Random concerns that warrent attention…
Chicago Metroblog is again sending us some useful info, this time its about identity theft so I�m passing it on. This immediately reminded me that all the information you would ever need to be me is sitting in my apartment. I meant to get one of those firebox things but it�s just something you never think of. It�s the kind of thing that you have to leave the house exclusively for that thing and nothing else. I almost feel there would be a sense of justice if a looter assumed my identity because my credit�s so bad I can�t even rent a movie. Good luck with that you stupid looters.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4837052
Also, here’s a link to the Federal Trade Commission’s site on ID theft:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
At lunch I was watching the news back at the hotel and it seems there�s no one clearly in charge. At least that�s how it looks to me. For example, the mayor wants the people left evacuated � by force, if necessary. The Army will not participate in this because there�s some bizarre law or something that keeps them from participating in law enforcement. Wasn�t Vietnam, at least officially, a �police action�? I�ll have to look that up. I love irony � it floats around in my blood like little common sense antibodies attacking the few rational thoughts I have.
It seems that the health threat is rising very quickly and I have to wonder if the people in charge are prepared for it. Months ago I wouldn�t have worried about it, figuring the EPA and other experts would advise leadership and leadership would act accordingly. I try to believe that now, but I have creeping doubts. If they underestimate this threat in the same way they seem to have underestimated situation and the Superdome and the Convention Center then there may be significant casualties only these casualties may be the rescuers. And if there is in fact, no single leader calling the shots then who will make the call to get the rescuers out of harm�s way? And When?
I�d like to see a unified voice coming out of New Orleans � I don�t even really care who it is. The longer there isn�t someone clearly in charge, the likelihood of more mistakes being made goes up.
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The Army is correct. Posse comitatus is what you are talking about.
My heart goes out to the people in NO, Mississippi and the rest of those affected by this devistation. I have been through hurricanes before. I know that they are tricky. The go one way then turn the other…most of the time we all get lucky, sometimes we do not. There isn’t person to blame-we could go as far down the line as we want. I know that when I see a big swirling mass coming towars me I go-sometimes I go for no reason because it turns-sometimes I go for good reason because it doesn’t turn–but I go. I don’t need my mayor to tell me to go. I go. I don’t need my gov. to tell me to go. I go. I don’t my president to tell me to go. I go. I watch,I listen, I act. Some weren’t able to go and some rolled the dice. SO WHAT? Now what? We help, we rebuild. We get used to the blue tarps on roofs. We go without some luxury for a while. But we go on. We are a strong country. We are a strong people. It’s not racist that everyone we saw on tv was black-the town is 60% black! 60% of half a million is going to look pretty black. Don’t reduce this to race-it is what it is. It’s sad. But we can fix this.
To those who live in other countries….I hate to hear you say anything about my country. My country has bailed you all out more times then any of us really knows, and probably still are even though the way you thank us is not so much of a thanks by my way of speaking. Go be socialist if you want, heck be communist, be nazi for all I care-I know that before long some good ol’ American will be over there helping you out AGAIN. I haven’t seen your help, I can’t say we need your help. We will get through this like we always have-with our own sweat, our own hard work, our own will to survive, prosper, and we will come back harder, stronger, more confident, more glorious. That is the American way. We don’t know any better. We’ve never had the luxury of someone coming to our aid everytime we had a boo boo. Now won’t be any different. The slogan for the Marines holds true for your average every day American (black, white, or whatever) we are the few, and the proud.
I love this country, Love the south, love the gulf coast. I don’t have any desire to live in any of your countries-why would I, I have the best right here! Stay in Germany, France, Autrailia, Poland, or where ever you are and enjoy it there but keep your mouth shut about something and some people you will never understand, couldn’t understand-this pride is in our blood and it runs deep red-most of yours is yellow.
I will continue to do everything I can for all of you in the gulf coast! YOU WILL SURVIVE AND BE STRONGER AND MORE BEAUTIFUL FOR IT!!!!
Jack,
I second on that. Also, the National Guard (I believe is who you are refering to) does not work for the mayor. They work for the governor. In any case, the military does not work for any mayor!!! That’s why I get a laugh when people say the President should have called the National Guard in there earlier. He doe not control them under this situation. This is one of the National Guards primary missions. Support the Governor in a natural disaster.
Jack where are you at now? Still in NO?? Please take care of yourself. I don’t know you but I still care about all of you there.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone stepping up to the plate and taking that leadership role-NYC had Gulianni…Mayor Nagin seems a far cry from Rudy…from this distance any way.
Jack, you and all the other survivors are on my prayers. I’m really sadden by what is happening in the Gulf coast, especially to your city which I have visited three times and plan to visit again as soon as it’s rebuilt, because it will be rebuilt and will be even better than before, so hang in there!
Jeff, I don’t know where you are or why you hadn’t learn about the international help offered to the US. Some has been turned down, i.e. Cuba’s offer of 1,100 doctors and tons of meds, don’t know why, some senator said that it was turned down because it wasn’t needed…who knows.
Even Sri Lanka, devastated by the tsunami and Afganistan had offered help. A mexican convoy is on its way right now, already crossed the border. Germany and Britain has sent generators, water plants and water pumps and some other goods and technicians to set up the equipment. The list goes on and on.
