Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Come on, man.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Bark louder, little dog.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

John Fetterman: Too Manly for Pennsylvania.  Paid for by the Oz for Senator campaign.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Betty Tweets In

Betty Tweets In

by | 154 Comments

This post is in: 

In a much dryer morning in New Mexico, my trip to the farmers’ market completely upset my menu planning. Also, I bought too much. Maybe will freeze some.

Good thoughts to Floridians and open thread!

 

Update: Betty checks in at Comment #66:

Hi guys, thanks for thinking of me. We’re fine. Still at home. The current plan is to head to my MIL’s place, which is inland, in the morning, if the current track holds. We’ve got plenty of gas, and we know how to get there on back roads. It takes about 1-1/2 hours under normal circumstances, and even if it takes six hours, we’ll get there before the storm hits. I’ll check in when I can. Everyone else in the path, stay safe!

 

Also Adam at Comment #75:

Betty and I are in communication.

I’ll be heading to my brothers later this afternoon. Though we’re out of the storm surge area, they called an evac for our zone so as to reduce stress on emergency services. My brother is in a no evac zone, so we’ll be going there.

But what everyone is still watching for is a turn. They’ve been predicting a turn every day for eight days and expecting one each day for the past three. Right now they’re predicting/expecting this afternoon. But, and again, the predicted/expected a turn yesterday and the day before.

Irma is still beating herself against the norther Cuban coast and the Cuban keys/barrier islands. She’s wobbled a bit northwest again, but no one knows if that’s the beginning of the turn or just another wobble. The questions now are: 1) Does she turn? 2) When? 3) If she doesn’t or if she doesn’t turn till tomorrow or later, then where does she go? If she makes the gulf, and not just skirting the west coast of Florida, then everyone from Mexico around the gulf back to Florida is a target.

Not to sound unsympathetic to the Cubans, but the longer she churns her eyewall and eye on Cuba the better. And the longer she heads west into and against Cuba, with wobbles north and south, the better.

Reader Interactions

154Comments

  2. 2.

    japa21

    All I can do is echo all the best wishes from all the other people here to all our friends in Florida. And yes, in some ways, I consider many here good friends.

    If you could get to Chicago I would be more than willing to offer accommodations.

  4. 4.

    MazeDancer

    All of us hope all of her family – boxers and hens included, of course – will stay safe. And let us know when they have found their way to stay high and dry.

    When they show the insane traffic out of Tampa on TV, I think – Betty has to know some good back roads. Hope so.

  5. 5.

    MomSense

    @rikyrah:

    Yes! Put the dogs and chickens in the car, strap the tiki hut to the roof and make a beeline for Cole’s place on WV. I want to see you beautiful people and animals sipping lemonade on his porch.

    Gah I’m so nervous.

  6. 6.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @MazeDancer: My nephew apparently made it out of Tampa OK. My sister on the east coast is probably going to stay put and her son decided to come home and hunker down with them.

    Weather Underground forecast for their area tomorrow night has improved from 115 mph winds to “only” 70-90 mph.

  7. 7.

    MomSense

    Plus don’t we think Thurston being chased by a bunch of rowdy hens would be the best thing to ever happen. It would be so cute it would break the internet.

  10. 10.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @aimai:

    Ditto, not to mention the Cracker Daughter. And your in-laws, aimai. And all Juicers and Juicer friends-and-relations in Irma’s path.

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    I love the idea of Hurricane Betty Cracker and chickenz hitting West Virginia. Good times.

    Be safe, all those in Irma’s way.

    How long until Jose either arrives or skips US mainland?

  12. 12.

    debbie

    Cheryl, I always buy too much too. I’m going to try and make a summer tomato pudding with the too many tomatoes I bought. It will need to be yellow tomato slices in a red tomato sauce. Hope it doesn’t end up looking like coughed up hair balls.

  13. 13.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @MomSense: Thurston is a terrier.

    A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just 1 kg (2 lb) to over 32 kg (70 lb) and are usually categorized by size or function. There are five different groups with each group having several different breeds.
    ….
    Hunting-types are still used to find, track, or trail quarry, especially underground, and sometimes to bolt the quarry. Modern examples include the Jack Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier and the Patterdale Terrier. There are also the short legged terriers such as the Cairn Terrier, Scottish Terrier, and West Highland White Terrier which were also used to kill small vermin.

