Oh, Wolf, I hope so, too! Glatt's info is pretty worrisome. I know Busterb is a gentleman who was fascinated by my old "metal mule" picture. We had quite the discussion PM-ing back and forth about the amazing works of art welders can create from just some scraps of iron. Busterb is a good old guy, and I pray he made it through OK.

Ditto on that Mari.

At the beginning Bush said USA didn't need international help.
He said, the day after Katrina : "I don't expect much from foreign countries because we didn't ask them !"
Has he ever missed one mistake ?
When I saw him on TV comforting a crying woman and her girl ! Just for propaganda, 4 days after !
Does it need other comments ?
Throw Bush in the Mississipi to make him understand, if it's not too late for him.

Thursday French prime minister has offered humanitary help, boats, planes quickly available in French Antillas (Guadeloupe and Martinique)
Other European countries, Germany, UK, Holland... on their own, or among Europe also decided to help USA.
So do Japan, Taiwan, ONU...
I don't know if the government of Bengladesh will help Bush because they are skilled in facing floodings.

For us this disaster is beyond measure : Flooded territories represent half of France !

It took 1 or 2 days for French people to realise how important it was.
The first news were saying that finally Katerina was level 3 instead of 5, and that New Orleans didn't suffer at all as feared in worst case.
We were thinking that US would easily cope with this situation alone.
When the tsunami occured one year ago in Asia, there was a great generosity because they are third-world-countries-that-need-international-help.
It's quite difficult to realise that an important part of the first powerful country in the world becomes so deeply paralysed in one day.

Yes, Yes, Yes.
French revolution happened after some years of bad weather that gave bad crops. Folk was starving.
Modern society has also forgotten modesty. Mother nature reminds of it.
Playing with rules of nature will cause other social troubles. (Sounds apocalyptic and sententious, sorry)

As usual, the most important victims are among poor social classes (poor, black, old) that leaders like Bush don't care of.
If this society is so fragile, maybe because it's not based on good and basic values.
A society shouldn't neither consist in screwing more strongly a lid over the pressure of unfairness.

So sad.
Wishing victims will rapidly find food, water, family, security, dry ground, home, job, courage to rebuilt their life...
And run and buy the new Playstation...
Hoping that accurate preventive measures will be taken. But if we're waiting for Bush....

Couldn't agree more, bargalunan! Throw the bastard into the worst hit areas of the city and let the snipers finish him off!

Gee, why do we hate the French, again? Would someone like to remind me? Thank you, my friend!

Do you think they'd drown him for us if we sent him over there? The US would supply the cement shoes, Bangladesh could supply the water. Dinner's at 6:00, Georgie!*

Well, I'm glad someONE cares. No one here seems overly concerned. We might have to "throw money" at a levee. Wouldn't want to do that here in the superior US of A. You wussy Europeans can take care of your infra-structure. We are above such things. (or under them, as the case might be)



Well, let me expain our ever so advanced American society to you, bargalunan. See, all those po' folks who died or are dying in New Orleans SHOULD HAVE PLANNED, so they deserve what they get - even if its death. Too poor to own a car that you could have driven out of town? Obviously, you lack the Protestant Work Ethic - death for you! Too old to climb to higher ground? Who needs you? They're cutting Social Security, anyhow. Bye-bye. Owned or rented a home in a flooded area of town? Hmmm... Isn't that a black neighborhood? No problem! As we all know, black folk are gifted athletes and can easily dog paddle for days.

Gosh, don't you wish you were lucky enough to live here?

* Cement shoes or overcoat - slang for murdering someone and dropping them with plenty of weight on the body (like cement) off in a river somewhere.

I just watched Fox - the O'Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmbes....losts of criticism of the Louisiana governor and N.O. mayor, followed by a lot of praise on Houston's excellent organization and ability to meet the immediate needs of all of the people they've taken in.

Personally, I'm waiting for the fallout to settle (literally) from a dirty bomb in a major city.

I don't know if my employer will let me go yet, but I'm on alert for possible activation to go to the disaster area.

