What's Left of Galveston

Fire in the flood, always seems so wrong. That's how the Grand Forks Herald went down (speaking of Pulitzer).

Headed back for the others.

Yikes. Hope you got some sleep, Joel.

These are better than most shots I've seen on a half-dozen media slide shows. Good work. I'm forwarding them to my stilt-home friends in Cedar Key.

What a mess. Mother Nature beats up Father Time.

Glad to hear you got a shower, Joel.

Is the fire photo somewhere other than Galveston? The ground seems too hilly for a sandbar.

It sounds as though Galveston will be mostly closed for months--the hospitals might reopen with the rest of the city off limits except to workers.

Did the post-1900 raising of Galveston's ground level help reduce flooding this time?

The Post's photographers have done a great job of getting into non-affluent Houston area neighborhoods.

In an off-kit, ask the boodle move:

I hold AIG life insurance. My original company -- had the policy since I turned 21 -- sold to AIG in about 1992. The Whole life policy has a significant chunk of savings change, which I skillfully ignore as it is my rainy, rainy, rainy (think Galveston) money.

So, boodle-finance whizzes: what may happen to we policyholders of AIG paper?

Moments lost in time
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/latin-america-and-caribbean-politics/story/683229.html

Harvey Rice of the Houston Chronicle reports some 15,000 or more Galveston residents are on the island, while police are trying to keep reporters out of the west end of the island. I guess Rice's good news is that a cruise ship will be rented to provide temporary housing.

Great pictures, Joel.

Frosti, when gas lines rupture or electrical equipment shorts out because of flooding, you'll have fire. Yeah, I agree it's disconcerting.

Having been a public servant all of my career, I can say that I want to see efficient and effective government services at all levels. I don't know much about the federal budget, but I do know that the vast majority of it is tied up in entitlement payments.

But what are you going to give up? Defense? Immigration? Food inspections? I'd probably look hard at farm subsidies, but that's because I'm not engaged in agriculture.

Ivansmom, I like your comment about Sarah Palin. I've never voted for my US representative, Sue Myrick, but she was mayor of Charlotte before she went to Congress, and she's way more qualified than Palin for VP.

Thank you, Joel. Seeing the devastation hurts but not as much as wondering what's left. Great shots.

(Wondering if Escapes is standing)

E

JA, a colleague asks how fared the Balinese Room, a bar located on a pier. Dates from the 20s, but rebuilt often.

And, said colleague -- a Texan -- that Barry White, of the gravelly bass-baritone, hails from Galveston.

Thanks, Slyness. Proof my brain just doesn't work at all. I never once thought of Myrick as a veep choice for McCain; and a good choice it would have been. I'm having a hard time with McCrory as gov, but (don't tell anyone) I think he would do fine.

Not that those scoundrels will get my vote!

http://www.click2houston.com/news/17466539/detail.html?rss=hou&psp=news

CP: AIG will be borrowing up to $20 billion from itself (its subsidiaries) in an attempt to remain solvent. Your paper value whole life value should be intact as long as (1) there isn't a "run on the bank" to cash in value, or if that happens (2) AIG is forced into bankruptcy. In the latter case, the bankruptcy court will determine which plan(s) of payment priority will obtain. It has usually been bankruptcy operating funds and current debt first, then policyholder obligations, then pension plans, then stockholders with the first two often sharing what remains on a pro-rata basis and the pensioners and stockholders left out in the cold.

I believe AIG will survive CP. The feds seem to have written off Lehman Brothers as the designated loser, to show that you actually can be too big and yet crash and burn. The power of example at work.
To tell you the truth I wouldn't mind seeing a couple more of Wall street giants biting the dust but one seems to be Bernanke's limit. He should allow a couple more of big/huge institution to fail as well, imho. The US economy is huge, it can afford it.
NY State is mounting a defense of AIG that has a good chance to work. The feds are helping too, sotto vocce. And AIG is in trouble because they behave honourably, unlike other jerks (see Bear-Stearns).

My car insurance is with AIG. I just sent them a big old check, so it's not my fault.

