New Orleans Is Flooded Again.

[Doc]

:unsure:

This is awful. Levees are busting all over the place, and weakened spots that needed to be repaired but were not because they were fixing actual holes have started to bust open.

This is crazy.

A moment of prayer and silence for all those in the path of Rita.

[Any1]

This was hardly unexpected. The prediction was anything more than 3 inches of rain and the levees would give again.

We have two more months to go 'til the end of Hurrican season (November 30th). I wouldn't rule out at least another Category 4/5 in the gulf this season. By then we'd be another $200B in the hole and gas should be at $4-5 a gallon. Merry Christmas. :o

[Occhidiangela]

This was hardly unexpected.  The prediction was anything more than 3 inches of rain and the levees would give again.

We have two more months to go 'til the end of Hurrican season (November 30th).  I wouldn't rule out at least another Category 4/5 in the gulf this season. 
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I disagree. We have three cold fronts to go. When the third Canadian Air (blessed be its name) front passes into the Gulf sometime in late October/early November, as happens every year, hurricane season will be over in the GUlf.

It's been happening like that in the Gulf for years.

Occhi

[Any1]

I disagree.  We have three cold fronts to go.  When the third Canadian Air (blessed be its name) front passes into the Gulf sometime in late October/early November, as happens every year, hurricane season will be over in the GUlf.

It's been happening like that in the Gulf for years.

Occhi
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I hope you're right.

[Occhidiangela]

I hope you're right.
[right][snapback]90041[/snapback][/right]

You and me both! :D

Occhi

[Doc]

It's like a gosh damned Greek tragedy.

[Occhidiangela]

It's like a gosh damned Greek tragedy.
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How so?

Who is the Greek Chorus, Doc, in this Greek tragedy? Is it the screaming libs, buffoons, whiners, and pundits who assert that somehow Man can control or defeat Nature? Where is the agency, the primal cause of all the tragedy? In a Greek tragedy, the gods of the Greek pantheon get their fingers into the works of human life and gum it up.

Those gods were defeated by the White Christ a millenium and a half ago. They've been getting desparately drunk on Olympus ever since, and have left Man alone.

Maybe it is the hand of God, or Allah, perhaps Krishna, bitch slapping humanity for its innate hubris. No, that happened during the Tsunami, when a few hundred thousand died under a micro example of The Great Flood.

Oh, wait, it is all a conspiracy, the HAARP project come to fruition, and the weather is being used as a weapon against America's citizens by its own government. Thanks to Louis Farakhan, it is spelled out with illiterate imprecision for all to see.

Or maybe this falls under Life Its Own Self, and

Feces Occurs.

Occhi

[Minionman]

It's like a gosh damned Greek tragedy.
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Nobody is killing themselves, the problems are more about poor people than rich people, its no greek tragedy. Just an extra result of some dumb decisions beforehand.

[Occhidiangela]

Nobody is killing themselves, the problems are more about poor people than rich people, its no greek tragedy.  Just an extra result of some dumb decisions beforehand.
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More about sheeple . . . and yes, partly the result of flawed policy, to put a different shape on your basic sculpture.

Occhi

[Taem]

:unsure:

This is awful. Levees are busting all over the place, and weakened spots that needed to be repaired but were not because they were fixing actual holes have started to bust open.

This is crazy.

A moment of prayer and silence for all those in the path of Rita.
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PERSONAL NOTE: Getting very sleepy and words aren’t coming out as eloquently as I’d like, but I will try and be as clear as possible.

I found it interesting that when the storm hit, Louisiana received the brunt and tail of the damage, but all the news focused on was Texas and the oil refineries. Then I heard that bit about New Orleans on a private news station, but nothing on local or national news including CNN and the Weather Channel. After millions of Americans donated towards hurricane Katrina victims, WTF - it was like a slap in the face. The media either needed something fresh, or focused on the rich, white folks down in Texas so they would receive more sympathy - a.k.a. funding aid. I also heard in the same broadcast, thou I have no web-links to verify, that Texans affected by the storm received special aid in the form of home purchasing and rebuilding (low 1% APR, labor and parts cost discount), not to mentions they received immediate aid and food. Why were the citizens of New Orleans left high and dry? I have strong feelings on the subject, but without fact, its all conjecture so I'll keep my thoughts to myself on the matter, however if what the broadcast said about Texans receiving 'special' aid from the government was true while New Orleans was not included, that makes me ashamed of the favoritism the president obviously shows towards his home state - at the very least!

