Friday AM Observations
Category: Kitchen Sink...
Posted Friday, August 15, 2003 at 08:23 AM [GMT-6]

It's been five weeks to the day since we had rain in Midland, and thus the sound of raindrops on the skylight was an absolutely wonderful way to ease into the 5:30 wake-up routine. The forecast is for continuing on-and-off showers and a high in the mid-80s. It doesn't get much better than that, in West Texas, in August.

The Great Blackout of Ought Three isn't making for compelling TV. The folks on The Today Show are trying their darndest to make it into the story of the century, but with little success. Labeling a couple who spent a few hours in an unpowered subway train as "Subway Survivors" still didn't convince me of the drama of the situation. My wife observed that the condition of Katie's hairdo was the most dramatic indication that something wasn't quite right this morning. But then, she feels Katie's pain; civilization reached its pinnacle with the invention of the blowdryer and curling iron. (I'll admit that I hadn't noticed the Katester's hair.)

However, the aerial views of the masses of New Yorkers taking to the streets by foot yesterday was pretty impressive.

But the very fact that we can't seem to get worked into a frenzy over the situation seems to me to be the story. It's inevitable that we'll hear some stories of looting or other incidents where bad people did bad stuff because of the blackout, but those reports will really only underscore the fact that the vast majority of people reacted to the situation with grace, patience and a certain level of toughness. Is it overstating things to say that if they can survive 9-11, they can survive anything? I don't know. But, perhaps, even terrorists need to study the Law of Unintended Consequences.