I posted this earlier but it disappeared into cyberspace.

Martooni,
Check this out. From today's Travel Discussion.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

washingtonpost.com: Here's a recent piece on the nice side of Detroit: In Motown, Stop in the Name of Hope (Post Travel Section, June 22)

Andrea Sachs: When I was in Ann Arbor, I love just walking around the college town, popping into cafes and shops and taking advantage of the university's arts and theater. Also, look for the fairy doors (think low and small) that have been built by a mystery fairy artist around town. And get your carb load at Zingerman's Bakehouse.

Good pics. I took a cold shower after Gustav so I know how good that feels. Electricity makes all of the difference in life. In fact, it must be a test of character to see how one functions without hot water, internet, tv, ac, lights, refrigeration. I failed miserably.

U of Mich--1980

Before Frostdottir was able to do her wiki reading on Sarah Palin, and was still defending her, I took my desperation shot and said "You know McCain should have been looking for someone smart and well educated for VP, I'm better educated than Sarah Palin." With dramatic eye roll on "I'm better educated." I don't know if it was more flattering or infuriating but Frostdottir replied "You'd be a good Vice President." Thankfully, though Frostdottir would have women in chains under a Palin administration she could not vote for someone who takes Sarah's positions on polar bears, wolves and whales.

The reps better watch out. The dott and her cohort won't always be young and guns, gays, and gynecology won't sway voters who cut their teeth on campaigns to get their parents to recycle or send money to adopt a manatee.

CP: This is from the most recent SEC filing. AIG keeps policyholder's contract in a reserve fund, so your policy is reasonably safe, even if stocks are not.

American International Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(continued)(in millions, except share data) (unaudited)



June 30, December 31,
2008 2007
Liabilities:
Reserve for losses and loss expenses $ 88,747 $ 85,500
Unearned premiums 28,738 27,703
Future policy benefits for life and accident and health 147,232 136,387
insurance contracts
Policyholders' contract deposits (amount measured at 265,411 258,459
fair value: 2008 - $4,179; 2007 - $295)
Other policyholders' funds 13,773 12,599
Commissions, expenses and taxes payable 5,597 6,310
Insurance balances payable 5,569 4,878
Funds held by companies under reinsurance treaties 2,498 2,501
Current income taxes payable -- 3,823
Financial Services liabilities:
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase (amount 9,659 8,331
measured at fair value: 2008 - $8,338)
Trade payables 1,622 6,445
Securities and spot commodities sold but not yet 3,189 4,709
purchased, at fair value
Unrealized loss on swaps, options and forward 24,232 14,817
transactions, at fair value
Trust deposits and deposits due to banks and other 6,165 4,903
depositors (amount measured at fair value: 2008 - $240)
Commercial paper and extendible commercial notes 15,061 13,114
Long-term borrowings (amount measured at fair value: 163,577 162,935
2008 - $53,839)
Separate and variable accounts 73,401 78,684
Securities lending payable 75,056 81,965
Minority interest 11,149 10,422
Other liabilities (amount measured at fair value: 2008 31,012 27,975
- $6,861; 2007 - $3,262)
Total liabilities 971,688 952,460
Preferred shareholders' equity in subsidiary companies 100 100
Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees (See Note 6)
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock, $2.50 par value; 5,000,000,000 shares 7,370 6,878
authorized; shares issued 2008 - 2,948,038,001; 2007 -
2,751,327,476
Additional paid-in capital 9,446 2,848
Payments advanced to purchase shares -- (912)
Retained earnings 73,743 89,029
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (3,903) 4,643
Treasury stock, at cost; 2008 - 259,225,244; 2007 - (8,568) (6,685)
221,743,421 shares of common stock
Total shareholders' equity 78,088 95,801
Total liabilities, preferred shareholders' equity in $ 1,049,876 $ 1,048,361
subsidiary companies and shareholders' equity

That AIG Liability Balance Sheet was me.

Thanks, Shiloh and SD for the boodle-vetting of what the news stories suggested. Sigh, so I am in line ahead of pensioners!!!????? Sigh. Theoretically, is good. But sad.

