I first mentioned finding this amazing blog—The Interdictor—which is written by a group of people holed up in an office building in downtown New Orleans, during the week that I came home from the hospital and was still in a drug induced haze.
The site seems to be quite legit as I have followed the photo links and endlessly watched the Web cam of the streets surrounding the building and it would be hard to fake something like this in such detail.
I know that some of my readers don’t follow my links so I thought that I would copy their latest post in its entirety:
"Jeff Rau, a family and now personal friend to whom I will forever be linked, and I were volunteering with a boat and pulling people out of the water on Wednesday. I have a first-hand experience of what we encountered. In my opinion, everything that is going on in the media is a complete bastardization of what is really happening. The result is that good people are dying and losing family members. I have my own set of opinions about welfare and people working to improve thier own lot instead of looking for handouts, but what is occurring now is well beyond those borders. These people need help and need to get out. We can sort out all of the social and political issues later, but human beings with any sense of compassion would agree that the travesty that is going on here in New Orleans needs to end and people's lives need to be saved and families need to be put back together. Now.
I will tell you that I would probably disagree with most of the people that still need to be saved on political, social, and cultural values. However, it must be noted that these people love thier friends and families like I do, desire to live like I do, and care for their respective communities (I was even amazed at the site of seemingly young and poor black people caring for sickly and seemingly well-to-do white people and tourists still needing evacuation from New Orleans' downtown area) the same way I care for mine.
Eight people in particular who stood out during our rescue and whose stories deserve to be told:
1.) We were in motor boats all day ferrying people back and forth approximately a mile and a half each way (from Carrolton down Airline Hwy to the Causeway overpass). Early in the day, we witnessed a black man in a boat with no motor paddling with a piece of lumber. He rescued people in the boat and paddled them to safety (a mile and a half). He then, amidst all of the boats with motors, turned around and paddled back out across the mile and a half stretch to do his part in getting more people out. He refused to give up or occupy any of the motored boat resources because he did not want to slow us down in our efforts. I saw him at about 5:00 p.m., paddling away from the rescue point back out into the neighborhoods with about a half mile until he got to the neighborhood, just two hours before nightfall. I am sure that his trip took at least an hour and a half each trip, and he was going back to get more people knowing that he'd run out of daylight. He did all of this with a two-by-four.
2.) One of the groups that we rescued were 50 people standing on the bridge that crosses over Airline Hwy just before getting to Carrolton Ave going toward downtown. Most of these people had been there, with no food, water, or anyplace to go since Monday morning (we got to them Wed afternoon) and surrounded by 10 feet of water all around them. There was one guy who had been there since the beginning, organizing people and helping more people to get to the bridge safely as more water rose on Wednesday morning. He did not leave the bridge until everyone got off safely, even deferring to people who had gotten to the bridge Wed a.m. and, although inconvenienced by loss of power and weather damage, did have the luxury of some food and some water as late as Tuesday evening. This guy waited on the bridge until dusk, and was one of the last boats out that night. He could have easily not made it out that night and been stranded on the bridge alone.
3.) The third story may be the most compelling. I will not mince words. This was in a really rough neighborhood and we came across five seemingly unsavory characters. One had scars from what seemed to be gunshot wounds. We found these guys at a two-story recreational complex, one of the only two-story buildings in the neighborhood. They broke into the center and tried to rustle as many people as possible from the neighborhood into the center. These guys stayed outside in the center all day, getting everyone out of the rec center onto boats. We approached them at approximately 6:30 p.m., obviously one of the last trips of the day, and they sent us further into the neighborhood to get more people out of homes and off rooftops instead of getting on themselves. This at the risk of their not getting out and having to stay in the water for an undetermined (you have to understand the uncertainly that all of the people in these accounts faced without having any info on the rescue efforts, how far or deep the flooding was, or where to go if they want to swim or walk out) amount of time. These five guys were on the last boat out of the neighborhood at sundown. They were incredibly grateful, mentioned numerous times 'God is going to bless y'all for this'. When we got them to the dock, they offered us an Allen Iverson jersey off of one of their backs as a gesture of gratitude, which was literally probably the most valuable possession among them all. Obviously, we declined, but I remain tremendously impacted by this gesture.
I don't know what to do with all of this, but I think we need to get this story out. Some of what is being portrayed among the media is happening and is terrible, but it is among a very small group of people, not the majority. They make it seem like New Orleans has somehow taken the atmosphere of the mobs in Mogadishu portrayed in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," which is making volunteers (including us) more hesitant and rescue attempts more difficult. As a result, people are dying. My family has been volunteering at the shelters here in Houma and can count on one hand the number of people among thousands who have not said "Thank You." or "God Bless You." Their lives shattered and families torn apart, gracious just to have us serve them beans and rice.
If anything, these eight people's stories deserve to be told, so that people across the world will know what they really did in the midst of this devastation. So that it will not be assumed that they were looting hospitals, they were shooting at helicopters. It must be known that they, like many other people that we encountered, sacrificed themselves during all of this to help other people in more dire straits than their own.
It is also important to know that this account is coming from someone who is politically conservative, believes in capitalism and free enterprise, and is traditionally against many of the opinions and stances of activists like Michael Moore and other liberals on most of the hot-topic political issues of the day. Believe me, I am not the political activist. This transcends politics. This is about humanity and helping mankind. We need to get these people out. Save their lives. We can sort out all of the political and social issues later. People need to know the truth of what is going on at the ground level so that they know that New Orleans and the people stranded there are, despite being panicked and desperate, gracious people and they deserve the chance to live. They need all of our help, as well.
This is an accurate account of things. Jeffery Rau would probably tell the same exact stories.
Regards,Robert LeBlanc"
See what we’re all missing thanks to the “professional” media types?
I am personally humbled by the quality of the news coverage and commentary delivered by the people writing this blog. It makes me want to work harder, do a little less bitching and complaining, and actually make a difference with my commentary.
Feel free to hold me to this...
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Water, Water, Everywhere
And Not A Drop To Drink...
The lovely Bloggess over at Capital Freedom pointed out this this cool map of New Orleans that allows you to click on a spot in the city and see the past and present water depths.
Check it out, if you will, and notice that the French Quarter is still high and dry.
On a personal note, I heard on FOX News tonight that the owner of the Old 'Nawlins Cookery had died and his body was still in the restaurant on Conti Street awaiting removal by "authorities." I regret that I do not recall the gentleman's name, although I distinctly remember his jolly demeanor and the quality of his food.
I first discovered Old 'Nawlins Cookery when I was visiting the city on business back in 1987 and always made a point of having an Oyster Po Boy and some gumbo every time I returned, the last time being a trip to Mardi Gras in 1997--probably my last such adventure.
The Big Easy can rebuild and repaint, but you can't replace great cooks like this fellow.
My stomach and taste buds are in mourning.
The lovely Bloggess over at Capital Freedom pointed out this this cool map of New Orleans that allows you to click on a spot in the city and see the past and present water depths.
Check it out, if you will, and notice that the French Quarter is still high and dry.
On a personal note, I heard on FOX News tonight that the owner of the Old 'Nawlins Cookery had died and his body was still in the restaurant on Conti Street awaiting removal by "authorities." I regret that I do not recall the gentleman's name, although I distinctly remember his jolly demeanor and the quality of his food.
I first discovered Old 'Nawlins Cookery when I was visiting the city on business back in 1987 and always made a point of having an Oyster Po Boy and some gumbo every time I returned, the last time being a trip to Mardi Gras in 1997--probably my last such adventure.
The Big Easy can rebuild and repaint, but you can't replace great cooks like this fellow.
My stomach and taste buds are in mourning.
Roberts Speaks
And I think That More Than A Few Senator's Were listening…
Just like a train wreck or an auto accident, I couldn't keep my eyes off of CSPAN (or is it CSPAM) and the broadcast of the circus they call the Senate Judiciary Committees’ confirmation hearing for John Roberts.
What I didn’t expect, after enduring ten minutes each of mindless “blaa blaa blaa” bitching from the Democrats who couldn’t bring themselves to actually say the words “Roe versus Wade” and the sloppy French kissing cheerleading of the Republican pundits, was Robert’s powerful opening statement, delivered without notes i.e. ENTIRELY FROM MEMORY.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights:
My personal appreciation that I owe a great debt to others reinforces my view that a certain humility should characterize the judicial role. Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around.
Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire…
Mr. Chairman, when I worked in the Department of Justice in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the United States before the Supreme Court. I always found it very moving to stand before the justices and say, "I speak for my country."
But it was after I left the department and began arguing cases against the United States that I fully appreciated the importance of the Supreme Court and our constitutional system. Here was the United States, the most powerful entity in the world, aligned against my client. And yet all I had to do was convince the court that I was right on the law and the government was wrong and all of that power and might would recede in deference to the rule of law…
Mr. Chairman, I come before the committee with no agenda. I have no platform. Judges are not politicians who can promise to do certain things in exchange for votes.
I have no agenda but I do have a commitment. If I am confirmed, I will confront every case with an open mind. I will fully and fairly analyze the legal arguments that are presented. I will be open to the considered views of my colleagues on the bench. And I will decide every case based on the record, according to the rule of law, without fear or favor, to the best of my ability.
And I'll remember that it's my job to call balls and strikes and not pitch or bat.”
This guy is good, and there are a number of Senators that, if they are not careful, are going to end up looking like the complete, total, ignorant assholes that they are.
I’m going to love this--each and every juicy minute.
He's going to make their heads spin around.
Just like a train wreck or an auto accident, I couldn't keep my eyes off of CSPAN (or is it CSPAM) and the broadcast of the circus they call the Senate Judiciary Committees’ confirmation hearing for John Roberts.
What I didn’t expect, after enduring ten minutes each of mindless “blaa blaa blaa” bitching from the Democrats who couldn’t bring themselves to actually say the words “Roe versus Wade” and the sloppy French kissing cheerleading of the Republican pundits, was Robert’s powerful opening statement, delivered without notes i.e. ENTIRELY FROM MEMORY.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights:
My personal appreciation that I owe a great debt to others reinforces my view that a certain humility should characterize the judicial role. Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around.
Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire…
Mr. Chairman, when I worked in the Department of Justice in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the United States before the Supreme Court. I always found it very moving to stand before the justices and say, "I speak for my country."
But it was after I left the department and began arguing cases against the United States that I fully appreciated the importance of the Supreme Court and our constitutional system. Here was the United States, the most powerful entity in the world, aligned against my client. And yet all I had to do was convince the court that I was right on the law and the government was wrong and all of that power and might would recede in deference to the rule of law…
Mr. Chairman, I come before the committee with no agenda. I have no platform. Judges are not politicians who can promise to do certain things in exchange for votes.
I have no agenda but I do have a commitment. If I am confirmed, I will confront every case with an open mind. I will fully and fairly analyze the legal arguments that are presented. I will be open to the considered views of my colleagues on the bench. And I will decide every case based on the record, according to the rule of law, without fear or favor, to the best of my ability.
And I'll remember that it's my job to call balls and strikes and not pitch or bat.”
This guy is good, and there are a number of Senators that, if they are not careful, are going to end up looking like the complete, total, ignorant assholes that they are.
I’m going to love this--each and every juicy minute.
He's going to make their heads spin around.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Look In The Mirror And Point Your Finger...
A History Test
I could rant about this for a good three pages, but I'll settle for giving you the "Cliff Notes" version.
Remember back in 2002 when the Democrats criticized President Bush for opposing the establishment of a new beauracracy--The Department of Homeland Security?
Remember when the solution to all of our problems was said to involve combining FEMA and the new TSA along with a number of other Federal departments into one giant Department of Homeland Security?
Remember when the Republicans and Democrats fought tooth and nail over the involvement of UNIONS and other pork laden measures crammed into the new Homeland Security legislation?
Remember when Democrats said spending zillions of dollars guaranteed security, therefore the Republican's desire to limit spending must mean favoring a lack of security?
Remember once the new Homeland Security Administration was put in place that only four Senators attended the confirmation hearing of Michael Brown as the deputy director of the new agency?
"MEMBERS OF CONGRESS have been quick to point fingers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Some of the blame ought to be directed at themselves.
Where, for instance, was the oversight before Katrina? In particular, given the critical role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the minimal qualifications of Michael D. Brown to be its director, you might think the Senate would have wanted to conduct a thorough hearing before confirming him to the post. No such luck. Mr. Brown had a cursory hearing in 2002 -- it lasted all of 42 minutes and was attended by four senators -- when he was named deputy director of FEMA; no one at that hearing questioned his lack of background in emergency response."
You did remember that four Senators spent 42 minutes approving the appointment of the guy they villify today? They had their chance three years ago, didn't they?
What I want to know is, where the hell were the other 96 elected idiots?
I bet sHrillary, and sKerry, and Ted "hicup" Kennedy weren't there that day. Neither was Robert "KKK" Byrd, I bet.
The Senators didn't do their jobs.
I WANT THEIR HEADS ON A STICK, NOT BROWN'S.
Don't these revelations make you respect our vaulted "legislative process" even more?
You've heard that sHrillary Clinton and the rest of the Senators want "independent hearings?"
Nasty Pelosi wants an equal number of Democrats and Republicans in on the hearings.
Remember that Republicans have won the Presidency for the past two terms and a Senate majority in the past three elections?
Remember the majority in the House going back to 1994?
I agree with the idea of "independent hearings," but how can they (the Representatives and Senators) possibly be charged with having unbiased hearings when they themselves should bear a good part of the responsibility for the status quo?
Hey sHrillary, hey Nasty...shut the hell up, why don't you... you stupid partisan b*tches.
I could rant about this for a good three pages, but I'll settle for giving you the "Cliff Notes" version.
Remember back in 2002 when the Democrats criticized President Bush for opposing the establishment of a new beauracracy--The Department of Homeland Security?
Remember when the solution to all of our problems was said to involve combining FEMA and the new TSA along with a number of other Federal departments into one giant Department of Homeland Security?
Remember when the Republicans and Democrats fought tooth and nail over the involvement of UNIONS and other pork laden measures crammed into the new Homeland Security legislation?
Remember when Democrats said spending zillions of dollars guaranteed security, therefore the Republican's desire to limit spending must mean favoring a lack of security?
Remember once the new Homeland Security Administration was put in place that only four Senators attended the confirmation hearing of Michael Brown as the deputy director of the new agency?
"MEMBERS OF CONGRESS have been quick to point fingers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Some of the blame ought to be directed at themselves.
Where, for instance, was the oversight before Katrina? In particular, given the critical role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the minimal qualifications of Michael D. Brown to be its director, you might think the Senate would have wanted to conduct a thorough hearing before confirming him to the post. No such luck. Mr. Brown had a cursory hearing in 2002 -- it lasted all of 42 minutes and was attended by four senators -- when he was named deputy director of FEMA; no one at that hearing questioned his lack of background in emergency response."
You did remember that four Senators spent 42 minutes approving the appointment of the guy they villify today? They had their chance three years ago, didn't they?
What I want to know is, where the hell were the other 96 elected idiots?
I bet sHrillary, and sKerry, and Ted "hicup" Kennedy weren't there that day. Neither was Robert "KKK" Byrd, I bet.
The Senators didn't do their jobs.
I WANT THEIR HEADS ON A STICK, NOT BROWN'S.
Don't these revelations make you respect our vaulted "legislative process" even more?
You've heard that sHrillary Clinton and the rest of the Senators want "independent hearings?"
