September 2008 Archives

It's Saints-Vikings week at CrabAppleLane. Most of my Minnesota cousins are Viking fans. One is a Packers fan, though. I suspect most of them are more concerned with the Twins today. The Saints haven't played them in a while but they have not fared well against the Vikings in years past. Won't have any bearing on this game. Don't think any of these Saints players have played against the Vikings in a Saints uniform or vice versa. I kinda want a shootout.

I hate Monday night Saints games. I prefer my Sunday noon routine.

About today's BOTD: It's a Minnesota Vikings blog. The selected quote sounds very negative to me but I read a sampling of comments on the Star Tribune and to say the Vike fans are down on their head coach is an understatement.

Quote of the Day

I'd lay down my body
I'd lay down my arms
I never once in my sweet short life meant anybody harm

Garbage, Happy Home

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Well, in the last 24 hours or so, we've learned that we've got a spineless moron for a head coach. Actually, we covered spineless yesterday, and at today's press conference, we got the moron part covered, too."

Of all of the Paul Newman movies that I love, The Hustler is easily my favorite. The world depicted in that film is a world that I knew. There is a pool hall near where I grew up that could have come right out of that movie. I suspect most pool halls could have. Hustlers and cutthroats abound. Everyone is hustling and everyone is being hustled and, no matter how good you are, you don't know which one you are until you leave. There is ALWAYS someone better than you and skill is not the only or most important ingredient in pool anyway. The film makers and the actors got everything exactly right about that. I love the pure acknowledgment at the end:

Fast Eddie: Fat man, you shoot a great game of pool.
Minnesota Fats: So do you, Fast Eddie.

Fast Eddie and Minnesota Fats played two matches in the movie: once in the beginning and once in the end. Eddie was the hustled in the first match and was the hustler in the second. His transformation from one to the other was what the rest of the movie was about and was very sad in a way. The reason he wanted to play Fats in the first place was he wanted to prove he was the best. Shooting pool at a pool hall isn't about being the best, though. It's about winning. It's about the money. To beat Fats, he had to do it on those terms. He'll never know if he was the best. The table was always tilted one way or the other.

More tributes at Sheila's and at The Coalition.

RIP, Paul Newman.

Quote of the Day

How should I play that one, Bert? Play it safe? That's the way you always told me to play it: safe... play the percentage. Well, here we go: fast and loose. One ball, corner pocket. Yeah, percentage players die broke, too, don't they, Bert?

Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman), The Hustler

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The driving-with-animals bill was backed by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles but ridiculed as the "Paris Hilton bill" by critics who described it as unwarranted interference by government."

Near CrabAppleLane - September 28, 2008

Canada Geese near CrabAppleLane - September 28, 2008

I've been listening to a lot of Garbage lately. Literally. I've always been a casual fan but I never had any of their stuff until recently. I bought Bleed Like Me and downloaded a few of their singles from Garbage, Version 2.0, and Absolute Garbage. Lead singer Shirley Manson is phenomenal. Highly recommended.

About today's QOTD: They cleaned it up a little for Letterman. Bleed Like Me is a great song, a great CD, and Garbage is anything but just another pop band. I just hope they're not done.

I offer two from just outside CrabAppleLane's side door on this beautiful autumn morning:

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - September 28, 2008

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - September 28, 2008

Quote of the Day

JT gets all fucked up in some karaoke bar
After two drinks he's a loser after three drinks he's a star
Getting all nostalgic as he sings "I Will Survive"
Hey baby can you bleed like me?
C'mon baby can you bleed like me

Garbage, Bleed Like Me

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The focal point of the underrated Garbage has been fiery Scottish singer Shirley Manson. Although the music has always been the band's undeniable master, Manson is quite comfortable with providing fans with a visual show that matches her vocal prowess."

When I lived in District 81 in Metairie, LA, David Duke was elected as our representative. When Duke gave up his seat to run for governor, he was replaced by David Vitter. Vitter was still in office when we moved to CrabAppleLane. When he was elected to the U.S. Senate, he was replaced by John Labruzzo. Hard for me to believe these guys are the best that district has to offer. Duke's views on government and society are well known, Vitter is a typical do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do type, and Labruzzo is somewhere in between but inching galloping toward David Duke in his views ... and credibility. In case you hadn't heard, Labruzzo wants to offer $1000 to poor women to be sterilized and is looking at offering tax incentives for the college educated to have more children. That's his plan to fight "generational welfare". I think I just have to let that sit there.

Quote of the Day

Our lawmakers would do better to focus on policies that promote education and achievement to counteract poverty and the bigotry of low expectations.

Archbishop Alfred Hughes, Archdiocese of New Orleans

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "On Tuesday, state Rep. John LaBruzzo lit the Internet on fire when he suggested the state pay impoverished women to have their tubes tied as a means to decrease the number of people dependent on the government."

Go Twins. Played their way into contention. There will be some regular season drama in the American League after all.

The Evil Empire is down and the manager they didn't want any more is up. Sometimes, there is justice. There is also a possibility that NO New York team will play in the postseason. I'd like to think that the baseball sportscasters and pundits wouldn't know what to say during the playoffs but I'm sure they're working up their laments while pleading for the Mets to win out and save them.

Go Beavers. A lot can still happen but USC didn't help themselves. I think it guarantees that a one loss SEC team will play in the BCS Championship Game. What I mean by that is that I think the SEC Champ can afford one loss. An undefeated SEC Champ is a lock for that game.