SD, good to hear that AIG is a relatively good corporate actor.

Wish Error were boodling with his thoughtful and passionate libertarian-ish views.

Hey, ModAlien, do you read Andrew Sullivan? I think that Kim does.

Off to ride a bike under this gentle fall front coming in for a few days. Then back to the grading papers/syllabus tinkering. All this trouble because in a fit of rebellion I jettisoned the text book. This saves my students 67 clams. They worship me, for the moment. College text prices: A scandal surely whose time has come. My text is piddly-winks cheap. One book I could use is 219!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Clams!

Joel - those pictures tell a horrific story. I must admit that the financial meltdown has distracted me from thinking much about the situation on that island. Thanks for reminding us that there is a long ways to go before all is well in Galveston.

I thought Sebastian Mallaby's column today was interesting, and hopeful:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/15/AR2008091502201.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Jumper, I worked for McCrory long enough to know I'd never vote for him, for anything. The clerical/admin employees in the city manager's office couldn't stand Sue. I wouldn't have voted for her just because of how she campaigned, but that told me everything I needed to know.

Also, I finally got a chance to read Joel's article posted in the previous kit. Powerful and brutally honest. The prose is merciless. There is no escape from the imagery.

CP, it's been widely reported that the Balinese Room did not survive.

:-(

College Parkian, for 219 clams, it better come with an entirely automated, self-correcting course exercise disk, inflatable poster/doll/galaxy, and a back scratcher.

CeePee, Wilbrod,
Youse guys aren't used to French academic book prices aren't you?

I believe those French professors get to be local witty winemakers that way.

We still have a lot of folks here in the rural areas without power. In town, sounds of chain saws, leaf blowers, and people raking. The cold front that pushed Ike out gave us wonderful fall weather that made a night without A/C bearable.

Sunday morning, I looked out in my back yard to see two squirrels playing squabble-tag up and down the pecan tree, while a red-headed woodpecker, a sapsucker, a robin and a larger brown bird were all busy in the back yard, trying to fill up after hunkering down for 2 days. Out the front window a pair of cardinals were looking for seeds and fruits.

I took down my hummingbird feeder when the wind really picked up on Saturday. Immediately zoom-bys from the hummer family that claims this feeder. It was almost dusk before it calmed down enough to hang it out again. We get more than hummingbirds at this feeder, for a couple of weeks when it was dry, we had a pair of birds that looked almost like love birds, but didn't seem to have the right beak. Also have a couple of green lizards that lurk there. And some wasps that joust with the hummingbirds. As it gets closer to migration south, the hummers spend more time fighting over the feeder than feeding. As a National Geographic article said, "So small, so beautiful, so mean!"

I can hear the TV news in the other room on the financial market. A quote from the Asia Times article I linked to earlier, entitled "Pareto's Bazooka"
"For those of you who skipped financial newspapers over all of the summer - admittedly not a bad idea in itself - the reference here is to the infamous July speech when Paulson said, ‘If you have a squirt gun in your pocket you may have to take it out. If you have a bazooka in your pocket, and people know you have a bazooka, you may never have to take it out.' The context was the Treasury grabbing power from the US Congress by insisting on greater powers to deal with the crisis cutting across the entire financial sector. Proving the rule that a fool and his money are soon parted, Paulson last weekend had to fire that bazooka after all, in his rescue of failed mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; which followed the March takeover of Bear Stearns by JP Morgan at the insistence of the Fed and US Treasury."

Later in the article, a comment on what could happen if the US government bailed out more firms: "The bigger cost is for the US government. Already, the total debt load has doubled since the absorption of Fannie and Freddie into the government balance sheet last weekend. Now to add the likes of other troubled firms would be to push the overall debt burden well over 100% of gross domestic product, at which level it becomes unthinkable that the US government itself will retain its Triple A rating."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JI13Dj02.html

Now clips of candidates calling for a 'complete overhaul' of the financial system.

