Katrina's aftermath

No, it isn't.

Lt. Gen Steven Blum of the National Guard said that as many as 2,600 National Guard troops were expected to arrive in Louisiana Friday to join the nearly 2,000 who went in Thursday.

That was actually a Senator, not the Governor.

(xpost)

"Reeemembah, Dahlings...it's better to looook goood than to feeel goood"

Greetings All,

Interesting and encouraging article below from RADIO BUSINESS REPORT about Radio and TV efforts nationwide.

It is normal to think that only “we” are helping, but be encouraged by the knowledge that stations from Philly to San Diego, and Spokane to Boston and all sized markets in between are reaching out, just as we are.

And before anybody works up a full sweat bashing the Feds, do a little newspaper archive research and you’ll find that EVERY administration since the 60’s (when FEMA was developed) has been bashed for being slow or non-existent – even the 8 years of “I feel your pain. . . “.

And none of them were guilty of being slow. By all means call FEMA and tell them where to land the cargo planes full of people and supplies; Oyeah, I forgot the storm wiped out all the airports near enough to do any good. So call’m and tell’m about all the super highways they can use……whoops, I forgot, ALL the highways are gone, too. I-10 east of N.O. is gone for about a hundred miles.

The truth is that six months from now when 90% of those who receive this e-mail have forgotten about Katrina’s victims, FEMA will STILL be there helping.

Anyway, check out the article and be at peace that broadcasters everywhere are doing all they can.

Respectfully,

Stewart Robb, C.R.M.C.
Account Executive

This went out to everyone who works here. I hit "Reply All" and sent this:

Greetings, Stew.

Please keep your cute opinions about the Federal government to yourself. I could go on about federal funding cut from the budget to shore up the levees to NATIONAL guardsmen who have been called away from their post to go fight a war in a different country. The Head of FEMA, Michael Brown, admitted to Brian Williams last night on NBC’s news that he wasn’t aware that the situation was so serious, or that people were waiting for buses at the Convention Center. If it was your parent sitting dead on a highway median or your relative being raped in the Louisiana Superdome, I wonder how sing-songy you’d be about FEMA.

I miss the days of presidents saying “I feel your pain” rather than “don’t buy gas if you don’t need to.”

Tre Baker, American

I may be fired now, but I don't care.

holy fuck, man. rock.

If it's wrong, I don't wanna be right.

Shout! Factory's site doesn't say anything about it, but Chuck's been in touch with them, and says it's so.

hahahahahaha

xpost
still, he proably does want his country to love its people, the way they love it.

Cash Rules My Country?

He walked through the debris with the woman and a girl, his arms around their shoulders, and told them to "hang in there."

Ah, compassionate conservatism. That pain really is felt.

Planning to return? Roll up your sleeve.
Friday, 11:45 a.m.

People who are planning to return to Louisiana should consider getting
tetanus shots first, according to the state health department.

Adults need boosters every 10 years, spokeswoman Kristen Meyer said,
but if more than five years have passed since the last tetanus shot,
people should get another inoculation after being cut or injured,
especially while cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina or working in dirty water.

The question about shots has been the dominant query from callers to
the department's emergency center who are planning to come back, Meyer
said.

"It's a good thing that people are trying to find out," she said.

He walked through the debris with the woman and a girl, his arms around their shoulders, and told them to "hang yourself over there."

The accumulation of 40 years of compromises of that sort resulted in a mixture of grief, frustration and defensiveness from the corps, which has long been given a mission far broader than its budget.

Ultimately, the corps is directed, along with 15 other agencies, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It is FEMA who is really calling the shots and setting priorities here," General Strock said.

He defended the Bush administration against the charge that spending on the war in Iraq had diminished the capacity to deal with domestic threats like the hurricane.

"I do not see that to be the case," General Strock said. "We deeply regret the loss of life associated with this. We are committed to doing whatever we can right now to stop the flow of waters and get the city on the road to recovery."

Alfred C. Naomi, a senior project manager in the New Orleans district of the corps, said the New Orleans protection system was a vexing mix. It met the standards that were agreed on long ago, but was known to be inadequate.

"This storm was much greater than protection we were authorized to provide," Mr. Naomi said.

Current and former local officials expressed anger at the lack of preparedness.

"I'm just shocked," said Martha Madden, who was the Louisiana secretary of environmental quality in the late 1980's and is now a consultant in strategic planning in Washington and New Orleans.

The Corps of Engineers, Ms. Madden said, should have arranged access to supplies like sandbags and concrete barriers, the way environmental planners reserve access to materials for oil spills.

Anyway:

12:50 P.M. - SAN ANTONIO (AP): The first of 25,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees ticketed for San Antonio arrived today at the old Kelly Air Force Base aboard nine buses from Louisiana.

A staging area's been set up at what's now called KellyUSA in southwestern San Antonio. There, the refugees will be checked in and given living arrangements.

They'll be staying in a 325,000-square-foot warehouse that was part of the old air base. Medical and mental-health care will be available -- as will showers and meals.

It's not clear how many refugees are expected to arrive this first day.

And added, "Now may be the time to start a medical savings account. You should plan ahead for disasters."

I want to congratulate the governors for being leaders. You didn't ask for this, when you swore in, but you're doing a heck of a job.

I'm sure he can relate. Being a leader is hard work.

And I'm not looking forward to this trip. I got a feel for it when I flew over before. It -- for those who have not -- trying to conceive what we're talking about, it's as if the entire Gulf Coast were obliterated by a -- the worst kind of weapon you can imagine. And now we're going to go try to comfort people in that part of the world.

Dude, it's going be such a bummer.

AWWW THE PRESIDENT HAS A DADDY