You mean the Katrina disater area? (as opposed to the dirty bomb disater area?) ... stupid question probably ....

Seeing Geraldo cry and the other news reporters getting sooo pissed at the lack of relief to those people in NO shows how much criticism this relief effort is going to get. And they had not seen a Red Cross person or vehicle yet. The first trucks I saw were Salvation Army trucks.

Yes, I am on standby for activation for Katrina.

Right Wing mouthpiece, doing its job.

Make sure and catch MSNBC so you see the Left's hair-tearing portrayal of everything. Then add the two together, divide by 2, and you'll have the real gist of things.

Fair and Balanced can only occur inside your own mind, because TV sure isn't going to show it.

I haven't really been watching the news on this a lot, so I've missed some things.

Do we have an official ribbon color yet? What about the rubber wristband?

Make sure and catch MSNBC so you see the Left's hair-tearing portrayal of everything. Then add the two together, divide by 2, and you'll have the real gist of things.


If you have access to satlite add to that BBC and devide by 3 , That is the streight scoop !!!

I don't have access to BBC but I will check out the MSNBC coverage. I know they have a beyond-comprehension tremendous job to do.

Sounds like they had a hell of a thugs and deviants gathering at the Convention Center.

It is going to be very, very interesting to see how the Bush administration wriggles out of this. The N.O. Mayor is going to have to be neutralized for sure. Is there a sacrificial Louisiana Congressman who can also take a fall for the team?

That's great. I don't know anyone directly affected, but I know that people will certainly need help. Thanks to folks like you, a lot of them will get it. The changes in life and "trauma" my son experienced when he was 4 and 5 when his sister went through cancer (and died) affected him so much that he started stuttering, and still does at 18. I cannot even begin to imagine how some of these kids (and adults too) will be affected.

Yes, it will be very interesting. Sad, but interesting. I'm sure the reason Bush was on TV tonight in Mississippi hugging young black girls who had lost "everything" (but looked to me like they had showered and eaten recently) was because he would just "be in the way" in NO.

In the blur, stories that stick:

The Convention Center with the elderly and babies in the heat. One nurse there doing her best.

Charity Hospital, critical patients, including those being hand ventilated for days, no relief, wait and watch while Tulane's staff, able bodies, are completely evacuated from across the street. Charity's sick must wait another day. Public vs. private.

Hiatt Regency guests arrive at the Superdome where thousands were still waiting days for their turn to leave by bus and are allowed to jump to the front of the Superdome evacuation bus line. The haves and the have nots.

One New Orleans fire department/division has been working from boats, basically on their own, in the 9th ward and has rescued over 900 people from roof tops. Amazing heros.

Grassroots relief: Citizens driving into MS with food caravans of their own. No red cross in sight.

Separated families.

Who will take it from you
We will and who are we
We are volunteers of America :vikingsmi

You should have seen right through those half truth lies as they left the lips. Houston is a larger city that only took in a few ten thousand people. AND all facilities were intact and functional. They could even tap their sururbs for assistance. To praise Houston, wait till they have to take in a second hundred thousand refugees. Only then does aid becomes challenging. Ahhh. But what is necessary to lie? Fox News must forget to provide numbers - not put the disaster into perspective. Perspective is not what a 'black and white' propaganda service wants to report.

Everyone is asking about busterb. Rumored to be that bad even about 1/4 up the state and just southeast of Jackson MS. Houston has all suburbs intact. Bay Springs is reported to take three hours just to rescue local folk. How does the LA or MS governor get aid to New Orleans when even way north in Bay Springs, it takes hours to rescue people. New Orleans nor LA even have suburbs for support.

Glaring fact. Louis Armstrong International airport that is right at the disaster location is all but empty. A nation chock full of C5A, C17, C-130, and C-141 transport aircraft as well as others such as 747s and DC-10s sent how much aid into the city by air? When asked why military planes were not providing such assistance, well, the federal government never asked. George Jr never asked. Where is Fox News on this story? Its called lying by telling half truths.

