31
Gustav
To any readers from the Gulf Coast region: be safe, peeps. This thing sounds really bad.
Interested parties can track this beast here.
UPDATE: Woof:
4 Investigates: Floodwalls stuffed with newspaper?“It blows my mind.”
Those are the words St. Bernard parish president Craig Taffaro used to watch videotape Eyewitness News showed him, of floodwalls built to protect his parish.
“That should be criminal,” Taffaro continues.
What he’s talking about was witnessed by a St. Bernard Parish resident who didn’t want to be identified, but did have sharp criticism of the work done by a contractor hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on the hole of a gas tank of an airplane,” the resident said.
Instead of an airplane, it’s a floodwall, and instead of a Band-Aid, the witness says two years ago, he saw the contractor filling the expansion joint or opening between the floodwalls with newspaper.
“The whole length of the wall was stuffed with newspaper.”
And when he confronted the contractor, the contractor blamed Washington for the substandard work.
“He basically told me when Congress sent down the money, it would be repaired the proper way.”
But during a recent trip to the area, two years later, it was apparent that didn’t happen. Much of the newspaper had deteriorated or been eaten by bugs, but some still remained. In fact WWL cameras even captured the date May 21, 2006, on a page of the Parade magazine from the Times-Picayune.
(Via.)
Syd B said,
August 31, 2008 at 14:48
A more interesting place to track the storm
imho
Sockpuppet #47 said,
August 31, 2008 at 14:54
Newspaper.. Is it the new Duct tape and plastic sheeting?
Rob (Formerly) In Toronto said,
August 31, 2008 at 14:55
Probably covered before but … McCain is talking about going down there and delivering his acceptance speech from the middle of the cleanup.
To which I can only say .. what the fuck would he be thinking.
Brad said,
August 31, 2008 at 14:56
McCain is talking about going down there and delivering his acceptance speech from the middle of the cleanup.
You hope that someone in the press will have the cuts to call him on that if he tries. You hope.
Gary Ruppert Number Two said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:03
From MSNBC right now:
How fortunate for the GOP.
J— said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:07
You hope that someone in the press will have the cuts to call him on that if he tries. You hope.
Or that politicians in Mississippi or Louisiana would tell him to get the fuck out of the way and let people do their jobs.
Thanks, Rob, for the heads-up. I wasn’t aware of this. Maybe the campaign could put McCain and Palin in a helicopter and kill two birds with one stone: McCain and Palin could observe the damage with concerned looks on their faces, and Palin could shoot gators.
Gary Ruppert Number Two said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:08
You hope that someone in the press will have the cuts to call him on that if he tries. You hope.
The fact is, you hope the public would recognize it for the unbelievably craven disaster-raping nature that it would be. Because I don’t think the media will.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:09
This looks like a big one, ok. Damn. I hope it misses NO proper.
I remember standing on the levee watching Andrew come in in ‘92. Pretty awesome thing to see, really, and not “awesome” as in “great”.
I must say, the timing of this thing is just amazing. “Just in case anybody forgot…”
J— said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:12
I’m just hoping it weakens as it approaches the U.S. coast. The storm surge that comes with a category 4 storm would be bad, bad news.
His Grace, the Duke of Ruppertia said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:19
I’m praying that for once in their lives the Bush Administration actually manages to govern competently. I know it’s a miracle, but the people down on the Gulf Coast may need one that big.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:29
Can we put paid to the whole Palin as Great White Hunter thing?
This is not a picture of somebody terribly familiar with long arms.
Blue Buddha said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:48
I saw that too… they had a video clip of it on either Daily Show or Colbert Report, and the way she picked it up, it looked like she was thinking, “What’s this thing?” You would think for some who lived and grew up in areas where hunting is part of the culture (ie: Idaho & Alaska), she’d have a better understanding of how to hold a rifle.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:49
FTFY
Jesus fucking Christ with a creamsicle up his ass, there really isn’t anything too fucked up for these people to do, is there? “Ahhh, skimming just ain’t enough. I need to just take all the contract money, and shove some newspaper in the holes. What the hell, there aint no Justice Department anymore.”