Ruh-roh. I fear it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Mallaby's column was more wishful than hopeful. He ignored the downside expressed by some financial pundits: that a U.S. Government financial default within the next decade is a real possibility. Eight years of fiscal mismanagement by the Bush administration - including a trillion dollar war in Iraq - has left this country vulnerable to a global lack of confidence that can stimulate a world-wide recession.

Uh. Make that, world-wide DEPRESSION, not just recession.

yep km2b, this is why a couple more giants have to fail. Huge bonuses were paid up. Profits were shared.When it comes down to it, losses must be assumed by the shareholders. Make them fully understand the risks of the markets. Should the shareholder become little brighter? Probably. Why would the straight non-asset asset taxpayer subsidized his better heeled compatriot? No reason at all.

//Eight years of fiscal mismanagement by the Bush administration - including a trillion dollar war in Iraq - has left this country vulnerable to a global lack of confidence that can stimulate a world-wide recession.//

I wonder what would happen to "family values" then?

Looks like I missed a rather, uh, empassioned Boodling session today. I will admit to having voted for Bush. Once. It's the fool-me-once excuse.

Family values, the equivalent of goodwill value in corporations, may be all that's left and it doesn't cash many checks.

The hate behind zoning laws that outlaw "commerical" enterprises has hit foster homes in No.VA.

Read about it here--

http://www.aforeverhome.org/Forms/PressRelease-09-11-2008.pdf

Folks, this kind of zoning drove a friend of mine out of breeding Great Danes years ago. A neighbor raised a ruckus and claimed she was running a business in a residental zone. She gave away her last litter and quit breeding.

This seems to be the same kind of anti-dog agenda that is driving those foster homes into trouble.

Again, this is a civil rights issue.

Zoning against commerical businesses in a residental zone only makes sense if the person does not actually live in any portion of the building being used for the business. It also impedes small business development (cottage industries) and opens people up to harrassment and loss of hobby, income, and livelihood.

Nowhere is zoning mentioned in the Constitution, by the way. Eminent domain is, but the government must make fair recomponse.

It seems that our right to do business or engage in any kind of property exchange or service is quickly becoming a "privilege", not a right, in utter violation of our founding fathers' aims as set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

http://www.lonang.com/curriculum/2/s21b.htm

In particular, start reading the section about Blackstone and what "pursuit of happiness" means.

...According to Blackstone a third inherent right was the God-given gift of private property. The right "consists in the free use, enjoyment, and disposal of all [personal] acquisitions."44 He also spoke of the "sacred and inviolable rights of private property."45

In short, Error '08!

Never voted for Bush, either one of them, altho’ I admit to choosing Gore in 2000 only because he was the Democratic candidate. “S” and I were discussing the economic situation on our walk tonight. I was wondering whether we should read The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. We’re close enough to retirement age to be very concerned about the economic situation (not that everyone else isn’t concerned too!). On the positive side, the silver lining may be a boost for Obama as the Repubs are responsible for most of what got us to this point.

Great stories and pictures Joel. What a sad and terrible situation for those people in and around Galveston. How much longer are you planning to be there? (I bet you’re counting your blessings big time.)

Family Values: I had a life insurance salesman come to my home and tell me that if I really loved my family, I would give him more money.

Wilbrod and Wilbrodog: Most zoning laws allow home occupations that do not cause NOISE, ODOR, TRAFFIC, ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE OR FIRE HAZARDS. Dog kennels are not noiseless - believe me, I have two neighbors with 20+ hunting dogs that routinely howl in unison about 3 a.m., when deer come wandering by.

Shiloh:

1) that's why noise ordinances exist.

2) Nobody outlaws airports or train tracks on the basis of noise alone.

3) This zoning law does not outlaw keeping of adult dogs no matter how loud. It does indeed outlaw breeding if money is exchanged (and don't tell me 6 week old puppies make as much din as your neighbor's hunting dogs).

4) This kind of thing is why debarking was invented. Also, soundproofing.

Those people are not keeping 20 hunting dogs at once.

Most foster homes take one foster dog at a time in addition to their normal household. Is this reason enough to ban fostering?

Keep in mind, I think nobody should be singled out for noise issues just because they happen to do any sort of business or business-like activity in their residence.