When it is declared a federal disaster area, the #1 organization for all decisions and action is FEMA. A responsible president is taking all FEMA calls personally. But George says it's ... hhhaaaarrrrddd.

Learn the lessons of history. When Andrew went through FL, some reservist friends were transported to Harrisburg to man the large military storehouses there. They sat there doing nothing. One reported the entire FEMA request was for one tent and a few generators. Meanwhile, about 5 days later, a FL county official found some press people and said, "Send everything you have now. People will be dying in hours."

Deja Vue. FEMA's response in FL after Andrews was just as pathetic as its response in New Orleans. A response one can expect from people who are promoted because they are politically correct - and therefore don't have a George Patton attitude of solving problems. But again, these deaths were more than ten years ago. How many forget back then how FEMA let people die. Appreciate the angry look behind Ted Koppel's eyes as the FEMA director repeatedly avoided or would not even answer hard questions. Only anti-Americans would have acted as FEMA and this administration have. So bad was the response that accusations of racism or second class citizenry cannot be ignored.

Where are these supporters of George Jr now that the meddle of the man is tested. His response to this hurricane is just like he ran his oil company business and just like the "Mission Accomplished" war. No oil was found, the investors lost everything, but George Jr got rich. Leave it to Fox News to lie again about the integrity of the man - and blame the victims.

Is the airport actually viable? Are the runways intact and inspected? And is the transportation infrastructure intact to be able to get stuff FROM the airport, or would a bunch of quartermasters be sitting around scratching their asses watching food spoil because you can't get it to where it's needed?

The initial response from the air was underwhelming.

As of Tuesday, MSY (The Louis Armstrong Airport) airport has been used as a staging area. MSY , located smack dab in the middle of the disaster area but outside of New Orleans ( in Kenner, La, 10 miles west of New Orleans) was initially reported to be underwater. I am not sure if the reports were true but I'm certain it delayed its initial usage as decisions were made using these initial reports.

That said, the *initial* response from the air was underwhelming. Presently, I'm seeing medical evacuation traffic overhead fast and furious. (It has actually slowed down as of yesterday after noon) I've yet to observe massive logisitical support aircraft. Those may arrive/(may have arrived) from another direction. (I am in Southeast Baton Rouge and directly in the flight path for a good bit of air traffic)


The statement "FEMA leadership and control" is oxymoronic. It needed to be pushed aside. Luckily, we still have some local leaders with the balls to do so. Sheriff Harry Lee, Sheriff of Jefferson Parish (west of New Orleans) basically declared his Parish has seceded from the United State and that he was in charge. He sent his own crew in for rescue and civil order operations. JPSO is one of the most competent, efficient, and well trained police organizations in the country. (you don't f*** with them...They are the reason New Orleans crime stays in the city and does not plague JP) (This statement was an anecdote from someone who left the area, I can't claim its accuracy - but I do know his crews are WORKING the area)


FEMA cost hundreds of people their lives, spread and intensified misery, and emasculated those in power who could have done something about the situation.


All is moot though, people should have been evacuated; it could have been done. People of common sense and the means (and not in special circumstances) did just that. There was plenty warning for an ounce of prevention.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...761346,00.html

(edited to paste in the link)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...761346,00.html

So does anybody know how the airboats came to be arriving in MO? Were they called, or did they just volunteer and show up? Just curious....

My husband had an airboat a few years ago and the Corp of Engineers came around and asked if he could be listed as someone to contact should an airboat ever be needed in the area. (The can operate in very shallow water) So I just wondered....

I had already been looking at that on satellite pictures. The airport in Kenner and roads southeast to the Mississippi side of New Orleans were unflooded ground. For example, this map from the NY Times entitled The Impact of Katrina provides details. A free registration may be required to view the satellite map. Click on "Levee System" to see land and roads that were above water into New Orleans.

But don't worry. George Jr said he is going to fix it. Just keep waiting for food and water. It's coming.....

