Just listening to CNN while logged in here...Hurricane Katrina sounds pretty bad...prayers for safe passage and refuge to all those in her path, especially those in the Louisianna region.

Yeah, just saw the update on New Orleans. Definitely not looking good.

It's actually getting worse, they said they expect the waters to rise more which means that the water will end up above the roofs of the homes. I hope everyone gets out before they can't.

well.. i have some more news, straight from emergency sources for those of us in Louisiana.. New Orleans is being completely evacuated.. the waters levers could get up to 3 feet above sea level.. and when New Orleans sits 10-25 below sea level, this will not bode well.. the causeway bridge IS intact, with only some structural damage.. it is strictly being used by rescue / law enforcement officials only.. at this rate, there is no telling what is going to happen now..

as for where i am from on the North side of the lake, we faired only slightly better.. Covington has flooding in areas, but it is nothing like in the city.. there are downed powerlines, trees, and debree all over the roads.. Mandeville, which is directly on the other side of the causeway and sitting on the lake, seemed to fair quite well considering.. that being where i live, i can breathe a little easier.. same general story tho.. downed trees, powerlines, and debree everywhere.. no power, water, telephones, cable, etc..

as for my return home, it has been postponed.. officials are not letting any of the residents in my parish, and many others, to go back home.. earliest chance will be at least a week.. so unfortunately, i wont know anything about my home until then.. :((

i will be keeping in touch with rescue officials in the New Orleans / Northshore area.. and will be posting to keep you guys informed.. hopefully i will have more info tonite..

Dj

Thanks.. I do appreciate you keeping us up on the latest.. Better than the tv news .. I will be watching for updates..

I have heard talk of moving people to the Dome, but with such damage, and the Dome itself taking a bit of damage, I'm not sure how that is possible. I was in NO in 1997, and it was a beautiful city. I was told the reason for all the above ground burials is because flooding is common. I'm hoping that if that's the case, residents were well prepared ahead of time, and the final losses will be fairly minimal. I really hope that everyone is ok. Has Regmar checked in with anyone yet? Does anyone know if he's ok?

I have heard nothing.. I usually hear from him every day..

Thanks again for the update Dj...glad to hear you're not going anywhere for awhile though no doubt you would like to get home...just as well though...I just checked Regmar's profile page...he hasn't been here since August 28th...I also sent him a PM so soon as he logs in he's to let us know how he is...God, what a tragic turn of events...things seem to be going from bad to worse with the fatalities rising...I continue to hope and pray for the best for all down there.:Pat.

as far as the refugees in the dome.. they are being moved to the Astrodome in Houston.. officials are evacuating EVERYONE.. there is a great health risk with the water getting into the sewage and coming up onto the streets.. as well as the fact that rescue workers are having to literally throw bodies aside to search for survivers :(.. as i was told, those alive are just more important rite now..

as far as any more updates, i havent been able to get thru to the emergency line, so it may be another day or two before i can give any more news.. but as i get it, i will post..

thank you all for the concerns and thoughts.. hopefully we can hear from Regmar and others in that area.. and that they are safe..

Dj

Well, the Army Corps of Engineers are miracle workers as are the red cross. Having lived through some pretty nasty hurricane in Hawaii, I have to say, that the reason we (as a whole) got back to business afterwards, was thanks to those 2 organizations workings their asses off 24/7. I have faith that the areas affected by Katrina, will also be getting their lives back with the help of those amazing organizations. So, we know it is tragic, and the death count is still unknown, but now we must just keep those tireless workers in our prayers, for they are the ones risking their lives right now to save as many as they can. And the moment anyone hears from Regmar, please make a posting!!!!

I was wondering...any other caedes members live down that way that we haven't heard from?

I'm not sure, but if there are, I hope they all found someplace safe to hold up and sit out the storm. And I hope that any member from that general area checks in soon.

