As is my custom, I was looking for another radar image of Tropical Storm Noel to post here, but instead I found this picture on the Miami Herald’s website, credited to C.M. GUERRERO/EL NUEVO HERALD. Kind of looks a whole lot more interesting than twisting splotches of red and orange and white, eh?

Meanwhile, for the latest hard core facts about tropical weather, I go to Fresh Bilge. He can look at all the splotches and computer tracks and actually know what they mean. And I trust his analysis far better than the Miami Hurricane Center.

I’m hoping for a day off tomorrow, what about you?

SCG

Any of you get stuck in the huge traffic jam yesterday on the Florida Turnpike in South Broward? Due to drunken or just plain inept road engineers every now and then vehicles slide off the ramps associated with the turnpike and I-595. Often trucks drivers can’t handle the tilt of the highway and tight circling turns unless they have their engines off and are out back pushing their trucks slowly through the poorly designed and constructed maze.

So a gasoline tanker (Yes, it HAS to be a gasoline tanker, right?) tried to actually motor through those ramps and tipped over, releasing pretty much all of the gasoline, which gave the Hazmat ninjas all day and night to play in the roadway, shutting down the Florida Turnpike northbound.

Here is my beef. The “authorities” were kind enough to place a flashing electronic sign warning everyone that the Florida Turnpike was shut down at I-595 and that we should “Seek alternative routes”…….

The freaking sign was placed passed the toll booth at the Golden Glades Interchange.

Yeah, AFTER we pay the toll.

After we lose any chance of finding any alternative route.

I sat on that worn out slab of concrete until the sun sunk into the glass and concrete of west Pembroke Pines.

Over two freaking hours.

Please insert here the most vile expletive you can think of.

America’s addiction to the automobile is akin to a heroin addiction, and just as dangerous. The massive automobile congestion is polluting our landscape and air, affecting our economy and causing wars. Daily traffic is killing people every hour from accidents and the stress of driving is making people have heart attacks and get out and chase each other with power tools.

It has to stop.

Someone, somewhere, a county, city, state……has to stand up and say “ENOUGH!” No more roads. We will not spend one more tax dollar on pouring concrete and asphalt over green grass to create highways that polluting, gasoline using cars will sit on overheating in traffic.

Trolleys, buses, monorails, trains, moving sidewalks, subways, hell, giant rubber bands to snap people across the city! ANYTHING is better than this crap.

But the mass transit system has to actually work. It has to be real. Not make believe like South Florida.

That is my rant for today.

Peace out people.

SCG

Isn’t it interesting how beautiful these colors are? Blues and whites and orange and death red????

The weather dudes are convinced this one is going to drive right up to the tip of South Florida and then execute a sharp right turn and head in the general direction of London.

I wonder…..

SCG

I’m pleased to report that besides having linux running and on the internet, I was able to easily set up my other peripherals such as printers, photo card readers, etc. Last evening I was able to download audio, burn a CD, view and edit my photographs, print and do everything else that my Windows Xp, Vista and MAC OS X systems do.

I have to admit this is a huge let down emotionally. After working on this for many years, now that it is completed I have a void. I’m almost disappointed.  I’m excited that a non-geek, non-programmer like me could do this. But what now?

Maybe I’ll run for congress or something. If elected, I think the salary for congress is about $165,200 a year! Holy crap! They get paid THAT much to be idiots and buffoons? Hell, I could do that for $80,000 a year. But 165,200 would pay off my stinking student loans, my credit card debt, and allow me to be 100% debt free. Hmmmmm….do you think a campaign slogan of “I’m just in it for the money!” would work?

Peace out people.

SCG