For the latest Armageddon chapter, tune in to CNN...

[Maury Beniowski]

Hurricane Katrina has brought out the best and the worst of America the Beautiful. Watching the looting taking place in one of Canal Street's main department stores was too surreal for a solitary white onlooker. A steady stream of blacks carrying all manner of stolen (commandeered?) goods, included one poor embarrased woman shielding her face with one of the packages of baby diapers - with her baby in need, where could she have bought them anyway?

Until the National Guard makes its way to police the flooded downtown area, this will become a common occurrence. There are two polarized perspectives when seeing this anarchy unfold. I'm sure the blacks' behaviour confirms the darkest opinions that White Supremacists in the Deep South harbour for them. On the other hand, this redistribution of wealth is an opportunity that doesn't come along often for the poor, and they don't know when life is going to return to normal, so they're taking whatever they can. 80% of the city is flooded, and the levee damage is expected to draw another 15 feet of flood waters from Lake Pontchartrain.

And this is just New Orleans! All the coastal cities in Alabama and Mississippi have suffered 90% destruction. This is much worst than even the most dire predictions before Katrina hit. It will take years to recover, and we'll all be feeling the pinch in some way or another. Highlighting the ridiculous, the Governor of Louisiana is calling on prayers to save the city. How pathetic! Get your fucking boots on and grab a shovel girl. Save the praying till later.

Take the time to donate a few dollars to the Red Cross. We'll all benefit in the long run...

 

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

new orleans is sinking man and i don't wanna swim

They don't bury the dead in New Orleans. The highest point in the city is only 6 ft. above sea level, which makes for watery graves. Fearful that rotting corpses caused epidemics, the city limited ground burials in 1830. Mausoleums built on soggy cemetery grounds became the final resting place for generations. Beyond providing a macabre tourist attraction, these "cities of the dead" serve as a reminder of the Big Easy's vulnerability to flooding. The reason water rushes into graves is because New Orleans sits atop a delta made of unconsolidated material that has washed down the Mississippi River.
Think of the city as a chin jutting out, waiting for a one-two punch from Mother Nature. The first blow comes from the sky. Hurricanes plying the Gulf of Mexico push massive domes of water (storm surges) ahead of their swirling winds. After the surges hit, the second blow strikes from below. The same swampy delta ground that necessitates above-ground burials leaves water from the storm surge with no place to go but up.
The fact that New Orleans has not already sunk is a matter of luck. If slightly different paths had been followed by Hurricanes Camille, which struck in August 1969, Andrew in August 1992 or George in September 1998, today we might need scuba gear to tour the French Quarter.

 

[eljudo]

Hurricane Katrina has brought out the best and the worst of America the Beautiful. Watching the looting taking place in one of Canal Street's main department stores was too surreal for a solitary white onlooker. A steady stream of blacks carrying all manner of stolen (commandeered?) goods, included one poor embarrased woman shielding her face with one of the packages of baby diapers - with her baby in need, where could she have bought them anyway?

Until the National Guard makes its way to police the flooded downtown area, this will become a common occurrence. There are two polarized perspectives when seeing this anarchy unfold. I'm sure the blacks' behaviour confirms the darkest opinions that White Supremacists in the Deep South harbour for them. On the other hand, this redistribution of wealth is an opportunity that doesn't come along often for the poor, and they don't know when life is going to return to normal, so they're taking whatever they can. 80% of the city is flooded, and the levee damage is expected to draw another 15 feet of flood waters from Lake Pontchartrain.

And this is just New Orleans! All the coastal cities in Alabama and Mississippi have suffered 90% destruction. This is much worst than even the most dire predictions before Katrina hit. It will take years to recover, and we'll all be feeling the pinch in some way or another. Highlighting the ridiculous, the Governor of Louisiana is calling on prayers to save the city. How pathetic! Get your fucking boots on and grab a shovel girl. Save the praying till later.

Take the time to donate a few dollars
to the Red Cross. We'll all benefit in the long run...

mabe it is some sort of payback time for the " whitties"


one thing to keep in mind.

they were given plenty of time and warning to evacuate!

why not listen to the authories? why stay behind?

if some whittie is calling for flood, and my trailer home is in risk of floating down the mississipe, i aint staying at all. Unless they had no transportation, no tv, no internet, are deaf and cannot talk... theres was no reason to stay behind... well theres onemore thing..

the fear of looting by other citizens... but is some valuable goods worth your life? at worst, looking can take tvs, beds, some good old value porno magazines.. but they can be recover. Life cannot be..


plus dont forget the movie mississipi burning ! i was not able to sleep afterwards!!!