And I'm personally skeptical of that idea that zoning is a panacea for neighborhood safety.

Keep in mind that Martooni could be put out of business under your definition beause his tools make noise, odors, and woodworking by itself can be a fire hazard.

Yet, everybody works with wood. As long as he's not doing it at 3 AM to "Bad to the Bone" at ear-splitting decibels, you probably wouldn't complain yourself.

Slyness

Didn't Sue steal her neighbor's husband? I thought I heard that somewhere.

I've just finished with my student, and we had a good time doing math. This kid has really turned around. I hope she holds out for the rest of the school year.

Yello, love the books. Thanks for thinking of me, and the kids.

Have a good evening, folks. Time to rest this old body. Night, boodle. Sweet dreams.

JA

Your pictures are so much better than the ones I've seen on television or in the paper. I'm sure the shower was a pleasure, albeit cold water. I think man can endure anything but the loss of power. Take care.

Also, what you describe often happens when a previously rural community becomes suburbanized. People complain about barnyard smells and noise what they consider inappropriate hours, and "unsightly" things like rusting cars and such on people's private property.

(Heck, if you're a night owl even birds chirping out your window will get a brickbat.)

They often lobby for zoning changes that may put long-time residents who have been contributing to that community for decades-- out of business.

And all because they don't want to use earplugs or soundproofing, or they never realized that a barnyard STINKS.

cassandra,
That was fast. I only mailed them Saturday by slow boat. The post office was trying to upsell me all sorts of things not needed for a box full of old workbooks. I hope the kids get to use them. My wife's post-its are still on all the exercises she used to use.

Back to Bushes. My wife quit liking them when she lost a job after her pregnancy. She had applied for and got approved for a three-month maternity leave. When she called to return, they said there were no positions available and gave her direction on how to apply for unemployment. Bush I had failed to sign the family leave bill saying that is too big a burden for small businesses.

Her employer was a fair-sized credit union and should have had no problem accommodating her.

Let me add, Wilbrod, that while the Constitution does not mention zoning, it does say that those things not covered are left up to the individual states (and local governments). So, local zoning is "Constitutional."

At last count, one neighbor has 14 kenneled dogs and the other 9, so the counts are an actual 23 kenneled dogs within 100 yards in two directions - and they are noisy at times.

Hunt dogs identify prey by BARKING, thereby silencing your other argument about cutting out their voices.

Noise ordinances usually apply to mechanical devices that can be measured in decibels during operation. Dogs do not bark at opportune times for noise measurement and most folks don't own measuring devices. My remedy has always been to dial my neighbors phone number and hang the phone out a window so they can hear their own dogs at 3 a.m.

Foster homes for children, also inclined to noise, have been limited to a certain number of non-family members - so I see no reason to not limit foster dogs. I have 6 cats and their noise at mating season has been curtailed (no pun intended) by spaying and neutering.

Finally, airports and train tracks are usually in place before residential development. People live in those locations at their own risk and then complain. Too bad.

Zoning laws are also subject to local ordinances that people can object to or support in advance of adoption.

Rant ended

Charlie the Unicorn 2 is out! I'm so happy!

Sorry. Rough day.

What's this? It's been out for six stinkin' months? And I haven't been informed of this...why?

Wilbrod, don't try to drag martooni into this. Hours of operation for machinery is usually set by noise ordinances, as well as distance to neighboring or "receiving" land uses. Fire hazards usually deal with volatile substances, ether, for example, in certain home manufacturing operations - and not day-to-day fire hazards like dog tails knocking over candles.

Off-kit, off-boodle little story....

Dear Child, age 5, has been practicing hitting a baseball over the two-story garage. A pitched baseball, not a t-ball. It's very impressive, especially since she only swings a bat every now and again. So I asked..."honey, would you like to play on a baseball team?" She replied she wasn't good enough. I said "no one is good enough darling," and she said "Shelley Duncan is." So, like any half-a$$ed lost-in-thought mom, I asked "who's Shelley Duncan" (I'm thinking a kindergarten classmate, or maybe a cartoon character).