    Introducing a terrier to a strange flock of hens is more likely to end in a blood bath.

  16. 16.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @debbie: I was planning on corn chowder for today and tomorrow, and ratatouille later in the week, but I also had a yearning for some chicken. I bought chicken along with the other things I needed, then saw some nice tiny okras. So it will be chicken-okra curry for today, with possibly green beans added (frozen last week), and corn chowder tomorrow or Monday, ratatouille sometime after that. Plus blackberries that I am eating now and definitely too many tomatoes.

  20. 20.

    Emma

    Meanwhile my immediate area’s chance of storm surge flooding has been reduced to nearly nil. The rain will do it all, of course. I expect to live indoors for at least four days. I also expect to lose trees and fencing. Oh well. It’ll give me a chance to redo the yard. Will expect advice and commentary from the brilliant gardeners among us.

    Yes, it’s a bit of whistling past a graveyard.

  22. 22.

    The Simp in the Suit

    I just got in from a tough 24 hours evacuating my mom for SW Florida. 15 hours in intense traffic for what should’ve been an easy 8 hours. Crazy. And we had it EASY. Just one cat, a nice car, and plenty of money. There are tens of thousands of people trying to get out, maybe hundreds of thousands. I really feel for them. They are so fucked.

    How in the FUCK does government allow fuel stations to run out of gas? How in the FUCK does government not have multiple rest stops with hundreds of port-a-lets. We had to fuel up three times. It was a major fuck fiasco every time. And each stop reminded me of India — hundreds or even thousands of people dealing with “services” originally meant for a few dozen.

    It is a mess and the fucking Republican “leadership” of that fucked up state have made it clear in word and deed that you are on your own. And yet those fucking moronic voters will continue to vote them in. Shit, I’m certain that Skeletor isn’t going to pay ANY political price for fucking over his own constituents. I truly wish the worst for that asshole.

    It’s not like you can’t plan for this. But no, they treat each hurricane like a “lone wolf” killer. There is NO long-term or even medium-term planning. Shit, they’re still arguing about how many lanes should be open in different directions. Doesn’t even occur to them that maybe they should real, actual long-term plans and infrastructure builds.

    Gah! I can’t even think straight, I’m so tired and pissed off. And again, we had it EASY. It is such a fucking mess for anyone else who has kids, pets, and not a lot of money.

  24. 24.

    father pussbucket

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Weather Underground forecast for their area tomorrow night has improved from 115 mph winds to “only” 70-90 mph.

    Factoid for context: wind pressure goes with roughly the square of wind velocity.

  26. 26.

    StringOnAStick

    For those that gave their kind wishes when I was up late with a sick husband, he’s fine now so my first diagnosis of food poisoning looks correct. Thanks for all the positive thoughts!

  27. 27.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Emma:

    Will expect advice and commentary from the brilliant gardeners among us.

    What do you have against us not so brilliant gardeners?

  28. 28.

    hilts

    Betty,

    You’re a priceless treasure and I love your cutting sense of humor!

    Please do whatever the Hell you have to do to stay safe.

  30. 30.

    Kelly

    @MazeDancer: Lately the dishwasher as a place to store valuables is being debunked. see Snopes and Lifehacker. Seemed like a very good idea to me when I first read it. If it’ll keep water in it’ll keep water out. Then I remembered the time a fork slipped down a blocked the sprinkler in a spot where it hosed the door seal for most of the cycle and we had water on the kitchen floor.

  32. 32.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @MomSense: They are fearsome creatures. I once found a kitten in my chickens yard just before I let them out. They would have torn it to shreds. Same thing with any snake that they catch, even if it’s venomous. But I has a weasel get into my coop and it killed everything it get it’s teeth into. Terriers? They are a whole ‘nother level of bad news for anything they catch.

  39. 39.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @The Simp in the Suit:

    How in the FUCK does government allow fuel stations to run out of gas?

    Got to say, how in the fuck does govt stop it from happening? It is a near impossibility.

    ETA: and glad you made it out.