 

[westwoody]

Why do people live there? It's a great place to visit but if you have to worry about your house getting washed away every spring and every fall, move to somewhere more sensible! And if you've ever been there and actually seen the houses, it's like they have no building codes at all, I've seen houses that you could knock down by kicking them. No foundation, no basement, flimsy studs, single pane sliders, maybe 1x3 studs at most.
It's like those idiots in California who build huge mansions on the edge of cliffs overlooking the ocean, and then when house slides off the edge they start crying.
It's cruel and sad, but these folks should have known better.

 

[Ilovethemall]

would you feed your baby?

Let's assume for a moment that they couldn't leave for some reason or another....if I had a child to feed/clothe my baby, damn right I would steal to do it.

On another note, if oyu do some research you will see how many thousands of acres of wetlands have vanished over the last few years due to the dredging of the Mississippi - they take the silt out of the river which then does not flow into the Gulf to create the wetlands....these wetlands insulate the shoreline form events such as this.....they may not have saved N.O. but they would have absorbed much of the storm surge which is a big cause of the problem.

We have been fucking with mother nature for too long and she is about to start taking some very big bites out of all our asses.

 

[tiger]

I grew up in South Louisiana, and lived in N.O. for my first six years out of college - the situation hits very close to home with me.

Here are some things to think about:
- There is probably not a toilet in N.O. that can be flushed.
- There is probably not a home with electricity or phone.
- There are now snakes, alligators, fish, etc. in the floodwaters throughout the city.
- The drinking water system is contaminated - and could remain that way for a long time, as sewage, petroleum products, etc. have comprimised the system.
- There is only one passable major roadway in or out of the city right now.
- At least 80% of the homes in a city of 1 million have floodwaters in them.
- When waters do reside (get pumped out eventually) not only will people not have homes to return to, but businesses are also gone, and they won't have jobs to return to.
- The temperatures are in the mid to upper 90's (35 C plus)
- Stranded people in homes, hotels, shelters, etc. are quickly running out of food and water - patience and tempers will become short.

The closest city that can accomodate a lot of people is Houston (6 hour drive away), and they are here by the scores of thousands. The levy break that occurred on Monday night could not be communicated to authorities becasuse no one had cell phones, regular phones, etc. to reach anyone. Many of those who remained in New Orleans are from the "projects" - government housing and are unemployed, with no means of transportation, etc. The looting is terrible, but they are a few bad eggs among a city of a million - unfortunately the news does not give equal time to all of the sensational efforts to house, feed, and clothe the refugees. The New Orleans area and South Mississipi and Alabama will need the world's help for years to come if they are ever to rise back to any resemblance of their former selves.

Why would people live in N.O. - Well first, it has been an important port for North America for many years, and that is why both the French and Spanish coveted so much during the early 1800's and beyond until it became part of the U.S. After New Orleans, the Mississipi river narrows and shallows, and is not passable by larger ships, with the last significant port of Baton Rouge being about 70 miles upriver. That is also how it developed such a unique culture - by being occupied by French and Spanish - the architectual influence is very apparent to those who have visited. The culture eventually led to tourism, and the discovery of oil in South Louisiana built some industry around New Orleans - it was just natural evolution of a city.

North America is about to find out how important Gulf Coast industry is to the economy. From Baton Rouge, LA to Mobile, AL - about 30% (my number might be off slightly) of North American refinery capacity sits in that stretch, along with a large amount of commodity and specialty chemical production. It will be a long time until life is back to normal.

 

[luckydog71]

mabe it is some sort of payback time for the " whitties"


one thing to keep in mind.

they were given plenty of time and warning to evacuate!

why not listen to the authories? why stay behind?

I find your comments very callous. I can only assume your dislike of the US has overtaken ability to think before you type.

I remember the reaction from many on this board. Berating the US for a low contribution of money and slow response of aid during the Tsunami disaster

Where is all of the compassion for these poor people in LA.

Did you ever think that maybe they had no way to get out....

Did you think that maybe they just did not believe the reports...

Whatever the reason these people are in the situation...they need and deserve help.....

All of the early reports sound like a disaster of major proportions...maybe 1000's dead.....no doubt the total destruction of many of these peoples homes....a break down of basic services like police....fire...and medical....

And your response to the looting "payback for whittie".

Your response to the victims.....they should have evacuated....


