There are a few differences  though. 

First .. this is the age of (argggghhhhhhhh!!!!!)&nbs p; GLOBAL WARMING!  Now never mind the evidence.  The anti-capitalist environmental moonbats have decided that we have caused significant global warming ... and that the global warming is caused by Americans driving SUVs. 

Secondly ... we have Katrina.  Watch the TV newscasts and weathercasts very carefully.  Everyone seems to have received the memo.  We are at the one-year anniversary of Katrina, and Katrina must be mentioned in all stories dealing with Ernesto.  It matters not that Ernesto looks like a weakling ... with every newscast you have to somehow make people believe that they are going to see another disaster of the Katrina scale. 

Remember ... all of the broadcast and cable news networks have positioned very expensive satellite trucks throughout the Florida Keys.  They're paying big bucks to get their reporters down there so that non-stop images can fill your TV as the storm approaches.  Remember, this is all about images --- and these images are expensive. 

How do they pay for this expensive equipment and these high-priced personnel?  With advertising, of course!  And the more people they have watching, the higher the ratings.  The higher the ratings, the more they can charge for the advertising.  So the game here is to make sure you keep glued to the TV screens.  To do this they will spend the next day or so trying to scare the absolute goose squeeze out of you until (1) Ernesto actually turns into a threat and they can report the news as it is instead of how they want it to be; or, (2) Ernesto fizzles and goes away.

Now .. it's not only the media that's in full-blown panic mode.  Count government in also.  Florida has declared a state of emergency.   Ernesto is only a tropical storm, and Jeb Bush is declaring a state of emergency.  In 2004 Florida had four separate hurricanes.  Not once was a state of emergency declared for any of those storms when they still categorized as tropical storms and the winds were only 50 miles per hour.  Hell ... why don't we just keep Florida in a continuous state of emergency?  After all, almost any thunderstorm -- and Florida has more of them than any other state -- can put out 50 mph winds.

Now ... for all you hurricane junkies out there, here's an excellent site with more information than you really need!

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