Nasty Pelosi wants an equal number of Democrats and Republicans in on the hearings.
Remember that Republicans have won the Presidency for the past two terms and a Senate majority in the past three elections?
Remember the majority in the House going back to 1994?
I agree with the idea of "independent hearings," but how can they (the Representatives and Senators) possibly be charged with having unbiased hearings when they themselves should bear a good part of the responsibility for the status quo?
Hey sHrillary, hey Nasty...shut the hell up, why don't you... you stupid partisan b*tches.
Media Hysteria Redeaux
What a difference a few days makes.
After spending the morning ignoring the news, I dragged through the various internet news sites, caught a few reruns of the “talking head” shows, and watched my daily dose of FOX News this evening. Was I the only one that noticed that there is a noticeable change in the tone of the reporting coming out of New Orleans?
I predicted the phenomena on Saturday, and it is really accelerating now. The reality of the situation in the disaster area doesn’t come close to matching the hysterical predictions made by most of the media and most of the so called officials in the heat of the initial search and recovery effort.
“THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS TEN THOUSAND DEAD IN THE CITY” screamed the New Orleans Mayor Nagen. The media’s panties and boxers crawled up their tight asses and their eyebrows spun around wildly as the breathlessly reported from the interstate bridges with the water logged darkened city in the background.
Yet today the Associated Press is reporting:
“Authorities raised Louisiana's death toll to 197 on Sunday, and recovery of corpses continued. Teams pulled an unspecified number of bodies from Memorial Medical Center, a 317-bed hospital in uptown New Orleans that closed more than a week ago after being surrounded by floodwaters.”
Mayor Nagen was last week demanding a mandatory evacuation for an indefinite term—possibly as long as six months—of the entire city. The state’s Governoress Balco was contradicting the honorable Mayor with virtually every word uttered in every hastily scheduled news conference.
The AP continues…
“Numerous residents were able to visit their homes for the first time, however briefly, as floodwaters receded and work crews cleared trees, debris and downed telephone poles from major streets…
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reopened for cargo traffic Sunday, and limited passenger service was expected to resume Tuesday, airport Director Roy Williams said.
Williams said he expects about 30 departures and arrivals of passenger planes a day - far below the usual 174 - at the airport, where a week ago terminals became triage units and more than two dozen people died.
Starting Monday, owners of businesses in the central commercial district will be able to get temporary passes into the city so they can retrieve vital records or equipment needed to make payroll or otherwise run their companies, said state police spokesman Johnny Brown.”
Trash collection began over the weekend; a service unimaginable in the apocalyptic first days after Katrina's fury battered the Gulf Coast and broke holes in two levees, flooding most of New Orleans…
Mayor C. Ray Nagen was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether New Orleans could stage Mardi Gras in February 2006. "I haven't even thought that far out yet," he said.
But he added, "It's not out of the realm of possibilities. ... It would be a huge boost if we could make it happen."
I say that Nagen and his ilk could do everyone a favor and just stay the hell out of the way from here on out. The city of New Orleans doesn’t put on the Mardi Gras celebration, the merchants and visitors are responsible for the success or failure of the event and all the city does is write parking tickets and collect parade permit fees.
At least the Mayor has learned to avoid making ill-informed predictions:
“Nagen declined to say when the city might be drained of floodwaters.
"But I always knew that once we got the pumps up, some of our significant pumps going, that we could accelerate the draining process," he said. "The big one is pumping station six, which is our most powerful pump, and I am understanding that's just about ready to go."
The city's main wastewater treatment facility will be running by Monday, said Sgt. John Zeller, an engineer with the California National Guard.
"We're making progress," Zeller said. "This building was underwater yesterday."
As of Sunday evening, the city was slowly being drained by 67 pumps. The Sewerage and Water Board reported that aerial scans of New Orleans revealed it was about 50 percent flooded, down from a height of 80 percent.”
The airport’s operating, trash is being collected, power is back on, and half the water has been pumped out in only two weeks—so much for being a disaster of Biblical proportions. Bad—yes, but not anywhere near the level of death and destruction caused by the Christmas Tsunami.
Do you suppose that you will hear any of the media and their self proclaimed experts apologizing for the inaccuracy of their earlier reporting and predictions? Is it possible that they will admit that much of the hysteria and public outcry was fueled by the media’s own exaggerations? You don’t suppose that their real intention—to bash the Bush White House—will ever come to light.
No, neither do I.
Like every other over hyped media pseudo non-event, watch the story slowly but surely slide off of the front page into history as the Supreme Court hearings and next missing blond chick story grabs the attention of the unwashed masses.
After spending the morning ignoring the news, I dragged through the various internet news sites, caught a few reruns of the “talking head” shows, and watched my daily dose of FOX News this evening. Was I the only one that noticed that there is a noticeable change in the tone of the reporting coming out of New Orleans?
I predicted the phenomena on Saturday, and it is really accelerating now. The reality of the situation in the disaster area doesn’t come close to matching the hysterical predictions made by most of the media and most of the so called officials in the heat of the initial search and recovery effort.
“THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS TEN THOUSAND DEAD IN THE CITY” screamed the New Orleans Mayor Nagen. The media’s panties and boxers crawled up their tight asses and their eyebrows spun around wildly as the breathlessly reported from the interstate bridges with the water logged darkened city in the background.
Yet today the Associated Press is reporting:
“Authorities raised Louisiana's death toll to 197 on Sunday, and recovery of corpses continued. Teams pulled an unspecified number of bodies from Memorial Medical Center, a 317-bed hospital in uptown New Orleans that closed more than a week ago after being surrounded by floodwaters.”
Mayor Nagen was last week demanding a mandatory evacuation for an indefinite term—possibly as long as six months—of the entire city. The state’s Governoress Balco was contradicting the honorable Mayor with virtually every word uttered in every hastily scheduled news conference.
The AP continues…
“Numerous residents were able to visit their homes for the first time, however briefly, as floodwaters receded and work crews cleared trees, debris and downed telephone poles from major streets…
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reopened for cargo traffic Sunday, and limited passenger service was expected to resume Tuesday, airport Director Roy Williams said.
Williams said he expects about 30 departures and arrivals of passenger planes a day - far below the usual 174 - at the airport, where a week ago terminals became triage units and more than two dozen people died.
Starting Monday, owners of businesses in the central commercial district will be able to get temporary passes into the city so they can retrieve vital records or equipment needed to make payroll or otherwise run their companies, said state police spokesman Johnny Brown.”
Trash collection began over the weekend; a service unimaginable in the apocalyptic first days after Katrina's fury battered the Gulf Coast and broke holes in two levees, flooding most of New Orleans…
Mayor C. Ray Nagen was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether New Orleans could stage Mardi Gras in February 2006. "I haven't even thought that far out yet," he said.
But he added, "It's not out of the realm of possibilities. ... It would be a huge boost if we could make it happen."
I say that Nagen and his ilk could do everyone a favor and just stay the hell out of the way from here on out. The city of New Orleans doesn’t put on the Mardi Gras celebration, the merchants and visitors are responsible for the success or failure of the event and all the city does is write parking tickets and collect parade permit fees.
At least the Mayor has learned to avoid making ill-informed predictions:
“Nagen declined to say when the city might be drained of floodwaters.
"But I always knew that once we got the pumps up, some of our significant pumps going, that we could accelerate the draining process," he said. "The big one is pumping station six, which is our most powerful pump, and I am understanding that's just about ready to go."
The city's main wastewater treatment facility will be running by Monday, said Sgt. John Zeller, an engineer with the California National Guard.
"We're making progress," Zeller said. "This building was underwater yesterday."
As of Sunday evening, the city was slowly being drained by 67 pumps. The Sewerage and Water Board reported that aerial scans of New Orleans revealed it was about 50 percent flooded, down from a height of 80 percent.”
The airport’s operating, trash is being collected, power is back on, and half the water has been pumped out in only two weeks—so much for being a disaster of Biblical proportions. Bad—yes, but not anywhere near the level of death and destruction caused by the Christmas Tsunami.
Do you suppose that you will hear any of the media and their self proclaimed experts apologizing for the inaccuracy of their earlier reporting and predictions? Is it possible that they will admit that much of the hysteria and public outcry was fueled by the media’s own exaggerations? You don’t suppose that their real intention—to bash the Bush White House—will ever come to light.
No, neither do I.
Like every other over hyped media pseudo non-event, watch the story slowly but surely slide off of the front page into history as the Supreme Court hearings and next missing blond chick story grabs the attention of the unwashed masses.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
A Cassette Tape And A Funk Box
I thought that I was going to let the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks pass without mention today. In light of the well thought out commentary of my fellow bloggers and the other media tributes, I just didn’t see how I could add anything of value to the dialogue.
A couple of things struck me out of the blue today that caused me to realize how the public’s patriotism has waned and how my own personal patriotism has changed over the past nine or so years, with the 9//11 attacks being part of that same transformation. Most of these changes involve my showing public respect for the symbols of our Republic—the display of the flag and participation in public flag ceremonies
Today I found myself stealing the American flag that normally flies on the flagpole adjacent to our Condo swimming pool. OK, I didn’t really steal it, but I lowered it on the pole and removed it because it has flown day and night for at least a year and it is in tatters—it should have been replaced three or four months ago.
As is usual in a Condo Association, no one but me was apparently paying any attention—I suppose that they’ll have to form a committee or something now. Flying or otherwise displaying the flag in an improper manner makes me crazy—so sue me, you know? I’m calling the management company tomorrow and telling them that I’m holding it (the old flag) hostage until a new flag is purchased and displayed on the pole.
As a kid in the Cub Scouts I learned to handle the American flag that flew on the flagpole outside our elementary school each day, participating in the honor guard several days each month during the school year. I hate to say it, but even in the 1960’s there was a certain amount of public “snickering and disrespect” present among of all people—young school children—that didn’t know any better because in spite of the rituals taught in school (the Pledge of Allegience, the National Anthem, etc) the children’s bone headed parents chose to live and enjoy the freedoms inherent in being a US citizen while thumbing their nose at the symbols of our society. In a free society, that is their right and their choice. So be it.
Since those days I’m sure that we’ve all noticed varying degrees of participation and respect at events like public football games and other sporting events, the ultimate level of patriotism evident in the year immediate following the 9/11 attacks when every head was uncovered (hats off) and you could hear a pin drop during the prayers, and you couldn’t hear yourself over the other spirited voices singing the National Anthem.
In those days following the attacks, practically every automobile had a little American Flag sticker on it and every lawn had flags flying. Of course there were groups like the ACLU and private idiots that had to show their contempt for other peoples’ rights by vandalizing flag displays. Somehow the loudest protesters don’t see rights to expression as being possessed on both sides of a given issue.
Nothing pisses me off more than for some moron to stay sitting in their seat with their ball cap screwed tightly on top of their pointy head, never pausing from talking and eating boiled peanuts while the majority of the crowd at least silently respects the prayer and flag ceremony. Of course, being the free country that we are, it’s their choice. It doesn’t keep me from glaring at the back of their stupid head—“Oh my, I’m so sorry that I spilled that cup of warm beer on you sir…”
I played the trumpet when I was in High School and had the opportunity to participate in Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans’ Day events where they needed someone to play taps. It’s amazing how hard it is to play a song consisting of only four notes when one hundred or more eyeballs are staring at you and your horn.
The really sad thing, for those of you that haven’t attended a veterans’ funeral in the past ten years, is that there are not enough military trumpet players to go around. Instead of an honor guard with a real live trumpet player like we all saw on todays televised 9/11 memorials, the military has had to resort to sending ordinary families holding a funeral two or three uniformed soldiers and a CASSETTE TAPE OF TAPS TO BE PLAYED ON A FUNK BOX.
You heard me right—a cassette tape and a funk box.
Somehow that just doesn’t seem right…
A couple of things struck me out of the blue today that caused me to realize how the public’s patriotism has waned and how my own personal patriotism has changed over the past nine or so years, with the 9//11 attacks being part of that same transformation. Most of these changes involve my showing public respect for the symbols of our Republic—the display of the flag and participation in public flag ceremonies
Today I found myself stealing the American flag that normally flies on the flagpole adjacent to our Condo swimming pool. OK, I didn’t really steal it, but I lowered it on the pole and removed it because it has flown day and night for at least a year and it is in tatters—it should have been replaced three or four months ago.
As is usual in a Condo Association, no one but me was apparently paying any attention—I suppose that they’ll have to form a committee or something now. Flying or otherwise displaying the flag in an improper manner makes me crazy—so sue me, you know? I’m calling the management company tomorrow and telling them that I’m holding it (the old flag) hostage until a new flag is purchased and displayed on the pole.
As a kid in the Cub Scouts I learned to handle the American flag that flew on the flagpole outside our elementary school each day, participating in the honor guard several days each month during the school year. I hate to say it, but even in the 1960’s there was a certain amount of public “snickering and disrespect” present among of all people—young school children—that didn’t know any better because in spite of the rituals taught in school (the Pledge of Allegience, the National Anthem, etc) the children’s bone headed parents chose to live and enjoy the freedoms inherent in being a US citizen while thumbing their nose at the symbols of our society. In a free society, that is their right and their choice. So be it.
Since those days I’m sure that we’ve all noticed varying degrees of participation and respect at events like public football games and other sporting events, the ultimate level of patriotism evident in the year immediate following the 9/11 attacks when every head was uncovered (hats off) and you could hear a pin drop during the prayers, and you couldn’t hear yourself over the other spirited voices singing the National Anthem.
In those days following the attacks, practically every automobile had a little American Flag sticker on it and every lawn had flags flying. Of course there were groups like the ACLU and private idiots that had to show their contempt for other peoples’ rights by vandalizing flag displays. Somehow the loudest protesters don’t see rights to expression as being possessed on both sides of a given issue.
Nothing pisses me off more than for some moron to stay sitting in their seat with their ball cap screwed tightly on top of their pointy head, never pausing from talking and eating boiled peanuts while the majority of the crowd at least silently respects the prayer and flag ceremony. Of course, being the free country that we are, it’s their choice. It doesn’t keep me from glaring at the back of their stupid head—“Oh my, I’m so sorry that I spilled that cup of warm beer on you sir…”
I played the trumpet when I was in High School and had the opportunity to participate in Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans’ Day events where they needed someone to play taps. It’s amazing how hard it is to play a song consisting of only four notes when one hundred or more eyeballs are staring at you and your horn.
The really sad thing, for those of you that haven’t attended a veterans’ funeral in the past ten years, is that there are not enough military trumpet players to go around. Instead of an honor guard with a real live trumpet player like we all saw on todays televised 9/11 memorials, the military has had to resort to sending ordinary families holding a funeral two or three uniformed soldiers and a CASSETTE TAPE OF TAPS TO BE PLAYED ON A FUNK BOX.
You heard me right—a cassette tape and a funk box.
Somehow that just doesn’t seem right…
Friday, September 09, 2005
Things I Don’t Need…
And Don’t Want You To Try To Sell Me.
The TV stays on about 23 hours a day here at my house. I like to sleep with the TV set playing in the background.
I enjoy turning on The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, or some other channel that doesn’t broadcast any reality shows—and snoozing comfortably for hours.
EXCEPT…early in the morning and almost all of late night Saturday/Sunday when the companies operating these networks choose to sell their souls to the DEVIL—airing hour long segments of stupid, mindless “infomercials”.
AHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh! Not another INFOMERCIAL…
I absolutely HATE waking up to some smiling, pseudo-photogenic idiot that is trying to sell me something I don’t want or need. One of these products, for instance:
A Little Giant Ladder—you’ve seen this ad featuring the giant, 450 pound, pear-shaped buffoon at the home improvement show demonstrating the severely overpriced ladder that contorts into 27 different dangerous looking shapes and forms. You can have one for only $359.99 plus shipping and handling.
Anything with giant rubber bands, fiberglass bows, shock absorbers, or counter weights, designed to work on my “abdominal muscles.” I don’t care if Chuck Norris or Chuck E. Cheese endorses the device, I don’t want one and I’ve nearly damaged my TV throwing the remote control at the picture tube.
Any “Hair System,” “Hair Club,” or other device, program, religion, cult, scheme, or method of altering or attempting to hide the effect of gravity and age on the number of active hair follicles that exist on the top of my ever aging, ever graying skull. I have this theory that the bodies of human male’s have a fixed number of hair follicles, determined at birth. In my case, gravity is causing an increasing number of follicles to slip off of my head and take up residency on my nose, my chest, my back, and my posterior. Like the comedian Galliger says, if things keep progressing at the current rate—if I live to age 60, I’ll be combing a spot in the middle of my ass…
I most definitely don’t want to buy a package of information telling me how to earn a small fortune placing tiny classified ads in every newspaper between here and Timbukto. Has anyone actually been stupid enough to buy into one of these programs? If they have, they wouldn’t dare admit it in public.
I don’t want a collection of books and videotapes outlining any “system” designed to allow me to purchase millions of dollars worth of investment real estate with no credit and Zero dollars down. The two rental properties I already own are enough trouble, and I had enough problems closing a 100% cash deal—“zero down” has got to be an impossibly hard pain in the ass. Again, I wonder how anyone can be this stupid?
I don’t believe that there is really much money to be made installing public Internet terminals in truck stops and strip clubs here in coastal Georgia. As usual, the ad touts that there is no selling and no technical skills required—all you have to do is be able to fill out a bank deposit slip. Hah! If these machines were actually the cash cows that they are promoted to be in the TV ads, why don’t the manufacturers and resellers spend all of their time installing them in every McDonalds and coffee shop nationwide and collect the massive profits for themselves?
And finally, while we’re at it, let me emphatically state that I absolutely do not want to ask my physician about prescribing any drug advertised on TV in an ad that doesn’t tell me what condition or illness the drug cures in the first place. Why could I possibly want to ingest a drug that makes any part of my body stiff for four hours while I walk around my neighborhood with a stupid grin on my face?
The TV stays on about 23 hours a day here at my house. I like to sleep with the TV set playing in the background.
I enjoy turning on The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, or some other channel that doesn’t broadcast any reality shows—and snoozing comfortably for hours.
EXCEPT…early in the morning and almost all of late night Saturday/Sunday when the companies operating these networks choose to sell their souls to the DEVIL—airing hour long segments of stupid, mindless “infomercials”.
AHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh! Not another INFOMERCIAL…
I absolutely HATE waking up to some smiling, pseudo-photogenic idiot that is trying to sell me something I don’t want or need. One of these products, for instance:
A Little Giant Ladder—you’ve seen this ad featuring the giant, 450 pound, pear-shaped buffoon at the home improvement show demonstrating the severely overpriced ladder that contorts into 27 different dangerous looking shapes and forms. You can have one for only $359.99 plus shipping and handling.
Anything with giant rubber bands, fiberglass bows, shock absorbers, or counter weights, designed to work on my “abdominal muscles.” I don’t care if Chuck Norris or Chuck E. Cheese endorses the device, I don’t want one and I’ve nearly damaged my TV throwing the remote control at the picture tube.
Any “Hair System,” “Hair Club,” or other device, program, religion, cult, scheme, or method of altering or attempting to hide the effect of gravity and age on the number of active hair follicles that exist on the top of my ever aging, ever graying skull. I have this theory that the bodies of human male’s have a fixed number of hair follicles, determined at birth. In my case, gravity is causing an increasing number of follicles to slip off of my head and take up residency on my nose, my chest, my back, and my posterior. Like the comedian Galliger says, if things keep progressing at the current rate—if I live to age 60, I’ll be combing a spot in the middle of my ass…
I most definitely don’t want to buy a package of information telling me how to earn a small fortune placing tiny classified ads in every newspaper between here and Timbukto. Has anyone actually been stupid enough to buy into one of these programs? If they have, they wouldn’t dare admit it in public.
I don’t want a collection of books and videotapes outlining any “system” designed to allow me to purchase millions of dollars worth of investment real estate with no credit and Zero dollars down. The two rental properties I already own are enough trouble, and I had enough problems closing a 100% cash deal—“zero down” has got to be an impossibly hard pain in the ass. Again, I wonder how anyone can be this stupid?
I don’t believe that there is really much money to be made installing public Internet terminals in truck stops and strip clubs here in coastal Georgia. As usual, the ad touts that there is no selling and no technical skills required—all you have to do is be able to fill out a bank deposit slip. Hah! If these machines were actually the cash cows that they are promoted to be in the TV ads, why don’t the manufacturers and resellers spend all of their time installing them in every McDonalds and coffee shop nationwide and collect the massive profits for themselves?
And finally, while we’re at it, let me emphatically state that I absolutely do not want to ask my physician about prescribing any drug advertised on TV in an ad that doesn’t tell me what condition or illness the drug cures in the first place. Why could I possibly want to ingest a drug that makes any part of my body stiff for four hours while I walk around my neighborhood with a stupid grin on my face?
Thursday, September 08, 2005
They Can’t Have It Both Ways
I told you I smelled a rat in the woodpile...
If you’ve been listening to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagen and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, you’ll find that they still can’t quite get on the same page regarding the ongoing evacuation of the flooded downtown areas.
Nagen has authorized the NOPD to use force, but Blanco yesterday basically said “umm, noooo, we don’t really mean force FORCE…”
I’ll remind you that this crap is happening twelve days AFTER President Bush called the governor (Saturday before the storm hit) and asked for a mandatory evacuation.
And remember Nagen’s cursing and screaming tantrums about there not being any relief supplies at the Superdome and Convention Center last week? Well, it seems he was right to be screaming, but he should have directed his wrath toward Governor Blanco.
You see, FOX News’ Major Garrett is reporting that it turns out that the Red Cross had supplies pre-positioned before the storm and wanted to deliver them before the levees broke, but was denied access on Monday and Tuesday after the storm by the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security.
Radio Journalist/Blogger Hugh Hewitt interviewed Garrett about the breaking story, and the transcript was published last night over at Radioblogger.
Here’s a sample:
HH: Joined now by Major Garrett, correspondent for the Fox News Channel, as well as author of The Enduring Revolution, a best seller earlier this year. We talked about that. Major Garrett, welcome back to the Hugh Hewitt Show.
MG: Hugh, always a pleasure. Thanks for having me.
HH: You just broke a pretty big story. I was watching up on the corner television in my studio, and it's headlined that the Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major Garrett. Tell us what you found out.
MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had pre-positioned a literal vanguard of trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene items. They're not really big into medical response items, but those are the three biggies that we saw people at the New Orleans Superdome, and the convention center, needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, reasonably asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I see correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But I always either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why don't I see that?
HH: And the answer is?
MG: The answer is the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, that is the state agency responsible for that state's homeland security, told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come.
HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did they block the delivery? Do you know specifically?
MG: I am told by the Red Cross, immediately after the storm passed.
HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday afternoon.
MG: That would have been Monday or Tuesday. The exact time, the hour, I don't have. But clearly, they had an evacuee situation at the Superdome, and of course, people gravitated to the convention center on an ad hoc basis. They sort of invented that as another place to go, because they couldn't stand the conditions at the Superdome.
HH: Any doubt in the Red Cross' mind that they were ready to go, but they were blocked?
MG: No. Absolutely none. They are absolutely unequivocal on that point.
HH: And are they eager to get this story out there, because they are chagrined by the coverage that's been emanating from New Orleans?
MG: I think they are. I mean, and look. Every agency that is in the private sector, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Feed The Children, all the ones we typically see are aggrieved by all the crap that's being thrown around about the response to this hurricane, because they work hand and glove with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When FEMA is tarred and feathered, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are tarred and feathered, because they work on a cooperative basis. They feel they are being sullied by this reaction.
HH: Of course they are. Now Major Garrett, what about the Louisiana governor's office of Homeland Security. Have they responded to this charge by the Red Cross, which is a blockbuster charge?
MG: I have not been able to reach them yet. But, what they have said consistently is, and what they told the Red Cross, we don't want you to come in there, because we have evacuees that we want to get out. And if you come in, they're more likely to stay. So I want your listeners to follow me here. At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans was screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over the overpass, and state officials were saying you can't come in....
snip, snip......
HH: I also have to conclude from what you're telling me, Major Garrett, is that had they been allowed to deliver when they wanted to deliver, which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or at least prior to the waters rising, the supplies would have been pre-positioned, and the relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at the convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared the worst of their misery.
MG: They would have been spared the lack of food, water and hygiene. I don't think there's any doubt that they would not have been spared the indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short order.
HH: Now Major Garrett, let's turn to the convention center, because this will be, in the aftermath...did the Red Cross have ready to go into the convention center the supplies that we're talking about as well?
MG: Sure. They could have gone to any location, provided that the water wasn't too high, and they got some assistance.
HH: Now, were they utterly dependent upon the Louisiana state officials to okay them?
MG: Yes.
HH: Because you know, they do work with FEMA. But is it your understanding that FEMA and the Red Cross and the other relief agencies must get tht state's okay to act?
MG: As the Red Cross told me, they said look. We are not state actors. We are not the Army. We are a private organziation. We work in cooperation with both FEMA and the state officials. But the state told us A) it's not safe, because the water is dangerous. And we're now learning how toxic the water is. B) there's a security situation, because they didn't have a handle on the violence on the ground. And C) and I think this is most importantly, they wanted to evacuate out. They didn't want people to stay.
snip, snip......
HH: Sure. Does the Red Cross, though, assist in evacuation, Major Garrett?
MG: Not under the state plan in Louisiana. And not very many other places, either, because again, the Red Cross is a responding private charity. It is not an evacuation charity. It does not assume, as you can well imagine, Hugh, the inevitable liability that would come with being in charge of evacuating.
HH: How senior are your sources at the Red Cross, Major Garrett?
MG: They're right next to Marty Evans, the president.
HH: So you have no doubt in your mind that they have...
MG: Oh, none. None. And I want to give credit to Bill O'Reilly, because he had Marty Evans on the O'Reilly Factor last night. And this is the first time Marty Evans said it. She said it on the O'Reilly Factor last night in a very sort of brief intro to her longer comments about dealing with the housing and other needs of the evacuees now. She said look. We were ready. We couldn't go in. They wouldn't let us in, and the interview continued. I developed it more fully today.
HH: And the 'they' are the Louisiana state officials?
MG: Right.
HH: Now any in the 'they'...is the New Orleans' mayor's staff involved as well? Or the New Orleans police department?
MG: Not that I'm aware of, because the decision was made and communicated to the Red Cross by the state department of Homeland Security and the state National Guard. Both of which report to the governor.
HH: Do they have any paper records of this communication?
MG: I did not ask that. It's a good question. I'll follow up with them.
HH: I sure would love to know that. And if you get it, send it to me. We'll put it up on the blog. Major Garrett, great story. Please keep us posted. Look forward to talking to you a lot in the next couple of weeks on this story. Thanks for breaking away from the Fox News Channel this afternoon.
See how long it takes, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, the NY and LA Times, sHrillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Howard Dean to pick up on this reality--like it would somehow change the tone of their rhetoric.
After ll, the TRUTH AND THE FACTS have never gotten in their way before…
Why should the details matter now?
If you’ve been listening to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagen and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, you’ll find that they still can’t quite get on the same page regarding the ongoing evacuation of the flooded downtown areas.
Nagen has authorized the NOPD to use force, but Blanco yesterday basically said “umm, noooo, we don’t really mean force FORCE…”
I’ll remind you that this crap is happening twelve days AFTER President Bush called the governor (Saturday before the storm hit) and asked for a mandatory evacuation.
And remember Nagen’s cursing and screaming tantrums about there not being any relief supplies at the Superdome and Convention Center last week? Well, it seems he was right to be screaming, but he should have directed his wrath toward Governor Blanco.
You see, FOX News’ Major Garrett is reporting that it turns out that the Red Cross had supplies pre-positioned before the storm and wanted to deliver them before the levees broke, but was denied access on Monday and Tuesday after the storm by the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security.
Radio Journalist/Blogger Hugh Hewitt interviewed Garrett about the breaking story, and the transcript was published last night over at Radioblogger.
Here’s a sample:
HH: Joined now by Major Garrett, correspondent for the Fox News Channel, as well as author of The Enduring Revolution, a best seller earlier this year. We talked about that. Major Garrett, welcome back to the Hugh Hewitt Show.
MG: Hugh, always a pleasure. Thanks for having me.
HH: You just broke a pretty big story. I was watching up on the corner television in my studio, and it's headlined that the Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major Garrett. Tell us what you found out.
MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had pre-positioned a literal vanguard of trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene items. They're not really big into medical response items, but those are the three biggies that we saw people at the New Orleans Superdome, and the convention center, needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, reasonably asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I see correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But I always either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why don't I see that?
HH: And the answer is?
MG: The answer is the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, that is the state agency responsible for that state's homeland security, told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come.
HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did they block the delivery? Do you know specifically?
MG: I am told by the Red Cross, immediately after the storm passed.
HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday afternoon.
MG: That would have been Monday or Tuesday. The exact time, the hour, I don't have. But clearly, they had an evacuee situation at the Superdome, and of course, people gravitated to the convention center on an ad hoc basis. They sort of invented that as another place to go, because they couldn't stand the conditions at the Superdome.
HH: Any doubt in the Red Cross' mind that they were ready to go, but they were blocked?
MG: No. Absolutely none. They are absolutely unequivocal on that point.
HH: And are they eager to get this story out there, because they are chagrined by the coverage that's been emanating from New Orleans?
MG: I think they are. I mean, and look. Every agency that is in the private sector, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Feed The Children, all the ones we typically see are aggrieved by all the crap that's being thrown around about the response to this hurricane, because they work hand and glove with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When FEMA is tarred and feathered, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are tarred and feathered, because they work on a cooperative basis. They feel they are being sullied by this reaction.
HH: Of course they are. Now Major Garrett, what about the Louisiana governor's office of Homeland Security. Have they responded to this charge by the Red Cross, which is a blockbuster charge?
MG: I have not been able to reach them yet. But, what they have said consistently is, and what they told the Red Cross, we don't want you to come in there, because we have evacuees that we want to get out. And if you come in, they're more likely to stay. So I want your listeners to follow me here. At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans was screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over the overpass, and state officials were saying you can't come in....
snip, snip......
HH: I also have to conclude from what you're telling me, Major Garrett, is that had they been allowed to deliver when they wanted to deliver, which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or at least prior to the waters rising, the supplies would have been pre-positioned, and the relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at the convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared the worst of their misery.
MG: They would have been spared the lack of food, water and hygiene. I don't think there's any doubt that they would not have been spared the indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short order.