DJ, I'm so relieved to hear you are okay and you are communicating with us so well despite what you must certainly be feeling and going through. Pat, when I do a search just typing in the areas, relatively few authors come up. DJ doesn't because his work is abstract so there's just no telling without Caedes' help? The word is now 97,000 square miles through 4 states!! There are people we won't know about for a very very long time if ever. ;( Nothing is contained unlike 9-11. ;( I go through Regmar's gallery again. He's given a wealth of information and history. Images that are just no longer. I can't even find the words.....

I can tell you that most Swedes have talked about New Orleans today..we have got good information about this enormous catastrophe.and we are very sorry...it also reminds us of the tsunami catastrophe in Thailand....about 600 Swedes died there in the waves....but I´m glad to see DJ here...and bb...and I really hope Regmar will be here again soon....

Talking about Regmars photo's. New Orleans is a beautiful city with a rich history and amazing archetecture from days gone by. He captured that so wonderfully in his pics. I do hope that New Orleans can salvage some of that history. I heard that the French Quarter got hit pretty badly (it is on the river), and that was such a beautiful area. I hope when Regmar gets back (I'm being positive here), that he would consider doing a series on the devastation of Katrina and the steps being taken to rebuild this magnificent city. He has such a wonderful eye, I can't think of anyone who could "take" us to NO, after the hurricane, the way Regmar can.

I agree about Regmar's wonderful eye and was thinking the same thing, that if possible, he would probably want to get some pics after this disaster has struck...as for the French Quarter, I understood from the news that they are actually on a little higher ground than the rest of New Orleans and haven't suffered quite as much damage as other parts...and let's not forget Mississippi and Alabama...I understand that while the problems are different, they are more widespread and every bit of serious, especially in Biloxi, Mississippi.:Pat.

youre rite Pat.. the French Quarter is one of the areas that was least affected in New Orleans.. funnily, one of my favorite hangouts in the quarter is a place called Johnny Whites Sports Bar.. it was actually open Tuesday nite and more amazingly, had customers!.. so luckily, one of the key areas in the city may fare ok..

i agree that we shouldnt forget about Mississippi and Alabama either.. their destruction was more a cascade of events tho.. the past two years, the gulf shores has been hit with monster hurricanes.. the recovery was still being done a couple weeks as i passed thru on my way to Florida.. many homes and businesses have been wiped out..

as far as New Orleans, the latest news i have is that the evacuation is still ongoing.. on a good note, the water level between the lake and new orleans has levelled off.. this means no more water getting into the city.. the water level is actually receeding now at a rate of one half inch per hour.. its been said that it could take at least 30 days to get all the water out of New Orleans.. then begins the hard part.. the sediment, trash, and body cleanup.. ive also heard about Mayor Nagan enforcing marshall law on the city to work on preventing the looting..

and as for me, ive heard they are beginning to allow some of the residents in my parish back in, but only with proper identification.. a friend is in the area and will be checking on my house.. so i may have news within the next couple hours.. needless to say, im quite nervous..

ill have more soon i hope..

Dj

Apparently some people were looting 'non-essential' items. There have been shoot-outs with police. Even rescue helicopters have been shot at. You see the best and worst of people at a time like this.

Does anyone have Regmar's address, there is a number on the US Coast Guard site you can call to tell them to go to. uscg.mil is there site and the numbers are on the front page.

I was hoping there was some contact info for him on his website other than email, but his site is not working at the moment...perhaps a telephone number search would work...I might try that.:Pat.

Hopefully he didn't take his number off of the search.

Prob out of my depth here for you guys.

Katrina's a grade 5 Hurricane, If she gets back over water she will gain more power again due to convection. Best for her to go in land. As far as I am aware she's heading south towards the Carribean so if thats the case then if you guys know anyone south of North America then you may want to get in touch.
Best wishes from the small island across the sea.

It's going back down?

may not work Pat.. so many phone lines down in that entire region, hardly any calls go thru.. people can make calls out.. but cant recieve.. im in florida and still cant recieve calls because my phone is a 985 area code phone.. i can make calls just fine tho.. but please dont let me stop you..

if anyone wants to hear a bit more first hand from me, just send me a pm.. Pat, if you want to get in touch with me just let me know.. we can try to coordinate to see how Reg and otehrs are doing..

