A New Year

But it's same, same as far as the season - I'm talking hurricane season here. OMG, there is a storm in the Gulf. As hard as the forecasters tried, they just couldn't manage to convince Alex to come on up to the Texas coast.

I know the clowns here in the Houston area become rabid when there is a disturbance off the African coast. Dire predictions abound. It could become something. It could wreck disaster to us here. It will strengthen over the Atlantic, slip over Cuba and head lickety split into the Houston Ship Channel. Fill your tanks on your cars (the gasoline industry needs you), stock up on Vienna sausages and crackers, get gallons of water for each family member, and, by all means, buy that generator. I just get really tickled listening to them.

I thought this script was only here and along the Gulf Coast, but we were at the SSB this weekend. We get Austin as "local" stations on the satellite. Those weather people were reading the same script. They were trying to manipulate the forecast models. There is often one line that runs away from the other projected lines, and that was true with this one. There was a line that, give me a break, showed the storm going into New Orleans. The forecasters jumped all over that!

Now the serious part of this storm is the poor people who are suffering with the oil were getting higher surfs. That blasted oil was going over all the containment systems. It was terrible for them.

I kind of got the feeling that the weather people here in Texas were like the little sister who doesn't get to wear lipstick and date. There was a definite "look at our problems with the storm" feeling going on.

There were break in forecasts all day - like we were waiting for the storm to hit here, all day. I AM sensitive to those poor folks in Tampico who took the brunt of the storm. I know we have people who have kin there. I know these things, but the coverage was like we did get the storm - right up the ship channel. We got some rain. The gloom and doom news people were forecasting inches and inches.

Oh how I wish you could witness this comedy. And then the officials wonder why after years of not having a storm, people don't take it seriously. Folks are already a little on edge around here after Ike. They are preparing for the season which is a very good thing. I just wish the forecasters would forecast properly.

We seem to be living in a society where gloom and doom reign. Fear is the key emotion that is wanted. How nice it would be to put things into perspective. I really am not expecting the world to end next week.

Peace be with you.