Dodged Bullet to Head, But Not Knife to Gut
Pep predicted it. On Sunday he told me that it didn't matter if New Orleans got a direct hit from a Cat 5 or a brush with a Cat 4 storm, it would still have bodies floating in the streets. And he was right.
Yesterday he said, "They dodged the bullet to the head, but they still got knifed in the gut." The city's bleeding to death through three levee breaches that the Corps of Engineers might be able to slow - or if lucky even stop - within the next few weeks.
But that doesn't do much for the average flood wader with nothing to drink. Sean Hannity, perhaps the largest anal sphincter in the universe, showed tape of "looters" last night as he tut-tutted and chastised them from his comfy chair in an air conditioned studio. You know what the people in the tape were "looting?" Cranberry juice! What is Food Lion going to do with all those cans of food and bottles of potable liquids after they've been submerged by flood waters for a few weeks? Throw them out - that's what.
So why does Sean Hannity care if "looters steal" drinkable liquids and canned foods to ensure survival until the boat or helicopter comes? Why oh why can't he be trapped in some flooded attic somewhere . . .
In other thoughts, I loved the aquarium in New Orleans. Didn't have much use for the rest of the city, but the aquarium was a jewel. It makes me sick to think of all those gorgeous creatures dead and rotting in their tanks, but I'm sure that's what happened.
Tulane, of course, is shut down. How would you feel if you were a Freshman? They had just gotten to campus when the school told them to leave. Now there is no campus for the foreseeable future. The school has probably lost the fall semester, and perhaps a whole class of students along with it.
And then there are the libraries of New Orleans to consider. There are certainly rare and irreplacable items locked up in rooms that may be in danger of flooding. Rooms full of less valuable books, computers, and furniture will be ruined.
What a sad, horrible mess. Red Cross is my charity of choice. Don't forget to give to yours.
posted by keithurbanchic @ 7:49 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Chai: you may be pleased to know that the last I heard was the Aquarium in New Orleans was untouched. They moved the Dolphins and other animals into the swimming pools of local hotels and they were doing fine as of yesterday.
I really can't say anything about the libraries since evidently they aren't held in very high esteem by the press and we don't hear about them. :( almost makes me ashamed to be a journalist...
Yeah, I can't see the big deal about these people looting the local Food Lion. Like you said they are going to throw this stuff out anyway. I have found during this entire thing that 99% of the people who are against the looting are people who weren't "affected" by the storm.
And the flooding unfortunately will get worse. As long as water from Lake Pontchatrain continues to rise then the water in N.O. will rise. It's been noted on the news that it will take 36 hours for the lake to return to normal height and then maybe they can pump the water out of "The Big Easy". Also announced there may be no Mardi Gras in 2006.
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