Dj

I heard when I was leaving work tonight @ 20.30pm (dont know US) that she was moving not tracked it since then. Dont think shes anyway near as powerfull as when she hit. I'll look into it.

Regmar's web site is completely down.. I have been checking regularly..

Everything from Google News / Reuters / CNN / BBC World service are talking in the past sense. She must have gone. Goes to show how far I was behind. Sorry guys if I rose any worry. It was not my intention @ all.

I heard on the radio this morning that authorities have been advised to concentrate on stopping looters, rather than saving people... does this make any sense to anyone at all?!? I think this decision will come back to haunt them later...

they are trying to get the looters under control.. they are shooting cops.. shooting rescue vehicles.. and now with marshall law involved, things are gonna get sorted out.. the hard way ;\

Oh OK. Maybe they should have just called them something besides "looters".

i agree.. looters.. rioters.. idiots.. pick your term ;\\

Dj

I think the federal government should be doing much more than they are.. It is insane that there isn't enough help..

There are more of our people fighting in other countries and I'm beginning to feel like our country has been forgotten.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/01/national/a155306D82.DTL

this disgusts me!!! we are more worried about iraq and other countries, its time to focus on our home!!!!!

ive said the same things.. we are the first to jump out and help other countries.. even those who have done some serious harm to this country.. and yet we cant find a way to bring in volunteers, troops, supplies to somewhere so closeby.. its almost as if the government doesnt care that New Orleans is dying..

ive bitten my tongue a dozen times during this post.. so i will stop now.. maybe because this is my home thats being affected, i am too emotional to provide a rational response.. *sigh* i digress..

Dj

NO!!!! You are right.. We can spend resourses on other countrys but not on our own.. I heard tonight on the news the feds didn't know how bad it really was and are now sending help.. They didn't know????

They didn't care from the beginning, that's what it says. Just like 9/11 they knew more than 5 years before and they did NOTHING!

ummm lets see.. city UNDER water.. riots.. looting.. death.. and thats just now.. just think of the problems to come in the future.. all that water is going to be a breeding ground for so much disease.. mosquitos breed in water.. they also carry West Nile.. and thats just the start.. if New Orleans doesnt get help soon, and im talking serious help, its gonna end up having to be quarantined.. not the kind of help the president is giving..

im normally a very strong person emotionally.. this situation has me fighting back tears.. it has me sick to my stomach.. my home and way of life, as well as well over half a million others, are being tossed aside like its nothing.. i just wish i could pass along a message to Bush.. "thanks for being such a great president @#^($hole" :(

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to New Orleans, like, it won't be rebuilt again and end up ruins.

it will at the rate our government is "helping" :(

Dj

I hope someone helps, I've always wanted to visit New Orleans but now I feel like that won't ever happen...It looks like a tsunami hit it and we helped the tsunami victims, didn't we? We did more for them than us! Isn't that just wrong!

It's never wrong to help other people I don't think. Hopefully the rest of the world will get behind you just as they did for the tsunami disaster.

I don't mind us helping other countries, I believe it's the right thing to do but when they don't help us after we helped them is just f@cked up!

Sam.. i have nothing against helping other countries.. but when the government is helping everyone but this country, it does get sickening..

Dj

I just heard on the news that the police are ignoring the people that need help in New Orleans! This is crazy!

Also, we were offered help by more than 20 countries and they were rejected! What's up with that?

Not to sound like a heartless bitch, but I say f*ck the tsunami victims, f*ck iraq, f*ck pride!!! Take the damn oil offered from south america, send troops and aid to New Orleans FAST FAST FAST. It is time to take care of our own damn country for once, and help those poor people suffering in that heat without food, drinking water, medical aid. And do it YESTERDAY, not next week, or next month...but RIGHT DAMN NOW!!!