Quote of the Day

I'm beside myself

Pete Carroll, USC Head Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's mayhem in Corvallis tonight. The Beavers had USC on the ropes the entire night."

We're having quite spectacular weather here at CrabAppleLane. Hard to stay inside. Did lunch in the park yesterday and a bike ride after work. The bike ride could have been more enjoyable, I think. Note to self: Riding bike at dusk during bug season probably should be avoided. Inhaling them through mouth or nose is about equally unpleasant.

LSU fans that aren't going to the game Saturday night will surely be giving their TV remote buttons a workout switching to the Alabama-Georgia game at commercials. The Tigers have dates with both of them in Baton Rouge in a few weeks. If the Tide gets past Georgia and that's a very real possibility in my view, they may be undefeated when Nick Saban makes his return to Tiger Stadium. Oh, man.

Bogue Falaya Wayside Park - September 24, 2008

Near CrabAppleLane at dusk - September 24, 2008

Quote of the Day

Saban's making me nervous.

Hyde

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Tailgaters not welcome:"

About today's QOTD: I know nothing of finances. One look at my accounts would tell you that. Obviously, I don't get it. That said, I'm not buying the urgency in the proposed bailout. Furthermore, I don't buy the premise. Ben Bernanke says "the economy will just not be able to recover in a normal, healthy way" if government doesn't step in. Nothing normal or healthy about that, either. I would surely like to hear more of the other side. What would happen if the market was just allowed to correct itself? No doubt there would be pain but it would be our pain, not the next generation's. Like they say in the movie, Philadelphia, someone "explain it to me like I'm a four year old".

Quote of the Day

If the credit markets are not functioning ... jobs will be lost, the unemployment rate will rise, more houses will be foreclosed upon, (growth) will contract, the economy will just not be able to recover in a normal, healthy way.

Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Yesterday, it was Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and chairman of HDNet who offered interesting insight. He suggested that the United States Treasury Department list every asset they buy within the $700 billion bailout plan and the price they intend to offer."

I know how frustrating it is to be without power for an extended period. We were without power here after Katrina for 12-½ days in August/September 2005. It's HOT in southeast Louisiana that time of year. Pretty hot in Houston this time of year, too. Calling the power companies periodically to get information is OK but don't expect them to have any or, at least, any that is current and useful. It's a massive undertaking and the crews, many from out of town, don't take their invaluable time to update customer information centers ... and only an idiot would want them filling out reports rather than replacing transformers/fuses/poles etc. Those crews are moving as quickly and safely as they can. They do a great job under difficult conditions. THEY ARE ROCK STARS. Hang in there, Houstonians.

Quote of the Day

I called them twice already this morning, and they couldn't tell us anything

Pat Loeber

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Pappas Bros. is committed to creating an environment unsurpassed by other steakhouses."

Have to try them if I'm ever in Houston again. -Rob

Tough loss yesterday in Denver. When they were down, 21-3, I thought sure it was going to get ugly. The Saints got back in it and had chances to win and, finally, I think they're mad about not doing it. After a game like this, they usually give you the same old "We have some things to clean up". Not this time. This time, Sean Payton was hot. Brought back memories of Jim Mora's coulda, shoulda, woulda speech years ago. The rub: Give them 8 yards to make on third down? No problem. Give them 1 yard to make? Not on your life. They've played three close games now. Could have won them all, could have lost them all. I do think they'll get better as they get healthier. It's only September and they proved yesterday that they have some fight in them, particularly that Number 9 fellow. 39 of 48? That's insane.

One of my fantasy teams bit the dust last night and the other needs a modest night tonight out of Antonio Gates (Just 20 yards. Please get it on the first play so I can go to bed, Mr Gates.). Had a chance last night if my two receivers (Donald Driver and Patrick Crayton) could outperform my opponent's one (Greg Jennings) by a few points. Instead, his one outperformed my two.

Quote of the Day

I think our defense is fine

Brandon Stokely, Denver Broncos

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Another nail-biter goes the Broncos way. How long can we keep it up??"

Unusual sight - CrabAppleLane - September 21, 2008
Have never seen this before. There were two lizards on it when I first saw it. The other left before I could find the camera.

One of the two CDs I ordered last night is From The Reach by Sonny Landreth. Sonny is a Louisiana treasure and is finally getting the national and international acclaim he deserves. He enlisted a lot of very well-known performers for this CD and that made it impossible for me to pass up. I love that guys like Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton collaborate with lesser-known talents. They've done the gigantic money-driven tour extravaganzas. Now, they're less about the money and more about the music.

When I got home from work yesterday at 4:30PM, the plan was to take a nap for a couple of hours and then watch the LSU-Auburn game at 6:45PM. I was much more tired than I thought. When I woke up, there were 12 minutes to go, LSU was up 17-14 and had the ball on their own 10yd line. I got to watch the Charles Scott show for the next 5 minutes as they drove for a field goal, Auburn come back and take the lead, a couple of three and outs where LSU gained ground on the punt exchange, a winning drive on the road for the ages, and then the fiercest 4-man pass rush I've seen in a long time protecting the lead. For my money, Jarrett Lee is the starter now and Hatch is the reliever. Lee overcame adversity in a tough place and delivered in the clutch or as the Advocate says: Lee With Glee

Those last 12 minutes were a blast. More please.

