Posted 9/12/2007 01:19:00 PM by Douglas

Humberto. That's exactly what we need right now::

Just went by the gas station, and it's already getting crazy here. I don't think this one is gonna be a big deal, but that's what we thought about Allison, too.

I'm definitely going to need more Bourbon.

Labels: hurricanes 2007

Posted 8/19/2007 06:56:00 AM by Douglas

In case you're wondering why we're cutting mission short, Endeavour, take a look out the window.

Playing it safe, NASA shortened the last spacewalk for astronauts aboard the shuttle Endeavour and ordered the spacecraft to return to Earth on Tuesday — a day early — fearing the storm might threaten the Houston home of Mission Control.

But they did take a good picture or two:

Overheard during yesterday's EVA:

"Holy smokes! That's incredible

"It's only incredible when it's not headed towards you!"

200 miles up gives you such a clear perspective on things.

Labels: Dean, hurricanes 2007, STS-118

Posted 8/17/2007 08:23:00 PM by Douglas

The word of the hour: Dean. Is it going to come straight to Houston? Of course it is if you listen to the guys on the TV that make a living scaring the hell out of old people, but at least ONE model predicts a path where I find out what my deductible is:

So who knows. Tuesday is the time to panic. I'm not going to cut and run every time there's a cloud in the gulf, but I'm not going to hang around for 130 mile per hour wind, either. I'm also not going to sit in three mile per hour traffic ever again, either.

And just think, it was 102ºF just two days ago. Just another day in paradise. . . .

Labels: Dean, hurricanes 2007

Posted 8/17/2007 08:05:00 PM by Douglas

Something about this picture of a poor, wet, flooded out dog in San Antonio just speaks to me.

Been there, dude. Been left standing in the rain by the curb wondering, "hey, can I eat that?"

Labels: hurricanes 2007

Posted 8/17/2007 08:00:00 PM by Douglas

As I've said before, that Space Shuttle don't fly itself:

The space shuttle Endeavour could come home a day early from the International Space Station if Hurricane Dean threatens the ground operations center in Houston, NASA officials said on Friday.

"It's not ideal," shuttle commander Scott Kelly told an in-flight press conference. "But we could potentially undock the day after the (Saturday) spacewalk and come home a day early."

The powerful hurricane was barreling northwest through the Caribbean Sea and was expected to clip Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early next week and then move into the western Gulf of Mexico, potentially menacing the Texas coast.

This, after the Erin tried to flush South East Texas into the gulf like the turd that it is.

Gonna be a long weekend in mission control.

Labels: Dean, hurricanes 2007, STS-118

Posted 8/15/2007 12:45:00 PM by Douglas

This is just what we need.

Tropical Storm Erin formed Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico and headed toward Texas, threatening to bring downpours to a state that already has had one of its rainiest summers on record.

Homeowners headed to hardware stores in the Rio Grande Valley for supplies to board up their houses, said Ruben Dimas, assistant store manager at a Home Depot in Harlingen.

"They know the drill, they're familiar with it," Dimas said.

The fifth depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed late Tuesday and was upgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday when its maximum sustained speed was measured at 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The threshold for tropical storm status is 39 mph.

Batteries? Check. Water? Check. Gallon of Bourbon? Check. Yep, I'm ready. 'Cuz if you're going to be on CNN up to your neck in water, you might as well be shit faced.

And lets not forget about Dean. Not too early to rule him out, either.

Labels: hurricanes 2007