HH: Now Major Garrett, let's turn to the convention center, because this will be, in the aftermath...did the Red Cross have ready to go into the convention center the supplies that we're talking about as well?
MG: Sure. They could have gone to any location, provided that the water wasn't too high, and they got some assistance.
HH: Now, were they utterly dependent upon the Louisiana state officials to okay them?
MG: Yes.
HH: Because you know, they do work with FEMA. But is it your understanding that FEMA and the Red Cross and the other relief agencies must get tht state's okay to act?
MG: As the Red Cross told me, they said look. We are not state actors. We are not the Army. We are a private organziation. We work in cooperation with both FEMA and the state officials. But the state told us A) it's not safe, because the water is dangerous. And we're now learning how toxic the water is. B) there's a security situation, because they didn't have a handle on the violence on the ground. And C) and I think this is most importantly, they wanted to evacuate out. They didn't want people to stay.
snip, snip......
HH: Sure. Does the Red Cross, though, assist in evacuation, Major Garrett?
MG: Not under the state plan in Louisiana. And not very many other places, either, because again, the Red Cross is a responding private charity. It is not an evacuation charity. It does not assume, as you can well imagine, Hugh, the inevitable liability that would come with being in charge of evacuating.
HH: How senior are your sources at the Red Cross, Major Garrett?
MG: They're right next to Marty Evans, the president.
HH: So you have no doubt in your mind that they have...
MG: Oh, none. None. And I want to give credit to Bill O'Reilly, because he had Marty Evans on the O'Reilly Factor last night. And this is the first time Marty Evans said it. She said it on the O'Reilly Factor last night in a very sort of brief intro to her longer comments about dealing with the housing and other needs of the evacuees now. She said look. We were ready. We couldn't go in. They wouldn't let us in, and the interview continued. I developed it more fully today.
HH: And the 'they' are the Louisiana state officials?
MG: Right.
HH: Now any in the 'they'...is the New Orleans' mayor's staff involved as well? Or the New Orleans police department?
MG: Not that I'm aware of, because the decision was made and communicated to the Red Cross by the state department of Homeland Security and the state National Guard. Both of which report to the governor.
HH: Do they have any paper records of this communication?
MG: I did not ask that. It's a good question. I'll follow up with them.
HH: I sure would love to know that. And if you get it, send it to me. We'll put it up on the blog. Major Garrett, great story. Please keep us posted. Look forward to talking to you a lot in the next couple of weeks on this story. Thanks for breaking away from the Fox News Channel this afternoon.
See how long it takes, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, the NY and LA Times, sHrillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Howard Dean to pick up on this reality--like it would somehow change the tone of their rhetoric.
After ll, the TRUTH AND THE FACTS have never gotten in their way before…
Why should the details matter now?
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
There’s A Special Place In Hell…
For People Like This
The southern US is blessed with an ever growing population of large raptors. Here on St. Simons we have Ospreys, Red Tailed Hawks, and a number of Bald Eagles. Populations of Owls and wild Turkeys are also frequently seen wandering the large Live Oaks and Pine forests here in south Georgia.
In case you’ve never seen one, an Osprey’s and a Bald Eagle’s nest looks like a giant brush pile in the very top of a tree, often situated close to water. Bald Eagles are known to be strong enough to steal entire 2x4’s from construction sites to include in their nest structure. If you are fortunate enough to have these bigger birds in your back yard or otherwise nesting on your property—you’d have to be blind to miss the signs of their presence.
That's why I have absolutely no sympathy for this moron developer that got caught cutting a tree on his property that contained a bald eagle nest.
"A Fort Myers developer has agreed to pay $356,000 in penalties for cutting down a tree containing a protected bald eagle's nest while building houses in Collier County in 2003, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
“Stock Development was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of taking a federally protected bald eagle nest. A U.S. magistrate judge sentenced the company to one year of organizational probation and ordered a $175,000 fine.
As part of the agreement, the company also will pay a total of $181,000 in restitution to several wildlife protection agencies.
According to court documents, company officials knew the tree had an eagle's nest in it when a construction supervisor ordered it cut down in November 2003.
The birds and their nests are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.”
I’m a big advocate of property rights, but balking at saving one tree??? Give me a break here.
The irony is that most people pay extra to have things like eagle’s nests in their neighborhood or yards.
What was this idiot thinking?
The southern US is blessed with an ever growing population of large raptors. Here on St. Simons we have Ospreys, Red Tailed Hawks, and a number of Bald Eagles. Populations of Owls and wild Turkeys are also frequently seen wandering the large Live Oaks and Pine forests here in south Georgia.
In case you’ve never seen one, an Osprey’s and a Bald Eagle’s nest looks like a giant brush pile in the very top of a tree, often situated close to water. Bald Eagles are known to be strong enough to steal entire 2x4’s from construction sites to include in their nest structure. If you are fortunate enough to have these bigger birds in your back yard or otherwise nesting on your property—you’d have to be blind to miss the signs of their presence.
That's why I have absolutely no sympathy for this moron developer that got caught cutting a tree on his property that contained a bald eagle nest.
"A Fort Myers developer has agreed to pay $356,000 in penalties for cutting down a tree containing a protected bald eagle's nest while building houses in Collier County in 2003, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
“Stock Development was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of taking a federally protected bald eagle nest. A U.S. magistrate judge sentenced the company to one year of organizational probation and ordered a $175,000 fine.
As part of the agreement, the company also will pay a total of $181,000 in restitution to several wildlife protection agencies.
According to court documents, company officials knew the tree had an eagle's nest in it when a construction supervisor ordered it cut down in November 2003.
The birds and their nests are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.”
I’m a big advocate of property rights, but balking at saving one tree??? Give me a break here.
The irony is that most people pay extra to have things like eagle’s nests in their neighborhood or yards.
What was this idiot thinking?
An Uninvited Weekend Guest
Prior to my visit to the hospital earlier this month we had made plans to fly to Pittsburgh this weekend for Pat's family reunion. My fragile health, combined with the approach of Tropical Storm Ophelia, has caused us to have a change of plans.
It looks like she (Ophelia) is going to slowly drag up the Florida coast, hanging 75-100 miles offshore, then pausing offshore here in south Georgia to gain Hurricane strength. The current computer models indicate a chance that an area of high pressure will develope over the southeast and will push the storm back eastward offshore.
Ophelia
Following my own advice, I'm heading to the grocery store now to pick up some extra drinking water and a few staples before the wild eyed hoards start ravaging the place. Maybe I'll buy a couple of cart loads of bread and milk just for the heck of it.
Talk to y'all later...
It looks like she (Ophelia) is going to slowly drag up the Florida coast, hanging 75-100 miles offshore, then pausing offshore here in south Georgia to gain Hurricane strength. The current computer models indicate a chance that an area of high pressure will develope over the southeast and will push the storm back eastward offshore.
Ophelia
Following my own advice, I'm heading to the grocery store now to pick up some extra drinking water and a few staples before the wild eyed hoards start ravaging the place. Maybe I'll buy a couple of cart loads of bread and milk just for the heck of it.
Talk to y'all later...
An Answer To Their Questions
In Their Own Words…
The New Orleans Times Picayune is the largest newspaper in Louisiana. It also has, in my opinion, the coolest name of any paper in the entire country. I hope to someday have my own by-line on an article or editorial published under the Picayune banner.
As the media sniping and cheep shots at President Bush starts to wear thin and die down, the “lamestream” major media is actually starting to do some research to back up the stories they publish under the heading of news rather than just printing hot headed and ill informed rhetoric delivered by various idiots with obvious axes to grind in public.
Believe me when I say that there is plenty of information out there that indicates that the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana knew they had a problem—they just chose to ignore it while they waited for the Feds to pony up the cash, cash that the Levee Boards would then be free to spend as they saw fit. Not necessarily on levee construction either.
Much of this information has been bouncing around the bloggosphere for over a week now—things like The City of New Orleans Emergency Plan that I wrote about last Sunday in my posting titled Tonight’s Reading Assignment and the numerous news articles in the Times Picayune and other media sources dating back into the 1990’s addressing the vulnerability of the existing levee system and the Category 3 design criteria.
The New Orleans Times Picayune is the largest newspaper in Louisiana. It also has, in my opinion, the coolest name of any paper in the entire country. I hope to someday have my own by-line on an article or editorial published under the Picayune banner.
As the media sniping and cheep shots at President Bush starts to wear thin and die down, the “lamestream” major media is actually starting to do some research to back up the stories they publish under the heading of news rather than just printing hot headed and ill informed rhetoric delivered by various idiots with obvious axes to grind in public.
Believe me when I say that there is plenty of information out there that indicates that the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana knew they had a problem—they just chose to ignore it while they waited for the Feds to pony up the cash, cash that the Levee Boards would then be free to spend as they saw fit. Not necessarily on levee construction either.
Much of this information has been bouncing around the bloggosphere for over a week now—things like The City of New Orleans Emergency Plan that I wrote about last Sunday in my posting titled Tonight’s Reading Assignment and the numerous news articles in the Times Picayune and other media sources dating back into the 1990’s addressing the vulnerability of the existing levee system and the Category 3 design criteria.
Here’s an excerpt from part I of the article published June 23, 2002:
“If enough water from Lake Pontchartrain topped the levee system along its south shore, the result would be apocalyptic. Vast areas would be submerged for days or weeks until engineers dynamited the levees to let the water escape. Some places on the east bank of Orleans and Jefferson parishes are as low as 10 feet below sea level. Adding a 20-foot storm surge from a Category 4 or 5 storm would mean 30 feet of standing water.
Whoever remained in the city would be at grave risk. According to the American Red Cross, a likely death toll would be between 25,000 and 100,000 people, dwarfing estimated death tolls for other natural disasters and all but the most nightmarish potential terrorist attacks. Tens of thousands more would be stranded on rooftops and high ground, awaiting rescue that could take days or longer. They would face thirst, hunger and exposure to toxic chemicals.”
Sound familiar? And how about this:
"The debris, largely the remains of about 70 camps smashed by the waves of a storm surge more than 7 feet above sea level, showed that Georges, a Category 2 storm that only grazed New Orleans, had pushed waves to within a foot of the top of the levees. A stronger storm on a slightly different course -- such as the path Georges was on just 16 hours before landfall -- could have realized emergency officials' worst-case scenario: hundreds of billions of gallons of lake water pouring over the levees into an area averaging 5 feet below sea level with no natural means of drainage.
That would turn the city and the east bank of Jefferson Parish into a lake as much as 30 feet deep, fouled with chemicals and waste from ruined septic systems, businesses and homes. Such a flood could trap hundreds of thousands of people in buildings and in vehicles. At the same time, high winds and tornadoes would tear at everything left standing. Between 25,000 and 100,000 people would die, said John Clizbe, national vice president for disaster services with the American Red Cross."
See, these articles prove that they KNEW that they had a problem and they KNEW that they needed to plan to provide a means to evacuate the large inner city population, and yet when the disaster finally came they DIDN’T do anything to help. They just point fingers and issue statements blaming the President.
HOW IN THE HELL CAN ANY REASONABLE, SANE PERSON HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BEAR ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SMALL AMOUNT OF SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SITUATION?
Is it just me?
I Understand Where They’re Coming From
Having grown up near the Gulf Coast of Florida, Hurricanes have always been an area of intense interest for me and my family & friends, occupying a top priority each year in August, September, and October. My decision since 2001 to reside adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico Beach Florida for a year, to live on a 32’ boat in south Florida for a while in 2002, and relocating here to St. Simons Island for the past 18 months has provided me with the opportunity to become even more intimate with the realities of seasonal storm preparation.
Thankfully, Georgia is in much better shape when it comes to hurricane evacuation and recovery planning than almost every other southern state because of our relatively small coastal populations. Georgia, in its infinite wisdom, has elected to purchase most of the coastal barrier islands over the past 100 years and as a result, commercial and residential development adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean has been severely limited or outright prevented.
Tybee Island, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island are the only major Georgia barrier islands with substantial development. There are only a few smaller islands that even have highway connections to the mainland, and fewer still with connections via boat or private airstrip. Glynn County, where Jekyll and St. Simons Islands are located, only has a population of about 75,000 people—a fraction of humanity when compared to South Florida or the panhandle resort areas like Panama City and Destin.
The hurricane evacuation routes leading inland here are well developed. Interstate 16 leading away from Savannah even has built in gates on the southbound exit ramps allowing the state patrol to prevent southbound entry to the interstate during an evacuation—allowing all lanes to safely operate serving northbound traffic.
That said, I find the decision to evacuate our home here to be a difficult issue to address. Since our condo is situated only a couple of feet above sea level in sight of the salt marshes, I am certain that the approach of a category 3 storm will cause me to relocate inland, but I face quite a dilemma when it comes to storms of lower intensity. Tropical Storm Ophelia is our latest concern. Will she strengthen further before making landfall to our south near Jacksonville?
In the back of my mind, a major concern is that of obeying the evacuation order, then finding myself stuck in temporary accommodations for an extended time because the “authorities” refuse to allow residents to return to our homes once the storm has passed. I appreciate the “authorities” desire to protect me from hazardous conditions like downed power lines and flooding, but my home is my castle and I feel that I have a right to occupy and defend MY PROPERTY regardless of what some tin hat dictator says to the contrary.
For this reason I have a certain empathy for the holdouts in New Orleans. A heavy-handed blanket order to evacuate, in some instances, could be considered a bit over the top. What if someone has survived the storm and watched the flood waters dissipate (or never was flooded) and is sitting in their property with a generator, food, water, and a boat to use in acquiring new provisions. Should the government be allowed to force them out of their secure situation—a situation that they planned for and paid in advance to ensure?
I say no, but the Mayor of New Orleans obviously sees things differently as he has issued an order for police to remove the holdouts by force if necessary. The problem with this situation is that if they make you leave and someone vandalizes or otherwise damages your property, the government can’t be held liable for your losses.
I guess it’s a good thing that Janet Reno isn’t still Attorney General or we might see a re-run of the David Koresh/Branch Davidian Texas debacle. Will the NOPD shoot the holdouts or burn them out if they refuse to leave?
I don’t have a good solution for this situation other than to say…Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
What do you think?
Thankfully, Georgia is in much better shape when it comes to hurricane evacuation and recovery planning than almost every other southern state because of our relatively small coastal populations. Georgia, in its infinite wisdom, has elected to purchase most of the coastal barrier islands over the past 100 years and as a result, commercial and residential development adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean has been severely limited or outright prevented.
Tybee Island, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island are the only major Georgia barrier islands with substantial development. There are only a few smaller islands that even have highway connections to the mainland, and fewer still with connections via boat or private airstrip. Glynn County, where Jekyll and St. Simons Islands are located, only has a population of about 75,000 people—a fraction of humanity when compared to South Florida or the panhandle resort areas like Panama City and Destin.
The hurricane evacuation routes leading inland here are well developed. Interstate 16 leading away from Savannah even has built in gates on the southbound exit ramps allowing the state patrol to prevent southbound entry to the interstate during an evacuation—allowing all lanes to safely operate serving northbound traffic.
That said, I find the decision to evacuate our home here to be a difficult issue to address. Since our condo is situated only a couple of feet above sea level in sight of the salt marshes, I am certain that the approach of a category 3 storm will cause me to relocate inland, but I face quite a dilemma when it comes to storms of lower intensity. Tropical Storm Ophelia is our latest concern. Will she strengthen further before making landfall to our south near Jacksonville?