Again, learn from history. The George Jr response before, during, and after 11 September was woefully underwhelming. Even George Jr administration officials could not decide to ground all airliners. That was initiated by Boston Center, NYC, and then by someone who did not have the authority and was on his first week on the job in Herndon Center - all while the Transportation Secretary, FAA Director and Cheney all made no decisions (that the 11 September Commission could confirm). Top George Jr administration officials even lied to the 11 September Commission about their actions. The 11 September report says they lied. Cheney never even authorized US military aircraft to shoot down attacking airliners - even though he said he did. George Jr, well, he read a children's book in FL.

The Tsunami response was to have the US military waiting for most of the week before George Jr finally authorized a rescue mission. Literally, the entire world had to embarrass the US before George Jr ever responded to a Tsunami disaster. Another action well recorded in history.

George Jr's response in New Orleans is only consistent with 11 September and the Tsunami. A Hurricane hit Monday. He lied about 400 trucks enroute. Food, water, and National Guard did not arrive until Friday. Even Nightline on Thursday had to publicly embarrass the Director of FEMA before food, water, and National Guard finally were deployed on ..... Friday.

My criticisms of George Jr have long been based only on facts; on basic principles of management. Based upon his history, the pathetic response to New Orleans has been also how the George Jr administration responded to 11 September and to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. But again, show me. Show me where any of this is in error. History teaches us, again, that MBAs are horrible leaders. One would have to be living in a Communist Stalinist country to forgive George Jr for what he has now done ... done for the third time.

Oh... but he finally ordered the USS Comfort out of Baltimore harbor. No problem. It will arrive 12 days after the hurricane. Of course every victim could have been flown by C5A and C17 to hospitals elsewhere that were better equipped. George Jr forgot to mention that part when he bragged that the USS Comfort was enroute. Classic MBA spin.

I hate to say I've telling you so. But again, I don't waste time with pictures of crying people or other silly emotions. I go after a devil in the details. Go back to my first posts. They still hold water ... including the part about how local officials were in denial of a Category 5 storm. That weekend, the casinos and conventions went on as normal when everyone should have been leaving town hastily.

An interview with a casino worker said he did not know the storm was coming. He had worked all week in a casino. Even casino management was in denial. Basic concepts of quality - attitude and knowledge. Top management in casinos and in government did exactly as William Edward Deming defines as bad management. Same errors that also murdered seven Challenger and seven Columbia astronauts. Same management that somehow could not find C5A and C17s to rescue dying Americans. You tell me who is the enemy of America. Non-Americans are invited to comment about why American leadership has also soured American foreign relations. It's all the same thing.

The sky over New Orleans should have been packed with transport aircraft like it was Chicago or Dallas / Ft Worth. Residents should have been able to look up at any second to see 6 planes in landing patterns. But that means George Jr has to order assistance. Even Air Force One was not packed to the wings with food and water. But that 747 was loaded with press photographers - and promises that aid was coming.

I believe they were rounded up by LA Fish and Game. :)

I think many countries (the UK included) were stunned to learn Dubya had been elected into a second term of office, even more so that his incompetent cronies seem to fuck-up with impunity, safe in the knowledge their jobs are protected.

If there's been one good thing to come out of this recent disaster, then it's the possibility of the population being shaken from their ennui and catching a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Historically, this has been the stuff of revolutions & civil war.

.
Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush

Too many French politicians and economical leaders take US economy as their model, and pray capitalism god.
The worst of them, Nicolas Sarkozy could be our next president. He's a neocon.
A guy I know who votes our Extreme Right Leader, Le Pen, even thinks Sarkozy is crazy and dangerous !
The problem is that he's everywhere in front of the cameras.
He's really fascinating, he always has good answers and a lot of energy despite he's lying and does the contrary.
He can sell a radio to deaf people.
He takes the first opportunity to expulse poors, immigrates like this week.
I've heard that the next possible German chancellor, Angela Merkel, shares the same ideas.

Kinds of politicians who want to reduce money for social help, public service and decrease direct taxes when they stronger increase indirect ones.

Crazy times.

I was of the opinion, on day 3 (Wednesday) that martial law should have been declared to quell the looting and such.

