The Perfect Storm

[ahoythematey]

It would be enormously stupid for any terrorist group to do something like that at this moment, nevermind that it's awful and stupid by it's nature.  Not only would it evaporate a majority of the current contempt borne towards us by our "allies", but our whole culture has a history of becoming awfully violent when we feel like we are being backed into a corner.  It's a part of what makes the american society both fantastic and horrific at the same time.

[Strazos]

As much as the global community dislikes US foreign policy at the moment, a terrorist attack would garner a lot of support for any kind of retribution.

[HaemishM]

Halliburton hired for storm cleanup

Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money.

Ignoring the logic that the big probably went to them years before the disaster (or at least in 2004), I can only say:

WE'VE GIVEN THESE COCKBLISTERS TOO MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY.

[Strazos]

And oddly enough, very few people care.

[Merusk]

People are stupid.  We're in the 'circus and gladiator' part of the Empire timeline.  Next comes the infiltration of outside forces and decay from within before being overtoppled by a 'barbarian' culture.   

[Kenrick]

Luckily, Gordon Freeman and a band of City 17 citizen rebels have taken over operations.



The gravity guns will come in very handy for the levee repairs.

[Yegolev]

Hmm, good news, that's tough.  Almost anything is good news at this point.  We regained power at a Baton Rouge plant on Friday and internet access in Gulfport.  Maybe that sounds tangentally related to the relief effort, and it is tangental to the immediate life-saving shit, but getting the industry back into operation is important for local families and the country as a whole.

I'd comment on the other junk, but you might have noticed that I don't ever go into the Politics forum.  There will be plenty of time for kicking the Homeland Security Dept's underdeveloped nutsack in the next couple of years.

[ClydeJr]

However, given the ongoing situation in the city, I am forced to make an extremely difficult decision – Tulane University cannot hold a fall semester on its campus.

Same has happened to U of New Orleans, Loyola U, Southern U, and Dillard U. Many schools have offered to accept students from those universities.

[Sky]

There will be plenty of time for kicking the Homeland Security Dept's underdeveloped nutsack in the next couple of years.

If I wasn't a lazy bastard, I'd make a blanket: The Homeland Security Blanket. It'd be more effective than anything else they've done. Mascot would be Linus, of course (not torvalds).

[Yegolev]

For more good news, you might know that my company is supplying bagged and boxed water to FEMA and the Defense Logistics Agency (including Camp Shelby).  Know also that we have secured the New Orleans manufacturing plant and have allowed the Jefferson Parish Police to use the facility as a staging area.  There were about one million cases of product in the plant when the storm hit, and all of it that is salvageable will be donated to the relief effort.

[Trippy]

For more good news, you might know that my company is supplying bagged and boxed water to FEMA and the Defense Logistics Agency (including Camp Shelby).  Know also that we have secured the New Orleans manufacturing plant and have allowed the Jefferson Parish Police to use the facility as a staging area.  There were about one million cases of product in the plant when the storm hit, and all of it that is salvageable will be donated to the relief effort.

[Shockeye]

U.S. agency blocks photos of New Orleans dead

07 Sep 2005 00:56:29 GMT

NEW ORLEANS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government agency leading the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded New Orleans area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, heavily criticized for its slow response to the devastation caused by the hurricane, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims.

An agency spokeswoman said space was needed on the rescue boats and that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."

"We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media," the spokeswoman said in an e-mailed response to a Reuters inquiry.

The Bush administration also has prevented the news media from photographing flag-draped caskets of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, which has sparked criticism that the government is trying to block images that put the war in a bad light.

The White House is under fire for its handling of the relief effort, which many officials have charged was slow and bureacratic, contributing to the death and mayhem in New Orleans after the storm struck on Aug. 29. (Additional reporting by Deborah Charles)

I spose they could always send Kenny Rogers after photographers that violate the "request".

[Shockeye]

So what if you're a firefighter? We need people to hand out fliers!

[Miasma]

More priorities mixed up.

Navy Pilots Who Rescued Victims Are Reprimanded

Probably need to register for the New York Times, the article was too long to quote.

[WayAbvPar]

U.S. agency blocks photos of New Orleans dead

07 Sep 2005 00:56:29 GMT

NEW ORLEANS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government agency leading the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded New Orleans area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, heavily criticized for its slow response to the devastation caused by the hurricane, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims.

An agency spokeswoman said space was needed on the rescue boats and that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."

"We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media," the spokeswoman said in an e-mailed response to a Reuters inquiry.

The Bush administration also has prevented the news media from photographing flag-draped caskets of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, which has sparked criticism that the government is trying to block images that put the war in a bad light.

The White House is under fire for its handling of the relief effort, which many officials have charged was slow and bureacratic, contributing to the death and mayhem in New Orleans after the storm struck on Aug. 29. (Additional reporting by Deborah Charles)

I spose they could always send Kenny Rogers after photographers that violate the "request".

