Shuttle Launch (weather permitting) in just under an hour. Sadly wasn't able to drive over to see it (still want to see one take off from the Cape), but with a little luck, the rain might postpone the launch.
And even if it does launch I get a pretty good view from outside

My brother-in-law is a fireman here near Sacramento and almost got sent to SoCal on a strike team yesterday, but as of now he's still at home - a different team went and I think he's not going to go. He did get sent down to LA a few weeks/months (?) ago for another fire but never actaully made it to the fire itself before the team he was on was sent back. I think someone overreacted that time and sent down way too many teams. Looks like this isn't a concern this time, unfortunately.

Good luck to everyone down there fighting the good fight!

I do think that folks really need to re-evaluate where they live with the fire dangers that come from living in some of these areas.

Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

Finally we're getting those cool enforcement uniforms that seem to be so popular in dystopian futures.

The play the first 5 levels of araknoid DS seems to be a trojan, atleast according to Kaspersky

I do think that folks really need to re-evaluate where they live with the fire dangers that come from living in some of these areas.

May sound morbid - but I have zero sympathy for those rich folks.

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the weighted companion cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.

May sound morbid - but I have zero sympathy for those rich folks.

So those 10,000 people living at Qualcomm Stadium are all rich, huh?

edit: link: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/23/wildfire.ca/index.html



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"I feel compelled to comment on Zephalfdkasj's completely irrelevant and lengthy tangent into concealed pistol carry...Rarely is extreme insecurity so painfully, transparently obvious."
This comment was edited on Oct 23, 11:53.

http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_hazards_fires.php

I was speaking about:
http://hitsusa.com/blog/206/malibu-fire/

celebrities already evacuated due to imminent fire danger include Titanic director James Cameron and singer Olivia Newton-John.

Others who live in that same area but have not been evacuated include Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Sting, Bill Murray, Tatum O’Neal, Rob Reiner, Linda Ronstadt, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

and

http://www.etonline.com/news/2007/10/55021/index.html

Seems to me, between the mudslides, earthquakes, and fires, makes about as much sense as living in New Orleans.
http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_hazards.php

Reminds me of a punk song:

Let's all sing to California as it falls into the sea!

But, fires are UP AGAIN this year, has been pretty dry most places.
http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the weighted companion cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.
This comment was edited on Oct 23, 12:23.

Actually, you don't really see THAT many mudslides unless there has been a fire first - the fire strips the vegetation holding the topsoil in place.

And again, I don't know why anyone would live in the LA or SF areas. I did for 2.5 years (Orange County in SoCal) and hated it - the people (OK, some of them), the traffic, the smog. Combined with the natural hazards there, especially EQ, forget it. I love California, but some places are definitely better to visit and not live.


Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

but some places are definitely better to visit and not live.

Was there for 2 months on a work assignment years ago (stayed near Ralph's on Poinsettia) and also visited 2x. Once for the New Year and once during Halloween.

I saw what I wanted to, went the places I wanted to - I really have no desire to ever visit again.

The people I am great friends with have moved other places.

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the weighted companion cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.

I've spent a ton of time in Cali, and I love it. The north much mroe than the south, but he south has its own charms and beauty as well. Rich or not, it still sucks to have your house burn to the ground.


"It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top."
- Hunter S. Thompson

California != west coast

There's a whole other half of the west coast that doesn't get burned to a crisp every year... instead we get pummeled by windstorms and millions lose power

I do think that folks really need to re-evaluate where they live with the fire dangers that come from living in some of these areas.

But that means they'd have to live in the city, with all the... undesirables...

This comment was edited on Oct 23, 15:57.

California != west coast

There's a whole other half of the west coast that doesn't get burned to a crisp every year... instead we get pummeled by windstorms and millions lose power

Like it matters


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http://www.myspace.com/kxmode
p/reviewer for Game Industry News
This comment was edited on Oct 23, 16:09.

But that means they'd have to live in the city, with all the... undesirables...

No, it just means not living in hilly terrain full of trees and brush. There are lots of relatively open areas, both largely populated and not, that are easier to defend against fires.

Hey, if you want to live there, by all means do so. Just recognize there are particular drawbacks to doing so.

I think one thing I like about CA is the variety available. I am about 2 hours from SF Bay area, Napa (wine country), Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite. Monterey/Carmel is not too much farther. Farther north is the Redwoods and to the south LA and the desert areas. All in one state. Of course, cutting off the southern portion of the state at the Grapevine may not upset TOO many folks, either.... We could sell our water to them instead of having to give it to them!

Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

Actually I consider 'home' to be Escondido California (next door to the San Diego Wild Animal Park), one of the places under mandatory evacuation, and my Uncle and Aunt are next door in San Marcos. Luckily they have a motorhome and are all ready to evacuate up north if they have to.