GEAUX TIGERS

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane garden this morning:

CrabAppleLane ginger - September 21, 2008 These came up in my garden this year for the first time ever. Not sure how. If I planted them, it was a long time ago because I don't remember it. If I didn't, I have no idea how they got here. They're not like anything I have in my yard and they're in an ideal place. Tis a mystery and I wonder what they're eventually going to look like. Looks like we have about a dozen blooms and they're huge.

Quote of the Day

They all kicked me in the butt. That's what I wanted. The nature of it is that I wanted it to be worthy of their time and who they are. I appreciate each of their interpretations of the songs.

Sonny Landreth

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Mount, Edith Wharton's home, is in danger of foreclosure! Is nothing sacred?"

Ever have someone waiting for you to get information that you can only get online but the website is incredibly slow to load and/or unresponsive? Me, too, and it's becoming prevalent in my world. I'm talking broadband here, not dial-up. In most cases, it's caused by the website's inadequate traffic capacity or your inadequate bandwidth capacity. Many companies try to conserve their bandwidth by restricting their users from bandwidth-intensive online activities like video/audio streaming. That's not even a decent band-aid any more. Those technologies are now regularly being used in work-related activities and can't easily (Read cheaply) be restricted. Upgrading server capacity and bandwidth capacity are really the only solutions but those are expensive. Inadequate is still cheaper than adequate in some eyes. Not in these, though.

About today's QOTD: It's referring to Internet Explorer 8, Beta 2 and the feature he's talking about is InPrivate Browsing. I wonder if it also gets around the many watchdog programs parents and companies use to monitor what their kids/employees are doing online.

Quote of the Day

The feature seems made-to-order for respectable citizens who like to visit porn sites, but Microsoft says that is not its raison d'etre. The Redmond, Wa.-based software giant insists it's for a husband who wants to shop for a gift for his wife but doesn't want the browser history to spoil the surprise, and we buy it, don't we?

Jerry Seregni, WWLTV's Digital Gumbo

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "i mean, you're kidding, right? i'm sure that the frequency of whatever is much higher than that of whomever, but 8 million hits on a word that's in the dictionary should be enough data for google to not question my intent."

This is the last of Gustav and Ike from me for a while. I'm still disappointed in just about all aspects of the way hurricanes are covered. Don't care for the panic-inducing rhetoric from the media and public officials before the hurricanes or some of the incredibly bad and irresponsible editorializing after. And the politics, well, I have no words for someone trying to seize political advantage during a disaster and it doesn't matter to me what side of the aisle they sit on.

This from Houmatoday.com, which I think is the online version of the Houma Courier:

As parish flooded, emergency director was at LSU game

But not before picking up his wife ... at home in a mandatory evacuation area ... in an official rescue truck. Whether he engaged in any real criminal wrongdoing or not is of no consequence to his status as a public official. He's done.

This from Janine Godwin on September 15, 2008 in a piece called "Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ike":

This may sound glib, but it was a no-brainer when the warnings started popping up that Hurricane Ike was coming towards Houston. I listened, and paid attention from the beginning. I didn't wait until the last minute to top off my gas tank, I did it as soon as it looked like this storm could be coming this way. I think at the time it was in Cuba, which really isn't all that far away when you think about it. You never know what could happen in a couple hours time to change the course of a storm of this magnitude. In other words - never underestimate the power of Mother Nature - she is one fickle lady.

I was probably a little too snide about her remark the other day when I asked if she quit driving after she topped off her gas tank that long before landfall. In her words, "Yes. I had officed from home that week, so there was no reason to go out and wander the streets". Obviously, the ideal thing to do is to top off your gas tank, stock up your pantries, and office from home in the days leading up to hurricane, even though no one yet knows where it might land, but I don't think it's a particularly useful lesson because the vast, overwhelming majority of people can't do that for any number of reasons. The most common ones are that they're driving to work those days and when they get off and go to the gas station, the hardware store, or the grocery store after hours, the preparedness fanatics have already wiped out the supplies. The "last minute" keeps getting pushed forward and that's just trapping more people without gasoline, food, water, batteries, etc ... or, almost as bad, more expensive gasoline, food, water, batteries, etc. I'm not begrudging people who have the wherewithal to do what she did for Hurricane Ike. I wish we all had it. I think her own description of it sounding "glib" is right on the mark.

Hurricane Ike missed Austin and we're very happy about that.

About today's QOTD: Man, is that ever true.

Quote of the Day

When a hurricane like Ike knocks out electrical power for masses of people, they revert to two old-fashioned sources of immediate news.

Rumor and radio.

Rick Casey, Houston Chronicle

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I just came back from a day of interviewing people who were either stuck in traffic on the Gulf Freeway at FM 519 or were at nearby gas stations. Most were trying to get to Galveston, while a few were coming back from the island."

It's LSU-Auburn week. The winner of this game, almost always the home team, has gone on to win the SEC West 6 of the last 8 years. That might very well be the case this year, too. The game is at Auburn. GEAUX Tigers ... the purple and gold ones, that is.

Watching the markets these last few days, I'm glad I'm not retiring soon. My very modest nest egg has taken a beating the last few days. Don't see any relief in the near future.

Tired of the trash on TV these days? You're not the only one.

Quote of the Day

We had it covered. It was as good a throw as you could throw and as good a catch as you can catch. It couldn't have been thrown in any other place. That play -- the way it worked -- made it a great call and I would say that was probably the play of the year.

Tommy Tuberville, Auburn University

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "If you want the most entertainment value for your money, you'll buy a ticket to this weekend's Auburn-LSU contest. Dollar for dollar it doesn't get any better than this game. Go online to StubHub.com and buy that ticket. Spend $200. You'll thank me later."