Now I am of a different mind, for a few reasons.

1) With no food or water getting into the area (strange that people with guns can get in, but not backpacks with MRE's...) there is no other recourse but to (a) walk out or (b) break into buildings and get supplies from local sources until evacuation.

If the response had been what everyone was expecting it would be but turned out NOT to have been, then yes, looting would have been simply unconscionable. However, with the current state of things, NOT fending for yourself, by whatever means necessary, is the unconscionable part. Please understand, I'm not talking about "fending for yourself" as in raping women and children (rumoured to be happening) but I think at this point, looting to keep yourself and your family alive is the best thing you could do, short of walking out to safety.

I also have a few questions:

1) If troops (cops, rescuers, whatever) with guns can get in to "control the crowd", why can't the crowd get out to food/shelter/water/supplies?

2) Why aren't people simply leaving the Superdome? Seems to me MORE people are being rescued offsite, by the coast guard or whoever, than are being rescued from the superdome and convention center. I'd be a walking/swimming/crawling fool before I stand/sit/whine that no one is coming to rescue me.

3) If people are being prevented from leaving, WHY are they being prevented from simply walking to somewhere safe, with supplies?

The government has failed these people but still they wait around and do nothing. You know, I might die trying to get out of New Orleans, but it's better than starving to death, waiting for an evacuation that never came.

I don't see how you get that ... I worked in a nuthouse all week, well outside of the storm zone, didn't watch the news ... but I still knew a big goddamned storm was going to hit New Orleans or thereabouts.

Anybody that clueless needs to be out of the gene pool.

Well, for once you and I are in complete agreement. I NEVER watch the news, but I still knew all about the hurricane in advance way up here in Colorado. What? Was that casino worker deaf and blind? You mean to tell me that not a single patron of the establishment he worked in happened to mention ever so casually as he lugged his winnings or empty bank account (more likely) out the door, "gotta go now, there's a hurricane coming?" Not a single co-worker ever mentioned in passing that they were going to go home and pack up their car just in case? The dude never so much as passed a newspaper stand on his way to or from work with the glaring headline, "GET OUT NOW!" Give me a break!

Onyx, to answer your question about why people just didn't start walking out. A number of them did, but others were elderly or Mom's with infants and tiny children and many were sick or handicapped. Pretty difficult for such folks to go out on the lawless streets of the city and just start walking in all that heat with nowhere to go and no money once they got there.

I agree that if I had children to feed, I'd have gotten them food any way I could, but doing so would have meant joining a group of young punks with guns who reportedly were not above rape as well as pillage, and the grocery shelves had probably already been cleared out well in advance, anyhow.

I had the same response which is why I did not post this example days previously. However, the point is not that the casino worker was that myopic. The point is that his employer was so negligent - had improper attitude and knowledge - as to keep running the casino / convention that weekend. The point is that 85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. That management is responsible for the correct attitude and knowledge. A responsible management would have been boarding up the casino that weekend. Instead, the employees were working as if nothing bad was expected.

I am also struck by an interview with a Scottish couple who flew in Saturday. They kept asking if this 'ocean storm' was a problem. They were told (by people not defined) that the storm was no problem. Now appreciate a Scottish couple that has little comprehension of what Category 5 means. But when they asked residents, such as their airline, such as the limo driver; the locals were not concerned. That is damning.

Meanwhile, as that Scottish couple was arriving, Delta airline on Saturday were already pulling out the last of the airplanes and staff. There would be no more Delta flights in or out on and after Sunday because Delta management conveyed attitude and knowledge to their people.

I am also struck by what the Louisiana Governor kept getting from Michael Brown when she kept warning about the impending disaster in New Orleans. His response was, well, I saw his response to Ted Koppel's repeated questions on Nightline even 3 days after the hurricane. According to the Governor, Michael Brown's response was, loosely interpreted as, "Don't worry. Be happy."

