Infinite Monkeys
"...a sparkly blog..." - James Lileks"Read them only with extreme caution."- Hugh Hewitt
Infinite MonkeysThe guys at Fraters Libertas will now likely be funding the majority of the reconstruction of Louisiana all by themselves.
What do you mean, we can't just print money at will? I though the president said money is no object when it comes to rebuildiing the Gulf Coast. And what is this woman talking about? Doesn't she know that the Republicans are going to govern forever and ever and ever?
I heard a rumor that Monkey David up and moved to the Phoenix area. I don't believe it. There's just no way it could be true. If he had, my childhood friend and the Best Man at my wedding would have certainly called or emailed me about getting together for dinner, or lunch, or coffee, or something...
So if there is horrible damage in Texas, would the relief agencies be able to use money already collected for Katrina relief to help? Remember the huge controversy after 9/11 when relief agencies such as the Red Cross admitted they were going to use the money for other purposes (in that case, of course, there was far less relief needed that originally expected, because the damage was in small areas, and there were few injured, except at the Pentagon).
I had no problem then knowing that my money would be used to help the victims of the next terrorist attack (which I expected sooner, of course) and I have no problem now with Katrina money being used for general hurricane relief. I hope others feel the same way. I was in Beaumont, Texas a couple of months ago, and it was a wonderful place, full of kind people.
Oh, dear Lord. I just noticed I have $2,058.63 worth of music in my iTunes shopping cart. Somebody get me a doctor!
And $2,058! I can probably scrape together the other 63 cents on my own...
What's that you say? Hurricane relief?
I hate every last one of you.
...and totter towards the tomb, I find that I care less and less, that I use the same tropes over and over again.
Crap. That doesn't scan at all.
Brendan Miniter asks an excellent question.
He answers it optimistically, but Republicans would be wise to remember the road to ruin Bill Clinton led the Democrats down...when you compromise your core principles (or abandon them) for political expediency, you dilute the reason to support a party. I believe the first of the two parties that seize the "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" ground will win the vast support of generations X, Y and beyond.
So, my new boss checks in with me via instant messenger this morning, and I respond in Pirate, with a parenthetical note that it's TLaPD. Immediately, he switches in to full-bore pirate speak, and changes his IM status to, "If ye need to parley, do so like a pirate fer it be Talk Like a Pirate Day!"
He stuck with it all day, too - better than I did.
I love my new job.
Me daughters beat me to the "Talk Like A Pirate Day" punch. The scurvy dogs did surprise me in my office with a wee Lego pirate on his raft, with a request to join them in the afternoon fer some celebratin'. I be ashamed.
Why does Google have "Groups" listed as an option on its front page, while the Blog Search feature is buried under the more>> link? Newsgroups? Bulletin boards? Over blogs? What year is this?
Self-absorbed Blogger Extraordinaire Andrew Sullivan today characterized Hugh Hewitt as the Sid Blumenthal of the Bush Administration.
Sid Blumenthal? Sid Vicious??? Please. Hugh's a goober, and sometimes he carries waay to much water for President Bush, but comparing him to Sid Vicious is just idiotic.
I'm trying to remember why I stopped reading Sullivan a couple years ago.
There. Now that I've sucked-up to Hugh Hewitt, does that make Infinite Monkeys his Blog of the Week??? The Day??
President Bush's speech tonight? Eh. Not like you can declare war on hurricanes, although the weather is almost as abstract as terrorism. Bush was right to say that disaster preparedness should be a national security priority. Then again, so is immigration. But as more of us are realizing, the Homeland Security Department just about as diligent as any other federal bureaucracy.
Be prepared, America. Our government clearly is not.
Hugh, of course, thought the speech was first rate. It was fine. Look, the president is doing the best he can, but whether he deploys one Inspector General or 1,000, Bush is a lame duck. Reconstruction of the Gulf Coast? Out of his hands. That giant sucking sound you hear is the grifters and the political hacks descending upon the Big Easy.
