When I study the tracks of past hurricanes and study what we're looking at now, one can only say that it's by the grace of God that the Northeast hasn't gotten slammed yet.

It's past the time for study commissions and committee meetings. If the governor wants to lead on ethics, he can do two things - call for Jim Black to step aside as speaker of the House, and rescind Bill Culpepper's appointment to the Utilities Commission for taking a contribution from a regulated utility after he was appointed.

The Northeast is staring down the barrel of a gun.

The Texas coast is in for a long period of tropical activity.

What could happen here is eventually this gets out of the water and turns northwards toward the Maritime provinces, in which case it would not be a very merry time up there.

The most action will be from August 15 to October 15 along the Eastern Seaboard. I'm targeting the Carolinas for the worst. Also, there will be (landfalls) in New England and the Florida coast.