convoy of rescue vehicles finally arrived in New Orleans yesterday. Some cheered. Some talked about how the relief effort wasn't much more than being treated suspiciously and tossed a 20-ounce bottle of water. Still others regale us with their wisdom by proudly declaring "We've been sleeping on the ... ground like rats," Levy added. "I say burn this whole ... city down." (That's from the first link above.)
So I have to ask. While the response of rescue forces - specifically national ones - may not be particularly good, and I can understand the frustration to some degree (though certainly not completely), is the best reaction to burn the city to the ground?
Lest anyone think otherwise, I'm certain that there are many fine people who do not share this sentiment. My prayers are with them, and I would not desecrate their image by association. But I just have to wonder what sort of people are left that shoot at the rescue helicopters, murder and rape their neighbors and then proclaim that the city should burn. It's bad enough when things like that happen in regular life (whatever that is). But to do it in the middle of such a situation? That's just stupid. We share this world, people. Try and act like it.
Another bug release for MT-Notifier, and it's looking like this will be the last for a while. I certainly hope so. Those of you using the API to post, for instance by using a tool like w.bloggar or even the future posting function of Movable Type itself, should be set now. All notifications of your work should go out as expected. Any further aberrations are surely due to your overstimulated imagination.
I've longed believed that the "same as cash" finance deals that are so prevalent are really just mecahnisms for the stores to get people sitting so long on their new sofa that they forget they haven't paid for it, then get socked with massive interest payments/penalty fees since they missed the deadline.
This morning we went out and bought a new dresser and saw a plan with no interest until 2009. While we're rapidly nearing the end of 2005, and I'm sure you have to pay interest in January of 2009, that's three full years (and a couple months) of no interest. That's just insane. All for a $299 purchase.
Meanwhile, last night on television showed a commercial for a nearby furniture place that was upping the ante - offering no interest until 2010. Tell me, do you want to buy a bed today, and find out in 2010 that you have forgotten to pay for it, and then get socked with some ridiculous penalty? That would be horrible.
All these overextended credit cards and all the paycheck-to-paycheck living, hoping to get your paycheck to the bank before 2pm, so the checks you wrote three days ago will be covered, isn't going to last forever. I'm really not a gloom-and-doom type, but there has got to be a breaking point.
Allegedly, anyway. Bluetooth was supposed to be the consumer-friendly personal-area network. That hasn't worked out too well. Most geeks I know even have trouble getting it to work reliably. Still, it hasn't stopped Jaguar, and perhaps others, from putting it into cars. But I think it's more a checkbox at this point. Something that people might ask, and they can say "Yes, we do that!"
Zigbee apparently aims to take over that market, with a multitude of tiny sensors that work together to form a network of information. It definitely sounds cool. One application is that you could have a sensor on a pipe, and if water is detected, it could shut off the main water supply. That's neat - provided both that it does what it says and that it lets you know about it, so you don't call a plumber who comes in and tells you how stupid you are because your Zigbee shut off everything in the house. Then charges you a couple hundred bucks for the house call.
Still, there is a Zigbee Alliance, which appears to be doing well. And the buzz is that there might be something in the works as soon as Christmas. It could be neat. It could be a flop. You may want to hold off a bit before investing in the company - unless you want to toss money at unlikely successes, on the hope that one will pay off. Perhaps this is it. We'll have to see.
Nearly a week ago, I made some comments about the levee system in (around) New Orleans. Today, I read this piece that talks about the same issue, but takes it one step further. Notably, they wonder if New Orleans should be rebuilt at all.
I don't pretend to know the answer to that question. And keep in mind that I'm not saying that the people of New Orleans should be abandoned. Merely that perahps it's not in the best of locations. I also think the idea to turn it into an "American Venice" is an interesting one, that perhaps should be pursued. At least at that point, you expect water everywhere.
