Well, the wind is starting to pick up in ye olde BR. EAS was activated a few minutes ago because they sighted funnel clouds in Livingston and East Ascension, I think. My lights have already started to flicker, and those low-lying hurricane band clouds are starting to circle in. They're hard to describe unless you've actually sat through one of these storms, but, I think they're quite pretty.

Surprisingly enough, they're anticipating 70-80 mile per hour gusts up here. Which is quite strong for Baton Rouge. Most shingle roofs are only rated to 75 miles per hour, so, things could get pretty interesting.

I spent the day walking around the yard and thinking: "Is this a potential missile?" "Is the wind going to pick this up and slam it against the Jeep?" "Where the fuck do you put a scooter in Tropical Storm force winds?" "What's the best way to weigh down a garbage can?" (fill it with bricks) and laughing at idiotic media speculations like "Could Baton Rouge experience a Storm Surge?" (we're a 100 miles from the gulf) The other part of the day I spent looking for ice and d-batteries, no where to be found. Gas has already shot back up to 3.70 - it was 3.59 even 3.42 in some places.

Jindal was on almost 24/7 today. It was kind of overkill. But I understand, there is no way that anyone is going to be able to crucify him for inaction the way Aunt Bea was nailed (and somewhat rightfully so) after Katrina. Nagin to was taking the initiative and invited the looters to cross his happy ass. It's theater and PR, but, they do appear to have done what countless other previous evacuation orders have failed at, that is, systematically counterflowing the population out. I don't know what the difference was this year, but, despite and LSU game they were able to handle the New Orleans countraflow in a matter of hours. There were no 18 hour drives to Houston. Props.

In 2005 on my birthday, we watched New Orleans flood on T.V., this year it's a day late. I wonder if I'll get a birthday hurricane next year? Hopefully, next year at this time I won't be here.

I don't really have anything to say, maybe tomorrow if I have lights, I'll describe the interesting things that have been blown down the street.