Random Weirdness

Sunrises are NOT supposed to be electric ORANGE. Not.

And yes, using your Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner's "air cleaning" setting does do just that. Leave the windows open all night at your peril down here - next time Jim wants some cool air, I'll pack him in the freezer. *hack*

That said, I remember the days after 9/11. There's no comparison. We were BONED for weeks after 9/11. And don't run off to Google California and 9/11 - there were no terrorist attacks here. At all. EVAR.

I'm going to work, have been all week, and likely will have little direct consequence from any of these fires. Seriously -

There are two big reasons I believe we're not getting the Katrina treatment.

1. We're ready for disasters. We're going to fall into the ocean at any minute, remember? I've got an earthquake kit - so does everyone else. Think of how many people have evacuated into shelters - hear of any riots or shortages? No? Gee. We spent some money getting ready. What a concept.

2. Fires, while destructive? Don't whip an entire topography into froth like a hurricane or a tornado does. Also, afterward? Fires leave areas pretty sterile - they don't leave standing water waist-deep to grown scary shit when the sunlight hits it. They may close roads, they won't destroy them down to the bedrock. You can get in and out of those areas - torando or hurricane damage? Not so much.

http://wonkette.com/politics/fires/as-california-burns-refugees-party-chill-314198.php

Another thing - the fires are in areas all around Los Angeles. Some of them the poorest parts of our state, so don't focus solely on San Diego's northern suburbs (which are also Duke Cunningham's old stomping grounds). Chula Vista and environs have been, in my experience, grindingly poor. San Bernardino lost most of its tax base when the bases closed in the eighties and nineties and haven't recovered yet. Santa Clarita is a bedroom community still stinging from that massive truck pileup that closed the 5 a few weeks ago. Temecula might be an up and coming, but folks have lived there for years on nearly nothing - and the oldsters get hit just as hard as the newbies. Fires don't care. Areas north of Malibu? Not a lot of industry up there, yanno. Malibu itself? See #1.

It's going to be a good year for the reconstruction business.

I hope a lot of homeowners have read their policies carefully, because some of these fires down south of us have been determined to be arson - and that changes the landscape a bit when it comes to insurance claims. Some do not cover "Acts of God" - but a lot of them also don't cover "damages due to criminal activity." That's right - down to the ground, and the only place to go is FEMA. Yay LA Riots.

So the folks who have kibitzed the most about poor folks taking advantage of the system - are going to be at the mercy of it themselves. Karma does exist. (And watch that NOT hit the FOX network.)

Gulping down my breakfast and hitting the road - will post updates and better direct assistance links when I get them.

Random Weirdness

Sunrises are NOT supposed to be electric ORANGE. Not.

And yes, using your Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner's "air cleaning" setting does do just that. Leave the windows open all night at your peril down here - next time Jim wants some cool air, I'll pack him in the freezer. *hack*

That said, I remember the days after 9/11. There's no comparison. We were BONED for weeks after 9/11. And don't run off to Google California and 9/11 - there were no terrorist attacks here. At all. EVAR.

I'm going to work, have been all week, and likely will have little direct consequence from any of these fires. Seriously -

There are two big reasons I believe we're not getting the Katrina treatment.

1. We're ready for disasters. We're going to fall into the ocean at any minute, remember? I've got an earthquake kit - so does everyone else. Think of how many people have evacuated into shelters - hear of any riots or shortages? No? Gee. We spent some money getting ready. What a concept.

