This came from Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.  If you know someone in the path of Ike you might want to pass it along.

Preparing for Hurricane Ike
LISTEN to local emergency officials, and follow their instructions. Listen to local TV and radio.

HAVE A PLAN of action for any emergency. If you must relocate, have a predetermined destination, route and alternate route — whether out of the area or to the nearest shelter.

SHELTER
If you take shelter in your own home, find an interior room nearest the center of the home with no windows. Bathrooms are usually safest because the plumbing strengthens the walls. Use plywood and hurricane clips (plylocks) to safeguard your home from high winds.
Put your yard furniture and anything else that could turn into a missile into your garage or storage. Tie things down if needed.
Find out where the nearest shelter is before you need to go there. If you feel unsafe in your home, go to the shelter early.
DO NOT drive and DO NOT go outside if you can avoid it.
Make sure you have your pets secured indoors.

LIGHT
If you haven’t purchased a good LED flashlight, do it. They are more than ten times more efficient than a regular flashlight and the bulbs last hundreds of times longer.

WATER
You should have water on hand for at least 3-7 days (one gallon per person per day) with the ability to filter and chemically treat more water after that.
Clean the bathtub with bleach and dishwashing soap thoroughly and rinse well. Then fill with water before a storm or disaster. You can drink the water (preferably still with boiling or chemical treatment) and or use it to wash dishes in a bucket or flush the toilet by pouring it into the tank.
Everyone should have a gallon or two of regular (non scented) household bleach on hand. You can use this to make water safe to drink (16 drops per gallon of water and let sit for 30 minutes) Here’s the formula htt p://www.rense.com/general2/watrpur.htm
Water in store bought plastic jugs will last for years if kept in the dark. Water in cans will last for years anywhere.

FOOD
Food that doesn’t need cooking is the best and safest bet. You should have non-perishable food on hand for at least two weeks.
Power bars keep a long, long time and are handy in an emergency to keep you going.
If you have pets, don’t forget to stock up for them, too.

COMMUNICATIONS
Cell phones and cordless phones are very unreliable in emergencies. Land lines are more robust.
A small battery powered radio will be great company. Newer models are also available that do not need batteries.

To learn more about hurricane preparedness and your community’s vulnerability to these disasters, visit the National Hurricane Center.

Evacuation Plans

Due to changes in the track of Hurricane Ike and the expected storm surge of up to 15 ft. in some areas, as of this time, Harris County and City of Houston officials are calling for the evacuation of citizens residing in Zones A & B of the evacuation plan.

A mandatory evacuation has been called for noon today for residents living in zip codes 77586 (Zone A), 77058, 77059, 77062, 77520, 77546, 77571, 77598 (Zone B).

Harris County will begin evacuating citizens with special needs that registered with 2-1- 1 as soon as possible. Those not registered should call 3-1-1 immediately if they need help evacuating.

The routes identified for emergency evacuation by the state are Interstate 10 West to San Antonio, Interstate 45 North to Dallas, Interstate 59 North to Nacogdoches and Highway 290 West to Austin or Waco. The Texas Department of Public Safety will stage contraflow in coordination with local plans when needed. Refueling stations will be placed along the routes.

In order to minimize traffic of highways, emergency officials recommend that major employees allow non-essential personnel to not report to work on Friday. However, service providers such as grocery stores, restaurants and service stations are encouraged to remain open to serve the public.

Those who have registered already with the state’s 2-1-1 system can expect to be picked up and transported to one of the transportation staging areas for evacuation.

Any other special needs persons who need help evacuating need to call 3-1-1.

  This was definitely a week of number one songs. 

  Mariah Carey began an eight-weekrun at #1 this week in 1993 with her hit single “dream Lover”.  Along with that, her “Music Box” album topped the album chart in the U.K. 

  This week in 1982, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” by Chicago hit #1 and remained there for two weeks.  Taken from the movie “Summer Lovers”, the song stayed at the top for two weeks, and was the group’s second U.S. number one. 