$60 billion is just a down payment...
Okay, maybe I'm gonna be called a corporate shill for this, but since Halliburton won't send me money . . .
Anyway, Wal-Mart has a blog? Sort of. It's called Stories of Hope and is intended to tell some feel good stories of "heroism and kindness":
Over the past two weeks, Wal-Mart and its associates have been on the frontlines of every aspect of relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
In that time, we've seen and heard of extraordinary acts of heroism and kindness as neighbors and communities come together to help each other, and we're proud to be part of this community.
Wal-Mart is launching this blog (Wal-Mart's first) to tell these stories and help keep the public informed of ongoing relief efforts and services. This site features the personal histories and photos behind the operations we read about each day-- real-life hurricane heroes who have stopped their daily lives to help, like this Wal-Mart truck driver who was one of the first into New Orleans.
Please come back frequently, and make sure to check back and learn about new ways you can help with relief efforts. Plus, we want to hear your stories: blog@wal-mart.com
Wal-Mart has apparently given (to date) about $17 million cash and $3 million in merchandise for Hurricane Katrina relief. Good for Wal-Mart.
I'd give a tip of the hat to Hugh Hewitt but he could not stop himself from slandering Infinite Monkeys when he warned the Wal-Mart spokesman about visiting Infinite Monkeys and the giggly frat boys in Minnesota. Hell, Minnesota is T*rg*t country, so why would Wal-Mart even acknowledge their existence. But us? Man, that's just mean.
Hey, Hugh! At least we linked to Stories of Hope. Why haven't you?
No, no... the last four years have been some kind of dream. Or a waking nightmare. The towers weren't knocked down by terrorists in hijacked planes. There is no Global War on Terror. No, no... it's just a way for Bush to bulk up the profit margins for his corporate crony pals. Just like he's doing right now in New Orleans. He had to destroy the city to save it, don't you see. The jihad is not real.
I just got a firsthand report of the effort to aid those displaced by Katrina from New Orleans to here in Phoenix, AZ. My mother's offer to volunteer her services as a professional grief counselor was accepted and she was invited to serve where several hundred refugees are being housed and cared for at Veterans' Memorial Coliseum downtown. This afternoon she gave me a brief account off what she witnessed (excluding, excluding, of course, anything about the private issues discussed in her counseling).
Her first words were, "You would have been so impressed by the operation. There must have been twenty different agencies all working together. Of course, a few each think they're in charge, but it didn't seem to cause any problems. It's just obvious that this is being run by someone - by people - who have thought of everything."
She continued, "They have a huge bank of phones for them to use free. They have tables of computers for them to use. There are job placement services operating and lots, lots of people already have jobs." She explained that one of the men there had been on the front page of the local paper, which featured him as one of the first of the bunch to secure employment. He was signing people's copies of the front page, "just like a celebrity." She went on to explain that somewhere near 100 people had already been able to move out of the Coliseum shelter and into houses or apartments. But I think the efficiency of the operation was summed up when she gently grabbed my wrist and said, "Brad, kids who were on rooftops Tuesday were in school today." Stranded in a devastated NOLA one day - fed, clothed, comforted, and in class in Phoenix three days later.
She explained that no effort seemed spared to help the newcomers feel oriented and connected to the world. There were maps posted illustrating where Phoenix and Arizona were in relation to where they had come from and the rest of the country. There were media walls featuring all of the major magazines' coverage of the Katrina news and articles from many papers.
But her voice dropped to a whisper when she recounted the next part to me. She said, "I never brought it up, I never asked a question about it, but they kept offering it in conversation - the ones these people are mad at are..." and then she practically mouthed the words (why, I have no idea, as only my two kids were in the room) "the mayor and the governor. They are furious with them. Steaming." And again, she reaffirmed that she was not asking, she did not conduct a poll, but she reported, almost disbelievingly, that not a one mentioned being upset with Bush or the administration. She said Bush, the administration, the federal response were never mentioned. "Not once," she said, "To a person." But mom said they were quick to voice their heated displeasure at the local and state response.