We had offers from more than 20 countries and they were turned down, what does that say, they don't really care about what is happening to everyone, the states are running by themselves without the rest of the country, the US is breaking apart now.

Chavez offered a million barrels of crude...the same Chavez that "should be assasinated", he called Dubya a cowboy who is flying by the seat of his pants and doing nothing to help the victims. I agree!!! One million barrels, Dubya turned it down. WTF is that??? I think Dubya needs to be impeached. If the US could impeach Clinton for some blow jobs, well then Dubya definately deserves an impeachment AND ass kicking.

I got an E mail from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Calif. EOS has learned that trapped victims are calling family and loved ones asking them for help in rescuing them. These calls need to go to the Coast Guards Rescue Line at 1-800-323-7233 and assistance will be sent. The message on this line will also provide information about how to report people to Lousiana State Police officials. This number is legitimate as it is a governmental agency e mail.

is that thing about Chavez true. . .please send me a link to where it is. . .must share with people i know.

About the people trapped in New Orleans. Everyone in the city of New Orleans was ordered out of that city 2 days ahead of Katrina making landfall. Anyone that mattered was telling everyone in New Orleans to GET THE HELL OUT! Call me cold, but the ones that stayed are the worlds biggest idiots. Do you think that the Mayor ordered an evacuation just for fun? HELLO...this is NOT a test! WTF? Those people called Katrina's bluff, and got their asses in trouble. One more time for those that need it....THEY called Katrina's bluff, and got THEIR asses in trouble.Now the stupid MFers are even shooting at the rescue workers! They're looting shopping malls.....GUN SHOPS....busting open ATM machines....hampering the efforts of the disaster relief teams! HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GET THE WOMEN, AND CHILDREN OUT OF NEW ORLEANS WHEN THEY HAVE GUN TOTING FREAKS SHOOTING AT THEM? Proving once again that just because you live in America...doesn't make you an American. Now we have the idiots blaming this on our government. WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT! If you don't like how things are going with the disaster relief....grab your boots, and head to Louisiana! NATURAL DISASTER....What part of that don't you get?!! May God help the innocent.

Wrong, every time they are told to evacuate, there have always been things standng, the only reason they shoud've left is because of the below sea level thing. People will always stay home because they feel safer there, even if the house is flimsy.

So there you go.

Randy.. many of those people who didnt leave, couldnt.. wasnt a choice thing.. trust me.. close friends of mine are most likely still trapped in buildings there.. one in particular, doesnt have a vehicle.. so was she supposed to walk away from this storm? no.. she stayed and tried to ride the storm out the best she could..

just never forget that there are more things going on than just a simple disregard to warnings.. which granted, more than a few did.. but those others couldnt.. how bout this.. lets get them safe first! then we can bitch about their intelligence..

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

U said it Dj!

Your friend couldn't take a bus to Jackson? Besides...I've got a brother from Waveland .....his house is most likel destroyed. He hitchhiked to Poplarville. My oldest sister lives im Poplarville, and was mandated to New Orleans last weekend. We haven't heard from her since Wednesday. She's a trauma nurse. She COULDN'T leave.

and by the way.. i do plan on going home and helping with the rebuilding of the GREAT city of New Orleans, a place which i call home.. CNN, FOX, and every other major network is giving everyone else in this world a jaded view of the city.. think of the good people there..

like the 18 y/o boy who saved 50-60 people.. this kid found an unused bus and decided to do what he could to get out of there.. having never driven a bus before, he got it started and began driving out of town.. he picked up people as he found them.. then he drove to Houston.. now THATS a New Orleans citizen for you..

i ask.. no, i beg you all.. please help out, in any way you can, the wonderful city of New Orleans, as well as the surrounding areas and Mississippi and Alabama.. they / we need your help.. there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Gulf Coast area who will not have a home for a long time.. who will not have food and water.. so please, if even just a small amount, donate to the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.. help save one of the most incredible places on this planet..