About Hurricane Ike: Still doing damage in ... Ohio.

About good news and bad news on the FFL front: Denver QB Jay Cutler is carrying my fantasy football team. I originally projected him as my backup. Good. He gets a shot at my Saints depleted secondary this week in Denver. Very bad. And, yes, I am definitely starting him.

About lipstick and dipsticks: If you don't know why it's humorous, you need to get out more.

About birthdays: Ken made it to 50.

About Old Crow Medicine Show: Tennessee Pusher due out September 23.

About smoking: 23 years today.

About today's QOTD: That is the best reaction. Dressed up as? If not twins, they could easily pass for sisters. No dressing up required.

Quote of the Day

She thought it was quite funny, particularly because she once dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween.

Tracey Schmitt, Sarah Palin spokesperson

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A single home is left standing among debris from Hurricane Ike September 14, 2008 in Gilchrist, Texas. Floodwaters from Hurricane Ike were reportedly as high as eight feet in some areas causing widespread damage across the coast of Texas. (David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images) #"

The image referred to above is Number 11. That home-builder can look forward to a lot of business in the coming weeks and months. -Rob

I read this very thoughtful piece on what hurricanes do from Mark Potter of NBC yesterday. Below is one excerpt from it but it really is a great read and a good insight into what people go through and how their decisions are made.

But, more and more I mostly despise hurricanes for what they do to so many people at once. I often say that if you are not injured, and your loved ones are safe, the worst part of a hurricane is not the storm, itself, but the traumatic years of rebuilding afterward.

Amen. He gets it. And a thoughtful comment on that article from K Mary Hess:

Excellent perspective and thoughtfully written; now please let's work on some of the reasons people make the mistake of staying in the path of a storm. Many of the people who were rescued have said they had no funds to gas their cars and evacuate a second time (after Gustav) and so felt they had no "choice" but to remain in their homes. Is there a way to institute EMERGENCY GASOLINE PRICING along hurricane evacuation routes, to alleviate some of the monetary burden of those who MUST leave their homes? Is there a way to implement a ONE WEEK LODGING DISCOUNT that can be incurred by the evacuee showing their EVACUATION ZONE DRIVERS LICENSE with their current address? Is there a way that lodging places can be reimbursed for the discounts? Is there a way to find physicians and emergency and urgent care for those with compelling medical needs to present their driver's licenses from a mandatory evacuation area, and in turn receive FREE medical care until they are allowed to return to their homes? IS there a way?- there has to be, there can be, and should be, or we will continue to witness tragic choices made again and again.

There are no easy answers here folks. The wise a$$ question is "Why don't they move?". Well, some will ... but everyone within 100 miles of the gulf coast or the Atlantic coast is vulnerable to hurricanes. EVERYONE. There's important industry along those coasts. Oil and natural gas, aerospace, seafood, shipbuilding, and tourism are just a few of them. The port of New Orleans is one of the busiest and most important ports in the world. There will always be people living in these vulnerable areas.

I talked to someone I do business with in Katy, Texas yesterday. Katy is west of Houston. They sustained damage there but not as bad as Galveston and Houston. Talking to him brought back a flood of post-Katrina memories. They're up and running on generators, their staff is all accounted for but some are dealing with personal priorities, and they're operating at a fraction of their usual capacity. Lots of money going out, very little coming in. I know that pain.

Quote of the Day

Emergency management officials have an extremely difficult and often thankless job, because they have to order mass evacuations while the sun is still shining and the winds are still calm.

Mark Potter, NBC News Correspondent

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I didn't wait until the last minute to top off my gas tank, I did it as soon as it looked like this storm could be coming this way. I think at the time it was in Cuba, which really isn't all that far away when you think about it."

Cuba? That was at least a week before Texas landfall. Stopped driving after topping off? -Rob

Giving True Blood a try mainly because of Alan Ball. Loved Six Feet Under and American Beauty. Been kind of bored with vampires for a while but they keep reappearing in books/film/tv. The first two episodes were OK and I love the music.

The Saints stunk it up yesterday in Washington. Thoroughly outplayed. Lots to get straightened out before they head to Denver.

Quote of the Day

We have no power. We have no gas. We have no communications. We're not sure when any of that will be up and running. Do not come back to Galveston. You cannot live here right now.

Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The much-hyped premiere of HBO's newest show, True Blood failed to capture much of an audience Sunday night, with only 1.44 million viewers. HBO pinned a lot of hopes on the show, from Six Feet Under's Alan Ball, to bring back their big Sunday night ratings, which have plummeted since the loss of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under."

Not liking today's Saints matchup versus the Redskins. The Skins have had 10 days to fix the problems they had with the Giants, are healthy, and playing at home. Saints are banged up big time already. WR Marques Colston and LB Scott Fujita will not play today. Would like to see the Saints running game play a bigger role today. That would probably mean they're ahead.

USC looked pretty good yesterday. They now have a pretty clear path to the BCS National Championship game, probably against the Oklahoma-Texas winner. I don't see anyone getting through the SEC this season undefeated or even with just one loss. I'd like to give my hometown Tulane Green Wave credit for the way they've played the last two weeks. They're a very tough 0-2 today but they gave ranked Alabama all they could handle last week in Tuscaloosa and lost a last minute heartbreaker to ranked East Carolina yesterday in the Superdome.

