Topic: Hurricane Forum

[seaweb11]

I see alot of threads getting into this topic so I figured we should have a place to vent.

My heart goes out to all those stuck in the middle of all this mess.

My comment:  Where is your government? 
Christ, even my govenment  "Canadian" is saying   "when we are asked we will help"? To little to late.

[oldbiker]

To all in New Orleans and the surrounding area, we here in the Uk send our best wishes. We hope it is not too long before you xcan put this behind you and live your life again.

[Bob Wessner]

Where is your government?

I fear they are all standing around with their heads up their a_ses. Very discouraging to see how this is playing out. We could  use some of those amphibious vehicles they are driving around the desert here, and oh yeah, maybe the $80 BILLION a year we are spending in Iraq also. 

[Paul]

My thoughts go to all those who are victims of this disaster,
Not to those who have gone insane.
And to the person who says "This will make us stronger".....bollocks, YOU  move down there Mr B.

Paul - Ireland.

[chrometank]

Australia's organizing some help and money now,I just hope there's no red tape to slow things down

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

It is hard to watch the media play the same clips over and over showing the worst side of the worst people.  They love it, this whole thing makes thier black blood race through there viens.  I think our media hates the USA.  6 hours after the eye had past CNN had an X-SPURT on the problems of  diseases caused by stagnate water.  The water was still POURING into the city, people were still drowning, and they were gleefully anticipating the aftermath!  I turn the tv on as a camara in the  damaged cities was broadcasting people crying and begging pleas to the viewers in the cities that they had lost track of there sons, daughters, mothers, fathers.  There is no power! There is no one viewing thier hoplessness that can help these people.  It was for you and I to watch the pain of these people,  as they us 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000  miles away to keep our eye out for there missing loved one.  I saw a reporter walking down a flooded street get asked the question " It has been reported that there could be 1000s dead, is it true?"   How in the sam hill would that reporter know the answer!  Larry King ask the Gov of LA " should the US gov built higher levies?"  The water was still flowing in!  A man was standing on a vacant lot where he told the reporter his house stood ansd she ask him " did you loose  everything?" !!!   My responce would have been (and you would have never seen it broadcasted)" Hell no lady I shoved everything I ownedl up my ass and them flapped my arms and flew North before the storm hit!"  What have we become in this country?  Why do we allow them to broadcast this crap?  Next month are they going to have a 3 hour special that will show the faces of all these that have died and the pain the familes are going through!  The Foul Weather Channel will have enough footage to last 10 years!  Bodies floating people crying wow now that will make for some great specials down the road!  I heard someone say that G Bush must be happy now because HE got gass over $3.00 a gallon, can anyone believe that any part or any result of this will bring pleasure to our president.  Do we realy believe these men take that thankless job for the petty reasons we hear reported.  They want to change this country and the world.  well I have to go I got off the thread line.  I will be gone for 5 days I want to help but I have nothing to give, My body, chainsaws and generatiors are all worn out from storms in the past, I am going into the woods camping to find peace so I can figure out how I can help.  I am sorry for the hate I typed, it just needed to be said.   Peace      

[bikehenge]

I'm just a regular guy, so if this seems low-brow and uninformed I apologize, thanks for letting me get this off my chest...
I have a couple (or more) threads running through my head:

1) We ain’t that civilized.  I hear or see pictures of “3rd world” countries that have famines and what-not and I figure that a very real part of the problem is that there is no understanding by the affected people of how to deal with incoming aid, they just attack the shipment and waste a bunch of it and scare off the would be rescuers instead of forming up into an orderly queue the way ‘we’ would do it if ‘we’ were in the same situation.  Bull#$%*!  I was wrong, I will be rethinking this for a while.  Folks get desperate pretty quick and the rules get tossed. 

2) I’m upset that the folks who “should” be there; FEMA, National Guard, Red Cross, don’t seem to be able to get there in sufficient numbers with a sufficient plan.  I don’t mean for this to be political, but I want someone to pull a Rudy Guliani and take over the show!  My follow up thought was that I’m a prime example of what our British Empire friends would call a ‘wanker’.  Why do I expect the government to bail everyone out?  What would Jesus do?  Shoot, what would John Wayne do?  Here I sit eating my lunch when I’ve got enough cash in my bank account to fill my pickup bed with water bottles and boxes of cheerios.  Why don’t I get off MY ass?  Sure, there are legit safety questions; could I get through?, would I get hijacked?, etc, etc.  But if I’m not willing/inspired/whatever to make something happen I shouldn’t be as quick to point the finger at others. 

I don’t feel good about this, I hope the powers that be can make some serious progress today (Friday).

sorry for the banwidth... I've never posted a rant before, anywhere
Rob

[Buffo]

I feel bad for them people but they did CHOOSE to live in an are that is below sea level right next to the ocean that regularly get hit by hurricanes.

An aguement could be made that If they couldnt afford flood insurance than maybe they should have moved somewhere that was a little more stable

This was NEVER  a question of "if" but of "when"...and the when is now.

I am not a religious person but it is a remarkable statement. "A fool builds his house upon the sand" I believe it is a metaphorical statement.

I live on an island  miles out in the gulf of mexico...I have taken "precautions" for such an occurance.


On the other hand...maybe we should stop helping other countries entirely and save OUR money for our own problems.

Rome was great at one time.

