There's something symbolic here. Loads of food and other supplies were grounded for the duration of Bush's visit to New Orleans. Helicopters that were supposed to deliver the supplies were banned from flying while he was there. Security gone mad.So, the photo-op interfered with the real work of recovery. How typical. [Ceejbot]

Chertoff Continues the BIG Lie The lie: “the levees were never expected to break.” First uttered by Bush is now being defended by the head of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. “That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight,” Chertoff said. He called the disaster “breathtaking… Continue reading Chertoff Continues the BIG Lie

The Feds Should have Acted Larry Johnson provides the specific provisions of the National Response Plans that details how the Federal government is mandated to take proactive steps in an “event of national significance” like Katrina. It didn't. State and local governments are not required to ask for support prior to the implementation of the… Continue reading The Feds Should have Acted

Another day in the wake of Katrina. Things that make me want to pull my hair out: Michael Chertoff, our Director of Homeland Security, stated today that the disaster along the Gulf Coast is “breathtaking in its surprise” and that its occurrence was “not reasonably forseeable”. (You can listen to the second quote yourself.) He… Continue reading Another day in the wake of Katrina

Scientific American article in 2001: “A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under 20 feet of water, killing thousands. Human activities along the Mississippi River have dramatically increased the risk, and now only massive reengineering of southeastern Louisiana can save the city.” [Scripting News]

Jason Lefkowitz, via email: “Bill Moyers' PBS show NOW did an entire program on the subject of 'what happens if New Orleans gets hit by a category 5 hurricane' in 2002:” [Scripting News]

Cronyism Comes Home to Roost. Among the political fallout: taking center stage is Michael Brown, head of FEMA — which is widely being lambasted for its handling of the New Orleans disaster this week. Brown's job history, and the story of how he got his current job, makes for interesting reading, as reporters fit the… Continue reading Cronyism Comes Home to Roost

Ubuntu and iFolder After Calvin's hearty efforts in the build system, I was able to build and install iFolder on Ubuntu today! Sweet!  [Boyd's Blog]

Reuters: POTUS Denies Anyone Knew, Despite Times-Picayune Published Studies that Levees Vulnerable. Reuters:  “In comments on Thursday, President George W. Bush said, “I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” But Louisiana State University engineer Joseph Suhayda and others have warned for years that defenses could fail. … [Unintended Consequences]

Katrina Tab May Exceed $100 Billion. How many occurrences?. Risk Management Solutions estimates over $100 billion in economic loss from Katrina, according to Insurance Journal, which said: “Hurricanes of category 4 or 5 strength are well-understood to occur in this region of the country, yet the levee system in New Orleans was designed only to… Continue reading Katrina Tab May Exceed $100 Billion. How many occurrences?