Thursday, August 29, 2024

Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath

 A little while post-Katrina (8/29/05), I taught myself html in order to share with the rest of the world how bad the storm actually was.

There was no Facebook or Twitter or ANY social media, so blogging was the only way to 

"get the word out".  I was inspired by a group of NOLA bloggers who were telling their stories during and after Katrina.  Some very well-written and heartbreaking stories were shared.  

I called my page "KATRINA's Aftermath" and was using the Angelfire platform to share my take on Katrina's aftermath.  Since then, Angelfire was gobbled up by Lycos and Lycos went to Hover and I haven't tried to figure out where that all ended up.  BUT my page is still there, under the Angelfire address after all these years.  I tried to figure out how to get the html for that page and others linked thru it, but I can't figure it out.  I may just copy and paste the pages over here on Blogger and hope for the best.

ANYWAY, if anyone is interested about what it was like - both in pictures and words - the address to my page is this:

https://www.angelfire.com/la3/judyb/katrina.html

Bear in mind that some links no longer exist, but a lot still do.  Some of the NOLA bloggers' stories are available thru links on the Katrina Aftermath page.  Take a browse, do some reading, look at the pictures.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Nineteen Years Have Passed

 Hurricane Katrina was heading for the Gulf Coast 19 years ago today.  It was a Saturday, interstates were bumper to bumper.  My husband worked for Amtrak and couldn't get off from work, so we stayed.   The National Weather Service  published this warning and what they said was so very on spot. 




 A friend told me - after Katrina - that it would take at least 10 years before things got back "to normal"  She was right.

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Here is a link from the live coverage of Katrina from WWL radio.  They were the onlyl place where we could get info from:  WWL radio - which was the only station broadcasting all thru the storm (that's what we listened to as we stayed for the storm) has offered links to the broadcasts before and during the storm at this link:  https://www.audacy.com/wwl/news/weather/wwl-radio-coverage-of-hurricane-katrina-17-years-ago

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From Twitter

On this date 19 years ago, Hurricane Katrina's huge 30 mile wide eye was sporting 175 mph winds...even though Katrina officially made landfall as a Cat 3 with 125 mph winds on the 29th, this huge storm already had written that it was going to bring a tremendous and record-breaking storm surge. At it's most intense on the 28th, the pressure was down to 902mb/26.64" and was likely producing peak waves over 100 feet in the Gulf of Mexico...the surge along the Mississippi Coast reached a record 27 feet that penetrated inland some 6-12 miles.

With the levee failures in the New Orleans area the storm became the most costliest on record with 200 billion dollars in damage, and tragically, an estimated 1,836 fatalities. 23 days later a more intense Hurricane Rita (180mph/885mb max) struck the Louisiana Coast as a Cat 3 bringing a huge storm surge that covered more than 1500 square miles of coast and up to 30 miles inland. Hurricane Wilma a month later (183mph/882mb max) went on to become more intense than both Katrina and Rita. I'll never forget covering that storm and its aftermath... Let's hope we never see another season like 2005...
#lawx #HurricaneKatrina

How Low Can He Go

In another attempt to show how "good" he is, drumpf showed up at Arlington National Cemetary on August 26th for several photo ops.  

Many Americans agree that Arlington is sacred ground, where US Veterans who died fighting for this country are buried.  

drumpf chose to go to a section of the Cemetery where recently lost soldiers are buried.  Then he chose to do a photo shoot at a grave with the family of that soldier.  With thumbs up.  Disgusting.  

Here are recaps of the events, from CNN and NPR






NPR recap of events 
NOTE:  magats want to "defund" NPR for publishing this story

Two members of Donald Trump's campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation Monday with an official at Arlington National Cemetery, where the former president participated in a wreath-laying ceremony, NPR has learned.

A source with knowledge of the incident said the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried. The source said Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff members would be authorized to take photographs or film in the area, known as Section 60.



When the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering Section 60, campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside, according to the source.

Trump participated in an event to mark the third anniversary of a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdrew from the country; 13 U.S. service members were killed in the attack. The Trump campaign has blamed President Biden and Vice President Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, for the chaotic withdrawal.

In a statement to NPR, Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's spokesman, strongly rejected the notion of a physical altercation, adding: "We are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.

"The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony," Cheung said in the statement.

The Trump campaign declined to make that footage immediately available.

In a statement to NPR, Arlington National Cemetery said it "can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed."

SOURCE:  
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5091154/trump-arlington-cemetery





Monday, August 26, 2024

Farewell NYT

 Monday, August 26, 2024 New York Times opinion piece



This opinion was written by a person named Rich Lowry.  A google search tells me this:

 
Richard Lowry is an American writer who is the former editor and now editor-in-chief of National Review, an American conservative news and opinion magazine. Lowry became editor of National Review in 1997 when selected by its founder, William F. Buckley, Jr., to lead the magazine.

I haven't read Rich's opinion.  But seeing that headlline for a publication that describes  themselves like this really sickens me that they allowed the essay to be published.

 "
Our mission is simple: We seek the truth and help people understand the world. This mission is rooted in our belief that great journalism has the power to make each reader's life richer and more fulfilling, and all of society stronger and more just."

I agree that everyone is allowed an opinion about things like politics, but having the NYT publish this opinion gives the message that they are endorsing Trump.  

I have cancelled my subscription to the NYT and will never read their paper again.

Here is a comment from a NYT reader






Monday Smile


 

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Saturday, August 24, 2024

A Little Bit of Carville

 



James Carville is someone that you love or hate.
I happen to think he's funny, so enjoy this short video.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Enraging and Heartbreaking

 



This video is as hard to watch as when it was happening.  America needs to vote  against this horrific piece of shit or he will never have to pay for his part.  PLEASE VOTE BLUE.

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Michelle Obama on Those Pesky Black Jobs

 


The West Wing

 Twenty-five years ago there was a television show called "The West Wing".  It was, in my opinion, a fantastic show:  great writing, great acting and very believable storylines.



If you've never seen it, a synopsis of the program is in the picture below, along with info on where you can find it.  
(click on image to enlarge)


This afternoon on NPR, there was a piece about the West Wing to promote a new book being released about the program.  I was excited to listen, but my smart speaker kept going off due to a spotty wi-fi signal.  Thanks, Verizon.  

Here's a link to that NPR piece.  It's an 8 minute listen: 

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/20/nx-s1-5073884/inside-the-west-wing-25-years-later  

If you're interested in purchasing the book, the cheapest price I've found is on Abe Books.    I'm all for the writers making money, but I'm on a limited budget, so I always look for deals.  

The SCOTUS Women

Women of the Supreme Court just did what far too many elected officials have failed to do: they stood up to Trump’s MAGA regime and called b...