According to Brendan, CNN is now reporting that all people being rescued are being taken to the Superdome, and since the water continues to rise, people are going to be evacuated from the Superdome soon.

Airlift of 30,000 refugees is about to commence.

The water is still rising all over NO. The cop on WWL right now sounds scared.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Where the Hell is Hollywood?

It took maybe 5 minutes after 9/11 for all of these bleeding heart @sswipes to get on TV and try to help. They'll raise money for starving african children but not one damn dime for our own poor kids so far. It's been 24 hours. I know they're showing the NOLA devastation out here in LaLa Land on the news, so what's up, folks?

Even stars that are linked with New Orleans, the Gulfcoast, or Louisiana, are still mum on the subject. A quick perusal of their websites (these are examples) shows that no one has yet even put up a link to relief efforts.

We're watching you, Hollywood hypocrites!

If you have any examples of Hollywood folks responding to this crisis, leave the link below.....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:08 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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The story from New Orleans continues to get worse. Levees along Lake Ponchartrain are breaking and worsening the flooding in areas of the city (like the French Quarter) that were dry are filling up.....

Live coverage from WWL is back online either here or at cbsnews.com (click on the Live video link)

WWL is liveblogging the updates, the best news is here.

Brendan Loy is back up after some bandwidth issues, check out his updates (which continue to be the best on the web at The Irish Trojan or his backup site.

Thanks, Brendan for keeping us all up to date!

Of course now is the time to start helping out all of the people who lost their homes and loved ones. Go here for a list of charities mobilizing for the relief effort already. Thanks, Lee Ann.

More lists of charities are out there. Here's another comprehensive list

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, ok this isn't strictly a review, but here goes.

Eldest, the second book in Paolini's Inheritance trilogy just came out and I picked it up yesterday. It took me all day to finish it because the thing was Harry-Potter sized. Almost 700 pages (the book is across the room, or I'd give you the exact number.... but I distinctly remember seeing page 666...).

It's very similar in style and tone to Eragon, it's predecessor. One difference is that since much of the plot of Eldest revolves around Eragon's time in the company of elves MANY MANY new words in the ancient dialect are presented, and although there is a glossary in the back, it's kind of a pain in the ass to have to flip back and forth to figure out what's being said in some cases.

Like Eragon, Eldest is also clearly a product of a modern writer. The influence of Tolkien and Lucas remains strong. In the case of Tolkien, his influence is clear in the races of elves and dwarves, their language and culture, their interaction. Although I must say that it's kind of unnerving to read words in "elvish" that should be "dwarvish" (if you're used to Tolkien). As for the influence of George Lucas, let's just say the kid really SHOULD get out more. More on this below the fold (SPOILERS, mostly from Eragon, but key ones from Eldest, too) more...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:54 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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It's not PMS or wacky hormones. It's full on demon posession!
(h/t Michele and her demon possessor, Leonard)

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I am #2 on Yahoo! search for this.

Can't you just see some pathetic, socially challenged 12 year old looking this one up on the sly?

BTW, little man, the answer is having sex with her.......

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:28 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Why in the hell is milk so much more expensive in CA (a state known for its dairy products) than in NC (a state that makes smokes and pork)???

I mean WTF???

It is nice however that the beautiful, cheap produce MORE than makes up for it....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:46 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 It comes down to the fact that in California, all milk is controlled by the state. "Got Milk" is a catchy phrase, and created by the state. I am not sure on the specifics, but "Real California Cheese" is another one their slogans. Check out Real California Cheese. Basically, if you sell dairy products in the state, you have to pay them a fee for joint advertising costs. You can't advertise on your own. Have you ever seen an ad for Rockview farms or Adhor farms, or any other brand of milk in California? But remember, it's for the children, to make sure everyone drinks milk for healthy bones! [Notes: 1)Rockview farms is from South Gate, where I live. 2) My family does business with them by selling them hay in Nevada. ]

Posted by: Bill at August 21, 2005 07:35 AM (asZ5R)

2 I had no idea CA was a big dairy state! I only think of northern and central/eastern states as such. Go figure.

Posted by: Jay at August 21, 2005 09:01 AM (l4+Wd)

3 well, I have seen many, many Producers Dairy commercials in Fresno, even recently, but certainly fewer now than before. What a freaking racket.

Posted by: caltechgirl at August 21, 2005 11:07 AM (H5rmO)

4 Remember, "Happy cows come from California". Most CA dairies are big, industrial sized operations, on the order of several thousand head per dairy. Yet, they are mostly privately owned (so far as I know). So you have less of the population running the dairy, per cow, than we do back east. Also, we tend to keep them out in the boonies of the Central Valley, or in places like Chino (though that is almost completely nondairy now). The dairymen's real money doesn't come from selling dairy product, it comes from selling the land the dairy was on, when homes are going to be built on it. Then they move further out, and repeat. The limiting factor in this is the distance and time to transport raw milk to the processing facilities (usually where the dairy started 50 years ago or whenever). In Rockview's case, the dairy is in southern Nevada ( 3 milking barns, each 2500 milking head or so), just under 300 miles from their processing plant in South Gate. They send 2 milk trucks every 12 hours from NV to CA. Their milk trucks are not refrigerated, they rely on the thermal insulation of the container to keep the milk cold. I think it goes into the truck at 38 degrees, and when the trip is finished, it's up to 42. Of course, in summer this means they have to time their trips just right. But even though their cows are in NV, they still get to pay the CA "Happy Cow" tax.