  40. 40.

    jayboat

    Left Clearwater last night- 3hrs to go 75 miles. Small town stoplights were the killer. Walmart parking lot looked like scene frome Walking Dead- hundreds of cars 40-50 rv’s and nearly as many semi’s. They still had some ice so beer is good. Very light traffic this morning on surface roads but I-10 south of Tallahassee is moderate to heavy. Currently at a rest stop- more rv’s than semi’s. That’s a first.

  41. 41.

    The Simp in the Suit

    @Big Ole Hound: The government can and HAS regulated gasoline supplies, including the number of stations and how they’re supplied. The government COULD have a lot to do with this in terms of emergencies and mandatory evacuations. The government can do whatever the fuck we want it to do. It takes planning and political will.

  42. 42.

    The Simp in the Suit

    @OzarkHillbilly: @OzarkHillbilly: I’d say the first step is to plan for what happens every year: hurricanes. Part of that is planning how to get the fucking tankers to the stations, making sure that the in-ground tanks are full, and having additional tankers on hand. Instead, we see Skeletor making things up on the fly, like having a handful of tankers “escorted” to a handful of stations.

    Eisenhower planned for a evacuations for an event he did everything to prevent: nuclear war. We can’t even plan for storms that happen every year. They aren’t one-offs. But we treat them that way. Every year.

  46. 46.

    Repatriated

    @The Simp in the Suit: It’s not just that. There could (and probably should) be contingency plans for FEMA and/or the National Guard to set up fuel points along evacuation routes. For those unable to pay on the spot, repayment could be managed through the IRS.

  47. 47.

    Snarki, child of Loki

    Now we get to see which will move faster: Irma or the traffic jams moving north.

    It was really bad planning to have a state with an exit just on one side. What where they thinking?1??

  48. 48.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @The Simp in the Suit: Not saying things can’t be done better than they are, but here in Misery we had pumps run dry in the days after Harvey. Logistics are difficult in the best of circumstances. Under the worst?

  49. 49.

    MazeDancer

    Thanks for the adviso’s on dishwashers are leaky.

    Pics for insurance still seems like a good idea.

  50. 50.

    Schlemazel

    BC – I am sure by now you have plenty of advice so I won’t say anything other than take care, be as safe as you can no matter what you decide & please let us know you are safe.

    Same goes for all the rest of you in that toilet with palm trees. Safe travels even if you are sheltering in place.

  51. 51.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Snarki, child of Loki: It was really bad planning to have our most valuable real estate be just a few feet above sea level. It was really bad planning to put said real estate in the path of so many hurricanes. It was really, really bad planning to put over 20 million people on said real estate. What were they thinking? They were thinking $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

  54. 54.

    efgoldman

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It was really bad planning to have our most valuable real estate be just a few feet above sea level.

    In the sense that “no planning” = “bad planning.”
    Actual planning would require :::block the kids’ ears::: regulation! [collective gasp!]

  56. 56.

    Mobile

    @Big Ole Hound: If I heard it right, on MSNBC a few minutes ago, the State Police of Florida were not allowing any gas station refueling trucks to make deliveries. Sounds totally messed up. Also counter intuitive. ????

  57. 57.

    Brachiator

    Lately the dishwasher as a place to store valuables is being debunked. see Snopes and Lifehacker.

    Oh, well. It seemed like a good idea initially, but I understand the debunking.

    Hope Betty and anyone else who might be affected stay safe.

    And the damage to various island communities is heartbreaking. Recovery will be tough.

  58. 58.

    Murmeltier

    Does anyone in Rochester, NY area need some pond fishes? Geeno & I have 6 koi/goldfish that need to be re-homed. 4 are about 4″ long, 2 are about 8-9″ long. The 2 big fish have fancy tails. The poor things have been living in a makeshift super large plastic bin turned pond in our basement, since our outdoor pond sprung a leak. Anyone who wants them can take them. All food, pump, filters, etc. can go with them.

  59. 59.

    Dcrefugee

    Just another data point:

    I bugged out from my home in eastern Sarasota county yesterday. Presently in Richmond, VA (don’t ask), sipping a cup of rather good hotel coffee. Very anxious about what I’ll return to.

    But I’m more fortunate than many, and I’m very concerned for anyone still in the state. Be careful and be safe.