BTEAS

[Bob Wessner]

As is the case most of the time, there is a certian amount of truth in what you say. However, bare in mind the average per capita income in N.O. is $17,000 so options are probably far more limited when it comes to choosing where they live.

[liquidplumber]

On the other hand...maybe we should stop helping other countries entirely and save OUR money for our own problems.

Buffo, you are 100% correct

[Uncle Ernie]

Most of this is bloated politics. How could we get into Malasia so fast and 4 days later people are just now getting water delivered in our own country?
It's going to be interesting watching all this unfold. I think it's going to take a loong time to figure out. We now have our own American refugees like we used to watch on TV in other 3rd world countries.  I thnk even the Republicans are getting disgusted with this administration. George and the head of FEMA and the gov of Louisiana can't even answer a straight question. Perhaps they no longer know how. When asked why help didn't get in sooner, all of them answer "help is getting there now".

We are now spread too thin all over the world- and this will take longer to get over than the war in Iraq.

 Buffo, people don't always have the ability to go anywhere they want, or prefer to stay around friends and family. Hard to imagine, huh?

This past election, I wanted a bumper sticker that said "I wish I had someone to vote for". If I could move anywhere, I believe I'd move to another country.

[Bob Wessner]

We now have our own American refugees like we used to watch on TV in other 3rd world countries.

You've got that right. Our superior arrongance has taken a long over due beating.

They can't seem to get their stories straight. George W. finally came out and said the response as been in adequate (no sh_t!). Trent Lott is pleased with the gov't's response. Yeah, he lost a house, but how many others does he have and how long will it take him to rebuild?

[Buffo]

If I could work my will, New Orleans would be razed and turned into a protected wet lands.

It will happen again...and like we learned with Florida last year, it could happen a few more times in 1 or 2 years.

in my opinion it is like building a city on an active volcano....

Maybe we should help the unfortunate move.

[Buffo]

Maybe OUR  government should hire the "displaced" to do some clean up work.

It would sure beat lying in the astrodome all day...week...month...year...

(or where ever they are)

[Uncle Ernie]

Wellll, sorry to say that I do kind of agree with the first part. They managed to keep NO pretty dry for a couple hundred years, but it's wet toast now. Time to let it go. NO is alive in memories, music, and movies, but it can never be rebuilt.

Very sad to mourn the death of a time honoured favorite city as well as that of so many people- many of whom have died (or will) AFTER the hurricane.

[cb650]

Fox was showing the old part of town and it didnt get flooded.  The town used to be above sea leval but was built on the silt from the miss river and has sunk.



                      Terry

[Sam Green Racing]

Just had goodish news from Mississippi.

Just got an email from my folks church in pascagoula.
Melanie Tristani the church secretary, said she will check on them tomorow (today Wednesday).
Fingers crossed time.

Sam.

[heffay]

sam~
i am speechless... i wish i could console you in your time of waiting... i'm not a religious man (but, i have been in the past) and still, i pray and my heart goes out to you, your parents, and all those lost.

[Raul CB750K1]

Hey, I heard the other day in the news some comments made by Barbara Bush that I can't believe. Is that true?

Raul

[Einyodeler]

What comments? If you heard it on CNN then it`s probably Not true.

[Raul CB750K1]

No, I heard it in the spanish TV. Something like Barbara Bush commented that she didn't understand why many people in NO was complaining that much, because they already was in a bad situation before Katrina"

I've just googled "Barbara Bush New Orleans and found this:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054719

and the juicy quote is this

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you
know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she
chuckles slightly) is working very well for them."

[jotor]

Australia's organizing some help and money now,I just hope there's no red tape to slow things down

Red Tape--

About 600 refugees have been brought to Salt Lake City.  It's amazing how quickly all their needs have been taken care of.  No problem with red tape at all.  Something needs to be done--it's done. Radio station raising money.  Food and clothing drives taking place, etc.  They are being housed temporarily at Camp Williams.  Some remodelling needed to be done and volunteers from the community spent Labor Day Weekend doing the work, with local businesses contributing the material.  Nobody said "Can't do that, it's a Federal installation.".  Already some families are being moved into apartments--kids are being processd for school.

Now, nothing special about Salt Lake City.  I think the same thing would happen in any city, anywhere.  But it's only 600 people.  How do you deal with 600 thousand?

Still mulling it over....



Uncle Ernie--I saw a bumper sticker last election that said "The evil of two lessers".

[Sam Green Racing]

Have just been in touch with my relatives, they have lost everything but they are alive and well, living with their son my nephew in Virginia.

[Raul CB750K1]

Those are good news. I have always thought that in times of adversity, as long as I still have my life, I would re-invent myself and start a new life. Worldly possesions are just that. What's the difference between loosing everything today or when we die? Shrouds have no pockets, we can't take anything with us to the afterlife. We have to look ahead and, like the Phoenix, get up from the ashes.

This also comes in handy in this bike forum. We care very much about keeping our bikes stock, and keeping them for our relatives, and keeping the old pictures etc. When we die probably the ones that are left will not give a damn about that things that we, with much effort, have kept. So I say, I enjoy my bike today. If I drop it then so be it. Like the old song goes, "this boots are made for walking, and that's what they're gonna do".


Raul

[Mark M]

Interesting point about no one else caring for the bikes we all hold so dear. It's why we all end up here in the first place, the rest of the world simply switches off when we start talking about them. There is probably a good reason for this..........and when we work out what that is we will all be cured!