...wow, that had to have been just about the most unconfident motivational speech I've ever heard.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
CONFIRMED: Gas running out all over town
In the last half-hour I've called WFMY News 2 and Fox 8 WGHP, the two stations that give Greensboro the most coverage, about gas shortages that are said to be hitting this area. I received a report earlier today that a lot of the stations were putting bags over their pumps, signifying that they were all empty. One oil distributor that I know of is said to have shut down completely because there's nothing left to deliver. I've heard of at least one station in Winston-Salem that's run out, and have confirmation from a source known personally to me that many stations in the western mountains of North Carolina are going dry. In light of all this I decided to confirm it with News 2 and Fox 8.
WFMY told me that they've been getting reports about this all day, but they haven't been able to confirm it yet. However, Fox 8 said that it has been confirmed and there's even a blurb about it on their website right now.
So, it's happening. And it's starting to come down the wire.
American anarchy: 6 days and counting?
Parse this as you will. A pretty reliable source has shared with me that figuring in the blow that Katrina dealt to crude refining, and other problems that have hampered domestic production lately... that there is approximately 6 days of reserve gasoline in commercial storage tanks left in the United States.
And after that, there's no more juice.
Like I said, make of this what you will, but this source has made some pretty accurate prognostications in the past, just based on some seemingly minor observations. If they're wrong this time, I'll be happy. If they're right...
"Perched atop the stack was a bewildered toddler."
The New Orleans Times-Picayune has been forced to relocate their offices because of the flooding, but they're still working to get the news out via blogging. The following is their report from a Wal-Mart that everybody - and I mean everybody was looting from...
At the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, an initial effort to hand out provisions to stranded citizens quickly disintegrated into mass looting. Authorities at the scene said bedlam erupted after the giveaway was announced over the radio.When even the cops are looting... man, how much worse can a situation like this get?While many people carried out food and essential supplies, others cleared out jewelry racks and carted out computers, TVs and appliances on handtrucks.
Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a 27-inch flat screen television.
Officers claimed there was nothing they could do to contain the anarchy, saying their radio communications have broken down and they had no direction from commanders.
“We don’t have enough cops to stop it,” an officer said. “A mass riot would break out if you tried.”
Inside the store, the scene alternated between celebration and frightening bedlam. A shirtless man straddled a broken jewelry case, yelling, “Free samples, free samples over here.”
Another man rolled a mechanized pallet, stacked six feet high with cases of vodka and whiskey. Perched atop the stack was a bewildered toddler.
Throughout the store and parking lot, looters pushed carts and loaded trucks and vans alongside officers. One man said police directed him to Wal-Mart from Robert’s Grocery, where a similar scene was taking place. A crowd in the electronics section said one officer broke the glass DVD case so people wouldn’t cut themselves.
“The police got all the best stuff. They’re crookeder than us,” one man said.
"Thousands of bodies" in Katrina's wake
Breaking on Free Republic now: word from a rescue worker that they are "thousands" of dead bodies - some hanging from the trees - being recovered in Gulf Port, Mississippi.
I didn't see any news footage today of bodies floating anywhere. It almost looks... well, too sanitary a disaster, for lack of a better phrase. It's been something I've wondered about more than once: are we not being shown the full brunt of the devastation?
If this report is true, other reports and then pictures are going to start leaking out. And then the major news outlets will be all over this. I'd give it a day, day and a half, at the most for this to bear out.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
I was thinking the same thing: New Orleans = No Man's Land
Okay, despite my previous history with it, I still watch Free Republic from time to time. When it comes to something happening on the scale of Katrina, it really is one of the best places you can go to for on-the-spot reporting and commentary from some pretty sharp people. Even if its guiding philosophy has gone to pot: it's not a true conservative site anymore, but I digress... at a time like this, it really does become an invaluable tool.
Well, a little while ago somebody posted something on a thread about New Orleans being evacuated and, darn this is exactly what ran through my mind today when I first heard about the bridges being washed away, the entire town basically left on its own. I wanted to cite it here 'cuz this guy was the first, so far as I know, who made a note about this...
To: gondramBAnd others picked up on the similarities too...
5 posted on 08/30/2005 4:14:12 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.)