Yesterday's post brought a slew of new commenters to the blog. I was just making an observation. I had no intention of starting a political or economics debate. They'll have to continue elsewhere.

I offer the view from my living room this morning. The CrabAppleLane hummingbirds are truly a joy. Patsy had only seen one in her entire life before we moved here. If she had counted, she would surely be in the thousands by now.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbirds - September 14, 2008 - They're starting to swarm. They're loading up for their migration in a few weeks.

Quote of the Day

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug

Dire Straits, The Bug

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "By the way, the question of whether to run out and fill your tank tonight is a classic prisnoners dilemma game. We are all better off if no one does it, but each invidividual probably maximizes his or her well-being by deciding to fill up, so everyone does it."

The CNN headline read:

Bush says consumers won't be gouged on gas after Ike

Hurricane Ike is bearing down on Texas/Louisiana yesterday. There's a very popular gas station right next door to my workplace. We watch them change prices daily. Regular gasoline was $3.74 per gallon in the morning but went down to $3.55 after it was announced on the radio that consumers should call a 1-800 hotline if they suspect gouging. I suppose they could have gotten in a new shipment of much cheaper gasoline but my guess is they reconsidered what they were doing. It should be noted that gas stations are not the only businesses seizing opportunity under these conditions. Hotels/motels, grocery stores, drug stores, and hardware stores have also been known to do it.

I'm not wild about government intervention in the market unless supply has an overwhelming advantage over demand and, even then, only when the demand is for a necessity. I'm not sure government intervention in the market ever works, however, as the 1-800 hotline above illustrates, the threat of government intervention does.

Newsweek has a piece that touches on some of the concerns I cited in yesterday's post. They used the term "aggressive" to describe the rhetoric of the warnings issued, that included citizens facing "certain death", where I used the term panic-inducing. Citizens pay less attention to public officials when they think said officials are exaggerating. Unfortunately, in the case of hurricanes, no one, including the officials, knows if they're exaggerating or not until AFTER the event. Here's an idea. Show an actual image of the approaching storm. No radar graphs, no talking heads, and no overwrought headlines. Look at the image of Ike below taken from the International Space Station. More here if you like. The image below is worth at least a thousand words. It shows Ike for what he is and it does so without exaggerating or patronizing. Look at those two massive waves of water he's pushing. You live in a coastal area. Do you really want to hang around for that?

Image: Courtesy of NASA

Quote of the Day

Daybreak today in Hurricane Ike's wake only revealed what Houston area power providers already knew -- the lights are out for roughly 5 million people, and getting the juice flowing again will be a painstaking process that could take weeks.

Lynn Cook and Kristen Hays, Houston Chronicle

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Let us know what the weather is like in your neighborhood."

Over 1300 comments to that query if you want to know what it's like in Houston today. -Rob

This from the National Weather Service this morning on Hurricane Ike:

Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes may face certain death.

I just don't think panic-inducing rhetoric like that is helpful. I don't think anyone is disputing that Ike is a serious storm. Just give the people the facts as you know them and update them regularly with any changes.

I have no words for today's QOTD.

Quote of the Day

In a disaster such as an earthquake or terrorist attack, nearly two-thirds of U.S. parents would disregard orders to evacuate and would rush to pick up their kids from school, according to a new survey.

Karen Matthews, Associated Press

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's amazing how quiet everything is already. The highways and roads are clean, the stores and restaurants are closed. Everyone is home and settled in for the storm."

7th anniversary of a sad day. Say a prayer, ring a bell, observe a moment of silence. Mark the occasion somehow. It changed the world. It changed us.

I think Vince Young's days in the NFL are numbered but I hope he's smart enough to get whatever help he needs to make the adjustment. He has either regressed in his development or the NFL has caught up with him ... or both. As if the drama of having the team call in the police to find you isn't bad enough, having your mother quoted in the paper saying this:

But he will be fine if people are prayerful and help my baby boy out. He is a young man. He just needs a lot of love and support.

Sorry, Mom. He's an adult and other adults are depending on him. If he wants to play in the NFL, he'll have to man up. With apologies to Tom Hanks, there's no crying in football, either.

Quote of the Day

Any school district that is actually contemplating paying for grades should be destroyed

Lane Nemeth

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "There are going to be lots more stories like these as Switzerland confronts its long history of warehousing looted goods."

Hurricane Ike begins to strengthen over Gulf
by NOLA.com
Tuesday September 09, 2008, 9:42 PM

Information from the National Weather Service

At 10 p.m., the center of Hurricane Ike was located near latitude 23.2 north, longitude 84.3 west, about 120 miles west of Havana, Cuba.

Ike is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next day or two.

The above headline and first few lines are from the local newspaper website. It's 5:45AM as I type and that news is 8 hours old. As much as we'd like to say we live in a 24-hours-per-day-7-days-per-week news cycle world, do we really? This phenomenon is not restricted to local websites. I often go to bed at 11PM or so and wake up the next morning to many of the same headlines and stories at MSNBC.com that were there the night before. I thought CNN changed all of that.

Contrast the above to sports. When I was a kid, the box scores in the sports section from the baseball games on the west coast were always incomplete because the paper went to press at 8PM or 9PM local time and the games were still underway out there. Major improvement here. I can get scores, highlights, and post-game interviews of all of the late games now. ESPN did change all of that.

The thing I have trouble with here is that the games are over this morning (Giants 5 - Diamondbacks 4) and are really not that important. Hurricane Ike is still out there in the Gulf of Mexico, 8 hours further along in development and location, and news about him is important.

