Rita was a late bloomer (staying a tropical storm long after predictions of becoming a hurricane Real Soon Now), but once she got into the Florida straights and out into the Gulf, she heated up in a hurry. She’s now a Cat 5, with winds in excess of 165 mph. Look out, Houston.

Rita was a late bloomer (staying a tropical storm long after predictions of becoming a hurricane Real Soon Now), but once she got into the Florida straights and out into the Gulf, she heated up in a hurry. She’s now a Cat 5, with winds in excess of 165 mph. Look out, Houston.

Here are a couple pictures of the storm from my front yard, over neighbors’ homes across the street.

This one is looking south-southeast, out over the Atlantic. Those angry looking clouds are headed my way. The carousel is spinning from left (east) to right, with these clouds below heading away from me, to the west.

A few minutes after I took these, the heavens opened up.

New Orleans is now a potential (but still unlikely) landfall, but Rita may be headed for Houston. It’s right in the cross hairs at the NOAA site. This can’t be good for oil futures, either.

[Update at 2:50 PM EDT]

Yup, oil prices are up three bucks.

Wait until the next hurricane hits New York. And it’s almost certainly “when,” not “if.”

As a loyal Wolverine (and the pain of 1998 never goes away completely), I’m compelled to post these Cornhusker jokes, via (bravely) Jonah Goldberg, who’s in the heart of Cornhusker country.

Do I need a “College Football” category?

As a loyal Wolverine (and the pain of 1998 never goes away completely), I’m compelled to post these Cornhusker jokes, via (bravely) Jonah Goldberg, who’s in the heart of Cornhusker country.

Do I need a “College Football” category?

As a loyal Wolverine (and the pain of 1998 never goes away completely), I’m compelled to post these Cornhusker jokes, via (bravely) Jonah Goldberg, who’s in the heart of Cornhusker country.

Do I need a “College Football” category?

It occurs to me that the Baroque Cycle would make a great HBO series. Someone on an email list suggested Angelina Jolie as Eliza, but I think that Diane Kruger would be a better choice. I’d go with Christopher Lloyd as Isaac, and Johnny Depp as Jack Shaftoe.

Any other suggestions? Who would play Daniel?

My six year old daughter coined this. Not to be confused with defunct Katrillion.com. I found someone who saw a katrillion bloggers link pictures of looters. No one with “katrillion dollars” and “Katrina” yet.