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

who knows Randy.. if i ever get the chance to talk to her again, ill be sure to ask her.. considering the situation, im not sure if she is gonna survive.. and its not like i can just go look for my friends either.. police and rescue officials are doing what they can to keep New Orleans sealed up tighter than a frogs butt on letting people in.. incoming flow is not allowed at all.. ;(

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

I've been to New Orleans a few times. I have family in Southern Misissippi. I love the people down there. I jus think that anyone that REALLY wanted to leave could have.

Sometimes there are great obsitcles to leaving.. Sometimes there aren't any choices..Had Mom and I been there, I doubt we would have veen able to leave either.. Poverty does terrible things..

One things for sure. Leaving there then would have been a whole hell of a lot easier than leaving there now.

Someone has to lecture Bush about the need to fill the potholes here, not in Baghdad. Too bad he listens to his handpicked "advisors". The only upside to this catastrophe is that Halliburton will not be given another no-bid contract.

Tracy, you can't just stop Bush from digging holes, it's his hobby. He should come here though, we need help and I don't know if it was him but the US rejected help from 20 countries! What is up with that!

I find it interesting how people will use any reason to bash the Bush Administration. Even a NATURAL DISASTER.

Any reason cause there are many reasons :)

Yeah...the magical make believe super prez would have went out into the Gulf, and knocked that mean old hurricane right back to fantasy land. Besides all them people would have left New Orleans if Kerry were President....huh?

He would've done something, since we wouldn't be in war with him
no political talk here though, this is a discussion about new orleans and alabama and mississippi.

He would have done nothing. It's up to the state, and local government to plan, and prepare for this type of thing. The people of New Orleans have been warned for 150 years that one day a hurricane was going to anihilate their city because of it's below sea level location. Then when the big one came....they didn't take warning. If you want to blame someone...blame the city of New Orleans for not offering assistance in evacuating the city BEFORE the hurricane hit. They could have offered free bus services, taxi services, hell any services....there was none. A lot of this could have been prevented that wasn't.

ok.. so what if they all would have left.. they still wouldnt have homes to go back home to.. its gonna be close to 2 million people without homes and businesses due to the storm.. keep in mind.. the projections had this storm making a U-turn on friday-saturday.. but it didnt.. it gave so little time for so many people to get out, that this may not have been prevented even if everyone did take measures to do so..

but enough of this.. im not here to debate the people of New Orleans.. i know what kind of people we are.. i was posting here to keep people updated on the efforts being made there.. you guys keep arguing all you want.. its not youre f%*$ing home and way of life that was destroyed >:( i was no where near this storm and my life can and will never be the same.. but i guess that doesnt matter..

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

Ok well first of all, even though this was a horrible tragety, I'm sure we can all agree that the death toll could have been ALOT worse. Hurricanes cannot be destroyed, we can only dodge them. Yes, a lot of New Orleans have evacuated, but I would like to know how someone who was at a low income level would evacuate the city...and not only that, but have enough money to get back on their feet.

It is not just up to the local government to deal with something of this magnitude. The damage is in the BILLIONS of dollars which is a national debt to pay, not just local state. I'm not a New Orleans resident, but I will do what I can to give relief.

Also, please realize, that busses cannot go in many parts of southern Louisiana because it is swamplands. It's just not practical to spend the time getting them out when there's millions more people who are more easily accessable.

Yes they chose to live there and they do realize the danger of living on a gulf coast, but please do not put blame on someone for such a tragic and NATURAL disaster.

xyccoc...Your home was destroyed? Sorry to here that. I'm glad you had the good sense to evacuate, because at least your not in the middle of that nightmare. My sisters home was heavily damaged, and my brothers home was in Waveland....so it's destroyed of course. My sister is in New Orleans, as we speak, helping wherever she can. The fact remains though...that the majority of the people trapped in New Orleans could have evacuated if they chose to. They can't blame anyone but themselves.

No his house wasn't destroyed. His *home* is New Orleans.

And actually if you read some of the news online, most of the people that didn't evacuate is the lower income people that couldn't afford to get a car and flee in time for when the Hurricane hit.