In the back of my mind, a major concern is that of obeying the evacuation order, then finding myself stuck in temporary accommodations for an extended time because the “authorities” refuse to allow residents to return to our homes once the storm has passed. I appreciate the “authorities” desire to protect me from hazardous conditions like downed power lines and flooding, but my home is my castle and I feel that I have a right to occupy and defend MY PROPERTY regardless of what some tin hat dictator says to the contrary.
For this reason I have a certain empathy for the holdouts in New Orleans. A heavy-handed blanket order to evacuate, in some instances, could be considered a bit over the top. What if someone has survived the storm and watched the flood waters dissipate (or never was flooded) and is sitting in their property with a generator, food, water, and a boat to use in acquiring new provisions. Should the government be allowed to force them out of their secure situation—a situation that they planned for and paid in advance to ensure?
I say no, but the Mayor of New Orleans obviously sees things differently as he has issued an order for police to remove the holdouts by force if necessary. The problem with this situation is that if they make you leave and someone vandalizes or otherwise damages your property, the government can’t be held liable for your losses.
I guess it’s a good thing that Janet Reno isn’t still Attorney General or we might see a re-run of the David Koresh/Branch Davidian Texas debacle. Will the NOPD shoot the holdouts or burn them out if they refuse to leave?
I don’t have a good solution for this situation other than to say…Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
What do you think?
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Gilligan's Dead--And I don't Feel So Good Myself
There can't be a single member of the "Baby Boomer" generation out there that hasn't seen every single episode of the 1960's TV show "Gilligan's Island."
I have to admit that my hand still freezes on the remote control today when I pass "the castaway's" image on late night TV...
TV in a simpler time
Things were so much simpler back then.
RIP Bob...
I have to admit that my hand still freezes on the remote control today when I pass "the castaway's" image on late night TV...
TV in a simpler time
Things were so much simpler back then.
RIP Bob...
Admiral “Nemo” Still Talking Trash
It turns out swashbuckler wannabe Sean Penn actually managed to trip over a few stranded flood victims in New Orleans this weekend. Unfortunately, Admiral Penn can’t just do his kind deeds and keep his stupid mouth shut:
"Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who has been assisting rescue efforts in New Orleans, said the US government did not "seem to be inclined to help".
"We were pulling drowning people out of the water, it's the ultimate distress and human suffering ... dead bodies," he told GMTV.
Penn said he had spent nine hours on Monday searching the water for people and during all that time he saw just three boats carrying US officials.
"There are people that are dying right now and I mean babies and old people and everybody in between - they're dying. There are people dying and (the US government are) not putting the boats in the water, I think that's criminal negligence. I don't think anybody ever anticipated the criminal negligence of the Bush administration in this situation." "
Penn is the worst kind of “do-gooder.” He has to do his charity work in public, under a spotlight. He even brought along a personal photographer on his trip to document his heroics.
What I want to know is why didn’t Admiral Penn just stay home and donate money to the rescue effort? What do you suppose the cost of his trip was? Five thousand dollars would have easily covered the airfare from Hollywood, renting the boats for the day, hiring the photographer, and buying incidentals like motel rooms, food, and gasoline.
Talk about maximizing your Public Relations dollars…
And the sad thing is that a lot of our young people will admire his efforts.
"Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who has been assisting rescue efforts in New Orleans, said the US government did not "seem to be inclined to help".
"We were pulling drowning people out of the water, it's the ultimate distress and human suffering ... dead bodies," he told GMTV.
Penn said he had spent nine hours on Monday searching the water for people and during all that time he saw just three boats carrying US officials.
"There are people that are dying right now and I mean babies and old people and everybody in between - they're dying. There are people dying and (the US government are) not putting the boats in the water, I think that's criminal negligence. I don't think anybody ever anticipated the criminal negligence of the Bush administration in this situation." "
Penn is the worst kind of “do-gooder.” He has to do his charity work in public, under a spotlight. He even brought along a personal photographer on his trip to document his heroics.
What I want to know is why didn’t Admiral Penn just stay home and donate money to the rescue effort? What do you suppose the cost of his trip was? Five thousand dollars would have easily covered the airfare from Hollywood, renting the boats for the day, hiring the photographer, and buying incidentals like motel rooms, food, and gasoline.
Talk about maximizing your Public Relations dollars…
And the sad thing is that a lot of our young people will admire his efforts.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Setting The Record Straight
I was surprised this weekend when I noticed a mild spike in my blog readership. I assumed that someone had linked to one of my recent posts, and it was only after the blithering words from the comment trolls started rolling in that an E-mail from the lovely proprietor of Capital Freedom Blog tipped me off that Fox News contributor Radley Balco over at The Agitator Blog had linked to my recent rant on Gas Price Gouging. I’m quite flattered to have the attention, and I offer my thanks to Mr. Balco for the recognition and a general thanks to everyone for the comments—good and bad, pro and con.
Part of running a successful blog involves dealing with people with different viewpoints. Some take the time to make well thought out discussions of their criticism, while the majority of the nay-sayers resort to screaming age old insults and name calling.
One commenter actually called me a “partisan hack.”
I nearly laughed my ass off. You see, I might sometimes appear to be partisan, but “a partisan hack” I am not.
The NY Time’s Paul Krugman is a textbook example of a “partisan hack,” I am, at best, an amateur hack, but then the term hack is generally attributed to someone who should know better or is professionally employed (and compensated) in a field and fails to meet recognized standards or otherwise exhibits blatant bias.
I’m just a Mechanical Engineer, posing as a writer, remember?
I think that my own political affiliation, or lack thereof, has been well documented over the past 12 months that I have been writing “What I’d Liked To Have Said.” However, based on some of the recent comments I’ve received, I feel that now might be a good time to have a refresher course on where I’m coming from.
My dad escaped the coalmines of West Virginia to become the first person in his entire family to graduate from college—University of Kentucky, Electrical Engineering, class of 1952. He served four years in the US Army and qualified as a test pilot--continuing his engineering and flying career as a Civil Service employee for nearly thirty years. As a result of his education, he made more than an average living when I was growing up, but I can’t take any credit whatsoever for when and where I was born and the luck I enjoyed living in a household with two parents that loved each other and put our family’s well being first—no matter what the costs.
I was raised a southern "yellow dog" Democrat. George Wallace was governor of Alabama and the schools were segregated until the year before I started kindergarten. I’m too young to remember the day President Kennedy was assassinated, but I do remember the embarrassment of Governor Wallace standing in the doorway at the University of Alabama to block the admission of first black students and I remember the day Martin Luther King was shot dead.
I attended all 13 years of crappy public school with black and white classmates and in spite of residing in southern Alabama, I was not raised a racist or bigot. Ironically, Wilbur Jackson, the first black football player to start at the University of Alabama, attended the same high school I graduated from. I can’t take any credit for that either.
My mother’s family operated a small farm in southern Alabama. Her family never ever owned any slaves, but my grandfather did manage a group of “hired hands” and leased a few small shanties to black share cropper families in the days between WWI and WWII. My grandfather, a WWI infantry veteran, was a hardworking, self sufficient man of very modest means, who died never realizing that the value of the land and the timber growing on it would one day be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to his heirs. I, personally, can take no credit for his good fortune.
Because of my access to our farm, I learned to shoot a gun, fish, hike, camp and generally be comfortable in the woods at an early age. There is nothing like being able to walk outside in the morning and walk away from the house in almost any direction and not leave your family’s property, even if you walk all day long. It’s even more impressive to be able to walk into the woods with the weapon of your choice and shoot until you run out of ammunition--not hearing a word of discouragement from neighbors or government idiots. I guess that most of you Yankees and everyone from NY City can’t possibly understand the kind of freedom(s) I grew up enjoying. I take credit for considering “gun control” to be “the ability to hit the intended target—every damn time.” I've also never pointed a loaded gun at another human in my entire life.
In 1933, the year my mother was born, you could own 3 cars, 2 airplanes, 25 guns, 10 dogs, 3 mules, 2 horses, chickens, 100 head of cattle, a tractor, and the federal government nor the state of Alabama required a license to own or operate any of the above. Further, if you owned enough land, you could drive your car to your airplane hanger, take off, and fly wildly over your pastures while the dogs, chickens, mules, horses, and cows stampeded around in fear at your maniacal behavior. You could then go home, get up the next day, and do it all over again without fear of legal reprocussions.
Not anymore.
Today you have to have a drivers’ license ($25), a pilots license, ($4,000-$6,000), various federal firearms permits ($$$), and proof that all of your animals receive routine veterinary care ($$$) and you can't chase them around with your airplane else the police, the FAA, PETA, and God knows who else will be knocking on your door wanting to haul your ass to jail and/or take your animals away from you.
What total Bull Hockey.
In spite of my continued rhetoric delivered in support of President Bush, I am not a Republican, and I am most definitely NOT a partisan hack. My political leanings work more along the lines of Libertarian, although the majority of Libertarian candidates tendered at the national level are basically unelectable.
Just like decisions relating to attending church on Sunday—I hate it when 100 humans get together and hang a name on a sign over their head because invariably some sanctimonious asshole(s) always insist on imposing their own special caveats on the process. I believe in freedom of religion, not the freedom from religion currently imposed by the federal courts.
I also believe that you should be able to freely, legally smoke dope, pop pills, shoot cat shit mixed with Draino into your veins with a dirty needle, drink corn whiskey, smoke 50 packs of cigarettes each day, have sex with men and women of consenting age, drive your 1964 Plymouth down the highway in deserts of Nevada at 175 MPH, and jump into the shallow end of the swimming pool head first, butt naked. Did I miss anything?
No?
BUT, when you finally wake up and you are dead, dying, paralyzed, have cancer, AIDS, scurvy, cooties, herpies, or your ex-old ladies ex-old man shows up and kicks the living shit out of your stupid ass—I also believe that you don’t have the right to come crying to me or to my representative asking to steal my money in the form of taxes to burry your miserable, flea bitten carcass, buy a cure for what ails you, or to prosecute your tormentor(s).
Live and let live—live and let die…survival of the fittest has a lot going for it in my book.
I have a great deal of criticism to offer when it comes to Bush’s spending record during the past 4-3/4 years, but remember that CONGRESS passes the budget with the presidents’ approval. A line item veto would go a long way toward solving the majority of our problems--that, and term limits for Senators and Representatives.
Our federal government has become a lumbering leviathan that vastly exceeds the structure laid out by our founding fathers. The federal bureaucracy has overrun issues that were originally left to the people and the states, and the recent disaster in New Orleans and the protracted delay in the federal response is a perfect illustration of the impossibility of depending on GOVERNMENT to preserve the safety of individuals in a time of crisis.
Try as they may, the federal machine cannot respond adequately to these kinds of problems and sadly we have become a nation of invalids and half-wits that can barely make it through a day without depending on government to maintain our health, our sanity, or other major aspects of our well being.
It’s a sad day when three quarters of the population can tell you who Michael Jordan is and can identify the finalists on American idol, but over half of high school seniors can’t describe the three branches of the federal government and a similar number of adults can’t identify the names of their own Senators and US Representatives.
No, I’m not a partisan hack.
What I am is a proud, but frustrated, embarrassed, pissed off WHITE MALE AMERICAN that is really glad that I didn’t reproduce (I have no kids) and I worry and wonder how much longer the USA will survive in any form if we let the ”lamestream media” and the “partisan hack” liberals continue to have their way.
One of these days I'm just going to ask: "Beam me up, Scotty…"
Part of running a successful blog involves dealing with people with different viewpoints. Some take the time to make well thought out discussions of their criticism, while the majority of the nay-sayers resort to screaming age old insults and name calling.
One commenter actually called me a “partisan hack.”
I nearly laughed my ass off. You see, I might sometimes appear to be partisan, but “a partisan hack” I am not.
The NY Time’s Paul Krugman is a textbook example of a “partisan hack,” I am, at best, an amateur hack, but then the term hack is generally attributed to someone who should know better or is professionally employed (and compensated) in a field and fails to meet recognized standards or otherwise exhibits blatant bias.
I’m just a Mechanical Engineer, posing as a writer, remember?
I think that my own political affiliation, or lack thereof, has been well documented over the past 12 months that I have been writing “What I’d Liked To Have Said.” However, based on some of the recent comments I’ve received, I feel that now might be a good time to have a refresher course on where I’m coming from.
My dad escaped the coalmines of West Virginia to become the first person in his entire family to graduate from college—University of Kentucky, Electrical Engineering, class of 1952. He served four years in the US Army and qualified as a test pilot--continuing his engineering and flying career as a Civil Service employee for nearly thirty years. As a result of his education, he made more than an average living when I was growing up, but I can’t take any credit whatsoever for when and where I was born and the luck I enjoyed living in a household with two parents that loved each other and put our family’s well being first—no matter what the costs.
I was raised a southern "yellow dog" Democrat. George Wallace was governor of Alabama and the schools were segregated until the year before I started kindergarten. I’m too young to remember the day President Kennedy was assassinated, but I do remember the embarrassment of Governor Wallace standing in the doorway at the University of Alabama to block the admission of first black students and I remember the day Martin Luther King was shot dead.
I attended all 13 years of crappy public school with black and white classmates and in spite of residing in southern Alabama, I was not raised a racist or bigot. Ironically, Wilbur Jackson, the first black football player to start at the University of Alabama, attended the same high school I graduated from. I can’t take any credit for that either.
My mother’s family operated a small farm in southern Alabama. Her family never ever owned any slaves, but my grandfather did manage a group of “hired hands” and leased a few small shanties to black share cropper families in the days between WWI and WWII. My grandfather, a WWI infantry veteran, was a hardworking, self sufficient man of very modest means, who died never realizing that the value of the land and the timber growing on it would one day be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to his heirs. I, personally, can take no credit for his good fortune.
Because of my access to our farm, I learned to shoot a gun, fish, hike, camp and generally be comfortable in the woods at an early age. There is nothing like being able to walk outside in the morning and walk away from the house in almost any direction and not leave your family’s property, even if you walk all day long. It’s even more impressive to be able to walk into the woods with the weapon of your choice and shoot until you run out of ammunition--not hearing a word of discouragement from neighbors or government idiots. I guess that most of you Yankees and everyone from NY City can’t possibly understand the kind of freedom(s) I grew up enjoying. I take credit for considering “gun control” to be “the ability to hit the intended target—every damn time.” I've also never pointed a loaded gun at another human in my entire life.
In 1933, the year my mother was born, you could own 3 cars, 2 airplanes, 25 guns, 10 dogs, 3 mules, 2 horses, chickens, 100 head of cattle, a tractor, and the federal government nor the state of Alabama required a license to own or operate any of the above. Further, if you owned enough land, you could drive your car to your airplane hanger, take off, and fly wildly over your pastures while the dogs, chickens, mules, horses, and cows stampeded around in fear at your maniacal behavior. You could then go home, get up the next day, and do it all over again without fear of legal reprocussions.
Not anymore.
Today you have to have a drivers’ license ($25), a pilots license, ($4,000-$6,000), various federal firearms permits ($$$), and proof that all of your animals receive routine veterinary care ($$$) and you can't chase them around with your airplane else the police, the FAA, PETA, and God knows who else will be knocking on your door wanting to haul your ass to jail and/or take your animals away from you.
What total Bull Hockey.
