America is a crazy place. Everything is on a different scale, especially its weather and its politicians. An earthquake and a hurricane in one week is going it a bit. The earthquake was like being at a fairground and riding a moving floor. I was on the 4th floor of the National Press Building where The Times is housed and everything moved after an initial rumble. I was aware that everyone in my office rushed to take shelter in a doorway, apparently that's what you are supposed to do. I just ducked under my desk. It's an old habit. When bombs and mortar rockets get thrown around I tend to duck under something, and I was reminded of an occasion in 2006 when I was in Basra in southern Iraq and was on my way to interview the British brigade commander in his office at HQ when three mortar rockets landed about 100ft away with mighty explosions. I ducked somewhere for a bit, then emerged unscathed and continued my way to the brigadier's office. I entered the office and a very flustered secretary asked me to wait because she thought her boss was probably still under his desk. When I went in he was actually emerging from under, looking a bit sheepish. So ducking under the desk is a sort of old tactic.
Well, I was under my desk, but thousands of Washingtonians headed for outside and crowded round in bemused groups. Apparently all the animals in the DC zoo knew it was coming. They all started to head for safety minutes before the earth quaked and those animals who could climb trees climbed trees. You humans, you have no idea! The hurricane was a bit of a damp squib in DC but you've never seen such panic buying. Every torch ever made had gone from the shelves. Americans do what is called "hurricane prep", ie prepare for the onrush of wind and rain and that means buying up bottled water, bread, milk, torches, batteries etc. We Brits are a bit cooler about weather. Ok we don't have too many extremes, but one thing we do know in good old Blighty is that you should never believe what the weather forecasters say. Right?
Well, I was under my desk, but thousands of Washingtonians headed for outside and crowded round in bemused groups. Apparently all the animals in the DC zoo knew it was coming. They all started to head for safety minutes before the earth quaked and those animals who could climb trees climbed trees. You humans, you have no idea! The hurricane was a bit of a damp squib in DC but you've never seen such panic buying. Every torch ever made had gone from the shelves. Americans do what is called "hurricane prep", ie prepare for the onrush of wind and rain and that means buying up bottled water, bread, milk, torches, batteries etc. We Brits are a bit cooler about weather. Ok we don't have too many extremes, but one thing we do know in good old Blighty is that you should never believe what the weather forecasters say. Right?
As for politics, the Republican candidates for ousting Obama are now pretty well lined up although I think there may still be a surprise or two, perhaps Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen or maybe Piers Morgan? Just kidding. Piers by the way is a dead flop over here on tele. He's dreadful, smarmy, and so full of himself. Well he always was. The Republican candidates are all either scary, boring or both. But politics being the way it is in the US of A anyone of them could make it to the White House. Rick Perry is like George W Bush but seriously nutty, has a thing about gay scoutmasters (against not for), Mitt Romney is supposed to be the businessman's man but sends everyone to sleep he's so lacking in charisma, Michele Bachmann is 5ft but makes up for lack of height with extreme right wing views, the rest are also rans and don't get me started on Palin, Sarah not Michael. If she runs for President and by some quirk of fate gets to the White House, we're all doomed. This is a superpower nation but thanks to the great American Dream a moose-eating cookie who doesn't know that Lithuania is a country can end up the President. My money is on Obama squeezing it for another four years. If he can persuade Scarlet Johansson to be his Vice-President he'd be a sure bet. Sorry, I quite like Scarlett Johansson. But it's not out of the question, not in the US of A!
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