Watching the end of the world

+1 to what Orionengnr said. Also, if you live between the second largest salt-water lake and the second longest river in the United States and you live immediately downhill from both, you should know your first mistake by now.
 
Can you say ... don't be a freakin' jerk?

For those of you who don't understand this, we live in a little thing called a "civilization." In a civilzation, you help out your fellow man when they're down. Even if they did something stupid to make it happen.

When my neighbor breaks his lawnmower by stupidly catching the blade on a concrete curb, I loan him mine. Because it's the nice thing to do. It's neighborly. It's civilized.

When other neighbors living in a city that is a couple of hundred years old find themselves hit by a 100 year storm and they are dying, I send them help. It's the nice thing to do. It's neighborly. And it's civilized.

The government is many things, but it is an organization of this little thing we call "civilization." We all pay thousands of dollars in taxes with the knowledge that when something really bad happens they will come and help us out.

There are some really stupid places to live -- like below sea level next to the ocean or on a major earthquake fault -- but catastrophes can happen anywhere.

A catastrophe like a hurricane is unlikely in Colorado, but if something bizarre happens (like the supposed yellowstone super volcano blows up) I won't be turning down help to keep my family alive.

For those of you whining because people couldn't take care of themselves to the level they think they should, I just hope if you and your family are ever caught in a bad situation you turn down the help offered you.
 
I depend on my vehicle 100% to support my career choice.
I drive a lot in my job.
So does my wife.
Our cost of doing our part of putting food on the table, paying taxes, supporting the .gov here at Casa Hal just went up close to ~$200 a week because of the increase in gas prices.

Where's our help?

So somebody in the path of fury just lost $10K?
Well guess what? I just did too, only my loss will be slowly bled out of me over a longer time.
 
Some people could not get out. I have utmost sympathy for them. Some ignored evacuation orders and stayed and are either suffering or dead. Stupidity should be painful. Now all I gotta do as a taxpayer is figure out which is which.

Evidently a sizeable portion of the chaos rests at the feet of the governor. I'm hearing reports of rampant corruption and mob rule at the governor level. Just now shoot to kill orders are made. Why so late. Looting is a fairly predictable consequence of the breakdown in social order.

Evidently Bush is headed down to have a word of prayer with the gov. Word is out he will federalize the whole show.

Bush is taking a lot of heat for the inept response in a lot of areas. If he is responsible then have at it, but at least make sure someone else is not responsible. I just love bashing politicians. Great sport. But one of my character flaws is I insist on bashing the right politician. Say it is not appropriate to bash politicans during a time of national disaster? Oh yes it is. Put them on notice that incompetitent actions will bear a public costs then perhaps they will act for everyone's benefit.
 
okay..

your quote..
"Can you say ... don't be a freakin' jerk?
....blah blah blah...

your quote...
"When my neighbor breaks his lawnmower by stupidly catching the blade on a concrete curb, I loan him mine. Because it's the nice thing to do. It's neighborly. It's civilized."

Yes, agreed. However, if my neighbor or anyone else wants to STEAL my lawnmower (and everything else that isn't bolted down) different story, different response.

Your quote..
"The government is many things, but it is an organization of this little thing we call "civilization." We all pay thousands of dollars in taxes with the knowledge that when something really bad happens they will come and help us out."

You got the first clause of the second sentence right, and that is about it.

Your quote...
"There are some really stupid places to live -- like below sea level next to the ocean or on a major earthquake fault -- but catastrophes can happen anywhere."

Yes, and that is why I pay (and sometimes dearly) for insurance. IT is NOT the .gov or FEMA's part to pay for my lack of planning, lack of personal responsibility, of failure to buy insurance. This is a Socialist concept that has taken root in the swamp of our society in the last 40 years.

Your quote...
"A catastrophe like a hurricane is unlikely in Colorado, but if something bizarre happens (like the supposed yellowstone super volcano blows up) I won't be turning down help to keep my family alive."

Accept or decline what is offered to you at your discretion, but do not DEMAND that to which you have no right, nor lay blame at the feet of those who have none.

Your quote...
"For those of you whining because people couldn't take care of themselves to the level they think they should, I just hope if you and your family are ever caught in a bad situation you turn down the help offered you."

Whining? Nice try. In fact, the whining is coming from those who "feel" "entitled". The fact that those two words are in quotes is not coincidental. Two generations of being more concerned with "feelings" than "facts" has lead many to feel "entitled" ...there are no consequences in FeelingLand (TM).

