Television Critic
When I first retired and broke my hip and had it replaced, I had a lot of time for marathon TV viewing. It wasn't exactly planned that way. I did not retire to watch more TV. Basic cable was enough
The NCAA Basketball Tournament, USA Network NCIS and their "Character Marathons" were more exercises in catching up with shows that I had previously not watched or bracket fever. The Sopranos, The West Wing and Burn Notice could kill a few hours if it was too rainy or hot for other activities.
Fast forward, Summer 2013, six weeks into the hurricane season and there is a tropical storm to the south and east of Miami and the Weather Channel and all the local stations are leading every news program with the weather in the tropics. There seem to be two types of folks in Miami, when it comes to TV and weather programing. Those that hang on every update of the cone of destruction and those that switch the channel every time there is any mention of tropical storms, hurricanes, and thunderstorms that can be almost a daily occurrence.
I take a moderate position. I like forecasters that are calm until they pretty much know we are in for some really bad weather. I realize a category 1 storm if it is close can be really crappy. We will probably lose electrical power for a while, but they don't go crazy about putting up shutters because even after a lot of storms recently, many places don't have shutters, and putting up plywood over windows is difficult or impossible for many who live here.
If there is near certainty that Miami will be hit by a slow moving Cat 3, this is not going to be pretty. I hope to be able to stay at a friends house with window coverings and hope that trees falling all around don't mess up his roof. I will be saying goodbye to my house, hoping it isn't too screwed up when I get back after the storm.
The ritual of a bug out kit with important papers, medicines, canned food, water, beer and a tank full of gas, and a trip to the bank or ATM can be organized in short order as I watch the TV and Max Mayfield, former head of the Hurricane Center and Channel 10 forecaster in his retirement job. These guys are hugely important to the local stations down here and the public service they perform is very valuable to folks that live here as they provide local details the weather service can't provide as well.
Let's hope Chantel and the rest of this season's storms leave the Weather Channel looking for some other drama to fill in between named storms this hurricane season. Duck Dynasty is growing on me and I make a special effort to watch Longmire, I'm not sure if it is his cowboy hat, or the cool weather I imagine in Wyoming at this time of year.
The NCAA Basketball Tournament, USA Network NCIS and their "Character Marathons" were more exercises in catching up with shows that I had previously not watched or bracket fever. The Sopranos, The West Wing and Burn Notice could kill a few hours if it was too rainy or hot for other activities.
Fast forward, Summer 2013, six weeks into the hurricane season and there is a tropical storm to the south and east of Miami and the Weather Channel and all the local stations are leading every news program with the weather in the tropics. There seem to be two types of folks in Miami, when it comes to TV and weather programing. Those that hang on every update of the cone of destruction and those that switch the channel every time there is any mention of tropical storms, hurricanes, and thunderstorms that can be almost a daily occurrence.
I take a moderate position. I like forecasters that are calm until they pretty much know we are in for some really bad weather. I realize a category 1 storm if it is close can be really crappy. We will probably lose electrical power for a while, but they don't go crazy about putting up shutters because even after a lot of storms recently, many places don't have shutters, and putting up plywood over windows is difficult or impossible for many who live here.
If there is near certainty that Miami will be hit by a slow moving Cat 3, this is not going to be pretty. I hope to be able to stay at a friends house with window coverings and hope that trees falling all around don't mess up his roof. I will be saying goodbye to my house, hoping it isn't too screwed up when I get back after the storm.
The ritual of a bug out kit with important papers, medicines, canned food, water, beer and a tank full of gas, and a trip to the bank or ATM can be organized in short order as I watch the TV and Max Mayfield, former head of the Hurricane Center and Channel 10 forecaster in his retirement job. These guys are hugely important to the local stations down here and the public service they perform is very valuable to folks that live here as they provide local details the weather service can't provide as well.
Let's hope Chantel and the rest of this season's storms leave the Weather Channel looking for some other drama to fill in between named storms this hurricane season. Duck Dynasty is growing on me and I make a special effort to watch Longmire, I'm not sure if it is his cowboy hat, or the cool weather I imagine in Wyoming at this time of year.
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