2. Fires, while destructive? Don't whip an entire topography into froth like a hurricane or a tornado does. Also, afterward? Fires leave areas pretty sterile - they don't leave standing water waist-deep to grown scary shit when the sunlight hits it. They may close roads, they won't destroy them down to the bedrock. You can get in and out of those areas - torando or hurricane damage? Not so much.

http://wonkette.com/politics/fires/as-california-burns-refugees-party-chill-314198.php

Another thing - the fires are in areas all around Los Angeles. Some of them the poorest parts of our state, so don't focus solely on San Diego's northern suburbs (which are also Duke Cunningham's old stomping grounds). Chula Vista and environs have been, in my experience, grindingly poor. San Bernardino lost most of its tax base when the bases closed in the eighties and nineties and haven't recovered yet. Santa Clarita is a bedroom community still stinging from that massive truck pileup that closed the 5 a few weeks ago. Temecula might be an up and coming, but folks have lived there for years on nearly nothing - and the oldsters get hit just as hard as the newbies. Fires don't care. Areas north of Malibu? Not a lot of industry up there, yanno. Malibu itself? See #1.

It's going to be a good year for the reconstruction business.

I hope a lot of homeowners have read their policies carefully, because some of these fires down south of us have been determined to be arson - and that changes the landscape a bit when it comes to insurance claims. Some do not cover "Acts of God" - but a lot of them also don't cover "damages due to criminal activity." That's right - down to the ground, and the only place to go is FEMA. Yay LA Riots.

So the folks who have kibitzed the most about poor folks taking advantage of the system - are going to be at the mercy of it themselves. Karma does exist. (And watch that NOT hit the FOX network.)

Gulping down my breakfast and hitting the road - will post updates and better direct assistance links when I get them.

Random Weirdness

Sunrises are NOT supposed to be electric ORANGE. Not.

And yes, using your Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner's "air cleaning" setting does do just that. Leave the windows open all night at your peril down here - next time Jim wants some cool air, I'll pack him in the freezer. *hack*

That said, I remember the days after 9/11. There's no comparison. We were BONED for weeks after 9/11. And don't run off to Google California and 9/11 - there were no terrorist attacks here. At all. EVAR.

I'm going to work, have been all week, and likely will have little direct consequence from any of these fires. Seriously -

There are two big reasons I believe we're not getting the Katrina treatment.

1. We're ready for disasters. We're going to fall into the ocean at any minute, remember? I've got an earthquake kit - so does everyone else. Think of how many people have evacuated into shelters - hear of any riots or shortages? No? Gee. We spent some money getting ready. What a concept.

2. Fires, while destructive? Don't whip an entire topography into froth like a hurricane or a tornado does. Also, afterward? Fires leave areas pretty sterile - they don't leave standing water waist-deep to grown scary shit when the sunlight hits it. They may close roads, they won't destroy them down to the bedrock. You can get in and out of those areas - torando or hurricane damage? Not so much.

http://wonkette.com/politics/fires/as-california-burns-refugees-party-chill-314198.php

Another thing - the fires are in areas all around Los Angeles. Some of them the poorest parts of our state, so don't focus solely on San Diego's northern suburbs (which are also Duke Cunningham's old stomping grounds). Chula Vista and environs have been, in my experience, grindingly poor. San Bernardino lost most of its tax base when the bases closed in the eighties and nineties and haven't recovered yet. Santa Clarita is a bedroom community still stinging from that massive truck pileup that closed the 5 a few weeks ago. Temecula might be an up and coming, but folks have lived there for years on nearly nothing - and the oldsters get hit just as hard as the newbies. Fires don't care. Areas north of Malibu? Not a lot of industry up there, yanno. Malibu itself? See #1.

It's going to be a good year for the reconstruction business.

I hope a lot of homeowners have read their policies carefully, because some of these fires down south of us have been determined to be arson - and that changes the landscape a bit when it comes to insurance claims. Some do not cover "Acts of God" - but a lot of them also don't cover "damages due to criminal activity." That's right - down to the ground, and the only place to go is FEMA. Yay LA Riots.

So the folks who have kibitzed the most about poor folks taking advantage of the system - are going to be at the mercy of it themselves. Karma does exist. (And watch that NOT hit the FOX network.)

Gulping down my breakfast and hitting the road - will post updates and better direct assistance links when I get them.

Something I'd like to share -

I don't really think FEMA did everything in California. Much like I don't think they did everything in Hawaii, neh?

