It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

is that denizens of New Orleans are resorting to cannibalism. While there have been documented cases of so-called survival cannibalism (Donner Party, soccer team that crashed in the Andes etc.), I find it extremely unlikely that folks in New Orleans are resorting to this practice a mere four days after the local McDonalds stopped running. Much more likely is that in this case, like many, many others, cannibalism is being invoked as a "this is how bad things have gotten" trope.

Just got a tip from the wife of a regional sales manager for one of the big oil companies (I won't say which one just to be on the safe side). The word it that local gas stations both in Richmond and Fairfax County are running out of gas. Just to be safe I went out and topped off my VW Beetle. The diesel it runs on used to be the most expensive fuel at the station. Now it is by far the cheapest. I wonder whether this latest round of energy shocks will change American behavior or expectations or whether we will simply see another round of complaining about price gouging and the fact that someone else didn't do what they should have done to get us out of our current predicament.

This is probably bad form, making light of what is clealry great suffering on the part of the people of the Gulf Coast, but it occurred to me that this band really needs to put together a reunion tour/benefit concert for New Orleans and its environs.