    DCr

  60. 60.

    Prufock

    We were set to hunker down, then the storm tracked west once again. I had no desire to be on the Pinellas peninsula, so we are currently Georgia bound, heading north on US 19. Traffic has been good. There is still time to bug out. Go, if you can.

  63. 63.

    Cermet

    @The Simp in the Suit: But these events are “Lone Wolff” occurrences; but if not, then global warming is a hoax; well, maybe not but climate changed occurred all the time in the past; well, this may be fast compared to those events but it is natural; well, maybe it is human caused but there is nothing that can be done; well, maybe something could be but it is too expensive; we can do mitigation – well, that is too expensive – fuck you.

    Or one could just assume humans have always had it bad and we will get through this and everything will get better … .

  64. 64.

    Jerzy Russian

    @The Simp in the Suit: Also too: gas pumps need electricity. What will happen after the storm passes through and there are widespread outages? That was a problem here in Southern California a few years ago when the power went down for a day or so. There were lots of cars without gas stuck near the gas stations.

    As was noted above, the National Guard could set up temporary refueling stations. I would assume the army has some experience with this, given that when you invade someone and bring all of your tanks, trucks, jeeps, etc. with you you can’t always count on an abundant supply of gas waiting for you.

  66. 66.

    Betty Cracker

    Hi guys, thanks for thinking of me. We’re fine. Still at home. The current plan is to head to my MIL’s place, which is inland, in the morning, if the current track holds. We’ve got plenty of gas, and we know how to get there on back roads. It takes about 1-1/2 hours under normal circumstances, and even if it takes six hours, we’ll get there before the storm hits. I’ll check in when I can. Everyone else in the path, stay safe!

  67. 67.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Mobile: Just speculation: Gasoline is highly flammable, floats on water. Imagine full/half full/quarter full gasoline tanks buried in the very permeable limestone popping up out of the ground when a 15-20 foot storm surge hits, leaking gas all over the place, floating around and striking things, etc etc. Not good.

    During the ’93 flood a propane farm went under. There were hundreds of propane tanks in danger of breaking loose from mounts and beginning to leak. Years later I met one of the firefighters who went in to secure the tanks. He said it was a ‘suicide mission’ but somebody had to go in because half of South STL would be gone if it all blew up.

  68. 68.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    @Jerzy Russian: The environmental hazards of temporary gas stations are large, quite aside from the danger posed to them by the hurricane. Gas stations operate under severe regulations (and, the accountant in me has to point out, huge deferred liabilities for clean up for whenever they close up) to prevent leaks from contaminating the local area. There are no good solutions here.

    ETA: The military is good at these because we’ve decided that, in an active combat zone, we don’t give a fuck about environmental consequences.

  70. 70.

    zhena gogolia

    @Betty Cracker:

    I’m about to go to a wedding in a Catholic church, so will try to get those prayers to the big guy. Love you all and the pups and chickens!

  71. 71.

    gene108

    Got to agree, with the Simp in the Suit. We can better plan for hurricanes.

    I think about it like how different parts of the country deal with snow. In the South, they just decide to shut down and wait 3-4 days for it to melt. In the North, where the snow won’t melt until Spring, they actually plow and salt the roads, so folks can get out of their homes. Or how places in Oklahoma, Nebraska, etc. are built to withstand tornadoes or places in California are built to withstand earthquakes.

    Florida should have hurricane preparedness factored into the infrastructure. And this includes getting people the 500 miles they need to go from southern most Florida to parts more inland and out of the storm. We can do better than we are doing.

  75. 75.

    Adam L Silverman

    @mai naem mobile: Betty and I are in communication.

    I’ll be heading to my brothers later this afternoon. Though we’re out of the storm surge area, they called an evac for our zone so as to reduce stress on emergency services. My brother is in a no evac zone, so we’ll be going there.

    But what everyone is still watching for is a turn. They’ve been predicting a turn every day for eight days and expecting one each day for the past three. Right now they’re predicting/expecting this afternoon. But, and again, the predicted/expected a turn yesterday and the day before.

