Comments on: Observations about Missouri

By: Kurt

Kurt — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:35:39 +0000

I had to look up the window myth. Sure enough, Camera Obscura is spot on. http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/NW…">NOAA says it’s a myth. I’m glad you brought that to my attention.

Elaine, our school drill was the same. Open a window and close the door (with the chicken-wire glass). We were to use a hardcover book if we had one, or to ‘knit’ our fingers together and have them over the back of our necks with our heads down. It was for debris, like John said.

By: elaine

elaine — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:53:41 +0000

We did tornado drills in Cleveland too, but I don’t remember using books. We were supposed to put our hands over the back of our necks, exactly as demonstrated in the classic "Duck and Cover" movies of the early Cold War. I always figured it was just to keep debris (they talked about broken glass a LOT) from hitting our necks. Personally, I’d rather have broken glass hitting the back of my neck than my HANDS. We always had to crack open one classroom window, but close the classroom door (we lined up on the floors in the hallways or in windowless classrooms). Always struck me as stupid, considering the classroom doors were mostly glass too, though the embedded-with-chicken-wire kind.

By: Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:24:35 +0000

Our neighborhood fox (I'm out in Wildwood) walks down the middle of the street, because everyone walks their dogs on the sidewalk and she doesn't want to deal with them. Can't say as I blame her.

I'm told she's a widow lady, lost her mate one spring a few years back right after she had kits; raised that litter but never took another mate.

The reason the azaleas are puny here is because the humidity is not constant (yes, I'm saying St. Louis doesn't have enough humidity, believe it or not). The best rhododendron display I ever saw was at the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. So babe, it's not the lack of heat...

And hon, if you think twisters are capricious, try an earthquake. Which BTW, you will get here sooner or later.

Oh, and that "leave the windows open so the low pressure from the tornado doesn't blow them out" thing is a myth. The crap flying around in a twister at 150 mph is gonna take them out long before the low pressure bends 'em.

By: John

John — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:44:52 +0000

I believe Kelly may be half-right about the books. It keeps the head down. Kids are notorious for not following directions, and as much as teachers tell them that it's important to keep their head down (so any flying debris doesn't get in the face, I suspect) the book ensures they really do it.

That said, my school didn't have us do that, so it isn't universal.

The entire Midwest isn't fanatical about baseball, but St. Louis is one of the more fanatical towns. Local fans are consistently ranked near the top of national rankings.

That said, across the Midwest, historically the Cardinals are generally the most popular team in towns without their own, though this has been decreasing recently. This is traced back to the power of the KMOX broadcasting signal. Of course, the Cardinals are no longer on KMOX as of this year, and this will likely reinforce the downward trend.

By: Lanf

Lanf — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:14:59 +0000

We had to replace our furnace our first winter. I totally sympathize.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:45:24 +0000

I love your comment about the books and what they are supposed to do during a tornado. Having attended the same school as Kurt did, I obviously participated in the tornado drills as well. Even as a small child I remember wondering what good a flimsy book on the back of my neck would do if the school came crashing down because of a tornado. I can’t help but wonder if it was just a ploy to keep the kids quiet with their heads down during the drills. Who knows.