Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Blowing in the Wind: Lt. Gen. Russel "Stuck on Stupid" Honore gives a good synopsis (scroll down to the "Katrina Hero" video) of what's going on in New Orleans. His basic point -- when a big hurricane hits, there's only so much you can do. All the resources in the world cannot save everyone all at once. There were, of course, major problems with government help on the city, state, and federal level. And red tape seems to be the biggest hang-up even now. But the government cannot fix everything, especially in a major city that was so poor to begin with.

That doesn't change the fact that the city of New Orleans is still hurting, and will be for a while. So many people have moved out indefinitely, that the city remains a shell of what it was. Much of the infrastructure is still in tatters, and there's still a whole lot of mess to clean up all along the Gulf Coast. New Orleans needs money and business pumped back into its economy. Only then will jobs return and will people go back to bring life to, what I consider, the best city on Earth.

In other news, it looks like we're still on Hurricane Hype Alert. Despite all the gloom and doom, the major storms haven't amounted to much yet. Still the news media overreacts to each tropical depression like it could be the next Katrina.

However, I'm enjoying the names of the storms this year. So far we've had Alberto and Ernesto. These aren't hurricanes, they sound like Latin lovers.

Do not fear me. I am Ernesto, a tropical storm of passion. I am strong, yet gentle. As I get closer, I will make you moist.

Okay, I'll stop.