"Geez Mom [deep sigh], Shelley Duncan [exasperated look]....number 17 [eye roll].....on the *Yankees*." [another deep sigh, the kind that implies she can't believe I can walk and chew gum at the same time, and the fact that she has me for a mom is apparently her cross to bear].

So...I'm an idiot for not knowing the starting line-up for a triple-A team, and she thought that when I asked if she wanted to play on a baseball team, I must have meant the Yankees.

I'll bet she wonders how I ever get up out of bed and dressed each morning all by myself.

Also, it's not true that airports don't face a lot of regulation (and a lot of complaints) regarding noise; it happens all the time. At NAS Pax River, they were always getting complaints, as well as fending off local efforts to restrict flight times, flight paths, etc. Most of those efforts by citizens were unsuccessful (rightly so), but still, a lot of time and effort was spent fighting them off. What I always wanted to know was, what kind of moron buys a house a mile from the end of a runway--and then thinks they can complain about the noise. (And I often wonder where these complainers stand on the "patriotism" issues. They want a strong military -- just so they don't put any military installations in their backyards--60 years ago.) NAS Pax was built in 1942, and I believe there may have been a war on at the time. I have approximately ZERO sympathy for anyone who lives near a military installation and doesn't like it.

(Come to that, I have zero sympathy for someone who moves near a school, and complains about virtually anything--noise, lights at the football stadium, kids walking past their house. I have no sympathy for people who object to locating a halfway house in their neighborhood (we have one about three blocks from my house, and some people complain. I have no sympathy for somebody who builds a house in a 25-year flood zone -- and then it floods. I don't have much sympathy for someone who builds a house on stilts 50 yards from the beach in a hurricane zone. I guess I'm just not a very sympathetic guy. Curmudgeonly, ya might say.)

My son the football genious pointed out to me the Iggles are 7-2 on the road against Dallas. Jeez, maybe we got a shot after all... Let the game begin!

Dontcha just love how kids roll their eyes, LiT? Hilarious story, thanks for sharing.

Cassandra, I believe you are correct about Ms. Myrick. About Ms. Myrick, Mr. T's cousin told us this story: He was working for a painting contractor and did some painting in her home. She came in and started arguing with one of the men there, basically ripping him a new one. Mr. T's cousin was glad to leave and remarked to a fellow employee that he was glad he wasn't that guy. The fellow employee told him the guy was Mr. Myrick.

LIT, that's hilarious. I can just picture a little girl in an oversized Yankees hat and uniform, with a cheek puffed out (not tobacco but bubble gum), kicking rocks around the outfield while the announcer says "... in center field, number 9, let's hear it for - Dear Child!"

A Universal Truth: There's no one like our own children to make us feel truly incompetent.

Lord knows I feel that way all the time.

A question: Is Shelley Duncan Sandy Duncan's son?

bc

I think people need to study acoustics in school, Mudge. It probably surprises them that sound can travel a mile or more from an airport. But duh, don't they VISIT the house?

And Shiloh, I do have sympathy for noise barrages. It never fails to amaze me how people can tune out their own dogs' barking. It just makes the dog bark more.

I would still press for debarking or for them to quiet their dogs at night. (And you CAN easily record their barking with a time stamp and borrow a noise meter for proof, if you want.)

IMO, the best way to shut up barking dogs is to keep them in the house at night, although bark collars help.

Tips here:
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7216

http://www.northernflight.com/muzzle.htm

The idea is to make it THEIR problem, so they solve it.

In the meanwhile, try earplugs and cheap soundproofing. You can get vibrating alarm clocks so you don't miss the alarm.

As for hunting dogs barking at 3 AM because of deer, that's being allowed by their owners, not because it's incurable.

Unless they are specifically trained to hunt deer (banned in many states), their owner should be training them to ignore deer as far as is possible, down to not barking at them.

If deer hunting with dogs is illegal in your state, make sure the game warden gets a call.

Football report: *&^$#@&^%$#*%#@

The acronyms you bring to mind, Cur, are NIMBY, CAVE, and BANANA:

Not In My Back Yard

Citizens Against Virtually Everything

Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

There are others. Reasonable people don't fall prey to the vigilantes of either persuasion.