I “live in other country”, non of those rich ones you mentioned, but one of the “third world” Latin American countries that doesn’t have much, but has offered what we can share, not what we don’t want. How do I know about the international help? Because, even being a “third world country” we have cable news from different parts of the world, so we get information that, apparently you guys are not getting, too bad, there’s a lot much more to be said that what your local stations are telling you guys.
I suppose that most stations are focusing on the politics, the crime stuff and the toxicity of the water, all important matters, but there are other stories that should be told to the US citizens and are not, which is not news to us in this part of the world, they have always been oblivious to our existence.
Anyway, you are not riding this alone, over 95 countries and international agencies had made specific offers, some in cash and other in goods, but they all have to wait until your government resquests the help and organize the logistics to be able to send it…so there you go again, the waiting for the burocracy to clear up the million forms needed to accept help is, apparently, as long as to give the help the survivors need.
I won’t take offense on your words because it’s not your fault that your government and media keep you all in the dark about the rest of the world but I would had greatly appreciate that you would have left it at the question and save those of us that feel the pain of the wonderful people that are suffering so much the bitterness of your acusations.
God bless you all!
Go be socialist if you want, heck be communist, be nazi for all I care-I know that before long some good ol’ American will be over there helping you out AGAIN.
oh for heaven’s sakes, this is the kind of talk that so endears americans to the rest of the world especially modern day europeans living in the world’s richest nations and most developped of societies. try to foccus on and see socio/political situations, much better for relations all round.
I haven’t seen your help, I can’t say we need your help.
you haven’t seen all the help that has been offered? that is on the way or already on the spot for days? no? well, i would ecmpahtically suggest you check out the news more carefully.
blogowners, please excuse my tone. i will be extracting myself from anything further on this thread.
[edit to the above:]
try to foccus on and see current socio/political situations
I think the REFUGEES are mostly pitiful. LOOTING non-essentials, crack vials all over the place, shooting at rescuers, Alot of the women I’ve seen dont look like they missed to many meals, most of the REFUGEES blame someone else for their plight. Most of these people are where they are because of wrong personal life choices. Perpetual poverty is their existance because they CHOOSE not to endeavor on a right way of living because they are full of slothfulness. The children and the aged are the true victims in this tragedy because most of their selfish parents or grown children neglected to persue a life of productivity. The failure of these grown REFUGEES to act responsibly in societal civility has condemned them to state sponsored ENSLAVEMENT from which 99% of them will live their truely pathetic existance and never achieve true hapiness: DESPAIR is their chosen course, They have chosen to follow a HANDOUT instead of self -determination. Every excuse by LIBERALS will be given to camoflauge the ways of the SLOTHFUL; But, in the end the SLOTHFUL will still be POOR, IGNORANT, SELFISH, ARROGANT, PITIFUL PATHETIC, LONELY, SADDEND, NON-PRODUCTIVE, and lastly a SLAVE to meaningless existance.
Hey Steven,at last someone who thinks like me. Yea, I think they should send a few of those so called Bad Asseback down, to help clean up some of the mess, that we didn’t cause. I think it would do them good.
Steven and Dan:
Neat. You just applied the behavior of a couple thousand people on the news to the entire 484,674 member population of New Orleans. The refugees are not only the people you saw on tv doing ignorant things. There are also families and nearly every imaginable ‘type’ of person and lifestyle who are now refugees. Your shortsightedness and lack of compassion are inspiring while your excessive use of the word slaves speaks volumes about you both.
If the only way you can not feel bad about this whole thing is by devaluing the victims, that’s cool. I understand. Play with this for a minute and see where you fit in: http://neworleans.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm.I’m sure you’ll see whatever you’ve already decided in those numbers, but I see variety.
From Blogger Ron Franscell at http://underthenews.blogspot.com …
The best writing and most provocative story so far on Katrina’s horrific aftermath? Dan Barry’s Sept. 8 New York Times piece, “Macabre Reminder: The Corpse on Union Street.” It brings the helter-skelter ghastliness of New Orleans’ deathscape into redolent focus by exploring a flat-lined place through the grisly touchstone of a corpse left mostly unmolested on what would have been a bustling street corner on a sane day. Talk about FEMA and shelter-hopping all you want … the story of Katrina is right here.
An excerpt:
“In the downtown business district here, on a dry stretch of Union Street, past the Omni Bank automated teller machine, across from a parking garage offering “early bird” rates: a corpse. Its feet jut from a damp blue tarp. Its knees rise in rigor mortis.
“… Maybe the slow acquiescence to the ghastly here — not in Baghdad, not in Rwanda, here — is rooted in the intensive news coverage of the hurricane’s aftermath: floating bodies and obliterated towns equal old news. Maybe the concerns of the living far outweigh the dignity of a corpse on Union Street. Or maybe the nation is numb with post-traumatic shock.
“Wandering New Orleans this week, away from news conferences and search-and-rescue squads, has granted haunting glimpses of the past, present and future, with the rare comfort found in, say, the white sheet that flaps, not in surrender but as a vow, at the corner of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue.”
Sorry Jack, but it’s me again.You might be the one that needs help. I plainly said the ones that were trying to be bad. You know Jack, the ones that stole a few guns and thought they could run the show. They erer robbing and beating people up. Even raped and murdered. Yea Jack, I would love to see them do a little work. So if you’re feeling sorry for that kind of person, I don’t know
I’m off here