A strange mixture of horror and fascination...

[RevDodd]

I've got a friend who e-mailed me this morning, saying he hasn't slept in the last 24 hours, and probably won't until Monday night.

Why? Because of Katrina.

Not that this storm is a tough one to call. Heck at this point even the toupee-wearing monkeys on local cable access weather spots can peg this storm. She's going to be a monster, a 145-mph drunk going on a bender right down Bourbon Street.

But like me, he was around when another Gulf Coast girl spawned in hell came calling -- Camille. And he notes the similarities in size and strength are beyond scary...they're fascinating.

It's like stepping into a time machine and waking up in August of 1969...when our bedroom radios were tuned to the Braves pushing for their first division title, then switching to WWL out of New Orleans to hear the latest advisories of Hurricane Camille. And the crackling phones calls from all over Mississippi and Alabama that came into the station asking for help. Help that couldn't get to people because they had no idea just how bad things were around them.

There's no doubt Katrina will be worse...much worse in terms of property damage. She could be forced to settle for less in the way of human sacrifice if folks heed the warnings and run. But many won't, and they'll have to experience the strange mixture of fascination and horror that we view from a distance.

Folks along that stretch of the Gulf Coast Katrina decides to visit have the better part of today to get packed and get out, or an additional 12 hours after that to make their peace. Personally, I'm no coward, but I'd opt for the skeedaddle.

Whichever is chosen, our prayers are with y'all in Katrina's path. We cannot sway her; we can only hope to sway you. Join us in watching this strange mixture from a distance. We'll stay awake for you. We cannot do otherwise.

For all the horror, this is still history in the making. And we feel terrible for watching.

But we can't look away.

[aerojad]

I feel the same way.