WereBear said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:50
Well, all those wingnut prayers for rain at least kept W away from the convention, where they want him.
Do I want him overseeing rescue efforts?
Oh, the humanity!
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 15:54
And maybe now we know why the Pubbies are so damned nervous about this storm.
“Oh Noes! They’ll see that we do the same shit here as we do in Iraq!”
Fuckknuckles, all of them.
J— said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:05
In fact WWL cameras even captured the date May 21, 2006, on a page of the Parade magazine from the Times-Picayune.
Parade magazine, huh? Then this is all the liberals’ fault.
Trilateral Chairman said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:31
Can we put paid to the whole Palin as Great White Hunter thing?
As long as we also get rid of the whole “Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard” schtick. As I recall, the President is C-in-C of the National Guard. The governor can also call them up for various purposes–but if you can be outranked, you ain’t the C-in-C.
Snorghagen said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:50
National Hurricane Center.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:52
239,000 victims to serve as props for your compaign speech?
Priceless!
gbear said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:55
I’m praying that for once in their lives the Bush Administration actually manages to govern competently.
The toxic FEMA trailers are on their way…
Jennifer said,
August 31, 2008 at 16:55
And when he confronted the contractor, the contractor blamed Washington for the substandard work.
“He basically told me when Congress sent down the money, it would be repaired the proper way.”
The great irony here, of course, is not that Congress didn’t “send down the money” - it’s that the Bush administration treated Katrina clean up and rebuilding the same way they treat everything else - as an opportunity to raid the Treasury on behalf of their friends. Shoddy reconstruction was not a bug, it was a feature.
Jennifer said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:02
By the way, that link J- provided above…the comments over there are infested with trolls claiming that all the Katrina failures were the fault of the Democrats and liberals.
Not, you know, the fault of the guys who controlled all the money, food, water, transportation and other resources and just decided not to send it.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:17
Not, you know, the fault of the guys who controlled all the money, food, water, transportation and other resources and just decided not to send it.
Or the fault of Karl Rove, who was put in charge of the relief effort for totally non-partisan reasons.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:18
Like I was sayin’, “Oh Noes!” above.
Except, y’know, you make sense.
Otbf, Somewhere here in the Bay Area there is a VW Beetle (new style) with the license plate, “FEATURE”. I lol’d.
Arky The Islahomobamaist said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:28
And the winner of the lame-ity lame ass excuse for not doing a job is…
Jesus Christ. Whatever happened to the fine old Southern tradition of shooting unrepentant assholes right in the face?
But I bet a lot of contractors who did work down there are bugging their PR drones right now: “So um … I’m just asking for a friend, and this is only a hypothetical. But if someone did work on the levees and they thought a storm like Katrina would never hit again and the levees just happened to explode, what would you say?”
Gah.
J— said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:38
Duh.
Arky The Islahomobamaist said,
August 31, 2008 at 17:49
Bush, Cthcheney and Ahnahld won’t be attending McPalintine’s shindig. Ahnahld isn’t a surprise because I doubt he’d piss on McCain if he were on fire but it’s looking like GOPCON will be McCain, Palin and a bunch of people who are pissed they didn’t get the nod.
Kind of like those post-season reunions of dating shows. Awkward!
JF Sebastian said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:05
Speaking of awkward, even if Bush doesn’t show, what the f*ck are these idiots gonna put on t.v. for their convention, Republicans in ridiculous outfits partying and waving flags while the news coverage keeps cutting back and forth to a major hurricane hitting the gulf?
Yeah, that’ll play well. They might as well dress McCain up in a toga and hand him a fiddle. Or a birthday cake.
Blue Buddha said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:13
But, but, but… that’s bizzaro Roman-Grecco culture!!!111oneone
(BTW, Nero didn’t play a fiddle, because those didn’t exist until the 16th century. He played a lyre.)
mikey said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:14
Holy CRAP!
She’s got her finger inside the trigger guard!