Then she reported something funny. Who was the most appreciated responder to Katrina? I was expecting maybe the Coast Guard swimmers and the helicopters. But nope. As my mind raced to think of who else stood out, she hit me with it: Oprah. Yep, Oprah. Mom recounted how the very idea of Oprah seemed "revered" down at the Coliseum. She said, "Oh, to hear those women go on about Oprah, you'd think she was divine." I'd heard of Oprah taking a bunch of celebs to NOLA to take in the scene, seek answers, and light a few proverbial fires under some people. Yes, mom and I agreed, Oprah is one powerful person. But the ladies at the shelter might argue that that's an understatement.
I don't know quite how to wrap up, other than to say that I am proud of my mom and of my city. Beyond the efforts outlined above, the general populace has come out in force to help our guests / new neighbors. Folks have waited in lines over an hour long in the Coliseum parking lot just to drop off donations of clothes, supplies, baby walkers, etc. The surge of enthusiasm to help has led to tight security for the refugees inside, lest they be overrun. The registered displaced persons are free to come and go from their temporary home, but their privacy is closely guarded - so much so that despite the invitation, my mom couldn't get in the first night she went down. One has to be expected and have their credentials very much in order to be allowed inside.
Of course, history has shown us that there are less than altruistic reasons to keep out people who aren't supposed to be there. There will always be those few who engage in the dirt-baggery of trying to take advantage of the (however temporarily) vulnerable, or of trying to pass oneself off falsely as a victim for personal gain. But I believe that such are few in our town, vastly outnumbered by those inspired by a desire to do good in a more tangible way. My Great Uncle (on my mother's side) likes to quote Mother Theresa's advice for those who wish to help others: "You've got to touch the people."
Hugh makes an interesting point about the level of violent crime in New Orleans before the hurricane. I'd add further that had the President ordered troops into New Orleans as the hurricane struck, the cries of racism would have been deafening.
(Also, speaking of Hugh, he links to this must read.)
Fraters boy JB Doubtless is apparently going to bite the bullet this weekend and get married. Given JB's questionable taste in liquor, one can only hope that someone else is responsible for the booze.
And I'm assuming that poor JB won't be allowed to darken the entrance to any house of worship for the blessed occasion. I doubt they would want a replay of this:
That's A Paddlin'
So I'm walking into church this morning sort of laughing to myself at the parking job someone had created out of a nonexistant space in the lot. Mass is about to start and there are plenty of people piling into the building. About 10 feet from the entrance I hit a nasty patch of pure ice caused by yesterday's above freezing temps and dang near violenty spill myself on the pavement. I loudly bellow "JESUS EFFING CHRIST!" as the scare of the fall made me completely forget where I was or what I was doing. Only I didn't say effing.
What a boorish, ill-mannered ass I felt like! Several old women (think of those old dames who look on unapprovingly as Mary Tyler Moore tosses her hat on Nicollet Mall) shoot me some of the dirtiest looks I've seen since the last time I cut in at the buffet line at Shoney's.
Families with children look over to see who could have been such a crass lowlife. I just kind of looked back as if to say "Hi. I'm pretty much an ahole. How ya doin'?"
Congratulations and Good luck, JB.
And watch your step.
Looking for something disgusting, but just can't bring yourself to search the foreign press for photos of the "non-survivors" in Katrina's wake? I may have just the thing.
Tonight at dinner I heard third-hand that some folks are tossing around the term "ethnic cleansing" with regard to the flood in NOLA. And here I thought I'd heard it all when some doofus leader of an ACLU branch was objecting to the use of the term "refugees" for Katrina's displaced persons because he claimed it had racist overtones (it was tv - no link - sorry).
