Category: Orphans

Well, here it is August on the upper Texas coast and still no hurricanes have struck (thankfully). As is the case along the middle Gulf Coast in the wake of Katrina, some people here haven’t fully recovered from Hurricane Rita which blew in almost two years ago. Drive around the area and you will still see FEMA trailers, although not as many nowadays. One might even see the blue tarps covering roofs that seemed to be everywhere after Rita.

Just today the Colorado State University hurricane prediction team including noted meteorologist Dr. William Gray, revised their forecast downward a bit.

Certainly I don’t want to go through another hurricane after Rita and I know most folks probably feel that way. But it would be just too freakish if no storms appear this season after last year’s deadly quiet hurricane period. A lack of hurricanes would surely upset the balance of nature somehow. But who knows with this global warming, which some people doggedly deny just as those who insisted the world is flat.

We’ll see what happens — from a safe distance I hope.

Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., tries to not be annoyed with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., reading over his shoulder.

It appears the front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination are playing “¿Quién es más macho?”

First it was Hillary (Blogger’s note: From here on out we will only use the name “Hillary” in referring to Mrs. Sen. Billary Clinton Von Steugel of Badenhoffen.)trying to prove that she really is a man. Then came Barack Obama declaring that he will rain bombs down on Karachi. What’s next? Will we see Dennis Kucinich
giving Bill Richardson a wedgie during the next debate?

Not to be outdone, the next “You Tube” debate will feature Republican hopefuls arm wrestling and holding best of seven tomahawk throwing contests. Stay tuned!

The Kroger across the street has these five balloons tethered high above the store and swaying in the wind. They are bright yellow balloons, hard to miss. Two thoughts cross my mind upon seeing them some 50-to-70 feet into the sky.

First, I wish I had a decent rifle because it would be great fun to pick them off even though it probably wouldn’t be any great feat of marksmanship.

My final thought is that if I had a rifle to shoot down the Kroger balloons I would want to have sufficient money to extract myself from jail after the deed is done.

What is one man’s fun is another’s misdemeanor.

It has been difficult for me to verify but CNN has reported today about a Web page which archives dead My Space members. I tried My Death Space but it didn’t connect. Perhaps it isn’t a hoax.

But one might ask, why would they want to read about dead My Space members? Actually, it’s perfectly understandable.

For years now I have read obituaries in the newspapers as well as having written a few in my time as a reporter. Obits, of course, gives notice of a person’s death as well as sometimes chronicling their lives. For some people it’s the only time their name is in the paper.

But obits also tell stories. These stories are of an indivdual’s accomplishments, their passions and other information which are a written testimonial of the person’s life. In newspapers they are definitely much read.

Once at a newspaper where I worked a fellow reporter accidentally listed the name of the man from the funeral home who was giving him information over the phone instead of the decedent’s. The next morning, this poor fellow (the funeral home guy) walked into church and the old ladies there all started screaming and crying seeing that the fellow was not dead. He had not read his own obit so the guy was understandably befuddled until he found out what had happen.

And if that isn’t bad enough, this same reporter was later an editor at another publication and he got the names of a fairly famous dead guy mixed up with a relatively famous country singer. The former co-worker who told me this said her friends were calling the erroneous editor “Serial Killer.” He really was a nice guy and tried hard but I guess one would say he had a little trouble with details.

It is a rainy day on the upper Texas coast from one of those tropical waves that ooze up from the Gulf of Mexico from time-to-time. There really isn’t much to do on days like these except watch it rain.

Rainfall has kind of a relaxing effect, somehow to me, Getting out in it and driving through monster puddles as well as dodging oblivious drivers is nonetheless a pain in the ass.

No relaxing for me, however, having once more to deal with the good old U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It seems like I spend all my days off with them. Perhaps they should start paying me.

Adieu for the weekend. Bring on the Freedom Fries.