Aftermath evident

Well, my beach vacation is winding down; we're going to leave this afternoon, probably. I've seen more of the cities and the effect that last year's hurricanes have had on them. This area got two direct hits.

Here at the condo, our little private strip of seashore got a whoopin'. Part of the boardwalk leading to the beach was apparently mangled; the end has been rebuilt, but it's significantly shorter than it was. That's probably to reflect that the brush surrounding the boardwalk has receded as well. Fields of sea oats didn't survive the storms; in fact, where there once were many, I've hardly seen them at all. Signs remind us that it's against the law to pick them, so they must be endangered or something. What a shame. I took a few pictures of the extensive damage to trees in the area of our condo. I'll have to post them when I get home.

In Ft. Pierce, the city that this condo is technically in, signs of damage are everywhere. Awnings and signs are still missing. Some (abandoned) buildings are dilapidated and mangled. And gas stations are selling some sort of video/DVD about the hurricanes. Who would make such a cheap buck off the misfortune of others? Whoever it is, they're probably living in Vero Beach now. Vero Beach, not far to the north, looks considerably better. It seems to be more of an affluent area, so you can hardly tell it got clobbered by two hurricanes. I'm assuming they got stuff fixed more quickly; I doubt the hurricanes let up just for the rich people.

With two days until the official start of the 2005 hurricane season, can this area afford to be hit by another hurricane? I think so. For one thing, there isn't much left to be damaged, and people no longer have a false sense of security from these storms. I think if another hurricane comes this way, people will be ready and damage -- if last year's damage is cleaned up by then -- should be minimal. (I should add that the six-month hurricane season is an entirely arbitrary designation, and that most hurricanes occur during August, September, and October.)

How about a little Ask Jordon?

joe: how much is a 1995 misprinted bill

Can't tell you. I'd need to know the nature of the error (as in, whether it can really be considered a misprint or if it falls within the range of normal variation). And of course, the denomination would be important. A misprinted $100 bill will almost always be worth more than a $1, simply because of its face value.

I don't really get this: World Jump Day. I think somebody thinks that if 600,000,000 people jump at the same time, it'll change the Earth's rotation and stop global warming, make the day longer, and create a better climate. But even if it does do anything, who's to say that the effects will all be good? Anyway, World Jump Day is set for July 20, 2006, the jump being at exactly 11:39:13 UTC. Ah yes, that's what UTC was invented for...