Now maybe his actual response was or was not. But I have a difficult time believing Michael Brown since Ted Koppel on Nightline demonstrated a Federal official, three days after the hurricane, and still in denial. He did not even know that people were not being fed in the Superdome and Convention Center? He desperately tried to avoid admitting that he knew maybe 100,000 people could not get out of New Orleans. 85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. Even a former FEMA Director said on TV that given planning that already existed, then one could only assume the problems were only in top management.

The quote from that casino worker only demonstrates how much in denial top management really was both before and after the disaster. And yet some 50% of Americans still say George Jr was doing a good job. Where does this denial really start?

With only rare exceptions, there was no National Guard in New Orleans until Friday. Friday is when the National Guard and food first arrived at the Convention Center. 125 Special Forces sat north of New Orleans simply waiting for a mission. At a minimum, each soldier could have been deputized and assigned to New Orleans policemen. But that calls for intelligence in FEMA and the George Jr White House.

Previously quoted was a statement from the State Police spokesman of New Orleans cops literally resigning. This can only happen when they have zero support - as demonstrated in Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". There was no National Guard, et al. Ted Koppel interview makes it woefully obvious why. Did you hear the WWL-AM radio interview of New Orleans Mayor Nagin? Why not? Why do you think at the end of that interview he started crying? Do you really understand how pathetic this president and his FEMA people really were?

Now 'the powers that be' are spinning it - blaming others - because just like on 11 September, the administration did nothing - nada - zero. Let me remind you that is a fact. On 11 September, the administration did not one useful action. Some even lied to the September 11 Commission about doing things they did not do. Where do you think the Coast Guard, et al were delivering the 'rescued' to? The Superdome and Convention Center. Rescuers were doing what FEMA instructed. Why would the rescued have to rescue themselves? Why would people who have had no food or water for three days leave the only location rumored to be safe and where the food and water was suppose to be coming ... anytime now? Even the president said that food and water was coming. Or course, he lied. But how did those people know?

Look, top management of FEMA and the president of the US were lying. Where were those 400 trucks of food and water from Monday? One with an engineer's attitude immediately suspects a lie. The president provides no useful information so that news services could confirm that 400 truck claim. At what point do the majority of Americans acknowledge that this president is clearly a mental midget?

The people in the Superdome and Convention Center were doing what they were told because it was their only hope of living. Thank god for people like the press who reported this problem for days. Finally even FEMA learned of the problem three days later because they feared what you might think. First off, there was no place with supplies to go to. There were no supplies being delivered for days. Second there were few known safe places. I am particularly struck by an Ohio girl who wandered for days with a group of fellow casino employees constantly running into life threatening situations. Once the reporter loaned her a cell phone, she called her dad in OH, begging him to come and get her out - and of course crying. They, like most all people, could not get out, found the city full of danger, AND for days no National Guard and no supplies were available.

I am particularly struck that almost 50% of this nation (in polls) says that George Jr did a good job in New Orleans. Michael Brown is his man. Responsible managers (ie Gen George Patten) would have been on the phone repeatedly every day getting reports and, most important, demanding to know directly from Michael Brown what FEMA needed this hour. Clearly the President did not do what any good manager does. But then this president was an MBA who never ran a successful organization; never even brought in one oil well. George Jr did exactly what MBAs do.

In hindsight, you would think that people would have started walking to the airport some ten miles away in the 90+ degree sun. Well, I ride a bicycle only ten miles and people actually think that is a major accomplishment - when fed and watered. Eight miles on a bike is about equal to one mile of walking which is actually considered a challenge to many people. But now you want them to walk ten miles to an airport down roads they don't know are open let alone safe? You want them to walk to someplace that has just as much no food and water? At least they had sun shade where they were. You want them to walk after not having water for three days? People die after three days of no water. Now you expect them to walk ten plus miles to something that may not even exist?

Most people did what they were told. They assumed top management was working for them. They did not understand that George Jr was spinning this crisis as he did 11 September and the Tsunami response. In fact, a challenger to every Cellar dweller who did not agree with my analysis of the Tsunami. Fess up now. Tell me George Jr was responsible back then? So many even in the Cellar are in denial of what is required from the boss.