Now, now, I know it's standard blog-fare to shout "look at the crazies!" A dose of the usually suspect blogs is often more than enough to boost one's own status on the sane-O-meter. But I just had to see who was using the "ethnic cleansing" rhetoric. The top hit for my string of "'ethnic cleansing' levee Bush" was enough to give me the same feeling I got when I unfortunately heard today's news account of the "freezer" at the Superdome. As usual, it's in the comments where the tinfoil gets fashioned into the really elaborate fedoras. I know, you're rolling your eyes at the thought of reading some nutty commentors' submissions. C'mon... I know I may have just about lost you when I reached for the tinfoil cliche, but I think the evidence will bear me out.
Perhaps it's just that I've been out of the blogging habit for so long, but I'm really at a loss for how to express my dismay. I know a Google search and a comments file can offer little in terms of the width of such "ideas." Believe it or not, it's the depth that surprises me. I guess I've been on the web and on the bike long enough that the callousness have worn off.
I'm also left wondering.... I've read that apologetic defenses of the Biblical gospels claim that it takes many, many decades for myths and legends to take hold; far beyond the Christology recorded in the epistles within 10 -20 years after the crucifixion, particularly because during that time there would be so many eye-witnesses around to contradict inconsistencies. But does that paradigm still fit today's postmodern, web-accelerated times? I'm already hearing radio callers who are dogmatically holding to a timeline of when disaster area status was declared, and when the levee(s) broke than what can be determined by a review of recent newspapers. Even whether or not New Orleans was directly hit by Katrina seems to be a matter of debate among some (not to mention the weather-control theorists in the above-mentioned comments). I know I ought not be surprised by the cognitive dissonance emanating from those who claim that BusHitler is at once Chimpy the Incompetent Evil Genius.
Please, say something to assuage me.
President Bush announced this morning that he will nominate John Roberts to replace the late William Rehnquist as Chief Justice. Well, at least the vetting process is out of the way.
But I wonder -- I have no idea, just thinking out loud here -- if the move complicates Roberts confirmation chances? Everyone knows he's a fine lawyer, and seems to be a decent judge. But it's one thing promote a man to an associate justice's chair, quite another to give him the chief's seat. I haven't looked at the history -- I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet this morning -- but it seems to me the last relatively inexperienced jurist to be promoted to Chief Justice of the United States was John Marshall.
UPDATE: John Hinderaker, who has obviously had his morning caffeine infusion, explains the new and improved Roberts nomination better than I can.
No, not Iraq.
Does that mean it's a quagmire and we need an exit strategy?
What is it the Daily Kos would say? "Screw them"?
Robert Hilburn in the excreble Los Angeles Times:
By censoring Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West's remarks critical of President Bush during its West Coast feed of the program Friday night, the network violated the most moving and essential moment in an otherwise sterile, self-serving corporate broadcast.
Yes, because the most "essential" moment in an effort supposedly dedicated to helping people was the part in which a hip-hop artist railed stupidly against the President. Shut up, you has-been hack. Just shut your pretentious gob.
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is dead after a year-long battle with thyroid cancer. Rehnquist died at home tonight, surrounded by his children.
Obviously, Rehnquist's death comes at a terribly difficult time in our nation's history. A major American city is mostly under water. A swath of our territory slightly larger than the state of Idaho is more or less destroyed. A highly contentious confirmation for another justice is a few days from getting underway. Barring a revelation of some terribly perverse nature, Roberts' elevation to the court is all the more imperative now.
President Bush is weakened by a series of disasters not entirely of his making. But we cannot deny these are perilous times in our politics. The quarreling will begin before Rehnquist's body is cold...
UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt offers an eloquent paean to Rehnquist and the genius of 1789. Oh, and he hopes Bush names Michael Luttig to the chief's seat.
Paul Mirengoff at Powerline laments the passing of a giant, but notes ruefully that "it's a bit misleading to refer to" the Rehnquist Court. "If Nixon, Reagan and Bush-I done a better job picking Justices, the Rehnquist court would have been a fitting memorial to the man." Oh, Mirengoff thinks Luttig is a good pick, too.