One of my favorite anti-development hearings was with a group that objected to a dairy in our rural county because "our county shouldn't be expected to supply milk to the entire state." I simply asked if they would object to a local oil refinery to supply gasoline to local users, or a steel mill limited to production for the number of local uses in vehicles, etc.

It usually doesn't take much to silence the demagoguery of the CAVES on both sides of issues or non-issues.

I thought Shelley Duncan was the lady that did all the videos of fairytales. I am dating myself so many ways as well as displaying my complete lack of sporting knowledge.

That would be Shelley Duvall, Yello

yellojkt, I believe that was Shelley Duvall.

Mudge, your Iggles ain't out of it yet.

The Cowboys are imploding in the second quarter here.

bc

Wilbrod: Hunting dogs are legal and are trained to bark at deer or fox or hog or raccoon sightings or odor. It is a local sport. Bird dogs may "point" politely, but hunt dogs bark and attack prey in a hunting frenzy. It's what they are trained to do. You cannot train a hunt dog not to bark when a deer, or fox, or hog, or raccoon is within sight or smell of the kennel. In local parlance, if "that dog won't hunt" it is usually shot as a useless dog.

On the other hand....

Yeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

LiT, that was a very sweet story. Your daughter sounds a lot like my youngest granddaughter, always coming out with something to make you smile. I sometimes wish they’d stay little forever...

Another thought-provoking OpEd by my hero, James Carroll.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/09/15/religious_comfort_for_bin_laden/

Then who was Olive Oyl? or Peter Pan? My brain hurts.

Or the fat lady that drowned in The Poseidon Adventure?

Since we're wildly off topic anyway (so what else is new?), Id like to proclaim that kbertocci's vacation pics are lovely. I love to collect shells and I used to have some nice sand dollars - but I have no idea where they might be if I have kept any, or where they came from. I'm thinking they might have been from Galveston. When we were scraping by in Houston, Galveston was a short distance away and provided us with a getaway for the price of a bit of gasoline. Our kiddo was just the right age to love to spend the day playing on the beach, jumping in the waves and digging in the sand. I do remember trying to make something with the shells I collected, like wind chimes or Christmas tree ornaments. The ornament idea did not work well - they don't show up on a tree and are too heavy as well. At least I couldn't make it work.

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

(Shelley Winters, yello.)

Something Joel does not mention in his pieces are the sounds after such a storm.

I've been through some bad storms, though nothing like the destruction in Galveston.

But when they were over and the dawn came, the eerie silence was punctuated by dogs barking, followed closely by the sounds of portable generators starting.

Then, the chain saws.

bc

PS This Iggles/Cowboys game has had more action in the first twenty-two minutes of game play than the entire NFC South Division last season.

And some notable miscues, too.

bc

Shelley Duvall was Olive Oyl - Robin Williams was Popeye. I have not seen the movie (I didn't like the cartoon, although I watched it all the time as a kid). She was also in The Shining.

Over at Palm Talk, a forum run by the International Palm Society, one of the regulars who is with a Galveston hospital posted a few pictures of the hospital area looking pretty good, plus some live oaks that looked just fine. The leaves hadn't been blown off. I think that means the wind wasn't too bad (I'd bet no more than about 80 mph). Does someone have a wind tunnel suitable for leaf-retention experiments?

Holding, offense.

The highlight reel on this damn thing is gonna be longer than a Marcel Ophuls film festival.

bc - that must be the game that my husband and son are watching. There is some crazy yelling going on in the other room. Apparently some of their fantasy players are doing quite well.

Compelling pictures by JA. I had to stop a minute and think about what those poor folks are going through.

LiT - very nice story. Of course MY children NEVER act like I am utterly clueless. Nope, never. In my dreams, anyway...

I also loved kbertocci's pics. We honeymooned on Marco Island and took a little trip over to Sanibel. Delightful.

Yes, mod alien, check out Andrew Sullivan- a conservative who makes a lot of sense to me. Of course, he's a real conservative, not a modern day Republican. His words, not mine.