In 11 September, the George Jr administration did not one action to avert or responsibly respond during the 11 September attacks. That made woefully obvious from the September 11 Commission report. Most people just assumed aid was coming to New Orleans as they had been told. Many believed a president who said that 400 trucks with food and water were enroute. So, of course, those people did not walk out.

Now you want to believe they will walk ten miles in 90 degree heat to someplace they don't even know is safe - after not eating or drinking for three days?

The devil is in those details - such as no water for three days. One detail that is woefully obvious is outright criminal neglect of New Orleans by Pres George Jr and by his personal agent on the scene - Michael Brown, Director of FEMA. Brown was a George Jr appointee without any experience in anything closely resembling emergency management. He is classic of what MBAs promote - people without any dirt under their fingernails - but a political supporter.

If you did not see the Nightline interview, then you don't appreciate how much outright lying and denial was Michael Brown. He respresents what other George Jr appointees did during 11 September. Did you see how Koppel literally seethed as Michael Brown avoided every damning question.

We have a classic example of the George Jr administration. Those lines of C5A, 747, C17, C130, and C141 transport planes in Louis Armstrong International unloading food and water, then removing victims to hospitals and shelter elsewhere. Where are those pictures? Right there next to all the promises from George Jr about 400 trucks and the rebuilding of Trent Lott's porch. Most telling are pictures that don't exist such as tens of thousands of National Guardsmen delivering food and water to the Superdome and Convention Center. The most informative pictures are the ones that could never exist - thank you Mr President.

:mg: :eyebrow: :mad: :banghead:

I feel better when I remember we can doubt polls validity...

Open Letter to the President
 

From the staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune Sunday 9/4

We heard you loud and clear Friday when you visited our devastated city and the Gulf Coast and said, "What is not working, we’re going to make it right."

Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise before believing you. But we have good reason for our skepticism.

Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It’s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.

How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.

Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.

Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.

Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a "Today" show story Friday morning.

Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.

We’re angry, Mr. President, and we’ll be angry long after our beloved city and surrounding parishes have been pumped dry. Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been were not. That’s to the government’s shame.

Mayor Ray Nagin did the right thing Sunday when he allowed those with no other alternative to seek shelter from the storm inside the Louisiana Superdome. We still don’t know what the death toll is, but one thing is certain: Had the Superdome not been opened, the city’s death toll would have been higher. The toll may even have been exponentially higher.

It was clear to us by late morning Monday that many people inside the Superdome would not be returning home. It should have been clear to our government, Mr. President. So why weren’t they evacuated out of the city immediately? We learned seven years ago, when Hurricane Georges threatened, that the Dome isn’t suitable as a long-term shelter. So what did state and national officials think would happen to tens of thousands of people trapped inside with no air conditioning, overflowing toilets and dwindling amounts of food, water and other essentials?

State Rep. Karen Carter was right Friday when she said the city didn’t have but two urgent needs: "Buses! And gas!" Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired, Director Michael Brown especially.

In a nationally televised interview Thursday night, he said his agency hadn’t known until that day that thousands of storm victims were stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He gave another nationally televised interview the next morning and said, "We’ve provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they’ve gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day."

Lies don’t get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President.

Yet, when you met with Mr. Brown Friday morning, you told him, "You’re doing a heck of a job."

That’s unbelievable.

There were thousands of people at the Convention Center because the riverfront is high ground. The fact that so many people had reached there on foot is proof that rescue vehicles could have gotten there, too.

We, who are from New Orleans, are no less American than those who live on the Great Plains or along the Atlantic Seaboard. We’re no less important than those from the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia. Our people deserved to be rescued.

No expense should have been spared. No excuses should have been voiced. Especially not one as preposterous as the claim that New Orleans couldn’t be reached.

Mr. President, we sincerely hope you fulfill your promise to make our beloved communities work right once again.

When you do, we will be the first to applaud.

Bob Schieffer comments
 

Sorry for posting lots of quoted text, but he says it so well.
From Sunday's Face the Nation:

Doesn't that article say that the cops shot and killed the guys who were shooting at the contractors? I don't read anywhere in that where cops were shooting at the contractors, anyway.

