For the detail oriented, Rita is 48.7 miles NE of yesterday's 1600 (4pm CDT) forecast track, with predicted landfall 109 miles NE of the 1600 track.
That's less than a third of the turn it would need to make to hit NOLA head on.
I hear you, and the majority of Louisiana is looking at the dirty side of the storm this time.
are we seeing the trough that was pushing Rita south collasping faster than expected?