So just stand back and watch the response that comes from the Americans as we respond to the needs of our fellow citizens as we work to get them back on their feet.

Eljudo…I got to believe your ignorant comments were just a moment of stupidity and that it does not reflect how you really feel. The victims need your help and support. If that is not within your capability then they very least deserve your silence.

 

[stryker]

mabe it is some sort of payback time for the " whitties"


one thing to keep in mind.

they were given plenty of time and warning to evacuate!

why not listen to the authories? why stay behind?

if some whittie is calling for flood, and my trailer home is in risk of floating down the mississipe, i aint staying at all. Unless they had no transportation, no tv, no internet, are deaf and cannot talk... theres was no reason to stay behind... well theres onemore thing..

the fear of looting by other citizens... but is some valuable goods worth your life? at worst, looking can take tvs, beds, some good old value porno magazines.. but they can be recover. Life cannot be..


plus dont forget the movie mississipi burning ! i was not able to sleep afterwards!!!

I find the way you posted this as very prejudice,not sur if it's just me ,but thats the way I read it

What we have here is a disaster beyond comprehention,and it's going to get worse before it gets any better.I'm sure there are reasones why people couldn't leave,it's been posted,,,,all you have to do is watch the news.

Give your fucking head a shake bud!!

Ya ya,,my spelling sucks sometimes,,,get over it!

 

[westwoody]

Whatever the reason these people are in the situation...they need and deserve help.....

I have to agree, these people need food clothing and shelter more than they need someone giving them shit and abuse!

As for looting, well what would you expect? I doubt if many stores have working cash registers, or staff to work them. How else are the people there going to feed themselves? If anyone can't understand that they've just never been hungry enough.

 

[Ilovethemall]

foreign aid

The US gives more foreign aid than anyone - where are all these cocksucker nations now that they need some help?

 

[eljudo]

I find your comments very callous. I can only assume your dislike of the US has overtaken ability to think before you type.

I remember the reaction from many on this board. Berating the US for a low contribution of money and slow response of aid during the Tsunami disaster

Where is all of the compassion for these poor people in LA.

Did you ever think that maybe they had no way to get out....

Did you think that maybe they just did not believe the reports...

Whatever the reason these people are in the situation...they need and deserve help.....

All of the early reports sound like a disaster of major proportions...maybe 1000's dead.....no doubt the total destruction of many of these peoples homes....a break down of basic services like police....fire...and medical....

And your response to the looting "payback for whittie".

Your response to the victims.....they should have evacuated....


So just stand back and watch the response that comes from the Americans as we respond to the needs of our fellow citizens as we work to get them back on their feet.

Eljudo…I got to believe your ignorant comments were just a moment of stupidity and that it does not reflect how you really feel. The victims need your help and support. If that is not within your capability then they very least deserve your silence.

You cannot compare the tsunami to this. One created chaos in a thirld world country, while the other flooded an american city.

The tsunami attacked without any warnings whatsoever, people died without a least a single word of warning.

As sad as it is, those people knew plenty ahead of time what was coming. They decided to stay to face the consequences.


If remenber right, the whole town was ordered to evacuate for crying outloud.


Is like the running full tilt against an incoming truck in the middle of the highway. The truck honking away while the dude keeps his "resolve"

who is going to win? metal or flesh?


I know is a sad situation, but i am sure they can rebuild. Lucky for them, they are located in the richest nation of the world, the most powerful nation of the world. If it cannot help itself.. who is going to?


do not forget.. not liking the US and not liking its governemt is two separte things luckydog.. dont try to mix it.. is like mixing dog food and water.. doesnt look or taste good.


regarding the whitty thing.. is it racist? negro is it racist? latino is it racist?

what the hell?!.


Also, I never posted saying they deserved to die there or wish them worse. I simply posted stating that they were given plenty of time to evacuate. Most people did.

also I never mentioned to deny them of help btw...

 

[chiefwiggum]

About 30 years ago, legendary Canadian Radio Broadcaster Gordon Sinclair rattled the airwaves with his commentary titled "The Americans", which you can find and hear at http://www.phillytalkradioonline.com/comment/usa.html

The compelling editorial came shortly after the U.S.'s rather shaky campaign in Vietnam, the economy was in tatters, and it became vogue on the world political scene to kick the U.S. while it was down.

As you guys know, I am a fervent critic of the U.S. government, but I don't know how anyone can even imply that the victims of this hurricane somehow "had it coming". For those that believe that, all I can say is give your fucking head a shake.

