It is weird watching the great media anticipation surrounding Ike's inexorable march towards the Texas coast because, right up until a couple of years ago, I was there. I was there for Katrina and I was there for Rita. I've got plenty of friends and family who are there now. It's different watching it from afar, where the only fallout from the big storm will be some extra rain and a lot of gratuitous news coverage. There's a palpable disconnect now because I'm not there. I'm just another bystander tuning in to watch the giant storm donut churn over the gulf. It's a strange feeling.
Am I the only one who thinks of Ike Turner every time I hear or read the name Hurricane Ike? I guess it's a silly question because I know I'm not, having received this wonderfully evocative image in my email inbox today (thanks Paul, Shaun):
Well, if there's anything that can stop Ike, it's Tina.
So, for the city of Houston, Harris county, and the state of Texas, please play the above YouTube video or any of the many great singles, EPs, or albums of the incomparable Tina Turner. It may be their only hope.
Hang in there, H-Town!
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