[jahcs]

The media had been covering the Katrina disaster ad nauseam. After a few weeks of 'New Orleans completely destroyed' the Headline 'Rita floods New Orleans, again' doesn't have the same impact as 'Texas Coast towns wiped out by Rita, more Refineries damaged.'

And for the sympathy and charity portion, many folks may say "I already gave for the folks in LA but I guess I can give a bit for the folks in Texas."

As to the Government's response to Rita part of it may be leadership competence, a better disaster plan, learning from the mistakes of Katrina, having a lot of disaster responders and agencies already active, geography, and it wasn't a compound disaster that wiped out the ability for authorities to respond.

[Doc]

This is going to sound like a really bad pun, but it boils down to over saturation.

At that point, NO was yesterday's media whore.

Local news stations are saying nothing about NO... Now it's all about the courageous and brave residents of Texas who battled the hurricane and won, through the strength in their hearts and their commitment to the "american way."

Also, I would say there is some racism involved in there somewhere.

Oops typo.

[Occhidiangela]

Local news stations are saying nothing about NO... Now it's all about the courageous and brave residents of Texas who battled the hurricane and won, through the strength in their hearts and their commitment to the "american way."

Also, I would say there is some racism involved in there somewhere.

Oops typo.
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Here in Texas, we aren't stuck on stupid. "We're" stuck on I-45 if we live in Houston. <_< (Which I don't.) As to your racism gambit, would you please leave that crap to the jackanapes in the press and their selective reportage, their agendas, and their sense of what will sell soap today? We don't need that here.

Occhi

[JustAGuy]

Here in Texas, we aren't stuck on stupid.&nbsp; "We're" stuck on I-45 if we live in Houston.&nbsp; <_<&nbsp; (Which I don't.)&nbsp; As to your racism gambit, would you please leave that crap to the jackanapes in the press and their selective reportage, their agendas, and their sense of what will sell soap today?&nbsp; We don't need that here.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Occhi
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But, but... Didn't you hear? George Bush hates black people. I'm not sure if you listen to hip hop, or the notable hip-hopper Kanye West, but that's what his opinion is.

I don't think it's about racism, it's just about money. That's all "da pres-o-dent" has ever been about.

[Taem]

But, but... Didn't you hear? George Bush hates black people. I'm not sure if you listen to hip hop, or the notable hip-hopper Kanye West, but that's what his opinion is.

I don't think it's about racism, it's just about money. That's all "da pres-o-dent" has ever been about.
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Alright, I think I started this with this quote:

The media either needed something fresh, or focused on the rich, white folks down in Texas so they would receive more sympathy - a.k.a. funding aid

So I shall wallow in my own demise... When I said that little tid-bit, it was a generic response as I believe the only color that people really listen too is green colored. What I meant to say, if I may try again, is that it seems in my opinion that the media choose to focus specifically on Texans as heros and ignored the problems NO was suffering to a greater extent. Furthermore, regarding the media, I find it strange that typically caucasian individuals are displayed as "local hero's" or is some way more needy when it comes to aid. All those of negro decent, except for political leaders, have been displayed as low-income and devestated, thus my inclusion - however unwarrented - of my observation of the news. It wouldn't be fair to stereio-type 'media' in general, and definitly not people by race or poverty for the sake of argument, especially when I'm simply trying to point out the apparent media "lack-of-coverage" in NO and the way that makes me feel, nothing more or less.

Hope this makes some sense and perhaps clears some misunderstanding up. I will reread when I get home. At work now and getting busy.

