City a woeful scene (New Orleans deteriorating further)

New Orleans Times-Picayune ^ | August 30, 2005 | By Brian Thevenot, Gordon Russell, Keith Spera and Doug MacCash

[FederalistPhred]

According to the Times-Picayune website, the LA Dept. of Transportation has 108 15,000 concrete barriers on the way to New Orleans for use at the levee break.

[digger48]

People don't realize the force of flowing water.

Like trying to put out an oilwell fire. You can't just stop it up a little at a time.

[FederalistPhred]

Sorry, that's 108 15,000 pound concrete barriers.

[Fudd Fan]

The worst and the best of human nature side by side.

Indeed so! As to the best, tonight Kasich was sitting in for O'Reilly. He had real tears in his eyes as he expressed to one of the rescuers how heroic they are.

[Feiny]

Not sure if all made it, but I did hear a reporter ealier mention that some shrimp boaters who stayed on board were fine.

[WKUHilltopper]

"At first the media acted like this storm wasn't that bad."

You're exactly right. These dorks kept saying "avoided the big one". Or "It could have been worse..." Much BS from the media. I'm sure they'll never admit they made these commentaries.

[Trampled by Lambs]

My god, it reads like a section out of a Stephen King novel.

[jocon307]

"The lack of leadership is astonishing."

Yes, it really is. Both Nagin & Blanco can plan on not being re-elected. It's a complete disgrace. The looting, etc. there is no excuse for that at all. The "failure to execute" the fix to the levee, what the heck is that all about?

I think Rudi Giuliani better get down there stat and take over. There seems to be no plan, no chain of command, no nothing. The idea that cops were looting is a sin, just a sin.

[Palladin]

Yes, I heard they were all well and had survived the storm with no problems.

[topher]

They need to stay off the airwaves, meet at a command center with FEMA and the Red Cross and get their act together. People are stuck in attics and dying as I type this.

Agreed. If plugging the levee failed the first time, there should have been Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, Plan E, etc, in the works.

There should be folks burning the midnight oil thinking, planning, and acting to plug the levee break, bring more rescue equipment in, etc. The logistics is tough, but that is why someone needs to be planning, directing, and acting.

[clee1]

And Messers Smith, Wesson, Colt et. al.

[KingNo155]

Thats not a sawed off shot gun its a coach gun, same guns the guys riding shotgun on the stage coaches of past used.

[anymouse]

There is a reason that they used to shoot looters. LEOs are busy helping save people. They don't have time to arrest looters.

If you shoot a few looters, then word gets around, and others thinking about looting will think twice about doing it, even when they don't see any LEOs around.

The way it is, the local "socially uninhibited" have no fear of getting caught and gain street cred for all of the bling they can carry. Hope not a few of them drown or die from waterborne disease while looting their fellow N'Orlean neighbors.

[Schwaeky]

maybe some of the professional ones were smart and got underway and into the eastern gulf before Katrina drew close.. then they may be returning to devastation, but the biggest single part of their investment would be safe and so would they...

[topher]

The idea that cops were looting is a sin, just a sin.

It's not a sin, just the Big Easy... [just kidding, of course -- someone else posted that it is to be expected in the Big Easy -- the cops looting]

[nunya bidness]

First place I go to when the place is opened back up is Cooter Brown's. And then it's over to Carrolton Station for a show by the Mouth.

[Trampled by Lambs]

"This is just practice for what is yet to come. The Earth's magnetic pole is shifting at an ever increasing rate. This means that a large amount of spinning metal in the Earth's core is precessing, wobbling, or whatever. There are going to be major earth changes within the next 10 years or so. It is time to check your kit and re-examine your escape routes."

Is the spinning metal tinfoil?

[Schwaeky]

Any word about Fats Domino's well being? Last I heard he was on Blueberry Hill.

Last I heard he was working on a chain gang...

[SubMareener]

See posts 32 and 37 in this thread. "How long can you tread water?"

[bluepistolero]

There was stress in his voice. It appears that The Plan is to let the water rise another 15 to 20 feet, or until it is level with the lake. Then they will begin to pump it out. This also solves the little looting problem. The bad seed problem. All of their problems.

bluepistolero