Emergency Preparedness

I'd have to check my sash, but I am pretty sure I earned the Emergency Preparedness merit badge when I was in the Boy Scouts. It's not the prettiest of patches, and it's hard to tell what these symbols actually mean, but maybe it's more realistic that way. In an emergency, you often know you are supposed to be doing something, you know someone made a plan, and you may even have it in front of you, but too often you aren't sure what the FOX NEWS you are supposed be doing.

Now, Ms. NOLA is down surveying the work of people that didn't earn or know how to decipher their merit badges. Meanwhile, I am digging out my compass and approaching a newly cartographed HOV-NYC. The transit union has gone on strike and the Mayor is sleeping on a cot in the Brooklyn Emergency Center. The subway system will have fire-watch trains. My solution was to stay at work all night.

In the midst of perusing headlines for other profiles in preparedness, I found this story on the AP wire. "House Moves for All-Digital TV by 2009: House lawmakers approved legislation early Monday that would complete the transition to all-digital television broadcasts by Feb. 17, 2009. The measure also would allocate up to $1.5 billion to help consumers with older, analog TV sets purchase converter boxes so they would continue to get service in the digital era."

Phew. At least we've got that one covered.

Sans cot,
Nerb