Hurricane Humor

I didn't write this, I can't make crap like this up. Is this what Congress should really be worrying about? Read it and laugh, or cry knowing that we have Congress members making statements like this:

"The congressional newspaper the Hill reported this week that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, feels that the current names are too "lily white," and is seeking to have better representation for names reflecting African-Americans and other ethnic groups.

"All racial groups should be represented," Lee said, according to the Hill. She hoped federal weather officials "would try to be inclusive of African-American names."

A sampling of popular names that could be used include Keisha, Jamal and Deshawn, according to the paper.

Jackson Lee's call is brewing its own storm of response across America."

'Big Brother is Watching You'

I had a little of a '1984' moment when driving back to my office from work the other day. I was headed eastbound on the Southern State Parkway, somewhere around exit 24 near Merrick when I was idly passing the time staring at the road and every now and again looking upwards at the side of the road. Something caught my eye and I was about to dismiss it when I saw it again. Then I saw it again.

Those damn highway 'traffic' cameras mounted up on those big 75' poles.

I saw one on the eastbound and westbound side right at exit 25, then another set in-between 25 and 26. Then another set at 26. Then my mind kicked into gear and I actually started to count them. I lost track after twenty or so in the next 12 miles. Let me repeat that and clarify: Twenty sets in just over 12 miles. In central Nassau they were spaced much closer together, let's say there was one set approximately every .3 to .4 miles. As I moved closer to the Suffolk County border the distance was more like .5 to .9 miles. Remember what I said earlier folks, I lost track after 18-20 and just started looking at the mileage between them.

The camera stopped, suddenly around exit 44-45 right as you get past where Southern State enters Suffolk county once you pass the Robert Moses Causeway.

I always used to look at Channel 12 News and Traffic cams on Cablevision. You can scroll through about, umm... 6 perspectives on the LIE, Southern State Pkwy, and the Northern State Pkwy. They always scroll through the same 3 or 4 sets of cameras (maybe less I'm not completely sure) and you see a live feed of traffic. I never thought anything of it until yesterday. I never even looked to see where they were. I could understand putting up a set every few miles or so... maybe 2-4 miles to see the flow of traffic. Maybe even space them out more, how important is it to have cameras all over the highway? Then I counted the endless number of them just on the Southern State.

Next time I'm on the LIE, I think I'm going to be looking up a lot more often. I don't know, I just have this wierd, semi-disturbed feeling in my gut that makes me wonder:

"What the hell do we need two 'traffic' cameras in between one exit for?" and
"Just how well can those things zoom?"

A friend of mine I often belittle said, "Welcome to the Police State." I was waiting to take his head of verbally about his reaction but now, even I'm starting to wonder.

Next time your on those major arteries of traffic on Long Island, look up a little and wonder.