Somebody needs to yank that thing away from her and speak to her in very firm tones…
mikey
mikey said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:15
Well, Nero played a Lyre, and McCain IS one…
mikey
JF Sebastian said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:17
Nero didn’t play a fiddle, because those didn’t exist until the 16th century. He played a lyre
We might say “lyre, lyre, pants on fire,” except if Nero was wearing a toga, he wouldn’t be wearing any pants.
Arky The Islahomobamaist said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:24
They’ll have to cancel and reschedule if Gustav is re-landscaping Louisiana on Monday. Not that they give a fuck, but even those windbags know they can’t compete with a Class 4 Hurricane.
JF Sebastian said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:24
Dear God I hope John McCain wears pants to the convention.
MaineMan said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:25
Parade Magazine? You’d think they might’ve tried using something denser - like a Krauthammer column. Better yet, Krauthammer himself.
mikey said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:34
By the way, if any of you really want to know how far this nation has gone from it’s ideals towards becoming an unapologetic police state, get over and read Greenwald this morning.
And if you’re not pissed enough to throw things and hit somebody, well, that would pretty much be the problem…
mikey
gbear said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:48
Mikey, Last night I rode my scooter around the city looking at all the barricades, chain link, security guards, cops, swat vehicles, etc. I also rode past that old theater that was serving as a protest organization point (there was a press conference in progress). The Ramsey County jail has been beefed up and surrounded by fencing and barricades and it looks like Gitmo. Choppers are literally flying over my house as I type this. This just sucks so bad I can’t stand it. My city doesn’t deserve this shit and I’m wondering how this is going to all play out if the convention gets bumped because of the pending disaster in the gulf.
gbear said,
August 31, 2008 at 18:56
Dave Thune, my councilman who’s district includes the downtown area, is PISSED. Bob Fletcher, the Ramsey County sheriff, is a scum sucking pig. Always has been, always will be.
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/30/police-break-down-doors-night-time-raid-anarchist-meeting.html
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:08
To be fair, it is just some sort of trainer, unable to do any real damage. But still…
I was more looking at the shouldering position. Unnatural and wrong to anybody who has spent more than a summer with a Daisy, or five rounds with anything that kicks.
jim said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:09
I find it hard to believe that the GOP won’t postpone GOPCON until this storm is passed - as noted above, the optics would be literally grisly, & even a hardened neocon fanboy would have a hell of a hard sell to paint a happy-face on such a grotesque situation.
Hope NO gets a miss on this - I’ve been hearing ever since Katrina about just what a lack of real reconstruction or reinforcement the earthworks & levees have been suffering. Sad to say, this story isn’t surprising at all - this is the same clown-car stuffed with stupid that sold US troops in Iraq contaminated water. I wouldn’t trust them to look after a dead rat, let alone living human beings.
I believe I also heard that some of the poorer neighbourhoods in NO were basically levelled & then gentrified with block after block of shiny new houses. People who moved there & thought they’d scored the deal of a lifetime must really be smacking themselves in the head right about now.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:20
Oh, crap. Now I remember. I was going to order a vinyl print for the back of your truck, gbear. It looks like the joint I was going to order from, Halfpricebanners, has, ironically, doubled their prices since last I looked.
If you know anyone local, this is sized for a 2×4 100dpi print with a little tacked on for bleed and such.
Or not.
mikey said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:22
Cooper’s Rules:
1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
These are inviolable. If you violate ANY of them, at ANY time, you are a dangerous idiot….
mikey
Arky The Islahomobamaist said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:26
gbear are you going to stay? (Note: I’m not in anyway trying sound/be judgmental, I’m just curious.) Be careful.
Note to Tennessee Monkey Ladies: McCain picking Palin to be Veep = Not Karma. Buying a house built on human misery and watching it get swept into the Gulf of Mexico = Karma.
Snorghagen said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:42
That’s a common misconception. He actually played a sousaphone.
mikey said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:52
Why would gbear leave, Arky?
Those republicans aren’t THAT scary…
mikey
tigrismus said,
August 31, 2008 at 19:55
He actually played a sousaphone.
I’d say it was a Caesarphone, but I’m an incorrigible lyre.
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 20:04
mikey,
You’ll get no argument from me about those rules, the knowledge and practice of which should be a prerequisite for gun ownership.
