Don't Back Down

I've been telling Denise for a week or so that the predictions of "thousands upon thousands" of dead in New Orleans will likely end up being way too high. Seems like some agree with me.

Note: This isn't meant to minimize those that have died, but instead to illustrate the fascination that our society in general, and specifically the media, has with sensationalism. Sure, it sells papers or keeps eyeballs glued to the set. But come on - what happened to reporting the truth, rather than reporting to boost your advertising dollars?

In the course of about four hours yesterday, I passed not one, but two stations twice (that is to say, I passed them in one direction, and later in another) and by the return trip, prices had dipped by $0.05 per gallon for regular.

That means we're seeing $2.89 prices already, and at least one local newspaper predicts that we may see $2.50 as early as next week. If they are right, I hope everyone didn't buy up gasoline stocks, thinking that prices would continue up and up.

Yesterday Los Angeles lost power either because someone connected a cable incorrectly or cut the wrong cable (I've seen both reported). Now I understand there was some suburban white guy on TV the day before saying that Los Angeles was the target of a terrorist attack, but really - the first thought to the people is that they were under said attack? Huh? Osama B's next order is "Go to LA and turn off the lights"? I don't think so. I think we need to relax a bit.