Glad To Be In The Desert

Sitting here watching CNN, and came across the following report from the National Weather Service:
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Urgent Weather Message from NWS New Orleans

WWUS74 KLIX 281550NPWLIXURGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005


DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

HURRICANE KATRINAA MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969. MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. ATLEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED.


CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATEADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...


AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK. POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...


BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEWCROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEARHURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE..


.ARECERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTUREOUTSIDE!LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

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I have never read so much doom in a weather report, and some reports are saying that New Orleans will cease to exist as we know it...

Maybe if it affects the oil business significantly enough, those in charge may have to accept the idea of climate change (global warming). Hurricanes exist to move heat energy north from the areas near the equator, to regulate ocean temperature, and they have been getting bigger and happen more often in recent years.... (Of course, if you have seen "Day After Tomorrow" you have heard this from Quaid.)

Thoughts are with the people in LA.

Dog? And Other Happenings

So my interest in getting a pooch has been rekindled, so I have been thinking about what kind of dog might be a good fit. A friend of a friend runs this site, and the friend suggested one of these would be cool. I guess they are well-tempered, are not aggressive, don't bark, don't shed too much, and as long as you exercise them plenty, are well-suited to hanging out all day without going stir crazy. I am sure they probably eat a ton and it would probably be like cleaning up after a horse when you walk them, but I think it might be fun to have a dog that's bigger than me.

On the other hand, I am always tempted just to go down to the pound and pick up a good ol'fashioned mutt. Decisions, decisions.

On the home front, I spent all day Saturday finishing up the flooring search. Looks like I will be installing it myself (cost-driven), and am down to a handful of options. Just have to get a couple of second opinions. I also went bed shopping, and discovered that it would be real easy to spend as much on a bed as you might on a car. Of course you do spend a third of your life in it. Or in my case, about a quarter.

Just finished putting new tires on the old mountain bike. Had a blowout saturday, ripped the sidewall and the tire went flat within two revolutions. Pretty interesting when you are clipped in. No mountain lions though. And the five mile hike back to the truck wasn't bad. (Downhill)

This weekend I might try to hike to the top of Mt. Rose, before the snow starts flying again. Hope to post some pics, so check back.

Until next time. (Hopefully won't be another 3/4 of a year until the next one.)