To: Future Snake EaterOf all the Batman stories in the past twenty years or so, No Man's Land stands out as being the most jarring (yeah even more than what happened when Bane first came to town). Gotham City was ravaged by a massive earthquake that left the whole place pretty much hopeless. Bruce Wayne went to Washington D.C. to beg for disaster relief funds but the condition of the town - and its notoriety for spawning so many costumed freak villains - led Congress to effectively cut off Gotham City from the rest of the United States. People were told to evacuate, and those that didn't were left to their own devices. The U.S. government destroys all the bridges and every other way into town and for the next year Batman, Commissioner Gordon and a few others fight to maintain law and order amid a vicious turf war by the Joker, Poison Ivy, and the rest of the bad guys.My gosh! That was what I have been thinking about since yesterday. The No Man's Land scenario after the earthquake devastates Gotham, where basically any people staying behind have to fend for themselves without any intervention from the govt.
73 posted on 08/30/2005 5:26:32 PM PDT by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
It's a very good story. It immediately came to mind earlier today after hearing about how bad things are getting. And it's downright scary that others who've read No Man's Land are seeing the same thing happen in real life.
Fill up now: price gouging has begun
I filled up my car on our way back from the bookstore tonight. It's a Shell station with the cheapest gas I've seen around here: $2.53 per gallon of regular unleaded. There's another station much closer by that had it at $2.69 when we drove past it earlier this evening.
On our way back, this same station had regular unleaded posted at $3.09 per gallon. That's a forty-cent jump in less than an hour.
I dropped Lisa off at the apartment, then drove her car back to the first one and filled it up too. Ain't no telling how much it's gonna be tomorrow at this time.
Radio stations here reporting a number of places in the Winston-Salem area have gas in excess of three bucks per gallon.
I know that refining is down from the hurricane, but you can't tell me that there's not any gouging going on right now by the big oil companies. The gasoline in most of these stores' tanks was delivered well before Katrina hit: it's not like it's costing extra to hold the stuff, is it?
Whatever Sudoku is I hope it's not contagious
It must be though, 'cuz I first heard about this in a newspaper two days ago and tonight at Border's bookstore there were maybe three books about Sudoku. And now my friend Chad has picked up on it. It's some kind of numerical logic game from Japan that according to Chad it's pretty addictive. I haven't played yet, haven't even studied up on the rules of the game but I might have to check this out.
Because we could all use a laugh right now...
Newsmax is reporting that the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sexcapade is set to be portrayed next month in a new musical debuting on Broadway: "Monica! The Musical!-savoring glory.
Clinton Sex Scandal Ready for BroadwayAlso to be portrayed in the musical are Hillary Clinton, Vernon Jordan, Janet Reno, George Stephanopoulos, and Ken Starr (gotta wonder how he got worked into this thing).A musical based on the sex scandal that turned Bill Clinton into the first elected president ever impeached is set to debut next month on Broadway.
"American Idol" veteran Frenchie Davis will play the role of Clinton's White House secretary Betty Currie in "Monica! The Musical!" - which premieres Sept. 21 as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
Actress Christine DiGiallonardo plays the thong-snapping intern, with actor Duke LaFoon potraying Bill Clinton in all his cigar-savoring glory.
"Monica! The Musical!" reportedly has its own "toetapping" signature song - "Blue Dress."
I wonder if it'll be nominated for any Tony awards...
I've cried every time I watch this man
Harvey Jackson of Biloxi, Mississippi...
But I also like to think there's plenty enough room for a miracle: awful lot of incredible rescues happening from this. Praying that Harvey's wife will turn up safe somewhere.
Yesterday it looked like the big one had been dodged...
Today, there are reports that hundreds may have been killed in Katrina. No schools operating in New Orleans for at least the next two months. At least two levees have broken alongside Lake Ponchartrain - which is what everyone was really worried about - and the "bowl" of the Big Easy is filling fast.
Here's some of the more haunting pictures I've been finding...
I never thought I'd live to see a storm that would topple Andrew in '92 as being the most destructive in American history. But, here it is.
Thoughts and prayers to everyone who's been affected by Katrina.
North Carolina is getting a lottery
Breaking now.
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!
Finally, we won't be sending millions of more dollars of our money flowing across the border we have with every state around us. It gets to stay here in North Carolina, toward our own education system.
I never thought this day would ever come. We are no longer the laughingstock of the southeastern U.S.
Monday, August 29, 2005
It could have been a lot worse...
Damage reports still coming in, but looks like New Orleans dodged a bullet bigtime.