I didn't see cops shooting contractors either...

Me of course. You're welcome.


...or maybe....forgive me.

God, You're a racist!!!!

I just found the answer to this one...it seems that the report was issued in error originally, and it did say that cops had shot Corps employees. This was later corrected.

I knew Wolf wouldn't have botched something like that. She's a sharp cookie.

Yeah, we noticed that you seem to have put your kid in charge again while you were off on that junket to Alpha Centauri.

NG, the word amongst us celestial beings is that God is not racist, he's just out there. Waaaaay out there!

That's what the article said originally ... I knew I should have cut and pasted the content as well as linked ...

I saw that on an Aussie paper site but I think everybodies backing away from that story now.

The denial starts with Y-O-U, tw. You just simply cannot believe in being fair to Republicans, so you rave and slobber and disgrace and degrade and embarrass yourself in a silly, misguided, makes-the-Left-look-dumb effort to place blame for everything even unto the Ice Ages on people to the right of MoveOn.org. That is why everyone to the right of MoveOn.org thinks you're not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. That would be approximately 280 million Americans, tw.

This from someone who rewrites history to conform to his preordained political agenda? Your name would not be George Jr per chance? You did say no one expected the leeves to be breached? Sorry. I must have you confused with someone of lesser intelligence.

I heard this morning (Wednesday) on the radio "France Inter" that French rescuers were still not allowed to intervene in USA. So waiting, they're unloading trucks all day long and already foresee to come back to France.

I didn't know everything was all right.

There are lots of foreign aid shipments idling in ports, waiting for permission to come. Everything from water purifiers to portable cell phone towers.

Nah, I think denial is spelled "UG"! You really want to tell us the government did a brilliant job on this one? :lame:

Rewrite history? Ballocks and balderdash. I rewrite nothing, but merely read it better than you do. It's always going to be that way.

Sorry is right, you hemipygian stumblefuck, and you damned well should be sorry. I never said that and don't recall that anyone in this thread did.

:lame: Indeed when it comes to thought, you're beyond lame, tw. You are an amputee, scrabbling around on a four-wheel dolly.

Woo, now that's interesting! Noon Thursday, Fox News' McCowan just delivered herself of the line "Smoke on the Water" in the New Orleans flood coverage.

Insult and four letter words are the first symptoms of those who always know - facts be damned. The resulting frustration from having 'knowledge not based in reality' are insults and four letter words. Having said this, let us see how long it takes for Urbane Guerilla to post without insulting. Sounds like this could be an IQ test.

Hint for UG: Its very boring when one is trying to intelligently discuss or debate a topic to be constantly interrupted by a stream of invective and obscenities - rather like the 4 year old coming out in his pajamas and shreiking "Look at me!" to the adults at a cocktail party. :blunt:

Wow, UG knows a clever word for 'half-assed'. 6 years ago the Republicans were given the keys to the country. A significant minority of them have proceeded to drive it off of the cliff, and only a few have the moral decency to protest. Any attempt by non-Republicans to point this out is immediately shouted down with cries of 'partisanship'.

There are arguably worse places to be subjected to this type of dismal leadership. A back trail in a jungle in Vietnam or an alley in Iraq comes to mind. But at least there you have the company of fellow armed travellers and the satisfaction that if an officer does something truly stupid, he will probably be the first one they shoot at.

Unfortunately, Darwin's law works in reverse when it comes to politics and the people who are truly and dangerously incompetent are usually the least likely to be affected by it.

18 months later.

A friend of mine just got back from a mission trip to New Orleans to help gut a ruined, mold-infested house. 12 people on their team took two full days to get one house ripped down to studs and emptied.

She took lots of pictures. It blows my mind that a year and a half later, the place still looks like this:

The for sale signs were almost a sick joke. I don't know exactly what the spraypainted Xs mean, something to do with the mold and contamination, but almost all the houses had them.

RIP Zack.

Yes, that is a car under the house.

The red steps used to lead up to the house.