Quote of the Day

Matt Cassel gets to come in with one of the best teams. That's the way you make your debut in the NFL.

Phil Simms, CBS

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Brian questions Dan about the value of "free" in influencing behavior. Dan demonstrates that "free" is the Kryptonite that cripples our decision-making no matter how rational we think we are."

CrabAppleLane's eyes turn to Hurricane Ike. Most models are sending him to the west of us towards Texas and northern Mexico but we won't breathe easier until he actually gets past us.

Two worst teams in the NFL: Raiders and Rams, both formerly of Los Angeles.

Burn After Reading looks like a hoot.

About today's QOTD: Man, it's tough in Tampa. The Bucs have played one game, had a chance to win it on the road against a team that's not all that bad but didn't, and the season is falling apart?

Quote of the Day

First it was his calf; then it was his pinky finger; now it's his ankle. Jeff Garcia is falling apart faster than the Bucs' season.

Roy Cummings, Tampa Tribune

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "There were no reported political overtones to the story and I have no idea what Jim Zorn's politics even are which I think is a good thing,"

There were four AFC/NFC matchups yesterday. The NFC team was the visitor in all four and won three of the four, two of them against elite AFC teams Indy and San Diego. I think the two conferences are dead even now but the NFC is moving up.

Tom Brady's injury yesterday was ugly. I don't think it was a dirty hit. You play to the whistle. Brady still had the ball when he was hit. Everyone is reporting that he is gone for the season but the Pats haven't confirmed it. They're waiting for a scheduled MRI today to make an announcement. Whether the MRI confirms what everyone suspects or not, he is going to miss significant playing time. That changes everything for the Pats, for the AFC, and for the NFL.

Did you see former Tulane and current Bears RB Matt Forté last night against the Colts? That surprised no one in New Orleans or Baton Rouge. Last year, against Number One and eventual National Champion LSU, overmatched Tulane was kept in the game for 2-½ quarters by the running of Matt Forté. The Tigers defense, loaded with NFL prospects, couldn't get him down. He can play in the NFL.

The Saints-Bucs game yesterday was a lot of fun. It was a heart pounder that could have gone either way. It was expected. The teams and coaches know each other very well. Reggie Bush can be the difference maker against the "Tampa 2" defense that everyone is playing against the Saints. If the secondary is always going to play that deep, they need to get Bush in the secondary where he can do his thing.

The CrabAppleLane fantasy football teams both have a chance to win today. I think one game is in the bag. I don't see Ryan Grant outscoring Brandon Stokley tonight by 50 points. The other game will probably be closer. I have Jay Cutler, Darren McFadden, and the Vikes defense tonight and I need to make up 19 points. If I had played Chad Pennington instead of Cutler (That was my last minute move yesterday), I would have had 18 of those 19. Last minute moves are always bad.

Hurricane news: Some New Orleans residents are getting back just in time to leave. Evacuated for Gustav and might have to do the same for Ike. Talk about tiresome.

Quote of the Day

I know it is just the first week of the season, but that was a hell of a test for us. We've got a lot of things to clean up, but I'm proud of the effort. It's a good win. It's a real good win.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Talk about a bust, Jason Taylor had better moves on a show I am not admitting I watched this summer."

It's opening day here at CrabAppleLane. The Saints have a date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a couple of hours in the SuperDome. I wasn't wild about playing a tough division opponent on the first day but no one asked my opinion on that matter so here we are. I'm hoping the defense has improved and hoping the offense comes out smoking. Last year, they played from behind way too much. They need to play better sooner. I think they will. I like the Saints chances today but this game is too close to call.

Knees are still aching from yesterday's all-afternoon Gustav cleanup. It is a lovely, almost fall-like morning here today. Also, I'm thinking the fog must be dampening the sound. I offer two this morning from a very quiet CrabAppleLane.

CrabAppleLane Lilac and Crepe Myrtle - September 7, 2008 - Not sure if Lilac blooms twice a year or if Gustav has its biology all mixed up but this is the second bloom

CrabAppleLane Driveway - September 7, 2008 - I love the fog when I don't have to drive in it. Gives everything a surreal quality

Quote of the Day

And if Askew is back and he's the real deal that we think he is and Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn can work together and the offensive line does what it's supposed to do we'll be pretty good again.

Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "What do I Love?
Spam Emails advertising Anti Spam Software
Whats not to love?"

From Forbes:

Louisiana will hand out $20 million in generators to quickly restore power to gas stations, pharmacies and grocery stores - essential services for thousands of evacuees returning after Hurricane Gustav's destruction.

This is being done at the behest of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. I like the energy and effort. They recognize a problem but I don't think they understand the cause. Food/water and gasoline are critical commodities after a hurricane. I'm not going to address pharmacies because that really hasn't been a problem for us. I have extensive experience with the other two, though.

Gasoline: First, Exxon/Shell/Chevron/etc have enough economic incentive (Gasoline sales go way up before and after a hurricane) and resources to provide their own generators. They don't need any assistance from taxpayers. To be fair, I don't think anyone in that industry is asking for it. Power isn't really the problem, anyway. Staff is a problem. Quite often, they've evacuated and haven't returned yet or are dealing with their own personal priorities after a storm such as property damage. Supply is a problem. People are buying much more gasoline after a hurricane. They're filling their tanks and usually another 15-20 gallons per customer for generators. Not only does that take longer (That's one of the reasons the lines are long), it runs the supply down faster. Another really large problem after a hurricane is gasoline stations' ability to accept credit cards. Something happens to their computers or satellite links that turns many stations into "cash only" locations. If you've seen that VISA commercial where everything grinds to a halt when someone pulls out their checkbook or wallet, that's what I'm talking about and is the other reason the lines are long. Besides, a lot of people, myself included, sometimes need to use their good credit to get them through an emergency. Better approach here.