    Irma is still beating herself against the norther Cuban coast and the Cuban keys/barrier islands. She’s wobbled a bit northwest again, but no one knows if that’s the beginning of the turn or just another wobble. The questions now are: 1) Does she turn? 2) When? 3) If she doesn’t or if she doesn’t turn till tomorrow or later, then where does she go? If she makes the gulf, and not just skirting the west coast of Florida, then everyone from Mexico around the gulf back to Florida is a target.

    Not to sound unsympathetic to the Cubans, but the longer she churns her eyewall and eye on Cuba the better. And the longer she heads west into and against Cuba, with wobbles north and south, the better.

  76. 76.

    Suzanne

    @BGinCHI:

    Friends in Sarasota were going to ride it out and are now heading to a shelter with the new storm track.

    My uncle and aunt in Sarasota said they were going to go to their daughter’s house for the storm, because it has hurricane shutters. That was Thursday. Haven’t heard if they’ve changed their minds or not.

  78. 78.

    Repatriated

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym:

    The military is good at these because we’ve decided that, in an active combat zone, we don’t give a fuck about environmental consequences

    In a way, it’s much the same thing — it’s a matter of risk management.

  81. 81.

    efgoldman

    @Adam L Silverman: @Betty Cracker: Thanks Adam; thanks Betty. Mantra for today is be safe!
    As someone else (many someones) have said, it’s amazing how close we can feel – and how much we worry about – people we’ve never met and probably never will.

  82. 82.

    Adam L Silverman

    @japa21: Once she comes off of Cuba and goes over the Florida Keys she’s technically in the Gulf of Mexico. The water in the straits and in the gulf are 86 degrees. So plenty of fuel for her. If she goes out into the open gulf, not along the Florida coast, then things get complicated and interesting. Everything around the gulf becomes a potential target. And there’s no telling how much she’ll strengthen. The long she rubs against Cuba, the more degradation to her eyewall, eye, and structure. The more she becomes degraded the better. As bad as that is for the Cubans.

  83. 83.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    @gene108: I’m sure that things could be done better, because true of every major endeavor. But asking for an evacuation to go smoothly is asking the impossible, no matter how much you prepare. You’re dealing needing to evacuate a long, narrow, heavily populated state, with the evacuees primarily needing to move lengthwise. We’re not talking the morning commute. How many interstates do you intend to build from South Florida to Georgia?

  85. 85.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym: @Repatriated: You may have noticed they didn’t set up temporary forward fuel sites for the rotary wing aircraft handling Harvey evac, search, and rescue. They did aerial refueling, which is particularly interesting for rotary wings and they did it at night as well. That tell’s you how concerned they were about safety on the ground.

  87. 87.

    Kathleen

    @Adam L Silverman: Glad you’re evacuating! Does anyone know for a fact if Betty & fam have decided to go?

    My daughter and family are in Riverside and not in evac zone. They’ve got the shutters on and enough food, ice, water for a week. SIL’s cousin gathered all of our contact info and sent email they can print and put in their individual bags. They’ve got propane for the grill and patio furniture is in garage. They’ve taken pix of belongings and put on the cloud (my daughter is in home insurance LOL).

    Trying desperately not to lose my shit.

  89. 89.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Chris Hayes‏Verified account @ chrislhayes
    I’m reading the Clinton book and it’s…quite good! Compelling and candid and written with a pretty remarkable intimacy. It’s worth reading.
    Also I think the “juicy” newsy tidbits give the impression it’s some kind score-settling rant, which it is not.

    I hope Josh Barro and Matt Yglesias and all the bright young things who’ve been sneering and snarking at her all week follow Hayes

  90. 90.

    Adam L Silverman

    @debbie: She’s informed and she and her husband will make the appropriate decisions for them, the boxers, and the chickens.

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    @efgoldman: We appreciate all the good thoughts. The frustrating, but also fascinating thing about this, is just how closely in agreement the models are, but the one thing they can’t seem to nail down is the turn. Till yesterday morning the sooner she turned the better. Now it is the longer she takes to turn the better. If she doesn’t turn till tomorrow it’s the panhandle that’s going to be in trouble.