"Feel" all you want. The real world has consequences. Blame our President if that makes you "feel" better. Hate me if you like.

Deal with it, and you will, sooner or later. Good luck.
 
If I have no right to expect taxpayer dollars to help out in a situation like this, why does the government have the right to take my tax dollars and earmark them for situations like this.

If I ever get in a bind like this just give me some of my money back
 
New Orleans Cannibalism - Rumor or fact?

Has anyone heard if the CANNABILISM reported Friday by Randall Robertson, liberal black activist and president of Transafrica, is true?
 
2harddrive,

please do not spam the exact silly rumor to half a dozen different threads.

I took the liberty of cleaning up your mess. I don't want to have to do it again.

BTW, the word you were trying to employ is "CANNIBALISM".
 
I have to wonder.....

If we were seeing pictures of similar carnage in the Florida Keys, in Palm Beach, in the barrier islands off North Carolina, on Long Island or the Mass Cape......
1) Would we start referring to "looting" as "Searching for"?
2) Would a lesser percent of the inhabitants take advantage of the situation?
3) Would we each be so callous as to the plight of the victims, chalking it up to "their own stupidity and laziness"?


Or would we demand that, as Americans, we help now and point fingers later?
Rich
 
End of the world? Blah, it's just nature in the American South.

The South has a long history of being clobbered. Heck in 1927 a flood left over a million homeless in South LA around New Orleans. They recovered, New Orleans will recover and thrive again. It will just take time and our help. :)

Time to work, we can always whine later. :D
 
I guess you guys missed the part in the Constitution where one of the duties of the Government is to promote the general welfare of the citizens....

It could have been you hit by a tornado or freak storm.
 
Thank you. Promote is the key word.

"Or would we demand that, as Americans, we help now and point fingers later?"

I believe it's possible to provide help right now and talk about it at the same time. I've been on the Outer Banks during a relatively mild hurricane or two. We didn't have any power or a way off the island and everyone shared what they had. Of course, most of us were at least minimally prepared. Actually, once it was sort of funny - everybody had at least one cooler full of rotting fish. "Need any fish?" became the answer to any question asked.

I've been in Richmond a few times when the power went off for days at a time due a hurricane (ice storms, too) and crime seemed to drop because more people were outside hour after hour. We shared and helped each other. This was particularly important to me 2 years ago because I was waiting to have back surgery. Of course, the MRI center didn't have electricity for 10 days. Then there was that afternoon we had 14 inches of rain - what a mess that was.

I don't know how folks up north would act. Don't go there much.

I've also been in New Orleans (which I love) when they made announcements in the casino to only leave through the hotel exit because of numerous "problems" in the immediate area around the casino. I told a guard that I'd grown up in downtown Baltimore and D.C. and asked how big a problem they were really having. He just laughed and said "You'll be okay, but be prepared to run." I was always prepared to run when in New Orleans.

John

"I'll bet you 2 bucks I can tell you where you got your shoes."

P.S. - We had a former city council member arrested sitting in a car shooting drugs in front of the dealer's house. There was 2x loser with him and after he did his time they suggested he leave the state. He went to NO and got a late night job in a liquor store in a bad neighborhood - kept a .45, a sawed-off shotgun and pit bull behind the counter. I would have called it a real bad neighborhood, but his brother in law told me it really wasn't that bad for NO.
 
In the grand scheme of things, this disaster is relatively small. There are larger disasters that will come in the future.

This one though, serves notice that our reaction time and methodology for large disaster relief needs improvement.

This storm was known and the devastation predicted well before impact. Mobilizing takes time, why for instance did we not mobilize when the storm reached category 4 in the gulf and was obviously going to hit the coast?
 
Hundreds of flooded New Orleans school busses containing around 20,000 seats:

bus2.jpg


Mayor Nagin didn't issue a voluntary evacuation until late Saturday the 27th, AFTER a federal state of emergency had been declared.

He was dithering over "liability" for the hotels' lost revenue until Sunday morning the 28th, only then ordering a mandatory evacuation, and even then exempted hotels and their guests.

Katrina made landfall overnight Sunday.
 
I guess you guys missed the part in the Constitution where one of the duties of the Government is to promote the general welfare of the citizens....
Click to expand...

The funny thing is that in Constitutional Law (first year law school), they don't even discuss that part of the Constitution, stating that the Preamble merely sets the tone, without having operative effect. In other words, the federal gov't has no authority to promote the general welfare except through the specific powers set forth elsewhere in the Constitution.
 
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