and the heat goes on

And the Heat Goes On….

Houston is currently in day 38 of day time highs in the mid to high 90’s and no rain, or at least so little as to be insignificant. Thermal cooking is a breeze and my little black pot in a black garbage bag routinely reaches 250-300 which is just right for dyeing wool so every day or so a new batch, usually a color/flavor of KA found in the local supermercado. Interesting flavors like tamarindo and Jamaican punch resulting in interesting colors like strong yellow ochre and a rich burgundy. When blended they make a perfect Bayeta red, a color much beloved by Navajo weavers.

And in all of the heat the Texas silliness goes on as well.

The local dumb criminal of the week award goes to the guy who tried to break into someone’s house via a rooftop skylight. Plausible since the skylight couldn’t be seen from the street, but in order to improve his grip on the slippery roof shingles he took off his shoes and socks. By the time he got the skylight open and actually got into the house, his feet were badly burned from the heat of the shingles. First thing he did was to go and sit on the edge of the bath and soak his feet in cold water. The returning homeowner found him in the bathroom, and when the would be felon tried to flee, his wet feet slipped out from under him, and he obligingly rendered himself dazed and semi conscious so the homeowner could call the police.

He had also left his shoes and socks on the roof, which meant that had he been able to complete his robbery and escape he would have been fleeing barefoot over hot pavement.

It gives hot footing it a whole new meaning.

In another Road Rage silliness which could have turned ugly and scary very fast, a woman driving through downtown Houston late at night observed a car ram another car at a stop light. The occupants of the second vehicle leapt out of their car, approached the car they had rammed, dragged the driver from the vehicle and proceeded to beat him up. The woman who witnessed the incident was car #3 at the stop light. She wisely pulled out past the other two cars and left the scene as quickly, quietly and unobtrusively as possible.

Once she was further down the street she called 911 to report the accident and the mugging. The emergency operator demanded to know where she was calling from. When the woman responded that she was in her car, she was informed that it was illegal to leave the scene of an accident and that she should return to the scene and when there, call and give the 911 operator the address so that she could send an officer. A long dialogue ensued during which the woman pointed out the dangers to herself of returning to the scene where people were being beaten up, and the operator insisting that she had to have a fixed address to send a responding officer to. During this dialogue, the woman noticed the vehicle which had rammed the other car, and was now following her. When she told the 911 operator about being followed by the offenders, the operator again insisted that she should pull over, give a fixed address and wait for a responding officer.

Finally the woman pulled into the parking lot of a Super Wal-Mart, and pulled up right against the front door in the no parking zone. The car following her pulled into a parking slot a few feet away. The traffic, parking lot attendant came up to her to tell her to move on, and when she explained the situation and pointed out the car that had followed her, he asked her why hadn’t she called 911?

At this point the two men started to get out of the car and walk towards her car. She called 911, gave the operator the address of the Wal-Mart, locked her car and proceeded to lean on the horn, figuring that she might at least attract a crowd of witnesses.

Finally after a 15 minute pause during which the men continued to circle the car, the traffic cop proceeded to write out ticket after ticket and the woman continued to intermittently lean on her horn, Houston’s finest arrived.

Upon sighting the squad car, the two men quickly jumped into their car and left, thereupon confirming the woman’s fears that they probably had meant to harm her as well.

The responding officers cited her for creating a public nuisance, disturbing the peace and failing to respond to the directions of a uniformed policeman (the traffic/ parking lot attendant) and asked her wouldn’t it have been easier if she had just called 911?

At that point, had I been that woman, and had I been carrying as everyone in Houston/Texas seems to do, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have unloaded into the Houston policeman.

I did notice however, that several days later, the Chief of Police had issued an apology for the “recent miscommunications between our experienced 911 operators and certain members of the driving public.”

From Russia with love

NASA here in Houston has been feeling very proud of their recent “let’s us crash a rocket into that big old comet there and see what happens” experience. Much to do has been made of the scientific discoveries they expect to come out of the crash and explosion. One sad after effect that they had not counted on however is that by crashing their rocket into the comet, they have apparently changed to course of the waves of the cosmos and possibly messed up everyone’s horoscope and karma. This is what is being alleged by a Russian Astrologer who is suing NASA for several billions for having irrevocably changed the path of the comet, thus changing its influences on stars and celestial bodies. This apparently will change her horoscope is subtle and mysterious ways that will affect her life from now until she dies and she wants to be compensated for that loss.

She has a Russian lawyer who has taken her on as a client and he is currently trying to figure out the applicable US laws and practices, and the similar Texas laws which will allow him to pursue her claim. He is also looking forward to visiting the US and NASA to discuss possible solutions to this terrible destructive dilemma.

Somehow I doubt that NASA is worried.