  97. 97.

    pinacacci

    Seriously you all need to stop telling BC to go. She is busy, she is doing what she needs to do, she is aware of the risks and is balancing them, she has an escape plan, she has done this before. I live here too. We know what we need to do to be safe and we do it. Please try to not ratchet the anxiety higher, it’s real enough and we’re already ready to butcher our nearest relatives because we’re so anxious. Please try not to add to it.

  98. 98.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Per MSNBC, Florida Gov. Scott now calling for 1,000 nurses to volunteer at shelters.

    Great timing, Guv! Have you heard about this thing called “advance planning”? It’s all the rage. Oh, wait, you’re a Republican. Never mind.

  99. 99.

    MomSense

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by the pundit reaction after the sexism we were subjected to throughout her campaign. It still makes me furious and I guess at this stage in my life I’m just sick of it.

  100. 100.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @gene108:

    Florida should have hurricane preparedness factored into the infrastructure.

    Which means you cap out subsidized national flood insurance payouts at about $300,000 on residential structures, and limit FEMA living assistance in coastal areas to once every 24 mos.

    Do that and the scope and expense of all building in those coastal areas get back to being reasonable – plus, you make white conservatives in SW Florida deal with the true national cost of their lifestyles.

  101. 101.

    efgoldman

    @pinacacci:

    we’re already ready to butcher our nearest relatives because we’re so anxious

    Hell, I’ve been ready to butcher my nearest relatives for years just on general principles because they deserve it.

  105. 105.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Steeplejack (phone):

    He’s evil, but not incompetent, and frankly stating things the way they need to be done. This storm busted all the previous disaster management models, so the pros are making it up on the fly.

  106. 106.

    Major Major Major Major

    But what everyone is still watching for is a turn. They’ve been predicting a turn every day for eight days and expecting one each day for the past three. Right now they’re predicting/expecting this afternoon. But, and again, the predicted/expected a turn yesterday and the day before.

    Irma’s gonna pivot any day now!

    Hope everybody is safe.

  107. 107.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @pinacacci:

    Nobody’s trying to ratchet anybody’s anxiety higher. We’re expressing concern for people we care about. Presumably you and Betty and Adam and Mustang Bobby and all the other Floridian Juicers know enough to prioritise your evacuation or shelter-in-place preparations over hanging around on a blog. Don’t slag on the rest of us.

  108. 108.

    pinacacci

    @SiubhanDuinne: It may not be the intent but it is the effect. I am not slagging anyone.

    ETA “Stay safe” is welcome, “RUN YOU WILL DIE OTHERWISE” is not helpful.

  109. 109.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: All the takes I’ve seen from people (both who I respect and people like the chinchilla) have said it’s a very good book. It says a lot about the people who are like YEAH BUT DID SHE BLAME HERSELF?? that they assume she wouldn’t turn her critical eye inwards, which she does, but of course she didn’t lose based only on her own mistakes (none of which were severe).

  111. 111.

    StringOnAStick

    I know we could do better on evacuation planning, like more roads. I also know that the US interstate system was originally well away from cities and for moving the military around until people seeing profits changed it to what it is today and what a huge economic driver that was.

    Having driven the length of FL for the first time last year I was struck by how much of the interior was being converted to subdivisions and how affordable the published prices were on the billboards. No wonder a woman I work with almost moved there since her lazyass husband saw those prices ad did a quick calculation about selling their CO home and his being able to avoid working a few more years (she of course is always required to work full time – he told me she was his retirement plan). My long drawn out point is that a low regulation place like FL, making the roads bigger to handle evacuation traffic means more subdivisions, more people and the same evacuation problems. I don’t see his it won’t go this way, though I wonder when insurance companies are going to stop funding rebuilding in areas where this keeps happening. They’re already incorporating climate change into their risk models, and I bet that really moves forward after this hurricane season.

  114. 114.

    Pupjoint

    @Adam L Silverman

    I saw National Guard stationed at Henriksen Jet Center (private airport) just west of Katy TX with Chinooks and Blackhawks last week. Don’t know if they used airport fuel. But this was after the storm passed.

  116. 116.

    efgoldman

    @trollhattan:

    I’m picturing a highway clogged with identical Buicks….

    Not your father’s Oldsmobile?

    each with an ever-blinking left turn signal.

    And traveling 45 mph in the passing lane, tailgating all the way.