  Kc and the Sunshine Band hit #1 in 1976 with “Shake Your Booty”.  It was the group’s third number one single, and many of us who saw them perform here in Austin at the Backyard back in July were really dancin’ and shakin’ to that one. 

  Enjoy the music!

Really Secret Recipe!

Colonel Harland Sanders’ handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC’s corporate offices for the first time in decades.

The temporary relocation is allowing KFC to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country’s most famous corporate secrets.

The brand’s top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.

“I don’t want to be the president who loses the recipe,” KFC President Roger Eaton said. “Imagine how terrifying that would be.”

The recipe that launched the chicken chain was placed in a lock box that was handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl, who climbed aboard an armored car that whisked away with an escort from off-duty police officers.

Eaton’s parting words to Dietl: “Keep it safe.”

So important is the 68-year-old concoction that coats the chain’s Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their names or titles, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.

KFC executives said they decided to upgrade security after retrieving the recipe amid preparations to add a new line of Original Recipe chicken strips.

The recipe has been stashed at the company headquarters for decades, and for more than 20 years has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet.

Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in the early 1950s.

KFC had a total of 14,892 locations worldwide at the end of 2007

Here are the 2 recipes for KFC Original recipe chicken I found–funny, both contain tomato soup mix!

1 frying chicken, cut into frying pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Pkt. (dry) Good Seasons Italian Dressing (THE 11 herbs and spices!)
1 Envelope Lipton (or other brand) Tomato Cup of Soup
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup milk
Vegetable oil to cover bottom of your skillet; about 1/2 inch deep.
| 1. Combine eggs and milk. Set aside.
2. Combine flour with the Italian dressing and soup mix.
3. Dip chicken pieces in milk-egg mixture and roll them in the
flour-seasoning mixture. Repeat procedure.
4. Fry pieces over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, turning often.
5. Remove from fire. Drain and serve.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon ground sage
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry minced parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion salt
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder or 4 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 package lipton cup tomato soup mix
Directions
1 Place all ingredients in blender and pulse for 3-4 minutes to grind well.
2 Store in an airtight container.
3 Makes about 3/4 cup.
4 To use with flour, add 1 oz mix to 1 cup of flour for coating chicken.

  Singer Rod Stewart has had his share of controversy during his legendary career, and this one was no exception. 

  On September 8, 2005, Stewart was ordered to pay $1.1 million to a Las Vegas casino for missing a New Year’s concert back in 2000.  According to the singer, the reason he missed the performance is because he had no voice.  He had just undergone surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid tumor, and his voice hadn’t recovered in time for the concert.  A rather costly sum for laryngitis. 

  Enjoy the music!

  Singer Rod Stewart has had his share of controversy during his legendary career, and this one was no exception. 

  On September 8, 2005, Stewart was ordered to pay $1.1 million to a Las Vegas casino for missing a New Year’s concert back in 2000.  According to the singer, the reason he missed the performance is because he had no voice.  He had just undergone surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid tumor, and his voice hadn’t recovered in time for the concert.  A rather costly sum for laryngitis. 

  Enjoy the music!

Having been named McCain’s running mate, every website is all over the “Ten Things You Didn’t know About Sarah Palin”.  Included in these lists is the fact that her favorite meal is moose stew.

Moose seem like the gentle giants of the great North, so why eat them?

Truth be told, probably because they taste better than other red meats — at least according to the Gastronomy612 weblog.  Moose are leaner, and have the good poly unsaturated fats, but this also means that if you are so lucky to acquire some moose meat, you should be extra careful in your method of cooking since it may dry out quicker.  It is often cooked in the same ways one would grill/cook a venison, bison or other game meat and could be dressed the same way with berry sauces or other liquid agents.

Hey, I know you’re dying for the recipe for Gov. Palin’s favorite dish, so here it is!  (Sorry, Bullwinkle!)

