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AS IF WHAT REMAINED OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA'S SOAKING THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INTO NEW ENGLAND WASN'T AWFUL ENOUGH before heading off to sea on the overnight, there's a new meteorological time bomb ticking away in the Caribbean by name of Hurricane Ike.

Keep the "I Like Ike" buttons your grandparents wore in the 1950's in the attic for now, folks; Ike is showing its real face as a destructive storm of the highest order, already bringing even further devastation upon Haiti, itself the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and itself already devastated by Gustav and Hanna previously, with nearly 200 dead between them across Haiti and Ike only likely to add to the Haitian death count just as relief supplies were beginning to arrive in Cap-Haitien, one of the worst-hit communities.

And with the Southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands taking a pounding from Ike, Cuba will no doubt be next.

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WITH PARTS OF NORTHERN CUBA ALREADY HAVING SEEN DEVASTATION FROM GUSTAV PREVIOUSLY, IKE COULD ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR THE CUBAN NATION as much for the people and regime, what with road and transport problems making delivery of relief supplies all the more difficult.

As well as the prospect of Havana having to ask the United States to supply relief to Cuba, trade embargo notwithstanding, in case further damage ensues thanks to Ike as are beyond available resources from the Cuban regime and her other "fraternal sister republics" like Venezuela. (Washington's official line is that they would only supply "humanitarian aid" to Cuba if and when specifically requested. But then again, consider the prospect of the Cuban regime storing in locked and sealed warehouses any relief the "aggressor" United States may supply soon after their receipt.)

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AND WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF IKE'S STRONG WINDS BRUSHING THE FLORIDA KEYS AS IT MAKES MINCEMEAT OF CUBA, Monroe County, Florida is taking no chances, essentially "locking down" the Keys and Key West starting with a Mandatory Visitor Evacuation yesterday and a Phased Mandatory Resident Evacuation from this morning, starting with the Lower Keys and Key West (i.e., up to the Seven-Mile Bridge on the Overseas Highway), followed by the Middle Keys (including Marathon, Key Colony Beach and Duck Cay) and the Upper Keys (including Tavernier, Islamorada, Key Largo and Mainland Monroe County), with tolls suspended on the Card Sound Drawbridge and the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike.

Seeing as how the Keys are rather small coral islands themselves, the authorities there want to take no chances, especially considering that certain Elmer Gantry types will see in Ike's devastating effects a Wrath of G-d scenario (what with Key West being popular among the GLBTQ element and the Keys themselves being somewhat Bohemian in culture and lifestylee).

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DEPENDING ON PROJECTIONS, IKE COULD WIND UP MAKING A DIRECT HIT ON THE SAME AREAS AFFLICTED PREVIOUSLY BY KATRINA BACK IN 2005 AND GUSTAV just in the last week along the Central Gulf Coast.

Which, it just so happens, has substantial numbers of offshore oil and natural gas rigs temporarily offline in view of the power cuts following Hurricane Gustav ... and considering where Ike is, as I write this, a Category 4 hurricane (sustained winds 125-150 mph) per the Saffir-Simpson Scale, there's the clear and present risk of several rigs being destroyed and, in effect, out of production outright, translating into further overzealous appeals for energy self-sufficency based on wasteful and inefficent wildcat drilling in areas with no likely crude oil resources extant.

And which could wind up tipping Indecision 2008 all the more to Obama/Biden; any suggestions that McCain/Palin saw a spike in Wholehearted Popular Support following the convention should be seen as transient and illusory, what with the "post-convention bounce" likely to last only 1-2 days on the overnight tracking polls.

(Best resource I can recommend to make sense of the daily polling trends among all the leading polls: FiveThirtyEight.com, which offers rational-sounding numbers based on both the popular vote and its knock-on effects in the Electoral College, where it really matters under the Constitution. The site's name, in fact, refers to the current constitution of the Electoral College, based on two Senators per state and Representatives awarded each state proportional to population, plus three electors for the District of Columbia, as authorised in the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution.)

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KUDOS TO OPRAH WINFREY FOR WISELY CHOOSING NOT TO HAVE SARAH PALIN ON HER SYNDICATED CHAT SHOW ANY TIME DURING THE ELECTORAL RUNUP, citing Oprah's belief that her chat show's emphasis on self-improvement and empowerment along these same lines is incompatible with such becoming a partisan campaign forum.

Not to mention the prospect of the McCain/Palin campaign trying to display messages in projectio subliminalis for "winning of hearts and minds" purposes throughout, or otherwise using electronic effects as may tend to the hypnotic on Palin's eyes.

And speaking of The Dark Side of Sarah Palin Such as She Doesn't Want You to Know About, The Political Curmudgeon hath these revealing comments about how Alaskans are, howbeit sub rosa for fear of reprisals as may include perverted use of the mental hygiene laws, really viewing their Governor--as a racist, xenophobic, mentally-unstable type tending to the weird and unwholesome. Comments which need to be shared, for Knowledge is Power; don't be fooled by such who think Knowledge is Power needs to be qualified by Power Tends to Corrupt.

As writer Jack London once wrote, "...the proper function of Man is to live, not just exist."

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AND WE ROUND OUT TODAY'S SELECTION WITH THE SCOOP FROM DAY 6 OF THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, as per the Minnesota State Fair Daily News:

So much fun to have, so little time.

Em, looking good at the Coliseum!

Who is having fun at the GMGT???

Mike you better watch your driving on the golf cart, you almost took those little kids out!

SG we appreciate all of your hard work and love your upbeat attitude!

BD that was nice of you to teach BES how to make the "fluff."

Brandi tonight woohooo!

Gransportation you rock!

Black white and denim day ... who knows whats in store for tomorrow!

Teflon May 29!!

KF drink lots of folic acid ... good for baby.

Tidy Bowl Tammy would like to thank Cathy the new vendor from (Out Of The Blue) stand in Heritage Square. Thanks so much for the cute sign.

Bob "the woodcarver" says his best friend at the State Fair is a very short man walking with cane.

Jack Deschene hard worker on M.H. setting a good example for all the Old Iron exhibitors.

Kudos to the Sanitation dept. and thanks from the Livestock Depts. for the fabulous cleaning job in the barns on Sunday evening!

Thanks to quick thinking, State Fair employee Joe Stepka from the Stella overflow parking lot, a camper that ran the gate was quickly chased down all the way to Como. Those golf carts can really go when they have to.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar? ... I need to know!--Some boys are cute!

AH you had a bad influence missy!

BD congrats on getting to sing, you will do oh so great

Halfway through The Compleat Scoop already, and we'll continue tomorrow in this space.