In spite of my continued rhetoric delivered in support of President Bush, I am not a Republican, and I am most definitely NOT a partisan hack. My political leanings work more along the lines of Libertarian, although the majority of Libertarian candidates tendered at the national level are basically unelectable.
Just like decisions relating to attending church on Sunday—I hate it when 100 humans get together and hang a name on a sign over their head because invariably some sanctimonious asshole(s) always insist on imposing their own special caveats on the process. I believe in freedom of religion, not the freedom from religion currently imposed by the federal courts.
I also believe that you should be able to freely, legally smoke dope, pop pills, shoot cat shit mixed with Draino into your veins with a dirty needle, drink corn whiskey, smoke 50 packs of cigarettes each day, have sex with men and women of consenting age, drive your 1964 Plymouth down the highway in deserts of Nevada at 175 MPH, and jump into the shallow end of the swimming pool head first, butt naked. Did I miss anything?
No?
BUT, when you finally wake up and you are dead, dying, paralyzed, have cancer, AIDS, scurvy, cooties, herpies, or your ex-old ladies ex-old man shows up and kicks the living shit out of your stupid ass—I also believe that you don’t have the right to come crying to me or to my representative asking to steal my money in the form of taxes to burry your miserable, flea bitten carcass, buy a cure for what ails you, or to prosecute your tormentor(s).
Live and let live—live and let die…survival of the fittest has a lot going for it in my book.
I have a great deal of criticism to offer when it comes to Bush’s spending record during the past 4-3/4 years, but remember that CONGRESS passes the budget with the presidents’ approval. A line item veto would go a long way toward solving the majority of our problems--that, and term limits for Senators and Representatives.
Our federal government has become a lumbering leviathan that vastly exceeds the structure laid out by our founding fathers. The federal bureaucracy has overrun issues that were originally left to the people and the states, and the recent disaster in New Orleans and the protracted delay in the federal response is a perfect illustration of the impossibility of depending on GOVERNMENT to preserve the safety of individuals in a time of crisis.
Try as they may, the federal machine cannot respond adequately to these kinds of problems and sadly we have become a nation of invalids and half-wits that can barely make it through a day without depending on government to maintain our health, our sanity, or other major aspects of our well being.
It’s a sad day when three quarters of the population can tell you who Michael Jordan is and can identify the finalists on American idol, but over half of high school seniors can’t describe the three branches of the federal government and a similar number of adults can’t identify the names of their own Senators and US Representatives.
No, I’m not a partisan hack.
What I am is a proud, but frustrated, embarrassed, pissed off WHITE MALE AMERICAN that is really glad that I didn’t reproduce (I have no kids) and I worry and wonder how much longer the USA will survive in any form if we let the ”lamestream media” and the “partisan hack” liberals continue to have their way.
One of these days I'm just going to ask: "Beam me up, Scotty…"
Sean Penn Vies For Lead In "Titanic II"
I personally appreciate it when outspoken liberals put their OWN money and efforts where their big mouths are. Unfortuntely, it looks like Sean Penn needs a little training to augment his seamanship skills--
"EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.
Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.
The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.
When the boat's motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.
Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."
With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?" "
This is a perfect example of what can happen when people (well intended or otherwise) rush to the scene of a disaster (if you can call what Penn did "rushing") prior to the situation being stabilized. You yourself run a serious risk of becoming a victim.
Hey Sean, there's a thing called "a plug" that most real boaters know to install in the drain hole in the stern of the boat while it is still on the trailer on the boat ramp. There is also something called a bilge pump that helps a good deal when you do manage to take on water...
YOU ARROGANT POMPUS IDIOT...
"EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.
Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.
The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.
When the boat's motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.
Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."
With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?" "
This is a perfect example of what can happen when people (well intended or otherwise) rush to the scene of a disaster (if you can call what Penn did "rushing") prior to the situation being stabilized. You yourself run a serious risk of becoming a victim.
Hey Sean, there's a thing called "a plug" that most real boaters know to install in the drain hole in the stern of the boat while it is still on the trailer on the boat ramp. There is also something called a bilge pump that helps a good deal when you do manage to take on water...
YOU ARROGANT POMPUS IDIOT...
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Tonight’s Reading Assignment
I’m building up yet another head of steam on the media’s coverage of the New Orleans situation. I’m still working on my rhetorical delivery, but here is some of the material I’m referencing so you can get a little ahead of me.
First there are the procedures contained in the City of New Orleans’ own Emergency Plan—in their own words (emphasis mine):
“III. EVACUATION ORDER
A. Authority
As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness
The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.
B. Issuance of Evacuation Orders
The person responsible for recognition of hurricane related preparation needs and for the issuance of an evacuation order is the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Concerning preparation needs and the issuance of an evacuation order, The Office of Emergency Preparedness should keep the Mayor advised.”
Then there is this news article from 2004 addressing previous problems when the residents were running from Hurricane Ivan and were housed in the SuperDome, including poor behavior by many of the residents.
“Those who had the money to flee Hurricane Ivan ran into hours-long traffic jams. Those too poor to leave the city had to find their own shelter - a policy that was eventually reversed, but only a few hours before the deadly storm struck land.
New Orleans dodged the knockout punch many feared from the hurricane, but the storm exposed what some say are significant flaws in the Big Easy's civil disaster plans…
"If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature," said Joe Cook of the New Orleans ACLU.
It's always been a problem, but the situation is worse now that the Red Cross has stopped providing shelters in New Orleans for hurricanes rated above Category 2. Stronger hurricanes are too dangerous, and Ivan was a much more powerful Category 4.
In this case, city officials first said they would provide no shelter, then agreed that the state-owned Louisiana Superdome would open to those with special medical needs. Only Wednesday afternoon, with Ivan just hours away, did the city open the 20-story-high domed stadium to the public.
Mayor Ray Nagin's spokeswoman, Tanzie Jones, insisted that there was no reluctance at City Hall to open the Superdome, but said the evacuation was the top priority.
"Our main focus is to get the people out of the city," she said.
Callers to talk radio complained about the late decision to open up the dome, but the mayor said he would do nothing different.
"We did the compassionate thing by opening the shelter," Nagin said. "We wanted to make sure we didn't have a repeat performance of what happened before. We didn't want to see people cooped up in the Superdome for days."
When another dangerous hurricane, Georges, appeared headed for the city in 1998, the Superdome was opened as a shelter and an estimated 14,000 people poured in. But there were problems, including theft and vandalism.
This time far fewer took refuge from the storm - an estimated 1,100 - at the Superdome and there was far greater security: 300 National Guardsmen.
The main safety measure - getting people out of town - raised its own problems.”
See, the local and state government KNEW they had a problem as early as in 1998 (during the Clinton presidency,) and they had a small-scale re-run of the problem again last year.
It seems to me that the buck should stop with the Mayor of New Orleans and the Louisiana Governor, NOT PRESIDENT BUSH.
First there are the procedures contained in the City of New Orleans’ own Emergency Plan—in their own words (emphasis mine):
“III. EVACUATION ORDER
A. Authority
As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness
The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.
B. Issuance of Evacuation Orders
The person responsible for recognition of hurricane related preparation needs and for the issuance of an evacuation order is the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Concerning preparation needs and the issuance of an evacuation order, The Office of Emergency Preparedness should keep the Mayor advised.”
Then there is this news article from 2004 addressing previous problems when the residents were running from Hurricane Ivan and were housed in the SuperDome, including poor behavior by many of the residents.
“Those who had the money to flee Hurricane Ivan ran into hours-long traffic jams. Those too poor to leave the city had to find their own shelter - a policy that was eventually reversed, but only a few hours before the deadly storm struck land.
New Orleans dodged the knockout punch many feared from the hurricane, but the storm exposed what some say are significant flaws in the Big Easy's civil disaster plans…
"If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature," said Joe Cook of the New Orleans ACLU.
It's always been a problem, but the situation is worse now that the Red Cross has stopped providing shelters in New Orleans for hurricanes rated above Category 2. Stronger hurricanes are too dangerous, and Ivan was a much more powerful Category 4.
In this case, city officials first said they would provide no shelter, then agreed that the state-owned Louisiana Superdome would open to those with special medical needs. Only Wednesday afternoon, with Ivan just hours away, did the city open the 20-story-high domed stadium to the public.
Mayor Ray Nagin's spokeswoman, Tanzie Jones, insisted that there was no reluctance at City Hall to open the Superdome, but said the evacuation was the top priority.
"Our main focus is to get the people out of the city," she said.
Callers to talk radio complained about the late decision to open up the dome, but the mayor said he would do nothing different.
"We did the compassionate thing by opening the shelter," Nagin said. "We wanted to make sure we didn't have a repeat performance of what happened before. We didn't want to see people cooped up in the Superdome for days."
When another dangerous hurricane, Georges, appeared headed for the city in 1998, the Superdome was opened as a shelter and an estimated 14,000 people poured in. But there were problems, including theft and vandalism.
This time far fewer took refuge from the storm - an estimated 1,100 - at the Superdome and there was far greater security: 300 National Guardsmen.
The main safety measure - getting people out of town - raised its own problems.”
See, the local and state government KNEW they had a problem as early as in 1998 (during the Clinton presidency,) and they had a small-scale re-run of the problem again last year.
It seems to me that the buck should stop with the Mayor of New Orleans and the Louisiana Governor, NOT PRESIDENT BUSH.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Long Hard Birthday
Well folks, I made it back home to my little island this afternoon--just in time to have a quiet birthday dinner with my girl and settle in to watch Georgia Tech play Auburn in football.
I checked E-mail early this morning before my flight to Atlanta and didn't have the energy to get back online until a few minutes ago.
I think I'm just going to take it easy and let my 46 year old body rest a little more. Tech's winning by 3 right now--you got to take life's pleasures where you can find them...
I checked E-mail early this morning before my flight to Atlanta and didn't have the energy to get back online until a few minutes ago.
I think I'm just going to take it easy and let my 46 year old body rest a little more. Tech's winning by 3 right now--you got to take life's pleasures where you can find them...
Friday, September 02, 2005
Everything That’s Wrong In The World
Isn’t Caused By Racism
I’m sick and tired of this well worn, predictable, yet ever present refrain.
Every single time some population of African Americans, er um Negroes, aaah Blacks…whatever the politically correct description du jour, gets their tail in a crack somewhere, the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, et. al. all jump in front of the nearest microphone and/or TV camera and start complaining that things aren’t moving fast enough or are otherwise falling short of expectations and it’s all because the people are POOR or BLACK or some combination thereof. Somehow we are to believe that the displaced well-to-do white residents of New Orleans were shuttled out of town in Gulfstream Business Jets before the storm while the Po Folks was left to sweat and die in a scene of mass hysteria.
To hear the media, the Democrats, and the so called “self-proclaimed” Black leaders tell it, President Bush is supposed to act as some sort of Nanny for delinquent city and state leaders--running around sticking diapers and pacifiers on and in everyone and everything that screams because they don’t like the situation that THEY AND THEIR ELECTED LEADERS MADE FOR THEMSELVES.
What the hell do they think that the President’s job is, any way?
The situation in Louisiana generally and New Orleans specifically didn’t develop overnight, nor did it come about in the five years that Bush has inhabited the White House.
Let’s face some facts here people. Louisiana is one of the bottom five states when it comes to income, education, employment, and quality of life in general. I don’t mean that there aren’t nice places to live and educated people in Louisiana, but the state historically has lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to catching up with the 21st century. States like Georgia and Florida have lead the south in modernization and improvements, with the Carolinas, Alabama, and even Trent Lott’s beloved Mississippi turning the corner in recent years.
Exasperating the situation is the fact that the state government of Louisiana has a long, long colorful history of graft and corruption dating to the jailing of a former governor in the past ten years. New Orleans has always been a political cesspool within the larger landscape of swamps and corrupt parishes run by little local dictators.
Who knows how many billions of dollars have been wasted or outright stolen/misappropriated that could have been used for things like hiring and training more police officers and equipping them with things like boats or amphibious vehicles to address just the kinds of emergencies the city is facing now?
Remember Rudy Giuliani and NY City after 9/11? Rudi and the people of NY didn’t wait for the National Guard and Federal troops; they put on their uniforms and went to work. Rudi didn’t sit around cussing about the Federal Government’s involvement or lack thereof, he took command of the situation and handled things as he saw fit.
Today the world has proof that the leaders of New Orleans, like those of Atlanta and Detroit and any number of other medium sized US cities with large populations of inner city “minority” residents, is horribly guilty of taking the tax money allocated to them--local, state, and federal--and wasting it on programs and “empowerment initiatives” that continue to yield no tangible benefits to the citizens and communities they serve.
When are we going to stop bending over backwards and start calling a spade a spade?
I’m sick and tired of this well worn, predictable, yet ever present refrain.
Every single time some population of African Americans, er um Negroes, aaah Blacks…whatever the politically correct description du jour, gets their tail in a crack somewhere, the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, et. al. all jump in front of the nearest microphone and/or TV camera and start complaining that things aren’t moving fast enough or are otherwise falling short of expectations and it’s all because the people are POOR or BLACK or some combination thereof. Somehow we are to believe that the displaced well-to-do white residents of New Orleans were shuttled out of town in Gulfstream Business Jets before the storm while the Po Folks was left to sweat and die in a scene of mass hysteria.
To hear the media, the Democrats, and the so called “self-proclaimed” Black leaders tell it, President Bush is supposed to act as some sort of Nanny for delinquent city and state leaders--running around sticking diapers and pacifiers on and in everyone and everything that screams because they don’t like the situation that THEY AND THEIR ELECTED LEADERS MADE FOR THEMSELVES.
What the hell do they think that the President’s job is, any way?
The situation in Louisiana generally and New Orleans specifically didn’t develop overnight, nor did it come about in the five years that Bush has inhabited the White House.
Let’s face some facts here people. Louisiana is one of the bottom five states when it comes to income, education, employment, and quality of life in general. I don’t mean that there aren’t nice places to live and educated people in Louisiana, but the state historically has lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to catching up with the 21st century. States like Georgia and Florida have lead the south in modernization and improvements, with the Carolinas, Alabama, and even Trent Lott’s beloved Mississippi turning the corner in recent years.
Exasperating the situation is the fact that the state government of Louisiana has a long, long colorful history of graft and corruption dating to the jailing of a former governor in the past ten years. New Orleans has always been a political cesspool within the larger landscape of swamps and corrupt parishes run by little local dictators.
Who knows how many billions of dollars have been wasted or outright stolen/misappropriated that could have been used for things like hiring and training more police officers and equipping them with things like boats or amphibious vehicles to address just the kinds of emergencies the city is facing now?
Remember Rudy Giuliani and NY City after 9/11? Rudi and the people of NY didn’t wait for the National Guard and Federal troops; they put on their uniforms and went to work. Rudi didn’t sit around cussing about the Federal Government’s involvement or lack thereof, he took command of the situation and handled things as he saw fit.
Today the world has proof that the leaders of New Orleans, like those of Atlanta and Detroit and any number of other medium sized US cities with large populations of inner city “minority” residents, is horribly guilty of taking the tax money allocated to them--local, state, and federal--and wasting it on programs and “empowerment initiatives” that continue to yield no tangible benefits to the citizens and communities they serve.
When are we going to stop bending over backwards and start calling a spade a spade?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Price Gouging
Let's go through this AGAIN...
OK, if you’ve read me ranting about this topic (price gouging) before and already understand what I am saying, skip this posting.