Moose Stew:
3 sl bacon, cut up
4 md onions, quartered
4 md potatoes, quartered
1 pk fresh or frozen green beans
3 bay leaves
2 lb moose, cubed
4 carrots, sliced
1 pk fresh or frozen peas
1 (46 oz.) can tomato juice
Brown bacon in heavy kettle. Add meat and brown on all sides. Add onions and saute. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer 1 hour or until flavors are mixed and vegetables and meat are tender. Remove bay leaves.

For more moose recipes (including “Braised Moose,” “Moose Pie,” and I kid you not, something called “Moose Nose in Jelly!”) click here.

Having been named McCain’s running mate, every website is all over the “Ten Things You Didn’t know About Sarah Palin”.  Included in these lists is the fact that her favorite meal is moose stew.

Moose seem like the gentle giants of the great North, so why eat them?

Truth be told, probably because they taste better than other red meats — at least according to the Gastronomy612 weblog.  Moose are leaner, and have the good poly unsaturated fats, but this also means that if you are so lucky to acquire some moose meat, you should be extra careful in your method of cooking since it may dry out quicker.  It is often cooked in the same ways one would grill/cook a venison, bison or other game meat and could be dressed the same way with berry sauces or other liquid agents.

Hey, I know you’re dying for the recipe for Gov. Palin’s favorite dish, so here it is!  (Sorry, Bullwinkle!)

Moose Stew:
3 sl bacon, cut up
4 md onions, quartered
4 md potatoes, quartered
1 pk fresh or frozen green beans
3 bay leaves
2 lb moose, cubed
4 carrots, sliced
1 pk fresh or frozen peas
1 (46 oz.) can tomato juice
Brown bacon in heavy kettle. Add meat and brown on all sides. Add onions and saute. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer 1 hour or until flavors are mixed and vegetables and meat are tender. Remove bay leaves.

For more moose recipes (including “Braised Moose,” “Moose Pie,” and I kid you not, something called “Moose Nose in Jelly!”) click here.

  It would probably have been more appropriate to mention this last week, but with the Labor Day holiday, I just now came across this interesting tidbit. 

  It was on Aug. 31, 1995, that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland, Ohio. 

  Cleveland is argued to be rock’s birthplace, beginning in the studios of Radio Station WMMS.  Disc jockey Alan Freed first used the term “rock and roll” in the early 1950’s. 

  This piqued my interest because my 15-year-old son James recently expressed interest in taking a trip to Cleveland to see the museum.  Of course, he’s more into metal and classic rock, but he is fascinated with the history of rock music, even dating back to its earliest roots, and he felt he would really enjoy it. 

  It may be a few years, but I’ll figure out a way to get him there, because I’d love to see it, too. 

  Enjoy the music!

Spent all day yesterday at the phone store trying to upgrade my phone.  This one has GPS built into it and I can’t wait to get on the road with it.  We talked on the air about cell phone addiction, and while I may be a victim, it’s not because I’m doing a lot of talking.  I use the heck out of the email and internet–and now I’m sure the GPS.

By the way, here are some of the signs of cell phone addiction:

SIGNS YOU’RE ADDICTED TO YOUR CELLPHONE

Are you addicted to your cellphone or Blackberry? Is it time you hung up that Bluetooth headset? Sure, there’s nothing wrong with checking office voicemail on a Saturday afternoon – we’re all guilty of it now and again. But if you’re guilty of any of these cellphone signs, a little tech-free time in the country would probably do some good: 1. You plan your commute around cellphone signal dead zones.2. This question always comes up on a first date: “Who’s your cellphone provider?” Worse: Depending on the other person’s answer, there might not be a second date. 3. You can’t go to the bathroom without it.4. You read tech forums. 5. You can send an e-mail or text message behind your back while listening to Bob drone on about how performance is trending upward — all without spelling errors. 6. If you accidentally leave your cellphone at home, it’s a major emergency that requires you turning around and driving through another hour of rush-hour traffic to get it.