I didn't realize that this was such a horrible disaster until recently. Instead of playing the blame game, let's just realize for a second that the people who still are alive could still be dying because of starvation, and impending disease.

I believe that we as a nation should do what we can to help these people. There's almost 300 million people in this country. If even half of us just gave a can of soup or something, we could feed every single one of those people, and then some.

yes my home was destroyed.. my house is fine, but my home is New Orleans.. and i didnt evacuate.. i left 2 weeks ago for work.. so i didnt even have a chance to get valuables, prep my house, or anything.. i guess thats my fault too? you can NOT put blame on people who arent as privelaged, because they failed to get out.. what about the cops that are patrol in the city? they lost their homes.. their families.. and they still patrol.. with no communication.. why? because they care enough about the city to try to do some good.. but i guess theyre at fault too, rite?

we in the south have gone thru many hurricanes.. some weak, some strong.. noone expected this one to be such a powerhouse of a storm.. cat 1 to a cat 5 in 2 days? thats unheard of.. thats another reason why im sure people stayed.. so dont act like it was a massive storm the entire time.. by the time it got too bad to stay, a lot couldnt leave.. i guess we all should run when we hear a fart and think its thunder? but what do i know.. im just some guy from a place that was devistated.. my opinion and voice doesnt matter..

Dj - a PROUD New Orleans area resident

You do matter and so do your opinions. Thank you for sharing them.

While I have checked in on this discussion from time to time, it's been awhile since I last posted...after reading through a number of posts, I feel I should point something out here...my intent in starting THIS particular thread was NOT to provoke argument, or play the 'blame game' and certainly not to knock people when they are down...no doubt there will be plenty of 'fall-out' from all of this, politically and otherwise, for a long time to come...I did, however, want to call attention to the tragic events, encourage people to offer prayers, condolences, exchange important and helpful info etc....at this time, it is the loss and suffering of the people that matters most...period.:Pat.

I have no sympathy for any of the absolute idiots that COULD have gotten out, and CHOSE to stay. If you expect me to feel sorry for them.....sorry....it aint happening.

What is wrong if you, so cold...

Call me what you will. I aint here to win a popularity contest.

Just read throught the entire thread, wow... things are alot worse than what I was lead to believe. I know how horrible this must be for all those involved, having been affected by 9/11 myself. And I know it may seem like your world has been turned upside down, but remember one day it will be as it once was and NO willl be a stronger place for it.

We are back to this arguement about choices.. Please try to understand.. Some people do not have choices.. I really hate the way that word is misused by the media.. It implies that everyone has the same choices.. WE DO NOT!!!!! Financial and educational disadvantages remove choices.. I don't care if those people could have left or not.. They need our sympathy and support now..

Morwyn, it is easy to say, start over and build another house. Pull the money out of your savings. As you put it, some may have put all they had into what they had, and starting over and getting to where they were at, may not happen again.Sympathy and support always makes a difference. Could we lose our homes, our precious photos, momentos, etc and " be ok?" No one could not be phased by this.

Yes, Ann is right and their should be no cold feeligns towards them!

Before you judge me as heartless slime....My deepest sympathies go out to the innocent in this tragedy that for one reason, or another, could NOT leave, but the hundred thousand, or so, that stayed to loot....they are no better than grave robbers.