If, however, you have disagreed with me in the past, please read me one more time if you will--maybe I can crack this through your thick skull.
Raising prices based on raw costs and market demand is not PRICE GOUGING.
Got that?
No?
Here is the deal on gas pricing specifically and price gouging in general…
Say that my name is Rahsee Patel and I just bought the local convenience store with gas pumps down on the corner near your house. In addition to stocking a lovely assortment of exotic smelling incense and plastic wrapped porno magazines, I also have one 10,000 gallon and two 7,500 gallon gasoline storage tanks buried in the ground under the parking lot out in front of my new retail empire.
After closing on my purchase, I rush to the store from the lawyer’s office and check my gas inventory. My giant wooden dipstick tells me that I currently have on hand 5,000 gallons of regular, 3,000 gallons of mid-octane, and 3,500 gallons of premium gasoline.
My sign out front of the store currently advertises $2.59, $2.79, and $2.99 per gallon, and sales are brisk this afternoon when we return to the store.
With the Labor Day holiday coming on, I place a phone call to two different distributors (my station is an independent) and I am shocked at what I hear. My new COSTS for replacement product exceeds what I am currently selling my gasoline for.
The first thing my brother “Big Bob” Patel does is prepare to go out and change our signs and the pump pricing--after all, we have to be able to afford to replace the gas in our tanks with new product at the higher prices, and our bank account is drained quite low after making the cash purchase of the store and its existing inventory.
I need at least 5,000 gallons of regular at a cost of $2.65/gal, and 3,500 gallons of plus and and 3,000 gallons of premium now costing $2.85/gal and $3.05/gal respectively.
Based on my actual purchase cost for the gasoline plus my 25% overhead and profit, the new costs will be $3.31, $3.48, and $3.71. This means that my new selling price for gas will go up by an average of $0.72 per gallon. We post the new numbers on our sign, and the uproar starts.
PRICE GOUGING SCREAM THE CUSTOMERS!!
A satellite news truck pulls up out front and the reporter asks me to come on camera and explain myself to the American people.
“Look,” I say, “I’m just a small business man and I don’t make the gasoline, I just sell it.”
“But what about all of that gas you already had in your tank that you bought last week for a lower cost?” they ask.
“If I sell my existing inventory at the old prices, I won’t make enough money to be able to fill the tank back up paying the new costs--don’t you see?” “I’ll have to borrow the money else operate with less than a full tank--I’ll risk running out.”
Here's the details. If I sell the existing 11,500 gallon inventory at the old prices, regardless of the initial cost, the store would net $33,785.00. That would be $4,490.00 less that the $38,275.00 cost to purchase equal quantities of new products.
By selling the gas already in the tank at a price based on the new product costs, the store will net $39,750, a whole $1,700 more than needed to replace the existing inventory at the increased costs.
Can you honestly call an extra $1,700 on a nearly $40,000 transaction PRICE GOUGING?
No?
Then how about everybody thinking before they holler next time? I know that the rising prices hurt in the ole' wallet and are a hardship for many people, but the details bear out the fact that everyone in the gas business isn't a thief and does not deserve to be villified the way they are.
The bottom line here is that gasoline sales is a business, not a charity, and you have a choice to pay what the asking price is or stay the heck at home.
It’s just that simple…
OK, if you’ve read me ranting about this topic (price gouging) before and already understand what I am saying, skip this posting.
If, however, you have disagreed with me in the past, please read me one more time if you will--maybe I can crack this through your thick skull.
Raising prices based on raw costs and market demand is not PRICE GOUGING.
Got that?
No?
Here is the deal on gas pricing specifically and price gouging in general…
Say that my name is Rahsee Patel and I just bought the local convenience store with gas pumps down on the corner near your house. In addition to stocking a lovely assortment of exotic smelling incense and plastic wrapped porno magazines, I also have one 10,000 gallon and two 7,500 gallon gasoline storage tanks buried in the ground under the parking lot out in front of my new retail empire.
After closing on my purchase, I rush to the store from the lawyer’s office and check my gas inventory. My giant wooden dipstick tells me that I currently have on hand 5,000 gallons of regular, 3,000 gallons of mid-octane, and 3,500 gallons of premium gasoline.
My sign out front of the store currently advertises $2.59, $2.79, and $2.99 per gallon, and sales are brisk this afternoon when we return to the store.
With the Labor Day holiday coming on, I place a phone call to two different distributors (my station is an independent) and I am shocked at what I hear. My new COSTS for replacement product exceeds what I am currently selling my gasoline for.
The first thing my brother “Big Bob” Patel does is prepare to go out and change our signs and the pump pricing--after all, we have to be able to afford to replace the gas in our tanks with new product at the higher prices, and our bank account is drained quite low after making the cash purchase of the store and its existing inventory.
I need at least 5,000 gallons of regular at a cost of $2.65/gal, and 3,500 gallons of plus and and 3,000 gallons of premium now costing $2.85/gal and $3.05/gal respectively.
Based on my actual purchase cost for the gasoline plus my 25% overhead and profit, the new costs will be $3.31, $3.48, and $3.71. This means that my new selling price for gas will go up by an average of $0.72 per gallon. We post the new numbers on our sign, and the uproar starts.
PRICE GOUGING SCREAM THE CUSTOMERS!!
A satellite news truck pulls up out front and the reporter asks me to come on camera and explain myself to the American people.
“Look,” I say, “I’m just a small business man and I don’t make the gasoline, I just sell it.”
“But what about all of that gas you already had in your tank that you bought last week for a lower cost?” they ask.
“If I sell my existing inventory at the old prices, I won’t make enough money to be able to fill the tank back up paying the new costs--don’t you see?” “I’ll have to borrow the money else operate with less than a full tank--I’ll risk running out.”
Here's the details. If I sell the existing 11,500 gallon inventory at the old prices, regardless of the initial cost, the store would net $33,785.00. That would be $4,490.00 less that the $38,275.00 cost to purchase equal quantities of new products.
By selling the gas already in the tank at a price based on the new product costs, the store will net $39,750, a whole $1,700 more than needed to replace the existing inventory at the increased costs.
Can you honestly call an extra $1,700 on a nearly $40,000 transaction PRICE GOUGING?
No?
Then how about everybody thinking before they holler next time? I know that the rising prices hurt in the ole' wallet and are a hardship for many people, but the details bear out the fact that everyone in the gas business isn't a thief and does not deserve to be villified the way they are.
The bottom line here is that gasoline sales is a business, not a charity, and you have a choice to pay what the asking price is or stay the heck at home.
It’s just that simple…
A Herd Mentality--Part II
Most people have no idea how the gasoline they rely on to transport them to work, school, and the grocery store each week actually gets to their local gas stations.
Believe me, it doesn’t arrive straight from the oil well in a tanker truck and it isn’t magically “beamed” Star Trek style from the refinery to the local Quick Trip or Gas & Go in the blink of an eye.
Those of us here on the gulf coast and most the Atlantic coast enjoy the delivery of our petroleum products using the services of The Colonial Pipeline Company. The 5,500 mile long Colonial Pipeline was constructed beginning in 1962 and now extends from Houston, Texas to the port of Long Island, NY, with branches running to major cities in Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia. A short feeder branch runs from the port of New Orleans into the pipeline.
The pipeline is actually two 30” lines running parallel to each other through a network of pumping stations, terminal tank farms, and re-refining stations located along the length of the pipeline. Gasoline and other petroleum products are distributed locally via rail car and tanker truck--tanker trucks always being the end delivery vehicle.
The pipeline is a very cheep, efficient means of making petroleum product deliveries, but beleive me when I say that the tree huggers and enviro-fascists raised a bunch of hell when the pipeline was being permitted and constructed, and they continue to fight its’ expansion tooth and nail today. It seems to me that a big pipe full of oil buried in the ground presents a lower risk than a 75,000 pound tanker truck full of gasoline rolling down the road with the idiots I normally see driving around, in front of, and underneath it.
The thing about the pipeline is that it still takes an average of 18-½ days for product to move from Texas to the other end of the pipeline in NY. The pipeline norally moves an average of 100,000,000 gallons (yes, that's 100 MILLION gallons) of petroleum products each day, but it has been shut down since last Sunday, just resuming partial operation at 6:00 PM CST on Wednesday 8/31 and it is up to about 38% right now according to their latest press release.
The problem has not been physical damage, it has been rather a lack of electricity in Louisiana and Mississippi to power the mid-line pumping stations located along the length of the pipeline. They expect to be back to 74% capacity by Sunday and into the mid 80% capacity by next week.
So my advice to everyone is to sit back, marinade some ribs, pop open a cold beer, and stay close to home this Labor Day weekend. Chill out, you don’t HAVE to drive cross country this holiday--regardless of your prior plans.
The gas is on the way, and the price will go back down once things settle down a little. All you are doing by panicking and paying the current prices is guaranteeing high costs for yourself. I’m personally waiting to buy my next gas because I PLANNED ahead.
And besides, it could be worse--we all could be sweating and hiding from the terorists in the Big Easy, ya’ know what I mean?
Believe me, it doesn’t arrive straight from the oil well in a tanker truck and it isn’t magically “beamed” Star Trek style from the refinery to the local Quick Trip or Gas & Go in the blink of an eye.
Those of us here on the gulf coast and most the Atlantic coast enjoy the delivery of our petroleum products using the services of The Colonial Pipeline Company. The 5,500 mile long Colonial Pipeline was constructed beginning in 1962 and now extends from Houston, Texas to the port of Long Island, NY, with branches running to major cities in Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia. A short feeder branch runs from the port of New Orleans into the pipeline.
The pipeline is actually two 30” lines running parallel to each other through a network of pumping stations, terminal tank farms, and re-refining stations located along the length of the pipeline. Gasoline and other petroleum products are distributed locally via rail car and tanker truck--tanker trucks always being the end delivery vehicle.
The pipeline is a very cheep, efficient means of making petroleum product deliveries, but beleive me when I say that the tree huggers and enviro-fascists raised a bunch of hell when the pipeline was being permitted and constructed, and they continue to fight its’ expansion tooth and nail today. It seems to me that a big pipe full of oil buried in the ground presents a lower risk than a 75,000 pound tanker truck full of gasoline rolling down the road with the idiots I normally see driving around, in front of, and underneath it.
The thing about the pipeline is that it still takes an average of 18-½ days for product to move from Texas to the other end of the pipeline in NY. The pipeline norally moves an average of 100,000,000 gallons (yes, that's 100 MILLION gallons) of petroleum products each day, but it has been shut down since last Sunday, just resuming partial operation at 6:00 PM CST on Wednesday 8/31 and it is up to about 38% right now according to their latest press release.
The problem has not been physical damage, it has been rather a lack of electricity in Louisiana and Mississippi to power the mid-line pumping stations located along the length of the pipeline. They expect to be back to 74% capacity by Sunday and into the mid 80% capacity by next week.
So my advice to everyone is to sit back, marinade some ribs, pop open a cold beer, and stay close to home this Labor Day weekend. Chill out, you don’t HAVE to drive cross country this holiday--regardless of your prior plans.
The gas is on the way, and the price will go back down once things settle down a little. All you are doing by panicking and paying the current prices is guaranteeing high costs for yourself. I’m personally waiting to buy my next gas because I PLANNED ahead.
And besides, it could be worse--we all could be sweating and hiding from the terorists in the Big Easy, ya’ know what I mean?
A Herd Mentality
Gas on St. Simons Island has always been ten or twenty cents more expensive than the same product purchased eight miles away on the mainland. Island residents like us always plan our trips so we can take advantage of the savings.
Back in July when gas prices on the mainland fell down to below $2.40 a gallon I drove my Suburban across the causeway and pumped it slap damn overflowing full of gas. Over eighty dollars worth in the form of about 35 gallons (it holds 42 gallons) of regular unleaded. I still have probably 35 gallons worth in the tank because we drive Pat’s Mustang most of the time unless we’re hauling lumber or furniture and the Mustang‘s 18 MPG beats the heck out of the 9 MPG I‘ve been getting over the past year or so.
Since I’ve been recently living in a hospital room and on my mom’s sofa, I haven’t bought much gasoline in the past month. Maybe that is why I find it easy to want to poke fun at people in Atlanta and other parts of the country that are running around screaming about the price of gasoline and more recently--
GASOLINE AVAILABILITY. But hold the presses--the plague is spreading!
My mom just got home from shopping and had to go to two different gas stations to fill the tank on her car up. One place she went here in Elba was limiting people to $15 worth and the second in another nearby town had a $20 limit. Remember that $20 worth at $3 per gallon is only a little over 6-½ gallons--60 miles worth of driving in my Suburban.
The good news is that the present prices are as predictable as is the current short term shortages are. The bad news is that consumers are exasperating the situation by running out filling up every car, boat, lawnmower, and gas can in anticipation of higher prices and in the process--artificially forcing demand up and thereby increasing prices and CREATING many of the shortages being experienced on a local basis.
Now enter the politicians--those miserable panderers to the stupid low brow mentality and lowest common denominators in human nature--envy and greed. Most politicians aren’t really stupid--they just let their desire to stay in office and get re-elected override their own education and knowledge of free market economics.
The politicians can’t resist jumping in front of any available microphone or TV camera and uttering the words--PRICE GOUGING and the masses bow down at their feet and run to the polls to voice their approval.
I’m sorry, but a station owner or manager has the absolute right to raise their gas prices as much as they damn well please and it’s neither your nor my nor the government’s business how the numbers are determined.
Are you mad at me now, or just think that I’m crazy or stupid?
Stay tuned and read my next couple of postings and see if you still think the same way...
Back in July when gas prices on the mainland fell down to below $2.40 a gallon I drove my Suburban across the causeway and pumped it slap damn overflowing full of gas. Over eighty dollars worth in the form of about 35 gallons (it holds 42 gallons) of regular unleaded. I still have probably 35 gallons worth in the tank because we drive Pat’s Mustang most of the time unless we’re hauling lumber or furniture and the Mustang‘s 18 MPG beats the heck out of the 9 MPG I‘ve been getting over the past year or so.
Since I’ve been recently living in a hospital room and on my mom’s sofa, I haven’t bought much gasoline in the past month. Maybe that is why I find it easy to want to poke fun at people in Atlanta and other parts of the country that are running around screaming about the price of gasoline and more recently--
GASOLINE AVAILABILITY. But hold the presses--the plague is spreading!
My mom just got home from shopping and had to go to two different gas stations to fill the tank on her car up. One place she went here in Elba was limiting people to $15 worth and the second in another nearby town had a $20 limit. Remember that $20 worth at $3 per gallon is only a little over 6-½ gallons--60 miles worth of driving in my Suburban.
The good news is that the present prices are as predictable as is the current short term shortages are. The bad news is that consumers are exasperating the situation by running out filling up every car, boat, lawnmower, and gas can in anticipation of higher prices and in the process--artificially forcing demand up and thereby increasing prices and CREATING many of the shortages being experienced on a local basis.
Now enter the politicians--those miserable panderers to the stupid low brow mentality and lowest common denominators in human nature--envy and greed. Most politicians aren’t really stupid--they just let their desire to stay in office and get re-elected override their own education and knowledge of free market economics.
The politicians can’t resist jumping in front of any available microphone or TV camera and uttering the words--PRICE GOUGING and the masses bow down at their feet and run to the polls to voice their approval.
