Hurricane Relief

I think it is entirely appropriate that the Republicans have scaled back their convention and are focusing on raising money for Hurricane Gustav relief. After all, the Republicans are the ones with all that extra money to donate and then write off on their taxes. And the Republicans are also the ones who don't like "government" to take care of the citizens in need. So let them foot the bill for Gustav -- after they've taken care of everybody still living in Katrina trailers.

It is very obvious that the Gulf coast has a long way to go before it is able to survive the increasing hurricane activity that comes with climate change. With rising sea levels on the horizon and decreasing wetlands lost to out of control human commerce and development, our government lucked out today. The hurricane's path and velocity were not of a level to breach the levees and for that we give a nod to luck and to some repairs made by the Army Corps of Engineers who say they will be finished with all the levee repairs by 2011. According to this August 23, 2008 AP report, the levee repairs and reconstruction post-Katrina have been fraught with all kinds of problems:

In a yearlong review of levee work here, The Associated Press has tracked a pattern of public misperception, political jockeying and legal fighting, along with economic and engineering miscalculations since Katrina, that threaten to make New Orleans the scene of another devastating flood.

They dodged it this time -- but in the long term, a lot more thought, environmental engineering, and money need to go into solving the problems of living on the Gulf Coast. Somehow I doubt the Republicans will give enough to make a difference. You can help out via Barack Obama's web site -- just click here.

Sunny Day in Kenmore

Another sunny December day in Kenmore, in the winter that has yet to arrive. Day after day of temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Snow is a distant memory -- we had a slight frosting one day last month. December has been a relief for our heating bills, but January is long and we hope it brings us a proper winter freeze before spring is due to arrive.

It was a good day to avoid television, radio and internet media. I didn't want to read continuing updates on the impending execution of Sadaam Hussein. No matter how you dress 'em up, state executions are just plain gruesome.

Nor am I interested in seeing all the tributes pouring in for Gerald Ford. How low has the status of US president sunk, I ponder, that Ford is suddenly elevated to noble heights for merely being in line to succeed Nixon. I just don't understand why he is now to be praised for pardoning Tricky Dick. My best memories of Gerald Ford are those Saturday Night live sketches with Chevy Chase tripping over whatever was at hand.

Above gulls fly over Summit Lake on a sunny December day.

Below is a close-up of some moss. Nice weather for moss -- it is flourishing all over my garden now.

Where did the day go?

It is now Wednesday and so I've missed a posting day somewhere in the past 24 hours.

We woke up to a thin coating of snow in Akron, and not a salt truck to be seen anywhere. Between my house and work (less than a mile), I saw three crashed cars. It was a grand day for body shop business in our town.

I live in a very hilly district -- kind of like San Francisco, but not nearly as nice! Since none of the streets had been salted by 8 AM, there were cars spun out up and down the hilly streets of Kenmore. One intrepid driver was determined to get down to the bottom of a particularly steep hill, so he had the nose of his car stuck up against the curb and rode it down until arriving at the traffic light.

So why did the salt truck workers sleep in today? Maybe my local paper will inform me today. Fortunately, the weekend ahead looks clear. I will be out of town Friday and Saturday and hoping for good driving weather.