  117. 117.

    Barry

    @Kelly: “Then I remembered the time a fork slipped down a blocked the sprinkler in a spot where it hosed the door seal for most of the cycle and we had water on the kitchen floor.”

    A repairman told me to consider the door of a dishwasher to be a shower curtain, not a waterproof hatch.

  118. 118.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @trollhattan:

    Hypothetical car is in the left lane doing 40 as the blinker goes on and off, on and off. There is nothing in front of it.

    Marguerite is in the right seat, shouting at Harry to slow down as he drives, and worries that it is going to be dark “soon”. It is 3:00 pm.

  120. 120.

    trollhattan

    @pinacacci:
    I didn’t claim the knew it was on.

    We seem to have a poorly documented local regulation that you must saw off the annoying lever poking from the left side of the steering column. “Whether I’m about to turn is none of your damn business.”

  122. 122.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @trollhattan:

    They argue over whether to get gas at each exit and slow down a bit, despite the tank being 7/8 full. There is also a brief slowdown as they debate whether to stop at the Denny’s indicated on the exit sign.

    The shouts of “goddammit, Marguerite, I’m trying to concentrate on the road” can be overheard in nearby vehicles.

  127. 127.

    Mel

    @efgoldman: And bickering about whether Marguerite really has to stop and pee right now, dammit, or whether she can “just hold it until a couple of exits up”…

  128. 128.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @FlipYrWhig:

    I like “Midge”. It’s the perfect diminutive tone.

    Harry is rolling his eyes over hearing about Midge’s sister worrying about whether they should have left the meat at home in the freezer.

  130. 130.

    trollhattan

    Piling on, do y’all notice on your Interstate journeys that the larger the RV (and the larger the towed “dinghy” vehicle) the older and more decrepit the driver? This gives me the willies, particularly off the Interstate on tight, twisty two-lane mountain/coastal roads.

  133. 133.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @trollhattan:

    Ever watch one of those settle in at a campground? Hear the shouting of position and leveling?

    Good times…

  135. 135.

    CarolDuhart2

    @Major Major Major Major: These people don’t want a self-critical eye. They want her to apologize for even running in the first place, for not being young and hot and charismatic. And to go away and never assert her being cheated out of her rightful office.

    It’s worth noting that those who relied most on her win don’t blame her for the loss.

  137. 137.

    leeleeFL

    @trollhattan: A. Love the way you turned that phrase. B. I have been endorsing outsourcing our flood infrastructure to the Dutch since before Katrina. I had read the Times-Picayune series about how very much fucked N’Orlins was in the event of a KATRINA-like storm.

  138. 138.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @sukabi: that’s great!

    @japa21: Coming from Hayes, who admires Sanders greatly,

    yup, that’s an understatement. several people pointed this out in their replies to Hayes

  139. 139.

    Mel

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: It is Midge, isn’t it?

    And she’s wearing her heavy sweatshirt (*emblazoned on the front with big-eyed cartoon kittens perched in a straw basket full of butterflies and flowers), her new white sneakers, and brand new underwear because, “you just NEVER know what might happen” and as such, you don’t want the EMS to see you looking “like some floozy who just doesn’t care what people think!!”

    * As a certified Crazy Old Cat Lady who has been known to occasionally wear cat-related garments of a decidedly questionable fashion taste level, I feel perfectly okay dinging Midge on her scary Hummel Demon Kittens sweatshirt.

  140. 140.

    Aleta

    tight, twisty two-lane mountain/coastal roads.

    @trollhattan: And throw into the mix the people in the passing lane texting their friends about how late they are, and the white guys pretending that their passengers are riding with James Bond.

  141. 141.

    trollhattan

    @Major Major Major Major:
    I know the how and why (insert countless stories of my in-laws here) it’s the competence of 80+YOs to properly respond to not just emergencies, but the common sudden situations requiring quick action, all while piloting ten tons of RV and towed thingie. If they can afford a $750k rig they can arrange for a driver and just enjoy themselves in back, downing Rob Roys and playing cribbage.

  142. 142.

    Mel

    @Aleta: And college kids deciding that there’s no time like a disaster evacuation for a car kegger…

    Betty might need to channel her inner Tank Girl for the journey.

