I Don't Like Ike

This morning the beast is devouring the Turks and Caicos Islands, East-Southeast of the Bahamas. Radio reports from the islands say at least 50% of the homes and businesses there have at least lost their roof, or been totally destroyed. People are huddled in bathrooms or closets trying to ride out their worst nightmare. Ike's path has drifted slightly further South, so the entire island of Cuba from East to West is going to feel its wrath, unless there is a sudden turn. That's good news for Florida's Gold Coast, who will still feel plenty of wind and rain, but almost certainly not the direct hit they feared earlier in the week. As they say, one man's good news is another man's bad. If the path projects properly, Ike will cross Cuba as early as later tonight, and there are reports it could even upgrade to a category 5 just prior to landfall. Over the next couple of days, much of its intensity will be eaten up by the mountains of Cuba, with devastation on that poor island nation expected to be massive. Ike will eventually downgrade, but not completely. The computer models have Ike re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico as a category 1 or 2, still full hurricane status or more. That unfortunately gives the storm plenty of room to reform and strengthen over the warm waters of the Gulf, before threatening Texas and Louisiana on its current path. Batten down the hatches, Mates. This one is a bloody mess, literally. Any prayers for people in Ike's path are more than welcome.

MUCH LIGHTER NOTE (it wouldn't take much):

Most people know E = MC2. However, there are very few people who know ECU = R2D2. Is this some kind of Star Wars formula? Some acronym for a droid, like Ewok Calculating Unit = R2D2? Eh, not so much. It's a formula denouncing Patsy. That's right. It says Patsy doesn't live here any more (many voices in unison..."what's he TALKING about???"). Let's just say that if you bring a number with you, ECU is going to reach over, take the number from you, and beat you senseless with it. Two weeks ago, Virginia Tech's football team was rated in the Top 20 nationwide, and figured they'd get their season started with a lopsided win over a little school, East Carolina. You know how that sort of thing goes. Penn State 107, Brainard College of Festive Arts 3. Oklahoma 99, Mother Teresa's Sisters of Mercy 3 (note that even the bad teams find some way to get a field goal....one of life's mysteries). So here come the big ugly meanies from Virgnia Tech, gonna kick some East Carolina University booty. That #17 ranking should slide up into the top 10 after this whoopin'. Problem # 1: nobody told Patsy. ECU came out and played straight up with them, and in the 4th quarter the defense put the game away. ECU 27, VA Tech 22. Yesterday, another team with a swagger came-a-calling, West Virginia ranked # 8 in the country. Number 8! Holy Cow, that's Top-10 and then some!! But the West Virginia coaching staff was ready. They saw what happened last week, and wanted to make sure their team was focused and prepared, so there would be no repeat of the patsy beating the Dark Side of The Force (just had to do another Star Wars reference, didn't you? *sigh*). The West Virginia coaches had watched game films of ECU/Va Tech 50 times, picking them apart, setting up a perfect game plan. Perfect. Bold print on the chalkboard:

Confidence, but no Over-Confidence!

The pre-game speech went something like "Boys, we're not making the same mistake Virginia Tech did. They came in here without a plan, and left with their tails between their legs. We're better than that. YOU are better than that! You've all practiced hard, you've got the desire, the will, the talent, and the game plan. So let's put all that to good use. This team you're facing plays hard, and they have confidence after last week. Let's knock that out of them! While they THINK they're good, we KNOW we're better. I want you to go out there and settle this on the field. Show them what West Virginia football REALLY looks like!"

They did show them. Problem # 2: Patsy was still on vacation. ECU not only played even with the big boys, they dominated them on both sides of the ball, all day. I mean ALL day. If people didn't know who those guys in the white-and-gold were, if they didn't have the WV on their helmets, someone could have tuned in late and said "Man -- who's this patsy East Carolina is playing today?" Final score: 24-3 East Carolina over # 8 WVU. Did I mention that even 8th-ranked teams find a way to get a field goal? So did you figure out the formula yet? ECU= R2D2?

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY=RANKED TWO, DEFEATED TWO!

Somewhere, Patsy is smiling.