Yes, the finger-inside-guard thing did jump out at me too. The photo could easily not be giving context, though. Perhaps there is actually something to point that thing at somewhere behind the camera. Of course, this would make the photographer a complete dipshit, but hey. In fact, I’d bet on it that they are on whatever passes for a range for that system. It has an umbilical that screams “not going anywhere”, and everybody with any sense is against the back wall.
All that said, yeah, one has to wonder if she’s been to the firearms safety refresher course any time recently. That, and whether she has any blood relatives whose last words were “Hey! Lookit this!”
gbear said,
August 31, 2008 at 20:06
Now I remember. I was going to order a vinyl print for the back of your truck, gbear.
Yea, justme, I saved that graphic when you first posted it and I still have it, but I pretty much stopped driving my truck last may after I got the scooter. 16mpg vs 68mpg. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to post a sign on the scooter but there’s no good flat place for it. Thanks for posting that again and I’ll see if I can work something out with a piece of foamcore or cardboard…
justme said,
August 31, 2008 at 20:09
Oh, and perusing Greenwald and links got me to a page describing one of the warrants, and listing the items to be looked for.
Oh Noez!!! They’re going to build a moat!!!
gbear said,
August 31, 2008 at 20:12
gbear are you going to stay? (Note: I’m not in anyway trying sound/be judgmental, I’m just curious.) Be careful.
I’ll be OK as long as I dress like a republican (I’ve got enough polo shirts to get thru) and don’t dress in black. The anarchist really stand out in this town. I think that I am going to stay away from most protests due to the possiblility of a police riot, although I’m really looking forward to watching the truckers parade thru town. That should be awsome:
http://www.minnesotaindependent.com/6346/the-truckers-are-coming-permit-route-approved-for-rnc-protest
Lesley said,
August 31, 2008 at 20:59
I hope news cameras catch someone telling Cheney to go fuck himself while he’s posing as a concerned citizen in the hurricane zone.
Arky The Islahomobamaist said,
August 31, 2008 at 21:24
Shit, I was thinking of Gustav and thought he was in NO.
Blame Sam Adams.
It’s looking like you won’t have to worry about passing, thanks to the hurricane though.
Amusing quote from La McPOW:
Thanks for admitting there’s a distinct difference, gramps.
dBa said,
August 31, 2008 at 21:25
“Hello, You’ve reached NOAA, currently all of our staff are busy with Hurricane Gustav, please leave a messege at the beep”
“My name is Amy…”
Brandi said,
August 31, 2008 at 21:38
I’m praying that for once in their lives the Bush Administration actually manages to govern competently.
“Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of HUD stated on Sept. 29, 2005 that post-Katrina New Orleans ‘is not going to be as black as it was for a long time, if ever again.’ On April 24, 2006 Jackson said that ‘Only the best residents should return. Those who paid rent on time, those who held a job and those who worked;’”
From here.
Mind you, Jackson resigned this April but if the attitude still persists…
g said,
August 31, 2008 at 22:25
I believe I also heard that some of the poorer neighbourhoods in NO were basically levelled & then gentrified with block after block of shiny new houses.
Was just there. Didn’t see anything remotely like that.
Bony Baloney said,
September 1, 2008 at 8:06
mikey:
The first and second rules are definitely FINGER IN TRIGGER GUARD = EPIC FAIL. This merits all caps for sure. Also target ID is important and watch your backstop! Overpenetration: do not want!
But rule zero, one of the lost bits of ancient wisdom: All firearms ARE loaded at all times, with one in the chamber, cocked and locked. They aren’t toys. A generation of action-movie freaks don’t even consider them intimidating (please, please walk up to me with a handgun stiff-armed six inches from my face — so many options, it’s like Christmas).
Proper situational management means never touching a firearm until you’ve already decided to kill something with it. It’s a last resort and, really, it means you’ve lost control of the encounter, but you do it and then put the weapon away ASAP because, hey, two free hands are useful during interesting times. If you find clutching a freshly fired weapon comforting, you’re totally doing it wrong.
Fernanda Pope said,
September 7, 2008 at 15:29
this is clearly an extraordinary 4rum
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