Grocery stores: I support assistance here but I'm not sure it will alleviate the problem. The generators and fuel required to run the average supermarket's refrigeration needs, alone, would have to be a pretty substantial chunk of money. They'd have to pass that cost along to consumers and we don't need higher food prices during an emergency. Most of the problems for grocery stores are the same as for gasoline stations. Supply is a bigger problem here, though. The stores are wiped out of most of their inventory prior to the storm and have to throw most of their inventory away after the storm. They haven't yet been reimbursed for all of the spoiled food they have to throw away and they may have to pay to replace it. Some stores may not have the resources to do that all at once and that creates more supply problems. They could save a substantial portion of their inventory if someone is required to man the generators during the storm but I don't think anyone is talking about that ... and they shouldn't. Staffing is a problem here, too, and supermarkets require even more staff than gas stations. They also tend to turn themselves into "cash only" locations after a storm and that presents the same problem to citizens as it does when gasoline stations do it.

Nice try, Governor, but I doubt it provides much relief.

Quote of the Day

On the bright side, "taking the Browns to the Super Bowl" remains my favorite euphemism for making a doody.

Bill Simmons, ESPN

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Yes, yes, yes..... I've heard all about the reemergence of the New Orleans Saints and the upgrades to their defense. That said, I'll sound like every old-fashioned media curmudgeon and stick to the axiom that offense sells tickets and defense wins championships. Every good football team has a solid defense behind it. Name me a Super Bowl champion that didn't have a solid defense. Well, the Bucs still have it."

CrabAppleLane notes the retirement of Daunte Culpepper along with my friend, Dave. We think about what might have been. When the Chargers released Drew Brees with his shoulder injury, he visited the Saints. They stepped up in a big way with a serious offer and told him, "we want you to be our guy". It wasn't an easy decision. The Saints were coming off of their Katrina season, the franchise was NEVER a place free agents wanted to come to, and New Orleans was not a fun place to be in March 2006. He left New Orleans and went to Miami for a visit and the Saints fans, including this one, thought he was gone for good. The Dolphins and Nick Saban were all business, expressed concern about his injury, and offered much less than the Saints. Brees cast his lot with the Saints. The Dolphins then traded for Culpepper.

Drew dove into New Orleans, bought a house in the city, got involved in the community and the recovery, and has just been an outstanding ambassador for New Orleans. As good as he was/is off of the field, he has been even better on it. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say signing him was the best move this franchise EVER made.

None of this can be said for Daunte Culpepper. He has played his way or whined his way off of every team he's been with starting with the Vikings, the team who drafted him. He also had some incidents off of the field in Minnesota but I don't think they have much bearing now. Simply put, no one wants him. In the NFL this season, as bad and inexperienced as some of the quarterback starters and backups are, that's saying something.

Lest anyone thinks Hurricane Gustav was harmless by reading the tripe here, let me tell you about my grocery store experience last night. First, they only let in so many at a time either because they don't have the staff or they don't want fistfights amongst the customers over the last loaf of bread. After 20 minutes of standing outside in line in September heat and humidity, I was able to get in to see mostly empty shelves, almost none of the items I went there for, and signs on the checkouts that they take cash or check only. Their computers/satellites/whatever were still down and they couldn't accept credit/debit cards. I didn't see such a sign outside that would have led me to do things differently once inside. Since they didn't have the one or two main things I was there for, I just left. I went to another grocery store that was taking credit/debit cards and were letting people in without waiting but their shelves were even more empty. Bottom line on Gustav recovery: We're not there yet.

Quote of the Day

Unfortunately, what I found out was that the league did not share any of the optimism about me as an unrestricted free agent that I expected. In fact, there was an overwhelming sense that there was no room for me among this year's group of quarterbacks.

Daunte Culpepper

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "For some reason the New Kids on the Block are back with a new album."

CrabAppleLane is back up. Gustav is now history. Thanks go to Dave for being ready and willing to help here if I needed it. If I hadn't been able to go to work yesterday, I probably would have asked for his help just to let everyone know we were OK. The concern is greatly appreciated and more than a little overwhelming.

Speaking of work, I would estimate that maybe 10% of the St Tammany businesses were open yesterday. The couple of restaurants that were open were swamped. I tried calling a few places in the New Orleans area but couldn't get in touch with anyone. The area probably won't be back to normal until the weekend. The NorthShore (St Tammany, CrabAppleLane) is about a day ahead of the SouthShore (Greater New Orleans) in their recovery mainly because more residents/employees chose not to evacuate.

Tip from CrabAppleLane, especially if you live in a rural area: ALWAYS report your utility trouble. Even if service is out to every one of your neighbors and you're certain one or more of them reported it, you still have to do it. You can't assume they did and you can't assume their problem is the same as yours.

For what it's worth, the AT&T phone menu is just a little too folksy for me. ALL phone menu systems are evil but a soft voice saying something like "Let's see what we can do about your problem" doesn't do a thing for me when I'm ramped up about something. Fortunately, I wasn't ramped up and I know the trick to get past the menu. Say "speak to a representative" into your telephone. A representative came on, told me there was a cable out in my area, that their crews were backed up, and that it might be September 18 before service is restored. I said OK even though I knew that estimate was off-the-rails ridiculous. We've been down this road before with the phone company many times. They give you an estimate far off into the future and then fix the problem almost immediately. We had phones less than an hour after I made the call.