Not that I am terribly interested in seeing dead bodies, but I think the country and the world needs to see the full scope of this disaster. Notice that we got an eye full of the dead tsunami victims...but that wasn't bad press for the administration. I will save any further comment for the poo flinging in Politics.

[HaemishM]

So what if you're a firefighter? We need people to hand out fliers!

The galling piece of that story is that these guys are leaving their own towns shorthanded to do something you can get teenaged kids from a charity car wash to do.

[Shockeye]

Some lights are on in the city of New Orleans as shown in this night photo made late Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005. Power is slowly being restored to the area still besieged by flood water. New Orleans officials said Tuesday that they would begin to force people to leave their homes. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

[Evangolis]

Some lights are on in the city of New Orleans as shown in this night photo made late Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005. Power is slowly being restored to the area still besieged by flood water. New Orleans officials said Tuesday that they would begin to force people to leave their homes. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Not sure what you are driving at here.  The city is filled with toxic waste, and at least some of the fires may have been started by candles in people's homes.

It's closing time, drink up and get out.  Come back when we've mopped the floor and got the john unplugged.

[Shockeye]

It's an interesting picture, I'm not driving at anything. Plus, you can't see color. Go away.

[Llava]

The reflections are so much more colorful than the actual lights.  That's due to the toxins in the water, yes?

[Yegolev]

The reflections are so much more colorful than the actual lights.  That's due to the toxins in the water, yes?

Or shitty camera?

Google map for critical information:
http://www.scipionus.com/

Fuck you, FEMA, we'll do it ourselves.

[Yegolev]

Our system provided two truckloads of water to a hospital in Bougaloosa(?), LA.  They were virtually out of water for patients when our shipment arrived.  We are still providing truckloads of water and other products to FEMA and other products to the Astrodome, churches and community centers in the area.  Naturally we are also supplying water to military personnel and depndents as well.

We committed to supplying FEMA facilities with 20 truckloads of "bag-in-box" water ~2.5 gallons each, and 20 truckloads (~11,000 cases) of 12-ounce cans of water daily.  Some cool people located taps to fill the BIB containers with water, which are normally used for syrup.

[Stephen Zepp]

I fully admit I'm in a very bad mood right now (see my repeated responses in the Politics threads), but you know what pisses me off the most?

In Bangladesh, disasters of this magnitude happen every year. Hundreds of thousands of people die, but it's mostly ignored by the press.

In Iraq prior to the first US invasion, more people died every single month soley to entertain Suddam Hussein than have died in the entire Katrina disaster so far worldwide.

There are more than 150 US cities with larger populations than NO, and the federal disaster preparation budget is spread across all of them. No matter WHICH city got hit, gov't looks bad, period.

How many people here are yelling at their politicians to fund asteroid impact avoidance tactics? Because the risk/damage ratio of that happening is thousands of times greater than what happened in NO...we're talking complete destruction of the human race, and it is guaranteed to happen...it's happened already, and guess what? It's due!

Armchair quarterback all you want. Blame the republicans, blame the gov't, blame Bush all you want...I'm sitting here right now myself blaming the welfare-oriented politicians that let individuals live in obvious diaster-prone areas such as the below sea level portions of NO, and actually funded building housing for them there, while listening to these forums bitch that the current adminstration can't bail them out of such completely idiotic housing plans.

Do you honestly think that Bush should be responsible for bailing out the rediculously short sighted welfare-oriented (ok, I'll say it: Democratic) plans that let those people live there in the first place?

Whatever.

Let's ignore racial profiling here for a minute, and go for political profiling: Anyone have any idea what the percentage of republican vs. democratic political affiliations are represented in the populace that didn't evacuate? What's amazingly sad is that most of the pro-democrats are going to immediately turn my statements here around and say that it's the republican's fault that they "let" these people live there, and didn't plan to save their sorry asses when the idiocy of those funding plans became obvious...

[Merusk]

Way to ignore the economic and military significance of NO.  Or the fact that there's been a city there longer than there's been a Democratic OR Republican party.  No, really, let's just raze the whole area, because there's NO PLACE suitable to build outside of the French Quarter.  We don't need a port at the one spot in the US that 2/3 of it's waterways drain through anyway.

[Abel]

In Iraq prior to the first US invasion, more people died every single month soley to entertain Suddam Hussein than have died in the entire Katrina disaster so far worldwide.

For the record, since the US invasion more Iraqis have died then during Saddam's rule. For the average Iraqi life got a lot more dangerous the past couple of years. That's not all that surprising and not just the Americans blame as the country has seen a relentless, bloody insurgency.

In Bangladesh, disasters of this magnitude happen every year. Hundreds of thousands of people die, but it's mostly ignored by the press.

Can't be 100 % on this, but I think that's quite a bit exaggerated too. Floods do often happen, but the death count usually remains on the low side (though you certainly wouldn't want to live there).

