Posts from — October 2005

Having said that, my first response to the news that a parrot had died from bird flu while in quarantine in the UK was to picture John Cleese and Michael Palin discussing the health of a “Norwegian Blue Parrot”.

It doesn’t look like it will develop into a hurricane or continue towards the US.

™ ^{[Kevin Drum]}

Ringo’s Old Man

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Editor: This is Ringo’s dad, from whom she received her color and the “touch of the tabby”. That paver behind him is 18″ wide. He is longer and taller than Sox but not as muscled.]

Friday Ark

This cable system has a diagnostic channel up with an oscilloscope display so that I can tell they aren’t “pushing” that channel, the problem is internal to the channel.

It’s really annoying. If there were ever anything on the channel that you might actually want to watch, you would have to reset the sound.

I can honestly say that this is the first time I have ever heard of something like this happening. If you don’t answer questions on the employment application, you must not want the job.

Following on the heels of the charades being played to send messages to the Religious Reich, this is so … middle school!

This whole mess highlights a couple of points: the private companies are not rushing to expand broadband availability, preferring to make as much as they can from what already exists; and private business doesn’t think it can compete with government.

The first point is endemic in the corporate world: no new facilities or investments, just milk your cash cow until it dies. That’s why there are so few manufacturing jobs left in the US, corporations didn’t modernize.

We have heard for years the mantra that privatizing public services would save money and reduce taxes. I’ve never seen it work, and apparently neither have the telecommunications companies, as they claim they can’t compete with local governments in providing wideband service.

As a capitalist and end-user I think they should compete in the market, and may the best provider win. I will say it is a bit absurd that government recognizes an unfulfilled opportunity before business.

Kemp said that after they have completed their sentence felons should automatically have their voting rights restored. The Republicans on the committee opposed the concept.

I think the Republicans will change their stance after Fitzgerald gets done.

You have all heard the comments from reporters on the scene of a natural disaster; “It looks like a war zone.” Yes, it does. I have been in natural disasters and war zones, and there are many similarities. The reality is that the humanitarian response to either event is the same: search and rescue, care for those in need of medical assistance, and provide food and shelter.

FEMA is supposed to be coordinating the response, but the reality is that the Coast Guard started rescuing people immediately because they didn’t need any permission, but the Navy couldn’t because they did need civilian approval. Food, water, and ice didn’t reach those in need because FEMA stopped it. FEMA wanted to “coordinate” the effort, so it stopped it in its tracks. FEMA wasn’t prepared to make any decisions, so everything was put on hold.

FEMA had four hurricanes in Florida to bring its people up to speed on procedures, but it acted like it had never seen a hurricane before. There were more people involved in Katrina, but that should have made aid delivery easier as the needs were concentrated.

The new reality is that state and local governments had better be prepared to be on their own for two weeks, because FEMA is a hindrance not a help.

Donald Rumsfeld, who thinks Congress should give him a blank check and shut up, the man who can’t explain why he hasn’t spent millions on armor as required by Congress, was in China lecturing the Chinese on the importance of being open about defense spending.

It is highly likely that there is a good deal more known about the Chinese defense budget than the American budget. Rumsfeld won’t submit a regular request that includes expenses for either Afghanistan or Iraq, and keeps pushing for large blocks of unassigned money.

It’s a bit like Newt Gingrich lecturing on the sanctity of marriage.

We have had laws against espionage for a rather extended period. Texas has had laws against corporate political funding for over a century. The Republicans are in charge of the rules concerning congresscritters accepting gifts and trips.

If the pundits don’t like to see all of these people being indicted, they should stop supporting people who have no regard for the rule of law.

The pressure dropped like a rock recently and the storm has a “pinhole eye”. This is not what anyone wants to hear.

Update and correction [10/19 11:28AM]: While Wilma has tied the records for most named storms [21] and most hurricanes [12], the record for most major hurricanes was 8 in 1950, not 6 in 1996. However, Wilma has replaced that record with another: the lowest recorded barometric pressure, 882 millibars, for an Atlantic hurricane.

The residents of Monroe County, the southern tip including the keys, are boarding up and getting ready to leave. The current track has the storm hitting around Fort Myers and exiting around Fort Pierce.

Update: This could be another Elena, a 1985 hurricane that wandered around for days. Check out this Javascript graphic of Elena’s track. She was a piece of work.

Remind me again about the difference between blogging and journalism…

Terrapene carolina major

Maybe I need a ramp.

[Editor: a Gulf Coast box turtle has taken up residence in my Mother’s pond. The rim of the pond is a little more than 2 inches.]