Katrina: One Year Later

This week at work I made the comment to someone, "You know, we haven't had a major hurricane yet this year." So of course, Ernesto has formed and begun to organize itself southeast of Cuba. Not yet a Hurricane, Hurricane Watches are out throughout the Caribbean with a tentative storm track that would take it on a path similar to Katrina's. This can change since Ernesto is at least 5 days from hitting the Gulf.

A year later, the Gulfport-Biloxi area is starting to show signs of life, especially the casinos. A recent article about the Gulf Coast casinos says the area could be more vibrant than before as the hurricane actually allowed the casinos to be built better and offer more amenities. Mobile is selling office space and are building a new skyscraper, bringing their downtown to life. But Louisiana still has a ways to go, as the billions of dollars appropriated to them by the US Congress have yet to be distributed thanks to the large, slow Louisiana bureaucracy. Then there's the wonderful Mayor Nagin, when asked why it was taking so long for areas to be repaired, he shot back, "New York still has a big hole in the ground and nothing's been done about it, why aren't you criticizing them." (something to that effect) I shouldn't be surprised by the comment but you have to wonder, "How did this guy become Mayor of such a large city?" As Don King would say (his one good contribution to society), "Only in America."

But, more than half of the city has come back. The Superdome will be ready for Monday night football September 25th, and tourists are slowly coming back. Hopefully, progress continues to be made.

ESPN Classic had a College Football Marathon of games from last year, and one was Texas/OSU. Of course, I happily (hehe) reminded friends and family that are diehard OSU fans that this game was on today. Honestly, and I said this last year, OSU should've won the game and could've won the national championship, especially if Troy Smith was allowed to play vs. Miami in the opener. Watching the Ryan Hamby debacle again, I think after he lost it the first time, the way he momentarily held the ball before getting hit in the end zone, he would've dropped it again. It looked like the ball was going to slip through his hands.

I'm reading a sports economics book, Major League Losers. Not a bad book so far, but there have been two glaring mistakes. The author, an IU professor, wrote about the Carolina Cougars NFL team (excuse me, that would be Carolina Panthers). Then he mentioned Northwestern playing in the 1996 Rose Bowl and how NBC used the occasion to talk up the academic repuation of the university. Only problem is ABC and not NBC televised that Rose Bowl. I'll keep reading, but those are two mistakes you just can't make.

Driving home from my run at the park, I saw a woman putting her hair in a ponytail while driving, with both hands. Therefore, she was driving with her knees, which I've seen a fair number of people do in Detroit. Is it really that important? I saw another guy looking down at his lap, paying no attention to the road. There's no easy drive anywhere in this city. You always have to be careful driving, but driving in Detroit takes it to a new level. I mean I have to look out for people on the way to and from church, a drive that's supposed to be easy.

I'd like to stay up and watch the US play Australia in the round of 16 at the Worlds, but I'm tired.