Mostly Hurricane Thoughts

Viking horde of jewelry found by three boys playing in yard.

Alice in Designerland. Via Boing Boing.

The little Spirit Rover that could.

The five largest oil producers and refiners in America (ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, BP and Shell) have enjoyed profits of $254 billion since 2001.

Hurricane Thoughts:

I'm afraid this whole section is going to be pretty political, because I can't divide the disaster from the people in leadership positions who made it so much worse by not doing their jobs.

Many more to be rescued. We know where they are. They've called for help. But no one goes to rescue them. They are desperate and dying.

Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. If you haven't seen this video, go find a clip and watch it now. All the way to the end.

And I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night. . . Nobody's coming to get us. Nobody's coming to get us. The secretary has promised. Everybody's promised. They've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences. For God sakes, shut up and send us somebody.

Much much more here, here, here, here, and one post that explains what happened after Broussard was cut off.

FEMA is unable to make use of their resources, including a navy ship that's been waiting for orders... orders which have to come from FEMA. Criminal Negligence. Dereliction of Duty. The officals of FEMA should be tried for crimes against humanity.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff claimed that the disaster in New Orleans was unpredictable, and a surprise. Liar. National Geographic predicted it a year ago. Even worse, Chertoff HIMSELF was briefed with FEMA Director Mike Brown BEFORE THE HURRICANE EVEN MADE LANDFALL. And if that wasn't enough, FEMA has considered the scenerio for at least two years, and supposedly has been practicing for it. I say supposedly because they didn't show any sign at all of actually having prepared. I wonder where the taxpayer money has been going, since it's clear they haven't been using it to actually do their jobs. Criminal Negligence. Dereliction of Duty. The officals of FEMA and the DHS should be tried for crimes against humanity.

Bush had the utter gall to lie outright and claim that a state of emergency wasn't declared. Liar. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babnieaux Blanco declared a state of emergency starting on Friday, Aug. 26, until Sunday, Sept. 25. She knew it would be bad. Everyone in the whole freaking world except Bush and his criminal cronies knew it would be bad.

Bush also made the argument that New Orleans was too difficult to reach for rescue operations. Oh, really? Liar. If The Hyatt could get emergency supplies in, why couldn't the government of the United States?!???

Pacific Views is quoting Bible verses.

False reports of looters scared off rescuers. There's plenty of blame to go around. The media has a huge debt to society to pay.

Indifference is a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Senator Mary Landrieu has had enough.

Regular citizens have had enough.

Folks stuck in NOLA have had enough.

US Army Reserves members have had enough. UPDATE: The Army Reserves Member who wrote the article is now facing a court-martial for criticizing Bush. Apparently the military can move quite fast when it comes to protecting Bush from opinion, but can't move at all when it comes to protecting life.

Rescue volunteers have had enough.

But compassionate conservatives show their hate.

Chertoff, in a transparent attempt to keep himself from going to prison for his dereliction of duty, says that now is not the time for pointing fingers. When is the time, then? After another few thousand have died because of their criminal negligence?

Ben Stein fails to defend Bush.

As if they haven't suffered enough, now schools won't want to take in refugee children because their schools will still be held to the stupid No Child Left Behind standards.