Posted by: Bill at August 21, 2005 11:28 AM (asZ5R)

5 I believe we're the largest producer of 'fluid milk' in the nation. At least according to what I read we are. We're very much an ag state, as much as some of my east coast friends refuse to believe it's not one big Los Angeles/San Francisco I have such a tour planned for them! Here's a few 'Ca Milk Cartel" links one two three

Posted by: Ith at August 21, 2005 12:47 PM (IxRYn)

6 How much is milk in CA? I think it's $1.50/gallon on sale here in NY.

Posted by: Marie at August 22, 2005 07:51 AM (410kz)

7 Until recently, milk prices were regulated based on the distance from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The grocery stores also gauge on milk. Most stores charge less to buy two gallons of milk. You can also find cheaper milk at non-grocery stores if it is worth your time. The little corner market used to charge less for a single gallon than the big grocery stores. And the "happy cows" is bull. The best tasting cheese and milk comes from Wisconsin.

Posted by: TDM at August 22, 2005 05:14 PM (NrFjI)

8 A couple of things: 1.) Gas probably factors into the cost of milk in CA. As does the increased costs from CA's unique rules and regulations. 2.) Yes, I suspect most cows come from super-industrial sized operations. Anyone who has driven on Interstate 5 past Coalinga know how nasty those can be. But there are a bunch of "Happy Cow" like farms sprinkled through the Central and North coasts. Marin and Sonoma Counties in particular have a bunch of these, especially the organic farms. When I drive up to volunteer at Bodega Marine lab, I drive through the Petaluma dairy country, where a cow's life doesn't seem so bad. I'll have to take some pics the next time I go.

Posted by: Ben at August 22, 2005 08:25 PM (NIpoo)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

I reset the timestamp for the blog to Pacific time.....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Wanna be killed by Zombies in a new Stephen King novel (or appear in a novel by one of 15 other major authors)? Then check this out. (h/t the lovely Margi)

The 1st anniversary Carnival of the Recipes is at the home of SWWBO, the creator of CotR. Unless I hear otherwise, I believe the Carnival moves here next week, so get those recipes in early!

If you're in the mood for some cheesy fun this weekend, Acidman has a list of some great B movies you should check out (I particularly like Evil Dead II and Rocky Horror om that list)

That's it for now.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Never let it be said that the Barenaked Ladies are anything other than lyrical geniuses. Also, perhaps Canada's best export after Hockey.

Their song, Never is Enough fits me to a tee these days. Especially the end of verse 4:

You get your ph.d.
How happy you will be
When you get a job at WendyÂ’s
And are honored with employee of the month

Anybody know anyone who wants to hire a freshly minted PhD with some actual skills?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:54 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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but Communism is no picnic.

This:

"Cuba is not a bad place. You Right Wing "Christians" think that everyone should have a "Father Knows Best" lifestyle and live the "American Dream". Communism when governed properly helps keep people from doing what Enron did. Without Capitalism, Bush would not be killing innocent people in Iraq. There would have been no slavery in America. There would be no sweatshops. There would be no more street gangs. The Mafia would not exist. Capitalism results in greedy people killing and enslaving people and polluting the environment."

was posted here earlier today. Anyone else want to explain exactly what is so great about cagastro's Cuba that people are willing to risk their lives every day to literally swim 90 miles to come to the US?

Not to mention that this is a circular argument. Communism by definition doesn't need to be governed. If everyone is equal, no one is more equal than anyone else, right?

Ok, so I am Right Wing. And I am a Christian. So what? Does that make me any better or worse than you? I don't think so. But don't pigeonhole me. As for what I think about lifestyles see here.

As for Iraq, when did Bush take a gun over there and kill people? Maybe that fake turkey gave some people food poisoning, but let's call a spade a spade shall we? The majority of innocent people dying in Iraq right now are young American men and women who are trying to rebuild what 30+ years of despotism has ruined. The majority of deaths that have occurred in the months that we've been in Iraq have been caused by non-Iraqi terrorists, people who are trying to disrupt the peace that the Coalition is trying to provide for the people of Iraq.

Now, as to your misguided theories on Capitalism. First of all, the Mafia existed long before Adam Smith, and it has nothing to do with money and everything to do with Power. Street Gangs aren't about money, they're about protection and power. Iraq isn't about money. If it was, gas prices would be at an all time low.

See, your problem really isn't with President Bush, or Enron, or the Mafia. It's with what you view as the inequitable distribution of power in the world, and I hate to say it, but money and power go together see, they're a matched set. And frankly as long as money and power exist, they will be distributed inequitably simply because there will always be someone who is dissatisfied with their share. That's sometimes called greed, but it's also called ambition.

Which brings me to the American Dream. The American Dream is simply an ambition to enjoy the better things that more education and more money can give you. I don't have a problem with that. Either you do, or you have a serious lack of ambition.

Finally, you're right you know. Cuba isn't a bad place. It's a beautiful place with extraordinarily loving and giving people with a rich heritage and ambition for themselves and their children. Cuba is great, castro and his regime are bad.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:11 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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