[Occhidiangela]

in my opinion that the media choose to focus specifically on Texans as heros and ignored the problems NO was suffering to a greater extent. Furthermore, regarding the media, I find it strange that typically caucasian individuals are displayed as "local hero's" or is some way more needy when it comes to aid. All those of negro decent, except for political leaders, have been displayed as low-income and devestated, thus my inclusion - however unwarrented - of my observation of the news. [right][snapback]90707[/snapback][/right]

You should have quit and STFU while you were ahead. You are only digging a deeper hole.

You obviously have not see all of the media coverage. Neither have I. I've seen too much at this point. Certain folks sought out the media as an amplifier for their message, and of course the whores in the media laid back and spread 'em for a shot at a rating. Too much agenda, not enough focus on the mission of helping folks over come a very bad roll of the dice.

Heck, even if you and I had seen all of the coverage, it still only represents a fraction of the whole story, which in its totality is a chaotic tapestry of people doing grand and not so grand things.

RIP to the poor folks on that bus near Dallas that caught fire. There's a twist of fate I'd not wish on anyone.

Occhi

[Occhidiangela]

or the notable hip-hopper Kanye West, but that's what his opinion is.

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His opinion and a bucket of horsecrap belong in the same receptacle. How is a hip hopper, by basic definition in the roots of Hip Hop a racist from the streets, in any position to objectively talk about race? Answer: he can't.

Occhi

[Taem]

You should have quit and STFU while you were ahead. You are only digging a deeper hole.

Wow, I'm shocked! I had no idea this would be such a hot-button issue and had no intention of riling anyone up with my comments, especially not you Occhidiangela. My response was because I didn't want people using my words as a springboard to other threads of similar decent and I thought I outlined my intentions well-enough. In that particular section you quoted, I was merely trying to explain myself from the first post, admitting that the words I used were from an "unwarranted" train of thought because, as you put it

You obviously have not see all of the media coverage.

,

and believe it or not, I was TRYING to point out that exact fact in the following sentences by saying that thinking along 'that train of thought' was nothing more than stereo-typing...

Nonetheless, I feel it has become necessary for me to offer my apologies to any and all I may have offended with my words. I did not realize there were some of you who would feel so strongly on the subject and would never intentionally cause strife here at the LL. I do realize however, that as with all manner of personal opinion, someone will always disagree and to those people, I'm sorry.

-MEAT-

[Occhidiangela]

Nonetheless, I feel it has become necessary for me to offer my apologies to any and all I may have offended with my words. I did not realize there were some of you who would feel so strongly on the subject and would never intentionally cause strife here at the LL. I do realize however, that as with all manner of personal opinion, someone will always disagree and to those people, I'm sorry.

-MEAT-
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No need to apologize. I was a bit acid in my reply, and that does indeed warrant an apology to you, since you really weren't trying to start a scrap.

The foul is mine.

Occhi

[Taem]

:unsure:

This is awful. Levees are busting all over the place, and weakened spots that needed to be repaired but were not because they were fixing actual holes have started to bust open.

This is crazy.

A moment of prayer and silence for all those in the path of Rita.
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No, this is crazy! This really makes Bush look negligent for being able to prevent the flooding in New Orleans, and lying to the public about there being no threat from Katrina when he heard indisputable information ahead of time. To sum this up in simple terms, this was a fully preventable tragedy.

[/minor rant]
I’m waiting to see what the Bush administration has to say about this. How long will Bush ride the “ignorance” train until it derails? Is his administration really that ineffective that he believes Iraq has WMD’s, that the levees will not burst, that wiretapping millions of Americans is within his legal rights, etc. Sure, these are different circumstances that all went sour, but this is the same administration making these mistakes.
[\minor rant]

Oh well, I just hope the government gets FEMA up to speed so if another tragedy strikes, we’ll be fully prepared. I believe everything happens for a reason and perhaps the incident in New Orleans helped create a more stable and quick to respond FEMA, and possibly expose weaknesses in our current governments administrations that needed exposing to ultimately make it a stronger government in times ahead. Time will tell.

EDIT: Tested dirrect link and it didn't work. Here's the URL:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6030202130.html