I hope the port makes your life easier, ita.

The power's going to be out for a while [link] Without the Arizona intertie, Southern California doesn't have many options. It is, sadly, a predictable result of not building the ugly NIMBY power plants, but buying power from Arizona instead.

eta: The unfortunate employee was doing routine maintenance in a substation, where power from transmission lines is stepped down to a lower voltage, and did something that tripped the transmission line. Something went wrong with the safeguards that should have isolated the fault.

I just skipped 600+ messages. My life is filled with vomit and stuff I can't deal with. Work blows, but for the first time, in like ever, I don't have the largest classes in the English department -- the largest is 72 and I top out at 50.

I also think I'll be at either the UCLA ER with Grace or urgent care with Noah in the next few hours. FUN.

Anyhow,

Tavi Gevinson's Rookie went live today. Jane Pratt is official godmother.

Did anyone mention that Rio is an editor for Rookie?

Plei, it depends. How much weight are you looking to tow? You may be able to stick with a larger sedan, but I'd move to a small crossover utility vehicle. The four-cylinder Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain get 32 mpg on the highway and tows 1500 lbs. Get the V6 and you can tow 3500 lbs.

(Not promoting the GM products at the exclusion of others. It's just what I know off the top of my head without doing more research than I'm capable of tonight.)

Also, Plei, dunno about towing, but our Elantra Touring drives like a Civic, according to K, and is filled with roomy room!

Plei, I have friends with a Hyundai Tucson and use it to haul their tent trailer. They like it very much.

Oh Kat, that sounds exhausting! (Also, 72?? Do all those bodies even fit in a classroom, within fire code? Good grief!)

Oh wow. My people are hurting. I’m sorry, people. I wish I could make it better somehow. Maria, if there is anything I can do, please let me know.

San Diego, LA and Orange were (are?) out in parts. And some of northern Mexico.

ND’s sister (who lives outside of SD with his mom) called in hysterics and seemed to want him to “fix it.” Sigh.

Kat, I don’t even have words for 72 students in a high school class.

Plei, it depends. How much weight are you looking to tow? You may be able to stick with a larger sedan, but I'd move to a small crossover utility vehicle. The four-cylinder Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain get 32 mpg on the highway and tows 1500 lbs. Get the V6 and you can tow 3500 lbs.

Thanks! The V6 would probably be what we'd be looking at, depending.

Plei, I have friends with a Hyundai Tucson and use it to haul their tent trailer. They like it very much.

The good thing about it being a vague plan? TEST DRIVES!

I am telling you people... the apocalypse is fucking nigh. I'm waiting for the plague of locusts to narrow down the exact date. 2011 can go straight to hell.

I was reading in New Scientist that one method used to control plagues of locusts is to spray them with parasitic, mind-controlling fungus. Mere words cannot express how much I approve of this approach to pest control.

Oh Maria, sending you much ~ma and good will. May the universe back off NOW.

Also sending much coping ~ma to Kat and kidlets. I hope everyone's OK!