Here's praying that some steps can now be taken to better prepare that town for when the really big one hit someday. By all accounts it's a great place to visit. Really hoping to go there sometime :-)
Anyway, thoughts and prayers going up for the people having to deal with Katrina's aftermath tonight.
Bush is opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve... ummmm, why?
Coming down now that Bush is gonna open up the strategic reserve in light of Hurricane Katrina. Which makes NO sense whatsoever. The 'cane knocked out possibly one-quarter of domestic oil refining. Simply putting more crude oil out there isn't going to do any good without the means to "crack" it.
This is a political gesture, nothing more. And, it's one that could do potentially far more harm than good down the road, seeing as that's reserve that'll have to be repleted somehow. It's only supposed to be opened for extreme wartime emergencies anyway.
Like I said, this move makes no sense. But again, I'm just a guy with a blog... what do I know?
Meteorlogical muscleman
Somebody's noted that Joe Bastardi from AccuWeather has been up for like 40+ hours straight, studying Katrina and warning everybody to get the heck out of Dodge. Now, how does a weatherman keep going like that nonstop?
Well, here's what Joe looks like...
I just thought that would be a pretty cool thing to post, to sorta break the tension of what's a very grave situation.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
About those refugees in the Superdome...
From Wizbang blog:
Riding Out Katrina in the SuperdomeMore at the above link.If you've watched the news, you've seen the long lines of people waiting to get into the Louisiana Superdome to ride out the storm. Nobody knows exactly how it will work, but here is an amalgamation of the most probable estimates I've heard from the "experts" on what these people will probably face.
It's a near certainty the electricity will go out about midday Monday. The Dome has backup power but it is only for lighting -no environmental controls- and the backup lighting is not full power. The Dome is about 20 stories high, but people will be scattered all thru it.
If the worst happens -and at this point it seems implausible that it won't- the bottom 2 stories will fill with water. Dirty nasty foul water full of chemicals and raw sewerage. Further the bathroom facilities are only expected to function for the first day.
So in rough terms, 40,000+ people will be trapped in a building with no plumbing, little light and no air conditioning. The temps after the storm rolls thru will probably be in the low 90s. Considerably hotter in the building.
There is an elevated paved deck that surrounds the Dome. It will most probably be above water but inaccessible until probably daylight Tuesday. Once the people can get out to the deck, they will still be trapped there because the city will be underwater. They will be an island. We have no idea how long it will take to remove the water from the city. I've seen estimates from 10 weeks to 10 months... yes months.
I gotta bad feeling about this: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
It's like an overload of weather pornography. The tube's tuned into the Weather Channel and I'm keeping an eye on the net for stuff as Katrina edges closer to, all the models are now saying New Orleans is looking to get a direct hit. In light of that, a few observations need to be stated now, because they may prove to have a lot of bearing later...
First, Governor Blanco of Louisiana practically told everyone that everything was going to be okay today at this afternoon's news conference. I believe she actually used the word "positive" to describe this experience. For whatever reason she's been VERY loathe to do anything like call for a mandatory evacuation and now it looks like FEMA is going to pre-emptively step in.
Meanwhile the crazy story at this hour is that New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin is consulting with his lawyers before he decides to call for a mandatory evac. Seems that the mayor is worried about the criminal elements looting and ransacking the town after most of the people start to leave. I've also heard that the city government would be financially liable for injuries/deaths that happen if nobody can be evacuated after such an order is given (is this right? I've heard from two sources that this is indeed the case). His office has taken the step of announcing that the Super Dome will open tomorrow morning to shelter evacuees in its higher levels but nobody is sure just how much pummeling the stadium can take. There's some hesitation to do even that 'cuz during Ivan last year a lot of refugees stole various items from the place.
What this all means is that a real evacuation order might not come down until tomorrow and then it'll be WAY too late to move everyone onto the interstates headed out of town... all because the local politicians are playing themselves some CYA.
And there's not nearly enough National Guard in Louisiana to be called up for assistance because a lot of them are away in Iraq.
And at least one radio station tonight is reporting that animals like turtles, snakes, birds, etc. are fleeing the coastal area and heading further inland. We're talking whole gangs and flocks of them. Animals don't usually act like that unless they know something's up, like the tsunami last Christmas in Asia: whole herds of elephants fled the coastlands many hours before the wave actually hit, and the stories about animals leaving before an earthquake.
Man, the way things might converge with this hurricane, it's almost like the perfect storm about to happen. This might be real history we're about to witness.