To reply more to your point, as with the aftermath of any disaster, it's being used as political ammunition by about everyone. If I try to be objective it seems to me that FEMA has failed badly, which is a federal organisation and indeed Bushs responsibility. But Louisiana has also been let down by it's (democrat) senators and governor. But it's still a bit early to see things clearly, all we can be sure off at this moment is that it didn't go very well.

[Miasma]

Anyone remember the amusing parts of the British comedy "The Office" or its American spin-off where the Boss would have to constantly correct that one little twerp about being the Assistant to the Manager, not the Assistant Manager?

Well, the head of FEMA must of thought it was very funny too.

Brown's biography on the agency Web site said he had once served as an "assistant city manager with emergency services oversight," but Time quoted an official in Edmond, Oklahoma, as saying the job was actually "assistant to the city manager," with little responsibility.

The only emergency experience he has is akin to being an intern, same with five other top FEMA people.  They did however have connections in the white house from working on Bush's 2000 campaign and such.

[Murgos]

How many people here are yelling at their politicians to fund asteroid impact avoidance tactics? Because the risk/damage ratio of that happening is thousands of times greater than what happened in NO...we're talking complete destruction of the human race, and it is guaranteed to happen...it's happened already, and guess what? It's due!

*cough* geologic timescale *cough*

Due, in this instance, means sometime in the next million years or so.

[Pococurante]

They did however have connections in the white house from working on Bush's 2000 campaign and such.

Even cuter is his assertion he was a professor at a university whose records show he was a student.

Yay us.

[Evangolis]

How many people here are yelling at their politicians to fund asteroid impact avoidance tactics? Because the risk/damage ratio of that happening is thousands of times greater than what happened in NO...we're talking complete destruction of the human race, and it is guaranteed to happen...it's happened already, and guess what? It's due!

*cough* geologic timescale *cough*

Due, in this instance, means sometime in the next million years or so.

I don't think they have got a firm grip on the period yet.  Given that the result would be fatal to most if not all of the human species, it is at least worth trying to nail down the probability more closely, which I believe is an ongoing project.  Not sure I'm disagreeing with either of you here.

[Shockeye]

Breaking news from CNN:

FEMA director Michael Brown being sent back to Washington; Homeland Security Director Chertoff to announce new leader for on-the-ground Katrina relief efforts, senior administration official tells CNN. Details soon.

[OcellotJenkins]

Sorry to get off topic, but Shockeye, WTF is going on in your picture?  Is that SirBruce?

[Shockeye]

Sorry to get off topic, but Shockeye, WTF is going on in your picture?  Is that SirBruce?

It's one of those LARP gatherings. 'nuff said.

[Stephen Zepp]

Way to ignore the economic and military significance of NO.  Or the fact that there's been a city there longer than there's been a Democratic OR Republican party.  No, really, let's just raze the whole area, because there's NO PLACE suitable to build outside of the French Quarter.  We don't need a port at the one spot in the US that 2/3 of it's waterways drain through anyway.

Way to ignore the fact that a very good portion of the city is fine and dandy, because it is above sea level. I'll have more information when my business partner gets back from his survey trip back to his home and offices in NO (he should be on his way back now), but he doesn't live in the French Quarter, and initial reports is some relatively minor damage.

[Stephen Zepp]

In Iraq prior to the first US invasion, more people died every single month soley to entertain Suddam Hussein than have died in the entire Katrina disaster so far worldwide.

For the record, since the US invasion more Iraqis have died then during Saddam's rule. For the average Iraqi life got a lot more dangerous the past couple of years. That's not all that surprising and not just the Americans blame as the country has seen a relentless, bloody insurgency.

In Bangladesh, disasters of this magnitude happen every year. Hundreds of thousands of people die, but it's mostly ignored by the press.

Can't be 100 % on this, but I think that's quite a bit exaggerated too. Floods do often happen, but the death count usually remains on the low side (though you certainly wouldn't want to live there).

To reply more to your point, as with the aftermath of any disaster, it's being used as political ammunition by about everyone. If I try to be objective it seems to me that FEMA has failed badly, which is a federal organisation and indeed Bushs responsibility. But Louisiana has also been let down by it's (democrat) senators and governor. But it's still a bit early to see things clearly, all we can be sure off at this moment is that it didn't go very well.

I spent 2.5 months in Bangladesh helping them build a national flood disaster recovery plan. One of the data points we used was 200,000+ dead every year from floods and flood related diseases, as well as historical data from their worst floods in the past.

What's interesting is that evacuation was the easy part...no infrastructure combined with walking as the primary means of transport actually makes it easier to move large amounts of people...the main problems were notification and supply logistics post disaster...pretty much exactly what we are seeing now, except that Bangladeshi's don't tend to try to kill the people delivering them food and water.

[jinxer]

Good god, Shockeye.  Did that girl in your avatar pic get beat with a rotten steak or what?    What were they LARPing?  What's Love Got to Do With It?   Is she playing Tina?  And, oh look, that guy scoping her out must be Ike!