etee's Blog

It's been a little more than a month since the last time we were all gonna die, I think as I sit here munching on a Vienna Sausage and sipping my Starbucks, while calmy awaiting the end.

I don't know for sure if I will be live-blogging the arrival of Ike or not (stay awake until 1 AM... or sleep... hmmm...), however I have charged up the batteries and prepped the cameras in case any photo ops come my way. In the meantime, I will sit around, listening, watching, and reading as the news media engages the faster-than-light hyperbole engines, and runs them at extreme overboost.

E D Truitt

THE RAIN IS COMING! THE RAIN IS COMING! PANIC! PANIC! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!! (or maybe not)

You think I'm kidding? THIS is what greeted me this morning when I fired up my Twitter client:

E D Truitt

SEE? I TOLD YOU SO! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! IT'S ON CNN!!!!

Now, lest you think I am just ignoring reality, yes I realize that this is a dangerous storm. And yes, anyone foolish enough to be standing on the beach when the 20-foot (estimated) wall of water that is the storm surge comes ashore may have more to worry about than the hangover from last night's hurricane party. But people, let's get serious here: this is the type of thing that is likely as not going to spark a panic among those susceptible, and the last thing we need is a repeat of the 250-mile long parking lot that was I-45 during the Rita evacuation (remember, the "tornado the size of the state of Georgia"? HMMMM??) Next thing you know, we'll have reports of Giant Squid swimming up Hwy 288 or some such nonsense.

Fortunately, there are a few bright spots - even at 5:38 AM on the day before we all die. For one, our very own SciGuy has been a real voice of rational, calm, cool-headed analysis and reporting during all this - a real teapot in a tempest, so to speak. Seriously, Chron guys, the d00d deserves a raise.

The other thing of note: New Orleans put out the welcome mat for refugees from Houston. No kidding. There are reportedly up to 15,000 hotel rooms available, and for those who Don't Like Ike, there is a "Mayor Ray Nagin special" rate available - all you have to do is ask.

Gosh... Laissez les bon temps roulez? That sure is tempting...

Photographs copyright © 2008 E D Truitt. All rights reserved.