“This is a drill! This is a drill!”

The outage last night was a good drill for everyone.

Today, we all know what it is we are missing from our emergency kit – and what works and what does not.

In my case, I have this great battery operated device that inflates tires, and although I use it regularly it also has a 12 v/ charger that should recharge cell phones. I have never needed it before, so how was I to know — it doesn’t work! Yes, in a pinch I can charge my iPHONE and iPAD2 from the car lighter, but that is not as convenient as this battery-powered machine…if it only worked. (But it still inflates tires…)

And, yes, my emergency radio worked on batteries, but the devices supposed to recharge cell phones from the emergency radio is missing from the emergency radio.

Next time we have an emergency, it may not happen in the middle of the afternoon so we have plenty of light and plenty of time to gather together all of the disparate items needed for  convenience.

I was happy that in this increased fire season I had instituted full tanks in both cars.

I’ll admit I was envious of my neighbor whose emergency generator was humming away down the street while I worried (unnecessarily) about the food slowly thawing in the freezer.

Had the emergency lasted longer – as a bad earthquake certainly would have – I would have had other worries that I can see, but have not addressed very well. I have secured several tall pieces of furniture to the walls, but a lot of sentimental value items have not been secured…

It might be wise to make a list because as the good times roll, I tend to forget about the potential problems…

This was a useful reminder that not everything works as designed all of the time.

Howard Hughes Syndrome

I see that the presidents “uncle” has been released from prison.

It is a bit of a mystery as to how it happened, whether he posted bail or not, and one wonders how someone who was ordered deported 19 years ago by a federal judge could get bail…but I think I know.

There is something I call the “Howard Hughes” syndrome.

You remember the eccentric multi-billion dollar recluse…he used to TRY to find businesses losing money so that he could buy them and offset the taxes he was paying n the hugely successful businesses he owned. He would be driven down highways, see an obviously failing business and say to an aide, “Buy it!’

The problem was that as soon as a company was bought and associated with Howard Hughes, and everyone suddenly knew about the losing company, the businesses suddenly became successful businesses! Howard Hughes and his business acumen had nothing to do with it!

But, of course Howard Hughes got the credit as the failing business promptly turned into a goldmine.

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett,  has that same business effect today but he didn’t invent the process. Hughes did.

I don’t think that President Obama had anything to do with either his “Auntie” or his “Uncle” getting preferential treatment – their association with his name, however remote, gets someone’s attention.