Here's the original. Snatch it for posterity

A good 9,000 people ended up here, at Qualcomm Stadium, and if this was the endgame of a disaster, it would be a disaster that seemed possible only in the idyll of California.

There was a banh mi picnic in the parking lot, beef empanadas on the chow line, Caesar salads, cartons of fresh Starbucks House Blend, free magazines, toys for the kids, cots for grandma, pizza by the slice or, if you wished, the box. There was a man playing jazz guitar, a blues band, massages and acupuncture.

"It's better service than when you go to a restaurant," said Gary Potter of Rancho Penasquitos. "Every time you turn around, people are asking us if you need something -- water, food, anything."

"They thought of everything," said Erin Kelley, his wife. She was particularly impressed by the massages being offered in the parking lot.

A steady stream of volunteers brought blankets, potato chips, diapers -- anything they thought someone might need.

The center is being operated by the city of San Diego but almost everything consumed within it was donated.

The place was so opulent relative to the standards of disaster relief centers that for some it was an improvement in living conditions.

( Here's the whole original )

I am so damn proud of my state right now. I won't deny it.

The Red Cross sent me a blast this morning with some figures:

As of 2pm, October 24, 2007: From Santa Barbara to San Diego, about 8,000 firefighters attempted to extinguish more than a dozen wildfires that had scorched at least 645 square miles (1,670 square kilometers), an area twice the size of New York City, in the past four days. Five people have died and 1,664 structures have been destroyed.

Since the latest wildfires broke out Oct. 21st, about 321,ooo residents have been ordered to leave their homes, and an additional 500,000 people have left voluntarily, making it the largest evacuation in California's history.

Your American Red Cross is providing the immediate emergency needs for those directly affected by the fires.

The American Red Cross Response as of Midnight, October 23, 2007:

Shelters/Evacuation Centers Opened: 24

Shelter Overnight Stays: 9,481

Meals Served: 9,028

Snacks Served: 14,973

Total Number of Red Cross Workers: 3,352

Total Number of Red Cross Volunteers: 3,264

Workers Given Training: 2,976

The emphases are mine, but I think you get the point.

You want to live here, you gotta work. But if you work, there's enough to go around. You'll pay the taxes, you'll take the shit jobs...and when things go bad, we got your back. Everyone has to work like a dog to make it here - and we all know it.

You hear about the nutcases who think all the ills can be traced to "illegals" using the system.

The rest of us - and we are the vast majority, no kidding - aren't saying that. We just know how stupidly expensive it is to live here.

And we share, readily. You want to come here? Come on in. Jump in, paddle like hell like the rest of us and welcome to the party.

Something I'd like to share -

I don't really think FEMA did everything in California. Much like I don't think they did everything in Hawaii, neh?

Here's the original. Snatch it for posterity

A good 9,000 people ended up here, at Qualcomm Stadium, and if this was the endgame of a disaster, it would be a disaster that seemed possible only in the idyll of California.

There was a banh mi picnic in the parking lot, beef empanadas on the chow line, Caesar salads, cartons of fresh Starbucks House Blend, free magazines, toys for the kids, cots for grandma, pizza by the slice or, if you wished, the box. There was a man playing jazz guitar, a blues band, massages and acupuncture.

"It's better service than when you go to a restaurant," said Gary Potter of Rancho Penasquitos. "Every time you turn around, people are asking us if you need something -- water, food, anything."

"They thought of everything," said Erin Kelley, his wife. She was particularly impressed by the massages being offered in the parking lot.

A steady stream of volunteers brought blankets, potato chips, diapers -- anything they thought someone might need.

The center is being operated by the city of San Diego but almost everything consumed within it was donated.

The place was so opulent relative to the standards of disaster relief centers that for some it was an improvement in living conditions.

( Here's the whole original )

I am so damn proud of my state right now. I won't deny it.

The Red Cross sent me a blast this morning with some figures:

As of 2pm, October 24, 2007: From Santa Barbara to San Diego, about 8,000 firefighters attempted to extinguish more than a dozen wildfires that had scorched at least 645 square miles (1,670 square kilometers), an area twice the size of New York City, in the past four days. Five people have died and 1,664 structures have been destroyed.