The NFL season is upon us. The Giants/Redskins game tonight ought to be fun. Despite their personnel losses on defense, I think the Giants have a playoff team. The Giants are my pick tonight. The Saints are still practicing in Indianapolis. There is no telling what their state of mind will be when they get back for the opener in the SuperDome Sunday. They won't be as jazzed as they were for their return to the Dome after Katrina but I surely hope they have something in the tank. The Bucs have a solid team and they'll be ready.

I agree with David Fleming on today's QOTD. It is a solid gold catchphrase. Surely good for a morning laugh. Right up there with "out kicked your coverage".

Quote of the Day

I gots the poops

David Fleming, ESPN

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Giants could go 16-0 or 0-16 and soon we will know what direction this team appears to be headed."

Gotta love a fan that can thinks his team can do either one of those ... and might be able to tell which after one game. -Rob

It's called Next Time, We Won't Leave by James O'Byrne of the Times-Picayune. I ran across this at Charlotte's.

That is the cycle. A lot of people evacuated for Ivan. He was a dud in most of Louisiana. Fewer people left for Katrina because of it. A lot of people evacuated for Gustav. I wouldn't call him a dud but he was no Katrina.

The writer makes a lot of good points and I agree with him on most of it. Here's the thing: What he's doing by publishing that piece is every bit as dangerous as what he accuses public officials of. He's influencing the public into making a potentially unwise decision.

The rhetoric coming out of the media and officials was alarming just 24 hours prior to landfall. The gulf coast needs someone to be the face of hurricane season. He/she needs to have the demeanor of an airline pilot. Just state the facts as you know them.

Just a quick note to let everyone know CrabAppleLane is fine. Lost power just long enough (Maybe 5 seconds) to reset some of the clocks. That was during the storm. We lost our land line telephone service and the DSL just after my last post here. It was still down when I left for work this morning. We had a little wind at CrabAppleLane and a lot of rain. Posting will be haphazard until phone/DSL service is restored.

CrabAppleLane during Hurricane Gustav - September 1, 2008

CrabAppleLane during Hurricane Gustav - September 1, 2008

CrabAppleLane after Hurricane Katrina - August 29, 2005

Gustav is causing no real problems yet at CrabAppleLane. I'll have some chainsaw duty as that first image shows. Thought the other two showed an interesting comparison. Still relatively calm here.

CrabAppleLane Cardinals during Hurricane Gustav - September 1, 2008

Had one brief power failure so far. Duration of about 10 seconds.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - September 1, 2008

So far, so good. No loss of power or communication. Some flickers only. I was very concerned about our water tank being exposed like you see here. Just before I snapped this picture, Gustav broke a pine branch above it. Hoping it will stay, fall straight down, or get blown completely away from anything. Have talked to my sister and Patsy's sister in the last few minutes. They're both south of I-12 in the mandatory evacuation areas and are doing fine.

CrabAppleLane Power Line - September 1, 2008 8:40AM

First image. Sorry it's not very dramatic. Gustav is approaching. The winds have picked up and the rain is coming down in sheets. That pine branch pictured above survived Katrina but it has grown out another 5 or 6 feet since then. That's the power line and the internet cable pictured below it. I don't have cable internet any more so I don't care about it but I am concerned about the power line. That branch is too high for me to trim back but I should have had that taken care of. I will if it survives Gustav.

Still raining here with just a few wind gusts. Got in a shower. Patsy just headed upstairs to do the same. The lights have flickered a few times but, so far, no outages. Local TV is showing St Bernard right now. Gustav is coming ashore and they're feeling it. He'll be here in a couple of hours. Hopefully, he'll have weakened substantially by then.

Filled the hummingbird feeder that's going to stay out and made a new batch of nectar. They'll be hungry after the storm.

One good thing about this storm is it will blow all of the love bugs around.

Going to go out and take some pictures in a few minutes.

Still relatively calm here.

OK, here we are. It's Monday morning and we have a date with Gustav in a few hours. We're experiencing rain and light wind right now. The news is on in the other room but I have the volume down because Patsy is still sleeping. Not exactly sure when Gustav will arrive here but I'm thinking noon. We'll be as ready as we ever are.

I'd like to say a little something about the politics of Hurricane Gustav and the inevitable comparisons to Hurricane Katrina. It is all over the net right now and it's already tiresome to me. If Gustav goes well (Minor damage and a great response), people will get credit for it and I'm not going to begrudge them said credit. Let's not harp on it too much, though. The lion's share of the credit should go to Katrina, herself. That nasty hurricane and her aftermath put on worldwide display a spectacular failure of leadership across the board. Today's leadership has the benefit of that painful lesson and the fear of having a Katrina-like event on their resumé. 2005's leadership didn't have those benefits. The readiness on display now is a direct result of Katrina.

3 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

"I've been through Betsy, Flossie. Katrina was the worst storm, but it was the politicians that screwed that one up.

Joseph Bijou

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I've learned a new term here in New Orleans -- "contraflow" That means all the major interstates will reverse direction and become "outbound" interstates. Contraflow goes into effect Sunday morning at 4am -- they're serious -- they don't want ANYONE coming INTO the city. Traffic is gridlocked!"