The Quantum Mechanic

In another stunning display of FEMA idiocy, registering for disaster aid through the internet requires you to use IE6 as your browser and to have JavaScript enabled. See eWeek’s article about it. I just checked the FEMA site in question myself and that really is the case. Un-be-lieveable.

And even if IE6 weren’t required, why the heck are they requiring JavaScript to be enabled? Sure, it might make things look slicker, but is it really needed for what, ultimately, is going to just be a form submission. Sure, JS can do client-side input verification, but it wouldn’t be hard to have the server do it and come back with an appropriate error page. I concede it’s a fair point that that would put more load on the servers. So you have the slick page that you figure most people use and then an alternate page (something that can be used by lynx, say?) for others.

And how much do you want to bet the FEMA page doesn’t follow the government’s own 508 standards?

StormTrack has a very nice explanation of hurricane eyewall replacement cycles. These cycles are one of the reasons why a storm can quickly go from Cat 5 to Cat 3 to Cat 5 again.

On the topic of hurricanes, I’d like to see a calculation of the thermodynamic efficiency of the things. Of course, one would first have to come up with suitable definitions of input and output.

I’d also love to hear about good books on the physics of hurricanes. Not at the level of a meteorology major, but not for the masses, either. Actually, recommendations on a Meteorology 101 book would be appreciated, too — the kind of book that a college student who is going to major in meteorology would buy for his first class in the major.

The Girls Gone Wild producers are donating the proceeds of their New Orleans tapes to Katrina relief.

(via BuzzMachine)

Looks like the floodwalls that failed weren’t built right in the first place. (via WaPo)

So when do the moonbats start claiming that Bush used a time machine to go back and sabotage the construction?

It would probably go something like this…

Imagine FEMA commanding the Battle of Lexington and Concord:

You there, Danvers militia! You haven’t reported to us yet! Stop that firing right now! Take your Minutemen to the Respect Thy Neighbors’ Papist Faith Seminar and await further orders. … Menotomy Minutemen! Where do you think you’re going? Who authorized you to defend that village against Redcoats? It’s not even on the map. It says here “Arlington.” You haven’t even filled out a Sparsely Populated Urban Warfare AQ-207-1 form!!! Get back to the stonewall!

(via HubBlog)

Surely I can’t be the only person to wonder how much of the sometimes insane shrillness of DeLong and Krugman (especially the latter) comes from having their hopes of getting a sinecure with a Gore or Kerry administration so rudely dashed.

That said, at least DeLong still often has interesting stuff to say, as opposed to turning into a complete partisan hack a la Krugman.

The list is out.

This guy, who has too much time on his hands, knows. :-)

…but I didn’t expect the stupidity to be that blazingly obvious.

Good presentation here (PDF file).