Since the latest wildfires broke out Oct. 21st, about 321,ooo residents have been ordered to leave their homes, and an additional 500,000 people have left voluntarily, making it the largest evacuation in California's history.

Your American Red Cross is providing the immediate emergency needs for those directly affected by the fires.

The American Red Cross Response as of Midnight, October 23, 2007:

Shelters/Evacuation Centers Opened: 24

Shelter Overnight Stays: 9,481

Meals Served: 9,028

Snacks Served: 14,973

Total Number of Red Cross Workers: 3,352

Total Number of Red Cross Volunteers: 3,264

Workers Given Training: 2,976

The emphases are mine, but I think you get the point.

You want to live here, you gotta work. But if you work, there's enough to go around. You'll pay the taxes, you'll take the shit jobs...and when things go bad, we got your back. Everyone has to work like a dog to make it here - and we all know it.

You hear about the nutcases who think all the ills can be traced to "illegals" using the system.

The rest of us - and we are the vast majority, no kidding - aren't saying that. We just know how stupidly expensive it is to live here.

And we share, readily. You want to come here? Come on in. Jump in, paddle like hell like the rest of us and welcome to the party.

Something I'd like to share -

I don't really think FEMA did everything in California. Much like I don't think they did everything in Hawaii, neh?

Here's the original. Snatch it for posterity

A good 9,000 people ended up here, at Qualcomm Stadium, and if this was the endgame of a disaster, it would be a disaster that seemed possible only in the idyll of California.

There was a banh mi picnic in the parking lot, beef empanadas on the chow line, Caesar salads, cartons of fresh Starbucks House Blend, free magazines, toys for the kids, cots for grandma, pizza by the slice or, if you wished, the box. There was a man playing jazz guitar, a blues band, massages and acupuncture.

"It's better service than when you go to a restaurant," said Gary Potter of Rancho Penasquitos. "Every time you turn around, people are asking us if you need something -- water, food, anything."

"They thought of everything," said Erin Kelley, his wife. She was particularly impressed by the massages being offered in the parking lot.

A steady stream of volunteers brought blankets, potato chips, diapers -- anything they thought someone might need.

The center is being operated by the city of San Diego but almost everything consumed within it was donated.

The place was so opulent relative to the standards of disaster relief centers that for some it was an improvement in living conditions.

( Here's the whole original )

I am so damn proud of my state right now. I won't deny it.

The Red Cross sent me a blast this morning with some figures:

As of 2pm, October 24, 2007: From Santa Barbara to San Diego, about 8,000 firefighters attempted to extinguish more than a dozen wildfires that had scorched at least 645 square miles (1,670 square kilometers), an area twice the size of New York City, in the past four days. Five people have died and 1,664 structures have been destroyed.

Since the latest wildfires broke out Oct. 21st, about 321,ooo residents have been ordered to leave their homes, and an additional 500,000 people have left voluntarily, making it the largest evacuation in California's history.

Your American Red Cross is providing the immediate emergency needs for those directly affected by the fires.

The American Red Cross Response as of Midnight, October 23, 2007:

Shelters/Evacuation Centers Opened: 24

Shelter Overnight Stays: 9,481

Meals Served: 9,028

Snacks Served: 14,973

Total Number of Red Cross Workers: 3,352

Total Number of Red Cross Volunteers: 3,264

Workers Given Training: 2,976

The emphases are mine, but I think you get the point.

You want to live here, you gotta work. But if you work, there's enough to go around. You'll pay the taxes, you'll take the shit jobs...and when things go bad, we got your back. Everyone has to work like a dog to make it here - and we all know it.

You hear about the nutcases who think all the ills can be traced to "illegals" using the system.

The rest of us - and we are the vast majority, no kidding - aren't saying that. We just know how stupidly expensive it is to live here.

And we share, readily. You want to come here? Come on in. Jump in, paddle like hell like the rest of us and welcome to the party.