 

[Avery]

The entire Gulf coast is at risk from hurricanes, not just New Orleans. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the entire coast is also sinking into the ocean, especially the Mississippi Delta, which is basically silt, and not as solid as earth. N.O.'s elevation is constantly dropping. When it was founded, it was probably slightly above sea level.

There are lots of web sites on the subject of Louisiana sinking. It seems that. for years, the cause of coastal disappearance was misidentified as erosion, and billions of dollars have been wasted trying to prevent the problem, when it is actually impossible to prevent. It's only the recent advent of GPS that has brought this to light. In the past, land-based benchmarks were used as references, but they're useless when they're also sinking.

I copied this post dated April 26, 2005 from the following website:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/l....php/t2079.html

"My Father in law is a director for FEMA and has helped outline a potential plan for the city of New Orleans in regards to its sinking. He explained to me that it's only a matter of time before a huge catastrophe (Hurricane) hits NO.

They actually have the predictions on a map of a Category 4 hurricane hitting NO and it looked unbelievable. He explained that it will be very similar to what happened to Galveston island during the great 1900 storm. It will actually flood from the North side of the city because of tidal surges moving into Lake Ponchatrain plus obviously flood from the South leaving the city under water. This will trap over two hundred thousand people.

The plan he helped outline is unbelievably massive and from what he told me will never happen, thus leaving the door open to something horrible."

How prophetic is that?

 

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

That 'terrible dictator' Hugo Chavez offers to help:

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/08/31/afx2199612.html

 

[shak]

destruction is a form of creation. Lets hope things will only get better from this point on. I just donated all my pooning money to the redcross...shit I didnt expect things to go this bad....

 

[luckydog71]

Anyway, I feel for those poor idiots who happened to get stuck in the hurricane's way. I wish we spent money on our military so that we could dispatch some big planes with some military personnel and water purifiers and some helicopters to help our neighbours out. They don't need our help, and will survive just fine, but as neighbours it's something that we should be doing. Calling George up to talk about the hurricane and softwoond lumber at the same time is pretty crass. I'd rather see a long trainload of BC studs head south to help rebuild the area.

Cheers!

DU

Uncle....there is nothing that would mean more to the victims of the hurricane than to see Canada, no Canadians send a train load of 2*4 studs across the border bound for LA to rebuild the devastated cities.

Canada and the US have huge political differences, and this hurricane will not change that.

But you can count on me and every other Washingtonian to stand in line to help Vancouver should a disaster strike.

The victims of this hurricane are not a party to our differences. In fact most of the victims are not even old enough to vote.

Here is all I ask....treat this disaster as you would any other. Let's focus on what we need to do to help these people to get back on their feet. Once we have achieved that objective...let's go back to our political debates.

 

[Paris]

Aside from missing a couple of racial stereotypes and maybe some racial slurs thrown in for good measure, that post could not have been more racist.

I couldn't agree more.

Paris/Caryn

 

[westwoody]

"well, they deserved this anyway"

Yeah, why would anybody say something like that? A hurricane doesn't happen because someone "deserves" it.

I'd rather see a long trainload of BC studs head south to help rebuild the area.

I really, really like this idea. Rona/Revy could start taking donations or somebody else, it doesn't matter, but it would be real tangible help,not just some goof politician phoning up the Governor to say "Gee, sorry about that hurricane". Talk is cheap, actions are everything. Manitoba Hydro is offering to send electrical repair crews, at least that's something.
And for you politicians, a trainload of lumber (or more) would do the Canadian cause a lot more good than all your chinwagging.

 

[hornydude]

You know, when they first strated reporting people being rescued from roofs in the flooded areas, I thought, "Gee, I guess some people just had no means to flee!" I mean they gave the evacuation order a full 2-3 days before this bitch Katrina made landfall after all.

However, after seeing the looting it now makes a lot more sense to me: Some (not all of course) of the people who stayed, probably actually stayed so they could take advantage of the situation

 

[travel guy]

Let's assume for a moment that they couldn't leave for some reason or another....if I had a child to feed/clothe my baby, damn right I would steal to do it.

No one's about to deny people the opportunity to keep their families fed. The police have been assisting in the "looting" of neccessities(medicine,food,etc.). It's the looting of guns, jewelry, garbage bags full of Nikes,etc. from local businesses that's disgusting.

Who the hell wades through carnage with nothing but thoughts of how sweet that new Xbox is going to be? Apparently the favored argument here is that they're sticking it to "the man"....that's bullshit. They're sticking it to their neighbours in a thoughtless, barbaric free for all.