  143. 143.

    NorthLeft12

    A little off topic but….I caught a bit of Governor Scott’s press conference and I have to ask….is he always so clumsy and poorly spoken? I had a difficult time understanding what he was saying and I was just wondering if he has a speech impediment or something like that. He did not cut a very impressive or reassuring picture up there on my Canadian TV.
    Perhaps it loses something in the translation.

    And BTW, this guy has been elected to be Governor twice, right? Hmmmmm. Florida, I think I am getting closer to the root of your problems.

  144. 144.

    Shalimar

    @trollhattan: My grandparents travelled a lot with their best friends in an RV roughly 20 years ago, until the husband had a heart attack behind the wheel and died instantly. Luckily, they were on an interstate on-ramp and his foot was on the brake so they came to a stop. Still, very scary situation. It was a good retirement plan, and they all had an amazing time, until the end. They sold the RV after that, too sad to keep it.

  146. 146.

    NorthLeft12

    @Shalimar:

    and they all had an amazing time, until the end.

    Funny, your vignette deserves some kind of comment, especially the last bit, but I got nothin’.

  147. 147.

    trollhattan

    @Shalimar:
    Wow, bittersweet but thankfully not worse.

    Buddy and I returned from a weeklong backpack a couple years ago, wandering through a wooded RV park on the way to our car. Some of these folks really were living the dream and even competed as to who could make their place the most homey, down to picket fence yards with fake grass and actual potted flowers. We were absolutely wrung out with a four-hour drive ahead and trading places never looked so good. “What’s for dinner? Ribeye? Great, I’ll pair that with a wine.”

  148. 148.

    Run, Lillian!

    Stay safe Betty, Adam and all BJers in Irma’s path! I am a nervous nelly when it comes to weather but I trust you guys know what you are doing. I am in Denver and have never seen or felt a hurricane but the Sun here has gone red this week and the air quality is terrible because of all the western wildfires. Amazing what this country is going thru. Take care out there Juicers!

  149. 149.

    Mustang Bobby

    Reporting in from Pinecrest, a suburb about halfway between downtown Miami and Florida City, the southernmost point of the Florida mainland. We’ve had a relatively quiet day here. I evacuated from my house three miles south of here yesterday when the landlord told me that the house was in the storm surge zone. It really is on the border, but why take chances? The house itself got a new roof after Andrew in 1992 and I am reasonably certain it will hold together.

    As of this writing (3:40 pm EDT) we are getting bands of rain and wind but with the movement of the storm to the west and staying close to the north coast of Cuba, the threat diminishes. But we are still bracing for high winds and a lot of rain and won’t relax until the All Clear is sounded. We have lots of water, food, and batteries, and the house is secure with both shutters and high-impact glass with shutters over them. So all we can do is ride it out.

    Best wishes to my fellow Floridians, especially those on the west coast.

  150. 150.

    Tehanu

    Just adding my 2 cents of good wishes and hope for Betty and everyone else in the storm’s path.

  151. 151.

    Florida Frog

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: as long as I have lived here on amelia island, the subsidized flood insurance tops out at $250k. We pay for the “excess” flood insurance at market rates. I think that is fair. The multimillionaires here are essentially paying for their insurance almost entirely on their own.

  152. 152.

    PaulWartenberg

    Reporting in from Polk County

    I’ve decided to hunker down where I am. I would waste too much gas getting to my parents, and they’re still in the path of Irma if she stays on course for Tampa.

    I don’t think I’ll have major flooding issues, but the roads around me may get blocked for a day or two. The worst part for me will be the winds: I’m gonna be on the east side of Irma where the odds of getting tornadoes and 130 MPH winds are pretty high.

    I’d rather be here to make sure there’s not too much damage to the homestead. I’ll still have stuff packed in case I gotta bolt, and do what I can to wrap up my cats as fast as possible to take them with me.

    Good luck, everyone in Florida. And God help those already harmed by Irma and the other hurricanes.

  154. 154.

    Coffee at dawn

    My niece, husband and kitties left St. Pete’s late this morning, going to his uncle’s in Orlando. They and the uncle will be going to a pet friendly shelter.

Comments are closed.