Yikes, that sounded awful - "I had to stop a minute and think about what those poor folks..." as though I haven't been paying attention at all or keeping them in my thoughts. Hopefully, everyone knows what I meant!

Sorry for the off-topicness of this comment:

I had a funny wildlife encounter this morning. During my pre-dawn jog, I was running on the sidewalk next to a small nature preserve that is surrounded by a chainlink fence. Across the street, a large vacant lot--a huge vacant lot by local standards, larger, probably, than the nature preserve. From the vacant lot appears...a fox! Running full speed, it shoots across the street, directly in front of me, about five feet away, and crashes ... CLANG! ... into the chainlink fence. A split second to get its bearings, adjust course a tiny bit, and it squeezes under the fence on the second try. It was too much like a cartoon for me not to laugh, but I did feel bad for the little guy. He must have a headache today.

Dropped by 3quarksdaily to see what my second favorite blog had in the way of science writing I may have missed while all attention is on political campaigns. What's this? A story about the LHC, of course. Turns out it's Joel's National Geographic piece from back in March. Why of course, where else would even the pointy heads of 3QD turn for lucid writing on such a topic?

New kit

On-topic: Thanks for the pictures and great reporting, Joel. It's a big story made of millions of little stories. The big picture that can only be perceived by looking at lots of human-scale images. This 21st century journalism is interesting to observe as it develops.

On-topic in an "it's all about me" way:

When we were without electricity for 17 days after Wilma, I formed the opinion that I'd rather have a half gallon of hot water than all the cold water in the world, when it comes to washing. I used candles, Sterno, the sun, anything I could to heat small quantities of water, and I was efficient with it and was able to get clean with minimal water usage. Ever since then, I have used a lot less water when I shower, because I found out firsthand how much I had been wasting.

Shiloh, thanks for the clarification. See, I was thinking a good rabbit dog wouldn't be allowed to chase deer, and vice versa.

Like I said, I don't think zoning laws should be used for this kind of problem. It's about culture and nuisance to neighbors.

By lobbying for zoning changes, you could be denying somebody a chance to buy that property out and run a better kennel or other business there instead.

It's better to slam them with present laws whenever possible.

As for the barking, yes, I know baying is the traditional hound alert. And that they often are bred to care only about hunting.

I also know that a tired dog is a good dog.

Many large, fit, dogs bred to run need to run 10-20 miles a day to stay in condition. Some need that much to stay SANE.
This may only be accomplished by roading or other exercise (sledding, carting, hunting, etc.)

So when I say that a dog certainly can be stopped from barking at deer at 3 AM, I'm talking about housing, discipline, and also exercising them enough.

Doesn't matter if that dog will hunt or not.

There are plenty of working dogs with high drive who can shut down that drive on command-- if they're allowed to really use it adequately under trained conditions.

It's about meeting their mental needs so they're not up at 3 AM barking for 10, 20, minutes or longer because they're bored and underexercised.

Maybe you're right, and I'm wrong. But heck, doesn't sound like they're trying at all to shut up their dogs, are they?

Thanks for the Carroll link Maggie. While I agree with his premise that Bush (and Palin) play into the hands of Islamic fundamentalists like bin Laden, he omitted a key element in his analysis: Pentacostalists.

The "spirit driven" governing principle of pentacostalism is as much a part of Islam as it is of Christianity, it is as common to Christian fundamentalism as it is to bin Laden, al Queda and Wahabbism. Both the spirit driven Pentacostal Christians and spirit driven Islamic fundamentalists are as two peas in a pod. Zealotry and competition in religion is not new, but should be called what it is - the juxtaposition and conflict of spirit driven ideologies that should not have a place in societal politics.

Carroll betrays his SJ heritage by using his intellect to parse politics, rather than parsing religion. He skirts the potentially insidious "spirit driven" nature of pentacostalism and wahabbism that may be now and future killing fields.

Shiloh,
Thanks for pointing that Pentacostalism thought. I totally agree. I hope you will send your comment to Carroll at the Boston Globe. I wonder what his response would be.