I’m sorry, but a station owner or manager has the absolute right to raise their gas prices as much as they damn well please and it’s neither your nor my nor the government’s business how the numbers are determined.
Are you mad at me now, or just think that I’m crazy or stupid?
Stay tuned and read my next couple of postings and see if you still think the same way...
A Thin, Thin Line...
Anybody who has spent any time wondering how things could go so wrong in Iraq after the US removed Sadam from power need look no further than what is happening in New Orleans this week for an answer.
See the thin, thin line that exists in this country between civilization and anarchy? That line is virtually non-existent in most of the third world and is frighteningly fragile in the so-called developed countries.
Blame human nature and culture (or the lack thereof), not politics--it‘s not Bush‘s fault that the idiot black thugs being housed for free in the Superdome and staging for relocation to Houston are now stuck indefinitely in the hot, humid, rancid cesspool that New Orleans has become.
Why has the evacuation been cancelled or at least delayed?
Because some idiots started shooting at military helicopters before daylight this morning and the military said as a result:
“Sit there and sweat it out and deal with the consequences of your actions”
Of course the bleeding hearts will all say "but it isn't FAIR to penalize everybody."
Well, until "everybody" (or at least somebody) gives up the names or otherwise identifies the terorist thugs living in their midst in the Superdome refugee population, I say that I agree whole heartedly with the current decision to let them sit where they are.
See the thin, thin line that exists in this country between civilization and anarchy? That line is virtually non-existent in most of the third world and is frighteningly fragile in the so-called developed countries.
Blame human nature and culture (or the lack thereof), not politics--it‘s not Bush‘s fault that the idiot black thugs being housed for free in the Superdome and staging for relocation to Houston are now stuck indefinitely in the hot, humid, rancid cesspool that New Orleans has become.
Why has the evacuation been cancelled or at least delayed?
Because some idiots started shooting at military helicopters before daylight this morning and the military said as a result:
“Sit there and sweat it out and deal with the consequences of your actions”
Of course the bleeding hearts will all say "but it isn't FAIR to penalize everybody."
Well, until "everybody" (or at least somebody) gives up the names or otherwise identifies the terorist thugs living in their midst in the Superdome refugee population, I say that I agree whole heartedly with the current decision to let them sit where they are.
Live Blogging From New Orleans
The Interdictor is live blogging the situation in New Orleans from an office building in the middle of the chaos downtown.
He and his co-workers are guarding and operating their building and harboring police officers at night and trying to stay away from the looters.
Stop over at the site or some interesting reading that you won't see on FOX News.
He and his co-workers are guarding and operating their building and harboring police officers at night and trying to stay away from the looters.
Stop over at the site or some interesting reading that you won't see on FOX News.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
24K Blogging
Arggggggghhhhh...
I'm happy to announce that my health has improved enough that my mother's darn slow Alaweb dial-up internet connection is starting to annoy me. I'm in at 24K baud right now, and if I'm lucky I can get 36K or even 40K once in a blue moon.
I might actually be awake enough and cranky enough to get a few decent rants put together this afternoon. Gas prices and and idiots like Bobby Kennedy Jr. politicizing the hurricane are rumbling around in my head--let's see what happens.
I ate my first complete meal at lunch today since dinner on August 12th--a turkey and swiss sandwich with a Heath candy bar for desert. Everything has stayed down so far, and my guts aren't tieing themselves in knots and killing me yet like they did when I tried to eat more than a few bites earlier his week.
There's nothing like a good brush with death to take a few pounds off the old girth--I haven't weighed but I bet I'll loose at least 20 pounds through this fiasco.
I'm happy to announce that my health has improved enough that my mother's darn slow Alaweb dial-up internet connection is starting to annoy me. I'm in at 24K baud right now, and if I'm lucky I can get 36K or even 40K once in a blue moon.
I might actually be awake enough and cranky enough to get a few decent rants put together this afternoon. Gas prices and and idiots like Bobby Kennedy Jr. politicizing the hurricane are rumbling around in my head--let's see what happens.
I ate my first complete meal at lunch today since dinner on August 12th--a turkey and swiss sandwich with a Heath candy bar for desert. Everything has stayed down so far, and my guts aren't tieing themselves in knots and killing me yet like they did when I tried to eat more than a few bites earlier his week.
There's nothing like a good brush with death to take a few pounds off the old girth--I haven't weighed but I bet I'll loose at least 20 pounds through this fiasco.
Domed Stadium Tour--2005
So FOX News is reporting that the "officials" have decided to move the New Orleans "dome refugees" out of the Superdome and into the Astro Dome in Houston, Texas?
What I want to know is, did these people get sports agents to represent them during their short residency in the New Orleans' sports arena?
Is there something in their contracts that says that they will not be required to sleep in a building without a 150' high roof or housed in a facility without an astroturf playing field for their kids?
Just wondering?
What I want to know is, did these people get sports agents to represent them during their short residency in the New Orleans' sports arena?
Is there something in their contracts that says that they will not be required to sleep in a building without a 150' high roof or housed in a facility without an astroturf playing field for their kids?
Just wondering?
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Al, Al, Al...
What We Gonna Do Wit' You?
It seems that perenial presidential candidate and camera hog Rev. Al Sharpton is at it again:
WAXAHACHIE — A driver for the Rev. Al Sharpton led Ellis County Sheriff's deputies on a nine-mile chase at speeds up to 110 mph before state troopers stopped the car, authorities
The civil rights activist called the sheriff's report "ludicrous on its face" and accused the officers of "embellishing the story."
Chief Deputy Charles Sullins said the driver was rushing Sharpton to the airport after Sharpton visited anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan on Sunday at her camp outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford. The car carrying Sharpton and two other passengers was clocked doing 110 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 35 in Ellis County in North Texas.
"That nine-mile chase is news to me," Sharpton told The Associated Press. "All I know is that the police pulled us over because they wanted to talk to the driver about speeding. Other volunteers in the car asked if they could go on and take me to the airport, and that's what we did."
Sharpton said the law required officers to arrest everyone in the car.
"That would be wrong to arrest everyone," Sullins said. "Why would we arrest the passengers for something the driver did?"
Deputies arrested Jarrett Barton Maupin, 43, of Phoenix. Because the 2005 Lincoln was rented to Maupin, sheriff's deputies impounded the car. Maupin posted $1,000 in bonds on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle and reckless driving.
Sullins said the officers offered Sharpton and the other volunteers a ride to a hotel across the highway, but they declined.
Sharpton said he made his scheduled flight from Dallas to New York.
Texas citizens can rest easy, but if I were in NY I'd be checking my rearview mirror very carefully...
It seems that perenial presidential candidate and camera hog Rev. Al Sharpton is at it again:
WAXAHACHIE — A driver for the Rev. Al Sharpton led Ellis County Sheriff's deputies on a nine-mile chase at speeds up to 110 mph before state troopers stopped the car, authorities
The civil rights activist called the sheriff's report "ludicrous on its face" and accused the officers of "embellishing the story."
Chief Deputy Charles Sullins said the driver was rushing Sharpton to the airport after Sharpton visited anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan on Sunday at her camp outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford. The car carrying Sharpton and two other passengers was clocked doing 110 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 35 in Ellis County in North Texas.
"That nine-mile chase is news to me," Sharpton told The Associated Press. "All I know is that the police pulled us over because they wanted to talk to the driver about speeding. Other volunteers in the car asked if they could go on and take me to the airport, and that's what we did."
Sharpton said the law required officers to arrest everyone in the car.
"That would be wrong to arrest everyone," Sullins said. "Why would we arrest the passengers for something the driver did?"
Deputies arrested Jarrett Barton Maupin, 43, of Phoenix. Because the 2005 Lincoln was rented to Maupin, sheriff's deputies impounded the car. Maupin posted $1,000 in bonds on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle and reckless driving.
Sullins said the officers offered Sharpton and the other volunteers a ride to a hotel across the highway, but they declined.
Sharpton said he made his scheduled flight from Dallas to New York.
Texas citizens can rest easy, but if I were in NY I'd be checking my rearview mirror very carefully...
Multi-Billon $$ Bamboozle
I’ve been studying the political and business concepts of insurance for a while now. Boy have my opinions and beliefs changed in the past ten years.
Back in the early 1990’s I was what I called and “insurance mans’ dream”--I owned at least a little bit of practically every form or insurance available to the American consumer.
Term life, whole life, universal life, health, hospitalization, professional disability, replacement value homeowners’, auto insurance, boat insurance, business liability insurance, and get this--a million dollar “umbrella” insurance policy that would kick in and cover me if some other form of insurance fell short of my needs--real or imagined.
I forget the details now, (and I refuse to re-live the pain and agony thinking too hard) but I bet I was paying nearly $1000 each month out of pocket for my INSURANCE. I admit that most of it was optional like my $400K life insurance and professional disability insurance, but some of the costliest insurance was government mandated or otherwise a necessity like my auto insurance and my homeowner’s insurance required by my government backed mortgage company.
When I first moved to Georgia back in the late 1970’s, it was up to the individual if they owned auto insurance. It wasn’t against the law to not have insurance, you just took your chances being able to pay a claim if you ran into someone and you were uninsured. I had full coverage insurance on my car. That was a good thing because I was a stupid little bastard driver back then and had a lot of “fender bender” wrecks that my insurance (and my dad) paid for.
Then the government of the state of Georgia, in their infinite wisdom, decided to make auto insurance mandatory and in addition, make it no-fault. This means that it is against the law to drive without insurance, but people still do it anyway, and like everything else that is mandatory, the price of insurance went up. I still owned insurance on my car while others’ didn’t--then only difference was that the State of Georgia gets to write a ticket and charge a fine if they catch you driving around without insurance. The situation has degenerated in most states to the point where it is a careful balancing act deciding whether to report an accident to your insurance company and make a claim for fear that your premium cost will exceed the cost of the claim or worse yet--that your insurance will be cancelled.
The good news is that I haven’t had a car wreck since 1985.
Homeowner’s insurance is the latest insurance racket that is going to self-implode right before our eyes. While it is reasonable for the mortgage companies to require borrowers to insure property held as equity for the loans, the government is forcing insurers to take ridiculous risks from hurricanes in states like Florida and the rest of the US Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions, and from risks like wildfires and earthquakes on the west coast.
After hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Florida Insurance commissioner required all insurance companies to create a “pool” and provide insurance in coastal areas if they intended to write insurance policies in the interior areas of Florida. This is counter to supply/demand marketing. Add the Federal Flood Insurance Program on top of all of this, and toss in FEMA that runs behind disasters and pays people that are too stupid to take advantage of the already unrealistically low priced insurance made available by state mandate, and I say we are going to see the availability of homeowner’s insurance evaporate practically overnight in the southern coastal regions of the US.
I’ve overheard news estimates that Katrina’s final cost could be between $20 and $25 Billion dollars, overtaking Andrew at $21billion (adjusted for inflation) as the costliest hurricane in history.
The American Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize people living in flood prone regions, and I believe that there is big trouble on the horizion if substantial changes aren’t made…
Take it from someone that lives on an Island…
Back in the early 1990’s I was what I called and “insurance mans’ dream”--I owned at least a little bit of practically every form or insurance available to the American consumer.
Term life, whole life, universal life, health, hospitalization, professional disability, replacement value homeowners’, auto insurance, boat insurance, business liability insurance, and get this--a million dollar “umbrella” insurance policy that would kick in and cover me if some other form of insurance fell short of my needs--real or imagined.
I forget the details now, (and I refuse to re-live the pain and agony thinking too hard) but I bet I was paying nearly $1000 each month out of pocket for my INSURANCE. I admit that most of it was optional like my $400K life insurance and professional disability insurance, but some of the costliest insurance was government mandated or otherwise a necessity like my auto insurance and my homeowner’s insurance required by my government backed mortgage company.
When I first moved to Georgia back in the late 1970’s, it was up to the individual if they owned auto insurance. It wasn’t against the law to not have insurance, you just took your chances being able to pay a claim if you ran into someone and you were uninsured. I had full coverage insurance on my car. That was a good thing because I was a stupid little bastard driver back then and had a lot of “fender bender” wrecks that my insurance (and my dad) paid for.
Then the government of the state of Georgia, in their infinite wisdom, decided to make auto insurance mandatory and in addition, make it no-fault. This means that it is against the law to drive without insurance, but people still do it anyway, and like everything else that is mandatory, the price of insurance went up. I still owned insurance on my car while others’ didn’t--then only difference was that the State of Georgia gets to write a ticket and charge a fine if they catch you driving around without insurance. The situation has degenerated in most states to the point where it is a careful balancing act deciding whether to report an accident to your insurance company and make a claim for fear that your premium cost will exceed the cost of the claim or worse yet--that your insurance will be cancelled.
The good news is that I haven’t had a car wreck since 1985.
Homeowner’s insurance is the latest insurance racket that is going to self-implode right before our eyes. While it is reasonable for the mortgage companies to require borrowers to insure property held as equity for the loans, the government is forcing insurers to take ridiculous risks from hurricanes in states like Florida and the rest of the US Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions, and from risks like wildfires and earthquakes on the west coast.
After hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Florida Insurance commissioner required all insurance companies to create a “pool” and provide insurance in coastal areas if they intended to write insurance policies in the interior areas of Florida. This is counter to supply/demand marketing. Add the Federal Flood Insurance Program on top of all of this, and toss in FEMA that runs behind disasters and pays people that are too stupid to take advantage of the already unrealistically low priced insurance made available by state mandate, and I say we are going to see the availability of homeowner’s insurance evaporate practically overnight in the southern coastal regions of the US.
I’ve overheard news estimates that Katrina’s final cost could be between $20 and $25 Billion dollars, overtaking Andrew at $21billion (adjusted for inflation) as the costliest hurricane in history.
The American Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize people living in flood prone regions, and I believe that there is big trouble on the horizion if substantial changes aren’t made…
Take it from someone that lives on an Island…
Monday, August 29, 2005
Can You Say Morphine?
Well folks, the long siege is over with, hopefully. They took away my Morphine drip line yesterday evening and I can actually hold my head up for more than two hours in a row without drooling on myself.
Let me tell, you--I was sick--and got sicker in a hurry. Two weeks of the calendar just basically disappeared from my life, all courtesy of something called intestinal ischemia. I had at least one and possibly three blood clots in the blood vessels between my stomach and liver and intestines and kidneys.
It was debilitating and painful, but I’m supposed to be no worse for the wear in the long run, however. I get to go back on blood thinners for the rest of my mortal life, but I prefer Coumadin to the available options.
I'd also rather be here enjoying the fine cuisine in the hospital in Dothan, Alabama, wondering about when I’ll be able to catch a flight back to the Georgia Coast, than sitting in the Super Dome in New Orleans watching the roof blow off and the surrounding streets flood.
Let me tell, you--I was sick--and got sicker in a hurry. Two weeks of the calendar just basically disappeared from my life, all courtesy of something called intestinal ischemia. I had at least one and possibly three blood clots in the blood vessels between my stomach and liver and intestines and kidneys.
It was debilitating and painful, but I’m supposed to be no worse for the wear in the long run, however. I get to go back on blood thinners for the rest of my mortal life, but I prefer Coumadin to the available options.
I'd also rather be here enjoying the fine cuisine in the hospital in Dothan, Alabama, wondering about when I’ll be able to catch a flight back to the Georgia Coast, than sitting in the Super Dome in New Orleans watching the roof blow off and the surrounding streets flood.
