random notes while addicted to katrina web browsing

Some random notes while addicted to browsing the web for information about hurricane Katrina. This is too long and disorganized, it reflects the chaos of the week.

1) The media is so good with juicy and sometimes questionably biased titles.

Death and despair in New Orleans
Shots fired at blackhawk helicopters
50-60 thousand people rush to be evacuated
New Orleans a shambles
Growing Despair
Fear and looting in New Orleans
Fats Domino is missing
Fats Domino found
Charity hospital haults evacuation after they come under fire.

2)

Progress in Biloxi. Harvey and his two dogs rode out the storm on his rusted out boat and ended up 1/2 mile inland on top of a destroyed house.

3) The military BEGAN deployment on Thursday Sept 1, why not on Sunday August 28th when we knew it was really bad? Who is in charge here? I have to guess that president Bush once again simply did not listen to the experts who have his ear. Why was food and water not air dropped earlier? Right away, for example? Has Psy-Ops ever been deployed domestically?

Who was in charge of the federal disaster relief operation prior to 9/11? It is now the department of homeland security. Such a horrible name for a humanitarian arm of the government.

4) Why didn't the people at the Astrodome and the Convention center just walk away? Ok if you have small children or are old then stay put, otherwise just walk away.

5) Idea, stop looting stupid things like sneakers and hit the abandoned casinos. That said, I am impressed with this response. In line with the proper type of response to a situation of this magnitude is the response of the casinos in trying to aid their employees. Never thought I would say a casino did good. Within 48 hours of the storm hitting, the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino did the following things:

-Established a call center in Las Vegas to communicate with Beau Rivage employees and customers to answer their questions with the latest available information;

-Made arrangements to waive restrictions on medical and prescription drug coverage so employees and their family members can access needed services wherever they are;

-Begun working with employees individually to provide coordination to help them locate immediate medical services.


Follow the link, they did a lot more like make sure their employees got paid.

6) Govenor of LA asks for no less than 40,000 troops. Is she kidding. That is what the generals asked for to go to Iraq. Do you think Bush is going to listen to this request? No way.

The mayor of New Orleans is pissed, listen to this radio interview (scroll down and look on the left) or read the transcript. He really says 'I am pissed' and basically says that if God is watching that Bush is going to pay for not helping these people. I love it when one person condemns another person to hell.

How many troops did the military initially request for Iraq? How many troops did Bush initially send to Iraq?

7) Is this true? The city turned off gas, electricity, and water to residential homes forcing people out of their homes and into the superdome and convention center. Where they were not provided with anyhting for 5 days. Where is the logic here?

8) Michael Moore has an open letter to President Bush, here

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

9) There is such a difference to the reaction time of the government on Sept 11, 2001 and this week in response to Katrina. Both are bad but one involved 3000 dead, the other involved an entire city being evacuated and abandoned?

10) In the mindset and logic of the Bush administrations rhetoric, I say: Mr President, why was the support and aid of those left homeless in New Orleans so slow in coming? This created a desperate situation which led to more tragedy and chaos. My question is, doesn't this show America to be a weak country as it can't even care for its own people? Doesn't this make the terrorist think they can attack us because we are so weak?