Random thoughts:

I for one am no longer buying gas if I dont have to - all that unnecessary gas I was buying for the fun of it is a thing of the past. No more back yard gas fires, the flaming moat around the house is out, and the molotov cocktail making is on hold.

CNN reported last night that some national guard units that had made it into NO were pulling back after sundown because it was dark and dangerous. I thought thats why they were going there.   Got any night vision goggles or a Coleman lantern?

A hospital ship is due to arrive at NO in 2 weeks?   Just in the nick of time.

If we knew the levees were only good for a category 3 and we knew for at least 2 days a category 4 or 5 was heading right for NO (until a last minute slight verge to the east) - how was the whole flooding thing a surprise beyond our possible antipication and ability to respond to?

How can you pusuade people to voluntarily leave their houses and businesses when they think the buildings have a chance of surviving, if you cant guarantee them that their surviving stuff wont be looted and trashed after the storm has passed.

How can you blame people for breaking into stores and houses when they dont have food or water?

How come the Astrodome is turning away people after taking only 11,000? Didnt it used to hold over 40,000?

Lets blame all those people who didnt have transportation, were in the hospitals or disabled etc for not evacuating - Oh but we dont want to point fingers do we?

A kid commandeerd a school bus and drove it with a load of refugees to Texas   - can we find some more of those buses please - drivers not needed

We cant evacuate people becuase snipers are making it dangerous - so we are just leaving them to die?

How can FEMA not be aware of 3000 people stuck at the convention center? Even if the city didnt tell them they were sending people there, the people are mostly in plain sight outside right near the center of town. - Oh yes I forgot - FEMA was concentrating on the people at the SuperDome -Huh??? concentrating WHAT on them?

If CNN can have well rested, well dressed and well fed looking crews broadcasting all over the place since day 1 so we can all see what is going on - why cant the government get their people, equipment and supplies in to the same places?


If CNN can have well rested, well dressed and well fed looking crews broadcasting all over the place since day 1 so we can all see what is going on -- what is all this stuff put out by the emergency agencies about about their biggest problem being lack communication capability. Is our emergency communication system dependent on cell phones and D cell powered walky talkies? Should the government folks be watching CNN instead of doing news conferences where they complain about poor communications?


If CNN can have well rested, well dressed and well fed looking crews broadcasting all over the place since day 1 so we can all see what is going on - why doesnt CNN start taking food and water in along with their people? Don't want to become "part of the story" I guess.

If this is an example of our new post 9/11 emergency response capabilities - where we at least had fair warning   - what is going to happen with a really unexpected catastrophe - earthquake in Chicago, dirty bomb in Denver etc..   If we cant depend on government to provide a reasonably timely and effective response to these things shouldn't we just expect to have to fall back on the every man for him/her-self approach?   Glad I have my trusty sling shot at home.

This is all covered by insurance - right?