h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks Ivan. I'm going to take a hot shower and pet the cat for a while. That usually makes things better.

Come on Ivan, pass the around!

*Pets&*

Yes, you are right, that's better!

zdt

Any more needed?

Fats Domino missing?! Good Lord! His 'Walking To New Orleans' is amongst my all time favourite songs! I used to sing it to my daughter during night-time feeds.

The world is aghast at the incompetence of the relief effort. What's the vibe in the US? I've just been listening to a radio report from a British student who is housed in the Bowl. He says that water and food supplies are being controlled by gangs.

As for gasoline...sure, I appreciate that the sudden expense will be a hardship for USAnians. But Europe looks in horror at its inexpensiveness in the nation that contributes the overwhelming majority of the world's output of greenhouse gasses. Hurricane Kyoto?

The above perhaps looks a little too carping.

Above all, hearts go out to those personally affected. It really brings it home...all those natural disaters in far-off places have human consequences.

Big hugs to all.

Fats Domino 'rescued but missing'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4206622.stm

"His daughter Keren Domino White told CNN she had seen her father being helped off a rooftop in a newspaper photograph taken on Monday."

It's a crying shame that we're not better prepared to face disasters of this scale, in terms of relief efforts, even if they have never happened previously.

People who feel like trapped animals begin to fight like trapped animals, and that's what's really upsetting me right now. All of those people reduced to the "every man for himself" attitude that takes over. I think it's almost more tragic to have survived the storm and the water surge, only to kill each other off for food, than to have perished in the storm.

Nature kills, but it takes human beings to be cruel or neglectful.

I just heard Bush repeatly saying that is looking forward to see the distaster area...

sorry, but that sound more like "a distaster tourist"....

>>People who feel like trapped animals begin to fight like trapped animals

Now, this is interesting. In the UK, we often talk about 'The Spirit of the Blitz'...the idea that, in the face of disaster everyone pulls together. (Largely wartime propaganda: it wasn't *quite* like that). But I like to think - perhaps naively - that if we were faced with similar circumstances over here, we would go into self-organisation mode rather than lapsing into chaos. We have more of a collectivist mentality than the Americans. Maybe.

There was a neat example of this during rioting in Liverpool during the late 80's. Buildings were on fire and there was danger of the flames spreading to an elderly peoples' home. The home was evacuated and the residents led to safety...by the rioters.

How dreadfully ironic that the UN have offered support.

I'm worried what will happen if there *are* food-drops.

Will the food go to the weakest and starving? Or the strongest and well-armed?

I watched CNN last night and there were witnesses being interviewed, who said babies and small children were being raped and beaten up.
I saw that 9-months pregnant woman, she looked in shock to me

I haven't put the news on at all today.

One of the news stories I've caught over the last few days touched onm (newborn, just before Katrina struck)infants that had been evacuated from New Orleans. They're safe'n'sound in Birmingham, Alabama...however whereabouts of the parents is completely unknown.

This looting is yet another good reason for Walmart ( others)not to stock so many guns. Criminals and mal contents were getting guns right away from the pawn shops and Walmarts Before tvs - food-water et. *Walmart has given 15 million dollars so far in the effort.

The horror of what it must be like at night without lights on top of all elseRapes are happening in the daylight! Cannot imagine how scary the nights are.

**********
Some good news is many people are signing up for letting other people stay in their homes.

I was just wishing out loud yesterday that I had room to put people up at my place. I can easily afford to, but haven't got the space. I did find a check this morning, payment for dog walking, and we've decided to donate the entire amount. Hope it helps a little.

Been reading a lot of stuff online basically saying that the US deserves high gas prices, because we all drive SUVs and such. I know there's a lot of people out there in the world who pay more for gasoline, but really, my biggest concern reagrding gas prices is how I'm going to heat my home. We both commute to work, and we only really use the car (which is a very economical model) when we need to haul groceries or drive long distances, like to the in-laws. But last winter it cost me between $150-$300 a month to heat my place, and that was keeping the thermostat at 66 degrees. What about people who don't make as much money as we do? How will they heat their homes? It frightens me to think of sick and elderly people spending the winter in cold homes because they can't afford heat.

I've been reading the back-log of posts.

When I was 12 my parents and I spent one weekend in the French Quarter. Within minutes of arriving at our hotel, Dad insisted on walking to the river. We walked the few blocks and there was this huge riverboat, Dad bought tickets for the afternoon cruise. For the next three hours I learned about the different ships that entered the port of New Orleans. The next day while Dad was at his business meeting, Mom and I took the day cruise into bayou country on the Mark Twain II. The day after that we headed home.

I did get to ride the trolley all the way to the end of the line and back to our starting point. Walked a few blocks down Bourbon Street, with Mom talking as fast as she could to keep me from looking at anything. Did NOT get to go the Jackson Square, or any of the other site. Yes, I always wanted to go back. I fell in love with the city.

There was some construction going on just down from the quarter. We asked what they were building. It was going to be thier knew domed stadium. It was a long time ago.

I just heard on the TV about the bus accident. It just keeps getting worse doesn't it?

They sell GUNS in a SUPERMARKET?????????????????????????????

And then they wonder why the place is so deadly?

hiss*spit*

zdt

I'm worried what will happen if there *are* food-drops.

Will the food go to the weakest and starving? Or the strongest and well-armed?



Well, the latest I've heard, is that there isn't going to be "drops", the convoys began arriving today, and went first to the superdome
And they are being escorted by bigger men, with bigger guns.
I think things will begin to turn around a bit, it just took longer than anyone would have expected
We (Americans) have been shown several achilies heels in our infrastructure...not the least of which is our power grids

And yes Terri, they sell guns at Wal-Mart

some Americans are more obsessed* about weapons, than sex!

* or should I say first typed abscessed

Domino 'shaken' by storm ordeal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4210564.stm

It's not just New Orleans...

Biloxi and Gulfport are also basically under water.

I work for an ISP; about 10% of our customer base is in the affected area and we have hardware technicians and local office in towns that have been hit very hard. In the last week I've spoken to several people who have lost homes, businesses and family members. It's been an odd experience reading through some of the posts in this thread and seeing some of the reactions...

Hi Gradient,

My brother works for FedEx and he says a steady stream of refugees who used to work at FedEx in the Gulf states has been pouring into the FedEx hub, desperate for jobs.