As you're considering which charitable organization(s) will put your donations to best use in the Katrina relief efforts, may I offer my humble endorsement of Food for the Hungry (Katrina-specific page here.)
Food for the Hungry's North American headquarters is here in Phoenix, and I know several people who work for the organization. They are widely recognized as one of the most efficient charitable organizations in the country.
The organization was one of the NGOs most heavily involved in the Tsunami relief efforts earlier in the year. In these early days of the crisis, their current focus in the Katrina effort is sending personal hygiene care kits, and partnering with other organizations on the ground to distribute food and medical supplies. They also have teams assessing what other assistance they are equipped to provide.
I received an e-mail from a college friend who was letting everyone from our old fraternity and sister sorority on our e-mail list know about what his church was doing in the Katrina relief efforts. The first response was one of the most vitriolic, hate-filed rants attacking George Bush that I've ever read. Well, that's not true. I've seen some stuff over the last two days from the left that makes the last election look like a tea party. I cannot imagine that any of this is helpful to fundraising and relief efforts. Donor fatigue is a real concern in any disaster. But do you want to turn-off and anger potential donors? And honestly, if you are so consumed with hatred of George Bush right now, you really need to do some soul searching.
Ignore these jerks and give til it hurts.
I saw an AP story today critical of the Bush administration supposedly cutting back on Corps flood control projects (the AP story by Andrew Taylor at least notes that Carter and Clinton did the same), it probably is worth pointing out that the political interest in flood control projects generally lasts from the moment of the flood until the sun starts to shine and things dry up. At that point the issue is generally forgotten by the politicians and the press and they move on to something else.
After the January 1997 floods, there was a flurry of activity in the California legislature and among the politicans. But within weeks, when the sun came out and the flood dangers passed, the issue generally is forgotten by all but the legislators whose constituents were the ones flooded.
More importantly, I cannot think of any flood control project, whether it be construction, remediation, etc., that could be completed in five years from the date of appropriation, unless the design of the project and the EIR's and property acquisitions are already done, which is unlikely. Hell, the various engineering, environmental, etc., studies can't even get done in that time, not to mention the contracting and construction. (And more months are lost every year when the weather makes construction impossible.)
Generally, the Corps of Engineers appropriation is not the end of the process. In the flood control projects I have seen in California, the Corps will cost share 45%, and the state will be required to pony up the other 55% and indemnify the Corps (they will do the work and turn the levees over to the State). Not sure if that was the case with the Louisiana levees, but my guess is that it is.
If the people want flood control NOW, then support waivers of the environmental restrictions (mitigation for some damn bug that nobody has ever seen) that do nothing but add to the cost of the project and slow it down by years. From the time a problem is identified until the time it is fixed can easily take ten years or more.
And maybe the Republican Congress could scale back on the wasteful pork barrell spending too? What a thought.
See Michelle Malkin's post "The Blame Game" which includes
EYE OF THE STORM; LEVEE-BUILDING DELAYS LEAVE WEST BANK VUNERABLE. By Pam Louwagie, West Bank bureau (New Orleans Times Picayune), June 1, 1999
Michelle summariezes the article
The Times-Picayune's articles make clear that throughout much of the 1990s, officials in Louisiana couldn't come up with state money needed to match federal funds. The resignation of Rep. Bob Livingston in December 1998 didn't help. (Livingston was chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; federal funding for flood control projects was one of his pet projects.) Nor did environmental laws, such as the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. (Construction on a hurricane protection levee in St. Charles Parish was halted for months because a great egret nesting area sat in the levee's path.)
Heard on the Bob & Tom Show today a great name for a bar.
The 13th Step.
Yes, MAAD and AA would go absolutely nuts. But you can't buy that kind of free publicity!
The 13th Step. I like it.