Someone at the National Weather Service's Anchorage, Alaska, outpost had an acrostic for the federal government hidden in one of its updates today: "Please pay us."

How do you warn people that the flooding situation is really dangerous around Boulder, Colorado? A forecaster for the National Weather Service used some good old Bible terror in this morning's Denver/Boulder update. Is this modern-day Noah collecting raccoons and deer and stray pit bulls, right now?

Hurricane Earl is "gathering strength" off the coast of Puerto Rico, and may send squalls all the way to Maine this week. Earl has kindly agreed to leave the Gulf coast alone, though, because it's got enough to deal with.