Randy...you are quite right...the object of this thread was NOT to hold a popularity contest...NOR was it to declare Open Season on ANYONE at this time...given my intent in starting this thread, and your sentiments towards the 'absolute idiots' as you affectionately refer to them, I have to wonder why you participated in this discussion...as well, I find it VERY difficult to reconcile the first post you made on this thread with your latter comments...how can you on the one hand say " God help them all" and then call those who didn't get out 'absolute idiots' who you have no sympathy for...to me that sounds highly contradictory and hypocritical to say the least...and while I'm on the topic of the 'idiots', let me point out that while it is true some could have gotten out but chose otherwise, a great many could not due to age, illness, financial constraints and simply no idea as to where they might go...and for those who could have left but didn't, they may indeed have made the wrong decision but who of us hasn't at some time in life...is this to say "you made your bed now lie in it?"..if so, then may we all be damned...furthermore, I would also remind that the initial impact caused by the hurricane itself is NOT what caused the greatest loss of life or property but rather the breaking of the levees, something quite unforeseen...except perhaps by a select few who know about these things...and while we are being armchair critics and finger pointing, it is also interesting to note that it was reported that funding for this sort of thing (maintaining the levees) was cut...if you happen to revisit this discussion, Randy, don't worry, I am not trying to change you...character traits are usually pretty well set by the age most of us here are.:Pat.

He probably feels so bad for them he got angry at them.

I'm having a hard time fathoming all of this. I'm still very shocked from it all. Yes XYZ...I am angry at the looters, and the ones shooting at rescue workers, yet I am not heartless. I feel for the children mostly....they had no choice. This is a disaster of monumental proportion. It was bound to happen. It was innevitable, and because it was forseen.... I just feel that the loss of life, and much of this was preventable. I'm sorry for messing up your thread Pat.

Randy...I do not hold any hard feelings...I understand emotions are running high right now.:Pat.

We understand your hurt Randy.. We really do.. I don't think you messed up anything.. I think you are a softie and you show it with your anger.. I am angry with the looters but every city has it's criminal element.. That is who these are.. Nothing but criminals trying to maintain control.. They did that in San Francisco after the earthquake in "89.. Those kind will do it any chance they get..

Being so far away from the events, i understand that i can't fully appreciate the scale of this disaster, however my thoughts go out to all those effected by it. I will never understand why certain people go out of the way to disrupt those who try to do good, but as Ann said, it's something that happens everywhere, and it is always the minority. All the best to those without in this time of crisis, things will get better.

I feel so bad for everyone down there, my aunt made it out safely, I'm so happy for that, it is time for everyone to help though. Dj, hang in there.

What a disaster! I didn't know that a great part of Louisiana was under the sea level, like Holland... I'm really chocked by the images on TV...
But why the USA (and Australy, China, ...) did not accept the Kyoto’s protocol? Do you know that USA has 4% of world population and products 25% of world CO2 ?!?!?
We know now that CO2 excess gives reheating of the atmosphere, disorders and storms...
And Kyoto's protocol is not enough. We must think about a Kyoto 2, more strong, to give a chance for our children...

Its because our president is a fool, he thinks that hes too good to accept the aid of others.

*Yawn*

*steps off the soapbox*

I agree with ppigeon's comment it just shows that george bush is a texan who is only interesting in producing loads of CO2 through coal and oil as it's cheap and keeps america rich so damn the consequences for futue generations

To summarise George bush is a fool/idiot

Just to let those know who revisit this thread that Regmar logged in today for a few moments...he wasn't on long but good to see he is safe and ok.:Pat.

oops...bad computer

;-) ! Thanks Pat.

Even though I know some people still don't believe global warming is real it seems to me that this disaster was certainly made worse by the increasing sea temperatures in that region. I guess Bush didn't ratify Kyoto because of the economic costs involved (neither did our PM BTW :-( ) But now look at how much it is going to cost him, and the US... not only in monetary terms, but in terms of human suffering also. And this is only the beginning I think, who knows what is going to happen in the future... I only hope we can learn from this tragedy how urgent it is that we do something about it, but somehow I doubt that...

On a slightly different note, I think the worst thing about this whole disaster is how human beings managed to make it WORSE, rather than banding together to help each other (I don't mean everybody, mind; it only takes a few a*holes to make life miserable for everyone else...)

I saw a cartoon in the Post this morning, there was a scientist standing in the rain with a clipboard and all around him were frogs, all over the ground. Half of the frogs were croaking "Blame Bush, Blame Bush" and the other half were croaking "Global Warming, Global Warming". The speech bubble above the scientist said "The noise your hearing now is what comes after every deluge"