As for being rich or poor, in Southern California (born and raised till I was 16), I honestly can't remember when anything wasn't overly dried out and basically fire kindling, except for up in the mountains near Big Bear. So all it takes is 1 idiot throwing out a cig butt or fucking around with something flammable and whoosh, big ass fire. So Bats kindly STFU, as the last time I checked disasters such as Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunami's, Hurricanes, Tornado's and fires don't discriminate based on how much money you have.

Anyway was sorta surprised how large the fire was as I had heard there were fires in California that I sorta shrugged it off till my sister called me today, saying she had talked to our family members affected but it.
But as a person who's been in earthquakes, tornado's, hurricanes, I think the thought of evacuating due to something that unlike hurricanes, really doesn't have a 'Ok folks the disaster will have passed us by X'oclock' or other sorts of disaster is pretty dis-heartening.

My thoughts and prayers to all of those who are affected by the fire or have family/relatives/friends affected as well.

This comment was edited on Oct 23, 16:39.

You know, that is one thing I am glad about MN (and Midwest) peeps.

We hike up our boots, and deal with it.

Floods ravaged Southern MN this year (again), but didn't make much national attention. We dealt with it in our MN nice way. People helped people, we didn't look for handouts, and we moved forward. (But I still criticize some of those people for living along the Mississippi and say, "yeah, we have rebuilt 5 times")

Glad to be in the Midwest.

fires don't discriminate based on how much money you have.

Nope, Location, Location, Location. As I stated - maybe you didn't look at that Malibu disasters website I linked....doesn't make sense to live there obviously.

/elf - hope your family is ok, sounds like they are prepared, unlike many others. I am fine with people living there, but then bitching about bad things that happen when they happen over and over and over is just stupidity. As WH said, just depends on where you live. He obviously knows WTF he is doing.

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the weighted companion cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.
This comment was edited on Oct 23, 17:01.

There are times I think there should be certain areas of the country where if you want to live there, you agree to have the appropriate insurance and will rely on no government payments if your house is wiped out. Now these should be very limited and strictly defined, but there are locations that get wiped out every few years or so and people still insist on living there and getting government checks every time the fire or flood wipes out their belongings. These locations should be delineated based on statistical study of natural disasters and a one-time option for the government to buy out your house should be made at going market price. Obviously you could sell it at any time to a private buyer as well. Lots of folks have problems, sometimes more than once. I am all for helping them. But some stubbornly live in problem areas and refuse to help themselves.

Such areas would be, say, areas like New Orleans and parts of both coasts prone to repeat flooding, fires, and landslides. Tornados and hurricanes and EQ are random and infrequent enough that for the most part I don't think they would qualify.

Then again, maybe this is all just idle mumblings....

Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

Well I agree with you to a point about location. Sadly when it's someplace like southern California, all it takes is some idiot playing with fire, or something throwing a cig butt out a car window to cause hell for everyone else.
If it was here in Florida where you always have idiots who are told to evacuate and don't and then die (or New Orleans) then they do not have my sympathy, especially when they have days if not weeks worth of notice.

Like it matters

No, it just means not living in hilly terrain full of trees and brush. There are lots of relatively open areas, both largely populated and not, that are easier to defend against fires.

Whoosh.... hear that? That's the sound of my point going over everybody's heads! I have no problem with the fixation on California though. It keeps my favorite places on the west coast relatively sparsely populated.

This comment was edited on Oct 23, 17:22.

I have no problem with the fixation on California though. It keeps my favorite places on the west coast relatively sparsely populated.

Yeah, if it wasn't for the high cost of living, idiot politicians in congress, and crazy amounts of illegal immigrants, this place would be perfect!

Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

Well I agree with you to a point about location. Sadly when it's someplace like southern California, all it takes is some idiot playing with fire, or something throwing a cig butt out a car window to cause hell for everyone else.

Same with the Black Hills of South Dakota.

But someone's dipshit kid is usually the culprit with fireworks.

If you ever go to Deadwood, take the 1880 train ride and you will see a fireproof house built by a local builder....it is awesome. If you are going to live there, do it like he did, do it right.

I just don't get it - I would never buy/build live in a house/apt, etc that was knowingly in the line of constant danger - but then again, I DON'T have an ARM mortgage with a balloon payment either - so - hey, what do I know.

We all know Govt will bail all of the idiots out - which sucks for the rest of us who don't live with our heads in our asses, because the human memory is short, and idiots will just replace the other idiots.

I agree with WH, something needs to be done.

They aren't rebuilding New Orleans? WELL NO SHIT!
If it is going to get rebuilt, it should be private money, not tax money. So when it floods again, and again, and again, and again, the tax payers won't be the ones footing the bill.

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the weighted companion cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.
This comment was edited on Oct 23, 18:21.