Irene and the Profiteers

 

A summary of radio advertising (on two AA batteries) I collected before and during Hurricane Irene.

All citizens living in flood-prone areas are requested to evacuate their homes, that is, if they have a toll-gate pass. For those without this convenient, money saving card that can save you hours when you need them most, please go to our website www.YouHaveNoChoiceButPay and get your pass for an extra charge (we know that you do not have a choice.)

If, however, due to the severe weather condition, your Internet is down, you can still reach us on 1800-pay-alot and a new wireless connection – which does not require a landlines and can save you thousands of dollars in shopping from wherever you are – will be delivered at your doorstep.

In the likely event that your power is also down and you cannot call us – because you are subscribed to a modern telephone service that does not work when the power is down – we have just the solution for you. A self sustained portable generator – which you can also use when camping or when having friends for a nice barbecue after your successful fishing trip. To get our generator, please come to any of our local shops around Philadelphia, as we have made a killing, and we are sold out in the tri-state area. If you ever make it back home, you will feel as if no storm whatever is taking place.

If flooding prevents you from reaching our shops – open for your convenient 24 by seven including Christmas and New Year eve – we hope that your insurance with us is valid, and gives you all the sleep you need in these stormy times. Otherwise, if you have survived Irene, please call 1800-you-are-screwed, and make sure that your next hurricane will be a pleasant experience to share with friends and family .

When did profiteering stop being a dirty word?

On blizzards and global warming

It was a few years ago that Global Warming scientists predicted that Global Warming will lead to increase storms, blizzards, and drastic cooling of some areas. So the recent blizzards in the US are of no surprise to these scientists.

However, it seems that the term ‘Global Warming’ is quite misleading, because every time someone experiences a cold day, they question if global warming is really happening. What global warming means is an overall heating of the planet that will cause massive disruptions to local climate patterns: heat waves, draughts, cyclones and blizzards are all part of the forecast. So although the choice of terminology might be poor, the threat is real.

The recent blizzard in the US has demonstrated a critical point – our society is not prepared to deal with changes of weather patterns. Let’s face it, the recent ‘horrendous’ blizzard, as described by the media, was nothing but a minor variation of the ‘normal’ weather pattern of the region, and yet, the social turmoil and the financial loss have been significant. 

This should have been a slap in the face to all those who feel that we, human, with our modern technology are above nature. This should have been a wakeup call that our society and economy are not ready to deal with the smallest of weather changes. This should have also given us a hint of how bad things can become. It should have made us humble, but it hasn’t. A slap in the face doesn’t seem to be enough to wake us up. Are we ready for the knockout?