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September 2, 2005
monkey boy don't look so good these days
I'm thankful I don't have a car now. My 2002 Mazda Tribute was a gas hog back then. Today I simply wouldn't drive it if I had it, and I'm satisfied taking public transportation these days. And my heartfelt sympthies go out to all you SUV/Hummer/Tank owners. Oh, how you must be suffering today, 8' off the ground. Suckers.
I don't have much to say about the disaster, mayhem and tragedy in New Orleans and southern Mississippi. The human loss and suffering is tragic, our government reaction has been pathetic, and our simian leader has been far from exemplary. At least he's being consistent, and of course will never apologize for anything. I'm sure we'll get some faked insincere speech on television this weekend featuring his smug, smart-ass face that I'm long tired of seeing. 3 more years...I must be strong for 3 more years of this shit.
When the Mississippi River flooded in 1993 I was working as a park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Rock Island, Illinois/Quad Cities area. The USACE basically maintains waterways for commercial travel along the Intracoastal Waterways and the many lock and dam systems on rivers, and keeps military engineers employed and busy (sometimes too busy) during times of peace.
I worked in a visitor center above lock and dam #15, which was part of the system of locks on the Upper Mississippi that help maintain a 9' deep channel so barges could safely move grain, minerals and other things up and down the muddy river. It was not designed to prevent flooding, only to make the river consistently deep enough to allow commerce travel on the river. Most locks, dams and levee systems can only mitigate the threat of flooding, but no engineer can ever guarantee safeguarding an area against a 100-year flood or a hurricane of equivalent power.
When constant and auspiciously timed rains sent surges of water down the tributaries of the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers in '93, the convergence sent a swell of water down the river from La Crosse to St. Louis, onward to New Orleans. I was part of the recovery efforts for the Quad Cities and Des Moines areas affected by the flooding. I don't recall any casualties, and the worst that happened was downtown Moline flooding and the water supply for Des Moines was knocked out for a few weeks. The scale of that disaster was much smaller than what was happening in New Orleans. I can't say I understand why recovery efforts are taking so long down in New Orleans, aside from the possibility that the government has become a clusterfuck since 1993 and the USACE is less-funded since then too.
Oh, this just in...I'm guessing the public environmental impact hearing this month for levee improvements in New Orleans has been cancelled. That's OK, there was no funding for it anyway.
As for the comments made by the Krazy Konservative Kristians (KKK) regarding the divine retribution from God against New Orleans' banal debauchery and sheltering of gay parties, I have a feeling when Nawlins recovers they will barely spend a moment to concern themselves with such petty comments, if not a hearty "fuck you" in their direction. I'll have to concur. The fact that they are so focused on smiting others rather than helping out speaks volumes about such fanatics. They are not Christians, and real Christians need to start taking back their religion and their country from such voices, just like the moderate Muslims need to do with Islam. The hateful words could have come out of a wacked-out Mullah's mouth. I'm tired of worrying about what they say, about ex gays, and gays who help those who are out to get us. I'm going to focus on the good people who know me, good people who live healthy lives, and helping out rather than worrying about who's not helping me.
Posted by jimbo at September 2, 2005 10:14 AM
Comments
A little love for us Virginia boys who don't have the benefits of a great public transportation system.
I live 4 miles from work and I'm already starting to feel the pinch. Unbelivable.
Posted by: Rob at September 2, 2005 1:01 PM
I too was in Saint Louis during the flood in '93, it was bad where I was in Chesterfield. The levee that held back the Missouri River broke during the night, and flooded the Chesterfield Vally, Interstate 64 which ran from downtown St. Louis into the valley didn't look like a road anymore, but a boat ramp. The devastation was immense. The airplanes in the airport in the valley floated away. And most building that withstood the water were condemned after it receded. I helped with some of the cleanup 1-3 inches of mud covered everything, I can't imagine what New Orleans is going to look like when it drains.
PS. I've visited some of those locks along the Mississippi I don't recall which one. It would have been near East Saint Louis.
Posted by: Markie at September 2, 2005 1:34 PM
I take the bus to and from work every day. My Forester is usually reserved for long trips and during winter numerous trips to Mt. Hood. I usually fill up my tank once a month. Yeah it stings currently as I inch closer to $40 a fillup, but I can't imagine filling up every week.
Posted by: TonkaManOR at September 2, 2005 1:50 PM
As to the last (the KKK part), I blogged a bit about this the other day.....LOL.
Posted by: North Dallas Thirty at September 3, 2005 6:48 PM
One must remember that the same parts of the Bible that condemn "men laying with men" also say that raping women not under the protection of a man is OKAY, and married men sleeping with prostitutes is also OKAY.
So I guess women being raped in dirty toilets at New Orleans refuge centers is all part of GOD'S WILL.
Posted by: Chloe at September 3, 2005 9:25 PM